by his own choice—and what is an attribute of his and an inseparable concomitant of his essence. They also know that a person’s color (1), height, and breadth are not willed by him, subject to his power, or brought about by him, because they are inseparable from him and do not fall within his power and will (2). By contrast, those actions that fall within his power and will (3) are his actions: they are within his power and are willed by him. If these actions were assumed to be inseparable from his essence, like color (4) and physical dimensions, this would be unintelligible. Rather, that very assumption would establish [thereby] (5) that these are not his actions or effects, but attributes [of his] (6).

Furthermore, if the world has never been devoid of temporal events as a class—as you have conceded, as proof establishes, and indeed as the overwhelming majority of rational people agree—then it would be impossible (7) for the world to be produced without temporal events, since that which necessarily entails something cannot exist without its necessary concomitant. Nor could the fashioned (8) and effected entity that entails temporal events be eternal. Every part of the world must necessarily contain temporal events.

The claim of these philosophers that the intellects are devoid of temporal events is among the falsest of assertions, even if the intellects had existence in external reality [yet how could they, when they have no reality in the external world?] (9). This is because, according to them, the effect (10) of the intellects—namely, the souls