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adulterated, and what is true and guileless justice. Since, however, many even of the wise men from without have put forth arguments concerning justice, and plausibly deceive those who are not able to follow the true argument concerning this subject, the book promises to make known true justice, so that we may escape the harm from their sophisms. Moreover, the laws of the nations, having great variance with one another, create confusion in the minds of those who have not grasped the precise account of justice. For some nations consider patricide just; but other nations shun all murder as unholy. And some highly prize self-control; while others rage with lust for mothers and daughters and sisters. And in general, many, being overcome by ancient custom, do not discern the abomination of what is done. But this book, by teaching the things concerning true justice, delivers men from the passions arising from irrationality. And justice, 31.404 on the one hand, is that which is exercised among us, the distribution of what is equal. For even if we do not achieve it with precision, yet by acting with the most just intention, we do not fall short of the goal. But there is another, brought down from heaven from the just judge, which is both corrective and retributive, the contemplation of which is very difficult because of the loftiness of the doctrines laid up in it. For I think the Psalmist means this when he says: Your justice is like the mountains of God. It promises, therefore, to make manifest this truly real and divine justice to those who have been trained in proverbial teaching. Again, since of the things sinned some are involuntary, and others are sinned from a wicked intention, the definition of justice is not the same for these. For let us suppose that fornication is the matter being judged, and two prostitutes. But the one, having been sold to a pimp, is in the evil by necessity, offering the labor of her body to her wicked master; while the other, for the sake of pleasure, has willingly given herself over to sin. Therefore, involuntary acts meet with pardon in one way, and acts from a wicked choice are condemned in another. Again, one man has sinned, having been wickedly raised from the beginning; for he was brought into life by unjust parents, and was nurtured with both unlawful words and deeds; but another, having many things that call him to virtue: a most honorable upbringing, the admonition of parents, the precision of teachers, the hearing of more divine words, a disciplined way of life, and the other things by which a soul is trained toward virtue; then he too has slipped into the same sin; how shall such a one not rightly be deemed worthy of a heavier punishment? For the one will be accused only on the basis of the saving starting-points sown in our thoughts, as not having used them soundly; but the other, in addition to this, will also be accused as having betrayed all the cooperation given to him, and through inattention having been dragged down into the wicked life. To understand true justice, therefore, is truly a matter of great intellect and a most perfect mind. And perhaps it also holds a promise, that the one who has been instructed in proverbial matters will henceforth be able to apply himself to the precision of theology. For true justice is Christ, Who became for us wisdom from God, and justice and sanctification and redemption. To directing judgment is yoked the knowing of true justice. For it is impossible for one not previously instructed concerning what is just to be able to discern disputes correctly. For not even Solomon himself, if he did not have precise reasoning about justice within himself, could have delivered that much-celebrated judgment so correctly and aptly, which he judged for the prostitutes concerning the child. For since the things said by each were without witness, he had recourse to nature, and through it he found the unknown things; the one not the mother 31.405 apathetically accepting the destruction of the child, while the true mother, because of her natural affection, could not even bear the hearing of the suffering

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νενοθευμένη, καὶ τίς ἡ ἀληθινὴ καὶ ἄδολος δικαιοσύνη. Ἐπεὶ μέντοι πολλοὺς καὶ οἱ ἔξωθεν σοφοὶ κατεβάλοντο λόγους περὶ δικαιοσύνης, καὶ πιθανῶς παρακρούονται τοὺς μὴ δυναμένους τῷ ἀληθεῖ λόγῳ περὶ τοῦ σκέμματος τούτου ἐπακολουθῆσαι, ἐπαγγέλλεται γνωρίσειν ἡ βίβλος τὴν ἀληθῆ δικαιοσύνην, ὥστε τὸ ἐκ τῶν σοφισμάτων ἡμᾶς βλαβερὸν διαδρᾶναι. Ἤδη δὲ καὶ τὰ νόμιμα τῶν ἐθνῶν, πολλὴν πρὸς ἄλληλα ἔχοντα τὴν διαφορὰν, σύγχυσιν ἐμποιεῖ ταῖς διανοίαις τῶν μὴ τὸν ἀκριβῆ τῆς δικαιοσύνης λόγον κατειληφότων. Ἔνια μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἐθνῶν τὴν πατροφονίαν δικαίαν τίθενται· ἄλλα δὲ τῶν ἐθνῶν πάντα φόνον ὡς ἀνόσιον ἀποτρέπεται. Καὶ τὰ μὲν σωφροσύνην ὑπερτιμᾷ· τὰ δὲ μητράσι καὶ θυγατράσι καὶ ἀδελφαῖς ἐπιμαίνεται. Καὶ ὅλως πολλοὶ, ἀρχαίῳ ἔθει κεκρατημένοι, τὸ μυσαρὸν τῶν γινομένων οὐ διακρίνουσιν. Ἡ δὲ βίβλος αὕτη, διδάσκουσα τὰ περὶ τῆς ἀληθοῦς δικαιοσύνης, ῥύεται τῶν ἐξ ἀλογίας παθῶν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους. Ἔστι δὲ δικαιο31.404 σύνη, ἡ μέν τις ἐν ἡμῖν στρεφομένη, ἡ τοῦ ἴσου διανομή. Ἐὰν γὰρ καὶ μὴ τυγχάνωμεν αὐτοῦ κατὰ ἀκρίβειαν, ἀλλὰ γνώμῃ τῇ δικαιοτάτῃ ποιοῦντες, οὐκ ἀποπίπτομεν τοῦ σκοποῦ. Ἡ δέ τις οὐρανόθεν ἐπ- αγομένη παρὰ τοῦ δικαίου κριτοῦ, ἥ τε ἐπανορθωτικὴ καὶ ἡ ἀνταποδοτικὴ, ἧς πολὺ τὸ δυσθεώρητον διὰ τὸ ὕψος τῶν ἐναποκειμένων αὐτῇ δογμάτων. Τοῦτο γὰρ οἶμαι λέγειν τὸν Ψαλμῳδόν· Ἡ δικαιοσύνη σου ὡς ὄρη Θεοῦ. Ἐπαγγέλλεται οὖν ταύτην τὴν ὄντως ἀληθῆ καὶ θείαν δικαιοσύνην φανερὰν καταστήσειν τοῖς ἐγγεγυμνασμένοις τῇ παροιμιώδει διδασκαλίᾳ. Πάλιν ἐπειδὴ τῶν ἁμαρτανομένων τὰ μὲν ἀκούσιά ἐστι, τὰ δὲ ἀπὸ γνώμης πονηρᾶς ἁμαρτάνεται, καὶ ὁ τοῦ δικαίου ὅρος οὐχ ὁ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τούτοις. Ὑποθώμεθα γὰρ πορνείαν εἶναι τὸ κρινόμενον, καὶ πόρνας δύο. Ἀλλ' ἡ μὲν, πορνοβοσκῷ πραθεῖσα, πρὸς ἀνάγκην ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ κακῷ, τὴν ἐκ τοῦ σώματος ἐργασίαν τῷ πονηρῷ δεσπότῃ παρεχομένη· ἡ δὲ διὰ τὴν ἡδονὴν ἑκουσίως ἑαυτὴν ἐπιδοῦσα τῇ ἁμαρτία. Ἄλλως οὖν τὰ ἀκούσια τυγχάνει συγγνώμης, καὶ ἄλλως τὰ ἐκ μοχθηρᾶς προαιρέσεως κατακρίνεται. Πάλιν ὁ μέν τις ἥμαρτε, πονηρῶς τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τεθραμμένος· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὑπὸ γονέων ἀδίκων εἰς τὸν βίον παρήχθη, καὶ συνετράφη καὶ ῥήμασι καὶ πράξεσι παρανόμοις· ἄλλος δὲ πολλὰ ἔχων τὰ προκαλού-μενα αὐτὸν εἰς ἀρετήν· ἀνατροφὴν σεμνοτάτην, νουθέτησιν γονέων, διδασκάλων ἀκρίβειαν, ἀκρόασιν λόγων θειοτέρων, δίαιταν κατεσταλμένην, τὰ ἄλλα οἷς ψυχὴ παιδαγωγεῖται πρὸς ἀρετήν· εἶτα καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς τὴν ὁμοίαν ἁμαρτίαν ὑπώλισθε· πῶς οὐχὶ βαρυτέρας δικαίως ὁ τοιοῦτος τῆς τιμωρίας ἀξιωθήσεται; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ μόναις ταῖς κατεσπαρμέναις ἐν ταῖς ἐννοίαις ἡμῶν σωτηρίοις ἀφορμαῖς ἐγκληθήσεται, ὡς οὐ χρησάμενος αὐταῖς ὑγιῶς· ὁ δὲ πρὸς τούτῳ, καὶ ὡς προδεδωκὼς πᾶσαν τὴν δεδομένην αὐτῷ συνέργειαν, καὶ δι' ἀπροσεξίαν εἰς τὸν πονηρὸν βίον κατασυρείς. Τὸ οὖν νοῆσαι τὴν ἀληθῆ δικαιοσύνην μεγάλης ὄντως διανοίας καὶ φρενὸς τελειοτάτης. Μήποτε δὲ καὶ ἐπαγγελίαν ἔχει, τὸν τὰ παροιμιακὰ παιδευθέντα δυνήσεσθαι λοιπὸν ἐπιβαλεῖν τῇ ἀκριβείᾳ τῆς θεολογίας. Ἡ γὰρ ἀληθὴς δικαιοσύνη ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστὸς, Ὃς ἐγενήθη ἡμῖν σοφία ἀπὸ Θεοῦ, δικαιοσύνη τε καὶ ἁγιασμὸς, καὶ ἀπολύτρωσις. Συνέζευκται τῷ γνῶναι δικαιοσύνην ἀληθῆ τὸ κρῖμα κατευθῦναι. Ἀμήχανον γὰρ τὸν μὴ προπαιδευθέντα περὶ τοῦ δικαίου δύνασθαι τὰς ἀμφισβητήσεις ὀρθῶς διακρῖναι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτὸς Σολομὼν, εἰ μὴ εἶχε τοὺς περὶ τοῦ δικαίου λόγους ἀκριβεῖς ἐν ἑαυτῷ, ἠδύνατο τὴν πολυθρύλλητον ἐκείνην κρίσιν οὕτως ὀρθῶς καὶ εὐθυβόλως ἐξενεγκεῖν, ἣν ἔκρινε ταῖς πόρναις περὶ τοῦ παιδίου. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀμάρτυρα ἦν τὰ παρ' ἑκατέρας λεγόμενα, ἐπὶ τὴν φύσιν ἐχώρησε, καὶ δι' αὐτῆς εὗρε τὰ ἀγνοούμενα· τῆς μὲν ἀλλοτρίας 31.405 ἀπαθῶς καταδεξαμένης τοῦ παιδίου τὴν ἀναίρεσιν, τῆς δὲ ἀληθοῦς μητρὸς διὰ τὴν φυσικὴν φιλοστοργίαν οὐδὲ τὴν ἀκοὴν ἀνασχομένης τοῦ πάθους