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he says. But He does not punish by famine alone, but also by countless other means; one who is in poverty He has often corrected by famine, but one who is rich and enjoys abundance, by dangers, by sicknesses, by untimely deaths; for He is resourceful, and has various remedies for our salvation. Thus also judges do; they do not only honor nor crown those who inhabit the cities, nor do they only give gifts, but they also often punish. For this reason a sword has been sharpened for them, and pits prepared, and the wheel, and cudgels, and executioners, and countless other forms of punishment. What the executioner is, then, in the case of judges, this is famine in the case of God, like an executioner, correcting us and leading us away from wickedness. So too it is possible to see in the case of farmers. For they do not only tend the root of the vine nor fence it around, but they also prune it and cut off many of the branches; for this reason they have not only a hoe, but also pruning-hooks suitable for cutting. But yet we do not accuse these either; but we even admire them most of all then, when we see them cutting off much that is useless, so that by the removal of the superfluous they might prepare great preservation for what remains. How then is it not absurd, to judge a father, and a physician, and a judge, and a farmer in this way, and to neither blame nor accuse him when he casts his son out of the house, nor the physician when he cuts the sick man, nor the judge when he punishes, nor the farmer when he cuts; but to blame God and assail him with countless accusations, if ever He should wish to raise us up, as if heavy-headed, from the great drunkenness of our wickedness? Of what great madness would you think it is, not to grant even the same justification to the Master as we grant to our fellow-servants, 6. These things I say now, fearing for the accusers themselves, lest kicking against the goads, they bloody their feet, lest throwing stones at heaven, they receive the wounds on their own head. But I have another, greater argument to say than this. For setting aside the question of whether God has taken from us beneficially—speaking for the sake of argument—I say this only, that if He took what was given, not even so could anyone have accused Him; for He was lord of His own things. Among men, when they entrust valuables to us and lend money, we acknowledge our gratitude for the time for which they lent it, but we are not indignant for the time in which they take back their own things; but will we accuse God for wishing to take His own things, tell me? and how is this not the utmost folly? But the great and noble Job did not do so; not only when he was receiving, but also when he was deprived, he confessed 49.253 the greatest thanks, saying thus: The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord forever. But if it is necessary to give thanks for both of these things in themselves, and the taking away is no less beneficial than the giving, what pardon could we have, tell me, when we repay with the opposite one who is so gentle and loving and a guardian, and wiser than any physician, and more affectionate than any father, and more just than any judge, and more diligent than any farmer, in healing our souls, and being dismayed at him whom it is our duty to worship? Could there be anything more mad and senseless than those who say that in such good order we are deprived of the providence of God? For just as if one were to contend that the sun is dark and cold, he brings forth by his vote a proof of utter derangement; so if one were to doubt concerning the providence of God, he is much more liable to charges of madness. The sun is not so bright, as the providence of God is clear; but yet some dare to say that demons administer our affairs. What am I to do? You have a loving Master; He prefers rather to be blasphemed by you through the

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φησίν. Ἀλλ' οὐχὶ μόνῳ λιμῷ κολάζει, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέροις μυρίοις· τὸν ἐν πενίᾳ μὲν ὄντα λιμῷ πολλάκις ἐσωφρόνισε, τὸν πλουτοῦντα δὲ καὶ εὐπορίας ἀπολαύοντα κινδύνοις, νοσήμασι, θανάτοις ἀώροις· εὐμήχανος γάρ ἐστι, καὶ ποικίλα ἔχει τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῶν τὰ φάρμακα. Οὕτω καὶ δικασταὶ ποιοῦσιν· οὐ τιμῶσι μόνον οὐδὲ στεφανοῦσι τοὺς τὰς πόλεις οἰκοῦντας, οὐδὲ δωρεὰς παρέχουσι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κολάζουσι πολλάκις. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ξίφος αὐτοῖς ἠκόνηται, καὶ βάραθρα παρεσκεύασται, καὶ τροχὸς, καὶ ξύλα, καὶ δήμιοι, καὶ ἕτερα μυρία κολάσεων εἴδη. Ὅπερ οὖν ἐπὶ τῶν δικαστῶν ὁ δήμιος, τοῦτο ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ λιμὸς, καθάπερ δήμιος, σωφρονίζων ἡμᾶς καὶ τῆς κακίας ἀπάγων. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν γεωργῶν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον περιστέλλουσι τὴν ῥίζαν τῆς ἀμπέλου οὐδὲ περιφράττουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ περικόπτουσι καὶ πολλὰ τῶν κλημάτων ἀποτέμνουσι· διὰ τοῦτο οὐχὶ σκαπάνη μόνον ἐκείνοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ δρέπανα πρὸς τομὴν ἐπιτήδεια. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἐγκαλοῦμεν οὐδὲ τούτοις· ἀλλὰ καὶ τότε μάλιστα αὐτοὺς θαυμάζομεν, ὅταν ἴδωμεν πολλὰ τῶν ἀχρήστων ἐκκόπτοντας, ὥστε τῇ τῶν περιττῶν ἀποβολῇ τοῖς μένουσι πολλὴν παρασκευάσαι τὴν σωτηρίαν. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον, πατέρα μὲν, καὶ ἰατρὸν, καὶ δικαστὴν, καὶ γεωργὸν οὕτω δοκιμάζειν, καὶ μήτε ἐκεῖνον ἐκβάλλοντα τὸν υἱὸν τῆς οἰκίας, μήτε τὸν ἰατρὸν ἐκτείνοντα τὸν κάμνοντα, μήτε τὸν δικαστὴν κολάζοντα, μήτε τὸν γεωργὸν κόπτοντα μέμφεσθαι καὶ αἰτιᾶσθαι· τὸν δὲ Θεὸν, εἴ ποτε βουληθείη καθάπερ καρηβαροῦντας ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς πολλῆς ἀναστῆσαι μέθης τῆς κατὰ τὴν πονηρίαν, μέμφεσθαι καὶ μυρίαις βάλλειν κατηγορίαις; Πόσης οὐκ ἂν οἴη μανίας, μηδὲ τῆς αὐτῆς τῷ ∆εσπότῃ μεταδιδόναι δικαιολογίας, ὅσης μεταδίδομεν τοῖς συνδούλοις, ςʹ. Ταῦτα ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν τῶν ἐγκαλούντων δεδοικὼς λέγω νῦν, ἵνα μὴ πρὸς κέντρα λακτίζοντες, τοὺς πόδας αἱμάσσωσιν, ἵνα μὴ εἰς οὐρανὸν τοὺς λίθους βάλλοντες, τῇ κεφαλῇ τὰ τραύματα δέξωνται. Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ἑτέραν ὑπερβολὴν ἔχω πλείω ταύτης εἰπεῖν. Ἀνελὼν γὰρ τὸ ζητεῖν κατὰ συγχώρησιν λέγω εἰ χρησίμως ἔλαβε παρ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεὸς, ἐκεῖνο λέγω μόνον, ὅτι εἰ ἔλαβε τὰ δοθέντα, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐγκαλεῖν τις εἶχεν αὐτῷ· καὶ γὰρ κύριος ἦν τῶν αὑτοῦ. Ἐν ἀνθρώποις μὲν, ὅταν ἡμῖν παρακαταθῶνται χρήματα καὶ δανείζωσιν ἀργύριον, χάριν ὁμολογοῦμεν τοῦ χρόνου, καθ' ὃν δὴ ἐδάνεισαν, οὐκ ἀγανακτοῦμεν δὲ ὑπὲρ τοῦ χρόνου, καθ' ὃν ἀφαιροῦνται τὰ ἴδια· τῷ Θεῷ δὲ τὰ αὑτοῦ βουλομένῳ λαβεῖν ἐγκαλέσομεν, εἰπέ μοι; καὶ πῶς οὐκ ἐσχάτης ταῦτα ἀνοίας; Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ μέγας καὶ γενναῖος Ἰὼβ οὕτως ἐποίησεν· οὐδὲ ἡνίκα ἐλάμβανε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡνίκα ἀφῄρητο, χάριν ὡμο 49.253 λόγει μεγίστην, οὑτωσὶ λέγων· Ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν, ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο· εἴη τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου εὐλογημένον εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Εἰ δὲ ὑπὲρ ἀμφοτέρων τούτων εὐχαριστεῖν δεῖ καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸ, καὶ τῆς δόσεως ἡ ἀφαίρεσις οὐκ ἔλαττον ᾖ χρησιμωτέρα, ποίαν ἂν σχοίημεν συγγνώμην, εἰπέ μοι, τὸν οὕτως ἥμερον καὶ φιλάνθρωπον καὶ κηδεμόνα, καὶ παντὸς ἰατροῦ σοφώτερον, καὶ παντὸς πατρὸς φιλοστοργότερον, καὶ παντὸς δικαστοῦ δικαιότερον, καὶ γεωργοῦ παντὸς ἐπιμελέστερον τὰς ἡμετέρας θεραπεύοντα ψυχὰς τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἀμειβόμενοι, καὶ ὃν προσκυνεῖν δέον, ἀποδυσπετοῦντες; Ἆρα γένοιτ' ἄν τι μανικώτερον καὶ ἀναισθητότερον τῶν ἐν εὐταξίᾳ τοσαύτῃ λεγόντων ἀποστερεῖσθαι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας ἡμᾶς; Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἴ τις φιλονεικοίη τὸν ἥλιον εἶναι ζοφερὸν καὶ ψυχρὸν, ἐσχάτης παραφροσύνης ἐκφέρει δεῖγμα τῇ ψήφῳ· οὕτως εἴ τις ἀμφιβάλλοι περὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας, πολλῷ μᾶλλον μανίας ἐγκλήμασίν ἐστιν ὑπεύθυνος. Οὐχ οὕτως ἥλιος φανὸς, ὡς ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ πρόνοια σαφής· ἀλλ' ὅμως τολμῶσί τινες λέγειν, ὅτι δαίμονες τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς διοικοῦσι. Τί πάθω; Φιλάνθρωπον ἔχεις ∆εσπότην· αἱρεῖται μᾶλλον βλασφημεῖσθαι ὑπὸ σοῦ διὰ τῶν