Gregory of Nazianzus, On Love for the Poor

they reproach bitterly, and they trample upon, and philosophize about empty and vain things, and their voice is truly from the earth, and they speak into the air, and not into understanding ears accustomed to divine doctrines, and they dare to say: From God comes their hardship, from God comes our prosperity; and who am I to undo a decree of God, and appear more benevolent than God? Let them toil, let them suffer hardship, let them be unfortunate; so it has seemed good. And only in this are they lovers of God, where it is necessary to guard their obols, and to act arrogantly against the wretched. That they do not truly believe their prosperity is from God, they show clearly from what they say. For who would think thus about those in need, if he knew God was the giver of what he possesses? For it is characteristic of the same people to have something from God, and to use what they have according to God.

30. But if their suffering is also from God, this is not yet clear, so long as matter also of itself bears what is disordered, as in a current. And who knows if one is punished on account of wickedness, while another is lifted up as one being praised; or rather the contrary, that one is exalted because of evil, while another is tested because of virtue? The one is lifted up the more, that he may also fall more grievously, being first permitted to break out his whole wickedness, like some disease, that he may also be punished more justly; the other is afflicted contrary to expectation, that like gold tested in a furnace, he may melt away whatever little wickedness he has; for no one is entirely pure from filth, not at least in our created nature, as we have heard, even if he appears more approved. For I find some such mystery as this also in the divine Scripture; and it would be a long task to recount all the utterances of the Spirit which lead me to this. But who could measure the sand of the seas, and the drops of rain, and the depth of the abyss? Who could trace out the depth of God's wisdom concerning all things, by which 35.900 he has both made all things, and governs them in a way that he himself both wills and knows? For it is enough, according to the divine Apostle, to pass on, having only marveled at its inscrutable and incomprehensible nature: O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! and, Who has known the mind of the Lord? And who has reached the furthest limits of his wisdom? says Job. Who is wise, and will understand these things, and will not measure by the immeasurable that which is beyond measure?

31. Let another, then, be bold and noble concerning these things, or rather, let no one be; but I hesitate to assign the punishment here entirely to wickedness, or the relief to piety; but there are times when it is for some useful purpose, either wickedness being checked by the suffering of the evil, or virtue being paved by the well-being of the better; but not always, nor in every case, but this is only for the age to come, in which some will receive the prizes of virtue, and others the penalties of wickedness. For these, he says, will rise to a resurrection of life, and these to a resurrection of judgment; but the things of this life are of another type, and of a different dispensation, all leading to that place, even that which seems to us an inequality having with God something altogether level; just as in a body the projections and indentations, the greatnesses and smallnesses, and of the earth the elevations and depressions, from which beauty is constituted and contemplated by their relation to one another; since even for a craftsman the matter which is for the time disordered and uneven, was very skillfully prepared, if he made it ready for the construction of some work; then it is comprehended and acknowledged by us, when we behold the finished beauty of the creation. But neither was he unskilled as we are, nor are these things governed without order, just because the reason is not known to us.

32. But if we must also take an image of our condition, we are not far from those who are seasick and dizzy, who think that all things are turning, while they themselves are turning; and so it is with these, about whom our discourse is. For they do not endure anyone wiser than themselves

προσονειδίζουσι πικρῶς, καὶ προσεπεμ βαίνουσι, καὶ φιλοσοφοῦσι κενὰ καὶ μάταια, καὶ φωνοῦσιν ὄντως ἐκ γῆς, καὶ εἰς ἀέρα λαλοῦσιν, καὶ οὐκ εἰς ἀκοὰς εὐσυνέτους, καὶ θείοις συνειθισμέ νας δόγμασι, καὶ τολμῶσι λέγειν· Παρὰ Θεοῦ τὸ ταλαιπωρεῖν ἐκείνοις, παρὰ Θεοῦ τὸ εὖ πράττειν ἡμῖν· καὶ τίς εἰμι ἐγὼ δόγμα λύειν Θεοῦ, καὶ Θεοῦ φανῆναι χρηστότερος; Καμνέτωσαν, ταλαιπωρείτω σαν, δυστυχείτωσαν· οὕτως ἔδοξεν. Κἀνταῦθα μόνον εἰσὶ φιλόθεοι, οὗ δεῖ φυλάττειν τοὺς ὀβολοὺς, καὶ κατὰ τῶν ἀθλίων νεανιεύεσθαι. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ εὖ πράττειν αὐτοῖς εἶναι νομίζουσι, δηλοῦσι σαφῶς ἐξ ὧν λέγουσι. Τίς γὰρ ἂν οὕτω διανοηθείη περὶ τῶν δεομένων, Θεὸν εἰ δὼς χωρηγὸν ὧν κέκτηται; Τῶν γὰρ αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἔχειν τέ τι παρὰ Θεοῦ, καὶ κεχρῆσθαι κατὰ Θεὸν οἷσ περ ἔχουσιν.

Λʹ. Εἰ δὲ καὶ παρὰ Θεοῦ τὸ κακοπαθεῖν ἐκείνοις, οὔπω δῆλον, ἕως ἂν καὶ παρ' ἑαυτῆς ἡ ὕλη φέρῃ τὸ ἄτακτον, ὥσπερ ἐν ῥεύματι. Καὶ τίς οἶδεν, εἰ ὁ μὲν διὰ κακίαν κολάζεται, ὁ δὲ ὡς ἐπαινούμενος αἴ ρεται· ἀλλὰ μὴ τοὐναντίον, ὁ μὲν διὰ πονηρίαν ὑψοῦται, ὁ δὲ δι' ἀρετὴν δοκιμάζεται; ὁ μὲν πλεῖον ἐπαιρόμενος, ἵνα καὶ πέσῃ χαλεπώτερον, ὅλην ἐώμενος πρότερον, ὥσπερ τινὰ νόσον, ἐκρῆξαι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κακίαν, ἵνα καὶ κολασθῇ δικαιότερον· ὁ δὲ καὶ παρὰ δόξαν πιεζόμενος, ἵνα ὥσπερ χρυσὸς ἐν καμίνῳ δοκιμασθεὶς, τῆς κακίας, εἴ τι καὶ μικρὸν ἔχει, τοῦτο ἐκτήξῃ· καθαρὸς γὰρ ἀπὸ ῥύπου παντελῶς οὐδεὶς, οὐκ οὖν ἐν γεννητῇ φύσει, ὥσ περ ἠκούσαμεν, εἰ καὶ φανῇ δοκιμώτερος. Εὑρίσκω γάρ τι καὶ τοιοῦτο ἐν τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ μυστήριον· καὶ μακρὸν ἂν εἴη πάσας ἀπαριθμεῖν τοῦ Πνεύματος τὰς φωνὰς, αἵ με πρὸς τοῦτο φέρουσιν. Ἀλλὰ τίς ἂν ψάμμον θαλασσῶν, καὶ σταγόνας ὑετοῦ, καὶ βυθοῦ μῆκος ἀναμετρήσαιτο; τίς δ' ἂν τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆς περὶ πάντα σοφίας τὸ βάθος ἐξιχνιάσειεν, ὑφ' ἧς 35.900 καὶ πεποίηκε τὰ πάντα, καὶ διοικεῖ τρόπον, ὂν αὐτὸς καὶ βούλεται καὶ ἐπίσταται; Ἀρκεῖ γὰρ, κατὰ τὸν θεῖον Ἀπόστολον, θαυμάσαντας μόνον τὸ ταύτης δυστέκμαρτον καὶ δυσθεώρητον παρελθεῖν· Ὦ βάθος πλούτου, καὶ σοφίας, καὶ γνώσεως Θεοῦ! ὡς ἀν εξερεύνητα τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνεξιχνία στοι αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ! καὶ, Τίς ἔγνω νοῦν Κυ ρίου; Εἰς δὲ τὰ ἔσχατα τῆς σοφίας αὐτοῦ τίς ἀφ ίκετο; φησὶν ὁ Ἰώβ. Τίς σοφὸς, καὶ συνήσει ταῦ τα, καὶ οὐχὶ τῷ ἀνεφίκτῳ μετρήσει τὸ ὑπὲρ μέ τρησιν;

ΛΑʹ. Ἄλλος μὲν οὖν εἴη περὶ ταῦτα τολμηρὸς καὶ γεννάδας, μᾶλλον δὲ εἴη μηδείς· ἐγὼ δὲ ὀκνῶ κακίᾳ δοῦναι πάντως τὴν ἐντεῦθεν κόλασιν, ἢ εὐσεβείᾳ τὴν ἄνεσιν· ἀλλ' ἔστι μὲν ὅτε καὶ πρός τι χρήσιμον, ἢ κακίας ἐγκοπτομένης δυσπαθείᾳ τῶν πονηρῶν, ἢ ἀρετῆς ὁδοποιουμένης εὐπαθείᾳ τῶν βελτιόνων· οὐκ ἀεὶ δὲ, οὐδὲ πάντως, ἀλλ' εἶναι τοῦτο μόνον καιροῦ τοῦ μέλλοντος, καθ' ὃν οἱ μὲν τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἆθλα, οἱ δὲ τὰ τῆς κακίας ἐπιτίμια δέξονται. Ἀναστή σονται γὰρ οὗτοι, φησὶν, εἰς ἀνάστασιν ζωῆς, καὶ οὗτοι εἰς ἀνάστασιν κρίσεως· τὰ δὲ ἐντεῦθεν ἑτέρου τύπου εἶναι, καὶ ἀγωγῆς ἑτέρας, πάντα ἐκεῖ σε φέροντα, ἐχούσης ὁμαλόν τι παρὰ Θεῷ πάντως καὶ τῆς δοκούσης ἡμῖν ἀνωμαλίας· ὥσπερ ἐν σώματι τὰς ἐξοχάς τε καὶ εἰσοχὰς, μεγέθη τε καὶ μικρότητας, καὶ γῆς ἐπαναστάσεις τε καὶ ὑφέσεις ἐξ ὧν τὸ κάλλος τῇ πρὸς ἄλληλα σχέσει συνιστάμενόν τε καὶ θεωρού μενον· ἐπεὶ καὶ τεχνίτου τὸ περὶ τὴν ὕλην τέως ἄτακτον καὶ ἀνώμαλον, λίαν ἔντεχνον ἦν, ἂν πρός τι νος ἔργου κατασκευὴν εὐτρεπίσαιτο· τότε καὶ ἡμῖν καταλαμβανόμενόν τε καὶ ὁμολογούμενον, ὅταν τὸ ἀποτελεσθὲν κάλλος τοῦ δημιουργήματος θεω ρήσωμεν. Ἀλλ' οὔτε ἐκεῖνος ἄτεχνος ᾖ ὡς ἡμεῖς, οὔτε ταῦτα διοικεῖται ἀτάκτως, ὅτι μὴ καὶ ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος γνώριμος.

ΛΒʹ. Ἀλλ' εἴ τινα δεῖ καὶ εἰκόνα λαβεῖν τοῦ ἡμετέρου πάθους, οὐ πόῤῥω τῶν ναυτιώντων ἐσμὲν καὶ ἰλιγγιώντων, οἳ στρέφεσθαι τὰ πάντα δοκοῦ σιν, αὐτοὶ στρεφόμενοι· ὡς δὲ καὶ οὗτοι, περὶ ὧν ὁ λόγος. Οὐ γὰρ ἀνέχονται σοφώτερον αὐτῶν