John Chrysostom, On Fate and Providence

Have you seen one enjoying much honor in another's house, having parasites and flatterers, but on returning to his own home, being permitted to take none of those things, but appearing naked, dishonored, more destitute and meaner than the beggars; did you consider this man to be enviable, or did you not rather for this reason pity and bewail him? 50.763 Do this also in the case of the wealthy. But there are some who, whenever we bring up these arguments of philosophy, being nailed to their belly like swine and goats, and being slaves to present affairs, think there is nothing after the departure from here; while others think there is something, but prefer present things to future ones. Therefore, against those who think there is nothing, but that our soul is extinguished, and that they give no account nor are held responsible, it is perhaps even ridiculous to speak against them, as it would be against the mad and the insane. For not even if someone in the daytime were to doubt that it is day, and dispute about things agreed upon by all, would it be the right time to persuade such a person with argument and to bring him to the doctrine; nevertheless, for the sake of your love, we will dialogue also with that person, with what things the grace of God may give. What do you say, O man, do you think there is nothing after these things? For it is necessary to say this, how the devil delivers over one who has once been turned from the truth to an ever more impious doctrine, as with a certain chain of evils. For see: he persuaded them to neglect self-control, gentleness, and other virtue; he made them wicked in their life, living henceforth with an evil conscience, and seeking to transfer the recompense for their own sins to others, when they ought to have changed from their wickedness. This they did not do, but they fabricated a wicked doctrine, full of countless evils, that of fate. Then again, being convicted over this, and being compelled to agree that present things are nothing, they overthrow the future, and they abolish the doctrine of the resurrection. And if we should refute this again, having fallen into another doctrine, they act impiously; but for now let us refute the matter at hand. Is there nothing, O man, after these things, and do you hold to these doctrines? The Greeks have talked so much nonsense, but yet they have not stood against the truth of this doctrine; but even if you follow them, nevertheless they have granted some life after these things, and accountabilities, and courts in Hades, and punishments, and honors, and verdicts, and judgments. And if you should ask Jews, or heretics, or any man whatsoever, he will feel shame before the truth of the doctrine, and even if they differ in other things, yet in this they all agree and say, that there is accountability there for things that have happened here. But you do not wish to be persuaded by any of these, but you act shamelessly, giving yourself over completely to error. Therefore, for the sake of those who are still sober, it is necessary to bring up the arguments concerning these things. For one who confesses that there is nothing after these things, it is necessary also to confess that there is no God. Do you see, what I said, that the later doctrines which succeed the first are always worse? For if there is nothing there after these things, then there is no God. For if there is a God, He is just; and if He is just, He renders to each according to his desert; but if there is nothing after these things, where will each one receive according to his desert? For pay attention: many, beyond their desert, as even they themselves have previously admitted, fare well here and are honored, while others, living in righteousness, are punished. If, therefore, there is no time after these things, the righteous will depart having been wronged, and the unrighteous having fared well beyond their desert; and if these things will not be, how could there be justice? For it is necessary either that there be some time after these things which renders to each according to his desert; for here 50.764 we do not find it; if indeed there is no time, how shall each receive according to his desert? and if no one receives according to his desert, then according to you, God is not just; and if God is not just, He would not be God. But the

εἶδες, ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς ἀλλοτρίας πολλῆς ἀπολαύοντα τιμῆς, παρασίτους καὶ κόλακας ἔχοντα, εἰς δὲ τὰ οἰκεῖα ἐπανελθόντα, καὶ οὐδὲν συγχωρούμενον ἐκείνων λαβεῖν, ἀλλὰ γυμνὸν, ἄτιμον, τῶν προσαιτούντων ἀπορώτερον καὶ φαυλότερον φαινόμενον, ἆρα τοῦτον ζηλωτὸν εἶναι ἐνόμιζες, ἀλλ' οὐ διὰ τοῦτο μᾶλλον ἠλέεις καὶ ἐταλάνιζες; 50.763 Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πλουτούντων ποίει. Ἀλλ' εἰσί τινες, οἳ ἐπειδὰν τούτους τῆς φιλοσοφίας τοὺς λόγους κινήσωμεν, ὑῶν καὶ τράγων δίκην τῇ γαστρὶ προσηλωμένοι, καὶ τοῖς παροῦσι δουλεύοντες πράγμασιν, οὐδὲν εἶναι μετὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν νομίζουσιν ἀποδημίαν· ἕτεροι δὲ εἶναι μέν τινα νομίζουσι, προτιθέασι δὲ τὰ παρόντα τῶν μελλόντων. Πρὸς μὲν οὖν τοὺς μηδὲν εἶναι νομίζοντας, ἀλλ' ἀποσβεσθεῖσαν τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἡμετέραν, μηδένα διδόναι λόγον, μηδὲ εὐθύνας ὑπέχειν οἰομένους, τάχα καὶ γελοῖον ἀντειπεῖν, ὥσπερ πρὸς τοὺς μαινομένους καὶ τοὺς ἐξεστηκότας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἴ τις ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἀμφιβάλλοι ἡμέραν μὴ εἶναι, καὶ περὶ τῶν πᾶσιν ὁμολογουμένων ἀμφισβητοίη, καιρὸς ἂν εἴη λόγῳ τὸν τοιοῦτον πείθειν, καὶ προσάγειν τῷ δόγματι· πλὴν ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην, καὶ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον διαλεξόμεθα, ἅπερ ἂν δῷ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάρις. Τί λέγεις, ἄνθρωπε, οὐδὲν εἶναι νομίζεις τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα; Τοῦτο γὰρ ἀναγκαῖον εἰπεῖν, πῶς καθάπερ κακῶν τινων ὁρμαθῷ ἀεὶ δυσσεβεστέρῳ δόγματι, τὸν ἅπαξ ἐκτραπέντα τῆς ἀληθείας παραδίδωσιν ὁ διάβολος. Ὅρα γάρ· ἔπεισεν ἀμελῆσαι σωφροσύνης, ἐπιεικείας, τῆς ἄλλης ἀρετῆς, ἐποίησε φαύλους κατὰ τὸν βίον, πονηρῷ συζῶντας συνειδότι λοιπὸν, καὶ τὴν ἀμοιβὴν τῶν αὐτοῖς ἡμαρτημένων ἑτέροις μεταθεῖναι ζητοῦντας, δέον μεταβάλλεσθαι τῆς κακίας. Τοῦτο μὲν οὐκ ἐποίησαν, ἀνέπλασαν δὲ δόγμα πονηρὸν, καὶ μυρίων γέμον κακῶν, τὸ τῆς εἱμαρμένης. Εἶτα ὑπὲρ τούτου πάλιν ἐλεγχόμενοι, καὶ συνομολογεῖν ἀναγκαζόμενοι μηδὲν εἶναι τὰ παρόντα, τὸ μέλλον ἀνατρέπουσι, καὶ τὸν περὶ ἀναστάσεως ἀναιροῦσι λόγον. Κἂν τοῦτο πάλιν διελέγξωμεν, εἰς ἕτερον ἐκπεσόντες δόγμα δυσσεβοῦσι· πλὴν τέως τὸ ἐν χερσὶ διελέγξωμεν. Οὐδέν ἐστιν, ἄνθρωπε, μετὰ ταῦτα, καὶ πρὸς ταῦτα ἵστασαι τὰ δόγματα; Τοσαῦτα ἐλήρησαν Ἕλληνες, ἀλλ' ὅμως πρὸς τὴν τοῦ δόγματος τούτου οὐκ ἀντέστησαν ἀλήθειαν· ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ αὐτοῖς ἀκολουθήσεις, ὅμως ἔδωκάν τινα μετὰ ταῦτα βίον, καὶ εὐθύνας, καὶ δικαστήρια ἐν ᾅδου, καὶ κολάσεις, καὶ τιμὰς, καὶ ψήφους, καὶ κρίσεις. Κἂν Ἰουδαίους ἐρωτήσῃς, κἂν αἱρετικοὺς, κἂν ὅντινα ἄνθρωπον, αἰσχυνθήσεται τοῦ δόγματος τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ εἰ καὶ ἐν ἄλλοις διαφέρονται, ἀλλ' ἐν τούτῳ πάντες συμφωνοῦσι καὶ λέγουσιν, εἶναι τῶν ἐνταῦθα γεγενημένων εὐθύνας ἐκεῖ. Ἀλλ' οὐδενὶ βούλει πείθεσθαι τούτων, ἀλλ' ἀναισχυντεῖς καθάπαξ ἐκδιδοὺς σαυτὸν τῇ πλάνῃ. Οὐκοῦν διὰ τοὺς ἔτι νήφοντας, ἀναγκαῖον τοὺς περὶ τούτων κινῆσαι λόγους. Τῷ γὰρ μηδὲν ὁμολογοῦντι εἶναι μετὰ ταῦτα, ἀνάγκη μηδὲ Θεὸν εἶναι ὁμολογῆσαι. Ὁρᾷς, ὅπερ εἶπον, ὅτι ἀεὶ τῶν φαυλοτέρων ἐστὶ μετὰ τὰ πρῶτα δόγματα τὰ ὕστερα, ἅπερ αὐτοὺς διαδέξεται; Εἰ γὰρ μηδέν ἐστιν ἐκεῖ μετὰ ταῦτα, οὐδὲ Θεὸς ἔστιν. Εἰ γὰρ ἔστι Θεὸς, δίκαιός ἐστιν· εἰ δὲ δίκαιός ἐστι, τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν ἀπονέμει ἑκάστῳ· εἰ δὲ οὐδέν ἐστι μετὰ ταῦτα, ποῦ τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν ἀπολήψεται ἕκαστος; Πρόσεχε γάρ· πολλοὶ παρ' ἀξίαν, ὡς καὶ αὐτοὶ προλαβόντες ὡμολόγησαν, εὖ πάσχουσιν ἐνταῦθα καὶ τιμῶνται, ἕτεροι δὲ κολάζονται ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ ζῶντες. Εἰ τοίνυν οὐδείς ἐστι καιρὸς μετὰ ταῦτα, ἀπελεύσονται ἀδικηθέντες οἱ δίκαιοι, καὶ παρ' ἀξίαν εὖ παθόντες οἱ ἄδικοι· εἰ δὲ ταῦτα μὴ ἔσται, πῶς ἂν εἴη τὸ δίκαιον; Ἀνάγκη γὰρ ἢ εἶναί τινα καιρὸν μετὰ ταῦτα τὸν τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν ἀπονέμοντα ἑκάστῳ· ἐνταῦθα γὰρ 50.764 αὐτὸ οὐχ εὑρίσκομεν· εἴ γε μή ἐστι καιρὸς, πῶς τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν ἀπολάβῃ ἕκαστος; εἰ δὲ μηδεὶς τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν ἀπολαμβάνει, οὔτε Θεός ἐστι κατὰ σὲ δίκαιος· εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἔστι δίκαιος ὁ Θεὸς, οὐδὲ Θεὸς ἂν εἴη. Ἀλλ' ἡ