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creation sitting upon the judgment seat, showing the preeminence of his righteous claims; God does not shrink from calling to judgment either the adversary himself or inanimate things; which is our custom to do, when we are confident in our own just claims. Hear, 50.766 O valleys, foundations of the earth, for the Lord has a judgment; and again, Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken. And often those very ones, My people, what have I done to you, or how have I wronged you? And Jeremiah, What fault did your fathers find in me? And he does this not only against cities and nations, but also often against a single person. He enters into judgment with David through the prophet, and to Jonah who refused to preach to the Ninevites, he makes his defense through the gourd: If you have pity for the gourd, shall I not have pity for Nineveh? And you will find the Scriptures full of many such things. Knowing these things, then, let us worship him, marvel at him, serve him, as it is possible for us; for as he is worthy is not possible. Let us take care of the present life, and be persuaded that God is in charge, and providence governs all things, and that after all these things it is possible for us, having departed, to obtain the good things that have been promised; which may it be for all of us to obtain, by the grace of Christ, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

CONCERNING FATE AND PROVIDENCE, DISCOURSE 5. There is truly no evil doctrine, beloved, and none so full of incurable decay, as the doctrine of fate and genesis. For besides implanting a blasphemous, impious, and destructive opinion in the souls of the deceived, and persuading them to say such things about God as one would not even say about demons, it also confuses our life, fills everything with turmoil and great disturbance; and all that has been introduced for instruction and correction by God and by nature, both through prophets and through holy men, it overthrows and destroys, and shows it to be superfluous. And it does the same thing as if someone, seeing a body that is sick and in need of medicine, with doctors present and preparing the remedy, should persuade it to use none of these things, nor to be delivered from the disease, but rather, giving in to neglect and laziness concerning itself, to await the most miserable destruction. Or does fate not say these things? Let no one advise anything useful, let no one listen to another who is advising; in vain are the laws and the judges, in vain are rebukes and admonitions, in vain the fear of punishments, in vain honors and rewards and prizes for those who do well. Neither if you are diligent will there be any benefit, nor if you are negligent will any harm come. Neither let him go to school as a child, nor having become a man let him listen to laws, let him not pay attention to useful counsels and admonitions. What will the labor be able to produce? Like an unballasted ship, devoid of sailors and pilots, having given over the rudders of the mind to the force of the storm, so let it be carried along. Do you wish, tell me, that we should be persuaded, and do nothing for the salvation of our life? For for now let the things of the soul be set aside, but let us discuss the things concerning the present life. Shall we be persuaded by fate saying these things, and neither punish servants who sin, nor turn back those corrupted by licentiousness, nor bring wrongdoers to a court of law, nor listen to the laws? I would wish that this might happen even for a short time, 50.766 so that in practice you might be able to perceive this destructive and harmful teacher of evils. For if it is absolutely necessary for the things fated to happen, both for those who are diligent and for those who are sleeping, let no farmer yoke his oxen, nor draw a plow, nor a furrow

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τὴν κτίσιν καθημένην ἐπὶ τῆς ψήφου, δεικνὺς τὴν περιφάνειαν τῶν δικαιωμάτων· οὔτε αὐτὸν τὸν ἀντίδικον, οὔτε τὰ ἀναίσθητα παραιτεῖται εἰς κρίσιν καλεῖν ὁ Θεός· ὅπερ ἡμῖν ἔθος ἐστὶ ποιεῖν, ὅταν θαῤῥῶμεν τοῖς οἰκείοις δικαίοις. Ἀκούσατε, 50.766 φάραγγες, θεμέλια τῆς γῆς, ὅτι κρίσις τῷ Κυρίῳ· καὶ πάλιν, Ἄκουε, οὐρανὲ, καὶ ἐνωτίζου, γῆ, ὅτι Κύριος ἐλάλησε. Πολλάκις δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐκείνους, Λαός μου, τί ἐποίησά σοι, ἢ τί ἠδίκησά σε; Καὶ ὁ Ἱερεμίας, Τί εὕρεσαν ἐν ἐμοὶ οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν πλημμέλημα; Οὐ ποιεῖ δὲ αὐτὸ κατὰ πόλεις καὶ ἔθνη μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ ἕνα πολλάκις ἄνθρωπον. Πρὸς τὸν ∆αυῒδ κρίνεται διὰ τοῦ προφήτου, καὶ τῷ Ἰωνᾷ παραιτουμένῳ κηρῦξαι Νινευΐταις, ἀπολογεῖται διὰ τῆς κολοκύνθης· Εἰ σὺ ἐφείσω ὑπὲρ τῆς κολοκύνθης, ἐγὼ οὐ φείσομαι ὑπὲρ Νινευῆς; Καὶ πολλῶν τοιούτων εὑρήσεις γεμούσας τὰς Γραφάς. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες, προσκυνῶμεν αὐτὸν, θαυμάζωμεν, θεραπεύωμεν, ὡς δυνατὸν ἡμῖν· ὡς γὰρ ἄξιον οὐ δυνατόν. Ἐπιμελώμεθα τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς, καὶ πειθώμεθα, ὅτι Θεὸς ἐφέστηκε, καὶ πρόνοια πάντα κυβερνᾷ, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πάντα ἔστιν ἀποδημήσαντας τυχεῖν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΠΕΡΙ ΕΙΜΑΡΜΕΝΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΡΟΝΟΙΑΣ Λόγος εʹ. Οὐδέν ἐστιν ὄντως δόγμα πονηρὸν, ἀγαπητὲ, καὶ σηπεδόνος ἀνιάτου γέμον, ὡς τὸ τῆς εἱμαρμένης καὶ γενέσεως δόγμα. Μετὰ γὰρ τοῦ δόξαν βλάσφημον καὶ ἀσεβῆ καὶ ὀλεθρίαν ἐντιθέναι ταῖς τῶν ἠπατημένων ψυχαῖς, καὶ πείθειν τοιαῦτα λέγειν περὶ Θεοῦ, ἃ μηδὲ περὶ δαιμόνων τις εἴποι, καὶ τὸν βίον συγχεῖ τὸν ἡμέτερον, πάντα θορύβου καὶ πολλῆς ἐμπίπλησι τῆς ταραχῆς· καὶ ὅσα πρὸς διδασκαλίαν καὶ διόρθωσιν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τῆς φύσεως, καὶ διὰ προφητῶν εἰσενήνεκται καὶ διὰ ἁγίων ἀνδρῶν, ἀνατρέπει καὶ καταλύει, καὶ δείκνυσι περιττά. Καὶ ποιεῖ ταὐτὸν, οἷον ἂν εἴ τις σῶμα νενοσηκὸς καὶ φαρμάκων δεόμενον, παρόντων ἰατρῶν καὶ τὸ φάρμακον κατασκευαζόντων, πείθοι μηδενὶ τούτων κεχρῆσθαι, μηδὲ ἀπαλλάττεσθαι τοῦ νοσήματος, ἀλλ' ἀμελείᾳ καὶ ῥᾳθυμίᾳ ἐνδόντα τὰ καθ' ἑαυτὸν, τὴν ἐλεεινοτάτην ἀναμένειν ἀπώλειαν. Ἢ οὐχὶ ταῦτά φησιν ἡ εἱμαρμένη; Μηδεὶς παραινείτω τι τῶν χρησίμων, μηδεὶς ἀκουέτω παραινοῦντος ἑτέρου· μάτην εἰσὶν οἱ νόμοι καὶ οἱ δικασταὶ, μάτην ἐπιπλήξεις καὶ νουθεσίαι, μάτην τιμωρίας φόβος, μάτην τιμαὶ καὶ γέρα καὶ ἔπαθλα τοῖς κατορθοῦσιν. Οὔτε ἐὰν σπουδάσῃς, ὄφελός τι, οὔτε ἐὰν ἀμελήσῃς, βλάβος τι γενήσεται. Μήτε ἐπὶ διδασκαλεῖον παιδίον ὢν βαδιζέτω, μήτε ἀνὴρ γενόμενος ἀκουέτω νόμων, μὴ προσεχέτω συμβουλαῖς καὶ νουθεσίαις χρησίμοις. Τί δυνήσεται ἐνεγκεῖν ὁ κόπος; Ὥσπερ ἀνερμάτιστον πλοῖον, καὶ ναυτῶν καὶ κυβερνητῶν ἔρημον, τῇ τοῦ χειμῶνος φορᾷ ἐπιδοὺς τὰ πηδάλια τῆς διανοίας, οὕτω φερέσθω. Θέλεις, εἰπέ μοι, πεισθησώμεθα, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐνεργήσομεν τῶν πρὸς σωτηρίαν τῆς ἡμετέρας ζωῆς; Τέως γὰρ ἀφείσθω τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς, ἀλλὰ τὰ περὶ τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς διαλεγώμεθα. Πειθόμεθα τῇ εἱμαρμένῃ ταῦτα λεγούσῃ, καὶ οὔτε οἰκέτας ἁμαρτάνοντας κολάσομεν, οὔτε ἀσελγείαις διεφθαρμένους ἐπιστρέψομεν, οὔτε τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας εἰς δικαστήριον ἄξομεν, οὐκ ἀκουσόμεθα τῶν νόμων; Ἐβουλόμην κἂν πρὸς βραχὺ τοῦτο γενέ 50.766 σθαι, ἐν ἔργῳ τὴν ὀλεθρίαν ταύτην καὶ ἐπιβλαβῆ διδάσκαλον τῶν κακῶν δυνηθῆτε συνιδεῖν. Εἰ γὰρ ἀνάγκη πάντως τὰ εἱμαρμένα γενέσθαι, καὶ σπουδαζόντων καὶ καθευδόντων, μηδεὶς γεωργὸς ζευγνύτω βοῦς, μηδὲ ἄροτρον ἑλκέτω, μήτε αὔλακα