Philocalia or Selections from the works of Origen made by Basil and Gregory of Nazianzus (ch. 23, 25-27)

 of those concerning the stars, so that what is said by them may not be an unproven declaration, let them try to bring us more compellingly, by present

 to her a sign, saying: This is the sign which the Lord spoke, saying: Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the fat that is upon it shall be poured out

 of certain observations, or also from the teaching of angels who had transgressed their own order and, for the ruin of our race, taught certain things

 to be mistaken, but it is possible concerning things that are contingent to happen and not to happen to think that they happen and that they do not ha

 these past events are not in our power, it being possible on the basis of the same past events to do other things than what we do. But if anyone seeks

 It is fated for you to have children or not to have children in vain then you have relations with a woman. For just as in this case, since it is impo

 they will reasonably agree that nothing concerning human affairs comes from the stars, but, as we have said before, if anything, they are signified A

 argument, that humans are able to comprehend the heavenly configurations and the signs and what they are signs of, let us now examine if this is true.

 of human nature, not in a human way but in a divine way they are taught the secrets just as Paul, saying: I heard unspeakable words, which it is not

 they read the book of God and thus they do what is incumbent upon them. But as we said before, what we do, or what the opposing energies accomplish i

 they do away with sayings, also using the one: “The sinners were estranged from the womb,” spoken in the psalms. Now to this it is easy to reply, by a

 troubling our argument since Paul says: “But we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called accordin

 the deeds foreknown beforehand but happening later, each from the apostolic preparation and choice. But now to apply this to the saying from the psalm

 Health, of course, and bodily strength are a good. The text reads thus: ‘If you will not hearken to do all the words of this law that are written in t

 it is necessary to raise a further question to those who suppose, whether the prophets, whose sins are not spoken against, have kept the law for exam

 of whom the prophet also finds fault with those who are in such states, saying: 'From the feet to the head, there is neither wound, nor bruise, nor fe

 who was once the morning star, rising in the morning, but later was shattered upon the earth. For not only among the sons of men, if one is perfect, i

 that the sound account concerning this Scripture is also among the hidden things. But those who claim there is another god besides the creator wish hi

 they suppose concerning God, nor to what they dogmatize concerning natures, does the argument from the reading now under examination contribute, as th

 leading him into the open and perhaps exhausting him through the action, so that having brought to completion all the outbursts of his indwelling wick

 chasten me” the one praying these things is asking not to need the reproof that comes through the wrath of God and the chastisement that comes throug

 Good masters, being long-suffering toward their sinning servants, are accustomed to say: I have ruined you and: I have made you wicked showing with

 the heart of Pharaoh” whether they believe that these things are said truly by God through the inspired Moses or falsely. For if falsely, then accord

the deeds foreknown beforehand but happening later, each from the apostolic preparation and choice. But now to apply this to the saying from the psalm was not opportune, for it was a digression; wherefore, God granting, it will be applied in its proper place, when we expound the psalm. But these things, though stated at length, will suffice for the word 'Separated'. 26.1ν Concerning what things are good and what things are evil, and that these are among things of choice and things not of choice, and according to the teaching of Christ, but not as Aristotle thinks. From the tome on the 4th psalm, on the text: 'Many say, Who will show us good things?' Since there is much inquiry among men about what things are good and what things are evil; and some saying that good things and evil things are not of choice, as for instance declaring pleasure to be a good, but pain an evil; others confining good and evil things to things of choice alone, saying that only the virtues and the actions according to them are good, but the vices and the activities according to vice are evil; and there being a third group of those who mix them, and say that good and evil things are at once in things of choice and in things not of choice; it is reasonable that the multitude of believers, being drawn about by these plausible arguments, and eager to learn about the topic of good things, would say: 'Who will show us good things?' That, therefore, the nature of good things is in things of choice, anyone who accepts the topic of judgment would confess without hesitation; for he says that is good for which one will hear: 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things; enter into the joy of your lord'; and that is also good which is brought forth from the heart of the good man, as the Savior says: 'A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things.' And in a word, every fruit of a good tree, being a matter of choice, is good; as 'love and peace and joy and long-suffering, kindness and goodness and faith and gentleness and self-control'; and the opposites of these are evil. But if according to the teaching of Christ there is also something good and evil, we must also inquire into things not of choice; and even if there is something good or evil in things not of choice, as perhaps we will show later after examining it, yet the so-called good and evil things from those who mix things not of choice with things of choice would not be such; for they think that of good things, some are of the soul, some of the body, and some are external; and likewise also of evil things; and of the soul, indeed, virtue and the actions according to virtue, or vice and the actions according to vice; but of the body, health and good condition and beauty, or sickness and bad condition and ugliness; and of external things, wealth and noble birth and glory, or poverty and low birth and dishonor. 26.2 But some will suppose that according to the scriptures there are likewise three kinds of good things, and three kinds of evil things; for admitting that virtues and vices are good and evil, after the things acknowledged also by us in virtue and vice and the actions according to them, they will use sayings that supposedly declare bodily and external things to be good or evil. And concerning virtues and vices, what need is there even to speak? since the ethical doctrines teach that we ought to choose justice and temperance and prudence and courage and the actions according to them, but to turn away from their opposites. Wherefore there is no need of examples for the good things that come from choice. But they will show bodily and external good things from many places by their interpretation of the text. However, for the present it is sufficient to set forth some things from what is in Exodus and Leviticus and Deuteronomy, as a promise to those who keep the commandments, and as a threat and curses to those who transgress them; for instance, that health is a good and sickness an evil, he will show that these are brought forward from Exodus: 'If you keep my commandments and my ordinances, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.' And what is said in Deuteronomy to those who sin might be supposed to represent bodily plagues and diseases as an evil,

τὰς προεγνωσμένας μὲν πρότερον πράξεις ὕστερον δὲ γενομένας ἑκάστην ἐκ τῆς παρασκευῆς καὶ τῆς προαιρέσεως τῆς ἀποστολικῆς. Νῦν δὲ ἀποδιδόναι εἰς τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ ῥητὸν οὐκ ἦν εὔκαιρον, παρεκβατικὸν γὰρ ἦν· διὸ εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν τάξιν θεοῦ διδόντος ἀποδοθήσεται, ὅταν τὸν ψαλμὸν διηγώμεθα. Ἀρκέσει δὲ καὶ ταῦτα πεπλεο νασμένα εἰς τὸ Ἀφωρισμένος. 26.1ν Περὶ τοῦ τίνα τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ τίνα τὰ κακά, καὶ ὅτι ἐν προαιρετικοῖς ταῦτα καὶ ἐν ἀπροαιρέτῳ, καὶ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ διδασκαλίαν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς Ἀριστοτέλης οἴεται. Ἐκ τοῦ τόμου τοῦ εἰς τὸν δʹ ψαλμόν, εἰς τό· «Πολλοὶ λέγουσι· Τίς δείξει ἡμῖν τὰ ἀγαθά;» Πολλῆς παρὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ζητήσεως τυγχανούσης περὶ τοῦ τίνα τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ τίνα τὰ κακά· καί τινων μὲν ἀπροαίρετα λεγόντων εἶναι τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ τὰ κακά, ὡσπερεὶ τὴν ἡδονὴν ἀγαθὸν ἀποφαινομένων, κακὸν δὲ τὸν πόνον· ἑτέρων δὲ ἐν μόνοις προαιρετικοῖς κατακλειόντων τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ τὰ κακά, καὶ τὰς μὲν ἀρετὰς καὶ τὰς κατ' αὐτὰς πράξεις μόνας ἀγαθὰ λεγόντων, τὰς δὲ κακίας καὶ τὰς κατὰ κακίαν ἐνεργείας κακά· τρίτων δὲ ὄντων τῶν μιγνύν των, καὶ ἅμα ἐν προαιρετικοῖς καὶ ἀπροαιρέτοις λεγόντων εἶναι τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ τὰ κακά· εἰκότως ὑπὸ τῶν πιθανοτήτων περιελκόμενοι οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν πιστευόντων φιλομαθοῦντες εἰς τὸν περὶ ἀγαθῶν τόπον λέγοιεν ἂν τό· «Τίς δείξει ἡμῖν τὰ ἀγαθά;» Ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἐν προαιρετικοῖς ἐστὶν ἡ τῶν ἀγαθῶν φύσις, πᾶς ὁστισοῦν ἀποδεχόμενος τὸν περὶ κρίσεως τόπον ἀδι στάκτως ὁμολογήσαι ἄν· ἀγαθὸν γάρ φησιν εἶναι ἐφ' ᾧ ἀκούσεταί τις τό· «Εὖγε, ἀγαθὲ δοῦλε καὶ πιστέ· ἐπὶ ὀλίγα ἦς πιστός, ἐπὶ πολλῶν σε καταστήσω· εἴσελθε εἰς τὴν χαρὰν τοῦ κυρίου σου»· ἀγαθὸν δὲ καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκ τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ προφερόμενον, ὡς ὁ σωτήρ φησιν· «Ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ θησαυροῦ τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ προφέρει τὰ ἀγαθά.» Καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς πᾶς καρπὸς δένδρου ἀγαθοῦ προαιρετικὸς ὢν ἀγαθόν ἐστιν· ὡς «ἀγάπη καὶ εἰρήνη καὶ χαρὰ καὶ μακρο θυμία, χρηστότης τε καὶ ἀγαθωσύνη καὶ πίστις καὶ πραΰτης καὶ ἐγκράτεια»· τὰ δὲ ἐναντία τούτοις κακά. Εἰ δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ διδασκαλίαν ἔστι τι ἀγαθὸν καὶ κακόν, καὶ ἐν ἀπροαιρέτοις ζητητέον· κἂν ᾖ δέ τι ἀγαθὸν ἢ κακὸν ἐν ἀπροαιρέτοις, ὡς ὕστερον ἐξετά σαντες τάχα δείξομεν, ἀλλ' οὔτι γε τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν μιγνύντων τοῖς προαιρετικοῖς τὰ ἀπροαίρετα λεγόμενα ἀγαθὰ ἂν εἴη καὶ κακά· ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ οἴονται τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὰ μὲν εἶναι περὶ ψυχήν, τὰ δὲ περὶ σῶμα, τὰ δὲ ἐκτός· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῶν κακῶν· καὶ περὶ ψυχὴν μέν, ἀρετὴν καὶ τὰς κατ' ἀρετὴν πράξεις, ἢ κακίαν καὶ τὰς κατὰ κακίαν πράξεις· περὶ σῶμα δέ, ὑγείαν καὶ εὐεξίαν καὶ κάλλος, ἢ νόσον καὶ καχεξίαν καὶ αἶσχος· περὶ τὰ ἐκτὸς δέ, πλοῦτον καὶ εὐγένειαν καὶ δόξαν, ἢ πενίαν καὶ δυσγένειαν καὶ ἀδοξίαν. 26.2 Οἰήσονται δέ τινες καὶ κατὰ τὰς γραφὰς ὁμοίως τρία γένη εἶναι τῶν ἀγαθῶν, καὶ τρία γένη τῶν κακῶν· τὰς γὰρ ἀρετὰς καὶ τὰς κακίας προσιέμενοι εἶναι ἀγαθὰ καὶ κακά, μετὰ τὰ ὁμολογούμενα καὶ ὑφ' ἡμῶν ἐν ἀρετῇ καὶ κακίᾳ καὶ ταῖς κατ' αὐτὰς πράξεσι, χρήσονται ῥητοῖς καὶ τὰ σωματικὰ καὶ τὰ ἐκτὸς δῆθεν ἀποφαινομένοις ἀγαθὰ ἢ κακὰ τυγχάνειν. Καὶ περὶ μὲν ἀρετῶν καὶ κακιῶν τί δεῖ καὶ λέγειν; τῶν ἠθικῶν δογμάτων διδασκόντων δεῖν ἡμᾶς μὲν αἱρεῖσθαι δικαιοσύνην καὶ σωφροσύνην καὶ φρόνησιν καὶ ἀνδρείαν καὶ τὰς κατ' αὐτὰς πράξεις, ἐκκλίνειν δὲ τὰ τούτοις ἐναντία. ∆ιόπερ οὐ χρεία παραδειγμάτων εἰς τὰ παρὰ τῶν προαιρετικῶν ἀγαθά. Σωματικὰ δὲ καὶ ἐκτὸς ἀγαθὰ ἐκ τῆς κατὰ τὸ ῥητὸν ἐκδοχῆς πολλαχόθεν δείξουσι. Πλὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἀρκεῖ παραθέσθαι τινὰ ἐκ τῶν ἐν Ἐξόδῳ καὶ Λευϊτικῷ καὶ ∆ευτερονομίῳ κειμένων, ὡς ἐν ἐπαγγελίᾳ πρὸς τοὺς τηροῦντας τὰς ἐντολάς, καὶ ὡς ἐν ἀπειλῇ καὶ κατάραις πρὸς τοὺς παραβαίνοντας αὐτάς· οἷον ὅτι ἡ ὑγεία ἀγαθόν ἐστι καὶ ἡ νόσος κακόν, ἀπὸ τῆς Ἐξόδου δείξει ταῦτα προσά γεσθαι· «Ἐὰν τηρήσῃς τὰς ἐντολάς μου καὶ τὰ προ στάγματά μου, πᾶσαν νόσον ἣν ἐπήγαγον τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις οὐκ ἐπάξω ἐπὶ σέ· ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι κύριος ὁ ἰώμενός σε.» Καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ ∆ευτερονομίου δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας λεγόμενον ὑπονοηθείη ἂν κακὸν μὲν παριστάνειν τὰς σωματικὰς πληγὰς καὶ τὰς νόσους,