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

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 festering sore; there is no ointment to apply, nor oil, nor bandages.' 26.6 These things, then, are sufficient for those who are not altogether dull, so that having collected for themselves from these the distracting sayings of the scriptures, they may apply a worthy conception of the working of the Holy Spirit. And further, to put to shame those who suppose these to be the good things that will be given to the saints, and these the evil things for sinners, these things must also be added: that everything which is for the sake of something is less than that for whose sake it is; for example, incisions and cauteries and plasters, being undertaken for the sake of health, are less than health. And even if these are called good things, as medical aids, one must understand that they are not the final goods of medicine but productive ones; for the final good in medicine is the health of the body. So then, if these commandments must be kept in order to obtain these goods, and the rewards are bodily and external things; the good actions will not be good as final ends, but, if anything, as productive of goods; and wealth, which they think Scripture promises, and the health of the body, will be superior to righteousness and holiness itself and piety and reverence for God—such great virtuous deeds. To accept which is characteristic of men who do not know the dignity of virtue, but prefer its material things; for it is most absurd of all to say that being rich and being physically healthy is superior to virtuous deeds. On account of these wicked doctrines, some have accordingly accepted that after the resurrection, according to the first promises, we are to eat and drink such foods, and some, even to procreate. And these things, having reached even those from the gentiles, will cause Christianity to acquire a reputation for great simple-mindedness, while some who are strangers to the faith hold far better doctrines. 26.7 We, however, will now set forth what appears to us from the examination of the sacred oracles; for we said that we are satisfied with saying that goods and evils are in things dependent on choice and things not dependent on choice; however, we did not number among the goods not dependent on choice health and beauty and noble birth and good reputation and wealth; and as far as possible we have tried to resolve the perplexing points in summary. What, then, the goods not dependent on choice are, must now be said: Since it is true that: 'Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it'; and: 'Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain'; and everyone who is making progress builds a house, and everyone who is perfect guards a city; but the work of the builder is in vain and the watch of the guard is in vain, unless the Lord builds and the Lord guards; a good beyond our choice would be the power of the Lord which takes part in the building of the one who builds, and builds along with him who is not able by himself to complete that which is being built; and the same things must be understood regarding the city that is being guarded. And just as if I were to say that the agricultural good which is productive of fruit is a mixture of that which depends on choice, according to the art of the farmer, and that which does not depend on choice, coming from providence, according to the good temper of the airs and the fall of sufficient rain; so the good of the rational being is a mixture of his own choice and of the cooperating divine power with the one who has chosen the best things. Therefore, not only to become noble and good is there need both of our choice and of divine cooperation, which is, in relation to us, not dependent on choice, but also for one who has become noble and good to remain in virtue; since even the perfected person will fall away, if he should be puffed up at his goodness and inscribe himself as the cause of it, and not refer the due glory to the one who has bestowed so much for the acquisition and maintenance of virtue. And we think that some such cause is also that of the one said in Ezekiel to have walked blameless in all his ways, until iniquity was found in him, his having fallen from heaven, according to Isaiah,

ὧν καὶ ὁ προφήτης μέμφεται τοὺς ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις τυγχάνοντας, λέγων· «Ἀπὸ ποδῶν ἕως κεφαλῆς οὔτε τραῦμα οὔτε μώλωψ οὔτε πληγὴ φλεγμαίνουσα· οὐκ ἔστι μάλαγμα ἐπιθεῖναι οὔτε ἔλαιον οὔτε καταδέσμους.» 26.6 Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν αὐτάρκη τοῖς μὴ πάνυ ἀμβλέσι, πρὸς τὸ ἀπὸ τούτων ἑαυτοῖς ἀναλεξαμένοις τὰ περισπῶντα ῥητὰ τῶν γραφῶν ἐπιβάλλειν τῇ ἀξίᾳ νοήσει τῆς ἐνεργείας τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος. Ἔτι δὲ ὑπὲρ τοῦ δυσωπῆσαι τοὺς οἰομέ νους τάδε εἶναι τὰ ἀγαθὰ τὰ τοῖς ἁγίοις δοθησόμενα καὶ τάδε τὰ κακὰ τοῖς ἁμαρτωλοῖς, καὶ ταῦτα προσθετέον· ὅτι πᾶν τὸ διά τι ἔλαττόν ἐστι τοῦ δι' ὅ ἐστιν· οἷον τομαὶ καὶ καυτῆρες καὶ ἔμπλαστροι δι' ὑγείαν παραλαμβανόμενα ἐλάττονα τυγχάνει τῆς ὑγείας. Κἂν ὡς ἐν ἰατρικοῖς δὲ βοηθήμασι ἀγαθὰ ταῦτα λέγηται, χρὴ ἐκλαμβάνειν ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι τελικὰ ἰατρικῆς ἀγαθὰ ἀλλὰ ποιητικά· τελικὸν δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἰατρικὴν ἀγαθὸν ἡ τοῦ σώματος ὑγεία. Οὕτω τοίνυν καὶ εἰ τάσδε τὰς ἐντολὰς τηρητέον ὑπὲρ τοῦ τῶνδε τῶν ἀγαθῶν τυχεῖν, τὰ δὲ ἆθλα τὰ σωματικά ἐστι καὶ τὰ ἐκτός· αἱ ἀγαθαὶ πράξεις ἔσονται οὐκ ἀγαθαὶ ὡς τελικαί, ἀλλ' εἰ ἄρα ὡς ποιητικαὶ ἀγαθῶν· καὶ ἔσται διαφέρων ὁ πλοῦτος, ὃν οἴονται ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι τὴν γραφήν, καὶ ἡ τοῦ σώματος ὑγεία, τῆς δικαιοσύνης καὶ αὐτῆς δὲ τῆς ὁσιότητος καὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας καὶ τῆς θεοσεβείας τῶν τηλικούτων ἀνδραγαθημάτων. Ἅπερ παραδέξασθαι ἀνθρώπων ἐστὶ τὸ ἀξίωμα τῆς ἀρετῆς μὴ γινωσκόντων, ἀλλὰ τὰ ὑλικὰ αὐτῆς προτιμώντων· πάντων γάρ ἐστιν ἀτοπώτατον τὸ τῶν ἀνδραγαθημάτων λέγειν διαφέρειν τὸ πλουτεῖν καὶ τὸ ὑγιαίνειν σωματικῶς. ∆ιὰ τὰ μοχθηρὰ δὴ ταῦτα δόγματα ἀκολούθως τινὲς προσήκαντο καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἐν ταῖς πρώταις ἐπαγγελίαις ἐσθίειν ἡμᾶς μέλλειν τὰ τοιάδε βρώματα καὶ πίνειν, τινὲς δὲ καὶ τεκνοποιεῖν. Ταῦτα δὲ φθάσαντα καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν μεγάλης εὐηθείας δόξαν ἀπενέγκασθαι ποιήσει τὸν χριστιανισμόν, πολλῷ βελτίονα δόγματα ἐχόντων τινῶν ἀλλοτρίων τῆς πίστεως. 26.7 Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἤδη τὸ φαινόμενον ἡμῖν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐξε τάσεως τῶν ἱερῶν λογίων παραθησόμεθα· ἐφάσκομεν γὰρ ἀρέσκεσθαι μὲν τῷ λέγειν ἐν προαιρετικοῖς καὶ ἐν ἀπροαιρέτοις εἶναι τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ τὰ κακά· οὐ μὴν ἠριθμοῦμεν εἰς τὰ ἀπροαίρετα τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὴν ὑγείαν καὶ τὸ κάλλος καὶ τὴν εὐγένειαν καὶ τὴν εὐδοξίαν καὶ τὸν πλοῦτον· καὶ κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἐπειράθημεν τὰ περισπῶντα ὡς ἐν ἐπιτομῇ διαλύσασθαι. Τίνα τοίνυν ἐστὶ τὰ ἀπροαίρετα ἀγαθὰ ἤδη λεκτέον· Ἐπεὶ ἀληθὲς τό· «Ἐὰν μὴ κύριος οἰκοδομήσῃ οἶκον, εἰς μάτην ἐκοπίασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες αὐτόν»· καί· «Ἐὰν μὴ κύριος φυλάξῃ πόλιν, εἰς μάτην ἠγρύπνησεν ὁ φυλάσ σων»· οἰκοδομεῖ δὲ οἶκον πᾶς ὁ προκόπτων, καὶ φυλάσσει πόλιν πᾶς ὁ τέλειος· μάταιον δὲ τὸ ἔργον τοῦ οἰκοδομοῦντος καὶ ματαία ἡ φυλακὴ τοῦ τηροῦντος, ἐὰν μὴ κύριος οἰκο δομήσῃ καὶ κύριος φυλάξῃ· ἐκτὸς ἂν εἴη τῆς προαιρέσεως ἡμῶν ἀγαθὸν ἡ ἀντιλαμβανομένη τοῦ κυρίου δύναμις τῆς οἰκοδομῆς τοῦ οἰκοδομοῦντος καὶ συνοικοδομοῦσα τῷ οὐ δυναμένῳ καθ' αὑτὸν ἀπαρτίσαι τὸ οἰκοδομούμενον· τὰ δὲ αὐτὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς φυλασσομένης πόλεως νοητέον. Καὶ ὥσπερ ἐὰν εἴποιμι τὸ γεωργικὸν ἀγαθὸν τὸ ποιητικὸν τοῦ καρποῦ μικτὸν εἶναι ἐκ προαιρετικοῦ τοῦ κατὰ τὴν τέχνην τοῦ γεωργοῦ καὶ ἀπροαιρέτου τοῦ παρὰ τῆς προνοίας, κατὰ τὴν τῶν ἀέρων εὐκρασίαν καὶ φορὰν αὐτάρκους ὑετοῦ· οὕτω τὸ τοῦ λογικοῦ ἀγαθὸν μικτόν ἐστιν ἔκ τε τῆς προ αιρέσεως αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς συμπνεούσης θείας δυνάμεως τῷ τὰ κάλλιστα προελομένῳ. Οὐ μόνον τοίνυν εἰς τὸ καλὸν καὶ ἀγαθὸν γενέσθαι χρεία καὶ τῆς προαιρέσεως τῆς ἡμετέρας καὶ τῆς θείας συμπνοίας, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὡς πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀπροαίρετον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὸ γενόμενον καλὸν καὶ ἀγαθὸν διαμεῖναι ἐν τῇ ἀρετῇ· μεταπεσουμένου καὶ τοῦ τελειωθέντος, εἰ ὑπερεπαρθείη ἐπὶ τῷ καλῷ καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἐπιγράφοι τούτου αἴτιον, οὐχὶ δὲ τὴν δέουσαν δόξαν ἀναφέρων τῷ τῶν πολλῶν πλεῖον δωρησαμένῳ εἰς τὴν κτῆσιν καὶ τὴν συνοχὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς. Τοιοῦτον δέ τι αἴτιον καὶ τοῦ κατὰ τὸν Ἰεζεκιὴλ εἰρημένου ἀμώμου περιπεπατη κέναι ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ, ἕως εὑρεθῇ ἀνομία ἐν αὐτῷ, ἡγούμεθα τυγχάνειν τοῦ αὐτὸν κατὰ τὸν Ἠσαΐαν ἐκπεπτωκέναι ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ,