John Chrysostom, On Romans

It is "He allowed." For just as a leader of a camp, if the war grew heavy, might withdraw and depart, he delivers his soldiers to the enemy, not by pushing them himself, but by stripping them of his own help; 60.415 so also God abandoned those who were unwilling to receive what was from Him, but were the first to leap away, He Himself having fulfilled all His part. But consider: He set forth the world in the midst as a means of instruction; He gave a mind and an intellect able to perceive what was fitting. The men of that time used none of these things for salvation, but even twisted what they had received to the opposite. What then should have been done? To draw them by necessity and force? But this is not the way to make men virtuous. It remained then to abandon them, which is what He did, so that even so, having learned by experience of the things they desired, they might flee the shame. For if a king's son, dishonoring his father, should choose to be with robbers and murderers and tomb-robbers, and should prefer their ways to his father's house, his father lets him go, so that through experience itself he may learn the excess of his own folly. 4. But why did he mention no other sin, such as murder, avarice, and other such things, but licentiousness? It seems to me he is alluding to those who were then hearing, and those who were receiving the letter. Unto uncleanness to dishonor their own bodies among themselves. See the emphasis, how very forceful it is. For they needed no others, he says, to insult them, but what their enemies might have done to them, this they wrought upon themselves. Then again, taking up the cause, he says: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator. The things that were utterly ridiculous, he sets down specifically, but those that seem more respectable than the others, he mentions generally; and through all this he shows that to worship the creature is a Greek thing. And see how he expressed the matter. For he did not say simply, They worshipped the creature, but, More than the Creator; everywhere aggravating the charge by this, and by the comparison depriving them of all excuse. Who is blessed for ever. Amen. But he was not harmed by this, he says; for He Himself is blessed for ever. Here he shows that it was not in self-defense that He abandoned them, since He Himself suffered nothing. For even if they offered insult, He was not insulted, nor was His glory mutilated, but He remains forever blessed. For if a man, by philosophizing, can often suffer nothing from those who insult him, much more God, the indestructible and unchangeable nature, the unalterable and immovable glory. For indeed men are like God in this very thing, when they suffer nothing from those who wish to abuse them, nor are insulted by those who insult them, nor are struck by those who strike them, nor are mocked by others who mock them. And how is it possible for this to happen, you say? It is possible, and very possible, when you feel no pain at what is done. And how is it possible not to feel pain, you say? Rather, how is it possible to feel pain? For tell me, if your little child should insult you, would you consider the insult an insult? And what then, would you feel pain? 60.416 Not at all; and if you did feel pain, would you not then be ridiculous? Let us be so disposed towards our neighbors, and we will suffer nothing unpleasant (for those who insult us are more foolish than children); and let us not seek not to be insulted, but when we are insulted, let us bear it nobly; for this is true honor. Why so? Because you are master of this, but another is master of that. Do you not see the diamond, when it is struck, striking back? But its nature, you say, is to do this. But it is also possible for you, by choice, to become such as it is by nature. And what? Did you not see the young men in the furnace not being burned? And Daniel in the den suffering nothing terrible? It is possible for this to happen now also; lions stand beside us too, anger, desire, having grievous teeth, tearing apart the one who falls in their way. Be then like Daniel, and do not allow these passions to fix their teeth in your soul. But he had grace cooperating with him in everything, you say. Right; because the works of his choice came before this grace. So if we also wish to be such

Εἴασεν ἐστίν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ στρατοπέδου προηγούμενος ἂν τοῦ πολέμου βαρήσαντος ἀναχωρήσας ἀπέλθοι, παραδίδωσι τοῖς πολεμίοις τοὺς στρατιώτας, οὐχὶ αὐτὸς ὠθῶν, ἀλλὰ γυμνῶν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ βοηθείας· 60.415 οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς οὐ βουληθέντας δέξασθαι τὰ παρ' αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ πρώτους ἀποπηδήσαντας, ἀφῆκεν, αὐτὸς τὰ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ πάντα πληρώσας. Σκόπει δέ· Προὔθηκεν ἀντὶ διδασκαλίας εἰς μέσον τὸν κόσμον· ἔδωκε νοῦν καὶ διάνοιαν δυναμένην τὸ δέον συνιδεῖν. Οὐδενὶ τούτων ἐχρήσαντο πρὸς σωτηρίαν οἱ τότε, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τοὐναντίον περιέστρεψαν, ὅπερ ἔλαβον. Τί οὖν ποιῆσαι ἐχρῆν; πρὸς ἀνάγκην ἕλκειν καὶ βίαν; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο ποιεῖν ἐναρέτους. Ἐλείπετο δὲ ἀφεῖναι, ὅπερ καὶ ἐποίησεν, ἵνα κἂν οὕτω τῇ πείρᾳ μαθόντες, ὧν ἐπεθύμησαν, φύγωσι τὴν αἰσχύνην. Καὶ γὰρ εἴ τις βασιλέως υἱὸς ὢν, τὸν πατέρα ἀτιμάσας ἕλοιτο εἶναι μετὰ λῃστῶν καὶ ἀνδροφόνων καὶ τυμβωρύχων, καὶ τὰ ἐκείνων προτιμήσειε τῆς πατρῴας οἰκίας, ἀφίησιν αὐτὸν ὁ πατὴρ, ὥστε διὰ τῆς πείρας αὐτῆς μαθεῖν τῆς οἰκείας ἀνοίας τὴν ὑπερβολήν. δʹ. ∆ιὰ τί δὲ μηδεμιᾶς ἄλλης ἐμνημόνευσεν ἁμαρτίας, οἷον φόνου, πλεονεξίας, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν τοιούτων, ἀλλ' ἀκολασίας; Τοὺς ἀκούοντας τότε μοι δοκεῖ, καὶ τοὺς τὴν ἐπιστολὴν δεχομένους αἰνίττεσθαι. Εἰς ἀκαθαρσίαν τοῦ ἀτιμάζεσθαι τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς. Ὅρα τὴν ἔμφασιν πληκτικωτάτην οὖσαν. Οὐ γὰρ ἑτέρων ἐδεήθησαν, φησὶ, τῶν ὑβριζόντων, ἀλλ' ἅπερ ἂν αὐτοὺς οἱ ἐχθροὶ διέθηκαν, ταῦτα ἑαυτοὺς κατειργάσαντο. Εἶτα πάλιν τὴν αἰτίαν ἀναλαβὼν, φησίν· Οἵτινες μετήλλαξαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῷ ψεύδει, καὶ ἐσεβάσθησαν καὶ ἐλάτρευσαν τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα. Ἃ μὲν ἦν σφόδρα καταγέλαστα, τίθησι κατ' εἶδος, ἃ δὲ δοκεῖ σεμνότερα εἶναι τῶν ἄλλων, καθολικῶς· καὶ διὰ πάντων δείκνυσιν, ὅτι τὸ τῇ κτίσει λατρεύειν, Ἑλληνικόν. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς τὸν λόγον ἐδήλωσεν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν ἁπλῶς, Ἐλάτρευσαν τῇ κτίσει, ἀλλὰ, Παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα· πανταχοῦ ταύτῃ τὸ ἔγκλημα ἐπαίρων, καὶ τῇ παραθέσει πάσης συγγνώμης αὐτοὺς ἀποστερῶν. Ὅς ἐστιν εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν. Ἀλλ' οὐ διὰ τοῦτό τι παρεβλάβη, φησίν· αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας εὐλογητός. Ἐνταῦθα δείκνυσιν, ὅτι οὐχ ἑαυτῷ ἀμύνων εἴασεν αὐτοὺς, ὅπου γε αὐτὸς οὐδὲν ἔπασχεν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ οὗτοι ὕβρισαν, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος οὐχ ὕβριστο, οὐδὲ ἠκρωτηριάσθη τὰ τῆς δόξης αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ μένει διαπαντὸς εὐλογητός. Εἰ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος πολλάκις φιλοσοφῶν οὐδὲν ἂν πάθοι παρὰ τῶν ὑβριζόντων, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ Θεὸς, ἡ ἀνώλεθρος καὶ ἄτρεπτος φύσις, ἡ ἀναλλοίωτος καὶ ἀκίνητος δόξα. Καὶ γὰρ ἄνθρωποι κατ' αὐτὸ ὁμοιοῦνται Θεῷ, ὅταν μηδὲν πάσχωσι παρὰ τῶν ἐπηρεάζειν βουλομένων, μηδὲ ὑβριζόντων ὑβρίζωνται, μηδὲ τυπτόντων τύπτωνται, μηδὲ καταγελῶνται καταγελώντων ἑτέρων αὐτούς. Καὶ πῶς ἔνι γενέσθαι τοῦτο, φησίν; Ἔνι, καὶ σφόδρα ἔνι, ὅταν μὴ ἀλγῇς τοῖς γινομένοις. Καὶ πῶς ἔνι μὴ ἀλγεῖν, φησί; Πῶς ἔνι μὲν οὖν ἀλγεῖν; Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, εἰ τὸ παιδάριον ὑβρίσειέ σε τὸ σὸν, ἆρα ὕβριν ἡγήσῃ τὴν ὕβριν; τί δὲ, ἀλγήσεις; 60.416 Οὐδαμῶς· ἂν δὲ ἀλγήσῃς, οὐ τότε ἔσῃ καταγέλαστος; Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πλησίον διακεισώμεθα, καὶ οὐδὲν πεισόμεθα ἀηδές (τῶν γὰρ παίδων οἱ ὑβρίζοντες ἀνοητότεροι)· μηδὲ ζητῶμεν μὴ ὑβρίζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ ὑβριζόμενοι φέρωμεν γενναίως· αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ βεβαία τιμή. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι σὺ κύριος τούτου, ἐκείνου δὲ ἕτερος. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς τὸν ἀδάμαντα ἐν τῷ παίεσθαι πλήττοντα; Ἀλλ' ἡ φύσις, φησὶ, τοῦτο ἔχει. Ἀλλὰ καὶ σοὶ δυνατὸν ἐν τῇ προαιρέσει γενέσθαι τοιοῦτον, ὅπερ ἀπὸ φύσεως ἐκείνῳ συμβαίνει. Τί δέ; οὐκ εἶδες τοὺς παῖδας ἐν τῇ καμίνῳ μὴ καιομένους; καὶ τὸν ∆ανιὴλ ἐν τῷ λάκκῳ μηδὲν πάσχοντα δεινόν; Ἔξεστι καὶ νῦν τοῦτο γενέσθαι· παρεστήκασι καὶ ἡμῖν λέοντες, θυμὸς, ἐπιθυμία, χαλεποὺς ἔχοντες ὀδόντας, διασπῶντες τὸν ἐμπίπτοντα. Γενοῦ τοίνυν κατὰ τὸν ∆ανιὴλ, καὶ μὴ δῷς τοῖς πάθεσι τούτοις τοὺς ὀδόντας ἐμπῆξαί σου τῇ ψυχῇ. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος τῆς χάριτος τὸ ὅλον εἶχε συμπράττον, φησί. Καλῶς· ἐπειδὴ ταύτης τὰ τῆς προαιρέσεως προηγήσατο. Ὥστε ἐὰν θέλωμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς τοιούτους