22

By the removal of evil things, the list of good things enters in its place: peace and justice, and the whole train of thoughts toward the better. What then could be more blessed than to have one's life thus, no longer entrusting the security of our life to bars and stones, but being secured in one another? For just as the harsh and beastly man makes hostile to himself those who have experienced his savagery; so, on the contrary, we all become well-disposed to the merciful man, as mercy naturally begets love in those who share in it. Therefore mercy is, as the argument has shown, the father of goodwill, the pledge of love, the bond of all friendly disposition; and than this security, what could be devised more steadfast in life? So, rightly does the Word bless the merciful man, with so many good things being made manifest in this name. But that such counsel is beneficial for life, everyone must know; yet to me it seems the meaning indicates something more than what is readily understood, revealing through mysteries the outcome of the future. For, it says, blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy; as though the recompense of mercy is laid up hereafter for the merciful. Therefore, leaving behind this easily grasped meaning that is readily found by the many, let us attempt with our discourse, as far as we are able, to peer into what is inside the veil. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. There is then something higher than doctrines to learn in this saying: that He who made man in His own image deposited the sources of all good things in the nature of His creation, so that none of the good things are introduced to us from without, but it is in our power to have what we wish, drawing forth the good from our nature as if from some treasury; for from a part we are taught about the whole, that it is not possible for anyone to obtain the things they desire otherwise than by bestowing the good upon himself; wherefore the Lord says somewhere to those who hear, that 'The kingdom of God is within you;' and, that 'Everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened;' so that receiving what is desired, and finding what is sought, and being within the things longed for, is in our power whenever we wish and depends on our own judgment. And consistent with this, the opposite idea is also established: that the inclination toward the worse arises from no compelling external necessity, but it comes into being at the same time as the choice for evil, coming into existence then when we choose it; but evil itself, in its own substance, outside of choice, is found to exist nowhere. From these things, the self-ruling and free-willed power, which the Lord of nature implanted in human nature, is clearly demonstrated by the fact that all things depend on our choice, whether good or worse; and that the divine judgment, with an incorruptible and just vote, following our intention, allots to each person that which he happens to have provided for himself; to those, as the Apostle says, who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor, eternal life; but to those who disobey the truth but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation, and all such names of grim retribution. For just as accurate mirrors show such appearances of faces as the faces may be, bright for those who are cheerful, and downcast for those who are sullen; and no one would blame the nature of the mirror if the reflection appeared gloomy because the original was dejected; so also the just judgment of God is conformed to our dispositions, rendering to us from itself things of a like kind to those which are from us. 'Come,' He says, 'you blessed ones;' and, 'Depart, you cursed ones.' Is there any external necessity in these things, allotting the sweet voice to those on the right and the grim one to those on the left? Did not these obtain mercy because of what they did, while the others, by being harsh toward their fellow men, a harsh

22

τῶν πονηρῶν ὑπεξαιρέσει ὁ τῶν ἀγαθῶν κατά λογος ἀντεισέρχεται, εἰρήνη καὶ δικαιοσύνη, καὶ πᾶσα τῶν πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον νοουμένων ἀκολουθία. Τί τοίνυν ἂν εἴη μακαριστότερον, τὸ οὕτω τὸν βίον ἔχειν, οὐκέτι μοχλοῖς καὶ λίθοις τὴν ἀσφάλειαν τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν πιστευόντων, ἀλλ' ἐν ἀλλήλοις ἠσφαλι σμένων; Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ἀπηνής τε καὶ θηριώδης, δυσμενεῖς ἑαυτῷ τοὺς τῆς ἀγριότητος πεπειραμένους ποιεῖ· οὕτως ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου, εὔνοι ἅπαντες τῷ ἐλεοῦντι γινόμεθα, φυσικῶς τοῖς μετέχουσι τοῦ ἐλέου τὴν ἀγάπην ἐντίκτοντος. Οὐκοῦν ἐστιν ὁ ἔλεος, ὥς γε ὁ λόγος ὑπέδειξεν, εὐνοίας πατὴρ, ἀγάπης ἐνέχυρον, σύνδεσμος πάσης φιλικῆς διαθέσεως· τῆς δὲ ἀσφα λείας ταύτης, τί ἂν ἐπινοηθείη κατὰ τὴν ζωὴν ὀχυ ρώτερον; Ὥστε εἰκότως ὁ Λόγος μακαρίζει τὸν ἐλεή μονα, τοσούτων ἀγαθῶν τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ ἐμφαινο μένων. Ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν βιωφελῆ τὴν τοιαύτην συμβου λὴν εἶναι, παντός ἐστι μὴ ἀγνοῆσαι· ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ πλέον τι τῶν ἐκ τοῦ προχείρου νοουμένων, τῇ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἐκλήψει δι' ἀποῤῥήτων παραδηλοῦν ἡ διάνοια. Μακάριοι γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ ἐλεήμονες· ὅτι αὐ τοὶ ἐλεηθήσονται· ὡς ὕστερον ἀποκειμένης τοῖς ἐλεοῦσι τῆς κατὰ τὸν ἔλεον ἀντιδόσεως. Οὐκοῦν ὡς ἂν οἷοί τε ὦμεν τὴν εὔληπτον ταύτην καὶ ἐκ τοῦ προχείρου τοῖς πολλοῖς εὑρισκομένην καταλιπόντες διάνοιαν, πρὸς τὸ ἐσώτερον τοῦ κατα πετάσματος διακύψαι, τῷ λόγῳ κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἐγ χειρήσωμεν. Μακάριοι οἱ ἐλεήμονες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐλεη θήσονται. Ἔστι μὲν οὖν τι καὶ δογμάτων ὑψηλότε ρον ἐν τῷ λόγῳ μαθεῖν· ὅτι πάντων ἀγαθῶν τὰς ἀφορμὰς ὁ κατ' εἰκόνα ἑαυτοῦ ποιήσας τὸν ἄνθρωπον, τῇ φύσει τοῦ πλάσματος ἐναπέθετο, ὡς μηδὲν ἡμῖν 44.1256 τῶν καλῶν ἔξωθεν ἐπεισκρίνεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἐφ' ἡμῖν εἶ ναι ὅπερ βουλόμεθα, οἷον ἐκ ταμείου τινὸς προχειρι ζομένους τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐκ τῆς φύσεως· ἀπὸ μέρους γὰρ περὶ τοῦ παντὸς διδασκόμεθα, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλως τινὰ τῶν κατ' ἐπιθυμίαν τυχεῖν, μὴ αὐτὸν ἑαυτῷ τὸ ἀγαθὸν χαριζόμενον· διό φησί που πρὸς τοὺς ἀκούον τας ὁ Κύριος, ὅτι Ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐντὸς ὑμῶν ἐστιν· καὶ, ὅτι Πᾶς ὁ αἰτῶν λαμβάνει, καὶ ὁ ζητῶν εὑρίσκει, καὶ τῷ κρούοντι ἀνοιγήσεται· ὡς καὶ τὸ λαβεῖν τὸ ποθούμενον, καὶ τὸ εὑρεῖν τὸ ζητούμενον, καὶ τὸ ἐντὸς τῶν ἐπιθυμουμένων γενέ σθαι, ἐφ' ἡμῖν εἶναι ὅταν βουλώμεθα, καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐξηρτῆσθαι γνώμης. Ὧ κατὰ τὸ ἀκόλουθον συγ κατασκευάζεται, καὶ τὸ ἐξ ἐναντίου νοούμενον, ὅτι καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον ῥοπὴ, μηδεμιᾶς ἔξωθεν βιαζο μένης ἀνάγκης ἐγγίνεται, ἀλλ' ὁμοῦ τὸ ἑλέσθαι τὸ κακὸν, ὑφίσταται, τότε εἰς γένεσιν παραγενόμενον, ὅταν ἑλώμεθα· αὐτὸ δὲ ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ κατ' ἰδίαν ὑπό στασιν ἔξω προαιρέσεως, οὐδαμοῦ τὸ κακὸν εὑρίσκε κείμενον. Ἐκ δὲ τούτων ἡ αὐτοκρατής τε καὶ αὐτ εξούσιος δύναμις, ἣν ἐνετεκτήνατο τῇ φύσει τῶν ἀν θρώπων ὁ τῆς φύσεως Κύριος, σαφῶς ἐπιδείκνυται, διὰ τοῦ πάντα τῆς προαιρέσεως τῆς ἡμετέρας ἠρτῆ σθαι, εἴτε ἀγαθὰ, εἴτε χείρονα· τὴν δὲ θείαν κρίσιν ἀδεκάστῳ καὶ δικαίῳ. ψήφῳ τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν πρόθεσιν ἑπομένην, ἐκεῖνο νέμειν ἑκάστῳ, ὅπερ ἂν ἑαυτῷ τις παρεχόμενος τύχῃ· τοῖς μὲν, καθώς φη σιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, καθ' ὑπομονὴν ἔργου ἀγαθοῦ δόξαν καὶ τιμὴν ζητοῦσι, ζωὴν αἰώνιον· τοῖς δὲ ἀπειθοῦσι μὲν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, πειθομένοις δὲ τῇ ἀδικίᾳ, ὀργὴν καὶ θλίψιν, καὶ πάντα ὅσα τῆς σκυθρωπῆς ἀντιδόσεώς ἐστιν ὀνόματα. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὰ ἀκριβῆ τῶν κατόπτρων τοιαύτας δείκνυσι τὰς τῶν προσώπων ἐμφάσεις, οἷά περ ἂν τὰ πρόσωπα ᾖ, φαιδρὰ μὲν τῶν φαιδρυ νομένων, κατηφῆ δὲ τῶν σκυθρωπαζόντων· καὶ οὐκ ἄν τις αἰτιάσαιτο τὴν τοῦ κατόπτρου φύσιν, εἰ σκυ θρωπὸν ἐμφανείη τὸ ἀπεικόνισμα τοῦ πρωτοτύπου διὰ κατηφείας συμπεπτωκότος· οὕτω καὶ ἡ δικαία τοῦ Θεοῦ κρίσις ταῖς ἡμετέραις διαθέσεσιν ἐξομοιοῦται, οἷά περ ἂν τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν ᾖ, τοιαῦτα ἡμῖν ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων παρέχουσα. ∆εῦτε, φησὶν, οἱ εὐλογημένοι· καὶ, Πορεύεσθε, οἱ κατηραμένοι, Μή τις ἀνάγκη τῶν ἔξωθεν ἐπὶ τούτων ἐστὶν, τοῖς δεξιοῖς μὲν τὴν γλυκεῖαν φωνὴν, τοῖς δὲ ἀριστεροῖς τὴν σκυθρωπὴν ἀποκληροῦσα; Οὐχ οὗτοι μὲν δι' ὧν ἐποίησαν, ἔσχον τὸν ἔλεον, οἱ δὲ τῷ πρὸς τοὺς ὁμοφύλους ἀπηνῶς ἔχειν, ἀπηνὲς