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some, but also stood firm, many more, and gathered for themselves a greater reward, being overcome neither by the power of those plotting against them, nor by the difficulty of the times. And let those who are scandalized reason with themselves; since even the three youths, torn away from the sacred rites and the temple and the altar and all the other care according to the law, and taken captive in the midst of a land of barbarians, kept the law with great exactness; and Daniel likewise and many others; and while those carried away into captivity were not harmed at all, others remaining at home and enjoying all the things of their fatherland, stumbled and were condemned.

12.t Chap. 12. Why wicked men and demons and the devil were left in this world.

12.1 But if you should ask why these things were permitted, and not yield to the ineffable reasons of His economies, but have studied to be always curious about everything, as you go on your way you will be perplexed about many other things, such as, why were the heresies permitted, why the devil, why the demons, why the wicked among men who trip up many, and the chief point of all these, why does the Antichrist come, having such power for deceit that Christ said that he will do such things as to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 12.2 But one ought not to seek these things, but to yield everything to the incomprehensible wisdom of God. For the one who is already nobly steadfast, even if ten thousand waves, even if ten thousand storms should come upon him, not only is not harmed at all, but even becomes stronger; but the one who is weak and dissolute and negligent often falls even when nothing is troubling him. But if you also seek to learn some reason, hear the one known to us. For there are also many others clear to Him who orders all our affairs in diverse and various ways; but the one we know, this it is for the present. 12.3 We say that these scandals were permitted so that the prizes of the noble might not be diminished; which God also showed when speaking with Job, saying: “Do you think I have dealt with you for any other reason than that you might be shown to be righteous?” 12.4 And Paul says: “For there must also be heresies, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.” But when you hear, “For there must also be heresies,” do not think that he says this commanding or legislating. Far from it; but proclaiming what is to come, and foretelling the gain from it for the sober. For then, he says, the virtue of you who are undeceived will appear more clearly. 12.5 In addition to these things, the wicked were also permitted for another reason, so that, not being snatched away beforehand, they might not be excluded from the benefit that would come to them from conversion. Thus also Paul was saved, thus the thief, thus the harlot, thus the publican, thus many others. For if they had been snatched away from here before they converted, none of them would have been saved. And concerning the Antichrist, Paul also gives another reason. What is this? That every defense of the Jews might be cut off from this as well. For what excuse would they have, who did not receive Christ, but are going to believe in that one? Therefore he says: “That they all might be judged who believed not the truth,” that is, Christ, “but had pleasure in unrighteousness,” that is, in the Antichrist. For since they said they did not believe him for this reason, because he said he was God; 12.6 “For this reason, he says, we stone you, because you, being a man, make yourself God”; and yet they heard him for the most part ascribing things to the Father and saying that he had come with His will and proving this through many things; what will they say, when they receive the Antichrist who says he is God and does not even mention the Father, but even does the opposite? This also Christ, reproaching them, foretold, saying thus:

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τινες, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔστησαν πολλῷ πλείους καὶ μείζονα ἑαυτοῖς μισθὸν συνήγαγον, οὔτε τῇ δυναστείᾳ τῶν ἐπιβουλευόντων, οὔτε τῇ δυσκολίᾳ τῶν καιρῶν περιτραπέντες. Καὶ οἱ σκανδαλιζόμενοι δὲ ἑαυτοῖς λογιζέσθωσαν· ἐπεὶ καὶ οἱ παῖδες οἱ τρεῖς καὶ ἱερῶν ἀποσπασθέντες καὶ ναοῦ καὶ θυσιαστηρίου καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἁπάσης τῆς κατὰ νόμον ἐπιμελείας καὶ ἐν μέσῃ βαρβάρων χώρᾳ ἀποληφθέντες, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀκριβείας τὸν νόμον διετήρησαν· καὶ ὁ ∆ανιὴλ ὁμοίως καὶ ἕτεροι πολλοί· καὶ οἱ μὲν εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν ἀπενεχθέντες οὐ παρεβλάβησάν τι, ἄλλοι δὲ οἴκοι μένοντες καὶ πάντων ἀπολαύοντες τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς πατρίδος, προσέκρουσαν καὶ κατεδικάσθησαν.

12.t Κεφ. ιβʹ. Τίνος ἕνεκεν ἀφέθησαν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ καὶ οἱ

ἄνθρωποι πονηροὶ καὶ δαίμονες καὶ διάβολος.

12.1 Εἰ δὲ ζητοίης τίνος ἕνεκεν ταῦτα συνεχωρήθη, καὶ μὴ τοῖς ἀρρήτοις τῶν οἰκονομῶν αὐτοῦ λόγοις παραχωροίης, ἀλλὰ ἐμελέτησας ἀεὶ πάντα περιεργάζεσθαι, ὁδῷ προβαίνων καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ διαπορήσεις, οἷον, τίνος ἕνεκεν ἀφείθησαν αἱ αἱρέσεις, τίνος ἕνεκεν ὁ διάβολος, τίνος ἕνεκεν οἱ δαίμονες, τίνος ἕνεκεν οἱ πονηροὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ πολλοὺς ὑποσκελίζοντες, καὶ τὸ δὴ κεφάλαιον ἁπάντων τούτων, τίνος ἕνεκεν ὁ Ἀντίχριστος παραγίνεται, ὁ τοσαύτην ἔχων δύναμιν πρὸς ἀπάτην ὡς τὸν Χριστὸν εἰπεῖν ὅτι τοιαῦτα ποιήσει ὥστε πλανῆσαι, εἰ δυνατόν, καὶ τοὺς ἐκλεκτούς. 12.2 Ἀλλ' οὐ δεῖ ταῦτα ζητεῖν, ἀλλὰ πάντα παραχωρεῖν τῷ ἀκαταλήπτῳ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφίας. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ γενναίως ἤδη πεπηγώς, κἂν μυρία τὰ κύματα, κἂν μυρίοι οἱ χειμῶνες ἐπιῶσιν, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν παραβλάπτεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἰσχυρότερος γίνεται· ὁ δὲ ἀσθενὴς καὶ διαρρέων καὶ ὀλίγωρος καὶ μηδενὸς ἐνοχλοῦντος καταπίπτει πολλάκις. Εἰ δὲ καὶ λόγον τινὰ ἐπιζητεῖς μαθεῖν, ἄκουε τὸν ἡμῖν γνώριμον. Εἰσὶ μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἕτεροι πολλοὶ τῷ διαφόρως καὶ ποικίλως τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς πάντα οἰκονομοῦντι δῆλοι· ὃν δὲ ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν, οὗτός ἐστι τέως. 12.3 Φαμὲν ὅτι τὰ σκάνδαλα ταῦτα ἀφείθη ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ ἐλαττωθῆναι τῶν γενναίων τὰ βραβεῖα· ὃ καὶ τῷ Ἰὼβ διαλεγόμενος ὁ Θεὸς ἐδήλωσε, λέγων· «Ἄλλως με οἴει σοι κεχρηματικέναι ἢ ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος;» 12.4 Καὶ ὁ Παῦλος δέ φησι· «∆εῖ δὲ καὶ αἱρέσεις εἶναι, ἵνα οἱ δόκιμοι φανεροὶ γένωνται ἐν ὑμῖν.» Σὺ δὲ ὅταν ἀκούῃς τό· «∆εῖ δὲ αἱρέσεις εἶναι», μὴ νομίσῃς ὅτι κελεύων ἢ νομοθετῶν ταῦτά φησιν. Ἄπαγε· ἀλλὰ τὸ μέλλον προαναφωνῶν, καὶ τὸ ἐκ τούτου κέρδος τοῖς νήφουσι προμηνύων. Τότε γὰρ ὑμῶν τῶν ἀνεξαπατήτων, φησί, σαφέστερον φανεῖται ἡ ἀρετή. 12.5 Πρὸς τούτοις καὶ δι' ἑτέραν αἰτίαν οἱ πονηροὶ ἀφείθησαν ὥστε μὴ προαναρπασθέντας ἀποκλεισθῆναι τῆς ὠφελείας τῆς ἐκ τῆς μεταβολῆς αὐτοῖς γενομένης. Οὕτω καὶ Παῦλος ἐσώθη, οὕτως ὁ λῃστής, οὕτως ἡ πόρνη, οὕτως ὁ τελώνης, οὕτως ἕτεροι πολλοί. Εἰ δὲ πρὶν ἢ μεταβαλέσθαι ἀνηρπάγησαν ἐντεῦθεν, οὐδεὶς ἂν αὐτῶν ἐσώθη. Περὶ δὲ τοῦ Ἀντιχρίστου καὶ ἑτέραν φησὶν αἰτίαν ὁ Παῦλος. Ποίαν δὴ ταύτην; Τὸ πᾶσαν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἀποκλεισθῆναι τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὴν ἀπολογίαν. Ποίαν γὰρ ἂν σχοῖεν συγγνώμην, τὸν Χριστὸν μὴ δεξάμενοι, οἱ μέλλοντες ἐκείνῳ πιστεύειν; ∆ιό φησιν· «Ἵνα κριθῶσι πάντες οἱ μὴ πιστεύσαντες τῇ ἀληθείᾳ», τοῦτ' ἔστι, τῷ Χριστῷ, «ἀλλ' εὐδοκήσαντες τῇ ἀδικίᾳ», τοῦτ' ἔστι, τῷ Ἀντιχρίστῳ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔλεγον διὰ τοῦτο αὐτῷ μὴ πιστεύειν, ἐπειδὴ Θεὸν ἑαυτὸν ἔλεγε· 12.6 «∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτό σε, φησί, λιθάζομεν, ὅτι σὺ ἄνθρωπος ὢν ποιεῖς σεαυτὸν Θεόν»· καίτοι γε τὰ πλείονα ἀκούοντες ἀνατιθέντα αὐτὸν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ λέγοντα μετὰ τῆς ἐκείνου γνώμης ἀφῖχθαι καὶ διὰ πολλῶν τοῦτο ἀποδεικνύντα· τί ἐροῦσιν, ὅταν τὸν Ἀντίχριστον τὸν λέγοντα ἑαυτὸν εἶναι Θεὸν καὶ μηδὲ μεμνημένον τοῦ Πατρός, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὐναντίον ποιοῦντα δέξωνται; Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς αὐτοῖς ὀνειδίζων, προὔλεγεν οὕτω λέγων·