32

Christ introduced His own laws for the state; a thing for which some reproached Him; but it was for a better correction. "For there is no authority except from God; and those that exist have been instituted by God." The first justification and reason for such legislation is that these things have been ordained by God. He does not mean this, that every ruler is ordained by God, nor is the discourse about individual rulers, but about the thing itself. For that there should be authorities, and some should rule and others be ruled, and that all things should not just be carried on in confusion as if the people were waves driven here and there, is a work of God's wisdom. For this reason he did not say, "for there is no ruler except from God," but he discourses about the thing itself, saying, "For there is no authority, except from God." For just as when he speaks about a husband and a wife, that a wife is joined to a husband by the Lord, he means this, that God made marriage; so also here the statement must be understood in its universal sense. "Therefore whoever resists the authority resists what God has appointed; and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the authority? Do what is good, and you will receive its approval. For it is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword in vain. For it is God's servant, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be subject." Lest the faithful should say, "You debase us, and make us contemptible, by subjecting to rulers those who are to enjoy the kingdom of heaven," he shows that it is not to rulers, but to God again that he subjects them. It is as if he were to say: "He who does not obey that one, wars against God who enacted this law;" and he is eager everywhere to show this, that we do not grant them obedience as a favor, but we owe it. For in this way, he both drew the unbelieving rulers more toward piety, and the faithful toward obedience. "Not only because of wrath, but also for the sake of conscience." Not only, he says, do you resist God, by not being subject, and bring evils upon yourself, but they are also your benefactors in the greatest things, being providers of peace and of civil order. "For this is also why you pay taxes." Omitting to speak of the benefits in detail, which come from rulers to cities, such as good order, peace, and the other services, from this one 95.548 thing he points out the whole. From what? That we are benefited by them, he says; you bear witness by paying him his wages. "For they are ministers of God, attending to this very thing." Through this he shows their labor, and the hardship concerning their duties. For this is their life, this is their business, that you may enjoy peace. "Render to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed." He still holds to the same things, commanding not only to pay them money, but also honor and respect. But if anyone says that above he said, "Would you have no fear of the authority?" let him know that he speaks of a different fear, that which comes from an evil conscience. And well did he say, "render," that he might show what is owed. For you are not granting a favor, he says, by doing this; for the matter is a debt. "Owe no one anything, except to love one another." Again he has recourse to the mother of good things, and the teacher and producer of all virtue, I mean, love. "For the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment." Do not think this is a favor, he says. For this itself is also a debt. "is summed up in this word." He did not say, simply, "is fulfilled," but "is summed up;" that is, the whole work of the commandments is completed concisely and briefly. For love is both the beginning and end of virtue. "in 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." He does not seek love simply, but intense love. "And that, knowing the season, that

32

πολιτείας ὁ Χριστὸς τοὺς παρ' ἑαυτοῦ νόμους εἰσήγαγεν· ὅπερ ὠνείδιζόν τινες· ἀλλ' ἐπὶ διορθώσει βελτίονι. «Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἐξουσία εἰ μὴ ἀπὸ Θεοῦ· αἱ δὲ οὖσαι ὑπὸ Θεοῦ, τεταγμέναι εἰσίν.» Πρῶτον δικαίωμα τῆς τοιαύτης νομοθεσίας καὶ λογισμὸς, τὸ παρὰ Θεοῦ ταῦτα διατετάχθαι. Οὐ τοῦτο δὲ λέγει, ὡς πᾶς ἄρχων ὑπὸ Θεοῦ χειροτονεῖται, οὐδὲ περὶ τῶν καθ' ἕκαστον ἀρχόντων ὁ λόγος, ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πράγματος. Τὸ γὰρ ἀρχὰς εἶναι, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἄρχειν, τοὺς δὲ ἄρχεσθαι, καὶ μὴ ἁπλῶς καὶ ἀνεδὴν ἅπαντα φέρεσθαι ὥσπερ κυμάτων τῇδε κἀκεῖσε τῶν δήμων περιαγομένων, τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφίας ἔργον ἐστίν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐκ εἶπεν· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἄρχων εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ· ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦ πράγματος διαλέγεται λέγων. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἐξουσία, εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὅταν περὶ ἀνδρὸς καὶ γυναικὸς λέγῃ, ὅτι παρὰ Κυρίου ἁρμόζεται γυνὴ ἀνδρὶ, τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι τὸν γάμον ὁ Θεὸς ἐποίησεν· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα περὶ τοῦ καθόλου ἐκληπτέον τὸν λόγον. «Ὥστε ὁ ἀντιτασσόμενος τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ, τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ διαταγῇ ἀνθέστηκεν· οἱ δὲ ἀνθεστηκότες, ἑαυτοῖς κρῖμα λήψονται. Οἱ γὰρ ἄρχοντες οὐκ εἰσὶν φόβος τῷ ἀγαθῷ ἔργῳ, ἀλλὰ τῷ κακῷ. Θέλεις δὲ μὴ φοβεῖσθαι τὴν ἐξουσίαν, τὸ ἀγαθὸν ποίει, καὶ ἕξεις ἔπαινον ἐξ αὐτῆς. Θεοῦ γὰρ διάκονός ἐστί σοι εἰς τὸ ἀγαθόν· ἐὰν δὲ τὸ κακὸν ποιῇς, φοβοῦ· οὐ γὰρ εἰκῆ τὴν μάχαιραν φορεῖ. Θεοῦ γὰρ διάκονός ἐστι, ἔκδικος εἰς ὀργὴν τῷ τὸ κακὸν πράσσοντι. ∆ιὸ ἀνάγκη ὑποτάσσεσθαι.» Ἵνα μὴ λέγωσιν οἱ πιστοὶ, ὅτι ἐξευτελίζεις ἡμᾶς, καὶ εὐκαταφρονήτους ποιεῖς, τοὺς τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας ἀπολαύειν μέλλοντας ἄρχουσιν ὑποτάττων, δείκνυσιν ὅτι οὐκ ἄρχουσιν, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ πάλιν ὑποτάττει. Ὅμοιον δὲ ὡς εἰ λέγοι· ὅτι ὁ μὴ ὑπακούων ἐκείνῳ, τῷ Θεῷ πολεμεῖ τῷ αὐτὸν νομοθετήσαντι· καὶ τοῦτο σπουδάζει πανταχοῦ δεῖξαι, ὅτι οὐ χαριζόμεθα αὐτοῖς τὴν ὑπακοὴν, ἀλλ' ὀφείλομεν. Οὕτω γὰρ, κἂν καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας τοὺς ἀπίστους μᾶλλον ἐπεσπάσατο πρὸς εὐσέβειαν, καὶ τοὺς πιστοὺς πρὸς ὑπακοήν. «Οὐ μόνον διὰ τὴν ὀργὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὴν συνείδησιν. Οὐ μόνον, φησὶν, ἀντίστασαι Θεῷ, μὴ ὑποτασσόμενος, καὶ κακὰ σαυτῷ προξενεῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς μεγίστοις εὐεργέται σου γίνονται, εἰρήνης ὄντες πρόξενοι καὶ οἰκονομίας πολιτικῆς. «∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ φόρους τελεῖτε.» Ἀφεὶς εἰπεῖν τὰς εὐεργεσίας κατὰ μέρος, τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρχόντων ταῖς πόλεσι γινομένας, οἷον τὴν εὐταξίαν, τὴν εἰρήνην, τὰς ἄλλας διακονίας, ἐξ ἑνὸς 95.548 τούτου τὸ πᾶν ἐνδείκνυται. Ποίου; Ὅτι εὐεργετούμεθα παρ' αὐτῶν, φησίν· σὺ μαρτυρεῖς μισθὸν αὐτῷ τελῶν. «Λειτουργοὶ γὰρ Θεοῦ εἰσιν, εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο προσκαρτεροῦντες.» Τὸν πόνον αὐτῶν διὰ τούτου δείκνυσι, καὶ τὴν ταλαιπωρίαν τὴν περὶ τὰς φροντίδας. Οὗτος γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὁ βίος, αὕτη ἡ σπουδὴ, ὅπως ἀπολαύσῃς εἰρήνης. «Ἀπόδοτε πᾶσι τὰς ὀφειλὰς, τῷ τὸν φόρον τὸν φόρον, τῷ τὸ τέλος τὸ τέλος, τῷ τὸν φόβον τὸν φόβον, τῷ τὴν τιμὴν τὴν τιμήν.» Ἔτι τῶν αὐτῶν ἔχεται, οὐ χρήματα μόνον αὐτοῖς κελεύων τελεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τιμὴν καὶ φόβον. Εἰ δέ τίς φησιν, ὅτι ἀνωτέρω εἶπεν, Θέλεις μὴ φοβεῖσθαι τὴν ἐξουσίαν; γνώτω, ὡς ἕτερον λέγει φόβον, τὸν ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ συνειδότος. Εὖ δὲ καὶ τὸ, ἀπόδοτε, ἵνα τὸ ὀφειλόμενον δηλώσῃ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ χαρίζει, φησὶ, τοῦτο ποιῶν· ὀφειλὴ γάρ ἐστι τὸ πρᾶγμα. «Μηδενὶ μηδὲν ὀφείλετε, εἰ μὴ τὸ ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾷν.» Πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν μητέρα τῶν ἀγαθῶν καταφεύγει, καὶ τὴν διδάσκαλον καὶ ποιητικὴν ἀρετῆς ἁπάσης, τὴν ἀγάπην φημί. «Ὁ γὰρ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἕτεραν, νόμον πεπλήρωκεν. Τὸ γὰρ οὐ μοιχεύσεις, οὐ φονεύσεις, οὐ κλέψεις, οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις, οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις, καὶ εἴ τις ἑτέρα ἐστὶν ἐντολή.» Μηγάρτοι τοῦτο χάριν εἶναι νομίσῃς, φησίν. Καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸ ὀφειλὴ ἐστίν. «Ἐν τούτῳ τῷ λόγῳ ἀνακεφαλαιοῦται. Οὐκ εἶπεν, ἁπλῶς, πληροῦται, ἀλλὰ ἀνακεφαλαιοῦται· τουτέστι, συντόμως καὶ ἐν βραχεῖ τὸ πᾶν ἀπαρτίζεται τῶν ἐντολῶν ἔργον. Καὶ γὰρ ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος τῆς ἀρετῆς ἡ ἀγάπη. «Ἐν τῷ Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν· ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ πλησίον κακὸν οὐκ ἐργάζεται· πλήρωμα οὖν νόμου ἡ ἀγάπη.» Οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἀγάπην ζητεῖ, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐπιτεταμένην. «Καὶ τοῦτο, εἰδότες τὸν καιρὸν, ὅτι