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those who live reasonably and moderately, or because of those, whom you said hold the state together, but whom I have proved to be a common bane of the world? Because of those, clearly. For no one is indignant because so-and-so philosophizes, or because so-and-so is reasonable and moderate and self-controlled, and despises present affairs; but because so-and-so is rich, that he lives in luxury, that he is covetous and rapacious, that being wicked and full of countless evils, he is both splendid and prosperous. These are the things those who disbelieve in God accuse and blame; at these things the many stumble, since on account of those who live reasonably, they will not only utter none of these words, but would even condemn themselves, for being induced to accuse the providence of God. And if all, or even the majority, wished to live thus, no one would have even thought of these sayings, nor would the culmination of these evils have entered in, namely, to ask, whence come evils. For if evils did not exist nor appear, who would have been led to seek the cause of evils, and for countless heresies to spring up from this inquiry? For both Marcion, and Manes, and Valentinus, and most of the Greeks took their beginning from this. But if all philosophized, it would not be possible to seek these things, but if from nowhere else, at least from this best way of life all would have learned that we live under God the king, and that he directs and governs our affairs according to his own wisdom and understanding; which is moved even now, but is not easily seen because of the great darkness which these men have scattered over the whole world; but if this were not so, the providence of God would have been visible to all, just as in a steady midday and a bright calm. For if there were neither courts, nor accusers, nor sycophants, nor tortures and punishments, nor prisons and corrections, nor confiscations and penalties, nor fears and dangers, nor enmities, nor plots, nor slanders and hatred, nor famines and plagues, nor any other of the enumerated terrible things, but all lived with fitting reasonableness, who among all the living would have disputed concerning the providence of God? There is no one. But now the same thing happens, as if when winter has set in the pilot should do his part, and save the vessel, but the precision of his skill should not be apparent to the passengers because of the confusion and the fear and the anguish of the impending evils. Since God governs all this even now, but he is not apparent to the many because of the winter of affairs and the confusion, which these men above all work. So that not only do they subvert the state, but they also corrupt piety; and one would not err in calling these men common enemies, who live against the salvation of others, dragging down those involved with them with defiled doctrines and impure lives. 47.366 ιαʹ. But in the monasteries none of these things is to be seen, but although so great a winter has been stirred up, they alone sit in a harbor and calm and great safety, as if from heaven watching the shipwrecks of others; for they have chosen a way of life befitting heaven, and are disposed in no way worse than angels. Just as, therefore, among them there is no inequality, nor are some in prosperity, and others in extreme evils, but all are in one peace and joy and glory, so indeed also here; no one reproaches poverty, no one prides himself on wealth; "yours" and "mine," this indeed which overturns and disturbs all things has been banished; and all things are common to them, both table and dwelling and garments. And what wonder, where indeed even the soul itself is one and the same for all? All are noble with the same nobility, slaves with the same servitude, free with the same freedom; one wealth there for all is the true wealth, one glory the true glory; for not in names, but in the things themselves are their goods; one pleasure, one desire, one hope for all, and just as from some rule and standard all things have been made precise, and there is no inequality, but order and rhythm and harmony and great precision of concord, and a continuous source of cheerfulness. Wherefore all do and suffer all things, that they may be both cheerful and rejoice. For there only

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τοὺς ἐπιεικῶς ζῶντας καὶ μετρίως, ἢ δι' ἐκείνους, οὓς σὺ μὲν συνέχειν ἔφης τὴν πολιτείαν, ἐγὼ δὲ κοινὴν οὖσαν ἀπέδειξα τῆς οἰκουμένης λύμην; ∆ι' ἐκείνους δηλονότι. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἀγανακτεῖ, ἐπειδὴ ὁ δεῖνα φιλοσοφεῖ, ἢ ὅτι ἐστὶν ὁ δεῖνα ἐπιεικὴς καὶ μέτριος καὶ σώφρων. καὶ τῶν παρόντων ὑπερορᾷ πραγμάτων· ἀλλ' ὅτι ὁ δεῖνα πλουτεῖ, ὅτι τρυφᾷ, ὅτι πλεονεκτεῖ καὶ ἁρπάζει, ὅτι πονηρὸς ὢν καὶ μυρίων γέμων κακῶν, λαμπρός τέ ἐστι καὶ εὐημερεῖ. Ταῦτα κατηγοροῦσι καὶ μέμφονται οἱ ἀπιστοῦντες Θεῷ· τούτοις προσπταίουσιν οἱ πολλοὶ, ὡς τῶν γε ἐπιεικῶς ἕνεκεν ζώντων, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν φθέγξονται τῶν ῥημάτων τούτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ καταγνοῖεν ἑαυτῶν, ἐφ' οἷς ἂν προαχθῶσι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ κατηγορῆσαι προνοίας. Καὶ εἰ πάντες, ἢ καὶ οἱ πλείους ἐβούλοντο οὕτω ζῇν, οὐδ' ἄν τις ἐνενόησε ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα, οὐδ' ἂν ὁ τῶν κακῶν τούτων ἐπεισῆλθε κολοφὼν τὸ ζητεῖν, πόθεν τὰ κακά. Κακῶν γὰρ οὐκ ὄντων οὐδὲ φαινομένων, τίς ἂν προήχθη τὴν αἰτίαν ζητῆσαι τῶν κακῶν, καὶ μυρίας ἀπὸ τῆς ζητήσεως ταύτης αἱρέσεις ἀνατέλλειν; Καὶ γὰρ Μαρκίων, καὶ Μάνης, καὶ Οὐαλεντῖνος, καὶ τῶν Ἑλλήνων οἱ πλείους ἐντεῦθεν ἔλαβον τὴν ἀρχήν. Εἰ δὲ πάντες ἐφιλοσόφουν, οὐκ ἐνῆν ταῦτα ζητεῖν, ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ μηδαμόθεν ἄλλοθεν, ἀπὸ γοῦν τῆς ἀρίστης ταύτης πολιτείας ἔμαθον ἂν ἅπαντες, ὅτι ὑπὸ Θεῷ ζῶμεν βασιλεῖ, καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα οὗτος διοικεῖ καὶ κυβερνᾷ πράγματα κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ σοφίαν καὶ σύνεσιν· ὃ κινεῖται μὲν καὶ νῦν, φαίνεται δὲ οὐ ῥᾳδίως διὰ τὴν πολλὴν ἀχλὺν, ἣν κατεσκέδασαν οὗτοι τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀπάσης· εἰ δὲ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν, καθάπερ ἐν σταθερᾷ μεσημβρίᾳ καὶ λευκῇ γαλήνῃ πᾶσιν ἂν ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ πρόνοια διεφάνη. Εἰ γὰρ μήτε δικαστήρια ἦν, μήτε κατήγοροι, μήτε συκοφάνται, μὴ βάσανοι καὶ τιμωρίαι, μὴ δεσμωτήρια καὶ κολάσεις, μὴ δημεύσεις καὶ ζημίαι, μὴ φόβοι καὶ κίνδυνοι, μὴ ἔχθραι, μὴ ἐπιβουλαὶ, μὴ λοιδορίαι καὶ μῖσος, μὴ λιμοὶ καὶ λοιμοὶ, μηδ' ἄλλο τι τῶν ἀπηριθμημένων δεινῶν, ἀλλὰ πάντες μετ' ἐπιεικείας ἔζων τῆς προσηκούσης, τίς ἂν τῶν ζώντων ἁπάντων ἠμφισβήτησε περὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας; Οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδείς. Νυνὶ δὲ ταυτὸ συμβαίνει, οἷον ἂν εἰ χειμῶνος καταλαβόντος ἐργάζοιτο μὲν ὁ κυβερνήτης τὸ αὑτοῦ, καὶ διασώζοι τὸ σκάφος, μὴ φαίνοιτο δὲ αὐτοῦ τῆς ἐπιστήμης ἡ ἀκρίβεια τοῖς ἐπιβάταις διὰ τὴν ταραχὴν καὶ τὸν φόβον καὶ τὴν ἀγωνίαν τῶν ἐπικρεμαμένων κακῶν. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς κυβερνᾷ μὲν τὸ πᾶν τοῦτο καὶ νῦν, οὐ φαίνεται δὲ τοῖς πολλοῖς διὰ τὸν τῶν πραγμάτων χειμῶνα καὶ τὴν ταραχὴν, ἣν οὗτοι δὴ μάλιστα πάντων ἐργάζονται. Ὥστε οὐ μόνον πολιτείαν ἀνατρέπουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐσέβειαν λυμαίνονται· καὶ οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι κοινοὺς ἐχθροὺς τούτους προσειπὼν, οἳ κατὰ τῆς ἑτέρων ζῶσι σωτηρίας, δόγμασι μιαροῖς καὶ βίοις ἀκαθάρτοις τοὺς μεθ' ἑαυτῶν ἐμπλέοντας καταδύοντες. 47.366 ιαʹ. Ἀλλ' ἐν τοῖς μοναστηρίοις τούτων οὐδὲν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, ἀλλὰ καίτοι χειμῶνος ἠρμένου τοσούτου, μόνοι κάθηνται ἐν λιμένι καὶ γαλήνῃ καὶ ἀσφαλείᾳ πολλῇ, καθάπερ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ τὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπισκοποῦντες ναυάγια· καὶ γὰρ πολιτείαν οὐρανῷ πρέπουσαν εἴλοντο, καὶ ἀγγέλων οὐδὲν χεῖρον διάκεινται. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐν ἐκείνοις οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνωμαλία τις, οὐδὲ οἱ μὲν ἐν εὐημερίᾳ, οἱ δὲ ἐν ἐσχάτοις κακοῖς, ἀλλ' ἅπαντες ἐν εἰρήνῃ μιᾷ καὶ χαρᾷ καὶ δόξῃ, οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα· οὐδεὶς ὀνειδίζει πενίαν, οὐδεὶς ἐπὶ πλούτῳ σεμνύνεται· τὸ σὸν καὶ τὸ ἐμὸν, τοῦτο δὴ τὸ πάντα ἀνατρέπον καὶ θορυβοῦν ἐξώρισται· καὶ πάντα αὐτοῖς κοινὰ, καὶ τράπεζα καὶ οἴκησις καὶ ἱμάτια. Καὶ τί θαυμαστὸν, ὅπου γε καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ ψυχὴ μία πᾶσι καὶ ἡ αὐτή; Πάντες τὴν αὐτὴν εὐγένειάν εἰσιν εὐγενεῖς, τὴν αὐτὴν δουλείαν δοῦλοι, τὴν αὐτὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἐλεύθεροι· εἷς ἐκεῖ πλοῦτος πᾶσιν ὁ ὅντως πλοῦτος, μία δόξα ἡ ὄντως δόξα· οὐ γὰρ ἐν ὀνόμασιν, ἀλλ' ἐν πράγμασιν αὐτοῖς τὰ ἀγαθά· μία ἡδονὴ, μία ἐπιθυμία, μία ἐλπὶς πᾶσι, καὶ καθάπερ ἀπὸ κανόνος τινὸς καὶ στάθμης ἅπαντα διηκρίβωται, καὶ ἀνωμαλία μὲν οὐδεμία, τάξις δὲ καὶ ῥυθμὸς καὶ ἁρμονία καὶ πολλὴ τῆς συμφωνίας ἡ ἀκρίβεια, καὶ διηνεκὴς εὐθυμίας ὑπόθεσις. ∆ιὸ πάντες πάντα ποιοῦσι καὶ πάσχουσιν, ἵνα εὐθυμῶσί τε καὶ χαίρωσιν. Ἐκεῖ γὰρ μόνον