John Chrysostom, To the People of Antioch

consoles us this day, saying, that the fear of rulers is also useful, and that the comfort from this source is also useful. For their fear does not permit us to be undone by indolence; while this comfort does not permit us to fall into despondency; and through both God manages our salvation. For He himself armed the rulers, so that they might frighten the licentious; and He himself ordained the priests, so that they might comfort the afflicted; and both these things, along with the Scriptures, the very experience of affairs teaches. For if, when rulers existed, and soldiers lived under arms, the madness of a few men, a mixed and foreign rabble, in a brief moment of time kindled such a fire for us, and stirred up so great a storm, and made everyone fear shipwreck; if the fear of the rulers had been completely removed, to what lengths 49.82 of madness would these men not have gone? Would they not have overturned our city from its foundations, and having turned everything upside down, would they not have taken away our very lives? For if you take away the courts of justice, you have taken away all the good order of our life; and just as if you remove the pilot from a ship, you have sunk the vessel, and if you take away the general from the army, you have handed over the soldiers bound to the enemy; so if you take away the rulers from the cities, we will live a life more irrational than irrational beasts, biting and devouring one another, the rich the poorer, the more powerful the weaker, the more audacious the more gentle. But now none of these things happens, through the grace of God; for those who live together in piety have no need of their instruction; For the law, he says, is not made for a righteous man. But the many, who are inclined toward wickedness, if they did not have the fear from these men hanging over them, would have filled the cities with ten thousand evils, which indeed Paul, understanding, said: For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. For what the braces of the timbers are in houses, this the rulers are in the cities; and just as if you were to remove those, the walls, being loosened, spontaneously collapse upon one another; so if you were to take away from the world the rulers and the fear of them, both houses and cities and nations will collapse upon one another with great license, there being no one to restrain and check them, and by the fear of punishment persuading them to be quiet. Let us not therefore be grieved, beloved, on account of the fear of the rulers, but let us also give thanks to God, that He has checked our indolence, and made us more earnest. For what harm, tell me, has come from this anxiety and care? That we have become more sober and more gentle? That we are more earnest and more attentive? That we see no one drunk and singing lewd songs? but that there are continual litanies, and tears, and prayers? That unseasonable laughter and shameful words, and all dissipation have been driven away, and that our whole city now imitates a respectable and free-born woman? Are you grieved for these things, tell me? For these things, therefore, it is right to rejoice and give thanks to God, that by the fear of a few days He has destroyed so much stupidity. Yes, one says, but if we were in danger only up to the point of fear, we would have reaped sufficient benefit; but now we fear lest the terrible thing go further, and we all be in danger of the ultimate penalties. But do not be afraid, Paul consoles you, saying that God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the 49.83 way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. For He Himself said: I will never leave you, nor will I ever forsake you. For if He had wished to punish by deeds and by the experience itself, He would not have given us over to fear for so many days; for when He does not wish to punish, He frightens; since if He were about to punish, the fear is superfluous, the threat is superfluous; but now we have endured a life more grievous than ten thousand deaths, fearing and trembling for so many days, and suspecting the very shadows, and paying the penalty of Cain, and from the midst of sleep

παρακαλεῖ τὴν ἡμέραν, λέγουσα, ὅτι χρήσιμος καὶ ὁ τῶν ἀρχόντων φόβος ἐστὶ, καὶ ὅτι χρησίμη καὶ ἡ ἐντεῦθεν παράκλησις. Ἐκείνων μὲν γὰρ ὁ φόβος οὐκ ἀφίησιν ὑπὸ τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας ἐκλύεσθαι· ταύτης δὲ ἡ παράκλησις οὐκ ἀφίησιν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας καταπίπτειν· καὶ δι' ἀμφοτέρων ὁ Θεὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν οἰκονομεῖ. Καὶ γὰρ τοὺς ἄρχοντας αὐτὸς ὥπλισεν, ἵνα φοβῶσι τοὺς ἀσελγαίνοντας· καὶ τοὺς ἱερέας αὐτὸς ἐχειροτόνησεν, ἵνα παρακαλῶσι τοὺς ὀδυνωμένους· καὶ ταῦτα ἀμφότερα, μετὰ τῶν Γραφῶν, καὶ αὐτὴ τῶν πραγμάτων ἡ πεῖρα διδάσκει. Εἰ γὰρ ἀρχόντων ὄντων, καὶ στρατιωτῶν ζώντων ἐν ὅπλοις, μανία ἀνθρώπων εὐαριθμήτων, μιγάδων καὶ ἐπηλύδων, ἐν βραχείᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ τοσαύτην ἡμῖν ἀνῆψε πυρὰν, καὶ χειμῶνα τοσοῦτον ἤγειρε, καὶ περὶ ναυαγίας δεδοικέναι ἐποίησεν ἅπαντας· εἰ καθόλου τῶν ἀρχόντων ὁ φόβος ἀνῄρητο, ποῦ οὐκ ἂν 49.82 ἦλθον οὗτοι μανίας; ἆρα οὐκ ἂν ἐκ βάθρων ἡμῖν τὴν πόλιν ἀνέτρεψαν, καὶ πάντα ἄνω καὶ κάτω ποιήσαντες, αὐτὰς ἂν ἡμῶν ἀφείλοντο τὰς ψυχάς; Ἐὰν γὰρ τὰ δικαστήρια ἀνέλῃς, πᾶσαν τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν ἀνεῖλες τὴν εὐταξίαν· καὶ ὥσπερ νηὸς τὸν κυβερνήτην ἐὰν ἀποστήσῃς, κατεπόντισας τὸ σκάφος, καὶ τὸν στρατηγὸν ἂν ἀπαγάγῃς τοῦ στρατοπέδου, δεδεμένους τοῖς πολεμίοις παρέδωκας τοὺς στρατιώτας· οὕτω τῶν πόλεων τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἂν ἀνέλῃς, θηρίων ἀλόγων ἀλογώτερον βιωσόμεθα βίον, δάκνοντες ἀλλήλους καὶ κατεσθίοντες, τὸν πενέστερον ὁ πλούσιος, τὸν ἀσθενέστερον ὁ δυνατώτερος, τὸν ἐπιεικέστερον ὁ θρασύτερος. Ἀλλὰ νῦν τούτων οὐδέν ἐστι διὰ τὴν χάριν τοῦ Θεοῦ· οἱ μὲν γὰρ εὐλαβείᾳ συζῶντες οὐδὲν δέονται τῆς τούτων παιδαγωγίας· ∆ικαίῳ γὰρ νόμος οὐ κεῖται, φησίν. Οἱ δὲ πολλοὶ πρὸς κακίαν βλέποντες, εἰ μὴ τὸν ἀπὸ τούτων φόβον εἶχον αὐτοῖς ἐπικείμενον, μυρίων ἂν κακῶν τὰς πόλεις ἐνέπλησαν, ἅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Παῦλος συνιδὼν ἔλεγεν· Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἐξουσία εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ, καὶ αἱ οὖσαι ἐξουσίαι ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τεταγμέναι εἰσίν. Ὅπερ γάρ εἰσιν ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις τῶν ξύλων αἱ ἱμαντώσεις, τοῦτο καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν· καὶ καθάπερ ἂν ἐκείνας ἀνέλῃς, διαλυθέντες οἱ τοῖχοι συμπίπτουσιν ἀλλήλοις αὐτόματοι· οὕτω τῆς οἰκουμένης ἂν ἀφέλῃς τοὺς ἄρχοντας καὶ τὸν ἐκ τούτων φόβον, καὶ οἰκίαι καὶ πόλεις καὶ ἔθνη μετὰ πολλῆς ἀλλήλοις συμπεσοῦνται τῆς ἀδείας, οὐδενὸς ὄντος τοῦ κατέχοντος καὶ ἀνακρουομένου, καὶ τῷ φόβῳ τῆς κολάσεως ἀναπείθοντος ἡσυχάζειν. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀλγῶμεν, ἀγαπητοὶ, διὰ τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρχόντων φόβον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐχαριστῶμεν τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι τὴν ῥᾳθυμίαν ἡμῶν ἀνέστειλε, καὶ σπουδαιοτέρους εἰργάσατο. Τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, γέγονε βλάβος ἀπὸ τῆς φροντίδος ταύτης, καὶ τῆς μερίμνης; ὅτι σεμνότεροι γεγόναμεν καὶ ἐπιεικέστεροι; ὅτι σπουδαιότεροι καὶ προσεκτικώτεροι; ὅτι μεθύοντα καὶ ᾄδοντα πορνικὰ ᾄσματα οὐδένα βλέπομεν; ἀλλ' ὅτι λιταὶ διηνεκεῖς, καὶ δάκρυα, καὶ εὐχαί; ὅτι γέλως ἄκαιρος καὶ αἰσχρὰ ῥήματα, καὶ διάχυσις ἅπασα ἀπελήλαται, καὶ γυναῖκα εὐσχήμονα καὶ ἐλευθέραν ἡ πόλις ἡμῖν ἅπασα μιμεῖται νῦν; διὰ ταῦτα ἀλγεῖς, εἰπέ μοι; ∆ιὰ ταῦτα μὲν οὖν χαίρειν δίκαιον καὶ εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι τοσαύτην βλακείαν ὀλίγων ἡμερῶν φόβῳ κατέλυσε. Ναὶ, φησὶν, ἀλλ' εἰ μὲν μέχρι φόβου μόνον ἐκινδυνεύομεν, ἱκανὴν ἂν ἐκαρπωσάμεθα τὴν ὠφέλειαν· νυνὶ δὲ δεδοίκαμεν μὴ περαιτέρω προέλθῃ τὸ δεινὸν, καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐσχάτων κινδυνεύσωμεν ἅπαντες. Ἀλλὰ μὴ δείσητε, Παῦλος ὑμᾶς παραμυθεῖται λέγων. ὅτι Πιστὸς ὁ Θεὸς, ὃς οὐκ ἐάσει ὑμᾶς πειρασθῆναι ὑπὲρ ὃ δύνασθε, ἀλλὰ ποιήσει σὺν τῷ πειρασμῷ καὶ τὴν 49.83 ἔκβασιν τοῦ δύνασθαι ὑμᾶς ὑπενεγκεῖν. Αὐτὸς γὰρ εἶπεν· Οὐ μή σε ἀνῶ, οὐδ' οὐ μή σε ἐγκαταλίπω. Εἰ γὰρ δι' ἔργων ἐβούλετο κολάσαι καὶ διὰ τῆς πείρας αὐτῆς, οὐκ ἂν τοσούτων ἡμερῶν παρέδωκεν ἡμᾶς φόβῳ· ὅταν γὰρ μὴ βούληται κολάζειν, φοβεῖ· ἐπεὶ εἰ μέλλοι κολάζειν, περιττὸς ὁ φόβος, περιττὴ ἡ ἀπειλή· νῦν δὲ μυρίων χαλεπωτέραν θανάτων ὑπέστημεν ζωὴν, ἐν τοσαύταις ἡμέραις δεδοικότες καὶ τρέμοντες, καὶ τὰς σκιὰς αὐτὰς ὑποπτεύοντες, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Κάϊν τίνοντες δίκην, καὶ ἐκ μέσου τῶν ὕπνων