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is established. And both the reincarnations among the wisest of the Greeks declare, and the so-called places allotted to souls according to the life of each, and the punishments of the souls which are punished in themselves. For even if these things fail in some other respect, yet it agrees that the soul exists after this life and undergoes judgment for its transgressions. But if the principle of providence in particular cases is incomprehensible to us, just as it is according to the saying 'how unsearchable are your judgments and your ways untraceable,' yet not for this reason must one say that there is no providence. For neither because we do not know the measure of the sea and the number of the sand would someone say that neither sea nor sand exists; for so they would say that neither man nor any other living being exists, since they do not know the number of men and of the other living beings. For the individuals are infinite to us; and the things infinite to us are unknown to us. And universals often become comprehensible by reason, but particulars it is impossible. And since there is a twofold difference with respect to each person, both in relation to another person and in relation to himself (for great is the daily change and difference of each person in relation to himself, both in ways of life and practices and needs and desires and in what befalls him; for this being is quick to turn, changing swiftly with its needs and the times), it is necessary also that the providence fitting for each person be different and varied and multifarious and be coextensive with the incomprehensibility of the multitude of things, if indeed it must be suitable and proper for each person in each matter; but the difference of particulars is infinite, therefore infinite also is the principle of the providence fitting for them; and if it is infinite, it is also unknown to us. Therefore one must not make one's own ignorance a negation of the care for existing things. For what you think is not good, these things happen according to reason for the Creator; but you, being ignorant of the causes, say that it does not happen according to reason. For what we experience with other unknown things, this we also experience with the works of providence; from a certain conjecture, and a faint one at that, we comprehend the things concerning it, taking by conjecture certain images and shadows of its works from the things that happen. We say, therefore, that some things happen by the permission of God; and of this permission there are many kinds. For he often permits even the righteous man to fall into misfortunes so that he might reveal to others the virtue hidden in him, as in the case of Job. At other times he permits some strange thing to be done so that through the action which seems strange he might accomplish something great and wonderful, as through the cross the salvation of men. In another way he permits even the holy man to suffer evil so that from his right conscience and the power given to him he might not fall into arrogance, as in the case of Paul. Someone is abandoned for a time for the correction of another, so that others, observing his situation, might be instructed, as in the case of Lazarus and the rich man; for naturally, seeing some suffer, we are checked, as was also well said by Menander, the line "fearing the divine because of your suffering." Someone is abandoned also for the glory of another, not because of his own or his parents' sins, as the man blind from birth for the glory of the Son of Man. Again someone is permitted to suffer for the emulation of another so that when the glory of the one who suffered is magnified, the suffering might become unhesitating for others, in hope of the glory to come and in desire for the good things expected, as in the case of the martyrs and of those who have given themselves for their country or family or masters. But if it should seem unreasonable to anyone that the holy man suffers evil for the correction of another, let him know that this life is a contest and an arena of virtue. Therefore, the greater the labors, the greater the crowns; for in proportion to the measure of endurance is the reward of the prizes. For this reason Paul was permitted to be in countless afflictions, so that he might carry away a greater and more perfect crown of victory. All the works of providence, therefore, happen well and fittingly. And that God directs all things well and fittingly and as is alone possible, one by these two aims

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ἵσταται αἵ τε παρὰ τοῖς σοφωτάτοις τῶν Ἑλλήνων μετενσωματώσεις δηλοῦσι καὶ οἱ λεγόμενοι τόποι ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἀποκεκληρῶσθαι πρὸς τὸν ἑκάστης βίον καὶ αἱ τιμωρίαι τῶν ψυχῶν ἃς τιμωροῦνται καθ' ἑαυτάς. ταῦτα γὰρ εἰ καὶ διαπίπτει κατά τι ἕτερον, ἀλλὰ τὸ τὴν ψυχὴν εἶναι μετὰ τὴν ζωὴν ταύτην καὶ δίκας ὑπέχειν τῶν πλημμελημάτων συνομολογεῖ. εἰ δὲ ἀκατάληπτος ἡμῖν ἐστιν τῆς τῶν κατὰ μέρος προνοίας ὁ λόγος, ὥσπερ οὖν ἐστι κατὰ τὸ ὡς ἀνεξερεύνητα τὰ κρίματά σου καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστοι αἱ ὁδοί σου, ἀλλ' οὐ διὰ τοῦτο δεῖ λέγειν ὡς οὐκ ἔστι πρόνοια. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπειδὴ τὸ μέτρον τῆς θαλάσσης ἀγνοοῦμεν καὶ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῆς ψάμμου φαίη τις ἂν μήτε θάλασσαν μήτε ψάμμον εἶναι· οὕτω γὰρ εἴποιεν ἂν μήτε ἄνθρωπον μήτε ἄλλο τι ζῷον εἶναι, ἐπειδὴ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν τε ἀνθρώπων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ζῴων ἀγνοοῦσι. τὰ γὰρ ἄτομα ἄπειρα ἡμῖν· τὰ δὲ ἄπειρα ἡμῖν ἄγνωστα ἡμῖν. καὶ τὰ μὲν καθόλου λόγῳ πολλάκις γίνεται περιληπτά, τὰ δὲ κατὰ μέρος ἀδύνατον. οὔσης δὲ καθ' ἕκαστον ἄνθρωπον διττῆς διαφορᾶς, τῆς τε πρὸς ἕτερον ἄνθρωπον καὶ τῆς πρὸς ἑαυτόν (πολλὴ γὰρ καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἑκάστου καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἐναλλαγὴ καὶ διαφορὰ ἔν τε τοῖς βίοις καὶ τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασιν καὶ χρείαις καὶ ἐπιθυμίαις καὶ τοῖς ἐπισυμβαίνουσιν· ἀγχίστροφον γὰρ τοῦτο τὸ ζῷον, ταῖς χρείαις καὶ τοῖς καιροῖς ὀξέως συμμεταβαλλόμενον), ἀνάγκη καὶ τὴν ἁρμόζουσαν ἑκάστῳ πρόνοιαν διάφορόν τε καὶ ποικίλην καὶ πολυσχιδῆ καὶ σύνδρομον τῇ τῶν πεπληθυσμένων ἀκαταληψίᾳ συνεκτείνεσθαι, εἴ γε δεῖ πρόσφορον ἑκάστῳ καθ' ἕκαστον πρᾶγμα καὶ οἰκείαν ὑπάρχειν αὐτήν· ἄπειρος δὲ τῶν κατὰ μέρος ἡ διαφορά, ἄπειρος ἄρα καὶ τῆς ἁρμοζούσης αὐτοῖς προνοίας ὁ λόγος· εἰ δὲ ἄπειρος καὶ ἄγνωστος ἡμῖν. οὐ δεῖ τοίνυν τὴν οἰκείαν ἄγνοιαν ἀναίρεσιν ποιεῖσθαι τῆς τῶν ὄντων κηδεμονίας. ἃ γὰρ σὺ νομίζεις μὴ καλῶς, ταῦτα κατὰ λόγον μὲν τῷ δημιουργῷ γίνεται· σὺ δὲ ἀγνοῶν τὰς αἰτίας οὐχὶ κατὰ λόγον φῂς γίνεσθαι. ὅπερ γὰρ κἀπὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ἀγνώστων πάσχομεν, τοῦτο κἀπὶ τῶν ἔργων τῆς προνοίας· ἐξ εἰκασίας τινὸς καὶ ταύτης ἀμυδρᾶς συννοοῦμεν τὰ κατ' αὐτήν, εἴδωλά τινα καὶ σκιὰς τῶν ἔργων αὐτῆς ἐκ τῶν γινομένων κατὰ στοχασμὸν λαμβάνοντες. φαμὲν οὖν τινα γίνεσθαι κατὰ συγχώρησιν τοῦ θεοῦ· τῆς δὲ συγχωρήσεως εἴδη πολλά. συγχωρεῖ γὰρ πολλάκις καὶ τὸν δίκαιον περιπεσεῖν συμφοραῖς ἵνα τὴν ἐν αὐτῷ λανθάνουσαν ἀρετὴν ἀναδείξῃ τοῖς ἄλλοις, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰώβ. ἄλλοτε συγχωρεῖ τῶν ἀτόπων τι πραχθῆναι ἵνα διὰ τῆς πράξεως τῆς δοκούσης ἀτόπου μέγα τι καὶ θαυμαστὸν κατορθώσῃ, ὡς διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ τὴν σωτηρίαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων. κατ' ἄλλον τρόπον συγχωρεῖ καὶ τὸν ὅσιον πάσχειν κακῶς ἵνα μὴ ἐκ τοῦ ὀρθοῦ συνειδότος καὶ τῆς δοθείσης αὐτῷ δυνάμεως εἰς ἀλαζονείαν ἐκπέσῃ, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Παύλου. ἐγκαταλείπεταί τις πρὸς καιρὸν εἰς διόρθωσιν ἄλλου, ἵνα τὸ κατ' αὐτὸν σκοποῦντες οἱ ἄλλοι παιδεύωνται, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Λαζάρου καὶ τοῦ πλου σίου· φυσικῶς γὰρ ὁρῶντές τινας πάσχοντας συστελλόμεθα, ὡς εἴρηται καλῶς καὶ Μενάνδρῳ τὸ φοβούμενοι τὸ θεῖον ἐπὶ τοῦ σοῦ πάθους. ἐγκαταλείπεταί τις καὶ εἰς ἄλλου δόξαν, οὐ δι' οἰκείας ἢ γονέων ἁμαρτίας, ὡς ὁ ἐκ γενετῆς τυφλὸς εἰς δόξαν τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. πάλιν συγχωρεῖταί τις παθεῖν εἰς ἄλλου ζῆλον ἵνα τῆς δόξης τοῦ παθόντος μεγαλυνθείσης ἄοκνον τὸ πάθος τοῖς ἄλλοις γένηται, ἐλπίδι τῆς μελλούσης δόξης καὶ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῶν προσδοκωμένων ἀγαθῶν, ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν μαρτύρων καὶ τῶν ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιδεδωκότων ὑπὲρ πατρίδος ἢ γένους ἢ δεσποτῶν. εἰ δέ τῳ δοκοίη παράλογον εἶναι τὸ τὸν ὅσιον εἰς ἄλλου διόρθωσιν πάσχειν κακῶς, γινωσκέτω ὡς οὗτος ὁ βίος ἀγών ἐστι καὶ στάδιον ἀρετῆς. ὅσῳ τοίνυν μείζους οἱ πόνοι, τοσούτῳ μείζους οἱ στέφανοι· πρὸς γὰρ τὸ μέτρον τῆς ὑπομονῆς ἡ τῶν ἄθλων ἀντίδοσις. διὰ τοῦτο Παῦλος ἐν μυρίαις συνεχωρήθη γενέσθαι θλίψεσιν, ἵνα μείζονα καὶ τέλειον ἀπενέγκηται τῆς νίκης τὸν στέφανον. πάντα οὖν καλῶς καὶ δεόντως γίνεται τῆς προνοίας τὰ ἔργα. ὅτι δὲ καλῶς καὶ δεόντως καὶ ὡς μόνως ἐπιδέχεται διοικεῖ θεὸς τὰ πάντα, δύο τούτοις σκοποῖς τις