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one would most correctly investigate by using things agreed upon by all; he is good and alone wise. Therefore, because he is good, he is fittingly provident; and because he is wise, he cares for existing things wisely and best. For if he is not provident, he is not good; and if not well, not wise. Therefore, attending to these aims, one must not condemn any of the works of providence, nor blaspheme; but to accept all things without examination, to marvel at all things, that all things have been made well and come to be as is fitting, even if they seem unjust to the many, so that we may not, in addition to blasphemy, pour out much blame for our own ignorance. But when we say all things come to be well, it is clear that we are not speaking about the wickedness of men nor of the deeds that are in our power and done by us; but about the things of providence, which are not in our power. How then do holy men fall victim to bitter deaths and blameless slaughters? For if unjustly, why did just providence not prevent the murder? But if justly, then the murderers are entirely without blame. To these things we will say that both he who murders, murders unjustly, and he who is murdered is murdered either justly or for his benefit; justly, at times, on account of improper deeds which are unknown to us; but for his benefit when providence foresees the evil deeds that would be committed by him and that it is good for his life to stop at this point, as with Socrates and the saints. But he who murdered, murdered unjustly; for not for this reason, nor was it permitted him, but for profit and robbery, voluntarily. For the action is in our power, but the suffering is not in our power, such as being murdered. But no death is evil except that which is through sin, as is clear from the death of holy men. But the sinner, even if he should die in his bed, or suddenly and without pain, has died badly, bringing sin as an evil burial garment. However, the murderer murdered badly; for in the case of those justly murdered, he has assigned himself to the lot of executioners, but in the case of those [murdered] for their benefit, to that of blood-stained and accursed men. The same things also apply to enemies who murder and take captive and work all wickedness against the captives. The same things also apply to those who are greedy and plunder money; for it is likely beneficial for those who are deprived not to possess it, and those who were greedy are unjust, for they took it away on account of greed, not because it was beneficial for those others.

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χρώμενος τοῖς παρὰ πᾶσιν ὁμολογουμένοις ὀρθότατ' ἂν σκοπήσειεν· ἀγαθός ἐστι καὶ μόνος σοφός. οὐκοῦν διὰ μὲν τὸ ἀγαθὸς εἶναι προνοητὴς εἰκότως ἐστί· διὰ δὲ τὸ σοφὸς εἶναι σοφῶς καὶ ἄριστα τῶν ὄντων ἐπιμελεῖται. εἰ μὲν γὰρ οὐ προνοεῖ, οὐκ ἀγαθός· εἰ δὲ μὴ καλῶς, οὐ σοφός. δεῖ τοίνυν τούτοις προσέχοντα τοῖς σκοποῖς μηδενὸς καταγινώσκειν τῶν τῆς προνοίας ἔργων, μηδὲ βλασφημεῖν· ἀνεξετάστως δὲ πάντα ἀποδέχεσθαι, πάντα θαυμάζειν, πάντα πεποιῆσθαι καλῶς καὶ δεόντως γίνεσθαι, κἂν φαίνηται τοῖς πολλοῖς ἄδικα, ἵνα μὴ πρὸς τῇ βλασφημίᾳ πολὺν καὶ τῆς ἀμαθίας ἑαυτῶν καταχέωμεν ψόγον. ὅταν δὲ λέγωμεν πάντα καλῶς γίνεσθαι δῆλον ὡς οὐ περὶ τῆς κακίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων οὐδὲ τῶν ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἔργων καὶ παρ' ἡμῶν γινομένων τὸν λόγον ποιούμεθα· ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν τῆς προνοίας, τῶν οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ὄντων. πῶς οὖν ἄνδρες ὅσιοι πικροῖς περιπίπτουσι θανάτοις καὶ σφαγαῖς ἀναιτίοις; εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀδίκως, διὰ τί μὴ ἐκώλυσεν ἡ δικαία πρόνοια τὸν φόνον; εἰ δὲ δικαίως, ἀναίτιοι πάντως οἱ φονεύσαντες. πρὸς ταῦτα ἐροῦμεν ὅτι καὶ ὁ φονεύων ἀδίκως φονεύει καὶ ὁ φονευόμενος ἢ δικαίως φονεύεται ἢ συμφερόντως· δικαίως μὲν ἔσθ' ὅτε διὰ πράξεις ἀτό πους ἡμῖν δὲ ἀδήλους· συμφερόντως δὲ προκαταλαμβανούσης τῆς προνοίας τὰς μελλούσας ἔσεσθαι παρ' αὐτοῦ κακουργίας καὶ ὅτι καλὸν αὐτῷ μέχρι τούτου στῆναι τὴν ζωήν, ὡς Σωκράτει καὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις. ὁ δὲ φονεύσας ἀδίκως ἐφόνευσεν· οὐ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ ἐξὸν αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ διὰ κέρδος καὶ λῃστείαν ἑκουσίως. ἐφ' ἡμῖν γὰρ ἡ πρᾶξις· τὸ δὲ πάθος οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν, οἷον τὸ φονευθῆναι. θάνατος δὲ οὐδεὶς κακὸς εἰ μὴ ὁ δι' ἁμαρτίαν, ὡς δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου τῶν ὁσίων ἀνδρῶν. ὁ δὲ ἁμαρτωλὸς κἂν ἐν τῷ σκίμποδι κἂν αἰφνίδιον ἀπόνως τελευτήσῃ, κακῶς ἀπέθανεν, κακὸν ἐντά φιον ἐπαγόμενος τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. ὁ μέντοι φονεύσας κακῶς ἐφόνευσεν· ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν δικαίως φονευομένων εἰς τὴν τῶν δημίων ἑαυτὸν κατέταξε μοῖραν, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν συμφερόντως εἰς τὴν τῶν μιαιφόνων καὶ ἐναγῶν. τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ ἐπὶ πολεμίων φονευόντων καὶ αἰχμαλωτιζόντων καὶ πᾶσαν κακίαν ἐργαζομένων κατὰ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων. τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πλεονεκτούντων καὶ ἁρμαζόντων χρήματα· καὶ γὰρ τοῖς ἀφαιρουμένοις ὡς εἰκὸς συμφέρει μὴ κεκτῆσθαι, καὶ οἱ πλεονεκτήσαντες ἄδικοι, διὰ γὰρ πλεονεξίαν, οὐχὶ διὰ τὸ συμφέρειν ἐκείνοις ἀφείλοντο.