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That God is not good only when honoring, nor when doing good, but also when punishing and chastising, He is likewise good; and whether contests and battles are stirred up for us against Greeks or against heretics concerning the philanthropy and goodness of God, we demonstrate 49.94 His goodness not only from those whom He has honored, but also from those whom He has chastised. For if He is good only when honoring, but is not good when punishing, He would be good only by half; but this is not so; may it never be. For among men, it is likely that this happens, since they inflict punishments with anger and passion; but God, being without passion, whether He does good or punishes, is likewise good, and the threat of Gehenna shows His goodness no less than the kingdom; and how? I will tell you. If He had not threatened Gehenna, if He had not prepared punishment, many would not have attained the kingdom. For the promise of good things does not so summon the many to virtue, as the threat of evil things compels them by fear, and raises them up to the care of the soul. So that although Gehenna is contrary to the kingdom of heaven, yet each looks to one end, the salvation of men; the one drawing them to itself, the other pushing them toward that one, and by fear correcting those who are more neglectful.

γʹ. I do not simply prolong this discourse, but because often when famines and droughts occur, and wars, and the wrath of kings befalls, and certain other such unexpected events, many deceiving the more simple say, that these things are not worthy of the providence of God. Therefore, that we may not be deceived, but may see accurately that whether He brings famine, or war, or any other dreadful thing, He does this from philanthropy and much care, I was compelled to dwell on this discourse. Since also fathers, who love their offspring most of all, both keep them from the table, and inflict blows, and punish with disgrace, and by countless other such things correct their dissolute children; but nevertheless they are fathers, not only when honoring, but also when doing these things, and especially are they fathers when they do such things. If then men, who by anger and wrath are often carried away from what is expedient, are considered to punish those they love not with cruelty and inhumanity, but with care and affection, much more must we be so disposed concerning God, who surpasses all paternal affection by the excess of His own goodness. And lest you think that what has been said is conjecture, come, let us bring the discourse to Scripture itself. For since man was deceived and beguiled by the evil demon, let us see how God then dealt with him when he had committed such a sin. Did He utterly destroy him? And yet the principle of justice required this, that one who had shown nothing good, but had enjoyed such good will, and then from the very beginning had leaped away, should be taken from the midst and utterly destroyed. But God did not do this, nor did He abhor and turn away from one who had become so ungrateful towards his benefactor, but He comes to him, as a physician to a sick person. And do not pass over what has been said simply, beloved, but consider how great a thing it was not to send an angel, nor an archangel, nor any other of his fellow servants, but for the Master Himself to come down to the one who had fallen, and to raise him as he lay, and to come alone to him alone, as a friend to a friend who is faring ill and is in great misfortune. For that He did this out of great care, even the words which He spoke to him show His unspeakable affection. And what do I say 49.95 of all the words? The very first saying, then, immediately revealed His love. For He did not say, as one who had been insulted might have said: O abominable and most abominable one, having enjoyed such goodwill from Me, having been honored with so great a kingdom, and preferred above all things on the earth for no right deed, and having received through the works themselves pledges of my care, and

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ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς οὐχὶ τιμῶν μόνον, οὐδὲ εὐεργετῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ κολάζων, καὶ τιμωρούμενος ὁμοίως ἐστὶν ἀγαθός· κἂν πρὸς Ἕλληνας, κἂν πρὸς αἱρετικοὺς ἀγῶνες ἡμῖν καὶ μάχαι κινῶνται περὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας καὶ ἀγαθότητος, μὴ μόνον ἀφ' ὧν ἐτίμησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀφ' ὧν ἐτιμωρήσατο, ἐπιδείκνυ 49.94 μεν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀγαθότητα. Εἰ γὰρ τιμῶν μόνον ἐστὶν ἀγαθὸς, κολάζων δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαθὸς, ἐξ ἡμισείας ἀγαθὸς ἂν εἴη· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο· μὴ γένοιτο. Ἐπὶ ἀνθρώπων μὲν γὰρ εἰκὸς τοῦτο συμβαίνειν, ἐπειδὴ θυμῷ καὶ πάθει τὰς τιμωρίας ἐπάγουσιν· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἀπαθὴς ὢν, κἂν εὐεργετῇ, κἂν κολάζῃ, ὁμοίως ἐστὶν ἀγαθὸς, καὶ τῆς βασιλείας οὐκ ἔλαττον ἡ τῆς γεέννης ἀπειλὴ δείκνυσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀγαθότητα· καὶ πῶς; ἐγὼ λέγω. Εἰ μὴ γέενναν ἠπείλησεν, εἰ μὴ κόλασιν ἡτοίμασεν, οὐκ ἂν πολλοὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἐπέτυχον. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως ἡ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὑπόσχεσις πρὸς ἀρετὴν ἐκκαλεῖται τοὺς πολλοὺς, ὡς ἡ τῶν κακῶν ἀπειλὴ τῷ φόβῳ συνωθεῖ, καὶ διανίστησι πρὸς τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπιμέλειαν. Ὥστε εἰ καὶ ἐναντίον γέεννα τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἓν ἑκάτερον βλέπει τέλος, τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίαν· ἐκείνη μὲν ἐπισπωμένη πρὸς ἑαυτὴν, αὕτη δὲ συνωθοῦσα πρὸς ἐκείνην, καὶ τῷ φόβῳ διορθουμένη τοὺς ἀμελέστερον διακειμένους.

γʹ. Τοῦτον δὲ οὐχ ἁπλῶς μηκύνω τὸν λόγον, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ πολλάκις λιμῶν καὶ αὐχμῶν γιγνομένων, καὶ πολέμων, καὶ ὀργῆς βασιλικῆς ἐμπιπτούσης, καὶ ἑτέρων τινῶν τοιούτων ἀδοκήτων πραγμάτων, πολλοὶ τοὺς ἀφελεστέρους ἀπατῶντες λέγουσιν, ὅτι οὐκ ἄξια ταῦτα τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας. Ἵν' οὖν μὴ παραλογιζώμεθα, ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν ἀκριβῶς, ὅτι κἂν λιμὸν, κἂν πόλεμον, κἂν ἄλλο ὁτιοῦν ἐπαγάγῃ δεινὸν, ἀπὸ φιλανθρωπίας τοῦτο ποιεῖ καὶ πολλῆς τῆς κηδεμονίας, ἠναγκάσθην ἐνδιατρίψαι τούτῳ τῷ λόγῳ. Ἐπεὶ καὶ οἱ πατέρες, οἱ μάλιστα πάντων τὰ ἔκγονα φιλοῦντες, καὶ τραπέζης εἴργουσι, καὶ πληγὰς ἐπάγουσι, καὶ ἀτιμίᾳ κολάζουσι, καὶ ἑτέροις μυρίοις τοιούτοις ἀσελγαίνοντας διορθοῦνται τοὺς παῖδας· ἀλλ' ὅμως πατέρες εἰσὶν, οὐχὶ τιμῶντες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῦτα ποιοῦντες, καὶ τότε μάλιστα πατέρες, ὅταν τοιαῦτα ποιῶσιν. Εἰ δὲ ἄνθρωποι, θυμῷ καὶ ὀργῇ πολλάκις τοῦ συμφέροντος ἐκφερόμενοι, οὐκ ὠμότητι καὶ ἀπανθρωπίᾳ, ἀλλὰ κηδεμονίᾳ καὶ φιλοστοργίᾳ νομίζονται κολάζειν οὓς φιλοῦσι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὕτω διακεῖσθαι χρὴ, τοῦ πᾶσαν πατρικὴν φιλοστοργίαν ὑπερβαίνοντος τῇ τῆς οἰκείας ἀγαθότητος ὑπερβολῇ. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς, ὅτι στοχασμός ἐστι τὰ εἰρημένα, φέρε ἐπ' αὐτὴν τὴν Γραφὴν τὸν λόγον ἀγάγωμεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἠπατήθη καὶ παρελογίσθη παρὰ τοῦ πονηροῦ δαίμονος ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ἴδωμεν πῶς ἁμαρτίαν αὐτῷ τοιαύτην ἁμαρτόντι τότε ἐχρήσατο ὁ Θεός. Ἆρα ἠφάνισεν αὐτὸν παντελῶς; καίτοι γε ὁ τοῦ δικαίου λόγος τοῦτο ἀπῄτει, τὸν οὐδὲν μὲν ἀγαθὸν ἐπιδειξάμενον, τοσαύτης δὲ ἀπολαύσαντα τῆς εὐνοίας, εἶτα ἐκ προοιμίων ἀποσκιρτήσαντα, ἀρθῆναι ἐκ τοῦ μέσου καὶ ἀφανισθῆναι τέλεον. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐποίησε τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς, οὐδὲ ἐβδελύξατο καὶ ἀπεστράφη τὸν οὕτως ἀγνώμονα περὶ τὸν εὐεργέτην γενόμενον, ἀλλ' ἔρχεται πρὸς αὐτὸν, καθάπερ πρὸς ἄῤῥωστον ἰατρός. Καὶ μὴ παραδράμῃς ἁπλῶς τὸ εἰρημένον, ἀγαπητὲ, ἀλλ' ἐννόησον ἡλίκον τὸ μήτε ἄγγελον πέμψαι, μήτε ἀρχάγγελον, μήτε ἄλλον τινὰ τῶν συνδούλων τῶν ἐκείνου, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν τὸν ∆εσπότην καταβῆναι πρὸς τὸν παραπεπτωκότα, καὶ κείμενον ἀναστῆσαι, καὶ μόνον πρὸς μόνον, καθάπερ φίλον πρὸς φίλον κακῶς πράττοντα, καὶ ἐν πολλῇ καταστάντα δυσημερίᾳ παραγενέσθαι. Ὅτι γὰρ τοῦτο ἐκ πολλῆς κηδεμονίας ἐποίησε, καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ ῥήματα, ἃ πρὸς αὐτὸν εἶπε, δείκνυσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἄφατον φιλοστοργίαν. Καὶ τί λέγω 49.95 τὰ ῥήματα ἅπαντα; ἡ πρώτη μὲν οὖν ῥῆσις εὐθέως αὐτοῦ τὸ φίλτρον ἐνέφηνεν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, καθάπερ εἰκὸς ἦν ὑβρισμένον εἰπεῖν· Ὦ μιαρὲ, καὶ παμμίαρε, τοιαύτης ἀπολαύσας εὐνοίας παρ' ἐμοῦ, τοσαύτῃ τιμηθεὶς βασιλείᾳ, καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς προτιμηθεὶς ἁπάντων ἀντ' οὐδενὸς κατορθώματος, καὶ διὰ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν ἐνέχυρα λαβὼν τῆς ἐμῆς κηδεμονίας, καὶ