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The works of the Lord are all good, and he will supply every need in its time. And one cannot say: This is worse than that. For all things will be approved in their season. The Lord created medicines from the earth, and a sensible man will not loathe them. And the peace from them is upon the face of the earth. Let the earth bring forth grass for fodder; and poisons were brought forth along with the foods; with the wheat, hemlock; with the other foods, hellebore, and aconite, and mandrake, and the juice of the poppy. What then? Shall we, neglecting to give thanks for the useful things, accuse the Creator for the things destructive of our life? But we consider this, that not all things have been created for the sake of our stomach, but for us the assigned foods are at hand, and well-known to all; and each of the things that have come into being fulfills its own particular purpose in creation. To say that evil has its origin from God is not pious, because nothing of opposites comes from its opposite. For neither does life beget death, nor is darkness the beginning of light, nor is sickness the creator of health. What then do we say? That evil is not a living and ensouled substance, but a disposition in the soul contrary to virtue, arising in the slothful through the falling away from the good. Therefore, do not look for evil outside, and let each one recognize himself as the author of his own wickedness. Nothing that has come from God is in vain. 95.1353 The nature of motions is not itself evil in itself, but the perversion of the natural movements of the soul has slandered the impulses as passions. For the creator fashioned the lyre beautiful and melodious, but those who strike it touch the strings in different ways; and from the same cithara, one sounds a hymn, another a blasphemy, not as though the nature of the strings possessed what is perverse, but as though the ignorance of those who pluck them corrupts the instrument. The cause for the sowing of evil is the sloth of men. For while men were sleeping, he says, the enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat. All that God has made, he has made well, being himself knowledgeable of all things. For neither would the just man do something unjust, nor the good man something evil, just as the knowledgeable man would not act unknowingly. But God is just, and good, and knowledgeable; therefore, God has done nothing unjust, nor evil. By a single nod of will, he constitutes what he wishes out of non-beings, he alone being eternal, he alone being without beginning, he alone simple in substance and will.

TITLE III. -Concerning the doxology of God; and that it is necessary to glorify and sanctify God,

and that God glorifies those who glorify him. The Lord said to Moses: Because you did not believe to sanctify me, for this reason you will not

lead this congregation into the land which I have given them. Those who glorify me I will glorify, and he who despises me will be dishonored. I will give thanks to you, Lord, with my whole heart. Praising, I will call upon the Lord, and I will be saved from my enemies. You who fear the Lord, praise him, and the rest. I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Sing praises to our God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. Offer to God a sacrifice of praise, and pay your vows to the Most High. A sacrifice of praise will glorify me, and there is the way. Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; sing praise to his name. Let the peoples give thanks to you, O God; let them give thanks to you. In the congregations bless God the Lord, from the fountains of Israel. O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God, sing praises to the Lord. I remembered God, and I was gladdened, I meditated. Your mercies, O Lord, I will sing forever; to generation and generation. 95.1356 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to your name. Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, let us shout joyfully to God. Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and

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Τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου, πάντα ἀγαθὰ, καὶ πᾶσαν χρείαν ἐν ὥρᾳ αὐτῶν χορηγήσει. Καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν· Τοῦτο τούτου πονηρότερον. Πάντα γὰρ ἐν καιρῷ δοκιμασθήσεται. Κύριος ἔκτισεν ἐκ γῆς φάρμακα, καὶ ἀνὴρ φρόνιμος οὐ προσοχθιεῖ αὐτοῖς. Καὶ ἡ εἰρήνη ἡ παρ' αὐτῶν, ἐστὶν ἐπὶ προσώπου τῆς γῆς. Βλαστησάτω ἡ γῆ βοτάνην χόρτου· καὶ συνεξεδόθη τοῖς τροφίμοις τὰ δηλητήρια· μετὰ τοῦ σίτου τὸ κώνειον, μετὰ τῶν λοιπῶν τροφίμων ἑλλέβορος, καὶ ἀκόνιτον, καὶ μανδραγόρας, καὶ ὁ τῆς μήκονος ὀπός. Τί οὖν; ἀφέντες τὸ ἐπὶ τοῖς χρησίμοις τὴν χάριν ὁμολογεῖν, ἐγκαλέσομεν τῷ ∆ημιουργῷ ἐπὶ τοῖς φθαρτικοῖς ἡμῶν τῆς ζωῆς; ἐκεῖνο δὲ λογιζόμεθα, ὅτι οὐ πάντα τῆς γαστρὸς ἕνεκεν τῆς ἡμετέρας δεδημιούργηται, ἀλλ' ἡμῖν μὲν αἱ ἀποτεταγμέναι τροφαὶ πρόχειροι, καὶ πᾶσιν εὔγνωστοι· ἕκαστον δὲ τῶν γενομένων ἴδιόν τινα λόγον ἐν τῇ κτίσει πληροῖ. Παρὰ Θεοῦ τὸ κακὸν τὴν γένεσιν ἔχειν, οὐκ εὐσεβές ἐστι λέγειν, διὰ τὸ μηδὲν τῶν ἐναντίων παρὰ τοῦ ἐναντίου γίνεσθαι. Οὔτε γὰρ ζωὴ θάνατον γεννᾷ, οὔτε τὸ σκότος φωτός ἐστιν ἀρχὴ, οὔτε ἡ νόσος ὑγείας δημιουργός. Τί οὖν φαμεν; ὅτι τὸ κακὸν, ἐστὶν οὐχὶ οὐσία ζῶσα καὶ ἔμψυχος, ἀλλὰ διάθεσις ἐν ψυχῇ ἐναντίως ἔχουσα πρὸς ἀρετὴν, διὰ τὴν τοῦ καλοῦ ἀπόπτωσιν τοῖς ῥᾳθύμοις ἐγγινομένη. Μὴ τοίνυν ἔξωθεν τὸ κακὸν περισκόπει, καὶ τῆς ἐν ἑαυτῷ κακίας ἕκαστος ἑαυτὸν ἀρχηγὸν γνωριζέτω. Οὐδὲν εἰκῆ τῶν παρὰ Θεοῦ γενομένων. 95.1353 Οὐχὶ φύσις αὐτὴ τῶν κινήσεων καθ' ἑαυτὴν πονηρὰ, ἀλλ' ἡ τῶν φυσικῶν κινημάτων παρατροπὴ τῆς ψυχῆς τὰς ὁρμὰς ὡς πάθη διέβαλεν. Ὁ γὰρ δημιουργὸς τὴν λύραν καλὴν καὶ εὔφθογγον ἡρμώσατο, οἱ δὲ κρούοντες διαφόρως ἅπτονται τῶν χορδῶν· καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς κιθάρας, ὁ μὲν ὕμνον, ὁ δὲ ἀπηχεῖ βλασφημίαν, οὐχ ὡς τῆς τῶν χορδῶν φύσεως τὸ διεστραμμένον ἐχούσης, ἀλλ' ὡς τῆς τῶν ψηλαφώντων ἀμαθίας παραφθειρούσης τὸ ὄργανον. Ταῖς τῶν κακῶν ἐπισποραῖς αἰτία τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ ῥᾳθυμία. Ἐν τῷ γὰρ καθεύδειν, φησὶ, τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἦλθεν ὁ ἐχθρὸς, καὶ ἔσπειρε τὰ ζιζάνια ἀναμέσον τοῦ σίτου. Πάντα ὅσα πεποίηκεν ὁ Θεὸς, καλὰ πεποίηκεν, ἐπιστήμων αὐτὸς ὢν πάντων. Οὔτε γὰρ ὁ δίκαιος ποιήσειέν τι ἄδικον, οὔτε ὁ ἀγαθὸς φαῦλον, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ἐπιστήμων ἀνεπιστημόνως. ∆ίκαιος δὲ, καὶ ἀγαθὸς, καὶ ἐπιστήμων ὁ Θεός ἐστιν· οὐδὲν ἄρα ἄδικον, οὐδὲ φαῦλον ὁ Θεὸς ἐποίησεν. Ἑνὶ νεύματι βουλήσεως ἃ θέλει συνίστησιν ἐκ μὴ ὄντων, μόνος ὢν ἀΐδιος, μόνος ὢν ἄναρχος, μόνος ἀπλοῦς οὐσίᾳ καὶ βουλήσει.

ΤΙΤΛ. Γʹ. -Περὶ δοξολογίας Θεοῦ· καὶ ὅτι χρὴ δοξάζειν καὶ ἁγιάζειν τὸν Θεὸν,

καὶ ὅτι τοὺς δοξάζοντας αὐτὸν δοξάζει ὁ Θεός. Εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς Μωσῆν· Ὅτι οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε ἁγιάσαι με, διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ

εἰσάξετε ὑμεῖς τὴν συναγωγὴν ταύτην εἰς τὴν γῆν, ἣν ἔδωκα αὐτοῖς. Τοὺς δοξάζοντάς με δοξάσω, καὶ ὁ ἐξουθενῶν με ἀτιμασθήσεται. Ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι, Κύριε, ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ μου. Αἰνῶν ἐπικαλέσομαι τὸν Κύριον, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου σωθήσομαι. Οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν Κύριον, αἰνέσατε αὐτὸν, καὶ τὰ λοιπά. Εὐλογήσω τὸν Κύριον ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ, διὰ παντὸς ἡ αἴνεσις αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ στόματί μου. Ψάλατε τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, ψάλατε· ψάλατε τῷ βασιλεῖ ἡμῶν, ψάλατε. Θύσον τῷ Θεῷ θυσίαν αἰνέσεως, καὶ ἀποδὸς τῷ Ὑψίστῳ τὰς εὐχάς σου. Θυσία αἰνέσεως δοξάσει με, καὶ ἐκεῖ ὁδός. Ἀλαλάξατε τῷ Θεῷ, πᾶσα ἡ γῆ· ψάλατε τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ. Ἐξομολογησάσθωσάν σοι λαοὶ, ὁ Θεός· ἐξομολογησάσθωσάν σοι. Ἐν ἐκκλησίαις εὐλογεῖτε τὸν Θεὸν Κύριον, ἐκ πηγῶν Ἰσραήλ. Αἱ βασιλεῖαι τῆς γῆς, ᾄσατε τῷ Θεῷ, ψάλατε τῷ Κυρίῳ. Ἐμνήσθην τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ηὐφράνθην, ἠδολέσχησα. Τὰ ἐλέη σου, Κύριε, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ᾄσομαι· εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεάν. 95.1356 Ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἐξομολογεῖσθαι τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ψάλλειν τῷ ὀνόματί σου. ∆εῦτε, ἀγαλλιασώμεθα τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἀλαλάξωμεν τῷ Θεῷ. Ἄσατε τῷ Κυρίῳ ᾆσμα καινόν. Ἄσατε τῷ Κυρίῳ, πᾶσα ἡ γῆ. Ἐνέγκατε τῷ Κυρίῳ, αἱ πατρίαι τῶν ἐθνῶν, ἐνέγκατε τῷ Κυρίῳ δόξαν καὶ