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and that one did not mistreat him, because it was necessary for him to be mistreated by another, that was his suffering. Why then am I indignant at the one who disposed things so, when it was judged that I must suffer in any case? But still, if we do the same things as the wicked on the pretext of defense, except for being second instead of first, we, the good, do the same thing as the wicked. And (as I said) one must not be indignant, knowing that by God's providence the wicked punish the good. Those, therefore, who are harsh toward their punishers sin as if they were insulting the apostles of God, but those who honor them and dispose themselves in the opposite way to those who are thought to be doing wrong are pious toward the God who so decreed. And I answered to this: Therefore, those who do wrong are not responsible, because by the judgment of God they do wrong to the just. And Peter said: They most certainly sin, for they have given themselves over to sinning. Therefore, knowing this, he justly chooses from among them to punish those who have repented for their former sins, so that for the just, through such punishment, the evil things done before repentance may be forgiven, but for the impious punishers who desire to mistreat and do not wish to repent, it was permitted to mistreat the just for the fulfillment of their own punishment. For without the will of God not even a sparrow can fall into a trap; so also the hairs of the just are numbered by God. And he is just who for the sake of reason fights against nature. For example, it is natural for all to love those who love them, but the just man tries to love even his enemies and to bless those who revile him, and moreover to pray for his enemies. He pities those who wrong him; wherefore he also endures being wronged and likewise blesses those who curse him, he forgives those who strike him, he yields to those who persecute him, he greets those who do not greet him, he shares what he has with those who have not, he persuades the angry, he reconciles the enemy, he exhorts the disobedient, he instructs the unbeliever, he consoles the mourner, he endures insults, he is not indignant when treated with ingratitude. And having given himself over to loving his neighbor as himself, he has not feared poverty, but sharing his own things with those who have not, he becomes poor. But neither does he punish sinners. For he who loves his neighbor as himself, as one who has sinned himself knows that he does not want to be punished, so also he does not punish sinners. And as he wishes to be flattered and blessed and honored and to have all his sins forgiven him, this he himself does to his neighbor, as loving him as himself. In a word, what he wishes for himself, he wishes also for his neighbor. For this is the law of God and the prophets, this is the teaching of the truth. And these things, perfect love toward every person, are the male part of philanthropy, while to show mercy is its female part. This is to feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty and clothe the naked and visit the sick and receive the stranger, to help one in prison by appearing to him as possible, in short to pity one in misfortune. But I, on hearing this, said: It is possible to do these things, but to do good to enemies, enduring all their insolence, I do not think is possible for human nature. And Peter answered: You have spoken correctly; for philanthropy, being the cause of immortality, is of great

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καὶ ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἐκακούχησεν αὐτόν, διὰ τὸ πάντως κακουχηθῆναι μέλλειν διὰ ἑτέρου τὸ παθεῖν ἦν. τί οὖν ἀγανακτῶ τῷ διαθεμένῳ, ἐμοῦ πάντως παθεῖν κεκριμένου; ἀλλ' ἔτι μὴν εἰ τὰ αὐτὰ τοῖς κακοῖς προφάσει ἀμύ- νης ποιοῦμεν, παρὰ τὸ πρῶτοι δεύτεροι τὸ αὐτὸ τοῖς κακοῖς οἱ ἀγαθοὶ πράσσομεν. καί (ὡς ἔφην) οὐ χρὴ ἀγανακτεῖν ὡς εἰδότα ὅτι θεοῦ προ- νοίᾳ οἱ κακοὶ τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς τιμωροῦσιν. οἱ οὖν τοῖς τιμωροῦσιν χαλε- παίνοντες ὡς τοὺς ἀποστόλους θεοῦ ὑβρίζοντες ἁμαρτάνουσιν, τιμῶντες δὲ καὶ τὰ ἐναντία τοῖς ἀδικεῖν νομιζομένοις διατιθέμενοι αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν θεὸν τὸν οὕτω βουλευσάμενον εὐσεβοῦσιν. κἀγὼ πρὸς ταῦτα ἀπε- κρινάμην· Oὐκοῦν οἱ ἀδικοῦντες οὔκ εἰσιν αἴτιοι, ὅτι κρίσει θεοῦ ἀδικοῦ- σιν τοὺς δικαίους. καὶ ὁ Πέτρος ἔφη· Καὶ πάνυ ἁμαρτάνουσιν, πρὸς γὰρ τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν ἑαυτοὺς ἀποδεδωκότες. ὅθεν εἰδὼς ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἐκλέ- γεται τιμωρεῖν τοὺς ἐπὶ τοῖς προτέροις ἁμαρτήμασιν μεταμεληθέντας δικαίως, ἵνα τοῖς μὲν δικαίοις διὰ τῆς τοιαύτης τιμωρίας τὰ πρὸ τῆς με- τανοίας πραχθέντα ἀφεθῇ κακά, τοῖς δὲ τιμωροῦσιν ἀσεβέσιν κακου- χεῖν ἐπιθυμοῦσιν καὶ μετανοεῖν μὴ θέλουσιν εἰς ἀναπλήρωσιν τῆς ἰδίας κολάσεως δικαίους κακουχεῖν συνεχωρήθη· ἄνευ γὰρ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ βουλῆς οὐδὲ στρουθὸς ἐν παγίδι ἐνπεσεῖν ἔχει· οὕτως δικαίων καὶ αἱ τρίχες τῷ θεῷ ἐναρίθμιοί εἰσιν. δίκαιος δέ ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος ὁ τοῦ εὐλόγου ἕνεκα τῇ φύσει μαχόμενος. οἷον πᾶσιν πρόσεστιν ἐκ φύσεως φιλοῦντας φι- λεῖν, δίκαιος πειρᾶται καὶ ἐχθροὺς ἀγαπᾶν καὶ λοιδοροῦντας εὐλογεῖν, ἔτι μὴν καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐχθρῶν εὔχεσθαι. ἀδικοῦντας ἐλεεῖ· διὸ καὶ προσαδι- κεῖσθαι ἀνέχεται καὶ ὁμῶς καταρωμένους εὐλογεῖ, τύπτουσιν συγχωρεῖ, διώκουσιν ὑποχωρεῖ, μὴ ἀσπαζομένους ἀσπάζεται, τοῖς οὐκ ἔχουσιν ὧν ἔχει κοινωνεῖ, ὀργιζόμενον πείθει, τὸν ἐχθρὸν διαλλάσσει, τὸν ἀπειθῆ παρακαλεῖ, τὸν ἄπιστον κατηχεῖ, τὸν πενθοῦντα παραμυθεῖται, ἐπηρεαζό- μενος στέγει, ἀχαριστούμενος οὐκ ἀγανακτεῖ. εἰς δὲ τὸ ἀγαπᾶν τὸν πλη- σίον ὡς ἑαυτὸν ἀποδεδωκὼς πενίαν οὐ πεφόβηται, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ μερίζων τοῖς οὐκ ἔχουσιν πένης γίνεται. ἀλλ' οὐδὲ μὴν ἁμαρτάνοντας τιμωρεῖ. ὁ γὰρ τὸν πλησίον ἀγαπῶν ὡς ἑαυτὸν ὡς αὐτὸς ἁμαρτήσας οἶδεν τιμωρηθῆναι μὴ θέλειν, οὕτως οὐδὲ τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας τιμωρεῖ. καὶ ὡς θέλει κολακεύεσθαι καὶ εὐλογεῖσθαι καὶ τιμᾶσθαι καὶ πάντα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα αὑτῷ συγχωρεῖσθαι, τοῦτο αὐτὸς τῷ πλησίον ποιεῖ, ὡς ἑαυτὸν ἐκεῖνον ἀγαπῶν. ἑνὶ λόγῳ, ὃ θέλει ἑαυτῷ, θέλει καὶ τῷ πλη- σίον. οὗτος γάρ ἐστι θεοῦ νόμος καὶ προφητῶν, αὕτη τῆς ἀληθείας ἡ διδασκαλία. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἀγάπη ἡ πρὸς πάντα ἄνθρωπον τελεία τὸ ἄρρεν μέρος ἐστὶν οὖσα τῆς φιλανθρωπίας, τὸ δὲ ἐλεεῖν τὸ θῆλυ μέρος ἐστὶν αὐτῆς. ὅπερ ἐστὶν πεινῶντα θρέψαι καὶ ποτὸν διψῶντι παρασχεῖν καὶ γυμνὸν ἐνδῦσαι καὶ νοσοῦντα ἐπισκέψασθαι καὶ ξένον δέξασθαι, τῷ ἐν εἱρκτῇ κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἐπιφαινόμενον βοηθεῖν, ἁπαξαπλῶς τὸν ἐν συμφοραῖς ἐλεῆσαι. ἐγὼ δὲ ἀκούσας ἔφην· Ταῦτα μὲν δυνατὸν πράττειν, ἐχθροὺς δὲ εὐεργετεῖν, πᾶσαν αὐτῶν ὑποφέροντα ἐπήρειαν, οὐκ οἴομαι δυνατὸν ἀνθρωπείᾳ προσεῖναι φύσει. καὶ ὁ Πέτρος ἀπεκρί- νατο· Ὀρθῶς ἔφης· ἀθανασίας γὰρ αἰτία οὖσα ἡ φιλανθρωπία πολλοῦ