John Chrysostom, On Matthew

370

Therefore, he is acquitted of the faults of nature, and no one will object. When therefore you accuse, you show that the sin is not of nature, but of choice. For if in those things for which we do not accuse, we testify that the whole thing is of nature, it is clear that in those things for which we rebuke, we declare that the offense is of choice. Therefore, do not bring me perverted reasonings, nor sophistries and plots more flimsy than spiders' webs, but answer me this again: Did God make all men? This is clear to everyone. How then are not all equal in respect of virtue and of vice? from where come the good and the kind and the gentle? from where come the base and the wicked? For if these things do not require will, but are of nature, how is it that some are this, and others that? For if all were evil by nature, it would be possible for no one to be good; but if good by nature, no one evil. For if the nature of all men is one, all ought to be one in this respect, whether they were to be this or that. But if we should say that by nature some are good, and others evil, which would be unreasonable, as we have shown, these things would have to be unchangeable; for the things of nature are unchangeable. But consider: All are mortal and subject to passion, and no one is without passion, however much he may contend. But now we see many becoming base from being good, and good from being base, the former through carelessness, the latter through diligence; which especially shows that these things are not of nature. For natural things are neither changed, nor do they need diligence to come into being. For just as we do not need labor to see and hear, so also we would not need sweat in virtue, if it were allotted to nature itself. And for what reason did He make evil men, when He was able to make all men good? From where then are evil things? he says. Ask yourself; for it is my part to show that it is not of nature, nor from God. Are they then spontaneous? he says. By no means. But are they unbegotten? Speak reverently, man, and leap away from this madness, honoring God and evil things with one honor, and with the highest honor. For if they are unbegotten, they will also be strong, and will not be able to be rooted up, nor pass into non-existence. For that the unbegotten is indestructible is clear to everyone. 3. But from where are there so many good people, when evil has so much power? how are the begotten stronger than the unbegotten? But God destroys them, he says. When? And how will He destroy things of equal honor and equal strength and, as one might say, of equal age? O the wickedness of the devil! How great an evil he has discovered! With what blasphemy he has persuaded men to surround God! Under what pretense of piety has he devised another evil report! For wishing to show that evil is not from Him, they introduced another wicked doctrine, saying that evil things are unbegotten. From where then are evil things? he says. From willing and not willing. And this willing and not willing, from where does it come? From ourselves. But you do the same thing in asking, as if when you asked, "From where comes seeing and not seeing?" and I said, "From closing and not closing the eyes"; you would ask again, "And this closing and not closing the eyes, from where does it come?" and then, having heard that it is from ourselves and from willing, you would seek yet another cause. For evil is nothing else than to disobey God. From where then, 58.577 he says, did man find this? For was it a task to find this? Tell me. For I do not say this, that this is difficult; but from where did he will to disobey? From carelessness. For being master of both, he inclined rather toward this. But if you are still at a loss and dizzy hearing these things, I will ask you nothing difficult, nor complicated, but a certain simple and clear question. Have you ever been evil, and have you ever also been good? What I mean is this: Have you ever conquered a passion, and again been conquered by a passion? Have you fallen into drunkenness, and conquered drunkenness? Have you ever been angry, and not been angry? Have you overlooked a poor man, and not overlooked one? Have you ever committed fornication, and then again been chaste? From where then are all these things? Tell me, from where? For even if you do not say it yourself, I will say it. That in the one case you were diligent, exerting yourself; but after this you became lax and were careless. For to those who are desperate and are altogether in wickedness, and are insensible and raging, and are not willing even to hear the things that correct them, nor

370

Οὐκοῦν τῶν τῆς φύσεως ἐγκλημάτων ἀπήλλακται, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀντερεῖ. Ὅταν οὖν ἐγκαλῇς, δεικνύεις ὅτι οὐ τῆς φύσεως τὸ ἁμάρτημα, ἀλλὰ τῆς προαιρέσεως. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν οἷς οὐκ ἐγκαλοῦμεν, μαρτυροῦμεν τῆς φύσεως εἶναι τὸ πᾶν, δῆλον ὅτι ἐν οἷς ἐπιτιμῶμεν, δηλοῦμεν ὅτι προαιρέσεώς ἐστι τὸ πλημμέλημα. Μὴ τοίνυν μοι λογισμοὺς εἰς μέσον ἄγε διεστραμμένους, μηδὲ σοφίσματα καὶ πλοκὰς ἀραχνῶν εὐτελεστέρας, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο πάλιν ἀπόκριναί μοι· Πάντας ἀνθρώπους ὁ Θεὸς εἰργάσατο; Παντί που δῆλον. Πῶς οὖν οὐ πάντες ἴσοι κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς λόγον καὶ τὸν τῆς κακίας; πόθεν οἱ ἀγαθοὶ καὶ χρηστοὶ καὶ ἐπιεικεῖς; πόθεν οἱ φαῦλοι καὶ πονηροί; Εἰ γὰρ μὴ γνώμης ταῦτα δεῖται, ἀλλὰ φύσεώς ἐστι, πῶς οἱ μὲν τοῦτό εἰσιν, οἱ δὲ ἐκεῖνο; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ φύσει πάντες κακοὶ, οὐδένα οἷόν τε ἦν ἀγαθὸν εἶναι· εἰ δὲ ἀγαθοὶ φύσει, οὐδένα κακόν. Εἰ γὰρ μία φύσις ἀνθρώπων ἁπάντων, ἔδει κατὰ τοῦτο πάντας ἓν εἶναι, εἴτε τοῦτο, εἴτε ἐκεῖνο ἔμελλον εἶναι. Εἰ δὲ λέγοιμεν, ὅτι φύσει οἱ μὲν ἀγαθοὶ, οἱ δὲ κακοὶ, ὅπερ οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι λόγον, ὥσπερ ἀπεδείξαμεν, ἐχρῆν ἀκίνητα ταῦτα εἶναι· τὰ γὰρ τῆς φύσεως, ἀκίνητα. Σκόπει δέ· Θνητοὶ πάντες καὶ παθητοὶ, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀπαθὴς, κἂν μυρία φιλονεικῇ. Νῦν δὲ ὁρῶμεν ἀπὸ χρηστῶν φαύλους πολλοὺς, καὶ ἀπὸ φαύλων χρηστοὺς γινομένους, τοὺς μὲν ῥᾳθυμίᾳ, τοὺς δὲ σπουδῇ· ὅπερ μάλιστα δείκνυσιν οὐκ ὄντα φύσεως ταῦτα. Οὔτε γὰρ μεταβάλλεται, οὔτε ἵνα προσγένηται σπουδῆς δεῖται τὰ φυσικά. Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἰς τὸ βλέπειν καὶ ἀκούειν οὐ δεόμεθα πόνου, οὕτως οὐδὲ ἐν τῇ ἀρετῇ ἱδρώτων ἡμῖν ἔδει, εἰ τῇ φύσει αὐτῇ ἦν συγκεκληρωμένη. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν καὶ φαύλους ἐποίει, δυνάμενος ἀγαθοὺς ποιῆσαι πάντας; Πόθεν οὖν τὰ κακά; φησίν. Ἐρώτησον σεαυτόν· ἐμὸν γὰρ δεῖξαι, ὅτι οὐχὶ φύσεως, οὐδὲ ἀπὸ Θεοῦ. Οὐκοῦν αὐτόματα; φησίν. Οὐδαμῶς. Ἀλλὰ ἀγέννητα; Εὐφήμει, ἄνθρωπε, καὶ ἀποπήδησον τῆς μανίας ταύτης, μιᾷ τιμῇ τὸν Θεὸν τιμῶν καὶ τὰ κακὰ, καὶ τιμῇ τῇ ἀνωτάτω. Εἰ γὰρ ἀγέννητα, καὶ ἰσχυρὰ ἔσται, καὶ οὐδὲ ἀνασπασθῆναι δυνήσεται, οὐδὲ εἰς τὸ μὴ εἶναι χωρῆσαι. Ὅτι γὰρ τὸ ἀγέννητον ἀνώλεθρον, παντί που δῆλον. γʹ. Πόθεν δὲ καὶ ἀγαθοὶ τοσοῦτοι, τοσαύτην τοῦ κακοῦ τὴν δύναμιν ἔχοντος; πῶς οἱ γεννητοὶ τοῦ ἀγεννήτου ἰσχυρότεροι; Ἀλλ' ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὰ ἀναιρεῖ, φησί. Πότε; Πῶς δὲ καὶ ἀναιρήσει τὰ ὁμότιμα καὶ ὁμοσθενῆ καὶ ὁμήλικα, ὡς ἄν τις εἴποι; Ὢ τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου κακίας! πόσον ἐξεῦρε κακόν! οἵᾳ τὸν Θεὸν περιβαλεῖν ἔπεισε βλασφημίᾳ! οἵῳ προσχήματι εὐσεβείας ἕτερον δύσφημον ἐπενόησε λόγον! Βουλόμενοι γὰρ δεῖξαι, ὅτι οὐκ ἐξ αὐτοῦ τὸ κακὸν, πονηρὸν ἄλλο δόγμα εἰσήγαγον, ἀγέννητα αὐτὰ φήσαντες εἶναι. Πόθεν οὖν τὰ κακά; φησίν. Ἐκ τοῦ θέλειν καὶ μὴ θέλειν. Αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ θέλειν καὶ μὴ θέλειν πόθεν; Παρ' ἡμῶν αὐτῶν. Σὺ δὲ ταὐτὸν ποιεῖς ἐρωτῶν, ὡς ἂν εἰ ἐρομένου σου, Πόθεν τὸ βλέπειν καὶ μὴ βλέπειν; εἶτα εἰπόντος μου, Ἐκ τοῦ μύειν καὶ μὴ μύειν· πάλιν ἔροιο, Αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ μύειν καὶ μὴ μύειν πόθεν; εἶτα ἀκούσας ὅτι ἐξ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τοῦ θέλειν, αἰτίαν πάλιν ἑτέραν ζητοίης. Τὸ γὰρ κακὸν οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ἢ τὸ παρακοῦσαι Θεοῦ. Πόθεν οὖν τοῦτο, 58.577 φησὶν, εὗρεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος; Ἔργον γὰρ ἦν τοῦτο εὑρεῖν; εἰπέ μοι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐγὼ τοῦτό φημι, ὅτι δύσκολον τοῦτο· ἀλλὰ πόθεν ἠθέλησε παρακοῦσαι; Ἀπὸ ῥᾳθυμίας. Κύριος γὰρ ὢν ἑκατέρων, πρὸς τοῦτο μᾶλλον ἀπέκλινεν. Εἰ δὲ ἀπορεῖς ἔτι καὶ ἰλιγγιᾷς ταῦτα ἀκούων, ἐγώ σε ἐρήσομαι οὐδὲν δυσχερὲς, οὐδὲ ποικίλον, ἀλλὰ ἁπλοῦν τινα καὶ σαφῆ λόγον. Γέγονάς ποτε κακὸς, γέγονας δέ ποτε καὶ ἀγαθός; Ὃ δὲ λέγω, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ἐκράτησάς ποτε πάθους, καὶ ἑάλως πάλιν ὑπὸ πάθους; περιέπεσες μέθῃ, καὶ ἐκράτησας μέθης; ὠργίσθης ποτὲ, καὶ οὐκ ὠργίσθης; παρεῖδες πένητα, καὶ οὐ παρεῖδες; ἐπόρνευσάς ποτε, καὶ ἐσωφρόνησας πάλιν; Πόθεν οὖν ταῦτα πάντα; εἰπέ μοι· πόθεν; Κἂν γὰρ αὐτὸς μὴ λέγῃς. ἐγὼ ἐρῶ. Ὅτι τὸ μὲν ἐσπούδασας συντείνας σαυτόν· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἐξελύθης καὶ ἐῤῥᾳθύμησας. Τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἀπεγνωσμένοις καὶ διόλου οὖσιν ἐν κακίᾳ, καὶ ἀναισθήτως ἔχουσι καὶ μαινομένοις. καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλουσιν οὐδὲ ἀκούειν τὰ διορθοῦντα αὐτοὺς, οὐδὲ