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and that all things are borne along randomly; or rather, not only randomly, but also irrationally. And if there is no fate, he says, from where does so-and-so become rich? From where is so-and-so poor? I do not know. For so for the time being I will reason with you, teaching you not to be curious about all things, nor to be carried away from here simply and randomly. For just because you are ignorant of this, you ought not to invent things that are not. It is better to be ignorant in a good way, than to learn in a bad way. For the one who does not know the cause will quickly arrive at the reasonable one; but the one who, because he does not know the true one, invents a false one, will not be able to easily accept the true one, but needs more labor and sweat to undo the former. For on a writing tablet that has been erased, 58.692 one could easily inscribe whatever one wishes; but on one that has been carved into, not so similarly; for one must first erase what has been badly inscribed. And in the case of physicians, the one who offers nothing is far better than the one who administers harmful things; and the one who builds unsoundly is worse than the one who does not build at all; just as land that has nothing is much better than that which has thorns. Let us not, then, run to learn all things, but let us bear to be ignorant of some things; so that when we find a teacher, we do not present him with double the labor; or rather, many have often remained incurably sick, by having simply fallen into wicked doctrines. For the sweat is not the same, to first uproot what has been badly rooted, and then to sow, as to plant a clean field. For in the one case, one must first overturn, and then implant other things; but in the other, the hearing is prepared. From where, then, is so-and-so rich? I will tell you, then. Some have acquired wealth by God's giving, but many by His permission. For this is a brief and simple account. What then? he says. Does He Himself make the fornicator rich, and the adulterer, and the whoremonger, and the one who uses his possessions badly? He does not make him rich, but permits him to be rich; and the difference is great and exceedingly infinite between making and permitting. And why does He permit it at all? Because it is not yet the time of judgment, so that each might receive according to his worth. For what was more worthless than that rich man, who did not even share his crumbs with Lazarus? But nevertheless he was more wretched than all; for he was not master even of a drop of water, and especially for this very reason, that being rich he was cruel. For if there are two wicked men, who have not enjoyed the same things here, but one in wealth, the other in poverty, they will not be punished in the same way there, but the more prosperous one more severely. 5. Do you not see, then, that this man suffers more terribly, since he received his good things? And you, therefore, when you see an unjustly rich man prospering, groan, weep; for this wealth is an addition of punishment for him. For just as those who sin much and are unwilling to repent, store up for themselves a treasure of wrath; so those who, along with not being punished, also enjoy prosperity, will undergo a greater punishment. And this, if you wish, I will show you by an example not only from the things to come, but also from the present life. For the blessed David, when he committed that sin concerning Bathsheba, and was reproved by the prophet, was accused more vehemently for this very reason, that having enjoyed great security he was such a man. Listen, then, to God reproaching him especially for this: Did I not anoint you as king, and deliver you from the hand of Saul, and give you all the things of your master, and all the house of Israel and Judah? And if these were too little for you, I would have added to you such things as these. And why have you done this evil in my sight? For the punishments for all sins are not the same, but many and various, and according to times, and according to persons, and according to dignities, and according to understanding, and from many other things. And that what I say may be clearer, let one sin be set forth, fornication, and consider how many different punishments I find, not from my 58.693 self, but from the divine Scriptures. Did someone commit fornication before the Law? He is punished in one way; and Paul shows this: For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law. Did someone commit fornication after the Law? He will suffer more severe things; For as many as have sinned under the law, he says, will be judged by the law. Did someone commit fornication

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καὶ τὸ εἰκῆ πάντα φέρεσθαι· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐκ εἰκῆ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ ἀλογίας. Καὶ εἰ μὴ ἔστι, φησὶ, γένεσις, πόθεν ὁ δεῖνα πλουτεῖ; πόθεν ὁ δεῖνα πένης; Οὐκ οἶδα. Οὕτω γάρ σοι τέως διαλέξομαι, παιδεύων σε μὴ πάντα περιεργάζεσθαι, μηδὲ ἁπλῶς ἐντεῦθεν καὶ εἰκῆ φέρεσθαι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο ἀγνοεῖς, ὀφείλεις τὰ οὐκ ὄντα ἀναπλάττειν. Βέλτιον ἀγνοεῖν καλῶς, ἢ μανθάνειν κακῶς. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ οὐκ εἰδὼς τὴν αἰτίαν, ταχέως ἐπὶ τὴν εὔλογον ἥξει· ὁ δὲ, ἐπειδὴ τὴν οὖσαν οὐκ οἶδε, τὴν οὐκ οὖσαν πλάττων, οὐ δυνήσεται ῥᾳδίως τὴν οὖσαν δέξασθαι, ἀλλὰ δεῖ πλείονος αὐτῷ καὶ πόνου καὶ ἱδρῶτος, ὥστε τὸ πρότερον ἀνελεῖν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν δέλτῳ, ἐξηλειμ 58.692 μένῃ μὲν εὐκόλως τις ἐγγράψειεν ἅπερ ἂν ἐθέλῃ· ἐγκεχαραγμένῃ δὲ, οὐκέτι ὁμοίως· δεῖ γὰρ πρότερον ἐξαλεῖψαι τὰ κακῶς ἐγγεγραμμένα. Καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἰατρῶν δὲ, ὁ μηδὲν προσφέρων τοῦ τὰ βλάπτοντα προσάγοντος πολλῷ βελτίων ἐστί· καὶ ὁ σαθρῶς οἰκοδομῶν τοῦ μηδ' ὅλως οἰκοδομοῦντος χείρων· ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἡ γῆ πολὺ βελτίων ἡ μηδὲν ἔχουσα τῆς ἀκάνθας ἐχούσης. Μὴ τοίνυν ἐπὶ τὸ μαθεῖν πάντα τρέχωμεν, ἀλλ' ἀνεχώμεθά τινα καὶ ἀγνοεῖν· ἵν' ὅταν εὕρωμεν διδάσκαλον, μὴ διπλοῦν παρέχωμεν αὐτῷ τὸν πόνον· μᾶλλον δὲ πολλοὶ πολλάκις καὶ ἀδιόρθωτα νοσοῦντες ἔμειναν, τῷ περιπεσεῖν ἁπλῶς πονηροῖς δόγμασιν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὅμοιος ὁ ἱδρὼς, ἀνασπάσαι πρότερον τὰ κακῶς ῥιζωθέντα, καὶ τότε σπεῖραι, καὶ καθαρὰν ἄρουραν καταφυτεῦσαι. Ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ ἀνατρέψαι δεῖ πρότερον, καὶ τότε ἕτερα ἐνθεῖναι· ἐνταῦθα δὲ παρεσκευασμένη ἡ ἀκοή. Πόθεν οὖν ὁ δεῖνα πλουτεῖ; Ἐρῶ λοιπόν. Οἱ μὲν τοῦ Θεοῦ διδόντος, πολλοὶ δὲ συγχωροῦντος, πλοῦτον ἐκτήσαντο. Οὗτος γὰρ σύντομος καὶ ἁπλοῦς ὁ λόγος. Τί οὖν; φησί· τὸν πόρνον αὐτὸς ποιεῖ πλουτεῖν, καὶ τὸν μοιχὸν, καὶ τὸν ἡταιρηκότα, καὶ τὸν κακῶς τοῖς οὖσι κεχρημένον; Οὐ ποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ συγχωρεῖ πλουτεῖν· πολὺ δὲ τὸ μέσον καὶ σφόδρα ἄπειρον τοῦ ποιεῖν καὶ συγχωρεῖν. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν ὅλως ἀφίησιν; Ὅτι οὐδέπω τῆς κρίσεως ὁ καιρὸς, ἵνα τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν ἕκαστος ἀπολάβῃ. Τὶ γὰρ φαυλότερον ἐκείνου τοῦ πλουσίου, τοῦ μηδὲ τῶν ψιχίων μεταδιδόντος τῷ Λαζάρῳ; Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἁπάντων ἀθλιώτερος ἦν· οὐδὲ γὰρ σταγόνος ἐγένετο κύριος, καὶ δι' αὐτὸ μάλιστα τοῦτο, ὅτι πλουτῶν ὠμὸς ἦν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐὰν ὦσι πονηροὶ δύο, οὐ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐνταῦθα ἀπολαύσαντες, ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἐν πλούτῳ, ὁ δὲ ἐν πενίᾳ, οὐχ ὁμοίως ἐκεῖ τιμωρηθήσονται, ἀλλ' ὁ εὐπορώτερος χαλεπώτερον. εʹ. Ὁρᾷς γοῦν καὶ τοῦτον δεινότερα πάσχοντα, ἐπειδὴ ἀπέλαβε τὰ ἀγαθά; Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν, ὅταν ἴδῃς ἀδίκως πλουτοῦντα εὐημεροῦντα, στέναξον, δάκρυσον· καὶ γὰρ προσθήκη κολάσεως ὁ πλοῦτος οὗτος αὐτῷ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ πολλὰ ἁμαρτάνοντες καὶ μὴ βουλόμενοι μετανοεῖν, θησαυρίζουσιν ἑαυτοῖς θησαυρὸν ὀργῆς· οὕτως οἱ μετὰ τοῦ μὴ κολάζεσθαι καὶ εὐπραγίας ἀπολαύοντες, μείζονα ὑποστήσονται τὴν τιμωρίαν. Καὶ τοῦτο, εἰ βούλει, οὐκ ἀπὸ τῶν μελλόντων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ παρόντος βίου δείξω σοι τὸ ὑπόδειγμα. Ὁ γὰρ μακάριος ∆αυῒδ, ὅτε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἥμαρτεν ἐκείνην τὴν τῆς Βηρσαβεὲ, καὶ ἠλέγχετο παρὰ τοῦ προφήτου, διὰ τοῦτο μάλιστα ἐνεκαλεῖτο σφοδρότερον, ὅτι καὶ πολλῆς ἀπολαύσας ἀδείας τοιοῦτος ἦν. Ἄκουσον γοῦν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦτο μάλιστα ὀνειδίζοντος αὐτῷ· Οὐκ ἔχρισά σε εἰς βασιλέα, καὶ ἐξειλόμην σε ἐκ χειρὸς Σαοὺλ, καὶ ἔδωκά σοι πάντα τὰ τοῦ κυρίου σου, καὶ πάντα τὸν οἶκον Ἰσραὴλ καὶ Ἰούδα; Καὶ εἰ ὀλίγα σοι ἦν, προσέθηκα ἄν σοι ὡς ταῦτα. Καὶ τί ἐποίησας τὸ πονηρὸν ἐναντίον μου; Οὐ γὰρ πάντων τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων αἱ αὐταὶ κολάσεις, ἀλλὰ πολλαὶ καὶ διάφοροι, καὶ ἀπὸ χρόνων, καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπων, καὶ ἀπὸ ἀξιωμάτων, καὶ ἀπὸ συνέσεως, καὶ ἀπὸ ἑτέρων πλειόνων. Καὶ ἵνα σαφέστερον ὃ λέγω γένηται, κείσθω εἰς μέσον ἁμάρτημα ἓν, ἡ πορνεία, καὶ σκόπει πόσας εὑρίσκω τιμωρίας διαφόρους, οὐ παρ' ἐμαυ 58.693 τοῦ, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν. Ἐπόρνευσέ τις πρὸ τοῦ νόμου; ἄλλως κολάζεται· καὶ τοῦτο ὁ Παῦλος δείκνυσιν· Ὅσοι γὰρ ἀνόμως ἥμαρτον, ἀνόμως καὶ ἀπολοῦνται. Ἐπόρνευσέ τις μετὰ τὸν νόμον; χαλεπώτερα πείσεται· Ὅσοι γὰρ ἐν νόμῳ ἥμαρτον, φησὶ, διὰ νόμου κριθήσονται. Ἐπόρνευσέ τις