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having done satanic things, and having agreed to receive money, and having been convicted by me, do you still dare to ask? But he said none of these things; but how? You have said it; establishing for us the boundaries and rules of long-suffering. But someone will say; And indeed if it is written that he should suffer these things, why is Judas blamed? For he did the things that were written. But not with this intention, but out of wickedness. If you do not examine the purpose, you will also acquit the devil of the charges. But these things are not so, they are not so. For both this one and that one are worthy of ten thousand punishments, even if the world was saved. For it was not the betrayal of Judas that worked our salvation, but the wisdom of Christ, and the resourcefulness of His good contrivance, using the wickedness of others for our benefit. What then? he says; if Judas had not betrayed him, would not another have betrayed him? And what has this to do with the question at hand? That if Christ had to be crucified, he says, it had to be through someone; and if it had to be through someone, it must have been through such a man. But if all were good, the economy of our salvation would have been hindered. God forbid! For He who is all-wise knew how to manage our affairs, even if this had not occurred; for His wisdom is resourceful and incomprehensible. For this reason, lest anyone think that he became a servant of the economy, he pronounces the man wretched. 58.733 But someone will say again; And if it were good for him not to have been born, for what reason did He allow him to come into the world, both this man and all the wicked? You ought to blame the wicked, that being free not to become such, they have become wicked, but you, leaving this aside, are meddling in the things of God, and being overly curious; even though you know that no one is wicked by necessity. But only the good ought to have been created, he says, and there would be no need of hell, nor of punishment and retribution, nor any trace of evil; and the wicked should either not have been created, or having been created, to have departed immediately. First, then, it is fitting to say to you the apostolic word: Nay but, O man, who are you that replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why have you made me thus? But if you also demand reasonings, we would say this, that the good are admired more greatly when they are among the wicked; for their forbearance and their great philosophy are then especially shown. But you, by saying these things, take away the occasion for wrestlings and contests. What then? So that these may appear good, are others punished? he says. God forbid! but because of their own wickedness. For they did not become wicked because they were created, but through their own indolence; wherefore also they are punished. For how would they not be worthy of punishment, having so many teachers of virtue, and gaining nothing from it? For just as the good and upright are worthy of double honor, because they have become good, and have not been harmed by the wicked; so also the vile are worthy of double punishment, because they have become wicked, when they were able to become good (as those who have become so demonstrate); and because they gained nothing from the good. But let us see what this wretched man says when convicted by the Teacher. What then does he say? Is it I, Rabbi? And why did he not ask this from the beginning? He thought he was unnoticed because it was said, One of you; but when he made it clear, he dared to ask again, trusting in the gentleness of the Teacher, that he would not expose him. For this reason, indeed, he also called him Rabbi. 3. O, the blindness! where did it lead him? For such a thing is the love of money; it makes men foolish and senseless, reckless and dogs instead of men; or rather, more savage than dogs, and demons out of dogs. This man, at any rate, received the devil who was plotting, but betrayed Jesus who was doing him good, having already become a devil by choice. For such does the insatiable desire for money make men, mad, crazed, wholly given to gain, just as Judas also became. But how is it that Matthew and the others say that when he made the arrangement for the betrayal, then the devil took him; but John says, that after the morsel, Satan entered into him? And he himself knows this. For above he says: Supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas to betray him. How then does he say, After the morsel entered into

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σατανικὰ ποιήσας, καὶ ἀργύριον συνθέμενος λαμβάνειν, καὶ παρ' ἐμοῦ δὲ διελεγχθεὶς, ἔτι τολμᾷς ἐρωτᾷν; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τούτων εἴρηκεν· ἀλλὰ πῶς; Σὺ εἶπας· ὅρους ἡμῖν καὶ κανόνας ἀνεξικακίας πηγνύς. Ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ τις· Καὶ μὴν εἰ γέγραπται παθεῖν αὐτὸν ταῦτα, διατί ἐγκαλεῖται Ἰούδας; τὰ γὰρ γεγραμμένα ἐποίησεν. Ἀλλ' οὐ ταύτῃ τῇ γνώμῃ, ἀλλὰ διὰ πονηρίαν. Εἰ δὲ μὴ τὸν σκοπὸν ἐξετάζοις, καὶ τὸν διάβολον ἀπαλλάξεις τῶν ἐγκλημάτων. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα, οὐκ ἔστι. Μυρίων γὰρ ἄξιοι κολάσεων καὶ οὗτος κἀκεῖνος, εἰ καὶ ἡ οἰκουμένη ἐσώθη. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡ προδοσία τοῦ Ἰούδα τὴν σωτηρίαν ἡμῖν εἰργάσατο, ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ σοφία, καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ εὐμηχανίας τὸ εὔπορον, ταῖς ἑτέρων πονηρίαις εἰς τὸ ἡμῖν συμφέρον ἀποχρωμένου. Τί οὖν; φησίν· εἰ καὶ Ἰούδας μὴ προὔδωκεν, ἕτερος οὐκ ἂν προὔδωκε; Καὶ τί τοῦτο πρὸς τὸ ζητούμενον; Ὅτι εἰ σταυρωθῆναι ἔδει τὸν Χριστὸν, φησὶ, διά τινος ἔδει· εἰ δὲ διά τινος ἔδει, δι' ἀνθρώπου πάντως τοιούτου. Εἰ δὲ πάντες ἦσαν ἀγαθοὶ, ἐνεποδίσθη ἂν ἡ οἰκονομία ἡ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν. Μὴ γένοιτο! Αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ πάνσοφος ᾔδει πῶς οἰκονομήσει τὰ ἡμέτερα, καὶ τούτου συμβάντος· εὔπορος γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἡ σοφία καὶ ἀκατάληπτος. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἵνα μή τις νομίσῃ, ὅτι οἰκονομίας ὑπηρέτης ἐγένετο, ταλανίζει τὸν ἄνθρωπον. 58.733 Ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ τις πάλιν· Καὶ εἰ καλὸν ἦν τὸ μὴ γεννηθῆναι αὐτὸν, τίνος ἕνεκεν εἴασεν εἰς μέσον ἐλθεῖν, καὶ τοῦτον καὶ τοὺς πονηροὺς ἅπαντας; ∆έον σε τοῖς πονηροῖς ἐγκαλεῖν, ὅτι κύριοι ὄντες μὴ γενέσθαι τοιοῦτοι, γεγόνασι πονηροὶ, σὺ δὲ τοῦτο ἀφεὶς, πολυπραγμονεῖς τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ περιεργάζῃ· καίτοι εἰδὼς, ὡς οὐκ ἀνάγκῃ τίς ἐστι πονηρός. Ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς ἔδει γενέσθαι μόνους, φησὶ, καὶ γεέννης οὐκ ἦν χρεία, οὐδὲ κολάσεως καὶ τιμωρίας, οὐδὲ κακίας ἴχνος· τοὺς δὲ πονηροὺς ἢ μὴ γενέσθαι, ἢ γενομένους εὐθέως ἀπελθεῖν. Πρῶτον μὲν οὖν ἄξιον πρὸς σὲ εἰπεῖν τὸ ἀποστολικόν· Μενοῦνγε, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, σὺ τίς εἶ ὁ ἀνταποκρινόμενος τῷ Θεῷ; Μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι, Τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως; Εἰ δὲ καὶ λογισμοὺς ἀπαιτεῖς, ἐκεῖνο ἂν εἴποιμεν, ὅτι μειζόνως θαυμάζονται οἱ ἀγαθοὶ μεταξὺ πονηρῶν ὄντες· καὶ γὰρ ἡ ἀνεξικακία καὶ ἡ πολλὴ φιλοσοφία αὐτῶν τότε μάλιστα δείκνυται. Σὺ δὲ ὑπόθεσιν ἀναιρεῖς παλαισμάτων καὶ ἀγώνων, ταῦτα λέγων. Τί οὖν; ἵνα οὗτοι καλοὶ φανῶσι, κολάζονται ἕτεροι; φησί. Μὴ γένοιτο! ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἑαυτῶν πονηρίαν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπειδὴ παρήχθησαν, γεγόνασι πονηροὶ, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ῥᾳθυμίαν· διὸ καὶ κολάζονται. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἂν εἶεν κολάσεως ἄξιοι, τοσούτους διδασκάλους ἔχοντες ἀρετῆς, καὶ μηδὲν ἐντεῦθεν κερδαίνοντες; Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ καλοὶ καὶ ἀγαθοὶ διπλῆς ἄξιοι τιμῆς, ὅτι καὶ χρηστοὶ γεγόνασι, καὶ οὐδὲν παρὰ τῶν πονηρῶν ἐβλάβησαν· οὕτω καὶ οἱ φαῦλοι διπλῆς ἄξιοι κολάσεως, ὅτι τε πονηροὶ γεγόνασι, δυνάμενοι γενέσθαι καλοί (καὶ δηλοῦσιν οἱ γενόμενοι)· καὶ ὅτι οὐδὲν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐκέρδαναν. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν τί φησιν ὁ δείλαιος οὗτος διελεγχόμενος παρὰ τοῦ διδασκάλου. Τί οὖν φησι; Μήτι ἐγώ εἰμι, Ῥαββί; Καὶ διατί μὴ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τοῦτο ἠρώτησεν; Ἐνόμισε λανθάνειν τῷ εἰρῆσθαι, Εἷς ἐξ ὑμῶν· ὅτε δὲ αὐτὸν δῆλον ἐποίησεν, ἐτόλμησε πάλιν ἐρέσθαι, τῇ ἐπιεικείᾳ τοῦ ∆ιδασκάλου θαῤῥῶν, ὡς οὐκ ἐλέγξοντος αὐτόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ Ῥαββὶ ἐκάλεσεν. γʹ. Ὢ τῆς πηρώσεως! ποῦ αὐτὸν ἐξήγαγε; Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἡ φιλαργυρία· μωροὺς καὶ ἀνοήτους ἐργάζεται, ἰταμοὺς καὶ κύνας ἀντὶ ἀνθρώπων· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ κυνῶν χαλεπωτέρους, καὶ δαίμονας ἀπὸ κυνῶν. Οὗτος γοῦν τὸν μὲν διάβολον προσίετο καὶ ἐπιβουλεύοντα, τὸν δὲ Ἰησοῦν καὶ εὐεργετοῦντα προὔδωκε, διάβολος ἤδη γενόμενος τῇ προαιρέσει. Τοιούτους γὰρ ποιεῖ ἡ ἀκόρεστος τῶν χρημάτων ἐπιθυμία, ἔκφρονας, παραπλῆγας, ὅλους τοῦ λήμματος, καθάπερ καὶ Ἰούδας ἐγένετο. Πῶς δὲ ὁ μὲν Ματθαῖός φησι καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι, ὅτι ὅτε συνετάξατο περὶ τῆς προδοσίας, τότε αὐτὸν ὁ διάβολος εἷλεν· ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης, ὅτι Μετὰ τὸ ψωμίον εἰσῆλθεν εἰς αὐτὸν ὁ Σατανᾶς; Καὶ αὐτὸς τοῦτο οἶδεν. Ἀνωτέρω γάρ φησι· ∆είπνου γενομένου, καὶ τοῦ διαβόλου ἤδη βεβληκότος εἰς τὴν καρδίαν Ἰούδα, ἵνα αὐτὸν παραδῷ. Πῶς οὖν φησι, Μετὰ τὸ ψωμίον εἰσῆλθεν εἰς