(NOTE: The electronic text obtained from The Electronic Bible Society was
not completely corrected. EWTN has corrected all discovered errors.)
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
TWO LETTERS TO THEODORE AFTER HIS FALL
[Translated by Rev. W. R. W. Stephens, M.A, Prebendary of Chichester, and
rector of Woolbeding, Sussex.]
LETTER I.
"OH! that my head were water, and mine eyes a fountain of tears!"(1) it
is seasonable for me to utter these words now, yea much more than for the
prophet in his time. For although I am not about to mourn over many cities,
or whole nations, yet shall I mourn over a soul which is of equal value
with many such nations, yea even more precious. For if one man who does the
will of God is better than ten thousand transgressors, then thou wast
formerly better than ten thousand Jews. Wherefore no one would now blame me
if I were to compose more lamentations than those which are contained in
the prophet, and to utter complaints yet more vehement. For it is not the
overthrow of a city which I mourn, nor the captivity of wicked then, but
the desolation of a sacred soul, the destruction and effacement of a
Christ-bearing temple.(2) For would not any one who knew in the days of its
glory that well-ordered mind of thine which the devil has now set on fire,
groan, imitating the lamentation of the prophet; when he hears that
barbarian hands have defiled the holy of holies, and have set fire to all
things and burned them up, the cherubim, the ark, the mercy seat, the
tables of stone, the golden pot? For this calamity is bitterer, yea
bitterer than that, in proportion as the pledges deposited in thy soul were
far more precious than those. This temple is holier than that; for it
glistened not with gold and silver, but with the grace of the Spirit, and
in place of the ark and the cherubim, it had Christ, and His Father, and
the Paraclete seated within. But now all is changed, and the temple is
desolate, and bare of its former beauty and comeliness, unadorned with its
divine and unspeakable adornments, destitute of all security and
protection; it has neither door nor bolt, and is laid open to all manner of
soul-destroying and shameful thoughts; and if the thought of arrogance or
fornication, or avarice, or any more accursed than these, wish to enter in
there is no one to hinder them; whereas formerly, even as the Heaven is
inaccessible to all these, so also was the purity of thy soul. Now perhaps
I shall seem to say what is incredible to some who now witness thy
desolation and overthrow; for on this account I wail and mourn, and shall
not cease doing so, until I see thee again established in thy former
lustre. For although this seems to be impossible to men, yet to God all
things are possible. For it is He "who raiseth the poor from the earth, and
lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set him with the princes, even
with the princes of his people." It is He "who makes the barren woman to
dwell at home, a mother rejoicing over her children."(3) Do not then
despair of the most perfect change. For if the devil had such great power
as to cast thee down from that pinnacle and height of virtue into the
extremity of evil doing, much more will God be able to draw thee up again
to thy former confidence; and not only indeed to make you what you were
before, but even much happier. Only be not downcast, nor fling away good
hopes, nor fall into the condition of the ungodly. For it is not the
multitude of sins which is wont to plunge men into despair, but impiety of
soul. Therefore Solomon did not make the unqualified statement "every one
who has entered into the den of the wicked, despiseth;" but only "he who is
ungodly."(4) For it is such persons only who are affected in this way when
they have entered the den of the wicked. And this it is which does not
suffer them to look up, and re-ascend to the position from which they fell.
For this accursed thought pressing down like some yoke upon the neck of the
soul, and so forcing it to stoop, hinders it from looking up to the Master.
Now it is the part of a brave and excellent man to break this yoke in
pieces, to shake off the tormentor fastened upon him; and to utter the
words of the prophet, "As the eyes of a maiden look unto the hands of her
mistress, even so our eyes look unto the Lord our God until He have mercy
upon us. Have pity upon us, O Lord, have pity upon us, for we have been
utterly filled with contempt."(1) Truly divine are these precepts, and
decrees of the highest form of spiritual wisdom. We have been filled, it is
said, with contempt, and have undergone countless distresses; nevertheless
we shall not desist from looking up to God, neither shall we cease praying
to him until He has received our petition. For this is the mark of a noble
soul, not to be cast down, nor be dismayed at the multitude of the
calamities which oppress it, nor to withdraw, after praying many times
without success, but to persevere, until He have mercy upon us, even as the
blessed David saith.
2. For the reason why the devil plunges us into thoughts of despair is
that he may cut off the hope which is towards God, the safe anchor, the
foundation of our life, the guide of the way which leads to heaven, the
salvation of perishing souls. "For by hope" it is said, "we are saved."(2)
For this assuredly it is which, like some strong cord suspended from the
heavens, supports our souls, gradually drawing towards that world on high
those who cling firmly to it, and lifting them above the tempest of the
evils of this life. If any one then becomes enervated, and lets go this
sacred anchor, straightway he falls down, and is suffocated, having entered
into the abyss of wickedness. And the Evil One knowing this, when he
perceives that we are ourselves oppressed by the consciousness of evil
deeds, steps in himself and lays upon us the additional burden, heavier
than lead, of anxiety arising from despair; and if we accept it, it follows
of necessity that we are forthwith dragged down by the weight, and having
been parted from that cord, descend into the depth of misery where thou
thyself art now, having forsaken the commandments of the meek and lowly
Master and executing all the injunctions of the cruel tyrant, and
implacable enemy of our salvation; having broken in pieces the easy yoke,
and cast away the light burden, and having put on the iron collar instead
of these things, yea, having hung the ponderous millstone(3) from thy neck.
Where then canst thou find a footing henceforth when thou art submerging
thy unhappy soul, imposing on thyself this necessity of continually sinking
downwards? Now the woman who had found the one coin called her neighbors to
share her joy; saying, "Rejoice with me;" but I shall now invoke all
friends, both mine and thine, for the contrary purpose, saying not "Rejoice
with me" but "Mourn with me," and take up the same strain of mourning, and
utter the same cry of distress with me. For the worst possible loss has
befallen me, not that some given number of talents of gold, or some large
quantity of precious stones have dropped out of my hand, but that he who
was more precious than all these things, who was sailing over this same
sea, this great and broad sea with me, has, I know not how, slipped
overboard, and fallen into the very pit of destruction.
3. Now if any should attempt to divert me from mourning, I shall reply
to them in the words of the prophet, saying "Let me alone, I will weep
bitterly; labour not to comfort me."(4) For the mourning with which I mourn
now is not of a kind to subject me to condemnation for excess in
lamentation, but the cause is one for which even Paul, or Peter, had they
been here, would not have been ashamed to weep and mourn, and reject all
kinds of consolation. For those who bewail that death which is common to
all one might reasonably accuse of much feebleness of spirit; but when in
place of a corpse a dead soul lies before us, pierced with innumerable
wounds, and yet even in its death manifesting its former natural
comeliness, and health, and beauty now extinguished, who can be so harsh
and unsympathetic as to utter words of encouragement in place of wailing
and lamentation? For as in the other world the absence of mourning is a
mark of divine wisdom, so in this world the act of mourning is a mark of
the same. He who had already mounted to the sky, who was laughing to scorn
the vanity of this life, who regarded bodily beauty no more than if it had
been in forms of stone, who despised gold as it had been mud, and every
kind of luxury as mire, even he, having been suddenly overwhelmed with the
feverish longing of a preposterous passion, has ruined his health, and
manly strength, and the bloom of his youth, and become a slave of pleasure.
Shall we not weep then, I pray you, for such a man and bewail him, until we
have got him back again? And where do these things concern the human soul?
It is not possible indeed to discover in this world the means of release
from the death of the body, and yet even this does not stay the mourners
from lamenting; but only in this world is it possible to bring to naught
the death of the soul. "For in Hades" we read, "who will confess thee?"(1)
Is it not then the height of stupidity that they who mourn the death of the
body should do this so earnestly, although they know that they will not
raise the dead man to life by their lamentation; but that we should not
manifest anything of the kind, and this when we know that often there is
hope of conducting the lost soul back to its former life? For many both now
and in the days of our forefathers, having been perverted from the right
position, and fallen headlong out of the straight path, have been so
completely restored as to eclipse their former deeds by the latter, and to
receive the prize, and be wreathed with the garland of victory, and be
proclaimed among the conquerors, and be numbered in the company of the
saints. For as long as any one stands in the furnace of pleasures, even if
he has countless examples of this kind before him, the thing seems to him
to be impossible; but if he once gets a short start upon the way out from
thence, by continually advancing he leaves the fiercer part of the fire
behind him and will see the parts which are in front of him, and before his
footsteps full of dew and much refreshment; only let us not despair or grow
weary of the return; for he who is so affected, even if he has acquired
boundless power and zeal, has acquired it to no purpose. For when he has
once shut the door of repentance against himself, and has blocked the
entrance into the race-course, how will he be able while he abides outside
to accomplish any good thing, either small or great? On this account the
Evil One uses all kinds of devices in order to plant in us this thought (of
despair); for (if he succeeds) he will no longer have to sweat and toil in
contending with us; how should he, when we are prostrate and fallen, and
unwilling to resist him? For he who has been able to slip out of this
chain, will recover his own strength and will not cease struggling against
the devil to his last gasp, and even if he had countless other falls, he
will get up again, and will smite his enemy; but he who is in, bondage to
the cogitations of despair, and has unstrung his own strength, how will he
be able to prevail, and to resist, having on the contrary taken to flight?
4. And speak not to me of those who have committed small sins, but
suppose the case of one who is filled full of all wickedness, and let him
practice everything which excludes him from the kingdom, and let us suppose
that this man is not one of those who were unbelievers from the beginning,
but formerly belonged to the believers, and such as were well pleasing to
God, but afterwards has become a fornicator, adulterer, effeminate, a
thief, a drunkard, a sodomite, a reviler, and everything else of this kind;
I will not approve even of this man despairing of himself, although he may
have gone on to extreme old age in the practice of this great and
unspeakable wickedness. For if the wrath of God were a passion, one might
well despair as being unable to quench the flame which he had kindled by so
many evil doings; but since the Divine nature is passionless, even if He
punishes, even if He takes vengeance, he does this not with wrath, but with
tender care, and much loving-kindness; wherefore it behoves us to be of
much good courage, and to trust in the power of repentance. For even those
who have sinned against Him He is not wont to visit with punishment for His
own sake; for no harm can traverse that divine nature; but He acts with a
view to our advantage, and to prevent our perverseness becoming worse by
our making a practice of despising and neglecting Him. For even as one who
places himself outside the light inflicts no loss on the light, but the
greatest upon himself being shut up in darkness; even so he who has become
accustomed to despise that almighty power, does no injury to the power, but
inflicts the greatest possible injury upon himself. And for this reason God
threatens us with punishments, and often inflicts them, not as avenging
Himself, but by way of attracting us to Himself. For a physician also is
not distressed or vexed at the insults of those who are out of their minds,
but yet does and contrives everything for the purpose of stopping those who
do such unseemly acts, not looking to his own interests but to their
profit; and if they manifest some small degree of self-control and sobriety
he rejoices and is glad, and applies his remedies much more earnestly, not
as revenging himself upon them for their former conduct, but as wishing to
increase their advantage, and to bring them back to a purely sound state of
health. Even so God when we fall into the very extremity of madness, says
and does everything, not by way of avenging Himself on account of our
former deeds; but because He wishes to release us from our disorder; and by
means of right reason it is quite possible to be convinced of this.
5. Now if any one should dispute with us concerning these things we
will confirm them out of the divine oracles. For who, I ask, became more
depraved than the king of the Babylonians, who after having received such
great experience of God's power as to make obeisance to His prophet, and
command offerings and incense to be sacrificed to Him was again carried
away to his former pride, and cast bound into the furnace those who did not
honour himself before God. Nevertheless this man who was so cruel and
impious, and rather a beast than a human being, God invited to repentance,
and granted him several opportunities of conversion, first of all the
miracle which took place in the furnace, and after that the vision which
the king saw but which Daniel interpreted, a vision sufficient to bend even
a heart of stone; and in addition to these things after the exhortation
derived from events the prophet also himself advised him, saying
"Therefore, O king, let my counsel please thee, and redeem thy sins by
alms, and thy iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; it may be that long
suffering will be shown to thy offence."(1) What sayest thou O wise and
blessed man? After so great a fall is there again a way of return? and
after so great a disease is health possible? and after so great a madness
is there again a hope of soundness of mind? The king has deprived himself
beforehand of all hope, first of all by having ignored Him who created him;
and conducted him to this honour, although he had many evidences of His
power and forethought to recount which occurred both in his own case and in
the case of his forefathers; but after this again when he had received
distinct tokens of God's wisdom and foreknowledge, and had seen magic, and
astronomy and the theatre of the whole satanic system of jugglery
overthrown, he exhibited deeds yet worse than the former. For things which
the wise magi, the Gazarenes, could not explain, but confessed that they
were beyond human nature, these a captive youth having caused to be solved
for him, so moved him by that miracle that he not only himself believed,
but also became to the whole world a clear herald and teacher of this
doctrine.(2) Wherefore if even before having received such a token it was
unpardonable in him to ignore God, much more so was it after that miracle,
and his confession, and the teaching which was extended to others. For if
he had not honestly believed that He was the only true God he would not
have shown such honour to His servant, or have laid down such laws for
others. But yet after making this kind of confession, he again lapsed into
idolatry, and he who once fell on his face and made obeisance to the
servant of God, broke out into such a pitch of madness, as to cast into the
furnace the servants of God who did not make obeisance to himself. What
then? did God visit the apostate, as he deserved to be visited? No! He
supplied him with greater tokens of His own power, drawing him back again
after so great a display of arrogance to his former condition; and, what is
yet more wonderful, that owing to the abundance of the miracles he might
not again disbelieve what was done, the subject upon which He wrought the
sign was none other than the furnace which the king himself kindled for the
children whom he bound and cast therein. Even to extinguish the flame would
have been a wonderful and strange thing; but the benign Deity in order to
inspire him with greater fear, and increase his dismay, and undo all his
hardness of heart, did what was greater and stranger than this. For,
permitting the furnace to be kindled to as high a pitch as he desired, He
then exhibited his own peculiar power, not by putting down the devices of
his enemies, but by frustrating them when they were set on foot. And, to
prevent any one who saw them survive the flame from supposing that it was a
vision, He suffered those who cast them in to be burned, thus proving that
the thing seen was really fire; for otherwise it would not have devoured
naphtha and tow, and fagots and such a large number of bodies; but nothing
is stronger than His command; but the nature of all existing things obeys
Him who brought them into being out of nothing; which was just what He
manifested at that time; for the flame having received perishable bodies,
held aloof from them as if they had been imperishable, and restored in
safety, with the addition of much lustre, the deposit entrusted to it. For
like kings from some royal court, even so did those children come forth
from the furnace, no one having the patience to look any longer at the
king, but all transferring their eyes from him to the strange spectacle,
and neither the diadem nor the purple robe, nor any other feature of royal
pomp, attracted the multitudes of unbelievers so much as the sight of those
faithful ones, who tarried long in the fire, and then came out of it as men
might have done who had undergone this in a dream. For the most fragile of
all our features, I mean the hair, prevailed more mightily than adamant
against the all-devouring flame. And the fact that when they were cast into
the midst of the fire they suffered no harm was not the only wonder, but
the further fact that they were speaking the whole time. Now all who have
witnessed persons burning are aware, that if they keep their lips fast
closed, they can hold out for a short time at least against the
conflagration; but if any one chances to open his mouth, the soul instantly
takes its flight from the body. Nevertheless after such great miracles had
taken place, and all who were present and beheld were amazed, and those who
were absent had been informed of the fact by means of letters, the king who
instructed others remained himself without amendment, and went back again
to his former wickedness. And yet even then God did not punish him, but was
still long-suffering, counselling him both by means of visions and by His
prophet. But when he was not made anywise better by any of these things,
then at last God inflicted punishment upon him, not by way of avenging
himself on account of his former deeds, but as cutting off the occasion of
future evils, and checking the advance of wickedness, and He did not
inflict even this permanently, but after having chastised him for a few
years, He restored him again to his former honour, without having suffered
any loss from his punishment, but on the contrary having gained the
greatest possible good; a firm hold upon faith in God, and repentance on
account of his former misdeeds.(1)
6. For such is the loving-kindness of God; He never turns his face away
from a sincere repentance, but if any one has pushed on to the very
extremity of wickedness, and chooses to return thence towards the path of
virtue, God accepts and welcomes, and does everything so as to restore him
to his former position. And He does what is yet more merciful; for even
should any one not manifest complete repentance, he does not pass by one
which is small and insignificant, but assigns a great reward even to this;
which is evident from what Esaias the prophet says concerning the people of
the Jews, speaking on this wise: "On account of his sin I put him to pain
for a little while, and smote him, and turned my face away from him, and he
was pained, and walked sorrowfully, and then I healed him, and comforted
him."(2) And we might cite as another witness that most ungodly king, who
was given over to sin by the influence of his wife: yet when he only
sorrowed, and put on sackcloth, and condemned his offences, he so won for
himself the mercy of God, as to be released from all the evils which were
impending over him. For God said to Elias "Seest thou how Ahab is pricked
in the heart before my face? I will not bring the evil upon him in his own
days, because he hath wept before me."(3) And after this again, Manasses,
having exceeded all in fury and tyranny, and having subverted the legal
form of worship, and shut up the temple, and caused the deceit of idolatry
to flourish, and having become more ungodly than all who were before him,
when he afterwards repented, was ranked amongst the friends of God. Now if,
looking to the magnitude of his own iniquities, he had despaired of
restoration and repentance, he would have missed all which he afterwards
obtained: but as it was, looking to the boundlessness of God's tender mercy
instead of the enormity of his transgressions, and having broken in sunder
the bonds of the devil, he rose up and contended with him, and finished the
good course.(4) And not only by what was done to these men, but also by the
words of the prophet does God destroy the counsels of despair, speaking. on
this wise: "To-day, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as
in the provocation."(5) Now that expression "to-day," may be uttered at
every time of life, even on the verge of old age, if you desire it: for
repentance is judged not by quantity of time, but by disposition of the
soul. For the Ninevites did not need many days to blot out their sin, but
the short space of one day availed to efface all their iniquity: and the
robber also did not take a long time to effect his entrance into Paradise,
but in such a brief moment as one might occupy in uttering a single word,
did he wash off all the sins which he had committed in his whole life, and
received the prize bestowed by the divine approval even before the
Apostles. And we also see the martyrs obtain glorious crowns for themselves
in the course, not of many years, but of a few days, and often in a single
day only.
7. Wherefore we have need of zeal in every direction, and much
preparation of mind: and if we so order our conscience as to hate our
former wickedness, and choose the contrary path with as much energy as God
desires and commands, we shall not have anything less on account of the
short space of time: many at least who were last have far outstripped those
who were first. For to have fallen is not a grievous thing, but to remain
prostrate after talling, and not to get up again; and, playing the coward
and the sluggard, to conceal feebleness of moral purpose under the
reasoning of despair. To whom also the prophet spoke in perplexity saying
"Doth he who falleth not rise up, or he who turneth away not turn back?"(1)
But if you inquire of me for instances of persons who have fallen away
after having believed, all these things have been said with reference to
such persons, for he who has fallen belonged formerly to those who were
standing, not to those who were prostrate; for how should one in that
condition fall? But other things also shall be said, partly by means of
parables, partly by plainer deeds and words. Now that sheep which had got
separated from the ninety and nine,(2) and then was brought back again,
represents to us nothing else than the fall and return of the faithful; for
it was a sheep not of some alien flock, but belonging to the same number as
the rest, and was for merly pastured by the same shepherd, and it strayed
on no common straying, but wandered away to the mountains and in valleys,
that is to say some long journey, far distant from the right path. Did he
then suffer it to stray? By no means, but brought it back neither driving
it, nor beating it, but taking it upon his shoulders. For as the best
physicians bring back those who are far gone in sickness with careful
treatment to a state of health, not only treating them according to the
laws of the medical art, but sometimes also giving them gratification: even
so God conducts to virtue those who are much depraved, not with great
severity, but gently and gradually, and supporting them on every side, so
that the separation may not become greater, nor the error more prolonged.
And the same truth is implied in the parable of the prodigal son as well as
in this. For he also was no stranger, but a son, and a brother of the child
who had been well pleasing to the father, and he plunged into no ordinary
vice, but went to the very extremity, so to say, of evil, he the rich and
free and well-bred son being reduced to a more miserable condition than
that of household slaves, strangers, and hirelings. Nevertheless he
returned again to his original condition, and had his former honour
restored to him. But if he had despaired of his life, and, dejected by what
had befallen him, had remained in the foreign land, he would not have
obtained what he did obtain, but would have been consumed with hunger, and
so have undergone the most pitiable death: but since he repented, and did
not despair, he was restored, even after such great corruption, to the same
splendour as before, and was arrayed in the most beautiful robe, and
enjoyed greater honours than his brother who had not fallen. For "these
many years," saith he "do I serve thee, neither transgressed I thy
commandment at any time, and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might
make merry with my friends; but when this thy son is come who hath devoured
thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf."(3) So
great is the power of repentance.
8. Having then such great examples, let us not continue in evil, nor
despair of reconciliation, but let us say also ourselves "I will go to my
Father," and let us draw nigh to God. For He Himself never turns away from
us, but it is we who put ourselves far off: for "I am a God" we read "at
hand and not a God afar off."(4) And again, when He was rebuking them by
the mouth of this prophet He said "Do not your sins separate between you
and me?"(5) Inasmuch then as this is the cause which puts us far from God,
let us remove this obnoxious barrier, which prevents any near approach
being made.
But now hear how this has actually occurred in real instances. Amongst
the Corinthians some man of mark committed a sin such as was not named even
among the Gentiles. This man was a believer and belonged to the household
of Christ; and some say that he was actually a member of the priesthood.
What then? Did Paul cut him off from the communion of those who were in the
way of salvation. By no means: for he himself it is who rebukes the
Corinthians countless times, backwards and forwards, because they did not
bring the man to a state of repentance: but, desiring to prove to us that
there is no sin which cannot be healed, he said again concerning the man
who had transgressed more grievously than the Gentiles: "Deliver such an
one to Satan for destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in
the day of the Lord Jesus Christ."(6) Now this was prior to repentance: but
after he had repented "Sufficient," said he, "for such an one is this
punishment which was inflicted by the many(7) "and he charged them by a
letter to console the man again, and to welcome his repentance, so that he
should not be got the better Of by Satan. Moreover when the whole Galatian
people fell after having believed, and wrought miracles, and endured many
trials for the sake of their faith in Christ he sets them up again. For
that they had done miracles he testified when he said: "He therefore that
supplieth to you the Spirit and worketh miracles among you:" (8) and that
they endured many contests for the sake of the faith, he also testified
when he says: "Have ye suffered so many things in vain if it be indeed in
vain."(1) Nevertheless after making so great an advance they committed sin
sufficient to estrange them from Christ concerning which he declares
saying: "Behold, I Paul tell you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ will
profit you nothing:" and again "ye who would be justified by the law are
fallen away from grace:"(2) and yet even after so great a lapse he welcomes
them saying "my little children of whom I am in travail again until Christ
be formed in you(3)" showing that after extreme perversion it is possible
for Christ to be formed again in us: for He doth not desire the death of a
sinner, but rather that he should be convened and live.
9. Let us then turn to Him, my beloved friend, and execute the will of
God. For He created us and brought us into being, that He might make us
partakers of eternal blessings, that He might offer us the kingdom of
Heaven, not that He might cast us into Hell and deliver us to the fire; for
this was made not for us, but for the devil: but for us the kingdom has
been destined and made ready of old time. And by way of indicating both
these truths He saith to those on the right hand, "Come ye blessed of my
Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world:" but to those on the left "Depart from me, ye cursed, into fire
everlasting prepared" (he no longer says "for you" but)"for the devil and
his angels."(4) Thus hell has not been made for us but for him and his
angels: but the kingdom has been prepared for us before the foundation of
the world. Let us not then make ourselves unworthy of entrance into the
bride-chamber: for as long as we are in this world, even if we commit
countless sins it is possible to wash them all away by manifesting
repentance for our offences: but when once we have departed to the other
world even if we display the most earnest repentance it will be of no
avail, not even if we gnash our teeth, beat our breasts, and utter
innumerable calls for succour, no one with the tip of his finger will apply
a drop to our burning bodies, but we shall only hear those words which the
rich man heard in the parable "Between us and you a great gulf has been
fixed."(5) Let us then, I beseech you, recover our senses here and let us
recognize our Master as He ought to be recognized. For only when we are in
Hades should we abandon the hope derived from repentance: for there only is
this remedy weak and unprofitable: but while we are here even if it is
applied in old age itself it exhibits much strength. Wherefore also the
devil sets everything in motion in order to root in us the reasoning which
comes of despair: for he knows that if we repent even a little we shall not
do this without some reward. But just as he who gives a cup of cold water
has his recompense reserved for him, so also the man who has repented of
the evils which he has done, even if he cannot exhibit the repentance which
his offences deserve, will have a commensurate reward. For not a single
item of good, however small it may be, will be overlooked by the righteous
judge. For if He makes such an exact scrutiny of our sins, as to require
punishment for both our words and thoughts, much more will our good deeds,
whether they be great or small, be reckoned to our credit at that day.
Wherefore, even if thyself in a slight degree at least from thy present
disorder and excess, even this will not be impossible: only set thyself to
the task at once, and open the entrance into the place of contest; but as
long as thou tarriest outside this naturally seems difficult and
impracticable to thee. For before making the trial even if things are easy
and manageable they are wont to present an appearance of much difficulty to
us: but when we are actually engaged in the trial, and making the venture
the greater part of our distress is removed, and confidence taking the
place of tremor and despair lessens the fear and increases the facility of
operation, and makes our good hopes stronger. For this reason also the
wicked one dragged Judas out of this world lest he should make a fair
beginning, and so return by means of repentance to the point from which he
fell. For although it may seem a strange thing to say, I will not admit
even that sin to be too great for the succour which is brought to us from
repentance. Wherefore I pray and beseech you to banish all this Satanic
mode of thinking from your soul, and to return to this state of salvation.
For if indeed I were commanding you to ascend to your former altitude all
at once, you would naturally complain of there being much difficulty in
doing this: but if all which I now ask you to do is to get up and return
thence in and shrink, and make a retrograde movement? Have you not seen
those who have died in the midst of luxury and drunkenness, and sport and
all the other folly of this life? Were are they now who used to strut
through the market place with much pomp, and a crowd of attendants? who
were clothed in silk and redolent with perfumes, and kept a table for their
musicians, the attentions of flatterers, the loud laughter, the relaxation
of spirit, the enervation of mind, the voluptuous, abandoned, extravagant
manner of life--it has all come to an end. Where now have all these things
taken their flight? What has become of the body which enjoyed so much
attention, and cleanliness. Go thy way to the coffin, behold the dust, the
ashes, the worms, behold the loathsomeness of the place, and groan
bitterly. And would that the penalty were limited to the ashes! but now
transfer thy thought from the coffin and these worms to that undying worm,
to the fire unquenchable, to the gnashing of teeth, to the outer darkness,
to affliction and straitness, to the parable of Lazarus and the rich man,
who although the owner of so much wealth, and clothed in purple could not
become the owner of even a drop of water; and this when he was placed in a
condition of such great necessity. The things of this world are in their
nature no-wise better than dreams For just as those who work in the mines
or suffer some other kind of punishment more severe than this, when they
have fallen asleep owing to their many weary toils and the extreme
bitterness of their life, and in their dreams see themselves living in
luxury and prosperity, are in no wise grateful to their dreams after they
have awaked, even so that rich man having become rich in this present life,
as it were in a dream, after his departure hence was punished with that
bitter punishment. Consider these things, and having contrasted that fire
with the conflagration of desires which now possesses thee, release thyself
from the furnace. For he who has thoroughly quenched this furnace here,
will have no experience of that in the other world: but if a man does not
get the better of this furnace here, the other will lay hold of him more
vehemently when he has departed hence. How long a time dost thou wish the
enjoyment of the present life to be extended? For I do not suppose indeed
that more than fifty years remain to thee so as to reach extreme old age,
nor indeed is even this at all assured to us: for how should they who
cannot be confident about living even to the evening rely upon so many
years as these? And not only is this uncertain, but there is for often when
life has been extended for a long period, the conditions of luxury have not
been extended with it, but have come, and at the same time hastily
departed. However, if pared with the endless ages, and those bitter deed
both good and evil things have an end, and that very speedily: but there,
both are coextensive with immortal ages, and in their quality differ
unspeakably from the things which now are.
10. For when you hear of fire, do not suppose the fire in that world to
be like this: for fire in this world burns up and makes away with anything
which it takes hold of; but that fire is continually burning those who have
once been seized by it, and never ceases: therefore also is it called
unquenchable. For those also who have sinned must put on immortality, not
for honour, but to have a constant supply of material for that punishment
to work upon; and how terrible this is, speech could never depict, but from
the experience of little things it is possible to form some slight notion
of these great ones. For if you should ever be in a bath which has been
heated more than it ought to be, think then, I pray you, on the fire of
hell: or again if you are ever inflamed by some severe fever transfer your
thoughts to that flame, and then you will be able clearly to discern the
difference. For if a bath and a fever so afflict and distress us, what will
our condition be when we have fallen into that river of fire which winds in
front of the terrible judgment-seat. Then we shall gnash our teeth under
the suffering of our labours and intolerable pains: but there will be no
one to succour us: yea we shall groan mightily, as the flame is applied
more severely to us, but we shall see no one save those who are being
punished with us, and great desolation. And how should any one describe the
terrors arising to our souls from the darkness? for just as that fire has
no consuming power so neither has it any power of giving light: for
otherwise there would not be darkness. The dismay produced in us then by
this, and the trembling and the great astonishment can be sufficiently
realized in that day only. For in that world many and various kinds of
torment and torrents of punishment are poured in upon the soul from every
side. And if any one should ask, "and how can the soul bear up against such
a multitude of punishments and continue being chastised through
interminable ages, let him consider what happens in this world, how many
have often borne up against a long and severe disease. And if they have
died, this has happened not because the soul was consumed but because the
body was exhausted, so that had the latter not broken down, the soul would
not have ceased being tormented. When then we have received an
incorruptible and inconsumable body there is nothing to prevent the
punishment being indefinitely extended. For here indeed it is impossible
that the two things should coexist. I mean severity of punishment and
permanence and cannot bear the concurrence of both: but when the
imperishable state has supervended, these terrible things will keep their
hold upon us for infinite time with much force. Let us not then so dispose
ourselves now as if the excessive power of the tortures were destructive
together with the soul, in a state of eternal punishment, and there will
not be any end to look to beyond this. How much luxury then, and how much
time will you weigh in the balance against this punishment and vengeance?
Do you propose a period of a hundred years or twice as long? and what is
this compared with the endless ages? For what the dream of a single day is
in the midst of a whole lifetime, that the enjoyment of things here is as
contrasted with the state of things to come. Is there then any one who, for
the sake of seeing a good dream, would elect to be perpetually punished?
Who is so senseless as to have recourse to this kind of retribution? For I
am not yet accusing luxury nor revealing now the bitterness which lurks in
it: for the present is not the proper time for these remarks, but when ye
have been able to escape it. For now, entangled as you are by this passion,
you will suspect me of talking nonsense, if I were to call pleasure bitter:
but when by the grace of God you have been released from the malady then
you will know its topics for another season, what I will say now is just
this: Be it so, that luxury is luxury, and pleasure, pleasure, and that
they have nothing in them painful or disgraceful, what shall we say to the
punishment which is in store for us? and what shall we do then if we have
taken our pleasure now, as it were in a shadow and a figure, but undergo
everlasting torment there in reality, when we might in a short space of
time escape these tortures already mentioned, and enjoy the good things
which are stored up for us? For this also is the work of the loving-
kindness of God, that our struggles are not protracted to a great length,
but that after struggling for a brief, and tiny twinkling of an eye (for
such is present life compared with the other) we receive crowns of victory
for endless ages. And it will be no small affliction to the souls of those
who are being punished at that time, to reflect, that when they had it in
their power in the few days of this life to make all good, they neglected
their opportunity and surrendered themselves to everlasting evil. And lest
we should suffer this let us rouse ourselves while it is the accepted time,
while it is the day of salvation,(1) while the power of repentance is
great. For not only the evils already mentioned, but others also far worse
than these await us if we are indolent. These indeed, and some bitterer
than these have their place in hell: but the loss of the good things
involves so much pain, so much affliction and straitness, that even if not
other kind of punishment were appointed for those who sin here, it would of
itself be sufficient to vex us more bitterly than the torments in hell, and
to confound our souls.
11. For consider I pray the condition of the other life, so far as it
is possible to consider it; for no words will suffice for an adequate
description: but from the things which are told us, as if by means of
certain riddles, let us try and get some indistinct vision of it. "Pain and
sorrow and sighing," we read "have fled away."(2) What then could be more
blessed than this life? It is not possible there to fear poverty and
disease: it is not possible to see any one injuring, or being injured,
provoking, or being provoked, or angry, or envious, or burning with any
outrageous lust, or anxious concerning the supply of the necessaries of
life, or bemoaning himself over the loss of some dignity and power: for all
the tempest of passion in us is quelled and brought to nought, and all will
be in a condition of peace, and gladness and joy, all things serene and
tranquil, all will be daylight and brightness, and light, not this present
light, but one excelling this in splendour as much as this excels the
brightness of a lamp. For things are not concealed in that world by night,
or by a gathering of clouds: bodies there are not set on fire and burned:
for there is neither night nor evening there, nor cold nor heat, nor any
other variation of seasons: but the condition is of a different kind, such
as they only will know who have been deemed worthy of it; there is no old
age there, nor any of the evils of old age, but all things relating to
decay are utterly removed, and incorruptible glory reigns in every part.
But greater than all these things in the perpetual enjoyment of intercourse
with Christ in the company of angels, and archangels, and the higher
powers. Behold now the sky, and pass through it in thought to the region
beyond the sky, and consider the transfiguration to take place in the whole
creation; for it will not continue to be such as it is now, but will be far
more brilliant and beautiful, and just as gold glistens more brightly than
lead, so will the future constitution of the universe be better than the
present: even as the blessed Paul saith "Because the creation also itself
shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption."(1) For now indeed,
seeing that it partakes of corruption, it is subject to many things such as
bodies of this kind naturally experience: but then, having divested itself
of all these things, we shall see it display its beauty in an incorruptible
form: for inasmuch as it is to receive incorruptible bodies, it will in
future be itself also transfigured into the nobler condition. Nowhere in
that world will there be sedition and strife: for great is the concord of
the band of saints, all being ever in harmony with one another. It is not
possible there to fear the devil, and the plots of demons, or the
threatenings of hell, or death, either that death which now is, or the
other death which is far worse than this, but every terror of this kind
will have been done away. And just as some royal child, who has been
brought up in mean guise, and subject to fear and threats, lest he should
deteriorate by indulgence and become unworthy of his paternal inheritance,
as soon as he has attained the royal dignity, immediately exchanges all his
former raiment for the purple robe, and the diadem and the crowd of body-
guards, and assumes his state with much confidence, having cast out of his
soul thoughts of humility and subjection, and having taken others in their
place; even so will it happen then to all the saints
And to prove that these words are no empty vaunt let us journey in
thought to the mountain where Christ was transfigured: let us behold him
shining as He shone there; and yet even then He did not display to us all
the splendour of the world to come. For that the vision was accommodated to
human eyes, and not an exact manifestation of the reality is plain from the
very words of the Evangelist. For what saith he? "He did shine as the
Sun."(2) But the glory of incorruptible bodies does not emit the same kind
of light as this body which is corruptible, nor is it of a kind to be
tolerable to mortal eyes, but needs incorruptible and immortal eyes to
contemplate it. But at that time on the mountain He disclosed to them as
much as it was possible for them to see without injuring the sight of the
beholders; and even so they could not endure it but fell upon their faces.
Tell me, if any one led thee into some bright place, where all were sitting
arrayed in vestures of gold, and in the midst of the multitude pointed out
one other to thee who alone had garments wrought with precious stones, and
a crown upon his head, and then promised to place thee in the ranks of this
people, wouldst thou not do everything to obtain this promise? Open then
even now in imagination thine eyes, and look on that assembly, composed not
of men such as we are, but of those who are of more value than gold and
previous stones, and the beams of the sun, and all visible radiance, and
not consisting of men only but of beings of much more dignity than men,--
angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, principalities, powers. For as
concerning the king it is not even possible to say what he is like: so
completely do his beauty, his grace, his splendour, his glory, his grandeur
and magnificence elude speech and thought. Shall we then, I ask, deprive
ourselves of such great blessings, in order to avoid suffering for a brief
period? For if we had to endure countless deaths every day, or even hell
itself, for the sake of seeing Christ coming in His glory, and' being
enrolled in the company of the saints, ought we not to undergo all those
things? Hear what the blessed Peter says; "it is good for us to be
here."(3) But if he, when he beheld some dim image of the things to come,
immediately cast away all other things out of his soul on account of the
pleasure produced in it by that vision; what would any one say when the
actual reality of the things is presented, when the palace is thrown open
and it is permitted to gaze upon the King Himself, no longer darkly, or by
means of a mirror,(4) but face to face; no longer by means of faith, but by
sight?
12. The majority it is true of those who are not very sensibly minded
propose to be content with escaping hell; but I say that a far more severe
punishment than hell is exclusion from the glory of the other world, and I
think that one who has failed to reach it ought not to sorrow so much over
the miseries of hell, as over his rejection from heaven, for this alone is
more dreadful than all other things in respect of punishment. But
frequently now when we see a king, attended by a large bodyguard, enter the
palace, we count those happy who are near him, and have a share in his
speech and mind, and partake of all the rest of his glory; and even if we
have countless blessings, we have no perception of any of them, and deem
ourselves miserable when we look at the glory of those who are round about
him, although we know that such splendour is slippery and insecure, both on
account of wars, and plots, and envy, and because apart from these things
it is not in itself worthy of any consideration. But where the king of all
is concerned, he who holds not a portion of the earth but the whole circuit
of it, or rather who comprehends it all in the hollow of his hand, and
measures the Heavens with a span, who upholdeth all things by the word of
His power,(1) by whom all the nations are counted as nought, and as a drop
of spittle ;---in the case of such a king I say shall we no reckon it the
most extreme punishment to miss being enrolled in that company which is
round about him, but be content if we merely escape hell? and what could be
more pitiable than this condition of soul? For this king does not come to
judge the earth, drawn by a pair of white mules, nor tiding in a golden
chariot, nor arrayed in a purple robe and diadem. How then does He come?
Hear the prophets crying aloud and saying as much as it is possible to tell
to men: for one saith "God shall come openly, even our God and shall not
keep silence: a fire shall be kindled before Him, and a mighty tempest
shall be round about Him: He shall call the Heaven from above and the earth
that He may judge His people."(2) But Esias depicts the actual punishment
impending over us speaking thus: "Behold the day of the Lord cometh,
inexorable, with wrath and anger; to lay the whole world desolate, and to
destroy sinners out of it. For the stars of Heaven, and Orion, and the
whole system of the heaven shall not give their light, and the sun shall be
darkened in its going down,(3) and the moon shall not give her light; and I
will ordain evils against the whole world, and visit their sins upon the
ungodly, and I will destroy the insolence of the lawless, and humble the
insolence of the proud, and they who are left shall be more precious than
unsmelted gold, and a man shall be more precious than the sapphire stone.
For the heaven shall be disturbed(4) and the earth shall be shaken from its
foundations by reason of the fury of the wrath of the Lord of Sabaoth, in
the day when His wrath shall come upon us."(5) And again "windows" he saith
"shall be opened from the Heaven, and the foundations of the earth shall be
shaken the earth shall be mightily confounded, the earth shall be bent low,
it shall be perplexed with great perplexity, the earth shall stagger
grievously like the drunkard and the reveller; the earth shall shake as a
hut, it shall fall and not be able to rise up again: for iniquity has waxed
mighty therein. And God shall set His hand upon the host of the Heaven in
the height in that day, and upon the kingdoms of the earth, and He shall
gather together the congregation thereof into a prison, and shall shut them
up in a stronghold."(6) And Malachi speaking concordantly with these said"
Behold the Lord almighty cometh, and who shall abide the day of His coming
or who shall stand when He appeareth? for He cometh like a refiner's fire,
and like fullers soap: and He shall sit refining and purifying as it were
silver, and as it were gold."(7) And again, "Behold," he saith, "the day of
the Lord cometh, burning like an oven, and it shall consume them, and all
the aliens, and all who work iniquity shall be stubble, and the day which
is coming shall set fire to them saith the Lord almighty; and there shall
be left neither root nor branch."(8) And the man greatly beloved saith "I
beheld until thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days was seated, and
his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head was pure as wool:
His throne was a flame of fire, and the wheels thereof burning fire: a
stream of fire wound its way in front of Him. Thousand thousands ministered
unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The
judgment was set and the books were opened."(9) Then after a little space
"I beheld," he says, "in a vision of the night and behold" with the clouds
of Heaven, one came like the Son of Man, and reached unto the Ancient of
Days, and was brought near before Him, and to Him was given rule, and
honor, and the kingdom, and all the people, tribes and tongues serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His
kingdom shall not be destroyed. As for me Daniel, my spirit shuddered
within me, and the visions of my head troubled me."(10) Then all the gates
of the heavenly vaults are opened, or rather the heaven itself is taken
away out of the midst "for the heaven," we read "shall be rolled up like a
scroll,"(11) wrapped up in the middle like the skin and covering of some
tent so as to be transformed into some better shape. Then all things are
full of amazement and horror and trembling: then even the angels themselves
are holden by much fear, and not angels only but also archangels and
thrones, and dominions, and principalities and authorities. "For the
powers" we read "of the heavens shall be shaken," because their fellow-
servants are required to give an account of their life in this world.(12)
For if when a single city is bring judged before rulers in this world, all
men shudder, even those who are outside the danger, when the whole world is
arraigned before such a judge as this who needs no witnesses, or proofs,
but independently of all these things brings forward deeds and words and
thoughts, and exhibits them all as in some picture both to those who have
committed the sins and to those who are ignorant of them, how is it not
natural that every power should be confounded and shake? For if there were
no river of fire winding by, nor any terrible angels standing by the side
of the throne, but men were merely summoned some to be praised and admired,
others to be dismissed with ignominy that they might not see the glory of
God, ("For let the ungodly" we read "be taken away that he may not see the
glory of the Lord"(1))and if this were the only punishment would not the
loss of such blessings sting the souls of those who were deprived of them
more bitterly than all hell itself? For how great an evil this is cannot
possibly be represented now in words; but then we shall know it clearly in
the actual reality. But now I pray add the punishment also to the scene,
and imagine men not only covered with shame, and veiling their heads, and
bending them low, but also being dragged along the road to the fire, and
haled away to the instruments of torture and delivered over to the cruel
powers, and suffering these things just at the time when all they who have
practised what is good, and wrought deeds worthy of eternal life, are being
crowned, and proclaimed conquerors, and presented before the royal throne.
13. Now these are things which will happen in that day: but the things
which will follow, after these, what language can describe to us--the
pleasure, the profit, the joy of being in the company of Christ? For when
the soul has returned to the proper condition of nobility, and is able
henceforth with much boldness to behold its Master it is impossible to say
what great pleasure it derives therefrom, what great gain, rejoicing not
only in the good things actually in hand, but in the persuasion that these
things will never come to an end. All that gladness then cannot be
described in words, nor grasped by the understanding: but in a dim kind of
way, as one indicates great things by means of small ones, I will endeavour
to make it manifest. For let us scrutinize those who enjoy the good things
of the world in this present life, I mean wealth and power, and glory, how,
exulting with delight, they reckon themselves as no longer being upon the
earth, and this although the things which they are enjoying are
acknowledged not to be really good, and do not abide with them, but take to
flight more quickly than a dream: and even if they should even last for a
little time, their favour is displayed within the limits of this present
life, and cannot accompany us further. Now if these things uplift those who
possess them to such a pitch of joy, what do you suppose is the condition
of those souls which are invited to enjoy the countess blessings in Heaven
which are always securely fixed and stable? And not only this, but also in
their quantity and quality they excel present things to such an extent as
never entered even the heart of man.(2) For at the present time like an
infant in the womb, even so do we dwell in this world confined in a narrow
space, and unable to behold the splendour and the freedom of the world to
come: but when the time of travail arrives and the present life is
delivered at the day of judgment of all men whom it has contained, those
who have been miscarried go from darkness into darkness, and from
affliction into more grievous affliction: but those which are perfectly
formed and have preserved the marks of the royal image will be presented to
the king, and will take upon themselves that service which angels and
archangels minister to the God of all. I pray thee then, O friend, do not
finally efface these marks, but speedily restore them, and stamp them more
perfectly on thy soul. For corporeal beauty indeed God has confined within
the limits of nature, but grace of soul is released from the constraint and
bondage arising from that cause inasmuch as it is far superior to any
bodily symmetry: and it depends entirely upon ourselves and the grace of
God. For our Master, being merciful has in this special way honoured our
race, that He has entrusted to the necessity of nature the inferior things
which contribute nothing much to our advantage, and in their issue are
matters of indifference, but of the things which are really noble He has
caused us to be ourselves the artificers. For if He had placed corporeal
beauty also under our control we should have been subjected to excessive
anxiety, and should have wasted all our time upon things which are of no
profit, and should have grievously neglected our soul.
For if, even as it is, when we have not this power in ourselves, we
make violent efforts, and give ourselves up to shadow painting, and because
we cannot in reality produce bodily beauty, cunningly devise imitations by
means of paints, and dyes, and dressing of hair, and arrangement of
garments, and pencilling of eyebrows, and many other contrivances: what
leisure should we have set apart for the soul and serious matters, if we
had it in our power to transfigure the body into a really symmetrical
shape? For probably, if this were our business, we should not have any
other, but should spend all our time upon it: decking the bondmaid with
countess decorations, but letting her who is the mistress of this bond-maid
lie perpetually in a state of deformity and neglect. For this reason God,
having delivered us from this vain occupation, implanted in us the power of
working upon the nobler element, and he who cannot turn an ugly body into a
comely on, can raise the soul, even when it has been reduced to the
extremity of ugliness, to the very acme of grace, and make it so amiable
and desirable that not only are good men brought to long after it but even
He who is the sovereign and God of all, even as the Psalmist also when
discoursing concerning this beauty, said "And the king shall have desire of
thy beauty." (1) Seest thou not also that in the houses of prostitutes the
women who are ugly and shameless would hardly be accepted by prize-
fighters, and runaway slaves, and gladiators: but should any comely, well-
born and modest woman, owing to some mischance, have been reduced to this
necessity, no man, even amongst those who are very illustrious and great,
would be ashamed of marriage with her? Now if there is so much pity amongst
men, and so much disdain of glory as to release from that bondage the women
who have often been disgraced in the brothel, and to place them in the
position of wives, much more is this the case with God, and those souls
which, owing to the usurpation of the devil, have then from their original
noble condition into the harlotry of this present life. And you will find
the prophets filled with examples of this kind, when they address
Jerusalem; for she fell into fornication, and a novel form of it, even as
Ezekiel says: "To all harlots wages are given, but thou hast given wages to
thy lovers, and there hath been perversion in thee beyond all other
women,"(2) and again another saith "Thou didst sit waiting for them like a
deserted bird."(3) This one then who hath committed fornication in this
fashion God calls back again. For the captivity which took place was not so
much by way of vengeance as for the purpose of conversion and amendment
since if God had wished to punish them out-fight He would not again have
brought them back to their home. He would not have established their city
and their temple in greater splendour than before: "For the final glory of
this house" He said "shall exceed the former."(4) Now if God did not
exclude from repentance her who had many times committed fornication, much
more will He embrace My soul, which has now fallen for the first time. For
certainly there is no lover of corporeal beauty, even if he be very
frantic, who is so inflamed will the love of his mistress as God longs
after the salvation of our souls; and this we may perceive both from the
divine Scriptures. See at least, both in the introduction of Jeremiah, and
many other places of the prophets, when He is despised and contemned, how
He again hastens forward and pursues the friendship of those who turn away
from him; which also He Himself made dear in the Gospels saying, "O
Jerusalem! Jerusalem! thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that
are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together
even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not?"(5)
And Paul writing to the Corinthians said "that God was in Christ
reconciling the word unto Himself, not reckoning their trespasses unto
them, and having committed unto us the word of reconciliation. We are
ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by
us; we beseech you on behalf of Christ be ye reconciled to God."(6)
Consider that this has now been said to us. For it is not merely want of
faith, but also an unclean life which is sufficient to work this abominate
enmity. "For the carnal mind" we read "is enmity against God."(7) Let us
then break down the barrier, and hew it in pieces, and destroy it, that we
may enjoy the blessed reconciliation, that we may become again the fondly
beloved of God.
14. I know that thou art now admiring the grace of Hermione, and thou
judgest that there is nothing in the world to be compared to her
comeliness; but if you choose, O friend, you shall yourself exceed her in
comeliness and gracefulness, as much as golden statues surpass those which
are made of clay. For if beauty, when occurs in the body, so fascinates and
excites the minds of most men, when the soul is refulgent with it what can
match beauty and grace of this kind? For the groundwork of this corporeal
beauty is nothing else but phlegm, and blood, and humor, and bile, and the
fluid of masticated food. For by these things both eyes and cheeks, and all
the other features, are supplied with moisture; and if they do not receive
that moisture, daily skin becoming unduly withered, and the eyes sunken,
the whole grace of the countenance forthwith vanishes; so that if you
consider what is stored up inside those beautiful eyes, and that straight
nose, and the mouth and the cheeks, you will affirm the well-shaped body to
be nothing else than a whited sepulchre; the parts within are full of so
much uncleanness. Morever when you see a rag with any of these things on
it, such as phlegm, or spittle you cannot bear to touch it with even the
tips of your fingers, nay you cannot even endure looking at it; and yet are
you in a flutter of excitement about the storehouses and depositories of
these things? But thy beauty was not of this kind, but excelled it as
heaven is superior to earth; or rather it was much better and more
brilliant than this For no one has anywhere seen a soul by itself, stripped
of the body; but yet even so I will endeavour to present to you the beauty
of this soul from another source. I mean from the case of the greater
powers Hear at least how the beauty of these struck the man greatly
beloved; for wishing to set forth their beauty and being unable to find a
body of the same character, he had recourse to metallic substances, and he
was not satisfied even with these, but took the brilliancy of lightning for
his illustration.(1) Now if those powers, even when they did not disclose
their essential nature pure and bare, but only in a very dim and shadowy
way, nevertheless shone so brightly, what must naturally be their
appearance, when set free froth every veil? Now we ought to form some such
image of the beauty of the soul. "For they shall be," we read "equal unto
the angels."(2) Now in the case of bodies the fighter and finer kinds, and
those which have retreated to the path which tend towards the incorporeal,
are very much better and more wonderful than the others The sky at least is
more beautiful than the earth, and fire than water, and the stars than
precious stones; and we admire the rainbow far more than violets and roses,
and all other flowers which are upon the earth. And in short if it were
possible with the bodily eyes to behold the beauty of the soul you would
laugh to scorn these corporeal illustrations, so feebly have they presented
to us the gracefulness of the soul. Let us not then neglect such a
possession, nor such great happiness, and especially when the approach to
that kind of beauty becomes easy to us by our hopes of the things to come.
"For our light affliction?" we read, "which is but for the moment, worketh
for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory, while we look
not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen; for
the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen
are eternal."(3) Now if the blessed Paul called such afflictions as thou
wottest of light and easy, because he did not look at the things which are
seen, much more tolerable is it merely to cease from wantonness. For we are
not calling thee to those dangers which he underwent, nor to those deaths
which he incurred daily,(4) the constant beatings and scourgings, the
bonds, the enmity of the whole world, the hatred of his own people, the
frequent vigils, the long journies, the shipwrecks, the attacks of robbers,
the plots of his own kinsfolk, the distresses on account of his friends,
the hunger, the cold, the nakedness, the burning, the despondency on
account both of those who belonged to him, and those who did not belong to
him. None of these things do we now demand of thee; all that we ask for is
that you would release yourself from your accursed bondage, and return to
your former freedom, having considered both the punishment arising from
your wantonness, and the honor belonging to your former manner of life. For
that unbelievers should be but languidly affected by the thought of the
resurrection and never be in fear of this kind, is nothing wonderful; but
that we who are more firmly persuaded concerning the things of the other
world than those of the present, should spend our life in this miserable
and deplorable way and be nowise affected by the memory of those things,
but sink into a state of extreme insensibility--this is irrational in the
highest degree. For when we who believe do the deeds of unbelievers, or
rather are in a more miserable plight than they (for there are some among
them who have been eminent for the virtue of their life), what consolation,
what excuse will be left for us? And many merchants indeed who have
incurred shipwreck have not given way, but have pursued the same journey,
and this when the loss which has befallen them was not owing to their own
carelessness, but to the force of the winds; and shall we who have reason
to be confident concerning the end, and know certainly that if we do not
wish it, neither shipwreck nor accident of any kind will bring us damage,
not lay hold of the work again, and carry on our business as we did
aforetime, but lie in idleness and keep our hands to ourselves? And would
that we kept them merely to ourselves and did not use them against
ourselves which is a token of stark madness. For if any pugilist, leaving
his antagonist were to turn his hands against his own head, and deal blows
to his own face, should we not, I ask, rank him among madmen? For the devil
has upset us and cast us down; therefore we ought to get up, and not to be
dragged down again and precipitate ourselves, and add blows dealt by
ourselves to the blows dealt by him. For the blessed David also had a fall
like that which has now happened to you; and not this only but another also
which followed it. I mean that of murder. What then? did he remain
prostrate? Did he not immediately rise up again with energy and place
himself in portion to fight the enemy? In fact he wrestled with him so
bravely, that even after his death he was the protector of his offspring.
For when Solomon had perpetrated great inquity, and had deserved countless
deaths, God said that He would leave him the kingdom intact, thus speaking
"I will surely rend the kingdom out of thine hand and will give it to thy
servant. Nevertheless I will not do this in thy days." Wherefore? "For
David thy father's sake, I will take it out of the hand of thy son."(1) And
again when Hezekiah was about to run the greatest possible risk, although
he was a righteous man, God said that He would succour him for the sake of
this saint. "For I will cast my shield" He saith, "over this city to save
it for my own sake, and for my servant: David's sake."(2) So great is the
force of repentance. But if he had determined with himself, as you do now,
that henceforth it was impossible to propitiate God, and if he had said
within himself: "God has honoured me with great honour, and has given me a
place among the prophets, and has entrusted me with the government of my
countrymen, and rescued me out of countless perils, how then, when have
offended against Him after such great benefits, and have perpetrated the
worst crimes, shall I be able to recover his favour?" If he had thought
thus, not only would he not have done the things which he afterwards his
former evils.
15. For not only the bodily wounds work death, if they are neglected,
but also those of the soul; and yet we have arrived at such a pitch of
folly as to take the greatest care of the former, and to overlook the
latter; and although in the case of the body it naturally often happens
that many wounds are incurable, yet we do not abandon hope, but even when
we hear the physicians constantly declaring, that it is not possible to get
rid of this suffering by medicines, we still persist in exhorting them to
devise at least some slight alleviation; but in the case of souls, where
there is no incurable malady; for it is not subject to the necessity of
nature; here, as if the infirmities were strange we are negligent and
despairing; and where the nature of the disorder might naturally plunge us
into despair, we take as much pains as if there were great hope of
restoration to health; but where there is no occasion to renounce hope, we
desist from efforts, and become as heedless as if matters were desperate;
so much more account do we take of the body than of the soul. And this is
the reason why we are not able to save even the body. For he who neglects
the leading element, and manifests all his zeal about inferior matters
destroys and loses both; whereas he who observes the right order, and
preserves and cherishes the more commanding element, even if he neglects
the secondary element yet preserves it by means of saving the primary one.
Which also Christ signified to us when He said, "Fear not them which kill
the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is
able to destroy both soul and body in Hell."(3)
Well, do I convince you, that one ought never to despair of the
disorders of the soul as incurable? or must I again set other arguments in
motion? For even if thou shouldst despair of thyself ten thousand times, I
will never despair of thee, and I will never myself be guilty of that for
which I reproach others; and yet it is not the same thing for a man to
renounce hope of himself, as for another to renounce hope of him. For he
who has this suspicion concerning another may readily obtain pardon; but he
who has it of himself will not. Why so pray? Because the one has no
controlling power over the zeal and repentance of the other, but over his
own zeal and repentance a man has sole authority. Nevertheless even so I
will not despair of you; though you should any number of times be heard the
prophet vehemently declaring, and plainly threatening; "yet three days and
Nineveh shall be overthrown,"(4) even then did not lose heart, but,
although they had no confidence that they should be able to move the
utterance was not accompanied by any qualification, but was a simple
declaration), even then they manifested repentance saying: "Who knoweth
whether God will repent and be entreated, and turn from the fierceness of
His wrath, and that we perish not? And God say their works that they turned
from their evil ways, and God repented of the evil which He said He would
do unto them and He did it not."(1) Now if barbarian, and unreasoning men
could perceive so much, much more ought we to do this who have been trained
in the divine doctrines and have seen such a crowd of ways; but far as is
the Heaven from the earth, so far are my thoughts from your mind, and my
counsels from your counsels."(2) Now if we admit to our favour household
slaves when they have often offended against us, on their promising to
become better, and place them again in their former portion, and sometimes
even grant them greater freedom of speech than before; much more does God
act thus. For if God had made us in order to punish us, you day until the
present time, what is there which can ever cause you to doubt? Have we
provoked Him severely, so as no other man ever future. For to sin may be a
merely human failing, but to continue in the same sin ceases to be human,
and becomes altogether devilish. For observe how God by the mouth of His
prophet Names this more than the other. "For," we read, "I said unto her
after she had done all these deeds of fornication, return unto me, and yet
she returned not."(3) And again: from another quarter, when wishing to show
the great longing which He has for our salvation, having heard how the
people promised, after many transgressions, to tread the right way He said:
"Who will grant unto them to have such an heart as to fear me, and to keep
my commandments all their days, that it may be well with them and with
their children forever?"(4) And Moses when reasoning with them said, "And
now, O Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the
Lord thy God, and to walk in all His ways, and to love Him?"(5) He then who
is so anxious to be loved by us, and does everything for this end, and did
not spare even His only begotten Son on account of His love towards us, and
who counts it a desirable thing if at any time we become reconciled to
Himself, how shall He not welcome and love us when we repent? Hear at least
what He says by the mouth of the prophet: "Declare thou first thy
iniquities that thou mayest be justified."(6) Now this He demands from us
in order to intensify our love towards Him. For when one who loves, after
enduring many insults at the hands of those who are beloved, even then does
not extinguish his fondness for them, the only reason why he takes pains to
make those insults public, is that by displaying the strength of his
affection he may induce them to feel a larger and warmer love. Now if the
confession of sins brings so much consolation, much more does the endeavour
to wash them away by means of our deeds For if this was not the case, but
those who had vehemence in evil things, will also in turn exhibit the same
in good things, being conscious and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
Thou gavest me no kiss, but she since the time I came in hath not ceased to
kiss my feet. Mine head with oil thou didst not anoint; but she hath
anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee: her sins which
are many are forgiven; for she loved much; but to whom little is forgiven,
the same loveth little. And He said unto her, thy sins are forgiven."(7)
16. For this reason also the devil, knowing that they who have
committed great evils, when they have begun to repent, do this with much
zeal, inasmuch as they are conscious of their offences, fears and trembles
lest they should make a beginning of the work; for after they have made it
they are no longer capable of being checked, and, kindling like fire under
the influence of repentance, they render their souls purer than pure gold,
being impelled by their conscience, and the memory of their former sins, as
by some strong gale, towards the haven of virtue. And this is the point in
which they have an advantage over those who have never fallen, that they
exercise more vehement energy; if only, as I said, they can lay hold of the
beginning. For the task which is hard and difficult of accomplishment is to
be able to set foot on the entrance, and to reach the vestibule of
repentance, and to repulse and overthrow the enemy there when he is
fiercely raging and assaulting us. But after this, he will not display so
much fury when he has once been worsted, and has fallen where he was
strong. and we shall receive greater energy, and shall run this good race
with much ease. Let us then in future set about our return, let we have
been appointed to find our home as citizens. For to despair of ourselves
not only has this evil that it shuts the gates of that city against us, and
that it drives us into greater indolence and contempt, but also that it
plunges us into Satanic recklessness For the only cause why the devil
became such as he is was that he first of all despaired, and afterwards
from despair sank into recklessness For the soul, when once it has
abandoned its own salvation, will no longer perceive that it is plunging
downwards, choosing to do and say everything which is adverse to its own
salvation. And just as madmen, when once they have fallen out of a sound
condition, are neither afraid nor ashamed of anything, but fearlessly dare
all manner of things, even if they have to fall into fire, or deep water,
or down a precipice; so they who have been seized by the frenzy of despair
are hence forward unmanageable, rushing into vice in every direction, and
if death does not come to put a stop to this madness, and Vehemence, they
do themselves infinite mischief. Therefore I entreat you, before you are
deeply steeped in this drunkenness, recover your senses and rouse yourself
up, and shake off this Satanic fit, doing it gently and gradually if it be
not possible to effect it all at once. For to me indeed the easier course
seems to be to wrench yourself once for all out of all the cords which hold
you down, and transfer yourself to the school of repentance. But if this
seems to you a difficult thing, that you should be willing to enter on the
path which leads to better things, simply enter upon it, and lay hold on
which once was yours, let us see you once again standing on the pinnacle of
virtue, and in the same condition of perseverance as before. Spare those
who are made to stumble on thy account, those who ate falling, who are
becoming more indolent, who are despairing of the way of virtue. For
dejection now holds possession of the band of brethren, while pleasure and
cheerfulness prevail in the councils of the unbelieving, and of those young
men who are disposed to indolence. But if thou return again to thy former
strictness of life the result will be reversed, and all our shame will be
transferred to them, while we shall enjoy much confidence, seeing thee
again crowned and proclaimed victor with more splendour than before. For
such victories bring greater renown and pleasure. For you will not only
receive the reward of your own achievements, but also of the exhortation
and consolation of others, being exhibited as a striking model, if ever any
one should fall into the same condition, to encourage him to get up and
recover himself. Do not neglect such an opportunity of gain, nor drag our
souls down into Hades with sorrow, but let us breathe freely again, and
shake off the cloud of despondency which oppresses us on thy account. For
now, passing by the consideration of our own troubles, we mourn over thy
calamities, but if thou art willing to come to thy senses, and see clearly,
and to join the angelic host, you will release us from this sorrow, and
will take away the greater part of sins. For that it is possible for those
who have come back again after repentance to shine with much lustre, and
oftentimes more than those who have never fallen at all, I have
demonstrated from the divine writings. Thus at least both the publicans and
the harlots inherit the kingdom of Heaven, thus many of the last are placed
before the first.
17. But I will tell thee also of events which have happened in our own
time, and of which thou mayest thyself have been witness You know probably
that young Phoenician, the son of Urbanus, who was untimely left an orphan,
but possessed of much money, and many slaves and lands. This man, having in
the first place bidden complete farewell to his studies in the schools, and
having laid aside the gay clothing which he formerly wore, and all his
worldly grandeur, suddenly arraying himself in a shabby cloak, and
retreating to the solitude of the mountains, exhibited a high degree of
Christian philosophy not merely in proportion to the sacred mysteries, he
made still greater advances in virtue. And all were rejoicing, and a mere
youth, should have suddenly trodden all the pomps of this life under foot,
and have ascended to the true height. Now which he was in this condition,
and an object of admiration, certain corrupt men, who according to the law
of kindred had the oversight of him dragged him back again into the former
sea of worldliness. And so, having flung aside all his habits, he again
descended from the mountains into the midst of the forum, and used to go
all round the city, riding on horseback, and accompanied by a large
retinue; and he was no longer willing to live even soberly; for being
inflamed by much luxury, he was constrained to fall into foolish love
intrigues, and there was no one of those conversant with him, who did not
despair of his salvation; he was encompassed by such a swarm of flatterers,
besides the snares of orphanhood, youth, and great wealth. And persons who
readily find fault with everything, accused those who originally conducted
him to this way of life,(1) saying that he had both missed his spiritual
aims, and would no longer be of any use in the management of his own
affairs, having prematurely abandoned the labours of study, and having been
consequently unable to derive any benefit therefrom. Now while these things
were of chase, and had thoroughly learned by experience that those who are
armed with hope in God ought not to despair at all of such characters, kept
a continual watch upon him, and if ever they saw him appear in the market
place they approached and saluted him. And at first he spoke to them from
horseback, askance, as they followed by his side; so great was the
shamelessness which had at first got possession of him. But they, being
merciful and loving men, were not ashamed at all of this treatment, but
continually looked to one thing only, how they might rescue the lamb from
the wolves; which in fact they actually accomplished by means of their
perseverance. For afterwards, as if he had been converted by some sudden
stroke, and were put to shame by their great assiduity if ever he saw them
in the distance approaching, he would instantly dismount, and bending low
would listen silently in that attitude to all which fell from their lips,
and in time he displayed even greater reverence and respect towards them.
And then, by the grace of God having gradually rescued him out of all those
entanglements, they handed him over again to his former state of seclusion
and devout contemplation. And now he became so illustrious, that his former
life seemed to be nothing in comparison with that which he lived after his
fall. For being well aware by experience of the snare, and having expended
all his wealth upon the needy, and released himself from all care of that
kind, he cut off every pretext for an attack from those who wished to make
designs upon him; and now treading the path which leads to heaven, he has
already arrived at the very goal of virtue.
This man indeed fell and rose again while he was still young; but
another man, after enduring great toils during his sojourn in the deserts,
with only a single companion, and leading an angelic life, and being now on
the way to old age, afforded I know not how a little loophole to the evil
one, through some Satanic condition of mind, and carelessness; and although
he had never seen a woman since he transferred himself to the monastic
life, he fell into a passionate desire for intercourse with women. And
first of all he besought his companion to supply him with meat and wine,
and threatened, if he did not receive it, that he would go down into the
market get some handle and pretext for returning into the city. The other
being perplexed at these things, and fearing, that if he hindered this he
might drive him into some great evil, suffered him to have his fill of this
craving. But when his companion perceived that this was a stale device, he
openly threw off shame, and unmasked his pretence, and said that he must
positively himself go down to the city, and as the other had not power to
prevent him, he desisted at last from his efforts, and following him at a
distance, watched to see what the meaning of this return could possibly be.
And having seen him enter a brothel, and knowing that he had intercourse
with a harlot there, he waited until he had satiated that foul desire, and
then, when he came out, he received him with uplifted hands, and having
embraced and fervently kissed him, without uttering any rebuke on account
of what had happened he only besought him, seeing that he had satiated his
desire, to return again to his dwelling in the wilderness. And the other,
of compunction for the deed which he had in another hut, and, having dosed
the doors of the dwelling, to supply him with bread and when he had said
this, and persuaded him, he shut himself up, and was there continually,
with fastings and prayers and tears, wiping off from his soul the
defilement of his sin. And not long after when a drought had settled on the
neighbouring region, and all in that country were lamenting over it, a
certain man was commanded by a vision to depart, and exhort this recluse to
pray, and put an end to the drought. And when he had departed, taking
companions with him, they found the man, who formerly dwelt with him, there
alone; and on enquiring concerning the other they were informed that he was
dead. But they, believing that they were deceived, betook themselves again
to prayer, and again by means of the same vision heard the same things
which they had heard before. And then, standing round the man who reply had
deceived them, they besought him to show the other to them; for they
declared that he was not dead but living. When he heard this, and perceived
that their compact was exposed, he brought them to that holy man; and they
having broken through the wall (for he had even blocked up the entrance)
and having all of them entered, prostrating themselves at his feet, and
informing him of what had happened, besought him to succour them against
the famine. But he at first resisted, saying that he was far from such
confidence as that; for he ever had his sin before his eyes, as if it had
only just taken place; but when they related all which had happened to them
they then induced him to pray; and having prayed he put an end to the
drought. And what happened to that young man who was at first a disciple of
John the son of Zebedee, but afterwards for a long time became a robber
chief, and then again, having been captured by the holy hands of the
blessed Apostle returned from the robber dens and lairs to his former
virtue, thou art not ignorant, but knowest it all as accurately as I do:
and I have often heard thee admiring the great condescension of the saint,
and how he first of all kissed the blood-stained hand of the young man,
embracing him, and so brought him back to his former condition.(1)
18. Moreover also the blessed Paul not only welcomes Onesimus the
unprofitable runaway thief, because he was converted, but also asks his
master to treat him who had repented, on equal terms of honour with his
teacher, thus saying: "I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have
begotten in my bonds, who was aforetime unprofitable to thee, but now is
profitable to thee and to me, whom I have sent back to thee; thou therefore
receive him, that is my very heart, whom I would fain have kept with me,
that in thy behalf he might minister unto me in the bonds of the Gospel;
but without thy mind I would do nothing that thy goodness should not be as
of necessity, but of free will. For perhaps he was therefore pared from
thee for a season that thou shouldest have him back for ever; no longer as
a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially unto me; but
how much rather to thee both in the flesh and in the Lord? If then thou
holdest me as a partner, receive him as myself."(2) And the same apostle,
in writing to the Corinthians, said, "Lest when I come I should mourn over
many of those who have sinned beforehand and have not repented;"(3) and
again, "as I have said beforehand, so do I again declare beforehand, that
if I come again I will not spare."(3) Seest thou who they are whom he
mourns, and whom he does not spare? Not those who have sinned, but those
who have not repented, and not simply those who have not repented, but
those who have been called once and again to this work, and would not be
persuaded. For the expression "I have said beforehand and do now say
beforehand, as if I were present the second time, and being absent I
write," implies exactly that which we are afraid may take place now in our
case. For although Paul is not present who then threatened the Corinthians,
yet Christ is present, who was then speaking through his mouth; and if we
continue obdurate, He will not spare us, but will smite us with a mighty
blow, both in this world and the next. "Let us then anticipate His
countenance by our confessor"(4) let us pour out our hearts before Him. For
"thou hast sinned," we read, "do not add thereto any more, and the first
instance."(6) Let us not then tarry for the accuser, but let us seize his
place beforehand, and so let us make our judge more merciful by means of
our candour. Now I know indeed that you confess your sins, and call
yourself miserable above measure; but this is not the only thing I wish,
but I long For as long as you make this confession unfollow it. For no one
will be able to do anything with zeal and the proper method, unless he has
first of all persuaded himself that he does it to advantage. For even the
sower, was not to gain any good from his labor? So then he also who sows
words, and tears, and confession, unless he does this with a good hope,
will not be able to desist from sinning, being still held down by the evil
of despair; but just as that husbandman who despairs of any crop of fruit
will not in future hinder any of those things which damage the seeds, so
also he who sows his confession with tears, but does not expect any
advantage for this, will not be able to overthrow those things which spoil
repentance. And what does spoil repentance is being again entangled in the
same evils. "For there is one" we read, "who builds, and one who pulls
down, what have they gained more than toil? He who is dipped in water
because of contact with a dead body, and then touches it again, what has he
gained by his washing?"(1) Even so if a man fasts because of his sins, and
goes his way again, and doeth the same things, who will hearken to his
prayer? And again we read "if a man goes back from righteousness to sin the
Lord will prepare him for the sword,"(2) and, "as a dog when he has
returned to his vomit, and become odious, so is a fool who by his
wickedness has returned to his sin."(3)
19. Do not then merely set forth thy sins being thy own accuser, but as
one who ought to be justified by the method of repentance; for thus thou
wilt be able to put thy soul, which makes its confession, to shame, so that
it falls no more into the same sins. For to accuse ourselves vehemently and
call ourselves sinners is common, so to say, to unbelievers also. Many at
least of those who belong to the stage, both men and women, who habitually
practise the greatest shamelessness, call themselves miserable, but not
with the proper aim. Wherefore I would not even call this confession; for
the publication of their sins is not accompanied with compunction of soul,
nor with bitter tears, nor with conversion of life, but in fact some of
them make it in quest of a reputation for the hearers for candor of speech.
For offences do not seem so grievous when some other person announces them
as when the perpetrator himself reports them. And they who under the
influence of strong despair have lapsed into a state of insensibility, and
treat the opinion of their fellowmen with contempt proclaim their own evil
deeds with much effrontery, as if they were the doings of others. But I do
not wish thee to be any of these, nor to be brought out of despair to
confession, but with a good expectation, after cutting away the whole root
of despair, to manifest zeal in the contrary direction. And what is the
root and mother of this despair? It is indolence; or rather one would not
call it the root only, but also the nurse and mother. For as in the case of
wool decay breeds moths, and is in turn increased by them; so here also
indolence breeds despair, and is itself nourished in turn by despair; and
thus supplying each other with this accursed exchange, they acquire no
small additional power. If any one then cuts one of these off, and hews it
in pieces, he will easily be able to get the better of the remaining one.
For on the one hand he who is not indolent will never fall into despair,
and on the other he who is supported by good hopes, and does not despair of
himself, will not be able to fall into indolence. Pray then, wrench this
pair asunder, and break the yoke in pieces, by which I mean a variable and
yet depressing habit of thought; for that which holds these two things
together is not uniform, but manifold in shame and character. And what is
this? It happens that one who has repented has done many great and good
deeds, but meanwhile he has committed some sin equivalent to those good
deeds, and this especially is sufficient to plunge him into despair, as if
the buildings which had been set up were all pulled down, and all the labor
which he had bestowed upon them had been vain and come to naught. But this
must be taken into account, and such reasoning must be repelled, because,
if we do not store up in good time a measure of good deeds equivalent to
the sins which are committed after them, nothing can hinder us from sinking
grievously and completely. But as it is, (right action(4)) like some stout
breastplate does not suffer the sharp and bitter dart to accomplish its
work, but even if it is itself cut through, it averts much danger from the
body. For he who departs to the other world with many deeds both good and
bad, will have some alleviation in respect of the punishment and the
torment there; but if a man is destitute of these good works, and takes
only the evil with him, it is impossible to say what great sufferings he
will undergo, when he is conducted to everlasting punishment. For a balance
will be struck there between the evil deeds and those which are not such;
and should the latter weigh down the scale they will to no small extent
have saved the doer of them, and the injury arising from the doing of evil
deeds is not so strong as to drag the man down from the foremost place; but
if the evil deeds exceed, they carry him off into hell fire, because the
number of his good actions is not so great as to be able to make a stand
against this violent impulse. And these things are not merely suggested by
our own reasoning, but declared also by the divine oracles; for He Himself
saith, "He shall reward every man according to his works."(1) And not only
in hell, but also in the kingdom one will find many differences; for He
saith "in my Fathers house are many mansions;"(2) and, "there is one glory
of the sun, and another glory of the moon."(3) And what wonder, if in
dealing with such great matters he has spoken with such precision, seeing
that He declares there is a difference in that world even between one star
and another? Knowing then all these things let us never desist from doing
good deeds, nor grow weary, nor, if we should be unable to reach the rank
of the sun or of the moon, let us despise that of the stars. For if only we
display thus much virtue at least, we shall be able to have a place in
Heaven. And though we may not have become gold, or precious stone yet if we
only occupy the rank of silver we shall abide in the foundation; only let
us not fall back again into that material which the fire readily devours,
nor, when we are unable to accomplish great things, desist also from small
ones, for this is the part of extreme folly, which I trust we may not
experience. For just as material wealth increases if the lovers of it do
not despise even the smallest gains, so is it also with the spiritual. For
it is a strange thing that the judge should not overlook the reward of even
a cup of cold water, but that we, if our achievements are not altogether
great, should neglect the performance of little things. For he who does not
despise the lesser things, will exercise much zeal concerning the greatest;
but he who overlooks the former will also abstain from the latter; and to
prevent this taking place Christ has defined great rewards even for these
small things. For what is easier than to visit the sick? Yet even this He
requites with a great recompense. Lay hold then on eternal life, delight in
the Lord, and supplicate Him; take up again the wealth to slip past thee.
For if thou shouldst continue provoking God by thy deeds, thou wilt destroy
thyself; but if before much damage has been done, and all thy husbandry has
been overwhelmed with a flood, thou wilt dam up the channels of wickedness,
thou wilt be able to recover again what has been spoiled and to add to it
not a lithe further produce: Having considered all these things, shake off
the dust, get up from the ground, and thou wilt be formidable to the
adversary; for he himself indeed has overthrown thee, as if thou wouldst
never rise again; but if he sees thee again lifting up thy hands against
him, he will receive such an unexpected blow that he will be less forward
in trying to upset thee again, and thou thyself wilt be more secure against
receiving any wound of that kind in future. For if the calamities of others
are sufficient to instruct us, much more those which we have ourselves
undergone. And this is what I expect speedily to see in the case of thy own
dear self, and that by the grace of God thou art again become more radiant
than before, and displaying such great virtue, as even to be a protector of
others in the world above. Only do not despair do not fall back; for I will
not cease repeating this in every form of speech, and wherever I see you,
as well as by the lips of others; and if you listen to this you will no
longer need other remedies.
LETTER II.
1. If it were possible to express tears and groans by means of writing
I would have filled the letter, which I now send to you, with them. Now I
weep not because you are anxious concerning your patrimony, but because you
have blotted out your name from the list of the brethren, because you have
trampled upon the covenant which you had made with Christ. This is the
reason why I shudder, this is the cause of my distress. On this account do
I fear and tremble, knowing that the rejection of this covenant will bring
great condemnation upon those who have enlisted for this noble warfare, and
owing to indolence have deserted their proper rank. And that the punishment
for such is heavier than for others is manifest for this reason. For no one
would indite a private individual for shunning military service; but when
once a man has become a soldier, if he be caught deserting the ranks, he
runs a risk of suffering the most his remaining in a fallen condition;
neither is it a grievous thing for the warrior to be wounded, but to
despair after the blow has been struck, and to neglect the wound. No
merchant, having once suffered shipwreck, and lost his freight, desists
from sailing, but again crosses the sea and the billows, and the broad
ocean, and recovers his former wealth. We see athletes also who after many
falls have gained the wreath of victory; and often, before gained the
wreath of now, a soldier who has once ran away has turned out a champion,
and prevailed over the enemy. Many also of those who have denied Christ
owing to the pressure of torture, have fought again, and departed at last
with the crown of martyrdom upon their brows. But if each of these had
despaired after the first blow, he would not have reaped the subsequent
benefits. Even so now, beloved Theodore, because the enemy has shaken thee
a little from thy position, do not thou give thyself an additional thrust
into the pit, but stand up bravely, and return speedily to the place from
which thou hast departed, and deem not this blow, lasting but for a little
while, any reproach. For if you saw a soldier returning wounded from war
you would not reproach him; for it is a reproach to cast away one's arms,
and to hold aloof from the enemy; but as long as a man stands fighting,
even if he be wounded and retreat for a short time, no one is so unfeeling
or inexperienced in matters of war, as to find any fault with him.
Exemption from wounds is the lot of non-combatants; but those who advance
with much spirit against the enemy may sometimes be wounded and fail; which
is exactly what has now occurred in your case; for suddenly, while you
attempted to destroy the serpent you were bitten. But take courage, you
need a little vigilance, and then not a trace of this wound will be left;
or rather by the grace of God thou wilt crush the head of the Evil One
himself; nor let it trouble thee that thou art soon impeded, even at the
outset. For the eye, the keen eye of the Evil One perceived the excellence
of thy soul, and guessed from many tokens that a brave adversary would wax
strong against him; for he expected that one who had promptly attacked him
with such great vehemence would easily overcome him, if he persevered.
Therefore he was diligent, and watchful, and mightily stirred up against
thee, or rather against his own head, if thou wilt bravely stand thy
ground. For who did not marvel at thy quick, sincere, and fervent change to
good? For delicacy of food was disregarded, and costliness of raiment was
despised, all manner of parade was put down, and all the zeal for the
wisdom of this world was suddenly transferred to the divine oracles; whole
days were spent in reading, and whole nights in prayer; no mention was made
of thy family dignity, nor any thought taken of thy wealth; but to rasp the
knees and hasten to the feet of the brethren thou didst recognize as
something nobler than high birth. These things irritated the Evil One,
these things stirred him up to more vehement strife; but sleeping on the
bare ground and the rest of the discipline he overthrew you, even then
there was no need to despair; nevertheless one would have said that the
damage was great if defeat had taken place after many toils, and labour,
and victories; but inasmuch as he upset you as soon as you had stripped for
the contest with him, all that he accomplished was to render you more eager
to do battle with him. For that fell pirate attacked thee just as thou wast
sailing out of the harbor, not when thou hadst returned from thy trading
voyage. bringing a full cargo. And as when one has attempted to stay a
fierce lion, and has only grazed his skin, he has done him no injury but
only stirred him up the more against himself, and rendered him more
confident and difficult to capture afterwards: even so the common enemy of
all has attempted to strike a deep blow, but has missed it, and
consequently made his antagonist more vigilant and wary for the future.
2. For human nature is a slippery thing, quick to be cheated, but quick
also to recover from deceit and as it speedily falls, so also does it
readily rise. For even that blessed man, I mean David the chosen king and
prophet after he had accomplished many good deeds, betrayed himself to be a
man, for once he fell in love with a strange woman, nor did he stop there
but he committed adultery on account of his passion, and he committed
murder on account of his adultery; but he did not try to inflict a third
blow upon himself because he had already received two such heavy ones, but
immediately hastened to the physician, and applied the remedies, fasting,
tears, lamentation, constant prayer, frequent confession of the sin; and so
by these means he propitiated God, insomuch that he was restored to his
former position, insomuch that after adultery and murder the memory of the
father was able to shield the idolatry of the son. For the son of this
David Solomon by name, was caught by the same snare as his father, and out
of complaisance to women fell away from the God of his fathers.(1) Thou
seest how great an evil it is not to master pleasure, not to upset the
ruling principle in nature, and for a man to be the slave of women. This
same Solomon then, who was formerly righteous and wise but who ran a risk
of being deprived of all the kingdom on account of his sin, God permitted
to keep the sixth part of the government on account of the renown of his
father.(2)
Now if thy zeal had been concerned with worldly eloquence, and then
thou hadst given it up in despair, I should have reminded thee of the law
courts and the judgment seat and the victories achieved there and the
former boldness of thy speech, and should have exhorted thee to return to
your labours in that behalf: but inasmuch as our race is for heavenly
things, and we take no account of the things which are on each, I put thee
in remembrance of another court of justice, and of that fearful and
tremendous seat of judgment; "for we must all be made manifest before the
judgment seat of Christ."(1) "And He will then sit as judge who is now
disregarded by thee. What shall we say then, let me ask at that time? or
what defence shall we make, if we continue to disregard Him? What shall we
say then? Shall we plead the anxieties of business? Nay He has anticipated
this by saying, "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and
lose his own soul?"(2) Or that we have been deceived by others? But it did
not help Adam in his defence to screen himself behind his wife, and say
"the woman whom thou gavest me, she deceived me;"(3) even as the serpent
was no excuse for the woman. Terrible, O beloved Theodore, is that
tribunal, one which needs no accusers and waits for no witnesses; for "all
things are naked and laid open to Him"(4) who judges us, and we must submit
to give an account not of deeds only but also of thoughts; for that judge
is quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.(5) But perhaps
you will allege weakness of nature as the excuse, and inability to bear the
yoke. And what kind of defence is this, that you have not strength to bear
the easy yoke, that you are unable to carry the light burden? Is recovery
from fatigue a grievous and oppressive thing? For it is to this that Christ
calls us, saying," Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and
I will give you rest; take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek
and lowly in heart; for my yoke is easy and my burden is light"(6) For what
can be lighter I ask, than to be released from anxieties, and business, and
fears, and labors, and to stand outside the rough billows of life, and
dwell in a tranquil haven?
3. Which of all things in the world seems to you most desirable and
enviable? No doubt you will say government, and wealth, and public
reputation. And yet what is more wretched than these things when they are
compared with the liberty of Christians. For the ruler is subjected to the
wrath of the populace and to the irrational impulses of the multitude, and
to the fear of higher rulers, and to anxieties on behalf of those who are
ruled, and the ruler of yesterday becomes a private citizen to-day; for
this present life in no wise differs from a stage, but just as there, one
man fills the position of a king, a second of a general, and a third of a
soldier, but when evening has come on the king is no king, the ruler no
ruler, and the general no general, even so also in that day each man will
receive his due reward not according to the outward part which he has
played but according to his works. Well !is glory a precious thing which
perishes like the power of grass? or wealth, the possessors of which are
pronounced unhappy? "For woe" we read, "to the rich;"(7) and again, "Woe
unto them who trust in their strength and boast themselves in the multitude
of their riches !"(8) But the Christian never becomes a private person
after being a ruler, or a poor man after being rich, or without honour
after being held in honour; but he abides rich even when he is poor, and is
exited when he strives to humble himself; and from the rule which he
exercises no human being can depose him, but only one of those rulers who
are under the power of this world's potentate of darkness.
"Marriage is right," you say; I also assent to this. For "marriage," we
read, "is honourable and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers
God will judge;"(9) but it is no longer possible for thee to observe the
right conditions of marriage. For if he who has been attached to a heavenly
bridegroom deserts him, and joins himself to a wife the act is adultery,
even if you call it marriage ten thousand times over; or rather it is worse
than adultery in proportion as God is greater than man. Let no one deceive
thee saying: "God hath not forbidden to marry;" I know this as well as you;
He has not forbidden to marry, but He has forbidden to commit adultery, may
you be preserved from ever engaging thyself in marriage !And why dost thou
marvel if marriage is judged as if it were adultery, when God is
disregarded? Slaughter has brought about righteousness, and mercy has been
a cause of condemnation more than slaughter; because the latter has been
according to the mind of God but the former has been forbidden. It was
reckoned to Phinees for righteousness that he pierced to death the woman
who committed fornication, together with the fornicator;(10) but Samuel,
that saint of God although he wept and mourned and entreated for whole
nights, could not rescue Saul from the condemnation which God issued
against him, because he saved, contrary to the design of God the king of
the alien tribes whom he ought to have slain.(11) If then mercy has been a
cause of condemnation more than slaughter because God was disobeyed, what
wonder is it if marriage condemns more than adultery when it involves the
rejection of Christ? For, as I said at the beginning, if you were a private
person no one would indict you for shunning to serve as a soldier; but now
thou art no longer thy own master, being engaged in the service of so great
a king. For if the wife hath not power over her own body, but the
husband,(1) much more they who live in Christ must be unable to have
authority over their body. He who is now despised, the same will then be
our judge; think ever on Him and the river of fire: "For a river of fire"
we read, "winds before His face;"(2) for it is impossible for one who has
been delivered over by Him to the fire to expect any end of his punishment.
But the unseemly pleasures of this life no-wise differ from shadows and
dreams; for before the deed of sin is completed, the conditions of pleasure
are extinguished; and the punishments for these have no limit. And the
sweetness lasts for a little while but the pain is everlasting.
Tell me, what is there stable in this world? Wealth which often does
not last even to the evening? Or glory? Hear what a certain righteous man
says: "My life is swifter than a runner."(3) For as they dash away before
they stand still, even so does this glory take to flight before it has
fairly reached us. Nothing is more precious than the soul; and even they
who have gone to the extremity of folly have not been ignorant of this; for
"there is no equivalent of the soul" is the saying of a heathen poet.(4) I
know that thou hast become much weaker for the struggle with the Evil One;
I know that thou art standing in the very midst of the flame of pleasures;
but if thou wilt say to the enemy "We do not serve thy pleasures, and we do
not bow down to the root of all thy evils; if thou wilt bend thine eye
upward, the Saviour will even now shake out the fire, and will burn up
those who have flung thee into it, and will send to thee in the midst of
the furnace a cloud, and dew, and a rustling breeze, so that the fire may
not lay hold of thy thought or thy conscience. Only do not consume thyself
with fire. For the arms and engines of besiegers have often been unable to
destroy the fortification of cities, but the treachery of one or two of the
citizens dwelling inside has betrayed them to the enemy without any trouble
on his part. And now if none of thy thoughts within betray thee, should the
Evil One bring countless engines against thee from without he will bring
them in vain.
4. Thou hast by the grace of God many and great men who sympathize with thy
trouble, who encourage you to the fight, who tremble for thy soul,--
Valerius the holy man of God, Florentius who is in every respect his
brother, Porphyrius who is wise with the wisdom of Christ, and many others.
These are daily mourning, and praying for you without ceasing; and they
would have obtained what they asked for, long ago, if only thou hadst been
willing to withdraw thyself a little space out of the hands of the enemy.
Now then is it not strange that, whilst others do not even now despair of
thy salvation, but are continually praying that they may have their member
restored to them, thou thyself, having once fallen, art unwilling to get up
again, and remainest prostrate, all but crying aloud to the enemy: "Slay
me, smite me, spare not?" "Does he who falls not rise up again ?"(5) speaks
the divine oracle. But thou art striving against this and contradicting it;
for if one who has fallen despairs it is as much as to say that he who
falls does not rise up again I entreat thee do not so great a wrong to
thyself; do not pour upon us such a flood of sorrow. I do not say at the
present time, when thou hast not yet completed thy twentieth year, but even
if, after achieving many things, and spending thy whole life in Christ thou
hadst, in extreme old age, experienced this attack, even then it would not
have been right to despair, but to call to mind the robber who was
justified on the cross, the labourers who wrought about the eleventh hour,
and received the wages of the whole day. But as it is not well that those
who have fallen near the very extremity of life should abandon hope, if
they be sober minded, so on the other hand it is not safe to feed upon this
hope, and say, "Here for a while, I will enjoy the sweets of life, but
afterwards, when I have worked for a short time, I shall receive the wages
of the whole working time. For I recollect hearing you often say, when many
were exhorting you to frequent the schools;(6) "But what if I bring my life
to a bad end in a short space of time, how shall I depart to Him who has
said ' Delay not to turn to the Lord, nor put off day after day?' "(7)
Recover this thought, and stand in fear of the thief; for by this name
Christ calls our departure hence, because it comes upon us unawares.
Consider the anxieties of life which befall us, both those which are
personal to ourselves, and which are common to us with others, the fear (of
rulers, the envy of citizens, the danger which often hangs over us
imperilling even life itself, the labours, the distresses, the servile
flatteries, such as are unbecoming even to slaves if they be earnest minded
mere the fruit of our labours coming to an end in this world, a fact which
is the most distressing of all. It has been the lot indeed of many to miss
the enjoyment of the things for which they have laboured, and after having
consumed the prime of their manhood in labours and perils, just when they
hoped that they should receive their reward they have departed taking
nothing with them. For if, after undergoing many danger, and completing
many campaigns, one will scarcely look upon an earthly king with
confidence, how will any one be able to behold the heavenly king, if he has
fired and fought for another all his time.
5. Would you have me speak of the domestic cares of wife, and children
and slaves? It is an evil thing to wed a very poor wife, or a very rich
one; for the former is injurious to the husbands means, the latter to his
authority and independence. It is a grievous thing to have children, still
more grievous not to have any; for in the latter case marriage has been to
no purpose, in the former a bitter bondage has to be undergone. If a child
is sick, it is the occasion of no small fear; if he dies an untimely death,
there is inconsolable grief; and at every stage of growth there are various
anxieties on their account, and many fears and toils. And what is one to
say to the rascalities of domestic slaves? Is this then life Theodore, when
one's soul is distracted in so many directions, when a man has to serve so
many, to live for so many, and never for himself? Now amongst us, O friend,
none of these things happen, I appeal to yourself as a witness. For during
that short time when you were willing to lift your head above the waves of
this world, you know what great cheerfulness and gladness you enjoyed. For
there is no man free, save only he who lives for Christ. He stands superior
to all troubles, and if he does not choose to injure himself no one else
will be able to do this, but he is impregnable; he is not stung by the loss
of wealth; for he has learned that we "brought nothing into this world,
neither can we carry anything out;"(1) he is not caught by the longings of
ambition or glory; for he has learned that our citizenship is in heaven;(2)
no one annoys him by abuse, or provokes him by blows; there is only one
calamity for a Christian which is, disobedience to God; but all the other
things, such as loss of property, exile, peril of life, he does not even
reckon to be a grievance at all. And that which all dread, departure hence
to the other world,--this is to him sweeter than life itself. For as when
one has climbed to the top of a cliff and gazes on the sea and those who
are sailing upon it, he sees some being washed by the waves, others running
upon hidden rocks, some hurrying in one direction, others being driven in
another like prisoners, by the force of the gale, many actually in the
water, some of them using their hands only in the place of a boat and a
rudder, and many drifting along upon a single plank, or some fragment of
the vessel, others floating dead, a scene of manifold and various disaster;
even so he who is engaged in the service of Christ drawing himself out of
the turmoil and stormy billows of life takes his seat upon secure and lofty
ground. For what position can be loftier or more secure than that in which
a man has only one anxiety, "How he ought to please God? "(3) Hast thou
seen the shipwrecks, Theodore, of those who sail upon this sea? Wherefore,
I beseech thee, avoid the deep water, avoid the stormy billows, and seize
some lofty spot where it is not possible to be captured. There is a
resurrection, there is a judgment, there is a terrible tribunal which
awaits us when we have gone out of this world; "we must all stand before
the judgment-seat of Christ."(4) It is not in vain that we are threatened
with hell fire, it is not without purpose that such great blessings have
been prepared for us. The things of this life are a shadow, and more naught
even than a shadow, being full of many fears, and many dangers, and extreme
bondage. Do not then deprive thyself both of that world, and of this, when
you may gain both, if you please. Now that they who live in Christ will
gain the things of this world Paul teaches us when he says: "But I spare
you;"(5) and again "But this I say for your profit."(6) Seest thou that
even here he who cares for the things of the Lord is superior to the man
who has married? It is not possible for one who has departed to the other
world to repent; no athlete, when he has quitted the lists, and the
spectators have dispersed, can contend again.
Be always thinking of these things, and break in pieces the sharp sword
of the Evil One, by means of which he destroys many. And this is despair,
which cuts off from hope those who have been overthrown. This is the strong
weapon of the enemy, and the only way in which he holds down those who have
been made captives is by binding them with this chain, which, if we choose,
we shall speedily be able to break by the grace of God. I know that I have
exceeded the due measure of a letter, but forgive me; for I am not
willingly in this condition, but have been constrained by my love and
sorrow, owing to which I forced myself to write this letter also,(1)
although many would have prevented me. "Cease labouring in vain and sowing
upon rock" many have been saying to me. But I hearkened to none of them.
For there is hope I said to myself that, God willing, my letter will
accomplish something; but if that which we deprecate should take place, we
shall at least have the advantage of escaping self reproach for keeping
silence, and we shall not be worse than sailors on the sea, who, when they
behold men of their own craft drifting on a plank, because their ship has
been broken to pieces by the winds and waves, take down their sails, and
cast anchor, and get into a boat and try to rescue the men, although
strangers, known to them only in consequence of their calamity. But if the
others were unwilling to be rescued no one would accuse those of their
destruction who attempted to save them. This is what we offer; but we trust
that by the grace of God you also will do your part, and we shall again see
you occupying an eminent place in the flock of Christ. In answer to the
prayers of the saints may we speedily receive thee back, dear friend, sound
in the true health. If thou hast any regard for us, and hast not utterly
cast us out of thy memory please vouchsafe a reply to our letter; for in so
doing thou wilt give us much pleasure.
Taken from "The Early Church Fathers and Other Works" originally published
by Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. in English in Edinburgh, Scotland, beginning in
1867. (LNPF I/IX, Schaff). The digital version is by The Electronic Bible
Society, P.O. Box 701356, Dallas, TX 75370, 214-407-WORD.
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