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COLOSSIANS I. 9, 10.
"For this cause we also, since the day we
heard it, do not cease to pray and make request
for you, that ye may be filled with the
knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom
and understanding; to walk worthily of the Lord
unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good
work, and increasing in the knowledge of
God."
"For this cause." What cause? Because we
heard of your faith and love, because we have
good hopes, we are hopeful to ask for future
blessings also. For as in the games we cheer on
those most who are near upon gaining the
victory, just so doth Paul also most exhort
those who have achieved the greater part.
"Since the day we heard it," saith he, "we
do not cease to pray for you." Not for one day
do we pray for you, nor yet for two, nor
three. Herein he both shows his love, and
gives them a gentle hint that they had not yet
arrived at the end. For the words, "that ye
may be filled," are of this significancy. And
observe, I pray, the prudence of this blessed
one. He nowhere says that they are destitute of
everything, but that they are deficient;
everywhere the words, "that ye may be
filled," show this. And again, "unto all
pleasing, in every good work" (ver. 11),
and again, "strengthened with all power," and
again, "unto all patience and
long-suffering"; for the constant addition of
"all" bears witness to their doing well in
part, though, it might be, not in all. And,
"that ye may be filled," he saith; not,
"that ye may receive," for they had received;
but "that ye may be filled" with what as yet
was lacking. Thus both the rebuke was given
without offense, and the praise did not suffer
them to sink down, and become supine, as if it
had been complete. But what is, "that ye may
be filled with the knowledge of His will"?
That through the Son we should be brought unto
Him, and no more through Angels. Now that ye
must be brought unto Him, ye have learnt, but
it remains for you to learn this, and why He
sent the Son. For had it been that we were to
have been saved by Angels, He would not have
sent Him, would not have given Him up. "In
all spiritual wisdom," he saith, "and
understanding." For since the philosophers
deceived them; I wish you, he saith, to be in
spiritual wisdom, not after the wisdom of men.
But if in order to know the will of God, there
needs spiritual wisdom; to know His Essence
what it is, there is need of continual prayers.
And Paul shows here, that since that time he
has been praying, and has not yet prevailed,
and yet has not desisted; for the words, "from
the day we heard it," show this. But it
implies condemnation to them, if, from that
time, even assisted by prayers, they had not
amended themselves. "And making request," he
says, with much earnestness, for this the
expression "ye knew" shows. But it is
necessary still to know somewhat besides. "To
walk worthily," he says, "of the Lord."
Here he speaks of life and its works, for so he
doth also everywhere: with faith he always
couples conduct. "Unto all pleasing." And
how, "all pleasing"? "Bearing fruit in
every good work, and increasing in the knowledge
of God." Seeing, saith he, He hath fully
revealed Himself unto you, and seeing ye have
received knowledge so great; do ye then show
forth a conduct worthy of the faith; for this
needeth elevated conduct, greater far than the
old dispensation. For, he that hath known
God, and been counted worthy to be God's
servant, yea, rather, even His Son, see how
great virtue he needeth. "Strengthened with
all power." He is here speaking of trials and
persecutions. We pray that ye might be filled
with strength, that ye faint not for sorrow,
nor despair. "According to the might of His
glory." But that ye may take up again such
forwardness as it becometh the power of His
glory to give. "Unto all patience and
long-suffering." What he saith is of this
sort. Summarily, he saith, we pray that ye
may lead a life of virtue, and worthy of your
citizenship, and may stand firmly, being
strengthened as it is reasonable to be
strengthened by God. For this cause he doth
not as yet touch upon doctrines, but dwells upon
life, wherein he had nothing to charge them
with, and having praised them where praise was
due, he then comes down to accusation. And
this he does everywhere: when he is about
writing to any with somewhat to blame them for,
and somewhat to praise, he first praises them,
and then comes down to his Charges. For he
first conciliates the hearer, and frees his
accusation from all suspicion, and shows that
for his own part he could have been glad to
praise them throughout; but by the necessity of
the case is forced into saying what he does.
And so he doth in the first Epistle to the
Corinthians. For after having exceedingly
praised them as loving him, even from the case
of the fornicator, he comes down to accuse
them. But in that to the Galatians not so,
but the reverse. Yea, rather, if one should
look close into it, even there the accusation
follows upon praise. For seeing he had no good
deeds of theirs then to speak of, and the charge
was an exceeding grave one, and they were every
one of them corrupted; and were able to bear it
because they were strong, he begins with
accusation, saying, "I marvel." (Gal.
i. 6.) So that this also is praise. But
afterwards he praises them, not for what they
were, but what they had been, saying, "If
possible, ye would have plucked out your eyes,
and given them to me." (Gal. v. 15).
"Bearing fruit," he saith: this hath
reference to works. "Strengthened": this to
trials. "Unto all patience and
longsuffering": long-suffering towards one
another, patience towards those without. For
longsuffering is toward those whom we can
requite, but patience toward those whom we
cannot. For this reason the term patient is
never applied to God, but longsuffering
frequently; as this same blessed one saith other
where in his writings, "Or despisest thou the
riches of His goodness, and forbearance, and
longsuffering?" "Unto all pleasing." Not,
one while, and afterwards not so. "In all
spiritual wisdom," he saith, "and
understanding." For otherwise it is not
possible to know His will. Although indeed
they thought they had His will; but that wisdom
was not spiritual. "To walk," saith he,
"worthily of the Lord." For this is the way
of the best life. For he that hath understood
God's love to man, (and he doth understand it
if he have seen the Son delivered up,) will
have greater forwardness. And besides, we pray
not for this alone that ye may know, but that ye
may show forth your knowledge in works; for he
that knows without doing, is even in the way to
punishment. "To walk," he saith, that is,
always, not once, but continually. As to walk
is necessary for us, so also is to live
rightly. And when on this subject he constantly
uses the term "walk," and with reason,
showing that such is the life set before us.
But not of this sort is that of the world. And
great too is the praise. "To walk," he
saith, "worthily of the Lord," and "in
every good work," so as to be always
advancing, and nowhere standing still, and,
with a metaphor, "bearing fruit and increasing
in the knowledge of God," that ye might be in
such measure "strengthened," according to the
might of God, as is possible for man to be.
"Through His power," great is the
consolation.--He said not strength, but
"power," which is greater: "through the
power," he saith, "of His glory," because
that everywhere His glory hath the power. He
thus comforts him that is under reproach: and
again, "To walk worthily of the Lord." He
saith of the Son, that He hath the power
everywhere both in heaven and in earth, because
His glory reigneth everywhere. He saith not
"strengthened" simply, but so, as they might
be expected to be who are in the service of so
strong a Master. "In the knowledge of
God." And at the same time he touches in
passing upon the methods of knowledge; for this
is to be in error, not to know God as one
ought; or he means, so as to increase in the
knowledge of God. For if he that hath not
known the Son, knoweth not the Father either;
justly is there need of increased knowledge: for
there is no use in life without this. "Unto
all patience and longsuffering," he saith,
"with joy, giving thanks" (ver. 12) unto
God. Then being about to exhort them, he
makes no mention of what by and by shall be laid
up for them; he did hint at this however in the
beginning of the Epistle, saying, "Because
of the hope which is laid up for you in the
heavens" (ver. 5): but in this place he
mentions the things which were already theirs,
for these are the causes of the other. And he
doth the same in many places. For that which
hath already come to pass gains belief, and more
carries the hearer along with it. "With
joy," he saith, "giving thanks" to God.
The connection is this. We cease not praying
for you, and giving thanks for the benefits
already received.
Seest thou how he bears himself along into
speaking of the Son? For if "we give thanks
with much joy," it is a great thing that is
spoken of. For it is possible to give thanks
only from fear, it is possible to give thanks
even when in sorrow. For instance; Job gave
thanks indeed, but in anguish; and he said,
"The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away."
(Job i. 21.) For, let not any say that
what had come to pass pained him not, nor
clothed him with dejection of soul; nor let his
great praise be taken away from that righteous
one. But when it is thus, it is not for fear,
nor because of His being Lord alone, but for
the very nature of the things themselves, that
we give thanks. "To Him who made us meet to
be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in
light." He hath said a great thing. What has
been given, he saith, is of this nature; He
hath not only given, but also made us strong to
receive. Now by saying, "Who made us
meet," he showed that the thing was one of
great weight. For example, were some low
person to have become a king, he hath it in his
power to give a governorship to whom he will;
and this is the extent of his power, to give the
dignity he cannot also make the person fit for
the office and oftentimes the honor makes one so
preferred even ridiculous. If however he have
both conferred on one the dignity, and also made
him fit for the honor, and equal to the
administration, then indeed the thing is an
honor. This then is what he also saith here;
that He hath not only given us the honor, but
hath also made us strong enough to receive it.
For the honor here is twofold, the giving, and
the making fit for the gift. He said not,
gave, simply; but, "made us meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in
light," that is, who hath appointed us a place
with the saints. But he did not say simply
placed us, but hath given us to enjoy even the
very same things, for "the portion" is that
which each one receives. For it is possible to
be in the same city, and yet not enjoy the same
things; but to have the same "portion," and
yet not enjoy the same, is impossible. It is
possible to be in the same inheritance, and yet
not to have the same portion for instance, all
we (clergy) are in the inheritance, but we
have not all the same portion. But here he
cloth not say this, but with the inheritance
adds the portion also. But why cloth he call it
inheritance (or lot)? To show that by his own
achievements no one obtains the kingdom, but as
a lot is rather the result of good luck, so in
truth is it here also. For a life so good as to
be counted worthy of the kingdom doth no one show
forth, but the whole is of His free gift.
Therefore He saith, "When ye have done all,
say, We are unprofitable servants, for we have
done that which was our duty to do." (Luke
xvii. 10.) "To be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in light,"--he
means, both the future and the present
light,--that is, in knowledge. He seems to
me to be speaking: at once of both the present
and the future. Then he shows of what things we
have been counted worthy. For this is not the
only marvel, that we are counted worthy of the
kingdom; but it should also be added who we are
that are so counted; for it is not unimportant.
And he doth this in the Epistle to the
Romans, saying, "For scarcely for a
righteous man will one die, but peradventure for
the good man some one would even dare to die."
(Rom. v. 7.)
Ver. 13. "Who delivered us," he saith,
"from the power of darkness."
The whole is of Him, the giving both of these
things and those; for nowhere is any achievement
of ours. "From the power of darkness," he
saith, that is, of error, the dominion of the
devil. He said not "darkness," but
"power"; for it had great power over us, and
held us fast. For it is grievous indeed even to
be under the devil at all, but to be so "with
power," this is far more grievous. "And
translated us" he saith, "into the kingdom of
the Son of His love." Not then so as to
deliver man from darkness only, did He show
His love toward him. A great thing indeed is
it to have delivered from darkness even; but to
have brought into a kingdom too, is a far
greater. See then how manifold the gift, that
he hath delivered us who lay in the pit; in the
second place, that He hath not only delivered
us, but also hath translated us into a kingdom.
"Who delivered us." He said not, hath sent
us forth, but "delivered ": showing our great
misery, and their capture of us. Then to show
also the ease with which the power of God
works, he saith, "And translated us" just as
if one were to lead over a soldier from one
position to another. And he said not, "hath
led over"; nor yet "hath transposed," for so
the whole would be of him who transposed,
nothing of him who went over; but he said,
"translated"; so that it is both of us and of
Him. "Into the kingdom of the Son of His
love." He said not simply, "the kingdom of
heaven," but gave a grandeur to his discourse
by saying, "The kingdom of the Son," for no
praise can be greater than this, as he saith
elsewhere also: "If we endure, we shall also
reign with Him." (2 Tim. ii. 12.) He
hath counted us worthy of the same things with
the Son; and not only so, but what gives it
greater force, with His Beloved Son? Those
that were enemies, those that were in darkness,
as it were on a sudden he had translated to where
the Son is, to the same honor with Him. Nor
was he content with only this, in order to show
the greatness of the gift; he was not content
with saying, "kingdom," but he also added,
"of the Son" nor yet with this, but he added
also "beloved"; nor yet with this, but he
added yet, the dignity of His nature. For
what saith he? "Who is the Image of the
invisible God." But he proceeded not to say
this immediately, but meanwhile inserted the
benefit which He bestowed upon us. For lest,
when thou hearest that the whole is of the
Father, thou shouldest suppose the Son
excluded, he ascribes the whole to the Son,
and the whole to the Father. For He indeed
translated us, but the Son furnished the
cause. For what saith he? "Who delivered us
out of the power of darkness." But the same
is, "In whom we have the full redemption,
even the forgiveness of sins." For had we not
been forgiven our sins, we should not have been
"translated." So here again the words, "In
whom." And he said not "redemption," but
"full redemption," so that we shall not fall
any more, nor become liable to death.
Ver. 15. "Who is the image of the
invisible God, the First-born of all
creation."
We light here upon a question of heresy. So it
were well we should put it off to-day and
proceed with it to-morrow, addressing it to
your ears when they are fresh.
But if one ought to say anything more: the work
of the Son is the greater. How? Because it
were a thing impossible to give the kingdom to
men whilst continuing in their sins; but thus it
is an easier thing, so that He prepared the way
for the gift. What sayest thou? He Himself
loosed thee from thy sins: surely then He
Himself also hath brought thee nigh; already he
has laid by anticipation the foundation of his
doctrine.
But we must put a close to this discourse, when
first we have made one remark. And what is
this? Seeing we have come to enjoy so great a
benefit, we ought to be ever mindful of it, and
continually to turn in our minds the free gift of
God, and to reflect upon what we have been
delivered from, what we have obtained; and so
we shall be thankful; so we shall heighten our
love toward Him. What sayest thou, O man?
Thou art called to a kingdom, to the kingdom of
the Son of God--and art thou full of
yawning, and scratching, and dozing? If need
were that thou shouldest leap into ten thousand
deaths every day, oughtest thou not to endure
all? For the sake of office thou doest all
manner of things; when then thou art going to
share the kingdom of the Only-Begotten, wilt
thou not spring down upon ten thousand swords?
wouldest thou not leap into fire? And this is
not all that is strange, but that when about to
depart even, thou bewailest, and wouldest
gladly dwell amongst the things which are here,
being a lover of the body. What fancy is this?
Dost thou regard even death as a thing of
terror? The cause of this is luxury, ease:
for he at least that should live an embittered
life would wish even for wings, and to be loosed
from hence. But now it is the same with us as
with the spoiled nestlings, which would
willingly remain for ever in the nest. But the
longer they remain, the feebler they become.
For the present life is a nest cemented together
with sticks and mire. Yea, shouldest thou show
me even the great mansions, yea the royal palace
itself glittering with all its gold and precious
stones; I shall think them no better than the
nests of swallows, for when the winter is come
they will all fall of themselves. By winter I
mean That Day, not that it will be a winter to
all. For God also calleth it both night and
day; the first in regard of sinners, the latter
of the just. So do I also now call it winter.
If in the summer we have not been well brought
up, so as to be able to fly when winter is
come, our mothers will not take us, but will
leave us to die of hunger, or to perish when the
nest falls; for easily as it were a nest, or
rather more easily, will God in that day remove
all things, undoing and new molding all. But
they which are unfledged, and not able to meet
Him in the air, but have been so grossly
brought up that they have no lightness of wing,
will suffer those things which reason is such
characters should suffer. Now the brood of
swallows, when they are fallen, perish
quickly; but we shall not perish, but be
punished for ever. That season will be winter;
or rather, more severe than winter. For, not
winter torrents of water roll down, but rivers
of fire; not darkness that riseth from clouds is
there, but darkness that cannot be dispelled,
and without a ray of light, so that they cannot
see either the heaven, or the air, but are more
straitened than those who have been buried in the
earth.
Oftentimes do we say these things, but there
are whom we cannot bring to believe. But it is
nothing wonderful if we, men of small account,
are thus treated, when we discourse of such
things, since the same happened to the Prophets
also; when they spoke not of such matters only,
but also of war and captivity. (Jer. xxi.
11; xxvii. 12, &c.) And Zedekiah was
rebuked by Jeremiah, and was not ashamed.
Therefore the Prophets said, "Woe unto them
that say, Let God hasten with speed His
work, that we may see it, and let the counsel
of the Holy One of Israel come, that we may
know it." (Isa. v. 18, 19.) Let us
not wonder at this. For neither did those
believe who were in the days of the ark; they
believed, however, when their belief was of no
gain to them; neither did they of Sodore expect
[their fate], howbeit they too believed, when
they gained nothing by believing. And why do I
speak of the future? Who would have expected
these things which are now hap pening in divers
places; these earthquakes, these overthrows of
cities? And yet were these things easier to
believe than those; those, I mean, which
happened in the days of the ark.
Whence is this evident? Because that the men
of those times had no other example to look at,
neither had they heard the Scriptures, but with
us, on the other hand, are countless instances
that have happened both in our own, and in
former years. But whence arose the unbelief of
these persons? From a softened soul; they
drank and ate, and therefore they believed not.
For, what a man wishes, he thinks, and
expects; and they that gainsay him are a jest.
But let it not be so with us; for hereafter it
will not be a flood; nor the punishment till
death only; but death will be the beginning of
punishment for persons who believe not that there
is a Judgment. And doth any ask, who. has
come from thence, and said so? If now thou
speakest thus in jest, not even so is it well;
for one ought not to jest in such matters; and
we jest, not where jesting is in place, but
with peril; but if what thou really feelest,
and thou art of opinion that there is nothing
hereafter, how is it that thou callest thyself a
Christian? For I take not into account those
who are without. Why receivest thou the
Layer? Why dost thou set foot within the
Church? Is it that we promise thee
magistracies? All our hope is in the things to
come. Why then comest thou, if thou believest
not the Scriptures? If thou dost not believe
Christ, I cannot call such an one a
Christian; God forbid but worse than even
Greeks. In what respect? In this; that when
thou thinkest Christ is God, thou believest
Him not as God. For in that other impiety
there is at least consistency; for he who thinks
not that Christ is God, necessarily will also
not believe Him; but this impiety has not even
consistency; to confess Him to be God, and
yet not to think Him worthy of belief in what
He has said; these are the words of
drunkenness, of luxury, of riot. "Let us eat
and drink, for to-morrow we die." (1 Cor.
xv. 32.) Not to-morrow; but now ye are
dead, when ye thus speak. Shall we then be in
nothing different from swine and asses? tell
me. For if there be neither a judgment, nor a
retribution, nor a tribunal, wherefore have we
been honored with such a gift as reason, and
have all things put under us? Why do we rule,
and are they ruled? See how the devil is on
every side urgent to persuade us to be ignorant
of the Gift of God. He mixes together the
slaves with their masters, like some
man-stealer and ungrateful servant; he strives
to degrade the free to the level of the
criminal. And he seems indeed to be
overthrowing the Judgment, but he is
overthrowing the being of God.
For such is ever the devil's way; he puts
forward everything in a wily, and not in a
straightforward manner, to put us on our guard.
If there is no Judgment, God is not just (I
speak as a man): if God is not just, then
there is no God at all: if there is no God,
all things go on at haphazard, virtue is
nought, vice nought. But he says nothing of
this openly. Seest thou the drift of this
satanical argument? how, instead of men, he
wishes to make us brutes, or rather, wild
beasts, or rather, demons? Let us then not be
persuaded by him. For there is a Judgment, O
wretched and miserable man! I know whence thou
comest to use such words. Thou hast committed
many sins, thou hast offended, thou hast no
confidence, thou thinkest that the nature of
things will even follow thy arguments.
Meanwhile, saith he, I will not torment my
soul with the expectation of hell, and, if
there be a hell, I will persuade it that there
is none; meanwhile I will live here in luxury!
Why dost thou add sin to sin? If when thou
hast sinned thou be-lievest that there is a
hell, thou wilt depart with the penalty of thy
sins only to pay; but if thou add this further
impiety, thou wilt also for thine impiety, and
for this thy thought, suffer the uttermost
punishment; and what was a cold and short lived
comfort to thee, will be a ground for thy being
punished for ever. Thou hast sinned: be it
so: why dost thou encourage others also to sin,
by saying that there is no hell?
Why didst thou mislead the simpler sort? Why
unnerve the hands of the people?
So far as thou art concerned, everything is
turned upside down; neither will the good become
better, but listless; nor the wicked desist
from their wickedness. For, if we corrupt
others, do we get allowance for our sins?
Seest thou not the devil, how he attempted to
bring down Adam? And has there then been
allowance for him? Nay, surely it will be the
occasion of a greater punishment, that he may be
punished not for his own sins only, but also for
those of others. Let us not then suppose that
to bring down others into the same destruction
with ourselves will make the Judgment-seat more
lenient to us. Surely this will make it more
severe. Why thrust we ourselves on
destruction? The whole of this cometh of
Satan.
O man, hast thou sinned? Thou hast for thy
Master One that loveth man. Entreat,
implore, weep, groan; and terrify others, and
pray them that they fall not into the same. If
in a house some servant, of those that had
offended their master, says to his son, "My
child, I have offended the master, do thou be
careful to please him, that thou be not as
I": tell me, will he not have some
forgiveness? will he not bend and soften his
master? But if, leaving so to speak, he shall
say such words as these, that he will not
requite every one according to his deserts; that
all things are jumbled together
indiscriminately, both good and bad; that there
is no thanks in this house; what thinkest thou
will be the master's mind concerning him? will
he not suffer a severer punishment for his own
misdoings? Justly so; for in the former case
his feeling will plead for him, though it be but
weakly; but in this, nobody. If no other
then, yet imitate at least that rich man in
hell, who said, "Father Abraham, send to my
kinsmen, lest they come into this place,"
since he could not go himself, so that they
might not fall into the same condemnation. Let
us have done with such Satanical words.
What then, saith he, when the Greeks put
questions to us; wouldest thou not that we
should try to cure them? But by casting the
Christian into perplexity, under pretense of
curing the Greek, thou aimest at establishing
thy Satanical doctrine. For since, when
communing with thy soul alone of these things,
thou persuadest her not; thou desirest to bring
forward others as witnesses. But if one must
reason with a Greek, the discussion should not
begin with this; but whether Christ be God and
the Son of God; whether those gods of theirs
be demons. If these points be established, all
the others follow; but, before making good the
beginning, it is vain to dispute about the end;
before learning the first elements, it is
superfluous and unprofitable to come to the
conclusion. The Greek disbelieves the
Judgment, and he is in the same case with
thyself, seeing that he too hath many who have
treated these things in their philosophy; and
albeit when they so spoke they held the soul as
separated from the body, still they set up a
seat of judgment. And the thing is so very
clear, that no one scarcely is ignorant of it,
but both poets and all are agreed among
themselves that there is both a Tribunal and a
Judgment. So that the Greek also disbelieves
his own authorities and the Jew doth not doubt
about these things nor in a word doth any man.
Why then deceive we ourselves? See, thou
sayest these things to me. What wilt thou say
to God, "that fashioned our hearts one by
one" (Ps. xxxiii. 15); that knoweth
everything that is in the mind; "that is living
and active, and sharper than any two-edged
sword"? (Heb. iv. 12.) For tell me
with truth; Dost thou not condemn thyself?
And how should wisdom so great, as that one who
sins should condemn himself, come by chance,
for this is a work of mighty wisdom. Thou
condemnest thyself. And will he who giveth thee
such thoughts leave everything to go on at
hazard? The following rule then will hold
universally and strictly. Not one of those who
live in virtue wholly disbelieves the doctrine of
the Judgment, even though he be Greek or
heretic. None, save a few, of those who live
in great wickedness, receives the doctrine of
the Resurrection. And this is what the
Psalmist says, "Thy judgments are taken away
from before his face." (Ps. x. 5.)
Wherefore? Because "his ways are always
profane"; for he saith, "Let us eat and
drink, for to-morrow we die." Seest thou
that thus to speak is the mark of the
grovelling? Of eating and drinking come these
sayings which are subversive of the
Resurrection. For the soul endures not, I
say, it endures not the tribunal which the
conscience supplieth, and so it is with it, as
with a murderer, who firsts suggests to himself
that he shall not be detected, and so goes on to
slay; for had his conscience been his judge, he
would not hastily have come to that daring
wickedness. And still he knows, and pretends
not to know, lest he should be tortured by
conscience and fear, for, certainly, in that
case, he would have been less resolute for the
daring deed. So too, assuredly, they who
sin, and day by day wallow in the same
wickedness, are unwilling to know it, although
their consciences pluck at them.
But let us give no heed to such persons, for
there will be, there will assuredly be, a
Judgment and a Resurrection, and God will not
leave so great works without direction.
Wherefore, I beseech you, let us leave off
wickedness, and lay fast hold on virtue, that
we may receive the true doctrine in Christ
Jesus our Lord. And yet, which is easier to
receive? the doctrine of the Resurrection, or
that of Fate? The latter is full of
injustice, of absurdity, of cruelty, of
inhumanity; the other of righteousness,
awarding according to desert; and still men do
not receive it. But the fault is, indolence,
for no one that hath understanding receives the
other. For amongst the Greeks even, they who
did receive that doctrine, were those who in
their definition of pleasure affirmed it to be
the "end," but they who loved virtue, would
not receive it, but they cast it out as absurd.
But if among the Greeks this were so, much
more will it hold good with the doctrine of the
Resurrection. And observe, I pray you, how
the devil hath established two contrary things:
for in order that we may neglect virtue; and pay
honor to demons, he brought in this Necessity,
and by means of each he procured the belief of
both. What reason then will he be able to
give, who obstinately disbelieves a thing so
admirable, and is persuaded by those who talk so
idly? Do not then support thyself with the
consolation, that thou wilt meet with
forgiveness; but let us, collecting all our
strength, stir ourselves up to virtue, and let
us live truly to God, in Christ Jesus our
Lord,
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