Letters 4.58–4.75

To John the deacon. [From the Letter of Jude. What is meant by "Wandering stars, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved forever."] If you alone had written to learn why it is said, "Wandering stars, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved forever," I might perhaps have charged you with ignorance, written briefly that it is said of men, not of stars, and been done with it. But since many, even of those who are thought intelligent, have sought to learn this, and after stirring up much debate learned it at last and admired it, I will by no means condemn you, but will try to interpret it more clearly. I say, then, that the writer's word was about men whose faults were beyond pardon, not about stars and clouds, waves and trees, which he used as examples, blaming men for having fallen by choice into what those things have by nature. Just as the waterless clouds driven by winds, and the fruitless trees, which he called twice dead, will not be punished, nor do the waves foam out their own shames, being irrational and without sense, so too the so-called wandering stars do not inherit the gloom, but the men who sin by choice, about whom these examples were taken. So the saying means this: these men of whom he speaks are like wandering stars, turning aside from the straight way and walking the opposite road; therefore the gloom has been reserved for them, not for the stars but for the men. For his word was not about stars or clouds or waves, as I said before, but about men who have fallen into brutishness, licentiousness, and boasting, and who corrupt those near them by their company. That this is so, let us, if you like, exercise the argument. Those who are skilled in these matters say things that most people find neither probable nor credible, for they fight against plain evidence and the testimony of the eyes. Still, they say that the planets have their own course, from west to east, and hasten to complete it, but, overcome by the opposite and swifter motion of the fixed stars, are carried toward the west. And they use this example: just as an ant walking against a fast-turning wheel achieves little, since it is overcome by the wheel's very swift motion, so the planets stand toward the motion of the fixed stars. What refutes them, that they at one time deify the planets as gods and at another compare them to ants, I shall now pass over, merely pointing it out (for I hasten to something else), and come to the question. That is what they say. But I think that Scripture too used this name, whether in its proper sense, or by extension, or following common usage, because those more foolish than you rank among the planets the sun and the moon and the other five stars, not known to many: Phaenon, Phaethon, Stilbon, Pyroeis, and Phosphorus; and they gave them the names of certain men who held power on earth, lived shamefully, and ended their lives ingloriously. The sun circles in latitude each year over the northern and southern parts, and the moon each month; from this, I think, the month is named, not because the moon becomes crescent-shaped, as some say, but because it completes its whole cycle each month: for the moon is called Mene. All the others complete this circuit in proportion to their own circles and courses; that is why they are called planets, that is, wanderers. But whether this or that is true, it proclaims the knowledge of the Creator, who ordered them and gave them their laws, as he himself says: "I commanded the stars." And the Psalmist, showing that the divine command was transgressed on earth, when men deserted to lawlessness, but kept in heaven, said: "Forever, O Lord, your word abides in heaven." But if, because it was said, "I commanded the stars," some define them as rational and free living beings (for I know some who taught this, not only among those outside the faith but also among believers), I regard this inquiry as superfluous and useless ("Do not seek," it says, "what is greater than you, and do not examine what is stronger than you; think on what has been commanded you, for you have no need of hidden things"), and I would neither approve it nor reject it. I would rather say that Scripture uses this word of irrational and senseless things too, saying, "The Lord commanded the scorching wind," and, "The Lord commanded the clouds," and, "The Lord commanded a worm." Whether they are rational living beings, as some say, or fiery spheres, or disc-shaped bodies kindled from the ethereal fire, or spherical flights of fire, or red-hot masses (for some of the philosophers taught this), or things that receive the immaterial light above the world, I would not strongly affirm; for I think none of this contributes to the best way of life. But I would say this: that the Scriptures use the word "wandering" not only of the soul when it turns aside from virtue, but also of the body when it misses the road before it. "A man," it says, "found Joseph wandering in the way"; and again: "He made them wander in a trackless place and not on the way." It is no wonder, then, if some have called the northward and southward circuit of the seven stars, running up and down, a "wandering," in comparison with the fixed stars, which run round on one and the same road. If, then, they circle harmoniously and in tune, for what are they punished? If the Greeks say (what it is not lawful even to say) that they are unbegotten and above any cause, they will be refuted above all by their harmony and good order; for order proclaims the one who ordered it. If they are not persuaded, let them hear Plato saying, "The maker of this universe is good," and Euripides, "The sun and night are slaves to mortals," and let them stop such impiety. … and rightly they would have owed a penalty. But if they have a cause and maker (as is true, and as Greeks, Jews, Christians, and all who have a share of mind and sense have held), who regulates their motion and their harmony, by which the seasons of the year and the long and short nights are brought about, it is clear that their wonderful and most harmonious circuit is not blameworthy. And if it is not blameworthy, how are they punished? Even if they were rational living beings with choice, as some think (let this be granted by way of supposition, since it makes the refutation against them stronger), not even so would they deserve to be punished. If they went where they wished and arranged what they wanted, the argument would have reason to blame not only them but also those who say they cause evils; … but since they run forever the course appointed for them, they must not be called causes of evils, for that is impious and irrational. And even if, by way of supposition, what some say were granted (I would not say it myself, for it is absurd to be rash about what is unclear), that they give signs, not even so will they be punished; nor were the prophets punished for foretelling the evils the Jews would commit. For it did not happen because they foretold it; they foretold it because it was going to happen. The wickedness of the Jews was the cause of the prophecy, not the prophecy of the wickedness. It has become clear to all, I think, with every objection out of the way, that the writer's word was not about stars, any more than about waves or trees or clouds, as the sense of the whole letter shows, but about men who have sinned, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved forever. For he began from examples and ended with those about whom he was speaking.

To Polychronius. [From the Letter to the Romans. On what is written: "God gave them up to a debased mind, to do …" and so on.] Since you have written asking why God gave them up to a debased mind, I will say that if you read what follows you will both understand and be freed from all doubt. For he says, "filled with all unrighteousness." Having named all vice in general, he goes through it kind by kind in what follows. If, then, he gave them up not as people who would be filled but as people already filled, what wrong would he have done? But if you think it unclear, though it is clear, I shall try to interpret it more clearly. He did not say, "Since they were given up, they were filled," nor, "They were given up so as to be filled," but, "He gave them up, filled"; that is, he let them go, stripping them of his help; as a general lets go soldiers who do not obey his orders but have been defeated by their own fault, stripping them of his skill. Those who were filled with every vice of themselves he rightly gave up by abandoning them, not thrusting them into the debased mind, but letting them go when they rushed into it.

To Theologius the deacon. [On the saying, "Not only do they do them."] Since you have again made us search out the Apostle's treasures (for you said, "What does 'Not only do they do them, but they also approve those who practise them' mean?" and added, "If approving is worse than doing, why did Paul put it this way?"), gather your mind a little, so as to catch the Apostle's elusive meaning, and listen. Some, not understanding the saying but perplexed as you are, and thinking that the Apostle's words had been altered, interpreted them thus: "Not only those who do them, but also those who approve those who practise them." For so, they said, the ancient copy read, so that doing would be the greater thing and approving the lesser. But I, without saying that the Apostle's books are in error here, and without running down those who have not understood (for perhaps, if they are outdone in this, they excel in other things, and have understood things that never even entered my mind), will state what I have understood and leave the verdict to my readers. I say, then, that since praising those who do wrong is much more grievous than doing wrong, and weighs more toward punishment, it was rightly said, "Not only do they do them, but they also approve those who practise them." For one who condemns his sin after doing wrong will be able in time to recover himself, since he has the greatest help toward repentance in condemning his sin; but one who praises wickedness deprives himself of the help that comes from repentance. Since, then, this verdict belongs to a corrupted judgment and an incurably sick soul, one who praises sin has rightly been judged far more lawless than one who does wrong. For the one will leave his sin very quickly, the other not at all, if each verdict holds.

To Ammonius. [On "glory and honour and peace to everyone who does good."] Why, you asked, did Paul say, "But glory and honour and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek," and nowhere mention the Christian? Know, then, that Paul's word was about those who lived before Christ's coming in the flesh; for he was not yet dealing with the times of grace. And by "Greeks" here he means not the idolaters, but the pious, who lived by the natural law, and who, without the Jewish observances, kept everything that looks to piety: such as Melchizedek, Job, and Cornelius.

To Epimachus the reader. [On "Apart from the law sin is dead."] Since you wished to learn how sin is dead apart from the law, I say that Paul means that it was not yet known. He does not hint that they did not know they were sinning, since then those before the law, some of whom became the work of water and others of fire, would be found to have been punished unreasonably; but that they knew it, though not so exactly. That is why they were punished, but not so severely.

To Ischyrion the presbyter. ["The sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing."] Paul, the best of generals, who did not outrage the vote of his divine appointment, who displayed a life that rivalled grace, at once urging on those who are truly fighting the holy war and not allowing them to think highly of themselves, since they are outdone by the reward of crowns, cried out like a true general: "For I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." He said "to be revealed," showing that it exists even now, but is hidden, waiting for the labours of the victors. If its being in the future grieves anyone, let this rather gladden those who are pulling down the strongholds of the passions and of the demons; for that it is very great, and surpasses speech, mind, and our present state by far, is what is stored up there. Nor did he say simply, "The sufferings of the present time"; he said it to show that they are outdone not only in quality but also in quantity (for these end with the present life, while that extends through the immortal ages). And since he could not present those things clearly or one by one in words, he named them after what seems to us most desirable, glory; for this seems to be the summit of the virtues.

To Theodore the deacon. Since God the Word deigned to become man, calmed the human passions that once surged, made the flesh a base of operations for virtue, put the hostile ranks under the feet of his own disciples, rightly set the contests higher than those of old, and prepared prizes that are heavenly and above the world, those who are defeated would rightly reckon the defeat to themselves. For victory is now with us; and if it does not find those who know how to win, and shows its power in only a few, it lays the cause of defeat on those who are unwilling to gain it by labour.

To the same. [On the same: that faith without works does not save a man.] God the Word, coming here and requiring faith, justified by grace (for it was not possible for those who had betrayed themselves to be saved by righteousness; the Psalmist and the Vessel of election declared this, the one affirming, "There is none righteous, not even one," and the other insisting, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"); but from those who believed he rightly required the highest righteousness. So at the first grace justified, but he decreed that those who had been justified should lay hold of good works, since it is not possible to be saved by faith alone. For deeds must be judged by faith, and faith given life by them; for without them it would be dead. [Letter 4.66] [Why all divine things are characterized by the name of fire.] Why, you asked, are almost all divine things characterized by the name of fire? For God has been called fire; and the angels, flaming fire; and tongues as of fire appeared to the apostles; and "fervent in the Spirit." I think, then, that it is because of its ungrudging richness: from one lamp it kindles countless torches and is not diminished, but can kindle as many again and more. And it has withdrawn from the road that leads down to bodies, because fire alone of earthly things pursues what is above. They long for the earth, it for heaven; they know the downward motion, it the upward road. Just as stone and water do not know the upward road, so fire does not tolerate the downward one.

To Theognostus the deacon. [On reading, against the Greeks. On the grace of the divinely inspired Scriptures and the benefit that comes from them.] I have often wondered at those who composed dialogues and wrote elaborate discourses, that they cared greatly for their own glory, using lofty and over-subtle speech, but neglected the benefit of their hearers, for which they ought rather to have provided. For when the writers have won such glory, nothing more comes of it for anyone else; but when others are benefited, there would be great progress in virtue. But since they looked to their own interest and overlooked that of others, they also blame the divine Scripture for using not elaborate and embellished speech but humble, prosaic speech. Let us, for our part, accuse them in turn of self-love, because in their craving for glory they cared least of all for others; and let us clear the truly divine Scripture of the charges, saying that it cared not for its own glory but for the salvation of its hearers. If they are in love with lofty phrasing, let them learn that it is better to learn the truth from an unlettered man than falsehood from a sophist. The one speaks simply and briefly; the other often hides the beauty of truth by obscurity, and, adorning falsehood with fine language, mixes poison in a golden cup. Even if truth were joined to fine language, it could benefit the educated, but it would be useless and unprofitable to everyone else. That is why Scripture expressed the truth in plain speech, so that the unlettered and the wise, children and women alike, might learn. By this the wise suffer no harm; by the other way the greater part of the world was harmed. If one had to care for some, it should above all be for the many. And since it cared for all, it is shown splendidly to be divine and heavenly.

To Theognostus the presbyter. Commanding and permitting, my good friend, are not the same. The one is ordered as something that must be done in every way, as "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal," and the like; the other is allowed for the sake of some arrangement. The one is decreed; the other is not prevented. And I shall confirm this from the Scriptures. The apostles did not preach or legislate circumcision; but they allowed it, not because it must be done, but because there was need of a wise condescension. For they would not have permitted … As something allowed, Paul said of those who dine with unbelievers: "If one of the unbelievers invites you and you wish to go, eat whatever is set before you." I do not command you to go, he says; but if you wish, I do not prevent it. For commanding is one thing, not preventing another: the one belongs to legislation, the other to concession. … they kept at the beginning. And about …

To Heron the presbyter. [Why "To an unknown god" was inscribed on the altar.] They say there are two reasons why "To an unknown god" was inscribed on the altar at Athens. Some say that when the Persians marched against Greece, the Athenians sent Philippides as a courier to the Lacedaemonians about an alliance; and on Mount Parthenion an apparition of Pan met him, blamed the Athenians for neglecting him and serving other gods, but promised to help. So when they had won, they built an altar and inscribed it, "To an unknown god." Others say that a plague struck Athens and burned them so fiercely that they could not bear even the finest linen. Though they served those whom they held to be their gods, they got no benefit. Reflecting, then, that there was perhaps some god whom they had left unhonoured, who had sent the plague, they built a temple and an altar, inscribed it, "To an unknown god," and sacrificed, and at once they were healed. Taking this from their own beliefs, Paul overcame the Athenians, who prided themselves on their wisdom. [Letter 4.70] To Ursenuphius the reader. This is why we are easily overcome and easily captured, my good friend: because we arm ourselves against one another and take the common enemy as our general. When we ought to campaign together against him, we arm ourselves with him against one another, taking as our general the one who thirsts to destroy both sides. But to blame is easy and belongs to anyone; to say how we may stop fighting one another is the work of a counsellor. I say, then, that it is because we think wealth and glory and the other things of this life, which wither like grass, are great. If we had taught ourselves to regard them as worthless and cheap, as they are, we would not have declared truceless enmities and undeclared wars against one another over them, but would have embraced peace and love, by which all war, battle, and quarrel vanish.

To Cassian. [That God is not the cause of evils.] Many who shone with beauty of body shone also with beauty of soul. If you do not believe it, look at the most chaste Joseph. He was handsome in form and very beautiful in appearance, as Scripture testifies about him, and as the Egyptian woman who went mad for him also testifies; but he flashed more brightly with the virtue of chastity, quenched the flame of youth (for he was not made of stone), and trampled on the tyranny of flattery. And flattery, in my judgment, is more powerful than fear. One must consider that the one who flattered him was his mistress, adorned and fanning the tunic of pleasure; and a woman, a clever orator at bewitching those who are not on their guard, and the devil's old weapon, by which he has overthrown many brave men. Yet he showed himself higher than all these devices. If you would like to see womankind too crowned in this, look at the most noble Susanna, who, with a young body and inexpressible beauty, exposed the licentiousness of the elders and did not lose the treasure of her chastity. If many disparage those who are beautiful and good, do not wonder. First, they seem to disparage them because of those who have used beauty badly. Second, because many make accusing their business. Third, because many people, unable to reach the soul itself, at least try to wound the adornment that surrounds it from outside. Witnesses to this (for nothing prevents me from using the same examples again) are Joseph himself, slandered by his brothers and by his mistress, and Susanna, condemned by the elders. But the incorruptible Judge crowned both him and her. So do not blame beauty, but the shameful soul that dwells in the most beautiful body and outrages it.

To Heron the scholasticus. [On the same.] Prosperity without reason mostly turns to insolence; but prosperity in accordance with reason often brings forth a good end. Yet some of those who came to power unexpectedly have borne the breeze of prosperity with moderation and won praise; while some of the well-born, with illustrious ancestors, have turned their honour into insolence. So one should rather blame the choice of those who use power beyond moderation. [Letter 4.73] To Eusebius the bishop. [On the ark, the mercy seat, the cherubim, the manna, and the rod of Aaron.] The ark, and the mercy seat, which was the lid of the ark, were signs of a man who keeps the divine oracles, has God gracious to him, and is guarded by the divine powers, as the Psalmist says, "In my heart I have hidden your words"; and that is why he also said, "In the shelter of your wings you will shelter me": just as the cherubim among the powers guarded both the ark and the mercy seat with their wings. More properly, they were clear signs of Christ, who fulfilled the law and became the propitiation for our sins: whoever fulfils the law will make propitiation for the sin of the world. For God set him forth, as the steward of the Lord's oracles says, as a mercy seat, so as to show his own righteousness in his blood. He brought in the Only-begotten as a ransom in exchange, so that grace might have its reason. Receiving one victim for all, and above the worth of all, he dissolved the enmity, remitted the condemnation, raised us to adoption, and adorned us with countless goods. The cherubim, being the throne and chariot of God ("You who sit upon the cherubim, shine forth"), showed that the one for whom the temple was made cannot be contained in a place and has no shape. They lay there as a symbol of his kingship. For since no temple is thought of without a statue to crown it, while their ruler and maker is beyond all nature and human conception, he was represented by the throne of the Master who is king of all. The manna and the rod of Aaron that budded indicate, the one, that the keeper of the divine ordinances will share in divine enjoyment and food; the other, that those who transgress them, and those who improperly leap into the priesthood, will be chastened.

To Menas the deacon. [On the captivity of the Jews.] When Roman fire laid low that much-famed temple and the renowned metropolis of the Jews, which had won many wars without bloodshed, because of the unheard-of outrages dared in it against Christ, then they themselves were scattered over the whole world like captives. For the one who had been outraged, though he could have destroyed them, did not do so, for many reasons: first, to give them time for repentance; second, so that they might see his sentences come to pass in fact (the one was, "Behold, your house is left to you desolate"; the other, "There shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down"); third, so that, seeing his glory shining everywhere, they might be stung, and, reflecting that under their forefathers, though they worshipped idols, killed their children, and slaughtered the prophets, they suffered nothing like this, but were corrected and brought home again, while now they endure a captivity with no recall, they might come to know the truth. And if they are not taught by events, they will confess it even against their will through the punishments there, when repentance will be of no benefit to them.

To Adamantius. [On the same.] If you wish to know the wages of the accursed Jews who raged against Christ, read the history of the capture by Josephus, a Jew, but a lover of truth, so that you may see a history driven by God such as the whole of time has not seen since there have been men. For so that no one should disbelieve their incredible and extraordinary calamities, truth arranged that not a foreigner (for he might perhaps, or rather necessarily, have been disbelieved), but their own countryman and zealot should recount those strange sufferings as a tragedy.