Section CLXXXV

This assuredly is the doctrine, this the judgment, of Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium, who was illustrious no less through his friendships with Basil¹ and Gregory Nazianzen² than through the praises of Jerome³—

—and by the unanimous suffrage of Cyril of Alexandria, Theodoret, Anastasius of Sinai, Leontius of Byzantium, Facundus of Hermiane, and John Damascene, who ennobled the books they published with sayings of Amphilochius. For, censuring⁴ the Pharisee who had reproved the indulgence of Christ the Savior with these words⁵, If he were a prophet, he would surely know who and what manner of woman she is who touches him, he exclaims: τί οὖν αἰτιᾶσαι φιλάνθρωπον δεσπότην, ὦ Φαρισαῖε, ὁμοίως εἰς πάντας τὸν τῆς χρηστότητος ζυγὸν ταλαντεύοντα; “Why, therefore, do you accuse the benign Lord, O Pharisee, who⁶ balances the scale of goodness equally toward all?” In more than one place he describes the effects of this goodness, which cherishes all and embraces all. He describes them when, after reporting the words⁷, when they had nothing with which to repay, he forgave them both, he adds⁸:

Εἶδες φιλάνθρωπον δανειστήν; πῶς δανείζει μὲν, οὐκ ἀπολαμβάνει δέ; πῶς δὲ ἀγνωμονούμενος οὐ ναρκᾷ, ἀλλ᾽ ἥπλωται αὐτοῦ τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν ἡ χείρ; Μὴ ἐχόντων, φησίν, ἀποδοῦναι, ἀμφοτέροις ἐχαρίσατο· ἀφῆκε μὴ ἐχόντων, οὐχὶ μὴ θελόντων. Ἕτερον γὰρ μὴ ἔχειν, καὶ ἕτερον μὴ θέλειν. Οἷόν τι λέγω· Θεὸς οὐδὲν παρ᾽ ἡμῶν ζητεῖ, ἢ μετάνοιαν· ὅθεν βούλεται ἡμᾶς ἀεὶ χαίρειν, καὶ προστρέχειν τῇ μετανοίᾳ. Have you seen the humane creditor, how he lends but does not receive back, how even when men are ungrateful to him he does not grow numb, but keeps his hand open to those who ask? “When they did not have,” he says, “with which to repay, he forgave them both.” He forgave those who did not have, not those who did not will. For it is one thing not to have, and another not to will. For example, God requires nothing from us except penance. Therefore he wills us always to rejoice and to run to penance.

He describes⁹ the effects of the common benignity, saying:

Therefore, without abandoning heaven, he came to earth and was made man without laying aside divinity, that, navigating even the sea—

—of this world, he might draw out from the depths of sin those tossed by a storm; and, going around villages and cities and running about lanes, paths, and approaches, he might lead back to his own sheepfold those wandering at the crossroads as¹⁰ sheep having no shepherd. For it is he who¹¹ seeks the wandering sheep and who, having left the ninety-nine, came to seek the one. Ἐζήτει γὰρ τὸ ἕν, οὔτε τῶν πολλῶν καταφρονῶν, οὔτε τοῦ πλήθους τὸ ἕν προκρίνων· ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ἐννενήκοντα ἐννέα κατελίμπανεν· ἔδει γὰρ ἀσφαλῶς αὐτὰ ἐν τῇ μάνδρᾳ αὐλίζεσθαι· τὸ δὲ ἓν προϊὼν¹² ἐζήτει, ἵνα μὴ θοίνη τῷ διαβόλῳ γένηται. Πρόβατον γὰρ ἀποίμαντον, θηρσὶν ἕτοιμον δεῖπνον· καὶ ψυχὴ ἀσφράγιστος¹³, δαίμοσιν εὐεπιβούλευτος. For he sought the one, neither scorning the many nor preferring the one to the multitude. Nevertheless he left the ninety-nine, for it was fitting that they should abide safely in the fold; but, going forth, he sought that one, lest it should fall as prey to the devil. For a sheep without a shepherd is a ready and prepared supper for wild beasts; and a soul lacking the seal is exposed to the snares of demons.

To the same point pertain the things which he immediately adds to the words¹⁴, by which the birth of the Only-begotten according to the flesh is proclaimed. For he says¹⁵:

Τίς ἡ καινὴ καὶ παράδοξος αὕτη μυσταγωγία; τίς ἡ παντοδύναμος καὶ φθαρτοποιὸς τῆς θείας προνοίας εὐμένεια; τί τὸ δεινὸν καὶ πάνσοφον κατὰ τοῦ διαβόλου στρατήγημα; Ἠλευθέρωται κόσμος διὰ παρθένου, ὁ διὰ ταύτης τὸ πρὶν ὑπὸ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν πεσών… Σύμμορφος τοῖς δούλοις ὁ δεσπότης γέγονεν, ἵνα οἱ δοῦλοι γένωνται σύμμορφοι πάλιν Θεοῦ. What is this new and marvelous doctrine? What is this omnipotent and mortality-producing benignity of divine providence? What is this grand and all-wise stratagem against the devil? The world, which through a virgin formerly fell under sin, has been vindicated into liberty through the Virgin… The Lord was made conformable to servants, that the servants might again be made conformable to God—

—… Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὑγιαίνοντες οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν ἰατροῦ· ἡ δὲ νόσῳ συχνῇ κατασχεθεῖσα, τηλικούτου καὶ τοιούτου τετύχηκεν ἰατροῦ, ὡς μείζονος τῆς ὑγείας εὐτυχὴς ἐστὶ σωτηρίας, τοῦ νοσήματος δραπετεύσαντος. Those who are healthy¹⁶ indeed have no need of a physician; but she who was held by many diseases obtained such and so great a physician that, when the disease had fled, she was fortunate in a salvation greater¹⁷ than health.

Nor do the things which he soon adds concerning divine providence¹⁸ look to any other end:

Therefore he allowed¹⁹ us to be mingled with the gentiles, that we might shine as lights in the world: ἵνα σπέρμα σωτηρίας ὦμεν, εἰς ἐπιστροφὴν θεωρούμενοι πᾶσι τοῖς συνοῦσι καὶ συντυγχάνουσιν, that²⁰ we might be the seed of salvation for all who associate with us and meet us, having been made a spectacle to them for conversion; … that we might truly be made sacred leaven and that by our work the world might be leavened unto salvation.

Namely: a) the salvation of the world and of absolutely all men has been proposed to the divine goodness; this God desires, this he seeks. And b) lest he seem to seek and desire it in appearance only, he omits none of those things which are necessary and sufficient for the attainment of so great a good. c) He balances the scale of goodness equally toward all. d) He requires penance from all, that all may always rejoice and be blessed eternally. e) He condemns no one because he does not have, but because he does not will to have, what is offered to him. f) He so provides for the fullness of the sheepfold that he does not scorn even one little sheep wandering and straying. g) By a grand and all-wise stratagem against the devil he vindicated the world into liberty. h) He did not refuse to put on the form of servants, that servants might have the power of recovering the likeness of the Lord—

—i) He applied a medicine stronger than the contracted disease. But k) he so rules his faithful that he procures the salvation of all men. Therefore let there be no one who doubts either 1) the salvific will of God, which is universal and fruitful; or 2) the common redemption of all, acquired by the blood of Christ; or finally 3) the state of universal reparation, by which the merciful God altered the original ruin and destruction.