The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

^14. Therefore, you say, if any one slay an innocent man, does he justly or unjustly? Unjustly certainly. Wherefore does God permit this?...The counsel of God to tell to you, O man, I am not able: this thing however I say, both that the man has done unjustly that has slain an innocent person, and that it would not have been done unless God permitted it: and though the man has done unjustly, yet God has not unjustly permitted this. Let the reason lie concealed in that person whoever it be, for whose sake you are moved, whose innocence does much move you. For to you speedily I might make answer. He would not have been slain unless he were guilty: but you think him innocent. I might speedily say this to you. For you could not examine his heart, sift his deeds, weigh his thoughts, so that you could say to me, unjustly he was slain. I might easily therefore make answer: but there is forced upon my view a certain Just One, without dispute just, without doubt just, who had no sin, slain by sinners, betrayed by a sinner; Himself Christ the Lord, of whom we cannot say that He has any iniquity, for “those things which He robbed not He paid,” is made an objection to my answer. And why should I speak of Christ? “With you I am dealing,” you say. And I with you. About Him you propose a question, about Him I am solving the question. For therein the counsel of God we know, which except by His own revealing we should not know: so that when you shall have found out that counsel of God, whereby He has permitted His innocent Son to be slain by unjust men, and such a counsel as pleases you, and such a counsel as cannot displease you, if you are just, you may believe that in other things also by His counsel God does the same, but it escaped you. Ah! Brethren, need there was of the blood of a just one to blot out the handwriting of sins; need there was of an example of patience, of an example of humility; need there was of the Sign of the Cross to beat down the devil and his angels; need for us there was of the Passion of our Lord; for by the Passion of the Lord redeemed has been the world. How many good things has the Passion of the Lord done! And yet the Passion of this Just One would not have been, unless unrighteous men had slain the Lord. What then? Is this good thing which to us has been granted by the Lord's Passion to be ascribed to the unjust slayers of Christ? Far be it. They willed, God permitted. They guilty would have been, even if only they had willed it: but God would not have permitted it, unless just it had been....Accordingly, my brethren, both Judas the foul traitor to Christ, and the persecutors of Christ, malignant all, ungodly all, unjust all, are to be condemned all: and nevertheless the Father His own proper Son has not spared, but for the sake of us all He has delivered Him up. Order if you are able; distinguish if you are able (these things): render to God your vows, which your lips have uttered: see what the unjust has here done, what the Just One. The one has willed, the Other has permitted: the one unjustly has willed, the Other justly has permitted. Let unjust will be condemned, just permission be glorified. For what evil thing has befallen Christ, in that Christ has died? Both evil were they that evil willed to do, and yet nothing of evil did He suffer on whom they did it. Slain was mortal flesh, slaying death by death, giving a lesson of patience, sending before an example of Resurrection. How great good things of the Just One were wrought by the evil things of the unjust! This is the great mystery of God: that even a good thing which you do He has Himself given it to you, and by your evil He does good Himself. Do not therefore wonder, God permits, and in judgment permits: He permits, and in measure, number, weight, He permits. With Him is not iniquity: do thou only belong to Him; on Himself set your hope, let Himself be your Helper, your Salvation: in Him be there the fortified place, the tower of strength, your refuge let Himself be, and He will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able to bear, but will make with the temptation also an escape, that you may be able to support it: so that His suffering you to bear temptation, be His power; His suffering not any more on you to be done than you are able to bear, be His mercy: “for power is of God, and to You, O Lord, is mercy, because You will render to each one after his works.”