NPNF2-08. Basil: Letters and Select Works - Holy Bible Institute

Homiletical.ye gave me meat: I was thirsty and ye gave me drink:…I was naked and ye clothed me.’ 586What shuddering, what sweat, what darkness will be shed round thee, as thou hearest thewords of condemnation!—‘Depart from me, ye cursed, into outer darkness prepared forthe devil and his angels: for I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty andye gave me no drink:…I was naked and ye clothed me not.’ 587 I have told thee what I havethought profitable. To thee now it is clear and plain what are the good things promised forthee if thou obey. If thou disobey, for thee the threat is written. I pray that thou mayestchange to a better mind and thus escape its peril. In this way thy own wealth will be thyredemption. Thus thou mayest advance to the heavenly blessings prepared for thee by thegrave of Him who hath called us all into His own kingdom, to Whom be glory and mightfor ever and ever. Amen.”Homily IX. is a demonstration that God is not the Author of Evil. It has been conjecturedthat it was delivered shortly after some such public calamity as the destruction of Nicæa in368. St. Basil naturally touches on passages which have from time to time caused someperplexity on this subject. He asks 588 if God is not the Author of evil, how is it said “I formthe light and create darkness, I make peace and create evil,” 589 and again, “The evil camedown from the Lord unto the gate of Jerusalem,” 590 and again, “Shall there be evil in a cityand the Lord hath not done it,” 591 and in the great song of Moses, “See now that I, even I,am he and there is no god with me: I kill and I make alive, I wound and I heal”? 592 But toany one who understands the meaning of Scripture no one of these passages accuses Godof being the Cause and Creator of evil. He who uses the words, “I form the light and createdarkness,” describes Himself not as Creator of any evil, but as Demiurge of creation. “It islest thou shouldst suppose that there is one cause of light and another of darkness that Hedescribed Himself as being Creator and Artificer of parts of creation which seem to be mutuallyopposed. It is to prevent thy seeking one Demiurge of fire, another of water, one ofair and another of earth, these seeming to have a kind of mutual opposition and contrariety586 Matt. xxv. 34.587 Matt. xxv. 41. With the variation of “outer darkness” for “everlasting fire” and the omission of the clauseabout strangers. In this passage, it is not a robber who is accused; the condemnation falls upon him who hasnot shared what he has.588 § 4.589 Is. xiv. 7.590 Micah i. 12.591 Amos iii. 6.592 Deut. xxxii. 39.100