Many goods under one Good (Philoc. 26)
Created goods are many; the Good itself is one. Participation language keeps creatures from being confused with the Creator.
Greek
1. Πολλῆς παρὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ζητήσεως τυγχανούσης περὶ τοῦ τίνα τά ἀγαθά καὶ τίνα τὰ κακά· καί τινων μὲν ἀπροαίρετα λεγόυτων εἶναι τά ἀγαθά καὶ τὰ κακὰ, ώσπερεὶ τήν τδοντν ἀγαθόν ἀποφαινομένων, κακὸν δὲ τὼ πονηρόν· ἑτέρων δὲ ἐν μόνοις προαιρετικοῖς κατακλειόντων τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ τὰ κακὰ, καὶ τὰς μὲν ἀρετὰς καὶ τὰς κατʼ αὐτὰς πράξεις μόνας ἀγαθὰ λεγόντων, τὰς δὲ κακίας καὶ τὰς κατὰ κακίαν ἐνεργείας κακά τρίτων δὲ ὄντων τῶν μιγνύντων, καὶ ἄμα ἐν προαιρετικοῖς καὶ ἀπροαιρέτοις λεγόντων εἶναι τά ἀγαθὰ καὶ τὰ κακά· εἰκότως ὑπό τῶν πιθανοτήτων περιελκόμενοι οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν πιστευόντων φιλομαθοῦντες εἰς τὸν περὶ ἀγαθῶν τόπον λέγοιεν ἅν τό· Τίς δείξει ἡμῖν τὰ ἀγαθά; ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἐν προαιρετικοῖς ἐστὶν ἠ τῶν ἀγαθῶν φύσις, πᾶς ὁστισοῦν ἀποδεχόμενος τὸν περὶ κρίσεως τόπον ἀδιστάκτως ὁμολογήσαι ἄν· ἀγαθὸν γάρ φησιν εἶναι ἐφʼ ᾧ ἀκούσεταί τις τό· Εὖγε, ἀγαθὲ δοῦλε καὶ πιστέ· ἐπὶ ὀλίγα ἤς πιστὸς, ἐπὶ πολλῶν …
About this text
Origen’s Philocalia (Greek anthology). SERIES on this page: §§1–27 (sampled bookends).
English follows Robinson 1893 Greek. George Lewis 1911 was not used as wording. Philocalia SERIES CLOSEOUT §§1–27.
Witnesses
- Copy-text J. A. Robinson, Cambridge 1893 — Greek (Greek · Philocalia §§1–27 SERIES)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.