or rewards, just as it has happened actually in this world since God chose it.  The prayer or the good action were even then an ideal cause or condition, that is, an inclining reason able to contribute to the grace of God, or to the reward, as it now does in reality.  Since, moreover, all is wisely connected together in the world, it is clear that God, foreseeing that which would happen freely, ordered all other things on that basis beforehand, or (what is the same) he chose that possible world in [153] which everything was ordered in this fashion.

55.  This consideration demolishes at the same time what the ancients called the ‘Lazy Sophism’ ([Greek:  logos argos]) which ended in a decision to do nothing:  for (people would say) if what I ask is to happen it will happen even though I should do nothing; and if it is not to happen it will never happen, no matter what trouble I take to achieve it.  This necessity, supposedly existent in events, and detached from their causes, might be termed Fatum Mahometanum, as I have already observed above, because a similar line of reasoning, so it is said, causes the Turks not to shun places ravaged by plague.  But the answer is quite ready:  the effect being certain, the cause that shall produce it is certain also; and if the effect comes about it will be by virtue of a proportionate cause.  Thus your laziness perchance will bring it about that you will obtain naught of what you desire, and that you will fall into those misfortunes which you would by acting with care have avoided.  We see, therefore, that the connexion of causes with effects, far from causing an unendurable fatality, provides rather a means of obviating it.  There is a German proverb which says that death will ever have a cause; and nothing is so true.  You will die on that day (let us presume it is so, and that God foresees it):  yes, without doubt; but it will be because you will do what shall lead you thither.  It is likewise with the chastisements of God, which also depend upon their causes.  And it will be apposite in this connexion to quote this famous passage from St. Ambrose (in cap.  I Lucae), ’Novit Dominus mutare sententiam, si tu noveris mutare delictum’, which is not to be understood as of reprobation, but of denunciation, such as that which Jonah dealt out for God to the Ninevites.  This common saying:  ’Si non es praedestinatus, fac ut praedestineris’, must not be taken literally, its true sense being that he who has doubts of his predestination need only do what is required for him to obtain it by the grace of God.  The sophism which ends in a decision to trouble oneself over nothing will haply be useful sometimes to induce certain people to face danger fearlessly.  It has been applied in particular to Turkish soldiers:  but it seems that hashish is a more important factor than this sophism, not to mention the fact that this resolute spirit in the Turks has greatly belied itself in our days.