A Judgement Of Evil

Παρ' ὀλίγον ἐγενόμην ἐν παντὶ κακῷ ἐν μέσῳ ἐκκλησίας καὶ συναγωγῆς. Ἦν ὅτε οὐκ ἦν κακὸν, καὶ ἔσται ὅτε οὐκ ἔσται· ἀνεξάλειπτα γὰρ τὰ σπέρματα τῆς ἀρετῆς· πείθει δέ με καὶ οὗτος παρ' ὀλίγον, καὶ οὐ τελείως ἐν παντὶ κακῷ γεγονὼς ὁ πλούσιος ἐν τῷ ᾅδῃ διὰ κακίαν κρινόμενος, καὶ οἰκτείρων τοὺς ἀδελφούς· τὸ δὲ ἐλεεῖν, σπέρμα τυγχάνει τὸ κάλλιστον τῆς ἀρετῆς. Ὠριγένης, Ἐκλογαὶ Εἰς Παροιμίας Source: Migne PG 17.173c

I was almost sunk in every evil in the assembled congregation. 1 There was a time there was no evil and there shall be a time there is not. The seeds of virtue are ineradicable. And I am almost persuaded that the rich man who is not utterly accomplished in evil is not judged to be in hell on account of his wickedness, even because he had pity on his fellow men, for to be merciful is the fairest seed of virtue. Origen, On Proverbs, Fragment 1 Prov 5.14