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in Achaia, and in every place your faith toward God has gone forth. What faith, then, does he hint at here? Evidently, that of knowledge; and what follows makes this clear. For we believe, he says, therefore we also speak. What do we believe? That he who raised Jesus will also raise us by his power. But why does he call it the Spirit of faith, and count it in the rank of the spiritual gifts? For if faith is a spiritual gift, and of the Spirit's donation only, and not our own right-doing, neither will the unbelieving be punished, nor the believing be praised. For such is the nature of spiritual gifts; it has no crowns, nor rewards. For it is not the right-doing of those who have received the gift, but the grace of the kindness of him who has provided it. For this reason also he commanded the disciples not to rejoice at casting out demons, and he cast out of the kingdom of heaven those who prophesied in his name and did many mighty works, since they had no confidence from their own right-doings, but wished to be saved by spiritual gifts alone. 5. If, then, faith is also such a thing, and we have contributed nothing, but the whole is of the Spirit's grace, and it has infused itself into our souls, and we shall receive no reward for these things, how then did he say, For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation? Because faith is also a right-doing of the virtue of the one who has believed. But how elsewhere does he hint at this same thing again, saying, But to the one who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, faith is reckoned as righteousness, if the whole is of the Spirit's grace? And how did he also crown the patriarch Abraham through it with countless wreaths of praise, because having passed by all present things, against hope he believed in hope? For what reason, then, does he call it the Spirit of faith? Wishing to show that to believe from the beginning is of our own right judgment, and to obey when called; but after faith has been implanted, we need the assistance of the Spirit, so that it may remain perpetually unshaken and unswerving. For neither God, nor the grace of the Spirit, precedes our own choice; but he calls, and waits for us to approach willingly and by our own choice; then, when we have approached, he then provides all his assistance. For since the devil also, after we have approached by faith, immediately enters, wishing to tear up this good root, and hastening to sow tares, and to damage the genuine and pure seeds, we then need the help of the Spirit, so that, like an industrious farmer, taking his seat in our soul, he may with much care and foresight fortify on all sides the newly-planted plant of faith. For this reason he wrote to the Thessalonians, saying, Do not quench the Spirit, showing that when the grace of the Spirit has entered, we will henceforth be invincible to the evil demon and all his schemes. For if no one can say, Jesus is Lord, except in the Holy Spirit, much more will one not be able to maintain a secure and rooted faith, except in the Holy Spirit. 6. But how shall we be able to draw upon the assistance of the Spirit, and persuade him to remain with us? 51.277 By good works and an excellent way of life. For just as the light of a lamp is sustained by oil, and when this is consumed, it too, being consumed along with it, departs; so indeed also the grace of the Spirit, when good works are present with us, and much almsgiving is poured upon the soul. remains like a flame sustained by oil; but when this is not present, it departs and withdraws; which is also what happened in the case of the five virgins. For they too, after their many toils and labors, since the

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Ἀχαΐᾳ, καὶ ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν ἡ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἐξελήλυθε. Ποίαν οὖν αἰνίσσεται ἐνταῦθα πίστιν; Εὔδηλον, ὅτι τὴν τῆς γνώσεως· καὶ δηλοῖ τὰ ἑξῆς. Πιστεύομεν γὰρ, φησὶ, διὸ καὶ λαλοῦμεν. Τί πιστεύομεν; Ὅτι ὁ ἐγείρας Ἰησοῦν, καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐγερεῖ διὰ τῆς δυνάμεως. Ἀλλὰ διὰ τί Πνεῦμα πίστεως αὐτὴν καλεῖ, καὶ εἰς τὴν τῶν χαρισμάτων καταλέγει τάξιν; Εἰ γὰρ χάρισμά ἐστιν ἡ πίστις, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος δωρεᾶς μόνον, ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡμέτερον κατόρθωμα, οὔτε οἱ ἀπιστοῦντες κολασθήσονται, οὔτε οἱ πιστεύοντες ἐπαινεθήσονται. Τοιαύτη γὰρ τῶν χαρισμάτων ἡ φύσις, οὐκ ἔχει στεφάνους, οὔτε ἀμοιβάς. Οὐ γὰρ τῶν δεξαμένων τὸ δῶρόν ἐστι κατόρθωμα, ἀλλὰ τῆς τοῦ παρεσχηκότος φιλοφροσύνης χάρισμα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἐκέλευσε μὴ χαίρειν ἐπὶ τῷ δαίμονας ἐκβάλλειν, καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ προφητεύσαντας καὶ δυνάμεις πολλὰς ποιήσαντας ἐξέβαλε τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἐπειδὴ ἀπὸ κατορθωμάτων μὲν οἰκείων οὐδεμίαν εἶχον παῤῥησίαν, ἀπὸ δὲ χαρισμάτων ἐβούλοντο σώζεσθαι μόνον. εʹ. Εἰ τοίνυν καὶ ἡ πίστις τοιοῦτόν ἐστι, καὶ οὐδὲν ἡμεῖς εἰσηνέγκαμεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ πᾶν τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματός ἐστι χάριτος, καὶ ἐκείνη ταῖς ἡμετέραις αὑτὴν ἐγκατέβαλε ψυχαῖς, καὶ οὐδένα ἀντὶ τούτων ληψόμεθα μισθὸν, πῶς οὖν ἔλεγε, Καρδίᾳ γὰρ πιστεύεται εἰς δικαιοσύνην, στόματι δὲ ὁμολογεῖται εἰς σωτηρίαν; Ὅτι καὶ τῆς τοῦ πεπιστευκότος ἀρετῆς ἐστι κατόρθωμα ἡ πίστις. Πῶς δὲ ἀλλαχοῦ τοῦτο αὐτὸ πάλιν αἰνίττεται λέγων, Τῷ δὲ μὴ ἐργαζομένῳ, πιστεύοντι δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν δικαιοῦντα τὸν ἀσεβῆ, λογίζεται ἡ πίστις εἰς δικαιοσύνην, εἰ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριτος τὸ πᾶν ἐστι; πῶς δὲ καὶ τὸν πατριάρχην Ἀβραὰμ δι' αὐτῆς μυρίοις ἀνέδησεν ἐγκωμίων στεφάνοις, ὅτι τὰ παρόντα πάντα παραδραμὼν, παρ' ἐλπίδα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι ἐπίστευσε; Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκα Πνεῦμα πίστεως αὐτὴν καλεῖ; Ἐκεῖνο δεῖξαι βουλόμενος, ὅτι τὸ μὲν παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν πιστεῦσαι, τῆς ἡμετέρας εὐγνωμοσύνης ἐστὶ, καὶ τὸ ὑπακοῦσαι κληθέντας· μετὰ δὲ τὸ καταβληθῆναι τὴν πίστιν, τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος δεόμεθα βοηθείας, ὥστε μένειν αὐτὴν διηνεκῶς ἄσειστον καὶ ἀπερίτρεπτον. Οὔτε γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς, οὔτε ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος χάρις τὴν ἡμετέραν προφθάνει προαίρεσιν· ἀλλὰ καλεῖ μὲν, ἀναμένει δὲ ὥστε ἑκόντας καὶ βουληθέντας οἴκοθεν προσελθεῖν· εἶτα, ἐπειδὰν προσέλθωμεν, τότε τὴν παρ' ἑαυτοῦ παρέχει συμμαχίαν ἅπασαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ καὶ ὁ διάβολος μετὰ τὸ τῇ πίστει προσελθεῖν ἡμᾶς, εὐθέως ἐπεισέρχεται, τὴν καλὴν ταύτην ῥίζαν ἀνασπάσαι βουλόμενος, καὶ τὰ ζιζάνια σπεῖραι ἐπειγόμενος, καὶ τοῖς γνησίοις καὶ καθαροῖς λυμήνασθαι σπέρμασι, δεόμεθα τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος βοηθείας τότε, ἵνα, καθάπερ γεωργὸς φιλόπονος, ἐγκαθεζόμενος ἡμῶν τῇ ψυχῇ, πολλῇ τῇ φειδοῖ καὶ προνοίᾳ τειχίζῃ πάντοθεν τὸ νεοπαγὲς τῆς πίστεως φυτόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο Θεσσαλονικεῦσιν ἐπέστελλε λέγων, Τὸ Πνεῦμα μὴ σβέννυτε, δηλῶν ὅτι τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριτος ἐπεισελθούσης, ἀκαταγώνιστοι τῷ πονηρῷ δαίμονι λοιπὸν καὶ ταῖς μεθοδείαις αὐτοῦ πάσαις ἐσόμεθα. Εἰ γὰρ οὐδεὶς δύναται εἰπεῖν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν, εἰ μὴ ἐν Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὴν πίστιν ἀσφαλῆ καὶ ἐῤῥιζωμένην οὐ δυνήσεται κατασχεῖν, εἰ μὴ ἐν Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ. ςʹ. Πῶς δὲ δυνησόμεθα τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐπισπάσασθαι βοήθειαν, καὶ πεῖσαι μεῖναι παρ' ἑαυτοῖς; 51.277 ∆ι' ἔργων ἀγαθῶν καὶ πολιτείας ἀρίστης. Καθάπερ γὰρ τὸ λυχνιαῖον φῶς ἐλαίῳ κατέχεται, καὶ ἀναλωθέντος τούτου κἀκεῖνο συναναλωθὲν ἄπεισιν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος χάρις, παρόντων μὲν ἡμῖν ἔργων ἀγαθῶν, καὶ ἐλεημοσύνης πολλῆς ἐπιχεομένης τῇ ψυχῇ. μένει καθάπερ ἐλαίῳ κατεχομένη ἡ φλόξ· ταύτης δὲ οὐκ οὔσης, ἄπεισι καὶ ἀναχωρεῖ· ὅπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πέντε παρθένων ἐγένετο. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖναι μετὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς πόνους καὶ τοὺς ἱδρῶτας, ἐπειδὴ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς