De principiis

 To one who has received instruction and has practiced the ticklings and irritations occur, but reason, having been greatly strengthened and nourished

 He speaks to us as having free will and being the cause of our own destruction or salvation for he says, or do you despise the riches of his goodnes

 Since it was possible for him to be persuaded, and he certainly would have been persuaded, not being of an earthly nature, when constrained by the won

 In the underlying matter, from the one heat the wax is melted, but the clay is dried so the one energy working through moses on the one hand exposed

 In proportion to the unspeakable beneficence, to the greatest possible degree of blessedness they have attained. 3.1.13 therefore, he who is abandoned

 Stony hearts” and places in them “fleshy ones,” so that “his ordinances may be kept” and the commandments observed, it is not in our power to put away

 From the old [testament], being accused of such things. but if they seek a defense concerning the gospel, it must be said to them, unless they act rep

 Such things, by which having been seen and heard, the sin of those who after such great and numerous things have not believed is proven to be heavier

 Therefore, that which is from god is manifoldly and exceedingly more for salvation than that which is in our power. therefore, i think the saying mean

 Of the body, according to what he has done, whether it be good or bad” is it sound, when those who have done evil things have come to this course of a

 To advance to better things, while others fall from better things to worse, and some are preserved in good things or ascend from good things to better

 Nor when the teachers were many, to be preached everywhere in the world, so that greeks and barbarians, wise and foolish were added to the worship

 “grace is poured out on his lips”? for a proof of the “grace poured out on his lips” is that after a short time of his teaching (for he taught for abo

 In the sun and moon and stars and is not so manifest in the events of human life, as in the souls and the bodies of animals, since the “for what purp

 They thought, since the creator was imperfect and not good, that the savior had come announcing a more perfect god, whom they say is not the creator,

 You did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.” 4.2.4 the way, therefore, that appears to us for how one ought to approach the scripture

 Character. but a spiritual interpretation for the one who is able to show of what “heavenly things the pattern and shadow” the jews “according to the

 Is so great upon the earth, and if not only upon the earth, but also elsewhere, it is necessary for us to learn. 4.2.8 these things, and others like t

 Like a farmer, that god 'planted a paradise in eden toward the east,' and made in it a 'tree of life,' visible and perceptible, so that by tasting of

 But also the saying “to be struck on the right jaw” is most improbable, since everyone who strikes, unless he happens to have some unnatural condition

 Every part has the spiritual, but not every part the corporeal for in many places the corporeal is shown to be impossible. therefore, much attention

 Of us.” and in another epistle: “but you have come to mount zion and to the city of the living god, the heavenly jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,

 Of israel or of those being far off, and the “descent into egypt of the seventy souls”, that there they might become “as the stars of heaven in number

Therefore, that which is from God is manifoldly and exceedingly more for salvation than that which is in our power. Therefore, I think the saying means "it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy." For if we must understand the saying "it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy" as they suppose, the commandments are superfluous, and Paul himself in vain blames some as having fallen away and approves some as having acted rightly and legislates for the churches; and in vain do we give ourselves over to "willing" better things, †and not indeed also† to "running." But not in vain does Paul give this counsel and blame these and approve those, nor in vain do we give ourselves over to willing better things and to hastening toward excellent things. Therefore, they have not understood the passage correctly. 3.1.20 In addition to these was the saying "to will and to work is of God." And some say: if to will is from God and to work is from God, then even if we will evil and even if we work evil, these have come to us from God; and if this is so, we are not free. And again, on the other hand, when willing better things and working excellent things, since to will and to work is from God, we have not done the excellent things, but though we seemed to, God granted these things; so that in this respect also we are not free. And to this it must be said that the apostle's text does not say that willing evil things is from God or that willing good things is from God, and likewise working better things and worse things, but willing in general and working in general. For just as we have from God the being living creatures and the being human beings, so also willing in general, just as if I were to say also moving in general. And just as, having by virtue of being living creatures the power of motion and, so to speak, of moving these limbs, hands or feet, we would not reasonably say that we have from God this specific motion, namely moving to strike or to kill or to take away what belongs to others, but we have received the general power of motion from God, and we ourselves use that motion for worse things or for better things; so we have received working, inasmuch as we are living creatures, from God, and we have received willing from the Creator, but we ourselves use willing either for the most beautiful things or for their opposites, and likewise with working. 3.1.21 Further, the apostolic saying will seem to draw us away from our being free, where, raising an objection to himself, he says: "Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?' But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Shall the thing formed say to him who formed it, 'Why have you made me like this?' Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?" For someone will say: if just as "the potter from the same lump makes some vessels for honor and some for dishonor," so God makes some for salvation and some for destruction, then it is not up to us whether we are saved or perish, nor are we free. But it must be said to the one who uses these arguments thus, whether he can think of the apostle as saying things that contradict himself? But I do not think that anyone will dare to say this. If, then, the apostle does not say things contrary to himself, how, according to the one who understands it thus, does he reasonably blame and find fault with the one who had committed fornication in Corinth or those who had fallen away "and had not repented of the licentiousness and incontinence which they had practiced"? And how does he bless as having done well those whom he praises, as for instance the household of Onesiphorus, saying: "May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain, but when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently and found me. May the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord in that day"? It is surely not consistent for the same apostle to censure the sinner as worthy of blame and to approve the one who has done well as praiseworthy, and then again, as if nothing were in our power, to say that it is due to the Creator's cause that one is "a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor." And how also the saying "for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done through

γοῦν σωτηρίας πολλαπλάσιόν ἐστιν εἰς ὑπερβολὴν τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐφ' ἡμῖν. διόπερ ἡγοῦμαι λέγεσθαι τὸ «οὐ τοῦ θέλοντος οὐδὲ τοῦ τρέχοντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐλεοῦντος θεοῦ». εἰ γὰρ ὡς ἐκεῖνοι ὑπολαμβάνουσι δεῖ ἐκλαμβάνειν τὸ «οὐ τοῦ θέλον τος οὐδὲ τοῦ τρέχοντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐλεοῦντος θεοῦ», περισσαὶ αἱ ἐν τολαί, καὶ μάτην αὐτὸς ὁ Παῦλος αἰτιᾶταί τινας ὡς παραπεπτωκότας καὶ ἀποδέχεταί τινας ὡς κατωρθωκότας καὶ νομοθετεῖ ταῖς ἐκκλη σίαις· εἰκῆ δὲ ἡμεῖς ἐπιδίδομεν ἑαυτοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ «θέλειν» τὰ κρείττονα, †οὐχὶ δέ γε καὶ† «τρέχειν». ἀλλ' οὐ μάτην ὁ Παῦλος τάδε συμ βουλεύει καὶ τούσδε μέμφεται καὶ τούσδε ἀποδέχεται, οὐδὲ μάτην ἡμεῖς ἐπιδίδομεν ἑαυτοὺς τῷ θέλειν τὰ κρείττονα καὶ τῷ σπεύδειν ἐπὶ τὰ διαφέροντα. οὐκ ἄρα ἐκεῖνοι καλῶς ἐξειλήφασι τὰ κατὰ τὸν τόπον. 3.1.20 Πρὸς τούτοις ἦν «τὸ θέλειν καὶ τὸ ἐνεργεῖν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστι». καί φασί τινες· εἰ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ θέλειν καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ ἐνεργεῖν, κἂν κακῶς θέλωμεν κἂν κακῶς ἐνεργῶμεν, ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ταῦθ' ἡμῖν ὑπῆρξεν· εἰ δὲ τοῦτο, οὔκ ἐσμεν αὐτεξούσιοι. πάλιν τε αὖ κρείττονα θέλοντες καὶ τὰ διαφέροντα ἐνεργοῦντες, ἐπεὶ ἀπὸ θεοῦ τὸ θέλειν καὶ τὸ ἐνεργεῖν ἐστιν, οὐχ ἡμεῖς τὰ διαφέροντα πεποιήκαμεν, ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς μὲν ἐδόξαμεν, ὁ δὲ θεὸς ταῦτα ἐδωρήσατο· ὥστε καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο οὔκ ἐσμεν αὐτεξούσιοι. καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο δὲ λεκτέον ὅτι ἡ τοῦ ἀποστόλου λέξις οὔ φησι τὸ θέλειν τὰ κακὰ ἐκ θεοῦ εἶναι ἢ τὸ θέλειν τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐκ θεοῦ εἶναι, ὁμοίως τε τὸ ἐνεργεῖν τὰ κρείττονα καὶ τὰ χείρονα, ἀλλὰ τὸ καθόλου θέλειν καὶ τὸ καθόλου ἐνεργεῖν. ὡς γὰρ ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἔχομεν τὸ εἶναι ζῷα καὶ τὸ εἶναι ἄνθρωποι, οὕτω καὶ τὸ καθόλου θέλειν, ὡσεὶ ἔλεγον καὶ τὸ καθόλου κινεῖσθαι. ὥσπερ δὲ ἔχοντες τῷ ζῷα εἶναι τὸ κινεῖσθαι καὶ φέρ' εἰπεῖν τάδε τὰ μέλη κινεῖν, χεῖρας ἢ πόδας, οὐκ ἂν εὐλόγως λέγοιμεν ἔχειν ἀπὸ θεοῦ τὸ εἰδικὸν τόδε, ἤτοι τὸ κινεῖσθαι πρὸς τὸ τύπτειν ἢ ἀναιρεῖν ἢ ἀφαιρεῖσθαι τὰ ἀλλότρια, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν γενικόν, τὸ κινεῖσθαι, ἐλάβομεν ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἡμεῖς δὲ χρώμεθα τῷ κινεῖσθαι ἐπὶ τὰ χείρονα ἢ ἐπὶ τὰ βελτίονα· οὕτως τὸ μὲν ἐνεργεῖν, ᾗ ζῷά ἐσμεν, εἰλήφαμεν ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὸ θέλειν ἐλάβομεν ἀπὸ τοῦ δημιουργοῦ, ἡμεῖς δὲ τῷ θέλειν ἢ ἐπὶ τοῖς καλ λίστοις ἢ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐναντίοις χρώμεθα, ὁμοίως καὶ τῷ ἐνεργεῖν. 3.1.21 Ἔτι πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἡμᾶς εἶναι αὐτεξουσίους δόξει τὸ ἀποστολικὸν ῥητὸν περισπᾶν, ἔνθα ἑαυτῷ ἀνθυποφέρων φησίν· «ἄρ' οὖν ὃν θέλει ἐλεεῖ, ὃν δὲ θέλει σκληρύνει. ἐρεῖς μοι οὖν· τί ἔτι μέμφεται; τῷ γὰρ βουλήματι αὐτοῦ τίς ἀνθέστηκεν; μενοῦνγε, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, σὺ τίς εἶ ὁ ἀνταποκρινόμενος τῷ θεῷ; μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι· τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως; ἢ οὐκ ἔχει ἐξουσίαν ὁ κεραμεὺς τοῦ πηλοῦ ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ φυράματος ποιῆσαι ὃ μὲν εἰς τιμὴν σκεῦος ὃ δὲ εἰς ἀτιμίαν;» ἐρεῖ γάρ τις· εἰ ὡς «ὁ κερα μεὺς ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ φυράματος ποιεῖ ἃ μὲν εἰς τιμὴν ἃ δὲ εἰς ἀτιμίαν σκεύη», οὕτως ὁ θεὸς ἃ μὲν εἰς σωτηρίαν ἃ δὲ εἰς ἀπώλειαν, οὐ παρ' ἡμᾶς τὸ σώζεσθαι ἢ ἀπόλλυσθαι γίνεται, οὐδέ ἐσμεν αὐτεξούσιοι. λεκτέον δὲ πρὸς τὸν τούτοις οὕτως χρώμενον, εἰ δύναται περὶ τοῦ ἀποστόλου νοεῖν ὡς μαχόμενα ἑαυτῷ λέγοντος; οὐχ ἡγοῦμαι δὲ ὅτι τολμήσει τις τοῦτο εἰπεῖν. εἰ τοίνυν μὴ ἐναντία ἑαυτῷ φθέγγεται ὁ ἀπόστολος, πῶς κατὰ τὸν οὕτως ἐκδεξάμενον εὐλόγως αἰτιᾶται μεμφόμενος τὸν ἐν Κορίνθῳ πεπορνευκότα ἢ τοὺς παραπεπτωκότας «καὶ μὴ μετανοήσαντας ἐπὶ τῇ ἀσελγείᾳ καὶ ἀκρασίᾳ, ᾗ ἔπραξαν»; πῶς δὲ εὐλογεῖ ὡς εὖ πεποιηκότας οὓς ἐπαινεῖ, ὥσπερ τὸν Ὀνησιφόρου οἶκον, λέγων· «δῴη ὁ κύριος ἔλεος τῷ Ὀνησιφόρου οἴκῳ, ὅτι πολ λάκις με ἀνέψυξεν καὶ τὴν ἅλυσίν μου οὐκ ἐπαισχύνθη, ἀλλὰ γενό μενος ἐν Ῥώμῃ σπουδαίως ἐζήτησέν με καὶ εὗρεν· δῴη αὐτῷ ὁ κύριος εὑρεῖν ἔλεος παρὰ κυρίου ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ»; οὐ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ ἀπόστολόν ἐστι ψέγειν ὡς ἄξιον μέμψεως τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα καὶ ἀποδέχεσθαι ὡς ἐπαινετὸν τὸν εὖ πεποιηκότα, πάλιν δ' αὖ ὡς μη δενὸς ὄντος ἐφ' ἡμῖν φάσκειν παρὰ τὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ δημιουργοῦ εἶναι «τὸ μὲν εἰς τιμὴν σκεῦος, τὸ δὲ εἰς ἀτιμίαν». πῶς δὲ καὶ τὸ «τοὺς πάντας ἡμᾶς παραστῆναι δεῖ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κομίσηται ἕκαστος τὰ διὰ