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Free will. The soul immediately shows its royal and exalted nature, far removed from private lowliness, by the fact that it is without a master and has free will, being governed autocratically by its own wishes. For whose is this, if not a king's? Let us love the blessing, and flee the curse. For it is in our power to choose either, according to what we are inclined toward in our zeal. God does not speak to us directly about everything. For since He wants us to be good willingly, it is not because of His inability—far from it!—but because of our weakness. For it is possible for Him only to nod, or rather, to do whatever He wishes. But we, having once become masters of ourselves, do not endure to obey Him in all things. But if He should draw us unwillingly, He will take away what He gave, the freedom of our power. Knowing that both the will and the race are in us, and through the will and the race we may draw God to our aid; and having drawn Him, we will come to the end of the matter; let us arise, therefore, brothers, and show all diligence in the salvation of our soul, so that having labored a little while here, we may enjoy immortal goods in the ageless and immortal age. When God formed man in the beginning, He suspended his nature from his will, having given one commandment as a test; for if he kept it, He made it that he would obtain an immortal lot, but if he transgressed it, the opposite. To man belongs choice, as to one who is free; to God belongs the giving, as to the Lord; and He gives to those who are willing and exceedingly diligent and in need, so that in this way salvation may become his own. For God does not compel; for violence is hateful to God; but He provides for those who seek, and grants to those who ask, and opens to those who knock. God breathes together with willing souls. But if they should fall away from their eagerness, the spirit given by God is also withdrawn. God made man free and with free will, so that what he did to himself through negligence and disobedience, God might grant him this at least through philanthropy and mercy, when man obeys Him. For just as man, by disobeying, brought death upon himself, so by obeying the will of God, he is able to obtain for himself eternal life. For God has given us holy commandments, which everyone who does them is able to be saved, 95.1113 and having obtained resurrection will inherit incorruptibility. It would be in you both to enjoy light and to live together with darkness. Before the first-formed man transgressed and broke the covenant, he had all the beasts tame, doing him no harm at all. I am the door, the Lord has said. The treasures of wisdom and knowledge are therefore hidden inside the door. Some say concerning man, all the good and evil things he must do. Therefore many, falling into evil things through the evil one, say: "Woe to his star!"; and again, that men die according to what is given; either in the river, or from a cliff, or in whatever manner. And saying this foolishness, they sin. For God gave man a choice with free will, and showed him the way of light and of darkness. He speaks of the gain and the loss through the prophet Isaiah: "If you are willing and obey me, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you are not willing and do not obey me," I do not compel. For what happens by compulsion has no gain. I have not set boundaries; I have not appointed good or evil for you. For if He had commanded me to commit murder, or fornication obviously, I would have done them; for it is not possible to speak against His command. Or who judges me for keeping His commandments? God is never a willer of evil for men. For the trials that come upon men are from the evil one; as the Apostle says: "Let no one when tempted say, 'I am tempted by God.' For God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself tempts no one."

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αὐτεξούσιον. Ἡ ψυχὴ τὸ βασιλικόν τε καὶ ἐπηρμένον αὐτόθεν δείκνυσι, πόῤῥω τῆς ἰδιωτικῆς ταπεινότητος κεχωρισμένον, ἐκ τοῦ ἀδέσποτον αὐτὴν εἶναι καὶ αὐτεξούσιον, ἰδίοις θελήμασιν αὐτοκρατορικῶς διοικουμένην. Τίνος γὰρ τοῦτο, εἰ οὐχὶ βασιλέως ἐστίν; Ἀγαπήσωμεν τὴν εὐλογίαν, καὶ φύγωμεν τὴν κατάραν. Ἐφ' ἡμῖν γάρ ἐστιν ἑλέσθαι κατ' ἐξουσίαν ἑκάτερον, πρὸς ὅπερ ἐν τῇ προθυμίᾳ ῥέψωμεν. Οὐ πάντα ἡμῖν ἐξ εὐθείας ὁμιλεῖ ὁ Θεός. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἑκόντας βούλεται εἶναι καλοὺς, οὐ διὰ τὸ αὐτοῦ ἀδύνατον· ἄπαγε· ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ἀσθενὲς τὸ ἡμέτερον. Αὐτῷ γὰρ ἔξεστι νεῦσαι μόνον, μᾶλλον δὲ ποιῆσαι ἅπερ ἂν βούλεται. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἅπαξ ἑαυτῶν γενόμενοι κύριοι, οὐκ ἀνεχόμεθα πάντα ὑπακούειν αὐτῷ. Ἐὰν δὲ ἄκοντας ἑλκύσῃ, ὅπερ ἔδωκεν ἀφαιρήσεται, τὴν τῆς ἐξουσίας ἐλευθερίαν. Εἰδότες, ὅτι καὶ τὸ θέλειν, καὶ τὸ τρέχειν ἐν ἡμῖν ἐστιν, καὶ διὰ τοῦ θέλειν καὶ τοῦ τρέχειν, τὸν Θεὸν ἐπισπασώμεθα πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν βοήθειαν· ἐπισπασάμενοι δὲ αὐτὸν, πρὸς τὸ τέλος ἥξομεν τῶν πραγμάτων· διανιστῶμεν οὖν, ἀδελφοὶ, καὶ πᾶσαν σπουδὴν ἐπιδειξώμεθα ἐν τῇ τῆς ψυχῆς σωτηρίᾳ τῆς ἡμετέρας, ἵνα μικρὸν ἐνταῦθα πονέσαντες χρόνον, κατὰ τὸν ἀγήρω καὶ ἀθάνατον αἰῶνα τῶν ἀθανάτων ἀπολαύσωμεν ἀγαθῶν. Πλάσας ὁ Θεὸς κατ' ἀρχὰς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, τῆς γνώμης αὐτοῦ τὰ τῆς φύσεως ἀπῃώρησεν, ἐντολὴν μίαν ποιησάμενος τὴν διὰ πεῖραν· φυλάξαντα μὲν γὰρ ταύτην, τῆς ἀθανάτου λήξεως πεποίηκεν ἔσεσθαι· παραβάντα δὲ, τῆς ἐναντίας. Ἐπὶ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ μὲν αἵρεσις ὡς ἐλευθέρῳ· ἐπὶ Θεῷ ἡ δόσις ὡς Κυρίῳ· δίδωσι δὲ βουλομένοις καὶ ὑπερεσπουδακόσι καὶ δεομένοις, ἵνα οὕτως ἴδιον αὐτοῦ ἡ σωτηρία γένηται. Οὐ γὰρ ἀναγκάζει ὁ Θεός· βία γὰρ ἐχθρὸν Θεῷ· ἀλλὰ τοῖς ζητοῦσι πορίζει, καὶ τοῖς αἰτοῦσι παρέχει, καὶ τοῖς κρούουσιν ἀνοίγει. Βουλομέναις μὲν ὁ Θεὸς ταῖς ψυχαῖς συνεπιπνεῖ. Εἰ δὲ ἀποσταῖεν τῆς προθυμίας, καὶ τὸ δοθὲν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ πνεῦμα συνεστάλη. Ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐλεύθερον καὶ αὐτεξούσιον, ἵνα ὃ ἑαυτῷ ἐποίησεν δι' ἀμελείας καὶ παρακοῆς, τοῦτο αὐτῷ γοῦν ὁ Θεὸς δωρῆται διὰ φιλανθρωπίας καὶ ἐλεημοσύνης, ὑπακούοντος αὐτῷ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Καθάπερ γὰρ παρακούσας ὁ ἄνθρωπος, θάνατον ἑαυτῷ ἐπεσπάσατο, οὕτως ὑπακούων τῷ βουλήματι τοῦ Θεοῦ, δύναται περιποιήσασθαι ἑαυτῷ τὴν αἰώνιον ζωήν. ∆έδωκε γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς ἐντολὰς ἁγίας, ἃς πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν, δύναται σωθῆναι, 95.1113 καὶ ἀναστάσεως τυχὼν κληρονομήσει τὴν ἀφθαρσίαν. Ἐν σοὶ ἂν εἴη καὶ φωτὸς ἀπολαύειν, καὶ ζόφῳ συνδιαιτᾶσθαι. Πρὶν παρέβη, καὶ ἠθέτησε ὁ πρωτόπλαστος ἄνθρωπος, χειροήθη εἶχεν πάντα τὰ θηρία, μηδὲν αὐτὸν ἀδικοῦντα παντελῶς. Ἐγὼ εἰμὶ ἡ θύρα, εἴρηκεν ὁ Κύριος. Οἱ θησαυροὶ οὖν τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῆς γνώσεως ἔνδον τῆς θύρας κεκρυμμένοι τυγχάνουσι. Λέγουσί τινες περὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ὅσα δεῖ αὐτὸν ποιῆσαι ἀγαθὰ καὶ πονηρά. Πολλοὶ οὖν ἐμπίπτοντες διὰ τοῦ πονηροῦ εἰς κακὰ, λέγουσιν· Οὐαὶ τῷ ἄστρῳ αὐτοῦ· καὶ πάλιν, ὅτι κατὰ τὸ δοτὸν ἀποθνήσκουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι· ἢ ἐν τῷ ποταμῷ, ἢ ἐν κρημνῷ, ἢ οἱῳδήποτε τρόπῳ. Καὶ τοῦτο ματαιολογοῦντες ἁμαρτάνουσιν. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς αὐτεξούσιον ἔδωκε τὴν προαίρεσιν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, καὶ ὑπέδειξεν αὐτῷ τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ φωτὸς καὶ τοῦ σκότους. Τὸ κέρδος καὶ τὴν ζημίαν λέγει διὰ τοῦ προφήτου Ἡσαΐου· Ἐὰν θέλητε, καὶ εἰσακούσητέ μου, τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῆς γῆς φάγεσθε· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ θέλητε, μηδὲ εἰσακούσητέ μου, ἐγὼ οὐκ ἀναγκάζω. Τὸ γὰρ ἐξ ἀνάγκης γινόμενον κέρδος οὐκ ἔχει. Ἐγὼ ὅρους οὐκ ἐπέθηκα· οὐκ ἔταξα ἐπὶ σὲ καλὰ ἢ κακά. Ἐπεὶ εἰ ἐνετείλατό μοι φόνον, ἢ πορνείαν δηλονότι, ποιῆσαι αὐτὰ εἶχον· τὸ γὰρ προστάγματι αὐτοῦ ἀντειπεῖν οὐ δυνατόν. Ἢ τίς κρίνει με τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηροῦντα; οὐδέποτε ὁ Θεὸς θελητής ἐστι κακοῦ ἀνθρώπων. Τὰ γὰρ πειρατήρια τὰ ἐπερχόμενα τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ εἰσιν· τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος· Μηδεὶς πειραζόμενος λεγέτω, ὅτι Ἀπὸ Θεοῦ πειράζομαι. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς ἀπείραστός ἐστι κακῶν· πειράζει δὲ αὐτὸς οὐδένα.