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a lie? With which one of our own wise teachers, a most theological man, agreeing, and adding something of his own, cries out to all as from some vantage point and most high watchtower: O sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? Why do you love vanity and seek after a lie? supposing life here and luxury and petty glory and lowly power and false prosperity to be something great, which belong no more to those who have them than to those who have hoped for them, 220 nor more to these than to those who have not even expected them, like dust fanned and tossed about from one to another by a whirlwind, or like smoke dispersing, and like a dream that mocks, and like a shadow that cannot be grasped, neither are they hopeless to attain for those who do not possess them when they are absent, nor are they trustworthy for those who have them when they are present. Thus, therefore, with the Savior commanding, the Prophets and Apostles preaching, and all the saints by deed and word urging us onto the most unerring path of virtue, even if few are they who travel it, and more are they who prefer the wide way that leads to destruction, the state of this divinely inspired philosophy will not be diminished by this, but, just as the sun, rising to shine on all, sends forth its rays abundantly, urging all to be enlightened, so also true philosophy, like the sun, illuminates and cherishes its lovers and shows them to be brilliant. But if some, having closed their eyes, will not to see its light, neither is the sun to be blamed for this, nor is it to be overlooked by the rest, nor indeed will the glory of its brightness be dishonored by their foolishness; but they, having deprived themselves of the light, will grope for a wall like the blind, and will fall into many pits, and will have their eyes pierced by many thorns, while the sun, standing in its own brightness, will illumine those who with unveiled face reflect its light. In the same way, indeed, the light of Christ shines richly upon all, imparting to us its radiance; 222 but each partakes according to the measure of his longing and eagerness; for the Sun of Righteousness neither deprives any of those who wish to gaze upon it, nor does it force those who willingly choose the darkness; but each is left to his own free choice, as long as he is in the present life. And when Joasaph asked, ‘What is free will and what is choice?’ the old man said: Free will is the volition of a rational soul, moving without hindrance toward whatever it may wish, whether virtue or vice, having been so made by the Creator. Again, free will is the self-determining movement of an intelligent soul. Choice, on the other hand, is a deliberative desire for things in our power, or a desiring deliberation for things in our power; for what is preferred from deliberation, we long for in making our choice. And deliberation is an inquisitive desire that arises concerning practical matters within our power; for one deliberates whether he ought to pursue the matter or not. Then he judges what is better, and a judgment is made. Then he is disposed toward and loves what has been judged from the deliberation, and it is called an opinion; for if he judges, and is not disposed toward what has been judged, that is, does not love it, it is not called an opinion. Then after the disposition comes choice, that is, a selection; for choice is, when two things are set forth, to take the one and select it before the other. And this is clear, that choice is deliberation with a judgment, even from its etymology; for that which is to be chosen is that which is to be taken before the other; and no one prefers something without having deliberated, nor chooses 224 without having preferred. For since we are not eager to put into action all things that seem good to us, then what has been preferred from deliberation becomes a choice and an object of choice, when desire is added to it. And so

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ψεῦδος; ὅτῳ τις καὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων σοφῶν διδασκάλων, θεολογικώτατος ἀνήρ, συνᾴδων, καί τινα παρ' ἑαυτοῦ προστιθείς, ἐκβοᾷ πᾶσιν ὡς ἐξ ἀπόπτου τινὸς καὶ ὑψηλοτάτης περιωπῆς· Υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἕως πότε βαρυκάρδιοι; ἱνατί ἀγαπᾶτε ματαιότητα καὶ ζητεῖτε ψεῦδος; μέγα τι τὸν ἐνταῦθα βίον καὶ τὴν τρυφὴν καὶ τὸ μικρὸν δοξάριον καὶ τὴν ταπεινὴν δυναστείαν καὶ τὴν ψευδομένην εὐημερίαν ὑπολαμβάνοντες, ἃ μὴ τῶν ἐχόντων μᾶλλον ἐστὶν ἢ τῶν ἐλπισάντων, 220 οὐδὲ τούτων μᾶλλον ἢ τῶν οὐδὲ προσδοκησάντων, ὥσπερ χοῦς ὑπὸ λαίλαπος ἄλλοτε εἰς ἄλλους ῥιπιζόμενα καὶ μεταρριπτούμενα, ἢ ὥσπερ καπνὸς διαρρέοντα, καὶ ὡς ὄναρ παίζοντα, καὶ ὡς σκιὰ μὴ κρατούμενα, οὔτε ἀπόντα δυσέλπιστα τοῖς οὐ κεκτημένοις, οὔτε παρόντα πιστὰ τοῖς ἔχουσιν. Οὕτως οὖν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐντελλομένου, τῶν Προφητῶν τε καὶ Ἀποστόλων κηρυττόντων, καὶ τῶν ἁγίων πάντων ἔργῳ τε καὶ λόγῳ εἰς τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς συνωθούντων ἡμᾶς ἀπλανεστάτην ὁδόν, κἂν ὀλίγοι οἱ ταύτην ὁδεύοντες, πλείους δὲ οἱ τὴν εὐρύχωρον καὶ πρὸς ἀπώλειαν ἄγουσαν προκρίνοντες, οὐκ ἐκ τούτου ἡ πολιτεία τῆς ἐνθέου ταύτης κατασμικρυνθήσεται φιλοσοφίας, ἀλλά, καθάπερ ὁ ἥλιος, εἰς φαῦσιν πᾶσιν ἀνατέλλων, ἀφθόνως αὑτοῦ τὰς ἀκτῖνας προπέμπει πάντας φωτίζεσθαι προτρεπόμενος, οὕτω καὶ ἡ ἀληθὴς φιλοσοφία τοὺς αὐτῆς ἐραστὰς ἡλίου δίκην φωταγωγεῖ καὶ περιθάλπει καὶ λαμπροὺς ἀποδείκνυσιν. εἰ δέ τινες, μύσαντες τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς, κατιδεῖν αὐτοῦ τὸ φέγγος οὐ θελήσουσιν, οὔτε μεμπτέος παρὰ τοῦτο ὁ ἥλιος οὔτε τοῖς λοιποῖς παροπτέος, οὔτε μὴν ἡ δόξα τῆς αὐτοῦ λαμπρότητος διὰ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀτιμασθήσεται ἀβελτηρίας· ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι μὲν τοῦ φωτὸς ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστερήσαντες ὡς τυφλοὶ ψηλαφήσουσι τοῖχον, πολλοῖς δὲ ἐμπεσοῦνται βόθροις, καὶ πολλαῖς ἐκκεντηθήσονται τὰς ὄψεις ἀκάνθαις, ὁ δὲ ἥλιος ἐπὶ τῆς ἰδίας ἱστάμενος λαμπρότητος φωτιεῖ τοὺς ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὸ φέγγος αὐτοῦ κατοπτριζομένους. τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον καὶ τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ φῶς φαίνει μὲν πᾶσι πλουσίως, μεταδιδὸν ἡμῖν τῆς αὐτοῦ λαμπηδόνος· 222 μετέχει δὲ ἕκαστος καθ' ὅσον ἐφέσεως ἔχει καὶ προθυμίας· οὔτε γὰρ ἀποστερεῖ τινα τῶν βουλομένων αὐτῷ ἐνατενίζειν ὁ ἥλιος τῆς δικαιοσύνης, οὔτε μὴν βιάζεται τοὺς ἑκουσίως τὸ σκότος ἐκλεγομένους· ἀλλὰ τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἕκαστος ἐφεῖται αὐτεξουσίῳ προαιρέσει, ἕως ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ ἐστί. Τοῦ δὲ Ἰωάσαφ πυθομένου Τί τὸ αὐτεξούσιον καὶ τί προαίρεσις, φησὶν ὁ γέρων· Αὐτεξουσιότης μέν ἐστι ψυχῆς λογικῆς θέλησις, ἀκωλύτως κινουμένη πρὸς ὅπερ ἂν βούλοιτο, εἴτε ἀρετὴν εἴτε κακίαν, οὕτως ὑπὸ τοῦ ∆ημιουργοῦ γενομένης. αὐτεξουσιότης αὖθίς ἐστι νοερᾶς ψυχῆς κίνησις αὐτοκρατής. προαίρεσις δέ ἐστιν ὄρεξις βουλευτικὴ τῶν ἐφ' ἡμῖν, ἢ βούλευσις ὀρεκτικὴ τῶν ἐφ' ἡμῖν· τοῦ γὰρ προκριθέντος ἐκ τῆς βουλῆς ἐφιέμεθα προαιρούμενοι. βουλὴ δέ ἐστιν ὄρεξις ζητητικὴ περὶ τῶν ἐφ' ἡμῖν πρακτικῶν γινομένη· βουλεύεται γάρ τις, εἰ ὤφειλε μετελθεῖν τὸ πρᾶγμα ἢ οὔ. εἶτα κρίνει τὸ κρεῖττον, καὶ γίνεται κρίσις. εἶτα διατίθεται καὶ ἀγαπᾷ τὸ ἐκ τῆς βουλῆς κριθέν, καὶ λέγεται γνώμη· ἐὰν γὰρ κρίνῃ, καὶ μὴ διατεθῇ πρὸς τὸ κριθέν, ἤγουν ἀγαπήσῃ αὐτό, οὐ λέγεται γνώμη. εἶτα μετὰ τὴν διάθεσιν γίνεται προαίρεσις, ἤγουν ἐπιλογή· προαίρεσις γάρ ἐστι δύο προκειμένων τὸ ἓν αἱρεῖσθαι καὶ ἐκλέγεσθαι τοῦτο πρὸ τοῦ ἑτέρου. καὶ τοῦτο φανερόν, ὅτι βουλή ἐστι μετ' ἐπικρίσεως ἡ προαίρεσις, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς ἐτυμολογίας· προαιρετὸν γάρ ἐστι τὸ ἕτερον πρὸ τοῦ ἑτέρου αἱρετόν· οὐδεὶς δὲ προκρίνει τι μὴ βουλευσάμενος, οὐδὲ προαιρεῖ 224 ται μὴ προκρίνας. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐ πάντα τὰ δόξαντα ἡμῖν εὖ ἔχειν εἰς ἔργον ἀγαγεῖν προθυμούμεθα, τότε προαίρεσις καὶ προαιρετὸν γίνεται τὸ προκριθὲν ἐκ τῆς βουλῆς, ὅταν προσλάβῃ τὴν ὄρεξιν. καὶ οὕτω