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of Christ; they pray for them not so that they may not harm them, but so that those ones may not be harmed. 3 For indeed all who wait for you shall not be put to shame. The word "all" is often taken in scripture for a universal negation; for we do not say that of those who wait some are put to shame, and some are not, as the particular negation teaches, which says: not all men are just. Here therefore it is instead of "no one"; no one of those who wait for you is put to shame. And indeed continually in scripture the universal negation is signified through the universal affirmation taken by transposition. But you know that the affirmation by transposition often follows the simple negation. 3 Let all who transgress without cause be put to shame. Understand "to transgress without cause" in this way: wickedness is worked in vain, not for bringing glory, not for a promise. It is without substance, it has its being in another. If, therefore, the one who has wickedness wishes to cast it off, it no longer subsists. But some again, either through ignorance or more sophistically, say that virtue also is thus, that it too has its being in another. But this is false; for it exists essentially in God, in the Trinity. And by participation in the Trinity, men have the good and the just and virtue. Even if they, therefore, should abstain from it, it exists. It exists in God, from whom they have their being virtuous. But wickedness, if it is not put into action, does not exist at all. For this reason many scriptures teach that it does not exist; from which it is concluded that there are not two contrary principles in substance, nor are some men evil by constitution, as many of the heterodox also wish, that no one is either good or evil by choice. But many absurd and impious things follow from these ideas. Look: if all who are good are such by constitution, and the wicked are so in substance, all legislation is superfluous; for the law can neither make the good man good, nor the evil man good. And with the law being superfluous, all exhortation, all encouragement, all counsel, and the rational faculty of man in general is done away with; for one who does not have choice and will is not rational. And the advent of the Savior is also superfluous. Does he make the good man good? -He is such from himself; but the evil man good? -He is not by nature able to receive a participation of the good. Therefore, the one who sins, sins in vain. For it is written in another psalm concerning the great demon himself, the devil, the cause of all wickedness: "Break the arm of the sinner and the evil one". We have often said that the names applied to the contrary power are names of choice; for he is called enemy, devil, he is named Satan, who is the adversary, sinner; and this name too is one of choice. But all these are said more of him with the article: "Behold I have given you to tread upon serpents and scorpions and upon all the power"- not of an enemy, but -"of the enemy". And: "deliver us"- not from an evil one, but -"from the evil one". And here: "Break the arm of the sinner and the evil one". Then it adds: "His sin shall be sought, and it shall not be found because of it". Because of its own nature it is not found. His sin is sought at some time and is not found, not being anywhere, not having moved to another place, but because of itself it is not found, since it does not have being in itself, except in the one who is acting. And further: "and iniquity has lied to itself". Here we speak of "lying" in the way we often say the earth "lies". Iniquity therefore lies to itself, so that it no longer exists. It lied to itself because of its own nature. Thus, then, those who transgress do so in vain, not to gain anything, but rather to be harmed. Your ways, O Lord, make known to me. Those who have not had experience of the law transgress. But now I speak concerning the written law, the law according to teaching; for those who have not received it are called lawless, as also in: "Blessed are they whose lawless deeds have been forgiven". But sin after the law is not simply called lawlessness, but transgression of the law;

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τοῦ Χριστοῦ οὐχ ἵνα μὴ βλάπτωσιν αὐτούς, εὔχονται περὶ αὐτῶν, ἀλλ' ἵν' ἐκεῖνοι μὴ βλάπτωνται. 3 καὶ γὰρ πάντες οἱ ὑπομένοντές σε οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῶσιν. τὸ "πάντες" πολλάκις ἐν τῇ γραφῇ ἀντὶ τῆς ἀποφάσεως τῆς καθόλου λαμβάνεται· οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῦτο λέγομεν ὅτι τῶν ὑπομενόντων οἱ μὲν καταισχύνονται, οἱ δὲ οὔ, ὡς διδάσκει ἡ μερικὴ ἀπόφασις ἡ λέγουσα· οὐ πάντες ἄνθρωποι δίκαιοι. ὧδε οὖν ἀντὶ τοῦ "οὐδείς"· οὐδεὶς τῶν ὑπομενόντων σε καταιςχύνεται. καὶ συνεχῶς γε ἐν τῇ γραφῇ ἡ καθόλου ἀπόφασις διὰ τῆς καθόλου καταφάσεως ἐκ μεταθέσεως λαμβανομένης σημαίνεται. οἶδας δὲ ὅτι ἡ ἐκ μεταθέσεως κατάφασις πολλάκις ἕπεται τῇ ἁπλῇ ἀποφάσει. 3 αἰσχυνθήτωσαν πάντες οἱ ἀνομοῦντες διὰ κενῆς. τὸ "διὰ κενῆς ἀνομεῖν" οὕτως ἄκουε· ἡ κακία διὰ κενῆς ἐνεργεῖται, οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ κλέος ἀγαγεῖν, οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ ἐπαγγελίαν. ἀσύνστατός ἐστιν, ἐν ἄλλῳ ἔχει τὸ εἶναι. ἐὰν οὖν ὁ ἔχων τὴν κακίαν θελήσῃ ἀποβαλεῖν αὐτήν, οὐκέτι ὑφίσταται. τινὲς δὲ πάλιν ἢ κατὰ ἄγνοιαν ἢ σοφιστικώτερον λέγουσιν ὅτι καὶ ἡ ἀρετὴ οὕτως ἔχει, ὅτι καὶ αὐτὴ ἐν ἄλλῳ ἔχει τὸ εἶναι. ψεῦδος δέ ἐστιν τοῦτο· ὑπάρχει γὰρ τῷ θεῷ οὐσιωδῶς, τῇ τριάδι. μετουσίᾳ δὲ τῆς τριάδος ἔχουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ τὸ δίκαιον καὶ τὴν ἀρετήν. κἂν αὐτοὶ οὖν ἀπόσχωνται, ἔστιν. ἐν τῷ θεῷ, ἀφ' ἧς ἔχουσιν αὐτοὶ τὸ σπουδαῖοι εἶναι, ὑπάρχει. ἡ δὲ κακία ἐὰν μὴ ἐνεργῆται, οὐδ' ὑπάρχει ὅλως. διὰ τοῦτο πολλαὶ γραφαὶ διδάσκουσιν ὅτι οὐχ ὑπάρχει· ἐξ οὗ συνάγεται μηδὲ δύο ἀρχὰς ἐναντίας εἶναι κατ' οὐσίαν μηδὲ ἐκ κατασκευῆς τινας εἶναι φαύλους ἀνθρώπους, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸ βούλονται πολλοὶ τῶν ἑτεροδόξων ὅτι οὐδεὶς προαιρέσει οὔτε ἀγαθὸς οὔτε κακός. πολλὰ δὲ τούτοις ἄτοπα ἀκολουθεῖ καὶ ἀσεβῆ. ἴδε· εἰ πάντες οἱ ὄντες ἀγα78 θοὶ ἐκ κατασκευῆς εἰσιν τοιοῦτοι, καὶ οἱ πονηροὶ κατ' οὐσίαν τυγχάνουσιν, παρέλκει πᾶσα νομοθεσία· ὁ γὰρ νόμος οὐδὲ τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἀγαθὸν δύναται ποιῆσαι οὐδὲ τὸν κακὸν ἀγαθόν. παρέλκοντος δὲ νόμου πᾶσα παραίνεσις, πᾶσα προτροπή, πᾶσα συμβουλία καὶ ὅλως ἀναιρεῖται τὸ λογικὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου· ὁ γὰρ προαίρεσιν καὶ βούλησιν μὴ ἔχων οὔκ ἐστιν λογικός. περιττὴ δέ ἐστιν καὶ ἡ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐπιδημία. τὸν ἀγα θὸν ἀγαθὸν ποιεῖ; -ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ ἐστιν τοιοῦτος· ἀλλὰ τὸν κακὸν ἀγαθόν; -οὐ πέφυκεν δέχεσθαι μετουσίαν ἀγαθοῦ. διὰ κενῆς οὖν ὁ ἁμαρτάνων ἁμαρτάνει. γέγραπται γοῦν ἐν ἄλλῳ ψαλμῷ περὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ μεγαλοδαίμονος, τοῦ διαβόλου, τοῦ πάσης κακίας αἰτίου· "σύντριψον τὸν βραχίονα τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ καὶ πονηροῦ". εἰρήκαμεν πολλάκις ὅτι τὰ κατὰ τῆς ἐναντίας δυνάμεως κείμενα ὀνόματα προαιρέσεώς εἰσιν ὀνόματα· ἐκθρὸς γοῦν λέγεται, διάβολος, ὀνομάζεται σατανᾶς, ὅς ἐστιν ἀντικείμενος, ἁμαρτωλός· καὶ τοῦτο δὲ τὸ ὄνομα προαιρέσεώς ἐστιν. μετὰ ἄρθρου δὲ πάντα μᾶλλον αὐτὸς λέγεται· "ἰδοὺ δέδωκα ὑμῖν πατεῖν ἐπάνω ὄφεων καὶ σκορπίων καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν"- οὐκ ἐχθροῦ, ἀλλά-"τοῦ ἐχθροῦ". καί· "ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς"-οὐκ ἀπὸ πονηροῦ, ἀλλά-"ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ". καὶ ἐνταῦθα· "σύντριψον τὸν βραχίονα τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ καὶ πονηροῦ". εἶτα ἐπιφέρει· "ζητηθήσεται ἡ ἁμαρτία αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐ μὴ εὑρεθῇ δι' αὐτήν". διὰ τὴν ἑαυτῆς φύσιν οὐκ εὑρίσκεται. ζητεῖται ἡ ἁμαρτία αὐτοῦ ποτε καὶ οὐκ εὑρίσκεται οὐκ οὖσά που, οὐ μεταστᾶσα εἰς ἕτερον τόπον, ἀλλὰ δι' ἑαυτὴν οὐκ εὑρίσκεται, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἔχει τὸ εἶναι καθ' ἑαυτήν, εἰ μὴ ἐν τῷ ἐνεργοῦντι. καὶ ἔτι· "καὶ ἐψεύσατο ἡ ἀδικία ἑαυτήν". ὧδε τὸ ψεύσασθαι οὕτω λέγομεν ὥς φαμεν πολλάκις ψεύδεσθαι τὴν γῆν. ψεύδεται οὖν ἡ ἀδικία ἑαυτήν, ὥστε μηκέτι ὑπάρχειν. ἑαυτὴν ἐψεύσατο διὰ τὴν φύσιν ἑαυτῆς. οὕτως οὖν οἱ ἀνομοῦντες διὰ κενῆς ἀνομοῦσιν, οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ κερδῆσαί τι, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον βλαβῆναι. τὰς ὁδούς σου, κύριε, γνώρισόν μοι ἀνομοῦσιν οἱ μὴ πεῖραν σχόντες νόμου. νῦν δὲ περὶ τοῦ γραπτοῦ, τοῦ κατὰ διδασκαλίαν νόμου λέγω· οἱ γὰρ τοῦτον μὴ λαβόντες ἄνομοι λέγονται, ὡς καὶ ἐν τῷ· "μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι". ἡ δὲ μετὰ νόμον ἁμαρτία οὐ λέγεται ἁπλῶς ἀνομία, ἀλλὰ παρανομία·