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being an expert in the law, if anyone ever was, writes: “Let the one who steals steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working what is good.” And to those with free will he also writes this: “Putting away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor.” 2.181 It follows to speak also of the things proclaimed by the prophets to those with free will. 2.182 Isaiah says to those held fast in sins and for this reason ignorant of the practice of praiseworthy things: “Cease from your evil ways, learn to do good.” For it is characteristic of those who have a free and unmastered choice to cease from the evil they have done and to learn to do good. To such people the Lord says through Isaiah: “Take away the evils from your souls from before my eyes,” —for I see what is hidden in you. Therefore, not in word or in appearance but in truth let the removal of evils from the hidden part of your souls be earnestly pursued. 2.183 In agreement also Jeremiah, to the soul hastening to run to wickedness, and desiring the worst drinks, commands, saying: “Turn your foot from a rough way, and your throat from thirst. But she said: I will be strong, for she has loved strangers, and after them she would go.” 2.184 A rough way is the forbidden one or the one filled with thorns; and shameful desires and licentious pleasures and “the cares of life” are the thorns, which grow especially in the paths of those not practicing virtue, according to the proverbial saying which goes thus: “The ways of the idle are strewn with thorns, but the ways of the courageous are well-trodden.” For by walking continuously and without interruption, those who have endurance and courage wear down the places they travel through, so that because of the constant wearing down, neither thorns nor thistles grow. 2.185 Although there are countless passages in all the prophets which refute the mythical impiety of those who have refashioned natures, and confirm the free will of rational beings, we must be content with what has been set forth, so that the argument, being in the nature of a commentary, may not be lengthened beyond what is necessary. 2.186 These things having been established beforehand, we must attend to the text before us which speaks of “those who have turned a provoking back and made their ears heavy that they might not hear.” For having set, it says, their heart to be disobedient so as not to hearken to the law, they fell into the sins in which they were entangled. For forbidden things do not come together suddenly and by chance for those who do not wish it, but after a very evil disposition has pre-existed, according to which they set their own heart to be disobedient; for by their own choice they did this, not with fate or any other necessity bringing this about, as the prophetic utterance itself somewhere declares, saying: “They have set their heart to be disobedient, so as not to obey my law.” 2.187 In a similar way also the invisible tyrant of the spiritual Egypt made heavy and hardened his heart, as is often said about him in Exodus. But perhaps the heart of the scorner is hardened and made heavy, having received lawlessness, which is compared to a talent of lead. The Apostle writes to the one who scorns God, who is the fount of goodness: “Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your unrepentant heart you are storing up for yourself wrath on the day of wrath.” 2.188 In this way were Pharaoh and his heart hardened. For while successive wondrous powers of him who is rich in kindness were taking place, urging, or rather compelling, him to come to a change of mind, persisting in his insolence and cruelty, the avenging spirit was hardened, his heart being weighed down by the talent of lead, which is nothing other than lawlessness, whence being called by the same name as the lead of lawlessness, “he sank like lead in the mighty water,” as is related in the song of victory over him.

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νομομαθὴς ὢν εἰ καί τις ἄλλος, γράφει· «Ὁ κλέπτων μηκέτι κλεπτέτω, μᾶλλον δὲ κοπιάτω, ἐργαζόμενος τὸ ἀγαθόν.» Ὡς πρὸς αὐτεξουσίους δὲ καὶ τόδε γράφει· «Ἀποθέμενοι τὸ ψεῦδος, λαλεῖτε ἀλήθειαν ἕκαστος πρὸς τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ.» 2.181 Ἀκόλουθον εἰπεῖν καὶ ἐκ τῶν προφητῶν κηρυττόμενα̣ πρὸς αὐτεξουσίους. 2.182 Ἠσαΐας φησὶν πρὸς τοὺς ἐνεχομένους ἁμαρτίαις καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀγνοοῦντας τὴν τῶν ἐπαινετῶν ἐνέργειαν· «Παύσασθε ἀπὸ τῶν πονηριῶν ὑμῶν, μάθετε καλὸν ποιεῖν.» Ἐλευθέραν γὰρ καὶ ἀδέσποτον προαίρεσιν ἐχόντων τὸ παύσασθαι ἀφ' ὧν ἔδρασαν κακῶς καὶ μαθεῖν ποιεῖν τὸ καλόν. Πρὸς τοὺς τοιούτους διὰ τοῦ Ἠσαΐου ὁ Κύριος λέγει· «Ἀφέλετε τὰς πονηρίας ἀπὸ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου», -ὁρῶ γὰρ τὸ κρυπτὸν ὑμῶν. ∆ιὸ μὴ λόγῳ ἢ τῷ δοκεῖν ἀλλὰ κατὰ ἀλήθειαν ἡ τῶν πονηριῶν ἀφαίρεσις ἀπὸ τοῦ κρυπτοῦ τῶν ψυχῶν σπουδαζέσθω. 2.183 Σύμφωνα καὶ ὁ Ἰερεμίας πρὸς τὴν σπεύδουσαν ψυχὴν ἐπὶ πονηρίαν τρέχειν, καὶ ὀρεγομένην τῶν χειρίστων πομάτων, προστάττει λέγων· «Ἀπόστρεψον τὸν πόδα σου ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ τραχείας, καὶ τὸν φάρυγγά σου ἀπὸ δίψους. Ἡ δὲ εἶπεν· Ἀνδριοῦμαι, ὅτι ἠγάπησεν ἀλλοτρίους καὶ ὀπίσω αὐτῶν ἐπορεύετο.» 2.184 Τραχεῖα δὲ ὁδός ἐστιν ἡ ἀπαγορευομένη ἢ ἀκανθῶν πεπληρωμένη· αἰσχραὶ δ' ἐπιθυμίαι καὶ ἀκόλαστοι ἡδοναὶ καὶ «αἱ βιωτικαὶ μέριμναί» εἰσιν αἱ ἀκάνθαι, αἵτινες φύονται μάλιστα ἐν ταῖς ἀτραποῖς τῶν μὴ ἐργαζομένων τὴν ἀρετήν, κατὰ τὸ παροιμιῶδες λόγιον ἔχον οὕτως· «Ὁδοὶ ἀεργῶν ἐστρωμέναι ἀκάνθαις, αἱ δὲ ὁδοὶ τῶν ἀνδρείων τετριμμέναι.» Συνεχῶς γὰρ καὶ ἀδιαστάτως βαδίζοντες, οἱ καρτερίαν καὶ ἀνδρείαν ἔχοντες τρίβουσιν οὓς διοδεύουσι τόπους, ὡς διὰ τὴν συνεχῆ τριβὴν μὴ ἀκάνθας, μὴ τριβόλους φύεσθαι. 2.185 Μυρίων ὄντων ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς προφήταις τῶν ἀναιρούντων τὴν μυθικὴν ἀσέβειαν τῶν τὰς φύσεις ἀναπλασαμένων, καὶ βεβαιούντων τὸ αὐτεξούσιον τῶν λογικῶν οὐσιῶν, ἀρκεστέον τοῖς ἐκτεθεῖσιν, ἵνα μὴ πέρᾳ τοῦ δέοντος μηκυνθῇ ὁ λόγος ὢν ὑπομνηματικός. 2.186 Τούτων προανυσθέντων, ἐπιστατέον τῷ προκειμένῳ λέγοντι περὶ «τῶν νῶτον δεδωκότων παραφρονοῦντα καὶ βαρυνάντων τὰ ὦτα τοῦ μὴ εἰσακούειν». Τάξαντες γάρ, φησίν, τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν ἀπειθῆ τῷ μὴ ἐπακούειν τοῦ νόμου, ὑπέπεσαν τοῖς καθειλιγμένοις ἁμαρτήμασιν. Οὐ γὰρ ἄφνω καὶ ὡς ἔτυχεν μὴ βουλομένοις συνίσταται τὰ ἀπηγορευμένα, ἀλλὰ πρὸ αὐτῶν διαθέσεως χειρίστης ὑπαρξάσης, καθ' ἣν τάττουσιν τὴν καρδίαν ἑαυτῶν ἀπειθῆ· προαιρέσει γὰρ τῇ ἑαυτῶν τοῦτ' ἔπραξαν, οὐχ εἱμαρμένης οὐδ' ἄλλης τινὸς ἀνάγκης τοῦτ' ἐπαγαγούσης, ὡς αὐτό που δηλοῖ τὸ προφητικὸν φάσκον· «Ἔταξαν τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν ἀπειθῆ τοῦ μὴ ὑπακούειν τοῦ νόμου μου.» 2.187 Παραπλησίως καὶ ὁ τῆς νοητῆς Αἰγύπτου ἀόρατος τύραννος ἐβάρυνεν καὶ ἐσκλήρυνεν τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ, ὡς ἐν Ἐξόδῳ πολλάκις εἴρηται περὶ αὐτοῦ. Τάχα δὲ σκληρύνεται ἡ καρδία τοῦ καταφρονητοῦ καὶ βαρύνεται, δεξαμένη τὴν ἀνομίαν, ταλάντῳ μολίβου παραβαλλομένην. Γράφει ὁ Ἀπόστολος πρὸς τὸν καταφρονοῦντα τοῦ Θεοῦ ὄντος πηγῆς ἀγαθότητος· «Ἢ τοῦ πλούτου τῆς χρηστότητος αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀνοχῆς καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας καταφρονεῖς, ἀγνοῶν ὅτι τὸ χρηστὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς μετάνοιάν σε ἄγει; Κατὰ δὲ τὴν σκληρότητά σου καὶ ἀμετανόητον καρδίαν θησαυρίζεις σεαυτῷ ὀργὴν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς.» 2.188 Τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ ἐσκλήρυνται Φαραὼ καὶ ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ. Ἐπαλλήλων γὰρ τεραστίων δυνάμεων τοῦ πλουτοῦντος ἐν χρηστότητι γινομένων, προτρεπομένων, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐκβιαζομένων ἥκειν εἰς μετάγνωσιν, ἐμμένων τῇ θρασύτητι καὶ ὠμότητι, ἐσκληρύνετο ὁ ἀλάστωρ, βαρουμένης τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ ταλάντου μολίβου, οὐχ ἑτέρου τῆς ἀνομίας ὄντος, ὅθεν ὁμωνύμως τῷ τῆς ἀνομίας μολίβδῳ χρηματίσας, «ἔδυσεν ὡς μόλιβος ἐν ὕδατι σφοδρῷ», ὡς φέρεται ἐν τῇ κατ' αὐτοῦ ἐπινικίῳ ᾠδῇ.