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you have set mercy by me". And through the fact that he has established life, he signifies what is proper to creation, and through mercy, providential grace. For since it happens that such a life also endures plotting, there is need of mercy, for which reason it is said: "life and mercy you have set by me." For God creates not according to debt, but according to mercy and goodness; for to have gifted life to susceptible matter has happened by mercy rather than by anything else. And what follows makes the things concerning providence and its care even clearer, saying: "and your visitation has guarded my spirit," calling the soul spirit. For although spirit signifies many things, yet now it denotes the soul; for when James says: "just as the body without the spirit is dead," and Stephen, addressing God and saying: "Lord, receive my spirit," he means the soul. Having these things in yourself I know that you can do all things; and nothing is impossible for you. God does not have from outside the things He is said to have; for everything that He is, He is, being simple and uncompounded, not receiving anything from without; for He is without need. For both creator and good and light and everything, if anything is correctly theologized, belongs to Him by essence. But one must listen faithfully and prudently to "you can do all things," lest we fall into the folly of the Docetists. And what is said is clear if we use a distinction thus: of powers, some are active, and some are passive. And active are those by which we do things, and passive are those by which we become things, which also ... toward the actions. If, then, God is said to be able to do all things, one must not attribute to Him also the passive powers; for it is not possible to say that He becomes something else—for powers according to potentiality do not belong to Him—nor must it be said that He is able to lie or to change or to deny Himself. Therefore, I say that what is fitting for God is possible for Him. For some, among whom are Porphyry and the like, argue sophistically that if all things are possible for God, then also to lie, and if all things are possible for the faithful, he is able also to make a couch and to make a man. But this is not what is meant, but just as, if it is said all things are possible for the physician, I speak concerning medicine, and all things are possible for the pilot, I mean the things fitting to his art, so if I say all things are possible for God or for the faithful, I mean this, that what is fitting for God is possible for God, and what is fitting for the faithful, the faithful is able to do. And these are the things accomplished through faith. And that scripture also knows this, it says concerning God: "if we deny Him, He remains faithful. For He cannot deny Himself." And again: "in which things it is impossible for God to lie." Likewise and with understanding, "and nothing is impossible for you" must be taken, which can be understood in parallel with what was previously said according to what is stated in the Gospel: "all things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made." But consider if it is also fitting to understand it thus: evil is «non-»being. At any rate, those who partake of it are called non-beings: "For do not hand over your scepter to those who are not." It is also said: "who calls the things that are not as though they were," "that He might bring to nothing the things that are"—that he may be saying this: non-being and evil are «im»possible for you; for to sin is proper to the mutable. For if I sin, you will guard me; but from iniquity you have not made me innocent. He says this reasonably; for since he knows Him to be creator and provider for himself and for all things, he consequently also teaches concerning His long-suffering. For he himself also knows according to the blessed David, that "He does not bring on wrath every day." And God guards the sinner, not wishing him to sin—"for He does not desire the death of the sinner, so much as his repentance"—but so that by giving a law that forbids sinning, he who practices it may hate evil. And he also gently rebukes his friends who think that he suffers because of sin, teaching them that God does not repay at the same time as the sinning, so that they too may reckon this from their own circumstances. And he also teaches the mutable nature of men through "but from

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ἔλεον ἔθου παρ' ἐμοῦ". καὶ διὰ μὲν τοῦ ζω279 ὴν τεθηκέναι τὸ τῆς δημιουργίας οἰκεῖον σημαίνει, διὰ δὲ τοῦ ἐλέου τὴν προνοητικὴν χάριν. ἐπεὶ γὰρ συμβαίνει καὶ ἐπιβουλὴν ὑπομείνειν τὴν ζωὴν τὴν το̣ιαύτην, ἐλέου χρεία, δι' ὅπερ εἴρηται· "ζωὴν καὶ ἔλεον ἔθου παρ' ἐμοῦ." οὐ γὰρ κατὰ χρέος, ἀλλὰ κατ' ἔλεον καὶ ἀγαθότητα δημιουρ γεῖ θεός· τὸ γὰρ εὐπαθεῖ ὕλ̣ῃ̣ ζ̣ω̣ὴν δωρήσασθαι ἐλέῳ μᾶλλον ἢ ἑτέρῳ τινὶ γέγονεν. ἔτι δὲ σ̣αφέστερον τὰ περὶ τῆς προνοίας καὶ κηδεμονίας αὐτῆς τὸ ἑξῆς δηλοῖ φάσκον· "ἡ δὲ ἐπισκοπή σου ἐφύλαξέν μου τὸ πνεῦμα", πνεῦμα λέγων τὴν ψυχήν. εἰ γὰρ καὶ πολλὰ σημαίνει τὸ πνεῦμα, ἀλλὰ νῦν τὴν ψυχὴν δηλοῖ· ἐὰν γὰρ λέγῃ Ἰάκωβος· "ὥσπερ τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος νεκρόν ἐστιν", καὶ Στέφανος ἐντυγχάνων τῷ θεῷ καὶ λέγων· "κύριε, δέξαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου", τὴν ψυχὴν σημαίνει. ταῦτα ἔχων ἐν σεαυτῷ οἶδα ὅτι πάντα δύνασαι· ἀδυνατεῖ δέ σοι οὐδέν. οὐκ ἔξωθεν ὁ θεὸς ἔχει, ἃ ἔχειν λέγεται· πᾶν γάρ, ὅ ἐστιν, ἁπλοῦς ὤν ἐστιν καὶ ἀσύνθεντος ὑπάρχων, οὐ προσλαμβάνων ἔξωθέν τι· ἀπροσδεὴς γάρ. καὶ γὰρ δημιουργὸς καὶ ἀγαθὸς καὶ φῶς καὶ πᾶν, εἴ τι ὀρθῶς θεολογεῖται, κατ' οὐσίαν αὐτῷ πρόσ280 εστιν. πιστῶς δὲ καὶ φ̣ρονίμως ἀκουστέον τοῦ "πάντα δύνασαι", ἵνα μὴ ὑποπέσωμεν τῇ τῶν δοκητῶν ἀνοίᾳ. ἔστιν δὲ σαφὲς τὸ λεγόμενον διαιρέσει χρησαμένοις οὕτως· τῶν δυνάμεων αἱ μέν εἰσιν ἐνεργητικαί, αἱ δὲ παθητικαί. καὶ ἐνεργητικαὶ μέν εἰσιν, καθ' ἃς ποιοῦμεν, παθητικαὶ δέ, καθ' ἃς γινόμεθα, αἱ καὶ ·····λ̣ουσα̣ι πρὸς τὰς ἐνεργείας. ε᾿̣ὰν οὖν λέγηται ὁ θεὸς πάντα δύνασθαι, οὐ δεῖ προσάπτειν αὐτῷ καὶ τὰς παθητικὰς δυνάμεις· οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε εἰπεῖν αὐτὸν γενέσθαι ἄλλο τι-οὐ γὰρ ὑπάρχουσιν αὐτῶι αἱ κατ' ἐπιτηδειότητα δυνάμεις-οὐδὲ λεκτέον, ὅτι δύναται ψεύδεσθαι ἢ μεταβάλλεσθαι ἢ ἀρνήσασθαι ἑαυτόν. ἃ ἁρμόζει οὖν θεῷ, δυνατὰ αὐτῷ λέγω. σοφίζονται γάρ τινες, ὧν ἐστι καὶ Πορφύριος καὶ ὅμοιοι, ὅτι εἰ πάντα δυνατὰ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ τὸ ψεύσασθαι, καὶ εἰ πάντα δυνατὰ τῷ πιστῷ, δύναται καὶ κλίνην ποιῆσαι καὶ ἄνθρωπον ποιῆσαι. οὐ τοῦτο δὲ σημαίνεται, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ, ἐὰν λέγηται πάντα δυνατὰ τῷ ἰατρῷ, περὶ ἰατρικῆς λέγω, καὶ πάντα δυνα τὰ τῷ κυβερνήτῃ, τὰ ἁρμόζοντα τῇ τέχνῃ αὐτοῦ φημι, οὕτως ἐὰν λέγω πάντα δυνατὰ τῷ θεῷ ἢ 281 τῷ πιστῷ, τοῦτο λέγω, ὅτι ἃ ἁρμόζει θεῷ θεῷ δυνατά, καὶ ἃ ἁρμόζει πιστῷ δύναται πιστός. ταῦτα δέ ἐστιν τὰ διὰ πίστεως κατορθούμενα. ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἡ γραφὴ τοῦτο οἶδεν, φησὶν περὶ θεοῦ· "εἰ ἀρνησόμεθα, αὐτὸς πιστὸς μένει. ἀρνήσασθαι γὰρ ἑαυτὸν οὐ δύναται." καὶ πάλιν· "ἐν οἷς ἀδυνατὸν ψεύσασθαι τὸν θεόν." ὡσα̣υ´̣τως δὲ καὶ μετὰ συ̣νέσ̣εως τὸ "ἀδυνατεῖ δέ σοι οὐδὲν" ἐκλημπτέον, ὅπερ ἐκ παραλλήλου οἷόν τε νοῆσαι τῷ φθάσαντι κατὰ τὸ λεχθὲν ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ· "πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδέν." συνεπίσκεψαι δέ, εἰ καὶ οὕτως αὐτὸ νοῆσαι προσήκει· ἡ κακία «μὴ» ὄν ἐστιν ἀμέλει γοῦν οἱ μετέχοντες αὐτῆς μὴ ὄντες λέγονται· "μὴ παραδῷς γὰρ τὸ σκῆπτρόν σου τοῖς μὴ οὖσιν." εἴρηται καί· "ὁ καλῶν τὰ μὴ ὄντα ὡς ὄντα", "ἵνα τὰ ὄντα καταργήσῃ"-ἵν' ᾖ τοῦτο λέγων· τὸ μὴ ὂν καὶ ἡ κακία «ἀ»δυνατεῖ σοι· τρεπτοῦ γὰρ τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν οἰκεῖον. ἐάν τε γὰρ ἁμάρτω, φυλάξεις με· ἀπὸ δὲ ἀνομίας οὐκ ἀθῷόν με πεποίηκας. εἰκότως τοῦτο λέγει· ἐπεὶ γὰρ δημιουργὸν καὶ προνοητὴν ἑαυτοῦ τε καὶ τῶν ὅλων οἶδε_6_ν_ _α_ὐ6τόν, ἀκολούθως καὶ περὶ μακροθυμίας αὐτοῦ διδάσκει. ἐπίσταται γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς κατὰ 282 τὸν μακάριον ∆αυίδ, ὅτι "οὐκ ὀργὴν ἐπάγει καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν." φυλάττει δὲ τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα θεὸς οὐ βουλόμενος αὐτὸν ἁμαρτάνειν-"οὐ βούλεται γὰρ τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ ὡς τὴν μετάνοιαν"-ἀλλὰ ἵνα νόμον διδοὺς τὸν κωλύοντα ἁμαρτάνειν, ὅπως μισήσῃ κακίαν ὁ ἐνεργῶν αὐτήν. ἠρέμα δὲ καὶ ἐλέγχει τοὺς φίλους οἰομένους, ὅτι δι' ἁμαρτίας πάσχει, διδάσκων αὐτούς, ὅτι οὐχ ἅμα τῷ ἁμαρτῆσαι θεὸς ἀποδίδωσιν, ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐκ τῶν καθ' ἑαυτοὺς τοῦτο λογίσωνται. διδάσκει δὲ καὶ τὸ τρεπτὸν τῆς φύσεως τῶν ἀνθρώπων διὰ τοῦ "ἀ πὸ δὲ