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by his will, let us not be anxious at all. For what is it to us, that which is not established according to nature by necessity, or according to our judgment from our own will? And perhaps the Word, wishing us to consider this, has not given us a directive about this through a divine commandment; so that by unnaturally attempting things not in our power, we might not misuse the power of the will in a blameworthy way; and show it to be weak, not possessing what can in no way be under it; and that we might not do violence to God, thinking the administration of providence to be our own, which wisely uses things not in our power for the chastisement of the evils in our power, but for the increase and vigorous course of the good things in our power.

Therefore, distinguishing the things not in our power from those in our power, let us believe that the former belong entirely to divine providence, while the latter, along with divine providence, are also an achievement of our judgment according to our will. In our power, therefore, is—that I may speak inclusively as in a definition—everything that is encompassed by the principle of virtue or, conversely, by the mode of vice, which follows our judgment according to our will. But not in our power is whatever does not have our (369) choice as the creator of its own existence; and everything existing by nature is free from virtue and vice; but by the use of those who possess them, it becomes this or that, or more properly, appears to be so. Therefore, let us ardently will and highly esteem all the good things uniquely in our power, as being works of our choice with God, and matters belonging to our judgment. And thus we shall be obedient and well-reined colts of divine grace, receiving the Word as he mounts, and setting straight for us the well-ordered course of the virtues. But as for the things not in our power, since they are not in themselves by nature vice or virtue, but instruments of choice, bringing the hidden impulse of the principle in our power into the open, let us not will them at all; lest by misuse we corrupt the natural power of the will, which desires to lay hold of impossible things that cannot be achieved by it. But let us entrust them to God, and let us receive with thanksgiving every change of seasons and of affairs, which occurs for our benefit according to the saving will of God; so that not only through the same things, but also likewise through things not the same, and through uneven things evenly, the good of virtue may be achieved for us. For no one ever falls from good hope who yields and entrusts to God the administration and providence over himself of those things not in his power. And true is the Wise one who said somewhere in his words: Look upon the ancient generations, and see: who ever trusted in the Lord and was put to shame? Or who called upon him, and he overlooked him?

Since these things are this way, as the discourse, running with truth, has shown; and it has clearly presented the property of things willed and not willed, having distinguished by definition things that are not to be confused with one another; let us neither claim authority when it is taken from us, as though enduring the deprivation of something good; for authority by no means follows us when we will it, being far from the principle which is in our power; just as neither do wealth and health, nor any of those things situated in the middle which are formed by us towards virtue or vice; nor, on the other hand, should we utterly reject it when it is given, as if it were something evil, since it can happen to be an instrument of virtue for those who love God; and for those who have chosen to offer all things to God with all zeal, along with all that is in their power, and the things not in their power which are permitted to happen to them by providence. it is reasonable. For without which to become and to be and to remain good and virtuous For we are able neither to love nor to shun that which happens to be by nature not in itself good or evil; and again evil and destitute of all virtue, of these things the possession is not at all necessary for us in any way; nor indeed the non-possession, for the generation or preservation of something good or evil. Since some, though deprived of power and wealth and (372) health,

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θελήσει, μηδόλως μεριμνήσωμεν. Τί γάρ πρός ἡμᾶς, τό μή καθεστώς κατά φύσιν ἐξ ἀνάγκης, ἤ κατά γνώμην ἐκ τοῦ θέλειν ἡμέτερον; Καί τοῦτο τυχόν ἡμᾶς σκοπῆσαι βουλόμενος ὁ λόγος, διά θείας ἐντολῆς οὐ δέδωκεν ἡμῖν περί τούτου διάταξιν· ἵνα μή τοῖς οὐκ ἐφ᾿ ἡμῖν ἐγχειροῦντες παρά φύσιν, τῇ τοῦ θέλειν δυνάμει ψεκτῶς παραχρώμεθα· καί τήν μέν ἀσθενοῦσαν δείξωμεν, οὐκ ἔχουσαν τά μηδαμῶς ὑπ᾿ αὐτήν εἶναι δυνάμενα· τό δέ Θεόν βιαζώμεθα, νομίζοντες ἑαυτῶν εἶναι τήν τῆς προνοίας διοίκησιν, τήν σοφῶς τοῖς οὐκ᾿ ἐφ᾿ ἡμῖν εἰς κόλασιν μέν χρωμένην τῶν ἐφ᾿ ἡμῖν κακῶν· ἐπίδοσιν δέ καί εὔτονον δρόμον τῶν ἐφ᾿ ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν.

∆ιαιροῦντες οὖν τῶν ἐφ᾿ ἡμῖν τά οὐκ ἐφ᾿ ἡμῖν, τά μέν τῆς θείας ὑπάρχειν ὁλοσχερῶς προνοίας· τά δέ, μετά τῆς θείας προνοίας, καί τήν ἡμῶν κατά θέλησιν γνώμης εἶναι κατόρθωμα πιστεύσωμεν. Ἐφ᾿ ἡμῖν οὖν ἐστιν, ἵνα ὡς ἐν ὅρῳ περιλαβών εἴπω πᾶν ὅτιπερ ἀρετῆς λόγῳ, ἤ τοὐναντίον κακίας τρόπῳ περιεχόμενον, κατά θέλησιν ἡμῶν τῇ γνώμῃ παρέπεται. Οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν δέ ἐστι, πᾶν ὅτιπερ τῆς οἰκείας ὑπάρξεως δημιουργόν τήν ἡμῶν οὐκ (369) ἔχει προαίρεσιν· καί πᾶν μέν κατά φύσιν ὑπάρχον ἀρετῆς καί κακίας ἐλεύθερον· τῇ δέ χρήσει τῶν ἐχόντων, τοῦτο ἤ ἐκεῖνο γινόμενον, ἤ φαινόμενον εἰπεῖν οἰκειότερον. Πάντα τοιγαροῦν τά ἐφ᾿ ἡμῖν ἀγαθά μονώτατα, ὡς τῆς ἡμῶν σύν Θεῷ προαιρέσεως ἔργα, καί τῆς ἡμῶν γνώμης ὑπάρχοντα πράγματα, θελήσωμέν τε σφοδρῶς καί περί πολλοῦ ποιησώμεθα· καί ἐσόμεθα τῆς θείας οὕτω γε χάριτος πῶλοι εὐπειθεῖς καί εὐήνιοι, ἐπιβαίνοντα τόν Λόγον δεχόμενοι, καί τόν δρόμον ἡμῖν εὐτάκτως κατορθοῦντα τῶν ἀρετῶν. Τά δέ οὐκ ἐφ᾿ ἡμῖν, ὡς οὐκ ὄντα δι᾿ ἑαυτά κατά φύσιν κακία ἤ ἀρετή, ἀλλ᾿ ὄργανα προαιρέσεως, τοῦ ἐφ᾿ ἡμῖν λόγου κεκρυμμένην τήν ὁρμήν εἰς τό φανερόν ἄγοντα, μή θελήσωμεν ὅλως· ἵνα μή τήν κατά φύσιν τοῦ θέλειν τῇ παραχρήσει διαφθείρωμεν δύναμιν, βουλομένην ἐπιλαβέσθαι τῶν ἀμηχάνων, καί ὑπ᾿ αὐτῆς κατορθοῦσθαι μή δυναμένων. Ἀλλά πιστεύσωμεν αὐτά τῷ Θεῷ, καί δεξώμεθα μετ᾿ εὐχαριστίας πᾶσαν καιρῶν τε καί πραγμάτων μεταβολήν, κατά τήν σωτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ βούλησιν συμφερόντως ἡμῖν γινομένην· ὥστε μή μόνον διά τῶν αὐτῶν, ἀλλά καί τῶν οὐ τῶν αὐτῶν ὥσαύτως, καί διά τῶν ἀνωμάλων ὁμαλῶς ἡμῖν τό καλόν κατορθωθῆναι τῆς ἀρετῆς. Οὐδείς γάρ τῆς ἀγαθῆς ἐλπίδος ἐκπίπτει ποτέ, παραχωρῶν καί ἐμπιστεύων τῷ Θεῷ τήν ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ τῶν οὐκ ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ διοίκησίν τε καί πρόνοιαν. Καί ἀληθής ὁ φήσας που τῶν ἑαυτοῦ λόγων Σοφός· Ἐμβλέψατε εἰς τάς ἀρχαίας γενεάς, καί ἴδετε τίς ἐπίστευσε Κυρίῳ καί κατησχύνθη· ἤ τίς ἐπικαλέσατο αὐτόν, καί ὑπερεῖδεν αὐτόν;

Ἐπειδή ταῦτα τοῦτον ἔχει τόν τρόπον, καθώς ἔδειξε σύν ἀληθείᾳ τρέχων ὁ λόγος· καί τήν τῶν θελητῶν καί οὐ θελητῶν ἰδιότητα παρέστησε σαφῶς, ἀλλήλων διακρίνας ὁρισμῷ τά μή φυρόμενα· μήτε ἀφαιρουμένης ἡμῶν τῆς ἀρχῆς, ὡς καλοῦ τινος στέρησιν ὑπομένοντες, ἀντιποιήθωμεν· οὔτε γάρ ἕπεται πάντως ἡμῖν ἡ ἀρχή θελήσασι, τοῦ ἐφ' ἡμῖν λόγου πόῤῥω τυγχάνουσα· ὥσπερ οὐδέ πλοῦτος καί ὑγεία, οὐδ᾿ ὅσα τῶν ἐν μέσῳ κειμένων δι᾿ ἡμῶν μορφοῦται πρός ἀρετήν ἤ κακίαν· μήτ᾿ αὖ πάλιν διδομένην ὡς κακόν τι παντελῶς ταύτην ἀπωσώμεθα, δυναμένην τυχόν ἀρετῆς ὄργανον εἶναι τοῖς φιλοθέοις· καί πάντα προσφέρειν Θεῷ διά πάσης σπουδῆς πρός τοῖς ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς ἅπασι, καί τά οὐκ ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς κατ᾿ οἰκονομίαν συμβαίνειν αὐτοῖς συγχωρούμενα, προῃρημένοις. εἰκότως ἐστίν. Ὧν γάρ ἄνευ καλοί τε καί ἐνάρετοι γίνεσθαί τε καί εἶναι καί διαμένειν Τό γάρ μή δι᾿ ἑαυτόν κατά φύσιν τυχόν καλόν ἤ κακόν, οὔτε ἑραστόν οὔτε φευκτόν δυνάμεθα· καί πάλιν κακοί καί πάσης ἀρετῆς ἔρημοι, τούτων οὐκ ἀναγκαία πάντως ἡμῖν καθοτιοῦν ἡ κτῆσις· οὔτε μήν ἡ ἀκτησία, πρός γένεσιν καλοῦ τινος ἤ κακοῦ καί συντήρησιν. Ἐπεί καί δυναστείας καί πλούτου καί (372) ὑγείας τινές ἐστερημένοι,