215

This is acceptable to me, this has become the work of my apostles and disciples according to my commandments, to preach me as God to the whole world and to teach my will and my commands and to leave them in writing for men. Thus you also strive to do and to teach, but to those not at all willing to hear my words, say, as I also said to those who said then: Your word is hard, and who will be able to hear it? And I said: If you do not wish it so, go, as you will, each one, and do; leaving it entirely to their own authority and choice to choose death or life. For no one has ever become good without choosing to, nor will the unbeliever who is unwilling become faithful, nor will the lover of the world ever be a lover of God, not unwillingly will the perverse man change his mind and become good in every way; for no one has become evil by nature, but by intention; so also again from evil and wicked, by intention (323) and by will he will become fine and good, if he wishes, but if he is unwilling, this will in no way be. No one unwillingly has achieved virtue in the world, no one unwillingly is saved; seek nothing more than this, but strive to save yourself and those who hear you, if you might find on earth a man who has ears to hear and who listens to your words. So I will do, Master, as you have commanded me, but your help, but your grace grant to me, your unworthy servant, O my God, so that I may always glorify you and praise your might with unceasing voices unto ages of ages, amen.

215

Τοῦτο ἐμοί ἀποδεκτόν, τοῦτο τῶν ἀποστόλων καί μαθητῶν μου γέγονε κατά τάς ἐντολάς μου ἔργον, κηρύξαι με Θεόν εἰς τόν σύμπαντα κόσμον καί τά ἐμά θελήματα καί τά προστάγματά μου διδάξαι καί καταλιπεῖν ἐγγράφως τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. Οὕτως καί σύ ἀγώνισαι ποιῆσαι καί διδάξαι, τούς δέ μή θέλοντας ἐμῶν λόγων ὅλως ἀκούειν λέγε, ὡς εἶπον καί ἐγώ πρός τούς τότε εἰπόντας ὅτι˙ Σκληρός ὁ λόγος σου καί τίς αὐτοῦ ἀκούειν δυνήσεται; Καί ἔφην γε˙ Εἰ μή θέλετε οὕτως, ὑπάγετε, ὡς βούλεσθε, ἕκαστος καί ποιεῖτε˙ τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ τῇ αὐτῶν τό πᾶν καί προαιρέσει καταλιπών τόν θάνατον ἤ τήν ζωήν ἑλέσθαι. Οὐδείς γάρ γέγονέ ποτε καλός ἀπροαιρέτως, οὐδέ πιστός ὁ ἄπιστος καί μή θέλων ὑπάρξει, οὐδέ φιλόθεός ποτε ὁ φιλόκοσμος ἔσται, οὐκ ἀβουλήτως ὁ σκαιός μεταστρέψει τήν γνώμην τήν ἑαυτοῦ καί ἀγαθός γενήσεται εἰς ἅπαν˙ οὐδείς γάρ γέγονε κακός φύσει, ἀλλά προθέσει˙ οὕτω καί πάλιν ἐκ κακοῦ καί πονηροῦ προθέσει (323) καί γνώμῃ καλός καί ἀγαθός, εἰ θέλει, γενήσεται, μή θέλων δέ οὐδαμῶς τοῦτο ἔσται. Οὐδείς μή θέλων ἀρετήν κατώρθωσεν ἐν κόσμῳ, οὐδείς μή θέλων σῴζεται˙ πλέον τούτου μή ζήτει, σπούδασον σῶσαι δέ σαὐτόν καί τούς ἀκούοντάς σου, εἰ ἄρα εὕροις ἐπί γῆς ἄνθρωπον τοῦ ἀκούειν ἔχοντα ὦτα καί τῶν σῶν ἐπακούοντα λόγων. Οὕτως ποιήσω, ∆έσποτα, καθώς προσέταξάς μοι, ἀλλά τήν σήν βοήθειαν, ἀλλά τήν σήν μοι χάριν τῷ ἀναξίῳ δώρησαι δούλῳ σου, ὦ Θεέ μου, ἵνα ἀεί δοξάζω σε καί ἀνυμνῶ σόν κράτος ἀκαταπαύστοις ἐν φωναῖς εἰς αἰῶνας αἰώνων, ἀμήν.