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Dionysius. We humans do not have a compelled life. For neither on account of the free will of those for whom providence is made are the divine lights of the providential illumination dimmed.

Didymus. The law forgives involuntary sins, and God, being benevolent, overlooks them, and is not harsh even towards voluntary ones.

Philo. It is not that, just as sinning voluntarily is unjust, so also sinning involuntarily and through ignorance is immediately just; but it is perhaps a borderline between both, of the just and the unjust, what is called by some "indifferent." For no sin is a work of justice.

Clement. Above all, it is not permitted for Christians to correct the faults of sin by violence. For God crowns not those who abstain from evil by necessity, but those who do so by choice.

It is not possible for anyone to be truly good, except by their own choice. For one who becomes good by another's necessity is not good, because he is what he is not by his own choice. For the freedom of each one constitutes what is truly good, and reveals what is truly evil. Therefore, through these suppositions, God contrived to reveal the disposition of each person.

Choricius. The good that comes from nature is unproven; but that which comes from choice is praiseworthy.

Epictetus. If you wish to live untroubled and well-pleasingly, try to have all those who live with you be good. You will have them good, if you educate those who are unwilling, and release those who are unwilling [then having been subdued]. For wickedness along with slavery will flee with those who flee; and goodness and freedom will be left behind with those who stay with you.

Socrates. The one who suffers willingly, toiling in good hope, rejoices; but indolence and immediate pleasures are able neither to produce well-being of the body, nor to instill any worthy knowledge in the soul.

Theages the Pythagorean. The involuntary is not without pain and fear; while the voluntary is not without pleasure and friendliness.

(968) From the customs of Nicolaus. The Thynoi, receiving the shipwrecked humanely, make them friends; and of strangers, those who come voluntarily, they honor greatly; but those who come involuntarily, they punish.

DISCOURSE VI.

Concerning "Know thyself." Luke 6. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but the

beam in your own eye you do not perceive?

Romans 14. Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will be made to stand; for God is able to make him stand.

Solomon 11. Walk in the ways of your heart blameless, and know yourself; for in all these things God will bring you into judgment.

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∆ιονυσίου. Οὐκ ἠναγκασμένην ζωήν ἔχομεν οἱ ἄνθρωποι. Οὔτε γάρ διά τήν τῶν προνοουμένων αὐτεξουσιότητα τά θεῖα φῶτα τῆς προνοητικῆς ἐλλάμψεως ἀπαμβλύνεται.

∆ιδύμου. Τά μέν ἀκούσια ἁμαρτήματα καί νόμος συγχωρεῖ, καί Θεός παρορᾷ φιλάνθρωπος ὤν, καί οὐκ ἀπηνής καί τῶν ἑκουσίων.

Φίλων. Οὐχ ὡς τό ἑκουσίως ἁμαρτάνειν ἐστίν ἄδικον, οὕτω καί ἀκουσίως καί κατά ἄγνοιαν, εὐθύς δίκαιον· ἀλλά τάχα που μεθόριον ἀμφοῖν, δικαίου καί ἀδίκου, τό ὑπό τινων καλούμενον ἀδιάφορον. Ἁμάρτημα γάρ οὐδέν ἔργον δικαιοσύνης.

Κλήμεντος. Μάλιστα πάντων Χριστιανοῖς οὐκ ἐφίεται τό πρός βίαν ἐπανορθοῦν τά τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων πταίσματα. Οὐ γάρ τούς ἀνάγκῃ τῆς κακίας ἀπεχομένους, ἀλλά τούς προαιρέσει στεφανοῖ ὁ Θεός.

Οὐ δυνατόν τινα ἀγαθόν εἶναι βεβαίως, εἰ μή κατά προαίρεσιν οἰκείαν. Ὁ γάρ ὑφ᾿ ἑτέρου ἀνάγκης ἀγαθός γινόμενος, οὐκ ἀγαθός· ὅτι μή ἰδίᾳ προαιρέσει ἐστίν ὅ ἔστιν. Τό γάρ ἑκάστου ἐλεύθερον, ἀποτελεῖ τό ὄντως ἀγαθόν, καί δεικνύει τό ὄντως κακόν. Ὅθεν διά τῶν ὑποθέσεων τούτων ἐμηχανήσατο ὁ Θεός φανερῶσαι τήν ἑκάστου διάθεσιν.

Χορικίου. Τό ἐκ φύσεως καλόν, ἀδόκιμον· τό δέ ἐκ προαιρέσεως, ἐπαινετόν.

Ἐπικτήτου. Εἰ βούλει ἀταράχως καί εὐαρέστως ζῇν, πειρῶ τούς συνοικοῦντάς σοι σύμπαντας ἀγαθούς ἔχειν. Ἕξεις δέ ἀγαθούς, εἰ τούς μή ἑκόντας παιδεύεις, τούς δέ ἄκοντας [ἔπειτα κεχειρωμένους] ἀπολύεις. Συμφεύξεται γάρ τοῖς φεύγουσιν ἡ μοχθηρία ἅμα καί ἡ δουλεία· συναπολειφθήσεται δέ τοῖς συμβαίνουσί σοι ἡ χρηστότης καί ἡ ἐλευθερία.

Σωκράτ. Ὁ μέν ἑκουσίως ταλαιπωρῶν, ἐπ᾿ ἀγαθῇ ἐλπίδι πονῶν εὐφραίνεται· αἱ δέ ῥᾳδιουργίαι καί ἐκ τοῦ παραχρῆμα ἡδοναί, οὔτε σώματος εὐεξίαν ἱκαναί εἰσίν ἐργάζεσθαι, οὔτε ψυχῆς ἐπιστήμην ἀξιόλογον οὐδεμίαν ἐμποιοῦσιν.

Θεαγοῦς Πυθαγορείου. Τό μέν ἀκούσιον, οὐκ ἄνευ λύπης καί φόβου· τό δέ ἑκούσιον, οὐκ ἄνευ ἡδονῆς καί φιλοφροσύνης.

(968) Ἐκ τῶν Νικολάου ἐθῶν. Θύνοι τούς ναυαγούς φιλανθρώπως δεχόμενοι φίλους ποιοῦνται· τῶν δέ ξένων, τούς μέν ἑκουσίως ἐλθόντας, σφόδρα τιμῶσι· τούς δέ ἀκουσίως, κολάζουσιν.

ΛΟΓΟΣ Στ´.

Περί τοῦ " Γνῶθι σαυτόν." Λουκ. στ´. Τί βλέπεις τό κάρφος τό ἐν τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου, τήν δέ ἐν τῷ

σῷ ὀφθαλμῷ δοκόν οὐ κατανοεῖς;

Ῥωμ. ιδ´. Σύ τίς εἶ ὁ κρίνων ἀλλότριον οἰκέτην; τῷ ἰδίῳ κυρίῳ στήκει ἤ πίπτει· σταθήσεται δέ· δυνατός γάρ ἐστιν ὁ Θεός στῆσαι αὐτόν.

Σολομ. ια´. Περιπάτει ἐν ὁδοῖς καρδίας σου ἄμωμος, καί γνῶθι σαυτόν· ὅτι ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις ἄξει σε ὁ Θεός εἰς κρίσιν.