"Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy commandments (u).' While some choose the glory of this world, while others worship the elements and dæmons, while others desire earthly riches, this holy person chose the commandments of God. But he chose, not from natural necessity, but from a pious will; because to every one is offered the way of living which he shall prefer, and every one has the liberty of desiring, and of acting. And on that account the choice of every one will be punished or rewarded."p. 366. "He is good in whom we hope; and hope is to be placed in him, because he is merciful, because there is abundant redemption with him, for he redeemed all mankind from all their iniquities (redemit ab omnibus iniquitatibus suis universos)."-p. 442. 66 Righteousness has this modesty, that whatever bliss it hopes for, it should ask it rather from the bounty (magnificentia) of God (because it is worthy of God to give blessed and eternal and good things) than from its own merit. But nevertheless, in preferring the honour and mercy of God, it did not exclude the merit of deserving it, from itself."-p. 550. "Many will say to me in that day, have we (u) Ps. 119. v. 5. pt. 22. not And what not prophesied in thy name (r)?' follows? Even now he condemns the deceit of false prophets, and the pretences of hypocrites, who assume to themselves glory from the power of the Word, in the prophesy of learning, and the casting out of devils, and other mighty works of that kind: and hence they promise themselves the kingdom of heaven. As if any of those things are their own, which they say or do, and the power of God when invoked does not do them all . . . . . . . Therefore that blessed eternity is to be claimed from our own qualifications; and something is to be done from ourselves, that we may will that which is good, and avoid all evil, and obey heavenly precepts with all our disposition; and by such duties become known to God, and do what he wills, rather than glory in his power."-p. 639. "The Son gives the honour received from the Father to all those who are about to believe in him, not the will: if that were given, faith would have no reward, since the necessity of a fixed will would produce faith in us."-p. 953. EPIPHANIUS—A. D. 368. Petavius's Edit.- "Although Scripture declared, that Christ would be crucified, and although divine Scripture (x) Matt. c. 7. v. 22, mentioned mentioned the sins which would be committed by us in the latter days, yet no one of us who commit sins can find an excuse, by producing the testimony of Scripture, foretelling that these things would happen. For we do not those things because Scripture foretold them; but Scripture foretold them, because we were about to do them, through the foreknowledge of God."-p. 281. "How does he seem to retain the freedom of his will in this world? For to believe or not to believe is in our own power. But where it is in our power to believe or not to believe, it is in our power to act rightly or to sin; to do good or to do evil."-p. 575. BASIL-A. D. 370. Benedictine Edit. "THESE things are in our own power, as, to subdue the passions, or to indulge in pleasures; as, to restrain anger, or to attack him who provokes us; to speak truth or falsehood; to be meek and gentle, or proud and overbearing. Do not then seek the origin of those things of which you are yourself the master from any other quarter; but know that that which is in itself evil derived its origin from voluntary lapses. For if it had been involuntary, and not in our own power, those those who act unjustly would not have had so great fear of the laws hanging over them." Vol. 1. p. 16. They attribute to the heavenly bodies the causes of those things which depend upon every one's choice, I mean the habits of virtue or vice." Vol. 1. p. 56. "If the origin of vicious and virtuous actions be not in ourselves, but there be an innate necessity, there is no need of legislators to prescribe what we are to do and what we are to avoid; there is no need of judges to honour virtue and to punish wickedness. For it is not the injustice of the thief or of the murderer, who could not restrain his hand, even if he would, because of the insuperable necessity which urges him to the actions."Vol. 1. p. 56. "There are virtues belonging to us according to nature, with which the soul is familiar, not from instruction of men, but from Nature herself. For as no reasoning teaches us to hate illness, but we have a spontaneous dislike of the things which give us pain, so there is in the soul a certain untaught declination from evil.”—Vol. 1. p. 83. "The Lord will take away strength from a sinful people, but he gives strength to those who act justly. For unto every one that hath, shall be given; given (y);' but he who is enabled to do good works becomes worthy of a blessing from God." Vol. 1. p. 123. "God by his own will gives life to every one; but every one treasures up for himself wrath, in the day of wrath, and of revelation, and of the just judgement of God."-Vol. 1. p. 127. "It is not difficult for us, if we be willing, to love righteousness, and to hate injustice. For God has suitably given every faculty to the rational soul, as of love, so likewise of hatred, that, being directed by reason, we may love virtue and hate wickedness."—Vol. 1. p. 166. "It is impossible that we should be capable of divine grace, if we have not expelled the wicked passions which took possession of our souls."Vol. 1. p. 196. "What then does he say? That secretly within every one of us a certain balance is provided by our Creator, by which we may discriminate the nature of things. I have set before thee life and good; death and evil (z);' two natures opposite to each other. Weigh them in your own private tribunal; consider accurately, which is more profitable for you, whether to choose pleasure for a time, and through it to have everlasting death, or choosing affliction in the exercise of virtue, (y) Matt. c. 25. v. 29 (z) Deut. c. 30. v. 15. |