Free will and Scripture (Philoc. 20)
Large dossier on self-determination: commandments, threats, and promises are empty if the soul cannot turn; yet grace is not denied.
Greek
1. Μετὰ ταῦτά φησιν, δηλονότι ὁ Κέλσος· ‘Ἀλλʼ ὅπως μὴ περὶ μόνων Ἰουδαίων, οὐ γὰρ τοῦτο λέγω, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῆς ὅλης φύσεως, ὅπερ ἐπηγγειλάμην, ὁ λόγος ἧ· σαφέστερον ἐμφανιῶ τὰ προειρημένα.᾿ τίς δʼ οὐκ ἄν τούτοις ἐντυγχάνων μέτριος καὶ αἰσθανόμενος τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ἀσθενείας οὐκ ἄν περισταίη τὸ ἐπαχθὲς τοῦ περὶ ὅλης τῆς φύσεως ἐπαγγειλαμένου ἀποδοῦναι λόγον, καὶ ἀλαζονευσαμένου ὁμοίως ἧ ἐτόλμησεν ἐπιγράψβαι ἐπιγραφῇ τοῦ βιβλίου; ἴδωμεν δὴ τίνα ἐστὶν ἃ περὶ ὅλης τῆς φύσεως ἐπαγγέλλεται λέξειν, καὶ τίνα ἐμφανίσειν. 2. Διὰ πολλῶν δὰ ἐξῆς ἐγκαλεῖ ἡμῖν, ὡς τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ φάσκουσι πάντα πεποιηκέναι τὸν θεόν. καὶ βούλεται ἐκ τῆς περὶ τῶν ζώων ἱστορίας καὶ τῆς ἐμφαινομένης αὐτοῖς ἀγχινοίας δεικνύναι, ὅτι οὐδὲν μᾶλλον ἀνθρώπων ἢ τῶν ἀλόγων ζώων ἕνεκεν γέγονε τὰ πάντα. καὶ δοκεῖ μοι ὅμοιόν τι εἰπεῖν τοῖς διὰ τὸ πρὸς τοὺς μισουμένους ἔχθος κατηγοροῦσιν αὐτῶν, ἐφʼ οἶς οἱ φίλτατοι αὐτῶν ἐπαινοῦνται. ὥσπερ γὰρ …
About this text
Origen’s Philocalia (Greek anthology). SERIES on this page: §§1–27 (sampled bookends).
English follows Robinson 1893 Greek. George Lewis 1911 was not used as wording. Philocalia SERIES CLOSEOUT §§1–27.
Witnesses
- Copy-text J. A. Robinson, Cambridge 1893 — Greek (Greek · Philocalia §§1–27 SERIES)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.