Letter 52: It is good to gird your loins before dangers come, to serve God, and to strike down the opposing ranks by faith...

Divine grace, mingled with human willingness, saves a person. Therefore the one who had Christ speaking within him said: "He works together with those who are called according to his purpose." For grace does not compel the unwilling, nor does human effort succeed without grace. The two must act in concert, as oars and wind must cooperate to bring a ship to harbor.

Α. ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΑΥΤΟΝ. Εἰ τις οὕτως ὑπήκοος ἐστιν, ἅπερ ταῦτ' ἄ ΝΑ΄. – ΘΕΩΝΙ. Εἰς τὸ · · Τοῖς κατὰ πρόθεσιν κλητοῖς οὖσιν. Ἡ θεία χάρις (55) τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ κιρνωμένη (56) προθυμία, σώζει τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Διόπερ καὶ ὁ τὸν Χριστὸν ἔχων ἐν ἑαυτῷ λαλοῦντα εἶπε· « Συνεργεῖ τοῖς κατὰ πρόθεσιν κλητοῖς οὖσιν. » Οὐ γὰρ ἡ κλῆ- σις μόνον (πάντες γὰρ ἐκλήθησαν μὲν, οὐχ ὑπήκου- σαν δέ)· ἀλλὰ καὶ πρόθεσις τῶν κεκλημένων τὴν σωτηρίαν εἰργάσατο. Οὐ γὰρ ἡναγκασμένη γέγονεν ἡ κλῆσις, οὐδὲ βεβιασμένη, ἀλλ᾽ ἑκούσιος. ΝΒ΄. – ΤΩ ΑΥΤΩ Εἰ τοῦ ἁμαρτήματος καὶ τῆς προθέσεως οἴδαμεν σαφῶς, ἀλλὰ πῶς οὐκ ἴσμεν τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦτον πρὸς δικαιοσύνην ἐπιμελειαν; Μὴ οὖν τούτου χείρονας εἶναι δοκοῦντες ἐκκαλύπτωμεν. ΡΞΘ΄. – ΙΣΙΔΩΡΩ Τοῖς κακοῖς ὁ πόλεμος ἀγαπητός.