Letter 75: I hear that flatterers hang on your every word, swearing that everything you do is excellent — even if what you...

To Athanasius. That faith without works does not save a person. You are in danger - O, by what name shall I worthily address you! - of being ignorant of what is plain even to mere children. For do not suppose that faith (if indeed one ought to call faith that which is refuted by your own works) will be able to save you. For the faith which justified at the outset demands deeds suited to itself, apart from which one cannot be saved. For he who has been received by grace ought also to take pride in his own gains, if at any rate he is not to be convicted of ingratitude as well.

Ὥτι ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων οὐ σῴζει τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Κινδυνεύεις, ὦ τί σε καλέσας ἀξίως προσονομάσω! ἀγνοεῖν τὰ καὶ τοῖς ἄγαν παισὶ πρόδηλα. Μὴ γὰρ δὴ νόμιζε, ὅτι ἡ πίστις (εἴ γε πίστιν χρὴ καλεῖν τὴν ὑπὸ τῶν ἔργων τῶν σῶν ἐλεγχομένην), σῶσαί σε δυ- νήσεται. Ἡ γὰρ πίστις ἡ ἐξ ἀρχῆς δικαιώσασα, πράξεις ἁρμοδίας ἑαυτῇ ἀπαιτεῖ, ὧν ἄνευ σωθῆναι οὐχ οἷόν τε. Τὸν γὰρ κατὰ χάριν παραληφθέντα, δί- καιον καὶ οἰκείοις ἐναβρύνεσθαι πλεονεκτήμασιν, εἴ γε μὴ μέλλοι καὶ ἀχαριστίας ἁλώσεσθαι.