Bear in mind, too Cf. Clem.
Alex., Strom., bk. vi.; Jerome, on Ep. ad Gal., ch.
1; Greg. Naz, Carmen de virt. hum.,
that virtue is a gift from God implanted in our nature, and that He
Himself is the source and cause of all good, and without His co-operation Cf. Clem.
Alex., Quis dives salvetur; Greg. Naz.,
Orat. 31; Chrysost., Hom. 45in Joann., Hom. in Ep.
ad Hebr. xii. 2, Hom. 15 in Ep. ad Rom.; Cyril, De
ador. in Spir. et ver., p. 25; Petavius, Dogm., vol. i., bk.
ix. c. 4, &c. and help we cannot will or do any good
thing. But we have it in our power either to abide in virtue and
follow God, Who calls us into ways of virtue, or to stray from paths of
virtue, which is to dwell in wickedness, and to follow the devil who
summons but cannot compel us. For wickedness is nothing else than
the withdrawal of goodness, just as darkness is nothing else than the
withdrawal of light. While then we abide in the natural state we
abide in virtue, but when we deviate from the natural state, that is
from virtue, we come into an unnatural state and dwell in
wickedness Cf.
infra, bk. iii. ch. 14..