Freedom And Repentance

Μετανόησον οὖν... Προαιρετικὴ τροπὴ, ἢ πίπτει εἰς μόνον τὸν δεκτικὸν ἀρετῆς καὶ κακίας. Ὁ δὲ κατὰ τοὺς μύθους τῶν αἱρετικῶν φύσει κακὸς ὢν ἄνθρωπος, οὐκ ἔστι δεκτικὸς τῆς κατὰ βούλησιν μεταβολῆς. ὅθεν παρέκλει τὸ, Μετανόησον, λεγόμενον τῷ Σίμωνι, ἐκ κατασκευῆς ὄντι κακῷ, κατὰ τοὺς ἐκείνων μύθους. Ἀλλ' οὐ ματαίως εἴρηται τὸ, Μετανόησον οὖν. Αὐτεξούσιος ἄρα καὶ αὐτός. Τούτου δὲ μὴ ὅντος φύσει κακοῦ, ἢ ἐπιτεταλμένην κακίαν ἔχοντος, οὐδ' ἄλλος τις εὑρεθείη τοιοῦτος. Δίδυμος Αλεξανδρεύς, Ἐις Τάς Πράξεις Τῶν Ἀποστόλων, Ἐκλογή Source: Migne PG 39.1668d-69a

Repent then... 1 Here is scope for choice, which falls only to one who is capable of vice and virtue. Yet according to the fables of heretics, because they say man has a wicked nature, so he is not capable of changing freely. Thus it is superfluous when Peter says to Simon, 'Repent then,' for according to their tales, man is evil from creation. Yet it is not vainly said, 'Repent then,' for he does have free will and by nature he is not evil, nor bound to depravity, or in some other way found to be so. Didymus the Blind, Commentary on The Acts of the Apostles, Fragment 1 Acts 8.22