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“ same chapter: By the * Holy Spirit we are restored “ into faradise, we regain the kingdom of heaven, we re“turn to the adoption of sons. Again, (Homil. advers. σε Eunomium 5, p. 117.) which have these express "words: † We are called in the sanctification of the Spi« rit, as the afiostle teacheth. This (Spirit) renews us, “ and makes us again the image of God, and by the laver “ of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, we “are adopted to the Lord, and the new creature again "partakes of the Spirit, of which being deprived, it had « svaxed old. And thus man becomes again the image of “God, who had fallen from the divine similitude, and was "become like the beasts that perish.

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"St. Cyril (7th Dial. de Trin. p. 653.) delivers the same doctrine with great perspicuity and elegancy, “ in these words + For when the animal (viz. man) had

* σε Διά πνεύματος αγίες, ή εις παράδεισον ἀποκατάστασις· 66 ἡ εἰς βασιλείαν ἐρανῶν ἄνοδῷ· ἡ εἰς υἱοθεσίαν ἐπανόδῳ. Vide « ejusdem Libri, cap. 9."

† σε Ἐν ἁγιασμῶ τῇ πνεύμα]Θ ̓ ἐκλήθημεν, ὡς ὁ ἀπόστολο σε διδάσκει, τῖτο ἡμᾶς ἀνακαινοῖ, καὶ πάλιν εἰκόνας ἀναδείκνυσι σε θεῖ, διὰ λετρῇ παμιγενεσίας καὶ ἀνακαινώσεως πνεύμα]Θ σε ἁγίες υἱοθετέμεθα κυρίω καινὴ πάλιν κλίσις μεταλαμβάνετα 66 του πνεύματΘ, ὅ περ ἐσερημενη πεπαλαίω[ο· εἰκὼν πάλιν θεῖ σε ὁ ἄνθρπῷ ἐκπεσῶν τῆς ὁμοιότης τῆς θείας, και παρασυμέλησε θεὶς κτήνεσιν ἀνοήτοις καὶ ὁμοιωθεὶς αὐτοῖς.”

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† “ Διανενευκότῳ γὰρ τῇ ζώς πρὸς τὸ πγημμηλές, καὶ τὴν σε εἰςποίητον ἁμαρτίαν ἐκ τῆς εἰσάπαν φιλοσαρκίας ήῤῥωςηκότα, “ τὸ πρὸς θείαν εἰκόνα διαμορφᾶν αὐτόν, καὶ σημάνρε δίκην ἀποῤσε ῥήτως ἐνεθειμένον ἀπενοσφίζετο πνεύμα, φθαρτόν τε ἔτω, και σε ἀκαλλὲς, καὶ τί γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐκτόπων συνειλοχὸς ἀναπέφανται; “ ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ τῶν ὅλων γενεσιεργὸς ἀνακομίζειν ἔθελεν εἰς ἑδραιότητα, σε καὶ ευκοσμίαν τὴν ἐν ἀρχαῖς τὸ διολισθῆσαν εἰς φθορὰν, παρά σημόντε, καὶ ἀκαλλὲς διὰ τὴν εἰσποίητον γεγονὸς ἁμαρτίαν, ἐνῆκεν σε αὖθις αὐτῷ τὸ ἀποφοιτῆσαν πολε θεῖον τε, καὶ ἅγιον πνεῦμα, μελα

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"turned aside unto wickedness, and out of too much love "of the flesh had superinduced on himself the disease of "sin, THAT SPIRIT WHICH FORMED HIM AFTER THE DI"VINE IMAGE, AND AS A SEAL WAS SECRETLY IMPRESSED

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ON HIS SOUL, WAS SEPARATED FROM HIM, and so he be"came corruptible and deformed, and every way vicious. "But after that the Creator of the universe had designed "to restore to its pristine firmness and beauty that which แ was fallen into corruption, and was become adulterated " and deformed by sin superinduced, he sent again into it "that divine and holy Spirit which was withdrawn from "it, and which hath a natural aptitude and power to change "us into the celestial image, viz. by transforming us into "his own likeness. And in the fourth book of the same " work, *When the only begotten Son was made man, find❝ing man's nature bereft of its antient and primitive good, "he hastened to transform it again into the same state, out "of the fountain of his fulness, sending forth (the Spirit), " and saying, RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST.

σε αποιδη εὖ μάλα πρὸς τὴν ὑπερκόσμιον εἰκόνα, καὶ πεφυκός και δυ νάμενον διὰ τὸ πρὸς ἰδίαν ἡμᾶς μεταρρυθμίζειν ἐμφέρειαν.”

* “ 'Οτέ γέγονεν άνθρωπο ὁ μονογενής, ἐρήμην τῇ πάλαι, καὶ σε ἐν ἀρχαῖς ἀγαθῆ τήν ἀνθρώπες φυσιν εὑρὼν, πάλιν αὐτὴν εἰς σε ἐκεῖνο μελαςοιχειὸν ἠπειγεῖο, καθάπερ ἀπό πηγῆς του ἰδία πλ σε ηρώματος ἐνιείς τε καὶ λέγων· λαβετε πνεῦμα άγιον.”

ST. CYRIL.

F

SECTION X.

The Opinions of Bishop Pearson and Doctor Scott, Author of the Christian Life, and an Advocate for natural Religion, against spiritual Pretensions.

BISHOP Pearson is in the highest esteem as a

divine. His book on the Creed is recommended by tutors, by Bishops' chaplains, and by Bishops, to young students in the course of their reading preparatory to to holy orders. It has been most accurately examined and universally approved by the most eminent theologues of our church, as an orthodox exposition of the Christian Creed. Let us hear him on the subject of the SPIRIT'S evidence, which now engages our attention.

"As the increase and perfection, so the original or ❝ initiation of faith is from the Spirit of God, not only "by an EXTERNAL PROPOSAL IN THE WORD, but by an "INTERNAL ILLUMINATION in the soul, by which we " are inclined to the obedience of faith, in assenting to "those truths which unto a natural and carnal man are "foolishness. And thus we affirm not only the revela❝tion of the will of God, but also the illumination of the "soul of man, to be part of the office of the Spirit of "God*."

Dr. Scott, an orthodox divine, a zealous teacher of morality, celebrated for a book intitled the Christian Life, says, "That without the Holy Ghost we can do nothing; "that he is the AUTHOR AND FINISHER of our faith, who "worketh in us to will and to do of his good pleasure. "His first office is the informing of our minds with the "light of heavenly truth. Thus the apostle prays that

*

1 Bishop Pearson on the Creed, Art. 8.

"the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glo

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ry, would give unto them the Spirit of wisdom and "revelation in the knowledge of him, that THE EYES "OF THEIR UNDERSTANDINGS being enlightened, they "might know what is the hope of Christ's calling*; and 66 we are told, that it is by RECEIVING THE SPIRIT OF "GOD, that we KNOW the things that are freely given us "of Godt.

"Now this illumination of the Spirit is twofold: first, "external, by that revelation which he hath given us of "God's mind and will in the holy scripture, and that "miraculous evidence by which he sealed and attested "it; for all scripture is given by inspiration of God; or, 66 as it is elsewhere expressed, was delivered by holy men, " as they were moved by the Holy Ghost ||; and all those "miraculous testimonies we have to the truth and di"vinity of scripture are from the Holy Ghost, and, upon "that account, are called the demonstration of the Spirit; 66 so that all the light we receive from scripture, and ALL "the evidence we have that that light is divine, we de"rive originally from the Holy Spirit.

"But besides this external illumination of the Holy "Spirit, there is also an INTERNAL one, which consists "in impressing that external light and evidence of scrip"ture upon our understandings, whereby we are enabled "more clearly to apprehend, and more effectually to be"lieve it.

"For though the divine Spirit doth not (at least in "the ordinary course of his operation) illuminate our "minds with any new truths, or new evidences of truth, "but only presents to our minds those old and primitive "truths and evidences which he at first revealed and gave to the world; yet there is NO DOUBT but he still

Ephes. i. 17, 18. ‡ 2 Tim. iii. 16.

† 1 Cor. ii. 12.

2 Pet. i. 21.

" continues not only to suggest them both to our minds, "but to urge and repeat them with that importunity, " and thereby to imprint them with that clearness and

efficacy, as that if we do not, through a wicked preju"dice against them, wilfully divert our minds from them "to vain or sinful objects, we must unavoidably apprehend them far more distinctly, and assent to them far more cordially and effectually, than otherwise we "should or coULD have done; for our minds are natu"rally so vain and stupid, so giddy, listless, and inad

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vertent, especially in spiritual things, which are ab"stract from common sense, as that did not the Holy "Spirit frequently present, importunately urge, and "thereby fix these on our minds, our KNOWLEDGE of "them would be so confused, and our belief so wavering "and unstable, as that they would never have any pre"venting influence on our WILLS and AFFECTIONS. So "that our KNOWLEDGE and BELIEF of divine things, so "far as they are saving and effectual to our renovation, ❝ are the fruits and products of this INTERNAL ILLUMI"NATION"

SECTION XI.

Opinion of Bishop Sanderson on the Impossibility of becoming a Christian without supernatural Assistance.

It was Simon Magus's error to think that the

"gift of God might be purchased with money; and it "hath a spice of his sin, and so may go for a kind of "simony, to think that spiritual gifts may be purchased "with labour. You may rise up early and go to bed

* Scott's Christian Life, part ii. chap. 7.

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