SECTION ΧΙ.

ATHANASIUS. A. D. 350.

ATHANASIUS was made bishop of Alexandria A. D. 336, and died A. D. 371, who *, as he bore an excellent testimony to the deity of Christ against the Arians, so he has left ample proof of his attachment to the doctrines of eternal predestination and election, and of a preparation of grace and glory in Christ before the foundation of the world; as will clearly appear from the following passages†: "The grace of the Saviour to us-ward hath appeared of late, as saith the apostle, when he came to us; προετοιμαστο δε αυτη και πριν γενεσθαι ημας, μαλλον δε και προ της καταβολης του κοσμου, but was 'prepared before, even before we were, yea, before the foundation of the world;' the cause of this is, in some respect, kind and astonishing; for it was not proper that God should, υστερον περι ημων βουλεύεσθαι, afterward consult concerning us, that it might not appear as if he knew not the things that belong to us; wherefore, the God of the universe creating us by his own word, and knowing our affairs better than we ourselves, and foreknowing, indeed, that we should be made good, but afterwards become transgressors of the commandment, and for that transgression be cast out of Paradise: he being a lover of mankind, and good, προετοιμαζει εν τω ιδιω λογω, δι ου και εκτισεντημας περι της σωτηριώδους ημων οικονομιας, before prepared in his own word, by whom he also created us for the economy of our salvation; that though we fall, being deceived by the serpent, we might not utterly remain dead, αλλ' εχοντες εν τω λογω την προητοιμασμενην ημιν λυτρωσιν και σωτηριαν, ‘but, having redemption and salvation before prepared for us in the word, rising again, we might continue immortal.'" And then, citing those famous and well-known places in scripture, 2 Tim. i. 9, 10, Ephes. i. 3-5, he proceeds thus: πως ουν εξελέξατο πριν γενεσθαι ημας, ει μη, ως αυτος ειρεκεν, εν ωυτω ημεν προτετυπωμενοι, πως δε ολως πριν ανθρωπους κτισθηναι ημας προαρισεν, &c., "how therefore should he choose us before we were, unless, as he has said, we were before delineated in him? how verily, before men were created, should he predestinate us," unless the Son of himself had been founded before the world was, having undertook the economy of salvation for us? or how, as the apostle says, should we obtain an inheritance, being predestinated, unless the Lord himself was founded before the world was; that he might have a purpose, to receive through the flesh for us, the whole lot of condemnation that was against us, and so we at length might be made alive in him; πως δε και προ χρονων αιωνιων ελαμβανομεν, μηπω γεγονότες, αλλ' εν χρονω γεγονοτες, ειμη εν τω Χριστω ην αποκειμενη η εις ημας φθάνουσα χαρις, " or how should we, not yet made, but made in time, receive before the world began, except the grace that is come unto us had been laid up in Christ?" Wherefore, in the judgment, when every one shall receive according to his deeds, he says, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom * Dallæi Apolog. part 4, p. 777. † Athanas, contr. Arian. Orat. 3, p. 245, 246, vol. i.

prepared for you from the foundation of the world; πως ουν, η εν τινι πριν γενέσθαι ημας ητοιμασθη, ει μη εν τω Κυρίω, “how therefore, or in whom should it be prepared before we were, but in the Lord," who was founded for this before the world was; that we, as stones well fitted together, might partake of life and grace from him? So it is, as any pious man may in some measure understand, that, as I have before said, rising from a death, which is but for a little while, we shall be able to live for ever; which men who are of the earth would never be able to do, ει μη προ αιώνος ην τροετοιμασθεισα ημιν εν Χριστω, η της ζωης και σωτηριας ελπις, "if the hope of life and salvation had not been prepared for us in Christ before the world was." And a little after * adds: "Having life and spiritual blessings prepared, before the world, for us in the word, according to election;" so we can have not a temporary life, but for the future continue alive in Christ.

Moreover, seeing, προ τουτον, η ζωη ημων τεθεμελιωτο και ητοιμασο εν Χριστω, “ before these our life was founded and prepared in Christ" (for it was not proper that our life should be founded on any other than in the Lord, who existed before the world was, and by whom the worlds are made), hence that being in him we shall also inherit eternal life. For God is good, and being always good wills this, knowing that our weak nature needs his help and salvation; and as a wise master-builder, purposing to build a house, is likewise desirous that, should it be destroyed, it might afterwards be repaired again; and willing this, he before provides and gives proper materials for a reparation to the workmen, which is a preparation beforehand. Now, as a fore-preparation of the repair is before the house, τον αυτον τροπον, προ ημων η της ημετέρας σωτηριαν ανανεωσις θεμελιουται εν Χριστω, “ in like manner, before us the reparation of our salvation is founded in Christ," that in him also we may be created again. Και η μεν βουλη και η προθεοις προ του αιώνος ητοιμασθη, " and the will and purpose was indeed prepared before the world was, but the work was done when necessity required, and the Saviour came." A most noble testimony of antiquity this to the doctrine of eternal predestination in Christ. In another place †, he shows that our vocation in time is according to an antecedent will of God; his words are these: "For even Paul was not at first, though afterwards he was made an apostle by the will of God; so our calling, which sometimes was not, and now is, προηγουμενην εχε βουλησιν, hath a preceding will; for as Paul himself again says, he was made, that is an apostle, according to the good pleasure of his will." And elsewhere, he affirms that the foundation of true religion is more ancient than the prophets, and even from eternity; for speaking of the times in which they prophesied he says, "Not that they laid the foundation of godliness, ην γαρ και προ αυτων και αει ην, και προ καταβολης κοσμου, ταυτην ημιν ο Θεος εν Χριστω προητοιμασεν, for it was before them, and always was, yea, even before the foundation of the world, this God before prepared for us in Christ." And in another part of his writings §, where he is giving an account of the epistle to

the Ephesians, he observes that "the apostle, in the beginning of it, shows that the mystery respecting us is not new; but that εξαρχης και καταβολης κοσμου εινια ταυτην ευδομαν του Θεου, ωστε τον Κριστον υπερ ημων παθειν και ημας σωθηναι, from the beginning, even from the foundation of the world, this was the good will and pleasure of God, that Christ should suffer for us, and that we should be saved." And in his abridgment of the epistle to Titus he has these words * : "the apostle, says he, in the first place, gives thanks to God for his piety, and signifies that faith in Christ was not a new thing, αλλ' εξ αιωνος ητοιμασθη και επηγγέλθαι παρα του Θεου τουτην, but that this was from eternity prepared and promised by God." Thus did this brave champion for truth at once both honour the Father and the Son, by asserting the special and early provision of grace, life, and salvation, made in Christ by the Father before the world began; and by proving and maintaining the eternity and proper deity of the Son, his undertaking, from eternity, to suffer for us, and the satisfaction he has made in time for sin, to the justice of God. Dr. Whitby + refers to one passage in this writer, in favour of free-will, which will be attended to under that article.

SECTION ΧΙΙ.

HILARIUS PICTAVIENSIS. A. D. 360.

HILARY, bishop of Poictiers, in France, was banished for his orthodoxy, A. D. 354, and died A. D. 371. It appears from his writings which remain, that he held that there is an election of particular persons to the heavenly glory, and that the number of God's elect is determinate and certain; having cited those words in Isa. lxv. 15, which he reads thus, Ye shall have your name with joy to my chosen, he observes §, that "the speech is to carnal Israel, with respect to time to come, who are upbraided that they should leave their name to the elect of God. I inquire what is that name, to wit, Israel, to whom the word was then? Moreover, I ask, who is Israel now? The apostle truly testifies, that they who are in the Spirit, and not in the letter, who walk in the rule of Christ, are the Israel of God." And having mentioned the text in Deut. xxxii. 9; Jacob is the portion of the Lord, and Israel the lot of his inheritance, he adds ||; "This was chosen to an eternal inheritance; and because he was the Lord's portion, therefore the rest were reckoned as unknown; for these were chosen by the privilege of the portion;" which must be understood as before, not of literal, but mystical Israel; since they are said to be chosen to an eternal inheritance. And that there is a certain number of persons thus chosen he clearly asserts, when he says, we are all, in one, Abraham; and by us, who are all one, cœlestis ecclesiæ numerus explendus, the number of the heavenly church is to be filled up; wherefore every creature waits for the revelation of the children of God; therefore it groans together and grieves, that the number which, by Alpha, * Synops. Sacr. Script. vol. iii. p. 151. † Discourse on the Five Points, p. 97; ed. 2. 95. In Matt. Can. 18, p. 301.

Dallæi Apolog. p. 783. || Enarrat. in Psalm exliii. p. 629.

Hilar. de Trinitate, 1. 5, p. 56.

is added to Abraham, and which, in Rho, is finished in Sarah, might be filled up by an increase of believers, for the heavenly constitution." And in another place *, he says, "that this must needs be understood as referring to the people of the church; he adds, I will number them, and above the sand shall they be multiplied. Is their number uncertain, who are written in the book of God? wherefore there is no difficulty in the number of them whose truth remains in writing." Moreover, nothing is more evident, than that this Christian writer thought that election is an eternal act of God, or that it was from eternity: for which purpose he frequently cites †, or refers to the famous passage in Ephes.

i. 4.

"The Father, says he †, absolutely calls the Son God, meaning in Hosea, i. 7, just cited by him, in whom he hath chosen us before the world began; and because God is innascible by none, we are given to the Son by God the Father for an inheritance." Again, speaking of the will of the Father and the Son, he has these words §, "that he wills the same, he shows without ambiguity, saying, Father, whom thou hast given me, I will that where I am, they may be with me; seeing therefore, the Father wills that we should be with Christ, in whom, according to the apostle, he hath chosen us before the foundation of the world; and the Son wills the same, namely, that we be with him; the will, with respect to nature, is the same, which with respect to nativity, is distinguished in the person willing." Once more, "God, says he ||, is wonderful in the saints, whom, when he shall have made conformable to the glory of his body, by him who is the mediator, will also assume unto the unity of the Father's majesty; and whilst the Father is in him by nature, and he again is in us by the society of the flesh, whom he will place to obtain the kingdom prepared for them before the foundation of the world; to whom death being swallowed up, he will give an immortal and eternal life."

Vossius T, and, after him, Dr. Whitby **, cites a passage from this father, in favour of God's predestinating of men to life, from a prescience that they would live piously, believe, and persevere to the end, which is this, " Because many are called and few chosen, therefore, says he ††, there is not a fewness in the invited, but a scarcity in the elect; for in the inviter, without exception, there is the humanity of public goodness: but in the invited, by a right judgment, the election is of probity." To which they might as well have added another passage, occasioned by a citation of the same words, where he says‡‡, elect are conspicuous in the wedding garment, and splendid in the pure and perfect body of the new nativity, meaning the resurrection; wherefore election is not a thing of undistinguished judgment, but the distinetion is made from the consideration of merit." By which, as in the other passage, he means not that election he so often speaks of, as before the foundation of the world, but an election in time, after vocation;

and, indeed, no other than that distinction and separation which will be made at the day of judgment, in the resurrection morn; when the saints will appear distinct from all others, having on the wedding garment, and in their glorious risen bodies, and so will be singled out from the rest, and placed at Christ's right hand.

SECTION XIII.

BASILIUS CÆSARIENSIS. A. D. 370.

BASIL, commonly called the Great to distinguish him from others of the same name, was bishop of Cæsarea; he died A. D. 378. He held the doctrine of predestination, and asserts, that whatever comes to pass, was foreordained by God. Take care, says he *, how thou sayest this thing was done by chance, and this comes of its own accord ; for ουδεν ατακτον, ουδεν αοριστον, nothing is unordained, nothing undetermined, nothing is done in vain, nothing is done rashly." He affirms, that not a hand nor an eye are moved, but according to the will of God; the time, state, and condition of this present life, he says, are fixed and determined by God; his words are these †, "Consider, that that God, who has formed us, put the soul into us, ιδιαν εδωκεν έκαστη ψυχη του βιου διαγωγην, has given to every soul its manner of living; and indeed to others he has fixed other terms of removing hence; for he hath appointed this man to abide longer in the flesh, and on the contrary hath decreed, that that man should be sooner loosed from the bonds of the body, according to the unspeakable methods of his wisdom and justice." And he not only maintained a predestination of all things in general, but of particular persons, to eternal salvation; citing those words in John x. 16, Other sheep I have which are not of this fold. He observes, that "the Lord is speaking of them, του απο των εθνων προωρισμενους εις σωτηριαν, who from among the Gentiles, are predestinated unto salvation." And upon mentioning the same words a little after §, he has this following note; "the Lord shows that there is some other fold truly holy, into which the sheep of Christ are to be gathered; namely, they, τους απο των εθνων προωρισμενους εις σωτηριαν, who, from among the Gentiles are predestinated to salvation; that is, the church, in which the true worshippers worship in spirit and in truth." He represents the elect as a particular and distinct people, and as peculiarly blessed. "No man, says he ||, calls the people of the Jews blessed, but the people, τον απο παντων των γαων αρισινδην εξειγμενων, which is chosen best out of all people; we are the nation, of whom the Lord is our God; we are the nation, of whom the Lord is our God; we are the people whom he has chosen for an inheritance for himself; a nation truly, because we are gathered out of many nations: a people verily, because we are called in the room of a people cast away, and because many are called, and few are chosen ; he calls not