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ecclesiam Dei semper in eo conspirasse, 'the church of God always agreed in this,' that we sinned in Adam, in whose loins we were virtually contained, and by that sin deserved a privation of original righteousness, temporal death, and an eternal separation from God." The testimonies of Vossius, besides those of Austin, together with an addition of many others, will be given under the following Sections in proof of this point. These early writers did indeed say many things incautiously, and without guard, concerning free will, which are not easily reconcileable to other expressions of theirs, to which they were led by the opposition they made to the errors of Valentinians, Basilidians, Marcionites, Manichees, and others, who held two different natures in man; that some were naturally good, and others naturally evil, and neither of them could possibly be otherwise. Now it was common with the fathers, that when they set themselves against one error, they generally went into the other extreme; this is observed even of Austin himself, "that when he wrote against Arius, he seemed to favour Sabellius; when against Sabellius, Arius; when against Pelagius, the Manichees; when against the Manichees, Pelagius." Moreover, Vossius has this to say on their behalf, that "those holy martyrs, and other famous doctors, when they ascribe to man freedom to that which is good, either treat only of things natural and moral; or if at any time they speak of works of piety, and such as belong to God, they consider the will of man in common, and indefinitely, not distinguishing what he can do by the strength of nature, and what by the strength of grace, but only attributing that nature to man, by which, before grace, he can do, or not do moral good; and after strength received by grace can believe or not believe, do, or omit works of piety; contrary to which were the opinions of the Bardesanists, Manichees, and the like. If we interpret the fathers otherwise, adds he, we must not only make them contradict one another, but themselves also. Besides, we shall make it appear in the following Sections, by a variety of testimonies, that they held the weakness and disability of man, without the grace of God, to do any thing that is spiritually good, yea, even that is morally so; and that the will of man is sinful, and the root of sin; and that it is in a state of servitude and bondage to sin, until released by the grace of God and as to the necessity of the grace of God to the performance of every good action, Vossius asserts and proves what follows, that the Latin writers who were before the times of Pelagius, clearly acknowledged the necessity of grace; both the Africans, as Tertullian, Cyprian, and Arnobius; and the Italians, French, and others, as Lactantius, Hilary, and Ambrose; nor can any one be produced who thought otherwise." Again §, "They who deny that the Greek fathers understood the doctrine of the necessity of grace, do them a very great injury, since they often most plainly assert it." The citations made by him in proof of this, with many others, will be given hereafter. I conclude with the words of Vincentius Lirinensis ||: "Whoever," says he, * Rivet, de Patrum Authoritate, c. 11, s. 4, p. 68.

:

Ib. thes. 1, p. 267.

+ Hist. Pelag. 1. 3, par. 1, p.
§ Ib. thes. 2, p. 272.

Commonitor. 1, adv. Hæres. c. 34.

282.

"before the profane Pelagius, presumed that there was such a power in free will, as to think the grace of God unnecessary to help it through every act in things that are good? who before his prodigious disciple Cælestius denied, that all mankind are guilty of Adam's transgression?"

SECTION I.

CLEMENS ROMANUS. A. D. 69.

CLEMENT was so far from ascribing vocation, conversion, or sanctification, to the will of man, that he always considers it as the effect and produce of the will of God. His epistle to the Corinthians begins thus, "The church of God which dwells at Rome, to the church of God which dwells at Corinth, κλητοις ηγιασμένοις εν θεληματι Θεον, ' to the called and sanctified by the will of God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." He denies that men are called and justified, and come to honour, glory, and greatness, by themselves, or by their own works, but by the will and grace of God; for thus he expresses himself †, “All therefore are glorified and magnified, ου δι αυτων, η των έργων αυτων, η της δικαιοπραγίας, ης καταργεισαντοι, αλλα δια του θελήματος αυτου, not by themselves or their own works of righteous actions, which they have wrought out, but by his will;" and we also being called by his will in Christ Jesus are justified, ου δι' εαυτων, ου δε δια της ημετέρας σοφίας, η συνέσεως, η ευσεβείας, η εργων, ων κατειργασάμεθα εν οσιότητι καρδίας, "not by ourselves, nor by our wisdom, or understanding, or piety, or the works which we haved one in holiness of heart,' but by faith, by which God Almighty hath justified all from the beginning, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

SECTION II.

BARNABAS. A. D. 70.

BARNABAS in his Epistle has a passage which sets forth the corruption and weakness of the heart of man before the grace of God is implanted, insomuch that it stands in need of being rebuilt, new made, and created again; it runs thus: "How shall the temple be built in the name of the Lord? Learn; before we believed in God, the habitation of our heart was φθαρτον και ασθενες, corrupt and weak,' as a temple truly built with hands; for it was a house full of idolatry, and idolatry was the house of devils, by doing what was contrary to God. It shall be built in the name of the Lord. Attend, that the temple of the Lord may be built glorious. How? Learn; receiving the remission of sins, and hoping in the name of the Lord, we become new, being created again, as at the beginning."

*Clement, Ep. 1 ad Corinth. p. 2.

† Ibid. p. 72.

Par. 1, s. 12, 1

p. 246.

SECTION III.

IGNATIUS. A. D. 110.

IGNATIUS was no favourer of the doctrine of free will; he ascribes sanctification and illumination to the will of God. His epistle to the Romans is inscribed, "To the church sanctified and enlightened, Ev Deλnμari OεOV TOV TоINσaνтos, by the will of God who does,"" or according to another, Tov Beλnoavтos, "who wills all things' which are according to the faith and love of Jesus Christ our God and Saviour." He represents repentance as very hard to be obtained, when he warns the members of the church at Smyrna against beasts in the form of men, and advises them "not to receive them, and if possible, not meet them, only," says he, "pray for them, if so be they may reрent, одeр dvσкoλov,' which is very difficult; but Jesus Christ, our true life, has the power of this," that is, of giving repentance. He roundly asserts, that men in a carnal state, have not a power to do any thing that is spiritual, οι σαρκικοι το πνευματικά πραωειν ου δυνανται, They that are carnal," says he, "cannot do the things that are spiritual, nor they that are spiritual do the things that are carnal, as neither faith the things of unbelief, nor unbelief the things of faith.' He denies Christianity to be the produce of moral suasion, but the effect of divine power; his words are these, Ου πεισμονης το έργον αλλα μεγεθους εστιν ο Χριστιανος, "The Christian is not the work of persuasion but of greatness;" that is, of the exceeding greatness of God's power, which is wonderfully displayed in making the Christian, in continuing, preserving, and supporting him as such, especially, as he observes, when he is hated by the world.

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SECTION IV.

JUSTIN. A. D. 150.

JUSTIN MARTYR held the doctrine of original sin; he says, that "mankind by Adam fell under death, and the deception of the serpent; that auартwλоi eyeɣovεiev, 'we are born sinners; and that ** we are entirely flesh, and no good thing dwells in us; he asserts the weakness and disability of men either to understand or perform spiritual things, and denies that man, by the natural sharpness of his wit, can attain to the knowledge of divine things, or by any innate power in him save himself, and procure eternal life." In one of his treatises, speaking of the doctrines of the Scriptures, he has these words ††; “ Ου δε γαρ φυσει οντη ανθρωπινη εννοια, ουτω μεγαλα και θεια γινωσκειν avОршñоis dνvатov, for neither by nature, nor by human understanding, is it possible for men to acquire the knowledge of things so great and • Page 54, 298. † Ep. ad Smyrn. p. 3. Ep. ad Ephes. p. 22. § Ep. ad Rom. p. 299. Dialog. cum Tryph. p. 316; vide p. 327; et Epist. ad Diognet. p. 502. ¶ Dialog. p. 327. + Ad Græcos, Cohort. p. 9.

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**Epist. ad Zenam, p. 506.

so divine; but by a free gift descending from heaven upon holy men, who had no need of the art of words, nor of the contentious and vainglorious way of speaking, but to exhibit themselves pure to the energy of the divine Spirit." And as for himself, he could say, "I do not study to show an apparatus of words by mere art alone, for I have no such power, αλλα χαρις παρα Θεου μονη εις το συνιέναι τας γραφας avтov εdooη μol, but grace alone is given to me by God to understand his Scriptures." He bids Trypho pray that "above all things the gates of light might be opened to him," for neither are they seen nor known by all, ει μη τω Θεος δω συνιέναι και ο Χριστος αυτον, unless God and his Christ give them to understand them."" And in another place he says "At that time being convicted by our own works that we were unworthy of life, and manifested that of ourselves, advvatov εισελθείν εις την βασιλειαν του Θεου, τη δυναμει του Θεου δυνατοι γενέθωμεν, it was impossible to enter into the kingdom of God, by the power of God we might be made able." And a little after he says, "Having sometime before convinced us το αδύνατον της ημετέρας φύσεως εις το TUXEW Cwns, of the impossibility of our nature to obtain life, hath now shown us the Saviour, who is able to save that which otherwise were impossible to be saved." It must be owned, that Justin in many places S asserts the free will of man; but then it is to be observed, that in all those places, even in those which Dr. Whitby refers to ||, in proof of his being an advocate for free will, he speaks of it as men and angels were possessed of it, my apyny, " at the beginning of their creation," when they had full power to do that which is good, and avoid that which is evil; though their natures being mutable were capable both of vice and virtue, and of being turned either way, as the event showed, and which is not denied by us. In like manner are we to understand some passages in Athenagoras ¶ and Tatian** which the Doctor also refers to ++, where they ascribe free will to men and angels, when created by God, who has a power of doing good and avoiding evil, which clears God from being the author of sin, or being guilty of injustice in punishing of them; for as for Tatian, he clearly asserts the corruption and weakness of human nature; he says, "that at the beginning there was a spirit which lived familiar with the soul, but when it would not follow it, the spirit left it, but retaining some spark of its power, though because of the separation, that is, from the spirit, τα τέλεια καθοραν μη δυναμένη, ' it is not able to behold things that are perfect,' and seeking after God, through error feigns many gods;" he adds, that the Spirit of God is not with all men, only with such as live uprightly; yea, he plainly intimates, that man through his free will is now become a slave; which is stating in a few words the doctrine of free will, as held by us; for he expressly says ‡‡, anwλeσev nuas το αυτεξούσιον, δουλοι γεγόναμεν οι ελεύθεροι, δια την αμαρτίαν εμπραθήμεν, "free will has destroyed us; we who were free are become servants, *Dialog. cum Tryph. p. 280. + Ibid. p. 225. Epist. ad Diognet: p. 500.

apxní,

§ Pro Christ. Apolog. 1, p. 45, 46; ib. 2, p. 71, 80, 81; Dialog. cum Tryph. p. 316, 329, 370. || Discourse, &c. p. 96, 345, 369, 370, 373, 381; ed. 2. 95, 336, 360, 361, 364, 371. Legat, pro Christ. p. 27. ** Contr. Græc. Orat. P. 146. ‡‡ Orat. P. 150.

tt Discourse, &c. p. 384; ed. 2. 374.

and for our sin are sold." Theophilus of Antioch also says*, that God made man possessed of free will, but then he represents him now as impotent and standing in need of the grace of God; "They that know not God, and do wickedly," he says, "are like to birds who have wings but are not able to fly; so such men creep upon the ground, and mind earthly things, κатаßароνμevоι νпо тшν аμаρтιшν, and being pressed down by their sins,' cannot move upward unto God." He expresses his sense which he himself had of the need of divine grace, as well as how necessary it was to others to know the truth, and understand the mind and will of God, when he says, εyw di αιτούμαι χαριν παρα του μονου Θεου, “I desire grace from God alone, that I may exactly explain the whole truth according to his will; as as also that thou, and every one that reads these things, odnyeraL υπο της αληθειας και χαριτος αυτου, might be guided by his truth and grace."

SECTION V.

IRENEUS. A. D. 180.

IRENEUS is expressly for the corruption of human nature through the sin of Adam, which he calls §, antiqua serpentis plaga, "the old plague, blow, or wound of the serpent," from which men cannot be saved otherwise than by believing in Christ. He says, that "we offended God in the first Adam, not doing his commandment, and which we had transgressed from the beginning;" that "Eve¶ was the cause of death to herself and to all mankind;" and that man "will be justly condemned **, because being made rational, amittit veram rationem, he has lost true reason,' and lives irrationally, is contrary to the justice of God, giving himself up to every earthly spirit, and serves all pleasures." Also he affirms++, that "we lost in Adam the image and likeness of God." Now a very considerable part of this lay in man's free will to that which is good, and therefore this must be lost by sin; and what free will to that which is spiritually good can there be thought to be in man naturally, who is said by Irenæus ‡‡ to be lignum aridum, "a dry tree," which cannot bring forth fruit unless the voluntary rain of the Spirit descends from above upon it? The weakness of human nature is proved by this writer from Romans vii. 18; his words are these §§; "who (Christ) saved them, quia per seipsos non habebant salvari, because they could not be saved by themselves;" wherefore Paul declaring the infirmity of man, says, I know that in my flesh dwells no good thing; signifying that non a nobis sed a Deo est bonum salutis nostra, "not of ourselves, but of God is the blessing of our salvation." The inability, yea, the impossibility of attaining to the true knowledge of God, without divine teaching, is plainly

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Ib. c. 16, p. 460. ** Ib. 1. 4, c. 9, p. 326.

Ib. 1. 3, p. 133.
Ib. 1. 3, c. 33, p. 301.

tt Ib. 1. 3, c. 20, p. 282; ct 1. 5, c. 15, in Fragm. Græc. ad Calcem Irenæi,
§§ Adv. Hæres. c. 22, p. 289.

Ibid. c. 19, p. 100.

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