presently see him sober, chaste, and continent; give me one cruel and thirsting after blood, at once his fury shall be changed into true clemency; give me one unjust, foolish, a sinner, forthwith he shall be just, and prudent, and innocent." But then all this he ascribes to the power of divine grace attending the word and ordinances of the gospel; "for by one laver," adds he, "all wickedness shall be abolished, tanta divinæ sapientiæ vis est, ut in hominis pectus infusa, such is the power of divine wisdom, that being infused into the breast of man, at once, by one effort, it expels folly, the mother of sin; to effect which, there is no need of hire of books or lucubrations; these things are done freely, easily, quickly, so that the ears be open, and the breast thirsts after wisdom." This he opposes to the maxims, notions, and wisdom of the philosophers, with all the art of moral suasion they were masters of; "their wisdom," says he *, "the most that it can do, can hide vices, but not root them out; but the few precepts of God so change the whole man, and polishing the old man, make the man new, that you cannot know him to be the same." SECTION XIII. EUSEBIUS CÆSARIENSIS. A. D. 330. EUSEBIUS, as he asserts + that man was at first created with a free will, which might be turned to good or evil, which is readily owned, so he signifies, that man's fall into sin was owing to it, and that through the ill use of it he is not only turned out of the right way, but is become like the beasts that are void of reason: his words are these: having spoken of man as constituted lord of all creatures, and possessed of a free will to that which is good, and the contrary, adds§: "but he not well using his free will, της ορθής διατραπείς όδου, την εναντίαν ωρματο, ' turned out of the right way, and rushed, or was carried, into a contrary one,' considering neither God nor the Lord, nor things holy nor religious, but like the beasts without reason, attempted all kind of actions fierce and intemperate." The Madgeburgensian Centuriators|| cite from this writer the following passage, namely, "The liberty of our will in choosing things that are good is destroyed by the devils," which has not so clearly occurred to me. The words of Eusebius T, which I suppose are referred to, are these: "The devil in his oracles hangs all things upon fate, and taking away that which is in our power, and arises from the selfmotion of free will, αναγκε δε και τούτο καταδουλωσας, ‘brings this also into bondage to necessity."" Where he seems to have respect not to the fall of man by the temptation of Satan, but to the introduction of the doctrine of fate into the heathen oracles, which is at large confuted by him in the same chapter. Ib. c. 9, p. 159. • Divin. Instit. 1. 3, c. 26, p. 256. Euseb. Demonstr. Evangel. 1. 4, c. 1, p. 144. § Ib. c. 6, p. 155. Eccl. Hist. cent. 4, c. 10, p. 521. Prepar. Evangel. 1. 6, c. 6, p. 242. SECTION XIV. MACARIUS EGYPTUS. A. D. 350. MACARIUS frequently asserts the corruption of human nature, as derived from the sin and disobedience of Adam, and the impotence of it to that which is good: "We have received," he says *, within our 6 selves the vitiosity of the affections, δια της παρακοής του πρώτου ανθρωTOV, through the disobedience of the first man,' which, by custom and much use, is, as it were, become our nature." And in another place he says†, "The whole sinful race of Adam possesses the same condemnation secretly," meaning that which Cain was under; "for as from one Adam all mankind are multiplied upon the earth, so one certain vitiosity of the affections sits upon the sinful race of men." Again : "By him (Adam) death hath reigned over every soul, and has destroyed the whole image of Adam, EK Tηs ekewoν tapakons, through that man's disobedience; so that men were turned aside, and came into the worshipping of devils." Moreover he observes §, that "all that contrariety in things open and secret hath come upon us απο της παραβασεως του πρώτου ανθρωπου, from the transgression of the first man. He farther observes, that "as Adam transgressing received into himself the leaven of the evil of the affections, so by participation they that are born of him, even the whole race of Adam, exeuns ans Švμns μETEXE, partake of that leaven." Once more, he says, "We are all the children of that dark generation, and all partake of the same evil savour; wherefore the same suffering that that man (Adam) endured, παντες εκ του σπέρματος Αδαμ οντες, we all, being of the seed of Adam, endure." And elsewhere he says **, that through "the transgression of the first man, wickedness entered into the soul, and darkened it;" hence he affirms††, "that the soul has need of the divine lamp, the Holy Spirit, who beautifies the darkened house, and of that bright sun of righteousness, that arises upon and enlightens the heart." Nay, he asserts ‡‡, that "as it is not possible that a fish should live without water, or that any one should walk without feet, or see the light without eyes, or speak without a tongue, or hear without ears; so without the Lord Jesus, και της ενεργειας της θειας δυναμεως, ' and the energy of divine power,' it is not possible to know the mysteries and wisdom of God, or to be rich and a Christian." And, as he elsewhere says §§, "A soul naked and destitute of the Spirit, and under the hard poverty of sin, ovdev dvvaTaι K'av Oeλn, 'it cannot, even though it would,' bring forth truly any fruit of the spirit of righteousness before it partakes of the Spirit." Or as he expresses himself in another place||||: "Without his vessels, that is grace, advvarov Tivα Tw ew diakovnσai, 'it is impossible that any one should serve God,' that is, be acceptable to him, with respect to his whole will." Agreeable to which are those Homil. 4, p. 20. ++ ++ + Ib. 5, p. 32. ¶ Ib. 30, p. 118. P. Ib. 11, p. 59; vide etiam p. 61. § Ib. 21, p. 131. 178. ** Ib. 45, p. 220. †† Ib. 11, p. 58. §§ Ib. 18, p. 118. Ib. 15, p. 118. words of his *: "Without that heavenly leaven, which is the power of the divine Spirit, it is impossible that a soul should be leavened with the goodness of God, and attain to life." And a little after+: “That soul that thinks to do any thing of itself with care and diligence, relying alone on its own strength, and thinking that it is able by itself, without the co-operation of the Spirit, to perform a perfect work, поλν пλavaται, is greatly mistaken." 66 as He observes, that those who have the divine law not written with ink and letters, but planted in hearts of flesh, these having the eyes of the understanding enlightened, and always desiring not a sensible and visible hope, but the invisible and intellectual one, are able to overcome the stumbling-blocks of the evil one; αλλ' εκ της αηττήτου δυναμεως, "but that is by an insuperable power." They, indeed, who are not honoured with the word of God, nor instructed in the divine law, being vainly puffed up, think, dia rov idiov avтecovσtov, "by their own free will," to abolish the occasions of sin, which is condemned by the mystery in the cross only; for the free will which is in the power of man can resist the devil, but cannot wholly have power over the affections, Psal. cxxvii. 1. For if human nature, without the whole armour of the Holy Spirit, could stand against the wiles of the devil, it could not be said by the apostle, what is in Rom. xvi. 20, 2 Thess. ii. 8; wherefore we are commanded to pray the Lord, that he would not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for unless being delivered from the fiery darts of the evil one, dia TηS KρEITTOVOS Bondeias, "by a better help," we should have the adoption of children vouchsafed to us, we have our conversation in vain, ως πορρω της δυναμεως του Θεου τυγχανοντες, being afar off from the power of God." Then he goes on to exhort to seek the powerful help of God, and represents fallen men as comparable to beasts without understanding, as become through disobedience δουλοι της σαρκος παθων, “ servants to the affections of the flesh.” He sometimes sets forth the case of men by a bird without wings, or having but one; As," says he§, "a bird that has but one wing, cannot fly with that one; so human nature, if it remains naked by itself, and does not receive the mixture and communication of the heavenly nature, ovder diwpowoŋ, 'can do nothing aright,' but continues naked and blamable in its nature, with much filth." Yea, though a man may have a will, he denies that he has a power; his words are these || : "As when any one sees a bird fly, he would fly also, but he cannot, because he has no wings; so, though to will is with man, to be pure, unblamable, unspotted, and not to have any evil in him, but to be always with God, To dvvaobai de OUK exe, he has not a power;' he would fly into the divine air, and the liberty of the Holy Spirit, but if he does not receive wings, he cannot; let us therefore beseech God, that he would give us the wings of the dove, the Holy Spirit, that we may fly unto him, and be at rest.” Yea, he represents man as dead, and so uncapable of doing any thing unless quickened; "As the body," he ¶, without the soul is dead, and cannot do any thing, so the says 66 Homil. 24, p. 137. † Ib. p. 138. || Ib. 2, p. 11. Ib. 25, soul, without the divine Spirit, is dead from the kingdom, nor can it do any of the things of God, avev тov Пlvevμaros, without the Spirit." Also he signifies, that "man is so wounded, that it is impossible he should be healed but by the Lord alone, to him only it is possible." And also†, that "it is impossible for any man of himself to deliver himself from contrariety, the error of reasoning, the invisible affections, and the machinations of the evil one." And elsewhere, having observed ‡, that a man cannot bring forth fruits worthy of the Lord without the wind of the Spirit, and clouds and rains of heaven, he adds; "This is the duty of man, that whether he fasts, or watches, or prays, or does any good thing, that he ascribes all to the Lord; thus saying, Unless God had strengthened me, I could not have fasted nor prayed, nor have left the world." There are indeed two passages in this writer, cited and referred to by Dr. Whitby §, in favour of free will; though they seem to be levelled against such who held, that some men are by nature good, and others evil, and cannot possibly be otherwise, being under a necessity of nature to be one or the other, a doctrine held by none that I know of. However, it must be owned, that Macarius, in those places, says such things of man's free will as are not easily reconciled to his many expressions to the contrary which have been produced. SECTION XV. ATHANASIUS. A. D. 350. ATHANASIUS held the doctrine of original sin, and the corruption of human nature through it; whereby man is brought into a state of slavery, out of which he cannot recover himself by his own strength, nor restore the image of God lost by sin; he says, that "Adam transgressing, εις πάντας τους ανθρώπους η απατη διέβη, & the deception passed unto all men; and that ¶, when man sinned and fell, through his fall all things were disturbed; death reigned from Adam to Christ; the earth was cursed, hell was opened, paradise was shut, heaven was angry, and at length εφθαρη ο ανθρωπος και απεκτενώθη, man was corrupted and slain." He observes **, that the apostle in the epistle to the Romans shows, that "otherwise there could be no redemption and grace to Israel and to the Gentiles, ει μη λυθη η αρχαια αμαρτία, η δια του Αδαμ εις απαντας γενομενη, ‘unless the old sin which through Adam came to all men was dissolved;' and that this could not be blotted out but by the Son of God; by whom also at the beginning the curse came, for it was not possible that another should loose the offence." And to the same purpose he says in another placet, that "the devil wrought sin from the beginning in the rational and understanding nature of man; for which reason it is impossible for nature, being rational, and † Ib. 21, p. 132. Ib. 26, p. 152. * Homil. 20, p. 128. § Discourse, &c. p. 97, 379, 381; ed. 2. 95, 96, 369, 371. Athanas. contr. Arian. orat. 2, vol. i. p. 358. Ib. in dictum Matt. xi. 27, p. 150. ** Ib. Synops. S. Script. vol. ii. p. 141. †† Ib. de Salutar. adv. Jes. Christ. vol. i. p. 638. 6 willingly sinning, and being under the condemnation of death, eavtηv ανακαλέσασθαι εις ελευθερίαν, ' to restore itself to liberty ;'as saith the apostle, what the law could not do in that it was weak.' The weakness of human nature is frequently inculcated by him *. The re-implantation of the image of God in man, he represents as a thing impossible to be done by either men or angels; his words are these: "It was not proper that those who once partook of the image of God should perish; what therefore was fit for God to do? or, what should be done? but to renew the image again, that hereby man might be able to know him again but how could this be done, unless the image of God, our Saviour Jesus Christ, comes? di avОршñшv μеv уap OUR EV dvvatov, for by men it was impossible,' since they were made after his image; nor by angels, for they are no images; hence the Word of God by himself came, that as being the image of the Father, he might τον κατ' εικόνα ανθρωπον ανακτίσαι, create man again after his image ; which could not be, unless death and corruption were made to vanish away." And elsewhere, explaining those words, that they may be one in us, among other things he says, "This phrase in us is the same as if it was said, that they may be made one by the power of the Father and of the Son ; ανευ γαρ Θεου τουτο γενεσθαι αδυνατον, for without God it is impossible that this can be done." And a little after he says §, δια την δεδομενην ημιν χαριν του Πνεύματος, “through the grace of the Spirit given unto us,' we are in him, and he in us; and because he is the Spirit of God who is in us, we likewise having the Spirit are reckoned to be in God; and so God is in us, not indeed as the Son is in the Father;" for the Son does not partake of the Spirit, that thereby he may be in the Father; neither does he receive the Spirit, but rather gives it unto all; nor does the Spirit give the Word to the Father, but rather the Spirit receives from the Word. The Son indeed is in the Father as his own Word, and the brightness of him; we truly without the Spirit are strangers and afar from God, but by participation of the Spirit we are joined to the Deity; so that for us to be in the Father, μη ημετέρου είναι, is not ours, or in our power, but the Spirit's, who is in us, and abides in us." Dr. Whitby || cites a single passage from Athanasius, proving, that man has a free will to incline to that which is good, or turn from it; and it must be owned, that he does in the place referred to, and elsewhere**, speak of man as avreÇovotos, "endued with free will;" but then he speaks of man as he was at first created by God, and of the power of his will, with respect to natural and civil actions, which he abused to his hurt, being of a moveable, changeable, and flexible nature; and so capable of being turned from that which is good, and inclined to that which is evil, as the event of things showed. * Athanas. de Incarnatione, p. 63, contr. Arian. orat. 3, p. 436. Ib. contr. Arian. orat. 4, p. 474. Discourse, &c. p. 97, 381; ed. 2. 95, 371. Athanas. contr. Gentes, orat. p. 5. + Ib. P. 66. § Ib. p. 477. **De Incarnatione Verbi, p. 56. |