is made κατα χαριν, by grace." And in another place he says *, "The five rational senses of the soul, if they receive the grace from above, and the sanctification of the Spirit, are truly virgins." And elsewhere he observest, that "as many as are the children of the light, and of the ministry of the New Testament by the Holy Spirit, learn nothing of men; for they are taught of God, for αυτη η χαρις, ‘grace itself' writes the laws of the Spirit in their hearts." Again: "Never think," says he †, "that thou preventest the Lord by virtue, according to Phil. ii. 13:" it is certain he both owns the preparing, preventing, and subsequent grace of God; for he speaks § of the Holy Spirit, ετοιμασαντι, 'as preparing the soul' to be a seat and habitation for himself; and of some || whom the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit προαπαντωσι, ‘prevent.' "God," he says, "requires of men labour, fatigue, and working; but unless there appear the heavenly cloud, και νετοι χαριτος, 'and the rains of grace,' the labouring husbandman will profit nothing." In short, he ascribes all that the saints enjoy now, or shall hereafter, to divine grace. "The glory and beauty of Christians," says he **, " and the heavenly riches, are unspeakable, and are obtained with labour, and sweat, and trials, and agonies; το δε ολον χαριτι Θεου, but the whole is owing to the grace of God." Particularly he observes††, that "the knowledge of God in truth is through the power of God, and energy of grace." He represents the work of grace and conversion as a new creation, and the effect of divine power, and which cannot be done without it. "Our Lord Jesus Christ," he says‡‡, "came to change and transform nature, and to renew και ανακτισαι, 'and create again the same soul,' which was subverted by the affections, through the transgression, mixing it with his own Spirit." And a little after §§, "Seeing the soul that truly believes in Christ must be translated and changed from this present evil state into another good state, and from this present mean nature into another divine nature; also it must be made new, δια της δυναμεως του Αγιου Πνευματος, ‘by the power of the Holy Spirit,' that so it may be fit for the heavenly kingdom." And whereas it may be thought difficult, if not impossible, that men should be converted, or turned from their sins, he advises || || to remember what Christ did when he was here on earth; how he cured the blind, and raised the dead, and the like; intimating, that that power which wrought in the one was able to effect the other. He speaks of the fire of the Spirit which rekindles hearts, enlightens souls, makes devils to flee, takes away sin, and gives immortality. Homil. 4, p. 19. † Ib. 15, p. 87. || Ib. 29, p. 171. Ib. 26, p. 148. ‡ Ib. 37, p. 199. ** Ib. 5, p. 33, 34. Ib. 44, p. 215. §§ Ib. p. 217. |||| Ib. 4, p. 28, 29. § Ib. 1, p. 2. †† Ib. 24, p. 138. Ib. 25, p. 143, 144. * Enarr. in Psalm cxxiii. p. 540. De Trinitate, 1. 6, p. 74; 1. 11, p. 174. Comment. in Matt. can. 16, p. 296; in Psalm exix. Vau, p. 472. SECTION XII. HILARIUS PICTAVIENSIS. A. D. 360. HILARY of Poictiers affirms, that all good things spring from the grace of God: "What room," says he *, " is left for boasting in us, when we remember that all things are of God?" "The services of our tongue and mouth," he sayst, "are not sufficient to give praise to God; we have changed crimes for innocence, vices for virtue, ignorance for knowledge, destruction for immortality; et hoc a Dei gratia, and this is from the grace of God." Faith in Christ, the knowledge of him, he frequently ‡ intimates, are the gifts of God. He ascribes regeneration to the secret and powerful, yea, irresistible efficacy of divine grace; "Obtaining," says hes, "the faith of my regeneration, I am ignorant; and what I know not I now hold, sine sensu enim meo renascor, for without my perception I am born again." And in another place he says ||, "The operation of God hath raised Christ from the dead, et hæc eadem Dei operatio, and the same operation of God quickens us with Christ." And elsewhere he says, "We are indeed children to God, but by the workmanship of the Son; for we were sometime children of wrath, but are made children to God by the spirit of adoption. We were not born so, but made; not generated, but acquired." He represents the grace of regeneration as making persons new, and without which they cannot receive new things. On Luke v. 36, 37, he has this note**: "Souls and bodies infirm through the oldness of sins, do not take in the mysteries of the new grace, for the rent will be worse, and the wine being shed, the old bottles will perish; for the guilt of such will be double, since besides the oldness of their sins, they will not bear the power of the new grace; and therefore the pharisees, and the disciples of John, could not receive new things, nisi novi fierent, unless they were made new;" which they could not be without the power of God, to which all things are possible, and so this; for, as he says++, "What is so possible to the power of God, than that he can save through faith? That he can regenerate by it?" And, indeed, such is his power, that it is not to be resisted, which is proper and peculiar to him; for as this father somewhere observes, "To God alone it agrees to do all things which he wills; for sole perfect power is hindered by none, so that he could not do what he wills; and no difficulty occurs to him from whom are all things." Ib. 1. 12, p. 185. § De Trinitate, 1. 12, p. 197. ** In Matt. can. 9, p. 271. In Psalm cxxxiv. p. 581. † Ib. cxxv. p. 547. || Ib. 1. 9, p. 119. 廿 Ib. can. 20, p. 305. SECTION XIII. BASILIUS CÆSARIENSIS. A. D. 370. BASIL of Cæsarea asserts, that sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit, and entirely owing to the preventing grace of God. Speaking of the Holy Spirit, he says*, that "there is no sanctification without him; and that we have learnt concerning him by the divine writings, αυτό εστιν ο τους αγιους, αγιους εποιησε, that he it is who makes the saints saints, and gives divine life to them that ask God by him." And in another place‡, "The Spirit is not a creature, but the character of God's holiness, και πηγη τοις πασιν αγιασμου, ‘and the fountain of holiness to all,' as the apostle teacheth; we are called in the holiness of the Spirit; makes us a new creature, abiding for ever." And elsewhere §, "It was impossible to be born again μη προλαβουσης χαριτος του Θεου, without the preventing grace of God." "Faith," he says, " is the work of God," and he means not what God requires of us, but what he works in us. " If our faith in the Son," says he ||, " is the work of God, for this is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent, he himself, that is the Son, cannot be the work of God." Moreover he says, that "faith is not in us through geometrical proofs, but ταις του Πνευματος ενεργειας, by the effectual operations of the Spirit." Again; he affirms **, that "this is to be held for certain, and to be confessed, that the grace of every good thing, and so the patience of those things which we suffer fo for the sake of Christ, παρα Θεου υπαρχειν, are from God:" for the proof of which he cites John iii. 27; 1 Cor. iv. 7; Eph. ii. 8, 9; Phil. i. 29. He frequently ascribes the whole of salvation to the free grace of God, to which he gives all the glory, and rejects boasting in the creature. "Let no man," says het+, "praise my industry, by which I am saved from dangers; for salvation is not in the power or wisdom of man, but in the grace of God." And elsewhere‡‡, "Nothing is left for thee, O man, of which thou canst boast, whose glorying and hope lie in this, that thou mortify all thy will, and seek life to come in Christ, of which we having in these things the first fruits, entirely live by the grace and gift of God. Phil. ii. 13. Why, therefore, I pray thee, dost thou extol thyself as if thou hadst good things of thine own, when thou shouldest give thanks for gifts to the giver of them? 1 Cor. iv. 7. God is not made known to thee by thy righteousness, but thou to God by his goodness. Gal. iv. 9. Thou hast not apprehended Christ by thine own power, but Christ thee by his coming. Phil. iii. 12." * De Spirit. Sancto, c. 16, p. 180. ‡ Ib. p. 117. + Contr. § De Baptismo, 1. 1, c. 2, p. 650. In Psalm cxv. p. 313. ** Moral. Reg. 55, p. 331, vol. ii. Eunom. 1. 5, p. 139, vol. ii. 66 66 "If GREGORY of Nazianzum was an advocate for the grace of God. any one," says he *, " is a child of light, or a man of God, or is near to God, or a man of good desires, or is worthy to be called by any such names, with which the Scripture honours men divine and exalted, and that have a right to that portion which is above; τουτο μεν ηδη δωρον Θεου, και φανερως υπερ την αξιαν την ημετεραν, this is verily the gift of God, and manifestly beyond our desert." He acknowledges †, that " it is of God that we are, και το ειδέναι Θεον, 'and that we know God,' and that we have what we offer to him;" and calls upon others to make the same confession : "Acknowledge," says he, from whence thou hast that thou art, that thou breathest, that thou hast an understanding mind; and what is the greatest of all, το γινωσκειν Θεον, 'that thou knowest God;' hopest for the kingdom of heaven, equal honour with angels, and a sight of glory." He makes God to be the author and finisher of all that is good §, παρ' ου καλον απαν και αρχεται και εις τελος ερχεται, " by him, that is God, every good thing both begins and comes to an end." Regeneration is ascribed by him to the Spirit of God, παρα μεν του Πνευματος ημιν η αναγενησις, " from the Spirit we have regeneration," says he ||, "from regeneration reformation, from reformation knowledge of the worthiness of him that forms us again;" and this, with the Scripture, he makes necessary to a man's enjoyment of the heavenly glory. "Assure yourselves," says he, "that no man can either see or receive the kingdom, unless he is born from above by the Spirit, and is cleansed from the first birth." It is easy to observe, that Gregory does in these passages frequently represent the work of grace as a creation, and by a being formed again. "The Spirit," he says**, το ποιησαν το ανακτιζον, ' is he that forms, that creates again by baptism,' by the resurrection; the Spirit knows all things, is he that teacheth, and breathes where and as much as he pleases." And in another place††, speaking of his Father, he has these words: "He came to that regeneration which is by water and the Spirit, by which we confess to God μορφωσιν τε και τελειωσιν, ‘the conformation and perfection of the man, according to Christ, και μεταθεσιν και αναπλασιν, and the change and reformation of that which is earthly to the Spirit." And elsewhere‡‡, mentioning those words, and it was winter, that is, adds he, " of unbelief, and Jesus was present, God and the temple, the eternal God, the new temple, to-day dissolved, and in three days raised again, and abiding for ever; that I might be saved, and be called again from the old fall (meaning the fall of Adam), and being αναπλαττομενος, ‘formed again,' through such philanthropy, might be made a new creature." SECTION XV. DIDYMUS ALEXANDRINUS. A. D. 370. DIDYMUS of Alexandria, in his treatise concerning the Holy Spirit, says many things of his grace and power in the sanctification of men : "The Holy Spirit," says he *, " is by the confession of all, the immutable sanctifier, the giver of divine knowledge, and all good things; and that I may speak more briefly, he is subsisting in those good things, which are given by the Lord, according to Matt. vii. 11; Luke xi. 13; from whence it appears, that the Holy Spirit is the fulness of the gifts of God, and that those things which are ministered by God do not subsist without him; for all advantages which are received from the grace of the gifts of God flow from this fountain." And a little after he calls him the giver of sanctification †, and says that it is impossible any one should obtain the grace of God si non habeat Spiritum Sanctum, "" if he has not the Holy Spirit;' in which we prove, that all the gifts of God consist." And again, says het, "No one ever receives the spiritual blessings of God, nisi præcesserit Spiritus Sanctus, unless the Holy Spirit goes before;' for he that receives the Holy Spirit consequently will have blessings, that is, wisdom and understanding, and the rest; - wisdom and understanding which are in the Holy Spirit are given by God:-God the giver of good things, will give the hope which he has promised, in the power of the Holy Ghost to them that have him." SECTION XVI. GREGORIUS NYSSENUS. A. D. 380. GREGORY of Nyssa attributes all virtue, and every good thing that is in us, or done by us, to God, and to his grace. Upon Cant. iv. 12 he has this note §, "Hence we learn, αρετας δε ειναι την του Θεου φυτειαν, ' that virtues are the plantation of God,' about which the intellective power of our souls being employed, is sealed with the character of truth, and formed with a habit to that which is good." Yea, he asserts ||, that παν αρετης ονομα τε και νοημα εις τον Κύριον των αρετων αναφερεται, “every name and thought of virtue is referred to the Lord of virtues." And in another place he observes, that "what food and drink is to the body, that is to the soul, to look to what is good, και τουτο ως αληθως δομα εστι Θεου το ενατινοζειν Θεω, ' and this is truly the gift of God, to look intently unto God." And a little after, "He that looks to that which is good, has the gift of God in all his labour; and this is it, always to look to that which is good." And elsewhere**, having mentioned Gal. ii. 20, he takes notice, that * Didymus de Spiritu Sancto, 1. 1, fol. 176, B, inter Hierom. opera, tom. ix. Ib. fol. 177, D, E. || Ib. in Eccl. homil. 8, p. 464. + Ib. C & M. § Greg. Nyss. in Cantic. homil. 9, p. 608, vol. i. Ib. p. 467. ** Ib. Orat. in 1 Cor. xv. 28, p. 850, 851, |