of the Lord, but when he left them he lost it." Where, by the grace of the Lord, I apprehend he means the discoveries of the love and favour of God to him, which he enjoyed whilst he walked in his ways, and lost when he departed from them; since he adds, "and the Lord raised up Satan, or an enemy, to Solomon." Which may be the case of a true believer, and yet not fall from grace, as in the heart of God, or as implanted in his own heart, much less finally and totally perish; nor does Cyprian suggest any such thing concerning Solomon. Besides, in one of the places where this case is mentioned, he says many things which confirm the doctrine we plead for. Thus speaking of the saints, he observes*, that "He (Christ) says, that they are strong and stable, and founded upon a rock of a mighty bulk, and that they are solidly settled with an immoveable and unshaken firmness against all the storms and tempests of the world." Againt, says he, "Let no man think, bonos de ecclesia posse discedere, 'that good men can depart from the church.' The wind does not take away the wheat, nor does a storm root up the tree that is founded with a solid root; empty chaff is carried away with a tempest; weak trees are overturned at meeting a whirlwind; these the apostle John curses and strikes at, first Epistle, chap. ii. 19." Once more, “The Lord chose Judas," says he," though Judas afterwards betrayed the Lord, non tamen idcirco apostolorum fides et firmitas cecidit, yet the faith and firmness of the apostles did not fall,' because Judas, the betrayer, fell from their society; so here, the holiness and dignity of confessors are not immediately broke to pieces, because the faith of some is broken. The blessed apostle in his epistle speaks, saying, For what if some of them fell from the faith?" &c. Now, supposing that in the case before us, Cyprian had expressed himself a little incautiously, must this instance prevail against so many testimonies which have been produced to the contrary? In the other place §, referred to by Vossius, are these words, "And on the contrary oftentimes, some of those who are baptized in health, if afterwards they begin to sin, are shaken by the unclean spirit returning; so that it is manifest, that the devil, who is excluded in baptism by the faith of the believer, returns, si fides postmodum defecerit, if faith should afterwards fail." But then let it be observed, that Cyprian does not assert, only supposes the failing of faith after baptism; and had he asserted it, Vossius || himself has taught us how to understand the fathers, when they say that faith may fail, and sometimes really does; by which they mean, not the habit or seed of faith, but the acts which flow from it. And that true faith, as to the acts and exercise of it, may fail, is not denied by us. De Unitate Ecclesiæ, p. 253. § Ep. 76, ad Magnum, p. 213. ، + Ib. p. 256. SECTION X. LACTANTIUS. A. D. 320. LACTANTIUS clearly asserts the perpetuity of virtue or grace, when he affirms, that where it once is, it can never remove; his words are these *, "virtue is perpetual, without any intermission; nec discedere ab eo potest, qui enim semel cepit, nor can it depart from him who has once received it; for if it has any interval, if we can at any time be without it, vices immediately return, which always oppose virtue; nor is it therefore laid hold on, if it leaves, if it at any time departs; but seeing it has placed for itself a stable habitation, it must needs be conversant in every act; nor can it truly repel vices, and cause them to flee away, unless it fortifies the breast where it has its seat, perpetua statione, with a perpetual station; wherefore the perpetuity of virtue shows, that the human mind, if it has received virtue, continues, because virtue is perpetual, and the human mind only is capable of it." SECTION XI. EUSEBIUS CESARIENSIS. A. D. 330. EUSEBIUS observes†, that Christ foretold, that "the church gathered out of all nations should be αηττητον και ακαταμαχητον, ' unconquerable and inexpugnable,' and never to be overcome by death itself; but should stand and abide unshaken, being established by his power, and fixed as upon an immoveable and unbroken rock." And elsewhere‡ he affirms it to be a matter out of question, and " without controversy, that a new nation has appeared, not small, nor situated in a corner of the earth, but of all nations most populous and religious to this day, ανωλεθρον και αήττητον η και εσαει της παρα Θεου βοηθειας τυγχάνει, not being liable to ruin, but insuperable, because it has always help from God." And in another place §, having mentioned Psalm xlvii. 9, he observes, that "this shows yet more clearly, that the princes of the church of Christ, among the Gentiles, are translated into the inheritance of the prophets, formerly dear to God; and these being strengthened by the power of our Saviour, are lifted up very high, ovdevos ανθρωπων καταβαλειν αυτους και ταπεινωσαι δεδυνημένου, insomuch that no man is able to cast them down and lay them low,' because of the right hand of God that lifts them up, and strengthens them." Once more, he says, "The Lord himself being both shepherd and lord of the flock, is said to feed it by himself in strength, so that the sheep being kept with a mighty hand, and a high arm, μndev tɩ ñaßew dewov προς των εφεδρευοντων αυτοις αγριων και απηνων θηρίων, suffer no evil from the wild and savage beasts which lie in wait for them." Lactant. Institut. Divin. 1. 7, c. 10, p. 562. Prep. Evangel. 1. 1, c. 3, p. 7, 8. § Demonstr. Evangel. 1. 6, c. 2, p. 260. Ib. 1. 7, c. 2, p. 344. SECTION XII. CHRONOMATIUS. A. D. 335. CHRONOMATIUS was, as we learn from Jerome*, bishop of Aquileia ; he is said to flourish about A. D. 335 †, and therefore must live to a great age, as appears from Jerom's knowledge of him, and acquaintance with him. He wrote upon the Beatitudes, and some other passages in the fifth chapter of Matthew, and part of the sixth. Vossius refers to a passage in this writer as militating against the perseverance of the saints; who indeed observes§, that "they are infatuated, who, when once taught by faith, and the heavenly wisdom, and ought to remain faithful and stable, leave the faith and divine wisdom, and either fall into heresy, or return to the folly of the heathens." But it is plain that he is speaking of nominal Christians, and of their leaving the doctrine of faith they were once instructed in, and professed, but not of their losing the grace of faith, which they never had. He instances in Judas, "who," he says, "was of these sort of salts, but afterwards he rejected that divine wisdom, and of an apostle became an apostate; not only could not be profitable to others, but became miserable and unprofitable to himself." And a little after, "Judas, of the household of faith, became an enemy of the truth." All which only regard the office to which he was called, the external gifts bestowed upon him, and outward profession of faith he made, and the character he bore in the esteem of others, from which he sadly fell. But this is no proof of the apostacy of a true believer. Besides, Chronomatius observes in the same work¶, that " as salt, when it operates in any flesh, it does not admit of corruption, it takes away ill smells, it purges out filth, it does not suffer worms to be generated; so the heavenly grace of faith, which was given through the apostles, in like manner works in us; for it takes away the corruption of carnal concupiscence, it purges out the filth of sin, it excludes the odour of an evil conversation, and does not suffer the worms of sin to be generated, that is, lustful and deadly pleasures to rise out of the body. And as salt indeed is put without, but inwardly operates by virtue of its own nature, so the heavenly grace penetrates through the outward and inward parts of the man; et totum hominem, integrum a peccato incorruptumque conservat, and preserves the whole man entire, and incorrupt from sin." Which may be considered as a testimony for the doctrine of the saints' perseverance. * Hieron. ad Ruffin. tom. ii. fol. 66, A; Comment. in Amos, 1. 3, prom. tom. vi. fol. 44. + Vide Magdeburg. Centuriator. cent. 4, c. 10, p. 693. § Chronomatius de 8 Beatitud. concio. 1, p. 376. Hist. Pelag. 1. 6, thes. 12, p. 567. Ibid. ¶ Ib. p. 375. SECTION XIII. ATHANASIUS. A. D. 350. 6 ATHANASIUS expressly asserts the stability of the church, and the safety of believers, as they are established upon the rock Christ Jesus. it*: Having cited Matt. xvi. 18, he makes this observation upon "Faithful is the saying, and immoveable the promise, Kaι ŋ EKKλŋσia aηTTηTоs, and the church invincible,' though hell itself should be moved, and the rulers of darkness in it." And in another place he says, "A faithful disciple of the gospel, that has grace to discern spiritual things, builds his house of faith upon a rock, kai eσтηkev edpalos και ασφαλης απο της τούτων απατης διαμένων, and stands firm, and abides safe from their deceit ;" that is, from the deceit of false And christs and false prophets he had been speaking of before. having elsewhere; mentioned some instances in the Psalms, he adds, "Wherefore it is manifest, that we being made one, are able, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, βεβαιον έχειν της αγαπης τον ovvdeopov, to hold the bond of love firm." He suggests, that the reason why Christ receives grace for men, is, that it might remain safe for them." He, the Lord," says he §, "received, that the gift residing in him, ßeßaia n xapis diapern, grace might remain firm;' for if men only had received, it was possible that it might be taken away again, which is shown in Adam, for what he received he lost; wa de αναφαίρετος η χαρις γενηται και βεβαια φυγαχθη τοις ανθρωποις, now that this grace might not be taken away, but be kept safe for men,' therefore he made this gift his own, and says, that he received power as man, which he always had as God." He also represents || it as the effect of Christ's redemption, that the redeemed die no more; for thus he introduces Christ's speaking: "I have finished the work, which thou, Father, gavest me; the work is finished; for the men that are redeemed from sin, OUKETI μevovσɩ veкpoɩ, no longer remain dead." But if any of them should perish who are redeemed by Christ, how would this end of redemption be answered in such persons, or the effect of it appear in them? Vossius appeals to a passage in Athanasius**, as militating against this doctrine, which is this: "When any one falls from the Spirit, through some wickedness, grace indeed remains irrevocable, with those who are willing; though a man falls, he may repent; but such an one that falls is no longer in God, because the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, which is in God, departs from him; but the sinner is in him, to whom he has subjected himself, as in the case of Saul; for the Spirit of God departed from him, and an evil spirit afflicted him." But this must be understood of the external gifts of the Spirit, as the instance of Saul directs us to observe, and not of the special grace of the Spirit in effectual vocation; for Athanasius, in the very same page, says, that it never fails, is without repentance, and * Athanas. Orat. unum esse Christum, vol. i. p. 667. Ib. orat. 4, p. 474. § Ib. p. 490. || Ib. p. 476. **Contr. Arian. orat. 4, p. † Ib. contr. Arian. orat. i. p. 287. Hist. Pelag. 1. 6, thes. 12, p. 566. 477. being once bestowed, is never revoked. His words are these: "That phrase, as we are one, referring to John xvii. 22, means nothing else, than that the grace of the Spirit which the disciples had, might be adianтwтоs και aμeтаμeλnтos, never-failing and irrevocable;' for, as I said before, what the Word had by nature to be in the Father, he desires might be irrevocably given us by the Spirit; which the apostle knowing, said, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? For the gifts of God, and the grace of calling, are without repentance." SECTION XIV. MACARIUS ÆGYPTIUS. A. D. 350. MACARIUS gives plain intimations, that such who are truly born again shall never perish, but have everlasting life. "The true death," he says*, is inbred in the heart, and is hidden, and the inward man is become dead; if therefore any one passes from this death unto the life which is hidden, verily he shall live for ever, kaι ovк azobimσKEL, and not die." Again The soul shall be kept by the power of the Lord, which, as much as it is able, restrains itself, and turns from every worldly lust; and so it is helped by the Lord, that it may be truly kept from the aforesaid evils; for whenever the Lord sees any one bravely declining the pleasures of life, distractions, gross cares, earthly bonds, and the wanderings of vain reasonings, he grants the peculiar assistance of grace, anтwтоv diapor The foxy Ekelny, preserving that soul from falling." Once more: "The humble man never falls, for from whence should he fall who is under all?" And in another place, speaking of Mary, he observes, that a divine power filled her heart; and adds§, "That power, whereever it is necessary, becomes permanent, ws Kημа arapaipeтov, as a possession that cannot be taken away." Once more he says, that a soul "calling upon the Lord is able to continue ev otel adiσakty, in faith, without doubting." Vossius refers to several Homilies of this writer, as containing in them passages which militate against the saints' perseverance. Out of the fourth homily referred to, I have produced an instance in favour of it: in it, he does indeed make mention of the foolish virgins, but then he supposes them to be such who were in a state of nature, were never regenerated by the Spirit of God, and were destitute of the oil of grace; and in it also he represents God as not ashamed to receive such that fall, provided they repent, turn to him, and desire help of him. In the fifteenth, these questions are put Whether a man having grace can fall? whether grace remains after man is fallen? To which he replies, that he may fall if he is negligent, which may prove a loss to him, but he does not say that grace itself may be lost. And out of the same homily I have cited a passage in proof of the doctrine contended for. In the twenty-fourth homily referred to, I do not meet with any thing that looks like the doctrine of the saints' final and total apostacy. In the twenty-sixth Homil. 15, p. 96. + Ib. 4, p. 18. Ib. 19, p. 126. § Ib. 12, p. 72. |