CONTENTS. EXAMINATION OF EXAMINATION OF . - . . . PAOE - . . XVII. Basilius Cæsariensis 465 XVIII. Optatus Milevitanus - 466 XXII. Cyrillus Hierosolymitanus 409 XXIII. Gregorius Nazianzenus 470 XXIV. Didymus Alexandrinus 471 XXVII. Hilarius Diaconus - 473 XXVIII. Ambrosius Mediolanesis 474 XXX. Gaudentius Brixiensis 478 XXXI. Joannes Chrysostomus · 479 Minutius Felix - 414 Origenes Alexandrinus 422 424 - 426 If thou dost well, shalt thou not be accepted ? &c.-Gen. iv. 7. I. It will be proper to inquire, whether a wicked, an unregenerate man, as was Cain, can perform good works. To which may be answered, 1. Adain had a power to do every good work the law required ; which men, since the fall, have not. Men indeed, in an unregenerate state, might do many things which they do not ; such as reading the Scriptures, attending on public worship, &c. No doubt but the persons in the parable, who were invited to the dinner, could have gone to it, had they had a will, as well as the one did to his farm, and the other to his merchandise. Men have an equal power, had they an heart, a will, an inclination, to go to a place of divine worship, as to a tavern, or alehouse ; but it is easy to observe, that persons oftentimes have it in the power of their hands, when they have it not in the power of their hearts, to do a good work; as a rich man to give alms to the poor. Unregenerate men are capable of performing works, which are in a natural and civil, though not in a spiritual sense, good. They may do those things, which externally, in appearance, and as to the matter and substance of them, may be good ; such as hearing, reading, praying, giving alms to the poor, &c., when the circumstances requisite to good works are wanting ; for whatsoever is done as a good work, must be done in obedience to the will of God; from a principle of love to him; must be performed in faith ; in the name of Christ, and to the glory of God by him, Therefore, 2. It must be denied, that wicked, unregenerate men, have a power to perform good works in a spiritual manner; which is evident from their natural estate and condition, according to the scriptural representation of it, which is this : that the bias of their minds is to that which is evil, and to that only; that they are wholly carnal, and mind nothing else but the things of the flesh; that they are weak and strengthless, yea, dead in trespasses and sins; nay, that they are under an impossibility to do that which is spiritually good; There is B |
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