have picked out a paffage more to his purpofe than this, as when Theophilus fays*, that Chrift" uniting to himself a whole body, and a whole foul, fhewed in himself a perfect man, ut perfectam cunctis hominibus in fe & per fe largiretur falutem, that he might in and by himself give perfect falvation to all men. But his meaning cannot be, that Chrift gives compleat falvation to every individual of mankind, for then every man would be faved, which is not true; but that Chrift being perfect man, gives perfect and compleat falvation to all men to whom he gives falvation. And it is evident, that this early writer was of opinion, that the sufferings and death of Chrift could not be made void, and become of no effect, by any fins or tranfgreffions of men whatever; for fpeaking of Origen and his notions, "In vain, fays he ", he dreams that fouls afcend to heaven and defcend; and now they go forward, and anon tumble down below, that fo they often die through innumerable falls, et Chrifti paffio irrita fiat, and the Jufferings of Chrift become void; for he who once died for us, aeternam nobis victoriae fuae laetitiam dedit, quae nulla vitiorum mole extenuetur, bath given us the everlasting joy of his own victory, which can't be Ib. 1. 1. p. 185. B. lef leffen'd by any bulk of fins." Whereas, if Chrift fuffered death for all men, and all men are not faved, his fufferings and death must be so far in vain and of no effect. Monfieur Daille" next cites Synefius, who was ordained bishop of Ptolemais A. D. 411. by Theophilus of Alexandria, who only fays, "That Chrift ought to be crucified, Ung The aπavlov aμggrias, for the fin of all." But whether he means, that it was necessary that Chrift fhould be crucified for the fins of the Gentiles, as well as Jews, for the fins of all forts of men, for the fins of all the elect, or for the fins of every individual of mankind; which latter fenfe can only ferve the cause for which it is brought, is not certain. This author feems to be of a later date than to come within the time propofed to be confidered. NUM B. XXXIII. HIERONYMUS. A.D. 390. DR X R. Whitby claims Jerom on his fide the question, in proof of which he cites two paffages out of him; the first is this, though not as the Doctor has cited and ren W Apolog. p. 821. Poftfcript to his Difcourfe on the five Points, p. 572. Ed. 2. 548. der'd 63 der'd it, which is done very imperfectly. Jerom is fpeaking of Chrift, of whom he fays, "In no wife either as an ambassador, or as a meffenger, but he himself will fave them, qui receperunt falutem, who have received falvation, not by the merit of their works, but by the love of God, For God jo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whofoever believeth in him Should not perish but have everlasting life. But if the prudent reader fhould with a tacit thought reply, Why are not many saved, if he hath faved them, and loved, and spared his fons, and hath redeemed them with his blood, and hath undertook for, and exalted them that are affumed? A plain reason is inferr'd from hence, but they have not believed, and have provoked his Holy Spirit, or his holy One, which is called in Hebrew, wherefore God was willing to fave them that defire, i. e. to be faved, and hath provoked them to falvation, that the will might be rewarded, but they would not believe." The whole paragraph is intricate and perplexed, and the meaning of it not eafy to come at; for he fuggefts, that many are not faved whom God has faved, and that God is willing to fave all that defire to be faved, and yet they would not believe, things which are hard to be reconciled; and who Comment. in If. Tom. 5. p. 110. F. the the fons are God has loved, fpared, and redeemed, and who the affumed ones, he has undertook for, and exalted, one can't very well know, unless he means the Jews. Such an obfcure paffage cannot yield much advantage to a caufe. The fecond is wrongly tranflated by the Doctor, thus, "John Baptift muft lye, when he faid, Behold the lamb of God, who taketh away the fins of the world, if there be any yet living for whofe fins Chrift did not fuffer." Now Jerom, in the place referr'd to, is ta king notice of the herefy of the Cainites, which, he fays, was then revived, and overturns the whole myftery of Chrift; for, adds he", "It fays, that there are fome fins, quae Chriftus non poffet purgare fanguine fuo, which Chrift could not purge away by his blood; and that the fcars of former fins were fo deep, both in bodies and minds, ut medicina illius attenuari non queant, that they cannot be leffened by his medicine." On which he obferves, "What elfe does this mean, but that Chrift died in vain? Si aliquos vivificare non poteft, If there are any he could not quicken;" and then follows the words referr❜d to, John the Baptift lyes, when pointing out Chrift both by finger and voice, Behold the lamb of God, behold him that taketh away the fins of the world; fi funt z Epift. ad Oceanum, Tom. 2. p. 106. B. adhuc adhuc in feculo quorum Chriftus peccata non tulerit, If there are any yet in the world whofe fins Chrift could not bear." The plain and obvious fenfe of his words, in oppofition to the herefy of the Cainites, is this, That there are no fins but the blood of Chrift can purge away; nor any fuch wounds made by them but that can heal them; nor any perfons dead in fin but he can quicken if he will; nor are there now, nor were there ever in any age fuch enormous crimes committed but he could have bore; and, who will deny this? The Doctor next refers us to ten other paffages to the fame effect cited from Jerom in Monfieur Daille, whom he always wrongly calls Dally; and he might have faid more than ten, but thefe, as many as they are, only exprefs the will of God to have all men faved, and come to repentance, and the knowledge of the truth; or Chrift's love to mankind, and to a loft world, and his ability, and the fufficiency of the price of his blood to redeem the whole world; all which we own agreeable to the fcriptures of truth; and we'll try, if ten or twelve, or more paffages, can't be found in ferom's works, in which he either exprefly declares, that Chrift did not die to redeem all men, or limits his redemption to certain perfons, whofe characters he gives, as when interpreting thefe words, bring hither the fatted calf, he fays, " The fatted calf, |