wicked and bafe flavery of fin; and has chose rather to be under the tyranny of a corrupting power, than to be with God." Nay, he fays, "That he who was without lord. and master, and of his own free will, ov υπο πιδίων και τοσείων κακών κυριευίαι, is now lorded over by fuch and fo many evils, as it is not easy to number our tyrants." Hence he obferves the impotency of man, and the neceffity of the fpirit and grace of God. On Cant. i. 2. he has this note, "In what follows, the foul, the bride, touches a more fublime philofophy, fhewing zo awegsilov TE και αχώρητον λογισμοις ανθρώπινοις της θείας δυ vaμes, that divine virtue is not to be come at and comprehended by human reasonings, when the fays, thy name is as ointment poured forth." And in another place he fays ", that the power of human virtue, 8x éαnes xal' eaulny, is not fufficient of it felf to raife up fouls deftitute of grace to a form of life." Yea, he obferves ", " That fuch mifchievous evils, and fo difficult of cure, are hid in the fouls of men, ως μη δυναίον είναι δια μόνης της ανθρωπινης σπεδης αρετής, ως that it is not poffible by meer human industry and virtue, to wear them out, and remove them, unless one receives the helping power W s Ib. De Beatitud. Orat. 3. p. 785. Ib. in Cantic. Homil. 1. p. 485. " Ib. De Scopo Chrift. p. 732. Vol. 2. w lb. p. 734. of of the spirit. And a little after*, "The tempter lays many fnares for the foul, and human nature is in fo bad a condition in it self, that it can't get the victory of him." He argues the weakness of human nature, and the neceffity of divine grace and affistance, from the feveral petitions in the Lord's Prayer; "What, fays he ', does that he', petition mean, Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come? But this, o aDDEVS ES1 TheOS αγαθε τινος κτησιν η άνθρωποι η φύσις, that bu man nature is weak to procure any thing that is good; and therefore none of the things that we are seeking diligently after befal us, unless the divine belp works that which is good in us." And a little after ", " He that fays in prayer, hallowed be thy name, prays thus, γενοιμεν τη συνέργεια της σης βοηθείας, ο that I might, by thine help and affistance, be unblameable, righteous, godly, abftaining from every evil work, fpeaking truth, working righteousness, &c. for God cannot otherwife be glorified by man, unless his virtue witnefs, that the caufe of good things is through the divine power." Then he goes on to fet forth the wretched condition that human nature is in by reafon of fin, and adds; "Well do we pray, that the kingdom of God may come upon us; for Ib. p. 735. P. a Ib. p. 736. f we can't otherwife put off the wretched government of corruption, unless the quickening power takes the dominion over us." Again, on that petition, thy will be done, he afks, "Why do we pray, that we may have a good will from God? o adevns in andegation φυσις προς το αγαθον εςιν, becaufe human nature is weak to that which is good." And a little after he obferves, that "there is in us fuch a bias to that which is evil, that we have no need of an affiftant, feeing wickedness perfects it felf of its own accord, in our will; but if the inclination is made to that which is better, το Θες χρεια την επιθυμίαν εις efgov ago, we have need of God to bring the defire into action." Therefore we fay, because thy will is temperance, but I am carnal, fold under fin, by thy power form aright this good will in me; the fame of righteoufnefs, godliness, the alienation of the affections." And yet after all this it cannot be denied, that Gregory drops feveral expreffions which feem to favour free will; and among others of the like nature, that is faid by him, which is cited by Doctor Whitby, that it is in mens power to be the children of the day, or of the night, and that they are the children of God by virtue, and of the enemy by vice; which must be reckon b Ib. Orat. 4. P. 742. Ib. p. 743. ed ed among his unguarded expreffions, in which he carries the power of man's free will too far; unless the patrons of that do &trine can reconcile them to the numerous teftimonies to the contrary produced here and elsewhere. To which may be added, that prayer of his at the close of one of his treatises "The Lord give us power, as TO εκκλίνειν απο κακο, ή ποιειν αγαθον, to decline from evil and to do that which is good, through the grace and philanthropy of the Lord and God, and our faviour Jefus Chrift." NUM B. XXIII. HILARIUS DIACONUS. A. D. 380. Hilary the Deacon, or the author of the commentaries on the epiftles of the ароftle Paul, formerly thought to be Ambrofe's, very plainly afferts the doctrine of original fin, the impotency of man to fulfil the law, or do that which is fpiritually good, and the neceffity of divine grace. "It is manifeft, fays he, that in Adam all finned, quafi in maffa, as in the lump; for he being cor f Ib. in Chrift. Refurrect. Orat. 2. p. 848. Vol. 2. Comment. in Epift. Rom. p. 269. rupted rupted by fin, all whom he begat are born under fin; wherefore from him we are all finners, because we are all of him." Again, "It is right and plain, that we ought not to obey the invention of Adam, who acted carnally, and who firft finning hath left death unto us, hereditatis titulo, by way of inheritance." Likewise speaking of fin, being condemned by the cross of Chrift; "hence, says he, the authority as it were of fin was taken away, by which it held men in hell, propter delictum Adae, for the fin of Adam." And elsewhere, to the fame effect, "being delivered from a state of darkness, that is, pulled out of bell, in which we were held by the devil, tam ex proprio quam ex delicto Adae, both for our own and the fin of Adam, who is the father of all finners, we are tranflated by faith into the heavenly kingdom of the Son of God." Once more, "Adam, fays he', fold himself first, and hereby all his feed are fubject to fin, wherefore man is weak to keep the commands of the law, nifi divinis auxiliis muniatur, unless he is fortified by divine aids; hence it is he fays, the law is fpiritual, but I am carnal, fold under fin, i. e. the law is firm and juft, and without fault, but man is frail, and subjected by his father's fin; lo h Ib. p. 289. i Ib. p. 287. that |