not be refused; fhew one that is always evil and he will never be chofe." Hence the learned Scultetus charges him with be ing erroneous in the doctrine of predeftination. But this is but a fingle paffage, and feems only to regard the different difpenfations of divine providence towards good and bad men, on account of which God was cenfur'd by the Marcionites, and charg'd with levity and inconftancy, and not an election to grace and glory.

1

Dr. Whitby has a fingle reference to this writer, which, as the reft that have been before obferved, falls under the head of free will, and will be there confidered with them.

NUM B. VIII

ORIGENES ALEXANDRINUS.

A. D. 230.

Origen " of Alexandria, fometimes firna

med Adamantius, was born about A. D. 185. his father's name was Leonidas, who fuffered martyrdom A. D. 202. He fucceeded Clement in the fchool of Alexandria, was ordained a prefbyter at Cæfarea about

k Medull. patrum, Pars I. 1. 7. c. 42. p. 243.

1 Difcourfe, &c. p. 96. Ed. 2.

95.

m Vid. Fabricii Bibl. Graec. 1. 5. c. 1. § 26. p. 213.

A.D.

A. D. 228. and died at Tyre, A. D. 253. He wrote much, and many things are still extant under his name, great part of which are only translations by Ruffinus, who took great liberty in altering and interpolating his works, fo that it is not easy to know when we read Origen, or when Ruffinus. Perhaps many of the errors and mistakes he is charged with may be owing to the ill ufage he has met with this way. It is faid to be a tenet of his, that fouls pre-existed in another state, and that according as they behaved themfelves in the other world, they either obtained the order of angels, or were thrust down. to the earth, and united to bodies predeftinated either to life or death, according to their past merits, which he fometimes calls", preceding caufes, and more antient ones. This notion of his is mentioned by Jerom°, and rejected by him, who rightly obferves, that men are chosen in Christ, not because they were or had been holy, but that they might be fo. Origen's fentiments on this head were very peculiar, and are not allowed of on either fide of the question before us, and therefore paffages of this kind are very unjudiciously cited by Dr. Whitby in this

P

n Origen. Philocal. c. 21. p. 65. well asxor, 1. 2. c. 9. fol. 133. 1. 3. c. 1. fol. 142. & c. 3. fol. 145. & c. 5. fol. 148. Hieron. ad Avitum, Tom. 2. p. 51. L. Adv. Ruffin. Apolog. p. 68. M. 69. B. Comment. in Eph. p. 90. C. D. E. P Difcourfe, &c. p. 98. Ed. 2. 96, 97.

con

controversy. Indeed it cannot be denied, but that there are other paffages in the writings of this father which countenance the doctrine of predeftination, upon the forefight of man's future purposes, defires, and actions in this life, which don't accord with his above notion, and fhews either that he contradicts himself, or has not had justice done him. And though one might not expect to meet with any thing in favour of the abfolute and unconditional scheme in fuch a writer, yet there are feveral things faid by him which agree with it. And,

1. He agrees with us in his fentiments of prefcience and predetermination in general; he held, that nothing comes by chance, but that all things are appointed by God; yea, that the cafe of lots is not fortuitous, but according to divine predeftination. Thus fpeaking of the divifion of the land of Canaan to the Ifraelites, he has these words ",

Upon cafting lots the inheritance is diftributed to the people of God, and the lot moved, non fortuitu fed fecundum hoc quod prædeftinatum eft a Deo, not by chance, but according to what is predeflinated by God." His fente of the prefcience of God is, that

Vid. Origen. in Rom. p. 424, 425. Ed. Huet, in Numb. T. 1. fol. 117. in Rom. 1. 1. fol. 133. T. 3. & 1. 7. fol.191,

"foreknowledge is not the cause of things future, but the truth he fays is, that To 800μενον αιτιον τα τοιαν δε είναι την περι αυτά προγ wow, that a thing being future is the caufe of God's foreknowledge of it; for not because it is known it is future, but because it will be, therefore it is known" To the fame purpose he says in another place', "Not therefore any thing will be because God knows it to be future, but because it is future it is known by God before it comes to pafs." Which entirely accords with what we affert, that God did not decree any thing because he forefaw it, but he forefaw it because he decreed it.

u

2. He gives plain intimations as if he tho't that there was a certain number of men chofen by God, and given to Chrift. By the elect in Matt. xxiv. 30. who will be gathered together from the four winds, he underftands all that are loved by God the Father, and preferved in Chrift Fefus. God, he fays", is indeed, the God of all, tus exλons 51eos, He is the God of the election, and much more of the Saviour of the election." And elsewhere mentioning those words in John xvii. 5. And now, Father, glorify me with thine own felf, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was, he makes

this obfervation ", " The world here is to be underflood of our world above the earth, απο γαρ τότε το κόσμο έδωκε το 4 ο πατήρ από Оewas, for out of this world the Father bath given men to the Son, for whom alone the Saviour prays the Father, and not for the whole world of men." And again, it may be enquired, he fays", whether all men may be called the fervants of this king, or fome truly whom he foreknew and predeftinated.",

3. He afferts a predeftination to grace, and particularly to faith, which is not confiftent with predeftination, upon a forefight of it. In one of his books he has the fe words, "It feems that the knowledge of God is greater than to be comprehended by human nature, hence are fo many mistakes in men concerning God; but by the goodness and love of God to man, and through wondrous and divine grace, the knowledge of God comes επι τις προγνώσει Θες προκαταληψ Darlas, to them who were before comprehended in the foreknowledge of God, or according to the verfion of Gelenius, who to this were predefinated." And in another part of his works, fpeaking of the conjunction of angels to men, and their care of them, he fays, that "An angel begins from the time of a man's con

* Comment. in Matt. p. 326.

y Ib. p. 345:

2 Contra Celf. 1. 7. p. 361, 362.

a Comment. in Matt. p. 332.

D 2

verfion