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where we shall all be written, or rather are already written." Though it must be owned, he adds, κατ' αξίαν των ηδη βεβαιωμένων enas, according to the defert of every one that have already lived. And in the fame way he interprets Matt. xx. 23. which he reads thus: To fit on my right hand and on my left, this is not mine to give, aλλ'ois deSoral, but to whom it is given; and goes on to ask, "Is the governing mind therefore nothing? is labour nothing? reafon nothing? philofophy nothing? fafting nothing? watching nothing? lying on the ground, fhedding fountains of tears, are these things nothing? αλλ' κατα τινα αποκληρωσιν και Ιερεμίας αγιάζεται και άλλοι εκ μητρος αλS LOTPISUTAI, but by a kind of fortilege was Jeremiah fanctified, and others rejected from the womb? I am afraid left any abfurd reafoning fhould enter, as if the foul lived elfewhere, and was afterwards bound to this body, and, according as it there behaved, fome receive prophecy, and others, who lived wickedly, are condemned. But to fuppofe this, is very abfurd, and not agreeable to the faith of the church. Others may play with fuch doctrines; it is not fafe for us." And concludes; "To those words, to whom it is given, add to this, who are worthy; who, that they may

Ib. Orat. 31. p. 505.

be

be fuch, have not only received of the Father, but have alfo given to themselves." The notion he here militates againft, is manifeftly that of Origen's, of the pre-exiftence of fouls, and their being adjudged according to their former conduct, either to happiness or misery; which Gregory was afraid fome might be tempted to give into, and which, in order to guard againft, led him into this glofs upon the text, and to make this addition to it.

NUMB. XVI.

HILARIUS DIACONUS.

A. D. 380.

THE Commentaries upon the epiftles of the Apostle Paul, which go under the name of St. Ambrofe are not his. Austin cites a paffage out of them, under the name of Hilary, whom he calls, Sanctus Hilarius, St. Hilary; but this could not be Hilary bishop of Poitiers, before mentioned, who was earlier; nor Hilary bishop of Arles, who was later than the author of these Commentaries for whoever he was, he lived in the times of Damafus, bishop of Rome, according to his own words; wherefore

f Contr. duas Epift. Pelag. 1. 4. c. 4. 8 Comment. in 1 Tim. 3. 15. P. 579.

fome

fome learned men have thought him to be Hilary the deacon of the city of Rome, who adhered to the fchifm of Lucifer Calaritanus. This author continually refers fuch paffages of feripture, which speak of predeAtination and election, to the prefcience of God; nothing is more common with him, than to say that God chufes and calls whom he foreknew would believe, would be holy, and devoted to him: Which paffages are therefore produced by Vous, and Dr. Whitby, with others, to prove that the fathers held a predeftination of men to life,, from a prefcience that they would live pioufly, believe, and perfevere. If by predeftination to life is meant predestination to glory, and not to grace, which is the meaning of the fathers, and of Hilary, we agree with them: We fay alío, that fuch whom God foreknew would believe, and be holy, he predeftinated to eternal happiness; but then we say, the reason why God foreknew that any would believe, and be holy, is, because he determined within himself to give them faith, and make them holy, and fo prepare them for glory. Neither Hilary nor any of

Vid. Voff. Hift. Pelag. 1. 2. par. 1. Thef. 6. P. 168. Dallaei Apolog. p. 787.

i Comment. in Rom. p. 241, 292, 294. in Eph. p. 492. & in 2 Thef. p. 567.

Hift. Pelag. 1. 6. Thef. 8. p. 543.
Difcourfe, &c. p. 99. Ed. 2. 98.

3

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the fathers fay that God forefaw that men
would believe of themselves, and make them-
felves holy by their own care, diligence,
and improvements of nature, nor that God
forefaw that men would believe, and be
holy, and therefore predeftinated them to
faith and holinefs; but having determined
to bestow faith and holiness upon them, he
forefaw they would believe and be holy, and
fo through these as means he chose them to
falvation. That this is the sense of Hilary,
appears partly from his suggesting that fome
are predeftinated to believe. In one place
he fays, "They believe, who are appointed
to eternal life ;" and in another " "God
of his own grace, of old decreed to fave fin-
ners (for God foreknew what would be in
man before he made him, and he had finned)
and predeftinated how he fhould be reco-
vered; in what time, and by whom, and in
what way, they might be faved: So that
they who are faved, are not faved either by
their own merit, or by theirs, by whom they
are called, but by the grace of God; the
gift appears to be bestowed through the faith
of Chrift." And partly this is evident from
his account of prefcience: "The prescience
of God, fays he, is that in which, defi-
nitum habet, he has it determined what shall
be the will of every one, in which he is to

m Comment. in 1 Tim. p. 576.
P. 592.
Ib. in Rom. p. 299..

n Ib. in 2 Tim.

remain,

remain, and through which he may be either damned or crowned." Agreeably to which he says, "By prefcience he choofes one and rejects another; and in him whom he chooses, the purpose of God remains; because another thing cannot happen, than what God has known, & propofuit in illo, and hath purposed in him, that he may be worthy of falvation; and in him whom he sejects, in like manner, the purpose which be bath purpofed concerning him, remains; for he will be unworthy: as foreknowing this, he's no accepter of perfons; for be damns no man before he fins, and crowns none before be overcomes." To which we heartily fubfcribe. We fay God damns no man but for fin, and crowns none until he has made them more than conquerors, through Chrift. It is certain, that Hilary, or the author of these Commentaries, was of opinion, that there were fome predeftinated to life who should certainly be faved; and that others were not, who should certainly be damned; for he fays 9, "The Apostle Paul, that he might, by his preaching, Jave, homines predeftinatos ad vitam, men predeftinated to life, was fubject to dangers, knowing that he fhould have the profit of their fought for falvation." In another place, he says, "For unbelievers we must not very much 4 Ib. in 2 Tim. P. 594

P Ib. p. 298, 299.

r Ib. in Rom. p. 299.

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