that every one that is baptized, and fays, he believes, and receives faith, he receives the fpirit of truth, that is, the Holy Spirit, et fanctior fit a Spiritu fancto, and is made more boly by the Holy Spirit." NUM B. XVIII. OPTATUS MILEVITANUS. 0 A. D. 370. Ptatus of Milevi owns the original corruption of human nature", when he fays, "Every man that is born, although he may be born of Chriftian parents, fine fpiritu immundo effe non poffit, can't be without an unclean fpirit, which must be excluded and feparated from man before the falutary laver, meaning baptifm." He denies that men, or means, or ordinances, can of themfelves remove the pollution of fin. "The filth and spots of the mind, fays he ", none can wash bue he who is the Maker of the mind." Many other things are observed by him in the fame chapter against the Donatifts, who he thought took that to themfelves which belong'd to God. He indeed afcribes the willing of what is good to man, not to a natural man, but to a Chriftian Adv. Parmen. 1. 4. p. 92. w Ib. 1. 5. p. 103. man: man: mentioning the words of the Apostle, 1 John i. 8. If we fay we have no fin we deceive our felves and the truth is not in us, he makes this obfervation, "He that faid this, wifely referved himself for the grace of God; for it is of a Chriftian man to will that which is good, and to run in that which he wills well, but to man it is not given to perfect for it is ours to will, it is ours to run, it is of God to perfect." NU M B. XIX. CYRILLUS HIEROSOLYMITANUS. Cyrill A. D. 370. Trill of Jerufalem gives plain intimations of the doctrine of original fin; he observes twice in one place, that the fin of Adam brought death into the world; "The wound of the human nature, he fays", is very great; from feet to head there's no foundnefs in it." He represents man, through the fall of Adam, as " deceived, fallen, blinded, lame; yea, even dead." And as for free will it self, he says, it is nanov, evil; and that they that are holy, are fo, & quoes, not by nature, but by ic * Ib. 1. 2. P. 51. y Catech. 13. c. 1. p. 167. a Ib. 2. c. 3, 4. p. 23. Catech. Myftagog. 5. c. 16. p. 300. par participation, and by exercife, and by prayer; yea, he affirms, ' that Jefus, το θελειν χα Ciferal, gives the will, and receives the faith, and bestows the gift freely." Dr. Whitby cites a paffage or two from Cyrill in favour of free will, which paffages are levell'd against the Manichees, who held, that fome men are by nature good, and others by nature evil; and that there are two fouls in men, one naturally good, the other naturally evil; and that good and evil are refpectively done by them through neceffity of nature, and not with any freedom of will; and don't militate against our sense of free will, who allow of a liberty of will in all actions good and bad. NUM B. XX. BASILIUS CAESARIENSIS. A. D. 370. BAfil of Caefarea very clearly afferts the doctrine of orignal fin: "No man, fays hef, can be found pure from filth, though he has been born but one day." Again", d Homil. in Paralyt. § 2. p. 312. e Difcourfe, &c. p. 379, 380. Ed. 2. p. 369, 370. f Homil. in Pf. 32. p. 202. Vol. I. Homil. 30. de Paradifo, p. 626. vid. etiam Hexaem. Homil. 5. p. 61. et concio, 8. de peccato, p. 61. Append. "The "The rofe is florid, but it puts fhame and forrow in me; for as often as I fee that flower, της αμαρτίας υπομιμνησκομαι της έμης, Ι am put in mind of my fin, for which the earth is condemned to bring forth thorns and thiftles." And in another place", I was indeed, fays he, fair by nature, but now am weak, because I am dead in fin, εξ επιβολής το οφεως, through the fnare of the ferpent." Wherefore in the fame place he obferves, "That beauty may come to the foul, and a power effectually perfective of thofe things which are neceffary, Seas as τελο χαρα χρηζομεν, for this we need divine grace." Agreeable to this, he says, we may understand those words, they that truft in their power, and boast of the multitude of their riches, of the powers of the foul, ws 8x αυτοτελές έσης εδ' αυτής προς σωτηρίαν, as be ing by no means fufficient of themselves to falvation." And elsewhere he obferves, that spiritual and enlightened fouls, ❝ know how impoffible it is, by their own strength, to overcome the stumbling blocks of the evil one, αλλ' εκ της απλής δυναμεως τε Θεο, but by the infuperable power of God; but they who are not honoured with God's word are vainly pufft up, and think that by their own free will they can make void the occafions h In Pf. 29. P. 193. * De libero arbitrio, p. 631. ! In Pf. 48. p. 279. of D of fin, which is abolished only by the mystery of the crofs." And a little after, "Human nature without the whole armour of the Holy Spirit, cannot refift the wiles of the devil;" as for free will, he fays', "the power and liberty of it, is the beginning and root of fin." And in another place he affirms ", that "every human foul is fubject, το πονηρό της δελειας ζύγω, to the evil yoke of bondage of the common enemy of all, and being deprived of the liberty it had from its creator is led captive by fin.". Dr. Whitby cites two or three paffages from Bafil in favour of free will, out of a Commentary on Ifaiah afcribed to him ; but it is thought by learned men to be none of his, and therefore deserves no regard. NUM B. XXI. GREGORIUS NAZIANZENUS. A. D. 370. Gregory of Nazianzum often inculcates the doctrine of original fin in his writings. He represents himself and all mankind as 'Homil. quod Deus non eft auctor mali. p. 422. In Pf. 48. P. 279. Difcourfe, p. 97, 388. Ed. 2. 96, 370. Poftscript, p. 561, 562. Ed. 2. 538, 539. Vid. Rivet. Crit. Sacri, 1. 3. c. 20. p. 307. |
