XII. And as little Scope, to my Apprehenfion,

can we find for Branding our Egyptian with the
Affected Foolery of the Stoics. The Charge was
firft brought by q Gennadius, and then Adopted
by the Editors of the large r Bibliotheca Patrum.
But thefe Gentlemen Suppofe the Paffages the
r Charge is Collected from, to be Interpolated by
Evagrius Ponticus. And then again it is Modeft-
ly Prefum'd, that as Gennadius mentions not the
Homily which is thus Obnoxious ; fo, that he ei-
ther Mifunderftood, or perhaps never Read it.

2. But all this while what becomes of the Ar-
gument? And what is it that Macarius is Cen-
lur'd for ? Does he Contend for an aV«9«a ?
Be it fo. And did not the Stoics the fame before
him, and from them fome Heretics in the Chri-
ftian Church ? Granting even This, Suffer me
to Afk, Does dirct^ela Signifie the veiy fame
thing in the Mouth of Macarius, as of Zeno ? I
can never think it. For where does Zeno ever
Inculcate the Neceflity of Recovering that Ori-
ginal Liberty of the Sons of God, which Man
Loft by the Fall •, and that we are to Attain to it
anew thro' a Victorious Faith in Chrift our Re-
deemer, or thro' the Supernatural Grace of the
Holy Spirit : which is the Gift of God, the Re-

' Bib. Patr.-per Marg. leBigne. Tom.iv. p. 4^.
* lb. ante Horn. xxxv. p. 92.. A.

turn

6i The Introduction.

turn of our Prayers, and the Reward of our ear-
ner!: Endeavours after the Deliverance we have
Pray'd for ? Or did Macarius ever Rant like the
Stoics, Denying there was any Pain in the moil
Acute Diftemper, and Contending that the Paf-
fions are No Part of Humane Nature ?

3. The Apathy Macarius is fo earned for, is,
properly fpeaking, nothing more than a Delive-
rance from the Tyranny of our Paflions, the Bon-
dage of Sin, and the Slavery of our Corrupt In-
clinations. This certainly is that Noble Privilege
which the Gofpel of Chrift. fufficiently Promifes
to them that Believe in Him, and are Baptiz'd
into his Name. And what is it Lefs than the
Happy Refult of our Dying to Sin, to Corrupt
Nature, and to the World, as lying in the Wicked
one?

4. I deny not the Account which one f Hifto-
rian gives of fome Monks in Paleftine that were
almolt Brutes. Nor am I oblig'd to Account for
their being fo. If I were, I durfr. be Pofitive, as
I could of any thing, that this neither did, nor
could proceed from Pra&ifing any thing Inculca-
ted by Macarius. The very Mortifying our cor-
rupt Affections, never yet implied that we mould
Cultivate no other, or permitted us to let the
Field of our Intellectual Nature lie altogether
Wafte. We are rather Taught, that the more
the Outward Man Decays, or is Subdued by Mor-
tification and Afflictions: the more in proportion
is the Inward Man day by day Renew'd.

f. The very fame t Pen acquaints us alfo with
another Sett of Monks that were denominated
'AKo/junlot, from their not Sleeping. Thefe, it is
true, were Remov'd at a pretty good Diitance

f Evag. Scholaft. Ecclef. Hift. Lib. I Cap. 1 1.
'Ibid. Lib. Ill, Cap. 18, jy.

from

The Introduction. 6$

from the other. The Perfons that gave into this
Way of Life, might pofTibly Interrupt their Na-
tural Reft fo long, as to Contract a perfect Per-
vigilium. And allowing this to proceed from In-
difcretion, an Immoderate, or Well-meant Zeal,
the Argument is ftill where it was. The Reader
perhaps will Excufe me if I fay that this laft In-
stance has met with fomething like a Sober Parallel
in the laft Century, in our own Nation, and in a
Proteftanty Family. But this by the way.