IV. The next Charge is fomething of a more

Heinous Nature, even that of downright t Pela-
gianifm. But even here I cannot but obferve
with Pleafure, that even Johannes Maria-Brafi-
chellenJiS) when Animadverting upon the Homi-
lies, as obnoxious in this refpect, is withal very
h Tender and Cautious in his Cenfures. So indeed
are they All, the Cologne Divines, Du Pin> and
Dr. Cave -9 and fuppofe rather, that the Places are
Corrupted, or the Interpolations of Evagrius.

z. As to particular PafTages, he is even Vindi-
cated by ' Voffius^ and the Jefuits k PoJJinus and
1 Petavius. And in general, m Du Pin feems to

* InTimto. ■ Labbe Bellarm. Vol. ii. 8vo. p. 40. CoL
Trofejf. in Biblioth. PP. Max. Tom. xiv. ad Horn, xxvii, &<?.

Index Expurgatorius. Rom. 1607. P* 9^.
"* Hift. Pelag. Lib.vii. p. 77 3.

* Thef. Afcet. Prolegom. §.viii.

1 Dogm. TheoJ. de Dei Immenf. Tom. i. Lib. iii. Cap. 8.
§. 10. De Opific. Lib. iii. Cap, 10. §.2, 3, 4. • * .. De

Deo, Lib. v. Cap. 4. §. 7 . — .De Libert. Lib. ix. Cap. 3 . §. 1 j.
•—Ibid. Lib. x. Cap. 1. §. 1 2.

J Bib. Patrum, Cent. iv. p. 5-8. Edit. Engl, have

The Introduction. 4y

have Adjufted the Differences on all fides very
Handfomely, in thefc Words, viz. After this
manner does this Author always Reconcile thefc "two
Doctrines of Grace and Free-Will, that we ought
always fo to Labour, as if the whole depended upon
our own Endeavours, and yet to Acknowledge, that
without God we can do Nothing.

3 . There is no Man, certainly, more Enlarges
Upon the Corruption and Depravity of Humane
Nature, than our Author. Nor need any one In-
fill more upon the Neceffity of the Divine Grace
and AJJi fiance upon all occafions. So at leaft the
Great Voffius thought, when in writing againft
this very Herefy ofPclagius, he continually Refers
to thefe Homilies of our Author. So too the
other Voffius thought, in his n Scholia upon E-
phr<em Syrus. But I will content my felf with
Appealing to the Reader. Can any thing be more
Exprefs than our Author to the Contrary ? Why
elfe does he fo carefully Inculcate, That we cannot
Avoid all Occafions of Sin, nor Refift our very Paf-
Jions without the Affifting ° Grace of Jefus Chrift ?
That the Grace and Influence of the Holy Spirit is
even p Necefjary to make us Capable and Worthy of
Eternal Life > And that thoJ Good might even be*
Done by our Natural Strength, yet can it <i never
Save us without the Grace of Jefus Chrift $ That
the Aclions done without it may perhaps be Good,
but not Perfecl.

4. Nor perhaps can the Doctrine of Preventing
Grace be more Significantly defcrib'd than when
Macarius ftiles the Power of the Divine Spirit,
the Heavenly -st^u/jiiov, ox the Leaven of T Pre-
vention. Let this then beRemembred, and let it

n Ex Edit. Row. p. 84. • Horn. xxv. p Horn. xxiv.

q Horn. xxvi.

r See alfo to the &me Effe£t Macar'ti Opufc. de Cbaritate,
Cap. 10. p. i<>2, 163, apud Pnt. Item, Horn. 31, §c 46.

1 be

4<S

The Introduction.

be Confider'd under one, that the Perfons to
whom thefe Homilies were Directed, were not
Heathens, or merely Natural Men, but Perfons
actually Baptiz'd -y and that as iuch, it was their
Duty to Stir up the Heavenly Gift imparted to
them : That however, in their Minority, they
were even then oblig'd to Labour after the Per-
fection they were call'dto as Chriftians, by Force
and Violence. They could not but know, that
as it is the Father which Draws us to the Son 3 fo
that very Drawing, however Imperfect, when
Compar d with thcFulnefs of Evangelical Grace, is
yet Sufficient to Enable us farther, and even Qua-
lifies us when regarded for the Due Reception of
the other.

f . After all, we are told by fome, that the
Doctrine of Preventing Grace is ieldom Confider'd
as it ought to be. For if rightly f weigh'd, it
would perhaps be found according to thefe Per-
fons, that tho' Antecedent to the Fall, the Im-
prefTions of Grace did Ever Prevent the Upright
Motions o£ Adam's Will 5 and the Determinations
of his Will did as punctually Anfwer as a Coun-
terpart to the Divine Impreffions : Yet after the
Fall the Cafe was Alter'd -, Man now muft firft
Apply to God, as that Indifpenfible Condition,
without which He will not Bellow his Affifting
Grace. Strictly fpeaking, Preventing Grace is
that Firft Upright Byafs of Inherent Righteouf-
Ecclef. i. nefs, originally Implanted in our Nature. And
*4- till we Comply with it in correfpondent Acts of
Obedience, God is not Oblig'd by any Act or
Covenant, even of Mercy, to Bellow any farther
Grace upon us. So that when Adam had once
Loft this Original Righteoufnefs, and was there-
by utterly Difabled from Acting in Correfpon-

f See Monf. P. P. OEcon. Divin. Lib. vi. Cap. f. §. 2. ex
Edit. Lat.

dence

The Introduction. 47

dence to the Impreflions of Grace, and the Will
of God > Jefus Chrift ftept in at this Critical
Juncture to Mediate for usj and what was Want-
ing on Man's Part, did He Perform in his own
Perfon. Thus, tho' in the Event it is true 'tis much
the fame, yet ftriftly and properly fpeaking muft
every fingle Son of Adam after the Fall, Apply
firft to God, before He will vouchfafe Grace fuf-
nxient to Difcharge the Obligations he is under.
This at leaf!:, if Admitted, feems to have fain in
with the Doctrine of the Greek Fathers.