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The
CAUSE OF GOD AND TRUTH.
Part 4Chapter 3Of Original Sin
Section 14Macarius Egyptus. A.D. 350.
Macarius frequently asserts the corruption of human nature, as
derived from the sin and disobedience of Adam, andhe impotence of
it to that which is good: We have received, he says ,[1] within
ourselves the vitiosity of thffections, dia thV parkohV tou prwtou
anqrwpou , through the disobedience of the first man, which, by
custom and muchse, is, as it were, become our nature. And in
another place he says, [2] The whole sinful race of Adam possesses
theame condemnation secretly, meaning that which Cain was under;
for as from one Adam all mankind are multipliedpon the earth, so
one certain vitiosity of the affections sits upon the sinful race
of men. Again: [3] By him (Adaeath hath reigned over every soul,
and has destroyed the whole image of Adam, ek thV ekeinou parakohV
, through t
mans disobedience; so that men were turned aside, and came into
the worshipping of devils. Moreover he
bserves, [4] that all that contrariety in things open and secret
hath come upon us apo tes parabaseos tou protounthropou , from the
transgression of the first man. He farther observes, [5] that as
Adam transgressing received intoimself the leaven of the evil of
the affections, so by participation they that are born of him, even
the whole race of
Adam, ekeines tea zumes meteche , partake of that leaven. Once
more, he says, [6] We are all the children of that darkeneration,
and all partake of the same evil savor; wherefore the same
suffering that that man (Adam) endured, pak tou spermatos Adam
ontes , we all, being of the seed of Adam, endure. And elsewhere he
says, [7] that through ansgression of the first man, wickedness
entered into the soul, and darkened it; hence he affirms, [8] that
the sas need of the divine lamp, the Holy Spirit, who beautifies
the darkened house, and of that bright Sun of ghteousness, that
arises upon and enlightens the heart. Nay, he asserts, [9] that as
it is not possible that a fish shouldve without water, or that any
one should walk without feet, or see the light without eyes, or
speak without a tongue,r hear without ears; so without the Lord
Jesus, kai tea energeias tes theias dunameos , and the energy of
diviower, it is not possible to know the mysteries and wisdom of
God, or to be rich and a Christian. And, as helsewhere says, [10] A
soul naked and destitute of the Spirit, and under the hard poverty
of sin, ouden dunatai k
hele , it cannot, even though it would, bring forth truly any
fruit of the spirit of righteousness before it partakes of
thepirit. Or as he expresses himself in another place: [11] With
out his vessels, that is grace, adunaton tina to Thiakonesai , it
is impossible that any one should serve God, that is, be acceptable
to him, with respect to his whole
will. Agreeable to which are those words of his [12] Without
that heavenly leaven, which is the power of the divinepirit, it is
impossible that a soul should be leavened with the goodness of God,
and attain to life. And a littlefter: [13] That soul that thinks to
do any thing of itself with care and diligence, relying alone on
its own strength, andhinking that it is able by itself, without the
cooperation of the Spirit, to perform a perfect work, polu
planataireatly mistaken.He observes, [14] that those who have the
divine law not written with ink and letters, but planted in hearts
of flesh,
hese having the eyes of the understanding enlightened, and
always desiring not a sensible and visible hope, but thenvisible
and intellectual one, are able to overcome the stumbling-blocks of
the evil one; au ek tes aettetou dunameobut that is by an
insuperable power. They, indeed, who are not honored with the word
of God, nor instructed in theivine law, being vainly puffed up,
think, did tou idiou autexousiou , by their own free will, to
abolish the occasionsf sin, which is condemned by the mystery in
the cross only; for the free will which is in the power of man, can
resisthe devil, but cannot wholly have power over the affections
(Ps. 77:1). For if human nature, without the whole armorf the Holy
Spirit, could stand against the wiles of the devil, it could not be
said by the apostle, what is in Romans6:20, 2 Thessalonians 2:8;
wherefore we are commanded to pray the Lord, that he would not lead
us into temptation,ut deliver us from evil; for unless being
delivered from the fiery darts of the evil one, dia tes kreittonos
boetheiaby a better help, we should have the adoption of children
vouchsafed to us, we have our conversation in vain,orro tes
dunameos tou Theou tugchanontes , as being afar off from the power
of God. Then he goes on to exhort toeek the powerful help of God,
and represents fallen men as comparable to beasts without
understanding, as becomehrough disobedience douloi tes sarkos
pathon , servants to the affections of the flesh. He sometimes sets
forth thease of men by a bird without wings, or having but one; As,
says he, [15] a bird that has but one wing, cannot fly
with that one; so human nature, if it remains naked by itself,
and does not receive the mixture and communication of he heavenly
nature, ouden diorthothe , can do nothing aright, but continues
naked and blamable in its nature, with
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much filth. Yea, though a man may have a will, he denies that he
has a power; his words are these [16] As when ne sees a bird fly,
he would fly also, but he cannot, because he has no wings; so,
though to will is with man, to beure, unblameable, unspotted, and
not to have any evil in him, but to be always with God, to
dunasthai de ouk echhe has not a power; he would fly into the
divine air, and the liberty of the Holy Spirit, but if he does not
receive
wings, he cannot; let us therefore beseech God, that he would
give us the wings of the dove, the Holy Spirit, that wemay fly unto
him, and be at rest. Yea, he represents man as dead, and so
incapable of doing any thing unlessuickened; As the body, says he,
[17] without the soul is dead, and cannot do any thing, so the
soul, without theivine Spirit, is dead from the kingdom, nor can it
do any of the things of God, aneu tou Pneumatos , withoutpirit.
Also he signifies, [18] that man is so wounded, that it is
impossible he should be healed but by the Lord alone,
o him only it is possible. And also ,[19] that it is impossible
for any man of himself to deliver himself fromontrariety, the error
of reasoning, the invisible affections, and the machinations of the
evil one. And elsewhere,aving observed, [20] that a man cannot
bring forth fruits worthy of the Lord without the wind of the
Spirit, and cloudsnd rains of heaven, he adds; This is the duty of
man, that whether he fasts, or watches, or prays, or does any
goodhing, that he ascribes all to the Lord; thus saying, Unless God
had strengthened me, I could not have fasted norrayed, nor have
left the world.There are indeed two passages in this writer, cited
and referred to by Dr. Whitby, [21] in favor of free will;
thoug
hey seem to be leveled against such who held, that some men are
by nature good, and others evil, and cannot possiblye otherwise,
being under a necessity of nature to be one or the other, a
doctrine held by none that I know of.
However, it must be owned, that Macarius, in those places, says
such things of mans free will as are not easilyeconciled to his
many sessions to the contrary which have been produced.
ENDNOTES:
1] Homil. 4, p. 20.
2] Ibid. 5, p. 32.
3] Ibid. 11, p. 59, vide etiam, p. 61.
4] Ibid. 21, p. 131.
5] Ibid. 24, p. 136.
6] Ibid. 30, p. 178.
7] Ibid. 45, p. 220.
8] Ibid. 11, p. 58.
9] Ibid. 17, p. 118.
10] Ibid. 18, p. 118.
11] Ibid. 15, p. 118.
12] Homil. 24, p. 137.
13] Ibid. p. 138.
14] Ibid. 25, p. 139.
15] Ibid. 82, p. 185.
16] Ibid. 2, p. 11.
17] Ibid. 30, p. 175.
