Subdolus, varius, cujuflibet rei fimulator ac diffi mulator, quia bone artes defunt, dolis atque fallaciis contendit. That is in other words, ftick at no fort of means however wicked and fraudulent to gain the end. Nay farther, they thought Oeconomy and Difpenfation would justify them wholly in Saying one thing and meaning the contrary. True Popish Faith towards Hereticks, aliud claufum in pectore, aliud promptum in Linguâ habere, and that by a Papal Indulgence and Difpenfation, with Merit and Santity in perfection. Then for Authority, Daillé has a whole Chapter to prove it. Here's a little mistake in the Quantity of Daille's proof, for he really has not half a Chapter upon the Controverfial Writings of the Fathers, which are those our Author is speaking of. But to let this pass, there is a far greater in the Quality and Substance of it. Whatever our Author may think of Daille's performance, this I know and affure him, that it has not been thought, by all Men acquainted with the Fathers, a found and irrefragable Piece. Dr. Smith of Cambridge a Man of known Abilities and Learning, who is faid, by a vulgar error", to have given it an English Translation, exprefs'd very often his utter diflike of it, and had frequently thoughts of writing an accurate Answer to it himself. But his learned and intimate Friend Mr. Scrivner went on

b Vid. Scrivner. Præf. ad Apolog,

with the Dr's defign, and publish'd in the Year 1672 his large Apologia pro S. Ecclefia Patribus adverfus Johannem Dallaum. After him Bp. Beveridge, Dr. Caved, Mr. Wootone, and Mr. Reeves of our own Writers pass'd their feveral Cenfures on the fame Book. Add to these many Foreigners, reckon'd up by Buddeus, viz. Boileau, Richard Simon, Le Nourry, Natalis Alexander, Peter Zornius, who wrote a Vindicia Patrum per omnes Fidei Chriftiana articu Los, oppofita Joanni Dallaoh, and lastly Buddeus himfelfi. Nay even Mr. Le Clerc the greatest advocate for this Piece of Dallaus cannot help allowing fome defects and mistakes in it *. So that a confident reference to a Book as unanswerable, which was wrote an hundred Years ago, without the leaft notice of the ma ny repeated Animadverfions upon it fince that time, argues either extreme weaknefs or difingenuity, either an eafy deception in the Man himself, or a tricking defign to deceive others. But this you'll fay, is nothing to the merits of the Caufe. Daillé may be ftill in the right, tho' others have thought him in the wrong, and the Charge now brought against

c Prooem. ad Vind. Can. Eccl. Primit. d Epiftola Apologet. e Præf. ad Clem. Rom. Epift. f Pref. to Apolog. g Ifagoge p. 606. h Ibid. p. 607. i Ibid. Ut Dallæus, ita & Jo. Clericus ipfe, quem illius patrocinium in fe fufcepiffe diximus, inter cenfores patrum jufto rigidiores refertur. k Hæc eò non dico, quòd fingulos verfus ejus Libri probem, aut nuf iam à Dallao diffentiam. Epiftol Critic. 4. p. 117.

the

the Fathers will ftand as a proof of their Guilt, unless you deny and invalidate the Evidence. Well, pray, what are the mighty Arguments? Why, they thought they might by way of Oeconomy or Difpenfation Say one thing Iand mean the contrary. That is, by their own Confeffion, they did not think themselves oblig'd to Speak the truth, but that every thing was lawful which ferv'd to gain the Victory. So then, as far as I can perceive, the whole of this black Impeachment, is only an inference from the Greek word oinovouía, which you tranflate Deconomy or Difpenfation without explaining or fettling its meaning. Homine imperito nunquam quicquam injuftiuft. Oixovouía in Greek must fignify forfooth Difpenfation in English, and that in the worst and most extenfive Sense, implying an arbitrary fufpenfion or breach as Occafion requires, of the great and inviolable rules of Piety, Truth, and Equity. This is a rafh and idle way of annexing Modern Ideas to Antient Words, that has bred abundance of confufion and error in many Underftandings, and mifled Daillé, and our Author particularly in the case before us, into fuch inju rious conceptions and afperfions of the Primitive Writers. Oinovouía in Scripture and Ecclefiaftical ufe has generally a different Sense from what it had antiently in the Civil and Political, and has hardly any one Idea belonging to it which the English word Difpenfation

(as

(as its commonly understood) conveys to the Mind. Difpenfation generally implies with us, an Abrogation, Relaxation, and Sufpenfion of standing Laws and Rules of Acting. And then is it justly liable to blame and exception, when it is not exercis'd either on a proper Subject, or by a proper Authority. But oixoauía in the Scriptures and Fathers fignifies no fuch thing. To make this matter clear beyond exception, I fhall here produce a confi derable number of Inftances out of Antiquity, which will clear the Fathers Reputation at prefent, and may prevent the like Mifconftructions for the future. The Ministry of the Gospel is call'd oixcrouía I Cor. 9. 17. Oinovoμία πεπίστευμαι. In our Englifh Tranflation. A Difpenfation of the Gospel is committed to me. In the Vulgate Latin, Difpenfatio mihi credite eft. In the old Syriack it is rendred by

Rabat, tranflated in the Polyglott PrafeEtura, but fignifying very appofitely Augmen tum, Alimentum, Educatiom, coming from the fame Root with the Chaldee 1 Rebith and na Tarbith of the fame fignification. Grotius fays on this place, that the Greek word oixovouía expreffes the Hebrew word Pekuddah fignifying Vifitatio, curatio, præfectura. So again, Ephef. 3. 2. Εἴ γε ηκέσατε τὴν οἰκονο μίαν τῆς χάριτος τὸ θεὸ τῆς δοθείσης μοι εἰς ὑμᾶς.

1 Stillingfleet's Ecclef. Cafes. Part. 2. p. 146. m Vid. Lexic. Caftell. Vol. 2. p. 3498.

If you have heard of the Difpenfation of the Grace of God which is given me to youward. And again, Colof. I. 25. Ης ἐγενόμην ἐγὼ Αγάκονος καὶ τὴν οἰκονομίαν το 9ε. Whereof I am made a Minifter according to the Difpenfation of God &c. I hope the word οἰκονομία Deconomy of Difpenfation, gives no room for fufpicions of Fraud and Impofture in thefe paffages of Scripture. Let us now try it in the Fathers: The Incarnation of Chrift is often exprefs'd in them by the word οἰκονομία. So fays Theodoret, The Incarnation of God the Word we call οἰκονομίας (or, the Oeconomy.) So Antiochus Bishop of Ptolemais, Do not confound the two Natures, and then yout will be found as to the οικονομία. So Justin Martyr P, Eufebius 9, and Cyril of Alexandriar. And the learned Valefius * has jufly

ἡ Τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν τὸ θεῖ Λόγε καλοῦμεν ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΑΝ. Dialog. 2.

- Ο Μη συγχέας τὰς φύσεις, κ' οὐναρχήσεις περὶ τὴν ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΑΝ. Ap. eund. ibid.

p Dialog. cum Tryph. Καὶ ἔτος ἐτελεύτα πρὶν τὸν Χριστὸν εἰς τὴν ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΑΝ τὴν κατὰ τὸ βέλημα τοῦ Πατρὸς γεγενημένω ὑπὸ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῷ ταυρωθῆναι ἔλθεῖν. p. 369. Ed. Thirl.

4 Οὐκ ἄλλοθεν ἢ ἀπὸ πρώτης άρξουσι τῆς κατὰ τὸν Σωτήρα και Κύ Ολον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν τὸν Χριστὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΑΣ, Eccl. Hift. Lib. I. Cap. 1.

με

* Αγνόησαι εισάπαν τῆς μετὰ σαρκὶς ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΑΣ τοῦ νογένους τὸ μυτήριον. Cyril. adv. Julian. Lib. 6. p. 213. ἄμεινον αὐτῷ (το Χρίσω) παρέλασα την ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΑΝ. Ibid. ἐνανθρωπήσεις, * την ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΑΝ τελέσας, εἰς ἁπάσαν τὴν οἰκουμένω τις δύο φίλες ἐξέπεμψεν.

*

Veteres Græci οικονομίαν vocarunt quicquid Chriftus in terris geffit ad procurandam falutem generis humani. Itaque ἡ πρώτη τοῦ Χριστοῦ οἰκονομία eft incarnatio; ficut poftrema οικονομία eft paffio. Errant qui exiftimant οἰκονομίαν nihil aliud

B

figni