by his own selfish passions, that he is executing the decrees of God, or fulfilling the prophecies.

God has not made disobedience inevitable:' nor is it inevitable, in any special instance; that is, no one commits a sin, but by his own unconstrained choice: yet The condition of man after the fall of Adam, is ' such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his ' own natural strength, and good works, to faith and calling upon God: wherefore we have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without 'the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good-will, and working with us, when we have that good-will.'* If, in this sense, disobedience is inevitable, without special grace; the fall of Adam, and our fall in him, has made it so; not any act or decree of God.

6

The argument, taken from what we ought to do, to prove what it becomes God to do, has been before answered. We ought to do all, that we possibly can, consistently with other known and evident duties, to preserve the life and save the soul of every man on earth: but is God bound to exercise his omnipotence to the utmost, to preserve every man's life, and to save every man's soul? Yet, is such a decree reconcileable ⚫ with the attributes of justice and mercy?' The answer to this question must be left to the day of judg ment; but I must remind the reader of St. Paul's answer to an objection, not wholly dissimilar. " Why "doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? "Nay, but, O man, Who art thou, that repliest against

God?" Is the conduct of JEHOVAH, in casting the wicked into hell, reconcileable with the attributes of

Article x

'justice and mercy?' If it be, then the decree, that he would do so, cannot be irreconcileable.

It is greatly to be wished, that they who engage in religious controversy, would reverently avoid all language, that even seems to impeach the conduct of God, on the supposition, that their own tenets are not true. The words, here quoted, are inoffensive, compared with many things, in writers on each side of this argument; which are indeed too shocking to be transcribed: yet even this question implies more than ought to be even hinted, or even allowed in our thoughts. Are we so completely infallible, that we should speak a word implying, that if we be mistaken, God is? On this unhappy subject, no tongue can express the irreverence, nay, the blasphemy, which has been uttered, by eager disputers. I am conscious, that I have no need, nor inclination, to adopt any argument of this kind: but should I drop one word, implying by fair construction, such a connection between my sentiments, and the honour of the divine perfections; that, if the former are erroneous, this is exposed to impeachment, or even doubt; I will promise before God, publickly with shame, to retract it, when pointed out to me, Whether Calvinism be true or false, God is infinitely wise, righteous, holy, faithful, good, merciful; worthy of all reverence, adoration, love, confidence, honour, and obedience, from all / rational creatures, to all eternity. It would indeed be a blessed effect of this publication, if it should render Calvinists, as well as their opponents; more reverently cautious, what words they use, in the warmth of controversy, when, on any account, the glory of God, in his dispensations or decrees, is even remotely concerned. "Let God be true, and every man a liar." Angels adore the divine perfections, in those very events, which erring presumptuous mortals arraign: and ex

pressions often occur, in the writings even of pious persons; which a dutiful son, or a loyal subject, would, on no account or supposition whatever, use concerning his father, or his prince!

P. ccxliii. 1. 12.

' an ordinance, cause

We are, &c.'*

We are, &c.'* God did not 'by these men to be ungodly.'t This he never does, for that would make God the author of sin: but he both ordained, that men "guilty of such practices should suffer a severe condemnation;" and, foreseeing that they, if left to themselves, would be guilty of them, he determined so to leave them. Thus they were "of old ordained to this condemnation:" the appointment did not make them, or force them to be, ungodly; but it left them to the tendency of their own corrupt passions, and to the consequences of their atrocious crimes, without any special divine interposition. The apostle

P. ccxliv. 1. 1. God's own, &c.' does not say, 'to offer salvation to mankind:' but "he "has saved us," (even me Paul, and thee Timothy,) "and called us with an holy calling, not according to "our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us, before the world began.”◊ There is nothing about offer, nor, about mankind, in the passage: it relates wholly to the apostle and Timo

"

• We are not to infer from hence that God by an ordinance, causes these men to be thus ungodly; but that he ordained that those, who he foresaw 'would be guilty of such practices, should suffer a severe condemnation.” † Jude 4, προγεγραμμένοι. "Written before hand." Rom. xv. 4. Gal. iii. 1.

Eph. iii. 3. Gr. 'God's " own purpose, before the world began,” ' means his eternal purpose, springing from his own essential goodness and mercy, to offer salva⚫tion to mankind through Christ. "Who hath saved us," that is, us christians; by which and other similar expressions, as has been before observed, ⚫ we are not to understand, that all who embrace the gospel are actually saved, or absolutely certain of salvation: but that all christians are supplied with the means of salvation, through that grace which is given them.' 2 Tim. i. 9.

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thy, or, on the largest contruction, to their fellow-christians. By such convenient alterations and additions, it would be very easy to new model the whole Bible; and every man might make it speak the language of his own preconceived sentiments. The meaning of the passage may be left to the reader's determination: but the custom of substituting other propositions, in the place of those made by the sacred writers, must not pass unnoticed. Truth does not require such management. The Jews, and the unbelieving Gentiles, to whom the apostles preached, were supplied with the means of 'salvation:' and so are are all nominal christians. But in what then does the difference between true believers, and others consist, as to obligation to divine mercy; if they have nothing, except in common with unbelievers, who are favoured with the means of grace? I confess, that I do not understand the concluding words, through 'that grace which is given to them.' Are outward advantages exclusively, or some internal influence intended? Outward advantages are indeed 'grace given to us,' because an unmerited favour; and they are means of salvation: but internal influence, however distinguished, is, I believe, never called means of grace, or means of salvation, either in the Scripture, or by Theologians.

P. ccxliv. 1. 16. 'It appears, &c.'* That nothing is said of reprobation, or reprobate, (as far as the words are concerned,) in the sense put on them by some Calvinists, is allowed: and the reader must judge for himself, how far the assertion concerning the elect, and election, is well grounded. If any one be disposed to think, that nothing even plausible, can be adduced from Scripture, in support of the system commonly called

It appears, that elect and reprobate persons, in the Calvinistick sense, are not even known in the Old or New Testament.'

Calvinistick; I only intreat him to read again, without comment, but with attention, and prayer, and at one time, as in connexion, the latter part of the eighth chapter of Romans, and the ninth; at another time, let him read the eleventh chapter of the same epistle; and at another, the two first chapters of the epistle to the Ephesians; and then, if he do not deduce an opposite conclusion, let him, if he can, retire from the investigation, affirming without hesitation, that there is nothing in Scripture, which can give pious persons any ground to maintain the reprobated doctrine of personal election. The passages, referred to, and many others, seem to me, of themselves most decidedly, to speak our language: we can express our meaning in the apostle's words, without addition or alteration: and frequent quotations from them, in a sermon, without some attempt to explain away their obvious meaning, would suffice, in most congregations, to subject the preacher to the charge of being a Calvinist. This experiment any minister may make, if he chooses; and there is no room to doubt the event of it. On the contrary, when our conclusions are rejected and opposed, the whole effort of learning, and argument, and management, is requisite, to put another meaning on these Scriptures: and in respect of preaching, they are generally kept out of sight; or, if adduced, much pains must be taken to ward off the unfavourable impression. Were I disposed to engage in a controversial discussion of the subject, very many texts might be adduced in support of our doctrines, besides those, which have been here particularly considered. But enough has been said for my purpose. I would desire to be considered rather as an apologist for those, who hold the doctrine of personal election to eternal life, and such other tenets as are inseparable from it; than as an eager disputer for Calvin