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'licity.' Are these the same persons as the whole company of baptized persons?

P. cclxxii. last line. All the, &c.'* There wants nothing, in this passage, but the word true, before 'members of the church of Christ,' to render it, according to our views, correct; but all baptized persons, 'all who profess and call themselves christians,' are not 'true members of the church of Christ:' else why do we continually pray, that they may be led into the way of 'truth?' For all true members of the church of Christ, have been 'led into the way of truth.'

P. cclxxiii. l. 13. Although, &c.'t Here his Lordship grants the whole of what most of us request: and, abiding by this concession, we will admit his doctrine of general redemption; nay, we will not object to his calling it universal; provided it be understood, that none ultimately share the eternal blessedness arising from it, except those, that are renewed by the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies all the elect people of God.'

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P. cclxxiii. l. 17. 'This passage, &c.' 'This passage proves incontrovertibly that our church' does not with Calvin, and very many Calvinists, hold the doc.

*“All the world” comprehends the whole creation; "all mankind” 'is less extensive, and includes only the rational part of the world; "all the "elect" is again more confined, and includes only that part of mankind who are members of the church of Christ.'

Although it has pleased God, in the unsearchable counsels of his wis'dom, to bestow upon a peculiar people, chosen in Christ, the sanctifying in'fluence of his Holy Spirit,'

This passage of our catechism proves incontrovertibly that our church is not Calvinistick. The Calvinist maintains, that Christ redeemed only the 'elect, meaning only a small portion of christians; but every member of our 'church is taught, before he takes upon himself his baptismal vow, that 'Christ redeemed all mankind.'. The Calvinist says, I believe in God the Son, who hath redeemed me and the elect people of God: our catechumen says, I believe in God the Son, who hath redeemed me and all mankind.' These two propositions cannot be reconciled, since the elect people of 'God'' must be only a part of all mankind.'

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trine of particular redemption.-Yet Calvin allowed, that the redemption of the Saviour's death being infinite, was sufficient for all; though effectual only for the elect.Meaning only a small portion of Christians:' alas! I fear, the fact proves, that only a small portion of nominal christians are true christians: but, undoubtedly, Calvin, and all Calvinists, include all true christians, according to their views, or what constitutes real christianity: and indeed many, who are not at present true christians, but who shall be called according to God's purpose 'working in due season; and through grace shall obey

the call.'" Other sheep I have, which are not of this "fold; them also must I bring, and they shall hear my "voice."* I certainly agree with his Lordship, that a Calvinist, who rigidly holds particular redemption, cannot consistently accede to the doctrine, stated in this part of our Catechism. In the year 1786, I maintained this opinion, amidst Calvinists, who revolted from it, in a sermon, which was then printed; and has been repeatedly reprinted: and after twenty-five years study and reflection; I still, in this particular, agree with his Lordship; and so do by far the greater part of the evangelical clergy." The elect people of God," who are sanctified by the Holy Spirit, are alas! to this day, only a part, a very small part of mankind, and of professed christians. May God increase their number a hundred fold, how many soever they be!-The quotations from the homilies, being made without any comment, need no remarks. All I need say, is this: that I earnestly request the reader, attentively, and repeatedly to peruse the homilies in general; and those especially from which his Lordship has made quotations: namely, 'The ho'mily on the nativity and birth of our Saviour Jesus

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'Christ;' 'The homily for Good Friday:' and 'The homily of the worthy receiving, and reverent esteeming ' of the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ.' I, and, (I think, I may answer for it,) my brethren are perfectly willing, that our sentiments should be fairly judged according to the doctrine of these homilies: and I do most sincerely and earnestly pray, that the same doctrine may sound, clearly and fervently, from every pulpit, in the established church, in Great Britain, Ireland, and all dependent colonies; and throughout the whole visible church. I have no allowed desire superior to this; except, that the same may be made known, by faithful missionaries and ministers, accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit, to all Jews, Mohammedans, and Gentiles, even to the ends of the earth. I do not so much as wish, that any thing different from the doctrine of these homilies, should be published to mankind at large. There may indeed be subjects, treated on in the homilies, which were more suited to those days, than to the present period: and to Britain, than to the nations of the earth at large: yet these also were wholesome doctrines for those times,, and are by no means unsuitable to our own. But the homilies, On reading the Holy Scriptures;' Of the misery of all 'mankind;' 'Of the salvation of all mankind;' Of a 'true and lively faith;' 'Of good works;' 'Of christian 'love and charity;' Of the nativity;' On Good Fri'day;' On Easter Day;' On the worthy receiving of the sacrament;' On Whitsunday;' On repentance and true reconciliation unto God;' contain those views of christianity, which I would plead for: and they wholly mistake the sentiments, even of the more calvinistical part of the evangelical clergy; who think, that by merely quoting the homilies, without the imposing effect of ingenious comments, or observations; they can adduce

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any thing from this source, which militates against our sentiments; at least against those sentiments, which we think sufficiently important to defend by controversy. As it has been said, respecting the seventeeth article, so I would also say concerning the homilies: let them but speak without comment; and we are ready to abide by their decision.

P. cclxxix. 1. 25. 'The peculiar, &c.'* The peculiar opinions of Calvin, (such as were peculiar to him exclusively,) cannot be founded in the word of God, or found in the writings of others, publick or private, except his avowed disciples: but the doctrine of personal election to eternal life; including the perseverance of all true believers; as well as those of original sin, regeneration, justification by faith, salvation by grace, good works the fruit and evidence of faith, as held by him; I am confident, have been proved to be the doctrine of Scripture, and of our articles, liturgy, and 'homilies.' What peculiar opinions of Calvin are intended, might, with advantage to perspicuity, have been here explicitly stated: but when the quotations from him come under consideration, it will be seen, in some measure, what opinions were peculiar to this author and to the more systematick Calvinists; and what were also common to numbers of others.

P. cclxxx. 1. 11.

'There are, &c.'t There are

The peculiar opinions of Calvin are not founded in the written word of God, or reconcileable with our articles, liturgy, and homilies.'

There are christians who assert that Adam's nature was not corrupted ⚫ by the fall, and who admit no degree of moral incapacity in the present 'race of men; and that, on the contrary, there are others, who assert that the sin of Adam produced so complete a change in his own nature, and in that of all his posterity, that God's rational creatures, who were made 'but a little lower than the angels, are now a mere mass of corruption and ⚫ wickedness, susceptible of no amendment or correction from their own vol'untary efforts. But the church of England, keeping clear of both extremes, declares, that the nature of Adam was greatly impaired and corrupted by

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christians, &c. Men, who profess, and call them'selves christians,' and who have been baptized, assert this: but I must use Dr. Young's words, and call them baptized infidels;' for to disbelieve every peculiar doctrine of revelation; and yet to profess to believe the Bible, is real infidelity in the assumed garb of a transparent hypocrisy. 'Genuine christianity can never be ' grafted on any other stock, than the apostacy of man. The design to reinstate beings who have not fallen; to ⚫ propose a restoration without a previous loss; a cure ' where there was no radical disease, is altogether an incongruity, which would seem too palpable to require 'confutation, did we not so frequently see the doctrinę of redemption maintained by those, who deny that man was in a state to require redemption. But would Christ have been sent, "to preach deliverance to the "captive," if there had been no captivity? And "the "opening of the prison to them that were bound;" had

there been no prison, had men been in no bondage?'* The rest of the subject, referred to in this quotation, has been fully considered in the remarks on the first chapter of the Refutation. It would be difficult to find stronger language, in any writer, concerning human depravity, than in our homilies. 'Of ourselves we be 'crab-trees, that can bring forth no apples. We be of ' ourselves of such earth, as can but bring forth weeds, 'nettles, brambles, briers, cockle, and darnel. Our

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his transgression of the divine command, and that be transmitted this weak ⚫ and depraved nature to every individual of his descendants; but it does not

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say that the moral powers of men are entirely destroyed, or that their cogrupt dispositions are totally incorrigible; it allows the perverseness of the will, and the violence of the passions, but it does not discourage every laudable and virtuous exertion, by representing men as utterly incapable of checking their inclination to evil, or of putting any degree of restraint ' upon their sinful lusts.'

• More's Practical Piety.

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