of holy writ, and appealing to the conclusion of reason and the feelings of the human mind, only so far as such an appeal is warranted and even suggested by the direct authority of the Scripture itself. In the prosecution of this inquiry, I seem to myself to have found clearly established by the general tenor of Scripture, the following conclusions, which appear to me inconsistent with the doctrine of absolute predestination. 1st. Scripture describes the JUSTICE OF GOD as exhibited in the moral government of the world, so as to warrant our forming the same conception of it, as reason leads us to form of justice, as a general rule of conduct, to apply to it the same criterions of action as consistent or inconsistent with such justice, and to prove that such justice is exercised by God towards all human beings alike, with the strictest impartiality, or, as it is sometimes expressed, that in this view, "there is no respect of persons with God;"* but "that in every nation, he that feareth God and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him.”† 2dly. That we are taught by the Scripture, that the DIVINE MERCY, as displayed in the moral government of the world, is, in its general nature, correspondent to those ideas of mercy which human reason and human feeling necessarily lead us to form, but in degree and efficacy infinitely superior; so that no human being is, from his birth, necessarily excluded from the benefits of its influence; or, in other words, that "the Lord is loving unto every man, and his mercy is over all his works."+ 3dly. That Scripture describes mankind in general, and every individual, as placed in a state of trial, or under the control of a moral government, in which the dispensations of God, whether to nations or individuals, are CONDITIONAL, influenced by the right or wrong conduct of the nations or individuals to whom such dispensations extend: and that the commands, the exhortations, the warnings, and the promises, of Scripture are addressed to all men, who have an opportunity of hearing them, in such a manner as presupposes or implies, that as, on the one hand, each individual who obstinately and perversely determines to close his eyes, and shut his ears, and harden his heart against the calls of Scripture, has it in his power, and will be permitted, *Rom. ii. 11. † Acts x. 35. Ps. cxlv. 9. to disbelieve its promises, disregard its warnings, disobey its commands, and incur the punishment threatened against unrepented sin; so on the other, every individual who is not thus obstinate and perverse, will with the call of Scripture, receive also such aid from the assisting grace of God, as to have it in his power to attend, and understand the instructions, believe the promises, and obey the commands, of holy writ; so that no one is precluded from escaping death eternal, but by his own fault; but if he escape death and obtain pardon and acceptance with God, he hath not whereof to boast, as if this were the effect of his own merit, because— 4thly. It appears that all men are represented in Scripture as so prone to evil, and so exposed to temptation, that they cannot, by their own unassisted reason or strength repent of and forsake their sins, obey the will, or obtain the favour of God; so that, in every step of their progress in virtue and religion, they require the assistance of the Spirit of God, to excite, to direct, and to support them; but that this assistance is never denied to those who sincerely pray for, and carefully improve it; while at the same time, the Spirit of God does not operate compulsively or irresistibly, but may be neglected or resisted, may be grieved and quenched, may at length be judicially withdrawn; so that in this state of trial, no human being is perfectly secure from falling into sin and condemnation, until removed by death, but during the entire period of his existence here, is called on to "work out his salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it is God alone which worketh in him to will and to do of his good pleasure."* If this view of Scripture be just and accurate, it will follow that the Calvinistic doctrines of absolute predestination, or, as it is otherwise expressed, of unconditional or irrespective election and reprobation, also of irresistible or invincible grace, and of indefectible perseverance, must be abandoned as unscriptural and untenable; because as plainly opposed to the word of God, as they are absolutely repugnant to the feelings of the human mind and the analogy of nature: while on the other hand, the original corruption of human nature, the consequent sinfulness of all, so that "there is none righteous, no not Philip. ii. 12, 13. † Rom. iii. 10. one :"t-and the indispensible necessity of divine grace preventing us, that we may have a good will," and working with us, when we have that will,"* are equally clear and undeniable. The union of both these opinions seems to form a sure foundation for the superstructure of a perfect rule of life. The consciousness of our own free will, and the dependence of our eternal well-being on our submitting to the guidance of the Spirit, and employing the means of grace, preserving us active and diligent, while the accompanying consciousness of our natural corruption and sinfulness, and the consequent necessity of the divine grace to lead us in every step of our religious progress will keep us humbly dependent on our God, will cherish the spirit of prayer, and impress the necessity of cautious selfdistrust and humble self-control. This equal admission of the reality of free will in man, and of the necessity of divine grace for preparing for heaven, as it seems to be the clear doctrine of revelation, so it was expressly recognized by our great reformer Cranmer, who declares it necessary "that all be monished, and chiefly preachers, that in this highe matter they, lokinge on both sides, so attemper and moderate themselves, that neither they so preach the grace of God, that they take away thereby free will, nor on the other side so extolle free will, that injury be done to the grace of God."+ Happy had it been for the church of England, if all her sons had followed the example of this her venerable founder, and thus avoided those perplexed and too often uncharitable disputations which have so frequently disturbed her peace, and undermined her strength. To lead the serious inquirer after religious truth to obey this salutary monition, and thus "preserve the unity of the spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life,"† is one object which it is a chief purpose of the following pages to promote. Other leading doctrines connected with this system of opinions, are, the acknowledgment of the divine prescience in the unlimited extent which Scripture ascribes to it, and of the providential government of God over the whole intellectual and * Article x. † Erudition of a Christian man, published 1543. Prayer for all conditions of men. moral, as well as physical, creation, which the Scripture declares. These doctrines the Calvinistic patrons of absolute predestination maintain as the foundation of their entire system; and they argue that they are inconsistent with the existence of free will to choose good, and the connexion of our salvation with our own voluntary efforts. But as Scripture appears to affirm these last as positively and unequivocally, as the prescience and the providential government of God, he who sincerely bows to that sacred authority, will admit both, with the acquiescence of humble faith, though unable to explain all the apparent difficulties which attend their combination, difficulties which evidently arise from the human faculties being inadequate to the full comprehension and clear elucidation of the nature, attributes, and government of the supreme God; and which are only analogous to the difficulties found in natural religion. But these difficulties would be exceeded by the contradictions and absurdities, into which we should be betrayed, if to maintain the divine prescience according to some parts of Scripture, we reject those parts which declare or imply free will, and encounter all the harsh and revolting consequences of absolute predestination, including, as it does, unconditional reprobation. While on the other side, if to maintain free will and moral accountableness on the part of man, we presume to deny the prescience and sovereignty of God, we shall be equally driven to reject the authority of Scripture, and the lessons of experience taught by the accomplishment of prophecy and the whole series of the divine dispensations. Studying therefore not to be wise above what is written, we should admit equally all the doctrines clearly promulgated in Scripture-doctrines, which as they are certainly analogous to the system of nature, we may reasonably expect to find in the word of God; and which therefore do not diminish, but on the contrary increase the credibility of the divine word; and do not undermine, but establish its evidence. With this conviction we shall not suffer our faith to be shaken by apparent difficulties, which we are unable, in the present life, to solve. But convinced that we at present see" through a glass darkly," we shall wait for the *1 Cor. xiii. 12. removal of those difficulties which now perplex our reasonings, until that day" when we shall know, even as we are known,' and enjoy unclouded knowledge and unsullied bliss in the presence of our God. There yet remains another doctrine involved in this discussion, on which I hold it necessary to deliver an explicit opinion at its outset; because it has been attempted to represent its admission, as the essential difference between two different parties of the clergy of the church of Ireland, from one of which I differ in many particulars, though I steadily hold the doctrine in question; as I firmly believe it to be found in Scripture, and from thence incorporated into the Articles of the Established Church, I mean the doctrine of justification by faith. Assuredly I believe that "we are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deservings."* For, as our excellent reformers more fully declare," For that were the greatest arrogancy and presumption of man, that Antichrist could set up against God, to affirm that a man might, by his own works, take away and purge his own sins, and so justify himself. But justification is the office of God only; and is not a thing which we render unto him, but which we receive of him, not which we give to him, but which we take of him, by His free mercy, and by the only merits of His most dearly beloved Son, our only Redeemer, Saviour, and Justifier, Jesus Christ. So that the true understanding of this doctrine-we be justified freely by faith without works, or that we be justified by faith in Christ only-is not, that this our own act to believe in Christ, or this our faith in Christ which is within us, doth justify us and derive our justification unto us-for that were to count ourselves to be justified by some act or virtue that is within ourselves-but the true understanding and meaning thereof is, that although we hear God's word and believe it, although we have faith, hope, charity, repentance, dread and fear of God within us, and do never so many works thereunto, yet we must renounce the merit of all our said virtues of faith, hope, and charity, and all other virtues and good deeds which * Article II. |