power of the human will*. During the middle ages, the doctrine of the great and

* How much this eminent father of the church overrated the liberty of the will in his first writings, we have his own confession in different places. Thus, in his first book on predestination, chap iii.-"Non sic pius atque humilis doctor ille sapiebat; (Cyprianum beatissimum loquor) qui dixit, in nullo gloriandum quandò nostrum nihil sit. Quod ut ostenderet, adhibuit apostolum testem, dicentem: quid autem habes, quod non accepisti? Si autem accepisti, quid gloriaris, quasi non acceperis? Quo præcipue testimonio etiam convictus sum, cùm similiter errarem putans, fidem, quâ in Deum credimus, non esse donum Dei, sed a nobis esse in nobis, et per illam nos impetrare Dei dona, quibus temperanter et justé et pié vivamus in hoc seculo. Neque enim fidem putabam Dei gratiâ preveniri."-Again, in the first book of his retractions, chap. xxiii.-"Nondum diligentius quæsieram, qualis sit electio gratiæ. Proinde quod continuo dixi: dicit enim idem apostolus: idem Deus, qui operatur omnia in omnibus: nusquam autem dictum est: Deus credit omnia in omnibus: ac deinde subjunxi: quod ergò credimus, nostrum est: quod autem bonum operamur, illius est, qui credentibus dat spiritum sanctum: profecto non diceram, si jam scirem, etiam ipsam fidem inter Dei munera reperiri, quæ dantur in codem spiritu.-Et quod paullo pòst dixi: nostrum est enim credere et velle: illius autem dare credentibus et volentibus facultatem bene operandi per Spiritum sanctum, per quem caritas diffunditur in cor

pious African bishop was revived at different periods; in the ninth century, by the monk Godeschalchus, and was by turns condemned and justified in several councils *; in the thirteenth, by the Dominicans, or preaching friars, and by them carried to still greater rigours. At the reformation it was taken up by Luther, who was himself an Augustinian monk, though afterwards it was relinquished by his followers, and is so at this day. Calvin, as we have above observed, adopted the same doctrine, aggravated, as would seem, by a degree of severity of his own+; unless we should suppose that he

dibus nostris: verum est quidem, sed eâdem regulâ et utrumque ipsius est, quia ipse præparat voluntatem; et utrumque nostrum, quia non fit, nisi volentibus nobis."

Upon these passages Vossius remarks, "Neutiquam pro calumniâ haberi debere, quòd multi dicerent, ipsum priùs Augustinum ea docuisse, quæ in Massiliensibus posteà damnaret." Hist. Pelag. lib. iv. Pars 2. Thesis 1. * See Mosheim's Eccles. Hist. vol. ii. p. 156-8.

+ "Quum non alia ratione quæ futura sunt prævideat, nisi quia ita ut fierent decrevit; frustrà de præscientiâ lis movetur, ubi constat ordinatione potiùs et nutu omnia evenire.

"Disertis verbis hoc extare negant, decretum fuisse à

had drawn it from Thomas Aquinas, or some other of the dominican doctors *, who, in

Deo ut sua defectione periret Adam. Quasi verò idem ille Deus, quem scriptura prædicat facere quæcunque vult, ambiguo fine condiderit noblissimam ex suis creaturis."

CALV. Instit. lib. iii. c. 23. sect, 6, 7.

*That this is no strained or illiberal supposition, may appear from the following passage of Jurieu, a very eminent and zealous Calvinist, who, having described the conduct of Arnaud towards the Jesuits, proceeds to observe, "C'est justement ainsi qu'il agit avec les Calvinistes au sujet de la grace. Les Calvinistes sur ce point n'enseignent précisement que ce qu'enseignent les Thomistes. Les docteurs de l'Eglise Romaine euxmêmes nous en sont témoins, comme nous verrons quelque part avant que de finir cette matiere. Cependant quand on dispute sur la grace; en se tournant du côté des Calvinistes, il faut appeller leur doctrine impie, folle, heretique; mais en se tournant du côté des Thomistes, il faut reconnoitre la même doctrine pour être Catholique, la pure theologie de St. Paul et de St. Augustin."

Here then we see that the doctrine of grace, as taught by Calvinists, is according to Jurieu, who was one of its greatest and ablest defenders, and, in the opinion too of the Roman catholic doctors themselves, perfectly the same with that of Aquinas; a man held by the Romish church in such high estimation for his understanding, that he was denominated the angel of the

subtlety of genius, and in high and curious notions, appear to have surpassed either of our two great reformers; whose inferiority, in these respects, may be allowed without any derogation to their praise *. From Calvin were chiefly derived the confessions of the reformed churches abroad, as distinguished from the Lutheran; and the church of England, so far as her doctrinal articles are concerned, seems nearly to agree with the reformed standard. Let it be observed,

schools; and for his sanctity, that he was enrolled in the catalogue of her saints.

* Calvin, in the excellent preface to his institutions, addressed to the French king, Francis the First, justly condemns those curious wits, who waste their lives in such subtle speculations, as only serve to obscure and perplex the simplicity of scripture, and this to a degree, that, (as he observes) Were the fathers to rise again, and witness that contentious art which has passed under the title of speculative theology, they could never imagine that the Deity was the subject of discussion*, Happy! if this eminent man had never exposed himself to a just retortion of the same censure !

"Si nunc patres suscitentur, et hujusmodi jurgandi artem audiant, quam speculativam theologiam appellant isti, nihil minùs credant quàm de Deo huberi disputationem." CALV. Præf. ad Regem. Gal.

that the notion of necessity advanced by Austin, and which is still retained in substance by those who are now styled moderate Calvinists, is confined to man in his present lapsed state; and in this state, is limited to the spiritual life: for in things purely natural or civil, his power to will and act differently, in the same circumstances, is acknowledged *: whereas the necessity which we have here immediately in view, and which by some is denominated philosophical, is made to extend itself absolutely and universally; so that not only man, both lapsed and innocent, but every being whatever, with every circumstance attending it, whether internal or external, is subjected to its sway. This is the necessity, which in these latter times has been revived, under different modifica ions, by Hobbes and Spi

* This Calvin states to be the common opinion of theological writers before his time. "Communiter solent res medias, quæ scilicet nihil ad regnum Dei pertinent, sub libero hominis consilio ponere; veram autem justitiam ad specialem Dei gratiam, et spiritualem regenerationem referre." CALV. Inst. lib. ii. c. 2.

sect. 5.