with the opinion which states, that God has absolutely willed 'the salvation of certain men, by the first and supreme decree 'which he passed, and on which all his other decrees depend ' and are consequent :' If this be true, it was therefore impossible for the salvation of such men to have been lost, and therefore unnecessary for it to be repaired and in some sort regained afresh, and discovered, by the merit of Christ, who was fore-ordained a Saviour for them alone.

XVI. This doctrine is also HURTFUL TO THE SALVATION

OF MEN.

1. Because it prevents that saving and godly sorrow for sins that have been committed, which cannot exist in those who have no consciousness of sin. But it is obvious, that the man who has committed sin through the unavoidable necessity of the decree of God, cannot possibly have this kind of consciousness of sin. (2 Cor. vii, 10.)

2. Because it removes all pious solicitude about being converted from sin unto God. For he can feel no such concern who is entirely passive and conducts himself like a dead man, with respect not only to his discernment and perception of the grace of God that is exciting and assisting, but also to his assent and obedience to it; and who is converted by such an irresistible impulse, that he not only cannot avoid being sensible of the grace of God which knocks within him, but he must likewise of necessity yield his assent to it, and thus convert himself, or rather, be converted. Such a person, it is evident, cannot produce within his heart or conceive in his mind this solicitude, except he have previously felt the same irresistible motion. And if he should produce within his heart any such concern, it would be in vain and without the least advantage: For that cannot be a true solicitude, which is not produced in the heart by any other means except by an irresistible force according to the absolute purpose and intention of God to effect his salvation. (Rev. ii, 3; iii, 2.)

6

3. Because it restrains, in persons that are converted, all zeal and studious regard for good works, since it declares that the regenerate cannot perform either more or less good than they do: For he that is actuated or impelled by saving grace, must work, and cannot discontinue his labour; but he that is not actuated by the same grace, can do nothing, and finds it necessary to cease from all attempts. (Tit. iii, 14.)

4. Because it extinguishes the zeal for prayer, which yet is an efficacious means instituted by God for asking and obtain

ing all kinds of blessings from him, but principally the great one of salvation. (Luke xi, 1-13.) But from the circumstance of it having been before determined by an immutable and inevitable decree, that this description of men [the elect] should obtain salvation, prayer cannot on any account be a means for asking and obtaining that salvation. It can only be a mode of worshipping God; because according to the absolute decree of his predestination he has determined that such men shall be saved.

5. It takes away all that most salutary fear and trembling with which we are commanded to work out our own salvation. (Phil. ii, 12.) For it states, that he who is elected and 'believes, cannot sin with that full and entire willingness with which sin is committed by the ungodly; and that they cannot ' either totally or finally fall away from faith or grace.'

6. Because it produces within men a despair both of performing that which their duty requires and of obtaining that towards which their desires are directed. For when they are taught, that the grace of God (which is really necessary to the performance of the least portion of good,) is denied to the majority of mankind, according to an absolute and peremptory decree of God,-and that such grace is denied because, by a preceding decree equally absolute, God has determined not to confer salvation on them but damnation ;-when they are thus taught, it is scarcely possible for any other result to ensue, than that the individual who cannot even with great difficulty work a persuasion within himself of his being elected, should soon consider himself included in the number of the reprobate. From such an apprehension as this, must arise a certain despair of performing righteousness and obtaining salvation.

XVII. This doctrine INVERTS THE ORDER OF THE GOSPEL of Jesus Christ.-For in the gospel God requires repentance and faith on the part of man, by promising to him life everlasting, if he consent to become a convert and a believer. (Mark i, 15; xvi, 16.) But it is stated in this [Supralapsarian] decree of Predestination, that it is God's absolute will, to bestow salvation on certain particular men, and that He willed at the same time absolutely to give those very individuals repentance and faith, by means of an irresistible force, because it was his will and pleasure to save them.-In the gospel, God denounces eternal death on the impenitent and unbelieving: (John iii, 36.) and those threats contribute to the purpose which he has in view,-that he may by such means deter them

from unbelief and thus may save them. But by this decree of Predestination it is taught, that God wills not to confer on certain individual men that grace which is necessary for conversion and faith, because he has absolutely decreed their condemnation. -The gospel says, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in him should have everlasting life.” (John iii, 10.) But this doctrine declares: " that God so loved those whom he had absolutely "elected to eternal life, as to give his Son to them alone, and "by an irresistible force to produce within them faith on him.”— To embrace the whole in few words, the gospel says, "Fulfil "the command, and thou shalt obtain the promise; believe, "and thou shalt live." But this [Supralapsarian] doctrine says, "Since it is my will to give thee life, it is therefore my will "to give thee faith." which is a real and most manifest inversion of the gospel.

XVIII. This Predestination is in open hostility to THE

MINISTRY OF THE GOSPEL.

1. For if God by an irresistible power quicken him who is dead in trespasses and sins, no man can be a minister and "a labourer together with God," (1 Cor. iii, 9,) nor can the word preached by man be the instrument of grace and of the Spirit, -any more than a creature could have been an instrument of grace in the first creation* or a dispenser of that grace in the resurrection of the body from the dead.

2. Because by this Predestination the ministry of the gospel is made "the savour of death unto death" in the case of the majority of those who hear it, (2 Cor. ii, 14—16,) as well as an instrument of condemnation, according to the primary design and absolute intention of God, without any consideration of previous rebellion.

3. Because, according to this doctrine, Baptism, when administered to many reprobate children, (who yet are the offspring of parents that believe and are God's covenant-people,) is evidently a seal [or ratification] of nothing, and thus becomes entirely useless, in accordance with the primary and absolute intention of God, without any fault [or culpability] on the part of the infants themselves, to whom it is administered in obedience to the divine command.

4. Because it hinders public prayers from being offered to God in a becoming and suitable manner, that is, with faith,

*The act of creation, according to our author, was the first egress of God's goodness, or grace, towards his creatures.-Page 561.

"

and in confidence that they will be profitable to all the hearers of the word; when there are many among them, whom God is not only unwilling to save, but whom by his absolute, eternal, and immutable will, (which is antecedent to all things and causes whatever,) it is his will and pleasure to damn: In the mean time, when the Apostle commands PRAYERS and SUPPLICATIONS to be made FOR ALL MEN, he adds this reason, "for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have ALL MEN to be saved, and to come -unto the knowledge of the truth." (1 Tim. ii, 1—4.)

5. The constitution of this doctrine is such, as very easily to render pastors and teachers slothful and negligent in the exercise of their ministry: Because, from this doctrine it appears to them as though it were impossible for all their diligence to be useful to any persons, except to those only whom God absolutely and precisely wills to save, and who cannot possibly perish; and as though all their negligence could be hurtful to none, except to those alone whom God abtolutely wills to destroy, who must of necessity perish, and to whom a contrary fate is impossible.

XIX. This doctrine completely subverts THE FOUNDATION OF RELIGION IN GENERAL, and of the Christian Religion in particular.

1. The foundation of RELIGION considered IN GENERAL, is a two-fold love of God; without which there neither is nor can be any Religion: The First of them is a love for righteousness [or justice] which gives existence to his hatred of sin: The Second is a love for the creature who is endowed with reason, and (in the matter now before us,) it is a love for man, according to the expression of the Apostle to the Hebrews: "For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that HE IS A REWARDER of them that diligently seek him." (xi, 6.) GOD'S LOVE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS is manifested by this circumstance,-that it is not his will and pleasure to bestow eternal life on any except on "those who seek Him.” GOD'S LOVE OF MAN consists in his being willing to give him eternal life, if he seek HIM.

A mutual relation subsists between these two kinds of love, which is this: The latter species of love, which extends itself to the creatures, cannot come into exercise, except so far as it is permitted by the former, [the love of righteousness]: The former love, therefore, is by far the most excellent species; but in every direction there is abundant scope for the eman

ations of the latter, [the love of the creature,]-except where the former [the love of righteousness] has placed some impediment in the range of its exercise.-The first of these consequences is most evidently proved from the circumstance of God's condemning man on account of sin, although he loves him in the relation in which he stands as his creature; which would by no means have been done, had HE loved man more than righteousness, [or justice,] and had he evinced a stronger aversion to the eternal misery of man than to his disobedience. -But the second consequence is proved by this argument, that God condemns no person, except on account of sin; and that he saves such a multitude of men who turn themselves away [or are converted] from sin;-which he could not do, unless it was his will to allow as abundant scope to his love for the creatures, as is permitted by righteousness [or justice] under the regulation of the Divine judgment.

But this [Supralapsarian] doctrine inverts this order and mutual relation in two ways: (1) The one is when it states, that God wills absolutely to save certain particular men, without having had in that his intention the least reference or regard to their obedience. This is the manner in which it places the love of God to man before his love of righteousness, and lays down the position,—that God loves men (as such) more than righteousness, and evinces a stronger aversion to their misery than to their sin and disobedience.-(2) The other is when it asserts, on the contrary, that God wills absolutely to damn certain particular men without manifesting in his decree any consideration of their disobedience. In this manner it detracts from his love to the creature that which belongs to it; while it teaches, that God hates the creature, without any cause or necessity derived from his love of righteousness and his hatred of iniquity: In which case, it is not true, "that sin is the primary object of God's hatred, and its only meritorious cause."

The great influence and potency which this consideration possesses in subverting the foundation of religion, may be appropriately described by the following simile:-Suppose a son to say, "My father is such a great lover of righteousness "and equity, that, notwithstanding I am his beloved son, he "would disinherit me if I were found disobedient to him: "Obedience, therefore, is a duty which I must sedulously "cultivate, and which is highly incumbent upon me, if I wish to be his heir."-Suppose another son to say: "My father's