"elect or reprobate matters not as to this point) is as fuch dependent on the Creator "for all things, and if dependent, ought to have recourfe to him, both in a way of fup

plication and thanksgiving "." But of what fignificance is the performance of this duty to man, if his performance does not affect the recompence profeffedly suspended on it? And how does this reply preferve inviolate the honour of God, who hath declared that he "will

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give all good things to them who ask in his “Son's name,” if he has previously, with respect to his best, I mean his fpiritual, gifts, closed the door upon all entreaty ?

8. Again; God is perpetually represented under the fimilitudes of a king, a master, and a father: a king, entitled to our reverence; a mafter, to our honour; and a father, to our love. But, if we reafon from the analogy of earthly relations, what reverence is to be claimed by a fovereign, what honour is due to a mafter, to what affection is a father entitled, who rules his fubjećts, his fervants, or his children by arbitrary laws; flowers bleffings on a favoured few with partial hand; requires of the rest an obedience, which he either dif ables them from paying, or difregards if it be paid; and inflicts on them the utmost fe

Toplady on Predestination, p. 126.

verity of punishment, in compliance with his own will, and to manifeft the feverity of his power? Let us not be told, that God may do what he will with his own. "When under

"the Roman and the Grecian government the "father had an abfolute power over his chil

dren, and in the eastern nations the prince "had abfolute power over his fubjects; would "this prerogative and fovereignty excuse them "from a severity and rigour unworthy of a "father or a fovereign, in leaving most of "their subjects and their children under the "extremeft mifery, when by the very fame. " means that a few of them have been rescued "from it, they might all have been fo? And "shall we then impute that rigour, want of "natural affection and compaffion to the Lover ❝ of fouls, and the benign government of our

heavenly Father, which we could not but " condemn and abhor in earthly governors, "and in the fathers of our flesh a?" Nor is this all it is not only that he refuses to extricate his people and children from mifery, but is himself the aggravator of their mifery he imposes upon them laws; he disables them from obeying; and he punishes, because they obey them not. Is this the conduct of that gracious Sovereign, who "feedeth his own

* Whitby on the Five Points, p. 175.

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people and the fheep of his pafture;" whofe fceptre is a fceptre of righteoufnefs;" and who “ accepteth according to that a man hath, * and not according to that he hath not b?” Or is it rather the conduct of the ufurper, σε whole own the heep are not;” and who withholds from them the ftraw, while he exacts the full tale of bricks? "You would not," faith. Athenagoras to the Roman Emperors, "honour the good or punifh bad men, if vice * and virtue were not in their power:” and, "If men," faith Chryfoftom, "pardon their 4 fellow-men, when they are necefiated to “ do a thing, much more fhould this be done "to men compelled by fate to do what they "do: for if it be abfurd to punish them, who

by the force of barbarians are compelled to any action, it must be more fo to punish 4 him, who is compelled by a ftronger power":"

* 2 Cor. viii. 12.

• Ώς δη και έπι των ανθρώπων αυθαίρετον και την αρετήν και την κακιαν εχοντων· έπει εκ αν ετ' ετιματε τους αγαθους, ουκ εκόλαζετε τους πονηρους, ει μη επ' αυτοις ην καὶ ἡ κάκια και ท αρετη. Athenagora Legatio pro Chriftianis, p. 27. Ed. Paris. 1615.

• Ειτα ανθρωπῳ μεν ισασι συγγινωσκειν, ὑπ' ανθρωπου του ομοφυλου και ομογενους καταναγκαζομένῳ, τῷ δ' ὑπὸ εἰμαρμένης οὐχὶ πολλῷ μάλλον συγγινώσκειν εχρήν ; και γαρ διαδράναι εδει Εκείνης δε, ὡς φασιν οὕτως αμήχανος η αρχή, ὡς καν εἰς ερήμον, καν εις θαλασσαν, καν όπου τις αφίκηται, τα νοήματα αυτής ου διαφεύξεται. Πως ουν ουκ ατοπον, του μεν ύπο βαρβαρων βιας αγχόμενον πλεισης συγγνώμης απολαύειν, ώς μηδε εγκαλείσθαι την αρχην, τον δε ύπο δυνατώτερας, ώς φασι, δυναμεως καταναγκα

more and much more, let it be added, when the fame power impofes the law, precludes obedience, and inflicts the punishment.

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9. Again; God is reprefented as command ing "the Gospel to be preached to every crea"ture" as making it the duty of his minifters to exhort all men to receive it, and not to neglect fo great falvation f;" as commanding all men to believe and obey it ; as declaring that he will judge the world in righteouf ness by the word of the Gofpel; and that the cause of men's condemnation fhall be their rejection of the Gospel faith". But, on the Calviniftic hypothefis, these commands and declarations are futile and unjuft. For what have they to do with the obligations of the Gospel; or how are they to believe, and obey the Gofpel; or how are they to be judged by the Gofpel; or upon what principle are they to be condemned for difbelieving or difobeying it who were the fubjects of an abfolute decree of reprobation, fhut out from the poffibility of having faith or repentance by a doom antecedent to the Gofpel difpenfation; and to whom the Gospel is preached, as Calvin affirms,

ζομενον, δίκην διδοναι, και μηδέ λόγου μεταδιδοναι προς απολογίας *UTY TOVAUTNY; Chryfoft. de Fato et Provid. Orat. iii. Ed. Bened. ii. p. 761.

Mark xvi. 15.

f Hebt ii. 2, 3.

1 John iii. 23.

h John iii. 18.

only

as a favour of death, and as matter of "more fevere condemnationi?" But how then is this to be reconciled with the wifdom and juftice of God? For "who," faith Auftin against the Manichæans, whom he accused of blindness for denying, that man had free-will, or that it was in his power to do well or ill; Who," faith be, "will not exclaim, that it is folly to command him, who hath not liberty to do what is commanded; and that it is unjust to condemn him, who hath it not in <his power to do what is required? and yet "thefe miferable men underftand not, that

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they afcribe this wicked nefs and injuftice to "God." And, to the fame effect, "" it is the height of madness and injuftice, to hold any "perfon guilty, because he did not that which " he could not do1."

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1 Eft enim univerfalis vocatio, qua per externam verbi prædicationem omnes pariter ad fe invitat Deus; etiam quibus eam in mortis odorem, et gravioris condemnationis materiam proponit. Calv. Inft. lib. iii. cap. xxiv. fect. 8.

* Quis enim non clamet, ftultum effe præcepta dare ei, cui liberum non eft quod præcipitur facere; et iniquum effe eum damnare, cui non fuit poteftas jufla complere? et has injuftitias et iniquitates miferi non intelligunt Deo fe afcribere. Auguft. lib. de Fide contra Manichæos, cap. x. tom. viii. App. p. 26.

Peccati reum tenere quenquam, quia non fecit id quod facere non potuit, fummæ iniquitatis eft et infaniæ. Lib. de Duabus Anim. cap. xii. fe&t. 17. Op. tom. viii. p. 87.