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sant, and unspeakable comfort to godly persons,' 'because from a consciousness of their own obe"dience and religious walking in good works, "their faith of eternal salvation is greatly esta'blished and confirmed,' and they are supported 'under all the distresses and calamities of this 'mortal life, by looking forward to the prize of 'their high calling in Christ. Such are the pre'destination and election which our church 'maintains, and recommends to its members as ' replete with comfort.'1

'As the godly consideration of predestination, ' and our election in Christ, is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort to godly persons, ' and such as feel in themselves the working of 'the Spirit of Christ, mortifying the works of the 'flesh, and their earthly members, and drawing

up their mind to high and heavenly things; as 'well because it doth greatly establish and con'firm their faith of eternal salvation, to be enjoyed 'through Christ, as because it doth fervently 'kindle their love towards God; so for carnal and 'curious persons, lacking the Spirit of Christ, to 'have continually before their eyes the sentence ' of God's predestination, is a most dangerous downfal, whereby the devil, doth thrust them down, either into desperation, or into recklessness of most unclean living, no less perilous 'than desperation'-in æque perniciosam impurissimæ vitæ securitatem.-Before I enter on the subsequent part of his Lordship's exposition of this Article, I must intreat the reader to peruse repeatedly the whole passage which I have quoted 1 Ref. 266, 267.

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from it; so as to make himself fully satisfied as to the import of it: observing especially that two, and only two, descriptions of persons are noticed, viz, 1. godly persons, and such as feel in them'selves, the working of the Spirit of Christ,' and, 2. curious and carnal persons, lacking the Spirit ' of Christ;' and that the effect of the same doctrine on each of them, when fully considered, is stated and contrasted.-His Lordship has seen good to substitute, instead of the language of the Article, the words, 'Because, from a consciousness ' of their own obedience, and religious walking in ' good works, their faith of eternal salvation is greatly established and confirmed; and they are supported under all the distresses of this mortal life, by looking forward to "the prize of their high calling in Christ." Now let this be compared with the Article itself; and let the reader ask himself, whether a new Article be not, in fact, substituted. The effect of the godly consideration of predestination, and our election in Christ;" the character of those, to whom this is full of 'sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort;' and other things, are greatly altered: but the clause, 'as because it doth fervently kindle their love to'wards God,' which is a special distinguishing effect of the consideration of personal election to eternal life, in such persons as are described in the Article, is wholly omitted; and another proposition, true indeed, but not hinted at in the Article, is substituted for it. Again: 'Because 'it,' namely, the godly consideration of predes'tination, &c. doth greatly establish and confirm 'their faith of eternal salvation,' saith the Article :

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- because from a consciousness of their own obedience, &c, their faith is greatly established ' and confirmed'-saith its representative or substitute! Such,' it is affirmed, are the predes'tination and election which our church maintains, ' and recommends to all its members as replete with comfort.' Here, by the way, it should be observed, what energy there is in unqualified confident assertion, especially when supported by reputation, learning, and authority; and used in favour of those sentiments, which are most popular, and most agreeable to the human heart; especially if it tends to expose to odium those who are generally disliked. This figure of speech is equally powerful among churchmen and dissenters, Calvinists or Anticalvinists; men of any party, in church or state; in politics, nay, in philosophy. If a superior man, without hesitation, boldly assert any thing; multitudes give him credit, that he could prove it, if he chose, though he has not done it. Thus men follow their different leaders, implicitly, from the members of a methodist society, through all gradations, to the immense multitudes who profoundly reverence the ipse dixit of the Pope, or of the conclave of Cardinals. In the mean while, argument, however conclusive, produces no effect, nay, can gain no attention, except among a despised and very small minority. All must allow that hypocrites and enthusiasts have, in this way, amazingly succeeded: therefore men of enlarged mind, liberal education, and superior endowments, should disdain to sanction it by their example.

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'But in the same Article it tells us, that for 'curious and carnal persons, lacking the Spirit of Christ, to have continually before their eyes the 'sentence of God's predestination, is a most dangerous downfal, whereby the devil doth thrust 'them either into desperation, or into recklessness ' of most unclean living, no less perilous than desperation.' What is this sentence of God's predestination? It cannot be the sentence of predestination we have been considering, by 'which God purposed and decreed to save all who 'shall believe and obey the gospel: this merciful and consolatory doctrine cannot be the sugges'tion of the great enemy of mankind; it cannot 'drive men to desperation,' because it says to every one, Repent, and you shall be saved; it 'cannot lead men to recklessness of most un"clean living,' because it says, that without good 'works no man can be saved; and a real ' everlasting purpose of God' cannot be a dangerous 'downfal' to any part of his rational creatures. 'Where then are we to find this supposed sen'tence of God's predestination,' which is attended 'with so much mischief and danger? In the 'works of Calvin. We there read, Predestina'tion we call the eternal decree of God, by which he has determined with himself what he willed

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'to be done concerning every man. For all men are not created in an equal condition, but eternal 'life is pre-ordained to some, eternal damnation to others..... That therefore which the scripture clearly shews, we affirm, that God, by an eternal ' and immutable counsel, once appointed those 'whom he should hereafter will to take into sal

vation, those moreover whom he should will to devote to destruction. We assert, that this coun'sel with respect to the elect was founded in his ' gratuitous mercy, without any respect to human 'worth; but that the approach to life is precluded 'to those whom he assigns to damnation by his 'just indeed and irreprehensible, but incompre'hensible judgment.' (Translation by the author of the Refutation.) Here it is maintained, that 'God has eternally fixed the future destiny of every individual of the human race; that he has 'irrevocably decreed to bestow everlasting hap piness upon some, and to consign others to eter'nal misery, without any regard to their merit or ' demerit. Those who believe this doctrine, who have this sentence continually before their eyes, 'will either be in danger of falling into despair, 'from a conviction that it is impossible for them 'to be saved, that they must inevitably suffer ' everlasting torment; or they will be apt to prac'tise every vice to which they feel any temptation, 'from a persuasion that they belong to the chosen few, who must necessarily be saved, whatever I may be their conduct. It appears, then, that 'the Calvinistic doctrines of election and repro'bation are not only not maintained in this Article, 'but that they are disclaimed and condemned in 'the strongest terms.'!

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I must here again intreat the reader to peruse carefully the Article itself, and then to decide, whether two distinct doctrines are stated, one in the Article, and another to be fetched from Calvin's works. No intimation, not even the most

'Ref. 267-269.

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