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confiftently I apprehend with the opinions juft recited, that "the fundamental principles on " which the Calviniftic fyftem refts, are incon"trovertible;" and that "the Authors of our

national forms unqueftionably built upon "the fame foundation with this celebrated "Reformer, but have not carried the fuper"ftructure to the fame height:"when ↑ hear them referring more efpecially to the "doctrines of Auftin, as the great model "" of their opinions-when I recollect, that one rigid maintainer of the higher fyftem of Calvinifm commemorates this father as the "great," "the excellent," "the excellent," "the evangelical,"

because of his fteadfaft attachment to, and nervous fuccefsful defences of, the decrees of God; that another extols "the piefy, learn"ing, and ability," with which he confutes "the doctrines of free-will, univerfal redemp❝tion, and falling from grace ;" and that it is the avowal of Calvin himself, that "if he chofe "to compofe an entire volume from Auftin, he "could readily convince the reader, that he

* Overton, p. 355.

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b

Ibid. p. 94.

Toplady on Predeftination, p. 136, 144, 151.
Goliath Slain, p. 124.

Ibid. p. 95.

Si ex Auguftino integrum volumen contexere libeat, lectoribus oftendere promptum effet, mihi non nifi ejus verbis opus effe: fed eos prolixitate onerare nolo. Calv. Inft. lib. iii. cap. xxii. fect. 8.

had occafion for none but his words?” when moreover I refle, not on the reprefentation of a partizan on either fide, but on what I understand to be the real doctrines of Austin on the matter in debate; as, that " Almighty "God does not will the falvation of all men, "but only of the elect;" that "Chrift did "not die for all men, but only for the elect" that "all men have not the means of falvation

given to them by God, but that the non"elect are abandoned in a graceless mafs "of perdition, excluded from the gift of faith, «and denied the opportunity of believing","

Quod fcriptum eft, quod vult omnes homines falvos fieri, nec tamen omnes falvi fiunt, multis quidem modis intelligi poteft, ex quibus in aliis opufculis noftris aliquos commemoravimus: fed hic unum dicam. Ita dictum eft, Omnes homines vult salvos fieri, ut intelligantur omnes prædestinati; quia omne genus hominum in eis eft. Auguft. de Correptione et Gratia, cap. xiv.

Ita debemus intelligere quod fcriptum fit, Qui omnes homines vult falvos fieri, tanquam diceretur, nullum hominem fieri falvum, nifi quem fieri ipfe voluerit: non quod nullus fit hominum, nifi quem falvum fieri velit, fed quod nullus fiat, nifi quem velit. Enchiridion, cap. xxix.

Adde adhuc, Qui proprio Filio fuo non pepercit, fed pro nobis omnibus tradidit eum, quomodo etiam non cum illo omnia nobis donavit? Sed quibus? Nobis præfcitis, et prædeftinatis, juftificatis, glorificatis, de quibus fequitur. In Evang. Johan. Tract. cap. 45.

Hæc eft prædeftinatio fanctorum; nihil aliud quam præfcientia fcilicet et præparatio beneficiorum Dei, quibus Certiflime liberantur, quicumque liberantur. Ceteri autem

that "the commiflion of fin and the blindness "and hardness of heart of the finner are not "barely permitted by God, but are pofitive "operative acts of his moft omnipotent power, "and his free and unbiaffed will;" and that "Judas was chofen, not like the other Apostles

ubi, nifi in maffa perditionis, jufto divino judicio relinquuntur? Ubi Tyrii relicti funt et Sidonii, qui etiam credere potuerunt, fi mira illa Chrifti figna vidiffent. Sed quoniam ut crederent, non erat eis datum, etiam unde crederent eft negatum. Ex quo apparet, habere quofdam in ipfo ingenio divinum naturaliter munus intelligentiæ, quo moveantur ad fidem, fi congrua fuis mentibus vel audiant verba, vel figna confpiciant: et tamen fi Dei altiore judicio a perditionis maffa non funt gratiæ prædeftinatione discreti, nec ipfa eis adhibentur vel dieta divina, vel facta, per quæ poffent credere, fi audirent utique talia, vel viderent. . . . . Audiunt enim hæc et faciunt, quibus datum eft; non autem faciunt, five audiant five non audiant, quibus datum non eft. De Dono Perfeverantiæ, cap. xiv.

• Quantum ad ipfos attinet (malos fcil.) quod Deus noluit, fecerunt: quantum vero ad omnipotentiam Dei, nullo modo id efficere valuerunt. Hoc quippe ipfo, quod contra voluntatem ejus fecerunt, de ipfis facta eft voluntas ejus. Propterea namque, magna opera Domini, exquifita in omnes voluntates ejus; ut miro et ineffabili modo non fiat præter ejus voluntatem, quod etiam contra ejus fit voluntatem. Quia non fieret, fi non fineret; nec utique nolens finit, fed volens. Enchir. cap. xxix.

Non eft dubitandum, voluntati Dei humanas voluntates non poffe refiftere, quo minus faciat ipfe, quod vult: quandoquidem etiam de ipfis hominum voluntatibus, quod vult, cum vult, facit:-fine dubio habens humanorum cordium,

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" in mercy to partake of Chrift's kingdom, but "that he was chofen and pitched upon in judgment on purpofe to commit the damna"ble act of betraying his Mafter, and to be "the means of shedding his blood ε:”—I catch through the veil of mildnefs and moderation too clear a view of that frightful phantom of "thofe rigours of the fyftem "," from which our Calvinistic brethren would fain be released,

quo placeret, inclinandorum omnipotentiffimam poteftatem. De Corrept. et Grat. cap xiv..

Deus omnipotens, five per mifericordiam cujus vult mifereatur, five per judicium quem vult obduret, nec inique aliquid facit, nec nifi volens quidquam facit, et omnia quæcunque vult facit. Enchir. cap. xxix.

Agit Omnipotens in cordibus hominum etiam motum voluntatis eorum, ut per eos agat, quod per eos agere ipfe voluerit. De Grat. et lib. Arbit. cap. xxi.

-Manifeftatur, operari Deum in cordibus hominum ad inclinandas eorum voluntates quocunque voluerit, five ad bona, pro fua mifericordia; five ad mala, pro meritis eorum, judicio utique fuo, aliquando aperto, aliquando occulto, femper autem jufto. De Grat. et lib Arbit. cap. xxi.

Electi autem funt ad regnandum cum Chrifto, non quo. modo electus eft Judas ad opus cui congruebat. Ab illo quippe electus eft, qui novit bene uti etiam malis, ut et per ejus opus damnabile, illud, propter quod ipfe venerat, opus venerabile compleretur. Cum itaque audimus, Nonne ego vos duodecim elegi, et unus ex vobis diabolus eft, illos debemus intelligere electos per mifericordiam, illum, per judicium; illos ad obtinendum regnum fuum, illum ad effundendum fanguinem fuum. De Corr. et Grat. cap. vii. Overton, p. 96.

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to fuffer me to entertain a reasonable hope of any important approximation in our opinions.

There is indeed in abfolute election, and in its obvious and neceffary confequences, that which muft ftagger the faith of any man, who is not prepared to go to much greater lengths, than comport with the gentle terms of mildnefs and moderation. It was the memorable obfervation and advice of a late Predeftinarian, "You will reap much improvement from the "view of predestination in its full extent, if your eyes are able steadfastly to look at all which God hath made known concerning it. "But if your fpiritual fight is weak, forego the inquiry as far as reprobation is concerned,

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and be content to know but in part, till "death tranfmits you to that perfect ftate, where you fhall know even as you are * known." What an acknowledgment is this, to the infurmountable prejudice of abfolute predestination! For what can we think of a doctrine, which its ftrenuous maintainer reprefents, as made known by God, but at the fame time as too formidable for the contemplation of an ordinary mind? And how can it be a part of that revelation, which Christ commanded to be difclofed to દદ every creature,” and more efpecially to the poor and the weak?

i Toplady on Predeftination, Preface, p. viii.

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