unfounded presumption, and a delusion of the devil.-'It appears then,' his Lordship confidently infers, that the Calvinistic doctrines of election ' and reprobation are not only not maintained in 'this Article, but that they are disclaimed and 'condemned in the strongest terms.'-It may be admitted that the Calvinistic doctrines, that is, all that Calvin held, are not maintained in this Article: but where are they disclaimed and condemned at all, even by the most distant intimation? And, surely, if his Lordship had been employed to disclaim and condemn them he would have done it, in much clearer and stronger terms; terms much less in danger of being mistaken for the affirmation and approbation of the substance of the doctrines! The doctrine of personal election to eternal life is, as I must think every impartial man will allow, greatly countenanced, if not fully declared, in this Article. Reprobation is not spoken of: they who are not elected arc passed by: "The Lord hath not chosen these." But I would maintain no kind or degree of Calvinism, either as to personal election to eternal life, or of the final perseverance of true Christians, beyond what this Article expresses: and the same method of commenting, if applied to our works, would prove, quite as conclusively, that we dis' claim and condemn' Calvinism, 'in the strongest ' terms.'-His Lordship has not adduced the conclusion of the Article, which distinguishes between the revealed will of God in the scriptures, and his 'counsel secret to us.' 'Furthermore, we must ' receive God's promises in such wise as they be

1 Sam. xvi. 7—10.

'generally set forth to us in holy scripture and ' in our doings that will of God is to be followed, 'which we have expressly declared to us in the ' word of God.' "The secret things belong unto "the Lord our God; but those things which are "revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever; that we may do all the words of this law."1 This distinction, on the Calvinist's principles, is of great importance; but it vanishes out of sight on the principles of our opponents.

I shall now give the Article, as it stands in the 'Refutation,' by collecting together the comments made on each part of it. Predestination to life is -the eternal purpose of God to deliver from 'wrath and damnation, and to bring to everlasting 'salvation, those to whom God decreed to make 'known the gospel of Christ.-Those who are en'dued with so excellent a benefit of God,-be 'called according to God's purpose, by his Spirit 'working in due season; they on their part con'form to the conditions of the gospel-covenant, by obeying the calling, and walking religiously in good works, under the influence and assistance of 'the Holy Spirit; and, as a reward, they are justi'fied in this world, are made sons of God by adoption, are made like the image of Christ, and at 'length attain everlasting felicity. This godly 'consideration of predestination, and our election "in Christ, is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeak'able comfort to godly persons: because, from a 'consciousness of their own obedience and religious walking in good works, their faith of eter'nal salvation is greatly established and confirmed; 1 Deut. xxix. 29.

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' 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.'' Here' (that is, in Calvin's works, which had never been mentioned or alluded to,) ' it is maintained, that God has eternally fixed the destiny of every individual of the human race; 'that he has irrevocably decreed to bestow everlasting happiness on some, and to consign others 'to eternal misery, without any regard to their own merit or demerit. Those, who believe this 'doctrine, who have this sentence continually be'fore their eyes, will either be in danger of falling ' into despair, from a conviction that it is impos'sible for them to be saved, that they must inevitably suffer everlasting torment; or they will be apt to practise every vice to which they feel any 'temptation, from a persuasion that they belong to "the chosen few, who must necessarily be saved 'whatever be their conduct.'-Even this Article however does not disclaim the Calvinistic doc'trines of election and reprobation in the strongest 'terms,' or in such terms as his Lordship would have used, had he not felt himself, after all, rather encumbered by the Article, for which he was employed in fabricating a more palatable substitute.

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And now let me ask the reader, whether the Article may not be supposed more to favour the sentiments of those, who would by no means willingly allow that one word contained in it should be omitted or altered; or one word added to it; and who would have it speak for itself without any comment; than it does the sentiments of those whose comments, by omissions, alterations, and

additions, in fact substitute another Article in the place of it? It may easily be perceived, that should legal authority change the Article, as it now stands, for that above given in his Lordship's words, which part of the clergy would be gratified, and which part would be grieved: and this is enough to decide the question whether it be Cal vinistic or Anticalvinistic, in the modern use of these words: for that it does not adopt all Calvin's views, we allow; and we add, 'No more do modern Calvinists, especially among the evangelical clergy.'

'With respect to our liturgy, the passage in the 'absolution, that God desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his 'wickedness and live;' and the beginning of the third collect for Good Friday, ' O merciful God, ' who hast made all men, and hatest nothing that ' thou hast made, nor wouldest the death of a sinner, but rather that he should be converted and 'live;' are perfectly inconsistent with the idea of partial redemption, and clearly imply, that God ' has afforded to every man the means of working ' out his salvation.' 1

The clauses here adduced from the liturgy refer to the well known passages in the prophet, “ Have "I any pleasure that the wicked should die, saith "the Lord God, and not that he should return "from his ways and live?" "As I live, saith the "Lord God; I have no pleasure in the death of "the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his I have more delight in the

way and live."2

'Ref. 269, 270.

2 Ez. xviii. 23. xxxiii. 11.

repentance and conversion of the wicked, and in pardoning and saving the penitent, than in punishing the impenitent.' Thus, "I desired mercy " and not sacrifice: 'I preferred mercy to sacrifice.' The clause, hatest nothing that thou hast 'made,' is not grounded on any particular text in scripture but certainly God hateth not any of the works which he has made, continuing to be what he made them. "God saw every thing that he "had made, and behold it was very good." Yet after the fall it is said, "It repented the Lord that "he had made man, and it grieved him at his "heart."2 And the Psalmist says to the Lord, "Thou hatest all the workers of iniquity."3 Yet, while God hates the characters of sinners, he manifests great kindness and compassion to their persons. In temporal things, "The Lord is good "to all;" and "he maketh his sun to rise on the " evil and on the good; and sendeth rain on the

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just and on the unjust."4 Yea, "God so loved "the world that he gave his only begotten Son, "that whosoever believeth in him should not "perish but have everlasting life."5 Yet this consists with his revealed determination to punish with everlasting destruction all impenitent sinners, all" who know not God, and obey not the gospel "of our Lord Jesus Christ:" and it equally agrees with his foreknowledge and secret purposes respecting individuals; for what reason can be assigned why it should not? The inconsistency of these clauses with partial, or even with particular, redemption may be admitted: but we cannot al

1 Hos. vi. 6. Matt. ix. 13. Gr. 3 Psalm v. 5.

2 Gen. i. 31. vi. 6.

'Psalm cxlv. 9. Matt. v. 45.

" John iii. 16.