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'by adoption; they be made like to the image of 'his only begotten Son Jesus Christ; they walk 'religiously in good works; and at length, by 'God's mercy, they attain to everlasting felicity." Here, if words have any decisive meaning, it is stated, that all, who are called, according to 'God's purpose, by his Spirit,' (that is, all the elect) both obey the calling, and persevere, so as finally to attain to everlasting felicity.' Not a hint is given of any exception; nay, the words admit of no exception. This also is sufficiently infused into the liturgy for every useful purpose. 'Doubt

ye not therefore, but earnestly believe, that he ' will likewise favourably receive this present in'fant; that he will embrace him with the arms of 'his mercy; and that he will give him the bles

sing of eternal life, and make him partaker of 'his everlasting kingdom.'1 Now, whatever engagements of scripture are deemed sufficient to exclude our doubting concerning Christ's favourably receiving the infant presented for baptism, must, according to this statement, be likewise sufficient to exclude doubting concerning his final salvation. As to the non-elect, by whatever name we call them; why should any thing be introduced concerning them into our public devotions? Instead of further enlarging on these things, I only request the reader to consider this publication, all together, as an answer to his Lordship's 'call upon the supporters of Calvinism, to produce 'a passage from our Common Prayer Book, the 'plain and obvious sense of which is decidedly 'Calvinistic. 2]

'Baptismal Service.

2 See B. I. c. ii. § 10: On Prayer for ourselves and others.

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This negative argument is still stronger with respect to the Homilies, to which so confident an appeal has lately been made by certain writers, that I request the particular attention of my 'readers to the facts I am going to state. Not

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one of the peculiar doctrines of Calvin is men⚫tioned in either of the two books of Homilies: 'the word predestination does not occur from the beginning to the end of the Homilies: the word ' election occurs upon one occasion only, and then 'it is used in its true scriptural signification, a signification very different from that in which it ' is used by Calvinists: the word reprobation does ' not occur at all: nothing is said of absolute decrees, partial redemption, perseverance, or irre'sistible grace. The former of these books was 'published in the reign of Edward the Sixth, and 'the latter in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's reign, and both are pronounced by our 35th 'Article to contain a godly and wholesome doc'trine, and necessary for these times; that is, 'for the times in which they were published. If ' our great reformers, the authors of these Homi'lies, Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer, and Jewell, had ' themselves, as is sometimes pretended, held Cal'vinistic opinions, is it to be believed that they would have composed a set of sermons to be used by the parochial clergy in their respective 'churches, for the avowed purpose of establishing 'their congregations in a sound faith and a right practice, without even mentioning in them any ⚫ one of these points? And let it be remembered, that the subjects of many of the Homilies are 'immediately connected with the Calvinistic system, such as, original sin, the salvation of man

kind, faith, good works, declining from God, 'the nativity, the passion, the resurrection, the descent of the Holy Ghost, the grace of God, ' and repentance.'1

Here his Lordship, in a remarkable and very important manner, narrows his ground concerning the peculiar doctrines of Calvin.' Throughout the whole publication the reader is left, if not led, to consider the doctrine of original sin; that of the will so enslaved by sin as to need special preventing grace to render it capable of choosing what in the sight of God is good; with our views of regeneration by the Holy Spirit, and justification by faith alone, except modified in a manner, very different from the general way of explaining the doctrine; as tenets of Calvinism.' Nay, that 'men are saved according to his grace,' (the grace of God in Christ I suppose,) and not according to just works,' is said to 'contain in it the essence ' of Calvinism:' and it forms that resemblance to the blasphemous Simon Magus, which involves not only us inferior persons, but the eminent Calvin himself, in all the guilt of Simon's heresies. 2 But here, in respect to this negative argument, (viz. that what contains nothing of Calvinism is not Calvinistic,) there is no intimation of any thing but what relates to predestination, election, absolute decrees, irrespective partial redemption, perseverance, reprobation, or irresistible grace; that is, to the subject of the fourth chapter of the Refutation exclusively. The quotations from the Homilies, on original sin, (especially that expression,' without any spark of goodness in him,' which 'Ref. 587, 588.

2 Ref. 571, 580.

was supposed by his Lordship to be the language of some modern Calvinistic writer,') are sufficiently decisive as are those on special preventing grace, and on justificaion by faith alone. From these, very decided quotations have been adduced to prove that the Homilies are expressly Calvinistic on those points. The subject of regeneration has been fully discussed, in the remarks on the second chapter: so that this negative argument is wholly confined to the tenets refuted, or attempted to be refuted, in the fourth chapter.-Now I would unreservedly acknowledge, that little decidedly Calvinistic, as to these tenets, is to be found in the book of Homilies; except as, according to an illustration before used, they contain an infusion and the taste of this particular ingredient will be perceived in every part, by those "who,

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by reason of use, have their senses exercised to "discern good and evil." When the Homilies were compiled, preachers were very scarce; so that one of our reformers says, there were not more than two or three in a county; and it is evident that the Homilies were specially intended to supply this great deficiency. 'And considering how that ' all they which are appointed ministers have not the gift of preaching sufficiently to instruct the people which is committed to them, whereof great inconveniences might arise, and ignorance ' might still be maintained, if some honest remedy 'be not found out and provided: '2 This being the case, when homilies were compiled to supply the place of sermons, among an ignorant people just emerging from popery, and scarcely capable of re2 Preface to Homilies, 1562.

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' Ref. 54.

ceiving "the first principles of the oracles of God," who especially "needed milk, and not strong "meat;" can it be wondered at, that the deep points of predestination, election, reprobation, &c. were not expressly entered into, in these elementary instructions? Indeed so many Calvinists

seem to have mistaken this distinction, between milk and strong meat for grown men, that the wisdom of our reformers is, on this account, entitled to our admiration, and worthy of our imitation.

[To shew that this is not an opinion taken up by the author for the special occasion of answering this negative argument,' he must again trespass on the readers patience by stating, that, in 'a 'Discourse on Repentance,' published first in 1785, a Treatise on Growth in Grace,' published in the form of a sermon, 1786; in a volume of Essays ' on the most important subjects in religion,' 1794; and in a discourse on The Warrant and Nature ' of Faith,' published afterwards; but all subsequently to his having openly avowed the tenets called Calvinistic on these special points; there is as little on the subject of his Lordship's fourth chapter as in the book of Homilies. I suppose these opuscula contain (to recur to an allusion before made,) an infusion of these doctrines, but you cannot find them in the lump. And I am confident that, if the more experienced and Calvinistic of the evangelical clergy were called on to supply a set of lectures, homilies, or sermons, for the instruction of persons little acquainted with religion, they would observe the same caution: not because they do not believe these doctrines, but because

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