CHAPTER II.

Concerning the Decrees of God, Election and Reprobation.

THE Decrees of God have, for many ages, employed the pens and tongues of many professed divines, and great controversies have been excited and maintained on this subject; but the differences of opinion still remain without producing much light to mankind, except that of discovering the darkness and ignorance of the disputants.

Many arguments have been drawn from certain passages of scripture to prove that God, by an unalterable decree, and without any respect to faith or good works, has elected a certain portion of the human race to eternal salvation, and reprobated the remainder to eternal damnation. Hence we hear much about the doctrine of election and reprobation, from those preachers and writers who build their tenets on these favorite passages. But it is to be lamented that there are so many, in this enlightened age, "who minister questions rather than godly edifying which is in "faith; desiring to be teachers; yet understanding neither what "they say, nor whereof they affirm ;"* who presume to maintain doctrines so contrary to the liberal and righteous principles of the gospel, and so inconsistent with the true character of God.

As it is by Divine revelation, that the true character of God is made known to man; so a true knowledge of his decrees, as far as they relate to what he requires of man, are known only by revelation. But those decrees by which, in the beginning, God established the laws of creation, and by which the works of creation and providence are governed, tho they are beyond the reach of man, yet their existence is readily ascertained and confirmed by their visible effects. And by these effects, the rational mind may easily be led to believe, what none can deny, that God works by an unalterable plan of wisdom, which necessarily produces an unchangeable order and regularity in all his visible works. And hence we must rationally conclude that all his invisible works are under the same established laws; and that they all must and do operate with the greatest order and harmony, and in the end, will most certainly accomplish all his divine purposes in perfect wisdom and righteousness.

The decrees of God, so far as they are made manifest, either by Divine revelation, or by their visible effects in the natural world, are of two kinds. The first are those which respect God's own established and determinate laws and purposes, whether they relate to man, or to any other part of the creation. The second are those which God has given to man, for his protection, and which are calculated and designed to prove his faithfulness and obedience

1 Tim. i. 4 & 7.

First. Those decrees which respect God's own established laws and purposes, comprehend not only the works of creation and providence, but the final event of whatever he has designed. In the works of creation, it is obvious that God has established laws which are unalterable, except by the same Almighty Power which first established them. Among these we may reckon the established order, courses and relative situation of the sun, moon and stars, together with the whole planetary system; the order and courses of the seasons, and the laws of nature by which they are governed; heat and cold, light and darkness, the powers of procreation and vegetation, the laws of gravitation, attraction and repulsion, with every thing which depends on the established laws of nature: these are known by their visible effects.

Also God's determinate purposes, relative to the operation of his divine attributes with respect to man. Among these may be mentioned the decree of his power, in creating man a moral agent, perfectly capable of exercising his moral faculties in choosing and acting according to the dictates of his own mind, in doing good or evil. Also the decree of his wisdom, in placing man in a state of probation, and giving him a fair trial, that he might prove himself in the choice of good or evil, without any influence, on either side, more than what he was fully able to resist or follow, according to his own free choice. And also the decree of his goodness, by which he determined, after the fall, to extend mercy to man, and send a Redeemer to redeem him from his fallen state, and raise him to a heavenly Paradise, of which the earthly paradise, from which he fell, was but a figure.

Man being still endowed with the faculty of free agency, notwithstanding his fall, by which he was brought into darkness and bondage, God, who is the source of light, decreed to afford him a sufficient degree of light to see and appreciate, in some measure, the benefits to be obtained by accepting the offers of salvation, through the mediation of the Redeemer; that he might be at no loss respecting his duty and privilege, in choosing for himself, nor respecting the course of life to be pursued, in order to obtain salvation through this medium. In his holiness he decreed that man, by a life of holiness, which he might obtain by obedience, should find an entrance into the mansions of holiness; and he decreed at the same time, that "without holiness no man should see the Lord." In his love he also decreed, that the blessings of his love should attend the faithful and obedient. And in his righteousness and justice, he decreed a crown of righteousness, as the just reward of all who should walk in the way of righteousness and peace; and this decree necessarily excludes the disobedient from any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ.

These are the unalterable decrees of God, and all who are wil

ling to accept the benefits of these decrees, are freely entitled to them, in the line of obedience; but God has decreed that they shall not be obtained in any other way. By a careful examination of these decrees, we can see nothing in them but what is perfectly just and reasonable, and perfectly consistent with infinite wisdom and goodness; and they certainly display, in very striking colors, the great perfection and glory of the Divine Attributes. The fixed

and unalterable nature of these decrees, by no means renders them unreasonable or unjust; but the contrary. Even those which more immediately respect man, show forth the unchangeable goodness of God, by their permanence, and are rendered infinitely valuable, by being unalterable.

When we consider that God is infinitely wise and powerful, that "he is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works," and that he is perfectly free and independent, it must appear perfectly consistent, just and reasonable, that he should create man a moral agent, perfectly free to choose and act for himself, independent of any supernatural impulse. Herein appears man's divine origin. And where is the man who is willing to have his moral freedom and independence taken from him, and to be compelled to think and act according to the dictates of some other being, without any choice or will of his own, and at the same time, to be made accountable for his thoughts, words and actions.

But this cannot be: for God has endowed man with moral agency, and it cannot be taken from him; it is fixed by an unalterable decree; and tho intolerant Popes and ecclesiastical persecutors have often attempted it, even by the power of fire and sword, and every implement of torture; yet they never could control the moral powers of man, nor deprive him of his free agency. They have sometimes, indeed, compelled people to speak and act the hypocrite, in order to escape punishment or gain favor; but they never could destroy his moral agency, nor extinguish the light of his conscience. They may indeed bind, imprison or kill the body; but they cannot fetter the thoughts, nor destroy the soul. As well might they attempt to arrest the sun in its progress through the sky, or change the course of the stars.

Second. Those decrees which God has given to man for his protection, and which are calculated and designed to prove his faithfulness and obedience. Such was his decree to Adam: "In "the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Such was his decree to the Jews, by the mouth of the prophet Isaiah: "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land."* And such was the testimony of Jesus Christ: "If any man will "do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God."+ This may also apply to any command, or any established law of

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God, for the government of his people, which requires their obedience; and in case of disobedience, exposes them to suffer the penalty decreed by that law.

The decrees of God which require the obedience of man, consist in the declaration of his mind and will, concerning their duty, and are manifested by divine revelation, either mediately or immediately. His decree to Adam respecting the forbidden fruit, was direct and positive. His decrees to the people of Israel, through Moses, Joshua and the judges and prophets, were positive, and the promises conditional; yet punishments or sufferings of some kind followed disobedience. Adam and Eve violated the decree of God to them, and therefore they fell from their union with God: for the decree could not be altered. A decree may be permanent and unalterable, or it may be temporary and alterable. Decrees which are temporary and alterable, are given according to the existing circumstances of those to whom they are given; but the annulling of them argues no changeableness in the Giver, it only shows a change of the circumstances which occasioned the decree. God's laws are his decrees, and they may be permanent and unconditional, or temporal and conditional. A sovereign may enact laws for the government of his people, which may be repeakable; yet while they exist, they are positive, and must be obeyed. So it is with many decrees given for the government of God's people.

The doctrine so strongly maintained, and so extensively believed, that God decreed the fall of man, is most unreasonable and inconsistent. If God decreed that man should sin, then man could not be at all culpable. If he fulfilled God's decree in eating the forbidden fruit, then he must have done the will of God, and therefore did not commit sin in so doing: for it cannot be sin to do the will of God, and God cannot decree any thing contrary to his will; therefore he cannot decree that man shall commit sin. Such a decree would indeed be contrary to every attribute of his nature. The command of God to Adam, was his law; in keeping that law, he could not sin: "for sin is a transgression of the law." The command was given to prove Adam's obedience, and protect him from evil. In transgressing the command, he violated the law of God, and that occasioned his fall.

If sin is a transgression of the laws of God, as the scriptures declare, and God's decrees are his laws, as all must acknowledge; then it follows, that God never decreed that man should sin: for, to say that he decreed that man should sin, is to say that sin is not a transgression of his laws, but a compliance with them, and therefore, sin is not sin; which is a contradiction. Again: If God did decree that man should commit sin, then sin must have been agreeable to the will of God: for God cannot, without an absolute inconsistency, decree any thing which is contrary to his will. Hence

the sin cannot be imputed to man; it must be imputed to the will of God; consequently no condemnation can fall on man, seeing he did the will of God. This involves the same absurdity, namely, sin is not sin! Such are the inconsistencies which necessarily flow from this soul-darkening, this heaven-blaspheming doctrine, which had its origin in the regions of antichristian darkness.

Again: God could not interpose his power to prevent the fall of man, or to prevent him from sinning, whether he would or not; because this would, at once, have deprived man of the trial of his obedience, and of all accountableness, by fixing an insurmountable barrier to prevent in him the power of transgression. In this case man could never have been the subject of praise nor blame; he never could have known the power nor the extent of his own free agency; he never could have enjoyed the glorious reward of faithfulness, nor have felt the dishonor and shame of unfaithfulness; having no law which he could, of his own choice, obey or disobey, his conduct, in all things, must, of course, have been impelled by Almighty power, like the stars in their courses. This would have deprived man of the power of self-action, and rendered him a mere machine.

Man was created a moral agent, at the beginning: that is, he was endowed with free-agency, capable of acting according to his own voluntary choice, without any compulsion, either of good or evil: and his having good and evil set before him, was that which constituted his state of trial. God assumed no compelling power over him; and the devil could have none, without the man's previous consent. He was therefore, in this respect, left entirely without control.

But it may be asked, whence came the choice of evil? This may be answered in short: It was insinuated by the tempter. The temptation was first addressed to the mind: "Ye shall be as Gods;" and thence applied to the animal propensities, which were inferior to the rational powers. The faculties of the soul, being superior to those of the body, ought to have had the government. But when the man's animal sensations were addressed, and excited by the temptation, tho he possessed a governing power in the faculties of his soul; yet he gave up that power, and gave loose to his animal desires, and under their excitement, yielded to the temptation. This occasioned his fall; and hence the loss which ensued. He proved himself unfaithful to his trust, and the curse followed as the inevitable consequence.

Some will argue, that because God is omniscient and knows all things, even before they come to pass, he must of course foreordain that they shall come to pass. But this consequence does not follow; it is taking for granted, that which cannot be proved; namely; that God cannot foreknow that such an event will come to