too, that the doctrine of Scripture, and of our church, is incompatible with that of Irenæus. One we must oppose, and "we," adds Mr. Scott, "the evangelical clergy, deliberately choose to abide by the former." Vol. ii. p. 274.

Clement of Alexandria is the next witness who is brought forward to refute Calvinism; but his testimony, like that of many of his brethren, had certainly much better have been spared. In some of the quotations from this learned and philosophising father, we may trace the erroneous view of Calvinism which pervades its Right Reverend opponent's book; and we have consequently a number of passages which plainly enough differ from the Calvinistic doctrines, but are quite as much at variance with those of the Church of England. "The only impression," says Mr. Scott, "which the quotations from this ancient father have made on my mind, is this; that he is far more heterodox than I supposed him to be." There is in them an almost total want of those peculiar principles of Christianity, which distinguish it from natural religion." "In short, the deficiencies render the whole more incompatible with the creed and experience of a pious Anti-calvinist, than any positive statements contained in it render it opposite to the tenets of alvinism." p. 289.

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From Tertullian, the Bishop of Lincoln has informed the Christian world, for the purpose of opposing Calvinism, that Abraham was reckoned the friend of God, "from equity and natural justice!" and from another quotation we learn, that this ancient father was an Anthropomorphist! It is indeed rather too much, since the era of the Reformation, to be sent to school to Tertullian.

The quotations from Origen exhibit that learned, acute, ingenious, and, with all his faults, we doubt not truly pious man, in a very unfavourable point of view. The doctrine of buman,merit, Pelagianism, Socinian

ism, Stoicism-any thing, and every thing, except sound scriptural sentiments-occur in the nineteen pages extracted from his works; with a variety of assertions which might very properly be opposed to any system, ancient or modern; which really reduces men to mere passive machines, but can make no kind of impression on Calvinists; who rather may, as Mr. Scott observes, be tempted to glory, on finding, that, to refute their tenets, such heretical notions must be appealed to as authoritative.

We proceed, therefore, to Cyprian; from whom the small number of quotations made in the "Refutation," plainly shews, that, though he did not exactly coincide with modern Calvinists, he was not, however, very decidedly opposed to them. The chief point to which the testimony of this excellent bishop is directed, is that of regeneration. But, though it is clear that Cyprian attributed an extraordinary efficacy to the due administration and reception of baptism, it is equally so, that he did not mean to assert this of the mere outward form; and that his sentiments refer to adult baptism, by which, says Mr. Scott, spiritual blessings are without doubt communicated to him who comes to it with a sincere profession of repentance and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

With all our admiration of the Christian Cicero, we must dismiss him, in this controversy, with the following observation of the pious Nelson*: “ Lactantius's esteem and authority in the church of God is but very small; forasmuch as he was uninstructed in the Scriptures, and was furnished with a small share of Christian learning."

In the quotations from Eusebius, the doctrine of original sin, together with every thing which distinguishes the New Testament from the writings of the heathen philosophers, is left unnoticed, as if it had

Life of Bishop Bull.

strangely obscure and inaccurate; sufficiently Anti-calvinistic, for the most part, but almost equally Antichristian. In one of his remarks on this ancient father, Mr. Scott, quoting a passage from Mr. Locke's celebrated chapter on Power, advises "all who attempt to refute Calvinism, on rational principles especially, as to the subject of free-will, to make themselves masters of his sentiments and reasonings on the subject. It would save much trouble to all parties." And yet Locke was no Calvinist.-Of Hilary too, Mr. Scott adds, from Dr. John Edwards, that he held, "that our Saviour had no real affections; and that he did not truly and really suffer, because he felt no pain!

Epiphanius does not much oppose the tenets of Calvinism: indeed, as far as two quotations go, he rather favours them.

One of the passages from Basil opposes the absurdities of judicial astrology! "I hope," says Mr. Scott, that Calvinists are not to be answered by arguments at first adduced against star-gazers and magicians." The old reasoning against invincible necessity and compulsion occurs in other quotations from this writer, as if it were conclusive against Calvinism: but in general, though Basil cannot be claimed as an ally of Calvinism, he is not so inconsistent with Christian doctrine as Hilary..

trine of universal salvation, he doe not appear to oppose the tenets of Calvinism.

Whoever remembers the extracts from the writings of Ambrose, which are given in Milner's History of the Church of Christ, will not be surprised that there is very little in the Bishop of Lincoln's quotations from that pious father, which seems to oppose what his lordship has called Calvinism. There is, on the contrary, much more of the spirit of a true Christian, and of a minister of Christ, than is generally to be discerned in the writings of his brethren *.

In his remarks on Jerome, Mr. Scott detects various errors and inaccuracies of this learned father, which are as much opposed to the Articles of our church, and even to the Bishop of Lincoln's own sentiments, as to Calvinism; particularly as to the fundamental points of the fall of man and original sin. From Jerome's laboured but perplexed interpretation of the ninth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, it is extremely difficult to determine what his real sentiments were as to personal election. It is probable, that he did not hold that doctrine in the Calvinistic sense; but equally clear, that a modern Anti-calvinist would not be satisfied with the hesitating lan

In Mr. Scott's obvervations on Ambrose, there occurs a sentiment to which we deem

Except that Gregory of Nyssa agreed with Origen in heretically denying the eternity of future punishment, and in holding the docCHRIST. OBSERV. No. 128.

"desires to be the cause of salvation to all, not of death." "He wishes all to be his." "Suck expressions," Mr. Scott remarks, "concerning the Almighty God; as if he earnestly longed to accomplish an object, but was unable, and therefore disappointed, are certainly unscriptural, and not consonant to reason." Now we need not inquire whether it be fairly deducible from the words of Ambrose, that the Almighty is unable to accom→ plish an object: but surely the language used by this father can scarcely be called unscriptural, while we have in the Scriptures themselves expressions such as are contained in the following texts. Prov. i. 24; Isaiah v. 4; Ezek. xxxiii. 11; Mat. xxiii. 37; Luke xiii. 14; 1 Tim. ii. 4; 2 Pet. iii. 9. ;

&c. &c.

3 X

guage of this ancient father. But in Jerome, as in many of his brethren, observes Mr. Scott," the absurdity occurs, of making the image of God, in which Adam was created, to consist in free agency, which is common to all intelligent beings in the universe, holy and unholy; and which, in creatures, must be attended by mutability; which surely is no part of the Divine image." In the course of his remarks on this learned and acute, but vehement, and often injudicious and unscriptural writer, Mr. Scott points out several other instances of error and false reasoning. "Yet, after all," he says, though his general views are certainly Anti-calvinistic," "there is also far more of what is peculiarly Christian, in his writings, than in those of many of the preceding fathers; and the Christian world is under very great obligations to him, for his labours in giving and revising translations of the holy Scriptures."

That many passages might be selected from the works of Augustine, which, either more or less directly, are opposed to the tenets of Calvin, could not be doubted by any one who is acquainted with the history of that eminent father. It is, however, Somewhat strange, that he should be finally set down as an adversary of the doctrines which the Bishop has termed Calvinistic. This, indeed, the Bishop of Lincoln has not positively done; but, referring to the inconsistencies which are to be met with in the writings of Augustine, endeavours to weaken the force of his more Calvinistic sentiments, as if the latest expression of his opinions, which was unquestionably in favour of predestination and final perseverance, should not be considered as that in which he ultimately acquiesced.

In the numerous quotations from this learned, acute, and eminently. pious father, many of the sentiments are very doubtful; from the difficulty of determining the connection and the sense in which they

were intended to be used. Some are manifestly unscriptural, as quoted in the "Refutation;" others contain opinions which most Calvinists would allow; while the meaning of others is as evidently misunderstood by the Bishop of Lincoln, as those of Calvinists frequently are. On the point of regeneration, Augustine thought that it generally, if not uniformly, accompanied baptism; but he carefully distinguished between the outward sign and the thing signified. How far, however, his views on this subject are scriptural, is a question which has been already discussed.

In many passages quoted from his works, St. Austin uses language which none but Calvinists would now adopt; and in others, he appears to speak very differently; an incon sistency easily to be accounted for, when it is considered that he wrote many of his works before his views were finally fixed.

There is, in the quotations from Augustine, as in those from most of the other fathers, a most needless repetition of passages which condemn the neglect of good works and the antinomian delusion of perverting the Gospel into an encouragement to sin. But," observes Mr. Scott, "I may be bold to say, that Great Britain produces no set of men who more decidedly, particularly, and constantly, testify against this perversion of the Gospel, and every variety of it, by sermons and publications of various kinds, than the evangelical clergy, It would be easy to prove this by quotations; but the appeal is made to our printed works in general; some of which, at least, our opposers ought to read carefully, before they undertake to confute or condemn us." After quoting several passages of a highly practical tendency from some of his own publications, Mr. Scott thus proceeds:

"I trust the reader will excuse me for

making these quotations from my own write ings; which I could do with less expence of time, than from those of my brethren. And I

am confident, that the evangelical clergy in general, will approve these warnings, and, as far as our argument is concerned, be willing, that they should be considered as their own. That this regard to holy practice, even abounding in every good work, is not only in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth; the appeal may safely be made to

the publick at large-Where is that pious and charitable institution; where is there a proposal made, for raising money to relieve the distress of our countrymen, who are priSoners of war abroad, or refugees, or destitate, or for providing support for sufferers from foreign and hostile shores: where is there any call made for help, to alleviate temporal miseries, to recover poor outcasts to society, to educate the children of the poor in useful knowledge; to do good in any

way not to say, to promote the common cause of Christianity, by dispersing Bibles and supporting missions: in which the evangelical clergy have not stood foremost? and in which their congregations have not contributed far above their proportion, when compared with others? I appeal to the lists of all our publick charities; and of all occasional efforts for obtaining temporal relief, for the distresses of multitudes in foreign nations, in these calamitious times; and for our countrymen now captives in France: and for the distressed Germans and others. I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me."" Vol. ii. pp. 448, 449.

Another large proportion of the quotations from the celebrated Bishop of Hippo, refers to one of the grand points in question between Calvinists and their opponents, viz. preventing grace; on one of which, p. 476, Mr. Scott observes, that if the latter did once decidedly and consistently allow its full import, the former would ask no more: the controversy would be terminated *. On the other hand, many of the assertions of Augustine on this sub

The passage is, "if he (Pelagius) will agree that the will itself and the action are assisted by God, and so assisted, that we can not will or do any thing well without that assistance;, no controversy will be left between us, as far as I can judge, concerning the assistance of the grace of God." But in this view of the subject, pious Calvinists and pious Arminians are already fully agreed. Thus far, there is no controversy between

them.

ject, which the Bishop of Lincoln considers as opposed to Calvinism, Mr. Scott conceives to arise from his anxiety to defend his doctrine from the charge of destroying man's freeagency, and responsibility;-a charge which the adoption, and even perversion, of the worst parts of Pagan philosophy, concerning fatal neces sity, by heretics, had rendered but too plausible and common, but for which there does not appear to be the slightest ground in the tenets of any who are called by the name of the evangelical clergy.

On the difficulties which attend tination, some admirable sentiments -every view of the subject of predesoccur, p. 471; to which, however, we must only refer. We regret, too, that we can do no more as to Mr. Scott's statement of his own view of final perseverance, or as he would rather, with Augustine, describe it, of the gift of perseverance; which, however it may fail to convince Anti-calvinists of its scriptural truth, will at least prevent any misconception of the real sentiments of Calvinists on this point.

As the name of Augustine will again occur towards the close of this article, we proceed to his great contemporary, Chrysostom. From this eloquent father, the Bishop of Liacoln has made such copious extracts that it is evident his lordship lays great weight on his testimony. And truly, as Mr. Scott explicitly allows, "as far as these quotations go, he is almost uniformly hostile to the tenets of Calvinism;" but, unhappily, he is "in many of them equally opposed to the grand doctrines of Christianity, as held by numbers who are not Calvinists, in the most general acceptation of that term." We have, for instance, as direct Pelagianism in many of the extracts from Chrysostom, as the author of that pestilent heresy could desire. Indeed, as Augustine observed, before the appearance of Pelagius, Chrysostom was incautious in speaking on the subjects of grace and freewill; and it would have been well,