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fhould not perish, but have everlasting life. In this and in many other paffages of the New Teftament, relating to the defign of Chrift's Advent, God's love for the world is declared in general terms. How can God be faid to love thofe to whom he denies the means of falvation; whom he deftines, by an irrevocable decree, to eternal mifery? The Gofpel, inftead of being a proof of God's good will towards men,' would rather fhew his determination, that they fhould add to their guilt, and increase their condemnation. Instead of raifing us from a death in fin to a life of righte oufnefs, it would be the inevitable cause of more heinous wickednefs, and of forer punishment, to the greater part of mankind. Does an earthly mafter punish his fervant for not doing that which was impoffible? and fhall we afcribe to God a conduct which would be esteemed the height of cruelty in man! • Go ye, fays Chrift to his Apoffles, into all the world, and preach the Gofpel to every creature: here the precept is univerfal, without any limitation: but can it be fuppofed, that the bleffings of that Gospel which was to be preached to every creature in all the world,' were confined to a few that the Apostles fhould be commanded to promife to all, what God had decreed fhould be enjoyed only by a fmall number?

"Chrift is represented as having died not only for those who are faved, but alfo for thofe who perish; and therefore we may conclude, that he died for all †. If thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkeft thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Chrift died.' It is no where faid, that Chrift died only for a part of mankind; nor for one part more than for another. To the Jew firft, and alfo to the Gen tile, is the only preference we meet with in Scripture. Nor is there the flighteft intimation of the impoffibility of any one's being faved through the merits of Chrift, except the impenitently wicked; and their wickedness is always afcribed to themselves. When St. Paul tells those who fin wilfully after they have received the truth, that there remaineth no more facrifice for fins §,' it is furely implied, that a fufficient facrifice had already been offered for the fins of thefe men, and that the neglect of this great Salvation,' was owing to their own obftinacy and blind. nefs.

"St. John in the Revelation | fhows, that all, who are willing, may drink of the water of life; that it is in the power of every one to attain eternal happiness.

* " Mark, c. 16. v. 15.”

+" 1 Cor. c. 8. v. 11; and Rom. c. 14. v. 15; and Hebr. C. 10. V. 26. & 27;

and 2 Pet. c. z. v. f."

"Rom. c. z. v. 10. Heb. c. 10. v. 26 and 27.”

"Rev. c. 22. v. 17.”

"The

The benefits of Chrift's death are not confined to thofe to whom the Gospel has been actually revealed. If the fatisfaction of Chrift does not reach to the times prior to his Incarnation, how came it that Abel and Enoch were juftified *? That Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, are reprefented as fitting in the kingdom of heaven +? That Noah, Daniel, and Job, are declared to be righteous men ? All these, with a long catalogue of prophets and holy men, under the Mofaic Difpenfation, partook of the guilt of Adam, and were therefore liable to the wrath of God; nay, they committed actual fin, for there is no man that finneth not. Yet who can doubt that these illuftrious perfons, the peculiar objects of God's favour, are all written in the book of life. The promife of God comprehendeth all, within certain. limits and bounds, the which if men pass over, they exclude themfelves from the promise in Chrift; as Cain was no more excluded, till he excluded himfelf, than Abel; Saul, than David; Judas, than Peter; Efau, than Jacob ||.'

"A Redemption of this extent is perfectly confonant to the character of that gracious Being, whofe mercy is over all his works, who pardoneth iniquity, and retaineth not his anger for ever : who delighteth in exercising loving-kindness **; and is equally the Maker and Lord of all men. He is no refpecter of perfons;'-in every nation, and in every age, he that feareth God, and worketh righteoufnefs, is accepted with him ++,ʼ through the atonement of the bleffed Jefus. It is to be expected, that this kind and benevolent Being would give to his creatures life, health, and all the good things of this world, and withhold from them the poffibility of happiness in the world to come ?"

Our truly learned Prelate then as a further confirmation of the offer of Univerfal Redemption, examines into the oppofite doctrines of Election and Reprobation, as maintained by Calvin. He begins with the texts of Scripture in which these words themselves occur.

"In the Old Testament, the Jewish nation, including good and bad, is faid to be elected or chofen by God; and the word is never applied exclufively to those who were obedient ‡‡. It is plain then from the places mentioned in the note, that the collec

*“Heb. c. 11. v. 4 and 5. + Matt. c. 8. v. 11."

"Ezek. c. 14. V. 14.

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Kings, c. 3. v. 46."

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"Bishop Hooper." ¶ " Mic. c. 7. v. 18. ** ††“ A&s, c. "Deut. c. 4. v. 37, and c. and c. 5. v. 9, and so c. 45. v. 4. ■ Chron. c. 16. v. 13.”

D 3

v. 6; and If. c. 43. v. 20, Again Ezek. c. 20. V. 5

tive

tive body of the Jews, all the defcendants of Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, both the rebellious and the faithful, are denominated the chofen or elect of God, though in all thefe numerous paffages there is not the flightest allufion to their predeftination to happinefs in the world to come; nor indeed will any one contend, that all the Jews were defigned for eternal falvation. They were elected in this world only, as an introductory and preparatory step to the execution of God's merciful fcheme of human Redemption, through the Incarnation and fufferings of Christ.

In the fame manner the words, elect and chofen, are applied to collective bodies of men, who were converted to the Gospel; without any reftriction to thofe, who were obedient to its precepts, and will hereafter be faved. An infallible certainty of falvation, in confequence of a divine decree, is not attributed to any num ber of Chriftians, or to any fingle Chriftian, throughout the New

Teftament.

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"St. Peter tells the ftrangers fcattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Afia, and Bithynia,' that they are elect, according to the foreknowledge of God, who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light t.' The Apostle here refers to the calling of thefe men to the knowledge of the Gofpel, which was foreknown by God; but did not mean to affert, that they would all be faved. Hence it is that the fame perfons, whom in his firft Epiftle he addreffes as elect, according to the foreknowledge of God,' in his fecond Epistle he addreffes as them that have obtained like precious faith with us, through the righteousness of God, and our Saviour Jefus Chrift :" to be elect, and to be a believer in Chrift, are therefore the same thing, Peter could not confider that the perfons, to whom he writes, muft neceffarily be faved; for among other exhortations he fays, Give diligence to make your calling and election fure §; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall || :' therefore the falvation of these elect, far from being certain, depended upon their own 'diligence; their not falling' was fo far from being infallibly decreed, that it depended upon their doing thofe things which the Apoftle commanded. He even predicts, that 'falfe teachers I' fhould feduce them from the true faith in Chrift, and confe. quently defeat their falvation. Some, therefore, of thefe ELECT perfons were not faved.

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I Pet. c. 1. v. 1 and 2.

† 1 Pet. c. 2. v. 9.”

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+ 2 Pet. c. I. v. I.?'

"Election in the Calviniftic fenfe includes an infallible de cree; but the Apoftle could not call upon the Chriftian converts

to make an infallible decree fure."

|| "2 Pet, c. I. V. 10,

¶ 2 Pet, c. 2. v. 1-3."

"At

"At the close of his first Epiftle, St. Peter calls the whole Church of Babylon alfo elect. Here again the word is applied generally to collective bodies of Chriftians, who in one or more cities or countries profeffed Chriftianity. It is not confined to individuals predeftinated by God to certain falvation, nor even to thofe, who will actually be faved.

In the beginning of St. Paul's Epiftle to the Ephefians, the terms Election and Predestination relate to Gol's eternal purpofe to make known to the Ephefians the mystery of his will *, in the bleffings of the Gofpel, and he calls them Saints' and faithful," because of their conftancy in their faith. Inftead of representing their falvation as certain, he exhorts them to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they were called ;' guards them against thofe deceits which bring down wrath upon difobedience ;' and commands them to put on the whole armour of God, that they may be able to stand against the wiles or the devil §.' It was therefore poffible for thofe, who are called Saints,' faithful, chofen,' and 'predeftinated,' to walk unworthily, to incur the wrath of God by difobedience, and to yield to finful tempta. tions, and confequently to fail of falvation.

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"Jefus, knowing from the beginning who fhould betray him, answered them, Have not I chofen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?”

The Bishop's words then are,

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Jefus called, chofe, elected thefe twelve to be his peculiar difciples, his Apoftles, his conftant companions, his friends. He gave them power to work miracles, te preach the Gospel, to become witneffes of, and fharers in, his glory, to fit upon twelve thrones in his kingdom, judging the twelve tribes of • Ifrael-Yet one of these men he declared to be a devil; one of them he knew would betray him; one of them he knew to be

the fon of perdition, about to fuffer fuch punishment, that it had been good for him if he had not been born ¶.'. Since then Judas was one of the chofen, one of those whom God gave to Christ **,* and fince Jefus knew from the be.

"This does indeed exprefs God's taking fuch methods to answer his purposes, as he knows will in fact be successful. But it does not prove any thing like an overbearing impulfe on men's minds, to determine them in fuch a manner as to destroy the natural freedom of their volitions, and fo to prevent their being justly accountable to God for fuch actions.

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Doddridge in loc." § C. 6. v. 11." Matt. c. 26, v, 24.

+ C. 5. v.

6.

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**John,

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ginning that he fhould betray him,' and confequently be re'jected and loft*,' it is clear that the chofen may deprive themselves of the advantage of this excellent benefit' of being placed in a ftate moft favourable for the attainment of Salvation, and that foreknowledge does not imply control or • influence. The obfervation of our Saviour, When I was daily with you in the temple, ye ftretched forth no hands ' against me +,' appears to indicate that there were other means by which the Son of Man might have been delivered unto • death; so that the treason of Judas cannot be confidered as a neceffary part of the fcheme of man's redemption. It pleafed God to make ufe of Judas, as of other wicked men on other occafions, as inftruments to fulfil his purpose, but they first made themselves fit agents. If the Calvinifts say, that Judas was never in reality one of the elect, we may ask what proof they can bring of any difference between him and the other eleven Apoftles, except works? And to grant that this is the only difference, is to grant that works are neceffary evidence of the fecurity of any man's election."

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"St. Paul in the firft Epiftle to the Theffalonians, knowing, brethren beloved, your Election of God ‡.' This is addreffed to the whole body of Chriftians at Theffaloniea; and Election means their being called to the knowledge of the Gospel. In the following Epiftle §, the fanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, which were common to every true convert, are denominated the being chofen to Salvation; that is, the Theffalonians, by embracing Chriftianity, were now enabled to obtain Salvation; but that this Salvation was not certain and infallible, is evident from the numerous exhortations and precepts contained in thefe Epiftles . It appears alfo, that fome of them did, walk diforderly,' and that St. Paul doubted whether they would obey his precepts I, that is, whether they would be faved; and confequently the being from the beginning chofen by God to Salvation, the fanctification of the Spirit, and the Belief of the Gospel, did not prevent diforderly behaviour, or neceffarily caufe obedience to an infpired Apostle."

We must now refer the Reader to the REFUTATION itself, for fome illuftrations of the eleventh chapter of the Romans; after which the tenth verfe of the second chapter of the fecond of Timothy is produced, in which St. Paul, by mentioning his fufferings for promoting and fecuring the Salvation of the Elect, proves that

* "Ibid.

+ Luke, c. 22. v. 53. 1 Theff. c. 1. v. 2, &c. § 2 Theff. c. 2. v. 13 and 14. || 1 Theff. c. 4. v. 1. ¶ 2 Theff. c. 3. v. 11 and 14.”.

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