"

Read, now, the story of the good Samaritan; and judge how far such a narrow-minded religion, which engrosses all God's favours to its own professors, and regards the rest of mankind as objects in a condition beneath that of the beasts that perish, agrees with the enlarged and charitable spirit of the Gospel. When the disciples of our Saviour would have called down fire from heaven to destroy their enemies, our Saviour rebuked them, by telling them, that they knew not what spirit they were of* What Would this Saviour say to those professors of his religion, who could suffer a fellow-creature to starve at their doors, because he lived in error?

In a word, let this doctrine of election and abIsolate decrees, as it is often understood, and the effects produced by it upon the lives of some of its professors, be compared with the revealed purpose of Christ's coming into the world, and the spirit of his religion; and let this be done fairly, without prejudice, and with an eye only to the truth, and it is impossible that any Christian can longer be led captive by such a delusion.

9d The rule laid down, though not strictly followed, by St. Augustine," that the more obscure parts of scripture, should be interpreted by those that are plain, is the only rule that will enable us to form a rational and consistent judgment upon the doc

trines of revelation. mago

doo That Christ came to redeem man in his general character from the consequences of the fall, and to purchase for him those means of renewed grace, which required only to be properly employed to

& wotend ton bluov

become effectual to his salvation, constituted the
essence of that glad tidings, which the birth of a
Saviour was intended to convey to a lost world,
This doctrine, so plainly and fully revealed, ought
in reason to overl
overbalance
lance every argument drawn
from a few obscure passages, which at first sight
may seem to look a contrary way. But this is a
consideration which seldom has its due weight with
those who entertain some singular conceit or opis
nion. Engrossed with their own notions, they are
not to be prevailed upon to make the general tenor
of scripture the standard for their doctrine; but
are apt to bend and warp the expressions of it
to their own particular purpose: and whilst they
eagerly lay hold of every passage that seems to
countenance it, will hardly give a hearing to other
texts, how plain soever, that might serve to set the
subject in its true light. To this prejudice in favour
of a pre-conceived opinion, added perhaps to a
certain respect for the authority of names, is that
doctrine in a great degree to be attributed, which
places the conduct of a merciful Creator towards
his fellow-creature, in a light so very different from
that in which the plainest texts of scripture authorise
us to regard it.at ton

In fact, those parts of St. Paul's writings on which this partial doctrine is supposed to obe founded, which has perplexed the minds of so many well-meaning people, were seen in a very different light by the primitive Christians, to whom they conveyed the same idea that they now cone vey t to all who pay attention to the general tenor of the Apostle's argument. By them the Apostle

has been considered as laying open the mysterious plan of Providence at that time taking place in the world, which respected the rejection of the Jews from their boasted peculiarity as a anation, and the election of the Gentiles to a common barticipation with them in the privileges of the ChristJan Church; that, through Christ, both Jew and Gentile, being reconciled unto God in one body by the cross, might have an access by one spirit unto the Father."*wn vient dhw bekanand

hoin

10 A want of attention to this leading circumstance, relative to the Jewish nation being the chosen people of God, distinguished by particular laws and privileges from all other nations, has given rise to numberless errors, which have disturbed the peace of the Christian Church from the days of the Apostles to the present time. But in no instance has this want of discrimination led to more anchristian conclusions, than in the case now before us in which the general declarations of Divine favour and vengeance, expressed by the election and rejection of nations, as such, have, through a mistaken interpretation, become the subjects of particular and personal application.

For my own part, I do not take my faith from the writings of Luther, Calvin, or the more ancient professor of this doctrine, St. Augustine, at the same time that I profess the highest respect for each of them, but from that fountain from whence alone it ought to be taken, the word of God. Zolof some zealous men, from a laudable opposition to dangerous doctrine, have been heated into a elteoqAEphi Huggi yap Vindicia, c. ii. p. 85. 'oltroned To

་་་

determined support of another, I lament in them the infirmity of the human understanding, which is too apt, in avoiding one extreme, to be carried into its opposite. The unbalanced mind of man rarely sustains itself in that due mean which h reason and religion mark out. This has been the case in the subject under consideration.

With the view of cutting up by the root the doctrine of merit, which had constituted one of the grossest corruptions of the Church of Rome, some of the first foreign reformers brought ward that of absolute unconditional election, and irresistible grace.

for

This was, indeed, to do the business at a stroke; but it was a stroke which severely wounded the cause it was meant to serve. By taking away man's free agency, an end was at once put to the morality and immorality of human actions; for a being, whose conduct is determined by an overruling power, cannot be an accountable one. Thus a corrupt doctrine made way for a species of fatalism, which, under an imposing title, tends to deprive rational Christianity of its firmest support.

款

But, thank God, the bible is before me.''" "The word election is in it, it is true; but as I would not be governed by the sound of a word, but by its relative signification, I examine the passages where it is to be met with; and am thereby' v'satisfied, that it does not mean the personal election of individuals to eternal life, but the election of nations to the blessings and privileges of the Gospel dispensation. Where it is said, "Jacob have I * Vindiciæ, c. iv. p. 225.

loved, and and Esau have I hated," it only means, (as I trust it is generally understood) that God pre

the

ferred Jacob to Esau, to inherit and Couthful

to force

blessing which had been pronounced to faithful Abraham. And nothing but a vain desire to S texts of scripture into the support of an ill-founded scheme of a particular election and reprobation to eternal life and eternal misery, could induce any one to press th the instance of Jacob and Esau into their service.* With respect to absolute decrees, determining the future salvation of individuals, I see nothing in scripture that leads me to conclude that there are any such; on the contrary, I see all through the bible general promises of mercy suspended upon conditions.

particular co

On the supposition, then, than any decrees may have been established in the Divine councils, (a subject on which I presume not to pronounce) my comfort is, that they must be conformable to God's revealed will; because a God of truth cannot contradict himself. Without perplexing myself, therefore, with an useless inquiry with respect to what God may do by an absolute act of power, consider what He hath done, and what is consistent with his wisdom, justice, and goodness to do. And seeing myself called upon by his Apostle to make my calling and election sure, I conclude, as I conceive every reasonable man must do, that there can be no abso no absolute decree in a case,

p. 441.

of which depends in some measure upon

Note

at the end of this Discourse also Vindiciae,