given to a creature; and fince it is perfectly agreeable to him, that all men fhould bonour the Son, as they honour the Father. I proceed,

II. To the doctrine of election and reprobation. The fum of the charge against this doctrine in the first part, is, that it is unmerciful, unjust, infincere, and uncomfortable; and this is the amount of the whole harangue upon it in this part. What I fhall attend unto, will be the exceptions to what has been advanced, in order to clear it from this charge. And,

1. Whereas it is charged with cruelty and unmercifulness; it has been obferv. ed that it carries no marks of cruelty and unmercifulness in it to the elect, who are vessels of mercy afore-prepared unto glory; which mercy this writer calls "unwife and partial mercy, fuch as we are fure, fays he, God can never be guilty of." But pray, does not God fay, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy? Upon which the apoftle obferves, So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that fheweth mercy. - Therefore bath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will be hardeneth. And will this man call this mercy, fhewn only to fome, as influenced not by their will and works, but as arifing from the fovereign will and pleasure of God, unwife and partial mercy? This man himself owns, that God's decreeing help for a few, is not an objection to the mercifulness of God; but the question is, he says, "where "is the pity of God, his grace, the founding of his bowels over them, for whom "he decreed no help?" I answer, there is pity, mercy and goodness shown to thefe, in a general way of providence; and though none in a special way of grace, yet no cruelty, fince God is not obliged to help them; and it is no cruelty in him to punish for fin. It has been further obferved, in order to remove this charge, that if it was not acting the cruel and unmerciful part not to ordain help for any of the fallen angels, it would not have been acting such a part, had God resolved not to help any of the fallen race of Adam, much less to ordain help for fome, when he could in justice have condemned all. This reprefentation of the cafe is faid to be unfair in itself, inconfiftent with our principles, and the illuftration of it evasive; and it is asked, "amongst the fallen angels did God fhew mercy to fome, everlafting mercy, while he decreed others "to hell, who were no more guilty than the reft?" I answer, no; he fhewed mercy to none of them, but configned them all over to ruin and deftruction; and yet he is not chargeable with cruelty. But fuppofing he had fhewn mercy to fome, and not to others, as in the case of man; would he have appeared lefs merciful, by fhewing of mercy to fome, than by fhewing none to any? And as for all the other questions put, whether God fent a proclamation of pardon

• Answer, p. 24. f Part II. P. 57.

Dialogue, Part II. p. 56.

8 Aniwer, p. 26.

e Rom. ix. 15, 16, 18. Part II. p. 56.

to

to them that were fore-ordained to mifery, or offered one on conditions not to be complied with, or exhorted to accept a falvation never purchased for them, or condemned to a heavier damnation for not believing a falfhood, or for not doing an impoffibility; these are all impertinent, and are no more applicable to men, upon our principles, than to angels. The fallen angels are, indeed, as is obferved, perfonal, voluntary finners, and are, and will be treated according to their own fhare of guilt; and fo are all the adult pofterity of Adam, who are and will be fo treated either in themselves or furety; and, as many of them as will be condemned, will be condemned, not merely for the fin of Adam, and for their share of guilt therein, but for their own actual, perfonal, voluntary fins and tranfgreffions; and as for the infant pofterity of Adam, their case is a fecret to us, and therefore, we choose to be filent about it.

Once more, it has been observed', that "the doctrne of election is more mer"ciful than the contrary scheme, fince it infallibly fecures the falvation of fome; "whereas, the other does not ascertain the falvation of any fingle person, but "leaves it uncertain, to the precarious and fickle will of man." The reply to this is by afking, which is more honourable to God, and more for the comfort of men? whereas the question is, which fhews moft mercy? Though one should think, that doctrine which ensures the salvation of fome, should be more honourable to God, and more comfortable to man, than that which does not ascertain the falvation of any fingle man. This author does not attempt to dif prove the doctrine of election infallibly fecuring the falvation of fome; and, in a very feeble manner does he argue, for the afcertaining of falvation to man in the contrary doctrine; he asks, " is not the falvation of man fufficiently ascer"tained by the gofpel's fetting life and death before men, and offering them "all needful affiftance in the way of life?" he would have faid, furely, by the law's fetting life and death, fince that is the proper business of the law, and not the gospel; can that be good news which fets death before men? But to leave this, Is moral fuafion fufficient to afcertain man's falvation? Is the bare minif tration even of the gospel itself, enough for this purpofe? Is this the way God forefaw falvation would be afcertained to men, and the only one in which Christ and men could defire it fhould be enfured to them? when, where it is ufed in its utmost strength, it fails in innumerable instances, and was never fufficient, of itself, in one; and besides, is at most made use of but with a few, who are fo in comparison of the far greater part of the world, who know nothing of the gofpel, and the ministration of it: how then is falvation afcertained to them this way ?

2. Another charge against this doctrine, is injuftice, and that it represents God as an unrighteous Being: to which has been answered', that "the decree "of

* Part II. P. 77.

1 Answer, p. 27.

'Answer, p. 13, 14.

" of election does no injuftice either to the elect or non-elect; not to the former, fince it fecures to them both grace and glory; nor to the latter, fince "as God condemns no man but for fin, fo he has decreed to condemn no man "but for fin; and if it would have been no injuftice in him, to have decreed "to condemn all men for fin, it can be none to him, to decree to condemn " some for fin." The reply to which is", that this answer is evasive and ambiguous, in regard it does not tell us, whether God condemns and decrees to condemn men for their own fin, or for the fin of Adam. But where is the evafion or shift in the anfwer? If it is for fin, and for fin only, with which men are chargeable, that God condemns, and has decreed to condemn, let it be what fin it will, the obfervation is full to the purpose, and fufficiently clears God from the charge of unrighteoufnefs; nor is it ambiguous, fince in a following paragraph it is plainly intimated and fully proved, that God condemns both for the fin of Adam, and for man's own perfonal iniquities; as the latter will not be denied, the former ftands fupported by those words of the apostle, By the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation"; which this writer takes no notice of, and makes no return unto; and yet the cry of unrighteoufnefs entirely proceeds upon this point; though we do not fay that any of the fons of Adam who live to adult age, are condemned only for the fin of Adam, but for their many actual fins and tranfgreffions; and as for infants dying in infancy, it has been observed, their case is a fecret to us; yet inasmuch as they come into the world children of wrath, should they go out as fuch, would there be any unrighteousness in God? All which, this author has paffed over in filence: perhaps we may hear more of it under the article of Original Sin. This man has been told °, that as God will not condemn the heathen for not believing in Chrift, of whom they never heard, so neither will he condemn fuch who have heard of him, for not believing spiritually and favingly in him, or that he died for them, or for not being converted and yet he fays, not a word is produced to vindicate God from the charge our scheme fixes upon him, of damning men for not believing falfhoods, and for not doing impoffibilities. Men who have had the advantage of a divine revelation, may be condemned, not for not believing that Chrift died for them, but for difbelieving that Jefus is the Meffiah, and other things, which in the revelation are faid of him; they' may be condemned for their difobedience to the gospel, not for their being not converted by it, but for their contempt and rejection of it, as an impofture and a falfe report; and confequently, not for not believing falfhoods, and for not doing impoffibilities.

3. This doctrine is farther charged with infincerity, or as reprefenting God as an infincere and deceitful Being; fince he offers to finners a falvation never purchased for them, and on conditions not to be complied with. The answer to this is, that falvation is not offered at all by God, upon any condition whatfoever, to any of the fons of men, elect or non-elect; and therefore God, according to this doctrine, is not chargeable with infincerity and deceit. This occafions a terrible outcry of mystery of iniquity, an abominable tenet, horrid fcheme, which has the image of the devil and the mark of the beast upon it, and other fuch like language, which breathe out the fpirit, the very life and foul of modern charity, and is a true picture of it. This author owns, that hereby we are confiftent, in preaching and writing, with ourselves and scheme, and fo not chargeable with felf-contradiction; and fince it is of a piece with the reft of our tenets, and is likely to share the fame fate with them, we need not be in much pain about the confequences of it. But this tenet, that there is no offer of falvation to men in the miniftry of the gospel, is faid to be inconfiftent with all the dictates of reafon, our ideas of God, and the whole fyftem of the gospel: not surely with all the dictates of reafon; for how irrational is it, for minifters to stand offering Christ, and salvation by him to man, when, on the one hand, they have neither power nor right to give; and, on the other hand, the perfons they offer to, have neither power nor will to receive? What this author's ideas of God are, I know not, but this I fay, it is not confiftent with our ideas of God, that he fhould fend minifters to offer falvation to man, to whom he himself never intended to give it, which the minifters have not power to bestow, nor the men to receive: but, it feems, denying offers of falvation, is inconfiftent with the whole fyftem of the gofpel; the Bible is hereby knocked down at once, and made to be the most delufive, and cheating book in the world; when the whole Bible is one ftanding offer of mercy to a guilty world. What! the whole Bible? the Bible may be distinguished into these two parts, historical and doctrinal; the hif torical part of the Bible is furely no offer of mercy to a guilty world; the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth, in the firft verfe of it, can hardly be thought to be fo. The doctrinal part of it may be distinguished into law and gofpel; the law, which is the killing letter, and the miniftration of condemnation and death to a guilty world, can be no standing offer of mercy to it if any part of the Bible is fo, it must be the gofpel; but the gospel is a declaration of falvation already wrought out by Chrift, and not an offer of it on conditions to be performed by man. The minifters of the gospel are fent to preach the gospel to every creature'; that is, not to offer, but to preach Christ, and falvation by him; to publish peace and pardon as things already obtained by Part II. p. 61, 65. • Mark xvi. 15.

Answer, p. 29.

κηρύσσων,

by him. The minifters are anguxas, criers or heralds; their business is xnguage, to proclaim aloud, to publish facts, to declare things that are done, and not to offer them to be done on conditions; as when a peace is concluded and finished, the herald's business, and in which he is employed, is to proclaim the peace, and not to offer it; of this nature is the gospel, and the whole fyftem of it; which preaches, not offers peace by Chrift, who is Lord of all. As for the texts of fcripture produced by this writer, feveral have nothing in them refpecting pardon, life and falvation, and much lefs contain an offer of either; as I have fhewn at large in my first part of The Cause of God and Truth; whither I refer the reader; fuch as Gen. iv. 7. Deut. v. 29. Prov. i. 23. Ezek. xxxiii. 18. Aɛts iii. 19. others are gracious invitations to the means of grace, and promises of pardon and grace to poor fenfible finners; as Ifai. lv. 1, 7. Rev. xxii. 17. A&ts ii. 38. others, exhortations to duty with encouragements to it; as Pfalm 1. 23. Mal. iii. 7. Matt. vi. 5, 6, 15. and vii. 21. 1 Tim. iv. 8. 2 Cor. vii. 1. Rev. xxii. 14.

4. This doctrine is represented as a very uncomfortable one; fince it makes it a hundred to one to a man that he is not elected, but must be for ever damned. To which anfwer has been made, it is not fuch a chance matter, or uncertain thing to a man, as a hundred to one, whether he is elected or no; to whom the gofpel is come, not in word only, but also in power and in the holy Ghost; who from hence may truly know, and be comfortably affured of his election of God. This man has now lowered his number, and made it ten to one, whether a man is elected or no, to whom the gofpel is preached; but it is no odds at all to a man whether he is elected or no, to whom the gofpel is preached; and to whom that is made the power of God unto falvation, or who is converted by it, which is the inftance given. To which this writer replies ", " then the gospel is glad tidings "to no finner in the world, unless he is actually converted." Why, truly, it is not glad tidings to fuch perfons, nor is it judged fo by them. It is fo far from being good news to unconverted finners, that it is difputed, defpifed, hated and abhorred by them; just as it is by this Dialogue-writer. There is no doctrine of the gofpel that is really comfortable and truly delightful to a man in a ftate of nature: the doctrine of regeneration, delivered by Chrift in these words ", except a man be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God, can never be comfortable to an unregenerate man: nor can even any doctrine in which fuch as call themfelves christians, are agreed; as for instance, the doctrine of an univerfal judgment, when all men must appear before God, and be accountable to him for the actions of their lives: this is a doctrine, to use this author's words, that all the world have reason to be affrighted at, and which no foul can poffibly take any comfort from, till he does actually love God, and is irrefiftibly drawn to him;