r. Can the Ethiopian change his fkin and the Leopard his fpots; THEN may ye alfo DO GOOD [without my gracious help] that are accustomed to do evil. Jer. xiii, 23.

1. Neither

2. [It is very remarkable that the Lord, to show his readiness to help thofe obftinate offenders, fays juft after:] O Jerufalem WILT THOU NOT be made clean? WHEN fhall it once be?

2. GOD

"dreaming heretics" for believing. (1) That our Lord's Subjection to his parents was not merely outward" and paffive, as that of an undutiful child, who is fubject to his fuperiors, when rod in hand, they have forced him to fubmit: And (2) That it was "inward" and active, or, to speak plainer, that he fuljered HIMSELF of his own free-will to his parents.

(6) St. Paul informs us, that the veil of Mofes is yet upon the heart of the Jews, when they read the old teftament; and one would be tempted to think, that Calvin's veil is yet upon the eyes of his admirers, when they read the new teftament. What elfe could have hindered fuch learned men as Mr. Leigh and Mr. Madan not to take notice, that when the facred writers ufe the paffive voice, they do it frequently in a fenfe, which anfwers to the hebrew voice Hithpahel, which means to caufe oneself to do a thing. I beg leave to produce fome inftances. Cor. xiv, 32, The Spirits of the prophets UWWT LOTET 8 are subject (i. c. fubje& THEMSELVES) to the prophets.---Rom. x, 3. OUX UTSTAYпoay, They have not been fubjected, or, (as our tranflators, Calvinifts as they were, have not fcrupled to render it) They have not fubmitted THEMSELVES. to the righteousness of God.--Acts ii, 40. Intɛ, Be ye faved, or fave YOURSELVES.---Eph. v, 22. Wives UTOтarσEDE, be subject, or submit yOURSELVES to your own. husbands.---2 Pet. 5, 6., Taπrivante, Be humbled, or. humble YOURSELVES. ----- James iv, 7. vπoraynte, Beys fubmissive, or, as we have it in our bibles, fubmit YOUSEL VES to God, &c. &c. I hope, thefe examples will convince Mr. Madan, that, if our tranflators had fhewn themselves "heretics," and men unacquainted with "the greek language," fuppofing they had rendered our text, As many

(THRO GRACE) bad difpofed themselves, or were (inwardly) difpofed for eternal life, believed, they can hardly pass for orthodox or good grecians now, fince they have so often been guilty of the pretended error, which Mr. Leigh fuppofes peculiar to the "dreaming heritics of our day."

(7) All the fcriptures fhow, that man and free-will have their part to do in the work of our falvation, as well as Chrift and free-grace. If this is denied, I appeal to the multitude of paffages, which fill my fecond fcale; and I afk, Is it not strange, that a doctrine, fupported by fuch a variety of SCRIPTURES, fhould be called "herefy" by men,

that

that as "real proteftants" profefs to admit the SCRIPTURES as the rule of their faith. If I defigned to amuse, and not to inform my readers; might I not on this occafion borrow from one of my opponents a couple of fatyric ftanzas, and put them in the mouth of every proteftant, who extols the fcriptures and free-grace, and yet decries the fecond gofpel-axiom and free-will?

By chemift or by magic art,

I've learn'd to conjure too :

And made that falfe and "ber'fy" now,
Which lately was all true.

See this left feale and mark it well :
Presto! hey pafs! be gone

An hundred weighty feriptures now

Are vanith'd into NONE.

But as I had rather deal in fcriptural arguments than in verfified puns, I fhall conclude this note by an appeal to the context.

(8) Acts xiii, 40, St. Paul having called the Jews to believe in Chrift, bids them Beware left they were found among the defpifers that perish in their unbelief. Now how abfurd would this caution have been, if aforcible decree of absolute election or reprobation had irreversibly ordained them to eternal life, or to eternal death. Would the apoftle have betrayed more folly, if he had bid them Beware left the fun fhould rife or fet at its appointed time? Again verfe 46, we are informed, that these unbelievers judged THEMSELVES unworthy of eternal life, and put the word of God's grace from them. But if Mr. Madan's fcheme were fcriptural, would not the hiftorian have faid, that God from the foundation of the world had abfolutely judged THEM unworthy of eternal lift, and therefore had never PUT, or fent TO THEM the word of his grace ---Once more: We are told, verfe 45, that indulged envy, which the Jews were filled with, made them Speak against those things which were spoken by Paul, that is, made them difbelieve, and how their unbelief. Now is it not highly reasonable to understand the words of the text thus, according to that part of the context: As many as did not obftinately harbour envy, prejudice,

to thee [that Jefus is the Chrift, &c.] but MY FATHER. Mat. xvi, 17.

ANY MAN WILL DO HIS WILL, he SHALL KNOW of the doctrine, whether it be of God. John vii, 17. -The SECRET of the Lord is with them that FEAR him. Pf. xxv, 14. To

love of honour, or worldly-mindednefs :---as many as did not pur the word from them, and judge themselves unworthy of eternal life, believed?---Nay, might we not properly explain the text thus, according to the doctrine of the talents, and the progreffive difpenfations of divine grace, fo frequently mentioned in the fcriptures. As many as believed in GoD, believed alfo in CHRIST, whom Paul particularly preached at that time.---As many as were humble and teachable, received the engrafted word, for God refifteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble: His fecret is with them that fear him, and he will shew them his covenant.

(9) But what need is there of appealing to the context? Does not the TEXT anfwer for itfelf; while Mr Madan's fenfe of it affords a fufficient antidote to all, who diflike abfurd confequences, and are afraid of traducing the Holy one of Ifrael? Let reafon decide. If AS MANY AS [in Antioch] were calviniftically ordained to eternal life, believed under that fermon of St. Paul [for almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God] it follows: that all who believed not then, were eternally fhut up, in unbelief: that all the elect believed at once that they who do not believe at one time, thall never believe at another and that, when Paul returned to Antioch, few fouls, if any, could be converted by his ministry: God having at once taken AS MANY as were ordained to eternal life, and left the devil all the reft. But,

(10) The moft dreadful confequence is yet behind; If they that believed did it merely because they were ABSOLUTELY ordained or GOD to eternal life; it follows, by a parity of reafon, that thofe who difbelieved, did it merely, because they were abfolutely ordained of God to eternal death; God having bound them by the help of Adam in everlasting chains of unbelief and fin. Thus, while proud, wicked, stubborn unbelievers are entirely exculpated, the God of all mercies is indirectly charged with free-wrath, and finished damnation.

I hope, that if the truly reverend Author, at whofe miftake I have taken the liberty of levelling this note, condefcends to read it with the attention of an enquirer after truth; he will fee, that Mr. Leigh had neither fcripture nor reafon on his fide, when he painted out "the Remonftrants" as "the hereticks of our day :" that he him-` felf had acted with more good nature, if he had caft a veil over Mr. Leigh's black picture, instead of holding it out to publick view as a good likeness: and that, when he refts his doctrines of grace upon his quotation from the Critica Sacra, he might as well reft them upon Mr. B's diftinction between if and if.

-

To understand aright fome paffages in St. John's gofpel, we must remember, that, wherever the gospel OF CHRIST is preached, the FATHER particularly DRAWS to the SON as Redeemer, thote that believe in him as Creator. And this he does, fometimes by cords of love, fometimes by cords of fear, and always by cords of conviction and humiliation. They that yield to thefe drawings, become babes, poor in spirit, and members of the little flock of humble fouls, to whom it is the Father's good pleasure to give the kingdom. For be giveth grace to the HUMBLE; yea, he giveth grace and glory, and no good thing will be withhold from them that follow his drawings, and lead a godly life. Thofe convinced, humbled fouls, confcious of their lost eftate, and enquiring the way to heaven as honest Cornelius, and the trembling jailor those fouls, I fay, the FATHER in a particular manner GIVES to the SON, as being prepared for him, and just ready to enter into his difpenfation. They believe in God, they must aljo believe in Chrift; and the part of the gofpel, that eminently fuits them, is that which Paul preached to the penitent jailor; and Peter, to the devout Centurion.

The Jews about Capernaum fhewed great readiness to follow Jefus but it was out of curiofity, and not out of hunger after righteoufnefs. Their hearts went more after loaves and fishes, than after grace and glory. In a word, they continued to be grofsly unfaithful to their light under the difpenfation of the Father, or of God-Creator. Hence it is, that our Lord faid to them, Labour not for the meat which perifbeth, but for that which endureth to everlasting life: Mind your fouls as well as your bodies, be no more practical atheists. To vindicate themselves they pretended to have a great defire to ferve God. What shall we do, faid they, that we may work the works of God? This is the work of God, replied our Lord-This is the thing which God peculiarly requires of thofe, who are under HIS difpenfation- that ye believe on him whom be bath fent-i. e. that ye fubmit to MY difpenfation. Here the Jews began to cavil and fay, What fign Shervest

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fboweft thou, that we may believe thee? Our Lord to give them to understand, that they were not fo ready to believe upon proper evidence, as they profeffed to be, faid to them, Te have feen me and my miracles, and yet ye believe not: Then comes the verse, on which Zelotes founds his doctrine of abfolute grace to the elect, and of abfolute wrath to all the rest of mankind: All that the Father [particularly] giveth me, because they are particularly convinced, that they want a Mediator between God and them; and because they are obedient to his drawings, and to the light of their difpenfation all thefe, fays our Lord, Jhall or will come unto me, and I will be as ready to receive them, as the Father is to draw them to me, for him that cometh to me, I will in no wife caft out: I will admit him to the privileges of MY difpenfation; and, if he is faithful, I will even introduce him into the difpenfation of the Holy Ghof-into the kingdom, that does not confift in meat and drink, nor yet in bare penitential righteousness; but alfo in peace and joy IN THE *HOLY GHOST.-And this is the Father's will, that, of all which he has given me, that I may blefs them with the bleffings of my difpenfations, I should lofe nothing BY MY NEGLIGENCE AS A SAVIOUR, or by my careleffnefs as a fhepherd: Altho' fome will lofe THEMSELVES by their own perverfenefs, and wilful apoftacy. That this is our Lord's meaning is evident from his own doctrine about his difciples being the falt of the earth, and about fome lofing their faviour, and lofing their own foul: But above all, this appears from his express declaration concerning one of his apoftles.This being premifed, I balance the favourite text of Zelotes thus:

1. All that the FATHER GIVETH ME [by the decree of faith, according to the order of the difpenfations] hall [or will come to me; and him that cometh

unto

2. I have manifested thy name [O FATHER] to the MEN, whom thou haft GIVEN ME out of the world. Thine they were [they belonged to THY dif penfation