inculcated be true, fo dreadful an Inference is by no means to be made.—And farther, though we fhould grant that God acts only with a View to his own Glory, (as primarily he certainly does) and that every Exertion of his Power is a Manifestation thereof, yet the Question is, whether Glory totally confifts in the Exertion of Power, as fuch? If it does, the most odious Things in Nature, as Oppreffion and Tyranny will become glorious. The Truth is, the natural Idea of Glory comprehends much more than the bare Exertion of Power; it fuppofes Power to be directed by Juftice, and tempered with Mercy and therefore how far the Glory of God is advanced by the predeftinarian System, let it's Advocates determine.-Again, the Defenders of this System endeavour to vindicate the Severity of it, by representing Man as a Creature utterly infignificant in the Sight of God. God, they tell us, may act as arbitrarily by Man, as Man does by the most contemptible Infect; and yet there will will be no Pretence for Reply, nor Ground of Complaint.—But furely this depreciating Representation was never taken from the Scriptures; they will manifeftly furnish us with Reflections more suitable to the Dignity of that Nature, which was made in the Image of God himself. We are very justly indeed commandeed to be cloathed with Humility; but why muft we put on fuch filthy Rags of Abafement as these? If we confult the Scripture, it

will plainly appear that one fubordinate End at least of the Divine Scheme in the Creation and Redemption of the World, was the Happiness and Glory of Man, nor can the lowest and weakest of those Creatures be called contemptible for whom Chrift died.In fhort, the Decifions both of Scripture and of Reason are, I prefume, clearly against the Doctrine of abfolute Predeftination to Life or Death eternal; and therefore let us laftly take a fhort View of the Doctrine of the Church of England upcn this Head; and the rather, because she has been fuppofed to favour the Opinions which we have been contending against.-Now she tells us, that" Predestination to Life is the everlating

Purpose of God, whereby (before the Founda "tions of the World were laid) he hath constantly "decreed by his Counsel, fecret to us, to deliver " from Curfe and Damnation those whom he hath " chosen in Chrift out of Mankind, and to bring "them by Christ to everlasting Salvation, as Vessels "made to Honour, &c." And, I apprehend, there is nothing in this Doctrine repugnant to the Theory we have maintained. The Article supposes in the first Place, as we have done," that in Adam "all die, or are liable to Curfe and Damnation;" but the Counsel or Election, whereby certain Perfons are delivered from that Curfe, is not here afferted to be abfolute, and dependent only upon the mere Will and Pleasure of God. And farther,

the

the fecond Clause of this Article seems to be ftill more on our Side: "For curious and carnal Per

fons, lacking the Spirit of Chrift, to have conti

nually before their Eyes the Sentence of God's "Predeftination is a most dangerous Downfall," and why?" because hereby the Devil doth thrust "them either into Desperation, or into Wretch"leffness of most unclean Living, no less perilous " than Desperation;" i. e. as the Sentence, I prefume, may well be expounded, the Devil, by representing to a Sinner the general Sentence of God's Predeftination against wilful and unrepented Sin, as particularly and perfonally levelled against himself, hereby effects his Purposes, as has been expressed. Besides, not to infift upon the laft Clause of this very Article, which is a kind of Limitation of the first, and directs us "to receive God's Promifes in "fuch wife as they be generally fet forth to us in Holy Scripture, if the Senfe of the Church, where "it is fomewhat obfcurely perhaps expreffed, may "be explained by her clear Doctrine in other "Places, we may boldly appeal to her Determi"nation in the present Question. It is her plain Doctrine that by Baptifm every Perfon is made not only " a Member of Christ," but also "a Child "of God, and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of "Heaven;" and every Catechumen profeffes to learn in the Articles of his Belief, firft, "to believe in "God the Father, who hath made him and all

"the World; 2dly, in God the Son, who hath "redeemed him and all Mankind; and 3dly, in "God the Holy Ghoft, who hath fanctified him " and all the elect People of God." All this is evidently agreeable to the Doctrine we have delivered; and therefore the Predeftinarian must be refponfible for the Impropriety and Presumption of fuch Declarations as these upon bis Hypothefis.

But it will be asked perhaps after all, what Advantage then hath the Chriftian? to which we may reply in the Words of St. Paul upon almost a parallel Occafion, much every Way, but chiefly that unto them are committed the Oracles of God: they are directly and immediately in Covenant with him, and the Conditions of everlasting Happiness are ascertained to them.-However, God forbid we should prefume to limit the Sufficiency of Chrift's Merits, by confining them to ourselves, or exclude those whom their own Faults have not excluded from the noble and comprehenfive Scheme of Salvation.-Our Church indeed very juftly pronounces," that they are to be had accurfed that presume to say, that every Man shall be saved by "the Law or Sect which he profeffeth, so that he "be diligent to frame his Life according to that "Law, and the Light of Nature. For Holy Scripture doth fet out unto us only the Name of

* See Chap. Ift, p. 87.

"Jesus

"Jefus Chrift, whereby Men must be saved." (Article 18.) But it is one Thing to be saved by a Law, and another to be faved in it; and the System we are defending is so far from impugning the Doctrine of this Article, that, in it's Confequences, it improves and ennobles it by aggrandizing, if I may be allowed the Expreffion, the great Scheme of Redemption, and the Merits of Jefus Chrift.-Befides, to conclude this Subject, while we are afferting in general Terms, that the Goodnefs and Justice of God will be abundantly manifested in the future Allotments of Happiness and Misery, and that the Sacrifice of the Death of Christ is in itself efficacious to universal Salvation, we neither presume to fix the Distinctions that will, or may be made between Chriftians, and those of other Denominations, or precisely to point out and determine the feveral Cafes and Circumstances that shall finally be the Objects of Divine Mercy.

I have been the more full in this Inquiry, because the Notion of abfolute Predeftination has given Rife to infinite Scruples and Fears, and occafioned great Difquiet and Terror to the Minds of many well-difpofed, but weak Chriftians; and I hope, for the Satisfaction of all, on the foregoing Doctrine may finally be grounded the following Conclufions.

That every Difpenfation of Divine Wisdom,

Mercy,