of flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God? Are we your enemies, because we look for a full deliverance from the carnal mind which is enmity against God? Nay, we are your brethren, your fellow-labourers in the vineyard of our Lord, your companions in the kingdom and patience of Jesus. Although this we confess (if we are fools therein, yet as fools bear with us) we expect to love God with all our heart, and our neighbour as ourselves. Yea, we do believe, that he will in this world so "cleanse the thoughts of our hearts, by the inspiration of his holy Spirit, that we shall perfectly love him, and worthily magnify his holy name."

TRACT XI.

A DIALOGUE BETWEEN A PREDESTINARIAN AND HIS FRIEND.

Friend. SIR, I have heard that you make God the author of all sin, and the destroyer of the greater part of mankind without mercy. Predestinarian. I deny it; I only say, did from all eternity unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass."

F. Do you make no exception?

*God

P. No, surely; for "Nothing is more absurd than to think any thing at all is done but by the ordination of God."

*Assembly's Catechism, Chap. 3.

+Calvin's Institutes, Book I. Chap. 16. Sect. 8.

F. Do you extend this to the actions of men? P. Without doubt: * Every action and motion of every creature is governed by the hidden counsel of God, that nothing can come to pass, but what was ordained by him."

F. But what then becomes of the wills of men ?

P. "The wills of men are so governed by the will of God, that they are carried on straight to the mark which he has fore-ordained."

F. I suppose you mean the permissive will of God?

P. No, I mean, " All things come to pass, by the efficacious and irresistible will of God." F. Why then, all men must do just what they do.

P. True. "It is impossible that any thing should ever be done, but that to which God impels the will of man.'

F. But does not this imply the necessity of all events?

P. I will not scruple to own that the will of God lays a necessity on all things, and that every thing he wills, necessarily comes to pass." F. Does sin then necessarily come to pass?

P. Undoubtedly. For "The almighty power of God extends itself to the first fall, and all other sins of angels and men.'

*Calvin's Institutes, Book I. Chap, 15. Sect. 3.fibid. Sect. 8. Dr. Twiss, Vindicia Gratiæ Protestatis et Providentia Del. Editio Jensoniana. Pars III. p. 19. ¡Jensoniana. Pars. III. p. 19. Calvin's Inst. b. 3. c. 24. sect. 8. TAssembly's Cate

chism. c. 5.

F. I grant God foresaw the first man would fall.

P. Nay, *" God not only foresaw that Adam would fall, but also ordained that he should." F. I know God permitted Adam's fall,

P. I tell you, " He fell not only by the permission, but also by the appointment of God." "He sinned because God so ordained," §“ because the Lord saw good."

F. But do not those who differ from you, raise many objections against you as to this point?

P. Yes. "Those poisonous dogs vomit out many things against God. TThey deny that the scripture says God decreed Adam's fall. They say he might have chose either to fall or not: and that God fore-ordained only to treat him according to his desert. As if God had created the noblest of all his creatures, without fore-ordaining what should become of him!"

F. Did God then make Adam on purpose that

he might fall?

** God made Adam and

that they might be

P. Undoubtedly. Eve to this very purpose, tempted and led into sin. decree, it could not otherwise be but they must sin."

And by force of his

F. But do not you ground God's decree on God's foreknowledge rather than his will?

*Calv. Inst. b. 3. c. 23. sect 7. +Calvini Responsio ad Calumnias, Nebulonis cujusdam ad Articulum primum. Calv. Inst. b. 3. c. 24. sect. 8. Ibid. b. 3. c. 23. sect. 3. TIbid. sect. 7. **Piscator. Disput. Prædest. præf. p. 6.

P. No. * "God foresees nothing but what he has decreed, and his decree precedes his knowledge."

F. Well, this may truly be termed, A horrible decree.

P. "I confess it is a horrible decree: yet no one can deny, but God foreknew Adam's fall, and therefore foreknew it, because he had ordained it so by his own decree."

F. Do you believe then that God has by his own positive decree, not only elected some men to life, but also reprobated all the rest?

P. Most surely if I believe one, I believe the other." Many indeed (thinking to excuse God) own election, and yet deny reprobation: but this is quite silly and childish. For without reprobation election itself cannot stand; whom God passes by, those he reprobates."

F. Pray explain what you mean by election and reprobation?

P. With all my heart." All men are not created for the same end; but some are fore-ordained to eternal life; others to eternal damnnation. So according as every man was created for the one end or the other, we say he was elected or predestinated to life, or reprobated, i. e. predestinated to destruction.

F Pray repeat your meaning?

P. "God hath once for all appointed by an eternal and unchangeable decree, to whom he

*Piscat. Disput. Prædest.

c. 23. s. 7. c. 31. s. 1.

Calv. Inst. 1. 3. fCalv. Inst. b. 3. c. 23. s. 1. Ibid, Ibid. s. 7.

would give salvation, and whom he would devote to destruction."

F. Did God make any man on purpose that he might be damnged?

P. Did not I tell you before? *" God's first constitution was, that some should be destined to eternal ruin; and to this end their sins were ordained, and denial of grace in order to their sins."

F. But is not God's predestinating men to life or death grounded on his foreknowledge?

P. So the vulgar think; that God as he foresees every man will deserve, elects them to life, or devotes them to death and damnation."

F. And do not you think that reprobation, at least, is grounded on God's, fore-knowing men's sins?

P. No indeed. "God of his own good pleasure ordains that many should be born, who are from the womb doomed to inevitable damnation. If any man pretend that God's fore-knowledge lays them under no necessity of being damned, but rather that he decreed their damnation, because he foreknew their wickedness; I grant that God's fore-knowledge alone lays no necessity on the creature; but eternal life and death depend on the will rather than the foreknowledge of God. If God only foreknew all things that relate to all men, and did not decree and order them also, then it might be inquired whe ther or no his fore-knowleege necessitates the

*Zanchius de natura Dei p. 553, 554. t. b. 3. c. 22. s. 1.

Ibid. c. 23. s. 6.

+Calvin.