Doctrines of grace. II. God is an infinitely wise Benefactor, full of goodness and GRACE. III. It seems highly inconsistent with the wisdom of a Creator and Benefactor, to make all his crea tures of the same size and rank, and to deal out his bounties to them in the same measure. To say that he should do it, is as absurd as to affirm that his goodness requires him to make every insect as big as an elephant, and every spire of grass as tall as an oak. IV. For want of considering the preceding, self-evident propositions, and their necessary consequences, the heated advocates for the doctrines of justice have erred, either by denying, or by not fully granting these two undeniable truths: (1.) All good comes originally from God's free grace and overflowing fulness. (2.) God, as a sovereign benefactor, may do what he pleases with his own. Nor should our "eye be evil because he is good," and displays his superabounding goodness toward some men, more than he does toward others. V. The grand mistake of the rigid Arminians consists then in not frankly ascribing to God all the original goodness, and gracious Sovereignty which belong to him as the sovereign author and first parent of all good. VI. Would you get clear of the error of rigid Arminians, not only assert God's grace and good. ness, insisting that he is the first cause and eternal parent of ALL good, natural and spiritual, temporal and eternal, but boldly stand up also for his free grace and exube Doctrines of justice. II. God is an infinitely wise Governor, full of equity and JUSTICE. III. It seems highly inconsistent with the equity of a Governor and a Judge to decree that millions of rational creatures shall be born in a graceless, sinful, and remediless state, that he may display his righteous sovereignty by passing a sentence of death and eternal torments upon them, for being found in the state of remediless corruption, in which his irresistible decree has placed them. IV. For want of considering the preceding, self-evident propositions, and their unavoidable consequences. the heated advocates for the doctrines of grace have erred, by directly or indirectly maintaining these two capital untruths: (1.) Some real evil can originally flow from that part of God's predestination which is generally called “absolute reprobation," or "predestination to eternal death." (2.) God, as a sovereign, may absolutely ordain some of his rational creatures to eternal death, before they have personally deserved it: or, which is all one, he may so pass by unborn children as to insure their continuance in sin, and their everlasting damnation. V. The grand mistake of the rigid Calvinists consists then in directly ascribing to God some ori. ginal evil, and a reprobating sovereignty, which is irreconcilable with the goodness of a Creator, and the equity of a Judge. VI. Would you, on the other hand, get clear of the error of rigid Calvinists, not only maintain in general that God is just, but confidently assert that he utterly disclaims a sovereignty which dispenses rewards and punishments from a throne of justice, otherwise Doctrines of grace. rant goodness; maintaining that he has the most unbounded right to dispense the peculiar bounties of his grace, without any respect to our works. For the children [Esau and Jacob] not being yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to [the] election [of superior grace] might stand, not of works, but of him that [arbitrarily chooseth and] calleth; it was said, [not the one is absolutely ordained to eternal death, and the other absolutely ordained to eternal life; but]" the elder shall serve the younger:" the younger shall have a superior blessing. And in this respect "it is not at all of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God, who most freely and absolutely showeth mercy, or favour," Rom. ix, 11, 12, 16. Hence it appears, that to deny a PARTIAL election of distinguishing grace, is equally to fly in the face of St. Paul and of reason. VII. When we consider the election of partial grace, and the harmless reprobation that attends it, we may boldly ask, with St. Paul, "Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make. one vessel unto [superior] honour, and* another unto [comparative] Doctrines of justice. than according to works: witness his own repeated declarations:—“ [ said indeed that thy house, &c, should walk before me for ever: but now be it far from me for them that honour me, I will honour; and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed," 1 Sam. ii, 30. Again: "If the wicked man will turn from all his sins, he shall surely live, &c. But when the righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, &c, in his sin that he hath sinned shall he die. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? Are not your ways unequal? Therefore I will judge you, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord. Repent, &c, for I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth," Ezek. xviii, 21, &c. Hence it appears, that with respect to the election and reprobation of justice, God's decrees, so far as they affect our personal salvation or damnation, are regulated according to our personal righteousness or sin, that is, according to our works. VII. When we consider the elec tion of impartial justice, and the fearful reprobation that answers to it, we may say, with St. Peter, “If ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in *To understand Rom. ix, we must remember that the apostle occasionally speaks of the election and reprobation of justice; although his first design is to establish the election of grace, and the harmless reprobation which answers to it. When he speaks of Jacob and Esau, he contends for the election of grace: and when he brings in Pharaoh and "the vessels of wrath," who, by their obstinate unbelief, have provoked vindictive wrath to harden them, or to give them up to the hardness of their hearts, he speaks of the election of justice. The passage to which this note refers, is the apostle's transition from the one election to the other, and may be applied to both: I have applied it here to the election of grace. But if you apply it to the election of justice, the meaning is: hath not the Governor and Judge of all the earth authority over all mankind, as being their sovereign and lawgiver? Can he not fix the terms on which he will reward or punish his subjects? The terms on which he will give them more grace, or take from them the talent of grace which they have buried, and leave them to the rigour of Doctrines of grace. dishonour?" Cannot God ordain, that of two unborn children, the one (as Jacob) shall be appointed to superior blessings, and (in this sense) shall be more loved; while the other (as Esau) shall be deprived of those blessings, and in this sense shall be less loved, or comparatively hated? "As it is written, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated," Rom. ix, 13. When we speak of the same election, we may say, as the master of the vineyard did to the envious labourer, "Is thine eye evil, because the Master of the universe is good?" Matt. xx, 15. VIII. From the preceding propositions it evidently follows, that when God is considered as electing and reprobating the children of men from his throne of grace, his election and reprobation are partial and unconditional. Doctrines of justice. fear," 1 Pet. i, 17. "God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him," Acts x, 34. We may add with Christ, "In the day of judg ment, men shall give account of their words. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned," Matt. xii, 36, 37. And we may humbly expostulate with God, as Abraham did: "That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Gen. xviii, 25. VIII. From the preceding propositions it evidently follows, that when God is considered as electing and reprobating the children of men from his throne of justice, his election and reprobation are impartial and conditional. Having thus laid down the rational and Scriptural ground of Bible Calvinism, which centres in the PARTIAL election of grace,-and of Bible Arminianism, which centres in the IMPARTIAL election of justice, I shall show the nature, excellence, and agreement of both systems in the following essays, which, I trust, will convert judicious Arminians to Scripture Calvinism, and judicious Calvinists to Scripture Arminianism. SECTION IV. Bible Calvinism and Bible Arminianism are plainly stated and equally vindicated in two essays, the first on the doctrines of partial grace, and the second on those of impartial justice-Those opposite doctrines are shown to be highly agreeable to reason and Scripture, and perfectly consistent with each other. On the eight pair of balanced propositions, which are produced in the preceding section, I rest the two essays which follow. I humbly recommend the first to rigid Arminians; because it contains a view of Bible Calvinism, of the doctrines of grace, and of the absolute, unconditional, his law? Can he not appoint that obedient believers shall be saved, or elected to eternal salvation; and that his mark of judicial reprobation shall be fixed upon all obstinate unbelievers, as Pharaoh and his host certainly were? and partial election, to which they perpetually object. And I earnestly recommend the SECOND essay to rigid Calvinists, because it contains a view of Bible Arminianism, of the doctrines of justice, and of the judi cial, conditional, and impartial election, against which they are unreasonably prejudiced. BIBLE CALVINISM. ESSAY THE FIRST. Displaying the doctrines of partial grace, the capital error of the Pelagians, and the excellence of Scripture Calvinism. THE doctrines of partial grace rest on these scriptures :-"I will be [peculiarly] gracious to whom I will be [peculiarly] gracious; and I will show special mercy, on whom I will show special mercy," Exod. xxxiii, 19. "Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?" Matt. xx, 15. These precious doctrines subdivide themselves into a partial election, and a partial reprobation; both flowing from a free, wise, and sovereign grace, which is notoriously respective of persons. The partial election and reprobation of free grace is the gracious and wise choice, which God (as a sovereign and arbitrary benefactor) makes, or refuses to make, of some persons, Churches, cities, and nations, to bestow upon them, for his own mercy's sake, more favours than he does upon others. It is the partiality with which he imparts his talents of nature, providence, and grace, to his creatures or servants; giving five talents to some, two talents to others, and one to others; not only with: out respect to their works, or acquired worthiness of any sort, but frequently in opposition to all personal demerit. Witness the thieves, between whom our Lord was crucified, who were the only dying men that Providence ever blessed with the invaluable talents or gracious opportunities of the company and audible prayers of their dying Saviour. From this doctrine of election it follows, that when God freely elects a man to the receiving of one talent only, he freely reprobates him with respect to the receiving of two, or five talents. According to this election, although God never leaves himself without the witness of some favour, by which the basest and vilest of men, who have not yet sinned out their day of salvation, are graciously distinguished from beasts and devils; and although, therefore, he is really gracious to all; yet he is not equally gracious: for he gives to some persons, families, Churches, and nations, more power and opportunity to do and receive good, more means of grace, yea, more excellent means, more time to use those means, and more energy of the Spirit in the use of them, than he gives to other persons, families, Churches, and nations. With respect to the election of grace, therefore, there is great partiality in God, and so far is this partiality from being in any degree caused by any natural or evangelical worth, that it is itself the first cause of all natural excellences, and evangelical worthiness. Hence it appears, that the doctrine of the Pelagians destroys the doc. trines of partial grace: the capital error of those who inconsiderately oppose Calvinism, consisting in denying the gracious, electing, and reprobating partiality of God; and in supposing that the reasons of God's election and reprobation are always taken from ourselves; that God never elected some men in Christ, merely "after the counsel of his own absolute will ;" and that the doctrine of a gratuitous election and reprobation is both unscriptural and horrible. Having thus stated the doctrine of grace, and the opposite error of Pelagius, I encounter that famous champion of the rigid free willers, not with a sling and a few stones, but with the Bible and some plain quotations from it, which will establish and illustrate the gratuitous election and reprobation, into which the doctrine of partial grace is subdivided. I have already observed, in the Scripture Scales, that "the election of [partial] grace" is taught in that part of the parable of the talents, where it is said, that the master chose and "called his own servants, and delivered unto them HIS [not THEIR] goods; freely giving to one FIVE talents, to another Two, and to another ONE," Matt. xxv, 14, 15. In this free distribution of the master's goods to the servants, we see a striking emblem of God's partiality. Should a Pelagian deny it, and say that God does not deal out his talents of grace with Calvinian freeness, but according to the several abilities of his servants, I reply, by asking the following questions: (1.) How came these servants to be? (2.) How came they to be his servants? And, (3.) How came they to have every one HIS several ability? Was this several ability acquired merely by dint of unassisted, personal industry? If you reply in the affirmative, you absurdly hold that God casts all his rational creatures in the same mould, that they are all exactly alike both by nature and by grace, and that they alone "make themselves to differ," as often as there is any difference. If you reply in the negative, you give up the ground of Pelagianism, and grant that God of his rich, undeserved goodness, gives to "every one his several primary abilities" of nature and grace: and when he does this, what does he do, but display a primary election and reprobation of grace; seeing he distributes these natural and gracious abilities in as distinguishing a manner as five are distinguished from one; arbitrarily reprobating from four talents the persons, families, Churches, and nations which he elects only to one talent. This scripture, "Learn not to think of men above what is written, that not one of you be puffed up: for who maketh thee to differ," with respect to the first number of thy talents? "Which of them is it that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it ?" 1 Cor. iv, 6, 7. This one scrip.. ture, I say, like the stone which sunk into Goliah's forehead, is sufficient, one would think, to bring down the gigantic error of Pelagius. But if that stone be not heavy enough to do the wished-for execution, I will choose two or three more out of the brook of truth, which flows from the throne of God. St. James points me to the first: "Every good gift is |