grace, but will depend on the will and belief of mankind; which will be derogatory to the exclusive efficacy of divine grace. But this is so far from being true, that the doctrine of grace is thus placed in a much clearer light than by the theory of those who make the objection. For the grace of God is acknowledged to be infinite, in the first place, inasmuch as he showed any pity at all for man whose fall was to happen through his own fault. Secondly, because he so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son for its salvation. Thirdly, because he has again granted us the power of volition, that is, of acting freely, in consequence of recovering the liberty of the will by the renewing of the Spirit. It was thus that he opened the heart of Lydia, Acts xvi. 14. But if the condition whereon the decree depends, that is to say, the will enfranchised by God himself, and faith which is required of mankind be left in the power of beings who are free agents, there is nothing in the doctrine either derogatory to grace, or inconsistent with justice; since the power of willing and believing is either the gift of God, or, so far as it is inherent in man, partakes not of the nature of merit or of good works, but only of a natural faculty. Nor does this reasoning represent God as depending upon the human will, but as fulfilling his own pleasure, whereby he has chosen that man should always use his own will with a regard to the love and worship of the Deity; and consequently with a regard to his own salvation. If this use of the will be not admitted, whatever worship or love we render to God is entirely vain and of no value; the acceptableness of duties done under a law of necessity is diminished, or rather is annihilated altogether, and freedom can no longer be attributed to that will over which some fixed decree is inevitably suspended.5 Man shall find grace; Happy for man, so coming; he her aid Can never seek, once dead in sins, and lost. Paradise Lost, III. 227. 3 God made thee perfect, not immutable; And good he made thee, but to persevere He left it in thy power; ordain'd thy will E By The objections, therefore, which are so vehemently urged by some against this doctrine, are of no force whatever;-namely, that on this theory, the repentance and faith of the predestinated having been foreseen, predestination becomes posterior in point of time to works,—that it is rendered dependent on the will of man, that God is defrauded of part of the glory of our salvation,-that man is puffed up with pride, that the foundations of all Christian consolation in life and in death are shaken,-that gratuitous justification is denied. On the contrary, the scheme, and consequently the glory, not only of the divine grace, but also of the divine wisdom and justice, is thus displayed in a clearer manner than on the opposite hypothesis; which was the principal end that God proposed to himself in predestination. Since then it is so clear that God has predestinated from eternity all those who should believe and continue in the faith, it follows that there can be no reprobation, except of those who do not believe or continue in the faith, and even this rather as a consequence than a decree; there can therefore be no reprobation of individuals from all eternity. For God has predestinated to salvation, on the proviso of a general condition, all who enjoy freedom of will; while none are predestinated to destruction, except through their own fault, and as it were per accidens, By nature free, not over-rul'd by fate Finds no acceptance, nor can find; for how Can hearts, not free, be tried whether they serve Willing or no, who will but what they must By destiny, and can no other choose? Paradise Lost, V. 524., Many there be that complain of Divine Providence for suffering Adam to transgress. Foolish tongues! when God gave him reason, he gave him freedom to choose, for reason is but choosing; he had been else a mere artificial Adam, such an Adam as he is in the motions. We ourselves esteem not of that obedience, or love, or gift, which is of force; God therefore left him free, set before him a provoking object, ever almost in his eyes; herein consisted his merit, herein the right of his reward, the praise of his abstinence.' Speech for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing. Prose Works, I. 305. K in the same manner as there are some to whom the gospel itself is said to be a stumbling-block and a savour of death. Of this assertion proof shall be given from the testimony of Scripture no less explicit than of the doctrine asserted in the former part of the chapter. Isai. 1. 1. where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? ...... behold for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves. Hos. iv. 6. because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee...... seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. Rev. xiii. 8. all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. And who are they but such as have not believed? whom God has therefore deserted because they wandered after the beast, v. 3. Nor should I call the decree mentioned in Zephaniah ii. 1-3. a decree of eternal reprobation, but rather of temporal punishment, and at any rate not an absolute decree, as the passage itself is sufficient to show: gather yourselves together, &c. before the decree bring forth ... &c. &c. it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the anger of Jehovah. For if God had decreed any to absolute reprobation, which we do not read, he must, even according to their system who affirm that reprobation is an absolute decree, have likewise decreed the means without which his own decree could not be fulfilled. Now these means are neither more nor less than sin. Nor will the common subterfuge avail, namely, that God did not decree sin, but only its permission: this is a contradiction in terms; for at this rate he does more than simply permit it: he who permits a thing does not decree it, but leaves it free. But even if there be any decree of reprobation, Scripture everywhere declares, that as election is established and confirmed by faith, so repro bation is rescinded by repentance. Jer. vi. 30. reprobate silver shall men call them, because Jehovah hath rejected them; and yet in the third verse of the following chapter God addresses himself to the same people-amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. So too in chap. xviii. 6, &c. where God compares his own right with that of the potter, (whence St. Paul seems to have taken his metaphor, Rom. ix.) if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. So too, where God defends in the clearest manner the justice of his ways, Ezek. xviii. 25-27. when the wicked man turneth away from the wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. xxxiii. 14, 15. when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die, if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right, &c. &c. he shall surely live, he shall not die. The same is inculcated in other parts of the chapters just quoted: xviii. 31, 32. why will ye die, O house of Israel? for I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord Jehovah; wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. xxxiii. 11. say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Luke xiii. 5. except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish: therefore, if ye repent, ye shall not perish. If then there be no repentance, of what advantage is election; or if there be repentance, of what injury is reprobation? Accordingly St. Paul, in speaking of those whom he describes as blinded, and whom he opposes to the elect, Rom. xi. 7. the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded, subjoins immediately, v. 11. have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid; and v. 23, &c. and they also, if they abide not in unbelief, shall be graffed in; for God is able to graff them in again, &c. lastly, he adds, v. 32. God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 7 To prayer, repentance, and obedience due, Paradise Lost, III. 191. 8 If then God reject none but the disobedient and unbelieving, he undoubtedly gives grace to all, though not in equal measure, yet sufficient for attaining knowledge of the truth and final salvation;-I have said, not in equal measure, because not even to the reprobate, as they are called, has he imparted uniformly the same degree of grace. Matt. xi. 21, 23. woe unto thee, Chorazin, &c. for if the mighty works which have been done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, &c. See also Luke x. 13. For God, as any other proprietor might do with regard to his private possessions, claims to himself the right of determining concerning his own creatures according to his pleasure, nor can he be called to account for his decision, though, if he chose, he could give the best reasons for it. Rom. ix. 20, 21. nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? hath not the potter power over the clay? It is owing, therefore, to his supreme will that God does not vouchsafe equal grace to all; but it is owing to his justice that there are none to whom he does not vouchsafe grace sufficient for their salvation. Isai. v. 4. what could have been done more in my vineyard, that I have not done in it? which words are spoken of the whole nation of the Jews, not of the elect only. xxvi. 10. let favour be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness. Ezek. xii. 2. which have eyes to see, and see not, they have ears to hear, and hear not; for they are a rebellious house. 2 Kings xvii. 13. Jehovah testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, &c. ...... notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks. See also 2 Chron. xxxvi. 15, 16. John 8 Some I have chosen of peculiar grace, Elect above the rest; so is my will: The rest shall hear me call, and oft be warn'd Their sinful state, and to appease betimes The incensed Deity, while offer'd grace Paradise Lost, III. 183. |