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doctrine he has admitted, and tells him that in acknowledging the work begun by the grace of God, which sought the sinner when he was not inquiring after God, he has admitted in substance the doctrine of election, though he is offended at the word which expresses it. Here the controversy begins to be extremely subtle, till both parties lose, perhaps, not only their tempers, but themselves, in metaphysical labyrinths and mazes. The Arminian in his turn presses the Calvinist with the consequences of absolute decrees, till both of them forgetting a maxim which should always be present before the eyes of disputants who contend, for the truth and not for victory, "To use strong arguments and moderate language,” have recourse to strong, and sometimes even violent language, and weak arguments; and provoke one another to every thing but love. The Calvinist charges it as the consequence of his opponent's denying absolute election, that he rejects the Divine Sovereignty, and the Arminian, in his turn charges the Calvinist with destroying human liberty. "The common fault of both sides," says Bishop Burnet, (Expos. of the 17th Article,) "is to charge one another with the consequences of their opinions, as if they were truly their tenets. Whereas they are apprehensive enough of these consequences: they have no mind to them, and they fancy that by a few distinctions they can avoid them. But each thinks the consequences of the other are both worse, and more certainly fastened to that doctrine, than the consequences that are urged against himself are. And so they think they must choose that opinion that is the least perplexed and difficult; not but that ingenuous and learned men of all sides confess, that they feel themselves very often pinched in these matters."

That mutual irritation of spirit, which is the consequence

of protracted debate, removes the Calvinist and Arminian further from each other, than they probably would be inclined to go, were they strictly watchful of their rising tempers and fretted minds, and each of them thinks himself the advocate of truth, when perhaps he is only the guardian of his own importance. The arrogance of superiority in one of the parties is extremely repulsive to the other, and if each thinks he sees it in his antagonist, the distance will widen every hour. A spirit of conciliation and gentleness is of much importance to the attainment of unity in the faith; and charity is the most powerful attraction to bring men to be of one mind, and the most effectual bond to keep them in it. This is particularly exemplified in the early part of that controversy which Mr. Westley had with Mr. Whitefield about the doctrines of Calvinism. We shall, from the Journal of the former, give the following extract: "Having found for some time a strong desire to unite with Mr. Whitefield, as far as possible to cut off needless dispute, I wrote down my sentiments, as plain as I could, in the following terms: There are three points in debate, First, Unconditional election. Second, Irresistible grace. Third, Final per

severance.

"With regard to the first, unconditional election,-I believe, that God before the foundation of the world did unconditionally elect certain persons to do certain works, as Paul to preach the Gospel: that he has unconditionally elected some nations to receive peculiar privileges, the Jewish nation in particular that he has unconditionally elected some nations to hear the Gospel, as England and Scotland now, and many others in past ages: that he has unconditionally elected some persons, to many peculiar advantages, both with regard to temporal and spiritual

things: And I do not deny (though I cannot prove it is so) that he has unconditionally elected some persons to eternal glory. But I cannot believe, that all those who are not thus elected to glory must perish everlastingly; or that there is one soul on earth, who has not ever had a possibility of escaping eternal damnation.

"With regard to the second, irresistible grace,-I believe that the grace which brings faith, and thereby salvation. into the soul, is irresistible at that moment: that most believers may remember some time when God did irresistibly convince them of sin: that most believers do at some other times find God irresistibly acting upon their souls: yet I believe, that the grace of God both before and after those moments, may be and hath been resisted and that, in general it does not act irresistibly, but we may comply therewith or may not. And I do not deny, that in some souls the grace of God is so far irresistible, that they cannot but believe and be finally saved. But I cannot believe, that all those must be damned, in whom it does not thus irresistibly work: or that there is one soul on earth, who has not, and never had any other grace, than such as does in fact increase his damnation, and was designed of God so to do.

"With regard to the third, final perseverance,-I incline to believe, that there is a state attainable in this life, from which a man cannot finally fall: and that he has attained this, who can say, old things are past away; all things in me are become new.'"*

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Mr. Wesley was at this time almost a moderate Calvinist. He did not altogether deny unconditional e

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lection. Irresistible grace he in some instances acknow. ledged, and the doctrine of final perseverance he was inclined to believe with respect to certain persons.—It is worthy of our remark, because it tends to show that Evangelical Calvinists and Evangelical Arminians approximate nearer to each other than they suppose, that in one point they meet "That the destruction of those who perish in their sins, is wholly of themselves; and the salvation of all who are saved, wholly of God." Mr. Simeon, a very respectable moderate Calvinist, in the preface to his Five Hundred Skeletons of Sermons, relates, in a note, a very pleasing anecdote, which we shall here give the reader.

"A young Minister, about three or four years after he was ordained, had an opportunity of conversing familiarly with the great and venerable leader of the Arminians in this kingdom; and wishing to improve the occasion to the uttermost, he addressed him nearly in the following words: 'Sir, I understand that you are called an Armi. nian; and I have sometimes been called a Calvinist; and therefore I suppose we are to draw daggers. But before I consent to begin the combat, with your permission, I will ask you a few questions, not from impertinent curiosity, but for real instruction.' Permission being very readily and kindly granted, the young Minister proceeded to ask, Pray, Sir, do you feel yourself a depraved creature, so depraved, that you would never have thought of turning unto God, if God had not first put it into your heart?' 'Yes,' says the veteran, I do, indeed.' And do you utterly despair of recommending yourself to God by any thing that you can do; and look for salvation solely through the blood and righteousness of Christ?' Yes, solely through Christ.' But, Sir, supposing

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you were at first saved by Christ, are you not, somehow or other, to save yourself afterwards by your own works?'

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No, I must be saved by Christ from first to last.'Allowing then that you were first turned by the grace of God, are you not, in some way or other, to keep yourself by your own power ?' No.' What then are you to be upheld every hour and every moment by God, as much as an infant in its mother's arms?'- Yes, altogether. And is all your hope in the grace and mercy of God, to preserve you unto his heavenly kingdom?—Yes; I have no hope but in him.'—'Then, Sir, with your leave, I will put up my dagger again; for this is all my Calvinism; this is my election, my justification by faith, my final perseverance: it is, in substance, all that I hold, and as I hold it; and therefore, if you please, instead of searching out terms and phrases, to be a ground of contention between us, we will cordially unite in those things wherein we agree.'

"The Arminian leader (Mr. Wesley) was so pleased," says Mr. Simeon, "with the conversation, that he made particular mention of it in his journals; and notwithstanding there never afterwards was any connexion between the parties, he retained an unfeigned regard for his young inquirer to the hour of his death."

There was a time when, even among pious men, and men of evangelical sentiments the dispute about absolute and conditional decrees seemed to engross almost the whole attention of those who had engaged in the controversy; and when it was in vain, not only to expect any compromise between the parties, but even any cooperation in promoting the general interests of religion. It must give pleasure to every good man to know, that when unity of sentiment is not perfect, even there unity

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