"ning indeed without repentance even unto death, and "therefore of being punished with death eternal. But "we deny that they are on this account forced to sin. "For it is one thing, to be constrained by necessity: and "it is another to be forced. We are forced when re"luctantly and against our will, and therefore with

some resistance, we are compelled to do or suffer any "thing: but we are constrained by necessity when it is impossible for us to do otherwise,-although what we "do is performed willingly, spontaneously, of our own "accord, and with delight. Thus a person who is "oppressed with a violent thirst, is constrained by the "necessity of drinking, and necessarily drinks; he "cannot do otherwise than drink,-althongh he does it "willingly and with great pleasure, and therefore, can on no account be said to do it in opposition to his "inclination, or to be forced to drink, But when the "wicked commit sin, they do it knowingly, willingly, "and with delight; so that if you be desirous of pre"venting them from committing iniquity, they are soon 66 angry with you. Therefore, you did not speak correctly, when you said they were forced to sin: yet in "the mean time it is impossible for them to do otherwise; "and they are constrained to it by a certain necessity, "through God's ordination or appointment." Thus, according to this reasoning, the power of appetite in the thirsty man, corresponds to the force of gravity in the falling Cylinder, and the simile of the Stoic, is a fit illustration, of the metaphysicks of the Calvinist.

To pass over many other instances that might be adduced, where these doctrines have been advocated, by

1 Nichols, ut sup. Part. I. P. 18. Note. See slso the passages quoted aboye at pages 86, 87, 88,

persons either entirely ignorant of, or bitterly opposed to Gospel Truth, it may be sufficient, to notice briefly, the case of the Mahommedans.-"The sixth great "point of Faith, which the Mahommedans are taught "by the Koran to believe, is God's absolute decree "and Predestination of good and evil. For the ortho"dox doctrine is, that whatever hath or shall come "to pass in this world, whether it be good, or whether "it be bad, proceedeth entirely from the Divine will, " and is irrevocably fixed and recorded from all Eternity "in the preserved table; God having secretly predetermined, not only the adverse and prosperous fortune of "every person in this world, in the most minute particu66 lars, but, also his Faith or Infidelity; his obedience or “disobedience, and consequently his everlasting happiness "or misery after death; which fate or predestination it is "not possible to avoid.”6

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"Disputes were long carried on, with great subtlety "and much animosity among the different sects of Mahom"etans, conserning the decrees of God, and the freedom "of

of the human will. Modern ingenuity has scarcely "been able to invent a distinction on this obscure subject, "which may not be found in the Arabian Controversia"lists." 7

"The second basis" (of Scholastick Doctrine,) regards predestination, and the justice thereof, which compri"ses the questions conscerning God's purpose and decree,

• Sale's Koran, Lond. 1801. Prelim. Dis. p. 137.

7 Enfield Hist. Philo. Dub. 1792, V. ii. p. 255. Whoever will take the trouble of looking over the 8th section of Sales preliminary discourse, will be at once convinced of this and consequently that the doctrine of absolute decrees is, no criterion of Gospel Faith,

"man's compulsion or necessity to act, and his co-ope"ation in producing actions, by which he may gain "to himself good or evil, &c." 8

I do not mean, by the foregoing quotations, to throw any discredit on the doctrines referred to, by connecting them with the false tenets of Heathenism or Islamism. Such would be a most unfair inference. But I merely wish to show, by undeniable facts, that such tenets may be substantially received by those, who neither acknowledge, nor love, nor worship the REDEEMER. Surely then, the pious Calvinist, however sincerely attached to these dogmas, is not justified in regarding them, as the special characteristicks of Christianity. Surely, he should not thus allow himself to be misled into admitting on the one hand, the profession of such speculations, as abundant proof of a saving faith; and into rejecting on the other, (as is too often the case) all those who dissent from them, as destitute of the knowledge and love of Christ. Is there not here a manifest danger -while non-essential doctrines are exalted above measure, of setting up "another Gospel; " or, at least, of allowing the mind to "be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ ?"9 On the contrary, should not the feeling, as well as the salutation, of every Christian heart, accord with that of the Apostle: "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity ?"1

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APPENDIX III.

Opposition to Absolute Predestination, and Necessity, does not involve Opposition to the Doctrines of Grace.

IN all that has been said concerning "Freedom of Will," both in the text, and in the two preceding Appendix; I beg to be understood, as asserting nothing derogatory of, or inconsistent with, that glorious liberty of the children of God, that blessed Emancipation from the servitude of Sin, whereby, they are enabled, excited, and " constrained," to choose, to love, and to practise holiness—and which is allowed by all christians, to be the essence of regeneration, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. This I conceive to be a topick, not of natural, but of revealed Religion. For reason never could have discovered, that God would vouchsafe such gracious 'gifts unto men." Nothing short of his own declaration, confirmed by Miracles, and corroborated by happy experience, could have furnished us with that consoling and exalting assurance, that "as many as "received him, to them gave he power, to become the "sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, "which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the "flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."1

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Though the consideration of this matter, does not

1 John, i. 12, 13.

strictly belong, to the subject of the preceding discourse; yet I beg leave to dwell a little more on it, in this place. First, because it is a subject, about which, I should extremely regret to countenance any erroneous opinions, or to let my own be misconceived. Secondly, because I apprehend, that it is also one, on which, the disputants in this controversy, generally misunderstand, and too often misrepresent each other.

I-I should, indeed, regret to be misunderstood. For, I conceive, that, not only to reason correctly on this point, but to feel deeply our naturally fallen and apostate state-however humiliating it may be to human pride-is manifestly necessary to prepare the heart through Grace, for the joyful reception of those vital and fundamental Truths of the Gospel; the Atonement of the Cross-Justification by Faith only,-and Santification by the Holy Spirit. On this subject I know no words, in which I can more clearly express my opinions, than those of our Articles IX and X. which, though no doubt familiar to all my readers, I quote here; in order, to show their agreement, with some other authorities, to be cited hereafter.

ART. IX. "Of Original or Birth Sin."

Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam, (as the Pelagians do vainly talk ;) but it is the fault "and corruption of the nature of every man, that natur"ally is engendered of the offspring of Adam; whereby "man is very far gone from original righteousness, and "is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh "lusteth always contrary to the spirit; and therefore, " in every person born into this world, it deserveth God's "wrath and damnation. And this infection of nature "doth remain, yea in them that are regenerated, where

by the lust of the flesh, called in the Greek, phro