will more properly be considered, in another stage of our progress. But had the decrees been promulgated, and compliance with them demanded, from all who acted as ministers of religion, or teachers of youth in the established seminaries of the Belgic church; with simply the exclusion from such stations, of those, who declined compliance, or violated their engagements to comply; while a toleration was granted, as at present in Britain, either to preach, or teach in other places or schools; the terms might indeed have been considered as too strict, and requiring more than could reasonably be expected; but, in other respects, it does not appear, that the conduct of the Synod would have been blameable. For, every body or company of professed Christians, down from established national churches, to independent dissenting congregations, prescribe terms of communion, or of officiating as ministers on those, who desire voluntarily to join them, and exclude such as decline compliance.

How far the revenues, in the Belgic churches could, with any propriety, have been shared, and any portion of them allotted, to what we might call the dissenting teachers, I am not prepared to say. But, as toleration (in this sense at least) was no part of the system at the reformation in any country; the ancient revenues for religious purposes, as far as they were preserved for those uses, of course were allotted to the established ministers in the different churches. Neither dissenters, nor provision for dissenters, were thought of; and it would afterwards have been expecting too much in general, to suppose that they who found themselves in possession of these revenues, would voluntarily share them with the dissentients, or that rulers would venture to compel them. Yet, if to a full toleration, something had publicly been allotted towards the support of peaceful and conscientious dissenting teachers; it would, as it appears to me at least, have had a most powerful effect in diminishing acrimony, silencing objections, and promoting peace and love.

9

ARTICLES OF THE SYNOD OF DORT.

"The Articles of the Synod of Dort, Heylin introduces in this manner: Because particular men may sometimes be mistaken in a public doctrine, and that the judgment of such men, being collected by the hands of their enemies, may be unfaithfully related; we will next look on the conclusions of the Synod of Dort, which is to be conceived to have delivered the genuine sense of all the parties, as being a representative of all the Calvinian churches of Europe, (except those of France,) some few Divines of England being added to them. Of the calling and proceedings of this Synod we shall have occasion to speak further in the following chapter. At this time I shall only lay down the results thereof in the five controverted points (as I find them abbreviated by Dan. Tilenus) according to the heads before mentioned in summing up the doctrine of the Council of Trent."*

A few things may here be noted. Is it very probable that such decided Anti Calvinists as Heylin or Collier should be impartial, in their account of this celebrated Synod? Is it to be supposed, that there was no difference of sentiment among the persons of whom it was composed? Were four divines an adequate representation of all the Calvinists in England? Did not one, or more, of all these four, dissent from the decisions of this Synod? Were other protestant countries represented in any great degree more adequately? Were not the leading men greatly embittered with personal enmities, and the spirit of persecution and resentment? Did not political interests, and the spirit of party, still more embitter the spirits, or sway the deliberations and conclusions of the Synod? And therefore are all the Calvinists who lived at that time, or who now live, or whoever shall live, to be judged according to the proceedings of the Synod of Dort? It would be no difficult undertaking, by such a procedure, to fix very heavy charges * Refutation of Calvinism, p. 566.

on the whole body of Anti Calvinists in Europe and in the world: but attempts of this kind prove nothing; except a disposition to act the part of a special pleader in the controversy, rather than that of an impartial judge. As I, however, had met with the same abstract of the articles of this Synod, in other publications more favorable to Calvinism, I had no suspicion that these were not the real articles of the Synod, but an abbreviation, (yet with several clauses also added,) an abbreviation by avowed opponents. But the Christian Observer first excited a suspicion that these were not the real articles of the Synod; and led me to inquire after a copy of those articles, which are indeed immensely more discordant with the abbreviations, than I could have previously imagined. But let the attentive reader judge from the following literal translation of these articles, &c. as contained in the Sylloge Confessionum, Oxford, 1804.

CHAPTER I.

OF THE DOCTRINE OF DIVINE PREDESTINATION.

ART. 1. As all men have sinned in Adam, and have become exposed to the curse and eternal death, God would have done no injustice to any one, if he had determined to leave the whole human race under sin and the curse, and to condemn them on account of sin; according to those words of the apostle, "All the world is become guilty before God." Rom. iii. 19. "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." 23. "The wages of sin is death." Rom. vi. 23.*

And

2. But “in this is the love of God manifested, that he sent his only begotten Son into the world, that every one who believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." 1 John, iv. 9. John iii. 16.

3. But that men may be brought to faith, God mercifully sends heralds of this most joyful message, to whom he willeth, and when he willeth, by whose ministry men are called to repentance, and faith in Christ crucified. For "How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach except they be sent ?" Rom. x. 14, 15.

4. They who believe not the gospel, on them the wrath of

* Gal. iii. 10. 22. "In every person born into the world, it (original sin,) deserveth God's wrath and damnation." Art. ix.

God remaineth: but those who receive it, and embrace the Saviour Jesus with a true and living faith, are, through him, delivered from the wrath of God, and receive the gift of everlasting life (ac vita eterna donantur.)*

5. The cause or fault of this unbelief, as also of all other sins, is by no means in God, but in man. But faith in Jesus Christ, and salvation by him, is the free gift of God: "By grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." Eph. ii. 8. In like manner, "It is given you to believe in Christ." Phil. i. 29.†

6. That some, in time, have faith given them by God, and others have it not given, proceeds from his eternal decree: For, "known unto God are all his works, from the beginning of the world." Acts xv. 18. Eph. i. 11. According to which decree, he graciously softens the hearts of the elect, however hard, and he bends them to believe: but the non-elect he leaves, in just judgment, to their own perversity and hardness. And here, especially, a deep discrimination, at the same time both merciful and just, a discrimination of men equally lost, opens itself to us; or that decree of election and reprobation which is revealed in the word of God. Which, as perverse, impure, and unstable persons do wrest to their own destruction, so it affords ineffable consolation to holy and pious souls.

Eph. i. 4, 5. iii. 11. 2 Thess. ii. 13, 14. 2 Tim. 1. 9, 10. Tit. i. 2. 1 Pet. ì. 2. 20. Rev. xiii. 8. xvii. 8.

§ "Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby, before the foundations of the world were laid, he hath constantly decreed by his counsel, secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation, as vessels made to honor. Wherefore they which are endued with so excellent a benefit of God, be called according to God's purpose, by his Spirit working in due season: they through grace obey the calling; they be justified freely, &c." Art. xvii.

"As the godly consideration of predestination and our election in Christ is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort to godly persons, and such as feel in themselves the working of the spirit of Christ, mortifying the works of the flesh and their earthly members, and drawing up their minds to high and heavenly things; as well because it doth greatly establish and confirm their faith of eternal salvation, to be enjoyed through Christ, as because it doth fervently kindle their love to God; so for curious and carnal persons, lacking the Spirit of Christ, to have continually before their eyes the sentence of God's predestination, is a most dangerous downfall, whereby the devil doth thrust them either into desperation, or into wretchlessness of most unclean living, no less perilous than desperation." Art. xvii. Whatever method of interpretation be adopted, as to the different parts of this our article; they, who cordially approve it, cannot consistently object to this article of the Synod of Dort, which is entirely coincident with it; and at least not more decided and explicit.

7. But election is the immutable purpose of God, by which, before the foundations of the world were laid, he chose, out of the whole human race, fallen by their own fault from their primeval integrity into sin and destruction, according to the most free good pleasure of his own will, and of mere grace, a certain number of men, neither better nor worthier than others, but lying in the same misery with the rest, to salvation in Christ; whom he had, even from eternity, constituted Mediator and Head of all the elect, and the foundation of salvation; and therefore he decreed to give them unto him to be saved, and effectually to call and draw them into communion with him, by his own word and Spirit; or he decreed himself to give unto them true faith,* to justify, to sanctify, and at length powerfully to glorify them, having been kept in the communion of his Son; to the demonstration of his mercy, and the praise of the riches of his glorious grace, as it is written: "God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundations of the world were laid, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children, by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he' hath freely made us accepted to himself in that Beloved One." Eph. i. 4-6. And in another place, " Whom he did predes

tinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified." Rom. viii. 30.

8. This election is not multiform, but one and the same of all that shall be saved, in the Old and New Testament, seeing that the Scripture declares the good pleasure, purpose, and counsel of the will of God, by which he has, from eternity, chosen us to grace and glory: both to salvation and the way of salvation, which he hath "before prepared that we should walk in it."

9. This same election is not made from any foreseen faith, obedience of faith, holiness, or any other good quality and disposition, as a pre-requisite cause or condition in the man who should be elected, but unto faith, and unto the obedience of faith, holiness, &c. And, therefore, (or truly, proinde) election is the fountain of every saving benefit; whence faith, holiness, and the other salutary gifts, and finally, eternal life itself, flow

"We believe that the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts, imparts to us true faith, that we may obtain the knowledge of so great a mystery." Belgic Confession.

t2 Thess. ii. 13, 14. 1 Pet. i. 2.