small number only of the sons of men, in a special manner, but that it is extended to all men. For as the Lord letteth his sun rise and shine on the good and bad, also doth he extend his grace to all the sons of men: for even ainong the Gentiles the Lord has not left himaself without a witness, doing them good, and moving their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another; so that they not having the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, and thus show the work of the law written in their hearts. And, as the Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, and be saved, it will evidently appear, at the coming of Christ, that God has dispensed, extended and offered, his saving grace of the glorious Gospel, to all nations of the world, as a witness to all men, so that they are all without excuse. And according to this everlasting Gospel, the blessed Jesus will, at the last day, pass a righteous and irrevocable judgment on all the nations of the earth; so that all men who, in the day of grace, believe the Gospel and receive it to their soul's salvation, will be received to everlasting life; but those who disbelieve and reject the same, will fall under the condemnation of eternal death. Farthermore, we reject the doctrine which is held forth, That God indeed suffereth the word of reconciliation to be published to all men, but at the same time he withdraweth from many of them the power of saving grace, so that the greater part of them cannot receive it to their soul's salvation, in consequence of his foreordination and decree, wherein he hath determined their unavoidable and eternal damnation. On the foregoing subject read the following scripture texts, which ascribe to man a free will:-Behold I set before you this day a blessing and a curse: a blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day; and a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods which ye have not known. Deut. 11: 26, 27, 28. See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil: in that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply; and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thy heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days. upon the land whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, bless ing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live. 30: 15, 16, 17, 18, 19.And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served, that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Josh. 24: 15.-Unto Cain the Lord said, If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. . And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. Gen. 4: 7. Of man's free will read:-Nevertheless, he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart, &c. 1 Cor. 7. 37.-Accept, I beseech thee, the free-will-offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me thy judgments. Ps. 119: 108.-And the Spirit and the bride say, come. And let him that heareth say come. And let him that is athirst come: and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Rev. 22: 17.-For to their power, (I bear record,) yea, and beyond their power, they were willing of themselves.....Now, therefore, perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. 2 Cor. 8:3, 11. --But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly. Phil. 5: 14.-For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. Mark 14: 7. Man, of his own strength and virtue, is unable to accomplish any good; but through the grace of God he is enabled, though with imperfection, to keep the commandments of God. For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Phil. 2: 13. -Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not. Ezek. 12: 2.-For to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not. For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do. I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me. Rom. 7: 18, 19, 21. The following passages of scripture prove that God hath no pleasure in the death of sinners, but rather that they should turn and live: -For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GoD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. Ezek. 18: 32.-Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, 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? Ezek. 33: 1. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Isa. 55: Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matth. 11: 28. And, That God offers and extends his saving grace not only to the elect, but to the whole race of Adam; and that he died for those also who are lost, read the following scriptures:-For the grace of God that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men. Tit. 2: 11.-Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else. Isa. 45: 22. Therefore, as by the offence of one, judg ment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. Rom. 5: 18.-Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them: for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. 1: 19. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 Pet. 2: I. And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 2 Cor. 5: 15.-For God |