fact, namely, that God permits sin; but endeavors to prove, that God in this, as well as in some other things, has not done "what was most for his own glory." So that the design of the following pages is not to vindicate myself, but to vindicate the God that made us all. I have certainly the best side of the question; and could I do justice to the subject, I might expect the approbation of all the friends of God. For, as a dutiful child loves to hear the righteous cause of his injured father pleaded, so does every true Christian, every real child of God, love to hear the works and ways of the Holy One of Israel justified. And even when they cannot fully see the reasons of the divine conduct, they are disposed to believe that he has done well; because he is an absolutely perfect being, who cannot err. Nor do I know how to be so uncharitable to the author of the "Attempt," as to suppose that he will, on second thoughts, in good earnest abide by what he has published. Rather, I hope, his belief that "supreme wisdom cannot err," will finally prevail over his doubts, that "God does in fact what is not most for his own glory."

A VINDICATION

OF THE WISDOM OF GOD IN THE
PERMISSION OF SIN.

INTRODUCTION.

THAT God permits sin, is plain fact, cannot admit of dispute, and needs no proof. Or if any should be so weak as to deny the fact, it may be easily proved. For all acknowledge that sin is in the world; but if God had interposed, and effectually hindered its ever coming into the world, it never would have been. That he did not interpose and effectually hinder it, is therefore as certain, as that sin is now in the world. And God's not hindering sin, is what I call his permitting it. And this fact, that God permits sin, gives rise to this question, namely, Is it wisest and best that God should conduct as he does in this affair?

Had we a comprehensive view of God's universal plan, and a perfectly holy taste, the whole of the divine conduct towards the intellectual system, of course, must appear to us now in this world, perfect in wisdom, glory, and beauty; as, it is acknowl、 edged, it will to all holy beings at the day of judgment. But as the evil and dreadful consequences of sin to us at present engross our attention, and the good to be brought out of evil, how great soever it may be, is almost entirely out of sight, to be sure, to the generality of men; and not at all suited to please a vicious taste, were it in ever so clear a view; it is no wonder if it be very difficult to bring a guilty, apostate world to think well of the divine conduct in this affair. And yet if we once conclude, that the Holy One of Israel has not done what is most for his own glory, nor what was wisest and best to do, we must inevitably give up the absolute perfection of the divine nature, which will overturn all religion by the roots.

To say, that "secret things belong to God, and we ought not to think of this part of the divine conduct; nor is it our duty to believe it to be wise, or to acquiesce in it, as such;" will not satisfy a pious, judicious mind. Indeed, were it a secret thing, and had we no evidence of the fact, it might justly put an end to all our inquiries. But God's permitting sin is in truth no secret thing; it is revealed, it is as open and manifest as that God made and governs the world. It is often, very often, held up to our view in the Holy Scriptures, by God himself, on purpose that we might think of it. And it is acknowledged on all hands, that it is our duty to search the Scriptures, and take special notice of what we find written there, and meditate on every part of divine conduct therein held forth to our view; since the whole is calculated and designed for our instruction. (2 Tim. iii. 16.) And as it is an acknowledged fact, that God has permitted sin in millions of instances, from the beginning of the world to this day, and will continue to do so through eternal ages, so there is no avoiding a view of his conduct, but by the greatest stupidity, or shutting our eyes in the most obstinate manner. Nay, this will not do it; we cannot but think of it sometimes in this world, and shall forever think of it in the world to come. And we must approve or disapprove; for it is so interesting an affair, that we cannot stand neuter. If we disapprove now, and forever, we cannot acquiesce in God's ways in this world, nor join the heavenly hosts at the day of judgment, in saying, Amen, Hallelujah. And God, of necessity, must look upon us as enemies to him, and malecontents in his kingdom, and treat us accordingly. It is therefore of the last importance that we approve. But if God's conduct is not wise, it is not our duty to approve of it; rather we ought to be sorry, and lament that God has done as he has; which would suppose him to be to blame, and which would imply that he is not an absolutely perfect being; and if so, he is not God; and if there is no God, all religion is overthrown; therefore we must believe the divine conduct to be wise. But how shall this belief be obtained? Firstly and chiefly, by an implicit faith in the absolute perfection of the divine nature, which, secondly, may be strengthened by a view of the wisdom of such parts of the divine conduct as we can more fully comprehend; which, thirdly, may be still more confirmed by right views of the true nature of God's universal plan. All these I have endeavored to lead my readers to attend to, in my sermons on the wisdom of God in the permission of sin.

And had the author of the "Attempt" carefully attended to

the subject, as I had stated it, and entered thoroughly into my reasonings, I should naturally have been led to review the whole, and to retract or confirm, as light and truth appeared. But this he has not done; but rather, to use his own words, according to his professed design, he has exerted himself to the utmost to set out the doctrine, "if possible, in all its horror and deformity." So that what I have to do, is to take off this ill dress, and array it in its native beauty; that the divine conduct in the permission of sin may not be blasphemed, by ignorant and wicked men, through his means; and the moral rectitude of the divine nature given up, to the subversion of all religion. Nor shall any thing in his piece, that needs an answer, pass unconsidered.

SECTION I.

SEVERAL PARTICULARS, WHEREIN THE AUTHOR OF THE SERMONS ON THE WISDOM OF GOD IN THE PERMISSION OF SIN, AND the AUTHOR OF THE ATTEMPT, ARE AGREED.

We should always exactly state the point in controversy before we begin to dispute. Wherefore let us see how far this author agrees with us; that the point of difference may be made to stand out in clear view.

1. We agree, that sin is in the world, and that dreadful have been the consequences for above five thousand years. And it is likely to issue in the eternal ruin of great multitudes of God's creatures.

2. We agree, that sin is the very worst of evils in its own nature, and it naturally tends to evil, and only to evil; to dishonor God and ruin the system.

3. We agree, that the eternal ruin of such great, multitudes of God's creatures, considered in itself, is an infinitely dreadful thing.

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4. We agree, that all the sin and misery that has or ever will take place in the system, through eternal ages, how infinitely dreadful soever the whole must appear to one who has a perfect, comprehensive view of it all at once, even the whole lay open, full and plain, to the divine view, before God created the world; and that he had as full, perfect, and lively an apprehension of it, before he began to create, as he ever will have to eternal ages.

5. We agree, that, if God had pleased, he could have hindered the existence of sin, and caused misery to have been forever unknown in his dominions, with as much ease as to have suffered things to take their present course.

6. We agree, that God knew, with infallible certainty, that things would take their present course, and issue, as they will issue, in the eternal ruin of millions, unless he himself should interpose, and effectually hinder it.

7. We agree, that God did, as it were, stand by, and take a perfect view of the whole chain of events, in which his honor and the good of his creation was infinitely interested; and, in a full view, and under a most lively sense of the whole, did deliberately forbear to interpose effectually to hinder the introduction of sin into his world, when he could have hindered it as easily as not.

8. We agree, that angels and men were under the greatest obligations to love and obey God, and were left to their own free choice; and that God was not obliged, in point of justice. to do any more for them than he did; and that the whole blame lies at the creature's door; and that God is righteous in punishing his sinning creatures according to the declarations of his word. All these particulars I had asserted; none of them has he denied; nor does it appear that we differ in any of these things.

SECTION II.

THE GRAND POINT IN CONTROVERSY EXACTLY STATED.

The grand point of difference is precisely this: "I believe, that the infinitely holy and wise God, in every part of his conduct relative to the intellectual system, does that which is really wisest and best for him to do; most for his glory, and the good of the system, in the whole; and, therefore, that God's present plan is, of all possible plans, the best; most for his glory and the good of the system." On the contrary, the author of the Attempt" believes, that "God is not obliged to do, and that in fact he does not do, that which is most for his own glory, or most for the good of the system; and is fully persuaded that the present plan is so far from being the best, that it had been infinitely more for the glory of God, and the good of the system, if sin had never happened."

In the sermons he objects against, it had been said, that "from the perfections of the divine nature alone we have such full evidence, that he must always act in the wisest and best manner, as that we ought not in the least to doubt it. Before the foundation of the world, this system now in existence, and all other possible systems, equally lay open to the divine view, and one as easy to the Almighty as another. He had his choice; he had none to please but himself. Besides him there