them he also justified, and whom he justified them he also glorified." This must signify somehing beyond the outward invitation, which is comnon to all; and of which it is said, "Many are called, but few chosen." They be called according to God's purpose, by his Spirit working in due season; they through grace obey the calling.'To whom he proposes it for a savour of death." The same interpretation, which renders the words of God by Isaiah reconcilable to the sentiments of Anticalvinists, will render Calvin's words so like

wise.

2

P. DXLIII. 1. 26. 'As by, &c.'2 I must unreservedly give up some expressions, in this quotation, to his Lordship's reprehension: and if similar pas sages can be produced froin works of modern Calvinists, or those of the evangelical clergy, they must fall under the same rebuke. Those whom he created, &c.' This seems to imply, that God created the reprobate wicked, by a direct act of his

Is. vi. 9, 10.

2 As, by the efficacy of his calling towards the elect, God 'perfects the salvation to which he had destined them by his eternal decree; so he has his judgements against the reprobate, by which he may execute his counsel concerning them. Those, therefore, whom he created for the reproach of life and the ⚫ destruction of death, that they might be organs of his anger, ' and examples of his severity, that they may come to their end, he sometimes deprives of the power of hearing his word, sometimes makes them more blind and stupid by the preaching of it. Therefore that Supreme Disposer makes a way for his predestination, when he leaves those in blindness, without the 'communication of his light, whom he has once reprobated. Inst. lib. iii. cap. 24. sect. 12.'

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power, and not appointing the continuance of the fallen race of Adam. It is said, that God raised Pharaoh, that is, he advanced him to authority, for "this very cause, to shew forth in him his power, "and that his name might be declared throughout "the earth" but not that he created him for the 6 reproach of life and the destruction of death.' It can hardly be supposed, that Calvin intended to make God the author of sin; but his language is highly improper: and, if it be needful to speak explicitly on such mysterious and awful subjects, we should confine ourselves, as nearly as possible, to the very words of the sacred oracles.

P. DXLIV. 1. 15. Behold, &c. Supposing the persons spoken of, to have provoked God by their sins, and to deserve the punishment, to which they are doomed; there is nothing in this passage, which does not accord to the Scripture: and it needs only to be explained in the same manner, as the Scriptures are often interpreted, to remove men's objections to it.2

Behold, he directs his voice to them, but it is that they may become more deaf; he lights up a light, but it is that they may be made more blind; he proposes a doctrine, but it is that they may become more stupid by it; he applies a remedy, but it is that they may not be healed.-Nor can this also be controverted, that God delivers his doctrine involved in obscurities, to those whom he wishes not to be illuminated, that they may gain nothing from it, except the being delivered up to greater stupidity. Inst. lib. iii. cap. 24. sect. 13.'

21 Kings xxii. 19-23. Ps. lxix. 21-28. lxxxi. 11, 12. Is. vi. 8, 9. xxix. 10, 11. Ez. xiv. 9, 10. Matt. xiii. 13-15. Mark iv. 11, 12. John xii. 38-40. Acts xxviii. 26, 27. Rom. xi. 7-10. 2 Thes. ii. 10-12.

P. DXLIV. 1. 27. of this quotation is improperly expressed. "The 'wicked are given up to their own hearts' lusts," s the punishment of their crimes: but we should be careful, not to ascribe their addictedness to sin, o any positive act of God. Calvin, for the time, orgot the words of St. James." Let no man say, 'when he is tempted I am tempted of God; for God is not tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any man."-And it must be acknowledged, that Home Calvinists too often forget them; even as Anicalvinists do what follows; "Do not err, my beloved brethren, every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, and cometh down from the Father "of lights, with whom is no variableness or shadow "of turning.-Of his own will begat he us with "the word of truth, that we should be a kind of "first fruits of his creatures."

That, &c." The latter part

P. DXLV. 1. 8. • Hence, &c.'3 Calvin is here answering the objection brought against his doctrine, from the words of God by Ezekiel, "I have no

That the reprobate do not obey the word of God, when explained to them, will be rightly imputed to the wickedness ' and maliciousness of their own hearts, provided it be at the same time added, that they are therefore addicted to this wickedness, 'because they are raised up by the just but inscrutable judgment of God, to illustrate his glory by their damnation. Inst. lib. iii. cap. 24. sect. 15.'

2 James i. 13-18.

3 Hence we see that the passage is evidently twisted, if the will of God, which the prophet mentions, be opposed to his 'eternal counsel, by which he separated the elect from the repro'bate. Inst. lib. iii. cap. 24. sect. 15.'

pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the "wicked turn from his way and live." (Deus nolit, &c.) And he shews, that if these words are to be understood, as implying the purpose of God to bring the whole human race to repentance and salvation, they are contrary to matter of fact; for all are not thus brought to repentance and salvation: nay, that the means of grace had not been vouchsafed to those cities, of which our Lord said; "if "the mighty works had been done" in Chorazin, "Bethsaida, and in Capernaum, which have been done in you, 66 they would have repented long ago "in sackcloth and ashes;" nay, "Sodom would "have continued to this day." Hence he concludes, that the passage is violently wrested (violenter tor

queri,) if the will of God, &c.' Now there appears nothing in this passage objectionable, except the doctrine of God's predestination, as stated in our seventeenth article, be objected to; unless it be the word reprobate.

P. DXLV. 1. 13.

'Moreover, &c." Only sub

Ez. xxxiii. 11.

2. Moreover, because no description can equal the weight of ⚫ divine vengeance against the reprobate, their torments and suf< ferings are figured to us by corporeal things, namely, by darkness, weeping, and gnashing of teeth, unquenchable fire, the

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worm, which dieth not, gnawing their heart. For by such modes of expression it is certain that the Holy Spirit meant to confound with horror all the senses: as, when it is said that a deep hell is prepared from eternity, that the pile thereof is fire and much wood, that the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it ;" by which things, as we ought to be assisted in forming some conception of the miserable lot of

stitute the word wicked, in the place of reprobate : (and Calvin afterwards calls them the impious :) and what objection lies against this passage, which may not equally be urged against the plainest language of the sacred Scriptures, concerning "the worm that never "dieth," "the unquenchable fire," "the blackness " of darkness for ever?" But if the awful sentence pronounced at the last day will be just; it could not be unjust, in him, whose foreknowledge is perfect, to purpose and decree to pronounce it and if salvation be not a debt due to a fallen apostate creature, it could not be unjust to decree, to leave the wicked "to their own hearts' lusts."-Calvin indeed changes the person, in the last clause from we to you, or thou, (for it is singular,) but he seems to mean, what the Psalmist expresses-"Consider this, ye "that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces, and "there be none to deliver." For it can hardly be supposed, that he intended to single out an individual; and, taking it for granted that he was a reprobate, to address him in a manner, which could not possibly be of use to him. He never supposed, that man can know any individuals as reprobated by the secret decree of God: and if they could be known, it being impossible to renew them to repentance, it would be of no use to warn or alarm them.

< the impious, so we ought particularly to fix our thoughts upon this, how calamitous a thing it is, to be alienated from all fellowship with God; and not only this, but to feel that the • majesty of God is so adverse to you, that you cannot avoid being <crushed by it. Inst. lib. iii. cap. 25. sect. 12.'

■ Ps. 1. 22.