a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but they would not! And now, what hinders men's salvation, but that same, They would not?

29. They would not, they will not come at Christ's call, and hearken to his reproof, and wait for his counsels, and receive power from on high to live to him who died for them, walking in all his commandments and ordinances blameless, and following, him whithersoever he goeth. This way is so narrow that few care to walk therein; and, therefore, they are not saved, even because they reject the counsel of God against themselves. They choose death; therefore they perish everlastingly.

TO ALL PREDESTINARIANS.

1. I AM informed some of you have said that the following quotations are false; that these words were not spoken by these authors: others, that they were not spoken in this sense and others, that neither you yourself, nor any true Predestinarian ever did, or ever would speak so.

2. My friends, the authors here quoted are well known, in whom you may read the words with your own eyes. And you who have read them know in your own consciences, they were spoken in this sense, and no other; nay, that this sense of them is professedly defended, throughout the whole treatises from whence they are taken.

3. But be this as it may, No true do you you indeed say, Predestinarian ever did or would speak so? Why every true, Predestinarian must speak so, and so must yourself too, if you dare speak out, unless they and you renounce your fundamental principle.

4. Your fundamental principle is this, God from eternity ordained whatsoever should come to pass. But from this single position undeniably follows every assertion hereafter mentioned. It remains therefore only that you choose

which you please, (for one you must choose,) of these three things, either 1. To equivocate, evade the question, and to prevaricate without end: or, 2. To swallow all these assertions together, and honestly to avow them: or, 3. To renounce them altogether, and believe in Christ, the Saviour of all.

DIALOGUE, &c.

Friend. SIR, I have heard that you make God the author of all sin, and the destroyer of the greater part of mankind without mercy.

Pred. I deny it; I only say,

*"God did from all eter

"nity unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass.” Friend. Do you make no exception?

Pred. No surely; For +"Nothing is more absurd than "to think any thing at all is done but by the ordination of "God."

Friend. Do you extend this to the actions of men?

Pred. Without doubt: "Every action and motion of "every creature is so governed by the hidden counsel of "God, that nothing can come to pass, but what was or"dained by him."

Friend. But what then becomes of the wills of men?

Pred. "The wills of men are so governed by the will

"of God, that they are carried on straight to the mark "which he has fore-ordained."

Friend. I suppose you mean the permissive will of God?

66

"Pred. No, I mean, §" All things come to pass, by the "efficacious and irresistible will of God."

Ibid. sect. 3.

↑ Calvin's Institutes, Book 1. Ibid. sect. 8. § Dr. Twiss,

* Assembly's Catechism, Chap. 3. Chap. 16. sect. 8. Vindicia Gratis Potestatis et Providentiæ Dei. Editio Jensoniana, Pars III.

P. 19.

Friend. Why then all men must do just what they do. Pred. True, “It is impossible that any thing should "ever be done, but that to which God impels the will of "man."

Friend. But does not this imply the necessity of all

events?

Pred. "I will not scruple to own that the will of "God lays a necessity on all things, and that every thing "that he wills, necessarily comes to pass.

Friend. Does sin then necessarily come to pass ?

Pred. Undoubtedly. For "The almighty power of "God extends itself to the first fall, and all other sins of "angels and men."

Friend. I grant God foresaw the first man would fall. Pred. Nay, "God not only foresaw that Adam would 66 fall, but also ordained that he should."

Friend. I know God permitted Adam's fall.

Pred. I tell you, f" He fell not only by the permission, "but also by the appointment of God. He sinned, be"cause God so ordained, because the Lord saw good."

Friend. But do not those who differ from you, raise many objections against you as to this point.

Pred. Yes. **"Those poisonous dogs vomit out many "things against God. ++ They deny that the Scripture "says, God decreed Adam's fall. They say, He might "have chose either to fall or not, and that God fore

❝ordained only to treat him according to his desert. As "if God had created the noblest of all his creatures, with"out fore-ordaining what should become of him!"_e",

Friend. Did God then make Adam on purpose that he might fall?

Pred. Undoubtedly. " God made Adam and Eve

* Dr. Twiss, Vindicia. Pars III. p. 19. sect. 8. Assembly's Catechism, c. 5.

sect. 7.

+ Calvin's Inst. b. 3. c. 24. Calvin's Inst. b. 3. c. 23.

§ Calvin Responsio ad Calumnias Nebulonis cujusdam ad Articulum primum. Calv. Inst. b. 3. c. 24. sect. 8. ** Ibid. b. 3. c. 23.

sect. 2.

++ Ibid. sect. 7.

Piscator Disput. Prædest. præf. p. 6. *

❝to this very purpose, that they might be tempted and led ❝into sin. And by force of his decree, it could not other"wise be but they must sin.? 1

Friend. But do not you ground God's decree on God's fore-knowledge rather than his will?

Pred. No. *"God foresees nothing but what he has "decreed, and his decree precedes his knowledge."

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Friend, Well, this may be truly termed 4 horrible decree.

Pred.

"I confess it is a horrible decree: yet no one " can deny, but God foreknew Adam's fall, and therefore "knew it, because he had ordained it so by his own "decree."

Friend. Do you believe then that God has by his own positive decree, not only elected some men to life, but also reprobated all the rest?

Pred. Most surely, if I believe one, I believe the other. "Many indeed (thinking to excuse God) own election, "and yet deny reprobation: but this is quite silly and "childish. For without reprobation, election itself cannot stand; whom God passes by, those he reprobates.” Friend. Pray explain what you mean by election and reprobation.

Pred. With all my heart. All men are not created "for the same end; but some are fore-ordained to eternal "life; others to eternal damnation. So according as every "man was created for the one end or the other, we say he "was elected or predestinated to life, or reprobated, i. e. predestinated to destruction."

Friend. Pray repeat your meaning.

Pred. "God hath once for all appointed by an eternal " and unchangeable decree, to whom he would give sal"vation, and whom he would devote to destruction."

Friend. Did God make any man on purpose that he might be damned?

* Piscat. Disput. Prædest. sect. 1. || Ibid. c. 21. sect, 1.

↑ Calv. Inst. b. 3. c. 23. sect. 7.

+ Ibid.

§ Ibid. sect. 7.