perience, to be mere palliatives, or rather irritatives.

'The proud and selfish nature of man falls an easy victim to the fascinating doctrines of elec'tion and grace.'1

If the doctrine of election and grace' be teaching men to believe that they themselves are elect, and the favourites of heaven, it will certainly please the proud and selfish nature of men,' as well as any other instructions, which induce them to think themselves the favourites of heaven without repentance and works meet for repentance;" without "faith working by love," and producing obedience; in short, without holiness of heart and life and it is hard to say, which system of selfcomplacency and self-preference bests suits our proud and selfish nature. But the doctrines of ' election and grace' rest on this foundation, that all men are so guilty and depraved that they might most justly have been left, without exception, to perish everlastingly, as "children of

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wrath," "enemies to God," and "vessels of "wrath fitted for destruction : " that all were incurably, except by divine grace, propense not only to break the holy law, but also to reject the salvation which, in infinite mercy, God had prepared in Christ, and through his atonement and intercession that regenerating, new creating grace alone can produce a cordial willingness to be reconciled to God: and that, whatever secret reasons God had for conferring this infinitely valuable and unmerited blessing on some, and not on others,

1 Ref. 283.

the deserving of the elect was not one of thein. Nor can any man know himself to be one of this chosen company, except as it is manifest in his conscience that he repents of, hates, and is dead to, sin; that he believes in the Lord Jesus; that he loves him, and unreservedly endeavours to keep his commandments and copy his example; and that he loves all who bear his image, and every thing connected with him; and loves all men, with compassion and good-will, after his example: so that all evidences, without our being thus"in Christ new creatures," are delusion, enthusiasm, presumption. Nay, even at the highest attainments in devotedness to God and holiness of life, the Christian has not the smallest ground of self-preference, above the felon or murderer: as all the difference between him, and the worst of the wicked, is owing to the special unmerited grace of God; and nothing remains for him but thankfulness, and shame that he makes no more suitable returns. These, I say, are not views congenial to the pride, selfishness, and love of sin, and of the world, which are natural to fallen man. Men may be (and will be, without renewing grace,) proud of any kind of distinction from others in supposed knowledge, virtue, or endowments and many have been, and are, proud both of Calvinistic and of Anticalvinistic opinions. But he who judges and feels respecting himself, according to the statement above given, will find little to feed his self-complacency; but much to stop his mouth, to silence his objections, reasonings, and attempts at self-justification; to silence his murmurs, resentments, and censoriousness;

and much to inspire gratitude, admiration, and love of God; and to encourage hope, in his exercise of good-will to men: for there can be no sinner so vile and hardened, but the same grace, which has softened, and humbled, and won his heart, would soften, humble, subdue, and win the heart of that sinner also.-So far is the doctrine of God's sovereignty, in "having mercy on whom he will have mercy," from being popular; that, when stated as above, (as I trust most of the evangelical clergy do state it, who at all introduce it into their public instructions,) it is, in all places, except where the doctrine is well known, and overrated, and perhaps rather incautiously inculcated, by far the most unpopular part of our ministry. Many favourably receive our instructions in other respects, whose hearts revolt against this; and, after all the zeal of Calvinists to make proselytes, the small number of avowed Calvinists (in respect of personal election to eternal life,) found in this nation, compared with the mass of the population, -not one in ten, to speak much within compass; or even of the whole multitude of those who seem in earnest about religion; is a full proof that every man who seeks popularity, in a new station, where Calvinism is not much known, must be very careful how he introduces the subject; for the hearts of his hearers will be sure to revolt against it. So far is man's proud and selfish nature from being easily fascinated by the doctrine!--It should be remembered, that all the followers of Mr. Wesley are in this respect decidedly and zealously Anticalvinists; as well as several other companies which appear earnest in religion, and

a considerable proportion of evangelical clergymen and their congregations.

In tracing the coherence among the systems ' of modern theology, we may observe that the 'doctrine of absolute decrees has ever been inti'mately connected with the enthusiastic spirit ; 'as that doctrine affords the highest subject of joy, triumph, and security to the elect, and exalts 'them by infinite degrees above the rest of 'mankind.' '1

I should not have previously supposed, that a protestant bishop would deign to quote the infidel scoffer Hume, in such an argument; who, as it easily might be proved, shewed as much ignorance, when he presumed to write about religion, as he did sound discernment and accurate information on other subjects; and who never, throughout his whole history, meets with any thing like Christianity, among papists or protestestants, Calvinists or Arminians, churchmen or dissenters, without shewing most clearly his bitter enmity and sovereign contempt of it; and that always in proportion as the enemy to be assailed approximates to the religion of the New Testament. I disdain to answer Hume's accusation of enthusiasm. I only deny its truth; and I rejoice that his testimony is against us: it is the highest applause which such a man was capable of bestowing on religious characters.

'I do not however deny, that these doctrines have been adopted and maintained by some per

Quoted from Hume Ref. 283, Note.

'sons eminent for their learning and in high stations of the church; but I think that the adoption of these opinions may in general be traced, in 'writers of an early period, to the abhorrence of 'the impious doctrine of human merit, which, it has been frequently observed, was one of the 'chief points of controversy with the church of Rome, rather than to their unbiassed judgment of 'the sense of scripture. I am most ready to allow ' that many Calvinists have been pious and ex'cellent men; and I am fully satisfied that there ' are in these days zealous Christians of that per'suasion, who would be among the first to deplore

any evil, which might befal our constitution in 'church or state. But I contend that Calvinism ' is a system peculiarly liable to abuse.'1

The concessions in the former part of this quotation make a sort of honourable amends to the Calvinists, who before were classed with avowed infidels and atheists, as not less dangerous to our church than they. St. Peter was fully aware that these doctrines, as stated and enlarged on by " his "beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom "given unto him," were peculiarly liable to abuse.2 We also are aware of the same; and bestow great pains to distinguish between the genuine use of the doctrines, in rendering the believer humble, thankful, patient, meek towards all men, and joyful in temptations and afflictions; and the perversion of them, in feeding the pride of self-preference, buoying up carnal minds in false confidence; giving needless discouragement to the unestablished; and fostering a hardness of spirit in those who 'Ref. 283, 284. 2 Pet. iii. 15, 16.

2