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at liberty, to confess his crime to a magistrate, and if he did so, he should be absolved from all punishment. There is no doubt but some men would be pleased with such a law, and would love a Congress of that character, who would make regulations by which they could commit crimes with impunity. But would you, reader, or any other honest man, be pleased with a government regulated in this way? What would be the effects of it? Who, among the wicked, would fear to offend? Most surely the consequence would be, that our lives and property would all be jeopardized before a lawless banditti.

Let us view the matter in what light we please, it will be found, that God's plan of governing the world, which he has revealed in his word, is much better than any which has been devised by those who have opposed it.— The Congress, or no heathen princes, have ever been foolish enough to make such regulations in their governments, as the Methodist would have the Lord to make in his. All rulers punish offenders within their dominions; and if they pardon any, they reserve to themselves the right of pardoning whom they will: consequently, none dares to offend, expecting pardon, because he does not know whether he will get it.

Therefore we hope, that all who truly love the Lord, will be willing to trust him with at least as much power as they put into the hands

of their governor, and let him manage the go. vernment of his own kingdom, giving his commands or laws to his subjects; and if any one breaks them, or has broken them, then let the Lord have mercy on whom he will have mercy among the rebellious; and let him keep his secret counsels to himself. Consequently, if any one finds that. by the gift of God, he has at present a will, or disposition to repent, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, he will practise holiness for holiness' sake, and be a good citizen: and he may know from the Bible, that he is among the elect of God, who are pardoned, and will be saved. And those sinners who at present wish to continue in their sins, may likewise know, by the same rule, that there is no certainty but what they may be damned. Therefore let them fear to sin, lest a righteous God might require their iniquities at their hands, and punish them in proportion to their crimes.

From these few observations, it must be evident to every candid reader, that the propagation of this freewill scheme is dangerous even to the wellbeing of civil society. The Roman Catholics have contrived it so, as to have some check, or remedy, for this evil. They teach their hearers to believe, that they cannot get a pardon for their crimes, except it is granted to them by the priest; and if they will commit crimes, the priests will make them pay for their iniquity. Here there is some straint. But in the Methodist scheme there is

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no check, either from God or man. Accord ing to them, a person may sin when he pleases, and accept of salvation when he pleases; for he has the power completely in his own hands. The discipline says that God, by the promise of a Saviour, has restored, or given liberty and power to mankind to accept of proffered salvation. It is plain English-any man can understand the meaning-and, if he is disposed, he will act upon the principle.

Therefore, when the innocent man has his life or property sworn away in a court of justice; or when the city is set on flames, or the unwary traveller shot from his horse; the perpetrator of these crimes most certainly must have believed this doctrine in his heart, let his language be what it may. Because if he had known, and believed, that his pardon was in the hands of a sovereign God, whose eyes were upon him, and that no man upon earth, or angel in heaven, knew whether this God would ever bring him to repentance and salvation; or whether he had determined to make him groan in eternal torment for these crimes; we say, if the transgressor had believed this truth, he would have paused before he acted. But with the other belief, he could proceed without delay in his iniquity, with an intention afterwards to use his liberty and power to accept of prof fered salvation.*

*If any one should attempt to evade these consequenres of the doctrine by saying, (as they sometimes do,)

II. We will show that this doctrine is dangerous to the eternal interests of sinful men. When carnal men are persuaded to believe that they have liberty and power given them, to accept of proffered salvation, the doctrine suits their wicked hearts. When they hear the threatenings of the law, or the invitations of the gospel, they can readily answer, I pray thee, have me excused-I have some darling sin, which I cannot forsake, or something else to which I must attend, at present.' He feels easy in his mind about the matter, because he thinks that he has liberty and power to accept of salvation, therefore he says in his heart, I can and will come at another time.' Indeed, when careless sinners reflect upon the whole scheme, they may even think it safer and better to come at a late hour. Because, if they accept of the invitation, and get religion in early life, there is a possibility, yea, a strong probability, of losing it, and being damned at last.

Perhaps the objector may say, that the doctrine of decrees is more calculated to beget

"that a sinner cannot repent, except God give him power," this would be only another vain attempt to unite iron and clay. Because, if unregenerated men have not the power or disposition to repent and believe, until God gives it to them, then it is in God's hands, and he can give it to, or withhold it from, whom he pleases. Consequently our system stands good. But if he hath already given this power to unrenewed men, then the above consequences unavoidably follow.

security in the carnal man than this. But if so, why are all the wicked in every age so much offended at it? Let the unregenerated reader try the experiment for himself: for the truth is, that no man can sit down contented in his sins, with the full belief that he is bound under the curse for them, and only waiting for the day of eternal execution. Such a belief is at once calculated to alarm every guilty conscience.

But this idea of self-sufficiency is the main trap, which takes and destroys almost all the children of men who are damned. We presume that none will deny, but that in all probability, there are few in hell brought up under the light of the gospel, who expected to go there while they were here on earth.They all intended to repent, and they believed in their hearts that they had " liberty and power to accept of proffered salvation ;" and many of them were ready to rise in arms against the man who would preach a different doctrine. Because, let a man be born or educated in what persuasion he may, he is ever an Arminian in heart, until he is born of the spirit of God; and there is no difficulty in persuading him to act upon the principle, although he may even pretend not to believe it. It is this that makes the doctrine popular in a wicked world.

With this inward belief, strengthened by the secret suggestions of the evil one, and by the

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