sciences; it renders them inexcusable; it vindicates God's mercy; it clears his justice; it shews that the Judge of all the earth does no wrong; and it begins in this world the just punishment which righteous vengeance will complete in the next.

The grace of God, therefore, like the gospel that testifies of it, is a two-edged sword: It is a savour of life to those who cherish it, and a savour of death to those who resist it. That some cherish it, by its assistauce work righteousness to the last, and then receive the reward of the inheritance, is not " entirely owing to themselves and to their own faithfulness," as the Fictitious Creed asserts: Nor is it "entirely owing to the love and favour of God." This happy event has two causes: The first is free grace, by the assis tance of which the faith and good works of the righteous are begun, continued, and ended: The second is free will humbly working with free grace: As appears by the numerous scriptures balanced in the scripture scales. And that some, on the other hand, resist the grace of God, and are personally given up to a reprobate mind that they might be damned, is not at all owing to God's free wrath, as the scheme of Mr. Hill supposes: Nor is it entirely owing to the unfaithful-ness and obstinacy of impenitent sinners. This unhappy event has also two causes: The first is man's free will finally refusing to concur with free grace, in working out his own salvation: And the second is just wrath, revenging the despite done to God's free grace by such a final refusal.

With respect to "the distinguishing love and favour" of God our Judge, and his distinguished hatred and ill-will; (on which our eternal rewards and punishments unavoidably turn, according to Mr. Hill's twin doctrines of finished salvation and finished damnation ;) we dare not admit them into our holy religion. We give to "distinguishing favour" an important place in our creed, as appears from the first Article of this; but that favour has nothing to do with God's judicial distribution of rewards or punishments, i. e.,

with God's appointing of us to eternal life or to eternal death. We believe that it is a most daring attempt of the Antinomians, to place distinguishing favour and distinguishing displeasure upon the judicial throne of God, and in the judgment seat of Christ; no decrees proceeding from thence, but such as are dictated by impartial justice putting Christ's evangelical law in execution, and strictly judging, (i. e., justifying or condemning, rewarding or punishing,) moral agents, according to their works. We should think ourselves guilty of propagating a shocking, not to say blasphemous" doctrine, if we insinuated, that "distinguishing favour," and not unbribed Justice, dictates God's sentence; God himself having enacted, Cursed be he that perverteth judgment, &c., and all the people shall say, Amen.' (Deut. xxvii. 19.) Nor need I tell Mr. Hill this, who has hinted, that God is such a partial Judge ;-yea, that carries partiality to such a height, as to say to a man who actually defiles a married woman, and treacherously plots the murder of her injured husband, 'Thou art all fair, my love, my undefiled, there is no spot in thee:-Thou art a man after my own heart.' If Mr. Hill has forgotten this anecdote, I refer him to the Five Letters, the sale of which he does not scruple to advertise again in his Three Letters, saying, "I now think it the way of duty to permit the Five Letters to Mr. Fletcher, &c., to be again sold, in order that both friends and enemies may, if possible, be convinced that I never retracted my sentiments."-Strange confidence of boasting! O Mores! What have Morality and Godliness done to Mr. Hill, that he will put them to a perpetual blush; lest his Venus (for she no longer deserves the name of Diana) should redden one moment?

THE FICTITIOUS CREED.

ARTICLE V.

"I BELIEVE that God sincerely wishes for the salvation of many who never will be saved; consequently, that it is entirely owing to want of ability in God, that what he so earnestly willeth, is not accomplished."

THE GENUINE CREED.

ARTICLE V.

We believe that God's attributes perfectly harmonise. Accordingly his goodness and mercy incline him to "wish for the salvation of" all men, upon gracious terms laid down by his wisdom and veracity. As a proof of the sincerity of his wish he swears by himself, that his antecedent will or decree is not, that sinners should die; but that,' by the help of his free grace and the submission of their free will, they should turn and live.' He does more still :-He grants to all men a day of initial salvation, and all that day long he stretches forth his hands' to them: He reproves them for their sins; he calls upon them in various ways to repent; and gives them power to do it according to one or another dispensation of his grace; requiring little of those to whom he gives little; and much of those to whom much is given. But it is his subsequent decree, dictated chiefly by his holiness, justice, and sovereignty, that, if free agents will none of his reproofs, and finally disregard the offers of his grace, his Spirit shall not always strive with them:' A day of calamity shall follow the day of their neglected salvation: And justice shall be glorified in their righteous destruction. This is the sad alternative, which God has set before them,

if, in opposition to his antecedent will, they (through their free-agency) finally choose death, in finally choosing the way that leads to it.

This part of our doctrine may be summed up in three propositions. (1.) God's mercy absolutely wills the initial salvation of all men by Jesus Christ.-(2.) God's goodness, holiness, and faithfulness, absolutely will the eternal salvation of all those, who, by the concurrence of their assisted, unnecessitated free will, with his redeeming grace, are found penitent, obedient believers, at the end of their day of initial salvation :---And, (3.) God's justice, sovereignty, and veracity, absolutely will the destruction of all that are found impenitent at the close of the day of their gracious visitation, or initial salvation. To see the truth of these three propositions, we need only consider them in the light of these two gospel axioms, and compare them with these declarations of Moses and Jesus Christ: 'I set life and death before you, [free agents, who enjoy a day of initial salvation :] Choose life:' (I offer it you first : 'Choose life,' I say, that you may live eternally. But if you choose death in the error of your ways,' your rejected Saviour will complain, How often would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her brood under her wings, but ye would not: And now the things that made for your peace are hid from your eyes' That is, You are given up to judicial blindness, and to all its fearful consequences.

Hence it is evident, that the damnation of those, who obstinately live and die in their sins, and whom God was willing to save as free agents upon gospel terms, argues no "want of ability in him" to save them eternally, if he would give up the day of judgment, and exert his omnipotence in opposition to his wisdom, justice, holiness and veracity; or if he would destroy the most wonderful of all his works, which is the free will of moral agents. We never doubted his ability to unman man, and eternally to save all mankind, if he would absolutely do it; it being evident that the Almighty can overpower all his creatures if he

should be bent upon it, and drive them from sin to necessitated holiness, and from hell to heaven, far more easily than a shepherd can drive his frighted sheep from the market to the slaughter-house. Therefore, the supposition that, upon our principies, "God wants ability to save" whom he absolutely will save, is entirely groundless; every man being actually saved so far as God* absolutely wills For first God absolutely wills, that all men should be unconditionally saved with initial salvation; and thus all men are unconditionally saved: And, secondly, he absolutely wills that all men, who are obedient and faithful unto death, should absolutely be I saved with an eternal salvation: And thus all men who are obedient and faithful unto death are actually saved. They shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of Christ's protecting hand. But what has this scripture-doctrine to do with Calvinism?-With the necessary, eternal, finished salvation of ALL the disobedient sheep, who turn goats, foxes, lions, and serpents? Who, far from remembering Lot's wife, slily rob their neighbours of their ewe lambs,-their heart's blood, their reputation!

To conclude: The most that Mr. Hill can justly say against our principles, is: (1.) That, according to the gospel which we preach, man is a free agent, and God is wise, holy, true and just; as well as good, loving, patient

*The reader is desired to take particular notice of this obserration, because it cuts up by the root Bradwarden's famous argument." If you allow, (says he,) (1.) That God is able to do a thing, and, (2.) That he is [absolutely] willing to do a thing: Then, (3.) I affirm, that the thing will not, cannot go unaccom. plished:-Otherwise God must either lose his power, or change his mind. If the [absolute] will of God could be frustrated and vanquished, its defeat would arise from the created wills either of angels, or of men. But could any created will whatever, &c., counteract and baffle the will of God, the will of the creature must be superior either in strength or in wisdom to the will of the Creator: Which can by no means be allowed."--We fully grant to Mr. Toplady that the argument is "extremely conclusive," provided the two words absolutely' and 'absolute' be taken into it; And therefore, we maintain, as well as he, that man is actually saved, so far as God absolutely wills.