hath determined the times for every nation to come into being, with the bounds of their habitation. 8. He has allotted the time, the place, the circumstances, for the birth of each individual,

"If of parents I came,

That honour'd thy name,

'Twas thy goodness appointed it so."

9. He has given to each a body as it pleased him, weak or strong, healthy or sickly. This implies, 10. That he gives them various degrees of understanding, and of knowledge, diversified by numberless circumstances. It is hard to say, how far this extends: what an amazing difference there is, as to the means of improvement, between one born and brought up in a pious English family, and one born and bred among the Hottentots. Only we are sure the dif ference cannot be so great, as to necessitate one to be good, or the other to be evil; to force one into everlasting glory, or the other into everlasting burnings. This cannot be, because it would suppose the character of God, as a Creator, to interfere with God, as a Governor: wherein he does not, cannot possibly, act according to his own mere Sovereign Will; but, as he has expressly told us, according to the invariable rules both of Justice and Mercy.

Whether therefore we can account for it or not, (which indeed we cannot in a thousand cases) we must absolutely maintain, that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. But he cannot reward the sun for shining, because the sun is not a free agent. Neither could he reward us, for letting our light shine before men, if we acted as necessarily as the sun. All reward, as well as all punishment, presupposes Free-agency; and whatever creature is incapable of choice, is incapable of either the one or the other.

Whenever therefore God acts, as a Governor, as a Rewarder, or Punisher, he no longer acts as a mere Sovereign, by his own sole will and pleasure; but as an impartial Judge, guided in all things by invariable Justice.

Yet it is true, that, in some cases, Mercy rejoices over

Justice; although Severity never does. God may reward more, but he will never punish more, than strict Justice requires. It may be allowed, that God acts as Sovereign, in convincing some souls of sin; arresting them in their mad career, by his resistless power. It seems also, that, at the moment of our conversion, he acts irresistibly. There may likewise be many irresistible touches, during the course of our Christian warfare; with regard to which every believer may say,

"In the time of my distress,

Thou hast my succour been,
In my utter helplessness

Restraining me from sin.”

But still, as St. Paul might have been either obedient or "disobedient to the heavenly vision," so every individual may, after all that God has done, either improve his grace, or make it of none effect.

: Whatever therefore it hath pleased God to do, of his Sovereign pleasure, as Creator of heaven and earth; and whatever his Mercy may do on particular occasions, over and above what Justice requires; the general rule stands firm as the pillars of heaven, "The Judge of all the earth will do right." He will "judge the world in righteousness," and every man therein, according to the strictest Justice. He will punish no man, for doing any thing which he could not possibly avoid; neither for omitting any thing which he could not possibly do. Every punishment supposes the offender might have avoided the offence, for which he is punished. Otherwise, to punish him would be palpably unjust, and inconsistent with the character of God our Governor.

Let then these two ideas, of God the Creator, the Sovereign Creator, and God the Governor, the Just Governor, be always kept apart. Let us distinguish them from each other, with the utmost care. So shall we give God the full glory of his Sovereign Grace, without impeaching his invi. plable Justice,

THE QUESTION,

WHAT IS AN ARMINIAN?

ANSWERED,

1. TO say, "This man is an Arminian," has the same effect on many hearers, as to say, "This is a mad dog.' It puts them into a fright at once: they run away from him with all speed and diligence: and will hardly stop, unless it be to throw a stone at the dreadful, mischievous animal.

2. The more unintelligible the word is, the better it answers the purpose. Those on whom it is fixed, know not what to do: not understanding what it means, they cannot tell what defence to make, or how to clear themselves from the charge. And it is not easy to remove the prejudice, which others have imbibed, who know no more of it, than that it is "something very bad," if not "all that is bad!??

3. To clear the meaning therefore of this ambiguous term, may be of use to many: to those who so freely pin this name upon others, that they may not say what they do not understand: to those that hear them, that they may be no longer abused by men saying they know not what and to those upon whom the name is fixed, that they may know how to answer for themselves.

4. It may be necessary to observe, first, that many confound Arminians with Arians. But this is entirely a different thing: the one has no resemblance to the other. An Arian is one who denies the Godhead of Christ: we scarcely need say, the supreme, eternal Godhead; because there can be no God but the supreme, eternal God, unless we will make two gods, a great god, and a little one. Now,

none have ever more firmly believed, or more strongly asserted, the Godhead of Christ, than many of the (so called) Arminians have done; yea, and do at this day. Arminianism therefore (whatever it be) is totally different from Arianism.

5. The rise of the word was this, James Harmens, in Latin, Jacobus Arminius, was first one of the Ministers of Amsterdam, and afterwards Professor of Divinity at Leyden. He was educated at Geneva; but in the year 1591, began to doubt of the principles which he had till then received. And being more and more convinced that they were wrong, when he was vested with the Professorship, he publickly taught what he believed of the truth, till in the year 1609, he died in peace. But a few years after his death, some zealous men, with the Prince of Orange at their head, furiously assaulted all that held, what were called, his Opinions, and having procured them to be solemnly condemned, in the famous Synod of Dort, (not so numerous or learned, but fully as impartial as the Council, or Synod of Trent ;) some were put to death, some banished, some imprisoned for life, all turned out of their employments, and made incapable of holding any office, either in Church or State.

6. The errors charged upon these (usually termed Arminians) by their opponents, are five, 1. That they deny Original Sin. 2. That they deny Justification by Faith. 3. That they deny Absolute Predestination. 4. That they deny the Grace of God to be irresistible; and, 5. That they affirm, a Believer may fall from Grace.

With regard to the two first of these Charges, they plead, Not guilty. They are entirely false. No man that ever lived, not John Calvin himself, ever asserted either Original Sin, or Justification by Faith, in more strong, more clear, and express terms, than Arminius has done. These two points, therefore, are to be set out of the question: in these both parties agree. In this respect there is not an hair's breadth difference between Mr. WESLEY and Mr. WHITE

7. But there is an undeniable difference between the Calvinists and Arminians, with regard to the three other Questions. Here they divide: the former believe Absolute, the latter, only Conditional Predestination. The Calvinists hold, 1. God has absolutely decreed, from all eternity, to save such and such persons, and no others, and that Christ died for these, and none else. The Arminians hold, God has decreed from all eternity, touching all that have the written word, "He that believeth shall be saved: he that believeth not, shall be condemned:" and in order to this, * Christ died for all, all that were dead in trespasses and sins," that is, for every child of Adam, since in Adam all died.

8. The Calvinists hold, Secondly, That the saving Grace of God is absolutely irresistible: that no man is any more able to resist it, than to resist the stroke of lightning. The Arminians hold, that, although there may be some moments wherein the Grace of God acts irresistibly, yet in general any man may resist, and that to his eternal ruin, the Grace whereby it was the will of God, he should have been eternally saved.

9. The Calvinists hold, Thirdly, That a true Believer in Christ, cannot possibly fall from Grace. The Arminians hold, That a true Believer may "make shipwreck of faith and a good conscience;" that he may fall, not only foully, but finally, so as to perish for ever.

10. Indeed the two latter points, Irresistible Grace, and Infallible Perseverance, are the natural consequence of the former, of the unconditional Decree. For if God has eternally and absolutely decreed to save such and such persons, it follows, both, that they cannot resist his saving Grace, (else they might miss of salvation;) and that they cannot finally fall from that Grace which they cannot resist. So that in effect, the three questions come into one, "Is Predestination Absolute or Conditional?" The Arminians believe, it is Conditional: the Calvinists, that it is Absolute.

11. Away then with all ambiguity: away with all ex.