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making Chrift a Minister of Sin, Gal. ii. 17. If this was not the Case, such Objections would not have been stated and answered as we find recorded in the Passages referred to, as well as in other Parts of the Apoftolic Writings. There were not wanting those who charged Them with representing the Deity as unjust, cruel, and partial, as appears from Rom. iii. 5, 7. and ix. 14, 19. and their Doctrine was so liable to Perversion and Abuse, that many wrested it to their own Destruction, 2 Pet. iii. 16. and turned the Grace of God into Lasciviousness, Jude 4. Nay their great Mafter himself was looked upon as a Blasphemer, a Deceiver, and as poffefsed with a Devil;-and because he told some of his Self-righteous Hearers some very humbling Truths, both as to their Principles and Practices, and infifted that the Harlots and Publicans would enter into the Kingdom of GOD before them, they stigmatized him as a Friend to Licenciousness, a Wine-bibber and

Glutton, a Friend of Publicans and Sinners *.

Now

He was once in particular in Danger of his Life, for a Sermon which He preached in the Synagogue at Nazareth, Luke iv. 16, &c. It may not be amiss to take Notice of the Part of that Sermon which gave the Offence. Our Lord took his Text from 1f. lxi. 1, 2. and when he began His Discourse, the Hearers were well fatisfied with what he said: They all bare Him Witness (Ver. 22.) and wondered at the gracious Words which proceeded out of His Mouth. But when He came, in the Application of his Subject, to give some broad Hints that God's Grace is his own, and, as such, he bestows it as He will-whenand to whom He will, but always so as to confound human Pride, and lay all supposed Merit and Self-preference lower than the Duft; that therefore He did not difpenfe His Miracles by private Respects, but according to the Appointment of His heavenly Father. This favoured fo much

Now as I do verily believe that CHRIST and his Apostles rightly understood the Gospel, though their Oppofers did not, and that they rightly preached it, though their Enemies blafphemed it, and their pretended Friends abused and perverted it, and as these Signs followed their Doctrine and Preaching, I rather fufpect that where these Things are not in fome Degree at least, there the true Gospel is not, but fome * patched-up, mungrel System, which, under a Shew of not being liable to Perversion and Abuse, has gained no small Reputation in the World, and even become the fashionable Religion.

But there is an alarming Objection to this, which meets us at the Entrance of the Epistle to the Galatians

much of what is now called Calvinism, and especially as it was held forth in two famous Examples which applied close to the Point, that Self-righteousness and Free-will, which had laid quiet before in the Breafts of the Auditory, were now rouzed to Fury, and all they in the Synagogue, when they heard THESE THINGS, were filled with Wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the City, and led Him unto the Brow of the Hill (whereon their City was built) that they might caft Him down Headlong, Ver. 28, 29.

I might observe too, that our Lord was perfectly understood in making Himself equal with God, John v. 18. or making Himself GOD, John xx. 33. For this He was accused of Blafphemy, and at last put to Death. Vid. Matt. xxvi. 64, 65, 66.

2

latians, Chap. i. 8,9. Paul was so attached to his System, which, by the Way, he affures us he learnt from Jesus Christ himself, that he declares in the most peremptory Manner-If we, or an Angel from Heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed: And left this Sentiment should be overlooked, or not duly confidered, it is again inforced-As I said before, so say I now again, that if any preach unto you any other Gospel than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Now let those who preach a Gospel which is not liable to Perversion and Abuse, confider well of this, and if they can answer the following Argument, they may securely rail at what they term Calvinistical Doctrines, as being liable to Perverfion and Abuse, when theirs are not.

The Gospel which Paul preached was liable to be perverted, abused, and wrested to Men's Destruction.

But the Gospel which we preach is not liable to be perverted, abused, and wrested to Men's Destruction.

Ergo, the Gospel which we preach, is not the fame with that which Paul preached.

I don't know a more unfair Way of attacking a Body of People, than by imputing the Faults of Individuals to the whole: I fancy, if this were allowable, that the heartiest Friends to Arminianism, would not find their Principles long teneable, and yet this is the Way in which they affail the Tenets of Calvinism: As if Hypocrites were not the Growth of every Soil, and Evil-doers the Disgrace of all Profeffions. But yet, if this Matter were put to

the

the Trial, if a Search-Warrant were granted, and all the Thieves, Pick-pockets, Highwaymen, and Housebreakers, which, to the Scandal of Government, so infest this Country, were brought to a Bar to declare their Sentiments, (if they can be fupposed to have any of the religious Kind) I am confident that they would ten to one appear on the Arminian Side of the Question, they would be very Patriots in the Cause of Free-will, they would contend for its full Swing, till it rewarded them in Kind, on that useful and instructive Edifice, which stands as a Monument of the Dignity of Man-of the Rectitude of the human Will-as well as a Memento of its happy Emancipation from those Shackles and Fetters of Corruption, which the Calvinists suppose it to be under.

However, let what will be said against the Calvinists, though they follow Calvin, as they think he followed the Scriptures, with regard to Freewill, Predestination, and Grace-yet they never follow Arius and Socinus into a Rejection of the everblessed TRINITY IN UNITY, nor deny the SELFEXISTENT GODHEAD OF JESUS CHRIST, or the PERSONALITY AND DIVINITY of the HOLY GHOST. -Nor do they follow Pelagius into a Denial of the utter Ruin of Man by the Fall. This cannot be faid of our later Arminians, "who have carried " Things much farther than Arminius himself, (fays Mr. Broughton in his Bibliotheca HistoricoSacra) " and fome of them have come very near " Socinianism, they look on the Trinity as not ne"ceffary to Salvation, and they generally avoid the "Term, Satisfaction of Christ-they contend for a " general Toleration of all that profess the Chriftian " Religion."

In

In whose Shop the present Animosity against the Liturgy and Articles was forged, is very evident. We may venture to acquit the Calvinists of having the leaft Share in it, and may suppose, without the leaft Uncharitableness, that the Petition to Parliament, for Relief from Subscriptions, would never have had its Existence, if Arminianism had not prefided at the Feathers Tavern. Arminians, if true to their Principles, must be Enemies to many doctrinal Points in the Articles; Calvinists, if true to their Principles, are Friends, hearty Friends, to

ALL.

As to the Persons of the Associators, I don't know that I am acquainted with one of them, nor do I know a single Name amongst all those which may appear to the Affsociation Bond; yet it is impossible for any Body of the least Discernment, to read their Manifesto of September 15, 1771, without feeing that their Principles are replete with Enmity to the grand Doctrines of our Establishment, as set forth in the Liturgy and Articles. However, an Under-taking that feems to profess itself to be for the Illumination, Instruction, and Good of Mankind, should at least have attempted its own Recommendation, by honestly unfolding the particular Matters, which need the proposed Interposition of the Legislature, the Doctrines objected to should have been named expressly, and the Associators particular Objections minutely and distinctly stated to the public Eye. This would have been fair and candid. At present we are only supposed to know that there are a Set of Vipers in the Bosom of the Church, who, in the Shape of Clergymen, would gnaw out her Vitals; that these (together with other Persons difaffected to the Truth the teaches) have fent forth a most indecent and Scandalous Libel against her Liturgy and

M