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GENERAL

CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS.

Of all the anomalies in that melancholy medley of "strife," " envyings," "variance," "murder," -the reign of Presbyterian and Cromwellian Puritanism-the most extraordinary circumstance was the Creed professed by both parties, of absolute, unalterable predestination from all eternity—that the Being who thus decreed was not to be moved -and yet this Lord of Fate was constantly "sought"

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prayer, and not only so, but a conviction was expressed that particular Ministers had an especial "influence," so as to prevail with this immoveable Deity, at their request, and for their especial purposes, to change that ETERNAL DECREE which, upon their own principles, was unchangeable!

How do the most elaborate systems fall to pieces before a few plain axioms of common sense. The Almighty, in his dealings with such a creature as man, could have decreed otherwise, or he could not. If he could have decreed otherwise, then there could be no necessary immutable decree from

* See account of the death of Cromwell.

all eternity. If he could not have decreed otherwise, then there is no GOD, BUT FATE! Argue as long as you will, you must be reduced to this point at last.

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There are two great schemes or philosophical views on this subject. The two schemes, in the pedantic language of what are called the schools, are Supra-lapsarian, and Sub-lapsarian. Now common if it were destined before the fall that man must fall, and it could not have been otherwise, the Supreme Power could not surely be pronounced ALL-MIGHTY! The heart instantly revolts from this conclusion, and therefore other scholastic dialecticians argue, that predestination was after the fall!* Now this stultifies the other — for, if Adam was free, and might have stood, but fell, there is no reason, à priori, why those who came after him might not stand or fall, and then the question reverts-is it God or Destiny that rules the universe?

The Stoics felt this dilemma, and said of Jupiter, "semel jussit, semper paret." Jupiter first commanded, and afterwards for ever was obedient to his own commands: but, if he had power to command either one or the other, then there is NO DESTINY. The half-destiny is such utter nonsense, that nothing but being lost in scholastic subtleties, and dialectic

This does not affect the reasoning, that God willed the restoration of man to immortality through our Redeemer.

verbiage, could have imposed on the understanding of Davenant or Baxter; and the whole of Calvin's horrible deductions must be admitted-or none.

If there be an Almighty Power, which created a sensible being, to live for a short period, and then for countless and countless ages to survive in torments without end! and if it was owing to the WILL of an Almighty Power, that man should be created for no other purpose than that he should be thus destined to eternal torments, (called, scholastically, REPROBATION,") the thought of which seems to have delighted the imagination of him who in later days most learnedly systematized the doctrine-then this Almighty ought to be called by his right name-TON AIABOAON KOZMOKPATEPA*-from the Oriental idea in which the creed originated — that the GOD OF EVIL was the maker of the world! So delighted, indeed, seemed the Geneva Doctor with this idea, that he does not seem to see the utter inconclusiveness of his own arguments, astute as he was. God made man and the ass, he tells us; and the ass being destined to a life of sufferings, why should not the same God destine millions of human beings to abide for ever and ever in sufferings? But the reasoning, such as it is, is inconclusive; for there is no comparison

*Irenæus.

+ This is Calvin's argument, to the best of my recollection. BISHOP HORSLEY shall not persuade me to look at the book again.

between the humbler existence of inferior animals, and the eternal torments of a being like man, in comparison of which, the life of the most abject animal must be PARADISE !

System-Christians, and visionaries, make equal havock with the simplicity of Gospel-truth. A fervid mind makes out its visionary creations, with the greatest ease, from a few given words. Daniel, chap. the viith, verses 13 and 14, and the texts xxi. of Revelations, 1st and 2d, less definite still in their application, become easily convertible to whatever shapes, colours, and phantoms imagination may give to them—thus they expand themselves in the seraphic and mystic reveries of the Swedenborgians; and then these mystic reveries, beginning from so obscure and small a source, are solemnly pronounced "TRUE Christian Religion!" Such visions are embraced with ardour by minds of kindred heat the trumpet of the Apocalypse sounds, “BABYLON the GREAT is fallen;" the angel appears with the key of the bottomless pit and the City of the New Jerusalem rises in visionary glory, to receive the seraphic enthusiasts at its golden gates.

On the other hand, a scholastic dialectician finds the word "appointed," or "predestined." These expand themselves into unalterable decrees then personal election - then utter reprobation! Those of kindred temper follow shouting "Election" to themselves the decree or destiny of eternal torment, "where the worm dieth not," to all whose

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more sober understanding, or more Christian temper, hails the awful words of Scripture, but rejects with horror the human inferences. So important is a calm, dispassionate view of the great Scriptural doctrines, in their simplicity and majestic truth.

The fantastic, the melancholy, the visionary, or metaphysical, thus engender and embody their conceptions from isolated portions of the Divine Revelation, and these conceptions become at last, like the wild grotesque monsters, serpents and dragons, which preposterously garnish, from the zenith to the nadir, the celestial globe; the Oriental origin of Predestinarianism and these figures being indeed the same.

Lastly, we may observe that these extravagant principles and feelings, relating to a subject the most awful to man, and demanding the most dispassionate judgment, can never germinate, if I may say so, unless in a heated atmosphere, and where the ground is disturbed. As certain noxious weeds, buried for centuries, on the earth being moved shoot out again, so forgotten doctrinal subtleties are revived, when the surface of the rubbish is again disturbed.

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As the Articles of the Episcopal Church are frequently referred to in such contests, I shall here say a few words on them.

An opinion of a great Statesman has been recorded, that the National Church is distinguished by "Calvinistic Articles-a Popish Liturgy-and an

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