say, "he walks (as concludes the seventeenth Article) religiously in good works," &c. These words do not constitute the conclusion of the seventeenth and Article, but are to be found in the middle of it; subjoined to them, the article contains matter which challenges most serious consideration. But there are three small words in the beginning of this article, of which you take no notice, and which to me appear to be of essential importance. These words are "secret to us." Of God's foreknowledge there can be no doubt, though the word itself does not properly apply to the Deity. For that Being to whom all things are present, cannot, strictly speaking, be said to foreknow any thing. But if his purpose to deliver from damnation those whom He hath chosen, "be secret to us," surely it becomes us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, rather than presume to say or think that we are chosen or predestinated to be holy, and without blame, and that our election is sure, as you give the reader to understand in page 62. Permit me to ask, what can be those tokens which can show us what is secret to us? and whether this confidence of salvation, which even the greatest saints have not possessed, does not savour more of spiritual pride, than of that lowliness of mind which mafests itself in an acknowledgment of their own unworthiness, and a continual suing for mercy through the merits, and for the sake of, a crucified Redeemer. The Christian is directed "not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly."* * Rom. xii. 3. On what you are pleased to call my novel opinion of a conditional salvation,* I have to add to what has been already said, that this doctrine is at least as old as the world. Adam was placed in a state of conditional salvation in Paradise. A similar plan of conditional salvation, though upon more gracious terms, was adopted under the new covenant. Our Saviour's answer to the young man, who enquired what good thing he should do that he might have eternal life, was this," if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."+ St. John, as if for the express purpose of preventing all possible misconception upon this important subject, has placed it before us in a negative as well as positive sense. "If we say that we have fellowship with him," that we are partakers of his spirit, and as such secure of the Gospel, and yet at the same time ness," live in wilful sin," we lie, truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light;" if we are holy, as he is holy, though not in degree, yet in sincerity of desire and imitation; this is, indeed, a certain sign, that “we have fellowship one with another," we with God, by partaking of his spirit, and so God with us; and being thus sanctified by the Holy Spirit to a sincere obedience of the Gospel, we partake of that merciful blessing of the Gospel covenant, promised to us on God's part, namely," the blood of Christ, which cleanseth us from all sin." In a word, Sir, this doctrine, to which you so loudly object, is the doctrine of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelations; Matt. xix. 17. 1 John i. 6, 7. * Page 64. VOL. II. DD promises of the "walk in dark and do not the I pray in the last chapter of which we are given to understand, that though a man's name shall (to make use of the scripture language) be written in the book of life, its continuance there will depend upon his own conduct. "If any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life."* Were it necessary to add to what has been already said on your favourite position, that the salvation of the elect must be secure, because they cannot finally fall from grace, I might take occasion to enlarge upon the case of Judas, which to me appears strictly in point. He was one of the twelve, elected by God for a very important for purpose. In that character our Saviour prays him, in common with the other Apostles. for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine thine they were, and thou gavest them to me: while I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me have kept, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition." The name of Judas brings to my recollection an observation made upon this subject by a very high Calvinist, which affords a striking specimen of the weakness of a cause, which has recourse to such an argument for its support. Speaking of that passage of Latimer, where he says, that Christ shed as much blood for Judas as for Peter, Mr. Toplady observes thus: Not that Christ actually died for Judas, (whose death was prior to that of Christ himself) but that the Mediator's blood was as much sufficient (so + John xvii. 6, 9, 12. * Rev. xxii. 19. I infinite was its value) to have redeemed even Judas, as to have redeemed any other person, had it been shed for that purpose. The tenet of a redemption absolutely universal will not bear the test of scripture, reason, or the analogy of faith. Shall we, for example, affirm that Christ died for the salvation of Judas? The fact seems impossible! 'Tis plain that Judas slew himself subsequently to the apprehension, but antecedently to the actual crucifixion of Christ. The soul of Judas, therefore, went to its own place of punishment, before Christ had offered himself in sacrifice to God." Ergo Were Mr. Toplady's argument on this subject as strong as it is confessedly weak, it could not support a position in itself unscriptural. Mr. Toplady, indeed, says, that the tenet of an universal redemption will not bear the test of scripture. St. Paul urges our Saviour's death, to prove the extent of the death of Adam. "If one died for all, then were all dead."* In another part of his writings, he says expressly, that Jesus tasted "death for every man."+ The conclusion need not be pointed out. It must be observed, however, in justice to the character of a very zealous minister, that it is probable Mr. Toplady's ideas on this subject were more correct than his expressions; and that it is to his not having properly discriminated in this case, between the general redemption of mankind by Jesus Christ, and the final salvation of the individual sinner, that the apparent + Heb. ii. 9. * 2 Cor. v. 14. in the last chapter of which we are gi that of St. s out of Egypt has been thought cal of, the great re from the words of the both of Christ, upon the God shall take away his plication;t where, after life."* Were it necessary, that all our fathers were already said on your f, the cloud and in the sea, salvation of the elecme spiritual meat, and did they cannot finally occasion to enlarg to me appears s the twelve, eles purpose. In ** him, in com for them v thine: the me: m2 them hav ritual drink; for they drank that followed them, and that ce immediately adds, “but with was not pleased, for they were he wilderness." Now here is an the case before us. Here is union, and but partial salvation; the which are specified (verse 7, 8, 9, 10) all home to our Christian case, the ee (verse 6, 11) calls these things types ai says "they were written for our admowith this particular view among others, who “thinketh he standeth, might take heed e fall." Can any one desire a clearer illusof the subject in hand, or wish for a more actory solution of this difficulty, so artfully zu about universal redemption, than the draught ch the Apostle has here laid before us? But the ortune is, that a prevailing attachment to ystems of modern composition has brought on, I all not say a total rejection, but at least a strange • Exod. vi. 6; Deut. vii, 8. + 1 Cor. x. 1, et seq. per Je i |