ALTHOUGH we should endeavour to avoid all needless contention, yet the faith once delivered to the saints, is sometimes treated in such a manner, as to make it our incumbent duty, earnestly and publickly to contend for it. Such a case I think is presented before us, by means of a printed paper lately spread in Providence, and towns adjacent, which you have requested me to make some remarks upon. It begins in this manner.

‘ On Traditionary Zeal. Some good christian pastors will not scruple to tell you, that they could find no joy in their own state, no strength or com­fort in their labours of love towards their flocks, but because they know, and are assured, from St. Paul, that God never had, nor ever will have, mercy up­on all men; but that an unknown multitude of them are, through all ages of the world, inevitably decreed to the eternal fire and damnation of hell: and that an unknown number of others are elected to a certain, irresistible salvation. Wonder not, my friends, if the inquisition has its pious defenders: For inquisition cruelty, and every barbarity that must have an end, is mere mercy, if compared with this reprobation doctrine. And to be in love with [Page 4]it, to draw sweet comfort from it, and to wish it God-speed, is a love that absolutely forbids the lov­ing our neighbour as ourselves, and makes the scrip­ture-wish, that all men might be saved, no less than a rebellion against God.’

This writer's evident design, is against the doctrine of particular election, and efficacious grace in our sal­vation, and against those who preach it: And he takes the same method that the heathen persecutors did with the primitive christians, viz. To cover them with skins of wild beasts, in order that they might be devoured by dogs, or if not, yet that they might be hated and avoided by all men. He asserts that some christian pestors tell their people such a story as he has here related; if he can find any man upon earth that teaches so, he is welcome to correct him as much as he deserves; but till he exhibits his proof, he ought to be accounted a blasphemer of God's so­vereignty, and a false-accuser of Christ's ministers. Yea, out of his own mouth he is condemned; for as short as his paper is, he has not been able to keep to one consistent story, but the same preachers that he accuses of rejoicing that God never will have mercy upon all men, when he comes to give us their own language, it is, "O the sweetness of God's election!" And neither the devil nor any of his children, will ever be able to make a rejoicing in God's everlasting love to a chosen number, to be the same thing, as it would be to rejoice in the destruction of the rest.

Our Lord says, Every one that doth evil, bateth the light; but he that doth truth, cometh to the light; and let the reader judge which of these cha­racters suits the conduct of the writer before us. He casts out these horrid accusations against some good [Page 5]christian pastors, without naming any one, while his evident aim is against all that profess a sweetness in sovereign election; at the same time (like the Savages) he tries to keep himself and his principles hid.— Though it fares with him as it did with the old ene­mies of the sure foundation which God has laid in Zion; whose bed was shorter than that a man could stretch himself upon it, and the covering narrower than that he could wrap himself in it, Isa. 28. For though by the title of his piece he would have peo­ple esteem him, as a bold champion against tradition, and a friend to Paul, and the sacred writings; yet he does not so much as attempt to prove, that sove­reign decrees, and irresistable grace, are not fully taught by them. No, instead of confuting us, or de­sending himself, by the sacred oracles, he, like those who prophesied out of the deceit of their own hearts, first makes his address to mens passions, and exerts all his art to bring up the horrid ideas, of an inevita­ble decreeing of multitudes to hell fire; of cruelty vastly worse than the inquisition; of God's sacrifysing of myriads of his creatures to the devil, &c. and hav­ing done his utmost thus to raise a tempest in the souls of [...] he winds up by asserting that, ‘The only possible way of avoiding every prevailing er­ror, and of finding every saving truth, is to listen, solemnly, attentively to listen, agreeable to the written word, to the still small voice within you.’

This is just like the old serpent, who with malici­ous reflections upon God's government, and lying pretences of friendship to man, drew him into rebel­lion against God's revealed will, and to gratify his own heart's lusts. Yet from that day to this, when the tempter thinks it will serve his turn, he is very ready to catch at some scripture words, to intice [Page 6]people into violations of the truth which is therein taught.

Let the pretended advocate for truth now before us, mean what he will by the voice within, yet when he or any others are brought solemnly and attentively to listen, either to reason, conscience, or the Spirit of God, they will teach them, that the way to avoid error, and to find the truth in any case, is not first to inflame our passions before our judgments are well informed. No, for a gift will blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous; there­fore we must have our eye single, or else our whole body will be full of darkness. Hence appears the necessity of the holy Spirit, to renew us in the spirit of our minds, and to guide our souls into all truth.

The grand contest ever since sin entred into the world, has been between the will of the Creator, and the will of the creature; but as it is too shocking for human nature to have it openly appear in that light, God's enemies in all ages, have made lies their re­fuge, and under falshood have hid themselves. And in the controversy before us, we may take notice of the following refuges of lies, which the enemies of sovereign grace try to hide themselves in.

1. As the sacred writers often appealed to mens reason and conscience, and exhorted the saints to re­gard the teachings of the holy Spirit in their souls, above all human authority on earth, deceivers of va­rious denominations have catcht at, and perverted that sacred custom, as a plea for setting up a standard in themselves to decide every case, so as not to admit any thing for truth that does not agree with their in­ward test. But it is well known in our nation, that in order for us to enjoy our just rights and liberties, [Page 7]rulers as well as subjects must be governed by known laws and established rules; and that for judges to assume a discretionary power to dispense with old laws, or to make new ones as occasion served, would introduce arbitrary government, or rather a cruel ty­nanny. And were not people deluded with the re­ligious names, and great swelling words of deceivers, all their attempts to set up a voice within, which speaks in any respects contrary to God's written word, would appear as arbitrary and tyrannical as any such proceedings of earthly judges can be. Those holy men whom God employed to write his word, had their authority so to do confirmed by divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost; and wo to that man who presumes either to add to, or take from those holy oracles.

2. The advocates for their own free-will in oppo­sition to sovereign grace, have determined that the doctrine of fixed decrees in the divine mind concern­ing the future state of men, is inconsistent with the liberty of their own wills, and with the proper influ­ence of precepts and promises, rewards and punish­ments; and having quoted a number of precepts, with considerations to enforce them, (of which the Bible is full) they boast that they have gained their argument, when in truth they have never touched the point in debate. We know and as firmly hold as any free-willer on earth, that all men are under moral go­vernment, where precepts and promises, exhortations, warnings, &c. have their proper place, and ought to influence us in all our conduct; and I believe from the bottom of my heart, that God never did nor ever will punish any but the guilty, and that he will finally reward every man according to his works. But in the present controversy, the true state of the question [Page 8]is this, viz. Whether the whole plan of God's go­vernment, and the final issue of every action through the universe, has not been known and fixed in his counsels from the beginning, so that nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it? Eccl. 3.14. Or whether many events are not held in suspence and uncertainty in his infinite mind, till they are decidedby the free-will power of men? We hold the first, they the last side of this question. But instead of attending to the true state of the controversy, and instead of re­ferring the decision of it to the divine oracles, tradi­tion and corruption has carried them into the way which this writer persues, of representing our doctrine to be, that God decrees some men to misery in the same manner that he does others to happiness; yea this slanderer, in imitation of those who have gone before him, sets reprobation foremost, and would have people believe that we hold, God's first design to be the damnation of multitudes, and then secondly, the irresistable salvation of a number! Hoping no doubt by these horrid colourings, to guard people sufficiently against all the gospel weapons, which are appointed to pull down the strong holds that are raised against the knowledge of God, and to cast down the imaginations which keep mens thoughts too high to yield their all to a meek and lowly Jesus, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. Many in latter ages have carried their imaginations so high on this subject, as,

3. To assume a dignity to themselves, that they will not allow to the eternal God; for they claim a self­determining power in their own wills, while they deny it to the Most High; and insist upon it, that his choice of some men to salvation rather than others, is from either a foresight, or aftersight, of good dis­positions and good doings in them more than others; [Page 9]so making that to be the cause of his choice, which he declares is the effect of it, and representing that God is influenced in his works by motives without himself, at the same time that they hold to a power to determine all their own actions within themselves. Can any imaginations ever be entertained, more ab­surd, or more contrary to holy writ, than these are! See Mat. 11.25—28. Rom. 8.29, 30. Eph. 1.4, 5. 1 Pet. 1.2. 1 Joh. 4.19.

The people we are now speaking of commonly deny the doctrine of mans universal depravity, but if to claim a sovereignty to their own wills, while they deny it to God, does not prove them to be rebels a­gainst heaven, I know not what can do it.

Nebuchadnezzar made trial how it would do to ascribe all his atchievments to himself; but after he had grazed among the beasts of the field till seven times had passed over him, he declares that, ‘All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing (before the Most High) and he doth according to HIS WILL in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, what dost thou?’ Dan. 4.35. Thus it appears that the hearts of kings are in the hand of the Lord, so that as rivers of water he turneth them whithersoever he will. i. e. to act volun­tarily as he designs to have them. From whence it appears evident, that there is no inconsistency in hold­ing God's decrees to be immutable, and yet that men act as voluntarily as if it were not so. And the great reasoners on the other side cannot avoid this conse­quence, if they would once own that the will of man is always determined in it's choice by motive, or by what they at present prefer and think to be best; for [Page 10]that person must be stupid indeed who cannot see, that HE in whom we live, move and have our be­ing, can at any time set things in such a view before our minds, as to make us think it best to chose one way of acting rather than another. Though Balaam was so madly set after the wages of unrighteousness, that he would not be [...] even by the reproof of a dumb ass, yet when the Lord opened his eyes to see the angel with a drawn sword before him, he at once chuse to fall to the earth, or to turn back, rather than run upon it. Num. 22.31, &c. In order there­fore to keep up their conceit that fixed decrees interfere with men's [...], some of their great doctors have,

4. Tried to shelter themselves in such a miserable refuge as to pretend, that they have a power in their [...] to act [...] motive or against motive, just as the will please [...]. But I suppose it is as great a piece of nonsense, in itself, to hold that a rational soul can act voluntarily in any case, without of against motive, as [...] would be to [...]. There can be a rational action without any influence of reason in it! Thus professing themselves to be wise they become fools; for as Mr. Locke [...] observes, even [...] persons are in­fluenced by reason, [...] reason from wrong [...]. As when [...] man imagines that he is all made of glass, he is [...] to act with the caution that would be necessary if the case were so; and the [...] may be said of other imaginations; and persons must be idiots, and not reason at all, or esse reason and motive, will always Influence their choice and conduct. Evil imaginations and thoughts, always move men to act wickedly, Gen 6.5. and 8.21— [...] when any are brought to know the truth, it makes [...] free from sin, so as to become Jervants of righteousness, Joh. 8.32. Rom. 6.18.

[Page 11] Hence it appears evident, that they and not we, would exclude the the usefulness of means; for if the liberty of man lay in acting against motive or with motive, just as they pleased, where could there be any proper use for means? For the very design of gospel means, is to turn souls from evil, to follow that which is good; and if their liberty consisted in not being moved and governed by means and mo­tives, there would be no sense in using of them; but like smoke and vapour men must be left to act just that way the wind happens to blow. In short, the main objections I ever heard against sovereign election, and certain salvation by free grace alone, appear to me to spring from this root, viz. Man who was flat­tered with the notion of being as gods, still conceits that he has a power in himself to do as he pleases, let that pleasure be to comply with, or to disappoint God's designs; and therefore if they are not disposed at pre­sent to engage in his service, that he must wait their leisure, and be ready whenever they set about the work in good earnest, to grant them the assistance of his grace, and if they improve it well unto the end, then to receive them to his glory. But for my part I have no more notion of worshipping a deity that can possibly be mistaken or disappointed in any one event, than I have of worshipping Baal, who could not defend either his altar or grove, when his votaries were asleep, Judges 6.31.

Those who are determined to believe nothing but what they can comprehend, are determined to be ido­lators; for tis certain that any thing which can be comprehended by a finite mind, cannot be the infi­nite Jehovah; whose wisdom, knowledge and judg­ments are unsearchable, and his ways past finding out; of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things; [Page 12]to whom be glory for ever, amen. Rom. 11.33—36. Thus to believe, adore and obey, is not as many would have it, a sacrificing of reason to tradition and blind devotion, but the contrary. As for instance, should any man conceit that he could not know whe­ther or not there was light in the sun, or warmth in the fire, without looking through the one and running into the other, and should try the experiment till he became blind and burnt; he could not from thence convince me that I had lost both my sight and feeling, because I still professed to enjoy great comfort in the cautious improvement of those blessings. Now the perfections of the deity are compared both to the sun and the fire, to teach us the importance of receiving his grace freely, of acting towards him uprightly, and serving of him with reverence and godly fear, Psal. 84. [...] 1. Heb. 12.28, 29.

Some serious persons are afraid to give in to the doctrine of immutable decrees, lest they should make God the author of sin; but Mr. Norton, one of the fathers of this country, justly replied to this objection, That sin is a defect, and God is the author of all effi­ciency, but not of any defect at all. An illegitimate child is the creature of God, but its illegitimacy is wholly from its parents. It was their losts which caused the defect or want of its being lawfully begot­ten; yet the child is God's creature, and if he please he makes it a subject of his grace. The heat of the sun that attracts the secret virtues of the earth, is not the cause of the stink of the dughill. And though carnal reasoners try to persuade people, that to hold every event to be certain in the divide councils, takes away the guilt of evil actions, and the virtue of good ones, yet the word of truth abundantly shews the con­trary. It shews that Joseph's brethren were as verily [Page 13]guilty in their actings against him, as if they could have frustrated God's design; and yet that he over­tuled their wrath and cruelty towards their brother, for his own praise, ^* and to make Joseph much more of a public and extensive blessing, than they could have made him in Canaan, if they had tried their ut­termost for it. At the same time the sacred story clearly shews, that they acted quite voluntarily, both in their wretched abuses to their brother, and in hum­bly prostrating themselves before him afterward.— They acted by motive; when they first saw Joseph coming to them, they felt so that they thought they would slay him: But upon another view murder ap­peared so shocking that they thought it best to gra­tify themselves another way, which moved them to chuse that way. On the other hand, when Joseph was tempted by his wicked mistress, though men were absent, yet God to whom be was under infinite obligation, was present to his thoughts, and that prov­ed a sufficient motive to make him chuse any suffer­ing rather than to sin against such a glorious being.

The inquiry and pursuit of all men is after good, and the believer finds it only in God, who is good, and is always doing good, and this causes his soul to be in earnest to learn his statutes, Psal. 4.6, 7, and 119.68. Others do not like to retain the true God in their knowledge; neither his nature nor his go­vernment appear good to their carnal minds, there­fore they worship and serve the creature instead of the Creator; setting up gain, honor or pleasure, as their chief good. Yet to appear nakedly irreligious, is too shocking to multitudes, who at the same time are very far from desiring to set the Lord always before them, so as to be influenced by him in all their con­duct; [Page 14]therefore they chuse their idol shepherds that will prophecy smooth things to them, rather than faith­ful watchmen who represent the true character of the holy One of Israel before them, Jsa. 30.8,—11. Zech. 11.17.

A darling topick with the carnal reasoners of our world is this; they say, That either men are able to obey and serve God, or else if they cannot do it, they are not [...] blame for neglecting of it, until God is plea­sed to convert them. But the truth is, the natural man cannot serve God because he does love and serve an i­dol: And the soul before it is slain by the law, cannot be married to Christ, because it is wedded to its own doings, Mat. 6.24. Rom. 7. Yet this inability is so far from being any just excuse, that the more unable they are to love God, or to believe in Christ, the greater is their condemnation, Joh. 3.16,—19. And it is a most wicked device in the writer of the paper now in hand, to use the word inevitable concerning the reprobate, and irresistable concerning the elect, in such a manner as to exclude the idea of their own choice; whereas the vessels of wrath say, We WILL walk after our own devices; and EVERY ONE that doth evil, HATETH THE LIGHT, Jer. 18. 12. Joh. 3.20. And vessels of mercy persue the same ways, till God works in them to will and to do of his good pleasure, Phil. 2.13. Tit. 3.3,—5.— Therefore though the final event is as certain to the one as the other, yet the manner of its accomplish­ment is vastly different. The vessels of wrath, after their hard and impenitent heart, treasure up wrath TO THEMSELVES; while God endureth with much long suffering with them. But he makes known the riches of his glory, in effectually calling the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory. [Page 15]Rom. 2 5. and 9.22,—24. And renewed souls are so far from assuming to themselves a power to be God's counsellors, or venturing to act upon secret things which belong to him, that where he has told them of his designs concerning any future event, they have not made the design of the great Ruler, but the laws he has given to his subjects, the rule of their conduct; and the difference between subjects and rebels is dis­covered by this. As for instance, God let David know that he designed to remove Saul, and to make him king in his stead. Yet David refused to smite Saul when he had opportunity, but lest it with God to remove him in his own way, 1 Sam 24.12, 13. Whereas when the Jews heard Caiphas prophecy con­cerning the death of Jesus, from that day forth, they took counsel together for to put him to death, Joh. 11.49, 53. And God's accomplishing his infallible de­crees in that great event, while the Jews were inex­cusably guilty in their actings about it, are strongly asserted by the inspired apostle. Him, being delivered by the DETERMINATE COUNSEL and fore­knowledge of God, ye have taken and by WICKED HANDS have crucified and slain, Act. 2.23.

They acted most wickedly in conspiring against our Savior, who was perfectly holy and harmless, and constantly went about doing good; yet God's pur­poses and promises were thereby exactly accomplish­ed, in bestowing infinite and eternal mercies upon guilty and miserable men. Pharaoh used great sub­tilty and cruelty in order to keep Israel in bondage, and set up his will at the highest rate against releasing of them; yet God in his providence caused things to appear so to him and his subjects, that they volun­tarily furnished Israel with silver and gold, and Egypt was glad when they departed, Psal. 105 37, 38. and that on the self same day which God had told Abraham [Page 16]of above four hundred years before, Ezod. 12.41.

These and many other instances of mens voluntary actions the Lord declared with a perfect exactness be­fore they came to pass, because he knew that with a brazen obstinacy, and wilful treachery, they would rather give this glory to their idol than to him, Isai. 48.3,—8. But the firm faith of the saints in every age, in the certain accomplishment of God's promises, has made them the more watchful and active in the rational choice and use of the best means that he fur­nished them with for attaining the desired end. Jacob wrestled and prevailed with God, yet that did not make him neglect means, but he wisely improved the best that he had in his power, to calm his angry bro­ther, and it had the desired effect. Paul believed God that the lives of all those who were with him in the ship should be saved; yet when the men who were killed in managing the ship were about to leave it, he said to the centurion, and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye CANNOT be saved, Acts 27.25, 31. Here was a certainty of the event, and yet it is expressed conditionally, while both were true; it was true that all should be saved, and it was as true that the mariners must be instrumental of it.

Thus my dear friend, I have endeavoured in as plain and brief a manner as I could, in the little time I had for it, opened and vindicated the great scrip­ture doctrine of God's sovereign decrees, against a malicious attempt which has been made to vilify the same. It may well seem surprizing to those who are acquainted with the 17th article of the church of England, to hear that a minister who has solemnly engaged to maintain the truth therein expressed, should have a great hand in spreading this blasphe­mous paper which is diametrically contrary thereto, as has evidently been the case. But I leave him and all others in the hand of a righteous and gracious God, and rest,