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witness the necessity of a vision to remove his erroneous scruples before his visit to Cornelius. And still further, if the above construction of Peter's assertion, militates aught against Peter's apostolick qualifications; then an unavoidable and similar construction of his expressions, concerning Judas as purchasing a field which he never did purchase, will be equally hostile to him, and the like objection will lie against Matthew, and against all other New-Testament writers, who have written in the same style, and used a like manner of expression. But all such objections are but mere cavils, and destitute of all argument, because the inspired penman designed to be understood in these instances, not literally, but figuratively. And in this figurative style of both prophets and evangelists, we may discover a portion of the "manifold wisdom of God," whereby agreeably to the "mind of the Spirit," things fixed, and divinely decreed to be in themselves inevitable and immutable, are nevertheless so connected with other things and circumstances, conditional and variable in themselves, as, that whilst innocence is subjected to unavoidable sufferings from wickedness, still wickedness may be avoidable by those who perpetrate it, that so divine sovereignty, and human liberty, may fully accord and harmonize together.

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Objection Second. "The admission of the pre"destination of any event, to be in some of its circumstances and relations, immutable and uncondi"tional; but in others, unfixed and conditional, implies a contradiction, and is utterly unexampled in "the bible." This objection is formidable in sound

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only; for though it is true that the doctrine here objected to, is such, as to imply a contradiction to both Calvinisms, yet for this alone, it is not likely to be in contradiction either with itself, or with the soundest reasoning. I shall however, here confine my reply to three scriptural facts, and which if well authenticated, and clearly established to be correctly in point, will serve every purpose of sound argumentation on this deciding question.

Fact First. The death and sufferings of Christ, provisionally stipulated before the foundation of the world, prefigured by the shed blood of innumerable victims, foretold by many prophets, and most expressly declared by Christ himself, all will allow, to have been as to the thing itself, an event divinely predestinated. And yet, it is indubitably manifest, that there was in the time of it, another thing, adventitiously and contingently, so connected with the Redeemer's passion and death, as most fearfully to impend over him; but which he happily averted in the hour of his agonizing prayers. Our authority for this conclusion is found in Hebrews. v, 7. "Who in the days of his flesh, "when he had offered up prayers and supplications "with strong crying, and tears unto him, who was "able to save him from death; and was heard in that "he feared." What this evil was which Christ thus so much apprehended, but which through his strong crying and prayers was thus averted, is to us unknown, because expressed only under the figurative appellation death. But it nevertheless affords demonstrative proof of the very point in question; because whatever

this dreaded evil was, yet, as it did so impend, and was so averted, it was a circumstance contingently attendant upon an event, predestinated to be immutable in some other respects. Nor is there any possible way of avoiding this conclusion, but by rejecting Paul's testimony as to the fact; or by so explaining away the meaning of this text, as to violate the fixed principles of reason and common sense. Or yet, by the too common expedient of resorting to the fallacy of a begging of the question, by confidently asserting, that though not revealed, yet, that most certainly it was predestinated that Christ, by his and tears,

prayers

should have so averted that dreaded evil.

Facts Second and Third. Nearly connected with the crucifixion of Christ, was the decree to destroy Jerusalem, by the armies of the Romans. The horrours and fixedness of that dreadful event, were thus predicted by Christ, "And when ye shall see Jeru"salem compassed with armies, then know that the "desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which "are in Judea, flee unto the mountains; and let them "which are in the midst of it, depart out; and let not "them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For "these be the days of vengeance, that all things which

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are written, may be fulfilled. But woe unto them "that are with child, and to them that give suck in "those days; for there shall be great distress in the "land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall "fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away "captive into all nations: And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the

"Gentiles be fulfilled. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. "Heaven and earth shall pass away: But my words “shall not pass away." (Luke xx1, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 32, 33.) In the above predictions concerning Jerusalem, so circumstantially detailed, and so immutably then predetermined, there are two essential appendages of those events left out of view, viz. the precise time of the approach of the Roman armies; and the duration of the calamities which they were to inflict. Both of which appendant circumstances, Christ thus in Matthew distinctly impressed upon his hear

ers.

"But pray ye, that your flight be not in the "winter, neither on the sabbath day." (Matthew XXIV, 20.) "And except those days should be "shortened, there should no flesh be saved: But for "the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened.” (verse 22.) Nothing therefore is plainer as to the approach of the Roman armies to Jerusalem, and their continuance in warfare in Judea, than that the former was a contingent event, and the latter one, concerning which, the divine purpose was altered. Pray that your flight be not in the winter. "They did thus

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pray, and their flight was in the spring." (Wesley.) And according to Eusebius, their place of retreat and security, was to Pella beyond Jordan. "This direc"tion which was given by Jesus himself, may afford "us great comfort. For it shews, that notwithstanding afflictions befal us, by the decree of God, the "circumstances of them may be mitigated by our "prayers." (Macknight.) And as the prayers of

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the saints, availed to the diminishing of their dangers and sufferings in their flight from Jesusalem so for their sakes, like so many Lots, escaping from destruct tion, the "continuance of the impending danger is shortened, probably through the prayers of Christ himself. This shortening of an implied primary decree, in respect of duration of calamity, by a secondary restricting decree, the evangelist Mark, thus records, "And except that the Lord had shortened "those days, no flesh should be saved: But for the "elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shorten"ed the days."*(x11, 20, 21.) The important doctrine of variable and conditional circumstances being actually appendant on events most certainly predestinated, having been thus firmly established by the i cogent evidence of three scripturally attested facts; leads directly to the unavoidable conclusion, that the Calvinistick doctrine of an unchangable foreordination of whatsoever comes to pass, is neither a scriptural nor a true doctrine; but one originating from á misconception of the holy scriptures, through that fallibility, which may mislead good and wise men, when once unhappily yoked up in the trammels of some popular sect leader; whose every dogma demands implicit belief, and his every errour adoration.

It is sir, only in consequence of such a blinding influence, that an eternal and immutable predestination of all things which happen, is infered from Matthew' x, 29, 30, 31. "Are not two sparrows sold for one

* See note second at the end of the Letters.

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