been fruitful, but would not, and had been green, but were withered from their Greennefs; much like thofe who Chrift expoftulates with, when he fays, How often would I have gathered you as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings, and ye would not, Matt. xxiii. 37. If thau hadst known in this thy Day, the Things which belong to thy Peace, but now they are bid from thine Eyes, Luke xix. 42. Which fhews the great and fervent Defire of Chrift to fave Souls, and his tender Love to poor Mortals, and that they had a Day of Vifitation, in which they might have been gathered, which is far from ordaining them to Deftruction from all Eternity.

So that God is fully clear of all Men, and their Blood is on their own Heads, and their Destruction is of themselves; whereas they might have Help in the Lord, and his Chrift, through Faith, which he offers to Man freely; but Man will not receive or embrace it. And further, it fhould be obferved, that if the whole Texts of the Prophecy of Ifaiab in his 37th Chapter be confidered, it will plainly appear, that he is fo tar from uttering an exprefs or pofitive Decree of their final Destruction, that he clearly and fully foretels their Recovery and Restoration out of that State.

Fourthly, They argue from the Words of the Apoftle, lath not the Potter Power over the Clay, to make of the fame Lump one Veffel to Honour, and another to Dishonour? Rom. ix. 21. Yes, doubtlefs he hath; but the Potter doth not make Veffels with Defign to deftroy them, or to break them to Pieces, but for Use and Service; and it is contrary to his Will and Intereft, when any Veffel marrs under his Hand. And it is very plainly expreffed by the Prophet Jeremiab, after mentioning his beholding the Work of the Potter, in the 18th Chapter, 6th, 7th, and 8th Verses, O Houfe of Ifrael, cannot I do with you as this Potter? faith the Lord? Behold as the Clay is in the Potter's Hand, fo are ye in mine Hand, O House of Ifrael. At what Instant I fhall speak concerning a Nation, and con

cerning

cerning a Kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to deftroy it: If that Nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their Evil, I will repent of the Evil that I thought to do unto them. All which is contrary to the Doctrine of an abfolute, unconditional Predeftination: The Lord, in his Wisdom, and to fhew his Power, doth make Souls more or lefs honourable, as he pleaseth; but it is very plain, from Scripture, and right Reason, that he makes none with Design to destroy them, or hath ordained any to eternal Damnation. Though he hath ordained Damnation for wicked and ungodly Men, yet he never ordained that Men should be wicked and ungodly.

Fiftbly, They urge the Apoftle's Words, but to as little Purpose as the former, Rom. ix. 18. He will have Mercy on whom he will have Mercy, and whom he will be hardeneth. 'Tis true, that God hath abundantly fhewn us in the Holy Scriptures on whom he will have Mercy, viz. He hath Mercy on the Poor in Spirit; the Humble he teaches of his Ways; the Meek he guides in Judgment; he clothes the Meek with Salvation; he hath the Righteous in everlafting Remembrance; he loveth them which love him; he faveth them who love his Dear Son, and believe in him; he giveth to them eternal Life, and Chrift loveth them, and manifefteth himself unto them. And his beloved Difciple John declared, If any Man fin, we bave an Advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift, the Righteous; and be is the Propitiation for our Sins, and not for ours only, but also for the Sins of the whole World, 1 John ii. 1, 2. And the Author of the Epiftle to the Hebrews faith, But we fee Jefus, who was made a little lower than the Angels, for the fuffering of Death, crowned with Glory and Honour, that he by the Grace of God fhould tafte Death for every Man, Heb. ii. 9. And all who believe in, and obey him, will partake of the Benefit of his Death and Suffering; but the

Wicked is fnared in the Work of his own Hands, Pfal. ix 16.

Thus it was in my Mind, and hath been, for fome Years, to fhew to the Prefbyterian, Independent, or Baptift People, or any other, who hold the Doctrine of particular Perfonal Election or Reprobation, the Weakness of some of (what they call) their Proofs, for this (as I take it) corrupt and dangerous Doctrine of theirs, and the Mifapplication of thofe Texts of Scripture, which they advance to maintain their abfurd Notion, of Souls being fore-ordained to Damnation eternally, whether they do Good or Evil, and that it is fo determined, before we are born into the World. Oh! that those People might come to true Repentance, and lay hold of the univerfal Love of God to eternal Life, through the living Faith of Jefus Chrift our Lord, in the tender Bowels of whofe Love to all are those Lines written, and in great Love and Goodwill they are invited to fearch the Scriptures, and to fee whether the whole Scope of them do not fhew the contrary to what they hold in Relation to perfonal Reprobation to Deftruction, fore-ordained before we are born, or have done either Good or Evil; there not being one Text to be found to prove that Doctrine: But there are abundance which fet forth the Love, Mercy, and Goodness of God, to Mankind; only two of which I fhall add hereunto, viz. And God jaw that the Wickedness of Man was great in the Earth, and that every Imagination of the Thoughts of his Heart was only Evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made Man on the Earth, and it grieved him at his Heart, Gen. vi. 5. 6. And Jonah arofe, and went unto Nineveh, according to the Word of the Lord, and entered, and faid, Yet forty Days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the People of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a Faft, and put on Sackcloth, from the greatest of them, even to the leaft of them. And God faw their Works, that they returned from their evil Way, and God repented of the

Evil that be bad faid he would do unto them, and he did it not, Jonah iii. 3, 4, 5, 10. I heartily defire thefe two Texts may be truly confider'd, and weighed, therein the Mercy, Loving-kindnefs, and long Forbearance of God, being fo clearly and fully manifefted, that I think may be fufficient to convince every unprejudiced Mind of the Error of believing in that Principle of the abfolute Predeftination of the Almigh ty of any Part of Mankind to Destruction.

T. C.

1726.

A

LETTER

то

COTTON MATHER, in New-England.

H

AVING received a courteous Letter from Cotton Mather, one of the greatest Preachers among the People of New-England; he being in Community with the National Church there, and having peached a Sermon concerning the Power and Excellency of Christ within, recommending People thereunto, and commending our Society therein; but differing from us in fome Particulars, which Particulars I was concerned to answer as followeth, viz.

Franckfort, the 20th of the 3d Mo. 1726.

Courteous Friend, C. M.

T

HINE, dated November 30th, 1725. I received a few Days ago, I having been vifiting the People along the Sea-fhore in the Ferfeys (in the Love of Chrift, hoping to bring fome to him) among whom, in a general Way, the Gospel which I had to preach in his Name, found Acceptance, for which I was truly thankful; and tho' I had no earthly Confideration for fo doing, yet I had that inward Satisfaction, that I thought I would not exchange or part with it for the Bishop of Rome or Canterbury's Revenue: And at my Return I received thy friendly Letter, which I was glad of, and that