gift of Christ, and the grace of the gospel; and that which is committed more immediately against the gospel, despising the riches of God's goodness, and rejecting his way of salvation. Now does P. maintain that Christ made atonement for both these? I believe not; on the contrary, his scheme supposes that he atoned for neither. Not for the first, for he abundantly insists that there could be nothing of the nature of blame-worthiness in this, and consequently nothing to require an atonement. Not for the last, for if so, atonement must be made for impenitency and unbelief, and in that case surely these evils would not prove the ruin of the subject.

to say,

7. If the doctrine of the total depravity of human nature be admitted, (and it is so professedly) the scheme of P. would be utterly inadequate for the salvation of one soul. Supposing Christ to have died for all the world in his sense of the phrase, yet if all the world are so averse to Christ that they will not come unto him that they may have life, still they are never the nearer. It is to no purpose there is grace provided for them if they will but ask it; for the question returns, will a mind utterly averse to coming to Christ for life sincerely desire grace to come to him? Nor is it of any use to suggest that the gospel has a tendency to beget such a desire; for be it so, it is supposed there is no certainty of its producing such an effect. It's success depends entirely upon the will of man in being pliable enough to be persuaded by it: but if man is totally depraved, there can be no such pliability in him. Unless the gospel could

exhibit a condition that should fall in with men's evil propensities, the aversion of their hearts would for ever forbid their compliance. Such a scheme, therefore, instead of being more extensive than ours, is of no real extent at all. Those good men who profess it, are not saved according to it; and this in their near addresses to God they as good as acknowledge. Whatever they say at other times, they dare not then ascribe to themselves the glory of being amongst the number of believers, rather than others.

If the supposed universal extent of Christ's death had a universal efficacy, it would be worth the while of A LOVER OF ALL MANKIND to contend for it; but if it proposes finally to save not one soul more than the scheme which it opposes-if it has no real advantage in point of provision, in one respect, and a manifest disadvantage in another-if it enervates the doctrine of the atonement; confessedly leaves the salvation of those who are saved to an uncertainty, and by implication renders it impossible; then to what does it all amount? If P. holds that Christ died for all, it is neither so as to redeem all, nor so much as to procure them the offer of redemption, since millions and millions for whom Christ suffered, upon his principles, have died notwithstanding in heathen darkness.*

* It seems to me a poor, and an inconsistent answer which is commonly given by our opponents upon this subject. They affirm that Christ died with a view to the salvation of the whole human race, how wicked soever they have been; and yet they sup

P. thinks success to be a proof of the goodness of a doctrine. (4, 5.) I think it is a matter that deserves considerable attention; but cannot consider it as decisive: especially as certain questions might be

pose that God for the sin of some nations with-holds the gospel from them. The giving of Christ to die for us is surely a greater thing than sending the gospel to us. One should think, therefore, if, notwithstanding men's wickedness, God could find in his heart to do the greater, he would not by the self-same wick. edness be provoked to with-hold the lesser-Besides, on some occasions our opponents speak of the gospel as a system adapted to the condition of sinners, yea, to the chief of sinners; and if so, why not to those nations who are the chief of sinners? P. observes very justly, however inconsistently with some other things which he elsewhere advances, that the gospel takes men's fallen, polluted, and depraved state for granted, and is properly adapted to remove it: (23) how is it then that that. which renders them proper objects of gospel invitations, should be the very reason assigned for those invitations being withheld?

Whether there may not be a mixture of punitive justice in God's with-holding the gospel from some nations, I shall not dispute. At the same time, supposing that to be the case, it may be safely affirmed that the same punishment might with equal justice have been inflicted upon other nations who have all along enjoyed it; and that it is not owing to their having been better than others that they have been so favoured. One might ask of Jerusalem and Corinth, Chorazin and Bethsaida, were they less infamous than other cities? rather were they not the reverse? And may we not all who enjoy the gospel, when we compare ourselves with even heathen nations, adopt the language of the apostle, Are we better than they? no, in no wise!

If it be said, the providence of God is a great deep; snd we cannot from thence draw any conclusions respecting his designs-I answer by granting that indeed the providence of God

asked concerning it which it would be difficult to an swer; as what is real success? and what was it in the ministry of a preacher which was blessed to that end? If, however, that is to be a criterion of principles,

is a great deep; and if our opponents will never acknowledge a a secret and revealed will in God in any thing else, one should think they must here; seeing Christ's revealed will is, Go, preach the gospel to every creature, without distinction; and yet by their own confession, it is his secret purpose to with-hold it from some, even whole nations.-As to drawing conclusions from hence concerning God's designs, I should think it no arrogance so to do provided we do not pretend to judge from thence concerning events which are future. We are warranted to consider God's providences as so many expressions of what have been his designs. He worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. It is true we cannot thence learn his revealed will, nor what is the path of duty, nor are we to go by that in our preaching, but by Christ's commission. It were well if christian ministers could be excited and encouraged to enter into the most heathen and dark corners of the earth to execute their commission. They ought not to stand to enquire what are God's designs concerning them; their work is to go and do as they are commanded. But though the providence of God is not that from whence we are to learn his revealed will, yet when we see events turn up; we may conclude, that for some ends, known to himself, these were amongst the all things which he worketh after the counsel of his own will.

Far be it from me to pretend to fathom the great deep of divine providence! But when I read in my bible that as many as were ordained to eternal life believed, and that the apostle Paul was encouraged to continue his ministry in one of the most infamous cities in the world, by this testimony, I have much people in this city, I cannot but think such passages throw a light upon those darker dispensations.

then we might expect, if the scheme of P. be true, that in proportion as the doctrines maintained by Calvin, and the first reformers, began to be laid aside, and those of Arminius introduced in their stead, a proportionable blessing should have attended them. Surely he cannot complain that the universal extent of Christ's death, with various other kindred sentiments, are not generally embraced. The number of advocates for these sentiments hath certainly been long increasing. If, therefore, these are gospel truths, the christian world in general may be congratulated for having embibed them; and one should think a glorious harvest might be expected as the effect. But I suppose, were we to be set down by fact, as it has occurred in our own country, both in and out of the establishment, it would be far from confirming this representation. I question if P. himself will affirm, that a greater blessing has attended the ministry in the church of England since little else but these sentiments have sounded from its pulpits, than used to attend, and still attends the labours of those whom he is pleased to style "INCONSISTENT CALVINISTS." As to protestant dissenters; if such of them as maintain the universal extent of Christ's death, have been more blessed to the conversions of sinners than others, and if their congregations, upon the whole, have more of the life and power of godliness amongst them than others, it is happy for them; but if so it is, I acknowledge it is news to me. I never knew nor heard of any thing sufficient to warrant a supposition of that nature.