doctrine of absolute predestination; a doctrine, which they zealously supported in theory, but scandalously abused in practice. It is remarkable however, that he censured only one of the two evils resulting from it, security in vice, totally omitting the other, a remediless despair of God's mercy, which our Reformers put forward as the most prominent, (vel in desperationem, vel "in æque perniciosam . . . . securitatem,") and which Luther failed not, on the same occasion, to enumerate in the same order. Was it because he experienced the difficulty of a reply; because, like them, he could not, consistently with his principles, refute the objection, by urging the universality of grace, and a serious disposition on God's part to promote the salvation of all men? Page 173, note (5).

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"Testamentum vetus novo contrarium non est, quan66 doquidem tam in veteri, quam in novo, per Christum, qui unicus est Mediator Dei et hominum, Deus et “homo, æterna aita humano generi est proposita." Art. 7. The generality of the divine promises, as extended to the whole human race, (a position which Calvin denied,) is no less clearly asserted in our Liturgy, than our Articles. And it is singular, that, in a striking instance, our Reformers appear to have introduced it for the express purpose of marking a distinction between his sentiments and their own. The confession at the commencement of our daily service was not, like most of our prayers, taken from the ancient forms, but slightly copied from one originally composed in French by Calvin. See Serm. I. note 7. The plea for mercy, which it contains, stands thus in the Latin translation of Pollanus: "Miserere igitur nostri omnium, O Deus, et Pater cle"mentissime ac misericors, per nomen Filii tui Jesu "Christi Domini nostri, te obtestamur:" in that of its author, thus: "Tua igitur nos misericordia dignare "Deus, et Pater clementissime, ac summe misericors,

"in nomine Filii tui Jesu Christi Domini nostri:" but in our own Liturgy a new idea occurs; in which, after the words, "But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us "miserable sinners: spare thou them, O God, which "confess their faults; restore thou them, that are peni"tent," are inserted the following; "According to thy "promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our "Lord;" not the least trace of which is to be found in the Latin. It should likewise be added, that in the absolution immediately subjoined, little more than the name of which appears in Pollanus, another idea, incompatible also with the Calvinistical theory, is discoverable: “Almighty God," it is said, "the Father of our "Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a "sinner, &c."

Page 173, note (6).

The resemblance between the concluding paragraph of this Article, and the constant style of Melancthon upon the same subject, is too great not to be instantly perceived. "Deinde," it is stated, 'Deinde," it is stated, "promissiones di"vinas sic amplecti oportet, ut nobis in sacris literis 56 generaliter propositæ sunt, et Dei voluntas in nostris "actionibus ea sequenda est, quam in verbo Dei habe"mus diserte revelatam." If this be compared with the following and other similar passages from Melancthon, its origin cannot be doubtful: "Et si alia subtiliter de "electione disputari fortasse possunt, tamen prodest piis "tenere, quod promissio sit universalis. Nec debemus "de voluntate Dei aliter judicare, quam juxta verbum “revelatum, et scire debemus, quod Deus præceperit, "ut credamus..... Nos igitur simpliciter interpreta

mur hanc sententiam universaliter, 'Deus vult omnes 'homines salvos fieri,' scilicet, quod ad ipsius voluntatem "attinet." Opera, vol. iv. p. 498, 499. Hæc univer"salia dicta de promissione teneamus, et opponamus "tentationi de particularitate, cum disputant mentes,

❝an sint in numero electorum? Ab hac disputatione ad "revelatam Dei voluntatem in Evangelio deducamur, et "credamus expresso verbo Dei, et nos in universalem promissionem includamus, sciamus eam ad nos quoque "pertinere, sciamus Filium Dei veracem nuncium esse, per quem prolata est promissio ex sinu æterni Patris, nec fingamus de eadem re contradictorias voluntates in "Deo, quia Deus verax est. Hanc consolationem sump"tam ex verbo expresso teneamus, nec ipsos inextricabi"libus labyrinthis disputationum implicemus, quæ fidem "evertunt." Vol. iv. p. 86. "Item Rom. viii. Quos elegit, hos et vocavit.' Dulcem, salutarem, et multiplicem consolationem continet hæc sententia. . . . . Se"cunda consolatio est, quod monet hæc sententia non "removendam esse vocationem a consilio electionis. “Elegit Deus, qui vocare nos ad Filii agnitionem de"crevit, et vult generi humano suam voluntatem et sua "beneficia innotescere. Approbat igitur et eligit ob"temperantes vocationi." Loci Theolog. de Prædest. p. 475. See also p. 473.

6

As nothing of this kind appears in the writings of Calvin, but much in those of Melancthon, can we possibly doubt, to which the eye of our Reformers was directed? It should moreover be observed, that Cranmer was probably induced to draw up this very form upon the topic of predestination by a suggestion of the latter, who, when consulted by him (in the year 1548) respecting the compilation of a public Creed, thus adverted to the subject: "Nimis horridæ fuerunt initio

Stoica disputationes apud nostros de fato, et disci"plinæ nocuerunt. Quare te rogo, ut de tali aliqua "formula doctrinæ cogites." See Serm. II. note 6. p.

223.

This last clause of the Article has been usually denominated a caveat. If by such an expression it be meant, that after having been taught to believe in an

absolute, we are required to act upon the principle of a conditional, predestination, there certainly appears a manifest impropriety in the term. For, according to Melancthon, the universality of the divine promises, and that will of God, equally inclined to the salvation of all men, which is truly revealed to us in the word of God, form the principal foundation of the whole system. And indeed, if we turn to the first amended edition of his Loci Theologici, we perceive, that he originally inculcated the universality of the Gospel promise, solely with a view to counteract the idea of a particular election upon motives of personal partiality. See Serm. VII. note 22. p. 426.

Perhaps the passage under consideration cannot be better explained, than in language similar to that, in which Bucer expressed, Melancthon's leading sentiments. "Furthermore, we inust receive" (embrace, amplecti)" the promises of God, in such wise as they "are generally set forth to us in holy Scripture," or, as they are proposed to us all in Scripture, because all, as Christians, are predestined to salvation," and in our "doings that will of God is to be followed," or, and therefore we must not conceive, that God has a secret will respecting us, but must cooperate with that will of God, ("et Dei voluntas in nostris actionibus ea sequenda est,")" which we have expressly declared" (revealed, revelatam)" to us in the word of God."

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Page 174, note (7).

Consoletur nos in tentatione prædestinationis, qua vix alia est periculosior, quod promissiones Dei sunt universales fidelibus, Confessio Helvetica, de Prædest. Page 175, note (8).

"Wherefore we being thus persuaded of the good will "of our heavenly Father towards this infant, declared "by his Son Jesus Christ, &c." Office of public Baptism. "Doubt ye not therefore, but earnestly believe,

"that he hath likewise favourably received this present "infant, that he hath embraced him with the arms of his "mercy, that he hath given to him the blessing of eternal "life, and made him partaker of his everlasting king"dom." Office of private Baptism. Editions of 1549 and 1552. An alteration of the tense in the concluding part of the last quotation was afterwards adopted, but not by our Reformers themselves. The words, as they now stand, are; "and (as he has promised in his holy "word) will give unto him the blessing of eternal life, "and make him partaker of his everlasting kingdom." Nothing more seems to have been originally meant by the expressions, "hath given to him the blessing of eter"nal life," than "hath given to him a title to the bless"ing of eternal life;" and by those which follow, "made him partaker of his everlasting kingdom," than "made him partaker in a right to the enjoyment of his "everlasting kingdom." These passages, however, appear to have been subsequently understood, as if referring to an actual possession, and perhaps on that account solely were at length altered.

Page 175, note (9).

In the prayer after Baptism, every child is expressly declared to be regenerated: "We yield thee hearty "thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased "thee to regenerate this infant with thy Holy Spirit, "to receive him for thine own child by adoption, and "to incorporate him into thy holy Church." And in the Office of private Baptism it is unreservedly stated, that he is now by the laver of regeneration in Bap"tism received into the number of the children of God, "and heirs of everlasting life." That all baptized children are not nominally, but really, the elect of God, our Church Catechism likewise distinctly asserts. Q. "Who gave you that name? A. My Godfathers and "Godmothers in my Baptism, wherein I was made a