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1816

JAMES NICHOLS, PRINTER, LEEDS.

ADVERTISEME PRARY

TO THIS EDITIO UNIVERSITY

CALIFORNIA.

THE present is generally designated "a wise and thinking age;" and of this, perhaps one of the best proofs that could be adduced, is the encouragement which it affords to the republication of excellent literary productions by famous men of former ages. It is a circumstance highly honourable to the character of the times, that the labours of our predecessors are thought deserving, not only of preservation, but of publicity: And equally creditable is the inference implied, that the attempt in modern writers to equal them, in their several walks of excellence, would be one of extreme difficulty. On this principle it is, and with hopes of such countenance, that the present edition of Doctor Whitby's masterly DISCOURSE ON THE FIVE POINTS has been undertaken.

Besides, Doctor Gill's book, which professes to be an answer to these Five Points, has recently been republished; and it seems requisite that the readers of that work should have an opportunity of hearing both sides of the dispute.

It is no inconsiderable honour to the Established Church, and must prove a high gratification to every true member of her, to know, that the best defenders of the truths of God against the assumptions of Calvinism, have been clergymen in communion with her. While her general constitution has been drawn up on the broad basis of indulgence to weak consciences in particular opinions respecting the non-essentials of religion, her services contain repeated and unequivocal avowals of the willingness of God, that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. See the following Preface, page viii.

Whole pages might be occupied in recording the names of her illustrious men, who have declared their belief that Jesus Christ died for all mankind. Of this class were Overall, Thompson, Hales, Taylor, Goad, Womack, Heylin, Pierce, Barrow, Cudworth, Tillotson, Stillingfleet, Pearson, Plaifere, Patrick, Burnet, Waterland, Bull, Sellon, Horsley, Fletcher, and Wesley; *-men, whose talents,

learning, and piety, will be had in everlasting remembrance. Nor will posterity be unmindful of the literary merit and moral worth of Tomline, Ryder, Whitaker, Gisborne, Cunninghame, Eyton, Daubeny, Smyth, and several other excellent clergymen of the present day, whose attachment to the doctrine of General Redemption is

no secret.

It is also greatly to the credit of our national establishment, that she has of late years produced no writers of eminence in favour of pure Calvinism. Toplady, Hervey, and Scott, are the only clergymen who have, in modern times, distinguished themselves by their attempts in its defence. They have in consequence been much admired by men of the same kidney, and have collected around them a great number of retainers. The FIRST evinced himself to be deficient in learning and genius: his main talent lay in the exercise of the low arts of calumny, impudence, falsification, and buffoonery. His works, as might have been expected, are now in little repute, and seldom quoted, except for the purpose of shewing to what lengths, in support of his opinions, a violent Calvinist may be driven. The style of the SECOND is a turgid outrage of all that is natural and lively. Not content with placing Calvinism on stilts, and decking out her decayed carcase in gorgeous apparel, a zealot in her service, he spoiled all his semblance of humility and pretensions to superior sanctity, by penning, almost in the article of death, those scandalous "Eleven Letters to Wesley,"* in defence of his darling Aspasio, which are a disgrace to his memory, and of which his greatest admirers are ashamed. The THIRD, who is still living, professes to be of a somewhat more moderate cast in his Calvinism; but his exquisite knowledge of any other doctrines than those of his favourite, may be discovered by perusing one of the notest in his "Force of Truth," in which he relates his conversion from Arminianism. One thing is evident from the tenor of the whole note, that Mr. Scott was at no period of his life an Arminian, and that he never ascertained by actual inspection even the outlines of the sentiments espoused and propagated by the celebrated Arminius. ‡

Among those of her sons of whom the Church of England has just reason to boast, is Doctor DANIEL WHITBY, who, in his admirable Paraphrase and Commentary on the New Testament, has done more than any single preceding writer in defending the doctrines of Christianity, and in clearing up the difficulties which occur in that portion of Holy Writ, but especially in the Apostolical epistles. His authority on biblical subjects is very highly respected; and his decisions have many times been quoted, with every mark of approval, by Commentators and Divines of different views and persuasions. Uncommonly valuable as his labours on the New Testament have been deemed, his "Discourse on the Five Points" has not been held in any inferior estimation. It has been recommended, by some of the highest dignitaries of our Church, and by other profound divines, as a work in which may successfully be sought an able elucidation of the doctrines of Arminianism, and the arguments by which they are supported. And, certainly, it must be admitted, by all impartial judges of the controversy, that the Doctor's is, in every respect, an astonishing production; and it will remain in the church of Christ a lasting monument of his vast erudition, his masculine genius, and his unwearied industry. The testimonies of the Ancient Fathers in favour of Universal Redemption, have, in his hands, and by his mode of applying them, been most decisive in the award of victory to the cause which he espoused. Every Arminian will cordially unite with him in his general arguments, except in a few places where his opinions respecting original sin, and the operations of the Holy Spirit, are not very clearly expressed, but have in some instances the appearance of leaning too much towards Semi-Pelagianism. He seems also, in cutting off some of the enemy's resources, to have been too confined in his descants on particular texts, which by no canon of eriticism are to be restricted to the Apostolic age, but which relate to every subsequent period of the Christian Church.

When the publication of a standard work similar to this, is announced, the Calvinists generally assure us, that "the arguments which it attempts to refute, have been long since abandoned." This objection is partly founded in fact; for no other system of religious doctrines has so changed its scenery as Calvinism has done. In the last age, this old hag was remarkable for her unblushing effrontery in preaching up absolute reprobation, infant-damnation, and the other horrible consequences of her unscriptural dogmas. In the present age, conforming herself to the advancement made in knowledge, she has by various expedients tried to cast a veil over her ugly features; and by means of certain modern refinements, she has partially succeeded.* But into whatever differing forms it may be moulded, and however specious and imposing its present garb may be, Calvinism is alike an insult to the expressions of God's universal compassion to man, and a prolific principle of vanity to the individual who entertains it. It is true, that its premises, when untenable, are periodically changed; but whether openly avowed by a Crisp, or wrapped up in mysterious terms by a Williams, it, in both instances, when examined, bears the same revolting character as a perversion of Christianity, and is derogatory to the government of a merciful God. And the arguments which formerly sufficed to counteract its evil influence, and overturn its superficial reasoning, will not experience any additional difficulty in penetrating through its present thin disguises, and shewing it in all its native deformity.

It has also been objected, that "works like this enter into learn"ed disputes about the antiquity of either set of doctrines, and the " opinion of the Christian Fathers on these matters, for which no" body chooses now to contend"-Very true; because this question has long since been set at rest, by its being determined in favour of Arminianism. The combatants on Calvin's side are not now the Puritan divines, who in learning and abilities were at least equal to their opponents. In the hands of such men, the close examination of this point, so far from being accounted of trifling consequence, at that period excited much interest. But those mighty ones have passed away; and, with them, the qualifications requisite for conducting with any probability of success that part of the controversy. Their places are occupied by men, the primary object in whose tuition has apparently been to qualify them for quibbling on the oracles of God, and for controverting his plainest and most gracious declarations. Ashamed of speaking out as distinctly as Father Calvin had done, they invent a new vocabulary of terms in which to shroud their meaning; and, instructed in the art of display, they utter with an air of plausibility this jargon, which they nick-name Metaphysics. But on the minds of men who study things as well as words, and

Latin, by one Mr. John Allen; that is, he being a literary jobber, has been employed to amend and modernise the language and sentiments of the former translator, who, in his version, is too sternly faithful for the delicate feelings of the present generation. In performing this piece of service, Mr. A. has adopted the modish contrivance of his party. It is known to every scholar, that the virulent Calvin, in this work of piety, as well as in his others, occasionally indulged the malignity of his natural disposition in pouring forth a torrent of abuse on all that dared to contradict his doctrines or statements. To keep his "unpolished" epithets out of sight, mark the artifice of this his notable translator ;-He says in the preface, "Almost all the writers of that age, writing chiefly in a dead language, were accustomed "to speak of their adversaries in terms which the polished manners of the modern times have discarded, " and which would now be deemed illiberal and scurrilous. Where these cases occur, the Translator "has not thought himself bound to a literal rendering of every word, or at liberty to refine them en"tirely away, but has adopted such expressions as he apprehends will give a faithful representation of "the spirit of the author to modern readers."-By this ingenious process of filtration, the works of Rabelais himself might be cleansed and made unexceptionable. To a translation, in which such liberties are taken with the Original, Mr. A. should have prefixed the more characteristic title of Calvin Travesty.