heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come; if they shall fall away, to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. Respecting this passage, I would propose these questions: Do the terms here used, necessarily imply, that those, to whom they were applied, were regenerate persons s? If so, do they contemplate the event spoken of, (the defection of such) as possible; or only affirm what would be their situation, should such an event take place? If the latter, where is the force and propriety of the apostle's admonition? This must be the amount of his observations; “I exhort you to diligence and assiduity in studying the principles of our holy religion, and to progress in the knowledge of its sublime, and glorious truths; and I sanction my exhortation with this alarming consideration, viz. That if you fail to do this, and thus for want of being rooted and grounded in the truth, suffer yourselves to be shaken from your stedfastness, and moved from your faith in the gospel, it will be impossible to recover you; though at the same time, you very well know, that it is absolutely certain this never will happen.

7. With regard to the example of David I request an answer to the two following questions: Was David in a state of favour and acceptance with God previously to his sin, in the matter of Uriah? If so, were his flagrant, and abominable crimes, of adulfery and murder, compatible with

the existence of a holy principle in his heart?

Thus I have endeavoured, as clearly and concisely as possible, to state the difficulties, of greatest weight, in my mind, respecting the doctrine of final perseverance. To discover the truth is, I hope, my only object. Should you deem it consistent with the purposes of your un dertaking, I request you to give these queries a place in the Panoplist; in order that some writer may have an opportunity to attend to the difficulties proposed; and to gratify me and the public with such remarks as may appear to him pertinent and proper J. C.

REMARKS ON THE FOREGOING STATEMENT OF DIFFICULTIES.

Ir cannot be urged as any objection against the doctrine of the saints' perseverance, that hypocritical pretenders to religion have openly forsaken the cause of truth. Nor can it be considered any proof of their real saintship, that, while they maintained the appearance of religion, God in his word and providence treated them, as saints. Both in his word and providence God conducts towards men according to their visible character. He does not expose them, except by giving them opportunity to expose themselves. Thus Judas, Simon Magus, and others have been treated. The apostasy of such persons means no more, than a visible apostasy, or a falling away from their standing in the visible church; which, in fact, implies no real alteration in them, but only a manifestation of their true character. Such is the sentiment contained in the

apostle's words; 1 John ii. 19. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. But while there are some, that is, false professors, who actually draw back to perdition; there are others, that is, real saints, who do not. Thus the apostle, speaking of real believers, says; we are not of them, who draw back to perdition, but of them who believe to the saving of the soul. Here the distinction is evidently marked between those who are saints in reality, and those who are saints merely in appearance. Now whatever passages of scripture are designed to characterize false professors, have nothing to do with the subject before us.

It is granted, that most of the passages, which J. C. urges against the doctrine of perseverance, and other similar passages, are descriptive of real Christians. The construction, which has often been put upon Heb. vi. 4,5, appears not well supported. There is scarcely in the Bible a higher description of the regenerate. * In compliance with the request of J. C. it is my design to offer what assistance I am able, to the candid and inquisitive, in discerning the consistence between the passages, which he quotes, and the gospel doctrine of the saints' perseverance. It must be remembered, that long and minute investigation is not compatible with the brevity which is necessary in this reply.

I desire it may be considered, in the first place, that the gracious purpose, froniee, and agen

cy of God, which secure the final perseverance of all his chosen people, are not in the least degree inconsistent with their moral agency.

Innumerable examples

might be produced, in which God's purpose, promise, and agency conspired to render an event certain; and yet those, who were concerned in its accomplishment, were as free and voluntary, as they could have been upon any supposition what

ever.

I might mention the death of Jesus, which was determined before the foundation of the world, and was rendered certain to the church by the promise of God. Notwithstanding this, Jesus was perfectly unconstrained in laying down his life, and the murderous Jews were no less free and voluntary in taking it from him. The same might be asserted of the return of the Jews, from the Babylonian captivity, of the conversion of the Gentiles, and of a thousand other events.

Now if the purpose, the promise, and the agency of God, rendering the salvation of all believers certain, leave them in the unimpaired possession of their moral freedom; it is evidently suitable to address them, as free, moral agents. But in what. manner is it suitable to address moral agents, who are probation. ers for eternity, in order to persuade them to virtuous conduct? Infinite wisdom teaches, that it is suitable to address them with motives; to set life and death: before them; to hold up the mercies and the terrors of the Lord. Thus has God dealt with mankind in all ages; and what he has done is confessedly just, because mankind are intelligent

to urge that necessity, as a motive to the use of means? The doctrine of perseverance ought never to be viewed in such a light as to render persevering diligence in well doing less necessary for Christians, than it would be upon supposition that the doctrine were not true. Every motive to pious activity, which can be derived from the law and the gospel, retains its full force, and ought to be exhibited to believers to influence their conduct.

Having made these general remarks, we proceed to notice particular parts of J. C.'s communication.

After a long and ingenious attempt to prove that the passage in John xv. 2, is applicable to those, who have a vital union with Christ, he states this as the question, which involves the great difficulty; Whether it is implied in the passage, that it is possible for such to fall away? They, who have carefully attended to the distinction, which President Edwards and others, before and after him, have made between natural and moral pow. er, possibility, necessity, &c. need not be embarrassed with the difficulty here supposed. Upon the ground of that distinction, it is readily conceded, that the final apostasy of good men is naturally possible. Considered as rational, voluntary agents, they are liable to fall away. Their natural powers render them as capable of forsaking the way of holiness, as of persevering in it. It is not their want of natural power to continue in sin, that secures their perseverance in religion. Were there no possibility, in any sense, of their

falling from grace, the language of inspiration would appear very incorrect. That such an event is, in some sense, possible, is the plain, direct implication of many Scriptures. Without supposing that good men have natural power to fall from grace, we cannot consider them in a probationary state; for that state must imply that life and death are set before them, and that their choice and corresponding practice will determine their future condition.

If the certainty of the saints' f.« nal perseverance implies, that they have not, in any sense, power to fall away; then, the certainty of any event makes it utterly impossible, that the contrary event should take place. According to this false reasoning, it is utterly impossible, in every sense, that those sinners, who will fi nally perish, should repent; for their perdition is a certainty in the mind of God. Whereas it will be one part of the misery of sinners sinners hereafter, that they might have been saved, but misimproved their opportunity.

Let this be well considered; viz. that believers being in a state of probation and having natural power to apostatize from the faith of the gospel, as well as to persevere in it, is not in the least degree incompatible with the certainty of their final per severance; because that certainty rests wholly on a cause, which does not impair their natural power or moral agency, but leaves them fully possessed of all that belongs to rational, free, dependent beings.

Paul's words, 1 Cor. ix: 27, are remarkable. To J. C. it appears, that, admitting the doctrine of the saints' perseverance,

We

the reason, which the apostle assigns for his care in subduing his carnal inclinations, was not the true reason. Here J. C. appears less discerning than usual. We unite with him in rejecting the supposition, that Paul was uncertain whether he were the subject of gospel grace. agree with him in his inference, that, if the doctrine of perseverance be true, Paul was as certain of his final salvation as he was of his present holiness. That he was animated by a lively and assured hope, that he should obtain salvation,appears from ver. 26. "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air." He pressed on with entire satisfaction and full confidence that, in the way prescribed, he should gain the crown of glory. In ver. 27, he manifests nothing contrary to such a firm and confident hope of final salvation, but only teaches us what means he used to obtain it. Whatever hope, or even assurance he might have, that he should obtain, he certain he should not obtain, unless he strove lawfully. He knew that, if he did not bring under the body of sin, but gave way to self-indulgence, and became a slave to carnal desire, he must in the issue be rejected of God. This the nature cf things and the gospel constitution both required. His assured hope of the final enjoyment of God excited him to mortify his corruptions, and to purify himself even as God was pure. He knew, that unless he maintained great watchfulness, and perfected holiness in the fear of God, he must, after all his pleasing expectations, lose his soul. The Vol. II. No. 3.

was

crown of victory was promised to none but conquerors.

J. C. is doubtless right in thinking, that Paul's final salvation was suspended on the condition of his subduing his sinful inBut how this can clinations. be made an objection againt the doctrine of the saints' perseverance is not easily conceived, unless any supposable condition is an equal objection. J. C. thinks this passage very unfavourable to the conclusion of those, who argue the final perseverance of the saints' from the nature of holiness, and who hold, that a single exercise of holiness gives an infallible title to everlasting life. We question the correctness of their theological knowledge, who make perseverance depend on the nature of holiness. Awful facts prove, that the holiness of angels and men, while probationers, is not indefectible. If believers persevere in holiness, it is not because there is any thing unchangeable in their holy affection, but because they are interested in the sure coveThe reason, nant of grace. which Christ mentions of the security of his people, was not the nature of their holiness, but his own and his Father's almighty grace. John x. 28, 29. "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any one pluck them out of my hand. My Father, who gave them me, is greater than all, and no one is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."

If a single exercise of holiness gives an infallible title to salvation; it is because that single exercise is, by the constitution of grace, connected with perseverance in holiness.