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Las diagrammas suivants iiiuatrant la mithodo. ata lure. n J 1 2 3 4 5 6 1^ rmitttamsm anb §xut / TROM THE PRINCETON RETIETT FOR JMUART 1859i TORONTO: ^AMES BAIN, 46 KINO STREET, EAST. 1861, i* The fbllowinj;- artlc'e appear tl in '' The Princeton Review " for January 1851). It is now re-printed separately, from the belief that itv. re-pubiication is fitted to be of service to the in- terests of religion in Canada. The doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which is here more immediately assailed ag being the stronghold of Methodism and Arminianism in the Uni<^ed States, are ideiitical with those of the various bodies of Methodists in tiiis Province ; and thus the reaponinp^s of th^ article tell equally against the latter. t t ARMINIAMSM AND GRACE. It is not our desire to wound the ft-clings of our Arminian brethren. Nor liavj we any pleasure, except as it niuy sub- serve tha oause of righte msness, in pointing out what wo re- gird a3 ^. most serious conclusion, drawn legitimately from *hf Ir prr.iciplos. Both for their own sake, and to avoid dis- tricting the attention of men by the diffcicnces of Chri>tinn denominations, we would gladly omit the observations now to be made. Such, however, is the prominence given in the Scriptures to the doctrine of grace, and such is its admitted mportance to the whole scheme of redemption, that where it is impugned or misrepresented, either directly or by fair im- plication, silence is criminal. This is tht; necessity laid upon us at present. We believe that Arnunianism is essentially wrong on this subject. It has long becfi our settled convicticjn that the principles on which Arminians object to Calvinism arc utterly subversive of the true doctrine of grace ; but it is only recently that our attention has been called to certain authoritative statements on their part, which fully confirm this impression. Looking a little more than usual into the publications of the '* Methodist Episcopal Church," the palladium of Armiaianism in thif H Alt^riVlANIK.M AND URAt K. country,* wo have been ^urprisod and grieved at tho bold and unscriptural assertions with which th<'y abound on this subject. And with the hope of opening their eyes to the consoqucncos of their principles ; of ni;i!ri«th in our t'nlltMi ►tutc. Ho wn«< bound in juntico to ju'tv vido salvation ; and of courno, to i wkc it known nnd i^ivc grucd to accept it, inu!uld avail nothiiij^' ! It would hu\a he n unju;;lc beings, or. In onler that wo might be held respon- sible, God was bound to restore our freedom through the dis- p nsation of Christ He certainly could not have iiold us ac- countable without freedom of will. He must then, on Armin- ian principles, either treat us as irrational beings, or restore ovir lib(?ftv ; f <•., he mugt provide u Saviour, through whom '' linH sea AnMINfANtSU AND OIIAOI. •t lhi!$ (Ve^dom of wilt oomi, or he could not ho.d nay tnun r9* dponsihlo for his conduct. The Mcthodi.it Church holds thnt ho hns dono tlic latter ; i. JLRMINIANISM AND GRACl. 17 I > [ t Whence then do they obtain it ? We are not left to guess. In immediate connection with the above declaration as to Adam, and aa a part indeed of the same sentence, the Con- ference proceeds, '' but that Qod, when of his own free grace he gave the promise of a Saviour to him and his posterity, graciously restored to mankind a liberty and power to accept of proffered salvation," i. c, graciously restored this self-deter- minini; principle. Grace then, in its first Impartation, and without any voluntary reception of it by the sinner, restores his self-dotermining principle, and thus puts him in a position to resist all that grace can do afterwards I In the exercise of his sell-determining principle even the renewed man can undo all that may have been accomplished ! Verily, the theology and metaphysics of this school are alike wonderful and base- less. Such are some of the proofs that Arminianisiu is subversive of grace. The first is taken from their declaration that God could not justly have passed by all men in their fallen state. If he could not, then there was no grace in providing salvation — it was simply a matter of justice. The second is based on their assertion that man in his fallen state has no freedom of will — is not a free agent. If this be true, God must either treat him as an unaccountable being, or restore his freedom of will through the gospel, which then becomes a necessary condi tion of accountability, and is not of grace. The third rests on the principle, that men are impotent by nature to all good, and that they are not culpable or liable to punishment in that state of impotency, unless they have the power and opportuni- ty of recovering from it ; i. c, unless the gospel dispensation had been introduced. If this be true, then its promulgation i& not of grace, but a conditiou without which they could not 4 13 arMaIiianism and oraoc. be held accountable. The fourth is taken from their common objection to Calvinism— that it makes God unjust. If this be true, it must be because the claim of some is disregarded. There can be no injustice where there is no claim. And if any have a claim, then grace is out of the question. The fifth is drawn from the uiterTy at war with gratuitous walvation. They unJormino tliiH great truth by representing God qh bound to provide it, and yet, overlooking the tendency of their false principles, profcHs to hold the doctrine in all its completcncfl'^ — a reniark- ble instance of pernons Helf-deceivcd and full of self-complacen- cy in their delusion. Wo may say of them as Dr. Fisk clmritubly says of us, " If the supporters of this system must adhere to it, I rejoice that they can close their eyes to its logi- cal consequences, otherwise it would make them wretched in the extreme, or drive them into other da" porous theon^tical and practical errors ; which indeed in mai.^ instances it has done." "VVo reciprocate the kindness. Nay, we do more. For while he plainly insinuates that Calvinists arc dishonest in concealing their opinions, or in refusing to look at what he considers the legitimate consequences of their doctrines, we give him and his brethren full credit for sincerity in their be- lief and honesty in advocating it ; we have charity enough to believe that in the fury of their denominational zeal, and in the blindness of their bitter denunciation of sound doctrine, they have not seen the destructive bearing of their own prin- ciples. We claim the victory in charity at least, if not in logic. Here our charity has not been put to a severe test ; for we never suppossed them to be men whose logical perceptions were remarkably clear. And if we had, these Doctrinal Tracts would have shown us our mistake. We must say that of all theological discussions which \ e have ever read, they are the most incoherent, illogical and vague. The one on Christian Perfection is a rarity. But to return. The reader will perceive that the proofs of our position are not founded on mere incautious, unpremedi- tated admissions or assertions, but on the mature, deliberate, I. ARMINtANtSM ANT) QttACf. arp^menfntl^e arcrmonts of ArmininniRm. These tracts were prepared with care, (most of ihcm hy Jolin Wefllej thu father of Methodism) have been in cxisten-^c a long time, were bound wuh the " Book of Discipline" in one cover, and still have the sanction of the (ieneral Conference. Watson's Theological Institutes is a standard work, designed to •' exhibit the Kvi^ denccs, Doctrines, Morals and Institutions of Christianity." Dr. Fisk's tract on Predestination and Election is one which they deliglit to place in the hands of uninformed or hesitating Presbyterians. These ire books of authority, prepared ex- pressly for the exhibition of principles— prepared for offensive and defensive war. Upon the authority of these books we charge the Methodist Episcop.d Church with holding and teaching: [1] thai Ood could not justly have passed by all men without providing a Saviour ; [2] that Adam by his fall lost all freedom of will, and therefore ceased to be a free agent ; [3] that his posterity being in the same state would be excusable for their conduct if this alleged loss were not graciously (?) restored to them ; [4] that electing love to some, would make God unjust to those not elected ; [5] that our fiill in Adam would be unjust but for the remedial scheme of redemption, and [6] that a self- determining principle by which a man can resist or dispense with all grace, is a necessary condition of free agency. More than this. These principles we believe to be essential to the Arminian scheme. Unless they be maintained, or at least assumed, its advocates have no ground on which to de- fend their peculiar tenets, or to plant their batteries against ine loriruaa ui v^uiviiiiBui. positions— the opposite of those we have charged upon them : [1] that God might justly have passed by all men without pro- AAMIMXANUM AND ORAOI, tl viJing or offerinpr Bolvation through Christ ; [2] that Adam mCUit his full was Mtill a free iiior»U ageat, and a« such account- able for his conduct ; [3] that his posterity, though like him fallen, arc still by nature, free and accountable; [4] that in bestowing grace on some, (jod does no injustioo to others, as none have acluim to his favour; [5] that the permission of our foil in Adam waa just and righteous, so far as our Creator i.s cottccrned, without any compensation for it in the scheme of redemption ; and [G] that there is no such thing as a ** self-determining principle " in the human mind, by which a man can resist all possible moral and spiritual in- fluences brought to bear upon him. Let them admit these propositions, and what have they to say against Calvinism, or in favour of the crudities of Arminian-sm ? We should like to see an Arminian treatise, setting out with the admis- sion of these principles. They are c foundation stones of Calvinism. Admitting them to be true, an Arminian could no more write on theology than David could fight in the ar- mour of Saul. Let them try it. On the other hand, let them deny these propositions, and grace is overthrown inevitably. It is as clear as noon-day, that if God could not justly have pii?sed by all men, then there is no grace in providing a Saviour, If Adam was not still a free, moral, and accountable being after his fall, and if his posterity are not so by nature, there is no grace in making them so by the gospel. It was simply an arro 'cement of necessity, without which they could not have been held ac- countable. If God cannot justly withhold or give bis favour in Christ Jesus as he pleases, there is no errace in bestowing it. If the permission of our fall in Adam Tas not just and rightoous in itself, there is no ^''aco in the gospel, wLicb, Mr. 22 AAMIMIANUM AND GRACE, WaUon myn, mukcii it ja»t. Where e»ii be thegMe in doing that which it would have been unjuMt not to do ? Arminiani then are shut up to the neccsuity of overthrowing tho (gospel, or of admitting the essential principlon of Calvinism. The fact is that they do both by turnf. When they preach ♦he gospel, so ftr ai !• is ever preached by them in its purity, they do the latter. When they oppose CulviniHui, they do the former. Are such iuconsisteut en crista bale guided for im- mortal beings ? The subject might here bo left to the candid consideration of the reader. There are, however, in addition to the Bub- versirn of grace, several other strange and un^criptural con- clusions which follow necessarily from some or all the Armin- ian statements on which wo have dwelt. A few of these may low be mentioned. (1.) ** I deny that God might justly have passed by me and all men. I n^ect it as a bold and prccariou^i assertioa, utterly unsupported by Holy Scripture." Then the atonement itself was not necessary. For if justice required that men should have the offer of pardon, why should Christ suffer to make it consistent for God to do a just thing ? If justice were on the sinner's side, the law which is just and good would justify without an> u .^, ement. According to this dogma, therefore, Christ diec' hi vain. Surei>, the Father of mercies did not require to be lured to do justice by the unutterable agony of his beloved Son. What a picture of his character and of the glorious doctrine of the cross is thus afforded ! (2.) " I deny that God might justly have passed by me and all men." Then he has treated the heathen very unjustly. For if he was bound to provide, he must certainly have been equally bound to offer salvation. Simply providing a remedy, ▲RMIHIANIRM AND QRiCl. 23 tn5 Ic-tIiir tlicm without the knowUdge of it, would not satisfy juiiticc. Wliat av.\ilii it to tbcm that lb«e in balm in (lilcad, or a phydician there ?" ** How oan they belie. e in him of whom they have not heard ? To bo ignorant of it in to them a8 if no such provision had been made. And Hince, in fact, tlio gospel ha« not boon made knowu to the great maiw of mankind, it folluwH that they have been treated unjustly by their Creator. Ho has withheld from them what ho wan bound to give ! * (3.) " VVc believe that 'n the moment Adam fell, he had no freedom of will left." Of cour«\) he could not sin in that state. Transgression without freedom of will is no sin. Then the first effect of Adam's 8u« was to put himself beyond the {K.-T-ibility of ever sinning any more, unless God would graeiously restore :o him the po\Ter of so Joing ; i. c, make him a free moral agent again ! Fallen angels too, uccording to this d)gma, are no longer free agents or capable of sinning. They have no raoro freedom of will than Adam had. No guilt, therefore, can pertain to an} of their devices ! We mis- take when we think and speak of them as awfully wickci be- ings, waxing worse and worse I (4.) " We believe that God, when of his own free grace he gave the promise of a Saviour, graciously restored to mankind liberty and freedom." Then the first effect of grace, (for we were graciously restored, notwithstanding it would have been • With reference to this a gument of the Princeton Reviewer, it is proper to state that Arminiana hoW that tlie knowledge of the Saviour, is noc essential to salratioa, and tiiat all the sons and daughters of Adam— be they Healheiic, Mahomctons, Papists or Protestants— are in a condition so far to believe and obey God that they may obtain lor themselves everlasting life. 24 ARMINIANISM AND GRACE. TXnjuBt to hold US accountable if we had not been) was to put •as in a position in which we might sin 1 Left in our fallen state we could not have sinned, but now, by grace, we have the power to do so I Yea, and we have the power too to resist all future grace 1 (5.) «' We believe that in the moment Adam fell he had no freedom of will left." If the race had been left in that state, only Adam and Eve could have been punished ; and they, but for one offence, unless they had been punished for things done after their freedom of will was destroyed. All the rest must have been saved. At least they could not have been lost, as they could have committed no crime without freedom of will. Then it follows that the introduction of the gospel was a great calamity to the human race ; for without it, all except the first pair, would have escaped the miseries of hell ; but now, multitudes will endure it for ever ! (6.) "Man's 'self-determining principle' renders it im- possible in the very nature of things that the Almighty himself should bring him in and keep him by irresistible grace." ^ Then [1] God is dependent on the sinner, not the sinner on God ! [2] When Christians pray that God would keep them by his grace-when they believe that he will keep them, they ask and believe what is, in the very nature of things impossible ! To be constrained by irresistible grace, (just what common poor Christians in *heir weakness desire and long for,) would leave no room for th^ir self-determming principle, would destroy their accountability, and is contrary to the nature of the divine government! They must there- fore cense to pray and long for this divine guardianship, and rely on their " self-determining principle !" Is it in this view of the matter that our Arminian friends believe in falling from I ABMWIANISM AND GRACE. 25 \ grace ? Well they may, for this self-determining principle, which is superior to and independent of all motives or exter- nal influences, and which absolutely knows no law, must be a very uncertain dependence. We should undoubtedly believe in falling from grace ourselves, if we held to any such princi- ple. But this is not all. For [3] according to it, the moment the redeemed soul arrives in heaven it ceases to be an account- able spirit, being kept by irresistible grace , or [4] if not, for au-ht the grace of God can do for its preservation, it may, like fallen angels, sink down to the blackness of darkness for ever 1 We are not sure then of eternal life even after we get to heaven, much less can we be in this world 1 Who can tell what turn this lawless self-determining principle may take, and how soon it may plunge the redeemed down to hell ? But the mind tires and the heart grows sick in tracing the sad conclusions which flow legitimately from these distinct averments of Arminianism Enough has been said to show the tendency of their principles. We submit it to the judg- ment of every candid reader, whether we have done them in- justice As said before, i^. affords us no pleasure to make these exposures. It is a painful duty, made imperative by our love of the truth, and by the course of those who hold .uch principles. They are not content to propagate error, but seem to consider themselves called of heaven to overthrow Cal- vmism. These so-called '' Doctrinal Tracts," which the Gen. oral Conference ordered to be published that they might be -within the reach of every reader," and which they are so fond of putting into the hands of Presbyterian readers, are mainly intended to refute that system. They contain but little of the peculiar or positive teachings of Armmianism. 26 ARMINIANIS3I AND GRACE. Only here and there a cloven foot—an egregious blunder— ap» pears, as in the extracts we have given. The full phial? of their vituperition are poured out on Calvinism through more than two hundred pages of the volume. The following speci- mens of the controversial style are worthy of preservation. (Calvinism *♦ represents the most holy God as worse than the devil, more false, more cruel, and more unjust. On these principles, one might say to our adversary, ' Thou fool, why dost thou roar about any longer? Thy lying in wait for souls, is as reedless and useless as our preaching. Jlearest thou not that God hath taken thy work out of thy hands ? And that he doth it much more effectually ? Thou temptest, he for- soth us to be damned, for we cannol resist his will !' " Leaving the appropriate and heavenly work of disseminat- ing truth, they assail, misrepresent and denounce other denom- inations in sueh a style as this. That this is characteristic of their pulpit performances also, as well as their publications, is notorious. With both they come stealthily into quiet and peaceful neighbourhoods, or enter heartily into divided con gre^ations and glory in the work of making proselytes. In such circumstances we feel that it is no breach of Christian charity to exhibit their own principles and show their ten- dency. They are [1] utterly subversive of all grace in the -^spel of Christ ; and [2] encumbered beside with the absurd and unscriptural conclusions mentioned above. In writing the foregoin^^- pages we have been constantly op- pressed with the painful conviction that Arminianism is a de- lusion. We say painful, because it is with sorrow that we have felt ourselves forced to the conclusion. It in mournful to think of so many persons deceived anu ueeciving otiaers. .i^Uv the evidence is irresistible. We have presented it in part, « ♦ AIIMINIANI8M AND GRACE* 27 t ♦ and shall see more of it in tne sequel. It pretends to be what it is not. Its advocates claim that they hold the doctrine of grace in perfection ; whereas there is no grace in the gospel, as held by them in distinction from Calvinists. They cannot preach a sermon on grace, but on the great CaWinistio princi^ pie, that God might justly have left all men to perish in their sins without i^ivinq: his ISon to make an atonement — that men are accountable by nature, as free moral agents, without the grace of the gospel to make them so — that as such they may properly be rewarded or punished for their conduct — that God may justly give or withhold his grace as he pleases ; and that in the exercise of it, he can move and keep the heart with per* feet certainty, without destroying free agency— making his people " willing in the day of his power." If they can, let them preach on their own principles ; '^ God could not justly have left me to perish without the offer of sal- vation,— I should have been irresponsible without it, and with- out a measure of the grace which it bestows. And now he cannot bring me into his favour and keep me by an irresisti- ble influence without destroying my freedom." Where could any just idea of grace be introduced into a sermon built on such principles ? Yet these are the principles of Arminian- ism. We feel constrained to add here, our decided opinion, that no small part of the alleged success of Arminian sentiments has arisen from a popular delusion on this point. Multitudes have believed that those who cry '< free grace, free grace," so vociferously, must understand and hold the doctrine, and hence have fallen into their ranks without examination. Let the T^ennlp SPP hnwfiver. that Arminianism and grace are utterly inconsistent, and the wings of its progress will be clipped. ARMINIANISM AND QRACK. The doctrine of grace is too clear and too precious to be over- thrown by a delusion. Kven the natural heart, much as it is inclined to such sentiments, cannot commonly embrace them at the expense of grace* Other questions also have pressed upon us in the pre paration of these pages, with painful interest. They are such as these. Can those who hold the Arminiun principles, pre- sented above, preach the gospel fully ? Can they fairly present to their hearers the God of the Bible, or Ihe Saviour therein revealed? Suj-pose them not to preach the positive errors which these extracts contain, (and it is mostly in their at- tempts at controversy that iliese false and dangerous princi- ples are avowed,) can they ever preach the truths to which these errors stand opposed ? Can they, and do they, preach that God was under no obligation to provide a Saviour— that he is i solutcly free and sovereign in his grace, giving or with- holdin it as ho pleases— that he is ublc to break the most stubborn will, and to keep even the most wayward of his children against the snares of the devil? We think not. Then do they preach the pure rospel ? Is it not an eviscera- ted gospel in which God's sovereignty, his perfect freedom in the gift of his Son— in the bestowment of his grace, and his ability to reach and keep the vilest sinner, are left out ? Is it the Father, Son, and Spirit, revealed in the Scriptures whom they set forth ? Or is it not their own mistaken idea of what that God ought to be and to do, which is proclaimed ? Having presenteu the doctrinal aspect of Arminian Metho- dism, it would be fair and important to inquire into its practical working. Tliis, however, would be an invidious and a very different task, the responsibility of which we do not feel called upon to assume. The recent volumes by the Rev* Parsons I . . '• 1RMINIANI8M AMD QBACE. 29 '• Cooke, D.D., ro at large into this part of the 8ubjtH;t, and to them we refer our readers for many imporUiiit factH and Btatistical details. We gladly acknowledge that the Metho- dlsts, both in this country and in England, have aceoniplinhed a great work. They have carried the goapel to thousands whom it would never have reached in any other way. Th(;y are now pressing forward in the out-lying portions of society, and by their system of itinerant preaching, can reach Fcattered anO feeble communitie3, which the more cumbrous organisation of other churches cannot so well supply. We would be most unwilling to detract from their merit as a pioneer, hard-working body of men and ministers. We cannot, however, shut our eyes to some crying evils connected with their system and their spirit. They are, we fear, to a degree which gives them a sad pre-eminence, denunciatory and proselyting. We have hardly, in our whole life, ever heard a sermon from a Presbyterian avowedly against Methodism or Arminianism, and not more than half-a-dozen formal discourses on any distinguishing doc- trine of Calvinism. It is the glory of Presbyterian preaching, that the distinguishing doctrines of Augustinianism underlie and sustain all its exhibitions of truth, just as the granite formations underlie the upper and fruit-bearing strata of the earth, without protruding their naked rocks constantly to \iew. It is thus in the Bible. Those doctrines are everywhere pre- sumed, everyM'here implied, but seldom brought -openly to view. Their necessity and value are not the less. What would the earth be without its granite foundations ? On what would seas and soils rest ? These doctrines are as precious to God's people as any other portions of his truth ; but true men— men imbued with the true spirit of the Bible— leave them as they -.-£, i^