The opposite scheme, or what has been called the Arminian view of this subject, does not remove a single difficulty, whilst it is attended with some in consistencies which do not encumber the Calvinistic plan. It goes on the supposition that the decrees of God are fixed in consequence of the known cha racters of men, good or evil; that those, for instance, whom God foresees that they will be virtuous and obedient, he decrees to eternal life ; whilst those who are foreseen to be contentious and disobedient are decreed to everlasting punishment. Thus, both on the Calvinistic and the Arminian hypothesis, decrees are admitted; for it is impossible to read the Scriptures and not perceive it to be a funda mental doctrine, that every thing which comes to pass is fixed and determined in the eternal counsels of God. The parties differ only in the way in which his decrees are to be explained. The Armi nian scheme seems to make the counsels of God depend on the will of feeble man ; and to counte nance the idea that he may have done so much for the human race, and yet that it may be all in vain ; that men may not choose to believe, and that, there fore, the intention of the Almighty may be defeated; all which notions seem directly contrary to the lan guage of Scripture, which says, "whom he did predestinate them he also called," (Rom. viii. 29,) and as many as were ordained to eternal life be lieved." (Acts. xiii. 48.) The great argument against the Calvinistic views on this subject is drawn from certain conceptions which men have formed respecting the divine cha racter. It is argued, for instance, that it is incon sistent with the benevolence of the Deity to decree any one to eternal misery. The apostle (Rom. ix.) answers this objection by resolving the fate of men into the absolute sovereignty of God ; and turn which way you will, or adopt what view of the subject we please, we shall find that we must land in the same conclusion at last. If misery is to be the portion of any in the future world (and this has never been denied by any) it may just as well be af firmed that it is inconsistent with the goodness of God to make creatures who he knew would be mise rable, as to maintain that it is inconsistent with his benevolence to doom them to misery by his absolute decree.
They, then, do not remove a single difficulty who say with the church of England, and some other churches, that God does not predestinate any man to misery, because predestination does not condemn but save men, inasmuch as all men were under a curse, and liable to punishment, to which they must have been subjected, had not God, in his eternal counsels, resolved to save a certain number, whilst the rest were passed over, and left to the fate which sin had brought upon them. This is merely dis guising the difficulty; to pass over any in the decree of election is the same as to doom them to hopeless reprobation; it is attended with all the same conse quences, and can be explained only on the same principle, viz, the sovereign will of God.
It is farther argued that the doctrine of absolute decrees is calculated, on the one hand, to drive men to despair, or, on the other, to encourage ar rogance and presumption; that those who conceive themselves doomed to misery, must be driven to desperation; whilst those who conceive themselves ordained to life will be careless and presumptuous. It is easy to get rid of this objection. The decrees of God can have no influence on human conduct, whilst they are unknown; and in so far as they are made known, the tendency is salutary, calculated to encourage virtue and repress vice and immorality,for this is his fixed and irreversible decree, that the man wholives humble and holy, and dies in faith and hope, shall inherit eternal life, whilst '' the unbelieving and disobedient shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on them." (John iii. 36.) So far
every man may know, and ought to know, the de crees of God; and he should not seek to know more. Were every man permitted to read his fate, as writ ten in the unalterable records of heaven, there would be an end at once both to the restraints on vice and to the encouragements to virtue.
But, in concluding this subject, we would ob serve that the difficulties which encompass it do not arise out of the Scriptures; they arise out of some of the most obvious doctrines of natural reli gion; and they are greatly lessened, and some of them almost entirely removed by the light of reve lation. It may be observed, for instance, that it is decreed concerning every man that lives, that he shall be happy or miserable in the future world. This is a doctrine which never has been doubted; all men, in all ages, have admitted a state of re wards and a state of punishments beyond the grave, in the one or the other of which, every human being must have his future portion. This is a set tled point, in which all are agreed. Supposing, then, that we had know nnothing more than this, and had never heard of predestination and election, would our anxieties have been less than they are, and would we have been perfectly at ease with re gard to our future prospects? No, the heathen who knew nothing about God's eternal purpose to save those who believe on his Son, were deeply anxious and perplexed about their condition in the future world. '' Shall I give my first born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul," is the inquiry of a heathen, and of one deeply anxious to secure his soul's salvation, and willing to make great sacrifices in order to accom plish it. This inquirer was more rational in his views than many professed Christians; for he con cluded that something was to be done that he might enter into life, whilst many who profess the faith of Christ seek to ascertain their future condition by prying into the hidden counsels of God, and instead of acting as he has commanded, sit mop ing and disconsolate, waiting till he shall be pleased to reveal to them his secret purposes. This is altogether unreasonable; God has made no secret. of his purposes in regard to any man living. "He bath showed thee, 0 man, what is good." "If thou wouldst enter into life, keep the command ments." "Do these things, and thou shalt never fail." God having determined in his eternal counsels to manifest his attributes and perfections, he gave birth to the visible creation; and having stored the earth with abundance, and replenished it with living things, he, at last, crowned his work by creating man, and constituting him lord over this lower world. He was made in the image of God, which implies that he was free from natural infirmity and moral imperfection. His body was then immortal; he was to be subjected to death only in case of dis obedience. His fall was accomplished through the temptation of the devil, and he instantly be came liable to death, and the subject of moral cor ruption. The punishment was not confined to him self. "In Adam all died," both naturally and morally. The fountain head being polluted could not be expected to send forth a pure and limpid stream; it Nv ould have been contrary to every thing which we observe in the analogy of nature to sup pose that man, the prey of death and sin, should produce a pure and immortal offspring; and there is no more difficulty in conceiving how we should derive sin, disease, and death from Adam, than there is in conceiving how the various tribes of ani mals have the tempers, defects, and vices which belong to their species. On these points we can not dwell, as we must hasten to consider the nature of the remedy which God, in his wis dom, had provided, and which was rendered neces sary by the helplessness and desperate depravity of men.