as much of his "Refutation" appears to turn on this important point.

§4. There are two things avowed by his Lordship, under the head of Free-Will, which require examination. First, that an impression on the mind depends on reason and freewill-and, secondly, that conversion is owing to the exercise of natural powers. There is a sense in which it is commonly known that Calvinists readily admit these positions; but they are here advanced by his Lordship in opposition to Calvinism, the growth of which he professes to impede. In fair construction, therefore, the positions must be meant in some other sense, which they do not avow. In matters of controversy, not to distinguish is to continue in a labyrinth.

§ 5. His Lordship states, that the impression which the truths of the gospel make upon the mind, depends on reason and freewill. His words, in their connection, are these: 'And surely the admonition which follows this 'parable, "Take heed therefore how ye hear," 'implies that the impression which the truths of the gospel make upon the minds of men, depends upon the manner in which they attend to them, that is, upon the exercise of their

' own reason and free-will.'* This statement must imply, that the Calvinists disavow it either altogether, or else in a sense which his Lordship disapproves, otherwise why should it be urged against them? It is, however, incumbent upon me to assure him and the public, that modern Calvinists do not cashier from their system the 'exercise of reason and free-will.' They consider reason as the faculty which compares ideas, and the will as free in all its elections: they maintain that these faculties were first given and are still continued to man, in order to be exercised; that, when exercised aright, they answer the important end of promoting the impression which the truths of the gospel make upon the minds of men;' and that in this respect the impression 'depends upon the manner in which they attend to them.' What more than this would his Lordship require? If any thing, it must be, that the exercise of our own reason and free-will is the exclusive cause of a good impression of Gospel truths upon our minds. I say a good impression,-for though the truths of the gospel are always and uniformly good, the impressions made, through man's fault, are often bad. "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved, it is the power of

Refut. p. 14.

God.'

"For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish; to the one we are the savour of death unto death, and to the other the savour of life unto life."t

§ 6. That a good impression of divine truth on the human mind depends exclusively on the exercise of reason and free-will, we dare not concede. The parable, explained by our Lord himself, expressly declares that " an honest and good heart" constitutes an essential difference, where the impression is good and lasting. All the different kinds of hearers had the exercise of reason and free-will, and all had equal objective inducements for exercising them in the same manner. We regard divine truth as the instrumental cause, or moral mean, of good impressions; but reason and free-will as physical powers, which are at liberty either to reject, or to receive and appropriate the truth proposed. To contend that reason and free-will are themselves the cause of the different manner of their exercise, is to argue in a circle. The question is, on what depends the proper exercise of reason and free-will? Surely not on the exercise of reason and free-will! We say, on the state of the heart, as "good and honest,"

* 1 Cor. i. 18.

+ 2 Cor. ii. 15, 16.

through the influence of the Holy Spirit. If the tree be thus made good, the fruit will be good; but if the tree be bad, it is certain the fruit will not be good. Thus good impressions require divine truth as the seal, reason and freewill as the hand, and honesty of heart as the soft wax. A dishonest and bad heart, like the hard wax, resists the seal. God vouchsafes to all men who hear the gospel, a proposal of divine truth, and physical powers,-judgment and reason, conscience and free-will; these in themselves are valuable gifts of heaven: but he is not under any obligation to soften the hard heart, or to alter the nature of man, which, of itself, ever since the first apostacy, "incline th to evil." This deserves further explanation.

7. It is manifest that God can take away the heart of stone, and give a heart of flesh, for he has declared that he will do it: nor is it consistent with worthy thoughts of God, or with becoming reverence, to say that he can not do it, in reference to any of the human race, however depraved. Yet, if he were under obligation, in justice to his creatures, or if it any way became him to effect this, we are sure it would be done; for he cannot be unjust to his creatures, nor omit any thing which it becomes him to do. Consequently, when any heart is left unchanged, God does not omit what

becomes him, and all the blame attaches to the unbelieving and impenitent sinner. And in those instances wherein the heart is made susceptible of good impressions, through the intervention of truth and free-will, we acknowledge the operation of discriminating grace. For if the, obligation is not of justice, there is no other alternative.

§ 8. His Lordship further avows, that conversion is owing to the exercise of our natural powers. His words are these: The inhabitants of Samaria, by giving heed to the preaching of Philip, and by seeing the miracles he performed, believed the things which he spake 'concerning the kingdom of God, and the name

of Jesus Christ, and were baptized both men ' and women. The conversion therefore of these persons also was owing to the exercise of 'their own natural powers.'* Far be it from Calvinists to discard the use of divinely instituted means, especially attention to preaching, and a believing regard to the testimony of God in his word. They are in the habit of inculcating these duties; and many, both men and women, are converted in the use of them to the faith of Jesus, and to the love of God. But we dare not say, that such conversions, or that of the

* Refut. p. 23.