travagancies of a man, eminent as he was in his f day, for his piety, his wisdom, and his learning; ' and to whom the reformation, in its beginning, is so much indebted. At least, take especial care, ' before you aim your shafts at Calvinisın, that you f know what is Calvinism, and what is not; that, in that mass of doctrine, which it is of late become the fashion to abuse under the name of Calvinism, 'you can distinguish, with certainty, between that part of it, which is nothing better than Calvinism, and that which belongs to our common Christianity, and the general faith of the reformed churches: lest, when you mean only to fall foul ' of Calvinism, you should unwarily attack something more sacred, and of a higher origin. I I must say, that I have found a great want of this discrimination in some late controversial writings, ' on the side of the Church, as they were meant to be, against the Methodists: the authours of which ' have acquired much applause and reputation, but with so little real knowledge of their subject; that, give ' me the principles upon which these writers argue, and I will undertake to convict, I will not say • Arminians only, and Archbishop Laud; but, upon these principles, I will undertake to convict the fathers of the Council of Trent of Calvinism. So closely is a great part of that which is now ignorantly called Calvinism, interwoven with the very ' rudiments of Christianity. Better were it for the 'Church, if such apologists would withhold their

of

リ

136

'But the true lesson to be drawn from the failure ' of such disputants, is, that it is not for every one, 'who may possess somewhat more than the ordi

nary share of learning, to meddle with these dif'ficult subjects."

Bp. Horseley's last charge to the clergy of the diocese of St. Asaph.

mer

and

CHAPTER VIII.

CONTAINING A BRIEF HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF
WHAT ARE NOW CALLED CALVINISTIC DOCTRINES,

thic

St

be

"th

P. DLXXI. 1. 1.

'The quotations, &c." That

The quotations which have been produced in the three preceding chapters, from the writings of the antient fathers, ⚫ and from the works of Calvin, not only prove that the peculiar ⚫ tenets of Calvinism are in direct opposition to the doctrines d • maintained in the primitive church of Christ, but they also t • shew that there is a great similiarity between the Calvinistic

'men are saved, according to the grace of God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ,' and not according to 'just works,' 'contains the essence of Calvinism,' and of Christianity. If this is the Calvinism, of which his Lordship is about to give the history, he must begin from the first promise, or prophecy: " will put enmity between thee and the woman, and "between thy Seed and her seed: he shall bruise "thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel:"1 and trace it through all the Scriptures to the last chapter of Revelation. "Let him that is athirst, "come; and whosoever will, let him take of the :"water of life freely." But to be saved by the 'grace of Simon Magus and his Helena, is a widely 'different thing: and Irenæus might well consider it as an heretical, or rather a most blasphemous, topinion.2 The original of this train of hereticks,' (Valentinus, Basilides, Saturninus, the Manichees, &c.) ' is to be fetched from Simon Magus, 'whose assertion was: that Christ had neither come,

' of salvation; and contended that the nature of man is incapable of improvement or change. These and other heretics of the second and third centuries, who maintained similiar ' opinions, were all of the Gnostic sect; and their religion was a mixture of the tenets of the Eastern philosophy with the 'truths of divine revelation. The absurd notions which they 'held concerning the origin of evil, and the creation and government of the world, were so manifestly contrary to the principles of the Gospel, that very little notice is taken of them by the early 'orthodox fathers; but enough is said to shew, that they considered their doctrines concerning grace, faith, election, and salvation, as heretical and unscriptural.'

Gen. iii. 15. * Remarks on vi. ch. Refutation.

1

nor suffered any thing of the Jews. Wherefore, 'making himself the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, 'he affirmed, that he had appeared, only in shew, (putative,) in the person of the Son; and so that ' he had suffered as the Son among the Jews; 'that in truth he suffered not, but in appearance only. Now what Simon Magus said of himself, when he made himself the Son, those who followed said of Christ: that is, they said, that Christ did not suffer in reality, but in appearance .only. Hence it is manifest, that Simon meant, ⚫ that men are saved by his grace, and not according to just works. He was the Messiah, by whose grace, and that of his Helena, men must be saved; ' and might be saved, if they trusted in them, however wicked they had been, and continued. What Calvinist ever considered faith as the gift of na

ture? Unless nature and grace, nature and God, be the same. 'Confined to their own sect,' I verily believe, that thousands and ten thousands, who dissent from my creed, as to those doctrines, which are more properly called Calvinistick, are in the way of salvation; and shall be "kept by the power " of God, through faith unto salvation:" and that thousands and ten thousands, who profess and contend for these doctrines, will not be saved: because, however sound their creed, they have only a dead faith.-Do Calvinists say, that one part of mankind is naturally good? That some are ordained by nature to be saved, others to perish?' It seems,