annunciation of the angelic host to the shepherds, at the birth of Christ; namely, "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." Now, if the doctrine of absolute reprobation is true, the declaration of the angel was false. A manifestation of the saving grace of God is given to every man, in every-country, for them to profit therewith, and none are condemned, but those who abuse this grace, and shut their eyes against the light of the spirit. Our blessed Redeemer tasted death for every man, of all kinds, of all colours, -and of all languages; even those who are excluded by some inevitable accident, from any outward knowledge of his sufferings, death, and resurrection; and although unacquainted with his history, they may parti cipate the benefit of his death, by obeying the dictates of his spirit, and walking in the light of his grace; by doing to others, what they wish others to do unto them, on which all the law and the prophets hang;

and finally, by loving the power by whose inward touch they find themselves turned from evil to good, and from the power of Satan to God.

The doctrine which is the complete antipode of the present argumentation, makes God a liar! by insinuating that he delights in the present and eternal misery of man; that he predestinates man to sin, as well as to its punishment, and compels them to sin, that they may justly be punished ! But in order that the reader may see for himself, the deformity of this devilish doctrine, than which a greater dishonour cannot be offered to God, I will subjoin five articles of the Synod of Dort.

ARTICLE I. Of Divine Predestination. “ That God, by an absolute decree, hath elected to salvation a very small number of men, without any regard to their faith or obedience whatsoever ; and secluded from saving grace all the rest of mankind, and appointed them by the same decree to eternal damnation, without any regard to their infidelity or impenitency.

ARTICLE II. Of the Merit and Effect of Christ's Death,

“ That Jesus Christ hath not suffered death for any other, but for the elect only; having neither had any intent or commandment of his Father, to make satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.

ARTICLE III.

Of Man's Will in the State of Nature.

“ That by Adam's fall, his posterity lost their free will, being put to an unavoidable necessity to do, or not to do, whatsoever they do, or do not, whether it be good or evil; being thereunto predestinated by the eternal and effectual secret decree of God.

ARTICLE IV.

Of the Manner of Conversion.

"That God, to save his elect from the corrupt mass, doth beget faith in them by a power equal to that whereby he created the world, and raised up the dead; insomuch that such unto whom he gives that grace, cannot reject it, and the rest being reprobate, cannot accept of it.

ARTICLE V.

Of the Certainty of Perseverance.

"That such as have once received that grace by faith, can never fall from it finally, or totally, notwithstanding the most enormous sins they can commit."

Do not these articles not only dishonour God, but also render Christ's death ineffectual? Do they not make the gospel a mere farce? Do they not make the coming of Christ a grievous and unavoidable curse, to a very large majority of the human fa

mily? If the doctrine of absolute predestipation is true, inankind are in a far worse condition than the devils ! for this plain reason the devils once were supremely happy, and had a fair chance of continuing in that state, had it not been for their own wilful delinquency; and moreover, they are only punished for their own actual rebellion against the best of beings; but according to the above doctrine, millions and billions of wretched mortals, from infancy to old age, are precipitated into everlasting and unutterable misery, for the sin of their progenitors ; although they themselves never committed any actual sin, which children who die in infancy never did ; and those who have committed actual sin, are compelled thereunto, by the absolute decrec of God, and yet they are punished, for what it is impossible to avoid! The beasts of the field are a thousand times happier than wretched man, according to the above doctrine ; because, although they may en