tion, 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 nor 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 unąvoidable 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

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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 family? If the doctrine of absolute predestina

tion is true, mankind 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 crimes; and more.. over, 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 sins 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 decree of God, and yet 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 endure many hardships in this life, death is the boundary of them all; whereas,

death is only the beginning of the bitterest pains of man, unhappy man! Surely to preach the gospel to those who are reprobated by decree, is to add insult to injury; and yet, in this city of Philadelphia, I could point to clergymen who get from 1500 to 3000 dollars per annum, for reading (not preaching) two sermons to such individuals every sabbath, which are sometimes in vindication of absolute reprobation; yet these priest-ridden people pay a man an enormous salary for thus insulting their understandings, by reading sermons (which a school-boy could do perhaps better than they can) which dooms them to irrecoverable woe.

It is morally impossible to point out the inconsistency, the absurdity, as well as the blasphemy of this blasphemous doctrine! If it is true, it was solemn mockery for Christ to command, or his ministers to "preach his gospel to every creature" that is human! Such ministers, who advocate and preach this doctrine, have continually a lie in their mouths. In one breath they cry

out in the language of Scripture, "The spirit and the bride say come, and let him that hears come, and whoever will may come, and take of the waters of life freely, without money and without price;" yet in the next breath they vociferate, "Christ, by the grace of God, died only for the elect!" Does not this doctrine impeach God with perjury? He has solemnly sworn, that he has "no pleasure in the death of a sinner," and at the same time commands every one of them to "turn from their sins and live." Ezek. xxxiii. 11. Would God make this declaration, in conjunction with this oath, if he did not will their happiness? and if it was not possible for them to turn from their sins and live? It is impossible. Those dignified clergymen, who advocate this cruel doctrine, must be deluded by the devil, whose primary object is to depreciate the excellency of the divine character, than which, nothing can do it more effectually than the above doctrine.