I must next observe, that as you have been unhappy in printing at all, upon such an _imaginary warrant_, so you have been as unhappy in the choice of your text. Honoured Sir, how could it enter into your heart, to chuse a text to disprove the doctrine of election, out of the 8th of the _Romans_, where this doctrine is so plainly asserted, that once talking with a quaker upon this subject, he had no other way of evading the force of the Apostle’s assertion, than by saying, “I believe _Paul_ was in the wrong.” And another friend lately, who was once highly prejudiced against election, ingenuously confessed, “that he used to think St. _Paul_ himself was mistaken, or that he was not truly translated.”
Indeed, honoured Sir, it is plain, beyond all contradiction, that St. _Paul_, through the whole eighth of the _Romans_, is speaking of the privileges of those only who are really in CHRIST. And let any unprejudiced person read what goes before, and what follows your text, and he must confess the word ALL only signifies those that are in CHRIST; and the latter part of the text plainly proves, what, I find, dear Mr. _Wesley_ will, by no means, grant, I mean the _final perseverance_ of the children of GOD. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, (_i. e._ all Saints) how shall he not with him also freely give us all things.” Grace, in particular, to enable us to persevere, and every thing else necessary to carry us home to our Father’s heavenly kingdom.
Had any one a mind to prove the doctrine of _election_, as well as of _final perseverance_, he could hardly wish for a text more fit for his purpose, than that which you have chosen to disprove it. One that does not know you, would suspect you yourself was sensible of this: for after the first paragraph, I scarce know whether you have mentioned it so much as once, through your whole sermon.
But your discourse, in my opinion, is as little to the purpose as your text, and instead of warping, does but more and more confirm me in the belief of the doctrine of GOD’s _eternal election_.
I shall not mention how illogically you have proceeded. Had you written clearly, you should first, honoured Sir, have proved your proposition, “that GOD’s grace is free to all,” and then by way of inference, exclaimed against what you call the _horrible decree_. But you knew that people (because _arminianism_, of late, has so much abounded among us) were generally prejudiced against the doctrine of _reprobation_, and therefore thought if you kept up their dislike of that, you could overthrow the doctrine of election entirely. For, without doubt, the doctrine of election and reprobation must stand or fall together.
But passing by this, as also your equivocal definition of the word _grace_, and your false definition of the word _free_, and that I may be as short as possible, I frankly acknowledge, I believe the doctrine of reprobation, in this view, that GOD intends to give saving grace, through JESUS CHRIST, only to a certain number, and that the rest of mankind, after the fall of _Adam_, being justly left of GOD to continue in sin, will at last suffer that eternal death, which is its proper wages.
This is the established doctrine of scripture, and acknowledged as such in the 17th article of the church of _England_, as Bishop _Burnet_ himself confesses; yet dear Mr. _Wesley_ absolutely denies it.
But the most important objections, which you have urged against this doctrine, as reasons why you reject it, being seriously considered, and faithfully tried by the word of GOD, will appear to be of no force at all. Let the matter be humbly and calmly reviewed, as to the following heads.
First, you say, “if this be so (_i. e._ if there be an election) then is all preaching vain: it is needless to them that are elected; for they, whether with preaching or without, will infallibly be saved. Therefore, the end of preaching to save souls is void, with regard to them. And it is useless to them that are not elected; for they cannot possibly be saved; they, whether with preaching or without, will infallibly be damned. The end of preaching is therefore void, with regard to them likewise. So that in either case our preaching is vain, and your hearing also vain.” Page 10th, paragraph the 9th.