Reprobation is equivalent to rejection; and by it is usually understood the Calvinistic doctrine, that a portion of mankind, by the eternal counsel or decree of God, has been predestined to eternal death. Condition- al reprobation, or rejecting men from the divine mercy, because of their impenitence or refusal of salvation, is a scriptural doctrine. Against the unconditional, absolute reprobation taught by rigid Calvinists, the following objections may In: urged: L It cannot be reconciled to the love of Ged. "Cud is love." "lie is loving to every man, and his tender mercies are over all his works." _'. N'or to the wisdom of God; for the bring- ing into being a vast number of intelligent creatures under a necessity of .sinning and of being eternally lost. teaches no moral lesson to the world; and contradicts all those notions of wisdom in the ends and processes of government which we are taught to look for, not only from natural reason, but from the Scriptures. 3. Nor to the grace of God, so often magnified in the Scriptures. For it does not, certainly, argue superabounding rich- ness of grace, wh en ten thousand have equally offended, to pardon one or two of them. 4. Nor to those pas- sages of Scripture which represent God as tenderly compassionate and pitiful to the worst of his creatures. "I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth;" "The Lord is long-suffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish." 5. Nor to his justice. We may allirm that justice and equity in Cod are what they are taken to be among reasonable men; and if men everywhere would consider it as contrary to jus- tice that a sovereign should condemn to death one or more of his subjects for not obeying laws which it was utterly impossible for them to obey, it is manifestly unjust to charge God with acting in precisely the same manner. In whatever light the subject be viewed, no fault, in any right construction, can be chargeable upon 'he person bo punished, or, as we may rather say, de- stroyed. Bince punishment supposes a judicial proceed- ing which this act shuts Out Kvery received notion ol justice is thus violated. <',. Nor to the sincerity of God in offering Balvation by Christ to all who hear the Gospel, of whom this scheme supposes the majority, or at least great numbers, to he among the reprobate. Thai God oilers Balvation to those win, lie knows will
never receive it. is true; but there is here ii" insincerity. for the atonement has been mad.- fir their sins. 7. Nor with the scriptural declaration, that "God is no re- specter of persons." To have respect of persons is a
phrase in Scripture which sometimes refers to judicial proceedings, and signifies to judge from partiality and affection, and not upon the merits of the question.
" ( )f a truth I perceive that < Sod is no respecter of per- sons ; but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with bim"(Acts \. 34, 35). But if the doctrine of reprobation bo true, then it necessarily follows that then- is precisely thin kind of respect of persons with Cod. 8. This doctrine brings with it the repulsive and shocking opinion of the eternal punishment of infants. The escape from this is either by annihilation of those dj ing in infancy, or by assuming that they are among the elect '.'. This doctrine destroys the end of punitive justice. That end can only be to deter men from offence, and t<> add strength to the law of God. But if the whole body of the reprobate are left to the influence of their fallen nature without remedy, they cannot be deterred from .sin by threats of inevitable punishment : nor can they ever submit to the dominion of the law of Cod : their doom is tixed. and threats ami examples can avail noth- ing. See Watson. Bib. Diet. s. v. Comp. Ele< cioh.
Reproof | " v"- "^rH t\f7X°c)j blame or repre- hension spoken to a person's face. It is distinguished from a reprimand thus: he who reproves another, points out his fault, and blames him; he who reprimands af- fects to punish, and mortifies the offender. In giving reproof, the following rules may be observed: 1. We should not be forward in reproving our elders or su- periors, but rather to remonstrate and supplicate for redress. What the ministers of God do in this kind, they do by special commission as those that must give an account (1 Tim. v, 1; Ileb. xiii, 17). 2. We must not reprove rashly; there should he proof before re- proof. 3. We should not reprove for slight matters, for such faults or defects as proceed from natural frail- ty, from inadvertency, or mistake in matters of small consequence. 4. We should never reprove unseason- ably, as to the time, the place, or the circumstances. 5. We Should reprove mildly and sweetly, in the calm- est manner, in the gentlest terms. 6. We should not affect to be reprehensive; perhaps there is no one con- sidered more troublesome than he who delights in find- ing fault with others. In receiving reproof, it may be observed, 1. That we should not reject it merely lie- cause it may come from those who are not exactly on a level with ourselves. 2. We should consider whether the reproof given be not actually deserved ; and wheth- er, if the reprover knew all, the reproof would not be sharper than it is. .",. Whether, if taken humbly and patiently, it will not be of great advantage to us. 4. That it is nothing but pride to suppose that we are never to be the subjects of reproof, since it is hu- man to err. — Buck, Theol. Dot. s. v.