already extended our notice of this -controversy to an unusual length, we -shall content ourselves with a brief summary of Mr. Scott's remarks on this chapter. We must, however, -premise, what every candid and intelligent reader will naturally expect, that there is much, even in these quotations from Calvin, which coincides with the Articles of our church, except as their literal and grammatical meaning is explained away by such interpreters as the Bishop of Lincoln; and, what is still more to the point, much, also, which is equally held by many pious and judicious Anti-Calvinists.

But amidst this partial agreement between the creed of Calvin and that of Mr. Scott, and many others of his brethren in the Church of England who differ from him on the doctrines peculiar to Calvinism, the author before us distinctly and repeatedly admits, that the great Reformer in question is unscriptural, and highly objectionable in his statement of various points-more particularly in that of the doctrine of reprobation; that in his speculations concerning the foreknowledge of God, and in speaking of his absolute will, he uses language on these deep and awful subjects not to be found in Scripture; that he is too metaphysical, sometimes obscure, frequent ly employing harsh and exceptionable terms, and indulging in intricate and perplexed reasonings. On the expression which has excited so much popular clamour against Calvin "horribile decretum”— Mr. Scott observes, as every candid and well-informed Anti-calvinist will also do, that it is simply synonimous with the English word "awful," or "tremendous ;" and may, with equal justice, be applied to the sentence of condemnation which will be pronounced on the wicked at the last day.

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Many of Mr. Scott's remarks on the quotations from Calvin, are deserving of much attention; but we cannot, at this advanced period of Qur Review, find room for any of CHRIST. OBSERY. No. 128.

them, or even for the recapitulation of the points on which he considers the Church of England as differing from that Reformer. We have, however, already briefly alluded to them above.

The Lambeth Articles are next introduced by the Bishop of Lincoln, for the purpose of heightening the prejudice against Calvinism, by this harsh statement of its peculiar tenets. With articles, however, confessedly drawn up without due authority, and to which no subscription has ever been required, Mr. Scott observes, that unless all the faults committed by men called Calvinists, are to be imputed to those who in the present day are so named by their opponents, however free they may be from imitating them, he cannot perceive that we have any more concern than with the decrees of the Council of Trent. The Evangelical Clergy, he asserts, do not wish for any change in the Thirtynine Articles, or for any addition to them, but rejoice in the failure of any attempts at innovation, from whatsoever quarter, saying of the "Estote Articles as they now stand, perpetui."

But if this be the case with the Lambeth Articles, how much more so is it with respect to those of the Synod of Dort, which appear to be brought in as a sort of climax in the representation of Calvinism—the ne plus ultra of dogmatical rigour and absurdity. We should not, on this account, have deemed this part of the Bishop's work at all worthy of being noticed, but for one remarkable circumstance, which is of great importance in this whole discussion, as it tends to shew the degree of reliance which is to be placed on the accuracy of his lordship's information. The Articles of the Synod of Dort, are given in the "Refutation of Calvinism," from Heylin's Quinquarticular History, who quotes them as abbreviated by Daniel Tilenus, Of Heylin, after the frequent convictions of his prejudice, and inaccuracy, which have already appeared 3 Y

in our pages, we need not say any thing: and Daniel Tilenus, be it known to our uninformed readers, if any such there be, had once been a Calvinist, but afterwards renounced his opinions; and, though a man of Jearning, possessed all the zeal against the tenets of his former associates which usually characterises such a change of sentiment. From the manner in which this pretended abridgment of the Articles of the Synod of Dort is mentioned by the Bishop of Lincoln, a common reader would at least suppose, that it contained something like an adequate statement of the doctrines which they embrace, and in the very words of those articles. It may not, therefore, be useless to premise, that whereas the articles themselves occupy many pages, this abridgment by Tilenus is comprised even in a smaller number of lines. But to proceed to the correctness of his adopted abbreviation:

1. According to Tilenus, as quoted by the Bishop of Lincoln from Heylin, the first article declares, that "God, by an absolute decree, hath elected, to salvation, a very small number of men:" on which strange assertion, Mr. Scott, with a perfect reliance on the accuracy of the Right Reverend Refuter of Calvinism, indignantly exclaims, "Who informed these presumptu ous dogmatists, that the elect were only a very small number of men?"" Who, indeed! A previous question, however, happily for these poor Dutch theologians, must be asked of their accusers, which is nothing more nor less than this, Where, in the Articles of the Synod of Dort, is this notable declaration to be found? On turning to the "Canones Synodi Dordrechtanæ," as contained in the "Sylloge Confessionum," published in the year 1804, from the Clarendon press*, we find, in the 7th clause of the first head of doctrine, "de Divinâ Prædes

tinatione," the following words: "Est autem electio immutabile Dei propositum, quo ante jacta mundi fundamenta ex universo genere humano, ex primævâ integritate in peccatum et exitium suâ culpâ prolapso, secundum liberrimum voluntatis suæ beneplacitum, ex merâ gratiâ certam quorundam hominum MULTITUDINEM! (a very small number of men!') aliis nec meliorum, nec digniorum, sed in communi miseriâ cum aliis jacentium, ad salutem elegit in Christo."-This is, we think, a pretty fair specimen of the dependence which is to be placed on the representations of the Calvinistic doctrine by Tilenus and his copyists. But to proceed: at the close of this first article, as thus abbreviated, and adopted in the Refutation, it is asserted, that the reprobate are appointed, by the Divine decree, "to eternal damnation, without any regard to their infidelity or impenitency."

Here, again, Mr. Scott, justly complains of the harshness and unscriptural tenor of this doctrine, as he had before done as to the sentiment of Calvin upon that point which was really of this kind; and quotes several passages from the letters of Bishop Hall, one of the English delegates to the Synod of Dort, to some of its most distinguished members, in which that great prelate condemns that view of this awful subject; but in which, though this appears to have escaped Mr. Scott's notice, he also refers to the words of the Synod, as declaring, what, indeed, it does most expressly, that "the decree of eternal punishment is not irrespective, but on account, of the unbelief, and other sins, of the reprobate." Of this let our readers judge by the following extract from the 15th clause of the first canon. Speaking of the nonelect, it declares it to have been the Divine decree: "in communi miseriâ, in quam se suâ culpâ præcipitarunt, relinquere, nec salvificâ fide et conversionis gratiâ donare, sed in viis suis, et sub justo judicio relictos, tandem non tantum propter infidelita

we earnestly recommend to our learned readers, a careful perusal of its decisions. It will at least serve to convince them, with what hesitation the representation of the Calvinistic doctrines, by some of their opponents, is to be received by all calm and unprejudiced inquirers.

The Bishop of Lincoln, however, trusting, as he well might, had it been a correct likeness, to the absurd and revolting picture of the doctrine he was opposing, triumphantly exclaims, as if anticipating its rejection, with contempt and abhorrence, by all who contemplated its deformed and rugged features, "Such is Calvinism and it is in its nature so inconsistent with the attributes of God, so contrary to the express declarations of Scripture, and so repugnant to the feelings of the human mind, that it seems only necessary to state the system simply and fully in all its parts and consequences to insure its rejection by every unprejudiced person."

To this declaration, Mr. Scott, replies, that such is not Calvinism;" and we certainly agree, that such Calvinism is not to be discovered, either in the writings of Calvin, in the decisions of the synod of Dort, or in the representations of any modern advocate of that system, with which, as Heylin modestly expresses himself, we have met "within the small compass of our reading." To the charge which the Bishop at the close of his seventh chapter, brings against modern Calvinists of being ashamed or afraid of openly avowing the doctrines they really support, Mr. Scott firmly, but calmly replies, that he knows nothing of reserves, and has ever avowed in the plainest terms all that he believes. He disclaims the title of Master," as applied in the "Refutation," to Calvin; declaring, that he was as much what is called a Calvinist, as he is at present, before he ever read one line of Calvin or Augustine, or Beza, or almost of any Calvinism, except that, which he considers himself as having drawn

from the Scriptures, and the Articles of the Church of England. That he and his brethren do not say, "that Calvinism is not to be judged of by the doctrines of Calvin;" but that their doctrines are to be judged of by the word of God, and, as minis ters of the establishment, by the authorised formularies of the church, and not by the writings of Calvin. Mr. Scott very properly exposes the fallacy of the notion on which the Bishop of Lincoln builds so much of his declamatory argument, that if a man embrace one doctrine, which happens to form a part of Calvin's system, he must be forced against his judgment, conscience, and avowed principles, to embrace the whole; affirming, that consistency is not so much his object, and that of his brethren, as truth, wheresoever found, and by whomsoever upheld; and closes his remarks on this chapter by a farther quotation from Bishop Horsley, which, as we observed of a former one, can scarcely be too often repeated; and the close of which is so literally applicable to the controversy now unhappily raging in the church, that it might almost seem to have been dictated by a prophetic spirit.

"If ever you should be provoked to take a part in these disputes, of all things I entreat you to avoid, what is now become very common, acrimonious abuse of Calvinism and of Calvin. Remember, I beseech you, that some tenderness is due to the errors and extrava

gancies of a man, eminent as he was in his day, for his piety, his wisdom, and his learning; and to whom the Reformation, in its beginning, was so much indebted. At least

take especial care, before you aim your shafts at Calvinism, that you 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 should unwarily attack something more samean only to fall foul of Calvinism, you cred, and of a higher origin. I must say, that I have found a great want of this discrimination in some late controversial writ