Thomas Taylor

“ Where shall we find the mercy of God, according to this merciless doctrine? It is said that “mercy is his darling attribute, and that judgment is his strange work.” But according to this scheme, we must reverse this sentence, and say that “judgment, or rather everlasting destruction, is his darling attribute; and that mercy is his strange work.” It is said, that “his tender mercies are over all his works.” This must mean over such as have sinned; for such as have not sinned, do not stand in need of mercy. ”

“ This doctrine makes the day of judgment past. It contradicts the plain word of God. It has a tendency to render all means useless. It makes promises and threatenings useless. It is contrary to every attribute in the Deity. It contradicts common sense. It has a tendency to licentiousness. It makes the God of all grace and goodness worse than the devil. If the unconditional decree be a true doctrine, then there is no such thing as sin in the world. ”

“ I say, this doctrine charges the blessed, the merciful God with it all, by ordaining from all eternity whatsoever shall come to pass in time. Here is no overstraining, no forcing things; it is the unavoidable consequence, as much as a man charging, pointing, and firing a cannon at any one or number of men is the cause of their death. The powder, cannon, and ball only do what the men appoint them to do. ”

“ Are not poor miserable objects, who are plunged into a hopeless, helpless situation through the fall, and become offenders through the original transgression? The doctrine under consideration is so far from representing any pity to such unavoidable objects, that it really represents God, of his own sovereign good-will and pleasure, bringing them into that deplorable situation, and then leaving them to perish without remedy, and taking a horrid pleasure in their everlasting destruction. ”

“ What avails all the noise the preacher makes about the wicked being turned into hell, and all the nations which forget God? Let him cry out, till his face is black, “Turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways.” If ye be ordained to turn, ye shall turn; if not, all his zeal will avail no more than a tinkling cymbal. Therefore, he that is praying, and he that is preaching; he that is speaking the truth, and he that is lying; he that is labouring honestly, and he that is stealing; he that is chaste, and he that is impure; he that is over-reaching, and he that deals honestly ”

“ I may eat, drink, dance, sing, swear, live in uncleanness, just as my inclinations lead me. To stem the torrent is in vain, seeing it is fixed, unalterably fixed, nor is it in my power to reverse the same. ”

“ But if there is an irrevocable decree, if all things are so ordered and fixed from eternity, then are the threatenings mere scare-crows; they can answer no valuable end at all, and might as well be given to stocks and stones as to human beings, if they have no power to take the awful warning. ”

“ For me to see a poor creature hanging over a dreadful fiery furnace, and have it in my power to help him with a word, and will not help him, nay, order him secretly to be pushed in, and yet stand, and in the most solemn manner cry, “As I live, I have no pleasure in your death;” ”

“ And I very much question if Calvin himself did not spring from the former stock; and, when he came from the church of Rome, brought that branch of Popery along with him, by which means the leaven spread among many of the Protestants. It would shock any mind which is not quite intoxicated with the absolute decrees, to read what some writers of the above-mentioned classes have said concerning God fore-ordaining sin and misery, and how much he is pleased with the same, nay, how he is glorified thereby, far more than by holiness. ”

“ That was the true light which lighteth every man which cometh into the world.” It is farther added, “this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, but men love darkness rather than light.” ”

“ But this gloomy scheme represents God bringing innumerable beings into existence, not barely to destroy them, but to torment them for ever. Can anything be greater blasphemy? But be it what it will, it is the natural consequence of all things being ordained from eternity, which are to come to pass in time. ”

“ VIII. It has a tendency to licentiousness.4—It is well known that the human heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; that it is prone to every vice, and is glad to catch at anything to keep itself in countenance. But can anything be better calculated to cause a poor fallen creature to sing to his lusts, and sound a requiem to his sensual soul, than a doctrine which informs him, that “all things are ordained from eternity,” and he must sit still, and, if he is a chosen vessel, he will some time or another be called upon ”

“ From hence it is very evident, that absolute predestination is downright Popery.
Again: the Mahometans are rigid predestinarians;—a doctrine which suits that cruel disposition for which they are so remarkable; the same leaven which spreads among the predestinarians among those which are called Christians. The same vindictive, sour spirit we find in Calvin; witness his conduct towards Servetus, who was by his means burned to death. The same savage turn we see in Knox. Let any one read the proceedings of the infamous Synod of Dort. ”

“ By this we are enabled to see things in common life which are consistent or inconsistent; so even in religious matters there may be asserted some things so shockingly inconsistent as may affront even what we call common sense, and perhaps may be a stumbling-block in the way of many. ”

“ But, according to the scheme of absolute predestination, all is settled and fixed already; then there is no judging of every man “according to his works,” but according to what is before ordained concerning him. So that the clay of judgment is a solemn farce, or rather we may call it the day of execution, seeing it is only to execute what was long ago determined. What a ridiculous idea does this give us of the proceedings of that great and awful day! ”

“ This has as frightful an aspect as the other, and perhaps more so; as many think there is less danger of their turning Heathens, than their turning Papists. But be not frightened at nothing; perhaps the tables again may be turned upon the objectors. Whether Christ’s tasting death for every man be Popery or not, I am sure absolute predestination is; and it argues, that they who start that objection are ignorant of the tenets of the Papists. It is well known, that that large fraternity among the Papists called Dominicans, were all rigid predestinarians, as well as those called Jansenists. ”

“ Certainly; if promises have no power to allure and encourage, that is, if the human race are not to be moved by them, and if their power of obeying is wholly taken from them, it is in vain for God to call out, “How long, ye simple ones, will you love simplicity? ”

“ When the forerunner of our blessed Lord came preaching his dispensation among men, it is said, “the same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all men through him might believe. He was not the light, but was sent to bear witness of the light. ”

“ One would think such express testimonies were sufficient to convince any man who attentively considers what is here spoken, and who spake these words, “that Christ tasted death for every man;” and that he “would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.” ”

“ Many who were simply going on their way, rejoicing in a crucified Saviour, denying themselves, and taking up their cross,—no sooner has this beast obstructed their way, but they have unwarily been seduced from the path of life. ”

“ Hill have made use of, that is, being pretty liberal in calling foul names, are far more taking than rational scriptural reasoning. I could not prevail upon myself to stoop so low; truth does not require it. ”

“ Likewise it was ordained, that they should seduce man, and that he should fall, and propagate a race of sinful creatures like himself, and that all the shocking consequences should follow; that Cain should murder his brother; that the old world should be immersed in sin and sensuality, and then be drowned; and, though Noah was a preacher of righteousness a hundred and twenty years, that none should believe and be saved ”

“ They are really written too well for the generality of readers. He wanted to adapt something to the genius and pockets of the people. The generality of such as profess religion are poor, and have little time, little capacity, little money. ”