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النشر الإلكتروني

1. That God hath elected a people to Himself from eternity; the apostle expressly affirms, in Ephesians i. 4. "According as He hath chosen us in Christ, before the foundation of the world." 2 Thess. ii. 13-"God hath from the beginning," or from everlasting (John i. 1, Proverbs viii. 22, 23), "chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth." God's purpose of gathering Jew and Gentile in Christ, for the manifestation of His manifold wisdom, by the Church, to the "principalities and powers in heavenly places," is called His eternal purpose"(Ephesians i. 10, 11, with chap. iii. 8, 11). God's love is eternal in its date; selection is one of its first sovereign effects. Jesus, the Head of the election of grace, was fore-ordained as their atoning sacrifice, "before the foundation of the world;" that is, in eternity-(1 Peter i. 2). If so, He must surely have known and distinguished in His choice the individual persons for whom His Christ was fore-ordained to suffer. It is undeniable, therefore, that there was an eternal election of some in Christ.

2. And that their election is personal, appears plainly from the common language of the Holy Scriptures. All are not chosen; it is neither all Jews nor Gentiles, but a remnant from each, who are chosen-(Romans ix. 27), whom He calls vessels of mercy, that He had afore prepared to glory-(Romans ix. 27, and verses 23-28); and these are distinguished from the children of the flesh, by their being called the children of the promise-(chap. ix. 8). Such as believe the Gospel, are the children of the promise—(Gal. iv. 28; chap. iii. 26).

None but the elect of God are His children; for none but they believe. Faith is common to them all. Hence, we read of the faith of God's elect-(Titus i. 1). None, except those who believe, obtain salvation; but the individual persons, whereof Paul was one, called a remnant, obtain it-(Romans xi. 7); "the rest being blinded"-(Romans ix. 31, to the end, and chap. x. 1-4). Now, surely, a remnant is not a whole nation or society; and therefore the apostle cannot be speaking of a national election. When Paul says, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect ?" it undoubtedly implies, that the individuals comprising the number called elect, must have been personally known and elected of God. We read also of an elect lady, and her elect sister-(2 John). And when Jesus says to the righteous, at the great day of decision-"Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;" these righteous must have been well known to God, as individuals for whom He prepared a kingdom. It will not be affirmed, that the nation here spoken of are any nation or society, as such; for nations and societies, in these capacities, are not judged as collective bodies, but individual persons, composing them. It is therefore clear as day, that individual persons are elected of God to happiness, in Christ Jesus. And further

3. That election is absolute and unconditional. It is certain, and shall not be frustrated by any contingencies arising from the volitions of men's wills, nor is it on account of any condition of foreseen faith or holiness, nor any qualifications whatever, but it flows solely from God's eternal, free, rich and sovereign grace. This truth the Scriptures most fully and pointedly declare. See Rom. ix. 11"Esau and Jacob, not being born, neither having done good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calleth," it was said to their mother, "the elder shall serve the younger, as it is written," (in Malachi i. 2, 3.)-" Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated;" that is, loved less. This cannot, in truth, be denied, of their persons, as well as of their respective descendants; for Jacob was a believer of the Messiah, and God says—(Mark xii. 26.)-that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob-(see also Heb. xi. 16-21). He is also represented as happy in heaven (Matt. viii. 11); whereas, Esau is characterised as a profane person, who despised his birthright and the blessings connected with it—(Heb. xii). Further, the apostle observes,-(Rom. ii. 4.)—that as there was a remnant preserved from idolatry in the days of Elijah, even so, says he, at this present time, when the Jews were, as a nation, rejected, there is a remnant preserved from stumbling at Christ, according to what? does he say, foreseen faith, holiness, docility of temper, or the selfmoved volitions of their free will?" to the election of" free, undeserved, sovereign favour. This shows it to spring entirely from grace; grace reigns alone in the

election and eternal salvation of the sinner; she disdains to admit any auxiliaries in the important concern. If we maintain, that God chose sinners on account of something distinguishing in the objects chosen, we do not seem to know what sovereign, free grace is; for the moment we present anything to view, as influencing God to choose one person rather than any other, we lose the proper idea of grace, sully the unrivalled glory of it, and quite destroy its nature, by joining with it any thing whatever in the salvation of men. Election is either of grace or of works; but it is not of works-(Rom. ix. 11.)—either in a greater or less degree; therefore it is altogether of pure, eternal, sovereign grace-(see Rom. xi. 1-6., Ephesians i. 4). "God hath chosen us in Christ, before the foundation of the world"-or, in eternity. But does he say, because we were holy and unblameable? No; but "that we might be holy and without blame before Him in love." And those He "foreknew, He also did predestinate ;" not because He saw they were or would be "conformed to the image" of His Son, but that they might be conformed to it-(Rom. viii. 29). Calling and salvation are, indeed, effects of God's electing love in Christ, but not the cause of it-(2 Tim. i. 9). Hence it is said, that "God hath saved and called us, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, given us in Christ before the world began." "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He hath saved us"-(Titus iii. 5). "By grace ye are saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God"-(Eph. ii. 8-10). Thus it appears, that God, in choosing sinners in Christ, acted from no motive or consideration without Himself, but only from His own pure, self-moved grace. There was nothing, either foreseen in, or determined to be in, those He choose, which was the cause of it. They differed not from the non-elected, all being equally unrighteous, and obnoxious to condemnation. On what account, then, did He elect any in prefereuce to others? It was only because He was pleased to do so; for He says, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and compassion on whom 1 will have compassion;" so then "it is not of him who runneth, nor of him who willeth, but of God, who showeth mercy." Jesus, who was most intimately acquainted with His Father's scheme of salvation, and with His eternal purposes respecting the election, calling, justification and glorification of His people, assigns no other reason, why He kept hidden from the "wise and prudent" the things which He revealed to "babes," than, "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight." Further, what is said respecting the Lord's reason for choosing the Jewish nation in preference to all others, is equally true with respect to the election of individual persons to life eternal-(Deut. vii. 6, 7., compared with chapter ix. 4-6). "The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:" not because they were better than other people, for they were a "stiff-necked and rebellious people;" but, because the Lord loved them. Why? Because the Lord loved them.

4. That none of the elect can possibly perish, is also a truth. This cannot take place, till God's decree respecting them become weak, inefficacious, and mutable; which can never happen. His purpose, according to election, shall stand immutably permanent, and He will "do all His pleasure." Those whom He has chosen, are elected in Christ, and all the means, in order to the end, are foreappointed also.

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Christ was fore-ordained for them; His death for their offences, and His resurrection for their justification and He is invested with power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as the Father has given Him-(John xvii. 2). And whom should the Father give Him, but those chosen in Him to be redeemed and finally glorified? Now Jesus is faithful to the trust reposed in Him. He says, "there is one fold," made up of Jewish and Gentile converts; and that he had laboured among the former, says the apostle Paul, as a minister of the circumcision, for the truth of God to the fathers; and " as many as received Him, to them gave He privilege to become the sons of God, even to as many as believed on His name"-(John i. 12). Christ says, Other sheep I have, who are not of this (Jewish) fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd"-(John x. 16). Christ's sheep are those chosen in Him, and He came that they might have life, and that abundantly

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(John x. 10). He knows all His sheep, and is known of them-(chap. x. 14). For them He laid down His life-(verse 15.); and says He, "I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of My hand" (chap. x. 29). "All that the Father giveth Me, shall come to Me," or believe on Me;" and Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out"-(chap. vi. 37). "And it is the Father's will, that of all that He hath given Him, He should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day"-(verse 39). "Whoso eateth Christ's flesh, and drinketh His blood, hath eternal life; and He will raise him up at the last day"—(verse 54). To eat the flesh, and drink the blood of Christ, are figurative expressions, denoting a life of faith in Christ, the “Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world." All the elect thus believe; as faith and holiness are necessarily connected with salvation, so they are predestined to them, being blessed of God with all "spiritual blessings in heavenly places," amongst which faith must be one, because without this prime, radical gift and grace, they could enjoy none at all-(Eph. i. 3-8; chap. ii. 8; Philip. i. 29; 2 Thess. ii. 13). Here it is said, they 66 are chosen of God to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth,' to which they are called by the Gospel, which is the gathering mean, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ-(2 Thess. iii. 14). Peter also, in his first epistle, (chap. ii.)—says, that the strangers, to whom he writes, were elected, "according to the knowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ;" that they were begotten again, by the great mercy of God the Father, "unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Christ Jesus from the dead;" and that they "are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation, which is ready to be revealed in the last time" (verse 3.)-having been redeemed by "the precious blood of Christ" (verse 19). Now, either Christ shall gain His end in dying, or He shall not; but if any chosen in Him, for whom He has died, perish, then He has died in vain, which is a most unscriptural falsehood. But if Christ did not die in vain, which is certainly an undeniable truth, then all those chosen in Him, and given Him to redeem, which He did by His death, shall assuredly obtain salvation, as certainly as He Himself has obtained it in their name and stead; for thus runs His gracious declaration" Because I live, ye shall live also." In Isaiah, He is represented as complaining that He had laboured in vain, on account of the little success He had amongst the Jews, who, when He came to them, received Him not; yet, adds He, "Surely My judgment, or reward, is with the Lord, and My work is with My God." The meaning is, He should not miss his reward for His unwearied diligence and zeal in His work; hence it follows,-(in the 6th and 8th verses)— that though appearances amongst the Jews were unfavourable, yet He should be successful among the Gentiles. A particular consideration of Rom. viii. 28 to the end, will demonstrate, that the elect of God cannot possibly perish, without involving this subject in difficulties inextricable. The apostle's reasoning is unanswerably strong: "If God be for us, who can be against us?" who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things?" Can we once suppose, that God would not spare the Son of His love, and be wanting in any thing else? Do all other things bear any proportion to His unspeakably precious Son? Has He given Christ to die for us, to reconcile us when enemies, ungodly and impotent? and being reconciled, made friends from a state of condemnation, shall we not be saved by the life of Him, who lives wholly for us? Thus, then, from these things taken together, the absolute safety of the elect is proved beyond a doubt. Men may cavil at this, scoff and deny it; but if haply it be of God, they cannot overthrow it.

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Having now shown, (1) that God from eternity hath chosen a people to life in Christ, (2) that election is personal, (3) that it is absolute and unconditional, that is to say, it is not uncertain nor hinged on conditions to be performed by the elect, as the reason why God hath chosen them, and (4) that none of the elect shall perish, but all obtain eternal life, to which they were designed through Christ Jesus our Lord; from all this, I infer the absolute certainty of the salvation of those,

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THE BISHOP OF SALISBURY'S JUDGMENT ON THE BIBLE SOCIETY.

who give decided genuine scriptural evidences of faith, adoption and sanctification; so that a believer may rejoice and sing

"The grace of God in Jesus shown,
Most sure salvation brings along ;
Salvation to our God alone,

Of every tribe shall be the song.

"For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things; to whom be glory, as is most meet, for ever and ever. Amen."

THE BISHOP OF SALISBURY'S JUDGMENT ON THE BIBLE SOCIETY. DR. Edward Denison, Bishop of Salisbury, has addressed the following Letter to the Clerical Secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society:

"My attention has been directed to a letter addressed to the Editor of the Record, in which you correct an erroneous statement respecting the grounds of my retirement from that Society.

"The mistaken impression on this subject which has gone abroad, seems to make it necessary for me to remove any misapprehension which may exist, by stating the reasons which did induce me to take a step, in many respects so disagreeable to me, as that of resigning my connexion with the Bible Society.

"In the letter in which I conveyed to you my resignation on the 20th of August in last year, I said, 'I am so unwilling to speak unfavourably of an Institution to which I have for some years belonged, and which comprises among its supporters so many persons whose opinions have every claim to my respect, that I forbear to state more fully the reasons that have led me to the conclusion that it is my duty to abstain in future from taking a part, as I have hitherto done, in the operations of this Society.' In accordance with the feeling here expressed, it was my wish to withdraw myself with as little publicity as possible; and not, unless obliged to do so, to state my reasons for taking this step. And even now, though in order to justify my own course, I am obliged to point out what appear to me the great objections inherent in the constitution and practice of this Society, it is my desire to do full justice to those persons, many of them men whose opinions I am bound highly to respect, who either do not see these defects in the same light in which they appear to me, or think that the advantages attending the operations of the Society in other respects are so great as to outweigh these objections.

"The following, however, are the considerations which were mainly instrumental in leading my mind to the conclusion at which I arrived.

"1. The constitution and character of the public Meetings, by which the business of the Society is carried on.

"2. The manner in which its operations frequently interfere with the good order of the Church, and obstruct the ministry of the parochial clergy.

"3. The tendency of the Society to obscure the office of the Church in relation to the Word of God.

"Whoever has been in the habit of attending the Meetings of the Bible Society is aware that they are composed of persons belonging to every variety of religious denomination, and holding every shade of opinion which is compatible with the acceptance of the Holy Scriptures as a revelation from God. All these persons meet together, and from the nature of the occasion which assembles them, with an appearance of recognised equality in a matter touching upon the foundation of religious belief. The Independent, the Baptist, the Quaker, the Socinian, assemble on the platform by the side of the member of the Church, on a common understanding that their differences are pro hâc vice to be laid aside, and their point of agreement in receiving the Bible as the Word of God, and being zealous for its distribution, is to be alone considered. Do not let me be misunderstood as implying that a dishonourable compromise of opinion on the part of any one is required by the constitution of the Society. On the contrary, I know that Union without compromise' is a sort of watchword in it. But what I do say is, that the necessary tendency of a Meeting so composed is to magnify the point of agreement be

THE BISHOP OF SALISBURY'S JUDGMENT ON THE BIBLE SOCIETY.

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tween its members, and to sink, as of comparative iusignificance, their respective differences. Whoever has been in the habit of attending Meetings of the Bible Society must be familiar with such expressions as that the members of the Society are only separated by 'unimportant differences,' and are joined in essential unity; whereas an examination of what these unimportant differences' are, will show that, in one quarter or another, they comprise most of the chief doctrines, and all the ordinances of the Christian religion; and are so clearly recognized in the constitution of the Society, as to make it impossible for a Meeting of persons assembled to promote the distribution of God's Word to unite in worshipping Him in prayer.

"I have felt, therefore, that the practical tendency of such Meetings is to foster a spirit of indifference to the most vital doctrinal truth, as well as yet more clearly to exhibit a disregard of the distinctive character of the Church, as the body to which that truth is entrusted. A member of the Church at such Meetings is always liable to hear statements made on these topics, which must either be replied to at the risk of very inopportune discussion, or apparently be sanctioned by being passed over in silence.

"The second point on which I proposed to remark is, the manner in which the operations of the Society frequently interfere with the good order of the Church, by being obtruded into the parishes of clergy, who do not feel at liberty to take a part in them. A very great proportion of the clergy are not members of the Bible Society; but from the constitution of that body its operations are necessarily carried on without reference to this, and Meetings are holden in the parishes of such clergy, contrary to their wishes.

"It not unfrequently happens in such a case, that a clergyman finds that a meeting of the Bible Society is to take place in his parish. The Dissenting chapel is perhaps the place of assembly. Of his own parishioners the chief supporters of the cause are the leading Dissenters. But members of the Church from other parishes, who are supporters of the Society, also attend. Perhaps some neighbouring clergy are induced, even under such circumstances, to take part in the proceedings, which thus practically assume the appearance of giving a sanction and support to the system of Dissent; tend to lower the influence of the clergyman with his parishioners; and to make the very distribution of the Scriptures a means of upholding those 'erroneous and strange doctrines contrary to God's Word,' which every clergyman is bound by his ordination vow' with all faithful diligence to banish and drive away.' I have had repeated and painful experience of such cases in the course of the last five years; and I have felt that, while I continued a member of the Society, the sanction of my authority was indirectly given to proceedings which I conld not but regard as very detrimental to the good order of the Church, and the influence of the clergy in their respective parishes.

"Reflection upon these two great practical evils in the working of the Society will, I think, show that they both proceed from the same fundamental error; that, namely, of forgetting that a body so constituted is not properly capable of performing functions, which essentially appertain to the Church in her character of 'witness and keeper of Holy Writ,' and are capable of being satisfactorily discharged by her alone.

"I mean, satisfactorily discharged on the principles which a member of the Church is bound to recognise; because the indifference to positive doctrine, and the unlimited license of private judgment, both in points of faith and discipline, which it is the effect of the system of the Society to foster, are as much at variance with the spirit of the Church, as they are agreeable to the views of some of the bodies that are separated from her. And this is the third ground which I mentioned, as having influenced my judgment in coming to the decision I have done. "I have now stated the reasons which brought me to the conclusion, that the British and Foreign Bible Society is not so constituted as to enable it to discharge in the best and most satisfactory manner the great office it has undertaken; and that, sensible as I am of the importance of the object proposed, and anxious to promote it, I cannot properly co-operate with this Society in doing so, or continue a member of it consistently with my duty in other respects."

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