OF A

TREATISE,

Entitled

THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST

WORTHY

OF ALL ACCEPTATION;

CONTAINING

A REPLY TO MR. BUTTON's REMARKS,

AND THE

OBSERVATIONS OF PHILANTHROPOS.

BY ANDREW FULLER.

TO WHICH IS ADDED, AN ADDRESS TO
CANDIDATES FOR THE MINISTRY.

[Selected from Smith's Lectures on the Nature and End of the Sacred Office.]

Jesus Christ.

While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.
By grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.

Paul.

PHILADELPHIA:

PRINTED FOR, AND PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM W. WOODWARD

Corner of Second and Chesnut Streets.

.................................

1810.

Dickinson, Printer.

PREFACE,

Sec. I. Introduction.

General remarks

II. On the nature and defination of faith

III. Reply to Mr. B.'s V. and VI. letters, on faith being

commanded of God

-

$3

IV. Reply to VII. letter, on the obligations of men to

embrace whatever God reveals-his charge of illibe-

rality, &c.

V. Reply to VIII. letter, on the causes to which the want

of faith is ascribed

Page

V

VI. Reply to IX. letter, on punishments being threaten-

ed and inflicted for not believing

VII. Reply to X. letter, on spiritual dispositions

VIII. Reply to XI. letter, on the state of man in inno-

13

21

51

cence

IX. On the same

X. Reply to XII. letter, on divine decrees, the use of

means, particular redemption, &c.

88

XI. Reply to XIII. letter, on the tendency of these prin-

ciples to establish the doctrines of human depravity,

divine grace, the work of the Spirit, &c.

XII Serious considerations recommended to Mr. B. and

the reader.

106

71

79

97

REPLY TO PHILANTHROPOS.

Introduction

The whole reduced to four questions, and discussed in

four sections.

Sec. 1. Whether regeneration is prior to our coming to
Christ-or whether it be owing to the influence of the
Holy Spirit and that alone, that one sinner believes in
Christ rather than another

Page.

112

II. Whether moral inability is or is not excusable

On our being born in sin

On our moral inability being insuperable

On grace being provided to deliver men from it

III. Whether faith is required by the moral law

IV. Whether an obligation upon all those to whom the

gospel is preached to believe in Christ, and the en-

couragements held out to them so to do, is inconsist

ent with a limitation of design in his death

118

146

147

157

162

176

189

This sub-divided into four lesser sections.

§ 1. Our Lord Jesus Christ had an absolute determina-

tion in his death to save some of the human race 193

§ 2. The arguments of P. considered

205

§ 3. The consistency of the limited extent of Christ's

death with universal calls, invitations, &c.

$4. General reflections

An address to candidates for the ministry

222

237

253

PREFACE.

THE prevalence of truth and righteousness is doubtless an object of great importance; nor is the former any less necessary to the latter, than both are to the welfare of mankind. If controversy is of any use, it is because it tends to bring truth to light. It too often unhappily falls out, however, that the parties themselves are not the first who are convinced by each others reasonings; but on the contrary, are as far, and perhaps farther asunder, when they leave off, than when they began: this is not very difficult to be accounted for, though it is much to be lamented. Perhaps there are very few controversies wherein there is not room for mutual concessions. The backwardness so generally discovered to this by writers, and the determination that too commonly appears on both sides to maintain at all events their own principles, have given much disgust to many readers, and made them almost ready to despair of edification by reading controversy.

But though it must be granted that such conduct affords a just ground of disgust towards a writer, yet there is not the same reason for being digusted with controversial writing. Whatever be the prejudices of the parties, and their rigid adherence to their own opinions; if a controversy is carried on with any good