He supposes that all are elected to salvation; and
that they are justified without any qualifications. But
do not the Scriptures teach, that the humble publican,
who "smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merci-
ful to me a sinner," was justified, rather than the boast-
ing Pharisee, who said, "God, I thank thee, that I am
not as other men?" When the Scriptures denounce ever-
lasting destruction against the workers of iniquity, he
supposes that no reference is had to sinners in their
own persons. All the sufferings which sinners deserve,
he thinks, has been laid upon Jesus Christ as their
Sponsor or Substitute. He considers the sins of all
mankind as imputed to Christ, and his righteousness to
them; so that all men are entitled to eternal life through
the atonement without any qualifications in them-
selves.

That Huntington's scheme of universal salvation is
a fabric without a foundation, will appear by compar-
ing his Treatise with the Scriptures, as analyzed in the
foregoing discourses.

er cry

penitent. The moral law is as full of mercy to those

. who love God as is the Gospel. And there is no great

of vengeance in the moral law than in the Gospel. For the same reason that the Gospel is nothing but good news, the moral law is nothing but good news. The Gospel is not good news because it will save men in their sins; but because it saves men who love God. And the Gospel can make the salvation of no man more certain than does the moral law, the salvation of those who obey it; even if they have come short of perfection in many instances. The divine

. baw no more requires sinless obedience than does the Gospel

. Hence, in his sermon on the mount, our Lord addresses his disciples in these words; "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heav. en is perfect.” The Doctor says, “the Gospel is good pews, news from heaven, and as independent of us, as if we should this day hear some news from the planet Saturn well attested.” And was not the moral law from heaven? and entirely independent of us? It is true, that the moral law, and likewise the law of nature, requires perfection in holiness without any fail.

But the moral law is not contrasted with the Gospel, as if the law required perfect, and the Gospel imperfect obedience. The Gospel will no more admit of obedience mixed with sin, than the law. The Gospel, however, does not require sinless obedience in order to salvation, neither does the law. There it no proclamation of mercy in the law of nature; neither was there in the law to Adam. Man being fallen, it: could never be known that God would extend merey to sinners without a revelation from heaven. This revelation of mercy is found not only in the Gospel, but in the moral law. When Emmanuel made his appearance in the world, the light shone with superior brightness, but it was not another light. Peter and Paul preached the Gospel; but not “another Gospel;"> and it was also taught by Moses and the prophets.

ure.

2

Jesus the Apostle and High Priest of our profession "was counted," it is true, "worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who builded the house hath more honour than the house." Moses was a servant of God; and Christ was the Son of God; still between them there was no opposition. The same may be said of law and Gospel. And this revelation from heaven, that God can and will show mercy to sinners, is found, not in the law of nature, nor in the law to innocent Adam; but in the moral law given to Moses on the mount. Of this, when Christ came into the world, there was a more complete revelation; but there is nothing in the Gospel of Christ which stands in opposition to the moral law. They both proclaim salvation to those who love God; and neither of them secures the salvation of any, in whose heart the love of God is not. But the Doctor says, that "The law, with one just and awful voice, always damned all hu man nature, and even the human nature of the Son of God, in a way of suretiship and imputation."* On this ground, he thinks, that the salvation of all men is certain. This he calls good news to all men. Hence, "the apostle," he says, "never made any the least distinction between the certain salvation of one sinner and another. Compare this with what is said by the Apostle Paul in his Second Epistle to the Thessalonians; "The Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe, (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day" Huntington supposes, that the law condemns all men, whether penitent or impenitent, believers or unbeliev

*p. 63.

+ Ibid.

ters, and that the Gospel is equally extensive in the salvation of all, whether they be doers of good or doers of evil. He says that all the advantage there is in believing, or in doing good is confined to the present life. But Christ says, they that have done good shall come forth unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation.” It is evident, then, that the Huntingtonian doctrine does not agree with the doctrine of Christ and his apostles.

A main pillar in Huntington's system is a supposed distinction between the moral law and the Gospel: “I greadily grant,” he observes, if this distinction, which I

would ever keep in view, between the voice of jus. tice, and that of mercy, the display of law and that of gospel running through the whole word of God is without foundation, my whole argument falls to the

ground.”*

That there is a distinction between the law to Adan

a and the Gospel, I readily grant; but that there is no opposition, or essential difference between the Gospel and the moral law, has been proved in the foregoing work. Huntington's argument, therefore, for universal salvation falls to the ground; and his whole scheme stands forth in full view a baseless fabric. (See more in the 5th article.)

2. To Huntington's scheme, the doctrine of election affords no support: for in his argument for the vindi, cation of his scheme from the doctrine of election, he takes for granted the thing to be proved. Instead of making use of the doctrine of election to prove universal salvation: he takes it for granted that all inen will be saved; and then says, the doctrine of election means the determination of God to save all men He considers Christ as the Head of God's elect, and all mankind "his mystic body.” He says, that “the doctrine of God's election, or eternal, fixed choice, debree, or predestination-as it respects his grace to the

human kind in this world, and their salvation in the world to come, stands exactly thus, in all the reason we are capable of, and in all the sacred oracles. AW is fixed and immutable in the mind of Jehovah, from eternity to eternity; involving iommerable distinctions among men, communities, and nations of men, and as many in regard to privileges, light, comfort, influence and effect, in the present world; and great and. innumerable distinctions and differences in the life and world to come, in regard to different degrees of hap. piness, dignity and glory."* "To this world, and de. grees of happiness in the next, he confines his idea, of all the distinctions made by the doctrine of election. As to the future salvation of all men, he supposes it made certain in Christ. He says, “the divine purpose secures the salvation of all men in Christ alone." In

" this way I say alike secures every part of human na-> ture, from any pain or sorrow in the world to come." Thus Huntington conforms the doctrine of election to his préconceived idea of universal salvation. With him, election and the salvation of all men, mean the:

same.

Let us proceed then and inquire, what the Scriptures say concerning the doctrine of election.

It is evident from the Scriptures that God's people is a people distinguished by the purpose of God, from other people; hence see Psalm cx, 3. “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.” And, "I have other sheep,” says Christ, "which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear myr voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.? “Who shall,” then, “lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?" "Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.” Now if all men were equally God's elect without any distinction, these passages of Scripture would be unintelligible. When the Gospel