truth　he　seizes　upon；　and　hence　he　appears　to　many　gifted　and
  learned　critics　to　draw　conclusions　from　accepted　premises　which
  apparently　conflict　with　consciousness　or　natural　reason；　and　hence
  there　has　ever　been　repugnance　to　many　of　his　doctrines；　because　it
  is　impossible；　it　is　said；　to　believe　them。
  In　general；　Calvin　does　not　essentially　differ　from　the　received
  doctrines　of　the　Church　as　defended　by　its　greatest　lights　in　all
  ages。　　His　peculiarity　is　not　in　making　a　digest　of　divinity；
  although　he　treated　all　the　great　subjects　which　have　been
  discussed　from　Athanasius　to　Aquinas。　　His　〃Institutes〃　may　well　be
  called　an　exhaustive　system　of　theology。　　There　is　no　great
  doctrine　which　he　has　not　presented　with　singular　clearness　and
  logical　force。　　Yet　it　is　not　for　a　general　system　of　divinity　that
  he　is　famous；　but　for　making　prominent　a　certain　class　of　subjects；
  among　which　he　threw　the　whole　force　of　his　genius。　　In　fact　all
  the　great　lights　of　the　Church　have　been　distinguished　for　the
  discussion　of　particular　doctrines　to　meet　the　exigencies　of　their
  times。　　Thus　Athanasius　is　identified　with　the　Trinitarian
  controversy；　although　he　was　a　minister　of　theological　knowledge　in
  general。　　Augustine　directed　his　attention　more　particularly　to　the
  refutation　of　Pelagian　heresies　and　human　Depravity。　　Luther's
  great　doctrine　was　Justification　by　Faith；　although　he　took　the
  same　ground　as　Augustine。　　It　was　the　logical　result　of　the
  doctrines　of　Grace　which　he　defended　which　led　to　the　overthrow；　in
  half　of　Europe；　of　that　extensive　system　of　penance　and　self…
  expiation　which　marked　the　Roman　Catholic　Church；　and　on　which　so
  many　glaring　abuses　were　based。　　As　Athanasius　rendered　a　great
  service　to　the　Church　by　establishing　the　doctrine　of　the　Trinity；
  and　Augustine　a　still　greater　service　by　the　overthrow　of
  Pelagianism；　so　Luther　undermined　the　papal　pile　of　superstition　by
  showing　eloquently；what　indeed　had　been　shown　before；　the　true
  ground　of　justification。　　When　we　speak　of　Calvin；　the　great
  subject　of　Predestination　arises　before　our　minds；　although　on　this
  subject　he　made　no　pretention　to　originality。　　Nor　did　he　differ
  materially　from　Augustine；　or　Gottschalk；　or　Thomas　Aquinas　before
  him；　or　Pascal　and　Edwards　after　him。　　But　no　man　ever　presented
  this　complicated　and　mysterious　subject　so　ably　as　be。
  It　is　not　for　me　to　discuss　this　great　topic。　　I　simply　wish　to
  present　the　subject　historically；to　give　Calvin's　own　views；　and
  the　effect　of　his　deductions　on　the　theology　of　his　age；　and　in
  giving　Calvin's　views　I　must　shelter　myself　under　the　wings　of　his
  best　biographer；　Doctor　Henry　of　Berlin；　and　quote　the　substance　of
  his　exposition　of　the　peculiar　doctrines　of　the　Swiss；　or　rather
  French；　theologian。
  According　to　Henry；　Calvin　maintained　that　God；　in　his　sovereign
  will　and　for　his　own　glory；　elected　one　part　of　the　human　race　to
  everlasting　life；　and　abandoned　the　other　part　to　everlasting
  death；　that　man；　by　the　original　transgression；　lost　the　power　of
  free…will；　except　to　do　evil；　that　it　is　only　by　Divine　Grace　that
  freedom　to　do　good　is　recovered；　but　that　this　grace　is　bestowed
  only　on　the　elect；　and　elect　not　in　consequence　of　the
  foreknowledge　of　God；　but　by　his　absolute　decree　before　the　world
  was　made。
  This　is　the　substance　of　those　peculiar　doctrines　which　are　called
  Calvinism；　and　by　many　regarded　as　fundamental　principles　of
  theology；　to　be　received　with　the　same　unhesitating　faith　as　the
  declarations　of　Scripture　from　which　those　doctrines　are　deduced。
  Augustine　and　Aquinas　accepted　substantially　the　same　doctrines；
  but　they　were　not　made　so　prominent　in　their　systems；　nor　were　they
  so　elaborately　worked　out。
  The　opponents　of　Calvin；　including　some　of　the　brightest　lights
  which　have　shone　in　the　English　church；such　men　as　Jeremy　Taylor；
  Archbishop　Whately；　and　Professor　Mosley；affirm　that　these
  doctrines　are　not　only　opposed　to　free…will；　but　represent　God　as
  arbitrarily　dooming　a　large　part　of　the　human　race　to　future　and
  endless　punishment；　withholding　from　them　his　grace；　by　which　alone
  they　can　turn　from　their　sins；　creating　them　only　to　destroy　them：
  not　as　the　potter　moulds　the　clay　for　vessels　of　honor　and
  dishonor；　but　moulding　the　clay　in　order　to　destroy　the　vessels　he
  has　made；　whether　good　or　bad；　which　doctrine　they　affirm　conflicts
  with　the　views　usually　held　out　in　the　Scriptures　of　God　as　a　God
  of　love；　and　also　conflicts　with　all　natural　justice；　and　is
  therefore　one…sided　and　narrow。
  The　premises　from　which　this　doctrine　is　deduced　are　those
  Scripture　texts　which　have　the　authority　of　the　Apostle　Paul；　such
  as　these：　〃According　as　he　hath　chosen　us　in　him　before　the
  foundation　of　the　world；〃　〃For　whom　he　did　foreknow　he　also　did
  predestinate；〃　〃Jacob　have　I　loved　and　Esau　have　I　hated；〃　〃He　hath
  mercy　on　whom　he　will　have　mercy；　and　whom　he　will　he　hardeneth；〃
  〃Hath　not　the　potter　power　over　his　clay？〃　　No　one　denies　that　from
  these　texts　the　Predestination　of　Calvin　as　well　as　Augustinefor
  they　both　had　similar　viewsis　logically　drawn。　　It　has　been
  objected　that　both　of　these　eminent　theologians　overlooked　other
  truths　which　go　in　parallel　lines；　and　which　would　modify　the
  doctrine；even　as　Scripture　asserts　in　one　place　the　great　fact
  that　the　will　is　free；　and　in　another　place　that　the　will　is
  shackled。　　The　Pelagian　would　push　out　the　doctrine　of　free…will　so
  as　to　ignore　the　necessity　of　grace；　and　the　Augustinian　would　push
  out　the　doctrine　of　the　servitude　of　the　will　into　downright
  fatalism。　　But　these　great　logicians　apparently　shrink　from　the
  conclusions　to　which　their　logic　leads　them。　　Both　Augustine　and
  Calvin　protest　against　fatalism；　and　both　assert　that　the　will　is
  so　far　free　that　the　sinner　acts　without　constraint；　and
  consequently　the　blame　of　his　sins　rests　upon　himself；　and　not　upon
  another。　　The　doctrines　of　Calvin　and　Augustine　logically　pursued
  would　lead　to　the　damnation　of　infants；　yet；　as　a　matter　of　fact；
  neither　maintained　that　to　which　their　logic　led。　　It　is　not　in
  human　nature　to　believe　such　a　thing；　even　if　it　may　be
  dogmatically　asserted。
  And　then；　in　regard　to　sin：　no　one　has　ever　disputed　the　fact　that
  sin　is　rampant　in　this　world；　and　is　deserving　of　punishment。　　But
  theologians　of　the　school　of　Augustine　and　Calvin；　in　view　of　the
  fact；　have　assumed　the　premisewhich　indeed　cannot　be　disputed
  that　sin　is　against　an　infinite　God。　　Hence；　that　sin　against　an
  infinite　God　is　itself　infinite；　and　hence　that；　as　sin　deserves
  punishment；　an　infinite　sin　deserves　infinite　punishment；a
  conclusion　from　which　consciousness　recoils；　and　which　is　nowhere
  asserted　in　the　Bible。　　It　is　a　conclusion　arrived　at　by
  metaphysical　reasoning；　which　has　very　little　to　do　with　practical
  Christianity；　and　which；　imposed　as　a　dogma　of　belief；　to　be
  accepted　like　plain　declarations　of　Scripture；　is　an　insult　to　the
  human　understanding。　　But　this　conclusion；　involving　the　belief
  that　inherited　sin　IS　INFINITE；　and　deserving　of　infinite
  punishment；　appals　the　mind。　　For　relief　from　this　terrible　logic；
  the　theologian　adduces　the　great　fact　that　Christ　made　an　atonement
  for　sin；another　cardinal　declaration　of　the　Scripture；and　that
  believers　in　this　atonement　shall　be　saved。　　This　Bible　doctrine　is
  exceedingly　comforting；　and　accounts　in　a　measure　for　the
  marvellous　spread　of　Christianity。　　The　wretched　people　of　the　old
  Roman　world　heard　the　glad　tidings　that　Christ　died　for　them；　as　an
  atonement　for　the　sins　of　which　they　were　conscious；　and　which　had
  chained　them　to　despair。　　But　another　class　of　theologians　deduced
  from　this　premise；　that；　as　Christ's　death　was　an　infinite
  atonement　for　the　sins　of　the　world；　so　all　men；　and　consequently
  all　sinners；　would　be　saved。　　This　was　the　ground　of　the　original
  Universalists；　deduced　from　the　doctrines　which　Augustine　and
  Calvin　had　formulated。　　But　they　overlooked　the　Scripture
  declaration　which　Calvin　never　lost　sight　of；　that　salvation　was
  only　for　those　who　believed。　　Now　inasmuch　as　a　vast　majority　of
  the　human　race；　including　infants；　have　not　believed；　it　becomes　a
  logical　conclusion　that　all　who　have　not　believed　are　lost。　　Logic
  and　consciousness　then　come　into　collision；　and　there　is　no　relief
  but　in　consigning　these　discrepancies　to　the　realm　of　mystery。
  I　allude　to　these　theological　difficulties　simply　to　show　the
  tyranny　to　which　the　mind　and　soul　are　subjected　whenever
  theological　deductions　are　invested　with　the　same　authority　as
  belongs　to　original　declarations　of　Scripture；　and　which；　so　far
  from　being　systematized；　do　not　even　always　apparently　harmonize。
  Almost　any　system　of　belief　can　be　logically　deduced　from　Scripture
  texts。　　It　should　be　the　work　of　theologians　to　harmonize　them　and
  show　their　general　spirit　and　meaning；　rather　than　to　draw
  conclusions　from　an