Wesley Corpus

Many Cal vinists are pious, learned, sensible men; and so are many Arminians. Only the former hold absolute predestination; the latter, conditional. 12. One word more: Is it not the duty of every Arminian Preacher, First, never, in public or in private, to use the word THoUGHTs UPoN God’s sovKREIGNTY. 36] Calvinist as a term of reproach; seeing it is neither better nor worse than calling names?--a practice no more consistent with good sense or good manners, than it is with Christianity. Secondly. To do all that in him lies to prevent his hearers from doing it, by showing them the sin and folly of it? And is it not equally the duty of every Calvinist Preacher, First, never in public or in private, in preaching or in conversation, to use the word Arminian as a term of reproach? Secondly. To do all that in him lies to prevent his hearers from doing it, by showing them the sin and folly thereof; and that the more earnestly and diligently, if they have been accustomed so to do? perhaps encouraged therein by his own example ! GoD reveals himself under a two-fold character; as a Creator, and as Governor. . These are no way inconsistent with each other; but they are totally different. As a Creator, he has acted, in all things, according to his own sovereign will. Justice has not, cannot have, any place here; for nothing is due to what has no being. Here, therefore, he may, in the most absolute sense, do what, he will with his own. Accordingly, he created the heavens and the earth, and all things that are therein, in every conceivable respect, “according to his own good pleasure.” 1. He began his creation at what time, or rather, at what part of eternity, it seemed him good. Had it pleased him, it might have been millions of years sooner, or millions of ages later. 2. He determined, by his sovereign will, the duration of the universe; whether it should last seven thousand, or seven hundred thousand, or numberless millions of years. 3. By the same, he appointed the place of the universe, in the immensity of space. 4. Of his sovereign will he determined the number of the stars, of all the component parts of the universe, and the magnitude of every atom, of every fixed star, every planet, and every comet. 5.