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was introduced with idolatry, and thence publicly palmed upon the God of Israel." We are delivered to do all these abominations." That is to say, we are allowed of God to do them; "(iod hath permitted, appointed, and ordained that we should do all these abominations; the time when, the manner how and the place where, from eternity." Now this is paganism! Witness the following lines of Homer. "Perverse mankind whose will's created free, Charge all their woes on absolute decree.

All to the dooming Gods their guilt translate,

And follies are miscall'd the crimes of fate."-ODES.

This shows that the doctrine was general in Homer's day, and Homer, according to biographers, lived four hundred years before the prophet Jeremiah.

The doctrine of the divine ordination of Sin, formed a prominent feature in heathenism; this was their license for all the gratifications of the flesh and of the mind. Hence we read, that they " Walked in laciviousness, lusts, excesses of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries." 1 Peter, iv, 3. Acts of fornication were tolerated, and classed among the sacred rites of idolatrous festivity. "We are de

livered to do all these abominations." The doctrine gave a licence to the gratification of the flesh in all its affections and lusts; and tolerated the most obscene and abominable practices at their idolatrious feasts. Hence it was at the festivals of Baal-peor, where Israel committed whoredom with the daughters of Moab.-Num. xxv, 2, 3,—31, 15, 16.--Rev. ii, 14, 20.-1 Cor. 10, 7, 8. And when idolatry was established by the Jews, they went to the same excess of riot and practised the like abominations. Hence it is record

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ed concerning Jehoram king of Judah, that, "He made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah thereto." 2 Chro. 21, 11. And to this the doctrine gives a licence :— "We are delivered to do all these abominations." "Sin is a wise and holy ordination of God." The king of Judah therefore did but compel his subjects to keep the ordinance of God, when he compelled them to commit fornication

We find also that the first christian heretics (naniely the Nicolaitanes, Adamites, Manichees, &c.) held forth this doctrine as their sacred license to Sin; "They attributed their wickedness to God as the cause.' Thus Heathen, Jew, and Christian, here unite in support of the doctrine. "All to the dooming Gods their guilt translate." But let God be true and every man a liar." The doctrine is a lie, whether it be preached by heathen, jew, or christian; it stands directly opposed to the express word of God. "Thou shalt have none other Gods but me. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not bear false witness." "Behold ye trust in lying words. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely and say We are delivered to do all these abominations?" The doctrine of the divine ordination of Sin, is a lying doctrine-it is an unprofitable doctrine-it is an ungodly licentious doctrine. "Behold ye trust in lying words that cannot profit."-Yet this lying doctrine was sanctioned by the idolatrous rulers of Israel, before the captivity; (see 2, Chro. xxxvi, 14, 17.) The

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But God

false prophets and carnal priests, preached up the divine ordination of Sin, and gave sanction to the doctrine by their profane and abominable conduct; and that until the land of Israel became a second Sodom for wickedness. As it is written "By swearing and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the land mourn." Hos. iv. 2. Now the idolatrous rulers and teachers of the people attributed this wickedness to God as the cause; "We are delivered to do all these abominations." charged the cause to the leaders of the people; “O my people they which lead thee cause thee to err and destroy the way of thy paths." Is. iii, 12. So that when the false prophets and carnal priests stand up in the house of God, and say; "We are delivered to do all these abominations," they declare a lie in the name of the Lord, and cause the people to err by their lies, and by their lightness." A wonderful and horrible. thing is committed in the land, the prophets prophesy falsly, and the priests bear rule by their means, and my people love to have it so."-Jer. v. 30, 31. "Like people like priest." The ordination of Sin, is a flesh pleasing doctrine; and the carnal priests and false prophets were practisers as well as preachers of it. Hence we read that, the priests the sons of Eli, were sons of Belial, that they lay with the women that assembled at the doors of the tabernacle; and made the Lord's people to transgress."- 1 Sam. ii, 22. Nor were the false prophets and carnal priests a whit better in the days of Jeremiah. As it is written, "Both prophet and priest are profane; yea in my house have I

found their wickedness, saith the Lord.-I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem, an horrible thing; they commit adultery, and walk in lies; they strengthen also the hands of evil doers, that none doth return from his wickedness; they are all of them unto me as Sodom and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets, Behold, I will feed them with wornwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the Land." -Jer. xxiii, 11, 14, 15.

Thus we see the rise, progress, and general tendency of the doctrine; together with the awful consequences thereof.-"O that my people had hearkened to my voice, and Israel had walked in my ways; then had their peace been as a river.”

FOURTEENTH. The DETER held forth against a fair ininvestigation of the doctrine, is a striking evidence that it cannot bear the light. Such as cannot swallow down the doctrine whole, together with all its extravagancies and inconsistencies, but wish to examine it by the test of revelation, are at once charged with high presumption.

Hence (says CALVIN), "And certainly the madness of many in this respect is monstrous, who dare arraign the works of God, to scrutinize his secret councils, and even to pass a precipitate sentence on things unknown.” CALVIN'S inst. B 1, c. 17.

And again (says CALVIN) "Let persons who hesitate not to brand with ignominy these oracles of heaven, beware what kind of opposition they make. For if they plead ignorance, with desire to be commended for their modesty, what greater instance of pride can be conceived than to oppose one little word to the authority of God; "It appears otherwise to me," or "I would rather

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not meddle with the subject." But if they openly censure what will they gain by their puny efforts against heaven? Their petulence indeed is no new thing, for in all ages there have been impious and profane men, who have opposed the doctrine. Our faith being founded on the divine word, and therefore superior to all the world, from its exaltation looks down with contempt upon these mists.". -CALVIN'S inst. B 1, c. 18, p 249.

So that we must implicitly receive whatsoever those men say, who pretend to open the secret councils of Jehovah; and assert the divine and holy ordination of Sin; since to question their assertions is to reply against God; we must receive what they affirm, though it appears otherwise to us; and we must receive it without acknowledging that it appears otherwise to us; and we must receive it though we would rather not med le with the subject. The doctrine of the holy ordination of Sin, is set forth as being so essential to Christianity that we must either receive it, or be rejected as profane, and be charged with scrutinizing and arraigning the works of God. But we only arraign and scrutinize the assertions of men, not the works of God. If men pretend to declare the secret councils, and to shew us things unknown, is it criminal for us to prove those assertions by the law and the testimony?

The advocates for the doctrine, talk as largely, as though they had a licence to palm every abominable act committed by men or devils, upon the decree of God. But if you ask them to shew their authority, to produce their licence; instead of bringing a "Thus saith the Lord," for their assertions; you are answered by logical argument; and if not satisfied therewith, you are immediately represented as a reptile, liking

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