BASILIDIANS BATANIST'S the body, and the incarnation and death of our | of their respective heavens, amounted to three Saviour. hundred and sixty-five, and thus equalled the days of the year. All these are under the empire of an omnipotent Lord, whom Basilides called Abraxas. BARLAAMITES, the followers of Barlaam, in the fourteenth century, who was a very zealous champion in behalf of the Greek against the Latin church. It is said that he adopted the sentiments The inhabitants of the lowest heavens, which and precepts of the Stoics, with respect to the touched upon the borders of the eternal, malig obligations of morality and the duties of life; and nant, and self-animated matter, conceived the digested them into a work of his, which is known design of forming a world from that confused mass, by the title of Ethica ex Stoicis. and of creating an order of beings to people it. BARNABAS, EPISTLES OF, an apocry-This design was carried into execution, and was phal work ascribed to St. Barnabas. It was first published in Greek, from a copy of father Hugh Menaed, a monk. Vossius published it, in 1656, with the epistles of Ignatius.-The Gospel of Barnabas is another apocryphal work ascribed to Barnabas, wherein the history of Jesus Christ is given in a different manner from that of the evangelists. BARNABITES, a religious order, founded in the sixteenth century, by three Italian gentlemen, who had been advised by a famous preacher of those days to read carefully the epistles of St. Paul. Hence they were called clerks of St. Paul; and Barnabites, because they performed their first exercise in a church of St. Barnabas at Milan. Their habit is black; and their office is to instruct, catechise, and serve in mission. approved by the Supreme God, who to the animal life, with which only the inhabitants of this new world were at first endowed, added a reasonable soul, giving at the same time to the angels the empire over them. These angelic beings, advanced to the government of the world which they had created, fell by degrees from their original purity, and soon manifested the fatal marks of their depravity and corruption. They not only endeavoured to efface in the minds of men their knowledge of the Supreme Being, that they might be worshipped in his stead, but also began to war against each other, with an ambitious view to enlarge every one the bounds of his respective dominion. The most arrogant and turbulent of all these angelic spirits was that which presided over the Jewish nation.-Hence the Supreme God, beholding with compassion the miserable state of rational beings, who groaned under the contest of these BARTHOLOMEW'S DAY, ST. (the 24th August) is a day distinguished in history, as the anniversary of the horrid and atrocious sacrifices of human blood, called the Parisian Massacre.jarring powers, sent from heaven his son Nus, or See PERSECUTION. BARTHOLOMITES, a religious order founded at Geneva in 1307; but, the monks leading irregular lives, it was suppressed in 1650, and their effects confiscated. In the church of the monastery of this order at Geneva is preserved the image, which, it is pretended, Christ sent to king Abgarus. BASILIAN MONKS, religious of the order of St. Basil, in the fourth century, who, having retired into a desert in the province of Pontus, founded a monastery, and drew up rules, to the amount of some hundreds, for his disciples. This new society soon spread all over the East: nor was it long before it passed into the West. Some pretend that St. Basil caw himself the spiritual father of more than 90,000 monks in the East only; but this order, which flourished for more than three centuries, was considerably diminished by heresy, schism, and a change of empire. The historians of this order say that it has produced 14 popes, 1805 bishops, 3010 abbots, and 11,085 martyrs, besides an infinite number of confessors and virgins. This order likewise boasts of several emperors, kings, and princes, who have embraced its rule. Christ, the chief of the aions, that, joined in a substantial union with the man Jesus, he might restore the knowledge of the Supreme God, destroy the empire of those angelic natures which presided over the world, and particularly that of the arrogant leader of the Jewish people. The God of the Jews, alarmed at this, sent forth his ministers to seize the man Jesus, and put him to death. They executed his commands; but their cruelty could not extend to Christ, against whom their efforts were vain. Those souls, who obey the precepts of the Son of God, shall, after the dissolution of their mortal frame, ascend to the Father, while their bodies return to the corrupt mass of matter whence they were formed. Disobedient spirits, on the contrary, shall pass successively into other bodies. BATANISTS, or ASSASSINS; a famous heretical sect of murderers among the Mahometans, who settled in Persia about 1090. Their head and chief seems to have been Hassan Sabah, who made fanatical slaves of his subjects. Their religion was a compound of that of the Magi, the Jews, the Christians, and the Mahometans They believed the Holy Ghost resided in their chief; that his orders proceeded from God himBASILIDIANS, a denomination in the se-self, and were real declarations of his will. cond century, from Basilides, chief of the Egyp tian Gnostics. He acknowledged the existence of one supreme God, perfect in goodness and wisdom, who produced from his own substance seven beings, or aions, of a most excellent nature. Two of these aions, called Dynamis and Sophiz (i. e. power and wisdom), engendered the angels of the highest order. These angels formed a heaven for their habitation, and brought forth other angelic beings of a nature somewhat in ferior to their own Many other generations of angels followed these. New heavens were also created, until the number of angelic orders, and This chief, from his exalted residence on Mount Lebanon, was called the old man of the mountain; who, like a vindictive deity, with the thunderbolt in his hand, sent inevitable death to all quarters, so that even kings trembled at his sanguinary power. His subjects would prostrate themselves at the foot of his throne, requesting to die by his hand or order, as a favour by which they were sure of passing into paradise. "Are your subjects," said the old man of the mountain to the son-in-law of Amoury, king of Jerusalem "as ready in their submission as mine?" and without staying for an answer, made a sign with BAXTERIANS his hand, when ten young men in white, who were standing on an adjacent tower, instantly threw themselves down. To one of his guards he said, "Draw your dagger, and plunge it into your breast;" which was no sooner said than obeyed. At the command of their chief, they made no difficulty of stabbing any prince, even on his throne; and for that purpose conformed to the dress and religion of the country, that they might be less suspected. To animate them on such attempts, the Scheik previously indulged them with a foretaste of the delights of paradise. Delicious soporific drinks were given them; and while they lay asleep, they were carried into beautiful gardens, where, awakening, as it were, in paradise, and inflamed with views of perpetual enjoyments, they sallied forth to perform assassinations of the blackest dye. It is said, they once thought of embracing the Christian religion; and some have thought the Druses a remnant of this singular race of barbarians. BATH-KOL (i. e. the daughter of a voice), an oracle among the Jews, frequently mentioned in their books, especially the Talmud. It was a fantastical way of divination invented by the Jews, though called by them a revelation from God's will, which he made to his chosen people after all verbal prophecies had ceased in Israel. BEGUINES [ance.-4. The Spirit of Christ to dwell in us and sanctify us, by a habit of divine love, Rom. viii. 9-13. Gal. v. 6.-5. Employment in holy, ac ceptable service, and access in prayer, with a pro míse of being heard through Christ, Heb. ii. 5, 6. John xiv. 13.-6. Well-grounded hopes of salva tion, peace of conscience, and spiritual communion with the church mystical in heaven and earth, Rom. v. 12. Heb. xii. 22.-7. A special interest in Christ, and intercession with the Father, Rom. viii, 32, 33.-8. Resurrection unto life, and justification in judgment; glorification of the soul at death, and of the body at the resurrection, Phil. iii. 20, 21. 2 Cor. v. 1, 2, 3. Christ has made a conditional deed of gift of these benefits to all mankind; but the elect only accept and possess them. Hence he infers, that though Christ never absolutely intended or decreed that his death should eventually put all men in possession of those benefits, yet he did intend and decree that all men should have a conditional gift of them by his death. Baxter, it is said, wrote 120 books, and had 60 written against him. 20,000 of his Call to the Unconverted were sold in one year. He told a friend, that six brothers were converted by reading that Call. The eminent Mr. Elliott, of New England, translated this tract into the Indian tongue. A young Indian prince was so taken with it, that he read it with tears, and died with it in his hand. Calamy's Life of Baxter; Baxter's Catholic Theology, p. 51-53; Baxter's End of Doctrinal Controversy, p. 154, 155. BEATIFICATION, in the Romish church, the act whereby the pope declares a person happy after death. See CANONIZATION. BAXTERIANS, so called from the learned and pious Mr. Richard Baxter, who was born in the year 1615. His design was to reconcile Calvin and Arminius: for this purpose he formed a middle scheme between their systems. He taught that God had elected some, whom he is determined to save, without any foresight of their good works; and that others to whom the Gospel is BEATITUDE imports the highest degree of preached have common grace, which, if they im-happiness human nature can arrive to, the fruition prove, they shall obtain saving grace, according of God in a future life to all eternity. It is also to the doctrine of Arminius. This denomination used when speaking of the theses contained in own, with Calvin, that the merits of Christ's Christ's sermon on the Mount, whereby he prodeath are to be applied to believers only; but they nounces the several characters there mentioned also assert that all men are in a state capable of blessed. salvation. Mr. Baxter maintains that there may be a certainty of perseverance here, and yet he cannot tell whether a man may not have so weak a degree of saving grace as to lose it again. BEGHARDS, or BEGUARDS, a sect that arose in Germany in the thirteenth century, and took St. Begghe for their patroness. They employed themselves in making linen cloth, each supporting himself by his labour, and were united only by In order to prove that the death of Christ has the bonds of charity, without having any particuput all in a state capable of salvation, the follow-lar rule; but when pope Nicholas IV. had coning arguments are alleged by this learned author. 1. It was the nature of all mankind which Christ assumed at his incarnation, and the sins of all mankind were the occasion of his suffering. 2 It was to Adam, as the common father of lapsed mankind, that God made the promise (Gen. iii. 15.) The conditional new covenant does equally give Christ, pardon, and life to all mankind, on condition of acceptance. The conditional grant is universal: Whoever believeth shall be saved.-3. It is not to the elect only, but to all mankind, that Christ has commanded his ministers to proclaim his Gospel, and offer the benefits of his procuring. firmed that of the third order of St. Francis, in 1289, they embraced it the year following. BEGUINES, a congregation of nuns, founded either by St. Begghe or by Lambert le Begue. They were established, first at Liege, and afterwards at Neville, in 1207; and from this last settlement sprang the great number of Beguinages which are spread over all Flanders, and which have passed from Flanders into Germany. In the latter country some of them fell into extravagant errors, persuading themselves that it was possible in the present life to arrive to the highest perfection, even to impeccability, and a clear view of God; in short, to so eminent a degrec of contemThere are, Mr. Baxter allows, certain fruits plation, that there was no necessity, after this, to of Christ's death which are proper to the elect submit to the laws of mortal men, civil or eccleonly: 1. Grace eventually worketh in them true siastical. The council of Vienna condemned faith, repentance, conversion, and union with these errors; permitting, nevertheless, those Christ as his living members.-2. The actual among them, who continued in the true faith, to forgiveness of sin as to the spiritual and eternal live in charity and penitence, either with or withpunishment.-3. Our reconciliation with God, out vows. There still subsists, or at least suband adoption and right to the heavenly inherit-sisted till lately, many communities of them in ATHEIST ASSURITANS, a branch of the Donatists, who held that the Son was inferior to the Father, and the Holy Ghost to the Son. See DONATISTS. ASTONISHMENT, a kind or degree of wonder introduced by surprise. This emotion always relates to things of the highest importance; to things which appear too vast and extensive for the grasp of intellect, rather than to any thing of an intricate nature. The body marks in a striking manner the singular state of the mind under this emotion. The eyes are firmly fixed, without being directed to any particular object; the character of countenance, which was formed by the habitual influence of some predominant affection, is for a time effaced; and a suspension of every other expression, a certain vacuity, strongly notes this state of mind. ATONEMENT stant prayer, consulting the sacred oracles, Chris- | carries in the very face of it all the arguments tian communication, attendance on the divine and characters of a wise design and contrivance. ordinances, and perseverance in the path of duty; Was ever any considerable work, in which there without which all our assurance is but presump- was required a great variety of parts, and a regution, and our profession but hypocrisy. lar and orderly disposition of those parts, done Assurance may be lost for a season through by chance? Will chance fit means to ends, and bodily diseases which depress the spirits, unwatch- that in ten thousand instances, and not fail in fulness, falling into sin, manifold temptations, any one? How often might a man, after he had worldly cares, and neglect of private duty. He, jumbled a set of letters in a bag, fling them out therefore, who would wish to enjoy this privilege, upon the ground before they would fall ito an let him cultivate communion with God, exercise a exact poem; yea, or so much as make a good diswatchful spirit against his spiritual enemies, and course in prose? And may not a little book be give himself unreservedly to him whose he is, and as easily made by chance as the great volume of whom he professes to serve. See Saurin's Ser. the world? How long might a man be in sprinkvol. iii. ser. 10, Eng. ed.; Case's Sermons, ser. 13.; ling colours upon canvass with a careless hand, Lambert's Ser. on John ix. 35; Herrey's Theron before they would happen to make the exact picand Aspasio, dialogue 17; Howe's Works, vol. i. ture of a man? And is a man easier nade p. 342, 318; Brooks, Burgess, Roberts, Baxter, by chance than his picture? How long might Polhill, and Davye on Assurance; Horace Sol. twenty thousand blind men who should be sent vol. ii. p. 269. out from several remote parts of England, wander up and down before they would all meet upon Salisbury plain, and fall into rank and file in the exact order of an army? And yet this is much more easy to be imagined than how the innume rable blind parts of matter should rendezvous themselves into a world. A man that sees Henry the Seventh's chapel at Westminster might with as good reason maintain (yea, with much better, considering the vast difference betwixt that little structure and the huge fabric of the world) that it was never contrived or built by any means, but that the stones did by chance grow into those curious figures into which they seem to have been cut and graven; and that upon a time (as tales usually begin) the materials of that building, the stone, mortar, timber, iron, lead, and glass, happily met together, and very fortunately ranged themselves into that delicate order in which wo see them, now so close compacted, that it must be a very great chance that parts them again. ATHEIST, one who denies the existence of What would the world think of a man that shoukl God:-this is called speculative atheism. Pro- advance such an opinion as this, and write a book fessing to believe in God, and yet acting contrary for it? If they would do him right, they ought to this belief, is called practical atheism. Absurd to look upon him as mad; but yet with a little and irrational as atheism is, it has had its vota- more reason than any man can have to say, that ries and martyrs. In the seventeenth century, the world was made by chance, or that the first Spinosa, a foreigner, was its noted defender. men grew up out of the earth as plants do now. Lucilio Vanini, a native of Naples, also publicly For, can any thing be more ridiculous, and against taught atheism in France; and being convicted all reason, than to ascribe the production of men of it at Toulouse, was condemned and executed to the first fruitfulness of the earth, without so in 1619. It has been questioned, however, whe- much as one instance and experiment, in any age ther any man ever seriously adopted such a prin- or history, to countenance so monstrous a suppociple. The pretensions to it have been generally sition? The thing is, at first sight, so gross and founded on pride or affectation. The open avowal palpable, that no discourse about it can make it of atheism by several of the leading members of more apparent. And yet, these shameful begthe French convention seems to have been an ex-gars of principles give this precarious account of traordinary moral phenomenon. This, however, the original of things; assume to themselves to as we have seen, was too vague and uncomfort-be the men of reason, the great wits of the world, ale a principle to last long. Archbishop Tillotson justly observes, that speculative atheism is unreasonable upon five accounts. 1. Because it gives no tolerable account of the existence of the world.-2. It does not give any reasonable account of the universal consent of mankind in this apprehension, that there is a God.-3. It requires more evidence for things than they are capable of giving.-4. The atheist pretends to know that which no man can know.-5. Atheism contradicts itself. Under the first of these he thus argues.-"I appeal to any man of reason whether any thing can be more unreasonable than obstinately to impute an effect to chance. which ATHANASIANS, those who profess the sentiments held in the Athanasian creed. See CREED. the only cautious and wary persons that hate to be imposed upon, that must have convincing evidence for every thing, and can admit of nothing without a clear demonstration of it." See ExISTENCE OF GOD. Some of the principal writers on the existence of a Deity have been Charnock, Newton, Boyle, Cheyne, Locke, Nieuwentyt, Derham, Bentley, Ray, Cudworth, Samuel and John Clarke, Abernethy, Balguy, Baxter, Fenelon, &c. &c. Til lotson's sermon on the subject, as quoted above, has been considered as one of the best in the English language. See ser, i. vol. 1. ATONEMENT is the satisfying Divine Jus ATONEMENT ATONEMENT sufficient proof that he endured punishments in tice by Jesus Christ giving himself a ransom for us, undergoing the penalty due to our sins, and thereby releasing us from that punishment which God might justly inflict upon us, Rom. v. 11. The Hebrew word signifies covering, and intimates that our offences are, by a proper atonement, covered from the avenging justice of God. In order to understand the manner wherein Christ becomes an atonement, "we should," says Dr. Watts, "consider the following propositions, 1. The great God having made man, appointed to govern him by a wise and righteous law, wherein glory and honour, life and immortality, are the designed rewards for perfect obedience; but tri-pel of Christ! It is here alone that we can find bulation and wrath, pain and death, are the ap- the solid and rational principle of reconciliation pointed recompense to those who violate this law, to an offended God, Heb. iv. 14.-2. How Gen. ii. Rom. ii. 6, 16. i. 32.-2. All man- strange and unreasonable is the doctrine of the kind have broken this law, Rom. iii. 23. v. 12.— Popish church, which, while it professes to be3. God, in his infinite wisdom, did not think lieve the religion of Christ, yet introduces many fit to pardon sinful man, without some compensa-other methods of atonement for sin, besides the tion for his broken law; for, 1. If the great Ruler sufferings of the Son of God. [See above.]-3. of the world had pardoned the sins of men with- Here is a solid foundation, on which the greatest out any satisfaction, then his laws might have of sinners may hope for acceptance with God, 1 seemed not worth the vindicating.-2. Men would Tim. i. 15.-4. This doctrine should be used as have been tempted to persist in their rebellion, a powerful motive to excite repentance, Acts v. and to repeat their old offences.-3. His forms 31.-5. We should use this atonement of Christ of government among his creatures might have as our constant way of access to God in all our appeared as a matter of small importance.-4. prayers, Heb. x. 19, 22.-6. Also as a divine God had a mind to make a very illustrious display guard against sin, Rom. vi. 1, 2. 1 Pet. i. 15, both of his justice and of his grace among man- 19.-7. As an argument of prevailing force to kind; on these accounts he would not pardon sin be used in prayer, Rom. viii. 32.-8. As a spring without a satisfaction.-5. Man, sinful man, is of love to God, and to his Son Jesus Christ, I not able to make any satisfaction to God for his John iv. 10.-9. As a strong persuasive to that own sins, neither by his labours, nor by his suf-love and pity which we should show on all occaferings, Eph. ii. 1, 8, 9.-6. Though man be incapable to satisfy for his own violation of the law, yet God would not suffer all mankind to perish. 7. Because God intended to make a full display of the terrors of his justice, and his divine resentment for the violation of his law, therefore he appointed his own Son to satisfy for the breach of it, by becoming a proper sacrifice of expiation or atonement, Gal. iii. 10, 13.-8. The Son of God being immortal, could not sustain all these penalties of the law which man had broken without taking the mortal nature of man upon him, without assuming flesh and blood, Heb. ii. 13, 14.-9. The Divine Being having received such ample satisfaction for sin by the sufferings of his own Son, can honourably forgive his creature [The Christian doctrine of Atonement, consiman, who was the transgressor, Rom. iii. 25, 26. dered especially in respect to its nature and exNow that this doctrine is true, will appear, if we tent, has in our own country undergone great consider, 1. That an atonement for sin, or an discussion, and given rise to a diversity of opieffectual method to answer the demands of an nions, since Mr. Buck's work was first published. affended God, is the first great blessing guilty Of the leading views entertained among the or man stood in need of, Mic. vi. 6, 7.-2. The very thodox on this subject, it will be proper to give a first discoveries of grace which were made to man brief notice. These may be classed under the after his fall implied in them something of an heads of the general or indefinite, and the limited atonement for sin, and pointed to the propitiation or definite scheme. The advocates of the former Christ has now made, Gen. iii. 15.-3. The train maintain, that the atonement is to be viewed disof ceremonies which were appointed by God in tinct from its application-that the sufferings of the Jewish church are plain significations of such Christ were of such a nature that they constitute an atonement, 2 Cor. iii. Col. ii. 7, 8, 9. Heb. a real atonement though we should suppose that 1-4. Some of the prophecies confirm and ex-none should ever actually repent and be savedplain the first promise, and show that Christ was to die as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of men, Dan. ix. 24-26. Is. liii.-5. Our Saviour himself taught us the doctrine of the atonement for sin by his death, Matt. xx. 28. John vi. 51. Luke xxii. 19.-6. The terrors of soul, the consternation and inward agonies which our blessed Lord sustained a little before his death, were a 29 sions to our fellow creatures, 1 John iv. 11.—10. It should excite patience and holy joy under afflictions and earthly sorrows, Rom. v. 1 to 3.-11. We should consider it as an invitation to the Lord's Supper, where Christ is set forth to us in the memorials of his propitiation.-12. As a most effectual defence against the terrors of dying, and as our joyful hope of a blessed resurrection, 1 Cor, xv. 50.-13. Lastly, as a divine allurement to the upper world." See Watts's Ser., ser. 34, 35, 36, 37; Evans on the Atonement; Dr. Owen on the Satisfaction of Christ; West's Scripture Doctrine of the Atonement; Hervey's Theron and Aspasio, dial. 3; Dr. Magee's Discourses on the Atonement; Jerram's Letters on dillo. that the grand design of the Saviour's sufferings was to make a display of the evil of sin and of the divine justice, and thereby to remove the ob stacle in the way of the sinner's salvation-that in consequence of the death of Christ, God can now consistently with all his perfections and the honour of his law, exercise his sovereign mercy and bestow eternal life whom he pleases— cpon ATONEMENT ATONEMENT and as it was not designed for one man more than the Gospel, assuring them that if they will bo another, but has an equal bearing upon the whole lieve they shall be saved; whereas, if they wilfulworld indiscriminately, the offers of salvation can ly reject the overtures of mercy, they will increase now be freely made to all mankind without dis- their guilt and aggravate their damnation. At tinction. Some of the friends of this theory go the same time, the Scriptures plainly teach, that still further, and deny that Christ made a plenary the will and disposition to comply with this consatisfaction for the sins of believers, because such dition depends upon the sovereign gift of God, a satisfaction would, in their view, be incompati-and that the actual compliance is secured to those ble with the grace that reigns in the salvation of only for whom in the divine counsels the atonesinners; and consequently, although a provision ment was specifically intended. has been made by which all who believe will be saved, yet they assert that the claims of the law will remain for ever unsatisfied, that the ransomed of the Lord will never be free from guilt, and that Paul and his companions now in glory, are at this moment as guilty as when on earth, and will for ever deserve the punishment of hell. This view of the atonement is supported by the following considerations:-1. The language of Scripture. "Christ loved the church and gave himself for it." "All that the Father hath given me shali come unto me." "I lay down my life for the sheep." "I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me." As to The grounds upon which this theory of the passages of apparently a contrary import, which atonement is urged, are the following:-1. The seem to extend the object and design of the atonestyle of the Scriptures; which, in speaking of ment to all, these they say are capable in general the atonement, apply to it the most universal and of being interpreted, according to the plain usages unlimited language. "Who gave himself a ran- of Scripture, as implying some of all sorts, instead sum for all to be testified in due time." "Who of every individual, or as pointing out every one is the Saviour of all men, especially of them that of the class or body spoken of. 2. That the docbelieve." "He is the propitiation for our sins, trine of vicarious or substitutive atonement was and not for ours only, but for the sins of the taught by the typical sacrifices of the Jewish whole world."-2. If Christ has made an atone- economy. 3. That the meaning of the term ment for the elect, and for them only, then salva-implies an actual reconciliation as the effect of a tion is not provided for all, and those for whom it satisfaction to the demands of divine justice; conis not provided, cannot be guilty in not receiving sequently, if the atonement was made for all men, rt. But this is contrary to the whole tenor of the all men are actually reconciled, which is contrary Gospel, which every where exhibits sinners as to fact. 4. That inasmuch as it is admitted on all greally guilty for rejecting Christ. 3. The Gos- sides that the Saviour suffered and died, not with pel, or glad tidings published by Christ, is said to the actual intention of securing the salvation of all be good tidings unto all people. But if there be men universally, but only of a definite number no atonement made for the sins of all people, the determined by the gift of the Father in the decrce Gospel, instead of being good news to them, is not of election, the atonement is therefore properly to addressed to them at all. 4. Ministers are re-be denominated a definite atonement, and that quired to preach faith, as well as repentance, to all sinners as their duty. But if no atonement has been made for their sins, they cannot believe; for to them Christ is in no sense a Saviour, and therefore not a possible object of faith. every objection brought against this view of it falls directly against the doctrine of election. If it be conceded that the Father gave to the Son in the covenant of redemption a particular definite number of the human race to save; that for these, and these The advocates of the limited or definite atone- alone, did the Son die with an intention to save ment, on the other hand, maintain, that the atone- them; that to none but this elect number will the ment cannot properly be considered apart from atonement ever be in fact applied, the consequence its actual application, or from the intention of the is affirmed to be inevitable, that the atonement is author in regard to its application-that, in strict- definite, because election is definite. "We may ness of speech, the death of Christ is not an call it otherwise; we may call it general, we may atonement to any until it be applied-that the suf- call it indefinite. But it retains its true characferings of the Lamb of God are therefore truly ter. It is what the divine purpose has made it— vicarious, or in other words, that Christ in suffer- definite, limited; not, indeed, in its value, which ing became a real substitute for his people, was is unlimited and infinite; but in its application, charged with their sins, and bore the punishment and in respect to the intention of the Father who of them, and thus has made a full and complete appointed, and of the Son who made, the atonesatisfaction to divine justice in behalf of all who ment." As to the objection, that if the atone shall ever believe on him-that this atonement ment was not made for all, then those for whom will eventually be applied to all for whom in the it was not intentionally made are not guilty for divine intention it was made, or to all to whom not receiving it, and therefore cannot justly be God in his sovereignty has been pleased to decree condemned on this account, it is answered, that its application. They believe, however, notwith-the primary ground of a sinner's condemnation standing the atonement is to be properly consi-is not so much his rejection of the Gospel as his dered as exactly commensurate with its intended previous violation of the law. The rejection of application, that the Lord Jesus Christ did offer the Gospel when sincerely, though conditionally, a sacrifice sufficient in its intrinsic value to expi- offered, aggravates his guilt, and according to ate the sins of the whole world, and that if it had human modes of speech adopted in the Scrip Deen the pleasure of God to apply it to every in-tures, there is no impropriety in referring his condividual, the whole human race would have been demnation to his slighting the terms of pardon; saved by its immeasurable worth. They hold, as he knows nothing of the secret purposes of therefore, that on the ground of the infinite value Heaven in regard to himself, and, therefore, has of the atonement, the offer of salvation can be no excuse to offer for his perverseness. Thus, if consistently and sincerely made to all who hear a capital offender were doomed to die for a crite |