having volunteered in defence of a system, which under the pretext of securing the greatest possible degree of happiness, which can exist, foreordains, to one portion of mankind, called the elect, eternal felicity and honour, independently of regard to merit or demerit; and assigns to the other, and far greater portion of mankind, called reprobates, unavoidable and endless infamy and misery, without any previous res pect to their ill deservings; thereby designedly sacrifieing the eternal well being of the latter, for the advancement of the felicity of the former; and for other purposes of a like selfish nature.

Such being the creed which this great man had adopted, it became expedient to incorporate therewith, some ingredient, which, serving as a palliative, might accommodate the necessary potions of its gall and wormwood to the palates of his nauseated pupils. Happily for him at this juncture, he discovered in the writings of the Mysticks, the "disinterested love," above mentioned, and speedily incorporated it with his system. It not only answered his highest expecta tions, but transcended them. To the disgusted pupils, the conserve of the "intrinsical amiableness of the divine character," was administered with surprising efficacy. To this ingenious artist, (aided as heretofore observed, by his friend Bellamy,) this new principle of disinterested love, afforded materials for the construction of the mirrour, "Love of being in general," into which the supposed elected few, looking, discovered therein such prodigies of distinguishing

a

love, that in extacies, they would rapturously exclaim, why me? Why me? Why me? &c. &c.

And thus, confident of assured salvation to themselves, they would often in their selfish ravings, fancy themselves willing to be damned to advance the divine glory.*

As for the non elect, they also were served with due apportionments of the mystic love. For it was enjoined upon them as a thing, right, and reasonable, fit, and becoming, to love that being, who did not love them, to seek his glory, who was utterly regardless of their future happiness, to honour him, who had created, and still upheld their being, only to render them, for the display of his sovereignty, vessels of wrath, and of eternal dishonour. With these and such like hardening, blinding, and stupifying potions, the repro

*How truly surprising is it, that the understanding of any man should thus become so blinded, as ever to imagine, that a willingness to endure the punishment, which awaits the finally impenitent, should be an essential pre-requisite qualification, in order to the attainment of eternal life. For, as the punishment of the future state of retribution, is reserved only for those who, continuing in obstinate rebellion against God, wilfully reject the overtures of divine mercy, through Christ: Therefore, a willingness to undergo that punishment, involves also a willingness to be, and to continue to be, eternally the enemies of God, and of all righteousness. So that a willingness to be damned is so far from constituting a meetness for Heaven, that it indicates the very disposition of heart, which constitutes a meetness for the place of torments: And the more willing any man is, to endure this wrath to come, the more evidence he affords of a probable future attainment of this object of his wishes.

bates were to be furnished, to render them furious or quiescent, as the several doses might happen to operate; for the manner of operation was a thing wholly indifferent, because however it might be, still but one end could result therefrom, viz. the eternal perdition of the disbeloved reprobate,

Hopkins, delighted with these improvements, on the new fangled principle of the Spanish Priest at Rome, and of the French mystics; and supposing it to contain the essence of all moral obligation, and all excellency of moral character, thence devised a new rule of moral direction, as comprehensive of every duty, For he says, "Holiness, in the scripture, is reduced to "the one simple principle love, by which is meant dis"interested, good will to being in general, capable of "happiness." "The person who exercises a disin"terested good will to being in general, must have a

proper and proportionable regard to himself, as he is "included in it as a necessary part of it. And the "more he has of a disinterested, universal benevolence, "the more fervently will he desire and seek his own "interest and happiness." (Hopkins.)

From these great inconsistencies, it would seem, that some parts of the system of this celebrated innovator, were the production of faculties far advanced towards the imbecility of dotage; for if otherwise, wherefore did he presume to consolidate into one, what Christ had divinely separated into two? Christ expressly distinguished betwixt love of man to his Creator, and love of man to his fellow creature. "Jesus

said unto him. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God

"with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with "all thy mind. This is the first and great commandAnd the second is like unto it. Thou shalt

"ment.

"love thy neighbour as thyself."

But Dr. Hopkin's divinity says, "Thou shalt love being in general with disinterested benevolence." What has benevolence from creatures to do with Deity? "Can man be profitable unto God?" Or confer favours upon the Almighty? Benevolence is a communication of kindness from the greater to the less. From God it descends in multiplied forms to his dependent creatures, whose returns of love to him should not be that of benevolence, but of adoration, confidence and gratitude. Human benevolence can extend only to human kind, and to the creatures of inferiour natures, needing our compassion or our bounty; but benevolence to general or universal being, is a solecism but seldom equalled in the productions of the beardless stripling. And as benevolence from creature to Creator involves the very essence of absurdity; so the terms disinterested benevolence, you have, sir, in your Contrast, proved to be no less ridic ulous; even "a benevolence in which the soul has no emotion of interest." And consequently, an affection cold as the wintery blasts from the frigid regions of the northern pole. The Hopkinsian rule prescribing a proportionable regard to a man's own interest and happiness, as an included part of universal being, your quotations from the writings of the Reverend Robert Hall, have well exposed to be utterly vague, and wholly impracticable; because no man can ever

ascertain what weight he personally bears in the scale of existencies, capable of happiness or misery.

But there remains another absurdity in this doctrine, which neither you, nor the above ingenious writer have noticed; for Dr. Hopkins asserts, that "the more a man has of disinterested universal benevolence, the more fervently he will desire and seek his own interest and happiness." And else where he also asserts, that "love actuated the Deity in all his decrees, "and he will save as many as he possibly can, con"sistently with his regard to the publick or greatest 'good," which requires "the decree of reprobation, 'consisting in God's ordaining a definite number to "the possession of a reprobate character, and the pun"ishment which is both meet for them, and suitable "to display the divine justice." This subject in whatsoever manner fairly and candidly viewed, will afford no other result, but that of absurdity and contradiction. If the persons professing thus to exercise love to being in general, are the elect, their love is not disinterested love, but is love of a truly selfish nature; for according to Hopkinsianism they belong to that favoured portion of being in general, which exclusively enjoys the whole benefit of this scheme of interest and monopolized felicity. If, on the other hand, the reprobate portion fall in with this scheme of discrimi nation, and prefering the felicity of others, to their own happiness, they thereby become ardent lovers of being in general; then here follows another contradiction, because, according to Hopkinsianism, their reprobate character becomes changed, as none but the elect can