TERRORS OF SLAVERY. Extract of a letter from a gentleman in Macon, Georgia, under date of Oct. 21:-I do not think we are safe one hour. The very elements of destruction are around us, mingling in all our relations, and we know not at what moment the storm may burst over us. An insurrectionary spirit is abroad, and God only knows when it will be subdued; my opinion is, that it never will be. A letter from Rev. Mr. Wharey of Rutherford county, NorthCarolina, under date of December 1st 1831, gives an account of great alarm excited in that county, by the discovery of a deep laid plot among the negroes to massacre the white people; which when discovered, was on the eve of execution.--Southern Rel. Teleg. TERMS OF THE HOPKINSIAN MAGAZINE. 1. Eighteen numbers of 16 octavo pages each, are issued yearly; one and two a month, alternately. 2. The price is $1 a year, in advance; or $1 25, after three months. 3. A liberal discount is made to Agents, and to those who take and pay for six copies, or more. 4. No paper will be discontinued, except at the option of the proprietor, till arrearages are paid. All letters to the Editor or Publishers, except from Agents, must be post paid. RHODE-ISLAND. 12, Market-Square. McIntire, Bookseller. AGENTS. Providence-William Marshall & Co. No. MASSACHUSETTS. Boston-Dea. James Loring, Bookseller, No. 132, Washington Street. Taunton-Deacon John Keed. New-Bedford--Stephen Potter. Reading--James Weston, Jr. Amherst--Thomas Hervey. CONNECTICUT. Ashford-Rev. Israel G. Rose. All those Ministers, who receive the Magazine, are authorized and requested to act as Agents. POSTAGE OF THIS PAPER.-Under 100 miles, 1 Cent: Over 100 miles 1 1-2 Cents. HOPKINSIAN MAGAZINE. VOL. IV. FEBRUARY 15, 1832. NO. 2. A DIALOGUE BETWEEN A CALVINIST AND A SEMI CALVINIST. [Continued from page 294.j Calv. Let us examine this matter in a little different light still. I would ask the following question.-Is it not reasonable, and a duty to submit to the will of God, and acquiesce in it, respecting his governing providence, and disposal of all things; so as to be able "thy will be done," without making any exception? to say. Semi. I cannot object against this; it must be answered in the affirmative; for God's will is infinitely wise and good, and it is rebellion against him to be unwillinging that he should do as he pleases, or to make any exceptions whatever. Calv. You have conceeded all that is necesary, I think, in order to decide the point in dispute between us. God has revealed it to be his will to punish some of mankind forever. You know not but you are one of them. Whether you shall be saved or be damned depends entirely on his will: And supposing he sees it most for his glory, and the general good that you should be damned, it is certainly his will that you should be damned. On this supposition then, you ought to be willing to be damned; for not to be willing to be damned, in this case, is opposing God's will, instead of saying, "thy will be done." In this case, it is easy to see that there is no way to escape damnation, but by being willing to be damned, on supposition it is the will of God to cast you off; as there is no other way to submit to his will, and acquiesce in it, choosing his will should be done : Without which submission it is impossible a man should be saved. For to make any exception, and to be willing God should do as he pleases, if he will save you, and on no other condition, is no true submission to God; but a setting up your will to be the rule of God's conduct towards you: And to attempt to get to heaven, or to obtain assurance or any evidence that you shall be saved in opposition to such a submission to the will of God, without making any condition, or exception in favor of yourself, is to fight against God, and to go in the road to hell. Semi. I think these things had better be let alone, supposing there be any truth in what you advance; for such a way of talking only tends to puzzle people, and to discourage, and perplex christians; and will be of no advantage to any body. Calv. It may puzzle and discourage half-christians, who never were brought to any unreserved submission to the will of God, and to desire his glory, above all things. And it is to be wished they might be so discouraged, as to be convinced that they are not real christians. It may also puzzle some real christians, for a time, who never carefully attended to this matter, so as to compare their own feelings with this truth, when rightly understood: They having never viewed this point in a true light, but by their education, and the instructions they have had, have imbibed prejudices against it, as it has been represented, or rather mis-represented to them. But when these have the truth fairly laid before them, and it is properly explained; it is to be presumed, it will be so far from perplexing and discouraging them, that it will remove all their prejudices, and it will become a strengthening, encouraging doctrine to them, while they find their hearts in some measure, agreeing with this truth, and feel that to have God lose his honour, and the greatest general good not promoted; and the will of God not done, and his infinitely wise and good plan marred and hurt; is to them an infinitely greater evil, than their own damnation, or that of millions of others. And if they cannot be saved, consistently with God's highest honour, and the greatest good of the whole, and agreeable to the divine will and plan, there can be no salvation for them, which they would desire; but are willing to be damned, if that only be consistent with all this. But let the matter be stated on a yet different footing, and the same truth, I believe, will turn up to view, and perhaps, with some additional evidence, if it can be made more evident. You believe, I conclude, that God will for his own glory, and the greatest general good, punish many of mankind with everlasting destruction. Semi. To be sure. Calv. And to this, I suppose you have no objection; but acquiesce in it, and are quite willing it should be so, since it is necessary for the glory of God, and the greatest good of the whole. Semi. Yes, since this is the will of God, and necessary to answer the end you have mentioned, I am willing they should be miserable forever. Calv. And how do you know that it is not as necessary that you should be damned to answer the same ends, as that any one else should; and that therefore it is the will of God to damn you with them? At least, we may make the supposition that it is really so. How do you feel on this state of the case. Are you willing to be damned, if it be necessary to answer the same end, that is sought by the damnation of others, and for the sake of which you are willing they should be damned ? Semi. This is a hard question, I suspect there is some puzzle in it. Calv. It appears to me to be a plain case. If there be the same reason, and the same necessity, that you should be damned, as that others should be cast off; and this is a sufficient reason with you to be willing they should be damned; then for the same reason, you must be willing to be damned yourself, and cannot but be willing, if you feel according to reason, and love your neighbour as well and as much as yourself. You must, therefore, if you would not be inconsistent, either disapprove of your neighbour's damnation, and object to it, refusing your consent; or you must be willing to be damned, there being the same reason and necessity, for it, as there is that your neighbour should be thus punished, who deserves it no more than you. Nothing but an unreasonable selfishness, and disregard to your neighbours welfare, can make you object to your own damnation, and consent to his. Semi. I confess I see no way out, and have nothing to reply to this at present. But I have one thing to say that will prove your arguments must be defective some where though I do not see it at present. For the damned will be perfectly wicked and enemies to God forever; and it cannot be right to be willing to be abandoned to sin and enmity against God, and blaspheme his name forever. Therefore no man ought to be willing to be damned, unless he ought to be willing to be God's enemy, and like the devil forever; to assert which would be shocking, and no man surely can believe it. Calv. This, I confess is a plausable objection, and has so much seeming weight in it, that no wonder it should appear to many, at the first view at least, insuperable and unanswerable. But since it seems to be proved, beyond contradiction, by what has been said above, that a man ought to be willing to be damned, on the suppositions which have been made; and it is impossible that two contradictory propositions should be both true; we must not admit this objection to be unanswerable, without carefully reviewing and examining it. And if, upon examination, it shall appear to be without foundation, and contrary to the truth, what has been before proved, will be yet more confirmed. You have granted, and all must grant, that we ought to be willing that some of our fellow men should be abandoned to sin and ruin, and be confirmed enemies to God forever: And it is plain that to acquiesce in this is so far from being a friend to sin, or sinful, or implying any emnity against God in our hearts, that thus to consent to it, because it is the revealed will of God, for his own glory and the general good, is an exercise of love to God and his law; and of.benevolence to being in general: And not to be willing, in this case, and to refuse cordially to consent to it, would be rebellion against God. So that there is no other way for us not to turn enemies to God ourselves, but to be willing that some of our fellow men should be enemies to him forever. And why must not this be just as true in our own case, or supposing it is most for God's glory and the general good that we should be given up to eternal enmity against God; and therefore, God hath determined we should be thus given up, and sent to hell, with others? Not to consent to it, on this supposition, would be an act of enmity against God and to be an enemy to him: But to consent to it, and be willing that God's will should be done, for his own glory and the general good, would be so far from being friends to sin, that it would be an ex ercise of love and friendship to God, and benevolence to being in general. And so long as we continue willing to be ourselves with others, abandoned to sin and ruin forever, for the reasons and ends mentioned, we shall not, we cannot be enemies to God or friends to sin, for this implies a plain contradiction: But as soon as we cease to be willing to be thus given up to sin, we are given up, and turned enemies to God and all good: And the evil never can come upon us until we withdraw our submission, and refuse to acquiesce in the will of God. Hence it appears that all the foregoing reasons to prove that we ought to be willing to be damned, if this be the will of God, and for his glory and the general good, stand good, and equally prove that we ought to consent to this, on this supposition; even though damnation includes a being given up to sin and enmity against God forever. Perhaps this point may be farther illustrated, and set in a more convincing light to some, by the instance of the angels, who were all created perfectly holy. It was best, on the whole, most for God's glory and the general good, that vast numbers of them, should rebel and continue in sin and ruin forever: And therefore it was God's will that this should take place. Suppose this had been revealed to them, when they were all perfectly holy, and each one could not know but he was the person, who among others was to be given up to sin and destruction; for the glory of God, and the good of the whole. How ought they to have felt on such an occasion? They must all consent to the will of Jehovah, and say 'let it take place however many of us, or whoever of us, must fall into this sinful state, or whatever becomes of us.' If they did not thus willingly submit to the will of Jehovah, they would by that, turn enemies to him, and fall into that very state, and bring that evil upon themselves, which they opposed, or to which they refused to submit for the glory of God, and the general good. But so long as they had such a supreme regard for the will of God, his glory and the general good as to say, "thy will be done, let what will come upon us," they would secure from the evil; and this would be the only way to aviod it. So long as they all continued of this disposition, they continue happy and holy. They, who fell into a state of endless sin and woe, did it by giving up such a disposition and indulging a contrary one; and they who continue holy and happy, do continue and persevere in this state and character, by persevering in a submission to the will of God, and such a regard for his glory and the general good, that they are willing to be given up to the eternal sin and ruin, if this were necessary to answer these ends, or if they could not remain in this holy and happy state, consistently with God's glory, and the greatest good of the whole. In a word, God thought it best, and therofore was willing that great numbers of angels should become sinful and miserable forever ; and all the angels before any of them fell, were like God in their disposition, and choice, and therefore were disposed to acquiesce in his will and choice, when made known to them. Consequently had God's will been discovered with respect to this, they |