The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-05-09
OALVINIsM AND ARMINIANISM.
BY JAMES MARLIN.

OlORy nave prevailed anu, Jnougu
with lessening distinctness, do yet
prevail, especially among the laity Of
our churches. The clergy are really
drifting.
The systems referred to are, (D the
Calvinistic.
This teaches that God is Being
of unlimited powers; therefore that
he can save any man, however de-
praved, provided he has decreed to
do so. Having provided substitute
for sinners, he has foreordained that
some sinners shall accept this substi-
tute. This purpose he accomplishes
either by outward means as preach
ing, by the warnings and chastise
ments of Providence, or by the direct
and mysterious influences of his spirit
within the soul itself If there be
some men that yield not to these in.
huences tits because God has passed
them by" and has not decreed to save
them.
The above is perfectly fair deduc
ton from the Westminster Standards
as any one can see by looking. To
an intelligent mind it simply means
that while Gods power is unlimited,
his benevolence is limited. He can
save all men but will not. Feeling
this the Westminster divines sought
to shield their God from such an inn
putation by the futile phrase, "yet so
as" absolutely the most classical
puerility extant.
(2.) The Arminian System. This
teaches that God is a Being of un-
limited benevolence and therefore
that he desires to save every man
living. Having provided substitute
he enters on the work of persuading
men to accept but is only partially
successful. Seeing that man will be
so obstinate as to refuse the offered
mercy, he follows up his offer with
the urgent entreaties of his spirit,
who is successful in only some cases.
This is fair deduction from the
popular Arminian preaching. To an
intelligent mind, it means that while
God desires the salvation of all men,
he cannot accomplish it.
To this the Arminian makes more
rational, but equally Ineffective re-
joinder with the "yet so as" of the
Calvinist. He replies that God could
save all men but that to do SO against
their wills would be to destroy their
free agency. This implies that God,
being unlimited in benevolence, does
save all that can be saved consistently
with the freedom of their wills. Yet
the very same man will tell you at
another time that revival did not
come to such and such place be-
cause OF the unfaithfulness of the
church. The saints are often warned
to be Jealous lest they at the day of
judgment see people lost who might
have been saved had they themselves
worked as they should. Reams of
that kind of stuff are preached.
What does it mean except that not
the free agency of the sinners but the
free agency OF the church is in Gods
way in converting the worlds Thus
we have the amazing spectacle of an
Almighty God who seems to have
lost all control of his own creation.
We have never been able to make
anything out of this only that
Gods power and wisdom are both
limited.
OF equal absurdity with the above
are their notions with regard to the
position and destiny of man. All,
Calvinist and Arminian alike, assume
that this city like other places is in
habited by two classes the converted
and the unconverted. Two companies
mingled yet distinct-a line unseen,
but real, separates man from his
acquaintance, separates friend from
friend, parent from child, husband
from wife. Formerly this was more
emphasized than now. To save souls
from the fiery gulf was then the OBJ
ject of frantic endeavor. Preachers
were occupied with exhortations to
men to get on the right side of the
line. How brief the time of mercy,
and how endless the time when no
mercy would be offered were favorite
themes of pulpit eloquence.
Nor was this line supposed to sep
arate merely the moral from the i'm
moral. Nothing was more common
than to hear spoken of the kind, the
lovable, the dear ones who have not
yet attended to the salvation of their
souls" Your brother, be he never
SO manly, so loving, SO true, if he had
not accepted Christ" was on his way
to hell to share with devils its un-
speakable torments. In answer to