Why preach electing grace? A letter from George Whitfield to John Wesley. Quote, this letter no doubt will lose me many friends, end quote, George Whitfield. One of the greatest leaders in the 18th century revival, a lot of which came early Methodism, was George Whitfield. Though in the past emphasis has been publicly placed on the ministry of John Wesley, research proves that the powerful ministry of George Whitfield was well known before John and Charles Wesley really entered into the revival. George Whitefield was perhaps the greatest minister of this period, and it is doubted whether he has ever been surpassed since. From the flyleaf of a late edition of Whitefield's journals, we quote, he revived the practice of outdoor preaching, and at a time when London had a population of less than 700,000, he could hold spellbound 20,000 people at a time at Moorsfield's in Kennington Common. For thirty years his voice resounded throughout England and America. He preached upwards of eighteen thousand sermons, speaking generally forty, sometimes sixty hours every week. A firm Calvinist in creed, yet unrivaled as an aggressive evangelist. Slim in person, yet storming in his preaching as if he were a giant. A clergyman of the Church of England, yet crossing the Atlantic thirteen times and becoming the apostle of the English Empire. The name of George Whitefield scarce knows a parallel. The most extraordinary man in our times, declared Lord Mullenbroke, unrivaled in eloquence, said the Earl of Chesterfield. Have we ever heard, asked John Wesley, of any person who called so many thousands, so many millions of sinners to repentance? Often as I have read his life, wrote C. H. Spurgeon, I am conscious of distinct quickening whenever I turn to it. He lived. Other men seemed to be only half alive, but Whitfield was all life, fire, wing, force. George Whitfield, in the preface of the 1776 edition of his journals, speaks of directing a careless, unthinking world into a holy method of dying unto themselves and living unto God. This is the only Methodism I desire to know. The great Prince of Preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, said, There is no end to the interest which attaches to such a man as George Whitefield. My own model, if I may have such a thing, in due subordination to my Lord, is George Whitefield. But with unequal footsteps must I follow in his glorious track. And with these few introductory remarks we leave you to give peripheral attention to the important letter written by George Whitefield to his contemporary in the ministry, John Wesley. A letter from George Whitfield to John Wesley, Bethesda, Georgia, December 24, 1740. Very dear brother, God only knows what unspeakable sorrow of heart I have felt on your account since I left England last. Whether it be my infirmity or not, I frankly confess that Jonah could not go with more reluctance against Nineveh than I now take pen in hand to write against you. Were nature to speak, I'd rather die than do it. And yet, if I am faithful to God and to my own and other souls, I must not stay and neuter any longer. I am very apprehensive that our common adversaries will rejoice to see us different among ourselves. But what can I say? The children of God are in danger of falling into error. Nay, numbers have been misled, whom God has been pleased to work upon my ministry, and a greater number are still calling aloud upon me to show my opinion. I must then show that I know no man after the flesh, and that I have no respect to persons any farther than is consistent with my duty to my Lord and Master Jesus Christ. This letter, no doubt, will lose me many friends, and for this cause, perhaps, God has laid this difficult task upon me, even to see whether I am willing to forsake all for Him or not. From such considerations as these, I think it my duty to bear in humble testimony and earnestly plead for the truths which, I am convinced, are clearly revealed in the word of God, in the defense whereof I must use great plainness of speech and treat my dearest friends upon earth with the greatest simplicity, faithfulness, and freedom, leaving the consequences of all to God. For some time before, and especially since my last departure from England, both in public and private, by preaching and printing, you have been propagating the doctrine of universal redemption. And when I remember how Paul reproved Peter for his dissimulation, I fear I have been sinfully silent too long. O then, be not angry with me, dear and honored sir, if now I deliver my soul by telling you that I think in this you greatly erred. It is not my design to enter into a long debate on God's decrees. I refer you to Dr. Edward Veritas Redux, which I think is unanswerable, except in a certain point concerning a middle sort between elect and reprobate, which he himself in effect afterwards condemns. I shall only make a few remarks upon your sermon, entitled Free Grace, and before I enter upon the discourse itself, give me leave to take a little notice of what, in your preface, you term an indispensable obligation, to make it public to all the world. I must own that I always thought you were quite mistaken upon that head. The case, you know, stands thus. When you were at Bristol, I think you received a letter from a private hand, charging you with not preaching the gospel, because you did not preach up election. Upon this you drew a lot. The answer was, preach in print. I have often questioned, as I do now, whether in so doing you did not tempt the Lord. A due exercise of religious prudence, without a lot, would have directed you in that manner. Besides, I have never heard that you inquired of God whether or not election was a gospel doctrine. But I fear, taking it for granted it was not, you only inquired whether you should be silent or preach and print against it. However this be, the lot came out, preach and print, accordingly you preached and printed against election. In my desire you suppressed the publishing of the sermon while I was in England, but soon sent it into the world after my departure. Oh, that you had kept it in! However, if that sermon was printed in answer to a lot, I am apt to think one reason why God should suffer you to be deceived was that hereby a special obligation might be laid upon me, faithfully, to declare the Scripture doctrine of election, that thus the Lord might give me a fresh opportunity of seeing what was in my heart, and whether I would be true to His cause or not. as you could not but grant he did once before by giving you such another lot at deal. The morning I sailed from Deal to Gibraltar, you arrived from Georgia. Instead of giving me an opportunity to converse with you, though the ship was not far off the shore, you drew a lot and immediately set forward to London. You left a ladder behind you in which there was to this effect. When I saw God by the wind which was carrying you out, brought me in, I asked counsel of God. His answer you have enclosed." This is the piece of paper in which was written these words, Let him return to London. When I received this, I was somewhat surprised. Here was a good man telling me he had cast a lot and God would have me return to London. On the other hand, I knew my call was to Georgia, and that I had taken leave of London and could not justly go from the soldiers who were committed to my charge. I betook myself with a friend to prayer. That passage in the first book of Kings, chapter 13, where we are told that the prophet was slain by a lion that was tempted to go back contrary to God's express order upon another's prophet telling him God would have him to do so. This passage, I say, was powerfully impressed upon my soul. I wrote you word that I could not return to London. We sailed immediately. Some months after, I received a letter from you at Georgia, wherein you wrote words to this effect, quote, Though God never before gave me a wrong lot, yet perhaps he suffered me to have such a lot at that time, to try what was in your heart, end quote. I should never have published this private transaction to the world, did not the glory of God call me to it. It is plain you had a wrong lot given you here, and justly because you tempted God in drawing one. As thus I believe it is in the present case, and if so, let not the children of God, who are my and your intimate friends and advocates for universal redemption, think that doctrine true because you preached it up in compliance with a lot given out from God. This, I think, may serve as an answer to that part of the prophecy of your printed sermon wherein you say, quote, Nothing but the strongest conviction, not only that what is here advanced is the truth as it is in Jesus, but also that I am indispensably obliged to declare this truth to all the world." That you believe what you wrote to be truth, and that you honestly aimed at God's glory in writing, I do not in the least doubt. But then, honored sir, I cannot but think you have been mistaken in imagining that your tempting God by casting a lot in the manner you did could lay you under an indispensable obligation to any action, much less to publish your sermon against the doctrine of predestination to life. I must next observe that as you have been unhappy in printing at all upon such an imaginary warrant, so you have been as unhappy in the choice of your text. Honored sir, how could it enter into your heart to choose a text to disprove the doctrine of election out of the Eighth of Romans, where this doctrine is so plainly asserted that once talking with a Quaker upon this subject, he had no other way of evading the force of the Apostle's assertion than by saying, I believe Paul was in the wrong. And another friend lately, who was once highly prejudiced against election, ingenuously confessed that he used to think Paul himself was mistaken, or that he was not truly translated. Indeed, honored sir, it is plain beyond all contradiction that Paul, through the whole eighth of Romans, is speaking of the privileges of those only who are really in Christ. and let any unprejudiced person read what goes before and what follows your text, and he must confess the word all only signifies those that are in Christ, and the latter part of the text plainly proves what I find dear Mr. Wesley will by no means grant. I mean the final perseverance of the children of God. He the Spirit, not his own Son, but freely gave him up for us all, i.e., all things, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Grace in particular to enable us to persevere, and everything else necessary to carry us home to our Father's heavenly kingdom. Had any one of mine to prove the doctrine of election as well as of final perseverance, he could hardly wish for a text more fit to his purpose than that which you have chosen to disprove it. One that does not know you would suspect that you yourself were sensible of this, for after the first paragraph I scarcely know whether you have mentioned it so much as once through your whole sermon. But your discourse, in my opinion, is as little to the purpose as your text. and, instead of warping, does more and more confirming the belief of the doctrine of God's eternal election. I shall not mention how illogically you have proceeded, had you written clearly you should first, honor sir, have proved your proposition that God's grace is free to all, and then, by way of inference, exclaimed against what you call the horrible decree. But ye new people, because Arminianism of late has so much abounded amongst us, were generally prejudiced against the doctrine of reprobation, and therefore thought, if ye kept up their dislike of that, ye could overthrow the doctrine of election entirely, for without doubt the doctrine of election and reprobation must stand or fall together. But passing by this is also your equivocal definition of the word grace, and your false definition of the word free. And that I may be as short as possible, I frankly acknowledge, I believe, the doctrine of reprobation, that God intends to give saving grace, through Jesus Christ, only to a certain number, and that the rest of mankind, after the fall of Adam, being justly left of God to continue in sin, will at last suffer from eternal death, which is its proper wages. This is the established doctrine of scripture and acknowledged as such in the 17th article of the Church of England, as Bishop Burnett himself confesses. Yet dear Mr. Wesley absolutely denies it. But the most important objections which you have urged against this doctrine, as reasons why you reject it, being seriously considered and faithfully tried by the word of God, will appear to be no force at all. Let the matter be humbly and calmly reviewed as to the following heads. First, you say, quote, If this be so, i.e., if there be an election, then, is all preaching vain? It is needless to them that are elected. For they, whether with preaching or without, will infallibly be saved. Therefore the end of preaching, to save souls, is void with regard to them, as it is useless to them that are not elected, for they cannot possibly be saved. They, whether with preaching or without, will infallibly be damned. The end of preaching is therefore void with regard to them likewise, so that in either case our preaching is vain, and you are hearing also vain. O dear sir, what kind of reasoning, or rather sophistry, is this? Hath not God, who hath appointed salvation for a certain number, appointed also the preaching of the word as a means to bring them to it? Doth any one hold election in any other sense? And if so, how is preaching needless to them that are elected, when the gospel is designed by God Himself to be the power of God unto their salvation? And since we know not who are elect and who reprobate, we are to preach promiscuously to all. For the word may be useful even to the non-elect, in restraining them from much wickedness and sin. However, it is enough to excite to the utmost diligence in preaching and hearing, when we consider that by these means some, even as many as the Lord hath ordained, eternal life, shall certainly be quickened and enabled to believe. And who that attends especially with reverence and care can tell but he may be found of that happy number. Secondly, you say that it, namely the doctrine of election and reprobation, directly tends to destroy that holiness which is the end of all the ordinances of God. For, says the dear, mistaken Mr. Wesley, it wholly takes away those first motives to follow after it, so frequently proposed in Scripture, the hope of future reward and fear of punishment, the hope of heaven and fear of hell. " I thought one that carries perfection to such an exalted pitch as dear Mr. Wesley does would know that a true lover of the Lord Jesus Christ would strive to be holy for the sake of being holy, and work for Christ out of love and gratitude without any regard to the rewards of heaven or fear of hell. You remember, dear sir, what Spiegel says, love's a more powerful motive that does them move. But passing by this, In granting that rewards and punishments, as they certainly are, may be motives from which a Christian may be honestly stood up to act for God, how does the doctrine of election destroy these motives? Do not the elect know that the more good works they do, the greater will be their reward? And is not that encouragement enough to set them upon and cause them to persevere in working for Jesus Christ? And how does the doctrine of election destroy holiness? Whoever preached any other election than what the Apostle preached when he said, chosen through sanctification of the Spirit. Nay, is not holiness made a mark of our election by all that preach it? And how, then, can the doctrine of election destroy holiness? The instance which you bring to illustrate your assertion, indeed, dear sir, is quite impertinent. For you say, quote, If a sick man knows that he must unavoidably die or unavoidably recover, though he knows not which, it is not reasonable to take any physic at all. End quote. Page 11. Dear sir, what absurd reasoning is here? Were you ever sick in your life? If so, did not the bare probability or possibility of your recovering, though you knew it was unalterably fixed that you must live or die, encourage you to take physic? For how did you know but that very physic might be the means of God intended to recover you by? Just thus it is as to the doctrine of election. I know that it is unalterably fixed, may one say, that I must be damned or saved. But since I know not which for a certainty, why should not I strive, though at present in a state of nature, since I know not but this striving may be the means God has intended to bless in order to bring me into a state of grace? Dear sir, consider these things, make an impartial application, and then judge what little reason you had to conclude the 10th paragraph, page 12, in these words. So directly does this doctrine tend to shut the very gate of holiness in general, to hinder unholy men from ever approaching thereto or striving to enter in thereat. As directly, paragraph 11, you say, does the doctrine tend to destroy several particular branches of holiness, such as meekness, love, and so on. I shall say little, dear sir, in answer to this paragraph. Dear Mr. Wesley, perhaps, has been disputing with some warm, narrow-spirited men that held election, and then infers that their warmth and narrowness of spirit was owing to their principles. But does not dear Mr. Wesley know many dear children of God who are predestinarians, and yet are meek, lowly, pitiful, courteous, tender-hearted, of a Catholic, free, impartial spirit, and kind in hope to see the most vile and profligate of men converted? And why? Because they know God saved them by an act of His electing love, and they know not but He may have elected those who now seem to be the most abandoned. But, dear sir, we must not judge of the truth of principles in general, nor of this of election in particular, entirely from the practice of some that profess to hold them. If so, I am sure, much may be said against your own. For I appeal to your own heart, whether or not you have not felt in yourself, or observed in others, a narrow spiritedness, and some disunion of soul, towards those that hold particular redemption. If so, then, according to your own rule, universal redemption is wrong because it destroys several branches of holiness, such as meekness, love, and so on. But not to insist upon this, I beg you would observe that your inference is entirely set aside by the force of the Apostle's argument, and the language which he expressly uses. For Colossians 3, 12 and 13 he says, Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another. If any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. Here we see that the apostle exhorts them to put on bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, and so on, upon this consideration, namely, because they were elect of God, and all who have experimentally felt this doctrine in their hearts feel that these graces are the genuine effects of their being elected of God. But perhaps dear Mr. Wesley may be mistaken in this point, and call that passion which is only zeal for God's truth. You know, dear sir, the apostle exhorts us to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints, and therefore you must not condemn all that appear zealous for the doctrine of election as narrow-spirited or persecutors, because they think it their duty to oppose you. I am sure I love you in the bowels of Jesus Christ, and think I could lay down my life for your sake. But yet, dear sir, I cannot help strenuously opposing your heirs upon this important subject, because I think you warmly though not designedly, oppose the truth as it is in Jesus. May the Lord remove the scales of prejudice from the eyes of your mind and give you a zeal according to true Christian knowledge. Thirdly, says your sermon, page 13, paragraph 12, quote, this doctrine tends to destroy the comforts of religion, the happiness of Christianity, and so on, end quote. But how does Mr. Wesley know this, who never believed election? I believe they who have experienced it will agree with our seventeenth article that the godly consideration of predestination and election in Christ is full of sweet, pleasant, unspeakable comfort to godly persons, and such as feel in themselves a work in the Spirit of Christ, mortifying the works of the flesh and their earthly members, and drawing their minds to high and heavenly things as well, because it does greatly establish and confirm their faith of eternal salvation, to be enjoyed through Christ is because it doth fervently kindle their love towards God, and so on." This plainly shows that our godly Reformers did not think election destroyed holiness or the comforts of religion. As for my own part, this doctrine is my daily support. I should utterly sink under a dread of my impending trials were I not firmly persuaded that God had chosen me in Christ from before the foundation of the world, and that now, being affectually called, He will suffer none to pluck me out of His almighty hand. You perceive thus, quote, This is evident as to all those who believe themselves to be reprobate, or only suspect or fear it. All the great and precious promises are lost to them. They afford them no ray of comfort." In answer to this, let me observe that none living, especially none who are desirous of salvation, can know that they are not of the number of gods elect. None but the unconverted can have any just reason so much as to fear it. And would you, Mr. Wesley, give comfort, or dare you apply the precious promises of the gospel, being children's bread to men in a natural state, while they continue so? God forbid! What if the doctrine of election and reprobation does put some upon doubting? So does that of regeneration. But is not this doubting a good means to put them upon searching and striving, and that striving a good means to make their calling and election sure? This is one reason, among many others, why I admire the doctrine of election, and am convinced that it should have a place in gospel ministrations, and should be assisted on with faithfulness and care. It has a natural tendency to rouse a soul out of its carnal security, and therefore many carnal men cry out against it. Whereas universal redemption is a notion sadly adapted to keep the soul in its lethargic, sleepy condition, as therefore so many natural men admire and applaud it. Your 13th, 14th, and 15th paragraphs come next to be considered. The witness of the spirit, you say, paragraph 14, page 14, experience, shows to be much obstructed by this doctrine. But dear sir, whose experience? Not your own, for in your journal from your embarking for Georgia to your return to London, page of the last, You seem to acknowledge that you have it not, and therefore you are no competent judge in this manner. You must mean, then, the experience of others. For you say in the same paragraph, quote, Even in those who have tasted of that good gift, who yet have soon lost it again, I suppose you mean lost the sense of it again, and fallen back into doubts and fears and darkness, even horrible darkness, that it might be felt. Now as to the darkness of desertion, was not this the case of Jesus Christ himself, after he had received an unanswerable unction of the Holy Ghost? Was not his soul exceeding sorrowful even unto death in the garden? And was he not surrounded with a horrible darkness, even a darkness that might be felt, when on the cross he cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? that all his followers are liable to the same, is it not evident from Scripture? For, says the apostle, he was tempted in all things like unto his brethren, that he might be able to succour those that are tempted. And is not their liableness thereunto well consistent with that conformity to him in suffering, which his members are to bear? Why then should persons falling into darkness, after they have received the witness of the Spirit, be any argument against the doctrine of election? Yes, you say, many, very many of those that hold it not in all parts of the earth have enjoyed the uninterrupted witness of the Spirit, the continual light of God's countenance from the moment wherein they first believed for many months or years to this very day." But how does Mr. Wesley know this? Has he consulted the experience of many, very many in all parts of the earth? Or could he be sure that he has advanced without sufficient grounds Would it follow that their being kept in this light is owing to their not believing the doctrine of election? No, this, according to the sentiments of our church, greatly confirms and establishes a true Christian's faith of eternal salvation through Christ. and is an anchor of hope, both sure and steadfast, when he walks in darkness and sees no light, if certainly he may, even after he has received the witness of the Spirit, whatever you or others may unadvisedly assert to the contrary, then to have respect to God's everlasting covenant, and to throw himself upon the free distinguishing love of that God who changes not, will make him lift up the hands that hang down and strengthen the feeble knees. But without the belief of the doctrine of election and the immutability of the free love of God, I cannot see how it is possible that he should have a comfortable assurance of eternal salvation. What could it signify to a man whose conscience is thoroughly awakened and who is warned in good earnest? to seek deliverance from the wrath to come, though he should be assured that all his past sins are forgiven, and that he is now a child of God, if notwithstanding this, he may hereafter become a child of the devil, and be cast into hell at last. Could such an assurance yield any solid, lasting comfort to a person convinced of the corruption and treachery of his own heart, and of the malice, subtlety, and power of Satan? No, that which alone deserves the name of a full assurance of faith is such as an assurance as emboldens the believer, under the sense of his interest in distinguishing love, to give the challenge to all his adversaries, whether men or devils. and that with regard to all their future as well as present attempts to destroy, saying with the Apostle, Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies me. It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for me. Who shall separate me from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword, Nay, in all these things I am more than conqueror, through him that loved me. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, or any other creature, shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord. This, dear sir, is the triumphant language of every soul that has attained the full assurance of faith. And this assurance can only arise from a belief of God's electing, everlasting love. That many have an assurance that they are in Christ today, but take no thought for, or are not assured that they shall be in Him tomorrow, nay to all eternity, is rather their imperfection and unhappiness in their privilege. I pray God to bring all such to a sense of His eternal love, that they may no longer build upon their own faithfulness, but on the unchangeableness of that God whose gifts and callings are without repentance. For those whom God has once justified, He also will glorify. I observed before, dear sir, it is not always a safe rule to judge of the truth of principles from people's practice, and therefore supposing all that held universal redemption in your way of explaining it, After they received faith, enjoyed the continual uninterrupted light of God's countenance, it does not follow that this is a fruit of their principle, for that, I am sure, has a natural tendency to keep the soul in darkness forever, because a creature thereby is taught that his being kept in a state of salvation is owing to his own free will. And what a sandy foundation is that for a poor creature to build his hopes of perseverance upon. Every relapse into sin, every surprise by temptation, must throw him into doubts and fears, into horrible darkness, even darkness that may be felt. As it is, the letters which have been lately sent me by those who hold universal redemption are dead and lifeless, dry and inconsistent in comparison of those I receive from persons on the contrary side. Those who settled in the universal scheme, Though they might begin in the spirit, whatever they may say to the contrary, are ending in the flesh, and building up a righteousness founded on their own free will, whilst the others triumph in hopes of the glory of God, and build upon God's never-failing promise an unchangeable love, even when a sensible presence is withdrawn from them. But I would not judge of the truth of election by the experience of any particular persons. If I did, O bear with me in this foolishness of boasting! I think myself my glory in election. For these five or six years I have received the witness of God's Spirit. Since that, blessed be God, I have not doubted a quarter of an hour of having a saving interest in Jesus Christ. But with grief and humble shame I do acknowledge I have fallen into sin often since that. Though I do not, dare not, allow of any one transgression, yet hitherto I have not been, nor do I expect that while I am in this present world I ever shall be, able to live one day perfectly free from all defects and sin. And since the Scriptures declare that there is not a just man upon earth, nor not among those of the highest attainments in grace, that doeth good and sinneth not, we are sure that this will be the case of all the children of God. The universal experience and acknowledgement of this among the godly in every age is abundantly sufficient to confute the error of those who hold it in an absolute sense. that after a man is born again he cannot commit sin, especially since the Holy Ghost condemns the persons who say they have no sin, as deceiving themselves, as being destitute of the truth and making God a liar. 1 John 1 8-10 I have been also in heaviness through manifold temptations, and expect to be often so before I die. Thus were the apostles and primitive Christians themselves. Thus was Luther, that man of God, who, as far as I can find, did not perimetrally, at least hold election. And the great John Arndt was in the utmost perplexity a quarter of an hour before he died, and yet he was no predestinarian. And if I must speak freely, I believe your fighting so strenuously against the doctrine of election, and pleading so vehemently for a sinless perfection, are among the reasons or culpable causes why you are kept out of the liberties of the gospel, and that full assurance of faith which they enjoy, who have experimentally tasted and daily feed upon God's electing, everlasting love. But perhaps you may say that Luther and Arndt were no Christians, at least very weak ones. I know you think meanly of Abraham, though he was eminently called a friend of God, and I believe also of David, a man after God's own heart. No wonder, therefore, that in a letter you sent me not long since, you should tell me, quote, that no Baptist or Presbyterian writer whom you have read, knew anything of the liberties of Christ." What? Neither Bunyan, Henry, Flafel, Halliburton, nor any of the New England and Scotch divines? See, dear sir, what narrow spiritedness and want of charity arise from your principles, and then do not cry out against election any more on account of its being destructive of meekness and love. Fourthly, I shall now proceed to another head. Again says the dear Mr. Wesley, page 15, paragraph 16, quote, How uncomfortable a thought is this, that thousands and millions of men without any preceding offense or fault of theirs were unchangeably doomed to everlasting burnings, end quote. But whoever asserted that thousands and millions of men, without any preceding offense or fault of theirs, were unchangeably doomed to everlasting burnings, do not they who believe God's dooming men to everlasting burnings also believe that God looked upon them as men fallen in Adam? And that that decree which ordained the punishment first regarded the crime by which it was deserved? How then are they doomed without any preceding fault? Surely Mr. Wesley will own God's justice in imputing Adam's sin to his posterity, and also that, after Adam fell and his posterity in him, God might justly have passed them all by, without sending His own Son to be our Savior for any one. Unless you heartily agree to both these points, you do not believe original sin are right. If you do own them, then you must acknowledge the doctrine of election and reprobation to be highly just and reasonable. For if God might justly impute Adam's sin to all, and afterwards have passed by all, then He might pass by some. Turn on the right hand, or on the left, you are reduced to an inextricable dilemma, and if you would be consistent, you must either give up the doctrine of the imputation of Adam's sin, or receive the amiable doctrine of election, with a holy and righteous reprobation as its consequent. For whether you believe it or no, the word of God abides faithful. The election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. Your seventeenth paragraph I pass over. What has been said on paragraphs ninth and tenth, with little alteration, will answer it. I shall only say it is the doctrine of election that mostly presses me to abound in good works. I am made willing to suffer all things for the elect's sake. This makes me preach with comfort because I know salvation does not depend on man's free will, but the Lord makes him willing in the day of his power, and can make use of me to bring some of his elect home when and where he pleases. But fifthly, you say, paragraph 18, page 17, this doctrine has a direct manifest tendency to overthrow the whole Christian religion. For, say you, supposing that eternal, unchangeable decree One part of mankind must be saved, though the Christian revelation were not in being. " But dear sir, how does this follow, since it is only by the Christian revelation that we are acquainted with God's design of saving His Church by the death of His Son? Yet it is settled in the everlasting covenant that this salvation shall be applied to the elect through the knowledge and faith of him. As the prophet says, By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many. Isaiah 53 11. How then has the doctrine of election a direct tendency to overthrow the whole Christian revelation? Whoever thought that God's declaration to Noah that seed time and harvest should never cease could afford an argument for the neglect of plowing or sowing, or that the unchangeable purpose of God that harvest should not fail rendered the heat of the sun or the influence of the heavenly bodies unnecessary to produce it. No more does God's absolute purpose of saving His chosen preclude the necessity of the gospel revelation or the use of any of the means through which He has determined the decree shall take effect. Nor will the right understanding or the reverent belief of God's decree ever allow or suffer a Christian, in any case, to separate the means from the end, or the end from the means. And since we were taught by the Revelation itself that this was intended and given by God as a means of bringing home His elect, we therefore receive it with joy, prize it highly, using it in faith, and endeavor to spread it through all the world. In the full assurance that wherever God sends it, sooner or later it shall be savingly useful to all the elect within its call. How then, in holding this doctrine, do we join with modern unbelievers in making the Christian revelation unnecessary? No, dear sir, you mistake. Infidels of all kinds are on your side of the question. Deists, Arians, Sassanians, arraign God's sovereignty and stand up for universal redemption. I pray God, dear Mr. Wesley's sermon, as it has grieved the hearts of many of God's children, may not also strengthen the hands of many of His most avowed enemies. Here I could almost lie down and weep. O tell it not in gaffe, publish it not in the streets of Ascalon, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice, lest the sons of unbelief should triumph. Further, you say, page 18th, paragraph 19th. This doctrine makes revelation contradict itself. For instance, say you, the assertors of this doctrine interpret the text of the scriptures, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated, as implying that God in a literal sense hated Esau and all that reprobates from eternity. And when considered as fallen in Adam, were they not objects of his hatred? And might not God of his own good pleasure love or show mercy to Jacob and the elect, and yet at the same time do the reprobate no wrong? But you say, God is love, and cannot God be love unless he show the same mercy to all? Again says dear Mr. Wesley, quote, They infer from that text, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, that God is love only to some men, namely, the elect. and that he has mercy for those only, flatly contrary to which is the whole tenor of the scripture, as is that expressed declaration in particular, the Lord is loving to every man, and his mercy is over all his works." But not His saving mercy. God is loving to every man. He sends His rain upon the evil and upon the good. But you say God is no respecter of persons. No, for everyone, whether Jew or Gentile, that believeth on Jesus and worketh righteousness is accepted of Him. But he that believeth not shall be damned, for God is no respecter of persons, i.e., upon the account of any outward condition or circumstance in life whatever, nor does the doctrine of election in the least suppose him to be so. But as the sovereign Lord of all, who is debtor to none, he has a right to do what he will with his own, and dispense his favours to what object he sees fit, merrily at his pleasure. And his supreme right herein is clearly and strongly asserted in those passages of Scripture, where he says, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and have compassion on whom I will have compassion. Romans 9.15, Exodus 33.19 Further, in page 19, you represent us as inferring from the text, the children not being yet born, neither having done good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth it was said unto her, unto Rebekah. the elder shall serve the younger, that our predestination to life no way depends on the foreknowledge of God. But who infers this, dear sir? For if foreknowledge signifies approbation, as it does in several parts of Scripture, then we confess that predestination and election do depend on God's foreknowledge. But if by God's foreknowledge you understand God's foreseeing some good works done by His creatures, a foundation, a reason of choosing them, and therefore electing them, then we say that, in this sense, predestination does not in any way depend on God's foreknowledge. But I referred you at the beginning of this letter to Dr. Edward's Veritas Redux, which I recommend to you in a late letter with Elisha Cole on God's sovereignty. Be pleased to read those, and also the excellent sermons of Mr. Cooper of Boston in New England, which I also sent you, and I doubt not but you will see all your objections answered, though I would observe that after all our reading on both sides of the question, we shall never in this life be able to search out God's decrees to perfection. nor we must humbly adore what we cannot comprehend, and with the great apostle at the end of our inquiries cry out, O the depth! and so on, or with our Lord when he was admiring God's sovereignty, even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in thy sight. However, it may not be amiss to take notice that if those texts God willeth that none should perish, I have no pleasure in him that dieth, and such like, be taken in their strictest sense, and no one will be damned. But here is a distinction. God taketh no pleasure in the death of sinners, so as to delight simply in their death. But he delights to magnify his justice by inflicting the punishment which their iniquities have deserved. as a righteous judge who takes no pleasure in condemning a criminal, may yet justly command him to be executed, that law and justice may be satisfied, even though it be in his power to procure him a reprieve. I would hint farther that you unjustly charge the doctrine of reprobation with blasphemy. Whereas the doctrine of universal redemption, as you set it forth, is really the highest reproach upon the dignity of the Son of God and the merit of His blood. Consider, therefore, whether it be not blasphemy rather to say, as you do, page 29, Christ not only died for those that are saved, but also for those that perish. Detects you have misapplied to gloss over this. See explained by Thomas Ridgely. Jonathan Edwards, Matthew Henry, and I purposely omit answering your texts myself, that you may be brought to read such treatises which under God would show you your error. You cannot make good this assertion that Christ died for them that perish without holding, as Peter Bowler, one of the Moravian Brethren, in order to make out universal redemption, lately frankly confessed in a letter that all the damned souls would hereafter be brought out of hell. " I cannot think Mr. Wesley is thus minded, and yet without this can be proved. Universal redemption, taken in a literal sense, falls entirely to the ground. For how can all be universally redeemed if all are not finally saved? Dear sir, for Jesus Christ's sake, consider how you dishonor God by denying election. You plainly make salvation depend not on God's free grace, but on man's free will. And it is more than probable Jesus Christ would not have had the satisfaction of seeing the fruit of His death and the eternal salvation of one's soul. Our preaching would then be in vain, and our invitation for people to believe in Him would also be in vain. But blessed be God, our Lord knew for whom He died. There was an eternal compact between the Father and Son. A certain number was then given Him as a purchase and reward of His obedience in death. For these he prayed, John 17, and not for the world. For these and these only he is now interceding, and with their salvation he will be fully satisfied. I purposely omit making any further particular remarks on the several last pages of your sermon. Indeed, had not your name, dear sir, been prefixed to the sermon, I could not have been so uncharitable as to think you were the author of such sophistry. You beg the question in saying that God has declared, notwithstanding you, O, I suppose, some will be damned, that He would save all, i.e., every individual person. You take it for granted, for solid proof you have none, that God is unjust if He passes by any, and then you exclaim against the horrible decree. And yet, as I before hinted, in holding the doctrine of original sin, you profess to believe that He might justly have passed by all. Dear, dear sir, O be not offended, for Christ's sake be not rash, give yourself to reading, study the covenant of grace, down with your carnal reasoning, be a little child, and then instead of pawning your salvation as you have done in a late hymn book, if the doctrine of universal redemption be not true, instead of talking of sinless perfection as you have done in the preface to that hymn book, and making man's salvation depend on his own free will, as you have in the sermon, You will compose a hymn of praise of sovereign, distinguishing love. You will caution believers against striving to work a perfection out of their own hearts, and print another sermon the reverse of this, and entitle it Free Grace and Deed. Free, because not free to all, but free because God may withhold or give it to whom and when he pleases. Till you do this, I must doubt whether or not you know yourself. In the meanwhile, I cannot but blame you for censuring the clergy of our church for not keeping to their articles, when you yourself, by your principles, positively deny the 9th, 10th, and 17th. Dear sir, these things ought not so to be. God knows my heart, as I told you before, so I declare again, nothing but a single regard to the honor of Christ has forced this letter from me. I love and honor you for his sake, and when I come to judgment will thank you before men and angels for what you have under God done for my soul. There I am persuaded I shall see dear Mr. Wesley convinced of election and everlasting love, and it often fills me with pleasure to think how I shall behold you casting your crown down at the feet of the Lamb, and as it were filled with the holy blushing for opposing the divine sovereignty in the manner you have done. But I hope the Lord will show you this before you go hence. Oh, how do I long for that day! If the Lord should be pleased to make use of this letter for that purpose, it would abundantly rejoice the heart of, dear and honored sir, your affectionate, though unworthy, brother and servant in Christ, George Whitefield. Narrated July 27, 2004