oever shall come to pass, he has ordained that these angels
should sin, and fall, and become devils; they could not help it; and
all the mischief they do in the world is but fulfilling the divine
decree. Likewise it was ordained, that they should seduce man, and
that he should fall, and propagate a race of sinful creatures like
himself, and that all the shocking consequences should follow; that
Cain should murder his brother; that the old world should be
immersed in sin and sensuality, and then be drowned; and, though
Noah was a preacher of righteousness a hundred and twenty years,
that none should believe and be saved; likewise the arriving of the
Sodomites to such an enormous pitch of wickedness, was ordained; and
that they should burn in lust, working that which was unseemly, and
perish by fire; also that the Israelites should murmur, tempt God,
commit fornication in the wilderness, and their carcases should then
fall; in like manner, after they were settled in the promised land,
that they should fall in with the various abominations, such as
burning their children to Moloch, use enchantments, witchcrafts, and
every other abomination which we find them charged with. Then was
not the cruelty exercised by Pagans, or Papists, or Mahometans all
ordained?--also all the massacres, treacheries, plundering, burning
of towns and cities, dashing poor infants to pieces, or starving
them to death, ripping up their mothers, together with all the
rapes, murders, and sacrileges which have ever come or shall come to
pass? I say, this doctrine charges the blessed, the merciful God
with it all, by ordaining from all eternity whatsoever shall come to
pass in time. Here is no overstraining, no forcing things; it is the
unavoidable consequence, as much as a man charging, pointing, and
firing a cannon at any one or number of men is the cause of their
death. The powder, cannon, and ball only do what the men appoint
them to do. Reader, is not this shocking? Does not thy blood chill
at reading all this blasphemy? I am sure mine does at writing. I
know, great care is taken to hide their monstrous visage; but as it
is there, I am determined to drag it out to light.

II. This doctrine makes the day of judgment past;--a heresy which
very early found its way into the church of God, and thereby
overthrew the faith of some. If God from all eternity ordained
whatsoever shall come to pass in time, then he ordained who should,
and who should not, be