stinguishes one
nation, or one individual, from another, in the distribution of his
favours. This is conceded on all sides; and has nothing to do with the
point in dispute. It must also be shown, that the particular favour which
he brings home to one by his infinite power, and which he withholds from
another, is neither more nor less than the salvation of the soul. It must
be shown, that the mere will and pleasure of God makes such a distinction
among the souls of men, that while some are invincibly made the heirs of
glory, others are stamped with the seal of eternal death. The inheritance
of Jacob, and the casting off of Esau, were, so far as we can see, very
different from the awful proceeding which is ascribed to God according to
the Calvinistic scheme of election and reprobation.

The same remark is applicable to other attempts to show, that God's favour
was bestowed upon Jacob, as an individual, in preference to Esau. "As to
the objection," says Professor Hodge, "that Esau never personally served
Jacob, it is founded on the mere literal sense of the words. Esau did
acknowledge his inferiority to Jacob, and was postponed to him on various
occasions. This is the real spirit of the passage. This prophecy, as is
the case with all similar predictions, has various stages of fulfilment.
The relation between the two brothers during life; the loss of the
birthright blessing and promises on the part of Esau; the temporary
subjugation of his descendants to the Hebrews under David; their final and
complete subjugation under the Maccabees; and especially their exclusion
from the peculiar privileges of the people of God, through all the periods
of their history, are included." Suppose all this to be true, what
relation has it to the election of some individuals to eternal life, and
the reprobation of others?

We shall not dwell upon other portions of the chapter in question; for, if
the foregoing remarks be just, it will be easy to dispose of every text
which may, at first view, appear to support the Calvinistic doctrine of
election. We shall dismiss the consideration of the ninth chapter of
Romans with an extract from Dr. Macknight, who, although a firm believer
in the Calvinistic view of election and reprobation, does not find any
support for his doctrine in this portion of Scripture. "Although some
passages in this chapter," says he, "which pious and learned men have
understood of the election and reprobation of individuals,