t is one which the Calvinists themselves will not
permit us to adopt. They tell us, that the predestination of the greater
part of mankind to eternal death is "to the praise of God's glorious
justice." But how are we to behold this glorious manifestation of the
divine justice, if we may not view it through any medium known to us, or
contemplate it in any light which may have dawned upon our minds?

Indeed, although the defenders of this doctrine often declare that the
predestination of so many men and angels to eternal misery, displays the
justice of God in all its glory; yet their own writings furnish the most
abundant and conclusive evidence, that they themselves can see no
appearance of justice in such a proceeding. On various occasions they do
not hesitate to tell us, that although they cannot recognise the justice
of such a proceeding, yet they believe it to be just, because it is the
proceeding of God. But how can that be a display of justice to us, which,
according to all our notions, wears the appearance of the most frightful
injustice? Calvin himself admits, that the justice of God, which is
supposed to be so brightly displayed in the predestination of so many
immortal beings to endless woe, is, in reality, therein involved in clouds
and darkness. Yet he does not fail to deduce an argument in its favour
from "the very obscurity which excites such dread."(212)

It seems clear, that if the divine justice is really displayed in the
punishment of the reprobate, it would have been exhibited on a still more
magnificent scale by the condemnation of the whole human race. For,
according to Calvinism, all were equally deserving of the divine
displeasure, and the saved are distinguished from the lost only by the
election of God. Hence, this scheme shows the justice of God to be
limited, or not displayed on so grand and imposing a scale as it might
have been; that is to say, it shows the justice of God to be less than
infinite. But if such be the justice of God, we certainly should not
complain that it has been limited by his mercy; we should rather rejoice,
indeed, to believe that it had been thereby entirely extinguished.

Notwithstanding the claims of divine justice, all were not reprobated and
doomed to eternal death. A certain portion of mankind are elected and
saved, "to the praise of his glorious grace." Now, it is conceded by
Calvinists, that "all the circumstances which distinguish the elect from
others are the f