I found that she and her son charged our Confession with
teaching that God passed a decree which put the fall of Adam
beyond the possibility of escape."

Here was an exigency. Let us see how he meets it. That the
Confession does teach the doctrine which the lady and her son
ascribed to it, is as plain as anything can be. He _decreed
whatsoever comes to pass_, and _executes_ his decrees. Does he
ask her what objections she has to this doctrine and offer to
refute them? Does he directly and promptly deny that Calvinism
teaches this doctrine? No! Such a course would be rather
hazardous, considering the character of the books he was seeking
to distribute, and did actually leave with them. What course,
then, does he take? "I told her," says he, "if the chapter on the
fall of man said so, I was as loath to believe it as she was; and
if she could find it so, I would condemn the doctrine." Mark! He
does not say, unconditionally and unequivocally that he condemned
the doctrine, and was as loath to believe it as she was, but _if
the chapter which treated on the fall of man said so_. Well, what
follows: "On turning to the 6th chapter, how surprised was she to
read--This their sin God was pleased according to his wise and
holy counsel to _permit_.'" This word _permit_ helped him out of
his difficulty. "Here was a fact," says he, "of which they had
never heard before, and which gave them no little satisfaction."
He doubtless left them under the impression that the Confession
of Faith does not teach that God decreed and brought to pass the
sin of Adam. However, he did not leave them until they willingly
purchased the _Confession of Faith, the Great Supper_, and
_Fisher's Catechism_, which asserts, as I have already shown,
that "the very reason why anything comes to pass in time is,
because God has decreed it," that "none of the decrees of God can
be defeated, or fail of execution;" and that God "predetermines
the creature to such or such an action, and not to another,
shutting up all other ways of acting, and leaving that only open
which he had determined to be done."

Another presumption in favor of Arminianism results from the
readiness with which Methodist preachers are installed as pastors
of Calvinistic churches, both old and new school, with the
understanding, if their own statements be reliable, that they are
not required to renounce or contradict the Arminian creed.
Arminian ministers are coming into great demand by Calv