of the Calvinistic doctrine of decrees, the doctrine of
atonement by the sufferings and death of Christ is absolute
nonsense?

15. Again: I affirm of this doctrine that it renders utterly
baseless the _doctrine of pardon_, or the remission of sins. It
renders the offer of pardon a mockery. For what is pardon
offered? For _doing the will of God_--for doing just _what he
decreed_ we should do; for _carrying into effect_ his _eternal
counsels_. How can any man need pardon if this doctrine be true?
Should it be said, in reply, that although the decrees of God
have been invariably fulfilled, yet his _precepts_ have been
violated, I rejoin that the violation of these precepts was,
according to the Calvinistic hypothesis, specifically _decreed_.
Unless decreed, it could not have come to pass. Hence, the
violation was inevitable, from the very nature of the case. God
offers pardon to his creatures, who have invariably, from the
commencement of their being, fulfilled his decrees. He offers
pardon to them for violating commands which it was impossible for
them to keep, inasmuch as he had eternally decreed that they
should not keep them, and his decrees are infinitely wise and
holy, and cannot be, frustrated.

Further, if God's decrees are righteous (and we are told
explicitly by the creed we are reviewing that they had their
origin in his "wise and holy counsel"), it follows that his
precepts must be unrighteous, whenever they are assumed to be in
opposition to his decrees; and surely no one can need pardon for
pursuing a righteous course in opposition to an unrighteous one.
If it be said that his precepts and his decrees are all equally
righteous, it follows that a course in direct opposition, in all
respects, to a righteous law is, nevertheless, a righteous
course, and thus the distinction between righteousness and
unrighteousness is destroyed. View the subject in whatever light
you may, and the offer of pardon in connection with the
Calvinistic doctrine of decrees, becomes an impertinence and an
absurdity.

16. And what is the effect of the Calvinistic theory of
predestination upon the doctrine of _regeneration_? Regeneration
is usually understood to be a change by which unholy dispositions
--dispositions at variance with the character and will of God
--are substituted by those in accordance therewith. But, if
Calvinism be true, regeneration is nothing more than a preordained
change from doing the will of God perfectly