Wilberforce writes:
“Old age has at length made its advances. Now, if ever, we might expect that it would be deemed high time to make eternal things the main object of attention. No such thing! There is still an appropriate good quality, the presence of which calms the disquietude, and satisfies the requisitions both of themselves and of those around them. It is now required of them that they should be good natured and cheerful, indulgent to the frailties and follies of the young; remembering, that when young themselves they gave into the same practices. How opposite this to that dread of sin, which is the sure characteristic of the true Christian; which causes him to look back upon the vices of his own youthful days with shame and sorrow; and which, instead of conceding to young people to be wild and thoughtless, as a privilege belonging to their age and circumstances, prompts him to warn them against what had proved to himself matter of such bitter retrospection! Thus, throughout the whole of life, some means or other are devised for stifling the voice of conscience. ‘We cry peace while there is no peace;’ and both to ourselves and others that complacency is furnished, which ought only to proceed from a consciousness of being reconciled to God, and a humble hope of our possessing his favour.
I know that these sentiments will be termed uncharitable; but I must not be deterred by such an imputation. It is time to have done with that senseless cant [1] of charity, which insults the understandings, and trifles with the feelings, of those who are really concerned for the happiness of their fellow-creatures. What matter of keen remorse and of bitter self-reproaches are they storing up for their future torment, who are themselves its miserable dupes; or who, being charged with the office of watching over the eternal interests of their children or relations, suffer themselves to be lulled asleep, or beguiled by such shallow reasonings into sparing themselves the momentary pain of executing their important duty! Charity, indeed, is partial to the object of her regard; and where actions are of a doubtful quality, this partiality disposes her to refer them to a good, rather than to a bad, motive. She is apt also somewhat to exaggerate merits, and to see amiable qualities in a light more favourable than that which strictly belongs to them. But true charity is wakeful, fervent, full of solicitude, full of good offices, not so easily satisfied, not so ready to believe that every thing is going on well as a matter of course; but jealous of mischief, apt to suspect danger, and prompt to extend relief” (William Wilberforce).
[1] By the word “cant” I take Wilberforce to mean “hypocritically pious language.”
This quote regarding “charity” from William Wilberforce’s book “Practical Christianity” reminds me of the Great Whore’s proclivity to bedazzle the tolerant Calvinists (and others) into a “charitable” view of her “doctrinal imperfections.” To the tolerant Calvinist, the Great Whore is NOT infected with theologically damnable and pernicious plagues, but stained only with mere “theological blemishes.” Her abominations are not so abominable for them to come out of her lest they share in her sins and receive of her plagues. Many tolerant Calvinists often bicker and fight with the Great Whore — but despite that they must find something sufficiently amiable in her for them to admit spiritual oneness with her.
The Wilberforce quote also brought to my remembrance this quote from Abraham Booth’s “Reign of Grace”:
“He, indeed, who pretends to be a friend to revealed truth, but is cool and indifferent to its honour and interest; whose extensive charity is such, that he can allow those who widely differ from him in, the capital articles of the Christian faith, to be safe in their own way; may enjoy his peculiar sentiments without much fear of disturbance. But though such conduct maybe applauded, under a false notion of Christian candour, and of a catholic spirit; though it may be the way to maintain a friendly intercourse among multitudes whose leading sentiments are widely different; yet it will be deemed, by the God of truth as deserving no better name, than a joint opposition to the spirit and design of his gospel” (Abraham Booth).
This is an apt description of the typical tolerant Calvinist, who, while pretending to be a friend of revealed GOSPEL TRUTH maintains “cool [indifference] to its honour and interest” and exhibits great fervor in opposing its honor and interest by defending the LIE. The tolerant Calvinist heretic will invariably exude a “cool indifference” towards the TRUE efficacious atonement of Jesus Christ while zealously breaking forth in “responsive heat” in defense of the LIE of salvation conditioned on the sinner. Your typical tolerant-of-damnable-heresy-that-is-antithetical-to-the-gospel of-Jesus-Christ Calvinist makes the HOLLOW CLAIM that he is indeed a friend of the Chaste Spouse all the while he is ardently defending the joint “theological venereal imperfections” of himself and of the Great Whore:
“And after these things I saw another angel coming down out of Heaven having great authority, and the earth was lighted up from his glory. And he cried in a strong, great voice, saying, Babylon the great has fallen! It has fallen, and it has become a dwelling-place of demons, and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean bird, even having been hated, because of the wine of the anger of her fornication which all the nations have drunk, even the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her; and the merchants of the earth became rich from the power of her luxury. And I heard another voice out of Heaven saying, My people, come out of her, that you may not share in her sins, and that you may not receive of her plagues” (Revelation 18:1-4).
The efficacious cross-work of Jesus Christ is THE capital article of the Christian faith. The tolerant Calvinist allows those who count the word of the cross as foolishness (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18) “to be safe in their own way” by speaking to them “peace, peace” when there is no peace. The “charity” of these tolerant Calvinists is as extensive as the false prophets’ “charity” was in the days of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 6:13-15; cf. 2 John 9-11). Next Page (11)
Agrammatos 