Samuel Clarke was a major figure of the English Enlightenment. He reasoned in his doctorate dissertation, no doctrine of the Christian faith, delivered in the Holy Scriptures, is contrary to right reason, and without the freedom of human actions, there can be no religion. Of course, these propositions are in direct contradiction with the Reformed view of irresistible grace.

Clarke vigorously argued against predetermination. He believed that for human beings to be morally accountable, they must possess real, uncoerced power of choice. He argued that if a person's actions or faith are ultimately determined by an outside force, even an omnipotent one, then moral accountability vanishes. To Clarke, any framework where grace operates with "irresistible control" effectively reduces humans to machines. He asserted that God influences and invites humanity through reason and moral motives, but never forces or overrides human volition.

Clarke's rational approach is not shared by the Word of God. Yes, it is true that almost all of Scripture calls everyone to repentance without the caveat that God must first supernaturally change your heart to do so, but there's 1% of Scripture that clearly speaks of election as God's choice, not mans.

"He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world ... having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will" (Ephesians 1:4-5).

"God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began" (2 Timothy 1:9).

"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12-13).

"Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures" (James 1:18).

Our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3).

"So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy" (Romans 9:16).

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).

Even though every preacher in the Bible didn't hesitate telling sinners to immediately repent, this didn't authorize them to tell them they were saved! Not all faith is saving faith and not all repentance is saving repentance. The same New Testament ministers who told sinners to REPENT!, also warned them that if they didn't bear fruit, they were not saved. Christian Ministers before the 20th century never presumed to tell people what they had no way of knowing. Ministers would only say "hopefully saved" with the full knowledge that time would tell.

This subject goes to the heart of why decisional regeneration is a heresy. Only God can supernaturally change a sinner into saint. The most sincere sinner can never become a saint simply because he wants to be saved. Every time a minister says "I tell you by the authority of the Word of God, that if you prayed the sinner's prayer sincerely, you are saved", they are repeating the Humanist lie that "man is the measure of all things".

For more on this subject, please go to Cats Into Dogs.