In Daniel Whedon's Comentary on Romans 9, he argues that Paul's quotations of the old testament support the Arminian view of the passage. In some ways, I found Whedon to be a prototype of more recent Arminian explanations of the passage. Specifically, his digging into the context of "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy" in Exodus 32-33 was a big step in the right direction. Whedon explains the verses and then refutes Barnes' (a Calvinist) view. He notes the Calvinist interpretation of defending God's justice is really a "might makes right" kind of view. He objects: "Power increased infinitely cannot change right. A creature can be supposedly wronged by even an infinite being. The predesinarian interpretation makes Paul pretend to give a reason, but really resorts to force, and seeks to frighten his opponents out of reasoning."

By Daniel Whitby – part of Discourses on the 5 Points

Editor Note: Archaic spellings and words have been updated, sentences broken down into shorter sentences and links to scripture references inserted. - Godismyjudge

SUFFICIENT AND EFFECTUAL, COMMON AND SPECIAL GRACE.

CHAPTER 1.
The State of the Question

1. For the right stating of this question it will be require to show:
   what is the scriptural import of the word Grace and
2. what is the manner of the operation of this Grace upon the soul, to convert, or to dispose it to what is spiritually good and
3. what renders it efficacious in some, and not in others to produce faith, repentance and conversion of the soul to God, and what is the account the scripture, and our blessed Savior gives of this matter.
   

By Daniel Whitby – part of Discourses on the 5 Points
Editor Note: Archaic spellings and words have been updated, sentences broken down into shorter sentences and links to scripture references inserted. - Godismyjudge
Answering the arguments produced to prove, First, that man is purely passive in the work of conversion, and that it is done by an irresistible or unfrustrable act of God.

Preliminary Remarks

These arguments, for method-sake, may be reduced to four heads,

First. Arguments taken from the nature of the work itself; as v. g. it being represented by such acts:

The Bible Tools, "Sabbath-keeping, non-Trinitarian" post I was viewing read, "God Himself has kept Israel from seeing and hearing (understanding and applying) His truth, giving Israel a spirit of slumber to make possible the salvation of the Gentiles. He has determined to call and choose only a limited number from Israel in this age, allowing the rest to remain blinded . . ."

According to this errant view, the only way for God to offer salvation to the Gentiles was to blind Israel from seeing and hearing His truth (which is contradictory to its own thesis, as will be pointed out momentarily). Poor God: He cannot seem to save people without damning others; and His gospel does not seem to contain the life-changing power it boasts (Rom. 1.16) without God first regenerating the sinner.