Part 12

§. VIII. [Sidenote: _Proof 1._] This is very positively affirmed, _Heb._ ii. 9. in these Words, _But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the Angels, for the suffering of Death, crowned with Glory and Honour, that he by the Grace of God might taste Death for every Man_. He that will but open his Eyes, may see this Truth here asserted: If he _tasted Death for every Man_, then certainly there is no Man for whom he did not taste Death; then there is no Man who may not be made a Sharer of the Benefit of it: For _he came not to condemn the World, but that the World through him might be saved_, John iii. 17. _He came not to judge the World, but to save the World_, John xii. 47. [Sidenote: _Our Adversaries false Doctrine of a great Part of Mankind being pre-ordained for Damnation, refuted._] Whereas, according to the Doctrine of our Adversaries, he rather came to condemn the World, and judge it; and not that it might be saved by him, or to save it. For if he never came to bring Salvation to the greater Part of Mankind, but that his Coming, though it could never do them good, yet shall augment their Condemnation, from thence it necessarily follows, that he came not of Intention to save, but to judge and condemn the greater Part of the World, contrary to his own express Testimony; and as the Apostle _Paul_, in the Words above cited, doth assert affirmatively, _That God willeth the Salvation of all_, [Sidenote: _Proof 2._] so doth the Apostle _Peter_ assert negatively, _That he willeth not the perishing of any_, 2 Pet. iii. 9. _The Lord is not slack concerning his Promise, as some Men count Slackness, but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to Repentance._ And this is correspondent to that of the Prophet _Ezekiel_, xxxiii. 11. _As I live, saith the Lord, I have no Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked, but that the Wicked turn from his Way and live._ If it be safe to believe God, and trust in him, we must not think that he intends to cheat us by all these Expressions through his Servants, but that he was in good earnest. And that this Will and Desire of his hath not taken effect, the Blame is on our Parts, as shall be after spoken of; which could not be, if we never were in any Capacity of Salvation, or that Christ had never died for us, but left us under an Impossibility of Salvation. What mean all those earnest Invitations, all those serious Expostulations, all those regretting Contemplations, wherewith the Holy Scriptures are full? As, _Why will you die, O House of _Israel!_ Why will ye not come unto me, that ye might have Life? I have waited to be gracious unto you: I have sought to gather you: I have knocked at the Door of your Hearts: Is not your Destruction of yourselves? I have called all the Day long._ If Men who are so invited be under no Capacity of being saved, if Salvation be impossible unto them, shall we suppose God in this to be no other but like the Author of a _Romance_, or Master of a _Comedy_, who amuses and raises the various Affections and Passions of his Spectators by divers and strange Accidents; sometimes leading them into Hope, and sometimes into Despair; all those Actions, in effect, being but a mere Illusion, while he hath appointed what the Conclusion of all shall be?

[Sidenote: _Proof 3._] _Thirdly_, This Doctrine is abundantly confirmed by that of the Apostle, 1 _John_ ii. 1, 2. _And if any Man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. And he is the Propitiation for our Sins; and not for ours only, but also for the Sins of the whole World._ [Sidenote: _Adversaries comment on the Words the_ whole World.] The Way which our Adversaries take to evite this Testimony, is most foolish and ridiculous: _The [World] here, _say they,_ is the World of Believers_: For this _Commentary_ we have nothing but their own Assertion, and so while it manifestly destroys the Text, may be justly rejected. For, _First_, let them shew me, if they can, in all the Scripture, where the [_whole World_] is taken for _Believers_ only; I shall shew them where it is many Times taken for the quite Contrary; as, _The World knows me not_: _The World receives me not, I am not of this World_: Besides all these Scriptures, _Psalm_ xvii. 14. _Isai._ xiii. 11. _Mat._ xviii. 7. _John_ vii. 7. and viii. 26. and xii. 19. and xiv. 17. and xv. 18, 19. and xvii. 14. and xviii. 20. 1 _Cor._ i. 21. and ii. 12. and vi. 2. _Gal._ vi. 14. _James_ i. 27. 2 _Pet._ ii. 20. 1 _John_ ii. 15. and iii. 1. and iv. 4, 5, and many more. _Secondly_, The Apostle in this very Place contra-distinguished the _World_ from the _Saints_ thus; _And not for ours only, but for the Sins of the whole World_: What means the Apostle by [_Ours_] here? Is not that the Sins of Believers? Was not he one of those Believers? And was not this an universal Epistle, written to all the Saints that then were? So that according to these Men’s Comment, there should be a very unnecessary and foolish Redundancy in the Apostle’s Words; as if he had said, _He is a Propitiation not only for the Sins of all Believers, but for the Sins of all Believers_: Is not this to make the Apostle’s Words void of good Sense? Let them shew us wherever there is such a Manner of speaking in all the Scripture, where any of the Penmen first name the _Believers_ in _Concreto_ with themselves, and then contra-distinguish them from some other whole World of Believers? That [_whole World_] if it be of Believers, must not be the World we live in. But we need no better Interpreter for the Apostle than himself, who uses the very same Expression and Phrase in the same Epistle, Ch. v. 19. saying, _We know that we are of God, and the whole World lieth in Wickedness_. There cannot be found in all the Scripture two Places which run more parallel; seeing in both the same Apostle, in the same Epistle to the same Persons, contra-distinguisheth himself, and the Saints to whom he writes, from the whole World; which, according to these Men’s Commentary, ought to be understood of _Believers_: As if _John_ had said, _We know particular Believers are of God; but the whole World of Believers lieth in Wickedness_. What absurd wresting of Scripture were this? And yet it may be as well pleaded for as the other; for they differ not at all. Seeing then that the Apostle _John_ tells us plainly, That Christ not only died for him, and for the Saints and Members of the Church of God, to whom he wrote, but for the _whole World_, let us then hold it for a certain and undoubted Truth, notwithstanding the Cavils of such as oppose.

This might also be proved from many more Scripture-Testimonies, if it were at this Season needful. All the _Fathers_, so called, and _Doctors_ of the Church, for the first four Centuries, preached this Doctrine; according to which they boldly held forth the Gospel of Christ, and Efficacy of his Death; [Sidenote: _The _Heathens_ invited to Salvation; none predestinated to Damnation._] inviting and intreating the _Heathens_ to come and be Partakers of the Benefits of it, shewing them how there was a _Door_ open for them _all_ to be saved through Jesus Christ; not telling them that God had predestinated any of them to Damnation, or had made Salvation impossible to them, by with-holding Power and Grace, necessary to believe, from them. But of many of their Sayings, which might be alleged, I shall only instance a few.

[Sidenote: _Proof 4. The Testimonies of the _Doctors_ and _Fathers_ of the first Church, that Christ died for all._] _Augustine_ on the xcvth _Psalm_ saith, “The Blood of Christ is of so great Worth, that it is of no less Value than the whole World.” _Prosper ad Gall._ c. 9. “The Redeemer of the World gave his Blood for the World, and the World would not be Redeemed, because the Darkness did not receive the Light. He that saith, the Saviour was not crucified for the Redemption of the whole World, looks not to the Virtue of the Sacrament, but to the Part of Infidels; since the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is the Price of the whole World; from which Redemption they are Strangers, who either delighting in their Captivity would not be Redeemed, or after they were Redeemed returned to the same Servitude.”

The same _Prosper_, in his Answer to _Vincentius_’s first Objection: “Seeing therefore because of one common Nature and Cause in Truth, undertaken by our Lord, all are rightly said to be Redeemed, and nevertheless all are not brought out of Captivity; the Property of Redemption without doubt belongeth to those from whom the Prince of this World is shut out, and now are not Vessels of the Devil, but Members of Christ; whole Death was so bestowed upon Mankind, that it belonged to the Redemption of such who were not to be regenerated. But so, that that which was done by the Example of one for all, might, by a singular Mystery, be celebrated in every one. For the Cup of Immortality, which is made up of our Infirmity and the Divine Power, hath indeed that in it which may Profit all; but if it be not drank, it doth not heal.”

The Author _de Vocat. Gentium_, Lib. 11. Cap. 6. “There is no Cause to doubt but that our Lord Jesus Christ died for Sinners and wicked Men. And if there can be any found, who may be said not to be of this Number, Christ hath not died for all; he made himself a Redeemer for the whole World.”

_Chrysostom_ on _John_ i. “If he enlightens every Man coming into the World, how comes it that so many Men remain without Light? For all do not so much as acknowledge Christ. How then doth he enlighten every Man? He illuminates indeed so far as in him is; but if any of their own accord, closing the Eyes of their Mind, will not direct their Eyes unto the Beams of this Light, [Sidenote: _The Cause they remain in Darkness._] the Cause that they remain in Darkness is not from the Nature of the Light, but through their own Malignity, who willingly have rendered themselves unworthy of so great a Gift. But why believed they not? Because they would not: Christ did his Part.”

The _Arelatensian_ Synod, held about the Year 490, “Pronounced him accursed, who should say that Christ hath not died for all, or that he would not have all Men to be saved.”

_Ambr._ on _Psalm_ cxviii. _Serm. 8._ “The mystical Sun of Righteousness is arisen to all; he came to all; he suffered for all; and rose again for all: And therefore he suffered, that he might take away the Sin of the World. But if any one believe not in Christ, he robs himself of this general Benefit, [Sidenote: _The Sun-Beams shut out, heat not._] even as if one by closing the Windows should hold out the Sun-Beams. The Sun is not therefore not arisen to all, because such an one hath so robbed himself of its Heat: But the Sun keeps its Prerogative; it is such an one’s Imprudence that he shuts himself out from the common Benefit of the Light.”

The same Man, in his 11th Book of _Cain_ and _Abel_, Cap. 13. saith, “Therefore he brought unto all the Means of Health, that whosoever should perish, may ascribe to himself the Causes of his Death, who would not be cured when he had the Remedy by which he might have escaped.”

§. IX. Seeing then that this Doctrine of the Universality of Christ’s Death is so certain and agreeable to the Scripture-Testimony, and to the Sense of the purest Antiquity, it may be wondered how so many, some whereof have been esteemed not only Learned, but also Pious, have been capable to fall into so gross and strange an Error. But the Cause of this doth evidently appear, in that the Way and Method by which the Virtue and Efficacy of his Death is communicated to all Men, hath not been rightly understood, or indeed hath been erroneously taught. [Sidenote: Pelagian _Errors._] The _Pelagians_, ascribing all to Man’s Will and Nature, denied Man to have any Seed of Sin conveyed to him from _Adam_. And the _Semi-Pelagians_, making Grace as a Gift following upon Man’s Merit, or right improving of his Nature, according to the known Principle, _Facienti quod in se est, Deus non denegat gratiam_.

[Sidenote: _Extremes fallen into by some, making God the Author of Sin._] This gave _Augustine_, _Prosper_, and some others Occasion, labouring, in Opposition to these Opinions, to magnify the Grace of God, and paint out the Corruptions of Man’s Nature (as the Proverb is of those that seek to make straight a crooked Stick) to incline to the other Extreme. So also the Reformers, _Luther_ and others, finding among other Errors the strange Expressions used by some of the Popish Scholasticks concerning Free-Will, and how much the Tendency of their Principles is to exalt Man’s Nature and lessen God’s Grace, having all those Sayings of _Augustine_ and others for a Pattern, through the like Mistake run upon the same Extreme: Though afterwards the _Lutherans_, seeing how far _Calvin_ and his Followers drove this Matter, (who, as a Man of subtle and profound judgment, foreseeing where it would land, resolved above-board to assert that God had decreed the Means as well as the End, and therefore had ordained Men to sin, and excites them thereto, which he labours earnestly to defend) and that there was no avoiding the making of God the Author of Sin, thereby received Occasion to discern the Falsity of this Doctrine, and disclaimed it, as appears by the latter Writings of _Melancthon_, and the _Mompelgartensian_ Conference, [65]where _Lucas Osiander_, one of the Collocutors, terms it _Impious_; calls it a making _God the Author of Sin_, and an _horrid and horrible Blasphemy_. Yet because none of those who have asserted this universal Redemption since the Reformation have given a clear, distinct, and satisfactory Testimony how it is communicated to all, and so have fallen short of fully declaring the Perfection of the Gospel Dispensation, others have been thereby the more strengthened in their Errors; which I shall illustrate by one singular Example.

[65] _Epit. Hist. Eccl. _Lucæ Osiand. Cent. 16._ l. 4. Cap. 32._

The _Arminians_, and other Assertors of universal Grace, use this as a chief Argument.

_That which every Man is bound to believe, is true_:

_But every Man is bound to believe that Christ died for him_:

_Therefore_, &c.

[Sidenote: Remonstrants _Opinion strengthens the precise Decree of Reprobation_.] Of this Argument the other Party deny the Assumption, saying; That _they who never heard of Christ, are not obliged to believe in him_; _and seeing the Remonstrants _(as they are commonly called)_ do generally themselves acknowledge, that without the outward Knowledge of Christ there is no Salvation_, that gives the other Party yet a stronger Argument for their precise Decree of Reprobation. _For, _say they,_ seeing we all see really, and in effect, that God hath with-held from many Generations, and yet from Nations, that Knowledge which is absolutely needful to Salvation, and so hath rendered it simply impossible unto them; Why may he not as well with-hold the Grace necessary to make a saving Application of that Knowledge, where it is preached? For there is no Ground to say, That this were Injustice in God, or Partiality, more than his leaving those others in utter Ignorance; the one being but a with-holding Grace to apprehend the Object of Faith, the other a withdrawing the Object itself._ For answer to this, they are forced to draw a Conclusion from their former _Hypothesis_ of Christ’s dying for all, and God’s Mercy and Justice, saying, That _if these _Heathens,_ who live in those remote Places, where the outward Knowledge of Christ is not, did improve that common Knowledge they have, to whom the outward Creation is for an Object of Faith, by which they may gather that there is a God, then the Lord would by some Providence, either send an Angel to tell them of Christ, or convey the Scriptures to them, or bring them some Way an Opportunity to meet with such as might inform them._ Which, as it gives always too much to the Power and Strength of Man’s Will and Nature, and favours a little of _Socinianism_ and _Pelagianism_, or at least of _Semi-Pelagianism_, so, since it is only built upon probable Conjectures, neither hath it Evidence enough to convince any strongly tainted with the other Doctrine; nor yet doth it make the Equity and wonderful Harmony of God’s Mercy and Justice towards _ALL_ so manifest to the Understanding. So that I have often observed, that these Assertors of Universal Grace did far more pithily and strongly overturn the false Doctrine of their Adversaries, than they did establish and confirm the Truth and Certainty of their own. [Sidenote: _None, by an irrevocable Decree, excluded from Salvation._] And though they have Proof sufficient from the Holy Scriptures to confirm the Universality of Christ’s Death, and that none are precisely, by any irrevocable Decree, excluded from Salvation, yet I find when they are pressed in the Respects above-mentioned, to shew how God hath so far equally extended the Capacity to partake of the Benefit of Christ’s Death unto all, as to communicate unto them a sufficient Way of so doing, they are somewhat in a Strait, and are put more to give us their Conjectures from the Certainty of the former pre-supposed Truth, to wit, that because Christ hath certainly died for all, and God hath not rendered Salvation impossible to any, therefore there must be some Way or other by which they may be saved; which must be by improving some common Grace, or by gathering from the Works of Creation and Providence, than by really demonstrating, by convincing and spiritual Arguments, what that Way is.

§. X. It falls out then, that as Darkness, and the great Apostasy, came not upon the Christian World all at once, but by several Degrees, one Thing making way for another; until that thick and gross Veil came to be overspread, wherewith the Nations were so blindly covered, from the _seventh_ and _eighth_, until the _sixteenth Century_; even as the Darkness of the Night comes not upon the outward Creation at once, but by Degrees, according as the Sun declines in each Horizon; so neither did that full and clear Light and Knowledge of the glorious Dispensation of the Gospel of Christ appear all at once; the Work of the first Witnesses being more to testify against and discover the Abuses of the Apostasy, than to establish the Truth in Purity. He that comes to build a new City, must first remove the old Rubbish, before he can see to lay a new Foundation; and he that comes to an House greatly polluted and full of Dirt, will first sweep away and remove the Filth, before he put up his own good and new Furniture. The dawning of the Day dispels the Darkness, and makes us see the Things that are most conspicuous: But the distinct discovering and discerning of Things, so as to make a certain and perfect Observation, is reserved for the arising of the Sun, and its shining in full Brightness. And we can, from a certain Experience, boldly affirm, that the not waiting for this, but building among, yea, and with, the _Old Popish Rubbish_, and setting up before a full Purgation, hath been to most Protestants the Foundation of many a Mistake, and an Occasion of unspeakable Hurt. [Sidenote: _The more full Discovery of the Gospel reserved to this our Age._] Therefore the Lord God, who as he seeth meet doth communicate and make known to Man the more full, evident, and perfect Knowledge of his everlasting Truth, hath been pleased to reserve the more full Discovery of this Glorious and Evangelical Dispensation to this our Age; albeit divers Testimonies have thereunto been borne by some noted Men in several Ages, as shall hereafter appear. And for the greater Augmentation of the Glory of his Grace, that no Man might have whereof to boast, he hath raised up a few _despicable and illiterate Men_, and for the most Part _Mechanicks_, to be the Dispensers of it; by which Gospel all the Scruples, Doubts, Hesitations and Objections above-mentioned are easily and evidently answered, and the Justice as well as Mercy of God, according to their divine and heavenly Harmony, are exhibited, established, and confirmed. According to which certain Light and Gospel, as the Knowledge thereof has been manifested to us by the Revelation of Jesus Christ _in us_, fortified by our own sensible Experience, and sealed by the Testimony of the Spirit in our Hearts, we can confidently affirm, and clearly evince, according to the Testimony of the Holy Scriptures, the following Points:

§. XI. [Sidenote: Prop. I.] First, _That God_, who out of his infinite Love sent his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the World, [Sidenote: _A day of Visitation to all._] who tasted Death for every Man, _hath given to every Man_, whether _Jew_ or _Gentile_, _Turk_ or _Scythian_, _Indian_ or _Barbarian_, of whatsoever Nation, Country, or Place, _a certain Day or Time of Visitation; during which Day or Time it is possible for them to be saved, and to partake of the Fruit of Christ’s Death_.

[Sidenote: Prop. II.] [Sidenote: _A Measure of Light in all._] Secondly, _That for this End God hath communicated and given unto every Man a Measure of the Light of his own Son, a Measure of Grace, or a Measure of the Spirit_, which the Scripture expresses by several Names, as sometimes of the _Seed of the Kingdom_, Mat. xiii. 18, 19. _the Light that makes all Things manifest_, Ephes. v. 13. _the Word of God_, Rom. x. 17. or _Manifestation of the Spirit given to profit withal_, 1 Cor. xii. 7. _A Talent_, Mat. xxv. 15. _A little Leaven_, Mat. xiii. 33. the _Gospel preached in every Creature_, Col. i. 23.

[Sidenote: Prop. III.] Thirdly, _That God, in and by this Light and Seed, invites, calls, exhorts, and strives with every Man, in order to save him_; [Sidenote: _God’s Salvation wrought by the Light in all._] which, as it is received and not resisted, works the Salvation of _all_, even of those who are ignorant of the Death and Sufferings of Christ, and of _Adam_’s Fall, both by bringing them to a Sense of their own _Misery_, and to be Sharers in the Sufferings of Christ inwardly, and by making them Partakers of his Resurrection, in becoming Holy, Pure, and Righteous, and recovered out of their Sins. By which also are saved they that have the Knowledge of Christ outwardly, in that it opens their Understanding rightly to use and apply the Things delivered in the Scriptures, and to receive the saving Use of them: But _that this may be resisted and rejected in both, in which then God is said to be resisted and pressed down, and Christ to be again crucified, and put to open Shame in and among Men_. And to those who thus resist and refuse him, he becomes their Condemnation.

[Sidenote: _Conseq. 1._] First then, According to this Doctrine _the Mercy of God is excellently well exhibited_, in that none are necessarily shut out from Salvation; and his Justice is demonstrated, in that he condemns none but such to whom he really made offer of Salvation, affording them the Means sufficient thereunto.

[Sidenote: _Conseq. 2._] Secondly, This Doctrine, if well weighed, will be found to be the _Foundation of Christianity, Salvation, and Assurance._

[Sidenote: _Conseq. 3._] Thirdly, It agrees and answers _with the whole Tenor of the Gospel Promises and Threats, and with the Nature of the Ministry of Christ_; according to which, the Gospel, Salvation, and Repentance are commanded to be preached to every Creature, without Respect of Nations, Kindred, Families or Tongues.

[Sidenote: _Conseq. 4._] Fourthly, _It magnifies and commends the Merits and Death of Christ_, in that it not only accounts them sufficient to save all, but declares them to be brought so nigh unto all, as thereby to be put into the nearest Capacity of Salvation.