Vniversal Redemption OFFERED IN JESUS CHRIST In Opposition to That Pernicious and Destructive Doctrine of ELECTION and REPROBATION of Persons from Everlasting By JANE FEARON For Zions sake will I not hold my Peace and for Jerusalems sake I will not rest until the Righteousness thereof go forth as Brightness and the Salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth Isa LXII 1. Printed in the year 1698. Vniversal Redemption OFFERED IN JESUS CHRIST c. HAving for some time had an Unusual Weight upon my Spirit and many times being deeply Exercised in Mind I waited upon the LORD that my Understanding might be clear in what he required of me whose mighty Power reached unto my Soul and by his Living Presence my Heart was affected and could say Amen to what the LORD required of me because of the Day of his Power which otherways would have been a great Cross to my own Will which was to go to the Meeting of the People called Anabaptists at Great Broughtoun in Cumberland where I stood for some time till their Minister had done waiting upon the LORD in much Trembling and Bowedness of Soul and Spirit And that which I had to Declare amongst them although not with Inticing Words of Mans Wisdom yet in the Demonstration of the Spirit and Power for my Heart was filled with the Love of GOD to such whose Day of Visitation was not Expired was to shew unto them the great Benefit of the New Covenant which GOD Promifed to make with his People as also the Universality of GOD's Love to the Sons and Daughters of Men. But being opposed by Joshua Ware their Minister was not suffered to Ease my Spirit nor clear my Conscience in the sight of GOD but he spake with great Earnestness That none should be suffered to speak there but who could give an Account of their Faith and asked me What I hoped to be saved by To which I answered Not by Works of Righteousness that either I or any other could do but according to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and the Renewing of the Holy Ghost c. with several more Questions which I Answer'd to which he could not by the Scripture contradict in expectation I might have had liberty to clear my self of the aforesaid weight but instead of that he with some others called to some to put me out and said A Woman should not be allowed to speak which matter I desired often to speak to but could not be heard they despising and rejecting the Message I had to bear altho in much love to their Souls and the said J. W. endeavoured to make it appear by perverting the Scripture that GOD's Love was not to all contrary to the Message of the Angel Luke 2. 10. And some of them said I preached false Doctrine in holding forth that Christ was a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World But with J. W. time after time I offered a Publick Dispute and to maintain by Scripture that Doctrine I did hold forth amongst them but was denied as some Friends there with me can witness except on these terms That only one Man of my Friends should dispute with him in my stead and neither I nor any other should be suffered to speak a word And unless I would promise not to speak I should not be suffered to be where the Dispute was and that it should be agreed upon that two Persons should be made choice of to be present at the Dispute to be Moderators neither of their Judgment not ours to see that good Order was kept and to Judge who is in the Right and who in the Wrong so it is evident the Moderators must have been of a different Faith and Principle from us Both. Now how this would consist with true Christianity and a right Contending for the Faith delivered to the Saints according to the Apostle Jude's Advice let it be seriously considered for us to give up our Faith and Testimony and to be concluded whether it 's Right or Wrong by Men not of the same Faith we thought it very Improper and that no true Christian can do and therefore could not answer his Proposals therein And yet finding a Concern to remain upon my Mind and so far as the LORD by his holy Spirit shall assist me by bringing into my Remembrance what may be suitable to the present Subject shall bear Testimony to in these following Lines in order to ease my Spirit and clear my Conscience Concerning the Vniversality of GOD's Love AND ALSO The Saving and Spiritual LIGHT wherewith every Man is Lighted GOD out of his Infinite Love who delighteth not in the Death of a Sinner but that all should Live and be Saved hath so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life Joh. 3.16 And by his Light Lighteth every Man coming into the World John 1.9 Which Light maketh manifest all things that are reprovable Ephes 5.13 And teacheth all Temperance and Righteousness and Godliness and this Light lighteth the hearts of all Mankind in order to the Salvation of all if not refisted nor is it less Universal than the Seed of Sin being the Purchase of his Death who tasted Death for every Man For as in Adam all died so in Christ shall all be made alive 1 Cor. 15.22 As for that Doctrine viz. Absolute Reprobation according to which some are not afraid to assert That GOD by one Eternal and Immutable Decree hath Predestinated to Eternal Damnation the far greater part of Mankind without any respect to their Disobedience or Sin but only for the Demonstrating the Glory of his Justice And that for the bringing this about he hath Appointed these Miserable Souls Necessarily to Walk in their Wicked Ways that so his Justice may lay hold on them And that GOD doth therefore not only suffer them to be liable to this Misery in many Parts of the World by with-holding from them the Preaching of the Gospel and Knowledge of Christ but even in those Places where the Gospel is preached and Salvation by Christ is offered whom though he Publickly Invites them yet he Justly Condemns them for Disobedience notwithstanding he hath with-held from them all Grace by which they could have laid hold on the Gospel viz. Because he hath by a Secret Will unknown to all Men Ordained and Decreed without any respect had to their Disobedience or Sin that they shall not Obey and that the Offer of the Gospel shall never prove Effectual for their Salvation but only serve to aggravate and occasion their greater condemnation I say As to this horrible and blasphemous Doctrine our Cause is common with many Others who have both Wisely and Learnedly according to Scripture Reason and Antiquity refuted it Seeing then that so much is said already against this Doctrine that little can be added except what hath been already said I shall be short yet because
For if through the Offence of One many be Dead much more the Grace of GOD and the Gift by Grace which is by one Man JESUS CHRIST Therefore as by the Offence of One Judgment came upon ALL MEN to Condemnation EVEN SO by the Righteousness of One the Free Gift came upon ALL MEN to Justification of Life And we all agree that Adam's Sin brought the Curse upon all his Posterity And shall we not likewise believe that as in Adam ALL Die so in CHRIST shall ALL be made Alive 1 Cor. 15.22 This also might be proved from many other Scripture-Testimonies if it were at this Season needful but the afore-mentioned Scriptures being so clear except a Man will close his Eyes he cannot but see the Truth of this Doctrine But some may say What is then the Cause of Condemnation Answ According to John 3. 18. He that believeth in Him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because hath not believed on the Name of the only begotten Son of GOD And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather than Light because their Deeds are evil For every one that doth evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lest his Deeds should be reproved But he that doth Truth cometh to the Light that his Deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in GOD John 3. 19 20 21. And CHRIST exhorted those who followed him while they had the Light to believe in the Light that they might be the Children of the Light John 12.36 Whereby it may be concluded that the Light Grace or Measure of GOD's Spirit may be Removed from them which strives with a Man in order to save him during the time of his Visitation which GOD gives unto All in which Time or Day they may be saved We do not understand the whole Time of every Mans Life though to some it may be extended even to the very hour of their Death as we see in the Example of the Thief upon the Cross But such a Season at least as sufficiently cleareth GOD of every Man's Condemnation which may be to some sooner and to some later according as the LORD in His Wisdom sees meet so that many Men may out-live this Day after which there may be no possibility of Salvation to them and GOD justly suffers them to be hardened as a just Punishment of their Unbelief and even raises them up as Instruments of Wrath and makes them a Scourge one against another Whence to Men this Condition may be fitly applied those Scriptures expressed by the Apostle Rom. 1. from Vers 17. to the end but especially Vers 28. Even as they did not like to retain GOD in their Knowledge GOD gave them up to a Reprobate Mind to do those things that are not convenient That many may out-live this day of GOD's gracious Visitation to them is shewn by Example of Esau Heb. 12.16 17. who sold his Birth-right so he had it once and was capable to have kept it but afterwards when he would have Inherited the Blessing he was rejected This appears also by CHRIST's weeping over Jerusalem Luk. 19.42 saying If thou hadst known IN THIS THY DAY the things that belong unto thy Peace BUT NOW they are hid from thine Eyes which plainly imports a Time when they might have known them which was now removed from them though they were yet alive Therefore we having the Experience of the Inward and Powerful Work of this Light in our Hearts even CHRIST revealed in us cannot cease to proclaim the Day of the LORD that is Arisen in it crying out with the Woman of Samaria Come and see one that hath told me all that ever I have done Is not this the CHRIST That others may come and feel the same in themselves and may know that little small thing that reproves them in their Hearts however they have neglected it is no less than the Gospel preached in them CHRIST the Wisdom and Power of GOD being thereby seeking to save their Souls This is that Universal Evangelical Principle in and by which this Salvation of CHRIST is shewn or presented to all Men both Jew and Gentile Barbarian and Scythian of whatsoever Countrey he be And therefore GOD hath raised up unto Himself in this our Age Faithful Witnesses and Evangelists to preach again His Everlasting Gospel and to direct as well the high Professors who boast of the Scriptures and the outward knowledge of CHRIST as the Infidels and Heathens that know Him not that way that they may all come to mind the Light in them and know CHRIST in them the Just One whom they had so long killed and made merry over and He hath not resisted Jam. 5.6 And give up their Sins Iniquities False Faiths Professions and Out-side Righteousness to be Crucify'd by the Power of his Cross or Spirit in them so as they may know CHRIST Within to be the Hope of Glory and may come to walk in his Light and to be saved Who is that True Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World Having briefly hinted concerning the Universal Redemption by CHRIST which for some Time hath been a Concern upon my Mind I shall proceed to speak something in short concerning the New Covenant Behold The Days come saith the LORD that I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah not according to the Covenant which I made with their Fathers c. But this shall be the Covenant that I will make c. saith the LORD I will put my Law in their Inward Parts and write it in their Hearts and will be their GOD and they shall be my People And they shall teach no more every Man his Neighbour and every Man his Rrother saying Know the LORD for they shall all know Me from the least of them to the greatest For I will forgive their Iniquity and I will remember their Sins no more Jer. 31.31 32 33 34. Now those that would have this great Benefit to be GOD's People and to have this great Blessing of the Gospel to have their Iniquities Forgiven and would know the Teachings of his holy Spirit must take heed to this Law written in the Heart So shall such witness with the Apostle That GOD having raised up his Son JESUS whom he hath given for a Light to the Gentiles and for a Covenant to the People and sent him to bless them in turning away every one of them from their Iniquities otherways such Deprive Themselves of that Good the LORD intended for them as may be seen in Jerem. 18. 9. where it is said At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation or concerning a Kingdom to Build and to Plant it if it do Evil in my Sight that it obey not my Voice then I will repent of the Good wherewith I said I would Benefit them As also in Isaiah Chap. 55.
vers 7. where it is said Let the Wicked forsake his way and the Unrighteous Man his Thoughts and let him return unto the LORD and he will have Mercy upon him and to our GOD and He will abundantly pardon Whereby it may be plainly understood although the Covenant be sure on GOD's Part yet the Failure is on Mans Part in not Abiding in this holy Covenant and in dis-regarding and slighting that Law or Light GOD hath appointed for a Teacher for a Guide and for a Leader which would lead into all Truth Holiness and Purity without which No Acceptance with GOD. And furthermore The Apostle speaking of the Excellency of this Law saith The Law of the Spirit of Life in CHRIST JESUS hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh GOD sending His own SON in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit And as he delighted in the Law of GOD after the Inward Man and could speak of the Efficacy of it and the Sufficiency thereof so it may be observed the great Benefit he received through minding this Law and believing in it was that it set him free from the Law of Sin and Death it was that whereby he was translated out of the Power and Kingdom of Satan into the Power and Kingdom of the Dear SON of GOD who is sufficient for all that believe on him For GOD sent not his SON into the World to condemn the World but that the World through Him might be saved John 3.17 as they believe on Him Otherways according to his own Saying If ye believe not that I am He ye shall die in your Sins and whither I go thither ye cannot come John 12.46 47. Who saith again And if any Man hear my Words and believe not I Judge him not for I came not to Judge the World but to Save the World So it appears that the Love of GOD is held out to All that All might have been or may be saved by CHRIST But alas it proved the misery of the Jews who were of that Stock of whom CHRIST came according to the Flesh GOD's Peculiar People whom he had chosen above all the Families of the Earth to fall short through Unbelief and because they Believed Him not they did not Receive Him but they that Believed Him Received Him And as many as Received Him to them He gave Power to become the Sons of GOD John 1.12 13. So here may be plainly seen Unbelief was the Cause wherefore the Jews came short of the Benefit that GOD is bestowing upon such who do not only believe that CHRIST our LORD came in that prepared Body to do the Will of His FATHER to be offered up once for all but also believing on Him as He is come the second time without Sin unto Salvation waiting for His Inward Appearance by His Light and Grace in their Hearts and Souls that thereby they may know the Great Work of Regeneration with out which they cannot see the Kingdom of GOD nor doubtless enter into it So it may be observed the Fault is on Mans Part and not by an Eternal and Absolute Decree as some assert Again It is said in Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the Door and Knock IF ANT MAN hear my Voice and open the Door I will come in and sup with him and he with Me. And blessed are they that hearken to the Inspeaking Voice of the Son of GOD who is Undoubtedly knocking at the Door of every Mans heart during the day of his Visitation in order to reclaim him from the Evil of his ways and to cleanse his Heart from all Iniquity that so he may be United or Married to the Lamb. But and if Man will not hear His Voice nor hearken the LORD will certainly be clear of his Blood and his Destruction will be upon his own Head And again It may be read in Rev. 22. 17. And the Spirit and the Bride faith Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is athirst Come and WHOSOEVER will let him take of the Water of Life freely Mark WHOSOEVER so there is None Excluded And according to the saying of our LORD John 4. 14. But WHOSOEVER drinketh of the Water that I shall give him shall never Thirst but the Water that I shall give him shall be in him a Well of Water springing up unto Everlasting Life O the Benefit of it and the Joy of it unto such who know the springing up thereof is that which cannot be Demonstrated as it is Felt and Witnessed There is much Assurance of Peace It springs up to Everlasting Life There 's no Thirsting after any other Refreshment to the Soul but that which proceeds from the Spirit For this spake He of the Spirit that such should receive who believed on Him O what pity it is that poor Mankind should deprive themselves of such Great Blessings such Unutterable Kindness such Great Favour such Joy as to draw Water out of the Well of Salvation in themselves by falling short through Unbelief as did the Jews For because of Unbelief they were broken off Behold therefore the Goodness and Severity of GOD On them which fell Severity but towards thee Goodness if thou continue in his Goodness otherwise thou shalt also be cut off Rom. 11.22 And again I am not ashamed of the Gospel it is the Power of GOD unto Salvation unto every one that believeth But he that believeth not excludes himself from the Benefit of this Gospel-Power Moreover it is said Prov. 1. 20. Wisdom crieth without she uttereth her Voice in the Streets she crieth in the chief Places of Concourse in the openings of the Gates in the City she uttereth her Words saying How long ye Simple ones will ye love Simplicity and the Scorners delight in their scorning and Fools hate Knowledge Turn you at my Reproof Behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you I will make known my words unto you Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my Hand and no Man regarded but ye have set at nought all my Counsel and would have none of my Reproof I also will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh Here may be seen the Love of GOD without respect of Persons when He is calling to the Scorners to the Simple and to Fools As likewise in Acts 10.34 where the Apostle Peter saith Of a Truth I perceive that GOD is no Respecter of Persons but in every Nation he that feareth Him and worketh Righteousness is Accepted with Him So he makes the Fear of GOD and the working of Righteousness the Qualifications Such then that have this are Accepted where-ever they be But Tribulation and Anguish upon every Soul of Man that
say they is the World of Believers For this Commentary they have nothing but their own Assertion and so while it manifestly destroys the Text may be justly rejected And if J.W. be in this Mind as I suppose he is by what I heard him speak let him shew me if he can in all the Scripture where the whole World is taken for Believers only But I shall shew him where it is taken for quite the contrary as The World knows Me not the World receives Me not I am not of this World besides many other Scriptures as Mat. 18.7 Joh. 7.7 8.26.12 19.14.17.15.18 19. 17 15 18 16.17.24.18 and many more Secondly The Apostle in this very place distinguisheth the World from the Saints thus And not for ours only but for the Sins of the whole World What means the Apostle here by ours Is not that the Sins of Believers Was he not one of those Believers And was not this an Universal Epistle written to all the Saints that then were so except he can make it appear the Apostle meant another thing than he spoke CHRIST is the Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World He saith Run Sinners then to CHRIST without Delay If they belong to the Decree of Reprobation what will it avail them to run What will avail their Prayers Cries or Tears or Concern for their Souls or walking humbly in GOD's sight According to that destructive Doctrine they may as well sit still and do nothing Would not this Doctrine give way to all Looseness and Profanity For if it was decreed from Eternity they were of the Elect there is no regard to Works Good or Bad contrary to that Scripture where it 's said Behold I come quickly and my Reward is with me to give to every Man according as his Works shall be I am not speaking of Works wrought in our own fallen Nature which we by our own strength have wrought our own Legal Performances and therefore may be truly and properly called ours whatever specious Appearances they may seem to have but by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy GHOST seeing Regeneration is a Work comprehensive of many good Works even of all those called the Fruits of the SPIRIT Doth he not contradict Himself when he saith The worst of Sinners they may be welcome to JESUS on him their Souls to rest when before he was but for a certain Number If he or any of his Opinion can groundedly tell that they are of that Elect Number that CHRIST hath died for if they be such as belong to the Election of Grace otherwise they may as well sit still and do nothing So one while this another while that such mingled Doctrine But how should it be otherwise when there 's so little Zeal for GOD among those he calls his own People as he confesses in his last Verse But CHRIT tells us what 's the cause When Iniquity shall abound the Love of many shall wax cold When love to something else gets more room in the Heart than the LORD JESUS such render themselves unworthy of Him according to His own Saying He that loves Father or Mother Wife or Children c. more than Me is not worthy of Me. What I have before written is not out of a Prejudiced Mind or the least Tincture of Enmity or Hatred to the Persons of any neither durst I forbear for the fear of procuring the Ill Will or Hatred of any For GOD hath not given us the Spirit of Fear but of Love and of a sound Mind who is my Witness who knows it's all my desire that Zion may shine and Jerusalem may become the Praise of the whole Earth and that GOD would enlarge the Borders of his Sanctuary and his Dominion may be from Sea to Sea and many may be the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the very Entrance into whose Gates are Praises and Blessed are they that do His Commandments which and not Grievous but Joyous And such have Right to the Tree of Life and enters in through the Gates into the City the New Jerusalem where Thanksgiving Honour and Glory with Worship and Obedience is Returned to Him that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and for evermore Amen the 26th of the first Month 1698. I am a Well-Wisher to the Souls of all People JANE FEARON The End