otherwise faithfully with a single and upright heart and as in the presence of God endeavored to satisfie your request touching the clearing and removing such scruples and difficulties which as you signifie rendered this Proposition of mine All men without exception stand bound to beleeve on Christ questionable or rather unquestionably false unto you Whether any thing that hath been said will turn to so happy an account unto you as satisfaction I cannot prophecy only I find you a man dis-ensnared from the superstition of vulgar credulity and that will not sell the Truth for the gain or price of that corruptible Crown of being reputed Orthodox and this is a door of hope opened unto me that such things which are agreeable both to the course and current of the Scriptures and no less to clear Principles of Reason will over-rule you into such acknowledgments which in the day of Jesus Christ will I question not be your honour and peace I confess I was extreamly unwilling to have been taken off from some other engagements lying upon my hand by such a diversion as the drawing up of this Answer to your Papers must needs occasion but God having over-ruled that inclination in me I have so much the more hope that he hath somewhat of consequence to do with his Providential interposure in this kind I may very truly say that the Work in respect of the undertaking of it was very signally and emphatically His having scarce had so much of my will in it as in that respect to bear that denomination of being called mine Notwithstanding being engaged it was once in my thoughts to have made some further attempt upon your Judgement by some other Arguments to evince an Universal Obligation upon all Flesh to yield the Obedience of Faith unto the Gospel and to beleeve in Jesus Christ But upon consideration judging you so propense in affection to the Truth as to be ready to meet it half way in its advance towards you and being a little unwilling too far to anticipate my intendments for a larger Discussion of the Particulars discoursed in your Papers I resolved rather to contain my self at present within the narrow bounds of this Answer The excrescency whereof to prevent I forbare the printing of your Papers with it and this the rather because I had no commission from you to publish them If your desire yet be to have them published my best assistance shall be yours for the procuring and best ordering of it The God of all Grace and Truth break up the Fountains of the great Depths of Spiritual Knowledg and Heavenly Understanding in his Word before both you and me and all others who love the Truth at a better rate then to fear the shame of being counted erroneous for the profession of it that the Waters of Life may flow out abundantly from us for the watering and refreshing of the dry and barren root of the World round about us From my Study Colemanstr London Decemb. 11. 1651. Yours in Jesus Christ as your self and your own Soul J. Goodwin Post-script To be read in Pag. 8. lin. 13. immediately after these words since his Fall THat Adam during the interìm between his Fall and the Promulgation of the Evangelical Promise unto him was under no Obligation to Repent is evident from hence because if so this tye according to your distribution must be upon him either by vertue of the Law of Nature written in his heart or else of some positive Law of God But 1. For any positive Law there was none made or given unto him by God during the time we speak of nor was there any of this import given unto him before I mean whereby he was commanded to repent in case he sinned or rebelled against God 2. If the Repentance we speak of was required of Adam as due by the Law of Nature then was it required either in order to his Salvation and as sufficient and available hereunto or else as matter of meer Duty without any reference to a Reward If it were required of him in order to his Salvation then was there a Principle vested by God in the Nature of Man whereby he was enabled to recover and save himself in case of sin and disobedience yea and this Principle must be supposed to have been carryed over by Adam unmaimed and in sufficient strength for action out of his estate of Righteousness or Innocency wherein he was created into that estate of Sin and Misery wherein he plunged himself by his Fall And if so then must it be supposed also to remain in the same vigor and strength in all his posterity for there is no reason to imagine a difference in this point between Adam fallen and his posterity And if so then all and every Person of Mankinde without exception must be supposed to be in a capacity of Salvation yea to be in an immediate capacity of doing such things which accompany Salvation And if so then Christ must of necessity be supposed to have dyed for them all in as much as without shedding of Blood there is no Remission and consequently no Salvation or capacity or possibility of being saved If it be said That that Repentance which we enquire after was required of Adam as meer matter of Duty and not in reference to any Reward intended to be given unto him by God thereupon 1. This I presume is contrary to your own sence who if I mistake you not conceive That the Heathen without Faith in Christ are in a capacity of such a Repentance which in reference to them is available unto Salvation 2. It seems contrary to the course and current of the Scriptures that God should require service or obedience from his Creature otherwise then in order to their Happiness See to this purpose Gen. 4. 7. Deut. 6. 24. 10. 12 13. Psal. 19. 11. 81. 13 14 c. Isai. 45. 19. Rom. 2. 10. besides many others FINIS a Multos hoc decipit quod Christum arbitrantur ubique exacte sollicité quomodo Aristoteles aliquis locutum fuisse quod est a vero alâ—â—num Camero Myroth p. 72. Rom. 10. 18. Psal. 19. 4. Act. 14. 16 17. Rom. 1. 20. Hebr. 11 6. Rom 2. 4. a Tametsi eaim in mundo nibil reperietur savore Dei digaum se tamen 〈◊〉 mundo propitium oftendit cum sine exceptione omnes ad Fidem Christi vocat quae nihil aliud est quam ingressus in vitam Calvin in Job 3. 15 16. b Adeum modum habet Redemptis istae generis oumam de qua loquiatur quod illam homines reprobi ac deplorate impii non accipiant neque defectu sit gratiae Dei atque justam est ut illa propter filios perditionis gloriam ac titulum universalus Redemptionis amittat cum sit parata cunctis omnes ad illam vocentur Musculus Loc. De Redempt Generis Humani a Hic duo observemus Deum nullis
ask me but what is the sound or what are the words which the Heavens and the Day and the Night i. e. the constant course of the Providence of God in the Government of the World speak in the ears of all Nations and of all People that Faith should come by the hearing of them I answer they are the words of Eternal Life too as well as those which as Peter acknowledgeth our Saviour himself had to speak yea and did speak upon all occasions onely they are not so plainly spoken as he was wont to speak their Parable is somewhat more dark and harder to be understood But the sence and import of what the Heavens moving still in their natural course and the gracious Providence of God joyntly speak in the ears of all flesh is that God is taken off from the fierceness of his Displeasure against sin and that he holds forth his white flag and offers terms and conditions of Peace unto the World and that upon their coming into him by Repentance they shall be received into grace and favor And what is this but the very tenor sum and substance of the Gospel which yet is more plain from that of the same Apostle Acts 14. to the men of Lystra Who saith he speaking of God in times past suffered all the Gentiles to walk in their own ways Nevertheless he left not himself without witness in that he did good and gave us rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness In respect of what was it that God left not himself without witness amongst the Gentiles even then when he suffered them to walk in their own ways viz. without admonishing and directing them how to walk and what to do after any such manner as now he doth by the letter of the Gospel sent amongst them what did the witnesses the Apostle here speaks of witness concerning God or on his behalf Doubtless he doth not speak here of his Godhead nor of his Power nor of his Wisdom as if his meaning were that God left not himself without witness of these though it be true that he did not leave himself without witness i. e. means of convincing men of these also but the Works of Creation as distinguished from the Works of Providence whereof he here speaks are sufficient witnesses of these according to the tenor of Rom. 1. 20. and besides there are natural impressions of these in the spirits and consciences of men which are witnesses on Gods behalf thus far But doubtless that in God or concerning God which as the Apostle here saith God intended should be testified or witnessed on his behalf unto men was somewhat more secret more out of the way as it were of mens common thoughts or apprehensions and particularly it was that gracious and good affection which he bears unto the World through Jesus Christ his inclination unto Peace with Men upon their Repentance which is the substance of the Gospel This appears 1. By the nature or quality of the witnesses here spoken of which were Gods giving men rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons his filling their hearts with food and gladness Such witnesses as these are onely proper to testifie grace and love and desire of the good of those to whom they are given in him that giveth them They plainly shew that he that bestows them is not extream useth not extremity against those that do amiss and consequently that he is by one means or other taken off from the rigor of his Justice and severity of his Wrath against sinners And 2. It appears from hence because Paul who was not onely a diligent and faithful Preacher of the Gospel where ever he became but was in special manner designed to be an Apostle to the Gentiles preached no other Doctrine but this at Lystra a City of the Gentiles upon that great opportunity that was now offered him We cannot think that he should onely preach a Philosophical or Metaphysical Sermon concerning the Essence or natural Properties of God onely but that which was Evangelical and favoring of the Gospel Now the Holy Ghost recording either the whole or at least the sum and substance of what he preached in this place reporteth nothing Evangelical as spoken by him except this be acknowledged for such So that clear it is from the Scriptures That all the World even those that are most straitened and scanted in this kinde those that have not the letter of the Gospel have yet sufficient means of beleeving granted unto them of beleeving I mean 1. That God is 2. That he is a Rewarder of those that diligently seek him which is all the Faith or Belief that the Apostle makes simply and absolutely necessary to bring a man unto God i. e. into grace or favor with him Heb. 11. There are several other Scriptures that speak home to this point besides those argued particularly that Rom. 2. 4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance The long-suffering and goodness of God are said to lead Men to Repentance because they testifie according to a rational and clear Interpretation a willingness and readiness in God to receive all such into grace and favor with himself who shall unfeignedly repent of their sins There is no other consideration but this at least none without this in respect whereof the patience or bountifulness of God can be said to lead i. to perswade or invite to Repentance There is no motive or perswasive whereof sinners are capable unto Repentance without hope of Pardon upon Repentance In the mean season you see it clear from the Scriptures and the Scriptures as ye have seen run parallel with evident and clear reason all along in this point that even Heathen men and those that want the History of the Gospel have yet a sufficiency of means whereby to beleeve and so to prevent the wrath and indignation which is to come in which regard they are altogether unexcusable if they do it not Consonant unto these things argued from the Scriptures are the Judgments of our best Protestant Divines at least when overshadowed with the Spirit of Truth For-though saith Calvin there will be found nothing in the World worthy the Favor of God yet he sheweth himself PROPITIOUS UNTO THE WHOLE WORLD in that HE CALLS ALL MEN WITHOUT EXCEPTION TO BELEEVE IN CHRIST which is nothing else but an entrance into Life a So likewise Wolfgangus Musculus After the same manner it is in this Redemption of Mankinde of which we speak That Reprobates and desperately wicked men partake not of it IS NOT THROUGH ANY DEFECT OF THE GRACE OF GOD nor is it meet that for the sons of Perdition sake it should lose the Glory and Title of an UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION since it is PREPARED or procured FOR ALL AND ALL ARE CALLED TO IT b Our English Divines themselves
same into a way of having the Gospel even in the letter of it made known unto them by their enlightening those parts of the World with the Knowledg of it in which they preached it Nor can that of the Apostle claim the honor of truth where speaking of the Gospel he saith it was {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the word so emphatically urged by you {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} i. e. preached unto every Creature which is under Heaven Col. 1. 23. but upon the account and warrant of such a construction But 2. neither will my Principles allow me to gratifie you with my belief of this your saying unless very rigidly understood and in such a sence wherein it will little accommodate your cause That the Light of Nature neither can nor ever could discover to Mankinde that there was or ever would be such a Man and Mediator as Jesus Christ c. What the Light of Nature hath de facto discovered unto Mankinde may much better be known and judged of then what it can or could discover I confess my apprehensions concerning the extent of the Power and Abilities of the Light of Nature carefully preserved prudently managed and industriously improved and imployed run very high and I judg that the greatest part of what this Light hath hitherto discovered unto Mankinde is not commensurable to the least part of what it is and hath been able to discover But what if it be granted That it neither is nor hath been able to discover that there was or ever would be such a Man and Mediator as Jesus Christ viz. in all particularities relating to his Person wherein the Gospel presenteth him to the World yet may it be able so far to discover him that a man by the discovery may be rationally perswaded through or by means of him to depend upon God for the Pardon of his Sins and Salvation of his Person yea and this to the real obtaining of both at the hand of God I have no ground at all to beleeve or think that such Jews who before and under yea and long after Moses did beleeve in God unto Salvation had Jesus Christ discovered unto them in any such Vision of Particularities as that exhibited in the Gospel The sum and substance of what they at least the far greater part of them apprehended knew or beleeved concerning Christ amounted not I suppose to much more then this viz. That God had found out and pleased himself in a way or means how to shew Mercy and to forgive the Sins and save the Souls of such who should put their trust in him and live righteously and holily in this present World For that God did not declare i. e. make plainly and fully known in the World upon what account of Righteousness or Justice he pardoned sin committed in the World before the great Attonement made by the Death of Christ until this Attonement was actually made is evident by this passage of the Apostle Rom. 3. 24 25 26. Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood TO DECLARE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS THAT ARE PAST through the forbearance of God meaning that God through his great patience or strength of forbearance {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} remitted sin even long before any Satisfaction or Attonement made for it To declare I say at this time viz. when Christ suffered in the flesh his Righteousness that he might be just and a Justifier of him that is of the Faith of Jesus i. e. that he might appear to be and to have been just in justifying him i. e. every one or whosoever {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that was is or shall be a Beleever in Christ From this last clause {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is of the Faith of Jesus i. e. that beleeves or depends on Christ for Righteousness relating in special manner to the beleeving Jews before the coming of Christ in the flesh it is observable that they are reputed by God and consequently ought to be so reputed by men also Beleevers in Christ not onely who know him by Name or in the hypostatical union of the two Natures or the like and beleeve on him under such a Notion as this for thus the beleeving Jews who were justified by God before the Coming of Christ neither knew him nor beleeved on him as was formerly said but also they that beleeve on God by or through him as Peter expresseth it 1 Pet. 1. 21. i. e. who either by Grace purchased or procured by him or by any Providence or Dispensation one or more issued by God for his sake or upon his account in the World are brought or prevailed with to depend on God for the forgiveness of their sins upon their Repentance And that the Jews I speak of when they did beleeve on God unto Justification did not explicitely or by Name beleeve in Jesus Christ seems to me very apparant from those words of Christ to his Apostles Joh. 14. 1. Ye beleeve in God beleeve also in me If they had beleeved in him as explicitely and distinctly as they did beleeve in God there had been no more ground why he should exhort or encourage them to beleeve in him then in God nor why he should have owned them in their belief in God more then in their belief in himself And that that their belief in God which our Savior here acknowledgeth in them was unto Justification I suppose that you neither will nor reasonably can deny Now then if such a Faith which had Jesus Christ onely vertually and interpretatively in it and none but God himself explicitely and directly was notwithstanding available to the Justification of the Jews who had better opportunities of means for an explicite Knowledg of him then the Gentiles much more reasonable is it to conceive that the like Faith will be accepted in the Gentiles to their Justification especially considering 1. That same Divine Attribute which the Scripture calls {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a non-acceptation of persons so frequently asserted and inculcated by the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures and 2. That the Justification of men is a judiciary act awarded according to the Tenor of a known Law by God Besides That Jesus Christ is in such a Faith by which men are actually enabled to come with acceptation unto God I presume you will not deny considering what Christ himself saith No man cometh unto the Father but by me Joh. 14. 6. That by such a Faith whereby a man beleeves 1. That God is 2. That he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him he is enabled thus to come unto God is the express Doctrine of the Apostle Hebr. 11. 6. And that the Heathen who never had the advantage of the letter of the Gospel were notwithstanding
considerable to your purpose though it should be granted in as ample terms as you propound it For what though the Light of Nature be not sufficient to make such a Discovery yet is it sufficient to teach men that it is their Duty to enquire and harken out what Discoveries God maketh of himself in the World and when they have heard of or found out the Discovery you speak of I mean of such a Man and Mediator as Jesus Christ it is able to inform and teach them that it is their Duty to beleeve in him accordingly The Light of Nature probably is not sufficient to inform every Member or Subject in a State or Commonwealth what Laws or Statutes the Parliamentary or Legistative Authority of their State will enact or impose upon the respective Members hereof Nor can it reasonably or equitably be expected from the persons invested with the Legislative Power that they should cause all the Laws which they enact from time to time for the due Government of their State to be proclaimed by an Officer of State at every particular mans door no nor yet in every particular Village or Town to oblige the Inhabitants to a subjection unto them It is sufficient for such an end and purpose as this if they be proclaimed published or promulgated in the Metropolis or head City of this State where or from whence all and every the respective Inhabitants and Subjects hereof may and ought to receive information of them what they be And they that live most remote from the said Metropolis or place where the Publication of the said Laws is made are notwithstanding as well obliged to the observation and keeping of them as the Inhabitants of this City it self though these by reason of their dwelling have a readier and better opportunity to come to the knowledg of them In like manner God being the Absolute Monarch of and Lawgiver unto the World it is sufficient for him and as much as can reasonably be expected from him onely that he should take care and provide that that great Law of Life and Death the Gospel should be published and promulgated in some eminent place or places of the World from whence all other parts of the World round about might have an opportunity to receive the Knowledg of it Nor are any of the respective Subjects of this great Kingdom of the World priviledged or exempted from yeelding Obedience and Subjection to their King in that great Law of his Gospel because of any remoteness of their dwellings from those places where he hath made any solemn Publication of it or because he hath not sent a publique Officer of Heaven an Authorized Minister of this Gospel home to their Houses to proclaim or publish it within their doors So that by the way the meaning of those Demands of the Apostle on which you insist How shall they beleeve on him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent the meaning I say of these Interrogatories or any of them is not either as if no man could possibly beleeve the Gospel but he that had personally heard it preached by a Minister or that men could never come to hear it but onely from the mouth of such a Minister or that none could publish it upon such terms as to cause it to be beleeved by men but some such Minister onely all such suppositions as these are palpably irrelative to the minde of the Apostle in those Demands His meaning in them is onely to imply 1. That the World having generally so corrupted themselves with all manner of wickedness and voluntarily estranged their hearts and minds from God were in no likely posture or condition to be brought to beleeve on him by means of Christ or on Christ himself without the opportunity and advantage of some declaration or report of the Gospel made in one kinde or other unto them 2. That they were not like to hear of God or of Jesus Christ in the Gospel had there not been some one or more to have preached or published it in the World 3. And lastly That there was no likelyhood that any such man or number of men would ever have been found or heard of who should or would have preached or published the Gospel or Name of Jesus Christ up and down the World had they not been sent i. e. had they not received both instructions from God concerning the truth tenor and substance of the Gospel and how they were to proceed in the preaching of it as also a special charge and injunction from him to preach it accordingly None of these particulars give the least intimation as if no man were either in a capacity or under an obligation to beleeve the Gospel but onely they to whose habitations some Minister of the Gospel was or should be sent to preach it It is sufficiently known and generally granted by Divines that there were and are several Nations and Countries in the World unto which none of the Apostles ever came to preach the Gospel yet the Apostle Paul informeth us and that with an emphatical asseveration {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} translated verily that their sound went forth into all the Earth and their words unto the end of the World Rom. 10. 18. How can this assertion of his stand but in the strength of this rational supposition That their preaching and publishing the Gospel in such parts and places of the World where they came and had opportunity to do it was vertually and constructively a preaching and publishing of it throughout the whole World and that those Nations unto which the Apostles did not preach it personally had yet a gracious opportunity to come to the Knowledg of it by means of their preaching and spreading of it so far and in such Countries as they did And unless such a supposition as this be admitted we must fall hard and heavy in our censures upon the Apostles and conceive of them as men unfaithful and defective in the Execution of that High Commission and most weighty Charge imposed on them by the Lord Christ concerning the preaching of the Gospel the Tenor whereof as we know was that they should go and teach ALL Nations baptizing them c. Mat. 28. 19. And again as another Evangelist draweth it up that they should go into ALL the World and preach the Gospel to EVERY Creature No Interpretation of what the Apostles did in or about the discharge of this their Commission the equity of this Commission salved can render them obedient and faithful therein unto their great Lord and Master but onely that which supposeth every Creature to have been sufficiently Evangelized or taught by them in the Teachings of that party of the Creature or of those particular Creatures which were actually and personally taught by them and that all the World was put into a sufficient capacity of beleeving or which is the