under the meer Law of Works as remediless Men are not then examined meerly whether ever they Sinned nor accused meerly as Sinners But the Question will be of that Sin in Specie which consisteth in refusing to repent or believe or abusing that mercy which should have led them to repentance Mat. 25. It is for not improving their Talents which is not the legal reason as the Law of Works is alone or for not loving and cherishing Christ Jesus in his Members It is for not knowing God nor obeying the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ It is true that all their Sins also against the Law shall cause their condemnation for they were never pardoned But that is consequentially because they abused the Grace that should have recovered them and so the Wrath of God abideth on them that would not yield to his means for removing it I no where read that God will make this Rigorous Law alone the Norma Judicii and pass sentence on any meerly on these terms If thou have never Sinned thou shalt be saved else thou shalt be condemned so that if we have no discovery what way or on what terms in special God will judg them that hear not of Christ yet we have a plain discovery of the Negative that he will not deal with them on the forementioned terms of the sole Covenant of Works And consequently for the affirmative we are sure in general that he deals with them upon terms of Grace i. e. Mercy contrary to their desert More of this may be added anon Arg. 5. Ab aequitate novae Legis Credendi Debitum Constituentis The Faith which God requireth of Men to their Justification hath not a feigned or deceiving object But it should have such an object if Christ have not satisfied for all who are commanded to belieâ— ergo c. Or tâ—â—s if Christ have not satisfied for all who are commanded to believe in him to Justification then the Faith commanded them should have a feigned or deceiving object But the Faith commanded them hath not a feigned or deceiving object ergo c. All the proof requisite is of the consequence of the Major Proposition And here we must first know what the justifying Act of Faith is and then what the object must be and then the consequence will manifest it self Divines are not agreed what the justifying Act of Faith is some think it must be but one Act and therefore it must be placed but in one faculty Of these some place it only in the understanding as Camero and many others Some only in the Will as Amesius and some few with him Some and most place it in both faculties and so in divers Acts and that rightly And inded it hath divers Acts in each faculty For as it is more then one particular Truth or exunciation which is the object of Assent and therefore must have divers Acts of Assent so it is in more then one shape and profitable respect that the Goodness of the object is presented to the Will and therefore it must there have several Acts as consent affiance c. Now let us first enquire after the Acts of the understanding where I will meddle with none but what is ordinarily by Divines asserted to be justifying or prerequisite thereto And 1. I will let that pass which Dr. Twiss makes the first Act viz. To believe Gods word to be true For if it be not known what that word is here is no material object of Faith but the formal object alone 2. I will pass over the duty of repenting which Dr. Twiss saith is next required contrary to the usual Doctrine though it is manifest that repentance it self as a means to remission cannot be required but on supposition of satisfaction for Sin The common answer to the Arminians Quicquid tenemur credere verum est c. Is We are all bound to believe that Christ died for all that will believe in him See what Twiss saith against this Answer in Piscator Vindic. de promiss lib. 2. Part 2. Sect. 20. Page 475. Vol. Parv. 1. Men are not supposed first to be believers and then Christ to dye for them nor hath died at random without determining in quorum Loco in whose stead and left it to their Faith to determine afterwards He hath not said either if thou believe I will die for thee Or if thou believe that Death which I have undergone shall be tui loco in thy stead or for thy Sins Mans Sin being the loco causae meritoriae of Christs sufferings it must be determined whose Sins he should suffer for before he suffer For the meritorious cause is before the effect And therefore Christ died for them before they are believers for else how did he procure them grace to believe Not only Davenant hath well cleared this in his dissert de redempt but Twiss ubi super P. 474. could say Neque enim hujus propositionis veritas Christus est Redemptor Noster est veritas consequens fidem nostram Nec ejus falsitas est falsitas consequens infidelitatem nostram sed antecedens Antecedens inquam natura in genere causae moralis nempe meritoriae non autem in genere causae Physicae Quod eo tantum addo quoniam quod est prius natura in genere causae Physicae impossibile est ut sit posterius tempore eo quo prius est natura At quod est prius natura in genere causae moralis meritoriae presertim ex libera Dei constitutione proficiscens potest esse posterius tempore etiam eo quod est prius naturâ 2. There must therefore be some former consideration of those for whom Christ died Antecedent Moraliter to his Death And that can be nothing but for Sinners as such It is therefore for all Sinners or only for some And the Doctrine of those that contradict me is that it was not indeterminately for all that will believe but determinately to these particular Elect Persons that they may believe for whom Christ satisfied Now then according to this Doctrine all Men where the Gospel is preached are bound to believe that Christ satisfied for the Elect to procure them Faith and consequently justification that by so believing themselves may be justified But if they should so believe this Faith would not justifie them for whom Christ Died not so that here is a justifying Faith Commanded without a justifying object as I shall fullier shew anon 2. And whereas Dr. Twiss saith It is only the penitent that are commanded to believe on Christ for justification I Answer 1. Then the Impenitent shall not be condemned for not believing in Christ for justification which is false for the omission is not so much as a Sin much less damning if faith be not commanded them 2. It is nevertheless their duty because other duties as suppose repentance are first to be performed God may constitute many duties at once though they are not to be performed at once
but in order 3. Repentance is a change of the Mind from Sin to God and duty To repent or to turn from unbelief is the same thing with Faith 4. If this repentance which he saith goes before Faith be sincere and saving then sure it is not in an unbeliever and unjustified Man if not how comes it to give them a peculiar Right and occasion their peculiar duty of resting on Christ 5. I shall shew anon that even repentance can be no duty tending to pardon if Christ hath not satisfied for them 3. Others with great confidence say that this is it that all are to believe that there is no other name under Heaven whereby Men must be saved but only by the name of Christ made known in the Gospel and Men perish for not believing the necessity of a Redeemer and that Jesus is the Redeemer Or more fully 1. Men are to repent and believe the Gospel to be the word of God to contain his Will and that Jesus Christ therein revealed is the Wisdom and power of God to Salvation 2. That there is an inseparable connexion between Faith and Salvation by Gods appointment Gospel faith carrying a Sinner quite out of himself and from off his own Righteousness 3. That there be a particular conviction by the Spirit of the necessity of a Redeemer to their Souls in particular whereby they become weary heavy laden and burdened 4. A serious full recumbency and rolling of the Soul upon Christ in the promise of the Gospel as an al-sufficient Saviour able to deliver and save to the utmost them that come to God by him ready able and willing through the pretiousness of his Blood and sufficiency of his Ransome to save every Soul that shall freely give up themselves to him for that end amongst whom he is resolved to be so Mr. Owen Page 304. 305. Sure it is many Acts that are expressed in all these words But 1. As I have said every Man that hears the Gospel is obliged to all these though to be performed in order and not all at once 2. A Judas may believe the necessity of a Redeemer 3. And that Jesus is the Redeemer 4. That there is no other is an exclusion which is necessary to the Faith which justifieth but will not justify it self 5. As to that of repentance I have answered before 6. The Devils believe that Christ is the Wisdom and Power of God to Salvation No Man can believe that Christ hath Power to save him that first believeth not that he hath satisfied for him 7. The Devils may believe truly that there is an inseparable connexion between Faith and Salvation But this is too general a Speech It must be known in what respect and to what use Faith is so connexed to Salvation And what Faith it is No Faith is by God annexed to Salvation but that which supposeth Christ to have satisfied for the believer 8. Judas was convinced of the necessity of a Redeemer and was weary and heavy laden If it be special godly sorrow and hatred of Sin that is meant then such are justified already and therefore were before obliged to believe to justification 9. The recumbency mentioned is an Act of the Will of which we shall speak anon 10. The promise is made to none that Christ died not for For it is a promise of the benefits of his Death 11. Christ is a sufficient Saviour able and willing to save only those that he died for Supposing that he satisfied not for any Man he is not sufficient or willing to save that Man though he should believe How can it be said that by the sufficiency of his Ransome he is able to save them for whom it is no Ransome Indeed the sufficiency of Christs satisfaction is one principal object of that part of Faith which consisteth in Assent But I shall shew anon that if any Man be bound to believe Christs satisfaction sufficient to justifie him for whom it was never paid he is bound to believe an untruth 2. But the main answer given by Dr. Twiss and others is that the object of justifying Faith is not true but good It is Christ whom they are bound to rest upon for Justification and Salvation The truth is here are several Acts of the will requisite The first is consent Christ is offered to all where the Gospel is published and it is their duty to consent to the Offer Now if they should consent it would be an Act meerly frivolous supposing Christ had not satisfied for them For it is certain that he consents not to be the Head and Saviour of any such And Mans consent without Christs would do no good They are commanded therefore according to this Doctrine to do that which if it were done would do no good 2. The next Act is that Affiance which some make the only justifying Act. Now according to this Doctrine this would be to many a vain Act To rest upon Christ to save Men by his Blood which was never shed for them is to rest on an insufficient Ground which would deceive them But according to this Doctrine Men are bound to rest on Christ to save them by his Blood which was never shed for them Therefore according to this Doctrine Men are bound to rest on an insufficient Ground which would deceive them Let none say God knows they will not rest on Christ For we are speaking now but of the Duty God will never make it any Mans duty to rest for Salvation on that Blood that was never shed for him or that satisfaction which was never made for him But because this reacheth but to those that have heard the Gospel the next argument shall reach further Arg. 6th Ab aequitate legis cum sufficientia mediorum in suo genere If Christ hath not satisfied for all then God hath appointed Men to use those means for their recovery and Salvation which would do nothing to recover and save them if they were used But God hath not appointed Men to use such vain and delusory means Ergo c. Here I suppose that God hath appointed to all the World some means which they are to use for their recovery I avoid the Remonstrants extream I say not that all have sufficient means or Grace to believe or to Salvation And I avoid that fouler extream which saith that Heathens are under the meer Law of works as it stands without remedy and have no Means appointed them or helps afforded them towards their recovery I shall after prove that they have much mercy from Christs Blood But now I am to prove that God hath not so left them remediless but that he hath appointed to all Men some means of their recovery And 1. It is apparent they have much of the Light and Law of Nature They have the Book of the Creatures wherein they may read much of God 2. They have teaching providences Mercies and Judgments By these they may know that there is a
but those for whom he purchased it But if you can believe it will be a sign to you ab effectu that Christ died for you Sinner Alas Then all that are not redeemed and I if I be one of them are far worse then hopeless and remediless For they have neither any price paid for them nor any one hath redeemed them nor are they able nor can be able to believe and yet their torment must be multiplied for ever because they did not believe and take him for their redeemer that never paid one farthing of their debt But what is it that you would have me believe Min. That Christ hath died for all that will believe Sinner Will that justifie When the Devils believe that Min. That Christs Death is sufficient to pardon all if they would believe Sinner Then I should believe an untruth for â—is all should believe it is not sufficient to pardon them because it was not suffered for them Besides the Devils do believe the sufficiency of Christs Death as far as it is true Min. But they believe not that it is sufficient for themselves Sinner Nor can I except I knew that it was suffered for me Min. But you must rest on Christ as a sufficient Redeemer and then by reflecting on that Act you may know as by a certain sign that he redeemed you Sinner Then I must believe a Proposition of uncertain truth that I may know it to be true and rest on an uncertain ground of trust that I may have a Sign of its certainty And so my first faith must be groundless and uncertain But as it is not in my power of my self to believe so I have long been endeavouring to believe and trying my Faith and though I find I have some Faith and so had many that perish yet I cannot find whether it be sincere and saving And I know many yea most that seem godly that never are sure all their life time that their Faith is that which is justifying and proper to the Elect and more then the unrooted Faith of temperaries How shall I then or any that are uncertain of the truth of their Faith know that Christ died for them Min. You must labour for assurance of the Truth of your Faith that you may know that Christ died for you Sinner I no where find the Scripture using that motive to perswade Men to believe or to get assurance But what must I do in the mean time and all such as I that never come to assurance Min. Adhere to Christ as thy Redeemer sufficient and willing to save Sinner But I have no knowledg whether he be either my Redeemer or sufficient or willing And must I still continue that groundless Act and that meerly to get a Sign when yet it will be no sign till I attain assurance of the truth of my Faith And must I never love Christ as my Redeemer nor be thankful to him nor praise him for it till I have assurance Respondeat qui potest Arg. 22. A differenti statu hâ—minum non-electorum Daemonum If Christ died only for the Elect. then all the rest have no more remedy provided for their misery then the Devils nor are in any more capacity or possibility of Salvation But the Consequent is false therefore so is the Antecedent Only the Minor requires proof for the consequence of the Major is evident For he that hath no expiatory Sacrifice or satisfaction made for his Sin is left utterly remediless To say he is not remediless because Christ is offered him is but to deride him while they say withal that he is offered only an interest in the satisfaction that was never made for him that so by not believing as by a sign he might manifest that it was not made for him and so that Christ did not purchase him Faith And can the Devils be left worse then remediless Now that Christ hath not left the Non-Elect as remediless as the Devils appears 1. Christ speaketh of his coming into the World and executing his office as having such ends to all Men as they had not to the Devils as he was the 2d Adam and took on him our nature and not the nature of Angels so he never saith that he came into the World to save Devils but he saith that he came into the World not to judg the World but to save the World of whom he expresseth unbelievers to be part Joh. 12. 47. 48. And God sent his Son into the World not to judg the World but that the World by him might be saved Even that World which in the next verse is distinguished into believers and unbelievers Joh. 3. 16 17 18. It is never said that God sent his Jesus to bless the Devils in turning every one of them from their iniquities But it is said so of every one of the Jews Elect or not to whom the Apostle spake Act 3 last unbelievers perish not for want of an expiatory Sacrifice but for rejecting it not for want of a Jesus but for want of Faith But it cannot be said so of the Devils God sendeth Men in his stead to beseech unbelievers to be reconciled to God upon supposition of the payment of the price of Reconciliation by Christ to the Father But he doth not so to the Devils All say Christs Death is sufficient to pardon all Men if they will believe Ames cont Belâ—ar saith we never doubted of it Sadeel cont human satisfact saith let him be blotted out from among the number of Christians that denieth it But I know none that dare say â—o of the Devils To unbelievers is given Christ himself and all his benefits by Gods Act and Deed on condition they will receive him But who can shew such a deed of gift to the Devils Giving Christ though but on condition of acceptance to any one implieth and presupposeth giving him on the Cross for them God entreateth wicked Men daily to accept of Christ that they may live but he never did so by the Devils The Spirit of Christ convinceth and soliciteth some of the Non-elect to believe and striveth with them till they grieve and quench it But so he doth not by the Devils All Men in the Church Elect and Non-Elect are called on to take heed lest a promise being left them of entering into rest any of them should prove to come short of it through unbelief Heb. 4. 1. The wicked are condemned and everlastingly punished for refusing a Redeemer and not coming in to the â—east when all things were ready and for neglecting so great Salvation and treading under Foot the Blood of the Covenant and because they would not have Christ to Raign over them But it is far otherwise with the Devils the wicked will be left unexcusable at the Redeemers Bar when they are judged according to the New Law for refusing Christ that bought them But the Devils would have excuse enough if they were judged on those Terms So that I may
and the Mediator give pardon and Salvation to all men conditionally we do not mean that there is any condition of his Making the Grant but of his performing it or of our receiving the thing promised He absolutely maketh a conditional Deed of Gift He makes the Deed and we are conditionally pardoned whether we believe or not But we shall not be actually pardoned till we belive Prop XXXVII The condition of this La Grant is nothing unreasonable nor of Natural proper impossibility it is an Easie Yoake and Commands that are not grievous it being not the least repensum price or requital but only the Hearty Acceptance of the offered Benefit according to its Nature and use It is therefore proper enough to say as Scripture doth that all men are reconciled the Worlds sins taken away and they forgiven though yet none of this is Actually done nor ever shall be to the final Rejecters because in a moral sence that is said to be done which being highly beneficial and necessary may be done if we will all the other impediments being removed and nothing but the refusal can deprive Men of the benefit the Law supposing that he that is compos mentis will accept so great an offered benefit Christ having done all his part or quantum in se as satisfier and Legislator and given himself with his benefits to every man that will accept him so that nothing but their own wilful refusal can deprive them of them in Law sence he may well be said not only to Die for them but to have procured them Pardon Justification and Life Whereas if the condition had either been a thing of proper Natural Impossibility or unreasonable or unhonest or if it were long of Christ that it is not performed than it were improper to say that Christ and Life is given them or that Christ Dyed for them to procure this gift Prop. XXXVIII Christ hath given Faith to none by his Law or Testament though he hath revealed that to some he will as Benefactor and Dominus Absolutus give that Grace which shall infallibly produce it And God hath given some to Christ that he might prevail with them accordingly Yet this is no giving it to the Person nor hath he in himself ever the more Title to it nor can any lay claim to it as their due Prop. XXXIX It belongeth not to Christ as satisfier nor yet as Legislator to make wicked refusers to become willing and receive him and the benefits which he offers therefore he may do all for them that is fore-expressed though he cure not their unbelief Prop. XL. Faith is a fruit of the Death of Christ and so is all the good which we do enjoy But not directly as it is satisfaction to justice but only Remotely as it proceedeth from that â—us Dominii which Christ hath received to send the Spirit in what measure and to whom he will and to succeed it accordingly and as it is necessary to the attainment of the further ends of his Death in the certain gathering and saving of the Elecâ— So that most directly it floweth from the good pleasure of God and the Redeemer which we call Praedestination So that it is an unmeet Speech and such as Scripture never useth to say that Christ dyed to purchase us Faith though it be a Fruit of his Purchase As if a Prince should Ransome or Buy a condemned Malefactor agreeing and resolving that yet he shall not be saved if he will spit in his Redeemers Face and refuse him and his kindness And if it be known that this Malefactor is so desperately wicked that he will thus reject and abuse his Redeemer and refuse his kindness except the Prince send a bosom Friend to perswade him who is the most powerful unresistable Orator in the World If the Prince because he is resolved neither to lose the Man nor his Price of Ransom doth send this Orator with a Charge that he shall take no denial nor cease till he have procured the Malefactors consent is it a convenient Speech to say that he gave his Ransom Mony to purchase the Malefactors consent to be delivered Or to cure his wicked nature No Yet it is true that his Price was a ground-work and Preparative to this effect so is it in our present Case Prop. XLI The Resurrection of the Bodies of all Men is a Benefit procured by the death and Resurrection of Christ For though the Soul it self should everlastingly have suffered yet the Body should have remained in its state of dissolution if Christ had not restored it which Resurrection in it self is a mercy to all and it is a means to Gods further Glory by his Creature though the wicked turn it to be the enterance of unspeakable misery to themselves Prop. XLII There is no mercy which any Man enjoyeth by Right of Law from God but it is from the Covenant or Law of Grace and so from the Blood of that Covenant For from the old riolated rigorous Law it cannot be therefore it must be from the Law of Grace Prop. XLIII Christ by his Law of Grace hath made it every Mans duty that hears it to believe in him and accept him as our Saviour that hath made satisfaction for their Sins and so dyed for them and is their Redeemer And to be highly thankful to him for this his Mercy Prop. XLIV Christ by his Law hath made a far sorer punishment than before belonged to them to be due to all those that believe not in him as one that hath so satisfied and are not thankfull for it and do not take him for their Redeemer And for refusing their Lord-Redeemer shall they be condemned Prop. XLV The consciences of the damned in Hell which will be Gods executioners will everlastingly torment them for refusing that Pardon and Salvation that was so dearly purchased for them and that Redeemer that expressed so much Love to them and for not performing so reasonable and easie a condition as Faith They shall not then have the discovery of an impossibility in the condition or that Christ never died for them and never was their Redeemer and consequently that it was no Sin of theirs to refuse a Redeemer that was not their Redeemer and satisfaction that was none for them I say they shall not have such discoveries to ease their consciences and lessen their torments and make Hell as no Hell to them Prop. XLVI A Christ-Redeemer that hath satisfied justice is the object of Commanded Faith and presupposed to it Annd he that commandeth all Men to believe in Christ a one that hath redeemed them or satisfied for their Sins doth hereby assert the truth of this supposition Prop. XLVII The constitution of Christs Kingdom containeth many great universal mercies Antecedent to those that are given conditionally by his Covenant or Law of Grace Such as are the giving of the Covenant it self and the Institution of Sacraments Ordinances Officers c. Therefore as to
pardoned and saved the efficacy of Christ's satisfaction is before all possibility of any power or snccess of Man's Faith So in those that perish if they had no price of satisfaction paid for them the want of a Redeemer would be the first want concluding their damnation and non-deliverance from former misery and the want of Faith could be but the secondary consequential want which Faith if it were present would not satisfie or save no more than believing now would save the Devils And thus it is evident that on the grounds opposed the Gospel would causally per â—e unavoidably be the greatest plague on earth to all where it comes except the Elect and not only accidentally by their own Sin Now for the Minor that the Gospel is not so I prove from Scripture it is called the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God Luke 8. 1. Before men are Converted the Apostles say we declare unto you glad tidings Acts 13. 32. 33. The Preachers of it bring glad tidings of good things preaching the Gospel of peace Rom. 10. 15. even the unsanctified receive the word with joy Mat. 13. 20. and not so great joy as they had cause so Mark 4. 16. it is called the Gospel of the grace of God Acts 20. 24. it is a Wedding-Feast even ready for those that would not come to it who are therefore said to be unworthy of it and so it was to him that came without the Wedding garment Mat. 22. if it were not a mercy then Men did not sin against mercy in rejecting it which who dare say It gives men promises of entring into rest who yet by wilful unbelief may come short of it Heb. 4. 1 2 3 c. See 1 Cor. 10. to the 13th God sent Jesus to bless the Jews more than Elect in turning every one of them from his Iniquity Acts 3. last The unthankful Servant had his debt freely pardoned him and that was a mercy who after took his fellow by the throat and by ingratitude lost that pardon which he had It declareth God's tender Mercies over all his works and such mercies as are to lead all men to Repentance Psal 145. 9. Rom. 2. It is good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people Acts 2. 10. It freely giveth to all the water of life if they refuse not the gift Rev. 22. It is the Gospel that bringeth Salvation to all men Tit. 12. 11. A hundred Texts might be brought to prove how great a blessing of it self the Gospel is to that People to whom it is given and if it be turned to a Judgment and hurt them it is meerly accidentally through their wilful rejecting it or turning the grace of God into wantonness or sinning because Grace hath abounded and not from any thing in it nor for want of a reality in the benefit which it offereth Arg. 25. A differentiâ status damnatorum viatorum If Christ dyed not for all men then the state of most men all that he dyed not for were as deplorate and remediless as the State of the Damned But the consequent is false therefore so is the Antecedent The Consequence of the Major proposition is plain in that the state of all men that Christ dyed not for must needs be utterly hopeless and remediless for there is no other satisfaction to be hoped for besides that made by the blood of Jesus and that is nothing to them nor is there any hope or possibility that ever they should have part in a satisfaction that is no satisfaction for them without blood there is no remission If they should believe and repent and pray for mercy night and day it would be but as the Rich Epicure in Hell pray'd for a drop of water all in vain for betwixt God and them is so great a gulf or distance by sin that nothing without a Redeemer can do them any good as to the least hope of Salvation If you say it is not to be supposed that they can believe repent and pray I answer that is in your own sense because it is supposed they are not redeemed and the impossibility of their not repenting and believing shews the more fully the impossibility of their Salvation And the reason why they do not actually despair is not because they have any more remedy than the Damned or cause to hope but only because they are yet ignorant of the hopelesness of their own Condition and as soon as they know the truth they will fully despair So that there is no more possibility that a Man for whom Christ dyed not should be pardoned or saved than that the Damned should for both are equally impossible If any say that God can find out another remedy besides and without Christs satisfaction though he will not and therefore it is not impossible I will not examine the truth of that now but if it be true of them on Earth why not also of them in Hell When once Men are in that state that there is no Sacrifice for their sin then there remaineth nothing but the fearful expectation of Judgment and Fire that shall devour the Adverâ—ary Object But doth not God's foreknowledge and decree make mens Salvation impossible as well as Christs not Dying for them and so your argument is as much against them Answ No They do nihil ponere in Objecto nor are the removal or denyal of any efficient cause of Salvation they infer only Necessitatem Consequentiae they make no Mans Salvation impossible but only prove it not future And as it is not omne Possible that is futurum so neither omne non futurum that is Impossibile And it is agreed that foreknowledge presupposeth the futurition or non futurition of the thing foreknown But there is much more necessary to be said to resolve this doubt which I may not now insist on only I add that the matter of God's Decrees and the futurition of things as depending thereon are so high and so far above us that it becomes us not to be too inquisitive into them much less so peremptorily to determine of them as some do and least of all to try plainer Cases by such determinations and reduce certainties to uncertainties when we should tather reduce uncertainties to certainties And for the Minor that the state of most men even in the Church is not so hopeless deplorate and remediless as is the case of the Damned I prove it thus They might be saved who are yet on Earth if they would but receive the love of the truth 2 Thes 2. 9 10. If they would believe they might all be justified and should not perish but have everlasting life whoever of them will may have the water of Life freely and it is offered them and they intreated to take it and if they have it not it is because they will not and not because there was no object or ground for their willing or no Sacrifice for their sin God offers them pardon and
suffer injustly He doth what he doth of this kind for unbelievers arbitrarily Let any Man shew where God is engaged by any Covenant to save unbelievers from bodily dangers But their Souls he hath redeemed by Christ and so saved them quoad pretium And he hath made a Deed of Gift of Christ and Eternal Life to all on condition they refuse it not So that he may in respect of his Covenant and so in a fuller Sense be called their Saviour in Spiritual respects than in temporal for all that they are not eventually saved The word Saviour here implies such a Relation as God hath undertaken and that Men may assure themselves he will perform all that belongs to it Or else it could not be the ground of our confidence But wicked Men have no promise for or assurance of an hours Life or any outward deliverance whatsoever no not though it were never so good for them For God will not be in Covenant with them for common things till they first accept of his Covenant of Grace in Christ But for Salvation he hath made them a conditional promise as aforesaid 3. And it is less probable that the Apostle calls God a Saviour here so equivocally as not to mean in the same kind of Salvation when yet he intimateth no difference in the Text. 4. But let us suppose all this were as the opponents would have it yet for ought I can see the Text will fully prove the point in question For even in temporal respects God is the Saviour of no Man but those whom Christ died for For all Men have forfeited all his Salvation and are under his Curse And he can be no Saviour to them according to the tenor of that cursing violated Law It must be therefore according to the New Law or Covenant or not at all And the New Law is founded in the Blood of Christ shed for those to whom it is made Indeed according to the first Law he may uphold the Life and Being of Sinners But it is only as he doth the Devils to make them capable of punishment But neither do we for that call him the Saviour of the Devils nor would it be any such great encouragement to Paul and all Christians in labour and sufferings for godliness sake So that even this Temporal Salvation doth presuppose the Relaxation or Non Execution Plenary of the Law of Works And that is done only by the remitting Law of Grace and that presupposeth Christs Blood shed or undertaken to beshed for the sinners I know nothing more that needs to be spoken to for vindicating this Text. The 11th Text shall be 1 Joh. 5. 9 10. 11 For this is the witness which he hath testified of his Son He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself He that believeth not God hath made him a Lyar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son And this is the Record that God hath given us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath Life and he that hath not the Son hath not Life Hence I thus argue If Eternal Life in Christ be given to unbelievers who make God a Lyar and have not Christ or Life then Christ was first given on the Cross as a Sacrifice for those unbelievers But the Antecedent is true Therefore so is the Consequent And consequently Christ died for more than the Elect and therefore for all 1. I Suppose none that is not willing to be deceived will maintain that it is only such unbelievers as afterward shall be converted and are Elect who are here said to make God a Lyar For the Record which they are condemned here for not believing is the object propounded to Elect and not Elect without such Distinction as they are all considered in number of sinful Mankind 2. As for the Minor or Antecedent of the Major proposition it is very plain in the Text. If all men should believe who hear the Gospel that Eternal Life in Christ is given them and those that believe it not do make God a Lyar then it 's certain that Eternal Life in Christ is given to them all But c. Ergo c. There is nothing here to be questioned but only who are meant in the term Us when it is said God hath given Us Eternal Life And it is plain that it is the same persons included with others who are charged with making God a Lyar. 1. Else their Unbelief should consist only in not believing that Life is given to other men and consequently the Faith required of them should consist only in believing that God hath given Life in Christ to others without any inclusion of themselves But that is not true Ergo c. The falshood of this consequent is proved thus 1. True saving Faith is of a Receiving or Applying nature as it is the act of the Will and it is introductory thereto as it is the act of the Understanding But believing that God hath given Life in Christ to other men is not receptive nor applicatory nor introductory thereto Ergo c. All our Divines against the Papists do fully maintain the Major 2. The Devils and the most despairing men have not saving Faith But the Devils and Despairing men do believe that God hath given Eternal Life to others therefore to believe that God doth give that Life to others is not saving Faith 3. True saving Faith is of greatest concernment to the Believer as to the object of it as being the means of his Salvation But the believing meerly what God giveth to other men is of no such concernment to any Ergo c. Obj. It is not Saving Faith that is here mentioned nor any act that is proper to a true Believer nor is it the want of that which is here condemned But it is the not believing the Truth of the Gospel which is only a preparatory act and which the Devils themselves may have who believe and tremble For though this meer assent will not save yet the want of it will condemn Answ 1. Saving Faith hath two parts according to the Souls faculties which have each their several Offices about this saving object the one is the assent of the Understanding the other is the consent of the Will and affiance thence following when ever Justifying Faith is mentioned in the Scripture it is usually by one of these acts alone sometime one and sometime another And when one only is expressed the other is still implied And so it is in this Text. 2. Assent is true saving Faith though not the whole of saving Faith 3. It is not meerly assent to this proposition in general the Gospel is true that is here made the Record of God and object of Faith nor yet assent to this Jesus is the Son of God and Saviour of Believers But it is this God hath given us Eternal Life and this life is in his Son so that it
obliged to them till they believed I speak of Obligation in such an imperfect sense as it may be applied to God Much less did he ever oblige himself to save all that Christ died for 2. And that Christs actual suffering gives no man right appears from what was said on the former Proposition It was not man himself that sinned who was the sufferer or satisfier either in sensu Naturali or Civili And therefore he cannot have the benefit till it be made over to him by some further conveyance 3. And therefore it is no wrong to the sinner to suffer because he suffereth but once and suffereth no more than he deserved So much against the first argument as most forcibly managed The second Argument against Universal Satisfaction answered Arg. II. Christ hath purchased Faith infallibly to be given to all that he died or satisfied for But Christ hath not purchased Faith infallibly to be given to all men but only to the Elect Therefore Christ died not for all men but only for the Elect. The Major is thus proved Christ hath purchased all things necessary to the Salvation of all he died for But Faith infallibly to be given is necessary to their Salvation Ergo c. The Major is thus proved Christ is a perfect Saviour to all those to whom he is a Saviour or Redeemer Therefore he hath purchased for them all things necessary to their Salvation The Minor of the main Argument is proved by experience Ans The Major is not true nor can be proved from Scripture but the contrary may abundantly be proved The argument by which they would prove the Major is sick of the same disease viz. Its Major is false and the Minor if not well explained is false too To the Major I say First Christ hath done all that belonged to him as a Redeemer by dying or as a Satisfier or all that for which properly an expiatory Sacrifice was required for all those for whom he died But I shall anon shew that the thing in question is not such Secondly Christ did not purchase all things necessary to Salvation for all that he died for I wait the proof of the affirmative In the mean time I mind the arguers that themselves confess 1. He did not purchase Predestination 2. Nor that Love which caused God to send Christ 3. Nor Creation and our Natural Being 4. Nor his own Death and Merits He purchased not these for any man For the Minor if it mean Personal Faith which it saith is necessary to Salvation It is not true of Infants If it mean the same Faith which now is necessary to our Justification to believe that Jesus is the Christ that he Died Rose Ascended c. this was not necessary to the Salvation of all before Christs Incarnation As to the Argument by which they would prove the Major I answer to it I. To the Major by distinguishing Christ is called a perfect Saviour in several respects 1. As to his plenary Power and Authority so we confess he is a perfect Saviour 2. As to the sufficiency of his Satisfaction or expiatory Sacrifice or of whatsoever he was to do as satisfier of Justice and so I confess he is a perfect Saviour And do not all the opposers confess that Christs Death was sufficient for All men and all till a few of late do confess that Christ died for all men quoad sufficientiam pretii And if it be sufficient for all men even for those that perish then he is quoad satisfactionis vel pretii sufficientiam a perfect Saviour to all men For they perish not through any Imperfection or Insufficiency in Christs Satisfaction or Sacrifice 3. Or else it is in regard of the Application of his benefits and conveyance of the fruits of his Death that he is said to be a perfect Saviour to all that he died for And so 1. Distinguish still of the term Saviour as it signifieth a satisfier of Justice or Redemptor per sacrificium expiatorium Christ is perfect quoad opus as to his Work and not only in himself and ability and the material sufficiency of his Sacrifice but this is not to the present point 2. A a Saviour signifieth an actual Deliverer by personal application and collation of his benefits so again Christ is to be considered in a double Relation 1. As Dominus Absolutus ex novo Jure Redemptionis 2. Ut Rector per leges ex eodem novo Jure As he is become the Absolute Owner or Proprietary of all Or as he is become the Rector and so the Legislator for under one of these two respects he maketh over all his benefits II. And accordingly you must distinguish of those benefits which Christ is to convey as Rector per Leges and those which he is to convey as Dominus Absolutus and as above or besides his Laws arbitrarily without pre-engagement And so I answer that Christ doth all that belongs to him as Legislator and Rectoâ— according to the Tenour of the New Law and Covenant perfectly to all as well as to the Elect But he doth not all that he may do and mans necessity requires that he should do as absolute Proprietary or Owner either to all or equally to the Elect yet is he not therefore an imperfect Saviour For that belongs not to the making of him a perfect Saviour though it belong to the perfection of the Sinners Salvation And therefore the consequence of this Enthymeme is denied on these grounds That these things may be yet more clear I shall briefly open a little further the Nature of these distinctions and the difference between these several effects of Christs Death and so shew you that he is a perfect Saviour though he give not Faith to all that he died for having shewed you in what sense Christ may be said to have purchased for us the Habit or Act of Faith For I find that a good explication lets in more light into the understanding and prepares it more for the entertainment of Truth than doth the most subtle Argumentation And 1. You must understand that the first main distribution of the Works of Christ in our Redemption comprizing the whole is into the work which he did for the satisfying of Gods Justice in offering himself a Sacrifice for sin 2. And those which were to be done hereupon for the sake of this and that I. By God the Father 1. To Christ accepting his sacrifice acquitâ—ing him making him Owner and Ruler 2. To us Delivering us 1. From our Legal necessity of Perishing 2. To Christ as our Lord and Ruler to be dealt with on terms that have a tendency to our recovery II. By Christ the Redeemer who being thus made both Owner and Rector of us all doth according to these two respects give out all the following Fruits of his death to Mankind So that Christ's first work of satisfaction which is terminated as it were on God is a perfect entire work of it self
And as Dr. Ames saith in the place before cited Anti-Bellarm it is to the work of Grace as Creation is to the work of Nature And therefore as none can deny but the Non-Elect have common grace as Conditional Pardon Illumination the Holy Ghost c. else how do they turn grace into wantonness so none can well deny but they have it from the general Fountain of Redemption Let us then consider what is the proper use of satisfaction as such and what it was that made satisfaction necessary And it is evident that it was the justice of God Creator as Rector according to the Law of Works and the misery of Man that haâ— offended God by the breach of that Law and was become liable to the Penalty which he could not bear without his everlasting undoing These made satisfaction necessary God's Justice required that either the Sinner must perisâ— or satisfaction by an Expiatory Sacrifice must bâ— made by which the remote and main ends â—â— the violated Law might be as well attained â— by the Sinners Damnation they would have been so that it was the death which was become due to Mankind which required the death of Christ their Sacrifice as on Man's part and God's Justice which would not remit sin but on a valuable consideration for the demonstration of its self and of God's Holiness which required it on God's part so that you see that on our part which required a Sacrifice was guilt that is obligation to everlasting punishment And it doth not belong to the satisfier as such to see that the guilt be actually done away quoad eventum or that the Damnation be actually escaped but that a sufficient Sacrifice or satisfaction be given on consideration whereof Remission and Salvation may be given on the terms as the Legislators and Redeemers Wisdom shall appoint How Christ doth give out this Pardon we shall shew you anon de quadruplici Remissione so that it is apparent that the want of the act or habit of Faith or the want of the Holy Ghost to effect Faith is not the thing that required satisfaction to God's Justice directly but that Faith is only a remote effect of this satisfaction and such an effect as hath no such Natural Connection with this Cause but that the Cause materially may be and oft is without that effect in many and the effect might have been without that cause from another if God had so pleased To manifest this that it is not want of Faith that required satisfaction as such and that satisfaction may be made for those that shall never believe observe these things 1. That Man's Suffering is not a thing pleasing to God in and for it self but for its end viz. The Demonstration of Justice and Right Governing of the World God professeth that he hath no pleasure in the death of a Sinner Ezek. 18. nor in the death of him that dyeth Ezek. 33. but rather that he repent and live Much less hath he pleasure in the death of the innocent and least of all in the death of his own Son God is not blood-thirsty who abhorreth the blood-thirsty man 2 It is not therefore for Christ's Sufferings as in themselves considered that God doth give men either Faith or any Mercy God doth not sell his mercies for blood as if he would give the World Remission of Sins on condition he might put his Son to so much torment And therefore Faith is not the immediate effect of Christ's death in sensu morali It comes not from his death as death or suffering nor may it without Blasphemy be conceived that ever God made such an agreement with his Son as to give Faith to Men meerly on Condition that Christ would suffer death without first considering somewhat else that required that suffering and something that put a value upon it 3. So that the thing which did require Christs Suffering was as is said before the obligation to punishment called guilt on mans part and vindictive justice on God's part Unbelief as Unbelief did not necessarily require it but the guilt of unbelief or any other sin did require it if ever it be pardonable 4. So that the following effects of Christ's death do all presuppose the satisfaction of Justice and hence Christs death becomes so pleasing to God not as death but as satisfaction and so a means fitted to the attainment of his ends And because this means so pleaseth him he esteemeth Christs satisfaction meritorious of further benefits joyned with his meritorious obedience upon which estimation and his own will called the Covenant with Christ he annexeth further benefits thereto For the end why he satisfied his justice by the Sacrifice of his Son was that he might honourably wisely and justly give out the following benefits which he giveth out hereupon So that Christs death is as to God first satisfactory and then meritorious of further benefits Now Faith very remotely followeth all this as shall be shewn 5. The thing that God could not do without satisfaction was the remitting of sin and freeing the delinquent from punishment it was not directly nor in its self the bestowing of Faith 6. For I would desire any Judicious Man to consider whether if Christ had by his death satisfied God's justice for mans guilt and had not at all done any more by his death for the meriting of Faith might not God have given man Faith at his own pleasure without the least shew of injustice or any other prohibiting inconvenience though Christ de facto did merit more yet we may well in dispute for searching out the truth separate in our thoughts guilt of sin and want of Faith in Christ and we may suppose that Christ had done no more by his death than to satisfie God's justice for man's guilt by bearing that which was due to man Now I would fain know this being once done why God or the Redeemer might not give Faith to whom he will Is there a further necessity of any new death or suffering to merit Faith for us If there be what is that necessity It is no injustice in God to do it There is no Law standing in the way by which he is obliged to the contrary Perhaps some will object that the same may be said of Pardon and Salvation that there needs no new suffering to merit them if once Justice be satisfied and yet Christ dyed for our Justification and Salvation To which I answer All this is true but then observe the difference separate in your thoughts Remission Justification and Salvation on one side from Faith in Christ on the other side as we by supposition may well do in disputation and you will find that God could not give Remission Justification and Salvation from Punishment without Christ's satisfaction but he could have given Faith in Christ if you will suppose it to go alone without the former benefits without satisfaction I say he could not give the former not by reason of any
supposition that Christ bore not Punishment for any mans sins but those whom he intended infallibly to bring to Heaven which they have never yet proved nor ever will do there being no Word of God that promiseth to save all that Christ died for Lay all this together and you will see the truth of these Conclusions 1. That it was not the absence of Faith in Christ the Remedy but the Old Laws Obligation of us to Punishment or the guilt of sin which required Christ's satisfaction to God's Justice 2. That Christ by this satisfaction did not immediately merit Faith it self but only those intermediate causes from whence the Faith of his Elect is produced that is He purchased all men from the Legal necessity of perishing that they were in into his own Power as their Owner and Ruler that so he might make over Reconciliation Remission and Salvation to all if they will believe and might send forth sufficient means and help of Grace to draw all men towards him resolving to draw his Elect Infallibly to him 3. That it is therefore an improper and unfit phrase to say that Christ Died to purchase us Faith though rightly explained it hath truth in it But rather that Faith is an effect or fruit of Christ's Death viz. where Faith is given For the former phrase would intimate as if Faith were the thing that God was to give in requital of Christ for his Bloodshed and that directly and so Faith should be given by God as Legislator of the Old Law For the stipulation supposed to be between the Father and Son was made by the Father on his part not as Redeemer or Legislator of the New Law but as the offended Rector according to the Law of Creation now treating with the Mediator about mans Recovery Though these things spoken after our manner do but signifie Gods Decrees yet they shew us in what Relation God stood towards Man and towards the Redeemer when he required and accepted of Satisfaction Whereas the thing given to Christ was Power of Dominion and Rectorship and so the Redeemed delivered to him not all to one final end nor with a like intent And so Faith is procured by Christ only in this remote sense in that he procured full power to use the fittest means to draw men to him in the season and degrees he please with a full resolution in his own mind to make all this effectual upon his chosen that he might attain the full end of his Blood-shed So that Faith is the effect of that degree of Grace which from his Plenipotency he gives lest his chosen should miss of the intended Salvation and therefore is improperly said to be purchased by Christs Blood though yet it be a remote effect of his Blood to those that have it and none could have had it without the Intervention of his Blood because there would have been no saving use of Faith without that Blood otherwise they might if we look to Faith but as such an act considered without its object given 4. And therefore the Scripture no where useth any such phrase as to say that Christ Died to purchase us Faith But ordinarily that he died to purge or put away sin c. And in controverted cases it is safest to speak in Scripture Language Suppose a man pay 1000 l. to Ransom certain Prisoners that owed that sum and upon the Ransom it is agreed that they shall now be delivered up to him as his Ransomed ones to dispose of at his pleasure yet both parties agree that only those shall be actually delivered into freedom who thankfully accept the favour and the Ransomer as their Lord The Redeemer knows that these are men of such stubborn hearts that they will refuse his offer yet he resolves to send them under his hand a conditional discharge that all shall come forth that will accept him and his offer and to tell them that all the rest shall by him be still detained and as his Prisoners suffer greater misery Yet out of a special love to some of them he resolves to send a friend who is so effectual an Orator as will certainly prevail with them to lay by their obstinacy and yield to his motion Doth it seem a proper phrase in this case to say that this man paid 1000 l. to purchase for these men a yielding Heart or to purchase their consent to accept him and his kindness Rather he did it to purchase their Freedom from Prison which he gives to all as far as belongs to him as Ransomer But he sends this Orator with a resolution to prevail in another superadded relation viz. as one that beareth a special love to those particular men above the rest or as one at least that is resolved to attain infallibly that fruit of his Ransom even the actual deliverance of those men Nor can it therefore be concluded that he paid not the debt of any of the rest because he will not as importunately solicite them to accept of his offer 5. We must therefore distinguish of meer Ransoming or Redemption by Sacrifice and the same Sacrifice or Redemption as it is conjoyned with Election and is subordinate to it Effectual Grace to work Faith infallibly proceeds from Redemption as it is accompanied with Election or with a special absolute resolution of saving those particular persons but it comes not from mere Redemption by Sacrifice as divided from Election and therefore is common to all the Elect but not common to all the Redeemed For God hath means of two different sorts for the accomplishing his Decree of Election as to execution First general means and secondly special means and the general is the Foundation on which he means to build the special Let us again remember Amesius's words that Redemption is to the whole work of Grace viz. both common and special what Creation is to the work of Nature Nay better we may say what Creation was to Gods Governing Administrations under the first Law that is Redemption to Gods Governing Administrations under the Second or New Law For in Creation God did two things 1. He gave man his Being that he might be a Subject fit for Government 2. He gave him his Right Being Real and Relative making him after his Image in his favour and in a state of happiness and in this state he made a Law with him even with all mankind in Adam and Eve promising him further everlasting life on condition of obedience Now here Gods Creation of man in his favour and in rectitude was a common work and so was his giving him that Law But so was not the fulfilling of its Promise which implieth the Intervention of mans performance of the condition Suppose now that man had been multiplied by propagation before the fall of any and then one half of mankind had kept this Law of Works and the other had broke it Had it been fit for any man to say that God did not Create any of those
that fell in his favour or placed them not in happiness or set them not in the way to a further happiness because he did not infallibly cause them to keep his Law which was the condition of further happiness No more can it be truly said that Christ did not Redeem them because he did not cause them infallibly to believe Indeed it may be said of both that God in Creating or in Redeeming had not the same Decree or Absolute Resolution to save them as he had to save the Elect whom he causeth to perform the condition And yet our Divines use commonly to say that God created all Mankind in Adam in a state of happiness and to a further happiness that is as Legislator set them in a way to a further happiness and conditionally promised it to them whether it were any greater happiness or only the perpetuation of the same I will not now dispute And so hath Christ done all for men that pertains to a satisfier of Justice and setteth them in a way to full deliverance from the misery that they were fallen into and conditionally promiseth it to them with an additional happiness 6. And Lastly Besides all this let it be well considered that if there be any man on Earth that hath the use of Reason of whom only actual Faith is required that doth not actually Believe in Christ it is their own fault and is not long of Christ He will not condemn them meerly for their sin against that Law of works which saith obey perfectly or dye but for rejecting recovering Grace and that sufficient in its kind and to its own work I say it again confidently all men that perish who have the use of reason do perish directly for rejecting sufficient Recovering Grace By Grace I mean mercy contrary to merit by recovering I mean such as tendeth in its own nature toward their Recovery and leadeth or helpeth them thereto By sufficient I mean not sufficient directly to save them for such none of the Elect have till they are saved nor yet sufficient to give them Faith or cause them savingly to Believe But it is sufficient to bring them nearer Christ than they are though not to put them into immediate possession of Christ by Union with him as Faith would do It is an easie truth that all men naturally are far from Christ and 2. That some by custom in sinning for want of informing and restraining means are much further from him than others as the Heathens are 3. And that it is not Gods usual way nor to be expected to bring these men to Christ at once by one act or without any preparation or first bringing them nearer to him It is a similitude used by some that oppose what I now say suppose a man in a lower room and another in a room below him and you stand at the Stair head and call them both up to you and offer them somewhat if they will come It is not your intent that they should leap up at one leap but come up step by step nor do you mean that he in the lower room should go no more steps than he in the middle room He must go many steps before he come to be as near you as the other is Now suppose you offer to take them by the hand when they come to the upper Stairs and give them some other sufficient help to come up the lower steps If these men will not use the help given them to ascend the first steps though intreated who can be blamed but themselves if they come not to the top It is not your fault but theirs that they have not your hand to lift them up at the last step So is our present case Worldlings and sensual ignorant sinners have many steps to ascend before they come to Justifying Faith and Heathens have many steps before they come as far as ungodly Christians as might easily be manifested by enumeration of several necessary particulars Now if these will not use that sufficient help that Christ gives them to come the first or second or third step who is it long of that they have not Faith Obj. But here you vent two points of Arminianism one that there is sufficient Grace which is not effectual The other that God will give men Spiritual Blessings on the good use of natural Answ No Arminianism at all I. I say not that God giveth all men sufficient Grace to Salvation or to Believe II. That there is such a thing in rerum naturâ as sufficient Grace not effectual as it is confessed by Dr. Twiss so it is undeniably proved 1. In the case of Adam who had sufficient Grace to have stood or else all the sin and misery in the World must come principally from Gods denial of sufficient Grace before ever man did trespass Yet the event shewed that hat Grace was not effectual 2. From the Case of the Godly who have sufficient Grace to think speak and do more good and less evil than they do 3. From the Case of the Wicked who have sufficient Grace to enable them to do less evil than they do and use more means for the geting of Grace to Salvation They might pass by an Ale-house Door and might go to a Sermon when they go to a Whore and might go among good company when they go to bad To the second point I answer I. I say not that God gives Spirituals on our right use of Naturals but that God gives Special Grace on our right use of Common Grace Or rather that he may most justly deny men special Grace that will not make that use of Common Grace as they might II. And I do not say that God hath any where promised to give men Special Grace if they will use well their Common Grace For God hath not thought meet to make any such Covenant with Unbelievers nor to engage himself to them but when he giveth the first Special Grace for Repenting and Believing he doth it as not pre-engaged to do it and therefore as Dominus Absolutus and not per legem premiantem And therefore the Papists in their Language say the first Grace is not of merit at least of Condignity Obj. Then they that come not the first step are excusable for if they had come to the step next Believing they had no assurance that Christ would have given them Faith Ans No such matter For though they had no assurance they had both Gods Command to seek more Grace and sufficient encouragement thereto They had such as Mr. Cotton calls half promises that is a discovery of a possibility and high degree of probability of obtaining as Peter to Simon Pray if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven They may think God will not appoint men vain means and he hath appointed some means to all men to get more grace and bring them nearer Christ than they are Yea no man can name that man since the World was made
Knowledge Prop. IX All this Revelation is some part of the Law of Jesus Christ and so these Truths are discovered and this light sent by him as the Lord Redeemer of the World or as Rector upon his Redemption Title For all things being now delivered into his hands and the whole frame of Government being laid on his shoulders and built on his Redemption even on Christ the head Corner Stone the very moral Law now is his Law and its obligation to obedience is his obligation yea the very Law of Works obligeth to punishment now not as it was at first given and remaineth in the hands of an offended unsatisfied Creator but as it is suspended and delivered up into the hands of the Satisfier or Redeemer to remit wholly or execute only conditionally as men shall receive or reject the grace of Redemption so that as God ruleth among those blindest of Heathens that yet know him not so doth Christ Rule among them that know not him Prop. X. The Ten last Particulars before mentioned which these men may know are properly Gospel Truths for the Law of Works sheweth nothing of Mercy contrary to desert nor of any hope of Recovery Object But how can the meer light of Nature discern Gospel Truths without a supernatural Revelation Answ The Light of Nature is either Reason it self which is the Souls viâ—ive faculty 2. Or the External Light which in the nature of things shines forth 3. Or the Species and Knowledge received by Reason through the mediation of this External Light Also supernatural Revelation is 1. Either the Rectitude of the Soul as a Recipient Power or Faculty which was natural to Adam and may be called supernatural to us because it is not born with us and because it is not wrought but by a supernatural efficient though it be most natural to us as a thing congruous to our Natures welfare as health is to our Bodies 2. Or it is the Objective Extrinsical Revelation by a supernatural way and that either as distinct from that which should have been according to the Tenor of the first Law or from that which is ordinary by common Causes tho' beyond the former 3. Lastly it is taken for the actual efficient impressing of the Species on the Intellect by a supernatural Assisting Power On these distinctions I Answer 1. Natural Reason or the Intellectual faculty is the recipient of all Revelations natural or supernatural 2. There are many Objective Revelations supernatural as being such as according to the first Law of Nature would never have been manifested which yet are not supernatural as Miracles are in opposition to a natural Causality in the way of Revealing And so Rain and Fruitful Seasons Health Wealth Deliverances c. are Mercies that come in a natural way of Causality and yet they may teach a Sinner those Truths which the meer Law of Nature never taught him Mercies and such Mercies given to those that deserve Misery and are obliged to extremity of Punishment by Law do teach us that there is Remission of Sin and a way found out for the Relaxing the obligation that mens deserts do not fall upon them These Providences therefore are so far supernatural as being the clear effects of the Law of Grace which relaxeth the obligation of the Law of Nature Prop. XI It is not proper or fit to say that the Gospel is Preached to these Heathens that never heard of Christ because that the word Gospel most properly signifieth the main heart and substance of it viz The discovery of Christs Incarnation Life Death Resurrection Ascention Dignity Office and the full New Covenant But yet it may truly be said that some Gospel Truths and so some small part of the Gospel is revealed to these men viz. the ten particulars forementioned No doubt Paul Preached part of the Gospel to the Heathens at Lystra Acts 14. 7 15. c. when he mentioned Jesus Christ ver 23. Heb. 4. 2 3. It is said that the Gospel was Preached to the Jews in the Wilderness who yet had little of that which now is the substance of our Creed about Christ Prop. XII That Repentance which God requirerh now of all men even them that never heard the Gospel is not a Hellish Judas-like despairing Repentance such as was due according to the violated Law of works but it is a Repentance that is appointed as means toward recovery and therefore hath a tendency to Salvation Gods mercies lead to Repentance but not to a despairing Repentance for they contradict that All the precepts of Repentance prove this and the course of Gods dealings And indeed else all the remnants of Religion would be banished out of the World For despairing men will not Worship God nor seek to please him nor forbear sinning but will hate God and live like Devils and sin while they may without voluntary restraint All the Sacrifices that the Heathens offered and all their Prayers and Conscience of Sinning shewed that they apprehended God merciful and placable and their case remediable Hope did keep up all that remnant of Religion which all Nations of the World have maintained which else had been extinguished long ago and Earth been like Hell Prop. XIII These Heathens do all of them receive some Grace which was purchased by the Blood of Christ and there is a Natural aptitude in it as in other effects to lead the enquirer to the knowledge of the cause and fountain caeteris concurrentibus Grace is Mercy contrary to Merit Heathens have much Mercy contrary to Merit therefore they have some Grace Now all such Grace is inseparable from some Revelation of Gospel Truths Nay indeed it is a Revelation there of it self Prop. XIV Though Christ giveth not to these Heathens sufficient Grace to believe in his name yet he giveth them sufficient Grace or merciful aid to receive and obey those or some of those Truths fore-mentioned which he doth reveal to them and so to come nearer to Christ than before they were I have before shewed that all men are far from Christ Naturally and that they must be brought divers steps or degrees nearer him before they are brought to the very act of Faith which unites men to him specially Heathens that are at the remotest distance Also I have shewed that there is such a thing as sufficient Grace not effectual as to the event and that both from the example of Adam of the wicked now and fot he Godly themselves I shall therefore now suppose what is already proved I have shewed also that though God thought it not meet to engage himself in Covenant with such nor to make any thing short of true Faith to be the condition of his Promise yet he hath appointed means to others that yet have not Faith which they are bound to use towards the getting of it and he hath given them sufficient encouragement to address themselves cheerfully and vigorously to the use of those means with hope to speed So