Devils--_] Sixthly, _This Doctrine is highly injurious to Mankind_;
for it renders them in a far worse Condition than the Devils in Hell.
For these were sometime in a Capacity to have stood, and do suffer
only for their own Guilt; whereas many Millions of Men are for ever
tormented, according to them, for _Adam_’s Sin, which they neither knew
of, nor ever were accessary to; it renders them worse than the Beasts
of the Field, of whom the Master requires no more than they are able
to perform; and if they be killed, Death to them is the End of Sorrow;
whereas Man is for ever tormented for not doing that which he never was
able to do. [Sidenote:--_Than the_ Israelites _under_ Pharaoh.] It puts
him into a far worse Condition than _Pharaoh_ put the _Israelites_;
for though he with-held Straw from them, yet by much Labour and Pains
they could have gotten it: But from Men they make God to with-hold all
Means of Salvation, so that they can by no Means attain it; [Sidenote:
Tantalus’_s Condition_.] yea, they place Mankind in that Condition
which the Poets feign of _Tantalus_, who, oppressed with Thirst, stands
in Water up to the Chin, yet can by no Means reach it with his Tongue;
and being tormented with Hunger, hath Fruits hanging at his very Lips,
yet so as he can never lay hold on them with his Teeth; and these
Things are so near him, not to nourish him, but to torment him. So do
these Men: They make the outward Creation of the Works of Providence,
the Smiting of Conscience, sufficient to convince the _Heathens_ of
Sin, and so to condemn and judge them: But not at all to help them
to Salvation. They make the Preaching of the Gospel, the Offer of
Salvation by Christ, the Use of the Sacraments, of Prayer, and good
Works, sufficient to condemn those they account _Reprobates_ within
the Church, serving only to inform them, to beget a seeming Faith and
vain Hope; yet because of a secret Impotency, which they had from their
Infancy, all these are wholly ineffectual to bring them the least Step
towards Salvation; and do only contribute to render their Condemnation
the greater, and their Torments the more violent and intolerable.
Having thus briefly removed this false Doctrine which stood in my Way,
because they that are desirous may see it both learnedly and piously
refuted by many others, I come to the Matter of our Proposition, which
is, That _God out of his infinite Love, who delighteth not in the Death
of a Sinner, but that all should live and be saved, hath sent his only
begotten Son into the World, that whosoever believeth in him might be
saved_; which also is again affirmed in the sixth Proposition, in these
Words, [Sidenote: Christ _tasted Death for every Man_.]_Christ then
tasted Death for every Man, of all Kinds_. Such is the Evidence of this
Truth, delivered almost wholly in the express Words of Scripture, that
it will not need much Probation. Also, because our Assertion herein is
common with many others, who have both earnestly and soundly, according
to the Scripture, pleaded for this _universal Redemption_, I shall
be the more brief in it, that I may come to that which may seem more
singularly and peculiarly ours.
§. VI. [Sidenote: Christ’_s Redemption universal, contrary to the
Doctrine of_ Absolute Reprobation.] This Doctrine of _universal
Redemption_, or _Christ’s dying for all Men_, is of itself so evident
from the Scripture-Testimony, that there is scarce found any other
Article of the Christian Faith so frequently, so plainly, and so
positively asserted. It is that which maketh the preaching of Christ
to be truly termed the _Gospel_, or an _Annunciation of glad Tidings
to all_. Thus the Angel declared the Birth and Coming of Christ to the
Shepherds to be, _Luke_ ii. 10. _Behold, I bring you good Tidings of
great Joy, which shall be to all People_: He saith not, to _a few_. Now
if this coming of Christ had not brought a Possibility of Salvation
_to all_, it should rather have been accounted bad Tidings of great
Sorrow to most People; neither should the Angel have had Reason to have
sung, _Peace on Earth, and good Will towards Men_, if the greatest
Part of Mankind had been necessarily shut out from receiving any
Benefit by it. How should Christ have sent out his Servants to _preach
the Gospel to every Creature_, Mark xvi. 15. (a very comprehensive
Commission) that is, _to every Son and Daughter of Mankind_, without
all Exception? He commands them to preach _Salvation to all, Repentance
and Remission of Sins to all; warning every one, and exhorting every
one_, as _Paul_ did, _Col._ i. 28. Now how could they have preached the
Gospel _to every Man_, as became the Ministers of Jesus Christ, in much
Assurance, if Salvation by that Gospel had not been possible to all?
What! if some of those had asked them, or should now ask any of these
Doctors, who deny the Universality of Christ’s Death, and yet preach
it to all promiscuously, _Hath Christ died for me?_ How can they, with
Confidence, give a certain Answer to this Question? If they give a
conditional Answer, as their Principle obligeth them to do, and say,
_If thou repent, Christ hath died for thee_; doth not the same Question
still recur? _Hath Christ died for me, so as to make Repentance
possible to me?_ To this they can answer nothing, unless they run in
a Circle; whereas the _Feet of those that bring the glad Tidings of
the Gospel of Peace _are said to be_ beautiful_, for that they preach
the _common Salvation_, Repentance unto all; offering a Door of Mercy
and Hope to all, through _Jesus Christ, who gave himself a Ransom for
all_. [Sidenote: _The Gospel is preached to every Man._] The Gospel
invites all: And certainly, by the Gospel _Christ_ intended not to
deceive and delude the greater Part of Mankind, when he invites, and
crieth, saying; _Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden,
and I will give you Rest_. If all then ought to seek after him, and to
look for Salvation by him, he must needs have made _Salvation possible_
to _all_; for who is bound to seek after that which is impossible?
Certainly it were a mocking of Men to bid them do so. And such as deny,
that by the Death of Christ _Salvation_ is made _possible to all Men_,
do most blasphemously make God mock the World, in giving his Servants
a Commission to _preach the Gospel of Salvation unto all_, while he
hath before decreed that it shall not be possible for them to receive
it. Would not this make the Lord to send forth his Servants with a
_Lie in their Mouth_, (which were blasphemous to think) commanding
them to bid _all_ and _every one_ believe that Christ died for them,
and had purchased Life and Salvation? [Sidenote: _The Absurdity of
that Doctrine of_ Absolute Reprobation.] whereas it is no such Thing,
according to the fore-mentioned Doctrine. But seeing Christ, after he
arose and perfected the Work of our Redemption, gave a Commission to
preach _Repentance_, _Remission of Sins_, and _Salvation_ to all, it
is manifest that he _died for all_. For He that hath commissionated
his Servants thus to preach, is a _God of Truth_, and no Mocker of
poor Mankind; neither doth he require of any Man that which is simply
impossible for him to do: For that _no Man is bound to do that which
is impossible_, is a Principle of Truth engraven in every Man’s Mind.
And seeing he is both a righteous and merciful God, it cannot at all
stand, either with his Justice or Mercy, to bid such Men _repent_ or
_believe_, to whom it is impossible.
§. VII. Moreover, if we regard the Testimony of the Scripture in
this Matter, where there is not one Scripture, that I know of,
which affirmeth, _Christ not to die for all_, there are divers
that positively and expresly assert, _He did_; [Sidenote: _To pray
for _all_; for Christ died for_ all--] as 1 _Tim._ ii. 1, 3, 4, 6.
_I exhort therefore, that first of all, Supplications, Prayers,
Intercessions, and giving of Thanks, be made for all Men_, &c. _For
this is good and acceptable in the Sight of God our Saviour, who will
have all Men to be saved, and to come to the Knowledge of the Truth;
who gave himself a Ransom for all, to be testified in due Time._ Except
we will have the Apostle here to assert quite another Thing than he
intended, there can be nothing more plain to confirm what we have
asserted. And this Scripture doth well answer to that Manner of arguing
which we have hitherto used: For, first, the Apostle here recommends
them to _pray for all Men_; and to obviate such an Objection, as if
he had said with our Adversaries, _Christ prayed not for the World,
neither willeth he us to pray for all; because he willeth not that all
should be saved, but hath ordained many to be damned, that he might
shew forth his Justice in them_; he obviates, I say, such an Objection,
telling them, that _it is good and acceptable in the Sight of God, who
will have all Men to be saved._ [Sidenote:--_And will have _all_ Men
to be saved._] I desire to know what can be more expresly affirmed?
or can any two Propositions be stated in Terms more contradictory than
these two? _God willeth some not to be saved_; and _God willeth all
Men to be saved_, or God _will have no Man perish_. If we believe the
last, as the Apostle hath affirmed, the first must be destroyed; seeing
of contradictory Propositions, the one being admitted, the other is
destroyed. Whence, to conclude, he gives us a Reason of his Willingness
that all Men should be saved, in these Words, _Who gave himself a
Ransom for all_; as if he would have said, Since Christ died for all,
since he gave himself a Ransom for all, therefore he will have all Men
to be saved. This Christ himself gives as a Reason of God’s Love to
the World, in these Words: _John_ iii. 16. _God so loved the World,
that he gave his only begotten Son, that _whosoever_ believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting Life_; compared with 1 _John_
iv. 9. This [_whosoever_] is an indefinite Term, from which no Man is
excluded. From all which then I thus argue:
[Sidenote: _Arg. 1._] For whomsoever it is lawful to pray, to them
Salvation is possible:
But it is lawful to pray for every individual Man in the whole World:
Therefore Salvation is possible unto them.
I prove the _Major Proposition_ thus;
[Sidenote: _Arg. 2._] No Man is bound to pray for that which is
impossible to be attained:
But every Man is bound and commanded to pray for all Men:
Therefore it is not impossible to be obtained.
I prove also this _Proposition_ further, thus;
[Sidenote: _Arg. 3._] No Man is bound to pray, but in Faith:
But he that prayeth for that, which he judges
simply impossible to be obtained, cannot pray in Faith:
Therefore, _&c._
Again,
[Sidenote: _Arg. 4._] That which God willeth is not impossible:
But God willeth all Men to be saved:
Therefore it is not impossible.
And Lastly;
[Sidenote: _Arg. 5._] Those for whom our Saviour gave himself a Ransom,
to such Salvation is possible:
But our Saviour gave himself a Ransom for all:
Therefore Salvation is possible.
§. VIII. [Sidenote: _Proof 1._] This is very positively affirmed,
_Heb._ ii. 9. in these Words, _But we see Jesus, who was made a little
lower than the Angels, for the suffering of Death, crowned with Glory
and Honour, that he by the Grace of God might taste Death for every
Man_. He that will but open his Eyes, may see this Truth here asserted:
If he _tasted Death for every Man_, then certainly there is no Man
for whom he did not taste Death; then there is no Man who may not be
made a Sharer of the Benefit of it: For _he came not to condemn the
World, but that the World through him might be saved_, John iii. 17.
_He came not to judge the World, but to save the World_, John xii. 47.
[Sidenote: _Our Adversaries false Doctrine of a great Part of Mankind
being pre-ordained for Damnation, refuted._] Whereas, according to the
Doctrine of our Adversaries, he rather came to condemn the World, and
judge it; and not that it might be saved by him, or to save it. For
if he never came to bring Salvation to the greater Part of Mankind,
but that his Coming, though it could never do them good, yet shall
augment their Condemnation, from thence it necessarily follows, that
he came not of Intention to save, but to judge and condemn the greater
Part of the World, contrary to his own express Testimony; and as the
Apostle _Paul_, in the Words above cited, doth assert affirmatively,
_That God willeth the Salvation of all_, [Sidenote: _Proof 2._] so
doth the Apostle _Peter_ assert negatively, _That he willeth not the
perishing of any_, 2 Pet. iii. 9. _The Lord is not slack concerning
his Promise, as some Men count Slackness, but is long-suffering to
us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come
to Repentance._ And this is correspondent to that of the Prophet
_Ezekiel_, xxxiii. 11. _As I live, saith the Lord, I have no Pleasure
in the Death of the Wicked, but that the Wicked turn from his Way and
live._ If it be safe to believe God, and trust in him, we must not
think that he intends to cheat us by all these Expressions through his
Servants, but that he was in good earnest. And that this Will and
Desire of his hath not taken effect, the Blame is on our Parts, as
shall be after spoken of; which could not be, if we never were in any
Capacity of Salvation, or that Christ had never died for us, but left
us under an Impossibility of Salvation. What mean all those earnest
Invitations, all those serious Expostulations, all those regretting
Contemplations, wherewith the Holy Scriptures are full? As, _Why will
you die, O House of _Israel!_ Why will ye not come unto me, that ye
might have Life? I have waited to be gracious unto you: I have sought
to gather you: I have knocked at the Door of your Hearts: Is not your
Destruction of yourselves? I have called all the Day long._ If Men who
are so invited be under no Capacity of being saved, if Salvation be
impossible unto them, shall we suppose God in this to be no other but
like the Author of a _Romance_, or Master of a _Comedy_, who amuses and
raises the various Affections and Passions of his Spectators by divers
and strange Accidents; sometimes leading them into Hope, and sometimes
into Despair; all those Actions, in effect, being but a mere Illusion,
while he hath appointed what the Conclusion of all shall be?
[Sidenote: _Proof 3._] _Thirdly_, This Doctrine is abundantly confirmed
by that of the Apostle, 1 _John_ ii. 1, 2. _And if any Man sin, we
have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. And he
is the Propitiation for our Sins; and not for ours only, but also for
the Sins of the whole World._ [Sidenote: _Adversaries comment on the
Words the_ whole World.] The Way which our Adversaries take to evite
this Testimony, is most foolish and ridiculous: _The [World] here,
_say they,_ is the World of Believers_: For this _Commentary_ we have
nothing but their own Assertion, and so while it manifestly destroys
the Text, may be justly rejected. For, _First_, let them shew me, if
they can, in all the Scripture, where the [_whole World_] is taken
for _Believers_ only; I shall shew them where it is many Times taken
for the quite Contrary; as, _The World knows me not_: _The World
receives me not, I am not of this World_: Besides all these Scriptures,
_Psalm_ xvii. 14. _Isai._ xiii. 11. _Mat._ xviii. 7. _John_ vii. 7.
and viii. 26. and xii. 19. and xiv. 17. and xv. 18, 19. and xvii.
14. and xviii. 20. 1 _Cor._ i. 21. and ii. 12. and vi. 2. _Gal._ vi.
14. _James_ i. 27. 2 _Pet._ ii. 20. 1 _John_ ii. 15. and iii. 1. and
iv. 4, 5, and many more. _Secondly_, The Apostle in this very Place
contra-distinguished the _World_ from the _Saints_ thus; _And not for
ours only, but for the Sins of the whole World_: What means the Apostle
by [_Ours_] here? Is not that the Sins of Believers? Was not he one
of those Believers? And was not this an universal Epistle, written
to all the Saints that then were? So that according to these Men’s
Comment, there should be a very unnecessary and foolish Redundancy in
the Apostle’s Words; as if he had said, _He is a Propitiation not only
for the Sins of all Believers, but for the Sins of all Believers_: Is
not this to make the Apostle’s Words void of good Sense? Let them shew
us wherever there is such a Manner of speaking in all the Scripture,
where any of the Penmen first name the _Believers_ in _Concreto_ with
themselves, and then contra-distinguish them from some other whole
World of Believers? That [_whole World_] if it be of Believers, must
not be the World we live in. But we need no better Interpreter for the
Apostle than himself, who uses the very same Expression and Phrase in
the same Epistle, Ch. v. 19. saying, _We know that we are of God, and
the whole World lieth in Wickedness_. There cannot be found in all the
Scripture two Places which run more parallel; seeing in both the same
Apostle, in the same Epistle to the same Persons, contra-distinguisheth
himself, and the Saints to whom he writes, from the whole World;
which, according to these Men’s Commentary, ought to be understood of
_Believers_: As if _John_ had said, _We know particular Believers are
of God; but the whole World of Believers lieth in Wickedness_. What
absurd wresting of Scripture were this? And yet it may be as well
pleaded for as the other; for they differ not at all. Seeing then that
the Apostle _John_ tells us plainly, That Christ not only died for
him, and for the Saints and Members of the Church of God, to whom he
wrote, but for the _whole World_, let us then hold it for a certain and
undoubted Truth, notwithstanding the Cavils of such as oppose.
This might also be proved from many more Scripture-Testimonies, if
it were at this Season needful. All the _Fathers_, so called, and
_Doctors_ of the Church, for the first four Centuries, preached
this Doctrine; according to which they boldly held forth the Gospel
of Christ, and Efficacy of his Death; [Sidenote: _The _Heathens_
invited to Salvation; none predestinated to Damnation._] inviting and
intreating the _Heathens_ to come and be Partakers of the Benefits of
it, shewing them how there was a _Door_ open for them _all_ to be saved
through Jesus Christ; not telling them that God had predestinated any
of them to Damnation, or had made Salvation impossible to them, by
with-holding Power and Grace, necessary to believe, from them. But of
many of their Sayings, which might be alleged, I shall only instance a
few.
[Sidenote: _Proof 4. The Testimonies of the _Doctors_ and _Fathers_
of the first Church, that Christ died for all._] _Augustine_ on the
xcvth _Psalm_ saith, “The Blood of Christ is of so great Worth, that
it is of no less Value than the whole World.” _Prosper ad Gall._ c. 9.
“The Redeemer of the World gave his Blood for the World, and the World
would not be Redeemed, because the Darkness did not receive the Light.
He that saith, the Saviour was not crucified for the Redemption of the
whole World, looks not to the Virtue of the Sacrament, but to the Part
of Infidels; since the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is the Price of
the whole World; from which Redemption they are Strangers, who either
delighting in their Captivity would not be Redeemed, or after they were
Redeemed returned to the same Servitude.”
The same _Prosper_, in his Answer to _Vincentius_’s first Objection:
“Seeing therefore because of one common Nature and Cause in Truth,
undertaken by our Lord, all are rightly said to be Redeemed, and
nevertheless all are not brought out of Captivity; the Property of
Redemption without doubt belongeth to those from whom the Prince of
this World is shut out, and now are not Vessels of the Devil, but
Members of Christ; whole Death was so bestowed upon Mankind, that it
belonged to the Redemption of such who were not to be regenerated. But
so, that that which was done by the Example of one for all, might,
by a singular Mystery, be celebrated in every one. For the Cup of
Immortality, which is made up of our Infirmity and the Divine Power,
hath indeed that in it which may Profit all; but if it be not drank, it
doth not heal.”
The Author _de Vocat. Gentium_, Lib. 11. Cap. 6. “There is no Cause
to doubt but that our Lord Jesus Christ died for Sinners and wicked
Men. And if there can be any found, who may be said not to be of this
Number, Christ hath not died for all; he made himself a Redeemer for
the whole World.”
_Chrysostom_ on _John_ i. “If he enlightens every Man coming into the
World, how comes it that so many Men remain without Light? For all do
not so much as acknowledge Christ. How then doth he enlighten every
Man? He illuminates indeed so far as in him is; but if any of their
own accord, closing the Eyes of their Mind, will not direct their
Eyes unto the Beams of this Light, [Sidenote: _The Cause they remain
in Darkness._] the Cause that they remain in Darkness is not from the
Nature of the Light, but through their own Malignity, who willingly
have rendered themselves unworthy of so great a Gift. But why believed
they not? Because they would not: Christ did his Part.”
The _Arelatensian_ Synod, held about the Year 490, “Pronounced him
accursed, who should say that Christ hath not died for all, or that he
would not have all Men to be saved.”
_Ambr._ on _Psalm_ cxviii. _Serm. 8._ “The mystical Sun of
Righteousness is arisen to all; he came to all; he suffered for all;
and rose again for all: And therefore he suffered, that he might take
away the Sin of the World. But if any one believe not in Christ, he
robs himself of this general Benefit, [Sidenote: _The Sun-Beams shut
out, heat not._] even as if one by closing the Windows should hold out
the Sun-Beams. The Sun is not therefore not arisen to all, because
such an one hath so robbed himself of its Heat: But the Sun keeps its
Prerogative; it is such an one’s Imprudence that he shuts himself out
from the common Benefit of the Light.”
The same Man, in his 11th Book of _Cain_ and _Abel_, Cap. 13. saith,
“Therefore he brought unto all the Means of Health, that whosoever
should perish, may ascribe to himself the Causes of his Death, who
would not be cured when he had the Remedy by which he might have
escaped.”
§. IX. Seeing then that this Doctrine of the Universality of Christ’s
Death is so certain and agreeable to the Scripture-Testimony, and to
the Sense of the purest Antiquity, it may be wondered how so many,
some whereof have been esteemed not only Learned, but also Pious, have
been capable to fall into so gross and strange an Error. But the Cause
of this doth evidently appear, in that the Way and Method by which
the Virtue and Efficacy of his Death is communicated to all Men, hath
not been rightly understood, or indeed hath been erroneously taught.
[Sidenote: Pelagian _Errors._] The _Pelagians_, ascribing all to Man’s
Will and Nature, denied Man to have any Seed of Sin conveyed to him
from _Adam_. And the _Semi-Pelagians_, making Grace as a Gift following
upon Man’s Merit, or right improving of his Nature, according to the
known Principle, _Facienti quod in se est, Deus non denegat gratiam_.
[Sidenote: _Extremes fallen into by some, making God the Author of
Sin._] This gave _Augustine_, _Prosper_, and some others Occasion,
labouring, in Opposition to these Opinions, to magnify the Grace of
God, and paint out the Corruptions of Man’s Nature (as the Proverb is
of those that seek to make straight a crooked Stick) to incline to the
other Extreme. So also the Reformers, _Luther_ and others, finding
among other Errors the strange Expressions used by some of the Popish
Scholasticks concerning Free-Will, and how much the Tendency of their
Principles is to exalt Man’s Nature and lessen God’s Grace, having all
those Sayings of _Augustine_ and others for a Pattern, through the like
Mistake run upon the same Extreme: Though afterwards the _Lutherans_,
seeing how far _Calvin_ and his Followers drove this Matter, (who, as
a Man of subtle and profound judgment, foreseeing where it would land,
resolved above-board to assert that God had decreed the Means as well
as the End, and therefore had ordained Men to sin, and excites them
thereto, which he labours earnestly to defend) and that there was no
avoiding the making of God the Author of Sin, thereby received Occasion
to discern the Falsity of this Doctrine, and disclaimed it, as appears
by the latter Writings of _Melancthon_, and the _Mompelgartensian_
Conference, [65]where _Lucas Osiander_, one of the Collocutors, terms
it _Impious_; calls it a making _God the Author of Sin_, and an _horrid
and horrible Blasphemy_. Yet because none of those who have asserted
this universal Redemption since the Reformation have given a clear,
distinct, and satisfactory Testimony how it is communicated to all, and
so have fallen short of fully declaring the Perfection of the Gospel
Dispensation, others have been thereby the more strengthened in their
Errors; which I shall illustrate by one singular Example.
[65] _Epit. Hist. Eccl. _Lucæ Osiand. Cent. 16._ l. 4. Cap. 32._
The _Arminians_, and other Assertors of universal Grace, use this as a
chief Argument.
_That which every Man is bound to believe, is true_: