Argument, drawn from an _earthly Prince_, his extending Pardon to
_one_ Criminal, and leaving _another_ to undergo the Execution of
his Sentence. But this is of the same _fallacious Kind_, as that
drawn from the Case of _Rebellion_, and shews how _very hard_ the
Patrons of this Doctrine are put to it for Arguments. Two Men,
condemned for one Crime, may not be equally wicked, and consequently
_one_ may better deserve Pity than the _other_, and to extend it, is
in itself a rational and worthy Distinction, made between two _such
Criminals_. Let us suppose, in order to illustrate the Argument,
that a Man is _compelled_, by Thieves, to go out on the Highway,
where he plunders, and is at length, with the rest, brought to
Justice; his Sentence would doubtless be the _same_ as theirs: But
when he is consider'd, as having acted not by Choice, but _by
Necessity_, he must needs be an Object of Pity. Nay, mere Justice
itself will plead strongly in his Favour. Apply this (so far as it
belongs) to the Doctrine of _Original Sin;_ which if it makes Men
Sinners _at all_, it must be _by Necessity_, there being no
_Possibility_ for us to prevent it; which is equal to the greatest
Constraint that can be produced or imagined, and consequently _all
Men_ must, under this Consideration, be _at worst_ suitable Objects
of Mercy. Besides, the Weakness of this Argument will plainly
appear, upon considering, with respect to _earthly Princes_, that
where the Equity of making a _due Distinction_ between one
_Criminal_ and another, is not the Reason, why _one is pardoned_,
and the other _left to suffer;_ it _always_ arises either from
_Caprice_, _Interest_, _Solicitation_, or from _Misrepresentation_
of Facts to Monarchs; who, too often, _see_ and _hear_ through
_others_, that are not always duly conscientious, to preserve
inviolable the Trust reposed in them; and whether such Reasoning as
this, can possibly affect the _Almighty_, any Man of common
Understanding may easily judge.
But let them apply my Argument on the _Sovereignty of_ God against
the _Certainty_ of their Election, and I believe they will find but
little Reason to boast of their Doctrine of electing Grace. They
tell us indeed, that this Doctrine of theirs, makes the Death of
_Christ_ of more Effect than ours, because it secures the Salvation
of _some_. But I have proved there can be no Security in it; and
surely that Doctrine, which _puts all_ into a Capacity of Salvation,
must be better, than that, which leaves _almost every Man_ to
perish; and if it was better to save a few, than to save none in
this arbitrary Manner, it must still have been better and more to
the Glory of _Christ_, arbitrarily to have saved all Mankind. They
say also, that their Doctrine of Election is a much better Ground
for Love and good Works, than is that of _free Grace_. But the
contrary is apparent, because whoever thinks rightly, cannot be
without this disquieting Thought.--If God, in a mere arbitrary
Manner, and without any Regard to previous Fitness, has chosen me,
and rejected another; how do I know but his Mind may change
hereafter, or that he may not reverse this Decree? or if
_unconditional Election_ be the true Doctrine of the Gospel, and Man
is _equally dear_ and acceptable to God _without_, as he is _with_,
good Works, what Inducement can such a Person have to please God
that Way, when he is already as well pleased without them? If
Election is founded upon an _unconditional Decree_, the natural
Inference (in all such as believe the Doctrine, and themselves to be
of the Elect) must be this--If I am of the Number of the Elect,
nothing can frustrate my Happiness; I may gratify my favourite
Passions, and wallow in all Kinds of Wickedness, Luxury and
Sensuality, and be equally acceptable to the Almighty, as was
_David_ in the Sins of Murder and Adultery: On the contrary, if I am
not of that Number which shall be saved, all my Pains and Obedience
will never procure me Acceptance with God, and therefore I _will
seek_ all possible Gratifications in this Life, seeing it is the
only Time and Place wherein I can obtain any Thing like Happiness;
nor can the Liberty I take here increase my Misery hereafter, the
_precise Degree_ of _that_ being fixed along with the Decree of my
Damnation: Though this Persuasion of being set apart for everlasting
Torment, has more often the Effects of Desperation and _Self-Murder;_
and indeed the two Extremes of _Presumption_ and _Despair_,
are the natural Brood and Offspring of these Doctrines, as the
reverend and learned Dr. _Trapp_ has abundantly evinced, in his
excellent Discourse, _against the Folly, Sin, and Danger of being
righteous over much_. Hypocrisy and Persecution are also the genuine
Offspring of this Faith; and _whenever_ it has been tried,
Persecution has grown up to a considerable Maturity: for as they
pretend to know the Marks of elect and reprobate Men, what can be
more natural, than for those, who apprehend themselves to be the
_former_, to persecute and take Vengeance on the _latter_. Hath not
God, by his own Decree of Damnation, set them an Example? and if he
has set a Mark on the Reprobate, they (the Elect) may very
reasonably, in Imitation of the _Divine Conduct_, endeavour to make
them as wretched as possible here in this Life, and _who shall lay
any Thing to the Charge of God's Elect?_ I am now shewing, what are
the genuine Effects of this Doctrine, not charging Consequences on
such as neither do _see_ nor _approve_ of them: there is great
Difference in the Conduct of Men of this Principle; and its natural
Effects are, by other Things intervening, often prevented, the chief
of which may, I believe, be Want of Power and Opportunity; for tho'
many, when out of Power, might be apt to say (as _Hazael_ did) _what
is thy Servant a Dog, that he should do this Evil?_ yet they would
perhaps be in some Danger of behaving as that great Man did, when he
came to be tried. Some again, who tho' they profess the Doctrine,
are yet (I doubt not) often under the Influence of God's _Grace_,
which, as it tends to humble the Soul, and render it more loving and
humane than before, naturally prevents the Spirit of Persecution
from taking such deep Root as otherwise it might. And here, though I
do not pretend to be a _nice Judge_ of the spiritual Part of
Religion, yet I have heard such as have been accounted Men of the
best Experience say, that when the Grace of God operates on the
Soul, the ardent Love of Mankind is _inseparable therewith_. If then
the better Sort of those, who profess this Doctrine, are ever
sensible of this _most agreeable_ and humbling Operation in the
Soul, I ask them, if it does not _naturally distend_ and enlarge
their Wishes, in Behalf of all Mankind? and if this Spirit of Love
be the genuine Effect of the Operation of God's Grace, what shall be
said of that ineffable and immense Fountain of Grace and Goodness,
from whence it proceeds? But, on the other hand, it has been
observed, that among mere _enthusiastick and traditional Believers_,
of the Doctrine of Election, their Hypocrisy, Deceit and
Dissimulation has overtop'd that of all the World besides, even
beyond what human Nature could be thought capable of, in its most
wicked and corrupt State; in short, they seem to have made the
Deceit of _Jacob_, and all other parallel Places of Scripture, that
furnish the worst Part of the Lives of good Men, a _standing Rule_
of Behaviour--What a blessed Company has the Lord set apart for
himself!
The _Foreknowledge_ of God is supposed, by some, to belong to the
Argument of _Predestination;_ but I think it wholly beside my
present Purpose, to enter circumstantially into it, for _this
Reason_--If, Whatever God _foreknows_, he must also of Necessity
_foreordain;_ it is manifestly using _Foreknowledge_ and
_Ordination_ to signify just the _same Thing_, and, _in this Light_,
every Argument against _Fore-ordination_, must be equally strong
against _Foreknowledge_, so far as it affects the Doctrines under
Consideration; and when these Gentlemen can shew the contrary, or
are willing to enter into the Consideration of the _Divine
Foreknowledge_, either _separate from_, or _connected with_, the
Doctrine of _Fore-ordination_, I shall always be ready to receive
Information.
This Doctrine of electing Grace, they exalt as an _incomprehensible
Mystery;_ so do the Papists, with as good Reason, that of
_Transubstantiation;_ for neither of them are Mysteries, or
incomprehensible, but _palpable Errors_, whose Absurdity we do
_easily and fully comprehend;_ nor will the stale Art of playing on
the Word _Mystery_ amuse us any longer. Another strange Argument,
which these Men make use of, in order to set aside some Passages of
Scripture, which are positive and express against them, is this,
_that if God wills the Salvation of all Men, all must be saved,
otherwise we may be said to conquer the Will and Grace of God_. To
which the Answer is very easy--Man is made a _free Creature_, and
therefore God deals with him as such; because to make him free, and
then arbitrarily _overrule_ his Freedom, would be making him free to
_no Purpose_. The Will of God is sometimes _positive_, and sometimes
_conditional_. He gives Laws, commands us to keep them, and promises
eternal Life to those who obey; nor can we suppose he commands us to
obey, without willing our Obedience. We may indeed _resist_ the
Operations of his Grace: but to talk of _conquering_ God, is
Nonsense. He has made us free Creatures; he wills our Salvation, and
has granted us such Aids as are sufficient, if we use them aright,
to bring us to Happiness: This Conduct in the Divine Being, is not
only reasonable in itself, but _perfectly agreeable_ to many _plain_
and _express_ Parts of Scripture. The _Weeping_ and _Lamentation_ of
_Christ_ over _Jerusalem_, is a strong Proof of it: _How often would
I have gathered thee, as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her
Wings; but thou wouldest not!_ Here was all done, that was fit and
convenient to reclaim free Beings; not only proper Aids offer'd, but
offer'd in the _most tender_ and affectionate Manner, as is evident
from the Comparison of the Hen, &_c_. and by the Words _how often_,
is set forth the _great Patience and longsuffering of God:_ And
notwithstanding all this, they resisted to their own Destruction.
God _willed_, or would have saved her, but she was stubborn and
rebellious, and would not accept of Salvation; did she therefore
_conquer_ the Almighty? Suppose my Father gives me a good Education,
a good Employment, and a competent Portion in Money, and, besides
all, is continually at hand, ready further to advise and assist me,
whenever it may be necessary; yet I am obstinate and disobedient,
and, by pursuing evil Courses, fall into Poverty, Contempt, and
Ruin: I may indeed be said to _resist_, but in no _good Sense_ to
_conquer_ my Father. Besides, according to this absurd Way of
arguing, if God does all in Believers, his Laws are to be _kept_ by
himself; with what Propriety then can they be said to be given to
Man? He to whom the Law is given is to keep it, not the Being who
gives it.
I might here, very naturally, speak concerning the Sacrifice of
_Christ's Death_, and _his Righteousness_ imputed to us; but I shall
not now discuss it fully, only a few Remarks may not be impertinent
or useless. These two Points appear to me to be much misunderstood;
_Sin_ is said to be infinite, because committed against an infinite
God; and that therefore nothing but an infinite Being can satisfy
the Justice of God for it: A fine Story indeed, for Men to amuse us
with, who pretend to believe in _only one_ God: Here is _one_
infinite Being, to be satisfied for Sin; and _another_, to satisfy
him. And, what is still as bad or worse, it supposes, that an
infinite Being may, for a certain Season, suffer or undergo a
Diminution of its Happiness; which, in an infinite and unchangeable
Being, I take to be impossible. Was it then _only_ the Person, or
_rational Soul_ of _Jesus Christ_, that suffered, being upheld under
it, by the infinite Being himself? If so, what is become of the
infinite Being, that was to _suffer_ for Sin; for does God make
Satisfaction to himself? 'Till these Gentlemen either renounce, or
better explain this Matter, they will, I hope, think very favourably
of all who deal in absurd Schemes of Faith.
The Thing productive of these Absurdities, is a _wrong Notion_ of
Sin, and of the Justice of God: Sin, they say, is infinite, because
_committed against an infinite God_. It is doubtless sometimes a
great Aggravation of it, that it is committed against God; but it is
not so much his _Greatness_, as our abusing his _Goodness_, that
aggravates the Crime: As may appear from this short Observation,
That any Favour, disinterestedly done, by a Person of the meanest
Rank in Life, lays the Receiver under the same Obligation, as though
it were granted by the greatest Man upon Earth: It is the Motive and
the Action, put together, that gives it its proper Value to the
Receiver. God's Authority may add some kind of Sanction but no
Alteration of outward Circumstances, in him who confers a Benefit,
can ever after change the Nature of the Action, or the Obligations
resulting from it.
And, when we consider, on the other hand, that Sin is committed by a
frail finite Being, very often in its unguarded Moments, prompted by
Passion and Appetite, and surrounded with the most powerful
Temptations; this proves more strongly, that it cannot be infinite.
By the _Justice_ of God, is not meant, that he cannot forgive Sin
without Satisfaction, but that he _will_ not punish the Innocent; He
proposes himself as a Pattern for our Imitation, and bids us
_forgive our offending Brethren, if they repent and desire
Forgiveness:_ and he himself will therefore forgive on the same
Terms; for unless Sin becomes so enormous, as to make Punishment
necessary, _Repentance_ and _Amendment_ is all that God expects. The
Gospel is proposed to Sinners, on these Terms; and as to the Death
of Christ, it were unreasonable to think, he laid down his Life by
way of Satisfaction to Offended Justice, in the Manner these
Gentlemen understand it; but in Testimony of the Truth of his
Doctrines, and Confirmation of God's _great Love_ to the World. This
was the Cause of Christ's Coming in the Flesh. God so loved the
World, that he sent Christ to save it, by such Preaching and
Miracles, and other internal Aids, &_c_. as were in themselves
sufficient to beget Faith in such as gave a proper Attention; such a
Faith, in the Soul, as was productive of Morality and Virtue in
Practice. It was an _original Act_ of Grace and Goodness in God, to
send Christ into the World, to save Sinners, and not (as some
superstitiously teach) a mere Compliance in God the Father (and
that, not without full Satisfaction first made) to the _voluntary_
and _merciful_ Intercession of Christ the Son. For then our
Salvation would be _owing only_ to the Love of Christ, and not _at
all_ to God's Love, who is here considered as a _rigorous_ and
_unrelenting Creditor_, that will not release the Debtor, until full
Satisfaction be made; so that Christ becomes our Creditor, and God
has no farther Demand: and what Need then can there be of
Intercession to God on our Behalf, when the Debt is already paid,
and full Satisfaction made? Christ's coming into the World was
_entirely owing_ to the Father's Mercy. His Doctrine, Miracles,
&_c_. were what he had in Commission from God, as a Means to
instruct and make the World happy; it is he who, instead of being
averse to forgive frail Man his Offences, has through Jesus
_proclaimed Pardon_ to _all_, on Condition of Repentance and
Amendment; and thro' the Love of God it was also, that Christ was
appointed a Mediator for sinful Man: So that the whole Affair arose
from God's own Mercy.
I stand amazed at the Gentlemen, against whom I am arguing; what a
_Scope_ do they give to the _Sovereignty_ of God, in the Doctrines
of _Election_ and _Reprobation?_ And yet they won't _suffer it_ at
all to operate, in the Case of _forgiving Sin_, on the Terms of
Repentance and Amendment. A small, yea _very small_ and reasonable
Allowance, in regard to the _Exertion_ of this Attribute, and in a
_good Cause_ too, would be sufficient to justify the Mercy of God,
in forgiving Sin. If, as a Sovereign, he punishes where no Sin is,
surely he may also, as a Sovereign, forgive Sin. So that this Notion
of the Impossibility of God's forgiving Sin, without Satisfaction
first made, is erroneous and despicable. Repentance and Amendment in
the Creature is, in the Nature of Things, a _much better_
Satisfaction, than can be made by the Act of another. By the
_Justice_ of God, I repeat it again, is meant, that he will not
punish the innocent, and not that he cannot shew Mercy to an
offending, repenting, penitent Creature, unless another sheds his
Blood for an Atonement. Nor is the Righteousness of Christ,
_strictly speaking_, imputable to any one. The Terms of the Gospel
are, _Repent, and be converted, and your Sins shall be blotted out:_
Be _sorry_ and _amend_, and I will _forgive_ you. _The Prayer of a
Righteous Man availeth much;_ and God, in some Cases, to shew his
Regard to the Righteous, and to excite others to become righteous
also, may possibly grant _that_, at the Request of such a righteous
Person, which without, it might be improper to grant; and Christ
being our holy and righteous Mediator, God may do more at his
Request, on our Behalf, than he would do without it. Not but that
(_independent of_ and previous to the Intercession of Christ, at
least to the Account we have of it, in the New Testament) God was
_ever disposed_ to be favourable to Man, and always ready to receive
him, coming to him in a proper and becoming Manner: For even this
very Christ, and his Intercession, &_c_. is all ultimately the Act
of God, and flows from his unbounded Love and Goodness to Man. So
that _imputed Righteousness_ can mean no more, than God's forgiving
us, at the Request of Jesus Christ (whom he sent on purpose to make
that Request, and to do every thing for the Benefit and Happiness of
Man) and not a _real Transfer_ of Christ's _personal_ Righteousness,
which is not only in itself impossible, but would, if true, take
away all Necessity of our becoming holy. The Righteousness of Christ
is altogether different to what these Men take it to be; it is a
real State of Righteousness, wrought in the Soul by the Operation of
Christ's _Spirit_, Man submitting thereto. I know there are some
Expressions in the _New Testament_, which (if precipitantly
understood, without Regard had to the Nature of the Thing, and to
other plain Texts) seem _a little_ to favour these Doctrines. I
can't say, by what Means _precisely_ the _Bible_ came into its
present Condition; many Things might concur to give us wrong
Apprehensions of its true Sense and Meaning, He that understands
human Nature will find, that Men, who have been _great Bigots_ in
any Way of Religion, _will generally retain_ some of their former
Prejudices, even after, in the main, they may have changed their
Principles, Prejudice in Education is a Leaven, not so easily purged
out, as some may imagine; and 'tis possible, the _Writings_ of St.
_Paul_ may have in them a Tincture of this kind; besides what may
have since crept in, by Partiality or Accident: against which, and
_all Errors_ of a like Kind, a due Regard to the _fundamental
Principles_, I have endeavoured to inculcate, will, I hope,
abundantly secure us. These are some succinct Observations, that I
could not well avoid making; which perhaps may shortly be followed
by something more _full_ and _comprehensive_, concerning the
_Virtue_ and _Extent_ of Christ's _Death_, and the Nature of
_imputed Righteousness_. What I have here delivered, concerning
God's _Sovereignty_, is not the Result of a few, hasty, or loose
Thoughts, but the Effect of long and mature Deliberation. I have
weighed over and over the Arguments in my own Breast, and tried
their Strength with People, the most likely to afford me
Satisfaction; and could I have found it in either Way, the World had
never been troubled with these _Free and Impartial Thoughts_.
Permit me, before I make an End, just to observe, in Regard to the
Controversy, between Mr. _J--s_ and Mr. _Taylor_, on the Scripture
Doctrine of _Original Sin;_ that Mr. _J--s_, as well as Dr. _W--s_,
lays great Stress on that frivolous Distinction, mentioned a few
Pages back, of _moral_ and _natural_ Necessity, to that Degree, that
Mr. _Taylor_ is treated somewhat _rudely_, for not perceiving the
Force of it; when I dare aver, _none_ but misguided Zealots, could
ever see any Reason or Argument in it: Nor do some of these very
Men, who urge it, seem to believe it themselves. Ask them how Man
can be justly accountable for Evils, that proceed from a _Nature
depraved in_ Adam, and they immediately leave _this Distinction_,
and recur to the _Covenant;_ and this Covenant they cannot support
by any Argument short of God's _Sovereignty_, which they are welcome
(if they can tell how) to improve to their own Advantage.
To say that Man, in the Fall, has natural Powers to act rightly, and
is therefore condemnable when he does not, tho', by Necessity; he
wants Inclinations to be virtuous, would, to _use_ Mr. _J--s_'s
genteel Language, _be a senseless Falshood, and shew Poverty of
Argument_ (I am loth to add as he does) _and Effrontery too_. Such
Rudeness deserves Lamentation as well as Reproof, nor do I on this
Occasion set before _him_ his _own Words_ with any secret Pleasure,
but purely to shew Mr. _J--s_, how agreeable such a Liberty will
appear, when, in return, it may be offered to himself.