Universal Redemption of Mankind, Chapter 7 · Argument 6
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 God, and that he is the governor of the World, true, Juſt, Merciful, &c. That we owe him perfect obedience; that Sin deſerves his wrath. By experience they may eaſily know that they are Sinners, and ſo liable to miſery: By Gods Judgments, Sickneſs, Death, &c. they may know that God will puniſh: That the Soul is immortal, and puniſhments and rewards are ſpecially in the Life to come, moſt Pagans do acknowledg. Gods abundant Mercies to them may acquaint them that he deals not with them in rigorous ſeverity, and on terms of meer juſtice, but in mercy: And his not executing his Judgments on them according to deſert, but ſhewing ſo much mercy to them, is ſome kind of pardoning them. Hence they may ſee that ſome way God hath for ſhewing mercy to the undeſerving, and for pardoning Sinners, without any wrong to the Honour of his Juſtice, and Holineſs, or to the ends of his Government. And hence they may ſee that they are not certainly help leſs, and remedileſs nor their condition deſperate Though they diſcover not the meritorious cauſe they may diſcern Gods mercy, the principal Efficient moving cauſe. Natural ſelf-love bindeth Men in miſery to ſeek out after remedy, and to diſcover what it is, and how they may attain it. All this the Heathens have manifeſted to us undeniably, in that all ages and Countries of them have confeſſed Gods being and Soveraignty, the Duty of our obeying him, and that they were Sinners and deſerved his Wrath, in this Life and that to come; eſpecially for greater Sins; and that their condition was not hopeleſs, but Gods mercy had a way to help them; and therefore they plyed him with their Prayers and Sacrifices.
Arg. 1. If thoſe that never heard of Chriſt are bound to take their caſe for deſperate, then they are bound to believe an untruth; (for Chriſt may be diſcovered to them, and they ſaved.) But, &c. Ergo, &c.
2. If they are bound to judge their caſe remedileſs, then they are bound to contradict the experience of Gods merciful dealing with them; (which are an actual remedy to part of their miſery and may give them hope of more from the ſame cauſe, if they will ſeek it.) But, &c. Ergo, &c,
3. If they are bound to judge their caſe remedileſs, or not to judge that there is ſome remedy; then they ſhould not be bound to uſe any means, (Praying, Repenting. ſending abroad to enquire after the Remedy in more knowing Countries, &c.) for the attaining Remedy. But the conſequent is falſe. Ergo, &c.
If a Star appearing brought the wiſe men ſo far to ſeek Chriſt, and if men, will travail all over the World for Riches by way of Merchandize; How diligently ſhould men that find themſelves miſerable, enquire far and near for a remedy? And if it were not their duty to uſe means for recovery, then it is not their Sin that they do not uſe them. But he that dare tell them ſo, let him, for I dare not; but the contrary I dare tell them.
4. If all ſuch men are not bound to judge their caſe remediable, and cureable, but hopeleſs; then God ſhould loſe all that common honour and ſervice that he hath from them, and the World would be as Hell, full of nothing but hatred of God, and blaſpheming him, and ſinning to the utmoſt without any ſelf-reſtraint. For he that hath no hope, will uſe no means, nor forbear any evil, but hate God as his Enemy.
5. The Ninevites diſcerned a remedy and ſome hope, and Repentance and Humiliation was Gods means, by which they were actually recovered, I am ſure, from under ſome of Gods wrath, which elſe would have broke out on them; whether from eternal wrath, I know not; but its moſt probable; For they believed God, Jonah 3. 5. and Repented, Mat. 12. 41. Luke 11. 32. Yet there is no intimation that Jonah Preached Chriſt to them, or that they ever heard of him. Men therefore that hear not of Chriſt are bound to uſe means for remedy. And indeed the ſatisfaction of Chriſt is of greater neceſſity to mans Salvation, than our knowledge of Chriſt, or Faith in him: God can ſave them that never knew Chriſt, if he will, (witneſs the caſe of Infants; and elſe there were but few ſaved before Chriſts coming) but morally we may ſay, he cannot ſave them without Chriſts ſatisfaction for their Sin.
6. Acts 17. 27. It is the duty of all Pagans To ſeek the Lord, if happly they might feel after him and find him. And doubtleſs this is to ſeek the recovery of his favour, and not to ſeek it in deſpair, as the Devils.
7. Acts 14. 17. Gods giving rain and fruitful ſeaſons, and filling mens hearts with food and gladneſs, and doing them good, is his witneſs among them. And ſure it witneſſeth his mercy to them, and conſequently their duty.
8. Rom. 2. 4. The Holy Ghoſt expreſly telleth us that men ſhould know that the forbearance, long-ſuffering and goodneſs of God leadeth to Repentance; that is, is a help thereto, and manifeſteth it to be their duty to Repent: And doubtleſs this Repentance is not a helliſh deſpairing Repentance; (for Judgments are fitter to move to that than Mercy,) but a Repentance which is to be uſed as a means to recovery.
9. It is the deſcription of wicked men, that they ſeek not after God, Rom. 3. 11. Pſal. 14. 2 God looks to ſee if there be any that ſeeks him.
10. Many Texts in the Prophets ſhew it to be all mens duty to ſeek the Lord, in order to their finding mercy; (and to deny it, is to turn out the remnants of obedience, or all ſeeds of Religion from the World:) And that God calls them all to Repentance, and to that end that they may not Die, but eſcape his wrath and be recovered. And that he hath ſworn That he hath no pleaſure in the Death of him that Dieth, but rather that he Repent and Live. So that I think it is clear that God appointed even to thoſe that hear not the Goſpel, certain means toward their Recovery: Much more evident is it of all thoſe where the Goſpel is preached.
I ſay not that he commandeth all the former, or any directly to believe in Chriſt; but it muſt be underſtood, that all men are many degrees diſtant from Chriſt, before he draweth them effectually to himſelf. Now the Pagans are more degrees from him than profeſſed Chriſtians (moſtly:) It is not Chriſts way to bring men to himſelf per ſaltum, but by thoſe Degrees of Recovery, which are the particular cure of their degrees of diſtance. One wicked man knows of Chriſt and doth half entertain him, but ſticks at ſome pleaſing Sin. Another knows not that he is miſerable by ſin, nor ever conſidered how to be recovered, nor ever prayed God to ſhew him a way to eſcape his wrath, nor ever heard of Chriſt: This latter muſt receive much of Chriſts mercy before he be brought ſo near to Chriſt as the former. Chriſt loved one wicked man as not being far from the Kingdom of God; and ſome with Agrippa, are almoſt perſwaded to be Chriſtians. Thoſe that be not come ſo far muſt (ordinarily) by degrees be brought to this, before they can go further. If you be in a higher room, and call your Servants to you, you intend they ſhall come up the ſtairs ſtep by ſtep; and if one be two ſtories diſtant from you, and another but one, the former muſt go up all the firſt ſtairs before he come as near you as the latter is. The Gentiles that believed not, are further off, and more ſtrangers to God than the common Jews were. Now God hath not given them that hear not of Chriſt ſufficient means or help to Believe (nor hath he given any believer ſufficient Grace for Salvation, till he ſaveth him.) But he preſcribeth ſome means to all men in the World which they are to uſe, to bring them nearer Chriſt and Faith, and to remove impediments: As to conſider of what the Book of Nature and daily providences teach them of God: To ſtudy him in his mercies and Judgments. To ſtudy their own hearts till they find their Sin and miſery: To uſe all their intereſt and utmoſt endeavours to enquire what remedy God hath revealed to the World: To continue in Prayer, faſting and Alms deeds as Cornelius did, and to break off their Sins by repentance. Theſe are their duties: And for not doing theſe, in the improvement of their Talents, they ſhall be condemned by Chriſt the Redeemer at the Bar of grace, (as oppoſed to that of Juſtice according to the ſole Law of works.) And (though that belong not to this controverſie) I doubt not but they have ſufficient help which is not effectual to the doing of more in theſe means then they do; and ſo they will be left unexcuſable at Judgment. Even as the Ignorant and ungodly where the Goſpel is preached, have ſufficient power (which is not effectual through their own wilfulneſs) to hear the word, to come into better company and to uſe more means to get Faith then they do, though they have not power or grace ſufficient to believe. And the duty of hearing, &c. Goes in order before that of believing.
All this being thus evinced (That God hath preſcribed to all Men, means of recovery) I come to the Argument. And for the Minor I think I need not ſtand to prove it (That God hath not appointed Men deluſory means, which if uſed according to his appointmennt would not do any thing towards the attainment of the end) ſo apparently is ſuch a conceit injurious to the Wiſdom, goodneſs and faithfulneſs of God.
And for the Major it ſeems to me as plain, (That no means can do any thing to the recovery or Salvation of that Man, for whom Chriſt made not ſatisfaction by his Death) Suppoſing this means were uſed never ſo rightly.) For 1. The uſe of all means is but to apply or convey the benefits of Chriſts Satisfaction. Therefore where Chriſt hath made no ſatisfaction for a Man, there it is impossible that any means ſhould give him to participate of the benefits of his ſatisfaction: At leaſt of Pardon and Salvation. 2. Elſe you make a Saviour of the means, or make them more neceſſary then Chriſts Satisfaction: For if by means that Man may be ſaved that Chriſt dyed not for, then he is ſaved without Chriſts Death. And if God might do ſo by all the Non Elect, why not by all the reſt.
If any ſay, It is certain that they will not uſe the means rightly and therefore will not be ſaved; I anſwer 1. This ſhall be anon further conſidered 2. That is nothing to the matter. The queſtion is, Why theſe Men are not ſaved? Whether it be not for want of a right uſe of the means? But according to the Doctrin oppoſed, it is not: For no means could ſave them, if they were never ſo well uſed. 1. No Prayer can be heard if ſatisfaction be not firſt made for the Sins of the Petitioner. 2. Repentance can be no means, but only a Concomitant of deſperation if ſatisfaction for Sin go not before it. 3. Faith is but reſting for Salvation on one that never redeemed the Perſon, and ſo cannot ſave him, if ſatisfaction for that Perſon go not before it. 4. Hope would be wholly ungrounded, and deceitful like the hopes of the wicked, if there were no ſatisfaction. 5. Love to Chriſt as our Redeemer, and gratitude for ſatisfaction, would be a miſtaken Act, as being for a mercy never received. 6. Nay ſhould the Non-redeemed live as holily as any Saint on Earth, yea as innocently as an Angel, it would not ſave him; becauſe of the guilt which he hath already contracted. So that by this Doctrin all the means which God hath appointed moſt Men for their pardon and Salvation, would be deluſory and vain if never ſo well performed: Which is not true, nor tollerable.