The Universalist Examined and Convicted, Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. Of the ſeventh Objection.
A ſeventh argument produced by him is this.
[If God intended life for all men by Chriſt death, he would certainely have uſed ſome meanes to bring all men to the knowledge of Chriſt, and ſo to repentance and faith.
But to many he giveth no meanes at all; to others denied meanes when his ſervants would have carried the ſame. Therefore.]
This argument was the fifth argument in the conference, and in its right formation runneth thus.
[If Chriſt have procured reconciliation and remiſſion by his death for every man, none excepted, then the word of reconciliation would and ſhould have been preached to every man, none excepted.]
But the word of reconciliation is not &c.
Ergo, Chriſt did not procure remiſſion for all and every man.]
But to take his argument as it runneth, I ſhall firſt ſhow the force of the argument; it is but conſonant to the wiſdome of God, to have made ſuch a purchaſe by his Sonne, or Chriſt by himſelfe at ſo deare a rate as his blood, and that for the good of men, that he ſhould make a diſcovery of this, that ſo men might come to partake of it and the benefits of it; for no man can partake of this remiſſion but by faith, Rom. 3.25. and faith is not ordinarily begotten but by the word, Rom. 10.14. hence the Apoſtle putteth both together, 2 Cor. 5.15.18.19. with dying and reconciling, he committed the Goſpel of reconciliation to the Apoſtles; but that many millions die without any knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt, Scripture ſhoweth and experience witneſſeth. Now to perpend his anſwer; hereto he ſaith.
[This objection denyeth neither the death or ranſome of Chriſt to be for all men, but onelyonly any intendment of life and ſaving grace thereby.]
And doth this cleare him from the force of this argument? he is ſufficiently confounded hereby; becauſe he holdeth that his purchaſe, and ranſome, and death, was with an intendment of life to every man, as he ſaith, page 15. [He hath wrought for all men that they might be eternally ſaved;] doth not this ſufficiently diſcover the folly of the Author in anſwering the objection with that which confirmeth it and overthroweth himſelfe? He further ſaith.
[Nor for any but where the Goſpel is not granted.]
And enough too; becauſe if Chriſt died not for all thoſe where the Goſpel never commeth, he died not for every man without exception. Yet he can manfully ſay the force of the objection is weake, and his grounds follow.
[The Scripture hath expreſſely affirmed Gods intention to be that they all might be ſaved, and repent, and beleeve, and be further ſaved. Ezeck. 33.11. Iohn. 3.17. Iohn. 1.4.7. Rom. 2.4. 1 Tim. 2.4. 2 Pet. 3.9.]
But what doth this helpe him? certainely nothing; becauſe that to deny Gods intendment of life to all, was nothing againſt him, as even now he profeſſed.
2. If he meane every ſonne of Adam, no place cited by him cleareth it; it is not ſuitable to reaſon, that God ſhould intend thoſe men might or ſhould beleeve and be further ſaved, whom he decreed from eternity ſhould be damned: this I have at large provd.
3. If the Author ſo confidently can ſay, that it is Gods intention that all men ſhould beleeve, he need not be ſo ſqueemiſh at the affirming that it is his intention that all men ſhould be eternally ſaved, which I finde him ſometimes and others of his opinion ſo loth to affirme. But he further ſaith.
[If we cannot in the workes of God ſee the fulfilling of the ſayings of God, it becomes us to admire his wiſdome and holineſſe, and bewaile our ignorance, &c. and not by raſh judging deny the truth of his words, Rom. 11.33.]
True, if we be ſure ſuch a thing is the worke of God, if we cannot fathome it, to admire the wiſdome of God is good, as Rom. 11.33. but we may admire our owne folly and bewaile it, to put ſuch a ſenſe on Scripture, as that we cannot make it and the wiſdome of God to meete; we deny not the truth of Gods words but the Authors gloſſe; and if he can prove it to be truly the worke of God, or that it is a truth, I ſhall admire, though I cannot fathom it. Hitherto I conceive he hath been oppugning the major; afterwards he cometh to the minor, and thus ſaith.
[The Scripture teſtifieth that God hath and doth uſe ſome meanes towards all men, not onelyonly in his workes of creation and providence, which giveth ſome teſtimony of his goodneſſe, &c. but with ſome further light, yea it may be ſome rumour of the Goſpel, as much as drew Rahab to beleeve, &c.]
Hereby attempting to prove, that ſome diſcovery of the purchaſe is made knowne to every man. But very confidently he ſaith God affordeth ſome meanes to all men, but ſhowes not to what end, whether to manifeſt his power and Godhead, and meer goodneſſe; or further to ſhow his mercy in our repairing; but this latter is moſt ſuiteable to his purpoſe and the argument; but what meanes doth he uſe? he ſaith, [not onelyonly by his workes of creation and providence,] to intimate that thoſe are meanes to diſcover ſomething of Chriſt; but without ground; for the creation can no more alone diſcover a Saviour, then they could in the creature; goodneſſe we may ſee in the creature, but not mercy: indeed if we have a word with them, it can tell us we have ſinned and ſo forfeited all, then we may ſee mercy, not elſe, and all that the creation diſcovers is power and Godhead; but this there was before any mercy, and may be without it; but he ſaith, [With further light,] but ſpeaketh not what that is, therefore I cannot anſwer; but he addeth, [It may be ſome rumour of the Goſpel,] but no Scripture ſaith it; if it doe, why doth he darken truth with [May be?] if it doe not, why doth he oppugne truth with (may be?) he muſt not thinke to overthrow arguments with [May be…s;] as for the rumour that was made to Adam, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Jacob, Rahab, &c. unleſſe he learne better skill in probation,Apolog. c. 7. ſ. 8. in reſp. ad Art. 31. A 11. it will not be very eaſie to prove that that thoſe had knowledge of Chriſt, or of a Saviour; the Remonſtrants will tell him that faith in Jeſus was not required of the fathers under the Old Teſtament, but onelyonly in God: and Arminius will not onelyonly queſtion but ſtrongly argue, that the faithfull in the Old Teſtament, did not know that the Law typed out Chriſt and his benefits; but I doe not ſo ſatisfie the Author; but what if Adam, Noah, Shem, Abraham, &c. did hear and know ſomething? what is this to every individuall man that ever was or ſhall be? the ſtrongeſt aſſerters of this general diſcovery of the goſpel, have yet been forced to confeſſe the contrary;in Perk. 258. Corv. in M. c. 28. ſ. 8. Act. Synod. 327. 316. 285. Col. Hag. 179. Col. Hag. in Arg. 5. Arminius himſelfe ſaith thus, Cauſa cur deus omnibus Chriſtum non revelet eſt quod parentes repudiaverunt,] (that is) the cauſe why God doth not reveale Chriſt to all, is, becauſe their parents have rejected: if he give a reaſon, then certainely that muſt be a truth of which he giveth a reaſon, that Chriſt is not revealed to all; and the Remonſtrants confeſſe, [Ecce populos quoſdam etiam hujus temporis qui adhucdum nihil de hoc reconciliationis verbo ſciunt;] (that is) there is a people in this time, that never heard a word of that worke of reconciliation; and in this thing they miſerably falter; ſometimes they ſay, [As much as in him lieth he diſpenſeth it;] ſometimes [for his part he is ready to take care that it be preached;] ſometimes [he commandeth it to be preached;] ſometimes [it ought to be preached;] ſometimes [it may be preached;] and if it were poſſible, would ſay many more to ſalve it. And therefore though we will not ſay that God doth not uſe any meanes to know him and his Godhead, yet we may ſay, he uſeth no meanes to every man to diſcover Chriſt and the redemption by him. He further ſaith.
[Gods denyall of his ſervants to preach in ſome places for a time, as in Acts, 16.6, 7. proveth not an utter deniall of all meanes to them (and among many reaſons he giveth this one, but he may deny it for one time, yet grant it for an other.]
All this may be received, yet we not hurt; for we ſay not that he denyeth them all meanes to know him, but meanes to know Chriſt he did; and what though he granted the Goſpel afterwards to thoſe places, yet in the intervall of time did not many (thinketh he,) die without knowledge of Chriſt? as for example, many Gentiles periſhed in ignorance of Chriſt, during the time of the Goſpels confinement to the Jews, though afterward it was granted to the Gentiles: and if ſo, our Minor is yet firme; nothing of moment doth he elſe produce but what confirmeth that aſſumption that he would overthrow.
Thus have I martialed up our arguments in their native force, and his anſwers in their greateſt ſtrength; and herein have been as faithfull as I am able; and whether he hath abated the force of any one argument, or given any thing but cavills to darken the truth, I leave to any indifferent reader to judge; and what faithfulneſſe he hath obſerved in laying downe our arguments, I leave alſo to judge; in the next Chapter wee ſhall ſee if he have any more dexterity in producing his owne arguments, then he hath manifeſted in reciting ours.