02.02.01. Chapter 1
CHAPTER 1 Contains Answers to the Author’s General Arguments in Favour of the Universal Extent of the Death of CHRIST THE universal Extent of Christ’s Death, is spoken of with as much Freedom and Assurance, as if the Scripture had expressly said, he died for ALL MEN: Which is not once affirmed, in any Part of the sacred Writings. Nor is it said, he tasted Death for every MAN (Hebrews 2:9.). Anqrwpov Man is not in the Text, in the Greek, we have only pantov, which is either an Enallage of Number, for pantwn, all, or uiou, or adelov, may be understood, agreeable to the Scope of the Writer, for every Son, or for every, Brother; that is to say, for every Individual of those Sons, and Brethren, whom God intended to bring to Glory (Hebrews 2:10.). And therefore, those Words are not a proper Foundation for the Author of The Ruin and Recovery of Mankind, to proceed upon in shewing, in what Sense Christ died for every Man. But I shall attend to his Arguments, and he argues thus:
Arg. 1. We may suppose it is owing to the exuberant Merits of Christ, that this Earth continues to be the Habitation for Mankind; and that the Life of Adam and Eve, were preferred some hundreds of Years after the Day in which they first sinned, since the express Word or Threatening consign’d them over to Death immediately. (Page 215.)
Answ. 1. It is very probable that pardoning Mercy was extended to our first Parents, and that they were eternally saved.
2. If that Threatening had been immediately executed, there would have been none of the human Race to be either saved or lost. As God had a Design of saving some of their Descendants, they must of Necessity be continued in Life, not only so long as to have Seed: But a Time sufficient to provide for, succour, and protect that Seed during the State of Infancy. And if the whole Number of the Elect are born into the World, Men must be placed in such Circumstances as will admit of it. Surely it can’t be reasonably thought, that to bring Men into Being, and suffer them to dwell on the Earth, for a Course of Years, are a Proof, that God intends to bring them to Heaven, or that he has made Provision for that Purpose.
3. Deferring the Execution of Punishment, for a Season, Is no solid Argument, that God designs the Salvation of Men, for he permits some to live for many Years, who treasure up Wrath against the Day of Wrath, and with an Intention that they may so do.
Arg. 2. ‘Tis owing to the superabundant Merit of the Obedience and Sufferings of Christ, that the Earth is appointed still, and order’d to produce such a Variety of Supports and Comforts for Mankind in their successive Generations. (Page 216.)
Answ. 1. If it is the Will of God, that there should be successive Generations of Men, he must be supposed to will that they enjoy what is necessary to the Nourishment and Support of animal Life, without that, there could not be such a Succession of the human Race.
2. The Comforts of Life are new Covenant Blessings to all those for whom Christ died, such they are not to all Men, for Riches are sometimes kept for the Owners thereof to their Hurt. And therefore merely from Men’s enjoying those Comforts, we are not to conclude as this Author does, That God is upon Terms of Grace and Reconciliation, with all the Rebel Race of his Creature Man. (217.)
3. Many such who are excluded a Share in spiritual Blessings, are favoured with a large Profusion of temporal good Things: As Ishmael, Esau, Pharoah, and many Millions of others, to argue from the Bounty of God’s Providence, to the Purposes of his Grace, is very inconclusive: Indians may be thought to have as good a Ground of Hope, of being the Favourites of Heaven upon this Principle, as Christians themselves, for their abound in the Riches and Delights of Nature.
Arg. 3. That Mankind have the common Faculties of Nature continued to them, is to be ascribed to the Undertaking of Christ: That they have the Use of their Senses and Limbs in any Measures of Health, Ease, Vigour, and Activity; for there were all forfeited by sin, and included in the Word, Death. All this is probably owing to Christ. (Ibid.)
Answ. If I understand the Author’s Meaning in this Argument, it is this, that our continuing to be Men or rational Creatures, is owing to the Merit of Christ, such Sinners will eternally remain in Hell, so that this merely is no great Advantage to Mankind. Farther he seems to me to apprehend, that our natural Senses are enjoyed by us on the same Account, and the Vigour and Activity of our Limbs, without which Mankind would soon become extinct: Whence it follows, that if God wills a Succession of Men in the World, he must be thought to will that Mankind should enjoy each of these, at least so far, as is necessary to the Propagation of their Race. When I come to treat of the Annihilation of Infants, which is the Opinion of this learned Writer, I shall shew that it was not our Being, which we forfeited by Sin; but our Well-Being or Happiness only: So that the Continuance of our Existence, is not to be ascribed to the Death of Christ, as the meritorious Cause of it.
Arg. 4. That Men have any Sparks of natural Virtue, Benevolence, Goodness and Compassion is probably the Fruit of the Mediation of Christ. (218.)
Answ. 1. It is a Favour that God in his Providence checks and restrains the unbounded Lusts of Men, thereby they are prevented contracting a great Deal of Guilt, which their vicious Nature prompts them to. 2. This also is necessary to the Accomplishment of God’s gracious Designs concerning his Elect, for without such a Restraint upon Men, it is more than probable the human Race would soon cease to be, so extravagant is the Madness, Rage, and Enmity of Men. 3. As God may of his absolute Will, defer Punishment for a Time, he may confer Favours on Men, and let such Bounds to their Lusts, as his own Designs render necessary, without Regard to the Merit of Christ, as a procuring Cause, of such a Communication of Benefits to them, and of laying such a Restraint upon their unruly, and impetuous Passions; from hence therefore it cannot fairly be concluded, that Christ died for every Man.
Arg. 5. That all Mankind have had a Gospel revealed to them, or a Covenant of Grace proposed to their Acceptance, first by Adam, and afterwards by Noah, proceeds from the generous Undertaking of Christ. (218.)
Answ. 1. God in the first Promise made to fallen Man, clearly signified his peculiar, and distinguishing Favour to some of the human Race, and his Rejection of others of them, by the express Mention which he therein makes, of the Seed of the Woman, and the Seed of the Serpent. 2. Neither Adam nor Noah, proposed the Covenant of Grace to all Mankind, i.e. the whole World, for they lived to see but a very inconsiderable Part of Mankind comparatively. 3. Their Descendants soon lost all Memory of this Revelation, and became as ignorant of it, as if such a Revelation had never been afforded to their pious Progenitors.
Arg. 6. ‘Tis probably owing to the same Undertaking of Christ, and the overflowing Value of his Righteousness and Death, that there are so many Means of Grace and divine assistances, both outward and inward, afforded to whole Nations where the Gospel comes. (220.)
Answ. 1. Since hearing is the appointed Means of Faith, it can’t be, but that those concerning whom God hath no Intention of working Faith in them, must hear the Gospel with those about whom he hath such a Design, since they reside among them. 2. But God affords not the Gospel as a Means of ingenerating Faith in such, on whom he never purposed to confer that Grace. 3. Divine Assistances are not afforded to such, in order to Salvation, who are appointed to Wrath. 4. These supposed Assistances, are sufficient, or they are not, ‘tis certain they are not, because it is not allow’d that any gracious Habits are infused. Sin retains its Dominion in the Heart: Men continue dead in Sin, and their Minds remain carnal, and Enmity against God: They are still unregenerate, in the Flesh, and cannot please their Maker. It is very trifling to talk of Divine Assistances, being afforded to Men, in order to their Salvation, who are left of God in a State of Unregeneracy.
Arg. 7. In the last Place, ‘tis owing to the most redundant Merit of Christ our Lord, that such a conditional Pardon and Salvation, or such conditional Propositions of Peace as the Gospel expresses, were ever provided for them who were not elected. (221.)
Answ. 1. It is not to be proved, that such a conditional Provision of Salvation, is made for all the Non-Elect, at most, it can he made for some of them only; unless it is supposed and allow’d, that they (i.e. many of them) remain wholly ignorant of those Conditions, which are required to Salvation, because no Revelation is in Providence afforded to vast Numbers of the human Species.
2. Not one Soul will ever be saved by such a conditional Provision, which I intend to prove, the Lord assisting, hereafter. This therefore represents God as designing to save Millions of Men, but for Want of suitably providing for the Accomplishment of that Design, he is disappointed of his End, and those Steps which he takes to it are all ineffectual. When Men shall be able to prove, that God is not infinitely wise, they may prove him to be the Author of a Design, that certainly will not be executed; when it shall be made evident, that he is not infinitely powerful, then indeed it may be granted, that the Means he uses to a certain End, may fail of compassing that End, that is to say, when it is proved, that he is not God, then there Things may follow, but not till then.
3. The Invitations and Declarations delivered in the Gospel, are not expressive of such a conditional Provision of Salvation for all Men; but of the Characters of such Persons as shall be saved, in whom God by his Spirit, works Desires of Salvation by Christ, and they are designed as Encouragements to such Persons only. And therefore no Argument can justly be formed from thence, in Favour of a Design in God to save Men universally.