02.03.06. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Shews, that the State of the Heathen, is a weighty Objection, to the Scheme of a conditional Provision of Salvation made for all Mankind.

I. THE ingenious Author of The Ruin and Recovery of Mankind, professedly treats of the State of the Heathen World; but is very sparing in what he delivers on this Subject, which I imagine might arise from a Consciousness, that their Circumstances, are a very strong Objection to the Scheme, he endeavours to defend. In Fact at least, I am strongly persuaded, it is so, whether he had any Apprehensions of it or not: For if a conditional Provision of Salvation, is made for all Men without Exception, and if God really intended to save every Individual of Mankind, on Condition of Faith in Christ, Repentance and a Renewal unto Holiness, it is reasonable to think, that God in his Providence, would take Care that the Revelation of this his Design should be as extensive, as the Design itself. For how can God expect Men to believe in his Son, if they never hear that there is such a Person as Christ?

II. The learned Author, on this Subject, sets out with a manifest Mistake, and asserts That is not to be doubted, which no considerate Person can ever believe, viz. That the Gospel has been twice preached to all Mankind, first by Adam, and afterwards by Noahf51. If by all Mankind he intends all the natural Descendants of Adam, he liv’d to see, but a small Number of them, comparatively to the many Millions, who have been born since his Decease, which may also be said of Noah; and therefore it cannot with the least Appearance of Truth, be affirm’d that either of them preach’d the Gospel to all Men. If he means all Mankind, who liv’d in their respective Ages, it is using the Terms All Mankind in a very limited Sense indeed: And a very small Part of the human Race, are included in those Terms. Such an ambiguous Use of the Terms is very unfair, in treating on a Subject, wherein every Man without Exception is supposed to be concern’d: They must be very unwary and extremely credulous Readers, who are impos’d on by such an Artifice. With as much Truth it might be said, yeas with less Appearance of False-hood, that Dr. Owen preached the Gospel to the same Individuals, as Dr. Watts now does, which he did not, as I suppose, to any of them; and I fear that the Doctrine, which Dr. Owen greatly recommended, is but too, too much desregarded by a Minister, who succeeds him, tho’ not immediately, in the Work of preaching to a Congregation, who in Dr. Owen’s Life-time had the Honour and Advantage of his Instructions; and that as an Effect thereof, the solid and found Divinity, which he zealously defended, is become distateful to many, if not to the greater Part of that Community. It cannot be said, that either Adam or Noah preached the Gospel to all Mankind, in that Sense, in which the Term Mankind is ever used in this Controversy, it is not put for the Number of Men who exist in any particular Age; but for all Men, who did exist in former Ages, who exist in the present, and who shall exist in future Ages.

Neither of them preach’d the Gospel to Men, born hundreds and thousands of Years after their Departure out of this Life. And I should think, it can’t be apprehended, that Noah preach’d the Gospel to all Men who liv’d in his own Time, before the Flood: Its probable, that not so much as his Name was known, in many Parts of the habitable World, before the universal Deluge, which was brought upon the Earth.

III. Until the Law was given on Mount Sinai, those Revelations, which God was pleased to afford to holy Men, were not writtenf52. So that Mankind had not, in preceding Ages, the Advantage of a standing Revelation: They had indeed the Benefit of their pious Instructions, so far as their Influence reach’d; but that was far from being of universal Extent: And as the Mind of Man is naturally averse to spiritual Things, it is reasonable to think, that those Lessons of Piety, which the holy Patriarchs taught, might make but little Impression, on the Souls of Men in general, and that they might soon, entirely loose all Sense of those pious Instructions they receiv’d from them, which divine Revelation, assures us was actually the Case, and that all Flesh corrupted their Way, and sunk into the Practice of the most stupid Idolatry.

IV. When a standing Revelation was given, the Jews were the only People in the World, who were favour’d therewith, for many Ages: Other Nations were permitted to live in gross Darkness, and fatal Ignorance: They sat in Darkness, and in the Shadow of Death: The Lord shewed his Work to Jacob; his Statutes and his Judgments to Israel; he dealt not so with any Nation, and as for his Judgments they knew them not. The other numerous Nations in the World, receiv’d no Notices of the Messiah, who should be born, and become, The Author of eternal Redemption, to those who obey him.

V. It appears from those Accounts, which are given us of the Gentile Nations, in the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles, that in general they were devoted to Destruction, without an information of a divine Design, to save any Part of the human Race. God poured out his Fury on the Heathen: They were not a People for many Ages, but were Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel, and Strangers from the Covenants of Promise, were without Hope, and without God in the World. The Gospel therefore for Series of Ages, was concealed from them: How this can comport with a Decree to save every Individual of Mankind, on Condition of Faith in Christ, will be exceeding difficult to demonstrate. The Dispensatioins of Providence, toward the far greater Part of Mankind, for a long Tract of Years, will not easily be reconciled, with such a conditional Purpose of saving every Man by Jesus Christ. Besides. it is not to be prov’d, that every Nation in the World, even in these Gospel Times, has heard of Christ and Salvation by him. And in many Places, where the Gospel has been preach’d Ages since, Men have no more Sense and Remembrance of it, than if such a gracious Discovery had never been made, in those Parts of the World. If it should be said, That those Nations are deprived of the Light of the Gospel, for their Sins and Opposition to it, I would ask, if it is for their own Sins, or for the Sins of their Ancestors?

If for the Sins of their Fore fathers, their Salvation and Damnation, depended not on their own Wills and Conduct; but on the Wills and Behaviour of their Progenitors, which cannot be admitted. If they are deprived of the glorious Light of the Gospel, for their own Sins, this supposes, that God intended to save them by the Gospel of his Son; but foreseeing in what Manner they would conduct themselves, under that great Advantage, he determin’d to leave them, to eternally perish without it, whereas the Nature of the divine Decrees, according to this Opinion, necessarily requires, that they should hear the Gospel, whatever may have been the Carriage of their Ancestors, or in what Manner soever they would conduct themselves under it.

VI. The Calling of the Gentiles to the Participation of the Gospel Salvation, and evangelical Privileges, is represented as a Mystery. The preaching of Christ among the Gentiles is one Branch of the great Mystery of Godliness. ‘Tis true in the prophetical Writings, very plain Predictions are delivered, that so it should be, and that great Success would attend its Publication among them: But because many Ages past, before those Predictions had their Accomplishment, and the Jews contracted a great Dislike of them, and were very much prepossess’d in their own Favor, to the Contempt of the Gentiles, they lost the true Sense of these Prophecies, and even when the Gentiles were converted to the Christian Faith, it was with great Difficulty they were persuaded, that God intended their Salvation, and upon a Conviction of the Reality of such a Purpose in God, concerning heathen Sinners, they were fill’d with Astonishment. God suffered them to walk in Darkness to their eternal Destruction for many Centuries, and winked at those Times of Ignorance. The Author of The Ruin and Recovery of Mankind, interprets uperidwn, of a lighter Degree of Punishment; but that Sense is plainly contrary to the Scope of the Place (Acts 17:30.). The Meaning of it is, God neglected to furnish them with a Revelation of his Will, or suffered them to live in Blindness and Ignorance.

VII. That the Punishment, which will be inflicted on heathen Sinners, will be lighter, than that, which will be inflicted on such Sinners, who hear the Gospel, and refuse an Assent to it, and oppose that glorious Scheme of Salvation by Christ, is readily granted; but surely this fails of proving, that a conditional Provision of Happiness, Is made for such a Part of Mankind, as know nothing, and never had Means or Opportunity of knowing any thing of the Gospel.

VIII. Wherever God hath any considerable Number of People whom he intends to save, he sends his Gospel, as is clearly signified to the Apostle, No Man shall set on thee to hurt thee, for I have much People in this City (Acts 18:10.). And therefore in those Places where the Gospel is not preached, we have no Reason to think, that there are any considerable Number of Persons, for whom Salvation is design’d: Where there is such a Number the Word of God is sent, they are gather’d in to Christ, a Church State is let up, evangelical Institutions are practised, and Gospel Privileges are enjoy’d.

IX. It is not to be dissembled, that the Arminians turn this Objection upon us, say they, if God designs to save some of all Nations and Families of the Earth, as you yourselves allow he does, it lies upon you to answer this Objection, as well as upon us. To which I observe we are able to do it, upon our Principles, beyond any just Exception or Reply. For,

1. We maintain indeed, that God has elect Persons of every Nation; but then its only known to him, who they are, and in what Ages they do or shall exist. There Persons he will either bring out of those dark Regions, into Places where the Light of the Gospel is, or he will send his Gospel to those Parts where they reside.

2. Tho’ God may not have any Persons, whom he designs to save, in this or that particular Nation, in this Century, or had not in some foregoing Centuries, he may have such among them, in succeeding Times, those Persons he will certainly call, and they shall enjoy the glorious Light of his Gospel, and if this is not accomplished, until the latter Day, when the Gospel shall have a surprising Spread, and the Knowledge of the Lord shall cover the Earth, as the Waters do the Seas: This furnishes out no solid Objection to our Opinion, for if it hath not its Accomplishment before, it certainly shall have, when the Fulness of the Gentiles, shall be brought in.