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Robert Barclay > Apology for the True
Christian Divinity > Propositions 5 and 6: Concerning the Universal Redemption by
Christ, and also the Saving and Spiritual Light wherewith every man is
enlightened
THE FIFTH AND SIXTH PROPOSITIONS
Concerning the Universal Redemption by Christ, and also the Saving and
Spiritual Light wherewith every man is enlightened
THE FIFTH PROPOSITION
GOD, out of his infinite love, who delighteth not in the death of a sinner, but that all
should live and be saved,a hath so loved
the world, that he hath given his only Son a Light, that whosoever believeth in him shall be saved
(John 3:16), "who enlighteneth EVERY man that cometh into the world" (John 1:9),
and "maketh manifest all things that are reprovable" (Eph. 5:13), and teacheth all
temperance, righteousness, and godliness; and this Light enlighteneth the hearts of all in a day, in
order to salvation; and this is it which reproves the sin of all individuals, and would work out the
salvation of all, if not resisted. Nor is it less universal than the seed of sin, being the purchase of
his death, "who tasted death for every man: for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall
be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22).
THE SIXTH PROPOSITION
According to which principle or hypothesis all the objections against the universality
of Christ's death are easily solved; neither is it needful to recur to the ministry of angels, and those
other miraculous means which they say God useth to manifest the doctrine and history of Christ's
passion unto such, who, living in the places of the world where the outward preaching of the
Gospel is unknown, have well improved the first and common grace. For as hence it well follows
that some of the old philosophers might have been saved, so also may some,
who by providence are cast into those remote parts of the world where the knowledge of the
history is wanting, be made partakers of the divine mystery, if they receive and resist not that
grace, "a manifestation whereof is given to every man to profit withal."b This
most certain doctrine being then received, that there is an evangelical and saving Light and
grace in all, the universality of the love and mercy of God towards mankind, both in the
death of his beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the manifestation of the Light in the heart,
is established and confirmed, against all the objections of such as deny it. Therefore Christ
"hath tasted death for every man,"c not only for all kinds of men, as some vainly talk, but for every man
of all kinds; the benefit of whose offering is not only extended to such who have the distinct
outward knowledge of his death and sufferings, as the same is declared in the Scriptures, but even
unto those who are necessarily excluded from the benefit of this knowledge by some inevitable
accident; which knowledge we willingly confess to be very profitable and comfortable, but not
absolutely needful unto such from whom God himself hath withheld it; yet they may be made
partakers of the mystery of his death (though ignorant of the history), if they suffer his Seed and
Light, enlightening their hearts, to take place; in which Light communion with the Father and the
Son is enjoyed, so as of wicked men to become holy, and lovers of that power, by whose inward
and secret touches they feel themselves turned from the evil to the good, and learn to "do to
others as they would be done by," in which Christ himself affirms all to be included. As they have then falsely and erroneously taught, who have denied Christ to
have died for all men; so neither have they sufficiently taught the Truth, who, affirming him to
have died for all, have added the absolute necessity of the outward knowledge thereof, in order to
obtain its saving effect. Among whom the Remonstrants of Holland have
been chiefly wanting, and many other asserters of universal redemption, in that they have not
placed the extent of his salvation in that divine and evangelical principle of Light and
Life wherewith Christ hath "enlightened every man that cometh into the
world," which is excellently and evidently held forth in these scriptures: Gen. 6:3; Deut.
30:14; John 1:7-9,16; Rom. 10:8; Tit. 2:11.
Hitherto we have considered man's fallen, lost, corrupted, and degenerated condition.
Now it is fit to enquire how, and by what means he may come to be freed out of this miserable
and depraved condition, which in these two propositions is declared and demonstrated; which I
thought meet to place together because of their affinity, the one being as it were an explanation of
the other.
As for that doctrine which these propositions chiefly strike at, to wit, absolute
reprobation, according to which some are not afraid to assert: That God, by an eternal and
immutable decree, hath predestinated to eternal damnation the far greater part of mankind, not
considered as made, much less as fallen, without any respect to their disobedience or sin, but only
for the demonstrating of the glory of his justice; and that for the bringing this about he hath
appointed these miserable souls necessarily to walk in their wicked ways, that so his justice may
lay hold on them: and that God doth therefore not only suffer them to be liable to this misery in
many parts of the world, by withholding from them the preaching of the Gospel and the
knowledge of Christ, but even in those places where the Gospel is preached, and salvation by
Christ is offered; whom though he publicly invite them, yet he justly condemns for disobedience,
albeit he hath withheld from them all grace by which they could have laid hold of the Gospel, viz.:
Because he hath, by a secret will unknown to all men, ordained and decreed (without any respect
had to their disobedience or sin) that they shall not obey, and that the offer of the Gospel shall
never prove effectual for their salvation, but only serve to aggravate and occasion their greater
condemnation.
I say, as to this horrible and blasphemous doctrine, our cause is
common with many others, who have both wisely and learnedly, according to Scripture, reason,
and antiquity, refuted it. Seeing then that so much and so well is said already against this doctrine, that little can be superadded, except what hath been said already, I
shall be short in this respect; yet because it lies so in opposition to my way, I cannot let it
altogether pass.
§I. First, We may safely call this doctrine a novelty,
seeing the first four hundred years after Christ there is no mention made of it: for as it is contrary
to the Scripture's testimony, and to the tenor of the Gospel, so all the ancient writers, teachers,
and doctors of the church pass it over with a profound silence. The first foundations of it were
laid in the later writings of Augustine, who, in his heat against Pelagius, let fall some expressions
which some have unhappily gleaned up, to the establishing of this error; thereby contradicting the
Truth, and sufficiently gainsaying many others, and many more and frequent expressions of the
same Augustine. Afterwards was this doctrine fomented by Dominicus, a friar, and the monks of
his order; and at last unhappily taken up by John Calvin (otherwise a man in divers respects to be
commended), to the great staining of his reputation, and defamation both of the Protestant and
Christian religion; which though it received the decrees of the Synod of Dort for its confirmation,
hath since lost ground, and begins to be exploded by most men of learning and piety in all
Protestant churches. However, we should not quarrel it for the silence of the ancients, paucity of
its asserters, or for the learnedness of its opposers, if we did observe it to have any real bottom in
the writings or sayings of Christ and the apostles, and that it were not highly injurious to God
himself, to Jesus Christ our Mediator and Redeemer, and to the power, virtue, nobility, and
excellency of his blessed Gospel, and lastly unto all mankind.
§II. First, It is highly injurious to God, because it makes
him the author of sin, which of all things is most contrary to his nature. I confess the asserters of
this principle deny this consequence; but that is but a pure illusion, seeing it so naturally follows
from their doctrine, and is equally ridiculous, as if a man should pertinaciously deny that one and
two make three. For if God has decreed that the reprobated ones shall perish, without all respect
to their evil deeds, but only of his own pleasure, and if he hath also decreed long before they were
in being, or in a capacity to do good or evil, that they should walk in those wicked ways, by which, as by a secondary means, they are led to that end; who, I pray, is the
first author and cause thereof but God, who so willed and decreed? This is as natural a
consequence as can be: and therefore, although many of the preachers of this doctrine have
sought out various, strange, strained, and intricate distinctions to defend their opinion, and avoid
this horrid consequence; yet some, and that of the most eminent of them, have been so plain in the
matter, as they have put it beyond all doubt, of which I shall instance a few among many passages.
"I say, that by the ordination and will of God, Adam fell. God would have man to fall."d "Man is blinded by the will
and commandment of God."e
"We refer the causes of hardening us to God."f "The highest or remote cause of hardening is the will of God."g "It followeth that the
hidden counsel of God is the cause of hardening."h These are Calvin's expressions. "God," saith Beza,
"hath predestinated not only unto damnation, but also unto the causes of it, whomsoever he
saw meet."i "The decree of
God cannot be excluded from the causes of corruption."j "It is certain," saith Zanchi, "that God is the first
cause of obduration."k
"Reprobates are held so fast under God's almighty decree, that they cannot but sin and perish."l "It is the opinion,"
saith Pareus, "of our doctors, that God did inevitably decree the temptation and fall of man.
The creature sinneth indeed necessarily, by the most just judgment of God. Our men do most
rightly affirm, that the fall of man was necessary and inevitable by accident, because of God's decree."m "God," saith
Martyr, "doth incline and force the wills of wicked men into great sins."n "God," saith
Zwingli, "moveth the robber to kill. He killeth, God forcing him thereunto. But thou wilt
say, he is forced to sin; I permit truly that he is forced."o "Reprobate persons," saith Piscator,
"are absolutely ordained to this twofold end, to undergo everlasting punishment, and
necessarily to sin; and therefore to sin, that they may be justly punished."p
If these sayings do not plainly and evidently import that God is the
author of sin, we must not then seek these men's opinions from their words, but some way else. It
seems as if they had assumed to themselves that monstrous and twofold will they feign of God;
one by which they declare their minds openly, and another more secret and hidden, which is quite
contrary to the other. Nor doth it at all help them, to say that man sins willingly, since that
willingness, proclivity, and propensity to evil is, according to their judgment, so necessarily
imposed upon him that he cannot but be willing, because God hath willed and decreed him to be
so. Which shift is just as if I should take a child incapable to resist me, and throw it down from a
great precipice; the weight of the child's body indeed makes it go readily down, and the violence
of the fall upon some rock or stone beats out its brains and kills it. Now then I pray, though the
body of the child goes willingly down (for I suppose it, as to its mind, incapable of any will), and
the weight of its body, and not any immediate stroke of my hand, who perhaps am at a great
distance, makes it die, whether is the child or I the proper cause of its death? Let any man of
reason judge, if God's part be (with them) as great, yea, more immediate, in the sins of men, as by
the testimonies above brought doth appear; whether doth not this make him not only the author of
sin, but more unjust than the unjustest of men?
§III. Secondly, This doctrine is injurious to God,
because it makes him delight in the death of sinners, yea, and to will many to die in their sins,
contrary to these scriptures: Ezek. 33:11; 1 Tim, 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9. For if he hath created men only
for this very end, that he might show forth his justice and power in them, as these men affirm, and
for effecting thereof hath not only withheld from them the means of doing good, but also
predestinated the evil, that they might fall into it; and that he inclines and forces them into great
sins; certainly he must necessarily delight in their death, and will them to die;
seeing against his own will he neither doth, nor can do any thing.
§IV. Thirdly, it is highly injurious to Christ our
mediator, and to the efficacy and excellency of his Gospel; for it renders his mediation ineffectual,
as if he had not by his sufferings thoroughly broken down the middle wall, nor yet removed the
wrath of God, or purchased the love of God towards all mankind, if it was afore-decreed that it
should be of no service to the far greater part of mankind. It is to no purpose to allege that the
death of Christ was of efficacy enough to have saved all mankind, if in effect its virtue be not so
far extended as to put all mankind into a capacity of salvation.
Fourthly, it makes the preaching of the Gospel a mere mock and illusion, if many of these,
to whom it is preached, be by an irrevocable decree excluded from being benefited by it; it wholly makes useless the preaching of faith and repentance, and the whole
tenor of the Gospel promises and threatenings, as being all relative to a former decree and means
before appointed to such; which, because they cannot fail, man needs do nothing but wait for that
irresistible snatch,1 which will come, though
it be but at the last hour of his life, if he be in the decree of election; and be his diligence and
waiting what it can, he shall never attain it, if he belong to the decree of reprobation.
Fifthly, it makes the coming of Christ, and his propitiatory sacrifice, which the Scripture
affirms to have been the fruit of God's love to the world, and transacted for the sins and salvation
of all men, to have been rather a testimony of God's wrath to the world, and one of the greatest
judgments, and severest acts of God's indignation towards mankind, it being only ordained to save
a very few, and for the hardening, obduring and augmenting the
condemnation of the far greater number of men, because they believe not truly in it; the cause of
which unbelief again (as the divines [so called] above assert) is the
hidden counsel of God: certainly the coming of Christ was never to them a testimony of God's
love, but rather of his implacable wrath: and if the world may be taken for
the far greater number of such as live in it, God never loved the world, according to this doctrine,
but rather hated it greatly, in sending his Son to be crucified in it.
§V. Sixthly, This doctrine is highly injurious to
mankind; for it renders them in a far worse condition than the devils in hell. For these were sometimes in a capacity to have stood, and do suffer only for
their own guilt; whereas many millions of men are forever tormented, according to them, for
Adam's sin, which they neither knew of, nor ever were accessary to. It renders them worse than
the beasts of the field, of whom the master requires not more than they are able to perform; and if
they be killed, death to them is the end of sorrow; whereas man is forever tormented for not doing
that which he never was able to do. It puts him into a far worse condition than Pharaoh put the
Israelites; for though he withheld straw from them, yet by much labour and pains they could have
gotten it: but from men they make God to withhold all means of salvation, so that they can by no
means attain it; yea, they place mankind in that condition which the poets
feign of Tantalus, who, oppressed with thirst, stands in water up to the chin, yet can by no means
reach it with his tongue; and being tormented with hunger, hath fruits hanging at his very lips, yet
so as he can never lay hold on them with his teeth; and these things are so near him not to nourish
him, but to torment him. So do these men: they make the outward creation of the works of
Providence, the smitings of conscience, sufficient to convince the heathen of sin, and so to
condemn and judge them: but not at all to help them to salvation. They
make the preaching of the Gospel, the offer of salvation by Christ, the use of the sacraments, of
prayer, and good works, sufficient to condemn those they account reprobates within the church,
serving only to inform them to beget a seeming faith and vain hope; yet because of a secret
impotency, which they had from their infancy, all these are wholly ineffectual to bring them the
least step towards salvation; and do only contribute to render their condemnation the greater and
their torments the more violent and intolerable.
Having thus briefly removed this false doctrine which stood in my
way, because they that are desirous may see it both learnedly and piously refuted by many others,
I come to the matter of our proposition, which is, "That God out of
his infinite love, who delighteth not in the death of a sinner but that all should live and be saved,
hath sent his only begotten Son into the world, that whosoever believeth in him might be
saved": which also is again affirmed in the Sixth Proposition in these words: "Christ
then tasted death for every man, of all kinds." Such is the evidence of this truth, delivered
almost wholly in the express words of Scripture, that it will not need much probation. Also,
because our assertion herein is common with many others who have both earnestly and soundly,
according to the Scripture, pleaded for this universal redemption, I shall be the more brief in it
that I may come to that which may seem more singularly and peculiarly ours.
§VI. This doctrine of universal redemption, or Christ's
dying for all men, is of itself so evident from the Scripture testimony that there is scarce found any
other article of the Christian faith so frequently, so plainly, and so positively asserted. It is that
which maketh the preaching of Christ to be truly termed the Gospel, or an annunciation of glad
tidings to all. Thus the angel declared the birth and coming of Christ to the shepherds to be (Luke
2:10), "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people": he
saith not to a few people. Now if this coming of Christ had not brought a possibility of salvation
to all it should rather have been accounted bad tidings of great sorrow to most people;
neither should the angel have had reason to have sung "Peace on earth and good will
towards men" if the greatest part of mankind had been necessarily shut out from receiving
any benefit by it. How should Christ have sent out his to "preach the Gospel to every
creature" (Mark 16:15)? a very comprehensive commission! that is to every son and
daughter of mankind. Without all exception he commands them to preach salvation to all,
repentance and remission of sins to all; warning everyone and exhorting everyone, as Paul did
(Col. 1:28). Now how could they have preached the Gospel to every man as became the
ministers of Jesus Christ, in much assurance, if salvation by that Gospel had not been possible to
all? What if some of those had asked them, or should now ask any of these doctors who deny the
universality of Christ's death and yet preach it to all promiscuously, "Hath Christ died for
me?" How can they with confidence give a certain answer to this
question? If they give a conditional answer, as their principle obligeth them to do, and say, If
thou repent Christ hath died for thee; doth not the same question still recur? "Hath Christ
died for me so as to make repentance possible for me?" To this they can answer nothing
unless they run in a circle; whereas "the feet of those that bring the glad tidings of the
Gospel of peace" are said to be "beautiful" for that they preach the common
salvation, repentance unto all; offering a door of mercy and hope to all through Jesus Christ who
gave himself a ransom for all. The Gospel invites all; and certainly by the Gospel Christ
intended not to deceive and delude the greater part of mankind when he invites and crieth, saying,
"Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will
give you rest." If all then ought to seek after him and to look for salvation by him
he must needs have made salvation possible to all; for who is bound to seek after that
which is impossible? Certainly it were a mocking of men to bid them do so. And such as deny
that by the death of Christ salvation is made possible to all men do most blasphemously make God
mock the world in giving his servants a commission to preach the Gospel of salvation unto all
while he hath before decreed that it shall not be possible for them to receive it. Would not this
make the Lord to send forth his servants with a lie in their mouth (which were blasphemous to
think), commanding them to bid all and every one believe that Christ died for them
and had purchased life and salvation? Whereas it is no such thing according to the
afore-mentioned doctrine. But seeing Christ, after he arose and perfected the work of our
redemption, gave a commission to preach repentance, remission of sins, and salvation to all, it is
manifest that he died for all. For he that hath commissionated his servants thus to preach
is a God of Truth and no mocker of poor mankind; neither doth he require of any man that which
is simply impossible for him to do: for that no man is bound to do that which is impossible is a
principle of Truth engraven in every man's mind. And seeing he is both a most righteous and
merciful God it cannot at all stand, neither with his justice nor mercy, to bid such men repent or
believe to whom it is impossible.
§VII. Moreover, if we regard the testimony of the
Scripture in this matter, where there is not one scripture which I know of
that affirmeth Christ not to die for all, there are divers that positively and expressly assert
he did; as 1 Tim. 2:1,3,4,6: "I exhort therefore that first of all supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men," &c. "For this is good
and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who will have all men to be saved and to come to
the knowledge of the Truth; who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time."
Except we will have the apostle here to assert quite another thing than he intended, there can be
nothing more plain to confirm what we have asserted. And this scripture doth well answer to that
manner of arguing which we have hitherto used: for first the apostle here recommends them to
"pray for all men"; and to obviate such an objection, as if he had said with our
adversaries, Christ prayed not for the world neither willeth he us to pray for all; because he willeth
not that all should be saved but hath ordained many to be damned that he might show forth his
justice in them; he obviates, I say, such an objection, telling them that "it is good and
acceptable in the sight of God, who will have all men to be saved." I desire to know what
can be more expressly affirmed? or can any two propositions be stated in terms more
contradictory than these two? God willeth not some to be saved; and God willeth all men to be
saved, or God will have no man perish. If we believe the last, as the apostle hath affirmed, the
first must be destroyed; seeing of contradictory propositions the one being placed, the other is
destroyed. Whence to conclude he gives us a reason of his willingness that all men should be
saved, in these words: "Who gave himself a ransom for all"; as if he would have said,
Since Christ died for all, since he gave himself a ransom for all, therefore he will have all men to
be saved. This Christ himself gives as a reason of God's love to the world, in these words (John
3:16): "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life"; compared with 1 John 4:9.
This [whosoever] is an indefinite term, from which no man is excluded. From all which then I thus argue:
Arg. For whomsoever it is lawful to pray, to them salvation is possible:
But it is lawful to pray for every individual man in the whole
world:
Therefore salvation is possible unto them.
I prove the major proposition thus;
No man is bound to pray for that which is impossible to be attained:
But every man is bound and commanded to pray for all men:
Therefore it is not impossible to be attained.
I prove also this proposition further, thus;
No man is bound to pray, but in faith:
But he that prayeth for that, which he judges simply impossible to be obtained, cannot
pray in faith:
Therefore, &c.
Again,
That which God willeth is not impossible:
But God willeth all men to be saved:
Therefore it is not impossible.
And lastly;
Those for whom our Saviour gave himself a ransom, to such salvation is possible:
But our Saviour gave himself a ransom for all:
Therefore salvation is possible unto them.
§VIII. This is very positively affirmed (Heb. 2:9) in
these words, "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the
suffering of death crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God should taste death
for every man." He that will but open his eyes may see this truth here asserted: if he
"tasted death for every man" then certainly there is no man for whom he did not taste
death; then there is no man who may not be made a sharer of the benefit of it; for he came not
"to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:17).
"He came not to judge the world but to save the world" (John 12:47). Whereas,
according to the doctrine of our adversaries he behoved to come to condemn the world and judge
it; and not that it might be saved by him or to save it. For if he never came to bring salvation to
the greater part of mankind, but that his coming, though it could never do them good, yet shall
augment their condemnation; from thence it necessarily follows that he came
not of intention to save but to judge and condemn the greater part of the world, contrary to his
own express testimony; and as the apostle Paul in the words above cited doth assert affirmatively
that "God willeth the salvation of all," so doth the apostle Peter assert negatively that
"he willeth not the perishing of any" (2 Pet. 3:9). "The Lord is not slack
concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing
that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." And this is correspondent to
that of the prophet (Ezek. 33:11): "As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death
of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live." If it be safe to believe God
and trust in him we must not think that he intends to cheat us by all these expressions through his
servants, but that he was in good earnest. And that this will and desire of his hath not taken
effect, the blame is on our parts, as shall be after spoken of; which could not be if so be we never
were in any capacity of salvation or that Christ had never died for us but left us under an
impossibility of salvation. What means all those earnest invitations, all those serious
expostulations, all those regretting contemplations wherewith the holy Scriptures are full? As,
"Why will ye die, O house of Israel!" "Why will ye not come unto me, that ye
might have life?" "I have waited to be gracious unto you"; "I have sought
to gather you"; "I have knocked at the door of your hearts"; "is not your
destruction of yourselves?" "I have called all the day long." If men who are so
invited be under no capacity of being saved, if salvation be impossible unto them, shall we
suppose God in this to be no other but like the author of a romance or master of a comedy, who
amuses and raises the various affections and passions of his spectators by divers and strange
accidents, sometimes leading them into hope and sometimes into despair; all those actions, in
effect, being but a mere illusion, while he hath appointed what the conclusion of all shall be?
Thirdly, This doctrine is abundantly confirmed by that of the apostle (1 John 2:1-2):
"And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And
he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole
world." The way which our adversaries take to evite this testimony is
most foolish and ridiculous: the world here, say they, is the world of believers: for this
commentary we have nothing but their own assertion, and so while it manifestly destroys the text
may be justly rejected. For first let them show me, if they can, in all the Scripture, where
"the whole world" is taken for believers only; I shall show them where it is many
times taken for the quite contrary; as, "The world knows me not." "The world
receives me not." "I am not of this world." Besides all these scriptures: Ps.
17:14; Isa. 13:11; Matt. 18:7; John 7:7, 8:26, 12:19, 14:17, 15:18-19, 17:14, and 18:20; 1 Cor.
1:21, 2:12, and 6:2; Gal. 6:14; James 1:27; 2 Pet. 2:20; 1 John 2:15, 3:1, and 4:4-5, and many
more. Secondly, The apostle in this very place contradistinguisheth the world from the
saints thus: "And not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world": What
means the apostle by "ours" here? Is not that the sins of believers? Was not he one
of those believers? And was not this a universal epistle written to all the saints that then were?
So that according to these men's comment there should be a very unnecessary and foolish
redundancy in the apostle's words, as if he had said, "He is a propitiation not only for the
sins of all believers but for the sins of all believers": is not this to make the apostle's words
void of good sense? Let them show us wherever there is such a manner of speaking in all the
Scripture, where any of the penmen first name the believers in concretô with
themselves and then contradistinguish them from some other whole world of believers? That
"whole world," if it be of believers, must not be the world we live in. But we need no
better interpreter for the apostle than himself, who uses the very same expression and phrase in
the same epistle (5:19), saying, "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in
wickedness." There cannot be found in all the Scripture two places which run more
parallel; seeing in both the same apostle, in the same epistle to the same persons,
contradistinguisheth himself and the saints to whom he writes from the whole world; which,
according to these men's commentary ought to be understood of believers: as if John had said,
"We know particular believers are of God; but the whole world of believers lieth in
wickedness." What absurd wresting of Scripture were this? And yet it may be as well
pleaded for as the other; for they differ not at all. Seeing then that the
apostle John tells us plainly that Christ not only died for him and for the saints and members of the
church of God to whom he wrote but for the whole world, let us then hold it for a certain
and undoubted truth notwithstanding the cavils of such as oppose.
This might also be proved from many more Scripture testimonies, if it were at this season
needful. All the Fathers, so called, and doctors of the church, for the first
four centuries, preached this doctrine; according to which they boldly held forth the Gospel of
Christ, and efficacy of his death; inviting and entreating the heathen to come and be partakers of
the benefits of it, showing them how there was a door opened for them all to be saved through
Jesus Christ; not telling them that God had predestinated any of them to damnation, or had made
salvation impossible to them, by withholding power and grace, necessary to believe, from them.
But of many of their sayings, which might be alleged, I shall only instance a few.
Augustine on the 95th Psalm saith, "The blood of Christ is of so great worth, that it
is of no less value than the whole world."
Prosper ad Gall (c.9): "The redeemer of the world gave his blood for the
world, and the world would not be redeemed, because the darkness did not receive the Light. He
that saith, the Saviour was not crucified for the redemption of the whole world, looks not to the
virtue of the sacrament, but to the part of infidels; since the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is the
price of the whole world; from which redemption they are strangers, who either delighting in their
captivity would not be redeemed, or after they were redeemed returned to the same
servitude."
The same Prosper, in his answer to Vincent's first objection: "Seeing therefore
because of one common nature and cause in Truth, undertaken by our Lord, all are rightly said to
be redeemed, and nevertheless all are not brought out of captivity; the property of redemption
without doubt belongeth to those from whom the prince of this world is shut out, and now are not
vessels of the devil but members of Christ; whose death was so bestowed upon mankind that it
belonged to the redemption of such who were not to be regenerated. But so that that which was
done by the example of one for all might, by a singular mystery, be celebrated in everyone. For the cup of immortality, which is made up of our
infirmity and the divine power, hath indeed that in it which may profit all; but if it be not drunk it
doth not heal."
The author de vocat. Gentium (lib. 11. cap. 6):
"There is no cause to doubt but that our Lord Jesus Christ died for sinners and wicked men.
And if there can be any found, who may be said not to be of this number, Christ hath not died for
all; he made himself a redeemer for the whole world."
Chrysostom on John 1: "If he enlightens every man coming into the world, how
comes it that so many men remain without light? For all do not so much as acknowledge Christ.
How then doth he enlighten every man? He illuminates indeed so far as in him is; but if any of
their own accord, closing the eyes of their mind, will not direct their eyes unto the beams of this
Light, the cause that they remain in darkness is not from the nature of the Light, but through their
own malignity, who willingly have rendered themselves unworthy of so great a gift. But why
believed they not? Because they would not: Christ did his part."
The Synod of Arles, held about the year 490, pronounced him "accursed, who
should say that Christ hath not died for all, or that he would not have all men to be
saved."
Ambrose on Ps. 118 (Serm. 8): "The mystical Sun of Righteousness is arisen to all;
he came to all; he suffered for all and rose again for all; and therefore he suffered that he might
take away the sin of the world. But if any one believe not in Christ he robs himself of this general
benefit, even as if one by closing the windows should hold out the sunbeams; the sun is not
therefore not arisen to all because such a one hath so robbed himself of its heat; but the sun keeps
its prerogative; it is such a one's imprudence that he shuts himself out from the common benefit of
the light."
The same man in his 11th book of Cain and Abel, cap. 13, saith, "Therefore he
brought unto all the means of health, that whosoever should perish, may ascribe to himself the
causes of his death, who would not be cured when he had the remedy by which he might have
escaped."
§IX. Seeing then that this
doctrine of the universality of Christ's death is so certain and agreeable to the Scripture's
testimony and to the sense of the purest antiquity, it may be wondered how
so many, some whereof have been esteemed not only learned, but also pious, have been capable to
fall into so gross and strange an error. But the cause of this doth evidently appear in that the way
and method by which the virtue and efficacy of his death is communicated to all men hath not
been rightly understood, or indeed hath been erroneously affirmed. The Pelagians, ascribing all to
man's will and nature, denied man to have any seed of sin conveyed to him from Adam. And the
Semi-Pelagians, making grace as a gift following upon man's merit or right improving of his
nature, according to their known principle, Facienti quod in se est Deus non denegat
gratiam.
This gave Augustine, Prosper, and some others occasion, labouring in opposition to these
opinions, to magnify the grace of God and paint out the corruption of man's nature, as the proverb
is of those that seek to make straight a crooked stick, to incline to the other extreme. So also the
reformers, Luther and others, finding among other errors the strange expressions used by some of
the Popish scholastics concerning free-will and how much the tendency of their principles is to
exalt man's nature and lessen God's grace, having all those sayings of Augustine and others for a
pattern, through the like mistake ran upon the same extreme; though afterwards the Lutherans,
seeing how far Calvin and his followers drove this matter (who as a man of subtle and profound
judgment, foreseeing where it would land, resolved aboveboard to assert that God had decreed
the means as well as the end and therefore had ordained men to sin and excites them thereto,
which he labours earnestly to defend), and that there was no avoiding the making God the author
of sin, thereby received occasion to discern the falsity of this doctrine and disclaimed it, as appears
by the later writings of Melancthon and the Montbéliard conference, where Lucas
Osiander, one of the collocutors, terms it "impious," calls it a making God the author
of sin and an horrid and horrible blasphemy.q Yet because none of those who have asserted
this universal redemption since the reformation have given a clear, distinct, and satisfactory
testimony how it is communicated to all, and so have fallen short of fully declaring the perfection
of the Gospel dispensation, others have been thereby the more strengthened
in their errors; which I shall illustrate by one singular example.
The Arminians, and other assertors of universal grace, use this as a
chief argument:
That which every man is bound to believe, is true:
But every man is bound to believe that Christ died for them:
Therefore, &c.
Of this argument the other party deny the assumption, saying, That they who never heard
of Christ, are not obliged to believe in him; and seeing the Remonstrants (as they are commonly
called) do generally themselves acknowledge, that without the outward knowledge of Christ there
is no salvation, that gives the other party yet a stronger argument for their precise decree of
reprobation. For, say they, seeing we all see really and in effect, that God hath withheld from
many generations, and yet from many nations, that knowledge which is absolutely needful to
salvation, and so hath rendered it simply impossible unto them; why may he not as well withhold
the grace necessary to make a saving application of that knowledge, where it is preached? For
there is no ground to say that this were injustice in God, or impartiality, more than his leaving
those others in utter ignorance; the one being but a withholding grace to apprehend the object of
faith, the other a withdrawing the object itself. For answer to this, they are forced to draw a
conclusion from their former hypothesis of Christ's dying for all, and God's mercy and justice,
saying that if these heathens, who live in these remote places where the outward knowledge of
Christ is not, did improve that common knowledge they have, to whom the outward creation is
for an object of faith, by which they may gather that there is a God, then the Lord would, by some
providence, either send an angel to tell them of Christ, or convey the Scriptures to them, or bring
them some way to an opportunity to meet with such as might inform them. Which, as it gives
always too much to the power and strength of man's will and nature, and savours a little of
Socinianism and Pelagianism, or at least of Semipelagianism, so, since it is only built upon
probable conjectures, neither hath it evidence enough to convince any strongly tainted with the
other doctrine; nor yet doth it make the equity and wonderful harmony of God's mercy and justice towards all so manifest to the understanding. So that I have
often observed, that these assertors of universal grace did far more pithily and strongly overturn
the false doctrine of their adversaries, than they did establish and confirm the truth and certainty
of their own. And though they have proof sufficient from the holy Scriptures to confirm the
universality of Christ's death, and that none are precisely, by any irrevocable decree, excluded
from salvation, yet I find when they are pressed in the respects above mentioned, to show how
God hath so far equally extended the capacity to partake of the benefit of Christ's death unto all,
as to communicate unto them a sufficient way of so doing, they are somewhat in a strait, and are
put more to give us their conjectures from the certainty of the former presupposed truth; to wit,
that because Christ hath certainly died for all, and God hath not rendered salvation impossible to
any, therefore there must be some way or other by which they may be saved; which must be by
improving some common grace, or by gathering from the works of creation and providence, than
by really demonstrating, by convincing and spiritual arguments, what that
way is.
§X. It falls out then, that as darkness, and the great
apostasy, came not upon the Christian world all at once, but by several degrees, one thing making
way for another; until that thick and gross veil came to be overspread, wherewith the nations were
so blindly covered, from the seventh and eighth, until the sixteenth century; even as the darkness
of the night comes not upon the outward creation all at once, but by degrees, according as the sun
declines in each horizon; so neither did that full and clear light and knowledge of the glorious
dispensation of the Gospel of Christ appear all at once; the work of the first witnesses being more
to testify against and discover the abuses of the apostasy, than to establish the Truth in purity. He
that comes to build a new city, must first remove the old rubbish, before he can see to lay a new
foundation; and he that comes to a house greatly polluted and full of dirt, will first sweep away
and remove the filth, before he put up his own good and new furniture. The dawning of the day
dispels the darkness, and makes us see the things that are most conspicuous: but the distinct
discovering and discerning of things, so as to make a certain and perfect observation, is reserved for the arising of the sun, and its shining in full brightness. And we
can, from a certain experience, boldly affirm, that the not waiting for this, but building among,
yea, and with, the old Popish rubbish, and setting up before a full purgation, hath been to most
Protestants the foundation of many a mistake, and an occasion of unspeakable hurt. Therefore the
Lord God, who as he seeth meet doth communicate and make known to man the more full,
evident, and perfect knowledge of his everlasting Truth, hath been pleased to reserve the more full
discovery of this glorious and evangelical dispensation to this our age (albeit divers testimonies
have thereunto been borne by some noted men in several ages, as shall hereafter appear). And for
the greater augmentation of the glory of his grace, that no man might have whereof to boast, he hath raised up a few despicable and illiterate men, and for the most part
mechanics, to be the dispensers of it; by which Gospel all the scruples, doubts, hesitations and
objections above mentioned are easily and evidently answered, and the justice as well as mercy of
God, according to their divine and heavenly harmony, are exhibited, established, and confirmed.
According to which certain Light and Gospel, as the knowledge thereof has been manifested to us
by the revelation of Jesus Christ in us, fortified by our own sensible experience, and sealed by the
testimony of the Spirit in our hearts, we can confidently affirm, and
clearly evince, according to the testimony of the holy Scriptures, the following points:
§XI. First, That God, who out of his infinite love sent
his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the world, who tasted death for every man, hath given to
every man, whether Jew or Gentile, Turk or Scythian, Indian or Barbarian, of whatsoever nation,
country, or place, a certain day or time of visitation; during which day or time it is possible for
them to be saved, and to partake of the fruit of Christ's death.
Secondly, That for this end God hath communicated and given unto every man a measure
of the Light of his own Son, a measure of grace, or a measure of the Spirit, which the Scripture
expresses by several names, as sometimes of "the seed of the kingdom" (Matt.
13:18-19); the "Light that makes all things manifest" (Eph. 5:13); the "Word of
God" (Rom. 10:17); or "manifestation of the Spirit given to
profit withal" (1 Cor. 12:7); "a talent" (Matt. 25:15); "a little
leaven" (Matt. 13:33); "the Gospel preached in every creature" (Col.
1:23).
Thirdly, That God, in and by this Light and Seed, invites, calls, exhorts, and strives with
every man, in order to save him; which as it is received, and not resisted, works the salvation of
all, even of those who are ignorant of the death and sufferings of Christ, and of Adam's fall, both
by bringing them to a sense of their own misery, and to be sharers in the sufferings of Christ
inwardly, and by making them partakers of his Resurrection, in becoming holy, pure, and
righteous, and recovered out of their sins. By which also are saved they that have the knowledge
of Christ outwardly, in that it opens their understanding rightly to use and apply the things
delivered in the Scriptures, and to receive the saving use of them. But that this may be resisted
and rejected in both, in which then God is said to be resisted and pressed down, and Christ to be
again crucified, and put to open shame in and among men, and to those as thus resist and refuse
him, he becomes their condemnation.
First, then, according to this doctrine the mercy of God is
excellently well exhibited, in that none are necessarily shut out from salvation: and his justice is
demonstrated, in that he condemns none but such to whom he really made offer of salvation,
affording them the means sufficient thereunto.
Secondly, This doctrine, if well weighed, will be found to be the foundation of
Christianity, salvation, and assurance.
Thirdly, It agrees and answers with the whole tenor of the Gospel promises and threats,
and with the nature of the ministry of Christ, according to which, the Gospel, salvation,
repentance are commanded to be preached to every creature, without respect of nations, kindred,
families, or tongues.
Fourthly, It magnifies and commends the merits and death of Christ, in that it not only
accounts them sufficient to save all, but declares them to be brought so nigh unto all as thereby to
be put into the nearest capacity of salvation.
Fifthly, It exalts above all the grace of God, to which it attributeth all good, even the least
and smallest actions that are so; ascribing thereunto not only the first beginnings and motions of good, but also the whole conversion and salvation of the soul.
Sixthly, It contradicts, overturns, and enervates, the false doctrine of the Pelagians,
Semi-Pelagians, Socinians, and others, who exalt the light of nature, the liberty of man's will, in
that it wholly excludes the natural man from having any place or portion in his own salvation, by
any acting, moving, or working of his own, until he be first quickened, raised up, and actuated by
God's Spirit.
Seventhly, As it makes the whole salvation of man solely and alone to depend upon God,
so it makes his condemnation wholly and in every respect to be of himself, in that he refused and
resisted somewhat that from God wrestled and strove in his heart; and forces him to acknowledge
God's just judgment in rejecting him and forsaking of him.
Eighthly, It takes away all ground of despair, in that it gives every one ground of hope and
certain assurance, that they may be saved; neither doth feed any in security, in that none are
certain how soon their day may expire: and therefore it is a constant incitement and provocation,
and lively encouragement to every man, to forsake evil, and close with that, which is good.
Ninthly, It wonderfully commends as well the certainty of the Christian religion among
infidels, as it manifests its own verity to all, in that it is confirmed and established by the
experience of all men; seeing there was never yet a man found in any place of the earth, however
barbarous and wild, but hath acknowledged that at some time or other, less or more, he hath
found somewhat in his heart, reproving him for some things evil which he hath done, threatening a
certain horror, if he continued in them, as also promising and communicating a certain peace and
sweetness, as he has given way to it, and not resisted it.
Tenthly, It wonderfully showeth the excellent wisdom of God, by which he hath made the
means of salvation so universal and comprehensive, that it is not needful to recur to those
miraculous and strange ways; seeing, according to this most true doctrine, the Gospel reacheth all,
of whatsoever condition, age, or nation.
Eleventhly, It is really and effectively, though not in so many words, yet by deeds,
established and confirmed by all the preachers, promulgators, and doctors of the Christian religion
that ever were, or now are, even by those, that otherways in their judgment
oppose this doctrine; in that they all, wherever they have been or are, or whatsoever people,
place, or country they come to, do preach to the people, and to every individual among them, that
they may be saved; entreating and desiring them to believe in Christ, who hath died for them; so
that what they deny in the general, they acknowledge of every particular: there being no man, to
whom they do not preach in order to salvation, telling him Jesus Christ calls and wills him to
believe and be saved, and that if he refuse, he shall therefore be condemned, and that his
condemnation is of himself, such is the evidence and virtue of Truth, that constrains its adversaries
even against their wills to plead for it.
Lastly, According to this doctrine, the former argument used by
the Arminians, and evited by the Calvinists, concerning every man's being bound to believe that
Christ died for him, is, by altering the assumption, rendered invincible; thus,
That which every man is bound to believe, is true:
But every man is bound to believe that God is merciful unto him:
Therefore, &c.
This assumption no man can deny, seeing his mercies are said to be over all his works. And
herein, the Scripture everywhere declares the mercy of God to be, in that he invites and calls
sinners to repentance, and hath opened a way of salvation for them; so that though those men be
not bound to believe the history of Christ's death and passion, who never came to know of it, yet
they are bound to believe that God will be merciful to them, if they follow his ways, and that he is
merciful unto them, in that he reproves them for evil, and encourages them to good. Neither
ought any man to believe that God is unmerciful to him, or that he hath from the beginning
ordained him to come into the world, that he might be left to his own evil inclinations, and so do
wickedly as a means appointed by God, to bring him to eternal damnation; which, were it true, as
our adversaries affirm it to be of many thousands, I see no reason why a man might not believe;
for certainly a man may believe the truth.
As it manifestly appears, from the thing itself, that these good and
excellent consequences follow, from the belief of this doctrine, so from the probation of them it
will yet more evidently appear. To which before I come, it is requisite to speak somewhat
concerning the state of the controversy, which will bring great light to the matter. For from the
not right understanding of a matter under debate, sometimes both arguments on the one hand, and
objections on the other, are brought, which do no way hit the case; and hereby also our sense and
judgment therein will be more fully understood and opened.
§XII. First, then, by this day and time of
visitation which, we say, God gives unto all, during which they may be saved, we do not
understand the whole time of every man's life; though to some it may be extended even to the very
hour of death; as we see in the example of the thief converted upon the cross; but such a season at
least as sufficiently exonerateth God of every man's condemnation, which to some may be sooner,
and to others later, according as the Lord in his wisdom sees meet. So that many men may
outlive this day, after which there may be no possibility of salvation to them, and God justly
suffers them to be hardened, as a just punishment of their unbelief, and even raises them up as
instruments of wrath, and makes them a scourge one against another. Whence, to men in this
condition may be fitly applied those scriptures which are abused to prove that God incites men
necessarily to sin: this is notably expressed by the apostle (Rom. 1, from v. 17 to the end), but
especially v. 28, "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave
them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient." That many
may outlive this day of God's gracious visitation unto them, is shown by the example of Esau
(Heb. 12:16-17), who sold his birthright, so he had it once, and was capable to have kept it; but
afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected. This appears also by
Christ's weeping over Jerusalem (Luke 19:42), saying, "If thou hadst known in this thy day
the things that belong unto thy peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes," which plainly
imports a time when they might have known them, which now was removed from them, though
they were yet alive, but of this more shall be said hereafter.
§XIII. Secondly, by this Seed,
Grace, and Word of God, and Light, wherewith we say every man is enlightened, and hath a
measure of it, which strives with them in order to save them, and which may, by the stubbornness
and wickedness of man's will, be quenched, bruised, wounded, pressed down, slain and crucified;
we understand not the proper essence and nature of God, precisely taken, which is not divisible
into parts and measures, as being a most pure, simple being, void of all composition or division,
and therefore can neither be resisted, hurt, wounded, crucified, or slain by all the efforts and
strength of men; but we understand a spiritual, heavenly, and invisible principle, in which God, as
Father, Son and Spirit, dwells: a measure of which divine and glorious life is in all men, as a seed,
which of its own nature, draws, invites, and inclines to God; and this we2 call vehiculum Dei, or the spiritual
body of Christ, the flesh and blood of Christ, which came down from heaven, of which all the
saints do feed, and are thereby nourished unto eternal life. And as every unrighteous action is
witnessed against, and reproved by this Light and Seed, so, by such actions, it is hurt, wounded,
and slain, and resiles3 or flees from them,
even as the flesh of man flees from that, which is of a contrary nature to it. Now, because it is
never separated from God, nor Christ, but wherever it is, God and Christ are as wrapped up
therein, therefore, and in that respect as it is resisted, God is said to be resisted; and where it is
borne down, God is said to be pressed, as a cart under sheaves, and Christ is said to be slain and
crucified. And on the contrary, as this seed is received in the heart, and suffered to bring forth its
natural and proper effect, Christ comes to be formed and raised, of which the Scripture makes so
much mention, calling it "the new man": "Christ within, the hope of
glory." This is that Christ within, which we are heard so much to speak and declare of;
every where preaching him up, and exhorting people to believe in the Light, and obey it, that they
may come to know Christ in them, to deliver them from all sin.
But by this, as we do not at all intend either to equal ourselves to
that holy man the Lord Jesus Christ, who was born of the virgin Mary, in whom all the fullness of
the Godhead dwelt bodily, nor to destroy the reality of his present existence, so neither do we, as
some have falsely calumniated us. For, though we affirm that Christ dwells in us, yet not
immediately, but mediately, as he is in that seed, which is in us; whereas he, to wit, the
Eternal Word, which was with God, and was God, dwelt immediately in that holy man. He then is
as the head, and we as the members; he the vine, and we the branches. Now as the soul of man
dwells otherways and in a far more immediate manner in the head and in the heart, than in the
hands or legs. And as the sap, virtue, and life of the vine lodgeth far otherwise in the stock and
root than in the branches, so God dwelleth otherwise in the man Jesus than in us. We also freely
reject the heresy of Apollinaris, who denied him to have any soul, but said the body was only
acted by the Godhead. As also the error of Eutyches, who made the manhood to be wholly
swallowed up of the Godhead; wherefore, as we believe he was a true and real man, so we also
believe that he continues so to be glorified in the heavens, in soul and body, by whom God shall
judge the world, in the great and general day of judgment.
§XIV. Thirdly, We
understand not this Seed, Light, or Grace to be an accident, as most men ignorantly do, but a real
spiritual substance, which the soul of man is capable to feel and apprehend; from which that real,
spiritual, inward birth in believers arises called the new creature, the new man in the heart. This
seems strange to carnally minded men, because they are not acquainted with it; but we know it,
and are sensible of it, by a true and certain experience, though it be hard for man in his natural
wisdom to comprehend it, until he come to feel it in himself, and, if he should, holding it in the
mere notion, it would avail him little. Yet we are able to make it appear
to be true, and that our faith concerning it is not without a solid ground: for it is in, and by, this
inward and substantial seed in our hearts, as it comes to receive nourishment, and to have a birth
or geniture in us, that we come to have those spiritual senses raised, by which we are made
capable of tasting, smelling, seeing, and handling the things of God. For a man cannot reach unto
those things by his natural spirit and senses, as is above declared.
Next, we know it to be a substance because it subsists in the hearts of wicked men
even while they are in their wickedness, as shall be hereafter proved more at large. Now no
accident can be in a subject without it give the subject its own denomination; as where whiteness
is in a subject, there the subject is called white. So we distinguish betwixt holiness as it is an
accident, which denominates man so as the seed receives a place in him, and betwixt this holy
substantial seed, which many times lies in man's heart as a naked grain in a stony ground. So also as we may distinguish betwixt health and medicine: health cannot be
in a body, without the body be called healthful, because health is an accident; but medicine may be
in a body that is most unhealthful for that it is a substance. And as when a medicine begins to
work, the body may in some respect be called healthful and in some respect unhealthful, so we
acknowledge as this divine medicine receives place in man's heart it may denominate him in some
part holy and good, though there remain yet a corrupted, unmortified part, or some part of the
evil humors unpurged out; for where two contrary accidents are in one subject, as health and
sickness in a body, the subject receives its denomination from the accident which prevails most; so
many men are called saints, good and holy men, and that truly, when this holy seed hath wrought
in them in a good measure and hath somewhat leavened them into its nature, though they may be
yet liable to many infirmities and weaknesses, yes and to some iniquities. For as the seed of sin
and ground of corruption, yea and the capacity of yielding thereunto and sometimes actually
falling, doth not denominate a good and holy man impious; so neither doth the seed of
righteousness in evil men, and the possibility of their becoming one with it, denominate them good
or holy.
§XV. Fourthly, We do not hereby intend any ways to
lessen or derogate from the atonement and sacrifice of Jesus Christ: but on the contrary, do
magnify and exalt it. For as we believe all those things to have been certainly transacted which
are recorded in the holy Scriptures, concerning the birth, life, miracles, sufferings, resurrection
and ascension of Christ; so we do also believe, that it is the duty of everyone to believe it to
whom it pleases God to reveal the same, and to bring to them the
knowledge of it; yea we believe it were damnable unbelief not to believe, when so declared; but to
resist that holy seed, which, as minded would lead and incline every one to believe it, as it is
offered unto them; though it revealeth not in everyone the outwardly and explicit knowledge of it,
nevertheless it always assenteth to it, ubi declaratur, where it is declared. Nevertheless as
we firmly believe it was necessary that Christ should come, that by his death and sufferings he
might offer up himself a sacrifice to God, for our sins, who his own self "bore our sins in his
own body on the tree"; so we believe, that the remission of sins, which any partake of, is
only in, and by virtue of that most satisfactory sacrifice, and no otherwise. For it is "by the
obedience of that one that the free gift is come upon all to justification," for we affirm, that
as all men partake of the fruit of Adam's fall, in that, by reason of that evil seed, which through
him is communicated unto them, they are prone and inclined unto evil, though thousands of
thousands be ignorant of Adam's fall, neither ever knew of the eating of the forbidden fruit; so
also many may come to feel the influence of this holy and divine Seed, and Light, and be turned
from evil to good by it, though they knew nothing of Christ's coming in the flesh, through whose
obedience and sufferings it is purchased unto them. And, as we affirm it is absolutely needful that
those do believe the history of Christ's outward appearance, whom it pleased God to bring to the
knowledge of it; so we do freely confess, that even that outward knowledge is very comfortable
to such as are subject to, and led by the inward Seed and Light. For, not only doth the sense of
Christ's love and sufferings tend to humble them, but they are thereby also strengthened in their
faith, and encouraged to follow that excellent pattern which he hath left us, "who suffered
for us," as saith the apostle Peter (1 Pet. 2:21), "leaving us an example that we should
follow his steps": and many times we are greatly edified and refreshed with the gracious
sayings, which proceed out of his mouth. The history then is profitable and comfortable, with the
mystery, and never without it; but the mystery is, and may be profitable without the explicit and
outward knowledge of the history.
But Fifthly, this brings us to another question, to wit, Whether
Christ be in all men or no? Which sometimes hath been asked us, and arguments brought against
it, because indeed it is to be found in some of our writings that "Christ is in all men,"
and we often are heard, in our public meetings and declarations, to desire every man to come to4 know and be acquainted with Christ
in them, telling them, that Christ is in them. It is fit therefore, for removing of all mistakes, to
say something, in this place, concerning this matter. We have said before how that a divine,
spiritual, and supernatural Light is in all men; how that divine supernatural Light or Seed is
vehiculum Dei: how that God and Christ dwelleth in it and is never separated from it; also
how that (as it is received and closed with in the heart) Christ comes to be formed and brought
forth. But we are far from ever having said, that Christ is thus formed in all men, or in the
wicked. For that is a great attainment, which the apostle travailed that it might be brought forth
in the Galatians. Neither is Christ in all men by way of union, or indeed, to speak strictly, by way
of inhabitation; because this inhabitation, as it is generally taken, imports union, or the manner of
Christ's being in the saints. As it is written "I will dwell in them, and walk in them" (2
Cor. 6:16). But in regard Christ is in all men as in a seed, yea, and that he never is, nor
can be separate from that holy pure Seed and Light which is in all men; therefore may it be said in
a larger sense that he is in all, even as we observed before. The Scripture saith (Amos 2:13), God
is pressed down as a cart under sheaves; and (Heb. 6:6) Christ is crucified in the ungodly; though
to speak properly and strictly, neither can God be pressed down, nor Christ, as God, be crucified.
In this respect then, as he is in the seed, which is in all men, we have said "Christ is in all
men," and have preached and directed all men to Christ in them; who lies crucified
in them by their sins and iniquities, that they may "look upon him whom they have
pierced," and repent: whereby he, that now lies, as it were slain and buried in them, may
come to be raised, and have dominion in their hearts, over all. And thus also the apostle Paul
preached to the Corinthians and Galatians (1 Cor. 2:2), "Christ
crucified in them," 
as the Greek
hath it. This Jesus Christ was that which the apostle desired to know in them, and make
known unto them, that they might come to be sensible, how they had thus been crucifying
Christ, that so they might repent and be saved. And forasmuch as Christ is called "that
Light, that enlightens every man," "the Light of the world," therefore the Light
is taken for Christ, who truly is the fountain of all light, and hath his habitation in it forever. Thus
the Light of Christ is sometimes called Christ, i.e., that in which Christ is, and from which he is
never separated.
§XVI. Sixthly, It will manifestly appear by what is
above said, that we understand not this divine principle to be any part of man's nature, nor yet to
be any relics of any good which Adam lost by his fall: in that we make it a distinct separate thing
from man's soul, and all the faculties of it. Yet such is the malice of our adversaries, that they
cease not sometimes to calumniate us, as if we preached up a natural light, or the light of man's
natural conscience. Next, there are, that lean to the doctrine of Socinus and Pelagius, who
persuade themselves through mistake, and out of no ill design to injure us, as if this, which we
preach up, were some natural power and faculty of the soul, and that we only differ in the
wording of it, and not in the thing itself. Whereas there can be no greater difference than is
betwixt us in that matter: for we certainly know that this Light of which we speak is not only
distinct, but of a different nature from the soul of man, and its faculties. Indeed that man, as he is
a rational creature, hath reason as a natural faculty of his soul, by which he can discern things that
are rational, we deny not; for this is a property natural and essential to him, by which he can know
and learn many arts and sciences, beyond what any other animal can do by the mere animal
principle. Neither do we deny, but by this rational principle man may apprehend in his brain, and
in the notions, a knowledge of God and spiritual things; yet that not being the right organ, as, in
the second proposition hath more at length been signified, it cannot profit him towards salvation,
but rather hindereth; and indeed the great cause of the apostasy hath been, that man hath sought
to fathom the things of God, in and by this natural and rational principle, and to build up a religion
in it, neglecting and overlooking this principle and seed of God in the heart;
so that herein, in the most universal and catholic sense, hath Antichrist in every man "set up
himself, and sitteth in the temple of God, as God, and above every thing that is called God."
For men being "the temple of the Holy Ghost," as saith the apostle (1 Cor. 3:16),
when the rational principle sets up itself there, above the seed of God, to reign and rule as a prince
in spiritual things, while the holy seed is wounded and bruised, there is Antichrist in every man, or
somewhat exalted above and against Christ. Nevertheless we do not hereby affirm, as if man had
received his reason to no purpose, or to be of no service unto him, in no wise; we look upon
reason as fit to order and rule man in things natural: for, as God gave two great lights to rule the
outward world, the sun and moon, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the
night; so hath he given man the Light of his Son, a spiritual divine Light, to rule him in the things
spiritual, and the light of reason to rule him in things natural. And even as the moon borrows her
light from the sun, so ought men, if they would be rightly and comfortably ordered in natural
things, to have their reason enlightened by this divine and pure Light. Which enlightened reason,
in those that obey and follow this true Light, we confess may be useful to man even in spiritual
things, as it is still subservient and subject to the other; even as the animal life in man, regulated
and ordered by his reason, helps him in going about things, that are rational. We do further
rightly distinguish this from man's natural conscience; for conscience, being that in man which
ariseth from the natural faculties of man's soul, may be defiled and corrupted; it is said expressly
of the impure (Tit. 1:15), "That even their mind and conscience is defiled." But this
Light can never be corrupted nor defiled; neither did it ever consent to evil or wickedness in any:
for it is said expressly, that it "makes all things manifest that are reprovable" (Eph.
5:13), and so is a faithful witness for God against every unrighteousness in man. Now conscience, to define it truly, comes from conscire, and is that
knowledge, which ariseth in man's heart from what agreeth, contradicteth, or is contrary to
anything believed by him, whereby he becomes conscious to himself that he transgresseth by
doing that which he is persuaded he ought not to do. So that, the mind
being once blinded or defiled with a wrong belief, there ariseth a conscience from that belief,
which troubles him when he goes against it. As for example: a Turk who
hath possessed himself with a false belief that it is unlawful for him to drink wine, if he do it, his
conscience smites him for it; but though he keep many concubines, his conscience troubles him
not, because his judgment is already defiled with a false opinion that it is lawful for him to do the
one, and unlawful to do the other. Whereas if the Light of Christ in him were minded, it would
reprove him, not only for committing fornication, but also, as he became obedient thereunto,
inform him that Muhammad is an impostor; as well as Socrates was informed by it, in his day, of
the falsity of the heathens' gods.
So, if a Papist eat flesh in Lent, or be not diligent enough in
adoration of saints and images, or if he should condemn images, his conscience would smite him
for it, because his judgment is already blinded with a false belief concerning these things. Whereas
the Light of Christ never consented to any of those abominations. Thus then, man's natural
conscience is sufficiently distinguished from it; for conscience followeth the judgment, doth not
inform it. But this Light, as it is received, removes the blindness of the judgment, opens the
understanding, and rectifies both the judgment and conscience. So we confess also, that
conscience is an excellent thing, where it is rightly informed and enlightened. Wherefore some of
us have fitly compared it to a lantern, and the Light of Christ to the candle: a lantern is useful
when a clear candle burns and shines in it, but otherwise of no use. To the Light of Christ then
in the conscience, and not to man's natural conscience, it is that we continually commend
men: this, not that, is it which we preach up, and direct people to, as to a most certain guide unto
life eternal.
Lastly, This Light, Seed, &c., appears to be no power or natural faculty of man's
mind; because a man that is in his health, can, when he pleases, stir up, move, and exercise the
faculties of his soul; he is absolute master of them; and except there be some natural cause or
impediment in the way, he can use them at his pleasure: but this Light and Seed of God in man he
cannot move and stir up when he pleaseth; but it moves, blows, and strives
with man, as the Lord seeth meet. For though there be a possibility of salvation to every man
during the day of his visitation, yet cannot a man, at any time when he
pleaseth or hath some sense of his misery, stir up that Light and Grace, so as to procure to himself
tenderness of heart; but he must wait for it: which comes upon all at certain times and
seasons, wherein it works powerfully upon the soul, mightily tenders it,
and breaks it; at which time, if man resist it not, but closes with it, he comes to know salvation by
it. Even as the lake of Bethesda did not cure all those that washed in it, but such only as washed
first after the angel had moved upon the waters; so God moves in love to mankind, in this seed in
his heart, at some singular times, setting his sins in order before him, and seriously inviting him to
repentance, offering to him remission of sins and salvation; which if man accept of, he may be
saved. Now there is no man alive, and I am confident there shall be none, to whom this paper
shall come, who, if they will deal faithfully and honestly with their own hearts, will not be forced
to acknowledge, that they have been sensible of this in some measure, less or more; which is a
thing that man cannot bring upon himself with all his pains and industry. This then, O man and
woman, is the day of God's gracious visitation to thy soul, which thou shalt be happy forever if
thou resist not. This is the day of the Lord, which, as Christ saith, is like the lightning, which
shineth from the east unto the west; and the wind or spirit, which blows upon the heart, and no
man knows whither it goes, nor whence it comes.r
§XVII. And lastly, this leads me to speak concerning
the manner of this Seed or Light's operation in the hearts of all men, which will show yet more
manifestly how we differ vastly from all those that exalt a natural power or light in man; and how
our principle leads, above all others, to attribute our whole salvation to the mere power, spirit,
and grace of God.
To them then, that ask us after this manner, How do ye differ from the Pelagians and
Arminians? For if two men have equal sufficient Light and Grace, and the one be saved by it, and
the other not; is it not because the one improves it, the other not? Is not
then the will of man the cause of the one's salvation, beyond the other? I say, to such we thus
answer, that as the Grace and Light in all is sufficient to save all, and of its own nature would save
all; so, it strives and wrestles with all, for to save them; he that resists its striving, is the cause of
his own condemnation; he that resists it not, it becomes his salvation: so that in him, that is saved,
the working is of the grace, and not of the man; and it is a passiveness, rather than
an act: though afterwards, as man is wrought upon, there is a will raised in him, by which he
comes to be a coworker with the grace: for according to that of Augustine, "He that made
us without us, will not save us without us." So that the first step is not by man's working,
but by his not contrary working. And we believe, that at these singular seasons of every man's
visitation above mentioned, as man is wholly unable, of himself, to work with the grace, neither
can he move one step out of the natural condition, until the grace lay hold upon him; so it is
possible for him to be passive, and not to resist it, as it is also possible for him to resist it. So we
say, the grace of God works in and upon man's nature, which, though of itself wholly corrupted
and defiled, and prone to evil, yet, is capable to be wrought upon by the grace of God; even as
iron, though a hard and cold metal, of itself, may be warmed and softened by the heat of the fire,
and wax melted by the sun. And, as iron or wax, when removed from the fire, or sun, returneth to
its former condition of coldness and hardness; so man's heart, as it resists, or retires, from the
grace of God, returns to its former condition again. I have often had the manner of God's
working, in order to salvation towards all men, illustrated to my mind by one or two clear
examples, which I shall here add, for the information of others.
The first is, of a man heavily diseased; to whom I compare man in his fallen and natural
condition. I suppose God, who is the great physician, not only to give this man physic, after he
hath used all the industry he can for his own health, by any skill or knowledge he hath of his own.
As those, that say, If a man improve his reason or natural faculties, God will superadd grace. Or,
as others say, that he cometh and maketh offer of a remedy to this man
outwardly, leaving it to the liberty of man's will either to receive it or reject it. But He, even the
Lord, this great physician, cometh and poureth the remedy into his mouth, and as it were layeth
him in his bed, so that, if the sick man be but passive, it will necessarily work the effect: but if he
be stubborn and untoward, and will needs rise up and go forth into the cold, or eat such fruits as
are hurtful to him, while the medicine should operate; then, though of its nature it tendeth to cure
him, yet it will prove destructive to him, because of those obstructions which it meeteth with.
Now as the man that should thus undo himself would certainly be the cause of his own death; so,
who will say, that, if cured, he owes not his health wholly to the physician, and not to any deed of
his own? Seeing his part was not any action, but a passiveness?
The second example is of divers men lying in a dark pit together, where all their senses are
so stupefied that they are scarce sensible of their own misery. To this I compare man in his
natural, corrupt, fallen condition; I suppose not, that any of these men wrestling to deliver
themselves, do thereby stir up or engage one able to deliver them to give them his help. Saying
within himself, I see one of these men willing to be delivered, and doing what in him lies, therefore
he deserves to be assisted; as say the Socinians, Pelagians, and Semi-Pelagians. Neither do I
suppose that this deliverer comes to the top of the pit and puts down a ladder, desiring them that
will to come up; and so put them upon using their own strength and will to come up; as do the
Jesuits and Arminians: yet, as they say, such are not delivered without the grace; seeing the grace
is that ladder by which they were delivered. But I suppose that the deliverer comes at certain
times, and fully discovers and informs them of the great misery and hazard they are in, if they
continue in that noisome and pestiferous place; yea, forces them to a certain sense of their misery,
(for the wickedest men at times are made sensible of their misery by God's visitation), and not
only so, but lays hold upon them, and gives them a pull, in order to lift them out of their misery;
which if they resist not, will save them; only they may resist it. This, being applied as the former,
doth the same way illustrate the matter. Neither is the Grace of God frustrated, though the effect of it be diverse, according to its object, being the ministration of mercy
and love in those that reject it not, but receive it (John 1:12), but the ministration of wrath and
condemnation, in those that do reject it (John 3:19), even as the sun, by one act or operation,
melteth and softeneth the wax, and hardeneth the clay. The nature of the sun is to cherish the
creation, and therefore the living are refreshed by it, and the flowers send forth a good savour, as
it shines upon them, and the fruits of the trees are ripened; yet cast forth a dead carcass, a thing
without life, and the same reflection of the sun will cause it to stink, and putrefy it; yet is not the
sun said thereby to be frustrated of its proper effect. So every man, during the day of his
visitation, is shined upon by the sun of righteousness, and capable of being influenced by it, so as
to send forth good fruit, and a good savour, and to be melted by it; but when he hath sinned out
his day, then the same sun hardeneth him, as it doth the clay, and makes his wickedness more to
appear and putrefy, and send forth an evil savour.
§XVIII. Lastly, As we truly affirm that God willeth no
man to perish, and therefore hath given to all, grace sufficient for salvation, so we do not deny,
but that, in a special manner he worketh in some, in whom grace so prevaileth, that they
necessarily obtain salvation; neither doth God suffer them to resist. For it were absurd to say that
God had not far otherwise extended himself towards the virgin Mary and the apostle Paul, than
towards many others. Neither can we affirm, that God equally loved the beloved disciple John,
and Judas the traitor. In so far, nevertheless, as none wanted such a
measure of grace by which they might have been saved, all are justly inexcusable. And also, God
working in those to whom this prevalency of grace is given, doth so hide himself, to shut out all
security and presumption, that such may be humbled, and the free grace of God magnified, and all
reputed to be of the free gift; and nothing from the strength of self. Those also, who perish, when
they remember those times of God's visitation towards them, wherein he wrestled with them by
his Light and Spirit, are forced to confess that there was a time wherein the door of mercy was
open unto them, and that they are justly condemned, because they rejected their own
salvation.
Thus both the mercy and justice of God are established, and the will
and strength of man are brought down and rejected; his condemnation is made to be of himself,
and his salvation only to depend upon God: also by these positions two great objections, which
often are brought against this doctrine, are well solved.
The first is deduced from those places of Scripture, wherein God seems precisely to have
decreed and predestinated some to salvation; and for that end, to have ordained certain means,
which fall not out to others; as in the calling of Abraham, David, and others, and in the conversion
of Paul, for, these being numbered among such to whom this prevalency is given, the objection is
easily loosed.
The second is drawn from those places, wherein God seems to have ordained some
wicked persons to destruction; and therefore to have obdured their hearts, to force them unto
great sins, and to have raised them up, that he might show in them his power: who, if they be
numbered amongst those men whose day of visitation is passed over, that objection is also solved;
as will more evidently appear to any one that will make a particular application of those things,
which I at this time, for brevity's sake, thought meet to pass.
§XIX. Having thus clearly
and evidently stated the question, and opened our mind and judgment in this matter, as divers
objections are hereby prevented, so will it make our proof both the easier and the shorter.
The first thing to be proved, is, that God hath given to every man a day or time of
visitation, wherein it is possible for him to be saved. If we can prove that there is a day and
time given, in which those might have been saved, that actually perish, the matter is done. For
none deny but those that are saved have a day of visitation. This then appears by the regrets and
complaints which the Spirit of God throughout the whole Scriptures makes, even to those that did
perish; challenging them for that they did not accept of nor close with God's visitation and offer of
mercy to them. Thus the Lord express himself then first of all to Cain (Gen. 4:6-7), "And
the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou dost
well, shalt thou not be accepted? If thou dost not well, sin lieth at the door." This was said
to Cain before he slew his brother Abel, when the evil seed began to tempt
him and work in his heart, we see how God gave warning to Cain in season, and in the day of his
visitation towards him acceptance and remission if he did well: for this interrogation, "Shalt
thou not be accepted?" imports an affirmative, "Thou shalt be accepted, if thou dost
well." So that if we may trust God Almighty, the fountain of all Truth and equity, it was
possible in a day even for Cain to be accepted. Neither could God have proposed the doing of
good as a condition, if he had not given Cain sufficient strength whereby he was capable to do
good. This the Lord himself also shows, even that he gave a day of
visitation to the old world (Gen. 6:3): "And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive
in man"; for so it ought to be translated. This manifestly implies
that his Spirit did strive with man, and doth strive with him for a season; which season expiring
God ceaseth to strive with them in order to save them; for the Spirit of God cannot be said to
strive with man after the day of his visitation is expired, seeing it naturally and without any
resistance works its effect then, to wit continually to judge and condemn them. From this day of
visitation that God hath given to everyone, is it that he is said to "wait to be gracious"
(Isa. 30:18), and to be "long-suffering" (Exod. 34:6; Num. 14:18; Ps. 86:15; Jer.
15:15). Here the prophet Jeremy, in his prayer, lays hold upon the
long-suffering of God; and in his expostulating with God he shuts out the objection of our
adversaries in the 18th verse: "Why is my pain perpetual? and my wound incurable? which
refuseth to be healed, wilt thou altogether be unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?"
Whereas according to our adversaries' opinion, the pain of the most part of men is perpetual, and
their wound altogether incurable. Yea, the offer of the Gospel and of salvation unto them is as a
lie, and as waters that fail, being never intended to be of any effect unto them. The apostle Peter says expressly that this "long-suffering of God
waited in the days of Noah for those of the old world" (1 Pet. 3:20), which being compared
with that of Gen. 6:3, before mentioned, doth sufficiently hold forth our proposition. And that
none may object that this long-suffering or striving of the Lord was not in order to save them, the same apostle saith expressly (2 Pet. 3:15), that "the long-suffering
of God is to be accounted salvation"; and with this "long
suffering," a little before, in the 9th verse, he couples "that God is not willing that any
should perish." Where, taking himself to be his own interpreter, as
he is most fit, he holdeth forth that those to whom the Lord is long-suffering (which he declareth
he was to the wicked of the old world and is now to all, "not willing that any should
perish") they are to account this long-suffering of God to them salvation. Now how or in
what respect can they account it salvation, if there be not so much as a possibility of salvation
conveyed to them therein? For it were not salvation to them if they could not be saved by it. In
this matter Peter further refers to the writings of Paul, holding forth this
to have been the universal doctrine. Where it is observable what he adds upon this occasion, how
there are some things in Paul's epistles hard to be understood, which the unstable and unlearned
wrest to their own destruction: insinuating plainly this of those expressions in Paul's epistles, as
Rom. 9, &c., which some, unlearned in spiritual things, did make to contradict the truth of
God's long-suffering towards all, in which he willeth not any of them should perish, and in which
they all may be saved. Would to God many had taken more heed than they have done to this
advertisement! That place of the apostle Paul, which Peter seems here
most particularly to hint at, doth much contribute also to clear the matter (Rom. 2:4):
"Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing
that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" Paul speaketh here to the
unregenerate and to the wicked, who in the following verse he saith "treasure up wrath unto
the day of wrath"; and to such he commends the riches of the forbearance and
long-suffering of God; showing that the tendency of God's goodness leadeth to repentance. How
could it necessarily tend to lead them to repentance, how could it be called "riches" or
"goodness" to them, if there were not a time wherein they might repent by it, and
come to be sharers of the riches exhibited in it? From all which I thus argue:
If God plead with the wicked, from the possibility of their being
accepted; if God's Spirit strive in them for a season, in order to save them, who afterwards
perish; if he wait to be gracious unto them; if he be long-suffering
towards them; and if this long suffering be salvation to them, while it
endureth, during which time God willeth them not to perish, but exhibiteth to them the riches of
his goodness and forbearance, to lead them to repentance; then there is a day of visitation wherein
such might have been, or some such now may be saved, who have perished and may, if they
repent, not perish:5
But the first is true;
Therefore also the last.
§XX. Secondly, This appeareth from the prophet
Isaiah (5:4): "What could I have done more to my vineyard?" For in the 2nd verse he
saith: "He had fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the
choicest vine; and yet," saith he, "when I looked it should have brought forth grapes,
it brought forth wild grapes." Wherefore he calleth the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of
Judah, to judge betwixt him and his vineyard, saying; "What could I have done more to my
vineyard than I have done in it?" and yet, as is said, "it brought forth wild
grapes." Which was applied to many in Israel, who refused God's mercy. The same
example is used by Christ (Matt. 21:33; Mark 12:1; Luke 20:9), where Jesus shows how to some
a vineyard was planted, and all things given necessary for them, to get them fruit to pay or restore
to their master; and how the master many times waited to be merciful to
them, in sending servants after servants, and passing by many offenses, before he determined to
destroy and cast them out. First then, this cannot be understood of the saints, or of such as
repent, and are saved; for it is said expressly, "He will destroy them." Neither would
the parable any ways have answered the end, for which it is alleged, if these men had not been in a
capacity to have done good, yea, such was their capacity, that Christ
saith in the prophet, "What could I have done more?" So that it is more than
manifest, that by this parable, repeated in three sundry evangelists, Christ holds forth his
long-suffering towards men, and their wickedness, to whom means of salvation being afforded, do
nevertheless resist, to their own condemnation. To these also are parallel these scriptures: Prov. 1:24-26; Jer. 18:9-10; Matt. 18:32-34; Acts 13:46.
Lastly, that there is a day of visitation given to the wicked, wherein they might have been
saved, and, which being expired, they are shut out from salvation, appears evidently by Christ's
lamentation over Jerusalem, expressed in three sundry places (Matt. 23:37; Luke 13:34; and
19:41-42): "And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, if
thou hadst known, even thou, at least, in this thy day, the things, which belong unto thy peace; but
now they are hid from thine eyes." Than which, nothing can be said more evident to prove
our doctrine. For first, he insinuates that there was a day wherein the inhabitants of Jerusalem
might have known those things that belonged to their peace. Secondly, that during that day he
was willing to have gathered them, even as a hen gathereth her chickens. A familiar example, yet
very significative, in this case, which shows that the offer of salvation
made unto them was not in vain, on his part, but as really, and with as great cheerfulness and
willingness, as a hen gathereth her chickens. Such as is the love and care of the hen towards her
brood, such is the care of Christ to gather lost men and women, to redeem them out of their
corrupt and degenerate state. Thirdly, that because they refused, the things belonging to their
peace were hid from their eyes. Why were they hid? because ye would not suffer me to gather
you; ye would not see those things, that are good for you, in the season of God's love towards
you; and therefore, now, that day being expired, ye cannot see them: and, for a farther judgment,
God suffers you to be hardened in unbelief.
So it is, after real offers of mercy and salvation rejected, that God hardens men's hearts,6 and not before. Thus that saying is
verified, "To him that hath, shall be given; and from him that hath not, shall be taken away
even that which he hath." This may seem a riddle, yet is according to this doctrine easily
solved. He hath not, because he hath lost the season of using it, and so to him it is now as
nothing; for Christ uses this expression (Matt. 25:26) upon the occasion of the taking the one
talent from the slothful servant, and giving it to him that was diligent; which
talent was no ways insufficient, of itself, but of the same nature with those given to the others; and
therefore the Lord had reason to exact the profit of it proportionably, as well as from the rest. So
I say, it is after the rejecting of the day of visitation, that the judgment of obduration is inflicted
upon men and women, as Christ pronounceth it upon the Jews, out of Isa. 6:9, which all the four
evangelists make mention of (Matt. 13:14; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; John 12:40). And last of all the
apostle Paul, after he had made offer of the Gospel of salvation to the Jews at Rome, pronounceth
the same (Acts 28:26), after that some believed not; "Well spake the Holy Ghost, by Isaiah
the prophet, unto our fathers, saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and
shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive. For the heart of this people is
waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should
see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and should be
converted, and I should heal them." So it appears, that God would have them to see, but
they closed their eyes; and therefore they are justly hardened. Of this matter Cyril of Alexandria
upon John, lib. 6, cap. 21, speaks well, answering to this objection. "But some may say, if
Christ be come into the world, that those that see may be blinded, their blindness is not to be
imputed unto them; but it rather seems that Christ is the cause of their blindness, who saith, he is
come into the world, that those that see may be blinded. But" (saith he) "they speak
not rationally, who object these things unto God, and are not afraid to call him the author of evil.
For, as the sensible sun is carried upon our horizon, that it may communicate the gift of its
clearness unto all, and make its light shine upon all; yet if anyone close his eyelids, or willingly
turn himself from the sun, refusing the benefit of its light, he wants its illumination, and remains in
darkness, not through the defect of the sun, but through his own fault. So that the true Sun, who
came to enlighten those, that sat in darkness, and in the region of the shadow of death, visited the
earth, for this cause, that he might communicate unto all the gift of knowledge and grace, and
illuminate the inward eyes of all, by a peculiar7 splendor: but many reject the gift of this heavenly
Light freely given to them, and have closed the eyes of their minds, lest so excellent an
illumination or irradiation of the eternal Light should shine unto them. It is not then through
defect of the true Sun that they are blinded, but only through their own iniquity and hardness; for,
as the wise man saith (Wisdom 2), 'their wickedness hath blinded them.'" From all which I
thus argue:
If there was a day, wherein the obstinate Jews might have known
the things that belonged to their peace, which, because they rejected it, was hid from their eyes; if
there was a time, wherein Christ would have gathered them, who, because they refused, could not
be gathered; then such as might have been saved, do actually perish, that slighted the day of God's
visitation towards them, wherein they might have been converted and saved.
But the first is true;
Therefore also the last.
§XXI. Secondly, That which comes in the second
place to be proved is, that whereby God offers to work this salvation during the day of every
man's visitation, and that is that he hath given to every man a measure of saving, sufficient, and
supernatural Light and Grace. This I shall do, by God's assistance, by some plain and clear
testimonies of the Scripture.
First, from that of John 1:9: "That was the true Light,
which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." This place doth so clearly favour us,
that, by some, it is called "the Quakers' text"; for it doth evidently demonstrate our
assertion; so that it scarce needs either consequence or deduction, seeing itself is a consequence
of two propositions asserted in the former verses, from which it followeth, as a conclusion in the
very terms of our faith. The first of these propositions is, "The life that is in him is the Light
of men"; the second, "The Light shineth in the darkness," and from these two,
he infers, and "He is the true Light, that lighteth every man that cometh into the
world."
From whence I do, in short, observe, that this divine apostle calls Christ the Light of men,
and giveth us this as one of the chief properties, at least considerably and especially to be observed by us; seeing hereby, as he is the Light, and as we walk with him in
that Light, which he communicates to us, we come to have fellowship and communion with him;
as the same apostle saith elsewhere (1 John 1:7). Secondly, that "this Light shineth in
darkness, though the darkness comprehend it not." Thirdly, that
this "true Light enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world." Where the
apostle, being directed by God's Spirit, hath carefully avoided their captiousness, that would have
restricted this to any certain number. Where every one is, there is none excluded. Next, should
they be so obstinate, as sometimes they are, as to say that this ["every man"] is only
every one of the elect: these words following, "every man that cometh into the
world," would obviate that objection. So that, it is plain, there comes no man into the
world, whom Christ hath not enlightened in some measure, and in whose dark heart this Light
doth not shine, though the "darkness comprehend it not," yet it shineth there; and the
nature thereof is to dispel the darkness, where men shut not their eyes upon it. Now for what end this Light is given, is expressed (v. 7), where John is said
to come for a "witness, to bear witness to the Light, that all men through it might
believe"; to wit, through the Light, 
which doth very well agree with 
, as being the
nearest antecedent; though most translators have (to make it suit with their own doctrine) made it
relate to John, as if all men were to believe through John. For which, as there is nothing directly
in the text, so it is contrary to the very strain of the context. For, seeing Christ hath lighted every
man with this Light, is it not that they may come to believe through it? All could not believe
through John, because all men could not know of John's testimony; whereas every man being
lighted by this, may come therethrough to believe. John shined not in the darkness; but this Light
shineth in the darkness, that, having dispelled the darkness, it may produce and beget faith. And
lastly, we must believe through that, and become believers through that, by walking in which,
fellowship with God is known and enjoyed; but, as hath been above observed, it is by walking in
this Light that we have this communion and fellowship, not by walking in John, which were
nonsense. So that this relative must
needs be referred to the Light, whereof John bears witness, that through that
Light, wherewith Christ hath lighted every man, all men might come to believe. Seeing then this Light is the Light of Jesus Christ, and the Light
through which men come to believe, I think it needs not be doubted but that it is a supernatural,
saving, and sufficient Light. If it were not supernatural, it could not be properly called the Light
of Jesus; for though all things be his, and of him, and from him, yet those things
which are common and peculiar to our nature, as being a part of it, we are not said in so special a
manner to have from Christ. Moreover, the evangelist is holding out to us here the office of
Christ as mediator, and the benefits which, from him, as such, do redound unto us.
Secondly, It cannot be any of the natural gifts or faculties of our soul, whereby we are said
here to be enlightened, because this Light is said to "shine in the darkness" and cannot
be comprehended by it. Now this darkness is no other but man's natural condition and state; in
which natural state he can easily comprehend, and doth comprehend, those things that are peculiar
and common to him as such. That man in his natural condition is called darkness, see Eph. 5:8:
"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord." And in other
places, as Acts 26:18, Col. 1:13, 1 Thess. 5:5, where the condition of man in his natural state is
termed "darkness": therefore, I say, this Light cannot be any natural property or
faculty of man's soul, but a supernatural gift and grace of Christ.
Thirdly, It is sufficient and saving.
That, which is given, "that all men through it may
believe," must needs be saving and sufficient: that, by walking in which, fellowship with the
saints, and "the blood of Christ, which cleanseth from all sin," is possessed, must be
sufficient:
But such is the Light (1 John, 1:7).
Therefore, &c.
Moreover,
That, which we are commanded to believe in, "that we may become the children of
the Light," must be a supernatural, sufficient, and saving principle:
But we are commanded to believe in this Light:
Therefore, &c.
The proposition cannot be denied. The assumption is Christ's own
words (John 12:36): "While ye have the Light, believe in the Light, that ye may be the
children of the Light."
To this they object, that by "Light" here is understood Christ's outward
person, in whom he would have them believe.
That they ought to have believed in Christ, that is, that he was the
MESSIAH that was to come, is not denied; but how they evince that Christ
intended that here I see not: nay the place itself shows the contrary by these words, "While
ye have the Light"; and by the verse going before, "Walk while ye have the Light lest
darkness come upon you." Which words import that when that
Light in which they were to believe was removed, then they should lose the capacity or season of
believing. Now this could not be understood of Christ's person; the Jews might have believed in
him, and many did savingly believe in him, as all Christians do at this day, when the person, to wit,
his bodily presence or outward man is far removed from them. So that this Light in which they
were commanded to believe must be that inward, spiritual Light, that shines in their hearts
for a season, even during the day of man's visitation; which while it continueth to call, invite and
exhort, men are said to have it and may believe in it; but when men refuse to believe in it, and
reject it, then it ceaseth to be a Light to show them the way, but leaves the sense of their
unfaithfulness as a sting in their conscience, which is a terror and darkness unto them and upon
them in which they cannot know where to go, neither can work any ways profitably in order to
their salvation: and therefore to such rebellious ones the "day of
the Lord" is said to be "darkness and not light" (Amos 5:18).
From whence it appears that though many receive not the Light (as the darkness
comprehends it not) nevertheless this saving Light shines in all that it may save them.
Concerning which also Cyril of Alexandria saith well, and defends our principle. "With
great diligence and watchfulness," saith he, "doth the apostle John endeavour to
anticipate and prevent the vain thoughts of men; for there is here a wonderful method of sublime
things and overturning of objections, he had just now called the Son the true Light, by whom he
affirmed that every man coming into the world was enlightened; yea that he was in the world and
the world was made by him. One may then object, if the Word of God be
the Light and if this Light enlighten the hearts of men and suggest unto men piety and the
understanding of things; if he was always in the world and was the creator or builder of the world,
why was he so long unknown unto the world? It seems rather to follow because he was unknown
to the world, therefore the world was not enlightened by him, nor he totally Light. Lest any
should so object he divinely infers, 'and the world knew him not.' Let not the world," saith
he, "accuse the Word of God, and his eternal Light, but its own weakness: for the Son
enlightens, but the creature rejects the grace that is given unto it and abuseth the sharpness of
understanding granted it by which it might have naturally known God, and as a prodigal hath
turned its sight to the creatures, neglecting to go forward, and through laziness and negligence
buried the illumination and despised this grace. Which, that the disciple of Paul might not do, he
was commanded to watch; therefore it is to be imputed to their wickedness who are illuminated,
and not unto the Light; for as, albeit the sun riseth upon all, yet he that is blind receiveth no
benefit thereby; none thence can justly accuse the brightness of the sun, but will ascribe the cause
of not seeing to the blindness; so I judge it is to be understood of the only begotten Son of God,
for he is the true Light and sendeth forth his brightness upon all; but the god of this world, as Paul
saith, hath blinded the minds of those that believe not (2 Cor. 4:4), that the Light of the Gospel
shine not unto them. We say then that darkness is come upon men not because they are
altogether deprived of Light; for nature retaineth still the strength of understanding divinely given
it, but because man is dulled by an evil habit and become worse, and hath made the measure of
grace in some respect to languish. When therefore the like befalls to man, the Psalmist justly
prays, crying 'Open mine eyes that I may behold the wonderful things of thy law.' For the law was
given that this Light might be kindled in us, the blearedness of the eyes of our minds being wiped
away and the blindness being removed which detained us in our former ignorance. By these
words, then, the world is accused as ungrateful and insensible, not knowing its Author nor
bringing forth the good fruit of the illumination; that it may now seem to be said truly of all, which
was of old said by the prophet of the Jews, I expected that it should have
brought forth grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes. For the good fruit of the illumination was
the knowledge of the Only-Begotten, as a cluster hanging from a fruitful branch," &c.s
From which it appears, Cyril believed, that a saving illumination was given unto all.
For, as to what he speaks of nature, he understands it not of the common nature of man by itself,
but of that nature which hath the strength of understanding divinely given it: for he understands
this universal illumination to be of the same kind with that grace of which Paul makes mention to
Timothy, saying, "Neglect not the grace that is in thee." Now, it is not to be believed,
that Cyril was so ignorant, as to judge that grace to have been some natural gift.
§XXII. That this saving Light and Seed, or a measure
of it, is given to all, Christ telleth expressly in the parable of the sower (Matt. 13 from v. 18; Mark
4, and Luke 8:11), he saith That this "seed" sown in those several sorts of grounds is
the "Word of the Kingdom," which the apostle calls the Word of faith (Rom. 10:8,
James 1:21), 
, the "implanted
ingrafted Word, which is able to save the soul"; the words themselves declare that it is that,
which is saving, in the nature of it, for in the good ground, it fructified abundantly.
Let us then observe that this Seed of the Kingdom, this saving, supernatural, and sufficient
Word was really sown in the stony, thorny ground and by the wayside, where it did not profit but
became useless as to these grounds. It was, I say, the same Seed that was sown in the good
ground. It is then the fear of persecution and deceitfulness of riches (as Christ himself interpreteth
the parable) which hindereth this Seed to grow in the hearts of many. Not but that in its own
nature it is sufficient, being the same with that which groweth up and prospereth in the hearts of
those who receive it. So that though all are not saved by it, yet there is a seed of salvation planted
and sown in the hearts of all by God, which would grow up and redeem the soul if it were not
choked and hindered. Concerning this parable Victor of Antioch (on the
fourth chapter of Mark, as he is cited by Voss in his Pelagian History, Book 7) saith,
"That our Lord Christ hath liberally sown the divine Seed of the Word and proposed it to all
without respect of persons; and as he that soweth distinguisheth not betwixt ground and ground
but simply casteth in the seed without distinction, so our Saviour hath offered the food of the
divine Word, so far as was his part, although he was not ignorant what would become of many.
Lastly, he so behaved himself as he might justly say, 'What should I have done that I have not
done?'" And to this answereth the parable of the talents (Matt.
25): he that had two talents was accepted as well as he that had five because he used them to his
master's profit. And he that had one might have done so: his talent was of the same nature with
the rest, it was as capable to have proportionably brought forth its interest as the rest. And so
though there be not a like proportion of grace given to all, to some five talents, to some two
talents and to some but one talent; yet there is given to all that which is sufficient, and no more is
required than according to that which is given: "For unto whomsoever much is given, from
him shall much be required" (Luke 12:48); he that had the two talents was accepted for
giving four, nothing less than he that gave the ten: so should he also that gave the one if he had
given two; and no doubt one was capable to have produced two, as well as five to have produced
ten, or two four.
§XXIII. Thirdly, this saving spiritual Light is the
Gospel, which the apostle saith expressly is preached "in every creature under
heaven"; even that very "Gospel whereof Paul was made a minister" (Col.
1:23). For the Gospel is not a mere declaration of good things, being the "power of God
unto salvation, to all those that believe" (Rom. 1:16). Though the outward declaration of
the Gospel be taken sometimes for the Gospel; yet it is but figuratively and by a
metonymy. For to speak properly, the Gospel is this inward power and life which
preacheth glad tidings in the hearts of all men, offering salvation unto them and seeking to
redeem them from their iniquities, and therefore it is said to be preached "in every creature
under heaven": whereas there are many thousands of men and women to whom the outward
gospel was never preached. Therefore the apostle Paul (Rom. 1), where he
saith "the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation," adds that "therein is
revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith"; and also the "wrath of God
against such as hold the Truth of God in unrighteousness": for this reason (saith he)
"because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto
them." Now that which may be known of God is known by the Gospel, which was manifest
in them. For those of whom the apostle speaks had no outward gospel preached unto
them; so that it was by the inward manifestation of the knowledge of God in them, which
is indeed the Gospel preached in man, that "the righteousness of God is revealed from faith
to faith"; that is, it reveals to the soul that which is just, good, and righteous, and that, as
the soul receiveth it and believes, righteousness comes more and more to be revealed from one
degree of faith to another. For though, as the following verse saith, the outward creation declares
the power of God; yet that which may be known of him is manifest within: by which inward
manifestation we are made capable to see and discern the Eternal Power and Godhead in the
outward creation; so were it not for this inward principle we could no more understand the
invisible things of God by the outward visible creation than a blind man can see and discern the
variety of shapes and colors or judge of the beauty of the outward creation. Therefore he saith,
first, "That which may be known of God is manifest in them," and in and
by that they may read and understand the power and Godhead in those things that are
outward and visible. And though any might pretend that the outward creation doth, of itself,
without any supernatural or saving principle in the heart, even declare to the natural man that
there is a God; yet what would such a knowledge avail if it did not also communicate to me what
the will of God is, and how I shall do that which is acceptable to him? For the outward creation,
though it may beget a persuasion that there is some eternal power or virtue by which the world
hath had its beginning; yet it doth not tell me nor doth it inform me of that which is just, holy, and
righteous, how I shall be delivered from my temptations and evil affections and come unto
righteousness: that must be from some inward manifestation in my heart. Whereas those
Gentiles of whom the apostle speaks knew by that inward law and manifestation of the knowledge of God in them to distinguish betwixt
good and evil, as in the next chapter appears, of which we shall speak hereafter. The prophet
Micah, speaking of man indefinitely or in general, declares this (Mic. 6:8): "He hath showed
thee, O man, what is good. And what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, and to love
mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" He doth not say God requires till he hath first
assured that he hath showed unto them. Now because this is showed unto all men and
manifest in them, therefore, saith the apostle, is the "wrath of God revealed against
them for that they hold the Truth in unrighteousness"; that is the measure of Truth, the
Light, the Seed, the Grace in them: for that they "hide the talent in the earth," that is
in the earthly and unrighteous part in their hearts, and suffer it not to bring forth fruit but to be
choked with the sensual cares of this life, the fear of reproach, and the deceitfulness of riches, as
by the parables above mentioned doth appear. But the apostle Paul opens and illustrates this
matter yet more (Rom. 10) where he declares that the Word which he preached (now the Word
which he preached and the Gospel which he preached, and whereof he was a minster, is one and
the same) "is not far off, but nigh in the heart and in the mouth"; which done, he
frameth, as it were, the objection of our adversaries in the 14th and 15th verses: "How shall
they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a
preacher?" This he answers in the 18th verse, saying, "But, I say, have they not
heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the
world"; insinuating that this divine preacher hath sounded in the ears and hearts of all men:
for of the outward apostles that saying was not true, neither then nor many hundred years after;
yea for aught we know there may be yet great and spacious nations and kingdoms who never have
heard of Christ nor his apostles, as outwardly. This inward and powerful Word of God is yet
more fully described in the epistle to the Hebrews (chap. 4:12-13): "For the Word of God is
quick,8 and sharper than any two-edged
sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and
is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." The virtues of
this spiritual Word are here enumerated, it is quick, because it searches and tries the hearts
of all: no man's heart is exempt from it, for the apostle gives this reason of its being so, in the
following verse: "But all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him, with whom we
have to do: and there is not any creature, that is not manifest in his sight." Though this
ultimately and mediately be referred to God, yet nearly and immediately it relates to the
Word or Light, which, as hath been before proved, is in the hearts of all,
else it had been improper to have brought it in here. The apostle shows how every intent and
thought of the heart is discerned by the Word of God, because all things are naked before God,
which imports nothing else, but it is in and by this Word whereby God sees and discerns man's
thoughts; and so must needs be in all men, because the apostle saith, "there is no creature
that is not manifest in his sight." This then is that faithful witness and messenger of God,
that bears witness for God, and for his righteousness in the hearts of all men: for "he hath
not left man without a witness" (Acts 14:17), and he is said to be "given for a witness
to the people" (Isa. 55:4). And as this Word beareth witness for God, so it is not placed in
men only to condemn them: for as he is given for a witness, so, saith the prophet, "he is
given for a leader and commander." The Light is given that all through it may believe (John
1:7), "for faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God," which is placed
in man's heart, both to be a witness for God, and to be a means to bring man to God,
through faith and repentance: it is therefore powerful, that it may divide betwixt the soul
and the spirit. It is like a two-edged sword, that it may cut off iniquity from him, and separate
betwixt the precious and the vile; and because man's heart is cold and hard, like iron, naturally,
therefore hath God placed this Word in him, which is said to be like a fire, and like a
hammer, (Jer. 23:29), that, like as by the heat of the fire the iron, of its own nature cold, is
warmed, and by the strength of the hammer is softened and framed according to the mind of the
worker; so the cold and hard heart of man is, by the virtue and powerfulness of this Word of God
near and in the heart, as it resists not, warmed and softened, and receiveth a heavenly and celestial impression and image. The most part of the fathers have
spoken at large touching this Word, Seed, Light, and saving voice calling all unto salvation, and
able to save.
Clement of Alexandria saith (lib. 2, Stromat.),
"The divine Word hath cried, calling all, knowing well those that will not obey. And yet,
because it is in our power either to obey or not to obey, that none may have a pretext of
ignorance it hath made a righteous call and requireth but that which is according to the ability and
strength of every one." The selfsame, in his Warning to the Gentiles: "For
as" (saith he) "that heavenly ambassador of the Lord, the grace of God that brings
salvation, hath appeared unto all, &c. This is the new song, coming, and manifestation of the
Word which now shows itself in us, which was in the beginning and was first of all." And
again, "Hear, therefore, ye that are afar off; hear ye who are near; the Word is hid from
none, the Light is common to all and shineth to all. There is no darkness in the Word; let us
hasten to salvation, to the new birth, that we, being many, may be gathered unto the one alone
love." Ibid., he saith that "There is infused into all, but principally into those that are
trained up in doctrine, a certain divine influence, 
." And again he speaketh concerning "the innate witness, worthy of
belief, which of itself doth plainly choose that which is most honest." And again he saith,
"That it is not impossible to come unto the Truth and lay hold of it, seeing it is most near to
us, in our own houses, as the most wise Moses declareth, living in three parts of us: viz., in our
hands, in our mouth, and in our heart. This," saith he, "is a most true badge of the
Truth, which is also fulfilled in three things, namely in counsel, in action, in speaking." And
again he saith also unto the unbelieving nations, "Receive Christ, receive Light, receive
sight to the end thou mayest rightly know both God and man. The Word that hath enlightened us
is more pleasant than gold, and the stone of great value." And again he saith, "Let us
receive the Light that we may receive God; let us receive the Light that we may be the scholars of
the Lord." And again he saith to those infidel nations, "The heavenly Spirit helpeth
thee; resist and flee pleasure." Again (lib. Strom. 5) he saith, "God forbid that
man be not a partaker of divine acquaintance, 
, who in Genesis is said to be a partaker of inspiration." And (Paed. lib,. 1, cap. 3),
"There is," saith he, "some lovely and some desirable thing in man which is
called the in-breathing of God, 
." The same man (lib. Strom. 10)
directeth men unto the Light and Water in themselves, who have the eye of the
soul darkened or dimmed through evil upbringing and learning: let them enter in unto their own
domestic Light, or unto the Light which is in their own house, 
, unto the Truth which manifests accurately
and clearly these things that have been written.
Justin Martyr, in his first apology, saith, "that the Word which was and is, is in all;
even that very same Word which, through the prophets, foretold things to come."
The writer of the Call of all Nations, saith (lib. i, cap. 2), "We
believe according to the same (viz. Scripture), and most religiously confess, that God was never
wanting in care to the generality of men; who although he did lead by particular lessons, a people
gathered to himself unto godliness, yet he withdrew from no nation of men the gifts of his own
goodness, that they might be convinced that they had received the words of the prophets, and
legal commands in services and testimonies of the first principles." Cap. 7, he saith,
"That he believes that the help of grace hath been wholly withdrawn from no man."
Lib. 2, cap. l, "Because, albeit salvation is far from sinners, yet there is
nothing void of the presence and virtue of his salvation." Cap. 2, "But seeing
none of that people over whom was set both the doctrines, were justified but through Grace by
the Spirit of faith, who can question, but that they, who of whatsoever nation, in whatsoever
times, could please God, were ordered by the Spirit of the Grace of God: which albeit in fore-time
it was more sparing and hid, yet denied itself to no ages, being in virtue one, in quantity different,
in counsel unchangeable, in operation multifarious."
§XXIV. The third proposition which ought to be
proved is, That it is by this Light, Seed, or Grace that God works the salvation of all men, and
many come to partake of the benefit of Christ's death, and salvation purchased by him. By the
inward and effectual operations of which, as many heathens have come to be partakers of the
promises who were not of the seed of Abraham after the flesh, so may some now, to whom God
hath rendered the knowledge of the history impossible, come to be saved by
Christ. Having already proved that Christ hath died for all, that there is a day of visitation given
to all, during which salvation is possible unto them, and that God hath actually given a measure of
saving Grace and Light unto all, preached the Gospel to and in them, and placed the Word of faith
in their hearts, the matter of this proposition may seem to be proved. Yet shall I a little, for the
further satisfaction of all who desire to know the Truth and hold it as it is in Jesus, prove this,
from two or three clear Scripture testimonies, and remove the most common, as well as the more
strong, objections usually brought against it.
Our theme then hath two parts: First, that those that have the Gospel and Christ outwardly
preached unto them, are not saved but by the working of the Grace and Light in their hearts.
Secondly, that by the working and operation of this, many have been, and some may be
saved, to whom the Gospel hath never been outwardly preached, and who are utterly ignorant of
the outward history of Christ.
As to the first, though it be granted by most, yet because it is more in words than deeds
(the more full discussing of which will fall-in in the next Proposition concerning justification, I
shall prove it in few words. And first from the words of Christ to Nicodemus (John 3:3),
"Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God." Now this birth cometh not by the outward preaching of the Gospel, or knowledge of
Christ, or historical faith in him; seeing many have that and firmly believe it who are never thus
renewed. The apostle Paul also goes so far, while he commends the necessity and excellence of
this "new creation," as, in a certain respect, to lay aside the outward knowledge of
Christ or the knowledge of him after the flesh, in these words (2 Cor. 5:16-17): "Wherefore
henceforth know we no man after the flesh; yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet
now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature;
old things are passed away, behold all things are become new." Whence it manifestly
appears that he makes the knowledge of Christ after the flesh but as it were the rudiments which
young children learn, which after they are become better scholars are of less
use to them because they have and possess the very substance of those first precepts in their
minds. As all comparisons halt in some part so shall I not affirm this to hold in every respect; yet
so far will this hold that as those things that go no farther than the rudiments are never to be
accounted learned, and as they grow beyond these things, so they have less use of them; even so
such as go no further than the outward knowledge of Christ shall never inherit the kingdom of
heaven. But such as come to know this new birth, to be in Christ indeed, to be a new creature, to
have "old things passed away and all things become new," may safely say with the
apostle, "Though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no
more." Now this new creature proceeds from the work of this Light and Grace in the heart.
It is that Word which we speak of that is sharp and piercing, that implanted Word able to
save the soul, by which this birth is begotten; and therefore Christ has purchased unto us this holy
Seed, that thereby this birth might be brought forth in us which is therefore also called
"the manifestation of the Spirit given to every one to profit withal"; for it is written
that "by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body." And the apostle Peter also
ascribeth this birth to the Seed and Word of God which we have so much declared of, saying (1
Pet. 1:23), "Being born again, not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, by the Word of
God which liveth and abideth forever." Though then this Seed be small in its appearance,
so that Christ compares it to a "grain of mustard-seed, which is the least of all seeds"
(Matt. 13:31-32), and that it be hid in the earthly part of man's heart; yet therein is life and
salvation towards the sons of men wrapped up, which comes to be revealed as they give way to it.
And in this Seed in the hearts of all men is the Kingdom of God, as in capacity to be produced, or
rather exhibited, according as it receives depth, is nourished, and not choked: hence Christ saith
that the Kingdom of God was in the very Pharisees (Luke 17:20-21) who
did oppose and resist him and were justly accounted as serpents and a generation of vipers. Now
the Kingdom of God could be no otherways in them than in a Seed, even as the thirty-fold and the
hundred-fold is wrapt up in a small seed lying in a barren ground, which springs not forth because
it wants nourishment: and as the whole body of a great tree is wrapped up
potentially in the seed of the tree, and so is brought forth in due season; and as the capacity of a
man or a woman is not only in a child but even in the very embryo, even so the Kingdom
of Jesus Christ, yea Jesus Christ himself, "Christ within, who is the hope of glory,"
and becometh wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption, is in every man's and
woman's heart, in that little incorruptible Seed, ready to be brought forth as it is cherished and
received in the love of it. For there can be no men worse than those rebellious and unbelieving
Pharisees were; and yet this Kingdom was thus within them, and they were directed to
look for it there: so it is neither "lo here" nor "lo there," in this or the
other observation, that this is known, but as this Seed of God in the heart is minded and
entertained. And certainly hence it is (even because this Light, Seed, and Grace that appears
in the heart of man is so little regarded and so much overlooked) that so few know Christ
brought forth in them. The one sort, to wit the Calvinists, they look upon grace as an irresistible
power and therefore neglect and despise this eternal Seed of the Kingdom in their hearts as a low,
insufficient, useless thing as to their salvation. On the other hand the Papists, Arminians, and
Socinians, they go about to set up their natural power and will, with one consent denying that this
little Seed, this small appearance of the Light, is that supernatural saving grace of God given to
every man to save him. And so upon them is verified that saying of the Lord Jesus Christ,
"This is the condemnation of the world, that Light is come into the world, but men love
darkness rather than Light"; the reason is added, "because their deeds are evil."
All confess they feel this; but they will not have it to be of that virtue.
Some will have it to be reason; some a natural conscience; some, certain relics of God's image that
remained in Adam. So Christ, as he met with opposition from all kinds of professors in his
outward appearance, so doth he now in his inward. It was the meanness of his outward man that
made many despise him, saying, "Is not this the son of the carpenter? Are not his brethren
and sisters among us? Is not this a Galilean? And came there ever a prophet out of
Galilee?" And suchlike reasonings. For they expected an outward deliverer who, as a
prince, should deliver them with great ease from their outward enemies, and
not such a messiah as should be crucified shamefully and as it were lead them into many sorrows,
troubles, and afflictions. So the meanness of this appearance makes the
crafty Jesuits, the pretended rational Socinians, and the learned Arminians overlook it; desiring
rather something that they might exercise their subtilty, reason, and learning about, and use the
liberty of their own wills. And the secure Calvinists, they would have a Christ to save them
without any trouble; to destroy all their enemies for them without them, and nothing or little
within, while they meanwhile be at ease to live in their sins secure. Whence when all is well
examined the cause is plain: it is "because their deeds are evil" that with one consent
they reject this Light; for it checks the wisest of them all and the learnedest of them all in secret; it
reproves them; neither can all their logic silence it nor can the securest among them stop its voice
from crying and reproving them within, for all their confidence in the outward knowledge of
Christ, or of what he hath suffered outwardly for them. For as hath been often said, in a day it
strives with all, wrestles with all; and it's the unmortified nature, the first nature, the old Adam, yet
alive in the wisest, in the learnedest, in the most zealous for the outward knowledge of Christ, that
denies this, that despises it, that shuts it out to their own condemnation. They come all under this
description:" Every one that doth evil hateth the Light, neither cometh to the Light, lest his
deeds should be reproved" (John 3:20). So that it may be said now, and we can say from a
true and certain experience as it was said of old (Ps. 118:22; Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke
20:17; Acts 4:11), "The stone which the builders of all kinds have rejected, the same is
become unto us the head of the corner." Glory to God forever! who hath chosen us a
first-fruits to himself in this day wherein he is arisen to plead with the nations, and therefore hath
sent us forth to preach this everlasting Gospel unto all, Christ nigh to all, the Light in all, the Seed
sown in the hearts of all, that men may come and apply their minds to it. And we rejoice that we have been made to lay down our wisdom and
learning (such of us as have had some of it) and our carnal reasoning, to learn of Jesus and sit
down at the feet of Jesus in our hearts and hear him, who there makes all
things manifest and reproves all things by his Light (Eph. 5:13). For many are wise and learned in
the notion, in the letter of the Scripture, as the Pharisees were, and can speak much of Christ and
plead strongly against infidels, Turks and Jews, and it may be also against some heresies, who in
the meantime are crucifying Christ in the small appearance of his Seed in their hearts. Oh! better
were it to be stripped and naked of all, to account it as dross and dung,
and become a fool for Christ's sake, thus knowing him to teach thee in thy heart so as thou mayest
witness him raised there, feel the virtue of his cross there, and say with the apostle, "I glory
in nothing save in the cross of Christ whereby I am crucified to the world and the world unto
me." This is better than to write thousands of commentaries and to preach many sermons.
And it is thus to preach Christ and direct people to his pure Light in the heart that God hath raised
us up and for which the wise men of this world account us fools; because by the operation of this
cross of Christ in our hearts we have denied our own wisdom and wills in many things and
have forsaken the vain worships, fashions, and customs of this world. For these divers centuries
the world hath been full of a dry, fruitless, and barren knowledge of Christ, feeding upon the husk
and neglecting the kernel; following after the shadow but strangers to the substance. Hence the
devil matters not how much of that knowledge abounds, provided he can but possess the heart
and rule in the will, crucify the appearance of Christ there, and so keep the Seed of the Kingdom
from taking root. For he has led them abroad, lo here and lo there, and has made them wrestle in
a false zeal, so much one against another, contending for this outward observation and for the
other outward observation, seeking Christ in this and the other external thing, as in bread and
wine; contending one with another how he is there, while some will have him to be present therein
this way, and some the other way; and some in Scriptures, in books, in societies and pilgrimages
and merits. But some confiding in an external barren faith think all is well if they do but firmly
believe that he died for their sins, past, present, and to come, while in the meantime Christ lies
crucified and slain and is daily resisted and gainsaid in his appearance in their hearts. Thus, from a
sense of this blindness and ignorance that is come over Christendom, it is
that we are led and moved of the Lord so constantly and frequently to call all, invite all, request
all to turn to the Light in them, to mind the Light in them, to believe in Christ as he
is in them. And that in the name, power, and authority of the Lord, not in school
arguments and distinctions (for which many of the wise men of this world account us fools and
madmen) we do charge and command them to lay aside their wisdom, to come down out of that
proud, airy brain-knowledge, and to stop that mouth, how eloquent soever to the worldly ear it
may appear, and to be silent and sit down as in the dust, and to mind the
Light of Christ in their own consciences. Which if minded they would find as a sharp two-edged
sword in their hearts, and as a fire and a hammer that would knock against and burn up all that
carnal, gathered, natural stuff, and make the stoutest of them all tremble and become
"Quakers" indeed; which those that come not to feel now, and kiss not the Son while
the day lasteth, but harden their hearts, will feel to be a certain truth when it is too late. To
conclude, as saith the apostle, "All ought to examine themselves whether they be in the faith
indeed; and try their ownselves: for except Jesus Christ be in them they are certainly
reprobates" (2 Cor. 13:5).
§XXV. Secondly, that which remains now to be
proved is, that by the operation of this Light and Seed some have been and may yet be saved, to
whom the Gospel is not outwardly preached, nor the history of Christ outwardly known. To
make this the easier, we have already shown how that Christ hath died for all men; and
consequently these are enlightened by Christ, and have a measure of saving Light and Grace; yea,
that the Gospel, though not in any outward dispensation, is preached to them, and in them; so that
thereby they are stated in a possibility of salvation. From which I may thus argue:
Arg. To whom the Gospel, the power of God unto
salvation, is manifest, they may be saved, whatever outward knowledge they want:
But this Gospel is preached in every creature; in which is certainly comprehended
many that have not the outward knowledge:
Therefore of those, many may be saved.
But to those arguments by which it hath been proved that all men
have a measure of saving grace, I shall add one, and that very observable, not yet mentioned, viz,
that excellent saying of the apostle Paul to Titus (2:11), "The grace
of God that brings salvation hath appeared to all men; teaching us that denying ungodliness and
worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." Than
which there can be nothing more clear, it comprehending both the parts of the controversy. First,
it testifies that it is no natural principle or light, but saith plainly, "it brings salvation."
Secondly, it says not that it hath appeared to a few, but unto all men. The fruit of it
declares also how efficacious it is, seeing it comprehends the whole duty of man. It both teacheth
us first to forsake evil, to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts; and then it teacheth us our whole
duty. First, to live soberly, that comprehends temperance, chastity, meekness, and those
things that relate unto a man's self. Secondly, righteously, that comprehends equity,
justice, and honesty, and those things which relate to our neighbours. And lastly, godly;
which comprehends piety, faithfulness, and devotion, which are the duties relating to God. So
then there is nothing required of man or is needful to man which this grace teacheth not. Yet I
have heard a public preacher, one of those that are accounted zealous men, to evite the strength
of this text, deny this grace to be saving, and say it was only intended of common favours and
graces such as is the heat of the fire and outward light of the sun. Such is the darkness and
ignorance of those that oppose the Truth, whereas the text saith expressly that it is saving.
Others, that cannot deny but it is saving, allege this "all" comprehends not every
individual but only all kinds. But is a bare negation sufficient to overturn the strength of a
positive assertion? If the Scriptures may be so abused, what so absurd as may not be pleaded for
from them? or what so manifest as may not be denied? But we have not reason to be staggered
by their denying so long as our faith is found in express terms of the Scripture; they may as well
seek to persuade us that we do not intend that which we affirm, though we know the contrary, as
make us believe that when the apostle speaks forth our doctrine in plain words yet he intends
theirs, which is quite the contrary, and indeed, can there be anything more absurd than to say,
where the word is plainly "all," few is only intended. For they
will not have "all" taken here for the greater number. Indeed, as the case may be
sometimes, by a figure "all" may be taken of two numbers for the greater number; but
let them show us, if they can, either in Scripture, or profane or ecclesiastical writings, that any
man that wrote sense did ever use the word "all" to express, of two numbers, the
lesser. Whereas they affirm that the far lesser number have received saving grace; and yet will
they have the apostle, by "all," to have signified so. Though this might suffice, yet to
put it further beyond all question, I shall instance another saying of the
same apostle that we may use him as his own commentator (Rom. 5:18):
"Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so
by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." Here
no man of reason, except he will be obstinately ignorant, will deny but this similitive particle
"as" makes the "all," which goes before and comes after, to be of one and
the same extent. Or else let them show one example, either in Scripture or elsewhere, among men
that speak proper language, where it is otherwise. We must then either affirm that this loss which
leads to condemnation hath not come upon all; or say that this free gift is come upon all by Christ.
Whence I thus argue, First,
Arg. If all men have received a loss from Adam,
which leads to condemnation; then all men have received a gift from Christ, which leads to
justification:
But the first is true;
Therefore also the last.
From all which it naturally follows that all men, even the heathen, may be saved: for Christ
was given as a "Light to enlighten the Gentiles" (Isa. 49:6). Now to say that though
they might have been saved yet none were, is to judge too uncharitably. I see not what reason can
be alleged for it; yea, though it were granted, which never can be, that none of the heathen were
saved, it will not from thence follow that they could not have been saved; or that none now in
their condition can be saved. For, A non esse ad non posse non datur
sequela, i.e., That consequence is false that concludes a thing cannot be because it is not.
Obj. But if it be objected, which is the great objection,
that "there is no name under heaven, by which salvation is known, but
by the name Jesus."
Therefore they (not knowing this) cannot be saved.
Answ. I answer: though they know it not outwardly, yet if they know it inwardly
by feeling the virtue and power of it, the Name "Jesus" indeed (which signifies a
Saviour) to free them from sin and iniquity in their hearts, they are saved by it. I confess there is
no other name to be saved by: but salvation lieth not in the literal but in the experimental
knowledge; albeit those that have the literal knowledge are not saved by it without this real
experimental knowledge. Yet those that have the real knowledge may be saved without the
external, as by the arguments hereafter brought will more appear. For if the outward distinct
knowledge of him by whose means I receive benefit were necessary for me before I could reap
any fruit of it, then by the rule of contraries it would follow that I could receive no hurt without I
had also the distinct knowledge of him that occasioned it; whereas experience proves the
contrary. How many are injured by Adam's fall that know nothing of there ever being such a man
in the world? or of his eating the forbidden fruit? Why may they not then be saved by the gift and
grace of Christ in them, making them righteous and holy, though they know not distinctly
how that was purchased unto them by the death and sufferings of Jesus that was crucified at
Jerusalem; especially seeing God hath made that knowledge simply impossible to them? As many
men are killed by poison infused into their meat, though they neither know what the poison was
nor who infused it; so also on the other hand how many are cured of their diseases by good
remedies who know not how the medicine is prepared, what the ingredients are, nor oftentimes
who made it? The like may also hold in spiritual things, as we shall hereafter prove.
§XXVI. First, If there were such an absolute necessity
for this outward knowledge, that it were even of the essentials of salvation, then none could be
saved without it; whereas our adversaries deny not, but readily confess, that many infants and deaf
persons are saved without it. So that here they break that general rule, and make salvation
possible without it. Neither can they allege that it is because such are free from sin; seeing they
also affirm, that all infants, because of Adam's sin, deserve eternal condemnation, as being really guilty in the sight of God; and of deaf people, it
is not to be doubted, and experience shows us that they are subject to many common iniquities as
well as other men.
Obj. If it be said, that these children are the children of
believing parents:
Answ. What then? They will not say that they transmit grace to their children.
Do they not affirm, that the children of believing parents are guilty of original sin, and deserve
death as well as others? How prove they that makes up the loss of all explicit knowledge?
Obj. If they say, deaf people may be made sensible of the Gospel by signs:
Answ. All the signs cannot give them any explicit knowledge of the history of the
death, sufferings, and resurrection of Christ. For what signs can inform a deaf man that the son of
God took on him man's nature, was born of a virgin, and suffered under Pontius Pilate?
Obj. And if they should further allege, that they are within the bosom of the visible
church, and partakers of the sacraments:
Answ. All that gives no certainty of salvation; for (as the Protestants confess) they
confer not grace ex opere operato. And will not they acknowledge that many are in the
bosom of the church, who are visibly no members of it? But if this charity be extended towards
such, who are where the Gospel is preached, so that they may be judged capable of salvation,
because they are under a simple impossibility of distinctly knowing the means of salvation, what
reason can be alleged why the like charity may not be had to such as though they can hear, yet are
under a simple impossibility of hearing, because it is not spoken unto them? Is not a man in
China, or in India, as much to be excused for not knowing a thing which he never heard of, as a
deaf man here, who cannot hear? For as the deaf man is not to be blamed, because God hath been
pleased to suffer him to be under this infirmity; so is the Chinese or the Indian as excusable,
because God hath withheld from him the opportunity of hearing. He, that cannot hear a thing, as
being necessarily absent, and he that cannot hear it, as being naturally deaf, are to be placed in the
same category.
Secondly, This manifestly appears by that saying of Peter (Acts
10:34-35): "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation, he
that feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him." Peter was before liable to
that mistake that the rest of the Jews were in; judging that all were unclean except themselves,
and that no man could be saved, except they were proselyted to their religion, and circumcised.
But God showed Peter other ways in a vision, and taught him to call nothing common or unclean;
and therefore, seeing that God regarded the prayers of Cornelius, who was a stranger to the law,
and to Jesus Christ, as to the outward, yet Peter saw that God had accepted him. And he is said
to fear God, before he had this outward knowledge, therefore Peter concludes that everyone that
in every nation, without respect of persons, feareth God and worketh righteousness, is accepted
of him. So he makes the fear of God and the working of righteousness, and not an outward
historical knowledge, the qualification: they then that have this, wherever they be, they are saved.
Now we have already proved, that to every man that grace is given, whereby he may live godly
and righteously; and we see that by this grace Cornelius did so, and was accepted, and his prayers
came up for a memorial before God, before he had this outward knowledge. Also, was not Job
"a perfect and upright man, that feared God, and eschewed evil?" Who taught Job
this? How knew Job Adam's fall? And from what scripture learned he that excellent knowledge
he had and that faith, by which he knew his Redeemer lived? For many make him as old as
Moses, was not this by an inward grace in the heart? Was it not that inward grace that taught Job
to eschew evil, and to fear God? And was it not by the workings thereof that he became a just
and upright man? How doth he reprove the wickedness of men (chap. 24)! And after he hath
numbered up their wickedness, doth he not condemn them (v. 13), for "rebelling against this
Light," for not knowing the way thereof, nor abiding in the paths thereof? It appears then
Job believed that men had a Light, and that because they rebelled against it, therefore they knew
not its ways, and abode not in its paths, even as the Pharisees, who had the Scriptures, are said to
err, not knowing the Scriptures. And also Job's friends, though in some things wrong; yet who
taught them all those excellent sayings and knowledge which they had? Did
not God give it them, in order to save them, or was it merely to condemn them? Who taught
Elihu that "the inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding; that the Spirit of God
made him, and the breath of the Almighty gave him life?" And did not the Lord accept a
sacrifice for them? And who dare say that they are damned? But further, the apostle puts this
controversy out of doubt, for, if we may believe his plain assertions, he tells us (Rom. 2),
"that the heathen did the things contained in the law." From
whence I thus argue:
Arg. In every nation, he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is
accepted:
But many of the heathen feared God and wrought righteousness:
Therefore they were accepted.
The minor is proved from the example of Cornelius; but I shall further prove it thus:
He that doth the things contained in the Law feareth God and worketh righteousness;
But the heathen did the things contained in the Law:
Therefore they feared God, and wrought righteousness.
Can there be anything more clear? For if to do the things contained in the Law, be not to
fear God and work righteousness, then what can be said to do so, seeing the apostle calls the Law
spiritual, holy, just, and good? But this appears manifestly by another medium, taken out of the
same chapter (v. 13). So that nothing can be more clear; the words are, "The doers of the
Law shall be justified." From which I thus argue, without adding any word of my own:
The doers of the Law shall be justified:
But the Gentiles do the things contained in the Law:
All that know but a conclusion do easily see what follows from these
express words of the apostle. And indeed he, through that whole chapter, labours as if he were
contending now with our adversaries, to confirm this doctrine (vv. 9-11), "Tribulation and
anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile. For there
is no respect of persons with God." Where the apostle clearly homologates9 the sentence of Peter, before mentioned, and shows that Jew and Gentile, or as he himself
explains in the following verses, both they that have an outward law and they that have none,
when they do good shall be justified. And to put us out of doubt, in the very following verses he
tells, that "the doers of the law are justified"; and that the "Gentiles did the
law." So that except we think he spake not what he intended, we may safely conclude that
such Gentiles were justified, and did partake of that "honor, glory and peace, which comes
upon every one that doth good": even the Gentiles that are without the law, when they
work good, seeing with God there is no respect of persons; so as we see that it is not the having
the outward knowledge that doth save, without the inward; so neither doth the want of it, to such
to whom God hath made it impossible, who have the inward, bring condemnation. And many that
have wanted the outward have had a knowledge of this inwardly, by virtue of that inward Grace
and Light, given to every man, working in them, by which they forsook iniquity and became just
and holy, as is above proved; who, though they knew not the history of Adam's fall, yet were
sensible in themselves of the loss that came by it, feeling their inclinations to sin and the body of
sin in them: and though they knew not the coming of Christ, yet were sensible of that inward
power and salvation which came by him, even before as well as since his appearance in the flesh.
For I question whether these men can prove that all the patriarchs and fathers before Moses had a
distinct knowledge either of the one or the other, or that they knew the history of the tree of
knowledge of good and evil, and of Adam's eating the forbidden fruit; far less that Christ should
be born of a virgin, should be crucified, and treated in the manner he was. For it is justly to be
believed that, what Moses wrote of Adam, and of the first times, was not by tradition but by
revelation; yea, we see that not only after the writing of Moses, but even of David and all the
prophets, who prophesied so much of Christ, how little the Jews, that were expecting and wishing
for the Messiah, could thereby discern him when he came, that they crucified him as a blasphemer,
not as the Messiah, by mistaking the prophesies concerning him; for Peter saith expressly (Acts
3:17), to the Jews, that both "they and their rulers did it through ignorance." And
Paul saith (1 Cor. 2:8), that "had they known it, they would not have
crucified the Lord of Glory." Yea, Mary herself, to whom the angel had spoken, and who
had laid up all the miraculous things accompanying his birth, in her heart, she did not understand
how, when he "disputed with the doctors in the temple," that he was "about his
father's business." And the apostles that had believed him, conversed daily with him, and
saw his miracles, could not understand, neither believe those things, which
related to his death, sufferings, and resurrection, but were, in a certain respect, stumbled at
them.
§XXVII. So, we see how that it is the inward work,
and not the outward history and Scripture, that gives the true knowledge; and by this inward
Light many of the heathen philosophers were sensible of the loss received by Adam, though they
knew not the outward history; hence Plato asserted, That "man's soul was fallen into a dark
cave, where it only conversed with shadows." Pythagoras saith, "Man wandereth in
this world as a stranger, banished from the presence of God." And Plotinus compareth
"man's soul, fallen from God, to a cinder, or dead coal, out of which the fire is
extinguished." Some of them said that "the wings of the soul were clipped or fallen
off, so that they could not flee unto God." All which, and many more such expressions that
might be gathered out of their writings, show that they were not without a sense of this loss. Also
they had a knowledge and discovery of Jesus Christ inwardly, as a remedy in them, to
deliver them, from that evil seed, and the evil inclinations of their own hearts, though not under
that particular denomination.
Some called him a Holy Spirit, as Seneca (Epist. 41), who said, "There is a
Holy Spirit in us that treateth us as we treat him." Cicero calleth it an "innate
light," in his book De Republica, cited by Lactantius (6 Instit.),t where he calls this "right
reason, given unto all, constant and eternal, calling unto duty by commanding, and deterring from
deceit by forbidding." Adding, "that it cannot be abrogated, neither can any be freed
from it, neither by senate nor people; that it is one eternal and the same always to all nations; so
that there is not one at Rome and another at Athens: Whoso obeys it not
must flee from himself, and in this is greatly tormented although he should escape all other
punishment." Plotinus also calls him Light, saying that "as the sun cannot be known
but by its own light, so God cannot be known but with his own Light: and as the eye cannot see
the sun but by receiving its image, so man cannot know God but by receiving his image; and that
it behooveth man to come to purity of heart before he could know God"; calling him also
"Wisdom," a name frequently given him in Scripture (see Prov. 1:20 to the end; and
Prov. 8:9-34, where Wisdom is said to cry, entreat, and invite all to come unto her and learn of
her). And what is this Wisdom, but Christ? Hence such as came, among the heathen, to forsake
evil and cleave to righteousness, were called "philosophers," that is, lovers of
wisdom. They knew this wisdom was nigh unto them, and that "the best knowledge of God
and divine mysteries was by the inspiration of the wisdom of God." Phocylides affirmed,
that "the word of the wisdom of God was the best." His
words in the Greek are, 
.
And much more of this kind might be instanced, by which it appears they knew
Christ, and by his working in them were brought from unrighteousness to
righteousness, and to love that power by which they felt themselves redeemed; so that, as saith the
apostle, "They show the work of the law written in their hearts," and "did the
things contained in the law"; and therefore, as all doers of the law are, were no doubt
justified, and saved thus by the power of Christ in them. And, as this was the judgment of the
apostle, so was it of the primitive Christians. Hence Justin Martyr stuck not to call Socrates a
Christian, saying that "all such as lived according to the divine Word in them, which was in
all men, were Christians, such as Socrates and Heraclitus, and others among the Greeks,"
&c. "That such as live with the Word, are Christians without fear or
anxiety."
Clement of Alexandria saith (Apol. ii., Strom. lib. i.), that "this
wisdom or philosophy was necessary to the Gentiles, and was their schoolmaster to lead them
unto Christ, by which of old the Greeks were justified."
"Nor do I think," saith Augustine, in his book of the City of God,
lib. 18, cap. 47, "that the Jews dare affirm that none belonged unto God but the Israelites." Upon which place Ludovicus
Vives saith, that "thus the Gentiles, not having a law, were a law unto themselves; and the
light of so living is the gift of God, and proceeds from the Son; of whom it is written that he
enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world."
Augustine also testifies in his Confessions (lib. 7,
cap. 9), that "he had read in the writings of the Platonists, though not in the very
same words, yet that which by many and multiplied reasons did persuade, that 'in the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, this was in the beginning with God, by which all
things were made, and without which nothing was made that was made: in him was Life, and the
Life was the Light of men: and the Light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not
comprehend it. And, albeit the soul gives testimony concerning the Light, yet it is not the Light,
but the Word of God; for God is the true Light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into
the world'"; and so repeats to verse 14 of John 1, adding, "These things have I there
read."
Yea, there is a book translated out of the Arabic, which gives an
account of one Hai Eben Yokdan, who, without converse of man, living in an island alone,
attained to such a profound knowledge of God, as to have immediate converse with him, and to
affirm, "That the best and most certain knowledge of God, is not that which is attained by
premises premised, and conclusions deduced, but that which is enjoyed by conjunction of the mind
of man with the supreme intellect, after the mind is purified from its corruptions, and is separated
from all bodily images, and is gathered into a profound stillness!"10
§XXVIII. Seeing then it is by this inward Gift, Grace,
and Light, that both those, that have the Gospel preached unto them, come to have Jesus brought
forth in them, and to have the saving and sanctified use of all outward helps and advantages; and
also by this same Light, that all may come to be saved; and that God calls, invites, and strives with
all, in a day, and saveth many, to whom he hath not seen meet to convey this outward knowledge;
therefore we, having the experience of the inward and powerful work of this
Light in our hearts, even Jesus revealed in us, cannot cease to proclaim the day of the
Lord, that it is arisen in it, crying out with the woman of Samaria; "Come and see one, that
hath told me all that ever I have done: Is not this the Christ?" That others may come and
feel the same in themselves, and may know, that little small thing that reproves them in their
hearts, however they have despised it and neglected it, is nothing less than the Gospel preached
in them; "Christ, the wisdom and power of God," being in and by that Seed
seeking to save their souls.
Of this Light therefore Augustine speaks in his Confessions (lib. 11,
cap. 9): "In this beginning, O God! thou madest the heavens and the earth, in thy
Word, in thy Son, in thy virtue, in thy wisdom, wonderfully saying, and wonderfully doing. Who
shall comprehend it? Who shall declare it? What is that which shineth in unto me, and smites my
heart without hurt, at which I both tremble, and am inflamed? I tremble, in so far as I am unlike
unto it; and I am inflamed in so far as I am like unto it? It is Wisdom, which shineth in unto me
and dispelleth my cloud, which had again covered me, after I was departed from that darkness and
rampier11 of my punishments."
And again he saith (lib. x., cap. 27), "It is too late that I have loved thee, O
thou beautifulness, so ancient, and so new, late have I loved thee, and behold thou wast within,
and I was without, and there was seeking thee! thou didst call, thou didst cry, thou didst break my
deafness, thou glancedst, thou didst shine, thou chasedst away my darkness."
Of this also our countryman, George Buchanan, speaketh thus in his book, De Jure
Regni apud Scotos: "Truly I understand no other thing at present, than that Light,
which is divinely infused into our souls; for when God formed man, he not only gave him eyes to
his body, by which he might shun those things that are hurtful to him, and follow those things that
are profitable. But also hath set before his mind, as it were, a certain Light, by which he may
discern things that are vile from things that are honest. Some call this power nature, others the
law of nature; I truly judge it to be divine, and am persuaded that nature and
wisdom never say different things. Moreover God hath given us a compend of the law, which in
few words comprehends the whole: to wit, that we should love him from our hearts, and our
neighbours as ourselves. And of this law all the books of the Holy Scriptures, which pertain to
the forming of manners, contain no other but an explication."
This is that universal, evangelical principle in and by which this salvation of Christ is
exhibited to all men, both Jew and Gentile, Scythian and Barbarian, of whatsoever country or
kindred he be. And therefore God hath raised up unto himself, in this our age, faithful witnesses
and evangelists to preach again his everlasting Gospel, and to direct all, as well the high professors, who boast of the Law, and the Scriptures, and the
outward knowledge of Christ, as the infidels and heathens that know not him that way, that they
may all come to mind the Light in them, and know Christ in them, "the Just One [
],
whom they have so long killed and made merry over, and he hath not resisted" (James 5:6),
and give up their sins, iniquities, false faith, professions, and outside righteousness, to be crucified
by the power of his cross in them, so as they may know Christ within to be the "hope of
glory," and may come to walk in his Light and be saved, who is that "true Light that
enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world."
Notes
a. Ezek. 18:32; 33:12.
b. 1 Cor. 12:7.
c. Heb. 2:9.
d. Calvin in cap. 3. Gen.
e. Id. 1 Inst. c. 18. s. 1.
f. Id. lib. de praed.
g. Idem, lib. de provid.
h. Id. 3 Inst., cap. 23. s.
1.
i. Beza, lib. de praed.
j. Id. de praed. ad art. 1.
k. Zanchi, de excaecat. q. 5.
l. Idem, lib. 5 de nat. Dei cap. 2. de
praed.
m. Pareus, lib. 3. de amiss. gratiae.
c. 2. ibid., c. 1.
n. Martyr, in Rom.
o. Zwingli, lib. de prov. c. 5.
p. Resp. ad Vorst. part 1, p. 120.
q. Epist. Hist. Eccl. Lucae Osiand. Cent. 16.
lib. 4 cap. 32.
r. Matt. 24:27; John 3:8.
s. Upon John, lib. 1, cap. 2.
t. In Sect. 8.
Editor's Notes
1. Later editors replace "snatch" with
"juncture."
2. Later editors substitute "some" for
"we."
3. resiles = recoils. Later editors drop
"resiles or."
4. Later editors drop "come to."
5. Later editors replace "may, if they repent,
not perish" with "may perish, if they repent not."
6. Later editors replace "God hardens men's
hearts" with "men's hearts are hardened."
7. Later editors replace "peculiar" with
"spiritual."
8. Later editors insert "and
powerful."
9. homologate = approve
10. This paragraph is omitted from some later
editions.
11. Later editors substitute "heap"
for "rampier."