The Remedie of Ʋnreasonableness OR THE Substance of a Speech Intended at a Conference or Dispute, In Al-hallows the Great, London. Feb. 11. 1649. Exhibiting the brief HEADS of Mr John Goodwin's Judgement, Concerning the Freeness Fulness Effectualness of the Grace of GOD. As also concerning the Bondage or Servility of the Will of Man. Occasioned by an undue aspersion cast upon him; as (viz.) That he held Free-will in opposition to Free-Grace.

And not rather, as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirme that we say, Let us do evill that good may come; whose damnation is just.
Rom. 3. 8.
Nonnulli Intelligentes citiùs volunt exagitare, quod non intelligunt, quàm quaerere ut intelligant: & non fiunt humiles inquisitores, sed superbi calumniatores,
Aug.

LONDON, Printed by John Macock, for Lodowick Lloyd, and Henry Cripps, and are to be sold at their shop in Popes head Alley. 1650.

To the Reader.

Good Reader,

I Had not troubled thee with these Papers out of the Press, had not the unreasonableness of those, who ministred the occasion, or necessity rather, of the con­tents of them, uncivilly denyed the liberty of an orall prolation of them, when time, and place; and a good conscience, required it at my hand. At the former of the two late Conferences or Disputes held in All-hallows the Great, London, between Mr J: Simson, and my self, he was pleased, upon no occa­sion at all given by me, to traduce me before the whole Congrega­tion there assembled, consisting of some thousands of people, as a man holding Free-Will in opposition to Free-Grace. At the latter of the said Conferences, perceiving him not altogether so knowing what my sence or opinion was in the said points, and upon this ground, fearing the like of his Friends and Followers, who made up a great part of the present Auditory, as well to relieve their ignorance herein, and free them from the guilt of an unchristian surmise against their Christian Brother, who never injured them, nor any one of them, in the least, as also to wipe off the blot from my self, which I had contracted by opposing uncivil men in the way of their error, I was desirous to have given an account of my Faith touching the said particulars, together with the Question agreed upon for present debate, in the presence of those that were there met to hear. But he that had the face to charge unduly, had not the heart either to stand by so unworthy an action, or to acknowledg the unworthiness of it. For when I desired leave over and over, and that with much earnestness, to have given some brief account to the people of my judgment, touching the things unjustly charged upon me by my Antagonist, he peremptorily denyed it: and as oft [Page 4] as I made offer to speak upon this account, he, in a very unseemly man­ner, and with clamour, interrupted me, and suffered me not to speak. Nor do I think that there can be an instance of a like unmanlike car­riage produced out of al Histories or Records whatsoever; I mean, that a person wrongfully accused, should not be permitted by his Ac­cuser, to speak what he hath to say in order to his purgation. Ano­ther cake of the same dough was this. When I reasoned thus a­gainst his most absurd (and indeed blasphemous) opinion of Gods reprobating men from eternity.

If God reprobated men from eternity, then he reprobated him­self, [there being, neither thing, nor person from eternity, to reprobate, unless men will say, that he should reprobate himself.]

But God did not reprobate himself. Ergo. He, with his train of Disciples, (whether out of weakness, or a worse principle, I will not judg) expressed themselves with a kind of zealous indignation, as if I had spoken blasphemy, and affirmed, that God reprobated himself; whereas expresly, and in so many words, I affirmed the quite contrary (as the minor in the recited Syllogism plainly im­ports) charging that blasphemy, as a direct and unavoydable conse­quence of his Opinion; from which, neither he, nor his co-adjutors, were then able to vindicate the said opinion, nor will be able to the days of eternity.

Ne verò, ne me ad tales impellite pugnas.
No more, good Friends, no more (I pray you)
Of such Disputes, and Disputants, as these.

But as Jehojakim got nothing by cutting the Prophet Jeremiah's first Roll in pieces, but only the writing of another by the same Prophet, with an addition of more words like unto those written in the formerIer. 36. 32.: So neither hath my Antagonist gained any thing by stopping my mouth at the Dispute, in not suffering me there to make streight, what he had made crooked, but only the publishing of the same things there intended to have been spoken, to the cog­nizance of far greater numbers of men, and this with some en­largement (though not much) in words of like consideration with themTowards the latter end of the said latter Dispute, with much ado I forced an op­portunity to speak some­what, though very little, of that which is presented un­to thee, in these Papers.. Farewel:

Thine, in the Lord Christ, and his Truth, JOHN GOODVVIN.

The Substance of a Speech intended at a Conference or Dispute, in All-hallows the Great, London, Febr. 11. 1649.

THe Question to be taken into considera­tion and debated at present, is, Whether the Gentiles, who wanted the Ministry of the Gospel by men, had not sufficient means notwithstanding to be saved. I am here (God assisting) to make proof of the affirmative; viz. That such Heathen had sufficient means for Salvation, such a want notwithstanding. But first I must crave leave to open the state of the question, and to declare in what sence I hold and maintain, That the Heathen, under the want of the Ministry of the Gospel by men, have yet sufficient means vouch­safed unto them by God whereby to be saved. I have so much the greater necessity lying upon me to give you a clear and distinct ac­count of what my sence and judgment is in the present Question, because by some words which fell from the Opponent at our last Dispute in this place, I clearly perceived that he altogether mistakes my opinion in the present Controversies. For he was pleas'd to say, that I maintain Free-Will in opposition to Free-Grace, (or words to this effect) and pleaded this as a ground, why he could not give the right hand of Christian fellowship unto me. Now, to [Page 6] satisfie both him, and all you that are present, I here declare this day in the presence of God and all his holy Angels, before you, and to all the world, I hold no freedom of Will, nor any thing else, not any opinion whatsoever, in any the least opposition to Free-Grace. Yea whensoever his opinion and mine, touching the freedom of the will in man, and of the Grace of God in Jesus Christ towards men, shall come into a clear light, and be duly compared together. I know with the knowledg of a full assurance, that his opinion will (of the two) be found to be the far greater Exaltress of free-will in men, and the greater abaser of the Grace of God. There are many hundreds present, that have heard me from time to time deli­ver my judgment in publique, and many in private, touching the present Controversies: I appeal to them all, conjunctim & divi­sim, whether ever they heard me utter so much as the least word tending to exalt the freedom of the will of man unto that which is good. My present opinion is, and my constant Doctrine hath been, That the will of man destitute of the Grace of God, and his co­operating assistance with it, is, or would be, most desperately wick­ed, and servile unto sin. Yea and further, that notwithstanding the co-operative Grace of God with it, yet it is exceeding apt and prone to be led captive unto sin by the Devil. Whereas the opi­nion of my Antagonist (being truly and fairly interpreted) if it be contrary unto mine, is, That the will of man, by means of the co­operating Grace of God with it, becomes free after the manner of the freedom of the Will of God himself, i. e. so free unto that which is good, that it is unpossible for it not to move or to be carried out unto it.

Concerning the Grace of God, there are three things, wherein the glory of it consists: the freeness of it: the fulness or extent of it: the force or efficacy of it.

Concerning the first of these, I clearly hold, and have upon all occasions constantly taught, 1. That the whole plot or counsel of God concerning the Salvation of the World, is of free Grace, of meer Grace, and goodness of Will, or pleasure in God. 2. That his purpose of Election, or Predestination of men unto life and glory, is an act of free Grace also; and that there was no obligation or necessity upon him to predestinate any man, or any sort of men, as now he hath done. 3. That the gift of Jesus Christ unto the World, is a gift of free Grace, and that God was no ways obliged [Page 7] hereunto. 4. That, to give or confer Justification, Adoption, and Salvation it self, upon believing in Jesus Christ, are acts of the pure and free Grace of God. 5. That to give strength, power, and means of believing unto men, is an act of meer and free Grace likewise. 6. That it is of the free Grace of God, and by the help, and assist­ance thereof, that any man doth ever actually believe.

2. Concerning the fulness, or extent of this Grace; my sence is, and my Doctrine hath been, 1. In respect of persons, that it is not imprison'd or confin'd, within the narrow Compass of an handful of men, in comparison; or that it extends it self, either in the inten­tions of Salvation, or in the provisions which it makes, or affords unto men for Salvation, only unto those few, who come in time actually to believe, and to be saved, but that like the Sun in the fir­mament of Heaven, it compasseth the whole Earth from the one end of it unto the other, and stretcheth it self unto all men. 2. In respect of the Good, which it intends unto men, my opinion is, That it is exceeding full and comprehensive, i. e. That the good, or blessedness which God graciously intends unto men, in, and by the Gospel, is a full, absolute, and compleat Blessedness, containing every good and desireable thing in it. 3. (And lastly, for this) That in respect of the means, which it vouchsafeth and exhibiteth unto men, for the bringing them to the full enjoyment, of this blessedness, it is full and compleat also: so that the means, which God graciously exhibiteth unto men to make them blessed, are everyways sufficient for such a purpose, or end.

3. Concerning the power or effectualness of this Grace, I hold, and teach (upon all occasions) 1. That in the gift of a power, or a sufficiency of means unto men, whereby to believe, or to be saved, it is simply irresistible, and that men cannot frustrate or hinder this operation of it. 2. That what good thing soever any man doth, he doth it through the assistance of the free Grace of God, and is in no capacity or meetness so much as to conceive or think a good thought without it: 3. And lastly, That when any man actually belie­veth, or is truly converted unto God, that he is mightily strengthned and assisted by the supernatural, or special Grace of God thereunto: So that the act of Conversion, or believing, is to be ascribed unto God, not only as the sole Author and giver of that power, by which men do believe, but as the sole supernatural Actor also of this power in the Act it self of believing; and that man, when he doth believe, [Page 8] is so far from having any cause, or ground of boasting in himself, because of this his believing, that he hath all the reason in the world to confess and say (in our Saviours prescript of words) That he is an unprofitable Servant, and hath only done that which was his du­ty, and that in abundance, to do. Only I conceive that men are not necessitated by this Grace of God, or any working thereof, to be­lieve, whether they will or no: nor yet made willing upon any such terms, but that there is a possibility left unto them of nilling, or of remaining unwilling, to any moment or point of time, until the act it self of believing be produced.

So that my opinion concerning the Grace of God, being truly compared with the opinion of those that dissent from me, appears to have much more in it for the exaltation of the Grace of God, then theirs: and theirs much more in it for the exaltation of the will of man, then mine. For 1. My opinion makes the Grace of God so free, as to enrich the whole world, and all that is called man in it; and that without the least engagement upon God from men thereunto: Whereas their opinion imprisons it within a narrow compass of men (in comparison) and so bridles or stiffles the free­ness of it (in that consideration.) 2. As in one branch of their opinion, they stiffle and destroy the glory of the freeness of it, so in another, they quite destroy the very nature or essence of it, and make it to be no Grace at all. For that opinion, which makes the Grace of God, the fountain or cause of no other actions in men, then such, as God cannot, according to the Law and constant method of his remunerative justice, or bounty, reward, destroys the very nature of Grace. And that the opinion, maintained by our Opposers, doth this, is evident from hence; viz. because that, making men to act necessarily and unavoydably, by means of the grace which is given them, maketh them to act physically, or as meer natural Agents, and so reduceth all that they do by vertue of the Grace of God, to the Law and Condition of meer natural actions, which, by the standing Law of Gods remunerative bounty, are not capable of reward by God.

Again, That their Opinion, tends many thousand degrees, more then mine, to magnifie the wills of men, is evident thus: I affirm the wil of man even under the strongest and most effectual motions of the Grace of God, whereof it is capable (the nature and essential liberty of it only preserv'd) to be in a capacity of sinning, and [Page 9] doing that which is evil (which is the greatest abasement of the will, that can well be imagined;) whereas the other opinion, maketh the wills of men, under the effectual motions of the Grace of God unto that which is good like unto the will of God himself; I mean, necessarily and unchangeably good, and free from all possibility of s [...]ing, which is the highest exaltation of the will, that can well be conceived. And besides, that opinion, making men unable to do righteously, for want of the Grace of God, when they sin and do wickedly, takes off the shame, and demerit of sinning from the wills of men, and either casts them upon God for denying his Grace unto them, or else resolves them into nothing. Whereas the opinion asserted by me, affirming, That men, when they sin and do wickedly, have sufficient means from God to refrain sin, and to do righteously, resolves the shame and whole demerit of sinning into men them­selves, and their wills, and so renders them inexcuseable. Thus you see how unjustly, and with manifest untruth, I have been charged to hold Free-Will against Free-Grace: and how that my Accusers are the guilty persons themselves.

Concerning my opinion about the death of Christ, which is, That he dyed for the Salvation of all men, without exception of any, and consequently for the Heathen, as well those who do enjoy the oral Ministry of the Gospel, as those that want it; I herein hold nothing, but what was generally taught, and received, in the primitive Churches of Christ, for three hundred years together, and more, next after the times of the Apostles (which are by all our modern Pro­testant Divines, and by Calvin in special manner, acknowledged for times, wherein Christian Religion raigned in her greatest purity, and soundness of Doctrine) as I am able to make substantial proof by express testamonies, and these not a few, from the best Records and Writers of these times; as from, Ignatius, Hegesipp [...], Ire­neus, Tertullian, Cyprian, Origen, Athanasius, Hilarius, Euse­bius, Epiphanius, Cyrillus Hierosolymitanus, Nazianzen, Grego­rius Nyffenus, Arnobius, Lactantius, Ambrosius, Didymus, Chrysostome, Jerome, Angustine, Cyrillus Alexandrinus, Theo­doret, (with many others,) as from several Councels also. And that Gods predestination of men, or purpose of Election, depends upon his prescience or fore-sight of their Faith, (an opinion clearly con­federate with that of Universal Redemption by Christ) is both by Culvin, and Beza themselves acknowledged to have been the [Page 10] judgment of many of the ancient FathersSic interposito praescientiae vtlo electionem, no­moa [...] obs [...]u [...]ant, sed origin [...]m a­liund [...] habere singunt. Neque viro haec vulgo recepta p [...]o solius vulgi est. Habuit enim saeculis omni­bus magnos Authores.: and is proved by many particular instances, and express testimonies, by Gerard Vossius in his Historia Pelagiana, lib. 6. Thes. 8. Concerning some few sayings, found in some of these Authors, which seem to be of a con­trary import, and are cited by some upon that account, the truth is, that they are but seemingly so: and they speak, not of the purchase, or procurement, but of the application and enjoyment, of the Re­demption by Christ. Therefore (by the way) they that inform or tell you, That Christ's dying for all men, a sufficiency of power given to all men to believe, an election of species or kinds of men, not of persons, personally considered, &c. were held by Pelagius, and con­demned for Errors by the Orthodox Fathers of those times,Quod ingenue fatere, nequis causae nostrae magnopere obsu­turum con [...], st [...]orum nomina contra opponan­tur. Calv. Inst. l. 3. c. 23. S. 1. sin both against their own, and your Souls, and shall render an account unto him who judgeth righteously, for dealing so unfaithfully and un­christianly, by his people and Truth. They cannot prove, that Pelagius ever held any one of the opinions mentioned (unless haply after that Recantation of his Errors, whereunto the Arguments and Authority of the Orthodox men in his times, brought him) but that he held Mr Simsons opinion, which denyeth that Christ dyed for all men,Est etiam hic locus diligenter observandus, adversus [...], qui fidei, vel operum p [...]aevi­ [...]em saciunt electionis ecu­sam. in quem [...] sane turp [...]ssimum, Origenes vet [...]es plaeolque, tum Gracos, tum Latinos adegit; donec tand [...]m Dominus Au­gusitinum per Pelagia [...]os, ad [...] agnoscen­dum & Co [...]i­gen [...]um errorem, excitaret. Beza in. 9 ad Rom. before, if not after the said Retractation, may be evidently proved from Augustines Epist. 106. and from other testimonies, that the same opinion was held by his followers. But of all these particu­lars we intend a further account, when God shall give opportunity.

Besides, they that are competently acquainted with books, can­not lightly but know, that the Reformed Churches of the Luthe­rans, with their Ministers and Teachers, who have as great a zeal of God, and for parts of knowledg and learning, yea, and for numbers also, are not much inferior to those who follow Calvin, if not superior to them, in all, do (in a manner) generally hold, universal Attonement by Christ, together with the other Opinions consequentially accompanying it: and Doctor Prideaux (a man sufficiently engaged and declared against those ancient Tenents of the Christian Church, which now unjustly suffer under the name of Arminian) in his printed Lectures about these points, still brings upon the stage the Lutherans and Arminians, or Remonstrants, hand in hand, as his joynt adversariesSee his Lecture de Absolut [...] Decreto, de Gratia universali, de Perseverantia Sanctorum..

Yea, these Theological truths, That Christ dyed for all men, That God vouchsafeth sufficient means of Salvation unto a [Page 11] men, &c. are so extreamly necessary in the managing of the affairs of Christ, and of the Gospel, that as the Roman Orator said of Justice, That it was so necessary for the preservation of Civil Communities, that Theeves themselves, who are enemies to it, and live by injustice towards others, yet cannot want it amongst themselves; So neither can those men, who profess enmity and op­position to the said Opinions, hardly preach, hardly write, any thing to purpose, concerning the Gospel, but they are necessitated to make use of them, and to assert them, either in expressness of terms and words, or in their clear and manifest principles. The writings of Calvin himself, and so of Bucer, Musculus, Ʋrsine, Bullinger, with several other Reformed Divines, who are gener­ally taken for men of a contrary Judgment, yet do their writings (I say) frequently teach and avouch them, and that in as plain and ample terms, as any Remonstrant can lightly express his sence about them. Yea, these truths were too hard for the Synod of Dort it self, and now and then gain'd testimony from them, notwithstand­ing their solemn and sacred engagement to devote themselves and the best of their Synodical Endevors, to oppose and suppress them. What I have now onely affirmed, and this in the general, I shall, God willing, and sparing me in life and health for the service, in due time make to appear in particulars. In the mean time, if you, that are present, shall please narrowly to observe, and consider, the Ser­mons which you ordinarily hear from your Ministers, or minde their printed books upon some subjects, you shall ever and anon very ap­parently find such things asserted & delivered by them, which cannot stand, nor make any tolerable sence, much less Divinity, but by the credit and countenance of the Opinions I speak of, and which they notwithstanding so zealously pretend to abominate. I could weary you with instances in this kinde: but if you will afford me your Christian patience in harkening (at present) unto two onely, I shall excuse you for the rest, till some better conveniency of time. The former of the two consists of several passages in a Sermon lately preached before the Lord Major of your City (and more lately printed) by Mr Powel, an Arch-stickler about these late Disputes, and a zealous Defender of that Faith, which teacheth him to doubt whether Christ dyed for him, or no, yea or for any one of all those, to whom he preacheth the Gospel, and makes a tender of Christ, at any time, yea or for any one of his Nation. Thus then Mr Powel, [Page 12] giving a large testimony to that Truth, which himself decryeth for an Error, pag. 39, & 40. of the said Sermon.

Object. Oh Sir! this stands in my way: Though I [...] Christ hath finished the work of mens Redemption, and of mens Salvation, yet I do not know whether he hath finished it for me?

Answ. Harken my beloved; what ground have you to make a plea against your selves? He hath done it forRom 5. 8. 1 Tim. 1 15. sinners, for theRom 5. 6. un­godly, forPsal 68. 18. rebels, for theJohn 6. 51. world; you are a sinner, you are one of the ungodly, one of the world, what plea can you make against this? why object you such an Objection against your selves? If a Pardon be sent from a Prince to a company of Pri­soners, and the Messenger saith unto them in general, Here is a Pardon for you, from my Prince, for what you have done against him, come, accept of it, and you shall be free. Now if one should ask, is the Pardon for me? and another question. Is the Pardon for me? He would answer, It is for you that are Prisoners, with­out exception, if you accept of it. A Pardon is now sent unto you, that are sinful men and women, who are Prisoners under the power of Satan, and sin; I say to you all, the Lord Jesus hath sent forth his Pardon, which runs thus; I the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, and the Saviour of sinners, out of my free grace and mer­cy, rich love and pity, am willing to pardon, and forgive, the sins and transgressions of you all; and that I will do really, if you will come in, and lay hold of this Pardon, and of my Righteousness. Will a sinner now say, Doth Jesus Christ mean me, seeing he saith, Whosoever comes unto me, I will in no wise cast him out; And whosoever beleeves on me, he shall be pardoned, and saved? This word whosoever comprehends all, and excludes none; therefore object not against your selves, neither refuse your own Salvation.

Object. Oh! but though Christs invites all, and makes pro­mises to all that do come, yet he intends not that all should be made partakes thereof?

Ans. My beloved, Think you that Christs Intentions, and his expressions, are not one as real as another? I tell you (and you may beleeve it) that he intends to pardon all, and to save all, as he ex­presseth it: He saith not the words onely, but his heart is so also. But mark it well (and mistake me not) I do not mean that he saith absolutely, I'le pardon all, and save all, and no more; Oh, no: but he speaks conditionally, I'le pardon you all, and save you all, [Page 13] if you beleeve on me, and accept of my Pardon.

Certainly, Arminius himself could not have Arminianiz'd in the point of Universal Redemption by Christ, more plainly, more preg­nantly, then he that speaketh such things, as these.

The latter instance hath for the Authors of it a full Comfort of 52. grave Ministers, in or about the City, pag. 32. of a little Trea­tise subscribed by them (or by some of them, with the Names, though without the consent, of the rest) and published about two or three years since, under the Title of, A Testimony to the Truth of Jesus Christ, &c. where bewailing the prevailing of Errors and Heresies (so by them supposed) they bemoan the case of those, whom yet other-while they judg the happiest men in the world, thus: Thousands, and ten thousands of poor Souls, which Christ hath ransomed with his blood, shall hereby be betrayed, seduced, and endangered to be undone to all eternity. Here we have the Do­ctrine of Universal Redemption, fully, and with open face, assert­ed; in as much, as they who are ransomed by the blood of Christ, are said to be endangered to be undone to all eternity. He that is in danger of an evil, or misery, may very possibly fall into it. Dan­ger doth not onely imply a possibility, but even a probability, or likelyhood of suffering. So then, if thousands ransomed by the blood of Christ, may be brought into danger of being undone for all eternity; they very possibly may suffer such an undoing, and so perish for all eternity. If the ransomed by Christ may perish for all eter­nity, then Christ ransomed not the Elect onely, of whose perish­ing there is not the least possibility, but the Rebrobate also, or those who perish; and consequently, all men.

For any men to pretend or plead, that though there be an im­possibility, in respect of the Purpose and Decree of God, that those, whom Christ hath ransomed with his blood, should be un­done to all eternity, yet they may be said to be in danger of being thus undone, in respect of such means, which have a direct tend­ency towards the undoing of Souls in such a way, as the spreading of Errors and Heresies is, &c. such a pretence (I say) and plea, as this, is no salve at all for the sore. For there is not the least danger of suffering inconvenience by any such means, or causes, how likely or threatening soever, in themselves simply considered, to bring the inconvenience upon us, which we certainly know to be throughly mated and over-ballanced by means and causes of a contrary tend­ency [Page 14] and import. Upon this account the Scripture it self frequent­ly makes such demands, as these: If God be for us, who can be a­gainst us? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? It is God that justifieth, &c. Which kinde of arguing clearly impli­eth, that where, and in what case soever, we have God for our se­curity, we are in no danger at all of suffering. And it is a Maxim in the Civil Law; That Omnia invalida pro nihilo sunt habenda: i. e. All means that are insufficient, are to be reputed as none. Souls that are secured by any Decree of God, are in no more danger of be­ing undone to all eternity, by Errors and Heresies, then by read­ing the Roman or Turkish Histories, or by any other means, how irrelative soever to such an effect: in as much as Errors and Heresies, bear no more proportion in their destroying, or undoing properties, to the saving or preserving power of God, then the reading of the said Histories, or any other means, how inconsiderable soever in their relation to the same effect.

Nor is the instance from Act. 27. wherein those, whose lives God had promised to save, are said notwithstanding to have been in danger of drowning, of any better accommodation, to deliver the said passage from the Orthodox errour of a cleer comport with the Doctrine of Universall Redemption, then the former arguing. For evident it is, from those words, ver. 31. Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved, that that expression of the Angel unto Paul, vers. 24. And lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee, did not import any absolute purpose of God to save the lives of all those in the ship with him, but onely a conditionall; it being a thing very frequent in the Scripture, to expresse both such purposes, and such promises, of God, in an absolute and un-conditioned form of words, the execution and performance whereof, in respect of the things purposed, or promi­sed, are never the less suspended upon conditions. Instances here­of we shal (God willing) produce many upon a more material oc­casion. Therefore the safety of the lives of those men, to whom Paul saith, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved, was not under any absolute Decree or promise of God, as the souls of those that are ransomed by the blood of Christ (according to the constant Assertion of the 52 subscribers of the passage mentio­ned) are; God never subjecting any thing positively and abso­lutely decreed by him, unto any condition whatsoever perform­able [Page 15] by man. So that the subscribers are most palpable self­inconsistents; nor doth the instance now argued, take the least pitie or compassion on them in covering that their shame.

I have only this one word to add, touching the sence, wherein I hold a sufficiencie of means to beleeve, or to be saved, vouch­safed unto the Heathen, who wanted the Ministry of the Gospel by men. By a sufficiencie of means to beleeve, I do not under­stand an immediate sufficiencie, but a mediate or remote suffici­encie. By an immediate sufficiencie of means to do a thing, I mean such a sufficiency, whereby a man is enabled to do the thing, without having any more means in order hereunto, then what he hath at present. Thus a man that understands a language, and hath his sense of hearing perfect, hath an immediate sufficiencie of means to understand the mind of him that speaketh audibly unto him in that language. He stands in need of nothing more for such a purpose. By a mediate or remote sufficiencie of means to do a thing, I mean such a sufficiencie by which, though a man is not inabled without further provision of means, to do the thing, yet he is inabled to make such a farther provision in this kind, that having made it, he becomes immediately qualified, or able to do it. A man endued with reason, memory, and under­standing, & having the opportunity of an able teacher, to instruct him in the knowledge of a strange language, and which at pre­sent he understandeth not, hath a remote sufficiencie of means to understand this language, and by a due improvement of these means, though remote, is very capable of obtaining such a suf­ficiencie of means hereunto, which is immediate. With this lat­ter kind of sufficiencie, I affirm, the Gentiles, who wanted the Ministry of the Gospell, had notwithstanding a sufficiencie of means to beleeve to the saving of the soul. The Heathen were sufficiently qualified or furnished by God for the doing of those things, by which they might, and should, if they had done them, have been brought to an immediate capacitie of beleeving.

By beleeving unto Salvation, I mean such a Faith in God, or such a dependance or reliance upon him, which is proper and sufficient to have led them into such ways, wherein God would have saved them, had they walked in them, according to that of the Apostle; If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted accor­ding to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not 2 Cor. 8. 12..

FINIS.

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