Thirdly, If the proffer be (as they say) universal, and the inten- tion of God be answerable thereunto, — that is, he intends the salva- tion of them to whom the tender of it upon faith is made, or may be so ; then, — First, What becomes of election and reprobation ? Neither of them, certainly, can consist with this universal purjDose of saving us all. Secondly, If he intend it, why is it, then, not accomplished ? doth he fail of his purpose? " Dum vitant stulti vitia, in contraria currunt." Is not this certain Scylla worse than the other feared Charybdis? But they say, " He intendeth it only upon condition; and the condition being not fulfilled, he fails not in his purj^ose, though the thing be not confeiTed." But did the Lord foreknow whether the condition would be fulfilled by them to whom the pro- posal was made, or not? If not, where is his prescience, his omni- science? If he did, how can he be said to intend salvation to them of whom he certainly knew that they would never fulfil the condi- tion on which it was to be attained ; and, moreover, knew it with this circumstance, that the condition was not to be attained without his bestowing, and that he had determined not to bestow it? Would they ascribe such a will and purpose to a wise man as they do ignorantly and presumptuously to the only wise God, — namely, that he shoulil intend to have a thing done upon the performance of such a condi- tion as he knew full well without him could never be performed, and he had fully resolved not to effect it: for instance, to give his daughter in marriage to such a one, upon condition he would give unto him such a jewel as he hath not, nor can have, unless he bestow
ANSWERS TO ARGUMENTS FOR UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION, 313
it upon him, which he is resolved never to do? Oh, whither will blindness and ignorance, esteemed light and knowledge, carry poor deluded souls? This, then, is the main thing demonstrated and held out in the promulgation of the gospel, especially for what concerns unhelievers, even the strict connection between the duty of faith assigned and the benefit of life promised ; which hath a truth of uni- versal extent, grounded upon the plenary sufficiency of the death of Christ, towards all that shall believe. And I see no reason why this should be termed part of the mystery of the Universalists, though
the lowest part (as it is by M S , page 202), that the gospel
could not he preached to all unless Christ died for all; which, with what is mentioned before concerning another and higher part of it, is an old, rotten, cama], and long-since-coufuted sophism, arising out of the ignorance of the word and right reason, which are no way contrary.
9. The mixed distribution of the elect and reprobates, believers and unbelievers, according to the purpose and mind of God, through- out the whole world, and in the several places thereof, in all or most of the single congregations, is another ground of holding out a tender of the blood of Jesus Christ to them for whom it was never shed, as is apparent in the event by the ineffectualness of its proposals. The mi- nisters of the gospel, who are stewards of the mysteries of Christ, and to whom the word of reconciliation is committed, being acquainted only with revealed things (the Lord lodging his purposes and inten- tions towards particular persons in the secret ark of his own bosom, not to be pryed into), are bound to admonish all, and warn all men, to Avhom they are sent; giving the same commands, proposing the same promises, making tenders of Jesus Christ in the same manner, to all, that the elect, whom they know not but by the event, may obtain, whilst the rest are hardened. Now, these things being thus ordered by Him who hath the supreme disposal of all, — namely. First, That there should be such a mixture of elect and reprobate, of tares and wheat, to the end of the world; and, secondly. That Christ, and reconciliation through him, should be preached by men ignorant of his eternal discriminating purposes; there is an absolute necessity of two other things : First, That the promises must have a kind of unrestrained generality, to be suitable to this dispensation before recounted. Secondly, That they must be proposed to them towards whom the Lord never intended the good things of the pro- mises, they having a share in this proposal by their mixture in this world with the elect of God. So that, from the general proposition of Christ in the promises, nothing can be concluded concerning his death for all to whom it is proposed, as having another rise and occasion. The sum is: — The word of reconciliation beino: committed to men unacquainted with God's distinguishing counsels, to be
314 TPIE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK IV.
preached to men of a various, mixed condition in respect of his pur- pose, and the way whereby he hath determined to bring his own home to himself being by exhortations, entreaties, promises, and the like means, accommodated to the reasonable nature whereof all are partakers to whom the word is sent, which are suited also to the accomplishment of other ends towards the rest, as conviction, restraint, hardening, inexcusableness, it cannot be but the proposal and offer must necessarily be made to some upon condition, Avho in- tentionally, and in respect of the purpose of God, have no right unto it in the just aim and intendment thereof Only, for a close, observe these two things: — First, That the proffer itself neither is nor ever was absolutely universal to all, but only indefinite, without respect to outward differences. Secondly, That Christ being not to be re- ceived without faith, and God giving faith to whom he pleaseth, it is manifest that he never intendeth Christ to them on whom he will not bestow faith.