Ans. First, "Parvas habet spes Troja, si tales habet." If the univer- sality of redemption have need of such proofs as these, it hath indeed great need and little hojDe of supportment. Universal vocation is here asserted, to maintain universal redemption. " Manus manum fricat," or rather, "Muli se mutuo scabiunt;" this being called in oftentimes to support the other; and they are both the two legs of that idol free-will, which is set up for men to worship, and when one stumbles the other steps forward to uphold the Babel. Of universal vocation (a gross figment) I shall not now treat; but only say, for the present, that it is true that God at all times, ever since the creation, hath called men to the knowledge of himself as the great Creator, in those things Avhich of him, by the means of the visible creation, might be known, "even his eternal power and Godhead," Rom. i. 19, 20; Ps. xix. 1, 2 ; Acts xiv. 17. Secondly, That after the death of Christ, he did, by preaching of the gospel extended fai* and wide,
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call home to himself the children of God, scattered abroad in the world, whereas his elect were before confined almost to one nation; giving a right to the gopsel to be preached to " every creature,"' Mark xvi. 15; Rom. x. 18; Isa. xlv. 22; Acts xvii. 80, 31. But, thirdly, That God should at all times, in all places, in all ages, grant means of grace or call to Christ as a redeemer, or to a participation of his mercy and goodness in him manifested, with strivings and motions of his Spirit for men to close with those invitations, is so gross and groundless an imagination, so opposite to God's distinguishing mercy, so contradictory to express places of Scripture and the experience of all ages, as I wonder bow any man hath the boldness to assert it, much more to produce it as a proof of an untruth more gross than itself Were I not resolved to tie myself to the present controversy, I should not hold from producing some reasons to evert this fancy ; something may be done hereafter, if the Lord prevent not. In the meantime, let the reader consult Ps. cxlvii. ID, 20; Matt. xi. 25, xxii. 14; Acts xiv, 16, xvi. 7; Rom. x. 14, 15. We pass to —
Proof 4!. " The Holy Ghost, that cometh from the Father and the Son, shall reprove the world of sin (even that part of the world that refuseth now to believe that they are under sin), because they believe not on Christ, and that it is their sin that they have not believed on him. And how could it be their sin not to believe in Christ, and they for that cause under sin, if there were neither enough in the atonement made by Christ for them, nor truth in God's offer of mercy to them, nor will nor power in the Spirit's moving in any sort sufficient to have brought them to believe, at one time or other? And yet is this evident in Scripture, and shall be by the Holy Spirit, to be their great sin, that fastens all other sins on them, John iii. 18, 19, viii. 24, xii. 48, XV. 22, 24, xvi. 7-11."
Alls. The intention of this proof is, to show that men shall be con- demned for their unbelief, for not believing in Christ ; which, saith the author, cannot be unless three things be granted, — First, That there be enough in the atonement made by Christ for them. Secondly, That there be truth in God's offer of mercy to them. Thirdly, That there be sufficient will and power given them by the Spirit, at some time or other, to believe. Now, though I believe no man can perceive what may be concluded hence for the universality of redemp- tion, yet I shall observe some few things: and to the first thing re- quired do say. That if, by " Enough in the atonement for them," you understand that the atonement, which was made for them, hath enough in it, we deny it; not because the atonement hath not enough in it for them, but because the atonement was not for them. If you mean that there is a sufficiency in the merit of Christ to save them if they should believe, we grant it, and affirm that this sufficiency is the chief ground of the proposing it unto them (understanding those
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to whom it is proposed, that is those to whom the gospel is preached). To the second, That there is truth, as in all the ways and words of God, so iu his offer of mercy to whomsoever it is offered. If we take the command to believe, with the promise of life upon so doing, for an offer of mercy, there is an eternal truth in it ; which is, that God will assuredly bestow life and salvation upon all believers, the proffers being immediately declarative of our duty; secondly, of the conca- tenation of faith and life, and not at all of God's intention towards the particular soul to whom the proffer is made: "For who hath known the mind of the Lord, and who hath been his counsellor?" To the third, the Spirit's giving will or power, I say, — First, That ye set the cart before the horse, placing will before power. Secondly, I deny that any internal assistance is required to render a man inexcus- able for not believing, if he have the object of faith propounded to him, though of himself he have neither power nor will so to do, having lost both in Adam. Tliirdly, How a man may have given him a will to believe, and yet not believe, I pray, declare the next controversy ye undertake. This being observed, I shall take leave to put this proof into such form as alone it is capable of, that the strength thereof may appear, and it is this: " If the S\)u:\i shall con- vince all those of sin to whom the gospel is preached, that do not believe, then Christ died for all men, both those that have the gospel preached unto them and those that have not; but the first is true, for their unbelief is their great sin: ergo, Jesus Christ died for all." Which, if any, is an argument " a baculo ad angulum, " from the beam to the shuttle." The places of Scripture, John iii. 18, 19, viii. 24, xii. 48, xv. 22, 24, prove that unbelief is a soul-condemning sin, and that fur which they shall be condemned in whom it is pri- vative, by their having the gospel preached to them. But quid ad