and c `M -'oral Works. 49 di6tion , as for a man to be tick in health , and both in the greater degree. God cannot damn or forfake a Soul that lovethhimand is holy, (in fenfu compofito.) 88. And whether any or how many withoutthe Chriftian Church, do truly love God; is a queftion which dependeth as to probability upon the fòrefiid grounds, but as to the certainty of the fall, upon that heart- knowledge ofothermen) which belongeth to God only. I. How can I that live in an obfcure corner of England, know whether any love Gad in Sian, China, yapon, or Perfia, orat theAntipodes. 2. IfI were with them all, and acquainted with every perfon in the world, I could have but a probability of the affirmative ofany one, becaufeI am not acquainted with the heart. But when the Scripture affureth us that it is the Law of Grace, and not only that of Innocency, which all the world isgoverned by, and (hall be judged by, and fo that their San&ifi- cationand Salvatiott is poffible ; there is fogreataprobability, that this Covenant, and the merciesof are not in vainto all of them that are under it alone, and that the thing that is poble to fo many millions, Both come to pats withfome, that an impartial confiderer of Gods Nature and Government, may eafily feewhat to think molt probable. 89. Thofe therefore that teach the Church, that it is a certain truth, that no one in the world (Infant or Aged) is faxed from Hell fire, but Chrifiians only, and that this is not only certain to fuch great under- ftandingsastheir own, but ms& befo to all trueChrifüans, do but dif- cover that they over-value their own underflandïngs; and that tiding bath contrated their thoughts and charity intoa finful narrownefs, and that the Opinions of men, counted Orthodox, prevaileth more With them than the evidence of truth, and I think that theyareto be num- bred with thofe that by aver-doing, do dangeroufly undermine the Chriftian Faith, go. The Texts urged by them for this pretended certainty, are all abufed fome of thefe' ways: r. Either fome one difficult Text is ex- pounded contrary to the current of the whole Scripture. 2. Or the words that are fpóken only of privative Vnbelievers who hear the Got- pel, are expounded of negative nbt-Believers who' never heard it, nor coulddo. 3. Orthat whichis faid againft Vnbelievers ïngeneral, isex- pounded as againft the non- Believers of the Articles of the Chriflian Faith which are fuperadded fine Chrifi's Incarnation in fpecial ; As if all the Apofiles before they believed Chrifl's Sacr ce,Refsrrefiion, Afcen- Dion, Sec. were infidelsin a Rate of damnation. 4. Or elfe they fup- pole (without proof) that the Spirit atnd Grace of Chrift can extend it felfto none that ltnow him not as incarnate, crucified, rifin, glorified, &c. (and fo that the Apofiles had no Grace till the Refurretion). Some fuch fallacy is in all thefe particular textual arguments, eafily dif- cernable. 91. Were it not evident in Scripture, that the world is under the Law ofGrace as thenorma pfcii e -judicii, (as it is) yet could noman truly fay that he is certain, that no oneof them (hould be faxed; Forif they were all under the Law of innocency; yet there is this great difference between it, and the Law 'of Grace, that whereas the fentence of the latter is peremptory, excluding all hope of Difpenfation and Pardon, to the final Rejecters of its Grace, for ever; yet the former was aLaw whofe penaltywas rernifble, and it did not patsa peremptory fentence of difpait. Though it gave no hope of Pardon, yet it took not away the hopes of it that is, It had á threatening- difpenfable fi (as
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