Forgiveness of Sins through the Blood of Chrift. If then it be true that Chrift died for all Men, the Promise must be understood without Restriction; without any other Restriction, than what neceffarily arifes from the very Nature of the Thing: which indeed amounts only to this, that Chrift died, not to Jave Mankind, but to put them in a Capacity of faving themselves; I mean to procure them an Infurance of Pardon, on Condition of their fincere Repentance. Lefs, I think, cannot be understood by the Univerfality of our Redemption, than that all Mankind have it in their Power to obtain Salvation thro' Christ*.

-But if any Perfon fhall ftill maintain, that the Promise of Eternal Life belongs only to Chriftians, I defire him to confider thefe Words of St. Paul (1 Tim. iv. 10.) —who is the Saviour of all Men, especially of those that believe. Dr. Whitby, with great Reason, rejects the Opinion of thofe Perfons, who confined this Salvation to Deliverance from Temporal Dangers: fince it cannot but refer to that faithful Saying, contained in the 8th Verfe; Godliness is profitable unto all Things; baving Promife of the Life which now is, and of that which is to come. We have then a plain Text, in which the Bleffings of a FuG 4

ture

* See 1 John ii. 2. with numberless others to the fame Purpose.

ture Life, though more especially belonging to thofe that believe, are yet, in fome Degree, promised to all Men.-It will be of no Con fequence to allege, that none but Chriftians have actually embraced the Promises of God, and accepted the Covenant proposed to them: fince this, we find, was not neceffary, even with refpect to the Jewish Covenant. If the Uncircumcifion keep the Righteoufnefs (that is, the Moral Part) of the Law, fhall not his Uncircumcifion be counted for Circumcifion? (Rom. ii. 26.) How much more if he who is unbaptized keep the Righteoufnefs of the Chriftian Law, hall his Want of Baptifm be counted for Baptifm? Whoever confiders the Analogy between Circumcifion and Baptism, will be forced to allow the two Arguments to be alike conclufive, or alike inconclufive. If the former prove the Title of the Gentiles to the Privileges of the Jewish Covenant; the latter will prove the Title of Heathens to the Privileges of the Chriftian Covenant; fuppofing, in both Cafes, that they who have not the Law, do by Nature the Things contained in the Law, In fhort the true State of the Cafe is only this: that not the Hearers, or Believers, of the Law (whether Jewish or Christian,) but the Doers of it are juftified before God.-One Argument remains, which I hope will be decifive. I have already obferved,

that

that Forgiveness of Sins, or an intire Exemp tion from Future Penalties, is, in the Scripture Language, ftiled Salvation: and that this Salvation is infeparably connected with our Admiffion to Chrift's heavenly Kingdom, and our Participation of Eternal Life. If therefore we are fure from Reafon and Scripture, that honeft Heathens fhall escape the Wrath to come, which, I think, is generally admitted by Proteftant Writers; it follows that they are included in those Words of our Saviour, (Matth. xxv. last Verse) the Righteous fhall go into Life eternal. Nothing is clearer, than that the grand Divifion, represented to us in this Chapter, takes in our whole Species. They who are not placed on the Left Hand will be placed on the Right; and they, who are placed on the Right, are here called righteous. If therefore there be any Heathen, who escapes Everlasting Punishment, he will then be numbered among the righteous; and if so, he has, by Virtue of our Saviour's Promife, a Covenant Right to Eternal Life.-That the Covenant is conditional is most certain: were it otherwise, it could not be called a Covenant. But to say that actual Belief in Chrift is, literally fpeaking, an effential Condition, is to make the Salvation of more than half Mankind altogether impoffible.-I am fenfible that Endeavours have been used to confine the

Gof

Gospel-Representations of a Future Judgment to the Believing World: but furely in vain ; unless Tyrians and Sidonians, Ninevites and Sodomites can be confidered as Believers. For these are all expreffly numbered by our Saviour himself, among those who are to be judged by him at the great Day. We hear indeed of the Prophets preaching to fome of them; but that Preaching manifeftly means nothing more, than a Denunciation of God's Wrath against those Nations for their great Wickedness and grievous Enormities. Not the leaft Expectation, as far as appears, was either given them, or conceived by them, of a Savi

our to come.

I CONCLUDE, upon the whole, that an honeft Heathen has the fame Title to Salvation, which we our felves have; with this only Difference, that he knows it not. If on this Account it be improper to fay God has promifed him Salvation; yet his Right is equally ftrong in itself: being founded on the exprefs Declarations of him who cannot lye. To whom thefe Declarations were made, is, I prefume, of no Confequence.

BUT though it be allowed that Good Heathens have a fure Title to Eternal Happiness; yet will not the Happiness of Chriftians be greatly fuperior? Will not fignal Privileges, and extraordinary Favours be conferred on

faith

faithful Believers? I answer, that will depend on their Moral Goodness. If they make a right Use of the Advantages they enjoy, I have not only acknowleged, but maintained that their Faith will increase their Virtue, and their Virtue improve their Happiness. But that they shall be honoured with peculiar Privileges, merely because they happen to be Chriftians, without Regard to their Moral Improvements; is a Doctrine, as I apprehend, unfupported by Scripture, and directly oppofite to Right Reafon. Sure I am, the Paffage in Question admits of no fuch Interpretation. The Word Damnation cannot poffibly fignify fuch an Exclufion from the Privileges of the Gofpel, as neither fuppofes Blame, nor infers Punishment. On the contrary it does and muft import the Sentence to be pronounced on Evil Doers: fince he who is innocent cannot be condemned.

ACCORDING to a 3d Interpretation the Words in the latter Part of the Verfe are to be taken literally as far as they reach; but then they are to be reftrained to those Perfons, among whom the Gofpel has been actually preached. This indeed will be more fuitable to the Context, than either of the for

mer.

-But ftill the main Difficulty remains. The Condemnation of all Unbelievers, even in this narrower Senfe of the Word, will not