is to perplex rather than to elucidate a fubject: it is inconfiftent with that reverence which is due to the Divine Authority, and can only ferve a bad cause.

SECTION VI.

On the IMMUTABILITY of GOD'S COUNSELS.

MR. WINCHESTER, after citing Ephef. i. 8—11

1 Tim. ii. 3, 4, remarks, "If God will have all men "to be faved, or reftored, and to come to the know"ledge of the truth-if it is his good pleasure, which "he hath purposed in himself, in the difpenfation of "the fulness of times, to rehead all things in Chrift,. "both in heaven and on earth-and if he worketh "all things after the counsel of his own will; then " is not the doctrine of the reftoration true.*

It is allowed that the good pleasure of God, to gather together, or re-head all things in Chrift, was not defeated for we read in ver. 22, that God hath 66 put all things under His feet, and gave Him to "be the head over all things to the church.” The gathering together, or re-heading all things in Chrift, therefore cannot mean the restoring all things in Chrift, becaufe the former hath taken place, but this hath not. The Apoftle was writing to the faints "at Ephefus, and to the faithful in Chrift Jefus," and he informs them of a mytery of the Divine Will, which was, in the difpenfation of the fulness of "times," or under the gofpel difpenfation (fee Gal. iv. 4.) to raise Jefus Chrift to the head of His moral government,

* Dialogues, p. 101.

government, and inveft Him with full authority over "all things in heaven and on earth." In ver. 22, the Apostle informs them that that happy event had then taken place, and that the Redeemer's authority was exercised for the good of the church. This would be full of confolation to the faithful faints; but what has it to do with the restoration of wicked men and devils? Suppofe His Majefty were to refign the go. vernment of these kingdoms into the hands of his son, with a charge to exercife his authority for the benefit of his faithful fubjects; fhould we not think the man deranged in his intellects who fhould conclude from it, that every prifoner would be fet at liberty, and that there would be no more diforder in fociety*?

The will of God, as expreffed in 1 Tim. ii. 3, 4. may be fruftrated. The Univerfalifts believe that repentance, faith, and obedience are neceffary in order to falvation: and they know very well that the will of God refpecting our repentance, faith, and obedience, is daily fruftrated in innumerable inftances. The Apostle wrote under the influence of the Holy Ghot, and therefore expreffed the will of God, when he said, “I will that men pray every where, lifting 66 up holy hands without wrath and doubting." But do men pray every where? Do they every where lift up holy hands? Muft we fearch every where in vain for a wrathful perfon or a fceptic? Now what an abfurdity is it to pretend that the end is certain and neceffary, when experience proves that the meuns in order to it are contingent? The Predeftinarians are confiftent upon this fubject: they hold that those who are predeftinated to eternal life, are neceffitated to perform the conditions upon which it is fufpended. And indeed the connexion between the end and the means is fo clofe, that even a child muft perceive the one cannot be abfolutely determined while the other Is involved in uncertainty.

F

A great deal of confufion has arifen upon this fubject from not confidering in what cafes the will of God may be oppofed with fuccefs, and in what cafes it cannot. The will of God, fo far as it is made known to us, is irrefiftible in every thing, except where the co-operation of the human Will is neceffary to bring about His purposes. God cannot make man virtuous and happy without the concurrence of his Will, and no violence must be done to it, for there can be no Moral Virtue without Moral Liberty. Man may therefore, by continued refiftance, defeat the Will of God concerning his falvation. The word of God is very express upon this fubject. "O Jerufalem, Jerafalem, thou that killeft the prophets, and ftoneft them which are fent unto thee, how often would "I have gathered thy children together as a hen

gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye "would not," Matt. xxiii. 37. Here the Will of man and the Will of God are reprefented as oppofed to each other, and the Will of man as prevailing.

Mr. Vidler on 1 Tim. ii. 3, 4, fays" It would be, perhaps, a fufficient answer in the opinion of mok perfons only to afk, Is the Apoftle speaking here "of a command, or of a purpofe of the divine " mind?"* I beg leave to ask, Whether it be not the purpose of the Divine Mind that the commandments fhould be kept? if it be, is not the Divine purpofe fruftrated when they are broken? I wish to enquire farther, Whether it be the purpofe of God to fave any who do not obey His commands? if not, fince Mr. V. grants that His will refpecting our obe dience may be refifted, I fhall be glad to know how it can be proved that His will refpecting our falvation is irrefiftible?

To fhew that the Divine purpose cannot be fruftrated, Mr. V. refers to Ifa. xliii. 13. xlvi. 11. Dan..

God's Love to his Creatures, p. 24.

iv.

iv. 35. Ephf. i. 11. I have granted that the Wilf of God is irrefiftible in every thing except in the virtue and happiness of His creatures. The above texts do not militate against this exception, and therefore do not require any further notice.

SECTION VII.

On the EXTENT and EFFICACY of the DEATII of CHRIST.

CHRIST

HRIST died for all men. I infer from this propofition that the falvation of all men is poffible: my opponents infer from it that the falvation of all men is certain. My inference fuppofes falvation to be conditional: theirs fuppofes it to be unconditional. Does it require a fcribe well inftructed in the law to determine this matter? and yet it has been confidently afferted, that a confiftent Arminian muft be an Univerfalift.

Mr. Weaver writes in the following curious manner on 1 Tim. iv. 10. "By faying the Saviour of all men, ❝he includes the whole, both faints and finners; and "then adding, especially of them that believe, he "diftinguishes the righteous from the wicked, by "which diftinction 'tis plain he meant to include "both. But if Jefus Chrift be the Saviour of all (6 men, and yet is not the Saviour of all men, nor ever will be, is not this a contradiction in terms ?"* I believe with Mr. W. that Jefus Chrift "is the Sa"viour of all men." But the queftion is, In what fenfe muft we understand this phrafe? The additional words, especially of them that believe, fhew that Ile

ઃઃ

Free Thoughts on the Universal Restoration, p. 89.

is

is the Saviour of believers and of unbelievers in two very different fenfes, which would not be true on the fuppofition that all are made finally holy and happy. The obvious meaning of the paffage is, He is the Saviour of all men conditionally, and of believers fully and eternally. But what has this to do with their doctrine, of the final Reftoration of all, especially confidering the distinction which they have lately made between Reftoration and Salvation ?

"It appears from 1 John iii. 8, fays Mr. Weaver, that if the works of the devil are not destroyed, "the purpofe of God's Son is not accomplished. And how the works of the devil can be deftroyed, if "nine tenths of mankind be left to blafpheme for

(6 ever, I know not."* Guy Fawkes had prepared

works for the ruin of the nation were not his works deftroyed without his being made prime minifter ? Before it can be concluded from this text, that punishment must come to an end, it must be fhewn that it is the work of the devil, rather than of Jefus Chrift, to punifh finners for their fins.

Mr. Weaver tacks together John i. 29.-xii. 47, and informs us, that the world whofe fins the Lamb of God taketh away, is that world who hear his " words and believe not. But how this world is to be faved," fays he, "if their punishment is to be "without end, I mutt confefs I know not."+ Nor I neither. Nor yet do I know of any text of Scripture which fays that the infidel world is to be javed. I am fure neither of the paffages to which Mr. W. refers fay any fuch thing; and I know who hath said, He that believeth not on the Son, shall not fee "life."

66

Mark ii. 10, is next brought forward by this gentleman. "If the birth of Chrift," he observes, was "to be in fact good tidings of great joy, and that to " all

*Free Thoughts, p. 91. + Free Thoughts, ib.