An Apology for the True Christian Divinity. Robert Barclay
6. It renders Mankind in a worse Condition than the Devils—Sixthly, This Doctrine is highly injurious to Mankind; for it renders them in a far worse Condition than the Devils in Hell. For these were sometime in a Capacity to have stood, and do suffer only for their own Guilt; whereas many Millions of Men are for ever tormented, according to them, for Adam’s Sin, which they neither knew of, nor ever were accessary to; it renders them worse than the Beasts of the Field, of whom the Master requires no more than they are able to perform; and if they be killed, Death to them is the End of Sorrow; whereas Man is for ever tormented for not doing that which he never was able to do. —Than the Israelites under Pharaoh.It puts him into a far worse Condition than Pharaoh put the Israelites; for though he with-held Straw from them, yet by much Labour and Pains they could have gotten it: But from Men they make God to with-hold all Means of Salvation, so that they can by no Means attain it; Tantalus’s Condition.yea, they place Mankind in that Condition which the Poets feign of Tantalus, who, oppressed with Thirst, stands in Water up to the Chin, yet can by no Means reach it with his Tongue; and being tormented with Hunger, hath Fruits hanging at his very Lips, yet so as he can never lay hold on them with his Teeth; and these Things are so near him, not to nourish him, but to torment him. So do these Men: They make the outward Creation of the Works of Providence, the Smiting of Conscience, sufficient to convince the Heathens of Sin, and so to condemn and judge them: But not at all to help them to Salvation. They make the Preaching of the Gospel, the Offer of Salvation by Christ, the Use of the Sacraments, of Prayer, and good Works, sufficient to condemn those they account Reprobates within the Church, serving only to inform them, to beget a seeming Faith and vain Hope; yet because of a secret Impotency, which they had from their Infancy, all these are wholly ineffectual to bring them the least Step towards Salvation; and do only contribute to render their Condemnation the greater, and their Torments the more violent and intolerable.
Having thus briefly removed this false Doctrine which stood in my Way, because they that are desirous may see it both learnedly and piously refuted by many others, I come to the Matter of our Proposition, which is, That God out of his infinite Love, who delighteth not in the Death of a Sinner, but that all should live and be saved, hath sent his only begotten Son into the World, that whosoever believeth in him might be saved; which also is again affirmed in the sixth Proposition, in these Words, Christ tasted Death for every Man.Christ then tasted Death for every Man, of all Kinds. Such is the Evidence of this Truth, delivered almost wholly in the express Words of Scripture, that it will not need much Probation. Also, because our Assertion herein is common with many others, who have both earnestly and soundly, according to the Scripture, pleaded for this universal Redemption, I shall be the more brief in it, that I may come to that which may seem more singularly and peculiarly ours.
§. VI.
Christ’s Redemption universal, contrary to the Doctrine of Absolute Reprobation.This Doctrine of universal Redemption, or Christ’s dying for all Men, is of itself so evident from the Scripture-Testimony, that there is scarce found any other Article of the Christian Faith so frequently, so plainly, and so positively asserted. It is that which maketh the preaching of Christ to be truly termed the Gospel, or an Annunciation of glad Tidings to all. Thus the Angel declared the Birth and Coming of Christ to the Shepherds to be, Luke ii. 10. Behold, I bring you good Tidings of great Joy, which shall be to all People: He saith not, to a few. Now if this coming of Christ had not brought a Possibility of Salvation to all, it should rather have been accounted bad Tidings of great Sorrow to most People; neither should the Angel have had Reason to have sung, Peace on Earth, and good Will towards Men, if the greatest Part of Mankind had been necessarily shut out from receiving any Benefit by it. How should Christ have sent out his Servants to preach the Gospel to every Creature, Mark xvi. 15. (a very comprehensive Commission) that is, to every Son and Daughter of Mankind, without all Exception? He commands them to preach Salvation to all, Repentance and Remission of Sins to all; warning every one, and exhorting every one, as Paul did, Col. i. 28. Now how could they have preached the Gospel to every Man, as became the Ministers of Jesus Christ, in much Assurance, if Salvation by that Gospel had not been possible to all? What! if some of those had asked them, or should now ask any of these Doctors, who deny the Universality of Christ’s Death, and yet preach it to all promiscuously, Hath Christ died for me? How can they, with Confidence, give a certain Answer to this Question? If they give a conditional Answer, as their Principle obligeth them to do, and say, If thou repent, Christ hath died for thee; doth not the same Question still recur? Hath Christ died for me, so as to make Repentance possible to me? To this they can answer nothing, unless they run in a Circle; whereas the Feet of those that bring the glad Tidings of the Gospel of Peace are said to be beautiful, for that they preach the common Salvation, Repentance unto all; offering a Door of Mercy and Hope to all, through Jesus Christ, who gave himself a Ransom for all. The Gospel is preached to every Man.The Gospel invites all: And certainly, by the Gospel Christ intended not to deceive and delude the greater Part of Mankind, when he invites, and crieth, saying; Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you Rest. If all then ought to seek after him, and to look for Salvation by him, he must needs have made Salvation possible to all; for who is bound to seek after that which is impossible? Certainly it were a mocking of Men to bid them do so. And such as deny, that by the Death of Christ Salvation is made possible to all Men, do most blasphemously make God mock the World, in giving his Servants a Commission to preach the Gospel of Salvation unto all, while he hath before decreed that it shall not be possible for them to receive it. Would not this make the Lord to send forth his Servants with a Lie in their Mouth, (which were blasphemous to think) commanding them to bid all and every one believe that Christ died for them, and had purchased Life and Salvation? The Absurdity of that Doctrine of Absolute Reprobation.whereas it is no such Thing, according to the fore-mentioned Doctrine. But seeing Christ, after he arose and perfected the Work of our Redemption, gave a Commission to preach Repentance, Remission of Sins, and Salvation to all, it is manifest that he died for all. For He that hath commissionated his Servants thus to preach, is a God of Truth, and no Mocker of poor Mankind; neither doth he require of any Man that which is simply impossible for him to do: For that no Man is bound to do that which is impossible, is a Principle of Truth engraven in every Man’s Mind. And seeing he is both a righteous and merciful God, it cannot at all stand, either with his Justice or Mercy, to bid such Men repent or believe, to whom it is impossible.
§. VII.
Moreover, if we regard the Testimony of the Scripture in this Matter, where there is not one Scripture, that I know of, which affirmeth, Christ not to die for all, there are divers that positively and expresly assert, He did; To pray for all; for Christ died for all—as 1 Tim. ii. 1, 3, 4, 6. I exhort therefore, that first of all, Supplications, Prayers, Intercessions, and giving of Thanks, be made for all Men, &c. For this is good and acceptable in the Sight of God our Saviour, who will have all Men to be saved, and to come to the Knowledge of the Truth; who gave himself a Ransom for all, to be testified in due Time. Except we will have the Apostle here to assert quite another Thing than he intended, there can be nothing more plain to confirm what we have asserted. And this Scripture doth well answer to that Manner of arguing which we have hitherto used: For, first, the Apostle here recommends them to pray for all Men; and to obviate such an Objection, as if he had said with our Adversaries, Christ prayed not for the World, neither willeth he us to pray for all; because he willeth not that all should be saved, but hath ordained many to be damned, that he might shew forth his Justice in them; he obviates, I say, such an Objection, telling them, that it is good and acceptable in the Sight of God, who will have all Men to be saved. —And will have all Men to be saved.I desire to know what can be more expresly affirmed? or can any two Propositions be stated in Terms more contradictory than these two? God willeth some not to be saved; and God willeth all