deed redeemed by Chrift, but it was poffible that none might be faved by him; whereas the former fecures the certain falvation of all the redeemed ones: and in the other of them he fuggefts, that the anger, hatred, and threatnings of God, are for the good of men, and in order to move upon them, and bring them to that which is right and good; but not a word does he fay concerning the death of Christ, and redemption by it. The fecond of these authors referr'd to, explains the text in Rom. ix. 21. One veel to honour, and another to dishonour, thus, "Not that God makes fome good and others evil, but that is to be understood of the power God has of doing what he will." Nor do we say that God makes any man evil, but that man made himself fo; though we think none are good but whom God makes good. This writer indeed fuggefts, that it is the will of God that all men fhould be good, virtuous and faithful, which is true of his approving, but not of his determining will; and also intimates, that all the good things of God are common to all, which in fome fense: holds good of the common bounties of providence, but not of the riches of grace. The third proposes a Pagan objection formed thus, "If Chrift came to be the Saviour of mankind, why does he not, with equal bounty, deliver all alike? This objection fuppofes, that according to the Chriftian fcheme, scheme, all men were not delivered or redeemed by Chrift. Arnobius answers to it, not by afferting a deliverance or redemption of every individual of mankind, but by putting another question thus, "Does not he equally deliver, who equally calls all?" In which he argues indeed, from the extent of the call to the extent of the deliverance; but then the call he fpeaks of feems to be not of every individual Perfon, but of fome of all forts; a grant from Chrift of coming to him to fome of all forts; fublimibus, infimis, fervis, foeminis, pueris, high and low, fervants, women, and children, which are his own words; and confequently the deliverance he argues from hence must be only of fome of all forts; which is what we contend for. L NUM B. X. LACTANTIUS. A.D. 320. Ucius Coelius was called Firmianus from his country, Firmium in Italy, and LaEtantius from his fmooth and milky way of fpeaking; he was an auditor of Arnobius, and preceptor to Crifpus, fon of Conftantine the Great, who died A. D. 326. He wrote ℗ Arnobius, adv. Gentes, 1. 2. p. 199, I 3 fever Seven books of Divine Inftitutions, befides fome other treatifes, in which he fays fome things which limit the fufferings and death of Christ, and the benefits thereof, to certain perfons; thus fpeaking of Christ he fays, "Which as he knew what would -X-be, fo he would ever and anon fay, oportere fe pati atque interfici pro falute multorum, that he ought to fuffer and be flain for the falvation of many;" and if for the falvation of many, then not of all. And in another place fays he ', "The Jers ufe the old Teftament, we the new, but yet they are not different; for the new is the fulfilling of the Old, and in both the fame New Teftator is Chrift; qui pro nobis morte fu " fcepta nos haeredes regni aeterni fecit, who baving fuffered death for us hath made us beirs of the everlasting kingdom, having abdicated, and difinherited the people of the Jews." From whence 'tis plain, that this writer thought that all thofe for whom Chrift died are made heirs of everlasting glory: But all men are not made heirs; whence it must follow, that he did not die for all men; tho' Lactantius by us means the Gentiles in oppofition to the Jews, yet not all the Gentiles, but only fome of them, who are called by the grace of God from among 'em; as appears from a paffage of his 9 Lactant. Divin. Inftitut. 1. 4. c. 18. p. 319. a little after in the fame chapter', where having mentioned the new covenant made with the houfe of Judah and Ifrael, he obferves, that "the house of Judab and Ifrael truly don't fignify the Jews, whom he has caft off, but us, qui ab co convocati ex gentibus, who are called by him (Chrift) from among the Gentiles, who fucceed in their room in the adoption, and are called the children of the Jews." And elsewhere', speaking of the crucifixion of Chrift, he fays; "He ftretched out his hands in his paffion and measured the world, that he might at that very time fhew, that from the rifing of the fun to the fetting of it, magnum populum ex omnibus linguis et tribubus congregatum, a large people gathered out of all languages and tribes, fhould come under his wings, and receive the most great and fublime fign in their foreheads." And a little after in the fame place, having taken notice of the paffover lamb, and the sprinkling of its blood upon the door poft, whereby the Ifraelites were fafe when the Egyptians were deftroyed, he obferves, that "This was a figure of things to come; for Chrift is a lamb white, without fpot, i. e. innocent, juft, and holy, who being facrificed by the fame Jews, faluti eft omnibus qui fignum Pag. 328. Ib. c. 26. p. 344. I 4 fan fanguinis, id eft crucis, qua fanguinem fudit in fua fronte confcripferunt, is for falvation to all who have written in their forehead the fign of the blood, i. e. of the cross, on which be fhed his blood." Monfieur Daille" claims this writer on his fide of the queftion, and produces feveral paffages out of him on the behalf of the general scheme; and true it is that Lactantius fays ", that "the most abundant and full fountain of God is open to all, and the heavenly light arifes to all ; but then he adds, quicunque oculos habent, who have eyes to fee;" but every individual of mankind has not eyes to fee the well of living water the Gofpel points out, or that heavenly light which breaks forth through it. He alfo fays *, that "because God is gracious and merciful, erga fuos, towards his own (i. e. whom he has loved and chofen for himself) he fent him (his Son) to them whom he had hated (i. e. the Gentiles who by his neglect of them in former ages feemed to be the objects of his hatred) left he should for ever shut up the way of falvation to them; but would give them free liberty of following God, that they might obtain the reward of life, if they would follow him; quod plurimi eorum faciunt atque fecerunt, which very many of them do and have done." |
