ever threatened or judged for what iniquity he hath not actually wrought: such indeed as continue in iniquity and so do allow the sins of their fathers, God will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children.

The apostle saith plainly, "Where no law is, there is no transgression." Rom. iv. 15. And again, v. 13. "But where sin is not imputed, there is no law." Than which testimonies there is nothing more positive; since to infants there is no law, seeing as such they are utterly incapable of it; the law cannot reach any but such as have in some measure less or more the exercise of their understanding, which infants have not. So that from thence I thus argue:

Sin is imputed to none, where there is no law. But to infants there is no law:

Therefore sin is not imputed to them.

Those who are under a physical impossibility of either hearing, knowing, or understanding any law, where the impossibility is not brought upon them by any act of their own, but is according to the very order of nature appointed by God; to such there is no law.

We shall only add this information: That we confess then that a seed of sin is transmitted to all men from Adam, although imputed to none, until by sinning they actually join with it; in which seed he gave occasion to all to sin, and it is the origin of all evil actions and thoughts in mens' hearts, to wit, as it is in Rom. v. i. e. "In which

death all have sinned. For this seed of sin is frequently called death in the scripture, and the body of death; seeing indeed it is a death to the life of righteousness and holiness: therefore its seed and its product is called the old man, the old Adam, in which all sin is; for which cause we use this name to express this sin, and not that of original sin; of which phrase the scripture makes no mention, and under which invented and unscriptural barbarism this notion of imputed sin to infants took place among Christians.

CONCERNING THE UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION BY CHRIST, AND ALSO THE SAVING AND SPIRITUAL LIGHT, WHERE WITH EVERY MAN IS

ENLIGHTENED.

Hitherto we have considered man's fallen, lost, corrupted, and degenerated condition. Now it is fit to inquire, How and by what means he may come to be freed out of this miserable and depraved condition. 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.

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."

As for that doctrine which these propositions chiefly strike at, to wit, absolute reprobation, according to which some are not afraid to assert, "That God, by an eternal and immutable decree, hath predestinated to eternal damnation the far greater part of mankind, not considered as made, much less as fallen, without any respect to their disobedience or sin, but only for the demonstrating of the glory of his justice; and that for the bringing this about, he hath appointed these miserable souls necessarily to walk in their wicked ways, that so his justice may lay hold on them: and that God doth therefore not only suffer them to be liable to this misery in many parts of the world, by withholding from them the preaching of the gospel and the knowledge of Christ, but even in those places where the gospel is preached, and salvation by Christ is offered; whom though he publicly invite them, yet he justly condemns for disobedience, albeit he hath withheld from them all grace by which they could have laid hold of the gospel, viz. Because he hath, by a secret will

unknown to all men, ordained and decreed (without any respect had to their obedience or sin) that they shall not obey, and that the offer of the gospel shall never prove effectual for their salvation, but only serve to aggravate and occasion their greater condemnation."

I say, as to this horrible and blasphemous doctrine, our cause is common with many others, who have both wisely and learnedly, according to scripture, reason, and antiquity refuted it. Seeing then that so much is said already and so well against this doctrine, that little can be superadded, except what hath been said already, I shall be short in this respect; yet, because it lies so in opposition to my way, I cannot let it altogether pass.

First, It is highly injurious to God, because it makes him the author of sin, which of all things is most contrary to his nature. I confess the asserters of this principle deny this consequence; but that is but a mere illusion, sceing it so naturally follows from this doctrine, and is equally ridiculous, as if a man should pertinaciously deny that one and two make three. For if God has decreed that the reprobated ones shall perish, without any respect to their evil deeds, but only of his own pleasure, and if he hath also decreed long before they were in being, or in a capacity to do good or evil, that they should walk in those wicked ways, by which, as by a secondary means, they are led to that end; who, I pray, is the first author and

cause thereof but God, who so willed and decreed? This is as natural a consequence as can be: and therefore, although many of the preachers of this doctrine have sought out various, strange, strained and intricate distinctions to defend their opinion, and avoid this horrid consequence; yet some, and that of the most eminent of them, have been so plain in the matter, as they have put it beyond all doubt. Of which I shall instance a few among many passages. * "I say, That by the ordination and will of God, Adam fell. God would have man to fall. Man is blinded by the will and commandment of God. We refer the causes of hard

ening us to God. The highest or remote cause of hardening is the will of God. It followeth that the hidden counsel of God is the cause of hardening." These are Calvin's expressions. a" God," saith Beza, "hath predestinated not only unto damnation, but also unto the causes of it, whomsoever he saw meet." b. The decree of God cannot be excluded from the causes of corruption." "It is certain," saith Zanchius, "that God is the first cause of obduration. Reprobates are held so fast under God's almighty decree, that they cannot but sin and perish." "It is the opiInst. c. 18. S. 1. Id. Id. inst. c. 22. S. г.

*Calvin in cap. 3. Gen. Id. 1. lib. de Præd. Id lib. de Provid. a Beza lib. de Præd. b Id. de Præd. ad. Art 1. c Zanch. de, Excæcat. q. 5 Id. lib. 5. de Nat. Dei. cap. d Paræus, lib. 3. de. Amis. gratiæ,

2. de. præd.

c. 2. Ibid. c. I.