tations, and were not induced by his promises and threats, his patience and long-suffering, and all the other methods of his providence, to faith, repentance, and obedience? Why doth he marvel at, complain of, and upbraid them for, that which they had no sufficient means to alter or amend? 3. If means unfrustrably effectual be necessary on this account, who lay this odious charge upon God so evidently as they do who tell us he hath left the greatest part of all mankind under an absolute decree, not to afford them those means which he sees absolutely necessary for the performance of that duty without which they cannot be happy, or for avoiding that sin by which they shall inevitably be miserable to all eternity? CHAP. III. FOR a close I shall briefly add some testimonies of the Primitive Fathers concerning God's general goodness to the world throughout all ages, and more especially towards the Heathens. I. FIRST CENTURY. Clemens Romanus, in his epistle to the Corinthians, speaks to them thus, "let us diligently inspect all ages, and we shall find that in all ages God gave place for repentance to all that would turn to him. This Noah preached to the old world, and Jonas to the Ninevites; and they repenting of their sins, ἐξιλάσαντο τὸν θεὸν ἱκετεύσαντες, καὶ ἔλαβον Σωτηρίαν καὶ nep àλλótpiai tõ be ovres, appeased God by prayers, and obtained salvation, though they were aliens from God';" that is, not in covenant with him, as the Jews were. SECOND CENTURY. Justin Martyr highly approves of that saying of Plato, "that they who seek to appease God by vows and sacrifices, ought, τὸ παύεσθαι καὶ μεταγινώσκειν ἐφ ̓ οἷς ἥμαρτον, το repent of, and forsake their sins;' which, if they conceive God infexible, they will never do, ἐδὲν ὄφελος ἐκ τῆς μετανοίας ἕξειν οἰόMEVOL, as expecting to receive no benefit from their repentance':"" he adds that "wicked demons did persecute, rès oпuddies, olov μενοι, a Cohort. ad Gr. p. 23, B. Σωκράτην, καὶ τὰς ὁμοίως, ' the good, as Socrates, and those that were like him," Heraclitus and Musonius, xì mávтas Tès näv ὅπως δήποτε κατα λόγον βιον σπεδάζοντας, και κακίαν φεύγειν, ‘and all who any way endeavoured to live according to reason, and eschew wickedness.' That whatsoever the philosophers or lawgivers found out or spake well, they found out, dia hóva μépos ös és Xpisos, by participation of the Logos, which is Christ.' that God made all mankind with understanding and liberty of will, αιρεῖσθαι τ' ἀληθῆ καὶ ευπράττειν, “to chuse the truth and do good, so that they who neglect to do so are, ἀναπολόγητοι παρὰ τῷ θεῷ, ' inexcusable before God.' And that, oi μɛtà λóyo CiwσaνTES Xpioτιανοί εισι οἷον Σωκράτης καί Ηράκλειτος, they who live according to reason are christians, as was Socrates and Heraclitus';" on which place see the note of Langius. d Athenagoras saith "that God made them, as Tv dei diaμoviv, 'to live for ever,' who bearing the image of God in themselves, did participate of a mind and rational judgment; that knowing their Maker and his power and wisdom, νόμῳ τὲ συνεπόμενοι καὶ δικὴ τέτοις δὲ συνδιαιωνίζωσιν ἀπονως οἷς τὴν προλαβᾶσαν ἐχράτυνον Zwv, 'that walking according to the law (of nature) and justice, they might live for ever in those things by which they had strengthened the life they formerly received." And again," μỀU TÕS γενέσεως αιτία πιςᾶται τὴν εἰς ἀεὶ διαμονὴν, “ the cause of man's production, confirms his perpetual duration,' God having made him with an immortal soul, and given him, vv rè xai vóμov éμ Quτov, 'a mind and natural law' to direct all his actions, and made him the spectator of his magnificence and wisdom in all things; xai πᾶσι τοῖς πρὸς διαμονὴν ἐκόσμησεν, ‘and adorned him with all things necessary for that duration,' according to his will and purpose, and the nature which he hath received." THIRD CENTURY. Clemens of Alexandria handles this subject fully, proving this from the title of God that he is the Lord and Saviour of all; "for," saith he, "the Lord both of the Greeks and the Barbarians persuadeth all that are willing, but compels none, éž άvt≈ Σwτnpiav λaßɛiv, 'to receive salvation from him,' because he may chuse it; for he that is Lord of all takes care of all as far as it belongs to him so to do, Σωτὴς γὰρ ἐσι ἐχὶ τῶν μὲν, Apol. 1, p. 45, D. 46, C. c Page 48, C. d Apol. 2, p. 71, C. e P. 83, C. Tav de, for he is the Saviour not of some only, and not of others; but as every one is fitted for it, τὴν ἑαυτῶ διένειμεν ενεργε σιν καὶ Ἕλλησι, καὶ Βαρβάροις, “he distributes his goodness both to the Greeks and the Barbarians'." He adds, "that the law from the beginning was this, that whoever would, might chuse virtue; and therefore the precepts in the law, καὶ πρὸ τῶ νόμο τὸν μὲν ἐλόμενον ζωὴν αἴδιον, καὶ μακάριον γέρας λαμβάνειν ἔταξαν, ‘and before the law, appointed every one that would to receive eternal life, and the blessed reward;" πᾶσι γάρ πάντα ἶσα κεῖται παρὰ τῆ θεῖ, καὶ αὐτὸς ἀμεμφής, ' for all things are alike afforded by God, and he is blameless; but let him chuse them that can, xai Candeis loxual, and he who is willing can do it'." To that inquiry of Celsus, "Why God doth not free all men from their vices?" Origen answers, "that God doth not always send correctors of them, οἱ γὰρ ἐπὶ τὰ βέλτισα προκαλέμενοι λόγοι θεῖ ἀυτὲς δεδωκότος ἐσιν ἐν ἀνθρώποις ; ' for the reasons which provoke men to chuse the best things, are by God put into the hearts of men'." To his enquiry "Why God after so many ages attempted to justify men?" Origen answers, "that, "x êsiv öt éx ἐβελήθη δικαιῶσαι τὸν ἀνθρῶπων βίον ὁ Θεὸς, 6 there was no time when God was not willing to render the lives of men righteous;' for he was always regardful of this by giving them occasions of virtue, and the amendment of their lives."" To that imputation of Celsus, "that Christians held that God neglecting all other men, took care only of them," (which, in the language of our adversaries, is true of the elect only among christians,) Origen an"that this doctrine was falsely imputed to Christians, they knowing from the scriptures that God loveth all men, and hateth nothing that he hath made; that the earth is full of his mercy, and that it reacheth to all flesh."" swers, FOURTH CENTURY. Nazianzen saith, "that there being many things for which God is to be celebrated or admired, yet is there, ἐδὲν ὅτως ὡς τὸ πάντων ευεργετεῖν ἰδιώτατον, ' nothing so proper to him as to do good to all." And Chrysostom speaks thus, "before the coming of Christ, vv naì un suoλoynoavтas τὸν Χρισὸν τότε σωθῆναι, 6 they that believed not in Christ might be saved, τότε μεν γὰρ εἰς Σωτηρίαν ἤρκει τὸ τὸν θεὸν ἐιδέναι μονον; St. Jerom 'for then the knowledge of the true God, and freedom from idolatry was sufficient for salvation'." And this he proves from these words of the apostle, 'glory, honour, and peace to every one that doth good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.' also saith, that "from those words of St. John concerning Christ, He is the true light that enlighteneth every one that comes into the world; it is plain, naturâ omnibus inesse Dei notitiam, nec quenquam sine Christo nasci, et non habere in se semina sapientiæ, et justitia, reliquarumque virtutum; unde multi sine fide et evangelio Christi, vel sapienter faciunt aliqua vel sancte; ‘that the knowledge of God is by nature in all men, and that no man is born without Christ, or who hath not in himself the seeds of wisdom and justice, and of all other virtues, whence many, without faith and the gospel of Christ, perform some things either wisely or holily'."* FIFTH CENTURY. The author of the treatise De Vocatione Gentium saith, "we firmly believe, and piously confess according to the scriptures, that the care of the divine providence was never wanting to mankind in general, who, though he chose to himself a peculiar people instructed by his laws, nulli tamen nationi hominum bonitatis suæ dona subtraxit, ' yet hath he not withdrawn from any nation the gifts of his goodness,' but let them receive the voices of the prophets, and of the law, in testimoniis elementorum, in the evidence of the elements;' (or, first principles of natural religion;) for he gives them his laws in their minds, easque in cordibus eorum digito suo inscribit, and writes them with his finger in their hearts," that they may obtain the knowledge of God, not by human reason, but by his instruction. And we believe that the help of the divine grace was never wholly withdrawn from any; for the eternal goodness of God doth not so withdraw itself from those men, ut illos ad cognoscendum se atque metuendum nullis significationibus admoneret, as to admonish them by no intimations that they should know and fear him;" for the heaven and earth, and every creature is so ordered to the advantage of man, that by the contemplation of them, by the experience of so great goodness, and the receipt of so many gifts, ad cultum et dilectionem sui imbuerentur authoris, implente omnia Spiritu Dei, 'they may be instructed to worship and love that God whose Spirit filleth all things.'" For," saith he, “datur unicuique sine merito unde tendat ad meritum, et datur ante ullum laborem, unde quisque mercedem accipiat secundum suum laborem, 'to every one is given that, without any worthiness, by which he may tend to what is worthy; and that is given, without his labour, from whence he may receive a reward according to his labour;' for the experience of all ages teaches us the just mercy of God, and his merciful justice, that he was never wanting in nourishing men's bodies, nec docendis juvandisque eorum mentibus defuisse, or in instructing and assisting their minds;'" for there was always exhibited to men a certain measure of teaching from above, in which, though the grace was more sparing and obscure, sufficit tamen sicut Deus judicavit quibusdam ad remedium, omnibus ad testimonium, was yet sufficient in God's account for a remedy to some, and for a testimony to all;" and they who never heard of the gospel were yet men, quibus illa mensura generalis auxilii quæ desuper omnibus hominibus est præbita, non negatur, 'to whom is not denied that general measure of aid which is afforded to all men from above,' the manifold and ineffable goodness of God so far consulting the good of all men, ut neque ulli pereuntium suppetat excusatio de abnegato sibi lumine veritatis, that none that perish shall be able to say in their excuse, that the light of the truth was denied them;' seeing it may be proved that not only in the last days, but in all ages past, gratiam Dei omnibus hominibus affuisse, 'the grace of God was afforded to all men'." w Lib. 2, c. 1. * Cap. 2. y Cap. 3. b Cap. 10. * Cap. 5. a Cap. 9. |