only? Is he not God of the Gentiles alfo? Are not his Attributes always unalterable; and the Influences of them equally derived down to all his Creatures? We believe that the Jews under the Old Law fhall be faved through Faith, and the Merits of a Crucified Saviour, even as we are; but what Provifion fhall be made for the far greatest part of Mankind, who never heard of this Mystery, nor knew any revealed Religion?

For as for thofe, who have rejected the Gospel when preached, and fufficiently propofed to them; no Doubt can remain concerning them. But for the reft, who know not the Gospel, nor have heard of Chrift, hath God concluded them in an Univerfal Sentence of Damnation? as fome Men Dogmatically pronounce. This feemed fo hard and unjust to the Ancient Chriftians; that rather than conceive fuch Partiality to be in God, they framed to themfelves diverfe erroneous Systems, whereby Salvation might be rendred equally poffible to all

Men.

Some fancied that Chrift defcended into Hell on purpose to preach the Gospel to all departed Souls imprifoned there; that fo he might carry with him into the Regions of Blis, all those who embraced it; and leave. in deserved Torments, thofe who rejected it.

Others Taught that the Souls of all Men fhould be fo often reunited to the Body and live again, until the Gospel fhould be in or

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der propofed and preached to all the Sons of Adam; that fo their Salvation or Damnation confequent to their belief or disbelief of it, might be an Act of their own deliberate choice.

Some believed a particular Place fhould be appointed to receive them after Death; where they should enjoy a State of Indolence.

And not a few of the most Learned of them Taught, that they might be faved; for that whatsoever they did rationally, and in compliance to the Law of Nature; they did it by a Reason, Light, and Inftinct derived from Chrift himfelf, who is the Eternal Aoy, the Word and Wisdom of the Father.

It becomes not us indeed to dive too curiously into the Secrets of Heaven; or to pretend to difcover what is hidden from us; much lefs to propofe fuch unwarran table Opinions, which have no certain foundation in the Word of God. However it will be neither unlawful nor unufeful to car. ry our Inquiries in this matter, as far as Reason, and Scripture, and Modesty will permit us: Whereby we may fatisfie our felves of the impartial Conduct of God, and vindicate his Honour in the World.

Thofe who include all the Gentiles without diftinction, in an univerfal Sentence of Condemnation, have certainly no warrant from the Word of God; and it is at leaft

more

more charitable to err on the other haud. If by Gentiles we understand all those who being unacquainted with any fupernatural Revelations, acted only. by direction of the Law of Nature; almost all the Patriarchs before and after the Flood, till the days of Abraham, will come under that denomina tion; and furely none will deny the hopes of Salvation to them. But if we mean by the Gentiles those who lived as without God in the World, who obeyed not the Law of Nature, but delivered themselves up to Idolatry and Immoral Sins, (under which Notion the Name of Gentiles is almoft every where to be understood in the New Tefta ment) we cannot doubt of the Justice of God, in giving Sentence of Condemnation on them, and the certainty of the execution of it.

The Doubt then remaineth only concerning thofe Gentiles, who lived fince the Co venant made with Abraham; and performed the Law of Nature, as far as Human In firmity would permit: Who ftudiously ob ferved the Precepts of Piety, Temperance and Juftice; who cultivated all the Facul ties of their Soul with all Noble Perfections, and above all made a right use of their Freewill; who yielded not to the common Cor ruptions of Idolatry and Immorality; but yet never received the knowledge of any divine Revelation, nor heard of the Name of Chrift, at least heard it not fufficiently YOL. I

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proposed to them. That there have been fuch brave Perfons in the World, it can not be denied; and that God cannot be unjust to them, we are no lefs affured, although we know not certainly his Decrees in relation to them. Only let us take care of affixing fuch Decrees to him, as cannot be accufed from Partiality.

It must be confeffed that all Men do in ftrict Juftice deferve Damnation, in as much as all have finned, and come short of their Duty. But fince God hath pleased to pardon the Infirmity of Men; his Holinefs requireth him to grant his Pardon by fuch general Rules, as all may, if they will, partake of it. It must alfo be acknowledged that all are faved by the Merits of Christ, and that there is no other Name under Heaven by which any one can be faved; that we all obtain Salvation and Remiffion of Sins, by the applica tion of his Merits to us.

But then, how fhall thofe lay hold of his Merits, and apply them to their felves by Faith, who knew not of them; or must they be condemned merely for involuntary Ignorance? Surely if we confider the State of the Jews before the coming of Chrift, we all believe and confefs, that they fhall be faved through the Merits of Chrift; and yet they had no diftinct knowledge of him. They knew indeed and believed that a Glorious Meffias should be given to them, who fhould redeem them and make them happy';

but

but as for the Sacrifice of the Crofs, by which the eternal Redemption of Mankind was chiefly wrought, and Remiffion ob tained for Sins; they knew little of it, and even the Apostles underftood it not after the performance of it; until our Lord rifing from the Dead, and pouring the Holy Ghoft upon them, inftructed them in the Mystery of it. So that a distinct knowledge of the Redemption wrought by our Saviour, seems not in all abfolutely neceffary to the appli cation of his Merits.

Befides fince it is by all confeffed, that the Gentiles, before the Covenant made with Abraham, were by the obfervation of the Law of Nature capable of Salvation; it cannot well be imagined, how a particular Co venant, and that a Covenant of Temporal Bleffings only, made with Abraham, fhould exclude them from any further hope; efpecially fince the observation of Moral Vertues is even in all revealed Religions, that which chiefly recommends us to the Favour of God, and is the most neceffary condition of Salvation. If then as St. Paul faith Rom. ii. 14. The Gentiles which have not the Law (that is not any revealed Law) do by nature the things contained in the Law, (exercise the fame Divine Vertues, which are enjoyned and reinforced in revealed Religions) these having not the Law, are a Law unto thema felves And then we may charitably conclude with the Apoftle alfo, Glory, Hɔnour; Y 2

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