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fion may bring upon me; for fome Men do as peremptorily Damn all the Heathen World, as if it were an Article of their Creed, and think all thofe Enemies to the Grace of Chrift, who do not; but for my part, I dare neither Damn nor Save them, for I know nothing of the mat

ter.

By what Rule God will judge the Heathen World, I cannot tell; St. Paul tells us, As many as bave finned without Law, fhall alfo perish without Law; and as many as have finned in the Law, fhall be judged by the Law, 2. Rom. 12. And there is the fame Reafon as to the Gospel too, that those who never heard of the Gospel fhall be judged without the Gofpel; and who can tell what this fignifies; what mighty Allowances God may make for their invincible Ignorances, and the unhappy Circumftances of their Education? Who can tell how little God will accept from those to whom he has given little? I am fure our Saviour tells us, To whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required; and to whom Men have committed much, of him they will ask the more, 12. Luke 48. Which by a parity of Reafon fuppofes, that where God has given little, he requires little. St. Paul feems to intimate a very favourable Judgment which fuch Men fhall have, and a vaft difference that God makes between the Times of Pagan Ignorance and the Light of the Gospel, The Times of this Ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all Men every where to repent, because he hath appointed a day, &c. 17. Acts 30, 31. where God's winking at the Times of Ignorance, muft fignify that he is not fo fevere and curious an Obferver of their Actions,

Actions, nor fo ftrict to mark what is amifs, nor fo rigorous in exacting Punishment, as he will be now. They are in the Hands of God, and there we ought to leave them, with this general Perfuafion, That God will be very Juft, and very Merciful in judging them; and this eases my Mind of a great many troublesome Thoughts. I know not what Pleasure other Men take in it, but it is terrible to me, when I confider what Eternal Damnation is, to think that so much the greatest part of the World, who never had the Means and Opportunities of Salvation, as we have, fhall be eternally Damned: I dare judge nothing; but that great Love I have for Mankind inclines me to hope better for them, (as far as the Circumftances of their Condition will admit of a favourable Judgment); and that ftrong Per. fuafion I have of the Juftice and Goodness of Go inclines me to believe better of him; for fo I am apt to think, that the merciful fide of the Queftion is moft agreeable to the Divine Justice and Goodness.

Such another curious Question is that about the Salvation of Infants, who die before they know Good or Evil; efpecially the Children of Heathen Parents: Now it is certain they have no Legal and Covenant Title to Salvation; nor have they any thing of their own to answer for, but that Original Guilt they contracted by their Birth: Now God has not told us how he will judge these Infants, nor are we concerned to know.

The Infants of Christian Parents indeed have a Covenant Title to Salvation, for the Promife a made to us and to our Children; and to fay that fuch Children dying after Baptifm, before they have

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committed any actual Sin, fhall certainly be faved, is not an Act of Judgment, but only a declaring the Virtue and Efficacy of Baptifmal Grace and Regeneration; that the Grace of Baptifm will fave thofe who do not afterwards forfeit this Grace by wilful Sins; and therefore if the Children of Christian Parents have a Right to Baptifm, they have a Right to the Salvation of Baptifm; and if they die before they have forfeited this Right by their own Act, they must be faved: And to deny this, is to deny the Virtue and Efficacy of Baptifm to Salvation; and that I am fure is to deny, or to leffen the Gofpel-Grace.

The Sum is, God is the Judge of the World, and we must leave Men to the Judgment of God, and judge nothing before the time, nor difturb our Thoughts with fome curious Queftions how God will judge the World; we certainly know how we fhall be judged, even by the Gospel of our Saviour, and therefore ought to take care to prepare our Accounts: But how thofe fhall be judged who never heard of the. Gofpel, we know not, and are not concerned to know; but if we will be judging, we ought to judge very charitably, becaufe, as I obferved before, with what Judgment we judge, we fhall be judged; and with what Meafure we mete, it shall be measured unto us again.

But before I difmifs this Argument, I cannot but take notice of fome great and vifible Mifchiefs of this judging Mens Final State, whether we Damn or Save them.

1. As firft for damning, efpecially when we damn them by wholefale, as the Church of Rome damns all Hereticks, and as others with as much Charity damn all Papifts and Malignants, or whoever they are pleafed to vote for Hereticks. Now what the effect of this is, is vifible to all the World: It deftroys not only Chriftian Love and Charity, but even common Humanity: when Men have voted one another damned, and believe God will damn those whom they have adjudged toDamnation, then they are the Enemies of God, and they think they do God good fervice to deftroy them: God hates them, and therefore they think it a fin in them to love those whom God hates, or to have any pity or compaffion for those whom God will damn. And thus they burn Hereticks, or cut their Throats, or confifcate their Eftates, and drive them out from among them, and treat them with all the Barbarity and Indignities which a damning Zeal and Fury can invent. All other Villanies may meet with fome Pity and "Charity, but Charity is Lukewarmnefs and want of Zeal in God's Caufe; there is no Fire burns fo furiously, nor fo outragioufly confumes, as that which is kindled at God's Altar. And thus the Christian Church is turned into a great Shambles, and stained with the Blood of Human, nay of Chriftian Sacrifices: though were they in the right, that God would damn thofe Men whom they had damned, why should they think Patience and Forbearance a greater Fault in them than it is in God, who beareth with much long-fuffering, the veffels of wrath fitted for destruction? Why are they fo unmerciful as to hurry away thefe poor wretches immediately into Hell, when

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God is contented to let them live on; to let the Tares and the Wheat grow up together till the Harveft? Why do they envy them the short and perifhing Contentments of this Life, when they are to fuffer an Eternity of Mifery? Methinks it fhould fatisfy the most implacableHatred to know, 'that they must be miferable for ever, though their Miferies fhould be adjourned for fome few Years: but if this be the Effect of damning men, you may guess that the Caufe is not very good; tho an uncharitable Judgment will hurt no body but. themselves, yet it is of dangerous Confequence, when fuch rafh Judges will be as hafty Executi

oners too.

2. Though the Effects of faving men, and voting them to Heaven be not fo tragical as thofe of damning them, yet this has its Mischiefs too; when any Party of men have voted themselves the only true Church, wherein Salvation is to be had, or the only Saints and Elect People of God, then all who will be faved muft herd with them ; and moft men think it enough to fecure their Salvation, to get into their Number: Thus the Church of Rome frightens men into her Communion, by threatning Damnation against all who are out of that Church; and this reconciles men to all their Superftitions and Idolatries for fear of Damnation, and encourages them in all manner of Loofenefs and Debauchery, when they are got into a Church which can fave them; and it has much the fame effect, when men lift themfelves with any Party, where they hope to be faved for Company, while all the reft of Mankind, even thofe who profefs the Faith of Chrift,

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