The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Introduction
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• The Divine Feudal Law Represented
• §1.
• §2.
• §3
• §4
• §5
• §6
• §7
• §8
• §9
• §10
• §11
• §12
• §13
• §14.
• §15
• §16
• §17
• §18
• §19
• §20
• §21
• §22
• §23
• §24.
• §25
• §26
• §27
• §28
• §29
• §30
• §31
• §32
• §33
• §34
• §35
• §36
• §37
• §38
• §39.
• §40
• §41
• §42
• §43
• §44
• §45
• §46
• §47
• §48
• §49
• §50
• §51
• §52
• §53
• §54
• §55
• §56
• §57
• §58
• §59
• §60
• §61
• §62
• §63
• §64
• §65
• §66
• §67
• §68
• §69
• §70
• §71
• §72
• §73
• §74
• §75
• §76
• §77
• §78
• §79
• §80
• §81
• §82
• §83
• §84
• §85
• §86
• §87
• §88
• §89
• §90
• §91
• §92
• §93
• §94

§66

In these Controversies there are some things unsearchable by Men.Further, There is this also which no sober Man can deny. That in this Matter there are some questions the Reason of which can never be found out by Men, and to which we have nothing to say but O the depth! As for Instance, why it pleased God so long to wink at the Times of Ignorance, Acts 17:30. Rom. 16:25. Eph. 3:5. Col. 1:26. Why he hath caused the Doctrine of Salvation to be Preached to one Nation sooner, and to another later, Acts 16:6, 7. Since very many of the American People, many in the more undiscover’d Parts of Asia, and Africa, continue under an invincible Ignorance of the Gospel, what is the Reason why these are damn’d. Tho’ otherwise we do not suppose it to be requisite to the Universality of the Vocation that it be made to all in every City, or Village, or in every particular House, Col. 1:6. And other Questions there are of the like nature, But it does not follow, because we are not able to give an evident Reason from the common Rules of Justice and Equity, why such Men who lie under such Ignorance should be damn’d, that therefore God has in the damning them follow’d nothing but a naked Will, and such as has no Reasons attending it. If any Man be not pleased with this, I would say to him, What have I to do to judge them that are without? 1 Cor. 5:22. And to be willingly ignorant of those things which our good Master is not pleas’d to teach us, is a learned Ignorance. Add Tit. 3:9. But that no other Reason may, or ought to be given, why among those who are born and educated in the Church, and to whom the Word of God is continually Preach’d, some are saved, and some are damn’d, but only the absolute Decree, and Will of God; is what can in no wise be reconcil’d with a Genuine System of Theology, certainly it had been in vain that God should go about to accomplish the Salvation of Men by certain Means, in vain altogether had he made a Covenant with Men, if it had pleased him to save some by an absolute Will, and so to damn the rest.