Tomline on Article XVIII: Of obtaining eternal Salvation only by the Name of Christ

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This Article is to be considered as directed against those who maintained, that it was a mat- ter of indifference whether men embraced the Gospel, or not ; that all religions were equally acceptable to God ; and that all men would obtain salvation, although they rejected the Gospel; pro- vided they observed the rules of the religion which they professed, and acted in conformity to the dictates of reason.

They also are to be held accursed (a)

(that

(a) It was formerly the custom to condem&errors in this form : If any one-’ holds- suck- an error^ a&athema

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(that IS, they are to be looked upon as subject to the wrath of God, and unworthy of communioQ with the church) that presume to say, that

SECT WHICH HE PROFESSETH ; SO THAT HE BS

important to observe the exact words here used, << that every man shall be saved by the law or sect which he professeth,” that is, by virtue of his religion, whatever it may be, without the merits of Christ. Let it not, therefore, be understood, that this article confines salvation to one sect of Christianity, or that it excludes from the benefits of Christ’s incarnation all to whom the Gospel has not been made known. It has no reference whatever to the unhappy divisions which have always subsisted, and still do subsist, among Christians ; it only condemns those who confound all religions, who make revelation useless, and

the

sit, which we translate, let him be accursed. Many in- stances of this kind maybe found, not only in the acts of councils, but also in the controversial writings of the antient fathers ; and the practice seems to have been derived firom some expressions of Scripture, Rom. e.g. V. 3. 1 Cor. c. 16. V. 22. Gal. c. 1. v. 8. The persons against whom an anathema was pronounced, were ex- cluded from communion with the church of Christ.

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the grace of God of none effect, by denying tile necessity of believing the Gospel when it is proposed, and by asserting that everlasting hap- piness would have been equally attainable, if Christ had not been bom into the world.

Such principles as these are refuted by the plainest declarations of Scripture; for holt

SCRIPTURE doth SET OUT UNTO US ONLY THE

SAVED. ^’ Jesus saith unto them, I am the way, and the truth, and the life ; no man cometh unto tile Father, but by me f J.”— ” Neither is ther salvation in any other ; for there is none othtr name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved f c^.”— *’ And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son (d)’^

All to whom the Gospel is revealed,, are under an indispensable obligation to believe and obey it ; and upon those conditions, and those only, salvation is promised. If God has declared his will, it is impossible that we should be at liberty whether we will obey it or not ; if he has com- manded a religion, it can never be a matter of indifference whether men embrace it, or continue to worship felse gods. Were not even the Jews,

who

(b) John, c. 14. V. 6, (c) Acts, c; 4. v. 12.

(4) 1 John, c. 5. v. 11.

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who worshippcid the true God, condemned and panished, because they refused to acknowledgd Jesus to be the Messiah ? The severest threats are denounced against all, without any discrimi nation or exception, who obstinately reject tfeie Gospel : He that bdieveth and is baptized MtU be saved ; but he that believeth not, shall be damned (e)”

. On the other hand we are told, that God is no respecter of persons ; but in every nation lie that fear God, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him (fy But such declara- tions must be considered as belonging to those only who were never made acquainted with the Gospel, and still their acceptance will be fmr the sake of Christ Jesus, who died as a propi- tiation for the sins of the whole world. The merits of his death are not limited to those who call upon his name, for, how shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed ? and how shall they believe in him, of whom they have not heard ? and how shall they hear with- out a preacher (g) ?” St. Paul, by thus shew- ing that it has been absolutely impossible for a great part of mankind to belieVe in the Gos- pel, intimates that their unbelief will not be

imputed

(ey Mark, c. i6- v. 16. (f) Acts^ c. 10. v. 34. g) Rom« c. 10. V. 14.

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imputed to them as a fault. He also says that ’ The GentUes are a law unto themselves (h) - therefore Gentiles, Jews, and Christians have al) had tfadr respective rules of conduct equally derived from God, by which they will be judged at the last day; and the salvation of the Jew and Gentile will be no less owing to the merits of Christ, than that of the Christian, ’ for there i3 none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (i).”

But though Christ is the Redeemer of the whole race of mankind from the guilt and cor- ruption produced by the sin of Adam, though all are cfeansed by his blood, and restored to a pos- sibility of happiness, yet a foederal certainty of salvation, secured to the true believers of the Gospel exclusively, must be esteemed a high and invaluable privilege. None but Christians can enjoy the blessed hope of everlasting life upon the sure ground of promise ; they alone look for- ward for ” the prize of their high calling, an in- heritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved for them in heaven (k).^* Nor does it follow that the benefits, which the virtuous heathen will derive from the incar- nation of Christ, will be equal to those of the

sincere

(h) Rom. c. 2. V. 14. (i) Acts, c. 4. v. 12.

(k) Phil. c. 3. v. 14. 1 Pet. c. 1. v. 4.

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sincere . Christian. Christ tells us, that in his Father’s house there are many mansions ; and it seems contradictory neither to reason nor Scrip- ture to suppose that different persons will here- after enjoy different degrees of happiness, althou^ they may be aU eternal, and certainly all pur- chased by the precious blood of our blessed Redeemer.

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