Henry Hickman (bap.1629–d.1692) Responds to Pierce on Universal Redemption

Obj. The Church of England is for universall redemption; the Calvinists that are Antiarminian are against it.

Answ. Mr. P. [Pierce] indeed is hugely confident that if we grant him universall redemption the cause is yeelded to him: But I am allmost as confident, that to grant him universall redemption is to grant him just nothing at all; for what though Christ did so far die for all as to procure a salvation for all, upon the conditions of faith and repentance, what's this to the absolutenesse of Gods decrees, or to the insuperability of converting grace, or to the certaine infallible perseverance of Gods elect after conversion. King James understood these controversies far better than either Mr P. or I. and yet he even at that very time when he sent his Divines to the Synod of Dort, to determine against the Arminianisme that was then growing in the Low Countries, gave it them in charge not to deny that Christ dyed for all, as I my self was told by Bishop Usher, the first time I had the happinesse to have any personall discourse with him; who also further then told me, that he gave in his own judgement to Dr Davenant for universall redemption, but with all added, that there were a certaine number upon whom God absolutely purposed to bestow his Spirit, taking away the heart of stone, and giving them an heart of flesh... Dr P. H. a bird of the same feather [with Pierce], who also took his flight from the Angel in Ivy-lane, will needs have Bishop Usher to differ from the Church of England in the point of universal redemption; mark his proofe. p.102. Of his Respondet Petrus. The Church of England doth maintaine an universal Redemption of all mankind, by the death & sufferings of our Saviour. Well, and so doth the deceased Primate, p.103. We think not that all mankind is so perfectly reconciled to Almighty God, as to be really and actually discharged from all their sinnes, before they believe, but that they are so far reconciled unto him, as to be capable of the remission of their sins, in case they doe not want that faith in their common Saviour which is required thereunto. Well, and so thought the Primate too.

Henry Hickman, “Preface to the Reader,” in Patro-scholastiko-dikaiōsis, or A Justification of the Fathers and Schoolmen (Oxford: Printed by A. Litchfield, for Joh. Adams, and Edw. Forrest, 1659), C1ʳ–C3ʳ.

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