1. It seems plain to me, that all the world that are no christians, and have not the gospel, are not by Christ's incarnation put into a worse condition than they were in before; but may be saved on the same terms that they might have been saved on before.[410]
2. That Christ's apostles were in a state of salvation before they believed the articles of Christ's dying for sin, his resurrection, ascension, the giving of the Holy Ghost, and Christ's coming to judgment, as they are now to be believed.[411]
3. That all the faithful before Christ's coming were saved by a more general faith than the apostles had, as not being terminated in this person, Jesus, as the Messiah, but only expected the Messiah to come.[412]
4. That as more articles are necessary to those that have the gospel, than to those that have it not, and to those since Christ's incarnation that hear of him, than to the Jews before, so before, there were more things necessary even to those Jews, (that had a shorter creed than that which the apostles believed before the resurrection,) than was to the rest of the world that had not promises, prophecies, types, and laws, so particular, distinct, and full as they had.[413]
5. That the promises, covenant, or law of grace, was made to all lapsed mankind in Adam and Noah.[414]
6. That this law or covenant is still of the same tenor, and not repealed.[415]
7. That this covenant giveth pardoning mercy, and salvation, and promiseth victory over Satan, to and by the holy seed.[416]
8. That the condition on man's part, is repentance, and faith in God as a merciful God, thus pardoning sin, and saving the penitent believer. But just how particular or distinct their belief of the incarnation of Christ was to be, is hard to determine.[417]
9. But after Christ's incarnation, even they that know it not, yet are not by the first covenant bound to believe that the Messiah is yet to be incarnate, or the word made flesh; for they are not bound to believe an untruth, and that as the condition of salvation.[418]
10. Men were saved by Christ about four thousand years before he was man, and had suffered, satisfied, or merited as man.