some which he had not as to others We easily grant that he hath effected satisfaction for all but he that intended only the Saving of Believers could not intend to save those Persons actually by his death who he knew would not believe but perish in unbelief From these Reasons we proceed to some from particular Texts of Scripture First John 17. 2. As thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give Eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him Here Christs Authority as Redeemer is said to be over all flesh and so all are his purchased ones but the purpose of giving actually Eternal Life is expresly restrained to those that are specially given him by the Father Object By Giving is not meant absolute Electing from Eternity but giving them by Vocation to Christ as true Disciples Answ Suppose that be so 1. That Giving them to be true Disciples can import no less than God's making them Disciples that is Believers And so it is not Man that gives himself to Christ primarily or makes himself a Believer And God makes not all Disciples which he could do if he pleased 2. And if God give men to Christ by effectual Vocation in time then no doubt he decreed so to do from Eternity Secondly Eph. 1. 22 23. And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church Here the intent of God in giving Christ is expressed to be that he might be the head over all but not the Head of All but of the Church only And it is he that makes his Church and not the Church itself principally Thirdly John 10. 15. I lay down my Life for the sheep which implyeth that it is laid down with a special intent for them more than for others Object The Sheep are Believers undeterminate as to Individuals Answ 1. Men are Believers before Christ's Pardoning of them but not before Christ's laying down his Life for them nor so considered else the Act of Faith should be before and without its Object 2. It 's confessed that God knew who the Persons were that would believe therefore his purpose was of determinate Individuals Fourthly Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar People zealous of good works 1. If he did not intend to purifie every man and make them zealous of good works eventually then he intended this much more to his chosen than to others But c. Ergo c. 2. If he intended the separating of some as a peculiar people from others then he dyed not with equal Intentions to all But c Ergo c. Fifthly John 11. 51 52. He Prophecied that Jesus should dye for that Nation and not for that Nation only but that also he should gather together in one the Children of God that were scattered abroad Here is expressed a peculiar intention of gathering God's Children which was not of others Object God's Children are Believers Answ 1. It seems rather that they are called Children because they are decreed to be actually Children and will be such and not as Grotius of them and of the Sheep Joh. 10. 16. as if it were from some disposition of mind antecedent to Faith 2. However still it is Determinate Individuals else it were indeed none at all Sixthly Acts 13. 48 And as many as were ordained to Eternal Life believed The wriglings and shiftings of those that would pervert this Text and their new devised strained expositions of the word Ordained I shall not now stand to detect and confute Seventhly The instances of the Conversion of Manasseh Paul the Thief on the Cross and other particular Sinners do plainly tell us that Faith and Conversion proceedeth from God's differencing grace Acts 26. 16. 22. 14. Paul was called because first chosen So Rom. 8. 30. Whom he predestinated them he called c. But in the Conclusion I must say that even in this point of notable difference between the Remonstrants and the Contra-remonstrants the difference is not so great as some imagine or pretend It is confessed by the understanding sort on both sides that Christ at his death had a special intention to bring certain individual persons to a state of Justification and Salvation But then they say that this was only upon the foresight of their believing yea some of them say that God purposed to give the grace of Faith to some individuals only but they say that it was upon the foresight of their non-resistance or of their voluntary disposedness to receive it or of their right use of former preparing grace so that the same decree as to these gifts is confessed on both sides and it cannot be denyed but that the foresight which they presuppose is from Eternity and therefore Mans fall or Christs Mediatorship and that there is no priority or posteriority of Time between the foreknowledge and the Decree but only in Nature And then it is commonly confessed that though Knowledge and Will in Man are two things yet in God they are but one and are only distinguished denominatione extrinsecâ by Man for the accommodation of his narrow imperfect apprehension Therefore though I confess that a difference still remaineth yet let it not be thought to be greater than it is Yea more not only many yea most of the Schoolmen confess an Absolute Election to Faith and so to Salvation and so hold in this the same that we do but also many of the Jesuites and Moderate Lutherans and Arminians hold the same though not an Absolute Reprobation which was also Augustine's Prosper's and Fulgentius's Opinion And I have elsewhere yet more contracted this Controversie FINIS BOOKS Printed for John Salisbury at the Rising-Sun in Cornhil THe End of Doctrinal Controversies which have lately troubled the Churches by reconciling explication without much Disputing The Certainty of the Worlds of Spirits fully Evinced by unquestionable Histories of Apparitions and Witchcrafts Operations Voices c. proving the Immortality of Souls the malice and misery of the Devils and Damned and the blessedness of the Justified both by Mr. Richard Baxter The Protestant Religion truly stated and justified by the Late Reverend Divine Mr. Richard Baxter Whereunto is added by way of an Epistle some account of the Learned Author never before published by Mr. Matthew Sylvester and Mr. Daniel Williams The Christians Converse with God or the insufficiency and uncertainty of Human Friendship and the improvement of Solitude in Converse with God with some of the Authors Breathings after him by Mr. Richard Baxter Recommended to the Readers serious thoughts when at the House of Mourning and Retirement by Mr. Matthew Sylvester A Plea for Scripture Ordination or Ten Arguments from Scripture and Antiquity proving Ordination by Presbyters without Bishops to be valid by J. Owen Minister of the Gospel To which is prefix'd an Epistle by the Reverend Mr. Daniel Williams The Harmony of the Divine Attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of Mans Redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ or Discourses wherein is shewed how the Wisdom Mercy Justice Holiness Power and Truth of God are glorified in that great and blessed work by William Bates D. D. The Christian Laver or a Discourse opening the Nature of Participation with and Demonstrating the Necessity of Purification by Christ by T. Cruso The Duty and Blessing of a Tender Conscience plainly stated and earnestly recommended to all that regard acceptance with God and the prosperity of their Souls by the same Author Four Sermons on various Occasions by the same Author Some Passages of the Life and Death of the Right Honourable John Earl of Rochâ—ster written by his own direction on his Death-Bed by Gilbert Lord Bishop of Sarum Practical Reflections on the late Earthquakes in Jamaica England Sicily Malta c. Anno 1692. with a particular Historical Account of those and divers other Earthquakes by John Sâ—ower Earthquakes explained and practically improved occasioned by the Earthquake on September the 8th 1692. in London many other parts in England and Beyond-sea by Thomas Doolittle M. A. A Practical Discourse of Silence and Submission shewing that good Men should possess their Souls in patience under the severest Providences and particularly in the loss of Dear Relations Preached at St. Thoma's Hospital Southwark by William Hughes Hospitaler there The Changeableness of this World with respect to Nations Families and particular Persons with a practical Application thereof to the various Conditions of this Mortal Life in a Funeral Discourse occasioned by the Death of Mr. Edmond Hill who dyed April 16. 1692. by Timothy Rogers M. A. The Mourners Memorial in two Sermons on the death of the truly Pious Mrs. Susanna Soame late Wife of Bartholomew Soame of Thurlow Esquire who Deceased February the 14th 1691 2. With some account of her Life and Death by Timothy Wright and Robert Fleming Ministers of the Gospel Mr. William Oughtred's Key of the Mathematicks newly Translated from the best Edition with Notes rendring it easie and intelligible to less skillful Readers in which also some Problems left unanswered by the Author are Resolved absolutely necessary for all Gaugers Surveyors Gunners Military Officers Mariners c. Recommended by Mr. E. Halley Fellow of the Royal Society Barbarian Cruelty being a true History of the Distressed Condition of the Christian Captives under the Tyranny of Mully Ishmael Emperor of Morocco c. by Francis Brooks ERRATA PAge 43. l. 3. r. violated p. 45. l. 4. r. as p. 129. l. 8. r. foreknown or p. 139. l. 15. r. to do so p. 157. l. 17. del not p. 160. l. 5. r. lovingly p. 171. l. 18. r. per. p. 198. l. 7. del the paid p. 203. l. 29. r. summus p. 224. l. 33. r. conversion convesiron p. 234. l. 20. r. objecto objectio p. 254. l. 6. r. I am l. 21. del but. and l. 22. r. But the punishment c. p. 303. l. 29. r. sense are p. 331. l. 24. r. 〈◊〉 p. 338. l. 28. r. effectum p. 470. l. 2. r. and of the. p. 479. l. 23. r. per. Quod percipitur ita est Obedientiae materia proxima est Agere vel Non agere non Pati sid Pati potest esse materia remota
God and that he is the governor of the World true Just Merciful c. That we owe him perfect obedience that Sin deserves his wrath By experience they may easily know that they are Sinners and so liable to misery By Gods Judgments Sickness Death c. they may know that God will punish That the Soul is immortal and punishments and rewards are specially in the Life to come most Pagans do acknowledg Gods abundant Mercies to them may acquaint them that he deals not with them in rigorous severity and on terms of meer justice but in mercy And his not executing his Judgments on them according to desert but shewing so much mercy to them is some kind of pardoning them Hence they may see that some way God hath for shewing mercy to the undeserving and for pardoning Sinners without any wrong to the Honour of his Justice and Holiness or to the ends of his Government And hence they may see that they are not certainly help less and remediless nor their condition desperate Though they discover not the meritorious cause they may discern Gods mercy the principal Efficient moving cause Natural self-love bindeth Men in misery to seek out after remedy and to discover what it is and how they may attain it All this the Heathens have manifested to us undeniably in that all ages and Countries of them have confessed Gods being and Soveraignty the Duty of our obeying him and that they were Sinners and deserved his Wrath in this Life and that to come especially for greater Sins and that their condition was not hopeless but Gods mercy had a way to help them and therefore they plyed him with their Prayers and Sacrifices Arg. 1. If those that never heard of Christ are bound to take their case for desperate then they are bound to believe an untruth for Christ may be discovered to them and they saved But c. Ergo c. 2. If they are bound to judge their case remediless then they are bound to contradict the experience of Gods merciful dealing with them which are an actual remedy to part of their misery and may give them hope of more from the same cause if they will seek it But c. Ergo c 3. If they are bound to judge their case remediless or not to judge that there is some remedy then they should not be bound to use any means Praying Repenting sending abroad to enquire after the Remedy in more knowing Countries c. for the attaining Remedy But the consequent is false Ergo c. If a Star appearing brought the wise men so far to seek Christ and if men will travail all over the World for Riches by way of Merchandize How diligently should men that find themselves miserable enquire far and near for a remedy And if it were not their duty to use means for recovery then it is not their Sin that they do not use them But he that dare tell them so let him for I dare not but the contrary I dare tell them 4. If all such men are not bound to judge their case remediable and cureable but hopeless then God should lose all that common honour and service that he hath from them and the World would be as Hell full of nothing but hatred of God and blaspheming him and sinning to the utmost without any self-restraint For he that hath no hope will use no means nor forbear any evil but hate God as his Enemy 5. The Ninevites discerned a remedy and some hope and Repentance and Humiliation was Gods means by which they were actually recovered I am sure from under some of Gods wrath which else would have broke out on them whether from eternal wrath I know not but it s most probable For they believed God Jonah 3. 5. and Repented Mat. 12. 41. Luke 11. 32. Yet there is no intimation that Jonah Preached Christ to them or that they ever heard of him Men therefore that hear not of Christ are bound to use means for remedy And indeed the satisfaction of Christ is of greater necessity to mans Salvation than our knowledge of Christ or Faith in him God can save them that never knew Christ if he will witness the case of Infants and else there were but few saved before Christs coming but morally we may say he cannot save them without Christs satisfaction for their Sin 6. Acts 17. 27. It is the duty of all Pagans To seek the Lord if happly they might feel after him and find him And doubtless this is to seek the recovery of his favour and not to seek it in despair as the Devils 7. Acts 14. 17. Gods giving rain and fruitful seasons and filling mens hearts with food and gladness and doing them good is his witness among them And sure it witnesseth his mercy to them and consequently their duty 8. Rom. 2. 4. The Holy Ghost expresly telleth us that men should know that the forbearance long-suffering and goodness of God leadeth to Repentance that is is a help thereto and manifesteth it to be their duty to Repent And doubtless this Repentance is not a hellish despairing Repentance for Judgments are fitter to move to that than Mercy but a Repentance which is to be used as a means to recovery 9. It is the description of wicked men that they seek not after God Rom. 3. 11. Psal 14. 2 God looks to see if there be any that seeks him 10. Many Texts in the Prophets shew it to be all mens duty to seek the Lord in order to their finding mercy and to deny it is to turn out the remnants of obedience or all seeds of Religion from the World And that God calls them all to Repentance and to that end that they may not Die but escape his wrath and be recovered And that he hath sworn That he hath no pleasure in the Death of him that Dieth but rather that he Repent and Live So that I think it is clear that God appointed even to those that hear not the Gospel certain means toward their Recovery Much more evident is it of all those where the Gospel is preached I say not that he commandeth all the former or any directly to believe in Christ but it must be understood that all men are many degrees distant from Christ before he draweth them effectually to himself Now the Pagans are more degrees from him than professed Christians mostly It is not Christs way to bring men to himself per saltum but by those Degrees of Recovery which are the particular cure of their degrees of distance One wicked man knows of Christ and doth half entertain him but sticks at some pleasing Sin Another knows not that he is miserable by sin nor ever considered how to be recovered nor ever prayed God to shew him a way to escape his wrath nor ever heard of Christ This latter must receive much of Christs mercy before he be brought so near to Christ as the former Christ loved one wicked man
Heaven when he said unto them ye have Crucified the Lord of glory So that at the same time 3000 Men were pricked in their Hearts and said Act. 2. 37. Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved Again if Christ for our Sins shed his Heart Blood and if our Sins made him sweat water and Blood O then why should not we our selves shed bitter tears and why should not our Hearts bleed for them He that finds himself so dull and hardened that the Passion of Christ doth not humble him is in a lamentable ease for there is no Faith in the Death of Christ effectual in him as yet These words shew that Perkins speaks not this only to believers 2. The meditation of the passion of Christ is a most notable means to breed repentance and reformation of Life in time to come For when we begin to think that Christ Crucified by suffering the first and 2d Death hath procured to us remission of all our Sins past and freed us from Hell Death and damnation then if there be but a spark of Grace in us we begin to be of another mind and to reason thus with our selves what hath the Lord been thus merciful to me that am of my self but a firebrand of Hell as to free me from deserved destruction and to receive me to favour in Christ Yea no doubt he hath His name be blessed therefore I will not therefore Sin any more as I have done but rather endeavour hereafter to keep my self from every evil way 3. The right knowledg of our selves ariseth from the knowledg of Christ Crucified in whom and by whom we come to know five special things of our selves The first how grievous our Sins are and therefore how miserable we are in regard of them If we consider our offences in themselves and as they are in us we may soon be deceived c. But if Sin be considered in the Death and passion of Christ whereof it was the cause and the vileness thereof measured by the unspeakable torments endured by the Son of God and if the greatness of the offence of Man be esteemed by the endless satisfaction made to the justice of God the least Sin that is will appear to be a Sin indeed and that most grievous and ugly Therefore Christ Crucified must be used by us as a mirror or Looking-Glass in which we may fully take a view of our wretchedness c. And before and for our Neighbors those specially that are of Christs Church they are to be known of us on this manner When we are to do any duty to them we must not barely respect their Persons but Christ Crucified in them and them in Christ And Page 631. The 5th point is that we owe to Christ an endless debt for he was Crucified only as our surety and pledg and in that Spectacle of his passion we must consider our selves as the chief debtors and that the very discharge of our debt that is the Sins which are inherent in us were the proper cause of all the endless pains and torments that Christ endured that he might set us most miserable Bankrupts at liberty from Hell Death and damnation For this his unspeakable goodness if we do but once think of it seriously we must needs confess that we owe our selves our Souls and Bodies and all that we have as a debt due unto him And so soon as any Man begins to know Christ Crucified he knows his own debt and thinks of the payment of it And that you may be sure that Perkins speaks not only of the Elect see Page 631. Col. 2. The common Protestant likewise cometh short herein for 3 Causes 1. Whereas in word they acknowledg him to be their Saviour this he blameth not in them that hath redeemed them from their evil Conversation yet indeed they make him a patron of their Sins The Thief makes him the receiver The Murderer makes him his refuge The Adulterer be it spoken with reverence to his Majesty makes him the Bawd c. Thus Christ that came to abolish Sin is made a maintainer thereof and the common Packhorle of the World to bear every Mans burden 2. Men are content to take knowledg of the merit of Christs passion for the remission of their Sins but in the mean season the virtue of Christs Death for the mortifying of Sin is little regarded c. 3. Men usually content themselves generally and confusedly to know Christ to be their Redeemer it seems then that it is true never once seeking in every particular Estate and condition of Life and in every particular blessing of God to feel the benefit of his passion What is the cause that almost all the World live in security never almost touched for their horrible Sins Surely the reason is because they did never yet seriously consider that Christ in the Garden lay grouling upon the Earth sweating Water and Blood for their offences Can a Man speak plainer for Christs dying for all Again all such as by fraud and oppression or any kind of hard dealing suck the Blood of poor Men never yet knew that their Sins drew out the Heart Blood of Christ And proud Men and Women that are puffed up by reason of their attire which is the badg of their shame and never cease hunting after strange fashions consider not that Christ was not Crucified in gay attire but naked that he might bear the whole shame and curse of the Law for us These and such like whatsoever they say in word are flat Enemies of the Cross of Christ and tread his precious Blood under their Feet Now then considering this so weighty and special a point of Religion is so much neglected O Man or Woman high or low young or old if thou have been wanting this way begin for very shame to learn and learning to know Christ Crucified That thou mayest attain to this behold him often c. 1. Look on him as a glass or spectacle in which thou shalt see Gods Glory greater in thy Redemption then in thy Creation c. 2. Thou must behold him as the full price of thy Redemption and perfect Reconciliation with God And pray earnestly to God that he would Seal up the same in thy conscience by his Spirit 3. Thou must behold Christ as an example to whom thou must conform thy self by Regeneration c. Read the History of Christs passion Observe all the parts and circumstances thereof and apply them to thy self for thy full Conversion When thou readest that Christ went to the Garden as his custom was where the Jews might soon attack him consider that he went to the death of the Cross for thy Sins willingly and not of constraint and that therefore thou for thy part shouldest do him all service freely Psal 110. 3. When thou hearest that in his agony his Soul was heavy unto death know it was for thy Sins and thou shouldest much more conceive heaviness of Heart for
an Universal Cause as the Sun is of Light which is the same in its shining to all though some are blind and therefore see not by its Light yet that is not either for want of Light in the Sun or because it shineth differently to one and to the other but because their Eyes are not capable of enjoying and using its Lights so is Christ as a Satisfier and as the object of justifying Faith though efficienter as the Author of Faith by his Spirit he worketh differently 2. It is the World into which and among whom Christ is said to come as a Light 3. The end of his coming is the conditional Illumination of all That whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness 4. This World containeth such as hear Christs words and believe not 5. Lest any should have a pretence to think that the World which he came to be a Light to was only the Elect and those that believed not were no part of them he repeateth all again more plainly saying he came not to judge the World but to save the World 6. To put all out of doubt that Unbelievers were part of this World that he came to save he addeth the causal conjunction For proving that or giving it as a reason why he would not Judge Unbelievers because he came not to judge the VVorld what force was in that reason if they were none of that VVorld but that to save the VVorld VVas it any proof that he would not judge Unbelievers because he came not to judge but to save the Elect 7. Yet that there might be no place for doubting left he again sheweth that Unbelievers are part of this VVorld that he came not to Judge but to Save saying He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that Judgeth him which is plainly opposed to the former negation I judge him not and for I came not to Judge the World I know not what can be said against this but the former objection that it is only the VVorld of the Elect that Christ came to save But I have said enough in answer to that and shall say more anon As for their feigned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here are expressions plain enough to exclude it and were it granted it would do them no good except withal they prove not only that by the VVorld v. 46. is meant the Earth which yet is unsound but that by the VVorld in both parts of the 47. v. is meant only the Elect which they will I think never be able to prove And indeed their pretended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth make Christs reason to be invalid and so contradicteth the Text. The fourth Text to the same sense is Joh. 6. 32 33 35 36 40 51 64 66. compared where note 1. That the persons he spake to were many unbelieving murmuring Jews yea and many of his own Disciples which yet believed not ver 60. 61 64. that is such as followed him and professed to be his Disciples yet did not heartily and firmly believe and therefore they then went back and walked no more with him v. 66. Yet 2. Note That to all these Christ saith ver 32. My Father giveth you the true Bread from Heaven For the Bread of God is he which cometh down from Heaven and giveth Life to the World yet ver 36. he tells them that they believe not and ver 51. I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven If any man eat of this Bread he shall Live forever and the Bread that I will give is my Flesh which I will give for the Life of the World Where note not only that the gift is universal for the Life of the World but also that he puts the giving his Flesh for the VVorld 1. As that which he will do absolutely without any condition 2. And which he puts in order of nature before the second act which is the giving his Flesh to men to eat which is the application of the benefits of his death 3. And then comes their eating or not eating and so living or not living after both these At least it is undeniable that Christ here gives his Flesh to more than do take and eat it even to them that believe not but forsake him from that day And therefore the Jews say ver 52. How can this man give us his Flesh to eat Now what is said against this The answer I find in these words in one VVriter That the VVorld here cannot signifie All and Every one that ever were or should be is as manifest as if it were written with the beams of the Sun and that because it is made the object of Christs intendments to purchase for them and bestow upon them Life and Salvation Now I ask Whether any man not bereaved of all Spiritual and Natural sense can imagine that Christ in his Oblation intended to purchase Life and Salvation for all them whom he knew to be damned many ages before or who dares affirm once that Christ gave himself for the Life of them who notwithstanding that by his disappointment do come short of it to eternity so that if we had no other place to manifest that the word VVorld doth not always signifie All but only some of all sorts as the Elect are but this one produced by our Adversaries to the contrary I hope with all equitable Readers our defence would receive no prejudice Ans If this be true I must confess my self bereaved of all Spiritual and Natural sense which yet I am not willing to do seeing by one I should confess my self no Christian and by the other not a man at least to have no reason in exercise This is a heavy charge on all the Fathers and later Divines and Godly People that differ from this Author Specially unless his Reasons were stronger for I confess his Sun-beams are wholly clouded to me His first reason is answered briefly already and must be fully afterward by it self The flesh of Christ was Morally given presently on the fall before any of the VVorld was in Hell and therefore it must be physically given on the Cross in time according to that undertaking which was the moral gift and satisfaction 2. His second Reason is also answered fully before and shall be after If Christ give Salvation to all on condition they will receive it in him then we may dare to affirm that this is the fruit of the giving himself on the Cross may we not dare to affirm that God created all mankind in Adam that they may live to him and so be blessed as Ursine and multitudes of our Divines do affirm though yet he knew that man would do otherwise eventually For God commanded him to live to him and gave him means and promised him everlasting Happiness if he obeyed And why may we not as well say Christ Redeemed men to Salvation that yet for rejecting it are not saved As shewing themselves unworthy of eternal Life But
I like not his phrase that men come short of Salvation by Gods disappointment Gods not giving them Faith nor yet his adjudging Unbelievers to Death are neither of them to be called his disappointing them of Life But because he asks who dare say this let us next see whether the Holy Ghost dare not The fifth Text which I shall insist on is 2 Pet. 2. 1. But there were false Prophets also among the People even as there shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction And verse 20 c. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the World through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter end is worse with them than the beginning For it had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness then after they have known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them But it is happened to them according to the true Proverb The Dog is turned to his own Vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire VVhereto for fuller explication add but Jude's words of the same men ver 4. Ungodly men turning the Grace of our God into Lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ put all these together because they all speak of the same men Now 1. The Text expresly saith they denied the Lord that bought them 2. That it is the Lord Jesus that is this Lord appears 1. In that it is expresly said in the 20. ver that it was by the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that they escaped the pollutions of the VVorld 2. Jude expresly saith They denied the Lord Jesus Christ 3. There have been few that have denied God among all Apostates in comparison of those that have denied Christ Nay it is a great doubt whether it can be proved of any directly that were in those times 4. Their Apostacy is described by turning from the holy Commandment delivered to them which is called the way of Righteousness and to their former Vomit which must needs be the state they were in before they turned Christians and to the mire after they were washed And this state of Apostacy is opposed to escaping the pollutions of the World by the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ so that it is left past doubt that it is the Lord Jesus Christ that bought them whom they are said to deny And Jude saith of them that they are twice dead plucked up by the roots by which it appears that after their first death they had received some kind of new Life by Christ Lastly Note that here are many benefits which they received which could not have befallen them but through the Death of Christ They could no other way have been washed and have escaped the worlds pollutions and have known the way of Righteousness c. yea Jude saith They turn the Grace of God into Lasciviousness therefore it was a sin against Grace and all Grace is by the blood of Christ yea it seems they had themselves some Grace that is Mercy contrary to merit and tending to a recovery which they so turned into Lasciviousness And Peter in the next chapter shews that their Apostacy lay in a not-believing Christs second coming because of his seeming delay and therefore they gave themselves up to their Lusts and said mockingly Where is the promise of his coming so that it is both evident that they were purchased by Christ and that it is Christ that bought them whom they are said to deny Yet as plain as the Holy Ghost hath here spoken what industry is used to raise a Dust and compel these words to receive an alien sense 1. It is said that all things for Universal Redemption are here Uncertain but against it this is certain 1. That there are no spiritual distinguishing fruits of Redemption ascribed to those false Teachers but only common gifts of light and knowledge which Christ hath purchased for many for whom he did not make his Soul a Ransom 2. That else the Redemption of any by the blood of Christ cannot be a peculiar aggravation of the sins of any because they say he died for all and yet this buying of the false Teachers is held out as an aggravation of their sin in particular Ans 1. It is here meerly beg'd and never was yet proved that Christ hath purchased common gifts of light and knowledge for men without making his Soul a Ransom i. e. his Life a satisfaction for them and that all that he satisfied for have distinguishing fruits of Redemption It is easier to take these as certainties than to prove them so 2. Redemption is no aggravation of that mans Apostacy that never was an Apostate It cannot be said that they deny the Lord that bought them who never denied him And therefore it is a common aggravation of the sin of all that do sin against him and of all their denial that do deny him but all do not deny him May not that be an aggravation of these mens sins in particular which would also aggravate the sins of any other according to the several quality of the sin May it not be said of an Atheist He denieth the God that made him as an aggravation of his particular sin and will you by force of VVit thence prove that God made not all men Now to the uncertainties And 1. They say it is uncertain whether Christ as Mediator be here intended as Lord or no there is not any thing in the Text to enforce us so to conceive Answ It may enforce the unprejudiced I think review what I have produced out of the Text to prove it But they give these reasons against it 1. God only as God with his dealing toward such is mentioned of Christ not a word Answ 1. Is not Christ God And from this Text Divines have proved it joined with Jude 4. against the Arrians and must we give up that argument for nothing 2. I have before shewed special mention of Christ 2. They say the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly Herus attended by Dominion and Soveraignty is not usually if at all given to our Saviour in the new Testament c. Nay is the name proper for our Saviour in the work of Redemption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is such a Lord and Master as refers to servants and subjection Answ 1. I hope we must not also deny Christs Dominion and Soveraignty and deny our selves to be his Servants and Subjects as he is Mediator only that we may the better deny his Universal Sacrifice and Satisfaction If we do it will be a dear bought conclusion All power in Heaven and Earth is given to him and the Father hath committed all judgment to him and for that end he Died Rose and Revived
Law But c. Ergo c. Prob. Min. that the Law knoweth no other satisfaction but fulfilling Argu. 1. Satisfaction strictly as distinct from fulfilling is Redditio aequivalentis But the Law as continuing the same cannot commute or substitute the aequivalens vel tantundem for the Idem or proper Debt 2. It is essential to the Law to constitute the Debitum vel officij vel Poenae But it constitutes not the Debitum alterius speciei vel tantidem else it should confound the ipsum debitum with the aequivalens The Law never imposed it on Christ to satisfie for our sins This was the obligation of his own Sponsion 3. Satisfaction which is the giving of the value for the proper Debt implyeth a relaxation of the Law to its acceptance But the Law cannot relax it self Ergo c. 4. To admit of satisfaction is the Act of the Lawgiver or Rector as he is above Law therefore it is no act of the Law As to make a Law to pardon an Offender to abrogate a Law c. are acts of one above the Law so is the relaxing of the Law in pardoning the Sinner and taking Christs sufferings for ours Can any obligation dissolve or remit it self 5. If the Law did neither threaten Christ in the first enacting of it nor hath power to change it self since by assuming another sense then Christs sufferings were neither a fulfilling nor satisfaction to the Law At verum prius Ergâ— If the name of Christ were put into the threatning after the Law was made then the Law was changed and so is not the same and it could not change it self Indeed if another for you pay a Debt the Bond is satisfied because it was the ipsum debitum But if another will bear the Death that you deserve the Law that threatens you is not satisfied nor fulfilled But the Law-giver is satisfied and the ends of the Law attained But here note that this relaxation and non fulfilling of the Law is not total and absolute nor such as derogateth at all from the honour of the Law or Lawgiver but it is a relaxation upon such terms as preserve both fully the full weight of the threatned Punishment being born or undertaken by the Son of God before God would relax his Law 6. To this and the two former together I add If the Laws Commination be fulfilled or if Christ suffered the same that was threatned or if we satisfied fully in Christ then we are not by that Law obliged to obedience during this Life But the consequent is false Ergo c. The reason of the consequence is this The Law obligeth aut ad obedientiam aut ad poenam disjunctively pro eodem tempore and not ad obedientiam ad poenam Now Christ hath satisfied for our sin not only against the Law of Works by Adam but against all Laws of Nature or Grace since except the non performance of the condition of the new Covenant and this to our Death So that if we have in Christ fully satisfied the threatning for all sin in this Life then we cannot be bound by the Precept after such satisfaction till after this Life be ended To say we are not obliged to the same Ends is no answer For that Law can oblige us to no ends which is fulfilled already and which did never oblige but aut ad obedientiam aut poenam propter obedientiae defectum CHAP. VII Prop. IV. It was not only the Sins of the Elect but of all even Elect and Non-elect which were the pro-causa meritoria of Christs sufferings Or it was not only the Sufferings Due to the Sins of the Elect but of all which Christ did undergo And accordingly hath made satisfaction for all IT is necessary that we speak of the efficient Causes of Christs Death before we handle the Effects And therefore we must consider quorum loco he Dyed before we consider how far they shall partake of the Benefits Here it must be remembred that we have already proved that Christ did not represent our Persons in satisfying but yet he bore our sins that is the penalty due to them and so did in a larger sence suffer nostro loco or nostri loco not as our Delegate or proper â—â—carius but as a voluntary Sponsor and so substitute in suffering Also understand that Christs sufferings had no real proper meritorious Cause But yet Mans sins were the pro-causa meritoria He undertook to bear that suffering which for them was due to us not to him And therefore when I say he bore the sufferings due to us I mean it materialiter only such sufferings for kind and weight he bore but his obligation to bear them was only from his own Sponsion and not the Law The Law by constituting the Dueness of punishment to us was the occasion of his suffering it but not the obliging cause I add that accordingly he hath satisfied for all For this will not be denyed if the first be proved For he satisfied by suffering what the Sinner deserved And in whose stead soever he suffered for them he satisfied Now I shall think it meet to stand the longer on this point because the decision of the main Question Whether Christ dyed for all men dependeth mainly on it For the strictest sence in which he is said to die for men is to die in their stead or to Die for their Sins as the procuring Cause on his own undertaking Yield this once and we shall much easilier agree on the second Part Pro quorum beneficio or what the benefits be which Christ hath procured to all At least no man will think it unmeet to say that Christ died for all men if we can prove that he dyed for the sins and in the stead of all and satisfied Gods Justice for all And if he dyed for them it is certain that he satisfied for them as is said because God doth neither require nor accept the Death of his Righteous Son but as it is necssary to the satisfaction of his justice for Sin Lastly remember that I put the word all as contradistinct from the Elect pleading specially against them that would confine Christs satisfaction only to the Elect Not that I doubt of Christs sufferings for all in the utmost universality but I think it far safer to dispute it as to all that hear the Gospel For God hath plainlier shewed us how he dealeth with these than the rest and it is not fair nor profitable to carry the disputation into the obscurest part to lose it rather than determine it And if any agree with me in this that I prove That Christ satisfied for all that hear the Gospel I will not trouble them with disputing it about the rest but willingly let them enjoy their opinion though contrary to mine as judging it to be to us of far lesser moment My Arguments shall be first from the scope of Scripture Doctrine and 2. From some particular Texts
with some For they deny that Christ is given conditionally to any Unbeliever Elect or not Elect but only is decreed for the Elect before time and given to Believers in time The Sence is that there is no conditional promise or deed of Gift but all absolute For if it be made only to Men that do believe their first believing cannot be the condition and if it be made on condtion of First believing it is made to Men that do not yet believe But the main Scope of the Gospel proves the Minor by proving the conditional Gift or promise As the Texts even now cited among others Where note to put it out of doubt 1. That the time of Gods enacting this Law or making this Testament Gift or promise was before we were born and therefore before we believed 2. that in its nature it first speaks to unbelievers as its Subject For who will offer a gift to us to be accepted that it may be ours if we have accepted it already Nay how can it be accepted before it is offered And how can we consent to have Christ and so be united to him except he first give himself to us on condition that we will consent 3. Note that the promise is made in most proper conditional terms If thou confess with thy Mouth and believe in thy heart Rom. 10. That whosoever believeth should not perish c. 4. And also note that faith hath here the Definition of a condition agreeing to it i. e. It is an Arbitrary act on which the free Donour hath suspended the efficacy of his Testament or Deed of Gift It is Arbitrary conditions that we have here to speak of which some call Potestative And not casual or mixt So to suspend the effect of the Instrument that hoc posito efficiet donec ponatur non efficiet that upon the doing or not doing the Effect shall follow or not follow and this by the Positive ordination of the Donor is the very essence of a Condition in Law-sence And such â—s Faith And what Divine except Antinomians doth deny Faith to be the Condition And if it be so then the Promise or Conditional Gift must needs be made to Unbelievers that it may become effectual when they believe For it can be no condition in this proper sence if it be past already And therefore it must needs be made to all Unbelievers seeing Scripture limitteth it not to any but speaketh universally Inded it is a very hard questionhow far the promulgation may be said to be Universal and how far not But that is nothing against the Universality of the Tenor of the Law or Gift And the command to the Promulgators is Go into all the World and Preach the Gospel to every Creature Next let us prove the consequence of the Major Proposition and that thus The thing conditionally given is Pardon purchased by Christs Blood shed for the Sinner to whom it is Given Therefore the gift presupposeth the shedding of his Blood for that Sinner The Antecedent hath two branches to be proved 1. That the Pardon conditionally given to all is a pardon purchased by Christs Blood 2. That it is by Christs blood as shed for him to whom that pardon is given For the first there is no Pardon given any other way but by Christs blood shed therefore this is from his Bloodshed 1. If there be Remission which is not purchased by Christs blood shed then there are two distinct ways of Remission one by his blood and another without But the consequent is false Ergo c. 2. If there be a remission without Christs bloodshed then all remission might have been without it But the consequent is false else Christ Dyed needlesly 3. Heb. 9. 22. Without shedding of Blood there is no Remission 4. Heb. 9. 16. For where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the Death of the Testator But this conditional Gift is Christs Testament So ver 15. For this cause he is the Mediator of the new Testament that by means of Death for the Redemption of the Transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of Eternal Inheritants viz. all that are externalâ—y called receive the conditional Promise and Believers the thing promised 5. Luke 24. 46 47. It behoved Christ to â—uffer and Rise from the Dead the third day and â—hat Repentance and Remission of Sins should be reached in his name among all Nations c. â—o that even Remission Preached that is offered â—n condition of repentance and Faith presupposeth Christs Death as the Cause 6. In the Institution of his Supper he calleth â—e Cup the New Testament in his Blood that this signifieth my Blood which procureth the â—ew Testament Now none sure dare say that the â—â—omise of Pardon and Life on condition of Beâ—â—ving is not the New Testament either whole or â—â—t 7. And therefore it is called the Blood of the â—venant even to them that tread it under â—â—â—t Heb. 10. 29. and 13. 20. Zech. 9. 11. 8. Justification is by Christs Blood Rom. 5. 9. Being Justified by his Blood But Justification is the Effect of this Conditional Covenant or Gift when the Condition is performed therefore the effect of this Covenant is from Christs blood and consequently the Covenant it self which is an intermediate cause Though there be other sorts of Justification yet that this is one and the first is undenyable 9. Actual Remission to Believers is from Christs Blood Eph. 1. 7. In whom we have Redemption through his Blood the remission of Sins Col. 1. 14. therefore conditional remission to unbelievers is from his Blood The reason of the consequence is that Christ procureth the Effect of Justification or Remission not immediately by his Blood as shed but by procuring the Covenant or Promise as the immediate Cause and the effect by that Cause and it is the same Gift oâ— Covenant which conditionally Justifieth all and actually Justifieth Believers and that without any other â—â—tervening act of God When the condition is performed whose Nature is to suspend the Effect then the effect resulteth from thaâ— same Promise which before did not effect Indeed Christ giveth his Spirit to causé his Own tâ— perform the condition but still the justifying aâ— is by the conditional Covenant If therefore iâ— be the same promise which effectually justifieâ— the Elect and only conditionally justifieth otheâ— and Christs Blood causeth that promise which eâ— fectually justifieth the Elect then his Bloâ—â— caused that promise which conditionally justifieâ— all John 3. 16. God so loved the World that he gâ— his only begotten Son 1. For men on the Crâ—â— 2. To men by the promise that whosoever believe c. So that this conditional grant of Life comes from the giving of Christ to Death And for the second part of the Antecedent viz. That it is from Christs Blood as shed for him to whom the Promise is made And 1. Ab â—nefficacia
Law is a proper penalty of the second because the New Law doth restore to all Men their lost right to Life on an easy condition and therefore as the Privation of Life is first given or promised in the first Law was the penalty of that Law so the Privation of the same Life as redeemed and restored by the Mediator is the penalty of the new Law So that it is a recovered happiness that they this way lose and so are twice dead as Jude speaks 5. The very Non-Liberation of the new Law in denial of Remission and Salvation is a great and proper penalty As the Non-continuation of Adams happiness in paradise was a penalty of that Law and the not-giving of a greater if that Law did promise a greater If a Prince make an Act of pardon and oblivion for a company of imprisoned condemned Malefactors in these terms that if they will repent and thankfully accept his favour they shall all be pardoned and also dignified to be Princes and his Favourites If they will not none of them shall be pardoned but all shall die by a more cruel Death Here this Law of Grace hath as its peculiar penalty 1. Their Non-liberation and so their first deserved Death not as first deserved but as confirmed and peremptorily adjudged to them for their ingratitude and so 2. The loss of Life as it was conditionally restored and was in Law as it were a new Life 3. And the loss of the promised offered dignities 4. And the sorer kind of death so is it in the case in Hand For the confirmation of the Minor I need not to say much more seeing for ought I know it is generally granted I never met yet with any that durst say that all the Non-Elect do undergo none of the fore described penalties of the new Law but only the meer penalties of the first Law Doubtless God is offended specially at their unbelief and will destroy them as Christs Enemies because they would not that he should Reign over them Luke 21. 27. and Christ will come in flaming fire rendring vengeance to them for not knowing God and not obeying the Gospel of our Lord Jesus 2. Thes 1. 7. 8. 9. and he will damn them all that obeyed not the Truth of the Gospel but had pleasure in unrighteousness 1 Thes 2. 10. 11. 12. And this is the condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love darkness rather then light because their deeds were evil And because when Christ came to his own his own received him not Joh. 1. 10. 21 11. For it shall come to pass that every Soul that heareth not the voice of this Prophet shall be destroyed Acts 3. 23. And they that believe not Jesus is the Christ shall dye in their sins And except men repent they shall all perish Luk. 13. 3 5. yea whoever believeth not shall be damned Mar. 16. 16. For he is the Author of Eternal Salvation to them only that obey him Heb. 5. 9. So that as men suffer for sin against the new so also from the obligation of that Law binding them over to Judgment and therefore they are judged by that Law Mat. 25. yea I doubt not but all the World shall be judged by the Redeemer for misimploying his Talents of Grace those that perish and not only for not perfect fulfilling the Law of Works none is condemned meerly for that And if it be so then the same Law of Christ must needs constitute the penalty to be executed Nor did I ever meet with any that durst say that it was no punishment to Unbelievers to be denied Pardon and Justification and Salvation from their deserved damnation which were all offered to them in the Gospel and which Believers do receive much less should any say that the additional torments of such and the loss of the greater promised glory are no punishments Yea even in this life the non-elect receive of the punishments proper to the new Law viz. non remission and non reconciliation and the forsaking of God when he casts them off and gives them up to themselves because they would none of him Psal 81. 11 12. and leaves them desolate because when Christ would have gathered them to him in tender mercy they would not Mat. 23. 37 38. and gives them over to believe lyes because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved 2 Thes 2. 10 11. and takes his holy Spirit from them because they grieved and quenched it And all this will be out of doubt if we consider the definition of Punishment which is a natural evil inflicted because of a Moral or the hurt of our persons inflicted for sin Now there is no doubt but all these forementioned are evils to us or hurtful to mens persons and no doubt but they are inflicted for sin and then as to the species They are inflicted for sins against the Law of Christ by force of the obligation of the commination of that Law and the sentence past by Christ as Redeemer and Author of that Law Yea what if I said that strictly and directly men suffer not at all the penalty of the Law of Works For all are delivered from that penalty on condition they Repent and Believe and so the obligation of that Law is suspended to all though not strictly abrogated and transferred and as it were sequestred into the hands of Christ to be disposed of by him inflicting or not inflicting it as men deal with him according to his terms of Grace so that now the penalty is immediately and strictly the penalty of the Law of Christ as it doth both non-liberare and peremptorily bind men over to it and it is properly the loss of a Life recovered by Christs blood which is the punishment though remotely it be also from the obligation of the first Law which being but suspended by Christ and conditionally dissolved remaineth in force upon the non-performance of the condition as soon as the time of performance is expired So that it is undeniable that the damned suffer the privation of the fruits of Christs death and satisfaction yea and of his satisfaction for them in perticular For as it is certain that there is no remission without blood and no Justification or Salvation without Christs satisfaction so it is as much beyond doubt with all sober men that Christs satisfaction for one man will not procure Pardon and Salvation for another So that the Minor is fully clear And for the Major proposition it is as clear For there can be no effects without a cause As no man can receive the effects of Christs Death but those for whom he died so no man can lose or be deprived of those effects but those for whom he died for the cause is presupposed A Negation is no Punishment It is not a punishment to a Stone that it is not a Man that it is mute liveless c. nor to a Beast not to be saved nor
the living Bread which came down from Heaven If any Man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever And the Bread that I will give is my Flesh which I will give for the Life of the World So verse 33. 34 35. Joh. 1. 29. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sin of the World 1 Cor. 15. 21 22. For as by Man came Death by Man came also the Resurrection of the Dead For as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive Rom. 14. 15. Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died 1 Cor. 8. 11. And through thy knowledg shall thy weak Brother perish for whom Christ died Heb. 9. 15. 16. And for this cause he is the Mediator of the new Testament that by means of Death for the Redemption of the transgressions under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of Eternal inheritance For where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the Death of the Testator Col. 1. 20. And having made peace through the Blood of his Cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him whether they be things in Earth or things in Heaven Col. 2. 14. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his Cross Act. 3. last unto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Hos 7. 13. Though I have redeemed them yet they have spoken lies against me Destruction to them c. Isa 53. 6. He laid on him the iniquity of us all Rom. 14. 9. For to this end Christ both died rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the Dead and of the living Isa 45. 21 22. There is no God else beside me a just God and a Saviour there is none beside me look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the Earth Joh. 1. 7. The same came for a Witness to bear Witness of the Light that all Men through him might believe See 1 Cor. 10. 1. 2. to the 13th John 3. 17. And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Eternal Life Rev. 22. 17. Whosoever will let him take the water of Life freely Col. 2. 28 whom we Preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus John 5. 22 23 26 27 28. For the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment to the Son that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father c. For as the Father hath Life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have Life in himself and hath given him Authority to execute judgment also because he is the Son of Man Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in which all that are in the Graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good to the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil to the Resurrection of Damnation Acts 3. 22 23. A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you and it shall come to pass that every Soul that will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the People Luke 20. 13 14 15 16 17 18. Then said the Lord of the Vineyard what shall I do I will send my beloved Son it may be they will reverence him when they see him c. The Stone which the Builders rejected is become the head of the Corner whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken but on whomsoever it shall fall it will grind him to Powder 1 Cor. 6. 20. And ye are not your own ye are bought with a Price therefore glorifie God in your Body and in your Spirit which are Gods Deut. 32. 4 5 6. They have corrupted themselves their spot is not the spot of his Children they are a perverse and crooked Generation do you thus requite the Lord O foolish People and unwise is not he thy Father that hath bought thee hath he not made thee and established thee ver 15. Then he forsook God that made him and lightly esteemed the Rock of his Salvation see Psal 78. throughout ver 35 36. They remembred that God was their Rock and the high God their Redeemer nevertheless they flattered him with their mouth and lyed unto him with their tongues for their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant but he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity c. Isa 63. 8 9 10 He said surely they are my People Children that will not lye so he was their Saviour in all their afflictions he was affâ—icted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the days of old but they rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit wherefore he was turned to be their Enemy and fought against them see Rom. 10. 6. to the 14th Acts 13. 23. 26. 32. Of this Mans Seed God according to his promise hath raised unto Israel a Saviour Jesus Men and Brethren Children of the stock of Abraham and who ever among you feareth God to you is the word of this Salvation sent and we declare unto you glad tidings c. see ver 38 39 40 46. before cited And compare this with Luke 1. 67 68 69 c. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his People and hath raised up an horn of Salvation for us in the Honse of his Servant David c. Mat. 25. throughout Mat. 28. 19 20. All Power is given to me in Heaven and Earth go ye therefore and Preach c. Acts 10. 36. 43. And this contains power to forgive Sins Mat. 9. 6. So that you see what the Scripture saith to this point 3. And then there is neither one Text of Scripture nor one solid Reason against it nor any ill consequence at all that followeth on it 1. There is not one Text of Scripture that saith Christ died not for all or Christ dyed only for his Chosen or any thing equivalent The Texts commonly alledged are John 17. 9. I pray for them I pray not for the World 19. and for their sakes I sanctifie my self Joh. 10 11 The good Shepherd giveth his Life for his Sheep Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his Son but gave him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things 1 Cor. 5. 18. God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing to them their Trespasses Rom. 5. 8 9 10. For if when we
were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life John 11. 51 52. That Jesus should dye for that Nation and not for that Nation only but that also he should gather together in one the Children of God that were scattered abroad Mat. 1. 21. for he shall save his People from their Sins Joh. 15. 13. Greater Love hath no man than this that a man to lay down his life for his friends 1 John 3. 16. Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us Rom. 8. 34. who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather c. 1 Pet. 3. 18. Christ hath once suffered for Sin the just for the â—njust that he might bring us to God 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. knowing that you are not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold from your vain conversation received by Tradition from your Fathers but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2. 29. He bore our sins on the Tree that me being dead to sin should live to Righteousness Tit. 2. 14. That he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar People zealous of good works Eph. 5. 25 26. Even as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle c. Isa 53. 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous Servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities John 17. 2. Thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give Eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him Mat. 7. 23. Depart from me I never knew you c. Heb. 9. 28. Christ was once offered to bear the Sins of many c. Heb. 10. 14. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Psal 16 9. Their drink offerings of blood will I not offer nor take up their name into my lips Gen. 3. 15. The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head and his seed bruise her heel Mat. 11. 25. I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thoâ— hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and hast revealed them to Babes Eph. 1. 7. In whom we have Redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins 2 Cor. 5. 21. For he made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him These are all the Texts that at present I can remember or find used by those that write against Universal Redemption which have any considerable shew of a proof of all which there is not one that excludeth the Non-Elect nor any in the World from being the Persons for whom Christ dyed as we shall see when we come to review them more particularly Nor is there any ill consequence following the Doctrine of Universal Satisfaction but all that terrifies men from it is seeming ill Consequences for want of right understanding it most men think who go that way that Universal Redemption is inconsistent with absolute Election and with special differencing Grace and with Christs special intention of calling and saving his Chosen whereas indeed it is so far from being inconsistent that it is necessarily concomitant and supposed and they may as well think that Universal Creation is inconsistent with Election and special grace Indeed God hath in admirable wisdom laid Universal Grace as a ground work and built special grace as to the executive part thereupon and to deny the Universal Common grace is to destroy the ground-work of special grace If this were well understood there would few sober Divines be against Universal Redemption and therefore I still say that it is a clear explication that must do more here and is more needful than argumentation Yet because some do so importunately call for Arguments I have given these Thirty and might add many more and shall now proceed to those that are drawn from particular Texts of Scriptures having first laid down one or two more general considerations from the Scripture Language in this particular That Election and Redemption are not of the same extent and not all Elected that are Redeemed but Redemption is Universal and Election special may be strongly evinced by comparing together the language of the Scripture concerning one and the other how differently it speaks 1. We find God charging Men to give all diligence to make sure their Calling and Election 2 Pet. 1. 10. But not one word in all the Scripture to command or perswade Men to make sure that they are redeemed unless we meant it not of the price but the fruits Paul saith to his Converts 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith know ye not your own selves that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates But he never bid any man examine thy self whether thou be redeemed or whether Christ dyed for thee or whether thou be one of those for whom Christ dyed we have marks given in Scripture to know by whether we are the Children of God or no whether sanctified justified pardoned or no but never a mark laid down in Scripture to know by whether we are of those that Christ dyed for no more than there is to know whether we are of those that God Created And would not the perfect holy word of God have given marks of this or bid men make sure of this and try it if it were needful and were not unquestionable because universal 2. We find the Saints as David complaining of God's hiding his face and seeming their Enemy and writing bitter things against them and groaning under that burthen of Sin and crying for Pardon and saying God had forsaken and forgotten them c. But we never find any Man good or bad that believed Gods word to be true to doubt whether Christ dyed for him or whether he were Redeemed or complaining of his danger for want of a Redeemer or Expiatory Sacrifice 3. We find God ordinarily saying of Christ Jesus that he is the Saviour of the World and came not to condemn the World but to save the World and took away the sins of the World and is a propitiation for the fins of the whole World and dyed for all tasted death for every man and was a ransom for all c. But we have no one word in Scripture that saith he predestinated all to Salvation or decreed to save the whole World Nay the very term of Election contradicteth Universality for it is no chusing if it be all and if some be not left 4. We find Wicked Men condemned and their sin aggravated for denying the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1. But never for denying the Lord that Elected them 5. We find Christians by the Apostles warned that they destroy not their weak Brethren for whom Christ dyed and saying through thy
fruit in all the World but that it is come into all the World and bringeth forth Fruit viz. in some where it comes 2. But suppose it were otherwise doth not Christ say that the Gospel doth bring forth fruit in more than the Elect viz. in many that fall away when Persecution ariseth Mat. 13. And in whom the cares of the World do choak that Fruit. 3. Were these Colos all Elect to whom Paul speaks 4. It is a known truth that the Gospel comes to more than the Elect for many are called but few chosen next they alledge 2 Cor. 5. 19. which makes sufficiently against their whole cause as shall be shewen anon when we come to it Another place cited by them is 1 Joh. 2. 2. Christ is the propitiation of the sins of the whole World Ans If they may thus beg the question all Texts shall mean as they would have them Of this anon Another place cited is Psal 22. 27. All the ends of the World remember and turn unto the Lord And all the Kindreds of the Nations shall worship before thee For the Kingdom is the Lord's and he is the Governour among the Nations Ans 1. All the ends of the World is not so large as all the World 2. It is plain that this Text speaks of the establishment of Christs visible Kingdom which contains more than the Elect. The Net of the Gospel brings Fishes good and bad The Heathen Countries that have turned to the Lord from Paganism and Infidelity have not all believed to Salvation The Kingdoms of the World shall become the kingdom of the Lord and of his Christ But they are not all Elect. These are all the Texts that I find urged to to prove that by the World is signified only the Elect. 2. And what if it were so in some places 1. It follows not that it is so here 2. The usual Sense must not be forsaken without cause Nor is it sufficient that unusually it is otherwise taken 3. The conjoyned words will shew the necessity of a restrained Sense where such a Sense is necessary to be received but so they do not here but contrarily as hath been shewed Their 4th Reason to prove that by the World is here meant the Elect only is this If every one in the World be intended why doth not the Lord in the pursuit of this Love reveal Christ to all so loved Ans This is to be fully answered anon among the main Objections by it self Lastly they say else all these will follow 1. That some are beloved and hated also from Eternity 2. That God's Love towards innumerable is fruitless and vain 3. That the Son of God is given to them that never hear word of him and have no power granted to believe in him 4. That God is mutable in his Love or else he still loveth those that be in Hell 5. That he gives not all things to them to whom he gives his Son 6. That he knows not certainly before who shall believe and be saved Ans To the first I thought no Antiarminian Divine ever denied it God hateth all the Workers of iniquity Psal 5. 5. You will not say that he hated them not from Eternity Many of the Workers of iniquity are Elect and so loved from Eternity God's Love is spoken say Divines ab effectu potius quam ab affectu God from Eternity so loved Men not Elect as to give them on Creation Everlasting Life in Adam on condition of fulfilling the first Covenant and to give them everlasting life in Christ on condition of believing according to the second Covenant And yet he decreed not to give any Men Grace to perform the condition of the first covenant nor to give all men Grace to perform the condition of the second To the 2d Consequence I shall answer fully by it self anon among the contrary Arguments To the 3d. also I shall there answer To the 4th I say for it is not worth a fuller answer 1. All Divines that I know say that God loveth those in Hell as his Creatures and as Men Aquinas and the rest of the Schoolmen have it frequently Yea Ursine Rob. Baronius and many of our Protestant Divines say that he punisheth those in Hell short of their deserving and so sheweth some mercy there that I will not meddle with 2. If you speak of God's Love as it is in effectu and not in affectu then it is certainly mutable He gives Men those mercies which for their â—buse he removeth or turneth to judgments He gives to all a conditional Pardon and Life And after condemneth most to Death for not performing the condition To the Elect themselves these Effects are changeable 3. If you say God's Love is but his Velle bonum alicui and therefore he cannot be said now Men are in Hell to continue to will them a conditional Pardon and Life Therefore God's Love must be mutable I answer Let those Owls that love to blind themselves by gazing on the Sun of God's undiscernable Infiniteness undertake to tell what God's Love is and what his Will is and how he Wills that which is past c. For my part I pretend not to a capacity of discerning any such things 2. You may enforce your objection as strongly concerning God's Love to the Elect He once willed their Creation then he willed to redeem them by Christ then he willed to call them and to give them their first justification to deliver them from this sickness and that danger then he willed that they should die and then that they should rise again If you will tell me how God after the Resurrection will continue to all Eternity to will to create Man to redeem him to call him justifie him deliver him raise him c. then I will tell you how God will Eternally will the giving Christ Pardon and Salvation conditionally to all If you say he Wills them as preterita and not as presentia vel futura you may say so by this If you say that there is no preteritum vel futurum with God but all present and therefore he willeth them as preterita sic dicta quoad hominem vel fidem mensuram humanam sed ut presentia quoad Deum the like you may say here also To the 5th Consequence I must answer anon by it self when we speak of their Argument from Rom. 8. 32. To the 6th It is a naked affirmation as easily denied Dare Men say that it was no mercy or love of God to give mankind in Adam Eternal Life on condition of keeping his Law because God foreknew or foredecreed they would not or should not keep it And so not attain the fruit of that Govenant thereby Dare these Men pretending to preach the Gospel tell their hearers that to all of them except the Elect the preaching the Gospel and therein the offer and conditional gift of Christ Pardon Justification and Salvation is no mercy nor from any love of God to
Death offered by the Gospel The killing of the Fatling most say doth intimate the killing of Christ that he may be to us the Bread of Life and his Flesh Meat indeed and his Blood Drink indeed The Messengers are Preachers The message is the Gospel Invitation or Offer Hence therefore I thus argue If all the things are ready before hand which upon coming in to Christ are to be received yea and ready for those that refused to come and only their not coming or not coming preparedly do hinder their participation then Christ was a Sacrifice made ready even for all that refused to come But c. Ergo c. I mean not that Christ was appointed to save final refusers considered as such But he was a Sacrifice for all the Sins of the same Men except their final refusal and thereby made ready for them all those saving benefits which upon coming in they were to receive This message any Minister of the Gospel may now deliver to unbelievers Come in to Christ accept him as a Redeemer Lord and Saviour and with him pardon and Salvation for all this is ready All that is prerequisite to believing or coming in is done by Christ as far as concerned him as a Sacrifice and a Donor of his Testamentory benefits and as far as unsatisfied Justice did require All things that are requisite objectively to your believing are ready Now this could not be a truth if Christ had not been a Sacrifice for these Mens Sins For how is all ready when the very first and most needful thing is unready that is an expiatory Sacrifice for sin When satisfaction to justice is unready Can they make this Or are they called to make it Or would their coming in make it which was not before made Or would coming in serve turn without satisfaction Rather it should be said to them as to the Devils come not for nothing is ready For where Christ is not ready and satisfaction for sin not ready there nothing is ready which a sinner is called to by the Gospel The Cause being wanting all the Effects must needs be wanting Obj. All may be said to be ready in that Christs Death is sufficient for All. Ans That 's true and I desire no more if you understand it as Divines have hitherto done and as this Text proves it that is that it is a sufficient Ransom Sacrifice Price Satisfaction for all But then this implieth that it is a Ransom Sacrifice c. for All. But according to the new futile evasion it is false viz. that Christs Death was only sufficient to have been a Sacrifice or Ransom for All if God or Christ had so been willing but indeed was no Ransom for them at all For is this making all ready Is Christ any readier for those he died not for than for the Devils or than if he had never died at all VVill you send to a Prisoner and say I have paid 1000 l. for thy fellow Prisoner that owed but 500 l. the sum is sufficient to have discharged thy debt too if I had ever intended it therefore come and receive a discharge for all is ready Or will you bid your Servant go to all the Town and say I have killed and dressed meat enough for you all resolving that some of you shall never tast of it on any conditions therefore come now and partake of it all for all things are ready The Readiness that Christ speaks of here is such as supposeth all things to be ready except receiving by Faith nothing but coming is wanting Obj. But Faith it self is not ready therefore Christ died not for them Ans A false consequence which yet bears the whole fabrick of the opposers Cause 1. Doth not the Text plainly distinguish here between Faith and all the Benefits that by Faith we are partakers of Doth it not plainly say that all things else are ready when yet Faith in them was unready for they would not But the Invitation was come for all things are ready what a silly cavil would men put into the mouths of the invited teaching them to say my coming is not ready therefore all things are not ready nay nothing is made ready for me This Text expresly distinguisheth between all other things and coming and so shews that when men will not come yet all things were ready and nothing but Faith was wanting to their participation And therefore Christ may be a Sacrifice made ready for those that have not Faith and therefore receive him not 2. And you might see some of the reason of this in the Text The King in one Relation prepares the feast and in a further invites his Guests and in a further compels them to come in God and the Redeemer as preparer of the feast which is 1. By satisfying Justice 2. By enacting the New Law have made all things ready But to give Faith belongeth not to him in either of these respects 2. God and Christ as the Inviter of his Guests doth all things requisite to the invited 3. But God as one that resolveth de Eventu what particular persons shall be compelled to come in gives that Faith or so compels them Faith follows this compelling which say Interpreters truly and generally is an importunate prevailing persuasion Now may not God 1. Make Christ a Sacrifice for all ready 2. And by Legislation or conditional Donation make a free gift of Christ to all that will have him 3. And invite multitudes that will refuse and yet compel but his chosen only to come in Here it is that special differencing Grace begins in the execution and it confoundeth men in the whole body of Theology when they will needs suppose it to begin where it doth not that is in Redemption by Sacrifice All men shall one day confess all things were ready if I would have come in I had been saved it was my own wilful refusal that deprived me Obj. But why doth not God compel all to come in as well as some Ans 1. O man who art thou that disputest against God May he not do with his own as he list He compelleth some from the superabundance of his Mercy He inviteth the rest in great mercy also 2. This will be no excuse to the refusers what if God had only invited all and compelled none What if he had suffered all to perish in their wilfulness would that have been any ease to any and if he compel some is that any wrong to the rest will not Conscience say another day I perish justly that would not be saved must I need compulsion to accept of a Redeemer and Salvation with him Obj. But it is not in my Power to come I cannot Ans There 's no man that would come that can say so if you will you can yea you do come If you will not who will you blame but your self you may come if you will As your will-not may be called a cannot so it 's true you cannot
natural suffering nor ever was to be punished meerly on the old score that is meerly for violating and incuring the penalty of the first Law by God as Rector according to that Law God might have refused to accept Christs Sufferings as a Satisfaction for Sinners much more to have freely provided it out of his own Treasure as it were when God therefore did freely himself provide a Satisfaction and freely Accept it He did both only on these terms that as Legislator of the strict Law of Works as standing without remedy he would punish no Man but yet he would not actually and absolutely discharge them for they are still his Subjects and now by a double right and bond viz both of Creation and Redemption and therefore must still be governed by him and therefore must still be Governed by Laws and therefore must still be under Precepts Prohibitions Promises and Threatnings which are the Parts of the Law For the Nature of Man is such as that it must be governed not meerly by Commanding but also per Praemia Poenas Experience tells us that of the best Men on Earth as propounded to them therefore God in mercy would make a New Law commanding all men to repent and that hear the Gospel to Believe and giving to the Redeemed the actual pardon of all their Sins on these Conditions making Christ the Fountain of our Life and Head of all that shall be Saved and Ordaining that Christ and with him Pardon and Adoption and the Spirit for further Sanctification and Salvation shall be given to all that will take Christ and that those that refuse him shall be unpardoned for all his Sacrifice and Satisfaction and shall moreover incur a far sorer punishment These are the terms on which God took Christ's Sufferings as satisfactory to his Justice which terms are well pleasing to the Son himself nor did he ever desire to ransom them on other terms or to bring them into any other Condition than under this his own Government and Laws nor to convey Pardon and Glory the Fruits of his Death to any that refused him still supposing his Everlasting secret Decree of procuring his chosen infallibly to perform the Conditions and partake of the benefits which belongs to another part of Theology Also it must be well observed as the very Principal Point for avoiding the common Errours in this business that the satisfaction is made to God as Legislator and so Rector per Leges and so hath its main direct respect to his Legislative Will His Will de Eventu is naturally Antecedent to it and the Cause of it as Event But his Law was the cause or occasion of it as due or morally necessary and also there are no Acts of his Decretive Will de Eventu caused by it but there are Acts of his Laws and so as to our manner of conceiving of his Will de Debito caused by it and so it was not for Christ's Death that God decreed to give Faith to any and consequently to give actual Pardon and Glory But God Decreed to give these for Christ's death when he so gives them And it is because of Christs death that they are due though not immediately from his death but mediante donatione Testamenti vel faderis Christ's death is the Cause of Faith but not of the Decree to give it Again it must be understood that it is not God as Legislator of the New Law that is satisfied for Sin by Christ's death that were to dye to satisfie himself the Mediator for the Non execution of his own remedying Law But it is God as Legislator of the Law of Works constituting Everlasting Death the due Penalty of every Sin Or if any had rather say that it is not formally the Law of Works which is now in force conjunct with the Law of Grace but it is become part of the Law of Grace the matter comes all to one sense though we change the words There is one Law that saith He that Sinneth shall dye call it what you will this Law as to the end Christ hath satisfied i. e. he hath properly satisfied the Law-giver There is another Law or as they call it the peremptory part of the New Law which saith He that believeth shall be Saved and he that believeth not shall be Damned Christ hath not satisfied the Justice of this Law by his Sufferings The sense of the Commination is He that in the time of this Life believeth not shall be Damned This Law is ever executed on all that are guilty and by it obliged to Everlasting Death that is on those that in their life time here do not Repent and Believe For the violation of the precept of this Law as it requires Belief or other Duty at the present time Christ did dye but not for the non-performance of the Condition which Death is threatned to Lastly It is therefore certain that Christ dyed not for the Sin of Final Impenitency in a prevalent degree and unbelief or Final Rebellion against himself or his Father And therefore when I said before that he satisfyed God as Legislator of the Law of works for sin as sin it is to be understood of the Law of Works as contradistinct from the Law of Grace and so all the sins peremptorily Condemned by the Law of Grace are excepted from the satisfaction Not only nor at all because they are the sins of such Persons but because they are such excepted sins who ever the person be Now therefore to the Argument and first to the Major I deny it and never saw any fair colour of proof of it and therefore having full plain Scripture to the contrary do confidently believe that all those are not Saved that Christ satisfied for and to the Proof brought I answer 1. It is untrue that Christ satisfied for every sin of every Man for whom he satisfied and it will never be proved He hath excepted all those Sins which are comprized in the final non-performance of the Condition of Salvation Object None that he satisfied for are ever guilty of that and that 's the Reason why he may not be said to dye for such Sins Answ That 's denyed and to be better proved before it can be received by Sober Men. I have already proved that he dyed and satisfied for those that are final Unbelievers or Apostates and so perish And I now prove that the Reason why Christ satisfied not for such sins as final Impenitency Infidelity or Rebellion is not accidental from the state of the Redeemed viz. because none of them are guilty of such but it is directly from the Nature of the sin without respect to this person more than that If Christ have expresly excepted the final non-performance of the Gospel Conditions from among the number of those sins which he hath satisfied for and that even in the New Law which he hath enacted for all Elect or Non-Elect then it is not only accidentally or because it
all Unbelievers in their own damnation Christ did by his Sufferings only pay as it were that which is a valuable consideration for the non-execution of the Law as to all that will perform the conditions of the Gospel or New Law Obj. Did not Christ bear the Curse of the Law for us that he might Redeem them that were under the Law Answ Yes he bore the Curse of the Law Materially that is that Cursed Death which the Law threatned But he bore it not ex formali Legis obligatione sed tantum ex obligatione sponsionis propriae precepti paterni The Law obliged us to punishment but it never obliged Christ to Punishment only its obliging us to it was the occasion of Christs Obligation because it occasioned him to Oblige himself by his own voluntary sponsion that he might free us But still it was only his own sponsion that obliged him together with that peculiar will of his Father that he should undertake and discharge our debt so that you see the Law is but once executed even on the Damned as to full execution for mans mortality and sufferings here are a small part of the Execution which Christ saw it not meet to take off And so the ipsum Debitum is paid but once Christs Sufferings being not solutio ejusdem sed satisfactio i. e. solutio aequivalentis alias indebiti 2. Nay consider further that the equivalency lay not in the proportion of Punishment pain or loss equal to that which was due to all or to the Elect but in the sufficient aptitude of that Degree or Punishment which Christ bore becoming a publick spectacle of shame for the demonstration of Justice c. from the exceeding Dignity of the person to be a means to Gods obtaining the remote ends of his Law viz. the demonstration of Justice and right governing the Creature and preserving the Authority of the Lawgiver though the nearest ends of that Law were not attained viz. the personal obedience of man and for want of that his personal suffering Many Learned Divines have written largeiy to prove that Christ did not properly suffer the pains of Hell on his Soul I will not meddle much with that question But doubtless it was a very great part of our punishment which Christ was uncapable of undergoing much less may any dare to affirm that his Sufferings Materially were as great as All the Sufferings of All that he died for should have been The Death due to us was Temporal Spiritual and Eternal The Temporal Death is so much the least that many Divines will not be persuaded that it hath now to the Godly any nature of Punishment but is only materially a suffering The Spiritual Death so far as it consisted in the loss of Gods Image and privation of Holiness and Dominion of Sin and Slavery to Satan Christ bore not at all Nor yet as it lay in any Torments or Gripes of Conscience which are the fruits only of personal proper guilt in the remembrance of the Folly or Wilfulness or Negligence or Unkindness or the like Evils manifested in Sinning Christ had no sin of his own to look on to torment him and other mens Sins could not procure to him the gripes of a Guilty Conscience Nor yet was his Soul or Body so deprived of Gods Love as are the wicked nor so hated by God nor at all disunited from God For upon the loss of Union with God and Spiritual Communion with him would have followed the loss of Grace and depravation of the Soul and prevalency of sin nor yet were any of Christs sufferings Eternal Yet did he endure that debasedness and publick shame and that forsaking of God by the denial of Spiritual Comforts and by giving him up to the Will of his Enemies and by an inward sense of Gods displeasure in trouble of Soul which was a full satisfaction to Justice or a Sacrifice sufficient for God to do what he did upon the reception of it But you see that quoad Materiale poenae there was much difference between Christs Sufferings and the Damneds in Hell 3. Consider Christs sufferings being not solutio ipsius Debiti but satisfactio as is before explained therefore it was solutio recusabilis God might have chosen to accept it and there must intercede as it were a new agreement for its acceptance Now God did accept it and Christ suffer it only on these terms that none should for all that have the Pardon of his sins till he accepted Christ as his Lord Redeemer and Repented of his sins and this is the true reason why Christs Satisfaction is no hinderance to the punishment of those that reject him and his favours 4. The Satisfaction of Christ is sufficient and perfect ad suum finem to all its own ends but not ad omnem finem to every use and end and it was not its use and end to acquit ipso facto any sinner but only to acquit all on condition of Repenting and Believing it being also the full intent of God to give that condition to all his Elect as shall be anon opened Some very Wise Godly and Learned men that I have spoke with wish that the Word Satisfaction had been never here used but instead of it the terms of an Expiatory or Propitiatory Sacrifice because the last is the Scripture phrase and the first is not But yet Satisfaction is no such unfit term but that it may well be used though still Scripture phrase I confess is better 5. As Christ hath satisfied the Father so the Father hath satisfied Christ in the larger sense i. e. he hath fulfilled his desire It was not man himself that satisfied but Christ for man nor did Christ satisfie in our person as a delegate pays a Debt in the Debtors name so as in Law-sense Civiliter it is the Debtor himself that pays it For then it should have been Solutio not Satisfactio There being no Vicarius Poenae allowed by the Law it is indeed impossible for such a solution to be made For it should be the Idem and not the Idem quod debetur quia non naturaliter per eundem and consequently not civiliter per eundem Yet a satisfaction may be made by suffering alterius loco and so Christ did But as Christ suffered in his own person viz. Sponsoris and not our selves so the effect that he desired was that he might himself be the first Recipient of the fruits of that satisfaction in that sense as he is capable of receiving them that he might be the Head and the publick Treasury of all the Mercy procured by his Death and being made Lord of all might give them out to whom and when and how he pleased and in special that he might make a general Deed of Gift of himself and Pardon and Salvation to All that would accept it and might send forth the Spirit and Word to bring in men to himself in what measure he please and in particular
in an infallible prevalency to his chosen And that none might perish merely on the old score or be judged meerly by the Old Law but all stand or fall according to their improvement or abuse of recovering Mercy And all this God hath hereupon granted to his Son And so he hath satisfaction for his satisfaction though many that he hath satisfied for do perish 6. Besides consider though men be punished for the same sins that Christ suffered for yet as to God the same do become new sins and so men suffer for them as it were as for new sins For 1. The old Obligation was so far made void or disabled that of it self it could never more bind them to punishment by reason of the addition of a remedying grant 2. God did quantum in se as Legislator of the old Law forgive them all the debt except the sins of non-performance of the Gospel conditions which God still excepted and Christ never suffered for for God hath delivered the obligation out of his own hand as standing in that first Relation of Rector secundum Legem Naturae sâ—lum and given it up into the hand of the Redeemer to give Remission to whom he please He hath also made a free Deed of Gift of an Universal Pardon to all that will accept it So that though men be not actually pardoned yet God may conveniently be said to have pardoned them in that he did his part as Rector secundum Leges As he saith to Israel I have healed thee and thou art not healed When a true Believer is actually Pardoned God doth put forth no new act to Pardon him but doth it by the general Grant or Act of Oblivion whereby he Pardoned All men conditionally as well as them The Law saith a man hath done a thing or given a benefit when he hath done his part though the effect follow not and the Work be yet undone For Moral Causes may do all their part and â—et the effect not follow for want of the performance of conditions in the receiver or because con-causes do not their part And therefore if the effect follow not the Law enquires Who it is long of Whose fault was it if of the Patient or Receiver then the Donor or Agent is said to have done the thing though yet it be not done For as to him moraliter vel Civiliter it is done There being no default on his part If any say that God followeth not the Rules of Humane Laws I answer God is the Fountain of all right Laws and Reason and Justice and I speak not of any unjust or mistaking Laws This is an ill pretence for men to judge their Maker by when they will not allow him that reasonable apology nor make that construction of his ways according to common undeniable equity as they will do of the ways of men Right Reason and the Laws made thereby are a beam of Gods perfect Wisdom and Justice If any say that God doth not Totum quod ad se attinet all his part in making a Deed of Gift of Christ and Pardon and Glory to all that will accept it unless he also give Faith which is the acceptance it self I shall now only say this much till we come to the point by it self that God doth Totum quod ad se attinet ut Legislatorem vel Rectorem juxta Leges all that belongs to him as Rector according to Laws though not all that belongs to him as absolute Lord and Disposer of events and all Creatures And it is in that Respect sub 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rectoris that Christ made satisfaction to him and not in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Relation of an Eternal-Elector or Absolute Proprietary and Disposer of all So that you see now that quoad Deum all men are pardoned all their sins except those excepted in the conditions of the Grant though quoad delinquentis Receptionem they are still unpardoned They may have Christ and Pardon if they will And when they are deprived of the Gift meerly because they will not have it no Reason can say God did not give it or Christ did not procure it or that God is unjust in that they are without it So that it is not now meerly the obligation of the first Law as unremedied that binds them over to punishment nor as it is in the Hands of God as Creator or Rector secundum Legem operum but it is the Obligation of the new Law primarily He that believeth not shall not be forgiven nor be saved and consequently of the Old Law as the obligation is in the Redeemers hands to be charged only on the Rejecters of Grace It is not primarily for sin as sin according to this Law Whosoever sinneth shall dye but it is primarily for Rejecting the Remedy and then that sin by necessary consequence remains unpardoned so that it is not directly because they were guilty of Death by the first Law but propter rejectam Remissionem for despising the Remission of that guilt So that quoad Deum it may be called the return of Sin or Guilt Remitted and so to be more properly ex novd obligatione from the New Obligation of the Law of Christ binding all their sins again upon them though as to them and their reception it is both from the New Obligation and the old And therefore Jude calleth such twice dead and pluckt up by the Roots If an hundred Traytors be condemned and the Prince Ransom them all at a Price agreeing in the payment of it that they shall now be all his own and none of them be delivered for all that who will not thankfully own him and acknowledge his favour Here it is just that all the Refusers of Pardon yet perish And their Death is directly for the refusing of the Remedy and secondarily from their old crime because they would not have it remedied So that though Materialiter they lose but one Life yet it may be said that the Life they now lose Civiliter is not the same that before they lost but it is vitam de novo donatam a Life newly given them for they were dead in Law and the King gave them a new Life Moraliter etsi non Naturaliter And it is the rejecting of the Gift by which they lose their former Natural Life and their New-given Mortal Life And will any man be so ill advised in this case as to say that it is injustice in the King or Prince to punish the same persons that were before Ransomed Yea if it were not by Money but by suffering publick shame that the Prince had Ransomed them Having thus Explained the Case and Answered the Argument I will looking at Edification and not the usual form of Disputing go beyond the task of a meer Respondent and give you two or three Arguments to prove that it is no injustice in God to punish those for whom Christ hath satisfied or for whose sins he was a sacrifice
but no doubt it is mediante Sanguine Christi and in a remote sense are fruits of Christ's death By what hath been said it may appear that Faith is not the proper effect of satisfaction as satisfaction nor is it any neer or inseparable effect of satisfaction as it is meritorious God did not give Christ Faith for his bloodshed in exchange the thing that God was to give the Son for his satisfaction was Dominion and Rule of the Redeemed Creature and power therein to use what means he saw fit for the bringing in of Souls to himself even to send forth so much of his word and Spirit as he pleased both the Father and Son resolving from Eternity to prevail infallibly with all the Elect. But never did Christ desire at his Fathers hands that all whom he satisfied for should be infallibly and irrisistibly brought to believe nor did God ever grant or promise any such thing Jesus Christ as a Ransom dyed for all and as Rector per Leges or Legislator he hath conveyed the Fruits of his death to all that is those Fruits which it appertained to him as Legislator to convey which is right to what his New Law or Covenant doth promise But those Mercies which he gives as Dominus Absolutus arbitrarily besides or above his engagement he neither gives nor ever intended to give to all that he dyed for no nor to all his Elect doth he give all those fruits of his death nor for ought I know to any in the same degree for these are but remotely the Fruits of Christ's death and not constant nor inseparable Fruits Peruse the foresaid Table of the Fruits of Christs death and it will shew you which the mercies be that Christ gives by Law and which arbitrarily as besides his engagement Is it not manifest then that it is a desperate charge against the Lord Christ to say that he is an imperfect Saviour if he do not perfectly save all that he Died for or convey to them all the fruits of his Death The Preaching of the Gospel expresly is a fruit of Christs Death Some have this in great power clearness and constancy some but weakly darkly or seldom and some not at all Shall they that have been at one or two dark Sermons of Christ in all their Lives say That either Christ Died not for them or else was an imperfect Saviour Some are endowed with the gift of Prophecy Tongues Miracles as fruits of Christs Death shall all that receive not these say that Christ is an imperfect Saviour because he gave them none of these fruits of his Death Some are made Kings and Rulers and some Apostles Evangelists Pastors Teachers c. and all are fruits of Christs Death Yet all are not Apostles Pastors Teachers c Some have Learning and some none Some have good Parents and good Education and some bad Some of the Elect have Health of Body and Helps Opportunities and Advantages to to serve God which others want Some are permitted to live long in sin as Manasses And others converted in the morning of their Days Some are preserved in a more even and comfortable walking with God And some are permitted to fall into most hainous scandalous sins to the great dishonour of God and their Profession and to walk sadly for it all their Days Nay some to suffer Death by the hands of publick justice Shall all these say Christ is an imperfect Saviour to them Some are kept in vigor and growth in grace and some remain Infants and some lose their first degree of Love and grow more luke-warm and Die in a very low ebb of Grace Comfort and Assurance Some enjoy much fellowship with the Father and Son in the Spirit And others are almost wholly strangers to it Some are made instruments of doing God abundance of service and the Church much good and bringing home or building up many Souls and that to the end of their Lives Others are kept without parts and gifts next to useless if not burdensome Some Distracted and after a Godly Life fall into stark madness and so spend their days as being uncapable of making use of their Affliction or of any Mercy And some are cut off in Infancy or in the Womb before they did ever believe or love God or do him any service And is Christ an imperfect Saviour to all these Nay and he hath revealed to us that according to this diversity here in degrees of Grace Holiness and Obedience so will be the diversity in the degrees of glory One shall be Ruler of ten Cities and another but of two For he will reward every Man according to his works How vast a difference then is there like to be between the Glory of an Infant that being born of a weak believer Died from the Womb and the Glory of Peter John Paul or those to whom it shall be given to sit on Christs Right Hand and Left Hand in his Kingdom And yet all these are Elect. Where is it then that the force of the Argument lyeth that would prove that all must needs have Faith for whom Christ Died If he be an imperfect Saviour except he save all alike or give to all that he Died for all the fruits of his Death then such a charge might as truly be grounded on his dealings with the Elect themselves as with others Object But he saveth all the Elect though not all alike He bringeth them all safe to Heaven at last but so he doth not others Answ That 's true But then 1. It 's yielded that it belongs not to the perfection of Christs Office or Work to give all the fruits of his Death quoad speciem to all that he Died for 2. It belongs as truly to his office of saving to save men from sin and to give them a full degree of Grace and Glory as to give men Faith And yet it belongs not to his office necessarily to give these to all that he Died for No doubt a greater measure of Glory is a greater good than that small measure which some enjoy Specially if the joy of some saved Infants were no greater than Nazianzene Orat. 40. and other antients did think the pain of some condemned Infants would be 3. Some of these parts of Salvation which the Elect themselves do come short of are penally denied them and so are given by Christ as Legislator being propounded on a condition and they not performing the condition to the performance whereof Grace was necessary to assist them If then Christ may give good things by a conditional grant as Legislator to his Elect and yet not give them that Grace which may cause them infallibly to perform the condition and so deny them the benefit conditionally given for want of that performance what reason can be given why he may not do so by the Non-Elect in respect of Salvation and Faith and Repentance the Conditions thereof So that all the weight of their Argument lyeth on this
that if they neglect them they are left without excuse Prop. XV. It belongeth to Christ in drawing men towards Salvation by his Rectorship to reveal-oft times some of the forementioned Gospel Truths by way of preparation and to draw men nearer him before he reveal the full substance of his Covenant or fully promulgate his Law As the Sun sendeth forth some light before it appeareth it self at its rising which light yet comes from the same Sun So doth the Gospel oft-times Prop. XVI Those that have the forementioned truths revealed to them with hearing the Gospel are bound in all reason for the safety of their Souls to use all possible diligence to make a fuller discovery which is not likely that any Indians or others have done Had they been as diligent in improving the truth received till they had been civilized and then in sending to all others for information where there was a probability of receiving information even as men are diligent in trading tedious Voyages for Merchandize and Worldly Gain it 's like there is no Nation under Heaven but might have had the Gospel ere now Prop. XVII If men will wilfully reject and abuse that measure of light and help which they do injoy which was sufficient to that end whereto it was given to have brought them nearer Christ than they were And if they will not use the means for getting of the Gospel which they have sufficient help to use then it is apparently just with Christ even as Rector according to the Law of Grace to condemn such men after he hath Died for them And if his Death prove in vain as to their Salvation the fault is only in themselves and themselves shall they blame for ever And this is the case of these men Prop. XVIII Nay in this case the very Law of Grace commanding Faith in Christ Crucified doth oblige these men remotely to the Duty and to punishment for neglect of the Duty For though a Law not promulgate cannot oblige yet the Question is Who it was long of Or Who was the faulty cause that it was not Published If the Law-giver then it cannot oblige But if it were the subject then it doth actually though remotely oblige For no man is to receive benefit saith the Civil Law by his own fault Who knows not that among us if a Man will lie in an Ale-House and never come to hear the word God will judge him guilty of being Ignorant of all the Truths which he might have there learnt And of neglecting all the Duties which he might have been informed of And if a man know some few preparatory Truths here as that he is a sinner and miserable and ought to seek out for remedy and should come to hear the word and forsake his known sin and keep good company c. and yet he despise or disobey these shall we say this Man was never bound to believe I say he is bound remotely that is first to do some other Duties which tend towards the obtaining of the Gospel and then to believe For the obligation to both Duties lyeth on him at once but not an obligation to perform both Duties at once Object But if they should improve their degree of Light and sufficient Grace they have no certainty ty because no promise that the Gospel shall be given them Answ That 's no excuse as long as they have so full encouragement as is before expressed Should a man in danger of Death do nothing for his own safety without a certainty of success Should not the least hope of probability much more so high a probability be enough to excite men to seek the saving of their own lives Suppose a King having past an Act of Oblivion upon a ransom to that end for a whole Nation of Traytors as Ireland should send his Herald to proclaim it to all But to some of them he sendeth before hand some inferior messenger telling them in the Kings Name that he is placable and their case remediable and he requires them to use certain means as Submission Petition Laying down Arms c. and try what the King will do If these men reject unthankfully this favour and abuse the messenger and persist in Rebellion is it not just with the King to forbid the Herald that he proclaim not to them the act of oblivion And is it not long of themselves if they never hear it nor have any benefit by it so is it in the present case By the abuse of sufficient Grace to have come nearer Christ do the Pagans forfeit all other fruits of his blood So that Christ may truly be said to have done his part even as Legislator and to have promulgated his new Law among them in that he did his part and so it's promulgate moraliter vel Reputativè though it was not actualiter perfectè through their own fault It is not long of Christ but of themselves that it was not done fully in that they ungratefully rejected his Precursors or Harbingers that came before the Gospel Seeing they would not make use of the Twilight or Day-break Christ justly denieth them the Sun-Rising Prop. XIX It seems most probable that it was not only Adams first sin that is imputable to his Posterity but that we are all still guilty of all our Parents sin to this Day and that therefore God may justly deprive a whole Nation of the light of the Gospel for their Progenitors sins and that not only according to the Law of Works but even according to the Law of Grace I will not stand now on the proof of this any further than to tell you 1. That the same solid Arguments which prove the imputableness of Adams sin seem to me to prove this and by denying this we overthrow the grounds of the Doctrine of the said Imputation 2. And that the Second Commandment with all those Examples of Gods destroying the Children with the Parents and for their sin do seem fully to prove it together with the practice of Godly men to humble themselves for their Fathers Sins Yet understand me thus that though according to the Law of Works we are guilty of all our Parents Sins yet the Law of Grace Promiseth that no man shall be destroyed for them who disowneth them by true Repentance and taking a contrary course in obedience when he comes to Age. This is the sense of Ezek. 33. and 18. And so the guilt is cut off and the Child by the Covenant of Grace taken in with its Parents and so is looked on as in his immediate Parents and the sin of former Parents forgiven him though yet that guilt will return if when he comes to Age he ungratefully reject the mercy by renouncing the Covenant of Grace I do but propound this to Divines to consider For certainly if we prove all guilty of all our Parents Sins it is sad that the Church hath no better understood it and that we have none almost that ever bewailed
I intend not here to determine or meddle with 3. We anumerate Salvation that is Glorification to these intended effects of Christ's Death for his chosen this being the End of all the former and therefore we imply that Perseverance in Faith and a State of Justification was intended infallibly and certainly to be given them Tenthly Observe that we do not here enquire after the present immediate effects of Christ's Death as a satisfaction to Justice For I doubt not but the sins of the Non-Elect did lye upon him as the pro meritorious Cause of his Suffering as well as the sins of the Elect and consequently that he made Satisfaction for them to God and purchased them by his Blood Eleventh and Lastly Observe that in affirming this Infallible Immutable purpose of God to save his Elect and them only we do not deny his Purpose of giving Pardon and Life in Christ Conditionally to those that are not Elect For that which he hath done in Time he Purposed before Time and so did Christ at his Death But in Time he hath made such a general Conditional Grant or Gift of Christ and Life as is legible in the Gospel beyond all exceptions Ergo c. And therefore according to his Legislative Will antecedently God would have all men to be saved tho' consequently considering many as finally Impenitent Unbelievers he Wills as a Righteous Judge their Damnation Nor will I dispute whether as we ascribe a Volition to God as the cause of his Effectual Grace so we may ascribe a Velleity to him as Lud. Crocius and other of our Divines do as the cause of that Grace which proveth not-effectual in both speaking of him from the manner of man Upon this very cursory explication I proceed to prove the Thesis thus Argum. I. If Christ Died with a Special Intention to bring his chosen Infallibly to Believe and to give them Justification and Glorification on condition of believing then he died with a special Intention of bringing infallibly certain chosen persons to Faith Justification and Salvation But the Antecedent is true therefore so is the consequent That which we have to prove therefore is that he had a Special Intent to give Faith to some Infallibly and then there will be no more question of Justification and Glorification And that I prove thus Whatever Grace Christ giveth absolutely and infallibly that he purposed before to give absolutely and infallibly But Christ giveth the Grace of Faith and Repentance to his chosen and them only absolutely and infallibly Ergo c. By giving in this Argument I mean the actual Causation or Collation of faith it self and not merely a Legal giving a right to it of which anon The Major I think no sober Christian will deny For how can the Omniscient Immutable God be suddenly surprized with a new purpose which never came into his mind before our being Believers The Minor is proved 1. From the visible Event 2. From Scripture 1. We see undâ—niably that some men have Faith and others have not therefore we know that God giveth it absolutely and infallibly to those only Obj God gave it to all alike but the rest refused it Answ I. If that were true of God's Moral Civil way of giving yet it cannot be true of his Physical gift or operation which we now speak of for that giving is ever connexed with receiving As God never giveth a Soul to any Body nor health to any Sick man but those that receive them so he never thus gives Faith Repentance a New-heart to any but those that receive them Obj. He offereth Christ and Grace to believe in him to All and offering is conditional giving and he doth no more to any but on supposition of their Reception or performance of the Condition Answ I. It 's false that he actually offers Christ to all tho' as to the tenour of the Gift he doth which without the Promulgation which extends not to Millions of Heathens is no actual offer II. Much less or as little doth he offer them Faith III. It 's false that he doth no more but offer Faith conditionally to his chosen For he effecteth it absolutely To offer Conditionally is a Civil act and we are speaking of a Physical Causing This objection therefore flatly denieth that God is the Author of any man's Faith We therefore prove it out of Scripture Eph. 2. 8. By Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God The Expositors that are most against the Doctrine which I defend do confess that it is Faith and not Salvatiin only that is here called the Gift of God but they say God giveth it by giving the object Christ and the Gospel Answ That is somewhat towards the giving of Faith but that is not the giving of Faith if there be no more Do these men think that the unrenewed faculty hath need of no Grace but an object or perswasion from without to cause it to believe Many have the Gospel that have not Faith therefore God hath not caused such to believe 1 Pet. 1. 5. Who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation God's Power is exercised in keeping us in Faith as the means to Salvation the end And he that by his mighty Power keeps us in Faith no doubt did cause it 2 Pet. 1. 3. According as his Divine Power hath given to us all things that pertain to Life and Godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to Glory and Virtue If he give us all things pertaining to Life then he gives us Faith Obj. Faith is expresly excepted in the Words through the knowledge of him that hath called us that is through our own believing Answ I. It is distinguished from the rest as a Gift which is a means to the other gifts but not excepted II. Our following acts of Faith seem to be included in the All things here mentioned viz. Through our first believing God giveth us Christ the Spirit and all following Grace And if the following acts of Faith are the gifts of God then no doubt the first was so which was required of us when we were less able of our selves to perform it then when we are Sanctified Heb. 12. 2. Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our Faith Obj. That 's meant of the Doctrine of our belief and Objects of Faith the Christian Religion Answ I. Then to be the Finisher and to be the Author would be all one For as soon as Christ was the Author of Christian Doctrine he was the Finisher but not so about our own Faith II. If it were so yet may it be meant of Faith as it contains both even the whole work of our Christianity and Salvation Phil. 1. 29. For to you it is given on the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake From this Text Grotius himself confesseth that it is proved that Faith is the