founded in him but in the seed of the woman the Lord Jesus nor is Adams enmity with Satan and reconciliation with God there mentioned but only the womans and her seed partly exprest partly implied 3. All died as they sinned in Adam before this promise but the promise is not made of or to all mankinde who died vertually in him only of and to the woman is it spoken and her seed the principall whereof should be the redeemer and the rest of her seed the redeemed ones of the Lord between whom and the old Serpent Satan and his seed there should be irreconcilable enmity 4. If you would know who and who only and what number they are for whom if you speak of the certain individuals the Lamb was a ransome from the beginning you must wait till the Lambs book of life be opened of which we read Revel 13. 8. and 17. 8. where plainly you may learn That 1. He was not slain for any first or last but for such whose names are in his book 2. Comparing those Texts with Rev. 13. 3. there are a world of people whose names are not written in his book therefore not slain in the Arminian sense for all the world nor must this last place in Timothy nor any of the former be so understood We have now done with the Scriptures alleadged and abused by him and vindicated by us which I desire you to hold fast in the true sense not in a perverted interpretation these were his out-works which we have taken and possesse we them for the Truth Come we at length to batter down the enemies Forts and strong-holds of his carnall-reasonings and confident arguments Two Reasons and two Arguments were brought to prove his Doctrine That Christ gave himself for the whole world Now such as have studied Logick or artificiall reasoning know no difference between Reasons and Arguments for it they be Reasons and do not argue they are irrationall Reasons and if they be Arguments without reason they are unreasonable Arguments But to follow him in his own method and to deal with him at his own weapon If we have taken the Scriptures out of his mouth we shall not doubt but to take his weaponâ— of Reason and Argument out of his hand or leave him a bare Sceleton of reason without flesh or substance much lesse having any soul or life of faith or divine truth in his assertions And first of the two Reasons Reason 1. Reasons disproved The whole harmony of the Scriptures such as he had proved his point withall are they not enough and do they not sound all one way Answ 1. Call to minde every of those Scriptures but remember their sense as well as their sound He is a foolish man who thinkes as the bell tinks Nor yet do the Scriptures give an uncertain sound but in opening and examining of them with the context and scope and with other Scriptures you hear with one consent they speak not absolutely of Christs dying for all but of and for such an all and such a world as is the all and the whole world of believers elect Gods people his true Israel some of all sorts of people out of all Nations some 2. Search and consult with other Scriptures which neither he nor I have yet mention'd and you will be more fully convinc't that we have the truth with us and that this Doctrine of Christs dying for the whole bulk of men is another Gospel from that which Christ and his Apostles or we from them have ever preached I shall instance but in three places the first in Joh. 15. 10. Greater love hath no man then this that a man lay down his life for his friends and presently to shew whom he laid down his life for he addeth v. 11. Ye are my friends c. It is most true what the Apostle saith Rom. 5. 10. When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne But 1. What We meaneth he there Not all men but such as are justified by faith and have peace with God by faith v. 1. 2. Though the elect of God are enemies as considered in themselves and in their naturall estate yet being loved of God from eternity with the love of good pleasure they have a price laid down for them by Christs death to bring them under the love of friendship and when they do actually believe they are actually reconciled and of enemies are made friends so that Christ laid down his life for such as were in Gods choice and love his friends and by Christs death and the fruits of it brought into a state of actuall friendship A second follows John 10. 15. And I lay down my life for the sheep whom in the verse precedent he had called his sheep See here I beseech you ye that love the truth and love not to be seduced though that is a weak property of sheep to wander yet if you be Christs sheep hear the voice of the good shepherd and not of strangers for whom doth Christ himself say that he died he best knows and is only able to resolve this doubt why if you will believe him who is truth it self I lay down my life for my sheep he doth not say for goats at all but for the sheep behold and hearken after the harmony 'tween this and the fore-alleadged Scriptures certainly where Christ or his Apostles speak in larger tearms of all and world and whole world must not these tearms be limited to Christs sheep It was a subtill counsel your new Lecturer gave you that other Scriptures which he cited in the second place as but favouring his opinion should be expounded by the positive Scriptures but be you as wise as he was subtle and learn to reduce all his positive Scriptures which yet had Synecdoches in them of the whole for a part or of the generall for the speciall to and by this main Position of our Lord a fundamentall truth Let this be first laid down I lay down my life for my sheep and whosoever shall after so plain a foundation laid by Christ himself in his Word and by his Spirit in your hearts teach universall Redemption or Christs dying for the bulk of mankinde tell him he doth nothing else but build hay and stubble upon the foundation nay he doth yet more wickedly even lay another foundation with Christ or besides his purpose A third and last is in these words Ioh. 17. 19. For their sakes I sanctifie my self Christs sanctifying himself is his preparation for death setting himself apart to die for whom for their sakes his eleven Apostles not Iudas v. 12. and for those which should and shall believe on him through the Apostles doctrine this is not for the sake of all men that he so much as prepares to die much lesse that he died for them for whom he fitted not himself to die in their behalf So as you see to make up the harmony and consent
8. 10. his soul and spirit is void of the life of God and of the sense of Gods love he is under the power and regiment of sinne and Satan disabled to all spirituall good This spirituall death is the harbinger of eternall death to him an hell upon earth it was when God arraigned him he had no other I conceive then the sentence of death and hell in his conscience till the promise comes Gen. 3. 15. but observe it before that promise is revealed God is just and patient also just in bringing the degrees and pains of death upon Adam patient in forbearing the immediate and full execution even as God was and is just to the Angels that sinned 2 Pet. 2. 4. yet patient in that he reserveth them to a further judgement and gives them not all their torment before their time Math. 8. 29. and yet this patience is exercised to devils without a purchase or death of a Mediatour so God might deferre from Adam and doth from his posterity keep off judgement though not in and for Christ quâ Mediator And what though Gods dispensations towards Angels is not a rule in all cases for us to collect his transaction about man fallen and his dispensations towards him yet in this case the Apostle b 2 Pet. 2. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 9. makes a clear inference If God spared not them but reserveth them unto judgement he knoweth v. 9. how to reserve the unjust to the day of judgement the same verb being used in ver 4 and 9. for reserving in the Passive and Active voice where he speaks of Angels and men as coming from the same act of Gods just patience and patient-justice And though we know not how this should be he knoweth how to be just and patient too how to be patient in wrath and justice Rom. 9. 22. and how to be just in his patience 2. The threatning Gen. 2. 17. against Adam and all men sinning in him is not taken off by the promise Gen. 3. 15. which is only to the woman and her seed nay that is a threatning too in reference to the Serpent and his seed which are not only evil Angels but wicked reprobates amongst men and that which is threatned is irreconcilable enmity with and conquest over Satan and all his serpentine brood which necessarily infers death and damnation to them as to himself it were strange then if vertually in and for Christ patience should be afforded to Adam and all in him before the promise is actually promulged when at and in the actuall promulgation here is nothing but wrath and enmity between the woman and the serpent Christ and the devil the devils brood and the generation of the righteous true Adam stands by trembling and hears this but if he gets any peace or patience or pardon of his first sinne 't is a personall favour only for himself not to descend upon all his posterity but such as should be the womans seed from their interest in a second Adam Christ Jesus not from any relation to him as the first Adam All therefore who are yet but in the first Adam and as branches of that root are under the sentence of death for that first sinne Christ hath not obtained pardon nor patience that I know for them one moment 3. No man denieth but all was forfeited upon Adam's fall his very life and all creature-comfort and subsistence but God takes not the forfeit for when Christ the promised seed steps in for that part of mankinde who are with Christ the seed of the woman the elect of God the patience mercy and bounty of God steps in for the rest of mankinde even the seed of the serpent and reprobates with whom yet he will carry on a Covenant of works and justice the foundation of which covenant Christ cannot be as Mediatour for then he should be the foundation of two Covenants contradistinct works and grace no a Reprieve only comes forth for them yet under and ever to be under a Covenant of works and justice this is no Redemption 4. This Reprieve is but for a very short time to many not at all to some of the serpents seed who being conceived in the guilt of the first sinne are stifled at first conception â—â— or being born in that guilt and the corruption of nature succeeding in the room of Gods image dead in sinnes and trespasses die corporally the day they are born or soon after in tender infancy and in their immortall souls die eternally as the children of the Sodomites then in the womb or newly crept out who with their parents or fathers of fornication an unclean diabolicall brood Jude v. 7. are suffering the vengeance of eternall fire Others live out their time allotted them in just-patience but are accursed in life and death Isa 65 20. And die as e Morte morieris Hebraismus est qua verboruÌ„ reduplicatione vehementia certitudo significatur morie morieris i. c. certissimè morieris Paulus Fagius in Gen. 2. 17. certainly step by step as they that drop into hell out of their mothers womb And as malefactours who are but reprieved not redeemed and pardoned stay they never so long in Gaole yet they die the death or doe most surely suffer death at the day of full execution being dead men in law long before 5. What Christ the Sonne of God doth in this reprieve of the serpents seed as indeed he doth all that is done 't is as he is God and Lord of all in the Kingdom of his Power which he makes subservient to the Kingdom of his Grace for the saving benefit of the heirs of grace and glory As some great Lord intending to redeem one captive among and out of many prisoners in his fathers great house that he might marry her and make her his beloved Spouse and for whom he laies down a ransome to his father out of his generous and noble disposition common to him and his father also as a Lord and great Prince not as Husband or Bridegroom should throw away little and great summes of money with sutes of cloth upon the common prisoners and appoint them relief out of a common Almes-basket all to this end that these common prisoners might doe some service in the great family for his Spouses advantage So the Lord God and our Lord Iesus Christ so stiled Iude v. 4. being the only Lord God to all men and the Lord Iesus Christ but to a few he comes in the first promise and in the old Prophecies types and shadows and in the fulnesse of time in the substance of our nature among a world of Captives to wooe his Church his â—pouse and Bride to redeem and save her and her only by the ransome of his bloud paid down to his Fathers justice and out of his naturall pity and bounty being God and the Son of God and Lord of all like himself and his greatnesse he casts away life and health
and ineffectually called but as called and that effectually and according to purpose And so this Heretick is forc't being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 convinc't and condemn'd in himself as I gather by this Use to apply his comfort to the elect alone and to that end quoted the 2. of Col. 2. The Apostles praier for them that they might have the full assurance of understanding which he interpreted to be That they might see their particular assurance of life in a generall promise and not their generall assurance in a particular promise for we desire no more then a particular and personall assurance in and from a generall promise such as Pauls 1. Tim. 1. 15. and yet this generall is not so universall as that Christ died for all the world of men But not hurting us in all this Use of Comfort hitherto at last he thought he would strike home and wound us deeply with this blow A man may preach seven years of particular Redemption and not comfort a distressed conscience to which I say two things 1. What means he by a distressed conscience a childe of light walking in darknesse or a childe of darknesse blowing up the sparks of his own fire-sticks but almost smothered and stifled with the smoke thereof 2. We preach a choice and speciall Redemption in a generall offer to what sinner soever that is distressed and will be directed As Paul Believe and thou shalt be saved and Act. 16. immediately the Jailor is comforted he staied not seven years for it His third Use was To teach us abundance of love to Examination of his third Uâ—e Christ Answ I demand whom he means by us if the people of God and the elect and believers how is this a direct inference from Christs buying the whole world if all men be meant by us how shall they love who doe not believe but if he understood Gods peculiar people because he mention'd the Spouse afterwards no wonder her love is so carried after her espoused husband Christ let him know that the hearts of the Saints are touched and taken with the speciall love of Christ it is that which constrains them to love him in a speciall manner and that the more abundantly because they know in part and shall yet further know Christ died for them not only out of a generall love which he bears to mans nature but out of a speciall and singular love which he bears to their persons and to theirs onely Thus have we followed his Counsell to search the Scriptures and we finde them of weight for speciall Redemption and love but weighing the man and his Doctrine and Uses too of universall Redemption we have found them too light Let me but adde a few Arguments as Antidotes against the poyson which some of you may have suck't in of late and preservatives from the infection of this hereticall tenet of Christs buying the world of men and dying for them all and we have done with the Anasceuastique part of our discourse which tends to the weakning ruine and destruction Antidotes or Counter poison of so grand an errour First Gods Attributes are hereby wronged and scandalized as 1. Gods power is called into Question as if a generall benefit were merited by Christ which by reason of mans wickednesse he cannot apply 2. His wisdome is eclipsed for it puts upon him such an intention as yet by proper and direct means he attains not unto 3. His justice is rendered unjust for he receiveth a full satisfaction of his Sonne for all men and yet neither first nor last receiveth them into the favour of communion and friendship 4. His highest love is undervalued for it holds forth Gods love to give his Sonne but not so as to give them faith for whom he gave his Sonne and it speaks of Christs sweating and dying for them whom yet he lets die and perish in their sins Secondly If he died for all then he died in their stead and as their surety he discharged the whole debt and so it is not only unjust but impossible that any should perish here the Remonstrants Arminians so calling themselves at the Hague conference had a subtle distinction of Christs dying Non loco vice omnium not in the room and stead of all sed bono tantum but for their good only whereas the Scriptures which own not such a distinction hold out Christ as dying in the room and stead of sinners that they might not die eternally but live for ever so is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 5. 6. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so rendered Philem. v. 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that in tâ—y stead in another case and about the Question in hand the word in 1 Tim. 2. 6 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransome in the room and stead of all or pro onnis ordinis electis which compared with Mat 20 28. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for many and but for many indivduals or in stead of many singulars chosen of God one choice-singular-Jesus suffered 1 Pet. 3. 18. and other places to be understood Christ died for the wicked that is in their stead The just in the room of the unjust The good the all or any of the benefits that comes from Christs death floweth from this that he suffered in the room of those who have that good and benefit by his death and if as themselves acknowledge he died not in the room and stead of all they weave but a spiders web to say it was for their good how can the surety do the debtour any good if he neither be bound in his stead nor paies the debt in his room Thirdly If he died for all he rose again for all ascended sits at Gods right-hand and makes intercession for all for the Scriptures joyn his death and resurrection together Rom. 4. ult and his death ascension sitting interceding with the Father all together Rom. 8. 34. and more particularly with his intercession 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. and if so that he riseth ascendeth sits and pleads for all he is either heard or not heard for all if heard for all then all must be saved if not heard for all then Christ intercedeth in vain and the Father doth not hear him alwaies crosse to Scripture Joh. 11. 42. Fourthly This loose opinion puts all that hold it upon such distinctions as have no ground from Scripture but are contrary to it as 1. That but even now named or refuted of loco and bono not in stead of all but for the good of all 2. That of impetration and application which the Gospel holds forth as inseparable acts of Christs mediation to whom Christs death is or shall be applied for them he obtained remission of sinnes and for whom he did impetrate to them he applieth Isa 53. 11. Joh. 10. 15 28. Heb. 9. 12 15. Yea the Apostle inferreth
service by Christs over-ruling power and for their advantage and yet not death it self but that service and advantage which death brings to them is purchased So not the wicked and the reprobate of the world but the benefit which the truly-godly have by them comes within the purchase And as for any benefit which the wicked have themselves by life or in life riches honour c. 1. It is a benefit in it self to live c. but not to them but as they make the better use of it 2. What is beneficiall to them comes in as we have shewed by a legall-Reprieve wherein there is justice all along predominantly mixed with mercy and patience and shier judgement or most just execution intended at the last not by a Gospel-Redemption which holds out every where especially in our times of the new Testament pure compleat free mercy and grace in Christ and brings in the accomplishment of an absolute free Covenant made with Christ for the free effectuall compleat salvation of all and onely God's chosen who being his chosen are his only redeemed ones his only espoused ones his reconciled ones his adopted ones his sanctified ones his glorified ones k Ephes 1. 6. To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath accepted them in his beloved I Had thought here to have taken breath espying no enemy in the field but presently there meets me * Paulus Testardus de Natura Gratia a Champion Authour one who is for peace and sweet harmony of truth and hath happily cleared it in many particulars yet in this controversie of universall Redemption his musick jars and he holds up the weapons of an unhappy warre and thinkes to carry all before him because he is not point blanke of Arminius judgement in the stating of the Question For a Thes 95. he maintaineth that Christ died for all and every singular but he will not assert that he died aequè or alike for every one Christ died b The 78. he saith for all to prepare â—n apt and sufficient remedy and for the elect to apply to them what he had prepared for all Nor did he die c The 95. only that God might enter a Covenant with mankinde upon any condition but that he might most surely covenant with Christ the Surety under the condition of the Elects uniting and growing up by faith in him nor that salvation might only be possible for all but certain for some a seed to whom Christs bloud should be applied so as all are redeemed but not alike redeemed Christ died pro omnibus singulis that every one might be redeemed from the necessity of perishing for the infringed legall-covenant of nature in Adam and the want of satisfaction c. And that some certain ones beloved in Gods good pleasure above the rest might be actually freed c. still for more d The. 81. then for the sheep of Christ he would have Christ to die out of a more generall intention which he endeavours e The. 81 82 84 86 87. to prove from the generall expression world Joh. 3. 16. from the Parable of the Feast Math. 22. from 1 Tim. 2. 6. 2 Pet. 2. 1. 1 Joh. 2. 2. to all which places alleadged and improved by Samuel Oates we have given our answer * In the SermoÌ„s long before Paulus Testardus came to our view what he writes in this case and how much wiser and more foundly he hath improved those Scriptures and what greater strength there is in his Arguments I shall leave to the full examen and censure of able judgemâ—nts and learned Pens But may I passe my vote without offence of the weak or strong it is this Amicus Testardus in his pursuit of peace and truth and in many excellent notions and harmonicall notes of free effectuall grace c. but in this plea Magis amica veritas for while he pleadeth that Christs death is for all and every singular he doth as I understand the Scripture and him nec sibi nec Scripturae constare neither agree with himself nor the Scripture And first to shew how inconsistent his Tenet is with Scripture Testardus tenetâ— inconsistent or that which will not stand with Scripture he neither doth nor can maintain it without the Assertion of such a generall intention such a generall Covenant such an universall call and such universall Grace as have no footing in all the book of God First For his generall intention I conceive it is not the 1. Not generall intention Inteâ—â—ere proprie est velle per aliquiâ— aâ— aliud pervenire Amesius Scripture intention upon these grounds 1. All the intention of Christs death which the Scripture holds forth is a proper and single intention by such a medium or mean to come to such an end viz. by Christs death wherein mankinde or the nature of man is made salvabilis to save some or many and bring them to perfect grace in glory this was the Fathers single and sole end Heb. 2. 10. And this was Christs Joh. 17. 19. Testardus f The 80. renders this intention double by making it common to all and every singular and yet speciall to and for the elect 2. The Scripture intention is absolute and strong for the justification and life of all those for whom Christ was sent and for whom he died 1 Joh. 4. 9. In this was manifested c. that we might live through him not a naturall but spirituall life of justification sanctification and glory Testardus g The. 102. makes it partly absolute partly conditionall a very weak intention in effect and irrationall if Christs death should be for those who never have a will to apply it to themselves nor that Christ meaneth to apply it unto 3. The Scripture intention is so successefull as to be satisfactory to the Father and the Sonne Isa 53. 10 11. The pleasure of the Lord about Christs death shall prosper in his sonnes hand He the Lord Jesus shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied Yea and to the som that hearkens after the Gospel-intention as well as invitation Isa 55. 2. 't is and shall be bread and marrow and fatnesse But Testardus generall intention is not satisfying to God himself and the Father or Christ unlesse God and Christ be satisfied when they complain and he h Ibid brings them in complaining Isa 5. 4. Math. 23. 37. for all this generall intention And if God complains and Christ mourneth this common intention will not settle the conscience Conscience will not be satisfied but with what God is satisfied When a poor soul hears that Christ died for all by a generall intention to prepare a remedy for all and or the elect by a speciall intention to justifie and save them he hath a stumbling block laid before him to reason thus I know not whether I be of the number of them that Christ more