fellow-creatures with all which their minds and consciences yea their lives and conversations become defiled and as many of these as â—â—ke notice of the goodness of God entertain the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world embrace the counsel of God apply the blood of the Lamb believe on the Lord Jesus and take heed to their waies according to his word these are led to repentance or a change come to see the sinfulness of sin turn from it have their consciences purged from dead works and their waies cleansed so that at length they come to be holy in heart and all manner of conversation and so are partakers of that special sanctification which I am here treating of viz. by the Word and Spirit For the declaring of this more fully I shall lay down this Querie What is the reason that men dye in their sins and are not purged from their filthiness If I should as many do say that it was Gods appointment he so ordain'd it or that God did not shew them his light of truth or that he did not do this really or that he did not give them ability to receive it as it was manifested and so follow it or else for that he gave not his Son to dye for them neither was it his will that they should repent and be sanctified but that they should dye in disobedience and so be damn'd Sure If I should say thus all good men would abhor me for such speeches and well they might yet these are the tenents and sayings of those men against whose opinions I have appeared and surely I judge that as a man said to Joab in another case I may positively conclude in this that themselvs would set themselves against me if I should go about and preach that God did appoint men to disobedience and to sin and not willing that all should come to repentance but that some men even as they are men should despise the riches of his grace and perish These hard speeches I have heard some men to utter Others are more moderate that God did onely leave men to themselves Whereto I say first that God never left any man in that state whereunto Adam brought them for he brought them to the earth and was not able to shew them any means of grace or so much as a resurrection from the grave but God left not any man there but afforded them such manifestations of his love as will leave all inexcuseable before God Secondly I Answer That God did never nor ever will forsake any poor creature till they reject him 2 Chron. 15. 2. But more of this elsewhere onely I add this that when men have and still do refuse God he leaves them and will have nothing to do with them This may suffice for evidence to this truth that it is not because God would have it so that men are still polluted in their conversations and unsanctified in their lives But as you shall hear in the next place it is because they believe not Joh. 8. 24. I said therefore unto you that you shall dye in your sins for if yee believe not that I am he ye shall dye in your sins Secondly Because they will not be purged Ezek. 24. 13. Because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more till I have made my fury to rest upon thee Thirdly Because they receive not the word into their hearts neither take heed to their waies according to it Psal 119. 9 and 11. And if any shall alleadge that when God comes to sanctifie a soul he will do it by an unresistible power I answer There 's neither promise or example of such a thing and they who so affirme make themselves wise above what is written 'T is true there are many works which the Lord doth absolutely of himself without calling for the creatures duty in any respects as in the Creation Redemption and Salvation of mankinde from that misery that Adam brought them so as in and under that free universal and unlimitted consideration which I have spoken of so when God will destroy his enemies none shall deliver out of his hands he will work and none can let it Isa 43. 13. and there are many works which he will bring to pass conditionally as the redemption justification sanctification c. of creatures from their own sins and these he will effect upon receiving and believing the truth as I have also shew'd you in the treating of these things under that special consideration which I have presented to you and as you have heard from Act. 10. 34. Acts 13. 39. and many other places in which you may see that the Lords work and the duty or endeavour of his creatures by him furnished with ability to do what he requires must and ever did go together God purifies the heart by faith see Act. 15. 9. God it is that purifies the creatures duty is to believe The Lord doth and will ever work according to the counsel of his owne will which also he hath revealed in his word and he hath sanctifi'd us from the first offence by his Sons blood which otherwise would have caused our eternal banishment from the Lord yet will not sanctifie us from our vain courses but through belief of the truth which cleanseth the souls that receive it in the love of it for when a poor creature who long hath serv'd sin and Satan comes to know the love of God in Christ and believe it his heart is so purified and his conversation cleansed that he cannot indure sin but hates every false way denies ungodliness and worldly lusts and lives soberly righteously and godly in this present world And thus having treated of Sanctification also under a twofold consideration I shall by the gratious assistance of God next speak something of Vocation which is the call of God or God's calling of his poor creatures to believe in the light which he gives them and leave off their sins it is his inviting or perswading men to do well the stretching out of his hands as it were to beseech men to come to him i. e. to conform to his light or revealed will And this is Universal for as he chose or appointed created deliver'd justified and sanctified mankinde to seek and serve him so he calleth all men everywhere to know him obey him and glorifie him according to that power or ability that he hath given them or the light or commands which he holds forth to them He calleth the Stubborn and rebellious Isa 65. 2. the refusers Prov. 1. 24. them that perish and put from them the word of God and eternal life Act. 13. 41 46. such as spend mony for that which is not bread and their labour for that which satisfieth not who thirst after unprofitable things Isa 55. 1. Hoâ— every one that thirsteth come and the Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that
according to their demands for to expound them by their corrupt glosses and theâ— also great would be the company of the publishers of the Gospell for the love of God would so fill their hearts as with new wine that they could not but declare what God hath done for their souls and this would make false teachers fill'd with the wisdome of this world fret when the mysteries of the love of God should be revealed to and by Babes in the Gospell 3. Self is much an enemy to it for most men yea all those many thousands which now own this truth of Christs dying for all do well know that not only Satan and false Teachers did secretly and openly incite them against it but their own heart corrupt through custome in fin did rise against it and that for this reason If they should acknowledge that Christ died for all and that God through him hath appointed and enabled them to do his will then they should have no liberty or leisure to linger and loiter in fin but they must appear in love to Jesus Christ to be doing his work which he calls them to there must be no sleeping nor slumbring nor folding their hands to sleep but up and be doing and as in the bodily so in this spirituall labour the creature deluded by Satan cannot endure to do his duty which the Gospell calls for and this self I mean self-love self-will self-interests and ends c. till it be subdued by the appearing and receiving the light from the Lord cannot endure to hear that there is any possibility of falling from the favour of God for this would be a mighty check to their pleasure profit and delight they have in sin fain would self even the fleshly mind root out all such thoughts that it may feed it self with lusts and take its ful swindge in sin without controule And whatever specious pretences men may cover their conceits with and cry out against this Doctrine as uncomfortable c. yet the Serpents head lies hid beneath them who prompts them to decry it that so he may keep them from that godly feare and trembling with which they ought to work our their owne salvation I know we must serve God without fear of displeasing men by obeying him and without fear of his deceiving of us of any thing he haâ—â— promised yet continually fearing to offend him who loved us and fearing lest we should come short of what is promised through our own unbelief The Apostle Paul was as eminent a Saint as most yet he kept his body in subjection lest by any means when he had preached to others he himself should be a east-away In a word if this Doctrine should be faithfully published it would wonderfully draw out mens soules after Christ drive out the power of sin carry forth mens Spirits to propagate the Gospell hurle down the Kingdome of Satan and Antichrist by the mighty increase of knowledge faith and love advance holinesse sobriety and righteousnesse stir up men to diligence godly fear and watchfullnesse at least leave men without any encouragement to live in sin one moment take away all those Cob-web cloaks with which men palliate their impieties remove all excuses and even force men to confesse their destruction is of themselves and therefore is it oppos'd by Satan selfe and false teachers who would all suffer losse by the fire of Gods Word if their deceits and doctrines come to be discovered by the glorious light of these truths which men call heresie and erroneous opinions I am not unacquainted with the tossings and torments of mind which they are subject to that hold the doctrines contrary to these in the foregoing treatise insisted on their dejections of spirit and dubiousnesse of heart one while even drownes them in black despair another while their foundationlesse faith and groundlesse confidence through the exceeding subtilty of Satan makes them to dare to adventure upon a sin upon this score that if they are elected they cannot hereby fall finally and if they are not it will not be any impairing of their irrecoverable hopelesse condition I know Satan will provoke men to fret exceedingly against these things with the highest risings and liftings up of spirit But it being my owne experience in former times and of hundreds who have communicated theirs with mine since the daies of their conversion I cannot neither will I conceal the counsells and cunning of so great an enemy but speak truth to his yea to my own shame neither am I ignorant of the strong consolation in obedience the strength against temptations the heedfull diligence care and watchfullnesse against sin which they are possest with who knowingly and cordially hold and lay to heart that Christ died for all for thereby they are so sure that he died for them that it 's a hard matter for the devill and world to drive his love out of their hearts and draw them into disobedience but they that hold the contrary call the truth of many and so at length of all the Scriptures into question as the Shropshire Ministers confesse pagâ— 1. of their namelesse paper And I am confident that as the Lord hath so he will blesse this Doctrine with those that professe it and practise that holinesse righteousnesse and sobriety which that grace of God which â—ringeth salvation to all men teacheth and by his owne Spirit not the word and arme of flesh will signally appeare to the overturning of that great mountain of false doctrine that hath kept poore creatures from beholding the face of the Son of righteousnesse in the truth of the Gospell and that they who say Christ did not die for all so giving the lye to the Spirit of God and that God did absolutely appoint the greatest part of men to be disobedient not giving them ability to do what he requires and yet will damne them for not doing it that God commands men to do that which he will work in them by an irresistable power and to make as though God contradicts himselfe that the Lord that bought false Teachers was not Christ c. shall be convinced or covered with the cloak of confusion For my part if any maligne me for the puâ—â—ishing of this plaine downe-right discourse I desire the Lord to forgive them and turne their hearts and yet graciously wait to manifest to them that precâ—ous â—râ—th which they oppose that by it they may be comfoâ—ted and established in their minds encouraged to take up the Crosse of Jesus and follow him in all Gospell-obedience I desire no lesse for the greatest of my Adversaries then that they may come out of Babilon the false Church and worship one God in spirit and truth amongst such as keep the commands of Jesus as he hath given them out to us by his Spirit in the word of truth that so we may walk in the light of the Lord whilest we are here and being accounted worthy to escape all those things which shall come upon this Generation may hereafter sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the everlasting Kingdome of God our Saviour Amen FINIS * Master Trough p. 1. Isa 28. 21. Isa 29. 14. Job 38. 2 13 7. * Cap. Ever Sam. Oates Benj. Morley Mr. Prior Wil. Kendal Re. Fâ—ilding c. Mr. Troug in his Introduct pag. 1. M. James Wood. M. James Wood. M. James Wood. M. James Wood. M. Powel M. Wood others M. Powel Ma. Butler of Col Berye's Regim Mr. Rutherford Mr. Prideaux Mr. Rutherford M. Prideaux Mr. Rutherford Mr. Resbury M. Wood. Mr. Tro. Mr. Wood. Mr. J. T. Mr. Wood Mr. J. T. Mr. Wood M. Grant M. Tro. M. Wood. M. Wood. M. Tro. M. Tro. M. Wood. M. Tro. M. Wood. M. Tro. and M. Jam. Wood. M. Tro. and M. Ia. Wood. M. Tro. and M. Ia. Wood. M. Syd Simpson A. M. M. Tro. M. Tro. M. Wood. M. Batty c. The Shropshire Ministers M. John Symson Simil. Mr. Deiamain Mr. Powel Simil. M. Trough Argument M. Trough Simil. M. Trough Conclusion M. Resbâ—ry M. Owen M. Rutherford M. Staltham Doct. 1. Doct. 2. Doct. 3.
or the light set up in their hearts by the Lord did accuse them and present to their understandings the anger and displeasure of God and speak wrath to them even as it did and still doth to others so that as the Law worketh wrath Rom. 4. 15. to them that transgress it so nature worketh wrath to those that do things against her and maketh their consciences to accuse them Rom. 2. 15 16. yea doth not your own experience tell you that when you do evil there is a light within that discovers it into you yea that chides and checks you yea that terrifies you and flasheth wrath in your faces this is nature and when you find it is thus with you Know that ye are by nature children of wrath Thus you see how the first text which they produce to prove that all men were condemn'd to the second death for Adam's sin called the one offence speaks no such thing The second text which I have heard alleadged for their opinion is Rom. 6. 23. For the wages of sin is death whence I and others have concluded but very absurdly That for Adams one offence he and all his posterity were adjudg'd to the second death But consider what is written in the 16 verse As ye have yeelded your members servants to unrighteousness and in the 21 verse What fruit had ye of those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is death and then let any sober soul that is not wise above what is written judge whether the Apostle doth in the least mind the Romans of Adam's offence or whether he doth not wholly treat of the sin done in their own bodies and thence conclude that the wages of sin is death and implies that if they had gone on in such sins they should have had eternal death their wages Object But if it be yet objected that the wages of any sin is death Answ I grant it But the wages of any sin is not every kind of death for by Adam's offence comes the first death or mortality over all for Adam by his offence becoming mortal could not beget an immortal creature for he begat a son in his own likeness Gen. 5. 3. mortal mutable and the sins which men commit against that gracious God who giveth life and breath and all things through his Son not confessed and forsaken bring the second death So you see also how this text of eternal truth wrested of men and forced to speak what they would have it doth not prove what they affirm viz. That Adam and all mankind were for his own offence condemn'd to the lake of fire and brimstone which is the second death but speaketh wholly of that which we usually call actual sins The third and last text which hath been alleadged for this conceit is Rom. 5. 18. As by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one came the free gift upon all men to the justification of life Whence they conclude as I have done in the dayes of ignorance That Adam and all his sons and daughters that ever were are or shall be for the eating of the forbidden fruit were condemned to the lake of fire c. but very falsly as you shall soon see for 1. If condemnation here be to the second death and justification of life endless glory as they say it is then none shall be damned at the appearing of Jesus Christ for the text says As by the offence of one c. condemnation even so by the righteousness of one c. life But to avoyd this they have devised this shift That though all men in the former part of the verse signifies the whole lump of mankind yet all in the latter part of the verse intends only some of them But how they found out this witty speculation I do not know for-the words are plain and clear as the Sun in the brightest noon-day As by the offence of one All men to condemnation even so c. all men to the justification of life I judge therefore that the ground of their mistake is the same which once was the cause of mine in this point even the want of skill rightly to divide the word of truth and to distinguish between Justification by blood and justification through faith and betwixt the life that now is and that which is to come as I shall plainly demonstrate when I come to treat of justification according to the Scriptures and as I have before promised In the mean space I confess I cannot but admire how I was and some yet are so besotted as to say that All in one part of the text is shorter then in the other when the Spirit of God says even so c. Surely to make that odde I mean longer or shorter which God hath made even to add to or diminish from his word is dangerous presumption What I understand by this Scripture I shall therefore breifly lay before you thus As by Adams offence all men were condemn'd to dye so by Jesus Christ being justified from that offence they do all live and shall rise againe from the grave and this agreeth with other Scriptures Col. 1. 17. By him all things consist compared with 1 John 4. 9. 1 Cor. 15. 21 22. For since by man came death by man came the resurrection of the dead for as in Adam all dye even so by Christ shall all be made alive Rom. 5. 19. As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous by which I understand that many even all mankinde were made sinners by the imputation of Adams sin and by Christ's obedience even to death on the Cross Phil. 2. 8. many even all mankinde were made righteous i. e. cleared and acquitted from that which was imputed to them in Adam and this shall be testified in due time when all men shall rise again from the dust freed from their sin and stand before the Lord to give an account for the things done in their own bodies I do believe that if we had not had a Ransome the whole lump of mankinde had perished for ever in the first death But there is not one text of Scripture that speaks any thing of punishment in the second death for Adam's fault men may endeavour to prove such a thing by dark consequences but there can be found no plain text or sound reason for it for first of all God did not threaten it Gen. 2. 17. speaking thus In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die or dying thou shalt die Secondly God when he came to give sentence upon disobedient Adam makes no mention of it certainly he pronounced that judgement which he threatned Gen. 3. 17. to the 19. onely thus Because thou hast hearkned to the voice of thy wife and hast eaten c. dust thou art and to dust thou shalt
God hath given to his Son to give to whom he will and he will give it to such as hear his voice and follow him so that it is plain to me and many thousands more that there was before time an election or appointment of all men to the means of grace and also of such as in time do believe through the Spirit to everlasting glory Object But faith is the gift of God and men cannot believe except God give Faith Answ In this poor souls lye sadly in the dark because their Teachers have not rightly divided the word of truth to them That I may therefore shew you how faith is the gift of God I must desire you to consider that faith is taken chiefly two wayes in the Scripture First For the doctrine of Christ the Gospel so 't is taken Jud. 3. ver Contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints so t is taken Gal. 1. 23. so also Gal. 3. 23. Before faith came we were kept under the Law shut up unto the Faith that was afterwards to be reveal'd Rom. 10. 8. the Apostle speaking of the Gospel sayes This is the word of Faith So it is taken Eph. 2. 8. By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works c. As if he had say'd Our salvation is not by the Law of works but by the Gospel which is the gift of God and is called the Gospel of our salvation Eph. 1. 13. and salvation Act. 28. 28. God hath given three great gifts to men Christ Faith and Life and these three are as fully and freely the Gifts of God one as the other onely by faith so taken as a gift I understand the truth or Gospel of God Secondly Faith is taken for the duty of believing as Heb. 11. throughout Rom. 10. 17. Jam. 3. 2. with many other places and it imports the act of the creature enabled by the Lord to believe Obj. Is it not said To you it is given on the behalf of Christ not onely to believe but also to suffer for his sake Answ I know God doth give or grant men to believe and suffer he gives the power or ability to believe or suffer or else it were impossible that men should do either all our sufficiency is of God he gives the object of Faith Christ or the Word of Truth and he gives power or ability to believe this truth But to say that God gives the duty or act of faith is not common sense for that were all one as to say that God believes and obeys for he that acts a thing is said to do it and he that acts faith is the believer He worketh in his creatures to will and to do and then it 's their duty to work out their salvation with fear c. not with fear lest God should fail them but lest they should come short c. For the fuller discovery of this consider seriously what is said Isai 43. 9 10. Let all the nations be gathered together let all the people be assembled who amongst them can declare this and shew us former things let them bring for their witnesses that they may be justified or let them hear and say It is truth Ye are my witnesses saith the Lord and my servant whom I have chosen that ye MAY know and believe me and understand that I am he Before me there was no God formed neither shall there be after me Whence I see first when men hear truth they may and must acknowledge it Secondly that all Nations may know and believe God and that there is none but he c. Thirdly that all people are and shall be witnesses against themselves and Christ is and shall be witness that they MAY know and believe God and indeed nothing hinders men from doing these things but self-will the Devil and false Teachers who say that God hath not given all men ability and understanding to know and believe God and people are very glad of such doctrine that they may lye in their sins and yet lay the fault upon God and say that he doth not give them power to do what he requires of them and if he would give them more grace then they would do better and so blessing themseves in their hearts go on in their wickedness hoping to finde an excuse in the last day that God was wanting to them contrary to Isa 5. 4. where the Lord enquires What could have been done more to his Vineyard which he had not done for it to which Mr. Troughton and the rest which hold such principles might reply that God might have done more for he might have brought forth good grapes for them or force them to bring forth good grapes by an unresistable power which he never did nor ever will though poor ignorant creatures have so taught and believed contrary to Rom. 1. 19 20. and chap. 2. 15 16. where it's clear that God hath furnished every man with so much means for the knowledge and obeying of him as will leave them without excuse which is granted by all Object But say they though it may leave them without excuse yet it may not be sufficient to salvation Answ This is most unbeseeming the mouth of a sober man for if the means of grace extended by the Lord to men be sufficient for the glorifying of him it is not too little for the glorifying of them Againe those means which men afford their servants for the doing of their work will not leave them without excuse if not sufficient to effect that which is expected from them through those means and will men still make God an austere master reaping where he did not sow God forbid He was called a wicked and slethful servant Mat. 25. 26 27. that taxed the most High with such dealings And the hard speeches of men who say that God expects more from men then he gives them ability to do and that he will punish them with eternal damnation to whom he gives not means sufficient to salvation will one day be rewarded as that servant was Matth. 25. 28 30. if they repent not Shall not the judge of all the earth do right Gen. 18. 25. I beseech the Reader to weigh well that which the Spirit of God speaks Job 34. 23. for he will not lay upon man more then right that should enter into judgement with God Surely if all men shall be left without excuse it shall be by having sufficient means for the doing of that which God expected from them in their generation and for not doing whereof they shall be damn'd Read Matth. 25. 45 46. and 2 Thes 1. 8. chap. 2. 10. 11 12. But if they had not what was sufficient for enabling them to know God and believe the truth unto salvation they will have an excuse viz. that now they must be damn'd but it is because God gave them not sufficient means to know him and believe his
truth that so they might be saved but let God be true and every man a lyar all such mouths shall be stopt and God shall be clear when he judgeth Psal 51. 4. Object But all have not the truth held forth to them may some say Answ First Though all men have not the same measure of light or truth manifested to them or in the same manner yet they have so much light of truth as God hath appointed them to follow for not following which they shall be condemn'd Joh. 3. 19. Secondly let us consider that by light which I here speak of I understand the law written in the heart which when men do evil speaks truth to them telling them it is evil and accuseth them for it and again discovereth unto them the goodness of God yea when they do well it assureth their hearts of it praiseth them for it and in this speaketh truth which light or law if men believed shunning that which it shewes to be evil and practising that which it declareth to be good they having no other teachings from God here their consciences would excuse them in the day when God shall judge the secrets of all men by Jesus Christ Rom. 2. 16. Thirdly That every man shall be judged according to what they have and not according to what they have not Object But God is not bound to give to every man sufficient means of grace Answ First He hath done it already the works were finish'd from the foundation of the world yet such as believe not shall never enter into his rest Read and consider Heb. 4. 2 3. Secondly He hath bound it by an oath that he desires not the death of a sinner Ezek. 33. 11. Thus you see how true the Lord my strength is and he never did nor will require any more of his poor creatures but what he of his owne mercy and goodness hath given them ability to perform Object How comes it to pass then that all do not walk up to that light which God hath manifested to them believing and obeying the truth and how comes it to pass that some do believe and obey and others do not Answ To the first part of the objection all will agree that it is because they follow the counsel of the Devil and false Doctors the Pleasures profits and promotions of the world which choke the seed they seek the honour that cometh from men c. Joh 5. 44. and love the praise of men more then the praise of God they are not the sheep of Christ for such hear his voice Joh. 10. 26 27. Let him that readeth consider who are Christs sheep and then he will see the reason why men believe not it is not because they are not elected but because they hearken not to the words of the Lord. Secondly some are rul'd by the counsel of God they receive the word into an honest and good heart for faith comes by hearing and hearkening to the truth he calls and some come he invites and some haste to the feast whilest others frame excuses God sets light before them as he doth before others and they rejoyce in it he presents life and death perswading them to chuse life Deut. 30. 15 16 17 18 19. and some by the Lords perswasions do chuse life and all praise glory and honour is due to his glorious Majesty for his gratious calls his loving invitations and sweet perswasions for he might have left us without all these means they who come do but their duty and no thanks is due to men for doing their duty it is God that furnisheth them with understanding means power and opportunity yea he calleth them to it by the light which maketh all things manifest and shews to man his duty and what it is that is most sutable to him who is goodness it self Thus you have heard concerning the Election or Ordination of God that he chose or appointed fallen man and not the Angels to serve him and how he of his owne free mercy in Christ chose or pre-ordain'd such as faithfully serve him to life eternal through Christ though there be many who would bear the world in hand that we deny Election and Reprobation because we are not so sensless as to say that God from all eternity chose a certain number to life without reference to any obedience to his will and appointed the rest to sin and so to damnation as some say or at least as others hold left the greatest part of men to be damn'd in the second death because of Adams eating the forbidden fruit without any real tender of mercy through Christ Expressions which an holy heart not deluby corrupt doctrine will abhor to meditate Surely the Lord will do nothing but he revealeth his secrets to his servants the Prophets Amos 3. 7. And if God hath revealed any such thing that hath appointed men to disobedience and unbeliefe left them without any mercy through a crucified Christ and yet without excuse I would intreat those that finde it to shew it to us but in the mean space I beseech you consider what hath been evinced to you that God hath appointed all men to serve honour and obey him as throughout the whole book of God is reveal'd to us and which I shall endeavour further to discover to you in the next word Creation Concerning which also as of the former I shall treat First generally Secondly particularly As touching that which I call general Creation we are to consider who is the Author of it and by whom The Scripture will give answer thereunto thus First That God created all men Secondly That this was through Christ For the first we see what the Apostle saith He that made all things is God See also Act. 17. 24. And that this was through Christ is clear Eph. 3. 9. God who created all things by Jesus c. By whom all things consist Col. 1. 17. Object But not as a mediator sayes one Answ 1. How to distinguish between Christ and the Mediator the Scriptures never yet taught us for he by whom all subsist is the Mediator 2. For the fuller explication of this consider seriously Acts 17. 26 27. where you shall finde who created all things by whom to what end thus And hath made of one blood or blood of one all Nations of men to dwel on the face of the whole earth and hath determined the time before appointed and the bounds of their habitations that they should seek him c. where many things are considerable First That one blood or blood of one there spoken of I think none will deny to be the blood of Jesus Christ the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world by whose death we have life John 6. 51. Through him we live move and have our being By that blood Adam had his life granted him after he had transgressed the command of God by the same do all Nations of men consist And I thinke that none
will gainesay this that Adam had his life continued through a crucified Christ or Lamb slain c. Secondly See the end why God created or made all Nations by through or of one blood or blood of one not that they should be disobedient or to damn any as some say but that they should seek him which doth further illustrate what I lately wrote concerning Gods chusing of mankinde when they were all lost in one to serve him so in this case when mankinde might have been banished for ever to the dust he found a ransome to keep him from going down to the pit and by that ransome granted life to Adam and all his posterity 1 John 4. 9. But as there is a special election of such as obey to eternal Salvation so is there a special creation in Christ of such as seek him of which I come next to speak This you may read in many places of Scripture where mention is made of the new creature the new man c. especially 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature c. Now the depth of this point lies in this to finde how a man comes to be a new creature Some hold that a man is meerly passive in this work as he was in the universal creation and some say that there are others who teach that man makes himself a new creature if there be any such I am sure that they are both in extreams and far from the truth of God That which I have found true in the Scripture and by experience is this That God having appointed or chosen and created or made man to seek or serve him when his creatures become able to understand the difference between good and evil and to be cheer'd in the doing of one and checkt in the committing of the other comes to instruct and teach them even when they are dead in sins and trespasses stretcheth forth his hands to them inviteth them beseecheth them and sheweth them his love convinceth them of sin by the light of the Lord manifest in the heart or by his word and they who learn of the Father lay to heart his love consider their misery see the filthiness of sin follow the light hearken to his voice and so receive his Son To these who were his off-spring before in the first or general creation doth he grant power to become the children of God even to such as believe on his name John 1. 12. and so become the workmanship of God created unto Christ Jesus in good works they are begotten and borne againe by the Gospel that immortal seed of the word which liveth and abideth for ever They that hear his voice and hearken to it do live and then Christ gives them life Hear and your soul shall live Isa 55. 2. Such as receive the truth in the love of it the seed into an honest and good heart become thereby quickened and in time to be born again of water and the Spirit and so are ingraffed into Christ or added to the Church old things errors in judgement and life pass away all things become new they being conformed to Christ the new Man in all obedience And thus the new Creature is formed and the new Creation framed and fitly compact to be an habitation of God through the Spirit I confess that these things to a carnal heart and a poor deluded soul will seem strange yet do but consider whether this work of special creation in which only some share hath not alwayes been thus carried on first the Lord called and spake presented light to the soul by which he discovered his love and mans enmity his purity and the creatures iniquity his goodness and sins sinfulness yet still some turned away the ear pull'd away the shoulder despised his reproof set at naught his counsel vexed his holy Spirit believed not his report but delighted in sin and so remained dead in sins and trespasses but such as hearkned and heard rejoyced in the light consider'd the word and entertain'd it though before carnal and so not discerning spiritual things became thereby spiritual as the Apostle Paul cleerly demonstrates Gal. 3. And whereas some have a fond conceit that a man must be spiritual before he can receive the word it 's a gross mistake for there was never yet a spiritual man but before he received the teachings of the Lord was carnal and by receiving the instructions of the Almighty became spiritual But their mistake is grounded upon a worse foundation even their low thoughts of the Scriptures and they reason to this effect The word say such may be preached a thousand times but except God come by the power of his Spirit to over-power our hearts we cannot receive his words not considering that the word is Spirit and life John 6. 63. and the power of God to salvation to them that believe Rom. 1. 16. Secondly Upon a conceit they have that a man is like a stock or a stone in and under the work of the new creation not considering that although God in the first creation did the worke wholly and absolutely himself yet in the second or new creation he comes to a creature that he hath furnished with abilities to do what he requires and then gives it his commands according to that ability requires them to hear know and receive his truth and they that obey him in these things live they are quickened and so the new creation is begun Object If any aske why all do not receive the truth I answer They resist the Spirit of God Act. 7. 51. But lest I should leave this obscure I desire the reader to weigh these things First That the new creation hath not it's compleatness at once Secondly That the Lord doth ever so begin the work and every part of it that what is by us to be done he leaves very plain and easie before us First It is not at once compleated for first the Lord commands to hear Isa 55. 3. Secondly to seek vers 6. Thirdly to know Act. 2. 36. Job 5. ult Fourthly to believe 1 Joh. 3. 23. Fifthly to repent Act. 17. 30. Sixthly to be baptized Act. 2. 38. and so they are planted into Christ Gal. 3. 27. Rom. 6. 3 4. Added to the Church Act. 2. 41. which is Christs body Eph. 1. 22. 23. To the Apostles fellowship Act. 2. 42. Thus souls are joyned to the Lord. And this word or doctrine which was from the beginning remaining in them they remain in the Son and in the Father 1 Joh. 2. 24. and abiding in the doctrine of Christ they have both the Father and the Son Joh. 2 Ep. v. 6. He doth not first command men to enter into Church-fellowship as the Papists Prelates Presbyterians and some others doe for the first thing that these practice is to put all those that are born in their Church as they call it into Church-membership as soon as they are born and sprinkled with
water in the face though they be but a day old Neither doth he command men and women first of all to be baptized nay he doth not expect men to repent till they are warned by his light or word discovering sin to them nor to believe before they know what nor to know any more then he declares but first hear then know after that believe repent and be baptized and by this they come out from Babel are separated and distinguished from the world and made manifest to be professors of truth and members of the body of Christ for men are not fitted for Church-membership according to the primitive pattern and Scripture-account till they are baptizâ—â— consider Acts 2. 41 42. neither are they fit to be buried with Christ in baptisme till they repent i. e. turn to God from errors in judgement and practice yea are dead to them neither will men ever do this rightly till they believe that which is written in the law and in the prophets apply it to their own souls and cast themselves upon God for life and salvation through Christ alone Neither can they ever thus believe till they know by an infallable testimony what God hath done for them by Christ and till men come to search the Scriptures and hear the Spirit there speaking to their souls and give up themselves to that eternal truth and perfect teaching of the Spirit which only is for our learning they will never know that certainly Qu. What shall they do that have not the Scriptures I answer as Christ did to Peter in another case yet much like this Joh. 21. 22. What is that to thee follow thou Christ in the light that is given thee he knows what he laid down and what to require and how to reward every man according to his works Thus as by the steps of Jacobs ladder men ascend to the Lord attaine to the measure of the stature of Christ come to have fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus and to walk with God who as I hinted but even now doth begin the work and every part of the work of the new creation leaving man to do nothing but what he hath enabled him to do and so without all excuse in case of neglect yet many do neglect their duty which God hath left them to do which together with the committing of that which God hath declared to be evil is counted sin and shall be the onely cause of mens condemnation in the last day Read Mat. 25. 45. 2 Thes 1. 8 9. Doth God command men to hear which is the first duty required of us in order to the new creation he gives ears Psal 94. 9. Neither doth he call upon little Infants to hear Deut. 11. 2. to 8. Doth he command men to see consider and understand he gives eyes heart and understanding Obj. But is it not said Deut. 29. 4. that God had not give them eyes to see a heart to perceive and ears to hear unto this day It is so said and it is true as it is written onely men consider not where the sound and force of that saying is for most place it in these words the Lord hath not given and I finde by the Scriptures that it is to be placed in these words Vnto this day for once they did see the Lords wonders and sang his praises as you may prove Deut. 11. 5 6 7 8. compared with Exod. 15. Psal 106. 12. But they forgat his works and God withdrew his light they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit so he turned to be their enemy Isa 63. 10. they once knew and understood that it was the Lord that delivered them but for their rebellion he forsook them and continued not that light with them Ye have seen the wonders that God did before their eyes c. Deut. 29. 2 3. Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive c. VNTO THIS DAY v. 4. And indeed God hath nowhere promised that he will continue Light and understanding to a people that still disobey him The Lord is with us while we are with him if we forsake him he will forsake us 2 Chron. 15. 2. There have been many in our age who neglecting to follow the light which they saw have been left in darkness and though God did once give them a heart to perceive and eyes to see c. yet he hath not given these to them VNTO THIS DAY By this you may perceive that God is not wanting on his part to carry on the new or special creation but men are wanting to do their duty when the Lord calls them from sin they refuse to come and delight still in their carnal state till the Lord forsakes them and will no longer wait on them nor suffer his Spirit to strive with them You may also see that the Reason why there are no more new creatures is this they hearken not to the teachings of him that gave them their being in the general creation but reject the counsel of God against themselves as the Scribes and Pharisees did Mat. 21. 31. Luk. 7. 30. And by this Lastly you may see that creation is General and special General of all men by Jesus Christ special of such as receive the word and obey it in Jesus Christ In the former is nothing required of the creature in the latter so much is justly expected as the Lord enables him to do Obj. But is it not said 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receiveth or comprehendeth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he knew them because they are spiritually discern'd Answ For the better understanding of the minde of God in this place we must first consider what is meant here by the things of the Spirit of God which the Apostle shews us in the 9 and 10 verses to be those things which God hath prepared for them that love him even the spiritual treasures of grace and glory which shall be brought to the Saints at the revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 7. 13. Secondly What is meant by the natural man which also the same Apostle explains in the 15 chapter of this same Epistle vers 44 45 46. There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body as it is written The first Adam was made a living soul the last Adam was made a quickning spirit Howbeit that it is not first that be spiritual but that which is natural c. Adam or man as man by general creation is this natural man beware then lest you affirme that Adam was created a spiritual man Thirdly What God hath prepared and that is a Kingdome Matth. 25. 34. A place or mansion John 14. 3. A city Heb. 11. 16. an inheritance undefiled 1 Pet. 1. 4 c. Fourthly Who they are that love him such as keep his commandments Joh. 14. 21. i. e. such as observe all Christs commands and his commands onely
next to speak in few words of Redemption in a stricter acceptation and to shew how some are in a special manner freed ransomed delivered or redeem'd by Jesus Christ and to that purpose shall first lay downe some Scriptures and to come to the clear understanding of this point Cast your eye then upon Eph. 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of our sins and upon 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversations received by tradition from your Fathers but with the pretious blood of Christ c. The great question here to be resolved is this How the Saints come to be redeemed from their vain conversation and to have remission of their sins For answer unto this I beseech you that read to remember what I have in part declared already that there was an offence though committed but by one in which all the world was reputed guilty before God so far as that if Adam for that offence had at the instant of his committing it gone to the grave the whole race of mankinde had perished in him to take away which the Lamb without spot offer'd up himself to God so that that sin imputed to all and so called the sin of the world and iniqnity of us all was by the pouring out of the blood of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world taken away and remitted so that none shall now dye eternally for it and herein appeared the free love of God who by the blood of his Son washed away sin no creature seeking of it But every individual man and woman when they come to years and know good and evil do themselves commit many sins and walk in a vain conversation by tradition c. and how they come to be redeem'd or delivered from this by the blood of Christ I shall by Scripture and experience briefly make manifest First God sends Christ or the light to them with manifestations of his grace and goodness to lead or perswade them to turn from their sins to God declares to them the sufferings of his Son for their sins and they who seriously consider these manifestations of mercy believe and lay to heart the kindness of God though before Prisoners to sin and Satan are loosed delivered or redeemed from their sins and vain conversions as the Apostle plainly proves Acts 10. 43. To him give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth on him shall receive remission of sins So that through the application of the blood of the Lamb to their souls by believing they come to be delivered and have redemption from these sins of theirs and this redemption or pardon of sin is in time and conditional upon faith and repentance I shall indeavour further to illustrate this by a familiar similitude thus Suppose the servant of some mighty Emperor or General should commit an hainous offence to both the high displeasure and dishonour of his master and now conceiving in his heart that his Lord was full purposed to punish him with exquisite and exemplary torments should secretly depart to his masters greatest enemy and with him with a heart full of envy wrath and devilish despite contrive the destruction of him whom he had lately disobeyed in the mean time this mighty man having no such thoughts as his wicked servant imagin'd hearing that another potent person for some horrid crime had condemned his run-agate servant to dye gives his only Son to suffer death to preserve his live who yet still not knowing his Lords love with a perverse and inraged heart carries on the designe of his masters ruine but in the midst of his malice and fear having certaine intelligence of the transcendent kindness of one whom he had so highly incensed and of his own willingness to receive him even as a Son if he would return to him presently his soul begins to melt hatred le ts go the hold it had upon his heart and admiring such unexpected and undeserved love his bands of wickedness full off the rage rancour and wicked resolutions which possess'd him are all cast out the snare is broken and he is delivered not only from that death which his Masters Son quitted him of by dying for him But also by applying and considering his Lords love of those bloody sins and designes against his Master and begins to think of returning to him who had done such great things for him Thus stands the case betwixt God and man when Adam had sinned he ran away from his Maker and what spirit he was of towards him you may perceive by his Answers to him Gen. 3. who yet had thoughts of love and peace towards him and gave his onely Son to ransome him from the pit of which ransome or redemption all his posterity being in his loynes are partakers but they have all as I may say one by one departed from their God and rebelled against him that redeemed them and continue long ignorant of the loving kindness of the Lord at length the Lord by his teachings as himself pleaseth makes known his goodness and riches of grace and as many as believe or lay to heart what he hath done for their souls how he gave the Son of his love to dye yea to destroy the power of death for them that they might live by him and through him rise from the grave and that they have this redemption or deliverance through the blood of Jesus shed for them and have clear evidence of this by the Spirit in the Scripture of truth they begin to loath and leave their sins the love of God known casts out their base fear his mercy manifested destroyes their malice pride lust covetousness c. cuts in sunder all the cords of vanity in which they were held carries them quite out of their prison wherein their souls were pent up though sin tugs hard yet at last it is fain to remit its hold and though before they hug'd sin as a friend they now let it go as an enemy and so in the end through the applying of that blood which was shed for them they are redeemed out of the hand of the enemy and by the application of the blood of Christ they receive remission of THEIR sins as they before had by the effusion of it the remission and redemption from Adams sin which as I before hinted was absolute unsought for free and universal This is conditional and especial And if any shall demand Why all have not this redemption I answer Because they believe not they lay not the blood of Christ to heart if they did it were impossible that they should be so carried away with lust pride ignorance lying swearing cheating drunkenness gaming covetousness formality lukewarness ildeness and all manner of disobedience for if men did consider the grace of God if they knew the gift of God and his kindness which
heareth say come and he that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely Rev. 22. 27. And if any shall say that the people who are here called upon are such as thirst after Christ and his righteousness I Answer that it is a gross mistake though by most lookt upon as clear truth for had they thirsted after Christ who is the true bread and his righteousness which filleth and satisfieth the souls of such as seek him they had never been so reproved Isa 55. 2. Why will ye spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not But do not we see dayly some thirst after blood and revenge some after honour some the praise of men others through luxuriant pleasure melt even as to water the very sinews of their strength and some for gain gold and profit adventure estate fame health and life yea body and soul that they may compass their end yet riches profit not in the day of wrath Prov. 11. 4. Who then is excluded from the call of God and to whom hath not his light shined To come to some instances when Adam and all mankinde being yet in him was fallen from God it pleased Jehovah to call him to preach the Gospel that is declare his goodness to him all his posterity being yet in his loines for I thinke every fober man will acknowledge that we were as much in Adam when he was restored as when he fell and were as much partakers of his mercies from God as we were of his sin consider the words of David Psal 90. 3. Thou turnest man to destruction again thou sayest Come againe ye children of men And from that very day wherein the Lord was graciously pleas'd to seek out and call back all mankind lost and fled from him in one to this hour he hath called and cryed out aloud in manifestations of love one way or other to every man and woman See his gracious call to Cain Gen. 4. 7. If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted By Henoch Noah and others his glory and righteousness was revealed and preached to the old world In the Ark there was neither man nor woman but was experimentally acquainted with the love and will of God and that Cain Cham or any others declined the way and truth of God was not because the Lord called them not or left himself without witness towards them but because they came not neither received that testimony of his love which he gave to them And if any shall say that many Nations had not or have not any discovery of the minde of God the Apostle evinceth the contrary and proveth that the obedience of the Heathens or Gentiles did declare the law of God written in their hearts Rom. 2. 15. And the word of truth tells us of Abraham amongst the Caldeans Melchizedek amongst the Jebusites Lot amongst the Sodomites Joseph and Moses amongst the Egyptians Jethro amongst the Ethiopians Job Elihu and others amongst the children the East There was Rahab Ruth Vriah Ittai amongst the Cananites Moabites Hittites and Philistims besides the constant appearances of the grace goodness or love of God which called and should have led them to repentance How evident it is that the Queen of Sheba Nebuchadnezzar Darius Artaxerxes the Ninevites yea all Nations had the word and will of the Lord made known to them by the servants and Prophets of the Lord they that read the Scriptures of the old Testament will quickly perceive When there seemed to be through their rejecting the light an almost universal deluge of darkeness or ignorance over the inhabited parts of the earth the Lord lifted up his Church of the Jews to such an eminent height upon the Pillars of truth and gave them the glory and the Oracles in such an illustrious manner that all Nations had notice of it and some out of every Nation under heaven Proselyted themselves unto it as you may gather out of Act. 2. 5. to 10. Afterward our blessed Saviour sent his Apostles and they by his Order the disciples to Preach the Gospel in all the world that so the goodness of God to and in every Creature might be more fully made known and have not men heard surely the sound is gone out into all the earth and the mercy of the Lord which is over all his works who is good to all hath been declared before the faces of all men and women And God hath so called to every one either by the law in the heart the light of the Lord by Moses the prophets and Christ all demonstrating his rich love that though all have not been led to a change yet they all shall be left without excuse in the great day In a word what Nation was there to whom he sent not his Messengers what man or woman is there to whom he hath not shew'd and offered favour in whom he hath not shin'd with â—â—ght and with whom he hath not strived with his Spirit even in such a fulness or sufficiency as to performance of those works to which they were appointed as faith repentance c. as for example when the wild Indians defile their neighbours wives or daughters or steal any thing c. there 's a light set up by the Lord in their hearts which perswades them of the evil of their wayes as you see by their endeavors to conceal their sins and what I beseech you hinders them from believing that light or dictate of the Spirit and from turning to that which the means is sufficient to effect only they reject the light follow their lust and are rul'd by the divel Obj. But will some say doth God invite all men and offer grace to all men really and in good earnest I answer He doth though there be that affirme the contrary and say that God doth not really and in good earnest or without hypocrisie offer grace to all But this is one of those hard speeches which men have ungodly spoken against God and for which he will one day call them to account as the Apostle Jude intimates to us vers 15. Object But he holds not forth his grace alike to all nor hath he given power alike to all to come to him that is to conform to his will revealed Ans This though it be a frequent yet it 's a frivolous Objection I only say this to it First that all men have not the same measure of discretion understanding or capacity nor the will of God revealed in the same manner and cleerness Yet Secondly Every one hath some portion or talent at least some favour is shewed to the wicked they that slew the Kings servants were invited to the wedding and that really Mat. 22 6 c. neither indeed doth Jehovah expect the same proportion of acting from every one in the world he doth not require every man to act as a General but to what ever he
it then I confess that God by Christ hath not saved all men but if all shall rise again then he is the Saviour of all men as the Scripture saith and as I from that word of truth have declared But some say T is not Christ but the Father that raiseth them up Others say That they rise by the power of Christ but not as a Mediator These weak Objections and many other silly shifts men have devised to evade the truth and prop up an opinion but being not worth taking notice of referring the reader to what hath been before said I come to answer one Objection with which men fly in the face of God which is this T is true say they God will raise up all men in the great day by Jesus Christ but it were better they were let lye in the grave for ever for he delivers them out of a bad to a worse condition First I deny that the principal end of Gods raising up men from the grave is to damn them but that all ungodly men may see what great salvation they have neglected and that for the neglect thereof they must now be punished Read I beseech you 2 Thes 2. 8 9. Heb. 2. 2. And that all godly men and ungodly too may see the clear impartial righteous judgement and pure justice of Jehovah the one declaring it by their praises of God in their mouths as Revel 16. 5 6 7. the other by their speechless silence when they shall not be able to open their mouth or hold up their faces before him that sitteth upon the throne and in the presence of the Lamb whose love and waies they have despised And lastly that after the righteous sentence is passed every man may receive according to their works 2 Cor. 5. 10. Secondly this Objection is contrary to many maximes of truth which declare that life in it selfe is a blessing and that annihilation or totall deprivation of a being is one of the greatest plagues but especially it vilifies the Principal doctrine of the gospel even the doctrine of the resurrection without which no man could have any sound comfort or incouragement in any service or sufferings for the sake of Christ Thirdly It teacheth men to reproach and upbraid God for his kindness to them They may as well say that God is the Author of their sin in that he through his Son created them as that he is the Author of their damnation in that he raiseth them up by the same Jesus Christ What you might truly say of that Servant who shall murder the onely Son of his Master who redeemed him out of a most miserable slavery and gave him liberty to serve him in the nearest relation that shall upbraid his Lord bringing of him to a just tryal and say it had been better for me to have abode still in slavery then to be tormented for my wickedness or wish that he had not brought him out of his bondage c. we justly say of those men who fancy the forementioned Objection yea the damn'd themselves will not dare to speak such words before the throne of God but shall be convinced by their owne amazed consciences that they shall then suffer for the doing of that wickedness which they should and might have avoided and the not doing of that good which God gave them ability and opportunity to do and not because God made them or raised them But say some God appointed them to be disobedient and to commit those sins for which he will damn them I confess if that were true then the poor damn'd wretches might hope to have something to plead with the great Judge for an excuse but it 's most untrue as it hath been shew'd I confess this is the great objection which the devil and ungodly men ever raised which brings the greatest advantage to Satan the greatest encouragement to sinners the greatest discomfort to the Saints and the greatest dishonour to God of any thing that ever shall or can be uttered by the mouth of any mortal man being contrary to all Scripture which declares against all the unrighteousness of men and appearance of evil shews us that our God is of purer eyes then to behold vanity and reason which will surely tell us that God would never appoint men to do that which he abhors or condemn men for doing what he had appointed them or at least for not doing that which he never gave them either ability or call to perform But say some what if it were the pleasure of God to make a thousand worlds and to destroy them all I answer first That is not nor ever will be the pleasure of God to do that which he hath not revealed for he will do nothing but he will reveal his secrets to his servants c. Secondly These are unlearned questions and it argues that when men are put to such shifts they have nothing to say from the word of truth for their opinions and therefore I shall forbear to follow them in their foolish curiosities when they presume to be wise above what is written Lastly God is so far from taking pleasure in destroying one whole world that he is not willing that any should perish 2 Pet. 3 9. Neither doth he willingly afflict noâ— grieve the children of men Lam. 3. 33. Yea he hath sworn that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his wicked way and live Ezek. 33. 11. Object Yet the Lord hath made the wicked for the day of evil Prov. 16. 4. I answer first But that doth not say that he hath made any men as they are men for the day of evil neither doth it say that God made men wicked as many say now a dayes But he hath appointed and ordained that wicked men shall be destroyed such as refuse and rebell Isa 1. such as turn the grace of God into wantonness Jude 4. they that believe not Heb. 3. 18 19. neither repent of their wicked deeds Luk. 13. 3. but rejecting the Gospel not considering nor laying to heart the loving kindness of the Lord go on in their whoredome lying swearing stealing drunkenness revilings heresies covetousness and all abominations these shall be turned into Hell with all the Nations that forget God Psal 9. 17. but that God did ever make or appoint men to be whoremongers lyars theeves or hereticks c. that so he might destroy them is most abominable to imagine In a word God is so far from making men wicked or destroying them as they are his creatures that when Adam had destroyed himself and the whole world of men in him by original or the first sin the Lord freely through Christ forgave it and delivered or saved him and in him all his posterity for had Adam at that instant dyed all had perished for ever with him but they are so far saved from that destruction that he giveth life to the world Joh. 7. 33. and though men
died not for them Ninethly they who regard lying vanities forsake their own mercies Jonah 2. 9. I desire to know what mercies they can or do forsake for whom Christ never died Tenthly men judge themselves unworthy of eternall life Act. 13. 46. and neglect their own salvation I beseech you consider whether it be possible for men to put off eternall life or neglect their salvation if Christ never died for them so as to bring them into a possibility of enjoying everlasting happinesse Eleventhly if Christ died but for some then the Devil destroys no man but they perish for want of a Saviour contrary to Jâ— 3. 17. and many other places Twelfthly if Christ died not for all then despair of pardon and salvation in them that perish is no sin seeing there is nothing for those men to believe unto their everlasting peace for whom Christ shed not his bloud Thirteenthly if Christ died not for all then it would be a sin for some men to believe that Christ died for them in that they should believe a lye and all will grant that it is a sin for any man to believe a lye Fourteenthly if Christ died but for some even such as are eternally saved then none can be guilty of that sin of treading under foot the bloud of the Covenant wherewith they were sanctified contrary to Heb. 10. 29. Fifteenthly if Christ died not for all then Satan doth no evill in perswading some that Christ died not for them but perswades them to believe the truth if it be true that Christ died but for some of the world Sixteenthly if Christ did not die for all then the Devil doth not deceive those that are damn'd when he perswades them that Christ died not for them and the Opposers of the truth affirm that he cannot deceive them for whom Christ died and so he can deceive none and by this if it be true the divell is no deceiver Seventeenthly if there be some men that Christ died not for then it is a vertue for some men not to believe in Christ for salvation for in believing this they believe the truth and it 's a vertue in any to believe every truth Eighteenthly if Christ died not for all mankind then this unavoidably follows that those for whom Christ died not do as well in believing that Christ died not for them as those for whom he died do in believing that he did die for them seeing both are true if the Adversaries of the truth say right and it is as much vertue to believe one truth as another Nineteenthly all are bound to live to him 2 Cor. 5. 15. even unto him that died for them and rose again Now I wonder what good it will do men to live to Christ or why we should perswade all men to live to him yea tell them that they are bound to do so if Christ died not for them yea we know that therefore men shall be damn'd at the last day because they live not to him that died for them and rose again Twentiethly he being Lord of quick and dead shall judge all men at the last day as you may most clearly see Rom. 14. 9 10. For this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living and he shall judge all men quick and dead at his appearing 2 Tim. 4. 1. how shall he judge those whom he never purchased with a price shall we think that he that reproves men for judging another mans servant will allow that which he condemns God forbid it must needs be then that Christ died for all seeing he is Judge of all except you will say that Christ will judge men because they had not a Redeemer 21. There is no place of Scripture sayes that Christ died only for the Elect or only for his Church that he died but for a few or but for some therefore they that so say speak not the language of the Holy Ghost but a private interpretation we speak what we know and testifie what we have seen that which we have looked on with our eys and heard from Christ and his Apostles with our ears which our hands have handled of the Word of life declare we unto you Mr. Tro. doth as good as confesse that there is not one plain Scripture to prove his position that Christ did not die for all for if you mark the inscription of his book he says not an Antidote against universall Redemption in ten positive texts of Scriptures but in ten Reafons deduc'd from the Scriptures I have proved that Christ d d die for all by ten Witnesses proceeding every one out of the mouth of God by the Ministery of Christ the Prophets and Apostles through the Spirit and whether you that read will believe what these say in so many words or the dark consequences and conclusions of men chuse ye if there had been any text that had said that Christ died only for some sure Mr. Tro. would have cited it we know and acknowledge that Christ died for some for his Church for the Elect for the Saints but to say that he therefore died for none else is contrary to Scripture reason and sense we may as well argue that he died for none but Paul because he says Gal. 2. 20. he loved me and gave himself for me and hence it is that we are perswaded to take whatsoever the Scripture holds out in this point which says he laid down his life for the sheep i. e. such as hear his voice and follow him Jo. 18. 15. compared with ver â—7 and we believe that he bought those that deny him and bring upon themselves destruction read 2 Pet. 2. 1. and because we believe in Christ as the Scripture hath said even all that is written in the Law and the Prophets for this cause we are accounted Heretiques and Sectarians as the Apostles and Saints of old were Acts 24. 14. with chap. 28. 22. For they did declare the love and mercy of God towards all men and such as laid his love to heart and were thereby led to repentance they did baptize with these they did walk in Church-fellowship in breaking of bread in prayers and praises in holinesse of life and waiting for the Lord Jesus from heaven I also and many more declare the love of God in Christ towards all men such as repent and believe this kindnesse of his do we baptize with these we walk in Church-fellowship in breaking of bread and in prayers praising God and provoking each other to holiness and to wait for Christs coming in glory that this is through the mercy of God our practise as it was the practise of the Apostles our God is witnesse and that for this as the Apostle was we are called Heretiques is manifest to all men even our enemies themselves being Judges and because we will not say that Christ did not die for all or that he died only for a few
that Infants are to be baptized and added to the Church before they either repent or believe and that God doth decree the unbelief and disobedience of men and that he will damn some eternally for Adams fault and others for not doing that which since they came to discern betwixt good and evill they had never ability from the Lord to perform therefore are we call'd Heretiques and because we are willing that our Doctrine should be tried by the word of truth both publikely an privately and desire by the same Touchstone to prove what others teach for doctrine and will not be deluded by Philosophy and vain deceit not stung with the tail of the old Serpent I mean the Prophet who teacheth lies Isa 9. 15. with Rev. 12. 4. therefore are we counted the troublers of Israel such as turn the world upside down ring-leaders of Sects c. as our Brethren of old were neither are we grieved by these things for our sakes but for theirs even our countrymen and brethren after the flesh who rage at us and incense the Rulers against us because we believe and speak what is written and will not receive nor practise the Doctrines and Traditions which are not written witnesse M. W. T. who though he hath not one word of Scripture speaking that which he affirms yet he raves and rails publikely and privately because his Arguments are not held Authentick accounted Canonicall and received as Maxims of divine truth when indeed they are but the thoughts of his own heart and collections thaâ— he hath made from men that must die If I should go from place to place and say Christ did not die for all and he died only for a few men and women and God commanded men to do no more then he hath enabled them to do and that he hath appointed some even from the beginning to be disobedient to his commands might not men say where is this written might they not justly say that here is no light in these things and that these things not being written are not for our learning doubtless they might Ob. But if Christ died for all then all shall be saved All are and shall be saved or deliver'd from the first death as I have declared and iâ— shall be testified in due time 1 Tim. 2. 6. only the Elect the Saints that is such as receive the light held forth to them shall escape the second death they that believe and obey him shall enjoy eternall salvation through him Rev. 2. 11. 1 Thes 1. 10. Heb. â— 9. Ob. All prophane ignorant persons will say that Christ died for them I answer first they speak truth though they know not what they say for put such prophane persons to prove it by Scripture and to give you the text in which their evidence is contained and they come short of assurance then they say they believe he died for them and at last when they are put to shew the ground of their faith or what their faith was built on they will tell you they hope he died for them and he died for all that believe on him and serve him Secondly I answer 't is one thing for a poor soul to say that Christ died for him and another thing to know it by an infallible testimony and therefore we endeavour to prove this to every man by the Scriptures which hold forth the dying of Christ for all that so they may know certainly that Christ shed his bloud for them and by the knowledge hereof either be drawn to love and live to the Lord Jesus or be left vvithout excuse Ob. But cannot men be left without excuse without the preaching of this Doctrine to them Ans They cannot when and where this doctrine may be preached and heard indeed where the Scriptures are not people shall not be accused for not reading searching and preaching them or for their not knowing the vvords that are vvitten in them for God will at the last day require according to what he gave Luk. 12. 48. but vvhere this is fully made knovvn that Christ tasted death for every man they vvho imbrace it and bind it to their hearts by believing find abundance of consolation and they vvho receive it not shall not at the last day be able to plead ignorance Oh then hovv sad vvill it be at that time for such Preachers as deny preach vvrite pray and rail against this foundation truth of the Gospell Ob. Is it not said Rev. 5. 9. 14. 3. 4. Thou hast redeemed us is God and these were bought from amongst men c. Ans These precious texts are true but yet they do not say that there vvere no more bought to God from amongst men for if vve vvill 〈◊〉 the Apostle Peter there are some that dâ— deny the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1. to say that because 144000. vvere redeem'd or bought from amongst men therefore there vvere no more redeemed is bad Logick and vvorse Divinity and is 〈◊〉 one â—s â—f a man had redeemed a thousand men out of Turky meeting vvith three or four of them should receive an acknowledgment of their deliverance that he had redeemed them the standers by should argue that he redeemed no more Ans Secondly I have before shew'd that redemption is consider'd two ways first by the effusion of the bloud of Christ from the first sin or originall offence secondly by the application of that bloud by which the Elect such as walk in Gospell-obedience receive Redemption or deliverance from their sins which they have committed in their own bodies since they knew good and evill for no sooner is the bloud of Christ closely laid to the heart of a sinner but he presently begins to loath and leave sin and at length by a constant application of it becomes fully redeemed freed or delivered from his bondage of these later the texts by M W. T. alledged are especially to be understood and so the word of truth being rightly divided is kept from clashing and seeming contradiction all men left without excuse and the justice and mercy of God cleared against the calumnies of imperious sinners But there are some whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world It 's most certain that these words Rev. 13. 8. are a prophecy of the great Antichrist vvho shall exercise his power for a time times and the dividing or half of time Dan. 7. 25. two and forty moneths or 1260. dayes Rev. 11. 2. 3. with chap. 3. 5. or three years and a half and many shall follow his pernitious ways idolizing him and worshipping him as a God and it is as certain that such as worship him are not written in the Book of Life for God hath of old ordain'd to condemnation ungodly men turning the grace of God unto wantonnesse and all Idolatâ—rs but this proves not that Christ never died for them but rather that he did die
14 15. but all and every man and woman in the world are not the Sheep of Christ therefore he died only for the Sheep I besâ—ech the Reader to behold the fallacy of this sophisticall fillogism by a parallell thus out of Gal. 2. 20. Christ loved the Apostle Paul aâ—d gave himselfe for him but every man and woman in the world is not the Apostle Paul therefore he gave himself only for the Apostle Paul whether this be good Logick let the godly Reader judge yet this is as good as M. Troughtons as any man that is not byassed by partiality may easily discern and of this Nature all his Arguments are if you search them to the bottom But he thinks to help himself by saying that though Christ says not his Seeep only yet he means so and he endeavours to prove his conception by saying that though the Scripture sayes not we are justified only by faith yet it means so I answer the Scripture neither â—ays so nor means so for then all infants must be damn'd which I think M. Tro. will not affirm though I confesse he is very positive in matters of the greatest improbability for all those infants that shall be saved were never justified â—y faith yet justified by the bloud of the Lamb or they shall never enter into life and here let the wise and godly judge whether M. Troughton leaning to his own wisdome and the wisdome which is from above hath not brought in an evidence to provâ— his cause that speaks directly against him and for the truth of God and besides I have before shewâ—d how all are justified sanctified and redeemed and therefore shall here spend the lesse time to answer these reasons which he thinks impregnable though others see they are but ropes of sand But sayes he those that Christ died for shall live eternall life and shall never perish but all men have not eternall life but many shall perish eternally therefore he died not for all I answer first this Sophistry is like all the rest of M. Troughtons reasons and though it be finely span and cunningly woven yet it 's but a spiders web and truth will tear it in pieces for the Scriptures say that they deny the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves destruction and so thy weak brother perish for whom Christ died 1 Cor. 8. 11. with many other places I know that Christ layed down his life for his sheep and for the Apostle Paul and all the Saints but not as sheep or Saints for no Scripture sayes so but for sinners for the ungodly for the world which are in opposition to sheep and Saints And again as it 's true that he died for the sheep so it is as true that he bought those that do deny him if the Scripture may decide the controversie Secondly I answer such fallacious consequences as these do even strike at the root of the Gospell of Grace and free love of God and quits the divell and all ungodly men of bringing destruction upon themselves and implies that men shall be condemn'd for want of a Redeemer neither will that thred-bare shift that men shall be damned because they fell in Adam serve any mans turn especially M. Tro. who hath acknowledged in his sixth Argument as he calls it that God will not take double payment for the same sin now all must once die by reason of that offence and if after they shall be raised again they shall be damn'd for it again then there is a double punishment inflicted for one offence which God will never do but if it be because Christ never died for them as M. Tro. and thousands of deceived souls seem to say let them produce a text of Scripture or els we shall not believe them if they say for unbelief and disobedience which is most true and sometimes these men will say so then there is a Christ to be believed in and obeyed by them But says M. Tro. There is a higher cause why men believe not to salvation and have not eternall life then the stubbornesse of mens hearts but shews not what only adds ye believe not because ye are not my sheep i. e. saith he in another place because ye are not elected if that be his meaning he hath made the remedy worse then the disease and andeavour'd to help himselfe by a text that speaks truth against errors for Christ doth not say ye believe not because ye are not elected Ioh. 10. 26. but because ye are not my sheep i. e. because ye hear not my voice as you may see in the next verse and I desire to know how men can believe if they hear not his words as they are laid before them seeing as the Apostle sayes faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10. 17. but if he mean the cause is Gods decreeing of their unbelief as many hold I have through the Lords assistance disproved such opinions before and only here pray that the thoughts of his heart may be forgiven him if his day of mercy be not past But he subjoyns another text which he thinks also makes for his purpose Deut 29. 2 3 4. ye have seen all that the Lord did before your eys in the Land of Aegypt unto Pharoah and to all his servants and to all his Land the great temptations which thine eys have seen the signs and those miracles yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive and eys to see and ears to hear unto this day from whence as I perceive he would perswade men to believe that there are some men to whom God did never afford ability to perceive see and hear his words and wonders and this viz. Gods not giving these things is a higher cause of their unbelief then the stubbornnesse of their own hearts and so the dirt must still be flung at Gods door but such thoughts are all vain and abhominable for the spirit speaks expresly twice in the second and third verses that their eys had seen all that the Lord did the great temptations signs and miracles c. I desire to know who gave them those eys if it was not the Lord who made the seeing eye and hearing ear but it 's true he continued not light to them unto that day viz. the time that Moses spake these words to them but took away their wisdome their light their understanding their counsell as a man may do many courtesies for his friend or servant if they prove false and rebellious he discontinues his courtesies so the Lord dealt with the Israelites he bare them as on Eagles wings and carried them in the daies of old and said surely they are my people c. but they rebelled and vexed his spirit so he was their enemy and fought against them Isa 63. 9. 10. see a further reason of their Lords withdrawing his light from them and leaving them to their own counsells Psal 81. where the Lord recounts his
mercies verse 6. and 7. layes before them his Law 8 9 and 10. but my people would not hearken to me Israel would none of me so I gave them to their own hearts lusts they walked in their own counsells ver 11 12. to this purpose read heedfully Psal 78. 10. to 54 and Psal 106. throughout who so curseth his father his light shall be put out in obscure darknesse Pro. 20. 20. how much more they that despise the counsell of God and murmure against him the candle of the wicked shall be put out Pro. 24. 20. see also Job 17. 5. 6. ch 21. 17. the spirit of man is the Lords candle searching the innermost parts of the belly Pro. 20. 27. did not the Lord take away this candle light or lamp from Saul Nebuchaduâ—zzar â—ea the famous Asian Churches and left them who had rejected the light in obscure darknesse and hath not given them eys to see ears to hear or an heart to perceive unto this day and here there are many in this Island which once saw the great wonders of Iebovab and believed his words and sung his praise as Israel did Psal 106. 12. who rejecting further manifestations of light and forgetting the rich mercies of the Lord will have their light obscur'd their wisdome turned to foolishnesse and be laid aside as unprofitable uselesse plants rememeber what one of your Prophets hath said Men may be saved wanting many truths but rejecting any they cannot What then they shall be cast one day into utter darknesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth But may some say if this be so God is changeable if he takes away the light he once gave I answer it is no such thing but clearly the contrary for the Lord hath every where in his word declared that he will be with us whilest we are with him if we forsake him he will forsake us if any draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10. 38. Ezek. 10. 24. 2 Chron. 15. 2. with many other places Now when men rebell against God reject his commands and turn from righteousnesse and the Lord casts them off it shews his great constancy to his own Councell and Decrees whereas if God should still continue light and delight to Apostates and such as still gain-say the truth presented to them this would argue God variable from himself in that he declares that he will desert back-sliders and yet continues his favour and liking towards them continuing in sin without repentance as some would fain flatter themselves and others and this also leads to the tenets of the Ranters and is of all other doctrines the greatest enemy to godlinesse and encouragement to wickednesse that can be but men will find it otherwise the Potter hath power over the clay to do as he pleaseth with it and what that is he hath shew'd us Jer. 18. 9 10. At what time I speak concerning a Nation to build and plant it if it do evill in my sight that it obey not my voice then will I repent of the good wherewith I said I will benefit them so he can do with the Inhabitants of this Island and so he will do if they repent not and thus you see how fully this text witnesseth against M. Tro. conceit that Gods not giving men grace or light is the highest cause of their unbelief yea so fully that it shews they did once see his great signs c. but their sins hid these things from them and removed their lights that it was not continued with them so it is said of the Jews they once saw Christ and his miracles and had the things belonging to their peace revealed to them but now says Christ they are hid from thine eys it is just with God when men will be wise in their own eys to hide from them the mysteries of the Kingdome of heaven and reveal them to Babes turning their wisdome into foolishnesse 't is just with God to leave M. Tro. to himself even to limit and restrain Scripture-Redemption he having fiercely set himself to oppose it the great and gracious God yet grant him time and space to repent but though he hath never a Scripture yet he hath another argument against Scripture Redemption which is this All those for whom Christ died are redeemed from the wrath to come But all men are not redeem'd from that wrath to come Therefore he died not for all First I desire the Reader to consider whether there be any difference between this argument and the former and what there is between this they shall never perish but have eternall life and this they are delivered from the wrath to come Secondly I answer his first Proposition is a meer fallacy and falsity for there is not one Scripture to prove it and the consequence that he would draw from it is that if Christ died for all then all shall be saved which doth not follow and I have answer'd this objection fully already and shew'd by the Scriptures that though Christ died for all yet many perish because they will not come to Christ Io. 5. 40. because they believe not and if you would know how they who were bought by Christ come to perish or fall under wrath to come it is for denying the Lord that bought them and treading under foot the bloud of the Covenant wherewith they were sanctified as I have shew'd from Heb. 10. 24. 2 Pet. 2. 1. it is for their holding the truth in unrighteousnesse Rom. 1. 18. for their uncleannesse foolish talking covetousnesse idolatry whoredome lying and all manner of disobedience as the Apostle plainly shews Ephes 5. 3 4. 5 6. and therefore M. Tro. might have spar'd this Logick except he hath a mind still to make God the Author both of the creatures sin and suffering and turn that truth of God which sayes thy destruction is of thy self into a lye and say oh Israel thy destruction is of me and indeed he may as well charge the Scriptures expressions as limit and restraine the Scriptures redemption But he objects further Christ did not die for all because he did not pray for all and in this he doth so confidently triumph calling it his strong argument as if it were impossible to answer the fallacious deductions which he draws from the pure word for he concludes that because Christ did not at the same time Jo. 17. 9. or in the same terms pray for all therefore he did not die for all to which answer first if it should be granted that Christ did not pray for all yet it doth not of necessity follow that he did not die for all for there is no Scripture that sayes these words Christ did not die for those for whom he did not pray and M. Tro. bare word is no sufficient proof yet he is very bold this way and sayes in 34. page of his book that Christ sayes thus to his Father there is a world that I pray
a man and desires to be joyned to him in Marriage he may boldly and withall earnestness stirre up his friend to affect her and seeke her love who is every way so worthy and withall so loving to him that is to far below her Of no lesse folly are they guilty that spend their spirits in calling and crying unto sinners to love the Lord Jesus and seeke his face and yet either cannot or will not assure them that Christ loved them and layed down his life for them thereby to move them to place their affections upon him Nay it s impossible they should know it and much more impossible they should make others know it that say Christ dyed onely for a small number If a wicked prophane wretch should meet a man and were about to offer some injury to him if another should come and make it evident that this man whom he is about to wrong ransomed him with a great summe out of Captivity or when he was condemned to dye by giving his own onely Child to dye for him delivered him from death this might allay his fury after the resolution and melt the heart of the most cruel hard-hearted and injurious person or if it did not it would render him the most odious of Creatures the most ungrateful of men and unworthy of any further pitty And therefore it is that where-ever we meet with prophane persons that are treading under foot the Sonne of God and crucifying the Lord of life afresh by swearing lying drunkenness persecuting the Saints c. and so injuring and denying the Lord that bought them we acquaint them that he whom they wrong and persecute is Jesus the Saviour of the World the redeemer of mankind that gave himselfe a ransome for all bought them with his precious blood and dyed for their sinnes according to the Scriptures that thereby we may perswade them from their impious persecuting principles and prophane practises or else leave them without excuse but whilest men continue ignorant of this great love of Christ and do not certainly know by the Scriptures that Christ dyed for them they are seldome restrained from prophanenesse and all sorts of impiety or at least are filled with frequent doubtings and tremblings of heat not knowing whether the Lamb was slaine for them yet knowing that forsaking of sin and following of righteousnesse can doe no good to that soul for whom Christ dyed not no precepts can be available or promises applicable to those for whom the blood of Christ Jesus was not shed and so they stand staggering at both and though sometimes through the mercy of a long suffering God they have some sweet tasts of mercy yet by attending to false Teachers and Satans temptations they begin to question whether Christ dyed for them and then all their unstable hopes vanish and their unsettled hearts are hurried into a Labyrinth of soul dstempering confusions the Lord pitty these poor Creatures and deliver them from all self contradicting yea God contradicting Teachers who hold the truth in unrighteousness And whereas Mr. Troughton sayes That men will argue that if Christ dyed for all men then for me I shall be saved though I go on and injoy my lusts c. It s nothing so and they that hold that Christ dyed for all men according to the Scriptures raise no such Arguments knowing that they that deny to serve him that bought them shal be destroyed but they argue thus Christ dyed for me among the rest of men therefore I ought to live to him love serve and obey him to forsake my lusts pride swearing coveteousnesse and prophanenesse to dye to sinne and live to righteousnesse because he dyed for me and rose againe But Mr. Troughton saies That Christs dying for all is a ground of dispaire to many to which I answer First Here Mr. Troughton miserably contradiccts himselfe for he holds that they whom Christ dyed for can never dye in dispaire and for others there was never any hopes of eternall life layed up But here it seemes that there was something to be enjoyed even by them who dispaire of it but I shall not dwell upon any advantages but Secondly I answer That Mr. Troughtons suggestions is very false for seeing that Christ dyed for all seeing he so loved the World as to give his life for man-kind much more will he be found willing to receive and save poor sinners that come to him But Satan hath subtilly circumvented men by a great sleight in perswading them through the Doctrine of the false Ministers who are transformed as the Ministers of Christ that God will save some men that live and dye in sinne and that others who so live and dye shall be damned that one lyar shall be saved and another be damned one swearer shall be saved and another damned one Adulerer shall be saved and another damned that God is angry with one drunkard murtherer whoremonger and not with another though neither of them repent for they hold that it is Christ's wâ—rk to act faith and repentance In the Creature they hold that God was never angry with his Elect and hence it that some say God was no more angry with David after he had perpetrated those horrid sinnes of murther and adultery then he was at any other time others hold which is all one in effect that he forceth some to beleeve and be saved and appointeth others to sinne and be damned and this they call the distinguishing love of God which makes M. Troughton ask page 56. Where is the distinguishing love of God if Christ dyed for all I answer first in that he gave Christ to dye for all Men and not for the fallen Angels Secondly In that he will delight in abide with and save such as repent and obey him as you may see Psal 147. 11. Jo. 14. 21 13. Heb. 5. 9. and not others when he might have required men to have done an hundred times as much as he hath and yet have made no such promise of further manifestations of love or life eternall he gave himselfe a ransome for all yet he giveth more or a further addition of grace He resisteth the proud who deny the Lord that bought them and giveth grace to the humble Isai 4. 9. so here is distinguishing grace First He manifests his goodnesse grace or favour to men yea all men yea to the wicked men and they who humbly receive his mercy and truth shall have more even an increase every way as I have in the foregoing part of this Treatise provâ—d from Jo. 14. 21. An other railing Accusation that Mr. Troughton brings against the truth is this If saith he we shall hold that Christ dyed for all this will be a ready way to reconcile us to Rome I conceive he meanes the Papists but the Papists generally hold that Christ dyed sufficiently but not efficiently for all and they hold directly as Mr. Troughton doth in this point that is That his blood in respect of
whom I have believed I know that my Redeemer liveth c. Men will hardly give credit to much lesse rely upon him they never knew and therefore when Christ askt the blind man whether he did believe on the Sonne of God he answered and â—aid Who is he that I might believe on him Jo. 9. 35. 36. He must know him before he could believe on him Object But sayes Mr. Troughton 'T is the will of Gods purpose who Christ dyed for in particular and therefore thou canst not fetch the ground of thy faith from thence but looke to the generality of the offer of grace and command to believe Ans 1. I grant it and its that which I ever say that no man hath a ground to believe that Christ dyed for him if he dyed for some particular persons only Ans 2. It seems then there is a generall offer of grace and a precept of God commanding and encouraging to believe I intreat the discreet Reader to consider what clear truth Mr. Tronghton professeth and how he hath with one hand ruined that great building of the Doctrine of restrained Redemption which he and many more with all their hands heads and hearts have labouâ—ed almost these two hundred years to raise up for seeing there is a Generall tender of Grace and manifestation of goodnesse from the most high God that offer is reall or not Mr. Troughton I thinke dare not say that it is not reall though I feare dares say any thing or else would never have restrained and limited Scripture Redemption for then he makes God like the worst of men If it be reall then I have ail that granted which largue for as fully as my soul can desire For if there be a generall and reall offer of Grace from God as most certainly there is surely then Christ dyed for all or else God offers grace to them and commandeth and encourageth them to believe for whom his Sonne never dyed and consequently to whom that grace could never have done any good Object But God fore-knew they would not receive it Ans But he fore-knew as well that by those abilities by him given them they could and might have received it and therefore he offers it that they may be left without excuse which could not have beene if the tender had never been made and that in good earnest too though Mr. Sympson in halfe sayes the contrary And wherein is the first act of Grace manifested but in Gods giving of Christ to be a propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world That then which is the first and principall manifestation of grace or love which are all one is Gods giving his Sonne to dye for sinners and doubtlesse is first and principally to be made knowne to the world that they may know and believe the love of God and so come to turn from Idols to serve him that so loved them or else we shall make a preposterous preaching of the Gospel What Mr. Troughton sayes That we are not to looke at Christs dying for us but to the precept of God for our encouragement to believe is utterly false and meerly legal for all obedience that is not grounded upon love to him whom we obey is little worth But selfe contradictions breake no square in Mr. Troughtons Doctrine as you shall see in the next place where he saith The command to believe and come to Christ is open and revealed but who Christ dyed for is secret and hid neither is Gods call and command that thou shouldst repent and believe grounded upon Christs dying for thee in particular I Answer 1. This last clause is in part true for it s grounded upon his dying for all in Generall see Joh. 3. 16. and so is the fâ—rst viz that the command to believe is open and revâ—aled but that it is a secret thing who Christ dyed for is untrue for there is not any one thing in all the Scriptures morefully and plainly revealed then this as I have clearly proved But if it be a secret how came Mr. Troughton to know any thing of its in reference to himselfe or others Ans 2. If a man have a conceit at large that Christ dyed for him or a certain knowledge that he dyed for all yet if a man apply it not to his own souls in particular his faith wil be but ill founded For if certaine knowledge of every truth be the sure ground of every act of saving faith how can I beléeve that Christ dyed for me in particular except I fâ—rst know that he dyed for me in particuler and how any man can know that but by confessing that he dyed for all let any soul judge But many that would be thought Christians are growne just like the Jews yea the Pharisees that have high thoughts of themselves and despise others and that Christ never bought wicked men and Hereticks but onely seemed so to doe If I could see the man that hath not been a wicked man or a Heretick I should it may be say so too but there is not that man on the face of the earth that hath not beene one or both of these as every humble heart will ingenuously confesse and that it was the knowledge of the love of God in Christ that drew them out of the sinck of sinne superstition and error led them to repentance and obedience and so to peace of conscience and joy in the Lord the spirit of God in the Word and their owne experience can and will testifie with many thousands Obj. But sayes Mr. Troughton There are many thousands of precious Saints some yet alive and other at rest with the Lord who had true faith and peace of conscience and yet were stranger to the Doctrine of Christs dying for all men I Answer first So there are that never knew that Christ suffered at Jerusalem yea many thousands that never heard of Christ as Infants and others who dye before they have done or known good or evill and others that were ignorant of many pure divine truths in all ages and places of the world Answer 2. Suppose it be so doth that argue that when we may have more and clearer light and knowledge in the love of God and matters of salvation that we should neglect and oppose it though they who are invincibly and inevitably ignorant of many heavenly truths may be happy yet they who resist them cannot be so Answer 3. If they had true faith and joy in the Holy Ghost who did not certainly know whether Christ dyed for them or no they living under such Ministers onely that held that Christ dyed onely for some what strength of faith peace of conscience and rejoycing in the Lord may they have who know and can prove by many plaine text of Scriptute that Christ dyed for them How may such souls exult and leap for joy through the love of God who know and believe the love of God to them A man who desires such a one
will pardon them through Christ according to the promise Isai 1. 16. 17. and that Isai 55. 7. Let the righteous forsake his way and the wicked man his thoughts and turne to the Lord for he will have mercy on him and our God for he will abundantly pardon The Lord is not wanting to convert us or to doe whatsoever he hath promised for the turning of us to himselfe They that come to the Lord must beleeve that he is and that he is a bountifully rewarder of them that diligently secke him Heb. 11. 6. They must constantly apply the sufferings of Christ to their hearts and their hearts and mindes bodyes and soules to his statutes alwaies believe their Resurrection from the dust and those glorious joyes and songs of Triumph and peace which are in the mansions of blisse this will purifie the Saints 1 Jo. 3. 3. 2 Cor. 7. 1. Thus believing they become eighteous through Christ and are justified from what they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Act. 13. 39. And being justified by beleeving they have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5. 1. Exercising themselves in these things as the Apostle Paul did himselfe Act. 24. 14. 15. 16. they come to have a conscience void of offence toward God and men They are to believe that God hath freely redeemed justified sanctified and saved them through the blood of his dear onely spotlesse Son from that destruction which Adam brought on all man-kind by his sinne that fury is not in God in reference to that offence and the believing of this great and infinite love with the heart will so cleanse and sanctifie poore soules that they will thereby come to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world for with the heart men believeth unto righteousnesse Yea this love known and believed will constraine sinners to confesse the Lord that bought them and so with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Rom. 10. 10. which salvation also they are to believe and wait for knowing certainly that our Redeemer Jesus Christ will come and will not tarry Thus have I answered Mr. Troughtons Question and shewed what men who know that Christ dyed for them are to believe for the peace of their consciences Much more might be added but I proceed to speak a word or two to the conclusion of Mr. Troughtons Book that I may also draw towards the conclusion of this worke We declare unto you in our Mimistry saith he That Christ dyed for all for all the world for every man and woman that shall believe on him and accept of him upon the termes of the Gospel and is not here encouragement to poore sinners be their sinnes never so great Thou art not excluded by name and why shouldst thou exclude thy self through unbeliefe This Mr. Troughton calls the conclusion he might rather call it the confusion of his small Tract as he termes it For as I shewed you before he pul'd downe the maine building of his opinion in his 61. page By confessing that there is a generall offer of Grace and page 62. where he confesseth there it an umversalitâ—ie of the offer of Christ which offer none that regard the honour of God will doubt to be reall and here he razes the very foundation of his contradictious Doctrine in that he acknowledgeth that they who misse of mercy exclude themselves through unbeliefe and like men refusing helpe when they are almost drowned bring destruction to themselves through their neglect or refusall not striving to lay hold of mercy that they might be saved but questioning whether Christ were offered them with an intent to save them From whence these Coclusions do very freely flow 1. That there was mercy for them to lay hold on by faith who perish through unbeliefe 2. That they who enjoy not this mercy exclude themselves from it 3. That it is beyond doubt and question that Gods offer of Christ to men is with a purpose of his part to save them 4. That they who would be saved by Christ must strive to lay hold on him all which are pure heavenly and eternall truth and comes from Mr. Troughton as blessings from Balaam his heart dissenting from his hand and tongue For another while you shall find Mr. Troughton peremptorily concluding that God never intended his Sonne or mercy by him to all as Page 52. of his Booke where he speakes these very words in effect that it was not the purpose of God to give his Sonne to dye for all and that his death should be a sufficient price for all was never intended by God Now how should God send down his Sonne to save that which was lost and yet not give him to dye for them or that he should offer his Sonne to more then he gave him to dye for is senslesse to imagine except we should make God a mocker of his poore undone Creatures as Mr. Tronghton and others sometimes do In another place you shall heare him say That God appointed or decreed men to be disobedient How then can their destruction be of themselves yea how can their sin be of themselves if God appointed them to be disobedient Another while that Christ meriteth faith for the Saints and that he worketh or acteth faith in the Creatures how then can that be true which he sayes here that men must strive to lay hold on Christ and they that do not perish through unbeliefe Can there be any possibility that they should believe for whom Christ meirteth not faith seeing all that do believe had faith merited for them and it was not they that believed but Christ in them or that they believed at least by an unresistable power Sure then they laid not hold of the rope as Mr. Troughton sayes drawing men out to doe not asking questions much lesse did they strive so to doe but the rope laid hold on them and pluckt them up whether they would or no. And thus you see that Mr. Troughtons Doctrine is but like ropes of Sand it holds not together none can lay any sure hold of it it wil not hold his own weight for what he fastens in one place he breaks in another and what truth he speaks in one leaf oâ— his Book he leaves yea denyes in another what he buildes in a moneth he throwes downe in a minute For how is it possible that any soule can beleeve in God or Christ through his Teaching for he sayes that God did not give his Sonne to dye for all yet he offers grace to all that Redemption is not universall but the tenders of Christ are universal That God did let or send downe Christ to save lost man and they are not to question it but yet he appointed the greatest part of men to be disobedient That men exclude themselves by unbeliefe yet there was never a Christ for them to believe except they would believe on one that