in him and cast themselves upon God for further saving So the Apostles were led Rom. 5.10 and not from believing on him to argue that Christ died for them So that this notwithstanding that Mr. Owen hath said I yet stand to my former Argument and shall not need to put it into the following frame in his Book into which he puts it By this that is already said Concl. 1. his following Conclusions appear clearly to be some of them untrue some impertinent viz. 1. That all called by the Word in what state or condition soever they continue are not bound to believe that Christ died for them by name but such as are so and so qualified Answ To which I oppose and have shewed That All called by the Word in that state in which they are when called and as it s required of them to believe the Gospel and to believe in Christ for salvation are therein also necessarily required to believe that God appointed Christ to be a Mediator for them and that he hath died for them and so is a fit medium for them to come unto God and to believe in him by 2. That the Precept of believing with fiduciary confidence that Christ dyed for him Concl. 2. is not proposed nor is not obligatory to all that is called nor the not performance of it any otherwise a sin but as it is in the root and habit of unbelief and not turning unto God for mercy To that I answer Answ That the Precept of believing with fiduciary confidence is proposed to all that are called by the word according to the Gospel yea this M.O. granted before inasmuch as it is justifying Faith and so its obligatory to them all And to that end as it thereto necessarily conduceth to believe that Christ dyed for them the not believing which is a giving God the lye it being contained in the record given of his Son which contrary to his fift and sixt Conclusions is too that there is one Mediator between God and men who gave himself a ransom for all men and not onely that he that hath him hath life but also first that God hath given us eternall life and that life is in his Son See that expresly affirmed to be part of the Record of God which the unbeliever makes God a lyer in not believing 1 Joh. 5.10 11 12. And whether Mr. Owen hath dealt faithfully or fraudulently with the Word of God in leaving out the first part of that Record as once before he left out God hath given us eternal life running into that fault which more groundlesly he called the trick of the old Serpent in T. M. and put the name of an Impostor upon him for I leave it to the Reader to judge As for his 3. That no Reprobate for whom Christ died not Concl. 3 shall be condemned for not believing that Christ died for him It shall be granted him when he hath proved what he here begs viz. That there is any such Reprobate for whom as faln in Adam Christ never died His 4. That the command of believing in Christ given to All Concl. 4 is not in that particular obligatory unto any but upon the fulfilling the condition thereto required is sufficiently spoken to It with all conditions or necessary conducements thereto are required of all those to whom the Word is preached Amongst which necessaries the believing Christs Death to be for them we have shewed to be one Therefore I shall say no more here to it but view what he says to a second Argument viz. That Doctrine that fils the mind of men with fears and scruples whether they ought to believe or no Argu. 2 when God cals them to it cannot be agreeable to the Gospell But such is the Doctrine of the Particularity of Redemption c. To which he tels us 1. That doubts and scruples may either rise from a doctrine it self in its own nature giving cause thereto to those who perform their duty rightly or from corruption and unbelief setting up it self against the truth of Christ I answer It 's corruption and unbelief setting up it self against the truth of Christ in the Gospell that makes men hold forth the Particularity of Christs Death as being undergone only for the Elect and the Doctrine it self gives occasions and causes of scruple to men in this that men seeing their sinfulness and looking upon God but according to what this doctrine presents of him to them they are wholly uncertain whether the Mediator was sent for them or not and so whether God be an object of faith fit for them 2. He tels us that obiection supposeth That a man is bound to believe that Jesus Christ dyed by the appointment of God for him in particular before he believe in Christ Jesus and that men that are of that perswasion of the restraint of the Death of Christ to the Elect may scruple whether they ought to believe or not which he says is to involve our selves into a plain contradiction for according to Scripture for a man to be perswaded that Christ dyed for him in particular is the highest improvement of faith including a sense of the spirituall love of God shed abroad into our hearts the top of the Apostles consolation Rom. 8.34 and the bottome of his joyfull assurance Gal. 2.20 so that we require that a man do believe before he do believe and suppose that he cannot believe and shall exceedingly fear whether he ought to do so except he believe before he believe To this I answer That for a man to be perswaded that Christ dyed for him is no where made the highest improvement of faith but only that faith by the belief of this hath been improved and so may be to highest pitches the soul that perceives see and mindes the love of God therethrough commended so as to be drawn to God thereby abiding therein may grow up to great assurance therein and find matter of exceeding great nourishment unto eternall life But it follows not that because from that believers have sprung up to such assurance of eternall life as in the greatest tryals and temptations to trust in him for it and make their boast of God which is the highest improvement of faith That the bare believing that Christ dyed for them is the faith of full assurance Some of the Israelites from beholding the great power and goodness of God to them in delivering them out of Egypt and bringing them over the red Sea c. were led to follow God with a full heart and to be silled with a full perswasion that they should be brought into Canaan and possess it but it followed not thence that the belief or knowledge that God so delivered them was the faith of full assurance of entering into Canaan by all that knew that they were thence delivered So Paul was lead with confidence to trust in God for future deliverance by this that he had delivered him and yet it s
him that yet doubts of Gods love to him reject that devised Doctrine that contradicts the Scriptures and letting alone the secrets of God which pertain not to him yet to know nor shall hurt him if he attend and yield up to that that is revealed yea shall be also profitably revealed to him if he submit to what is revealed Psal 25.14 let him I say mind the record of God that he hath given of his Son that he hath given himself a Ransom for All yea and that God hath given us eternal life even us whom he commands to believe in the name of his Son 1 Ioh. 3.23 and this life is in his Son he that hath the Son hath life he that hath not the Son hath not life thence shall he see both ground to believe that God hath given him eternall life and put it into Christ and also both necessity and incouragement to believe on Christ that in believing he may have that life even that eternall injoyment of God in Christ that will for ever satisfie him and make him happy FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Symphony of some Ancient Doctors of the Church with the truth here defended added to shew that it is no novelty of yesterdays standing as some are pleased to charge it Chrysostome in Joh. 1.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem in Heb. 2.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Clemens Alexandrinus Orat. ad Gentes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Athanasius De incarnatione verbi Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Et Paulo Post 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those sentences forealledged are in English thus Chrysostome upon Joh. 1.29 That Lamb speaking of the Paschall Lamb or the Lambes offered up in the Jewish sacrifices never took away any one mans sins But this that is Christ the Lamb of God takes away the sins of the whole world for it being in great danger to be destroyed he quickly freed it from the wrath of God The same Author upon Heb. 2.9 saith thus That by the grace of God he might tast death for every one not for the believers only but also for the whole world for he dyed for All but what if all believe not yet he hath performed that which concerned him to do Clemens Alexand. Hear ye that are afar off and hear ye that are nigh hand The Word is not hid from any the Light is common and shineth unto All men Athanasius in his tractate about the Incarnation of the Word of God Now forasmuch as the debt of All ought to be paid for All ought to dy therefore for that cause especially he came and sojourned here and after the manifestations of his Divinity by his works it remained that he offer up a sacrifice for All delivering up his Temple the Temple of his body unto Death for All that he might discharge and free All from the old transgression And a little after in the same Tractate There was need of Death and it behoved that Death should be indured for All that the Debt due from all might be satisfied wherefore the Word for that it could not dy for it was immortall took to itself a body capable of dying that he might offer that as his own for All and that he suffering for All by reason of his conjunction with that he might destroy him that hath the power of Death to wit the Devill Cyrillus Hierosolymitanus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylact in Johan 6.51 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 August in Joh. 3.14 15. Serpens aneus in ligno positus venena vivorium serpentum superavit Christus in cruce suspensus mortuus antiqua diaboli venena restinxit omnes qui ab eo percussi fuerant liberavit Idem in Psal 69. Judas abjecit pretium quo ipse vendidit Christium non agnovit pretium quo ipse a Christo redemptus erat Prosper in Respons ad object Gallorum Christus dedit pro mundo sanguinem suum mundus redimi noluit Item sent quartâ super capita Gallorum Qui dicit quod non pro totius mundi redemptione salvator sit crucifixus non ad Sacramenti virtutem sed ad infidelium respicit partem quum sanguis Jesus Christi pretium totius mundi sit A quo pretio extranei sunt qui aut delectati captivitate redimi noluerunt aut post redemptionem ad candem servitutem sunt reversi Vide Ambrosium in pag. titul Cyrillus Alexandrinus in Joh. Evang. lib. 11.25 Quemadmodum praevaricatione primi hominis ut in primitiis generis nostri morti addicti sumus eodem modo per obedientiam justitiam Christi in quantum seipsum legi subjecit quamvis legis author esset benedictio atque vivificatio quae per spiritum est ad totam nostram penetravit naturam Leo Epist 72. ad Juvenalem Vt autem repararet omnium vitam recepit omnium causam vim veteris Chirographi pro omnibus solvendo vacuavit ut sicut per unius reatum omnes facti suerant Peccatores ita per unius obedientiam omnes fierent innocentes inde in homines manante justitiá ubi est humana suscepta natura Cyrill of Hierusalem in his Instruction or Catechise 13. The Crown of the Cross is that it inlightned those that were blind in ignorance and loosed All that were held in bondage under sin and redeemed the whole World of mankind Nor marvell thou that the whole world was redeemed by it for he was not a bare Man but the only begotten Son of God that dyed upon it Theophylact in John 6.51 By the life of the World perhaps he meaneth the Resurrection for the Death of the Lord procured the Generall Resurrection of all the whole kind or race of man perhaps also he named the life of holiness and happiness the life of the World for though All have not received that sanctification and that life that is in the spirit yet Christ gave himself for the World and as to what appertained to him the world is saved and the whole nature sanctified inasmuch as he hath received power to conquer sin and sin fled away by that one Man Our Lord Jesus Christ even as by that one man Adam it that is the world or the nature of man fell into sin Austine in Joh. 3.14 15. The brazen Serpent put upon a pole of Wood overcame all the venome of the living Serpents And Christ being hung upon the cross and dying quenched the force of the old poisons of the Devil and freed All that were smitten by him The same upon Psal 69. Judas cast away the price for which he sold Christ and acknowledged or owned not the price by which he was redeemed by Christ Prosper in Answer to some objections of the Gaules Christ gave his blood for the World and the World refused to be redeemed that is actually set at liberty by him So again He that saith the Saviour was not crucified for the Redemption of the Whole world hath not his eye upon the pretiousness or vertue of that mystery but upon the part of them that believe not whereas the blood of Jesus Christ is the price of the whole World from which price they are strangers who either being delighted with their captivity refuse to be set free or after they are set free return again unto their former bondage Cyrill of Alexandria upon Johns Gospell lib. 11. cap. 25. As by the transgression of the first man we were as in the first fruits of our kind bound over unto Death after the same manner by the obedience and righteousness of Christ forasmuch as he subjected himself unto the Law who was the Author of the Law the blessing and quickning which is by the Spirit or Divine nature hath pierced to our whole nature Leo in his 7◠Epistle to Juvenal That Christ might repaire the life of All he took the Cause of All and loosed the force of the old handwriting by satisfying for All. That so as by the Guilt of one All were made sinners so also by the obedience of one All might be made innocent righteousness thence flowing down unto men where is taken the nature of man I Might have added more Testimonies both Ancient and moderne as amongst the ancient Ignatius Jrenaeus Theodoret c. and amongst the moderne Luther Hemingius and in a word the generality of the Lutheran Divines as also Musculus Vrsinus Suffragium Britanicum Bishop Davenant yea the Articles and Catechise of the Church of England but these already alledged may be sufficient
ΘΥΡΑ ΑÎΕΩΓΜΕÎΗ THE OPEN DOOR For MANS Appoach to GOD. OR A VINDICATION of the Record of GOD Concerning the Extent of the Death of CHRIST in its Object In Answer to a Treatise of Master Iohn Owen of Cogshall in Essex about that Subject By John Horn a Servant of God in the Gospel of his Son and Preacher thereof at Lyn in Norffolk The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation to All Men hath appeared teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world c. Tit. 2.11 12 13. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternal life John 3.16 And he is the propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the whole world's 1 John 2.2 Mysticus sol ille justitiae omnibus ortus est omnibus venit omnibus passus est omnibus resurrexit ideo autem passus est ut tolleret peccatum mundi Si quis autem non credit in Christum generali beneficio ipse se fraudat Ambros Ut si quis clausis fenestris radios solis excludat non ideo sol non ortus est omnibus quia colore ejus se ipse fraudavit nam quod solis est praerogativam suam servat quod autem imprudent is communis a se gratiam lucis excludit Ambros in Psal 118. secund vulg Lat. Octon Octavo Omnia probate quod bonum est tenete London Printed by Robert White and are to be sold by Giles Calvert at his Shop at the Sign of the Black-Spred Eagle at the West End of Pauls 1650. REader My necessitated absence from the Press hath occasioned some mistakes both of words and pointings in the printing which least envy take occasion by them to traduce me with the simple and ingenuity it self be at a loss I have here shewed thee how thou shouldst correct Viz. In the Epistle to the Reader PAge 14 Line 6 read 2 for 1. p. 18 l. 18 r. them p. 26 l. 15 r. that rule p. 28 l. 29 r. lately In the Answer Pa. 12 Lin 22 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 15 l. 18r call p 23 l. 10 r. too p. 24 marg r. ver 18. p. 27 l. 11 r. as are then not so p. 28 l. 1 2 r. Psal 78 Mat. 18. p. 45 l. 36 t John 5. p 48 l. 6 r. dawne p 49. l. 25 r. they would not p. 54 l 2 put the stop after second p. 56 l. 15 r. oppose p. 67 l. 20 r. but as an example p. 75 l. 38 r. rather without marks p. 80 l. 35 r. third p 84 l. 29 r. liked not to have p. 85 l. 8 r. talents alike open p. 87 l. 30 r. not that some p. 95 l. 1 r. then p. 118 l. 17 r. Job 5. p. 125 l. 26 r. conferrer p. 131 l. 21 r. having given p. 132 l. 29 r. distinguished p. 141 l. 6 11 r. if we p. 142 l. 38 r. had p. 143 l. 38 r. nor p. 148 l. 38 r. quia post omnia p. 156 l. 6 r. yet p. 161 l. 20 r. pact p 173 l. 3 r. Grecians p. 176 l. 29 r. City l 30 r. 2 Chron. 28. p. 177 l. 39 r. that p. 178 l. 24 r. that that declares l. 35 r. Saviour having p. 182 l. 3 r. them p. 184 l. 7 r. denies l. 9 r. 1 will p. 185 l. 3 r. is as l. 25 r. these words p. 191 l. 8 r. that it doth not l. 33 r. contain p. 195 l. 2 r. stung p. 200 l. 14 r. them or without p. 203 l. 36 r. nor had they any p. 204 l. 29 r. â—lts p 207 l. 11 r. of l. 20 r. warn l. ibid. r. any p. 223 l. 2 r Luc. 19. p. 229 l. 4 r. mistate p. 235 l. 32 r. it s p 236 l. 35. r. reference p. 238 l. 22 r. to all which we p. 255 l. 13 l. delivered from p. 259 l. 16 blot out we p. 262 l. 17 r. would p 263 l. 8 r. to whom they p. 265 l. 14 put the comma after here p. 268 l. 18 r. also p. 271 l. 38 r. as frothy p. 279 l. 17 r. that p. 297 l. 17 r. because l. 28 r. righteousness of the Law p. 299 l. 21 26 put a parenthests before As and after So p. 300 l. 22 take away the stop at name and read name for p. 305 l. 25 r. mea p. 306 l. 26 r. something p. 319 l. 4 r. Repro 〈…〉 To the Honorable Colonel Valentine Walton One of the Members of the Supream Authority of this Commonwealth and of the Council of State and Governor of the Garrisons of Lyn Yarmouth Crowland and the I le of Ely c. AND ALSO To the Right Worshipful Mr. Thomas Toll Burgess for the Town of Lyn Regis and Mr. Miles Corbet Burgess for the Town of Yarmouth in Norfolk Esquires both Members of the said Supream Authority c. Grace and Mercy and Peace in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our LORD Honorable and Right Worshipfull IT was the saying of Socrates as * Zenoph de dictis factis Socratis Xenophon relates a By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That ungrateful persons are to be numbred amongst the unjust and that b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by how much the more and greater favours any have received so much the unjuster he is if he be unthankeful Yea and so hateful was the crime of Ingratitude to the Persians as the same Xenophon tells us that they used to teach their children to abhor and condemn it and c Zenoph de Cyri paediâ lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. severely to punish those that were guilty of it as conceiving that not amiss That Ingratitude is that cursed Principle and a compendium of Vices that leads those in whom it s planted and by whom it s nourished to be injurious to and neglective of both God and man and to be attended with a shameless impudency which is the very Ringleader unto all filthiness and abomination And verily Sir as they guessed not amiss for the d Ingratum si dixeris omnia dixeris holy Scriptures couples e 2 Tim. 3.2 3. unthankefulness with unholiness yea puts it before it as the inlet to profaneness and follows it with want of natural affections Deut. 32.14 15. truce breaking false accusing c. and elsewhere speaks of it as the beginning of Apostacy so are their sayings especially considerable with reference unto God the supream fountain and soveraign Author of all good towards whom unthankefulness is so much the greater injustice as he exceeds and excels all others in favors towards us If we should go about to number up his kindnesses Psal 40.7 they would arise to such a reckoning as is far beyond us Great and many are his kindnesses to us in this life as his giving us life breath
herein then the body of Truth it self then the word of God made flesh and manifested in the flesh met with in the dayes of his flesh Came not He from the bosome of the Father to open his name unto men and to shew to them the way of their salvation was not he truly Jesus the salvation of God and Saviour of the world one that came to teach men the knowledg of God and lead them unto life But O what course usage did He finde Did not the world abominate him as if he had been a Devil incarnate filled with Satan the great deceiver of mankinde leading them to Destruction how often did they cry out against him and offer to lay violent hands upon him as if he was unworthy to live amongst them What evil laws enacted they against him casting out of their Synagogues meetings and fellowships those that would own him Did they not call a councel about him and condemnâ— him therein and crave yea almost force it upon the Secular power to deliver him up to be crucified by them till they got their wills in that matter on him how did they after his condemnation all-to revile mock and taunt him yea dispitefully intreat and kill him And as if they would leave no stone unremoved for effecting their designes upon him they seal him up in his Sepulcher and set a guard to keep him therein And who I pray were the persons that thus used him Were they not the generality of the people but principally the Priests and Rulers the zealous and devout the seeming godly party that were so strict for tithing mint and rue for keeping Sabbaths keeping out errors and blasphemies as that a man that judged by the outside would have sworn they were the holiest people and best beloved of God that the world contained The wise the prudent the powerful the Scribes Pharises and Rulers of the people But I pray was Christ less the Son of God or the great Truth of truths because he found so bad entertainment by these prudent zealots because they condemned him and put him to Death was he therefore really guilty of that deceit and blasphemy with which they charged him was it not indeed as himself told them because he spake the truth to them and they could not endure to hear it from him Because he testified of them that their deeds were evil and their doctrine vitious which they set so high a price upon many good deeds have I done saith He for which of them do ye stone me And truly friend so have men dealt with this truth in hand It s cryed out upon as a Doctrine of Satan as error and blasphemy as the most pernicious Doctrine that can be taught almost they sit upon it in councel and condemn it they have reviled it railed on it mocked taunted it yea have they not crucified it and almost killed it and all this too hath been acted by the Learned Prudent Rabbies Scribes and Rulers but what evil hath it done Why disturb the Churches peace so they said Christ and the Gospel did their Synagogues Deprives believers of their comfort nay t is but them that believe it not as Christ did them that believed not in him not any right believers as we shall shew they can prove it guilty of no evil and therefore let not their charges of it move thee Veritas magna est praevalebit let them bury it and set a guard upon it banish it their cities countries kingdomes strike hands with Satan himself and combine with the gates and powers of hell to under it out it will and shall and shall be received As Moses lift up the Serpent in the wilderness so shall the son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him may not perish but have eternal life For truth is truth though hated and reproached its cause is just their accusations groundless their opposite positions Antichristian but it self divine no nicety or fancy but of great concernment it being a truth that glorifies God and brings good news or tidings to men which with thy patience I shall a little demonstrate with the differences of their Anti-position of Christs dying only for an elect number in these following particulars 1. It s a doctrine that gives glory to God and magnifies his mercy or goodness and justice toward the sons of men in his dealings with them whereas the opinion it opposeth detracts from his glory in those particulars First I say it commends and magnifies the goodness of God in the exercise of his mercy while it speaks of him as love it self one that is good and therefore doth good good to All a lover and Saviour of mankinde and of the world in general one that delights not in the death of the wicked nor would that any should perish and run themselves into destruction but rather come to repentance and live to which end it shewes that he hath provided a means for banished mankinde to be brought back by to him again from that estate of misery unto which they were banished yea that to that end he enlightens manifests his truth calls to look to him lades with benefits waytes with patience upon sinners chastens them in mercy to keep their souls from the pit and to inlighten them with the light of the living and all this not bounded up to a few the far fewer part of men but in some degree or other inlarged generally to all And is not this a commendation of him as good and loving is it not the nature of love to diffuse it self abroad to extend it self to all as well as to burn intensively to any And 2. Doth not that that speakes of God as so mercifull illustrate also his justice the more brightly when it shewes his wrath and vengeance to come upon men for abusing love undervaluing goodness and for not accepting his grace can any thing be thought more just then to punish him that transgresses a command of an Authority in it self not onely lawful but also good and Fatherly that not only by its soveraignty might exact but also by its clemency and goodness did deserve obedience to its injunctions from all under it such as this doctrine declares Gods dealings with men by way of justice to be not only in respect of Adam our first parent and all in him but also in respect of us in our particulars and yet we ascribe his Soveraignty to him in all things too while we say all these his dispensations are not necessitated to him but free and voluntary so as that his giving Christ the streams of goodness that come to us through Christ were all of his good will not of our works yea his extending these or those means longer or shorter time with less or greater power are all free dispensations according to his will the Law he gives to men and the rewards he propounds all according to his own will only we say he acts forth this his
God might deal in a way of mercy with them And he eyed further the Testament of promises made to his called ones that God would bring in to believe in him layd down his life for confirmation of their faith in those promises and also for confirmation and ratification of the truth of his doctrine to those to whom he preached it Now in the first consideration he says he took in All men though not all but his called ones and such as he should have for his seed In the second against which Mr. Owen saith nothing worth the Answer but faults the things that he seems not well to understand and quarrels with want of smoothness in the expressions and unaptness of quotations not rightly taking them to the Authors meaning as I conceive For I suppose Heb. 9.9 26. He only quoted to shew that as a Priest he offered sacrifice Joh. 1.29 1 Joh. 2.2 to shew that he was as a propitiation and that extended to All Heb. 9.14 15. Matt. 26.26 he quotes to prove his Death to be for Ratification of his Testament and so the Apostle made use of it in Rom. 5.10 8.32 none of them expressing his utmost end that being known sufficiently and granted on every hand Now whereas Mr. Owen saith that his proofes for the sealing the Testament hold out but the first end of the death of Christ he speaks not rightly for neither of those places viz. Mat. 26.26 Heb. 9.15 speaks only of procuring of remission of sins or power and prerogative of forgiving but of sealing the Testament also which bequeaths not to all he dyed for but to all that heartily believe in him and such the Apostles were the receit and injoyment of forgiveness and of the inheritance it self which remission the believers indeed confess that they experimentally receive from him in his blood believed on by them Rom. 3.25 as in Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 which Scriptures speak not of procuring Redemption though that must needs be supposed as a thing fore-done but of the receit and injoyment of it that they being brought out of darkness into Christs Government met with and partook of as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 declares too Whereas he cals his distinction of these ends mentioned his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 's only his want of discerning and so till he see better may be forgiven him as all the rest of that following froth he hath not worth repeating or answering for whereas he saith that he may this way answer any thing by saying its otherwise in his opinion it seemes strange to me that he cannot see the places above recited cleerly proving what was affirmed by him Doth not his being a Lamb to take away the sin of the world and the propitiation for the sins of the whole world shew that the work of his Priest-hood had something in it extending beyond the bounds and limits of the Church and chosen except he can first shew that the world the whole world is the Church of God and all of them the chosen of God and so confound the distinction so cleerly held forth in Scripture between the Church and the world John 14.17 22. 15.18 19. 16.20 17.9 1 Cor. 6.2 11.32 c. And doth not Heb. 9.15 with Mat. 26.26 plainly say that Christ also intended to confirm the faith of his called ones in expectation of the eternal inheritance and to make that sure to them Is there not a plain difference between these two the breaking in peices the bond of Death man was faln into and so delivering him out of that and the making a Covenant of promises with some of them so ransomed Is it all one for a Prince to ransom a thousand men out of prison in which they were to perish and save them from hanging when the rope was about their necks And his entring into a bond and Covenant to prefer so many of them being ransomed as will submit to and serve him Did not Christ undertake for both in his death both to ransom man faln and to confirm his Church in faith But who can give eyes or who shall perswade wise men to be willing to be fools in themselves that God may give them eyes I shall leave the Reader to God intreating sobriety from him and that he will not wink with his eye willfully when light is propounded to him And so having through Gods assistance finished my answer to his first book In expectation and confidence of the same assistance I shall follow him to the second The Second Book CHAP. I. A further view of his consideration of the ends of the death of Christ as further handled in his first and second Chapters of his second book COnsidering further the end of the Death of Christ He tels us it was either 1. Ultimate and supream viz. the glory of God the Father Or 2. Subservient to that viz. The bringing men to God and in that both 1. That men might have means of coming to God And 2. The end it self coming to God or Salvation Which I suppose not as so indefinitely propounded though I think the ends of it may be more fully and cleerly assigned thus viz. 1. Gods Glory Phil. 2.11 2. Nextly the glory of the Son of God that he might have the preheminence and God be glorified in him John 17.1 4. Phil. 2.9 10. Rom. 14.9 To this end he both dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord of quick and dead So John 5.22 The Father hath given to the Son to have life in himself which I understand of the life communicable to men for that is said to be in him 1 John 5.11 and so life in him through his death for men that all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father for that 's the life indeed for which he is so worthy to be honored of all men in their looking to him and believing on him as on the Father and that 's the honoring him as the Father to give him all the honor of believing and staying on him resting and glorying in him acknowledging his Lordship c as to the Father 3. To these purposes that all might be set free and ransomed from the sentence of death under which they were fallen that so God and Christ might be glorified in them all and an object of hope and faith be provided for them to look to and believe in for salvation and for God to glorifie the riches of his mercy in drawing men to according to his good pleasure Matth. 20.28 1 Tim. 2.6 2 Cor. 5.14 15. 4. That those that believe in him might have eternal life So in Iohn 3.16 be brought to God 1 Pet. 3.18 and to glory Heb. 2.10 having Christ for a witness and Covenant ratifying and sealing an everlasting Covenant with them and being an example and pattern yea a Captain and leader to them Isa 49.6 55.4 Heb. 9.15 Matth.
hirelings that leave the flock he tacitely instructs us what he would have other good shepheards do and so tacitely propounds himself as an example to us To which may be added this That the sheep of another fold whether people seeking after God in other Nations not yet gathered into unity with these believing Jews or others yet to be called its disputable seem to be spoken of as a distinct people from those for whom he sayes he laid down his life as not pertaining to his ministration as on the earth and so not so concerned in his Death as a shepheard for confirmation and strengthning of them by the view of his constancy in the faith believed as these sheep were The phrase is remarkable That so soon as he had said I laid down my life for the sheep he adds And other sheep also I have that are not of this Fold Others from what but those he had been speaking of that the Father had immediatly put under his charge in point of his vocal and personal Ministration For whose incouragement also in the first place he laid down his life witnessing a good confession before Pontius Pilate But I leave that to judicious considerations Again If by sheep not of this fold be meant such Gentiles as God had drawn to seek after him by those meanes of his goodness spread abroad amongst them though not yet led so far as to know and acknowledge or walk with Christ and his Disciples of the Jews such as Cornelius and some of his family were and others such might be as I see nothing to disprove it Then Mr. Owens Allegation of that afterward to prove That the word sheep contains others then those that are in some degree believers or fearers of God falls to the ground But however take it one way or other it nothing disproves the main controverted point viz. That Christ died not for his sheep onely I pass other following contentions not directly pertinent onely note That where in pag. 85. He saies he knows not where it s said For All men but is sure that Christ is said to give his life a ransom and that onely mentioned when it is not said for All as Matt. 20.28 and 10.45 I suppose it should be and Mark 10.45 his words are ambiguous for either he means that its only mentioned as a ransom where the word All is not joyned with it or where it s not extended to All and if so then speaks he evidently false for in 1 Tim. 2.6 it s in express tearms He gave himself a ransom for All or else that Christ is said to give himself a ransom and nothing mentioned but that in some places where it s not said for All. But then he trifles too For if it be said but in one place for All it s enough for our faith to close in with there being no one place that denies it of any and many being neither a limitation of nor contradiction to All as is evident To say nothing that there his Mediation and Ministration are joyned together To Minister and give his life a ransom for many Whereas in the conclusion of that Chapter he charges M. Moore with framing an objection like a man of clouts to which none of his Adversaries did ever contribute a penful of Ink. I shall say no more but this That to my remembrance I saw a writing sent him containing four Objections the same in matter and form as are there laid down in his book in the beginnings of his 14 15 16 and 17. Chapters And as I remember they were sent him by one Edmund Scottin of Emmith neer to Wisbitch So that therein Mr. Owen doth falsely asperse him being guilty himself of as weak Arguments as any one of them As may appear by this of dying for his sheep to which I have been lastly speaking CHAP. III. Concerning Impetration and Application with a view of and answer to what Mr. Owen saies to them in his fourth Chapter HIs next Chapter is about Impetration and Application About which I shall first propound my understanding and then consider what is said by him Thus then I conceive the Scripture to hold forth 1. That Jesus Christ by his Death and Sacrifice impetrated procured and obtained a release of all men from being dealt with according to that sentence of condemnation that passed upon them for the transgression of Adam so as that they should not be cut off and destroyed properly for that As Moses by his mediation for Israel procured a repeal or reversion of that sentence pronounced against them in Numb 14.11 12. of smiting them by Pestilence and disinheriting them ver 19 20. This I gather from Rom. 5.18 1 Tim. 2.6 2. That Jesus Christ by his death and Sacrifice impetrated procured or obtained power and Lordship to himself in the man over them all and all things concerning them Angels Devils and all creatures made for them that he should have power over them to rule or order them and make them useful and serviceable to all or any man or for chastisement and correction to them as he pleases This I ground upon Rom. 14.9 Acts 10.36 1 Pet. 3.21 3. That he procured and obtained thereby to have in himself in the Humane Nature all fulness of gifts and grace life and salvation so as that it might be dispensed unto all or any man in that way God and he should propound for participation thereof which in regard of the eternal life and salvation is only by receit of himself so as that it should not pass from him dividedly from himself but men must come in to him and receive him to receive and injoy that fulness in him And this I ground upon those Scriptures Psal 68.18 Ascending up on high and leading captivity captive he received gifts in the Man 1 John 5.11 God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son whence also as thus filled he is the Bread and Tree of life He that hath him hath this life and he that hath not him hath not life vers 12. He may impart and give other gifts to men that are apart from him and not in him but the main gift the life in him he gives injoyment of only to men in him so that if men would have it they must go to him for it though the servants are sent abroad and he comes forth with them to call men to the feast yet men must go into him by Faith and receive him into their hearts else they have not the efficacy of the feast prepared for them in him but he hath impetrated to have life in himself and fulness fit for All or any to look to him for and communicable by him to all or any in looking to him 4. He hath also impetrated and obtained that the ingagement of God to him should be fulfilled he having performed his Fathers will he hath obliged God as we may so say upon his promise to give him
give to this or that muchless to all he dyed for effectually to believe in him and to be saved not a word to that purpose So that that piece of doctrine viz. That for whom Christ dyed them he procured faith for is none of those Scripture-truths that will scatter the supposed clouds and mists Nor yet follows it that the whole impetration of Redemption is made unprofitable For 1. God hath ingaged himself so to glorifie his Son that some shall be brought in though he no were say All he dyed for nor that I know of any particular persons so as that this or that individuall must or else he should be unjust 2. He shall have much glory from his good bounteous and merciful dispensations to men through the Death of Christ that yet he compels not to believe on Christ Matt. 22.2 3 4 5. with Rom. 11.36 yea in the just and righteous condemnation of those that sin'd against that mercy and refused to submit to him For that condition upon which he supposes we will say Christ is to bestow salvation viz. so they do not refuse or resist the means of grace It s a mistake we know no such imposition put upon him for men may receive the means and yet rebel against the grace it self that comes in them have a form and deny the power of godliness and for that perish Though that all Pagans and infidels are left destitute of all means leading them to seek after God or that any that have no outward means from Christ nor ever resist Gods workings in them shall be condemned as Mr. Owen would perswade us I leave for him to prove Christ says to the Jews that if he had not come and spoken to them they had not had sin and for ought I know If Christ neither come in Word Joh. 15.22 nor in any spiritual way as he preached to the old world by his Spirit if any such he can finde they may not have sin charged on them to condemnation and destruction Yet if Mr. Owen can shew me otherwise I will believe it For making Christ but a half Mediator its frivolous yet we shall speak to it lib. 3. c. 3. where it occurs again That Christ did not dye for any on condition of their believing I believe nor that he dyed only for the Elect of God that they should believe nor finde I any Scripture calling any man while yet in and of the world an Elect person He dyed for All that being Lord of them and presenting his light to them according to the good pleasure of the Father whosoever believes might not perish but have eternal life And here ends this Second Book and my Answers to it The Third Book His third Book contains Arguments grounded for the most part upon his former premises against the universality of the Death of Christ we shall Favente Deo orderly view them CHAP. I. An answer to his two first Arguments contained in his first Chapter of this Book The first Chapter contains two Arguments Argu. 1 As FRom the nature of the Covenant of Grace established ratified and confirmed in and by the Death of Christ His Argument runs thus The effects of the death of Christ cannot be extended beyond the compass of the new Covenant or Christ died only for those that are within the New Covenant But this Covenant was not made universally with all but particularly onely with some Therefore those alone were intended in the benefits of the death of Christ A very vitious Argument whereof the Conclusion contains a quartus terminus for in stead of any effects the tearm propounded in the Major He says the benefits therein as is clear by what follows in him comprehending the choice benefits of the death of Christ applied The Major also is ambiguous and uncertain For either it is universal as No effect of the death of Christ c. or else particular as Some do not c. If the latter its impertinent and concludes not against the death of Christ for All but onely its having some effects in All which is besides the thing in question if the former as I suppose he intends it then I deny it I deny I say that Christ died for none or that none have any effect of his death extended to them but onely such as with whom the New Testament is made He brings no other proof for it which he perhaps therefore lisped in because he saw himself weak in the proof of it but onely from that title given to his blood that it s called The blood of the New Testament So that his Argument to prove that runs thus It s called the blood of the New Testament Therefore shed onely for them that are heirs of the New Testament Which is like this The Spirit is called the Spirit of Comfort and the Comforter Therefore whoever it works upon it comforts them and so when it convinces the world of sin it s their comforter too and when it kindles the fire of Tophet Isai 30.33 it comforts them that are tormented with it A wilde Argument and yet such is his The truth is As its an office of the Spirit to comfort and he is a Comforter to all that obey him so is it an office of the blood of Christ or rather one end of its shedding to ratifie the new Covenant which it also doth to all that believe in it But as that is not all the work or business of the Spirit to comfort so neither was that all the work or end of the blood of Christ to establish the new Covenant but first of all to ransom from the death that was passed upon men and then to confirm a Covenant to the house of Israel and Judah This blood where ever it s tendered the Covenant is tendred with it Hear and your souls shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you the sure mercies of David and he that obeys this is entred into Covenant by it but not All for whom it was shed are in Covenant by its shedding no more then all for whom the water of Purification was made were therefore purified because it was made for them and called the water of Purification Numb 19 9.20 Mr. Owen also mistakes the parties with whom the Covenant is made For he understands them to be a certain number of persons yet lying in the world and that its one clause of the Covenant to give them faith or make them to believe whereas indeed especially as pertaining to the Gentiles the proper object with whom the Covenant is made is the called of God believers in Christ Jesus into those mens hearts God will put his fear not to bring them to him but to keep them from departing from him which argues their being brought to him before these shall have the Law written in their hearts an allusion to the old Testament written in Tables of Stone not before they were brought out of Egypt but after they
acting in that power it still remains in Gods Power onely to give it the promised efficacy the soul in believing onely puts it self into such a posture as in which it becomes the object of Gods Promise to make the death of Christ effectual to it As suppose I promise an alms to a poor man if he will come to my house for it though it be in his power to â—ome yet it s not in his power to make my promise effectual that appertains to me and is onely in my power still From this that 's said his following conclusion viz. That this being the absolute necessity of faith the cause of that must needs be the prime and principal cause of salvation as being the cause of that without which the whole would not be and by which the whole is and is effectual nothing harms us we making God the prime Cause our faith and the Will be its freedom what it will but instumental and no instrumental subordinate cause as the Will of man however considered must needs be the whole man and his Will being the Workmanship of God though a causa sine quâ non per quam totum can be said to be the prime cause As to instance that in Acts 27.31 Except the Shipmen abide in the ship the passengers could not have been preserved Their abiding in the ship was a cause of their preservation such a one as without which they could not have been preserved and upon which they were preserved and yet I hope no man will be so graceless as to conclude that they or the souldiers that caused them to stay were the prime and principal cause of their preservation So a poor mans asking an alms may be a cause of his receiving an alms and yet when anothers bounty propounding an alms to him upon that condition incourageth him to ask and gives him when he asks though his Will be never so free in asking yet it cannot be looked upon as the prime cause of his receiving So that this premise too as it tends to conclude the act of the Will from the former premises to be the principal cause of our salvation though specious is but fallacious and erronius 3. After both these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one that forgot what he undertook to prove instead of performing his task He puts it to our option to chuse whether we will answer directly and Categorically whether Christ by his Death and Intercession merited and procured faith for us or no. To this I say as before that except Christ had died for us there had neither been a fit object for us sinners to believe on nor an instrument fit to beget it by nor a power to work with that instrument to inable us thereunto So that in that sense he did by his death procure it for us that is removed that which hindred us from having any of those yet there too that he obliged God to give Vs individually faith that is to make us act faith in that object according to the power given us in the medium or instrument so as that if God had not given Vs that in our individual persons he must have dealt injuriously with Christ that I leave for him to prove In the Interim That he obliged him to give it to All he dyed for that is to cause them All to believe unto life eternall I Categorically deny and expect his proof of it before which he seems to me to contradict his first premise while he denies That the granting a way of salvation by bringing life and immortality to light by the Gospel in Christ which passage he ascribes to T. More p. 35. was procured for us by Christ To say nothing that I finde no such passage in the place pointed to why may we not say this way was procured for us by Christ Did not he procure the bringing life and immortality to light by the Gospel Sure then not all benefits bestowed upon us for that is one and none of the least which the Apostle also ascribes to him in 2 Tim. 2.10 and then neither did he procure faith for us for he that procures a thing must procure all requisites to the working of that thing or else he doth not procure that thing Now if he procure not the bringing life and immortality to light then he procured not that we should have that by which faith is effected for that 's it that begets faith the appearing of light and immortality in the Gospel faith I say according to the present plainness of the Gospel and so he hath overthrown the thing he fights for Ah but it s a strange Contradictory Assertion that he should procure a way to life in himself But why so because he is the chiefest part of this way and sure procured not himself by his own Death c. But by that reason he procured few things freely bestowed on us in and by Christ for then neither did he procure us Wisdom Righteousness Holiness nor Redemption for all these he is called himself as much as he is called the Way See 1 Cor. 1.30 then he procured not our peace for he is our peace Ephes 2.14 He procured not our life for he is our life Col 3.4 But is it such a strange thing to say such a man got or procured himself to be made protector to such a people or to have the favor of admitting to or keeping out any from the Kings ear by such and such services and carriages Surely no And why then is it so to say that Christ procured himself to be the Way to life for sinners by suffering for them Was he the way to life to us without his sufferings and death I suppose not and if not then he obtained that power and title by his sufferings Heb. 5.9 through that way he became our way to life by sufferings he was perfected and so became the Author of salvation eternall to all that obey him And is this such a strange Assertion Sure I cannot but think it a just hand of God upon men as is prophesied Zech. 11.13 Isa 29.9 10 13 14. Jer. 8.8 9. that because they slight Gods Word the plain testimonies of Scripture God smites their eye that they cannot see reason But to return to our purpose I deny I say that Christ procured that is ingaged or obliged God that all should be brought to believe on him for whom he dyed though we deny not that he opened a passage for the grace of God to display and glorifie it self so that He presents himself to men as good and powerful an object meet to be looked to and stayed on as in John 5.8 9 10 11. especially in the Gospel as now published since the Appearance of Christ in the Flesh which presentation of himself to men as good grations powerful c. is the medium and instrument for begetting faith according to the degree and measure of the Revelation as Rahab believed to
place urged by him speak of Faith they being believers that were spoken of in that Speech as the Suppositum in it And how it should be meant when he says My Dinner is prepared and all things are ready come ye to the Wedding That the peoples coming was one of the dishes prepared I know not or that God hath put faith into Christ for us Yet suppose it mean that through him God hath blessed us with faith which I grant he hath such as do believe yet how either he obliged God to bless such particulars so or much more all that he died for I am sure no man can shew me from that proof So that Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith the beginning and the end of what we believe for or as the word is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the prime Captain and Perfecter of our faith or * The word Faith there signifies rather the profession or matter of Faith believed then the act of Faith in us the way of our faith and so greater then any of the cloud of witnesses I believe and so I desire to eye and look to him also yea as him without whose sufferings I could neither have had object of faith for me nor VVord or Spirit to inable me to it and as he that is the prime leader in it and finisher of it bringing about to me the whole end of it the salvation of my soul But yet that therefore he so obliged God to make men look to him as that had God passed me by and fastened upon some other he should have been unjust to him or that he hath procured that All he died for shall be brought to believe to eternal life that place shews not And now to review his whole Argument it runs thus If the fruit and effect procured by the death of Christ absolutely not depending on any condition in man to be fulfilled be not common to All then did not Christ die for All. But the supposal is true as is seen in the Grace of Faith which was procured by the death of Christ to be absolutely bestowed on them for whom he died is but yet not common to All Therefore Christ died not for All. The whole Syllogism is in clouds for either Proposition being indefinite may admit of truth or falshood as they may be interpreted If the Major be universal thus That if no fruit or effect procured or wrought absolutely by the death of Christ for All for whom he died be common to All then he died not for All Then it s granted but then the Minor is too scanty for it should be universal too taking in the whole Medius terminus or else the Argument concludes not negatively If the Major be not so universal then we deny the Consequence For we suppose Christ might procure some things not for All as the grace of Apostleship for Paul and that 's not common to all the Church yet it follows not from that that he died not for all the Church Again The terms for whom he died are equivocal for its either to be interpreted All for whom he died had the grace of Faith procured for them to be absolutely bestowed on them or not If not then it comes not up to the intent of the Major nor takes in the whole middle Term of it as it ought to run If so we have seen no proof for it and therefore to say no more that the whole Minor remains unproved the main thing opposed by him yet stands firm viz. That Christ died for All. Having done with this long labyrinthed Argument Argu. 9 he comes to a new one Thus. Those onely are spiritually redeemed by Christ who were typed out by the people of Israel in their carnal typical Redemption But by the people of the Jews in their deliverance out of Egypt bringing into Canaan with all their Ordinances and Institutions onely the Church of God the Elect were typed out which he sayes was proved before but I never yet saw it proved from the beginning of the Book hitherto and I am confident never shall Ergo c. Truly this is a very sorry Argument and I had thought such a man as Mr. Owen would not have mentioned such a one but sure he so much over-reasoned himself in the former that he forgat himself here For first to the Major He hath no proof for it at all and this reason may be given to deny it that he can no where prove that that was a type of Christs dying for us meerly But out of courtesie we will grant it him and fall upon his Minor in which he both adds a Quartus terminus in mentioning the bringing them into Canaan and all their Ordinances c. not mentioned in the Major and in saying Onely the Elect and Church of God was typed out by them saith falsely and so it s denied by me upon these grounds 1 The beasts were all brought out to a hoof of which some were clean and some were unclean for Sacrifice were all these types of the Elect and Church onely 2. The Murmurers and Rebels that fell in the Wilderness were brought out of Egypt were they also types of the Elect Sure then if Canaan be a type of heaven and heavenly Rest and Egypt a type of the Kingdom of Death and Darkness then it will follow That few of the Elect scarce two of six hundred thousand shall enter into Rest and that many that Christ died for and ransomed from death and misery through unbelief shal never come into heavenly glory Was not Corah and his company some of that people that was redeemed out of Egypt Sure they were See Numb 16. and yet the Apostle tells us they were types of them that perish for rebellion against Christ Jude 11. Were they think you the Elect of God And so the Apostle propounds those Murmurers and Fornicators and Idolators amongst them as types of them that now murmure against Christ and commit Fornication and Idolatry against him 1 Cor. 10.5 11. So that this Argument is notoriously erroneous Let us turn it thus rather All that were typed out in the Redemption from Egypt are ransomed spiritually by Jesus Christ But all men good and bad were typed out by them Ergo All so ransomed To make good the Minor for the Major is Mr. Owens own The clean beasts typified those of the Gentiles that are fit for sacrifices to God being sanctified by the holy Ghost Rom. 15.16 The unclean those that remain in unbelief and so are not fit to be so offered up Tit. 1.16 Likewise the good and faithful people and such as were chosen into Office types of the Elect and faithful in Christ Jesus 1 Pet. 2.5 And the Murmurers Complainers and Unbelievers types of the disobedient to and backsliders from Christ Therefore all such people though they come not all to heaven yet Christ gave himself a ransom for them But enough to this most incongruous Argument
the other If David venture his life for All the Israelites alike and after that he coming to have Power and Government one is by that knit to him and loves him again as Jonathan did and he enters into Covenant with him to be his choise friend and another regards him not for this but churlishly requites him as Nabal did and for that he destroyes him shall we say now That David loved Nabal as much as Jonathan because he acted the same highest act of love for them both formerly would not that be a notorious falshood And is not this then a notorious fallacy in Mr. Owen 2. He infers That for whomsoever he hath given his Son to them also he will assuredly freely give all things But I deny that the Apostle sayes any such thing But thus That having given his Son for us all he will surely give us all things with him Vs that is such as believe on him Vs that are in Christ that are called according to purpose c. Jonathan or Abigal making this Inference If David spared not himself but put his life in his hand for us all when we were strangers to him will not he that had so much love to us then give us Vs his federates and dear friends with himself having also given himself to us by Covenant whatever is in his power to the half of his Kingdom Will it follow from such a speech that Therefore whomsoever David loved so well as to venture his life for them against the Philistin to them he will give any good thing that 's desirable of him yea though many of them are his arch-enemies and do rebel against him Who sees not this to be a false Inference and yet such is this of Mr. Owens The believer doth or may expect all good things from Christ that died for them even upon that consideration that he died for them and shall have them therefore whosoever he died for shall have all good things too Thence also that Faith is not in the number of that All things spoken of appears because the parties thus speaking and of whom this is spoken are actuall believers before the making of this Inference That conception is like this He that was at such cost as to make a great Feast for us who are brought in to it already and are at it with thankful acceptance how shall he not give Vs to eat any dainty that is provided therefore it s from this speech inferable That he that was at such cost to make such a feast will make all that he invited to come and eat every dainty of it Whereas he saith His description of those persons there spoken of to be Elect not All but those chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world confirms the restraint of the Death of Christ to them alone 1. He proves not nor I am perswaded can he That any man yet uncalled hath that denomination of Elect in Scripture 2. We may see the vanity of his Argument by this insuing Similitude David venturing his life and conquering the Philistin and obtaining the Kingdom Shall he not stand by his friends familiars and kindred He that did that for them when mean will he suffer any enemy to vex and spoil them being invested with the power of the Kingdom Ergo David hazarded his life onely for his friends familiars and kindred and not for any that were his enemies or that afterward dealt injuriously and rebelliously against him Is this a good inference The Elect of God be they what they will shall be preserved by the Death Resurrection and Intercession of Christ from perdition which is all the Apostle there says he sayes not they are the adequate object of Christs Death Therefore Christ died for no more then they nor desired any good thing to be granted to any other but to them Who that understands Reason would not hiss out such arguments So from these words of the Apostle concerning the Elect Who is he that condemns its Christ that died doth this Inference fairly follow That whosoever he died for shall not be condemned more then from this If David's brother or good Subjects had said Who is he that accuses us It s David the King that ventured his life for our good and now raings to defend us from harm it would follow Ergo None that he ventured his life for against Goliah shall be put to death for any after-carriage toward him It doth but undeniably appear to me from all this that Mr. Owen understands not the drift of the Apostle nor sees the maner of his reasoning but no whit evident That Christ died onely for the Elect as he sayes He next Allegation is Eph. 1 7. We have redemption in him Scrip. 6. That is still we that are brought to him made accepted in him translated into his Kingdom as Col. 1.14 and as himself grants in his Chapter against the Socinians where he denies any of the Elect to be freed from wrath till regenerate we have that is injoy or possess Redemption that is remission of our sins clearing freeing us from all our bonds c. Therefore all that he died for or Therefore he died onely for us Is this right reasoning put it into form and then judg of it it s thus If the believer hath redemption in Christ Then all that he died for But the believer hath c. I deny the Consequence of his Major Proposition and leave him to prove it And it in what sense All have release and in what not we have said before There is redemption in Christ for All to seek after and so remission with him preached or predicable to all that they might look after it but All for whom he died I say have it not that is have not received it and so injoy it not How also they may be comparatively to what their case should have been blessed and how not blessed in that sense spoken of Rom. 4.6 7. we have shewed in Chap. 7. His next is Scrip. 7. 2 Cor. 5.21 He made him to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him that is in believing on him Thence he infers All that He was made sin for are made the righteousness of God in him It s like that He brought them into Canaan that they might keep his Statutes Ergo All that were brought into Canaan kept his Statutes as we noted at the beginning So by his stripes we we believers are healed Ergo All that he died for shall though they never submit to have the playster applied David by hazzarding his life brought us his friends to honor Ergo He ventured his life for no more but them that come to honor As weak is that from Joh. 15 13. Greater love than this hath no man If he acted the greatest Why not all the rest In which there is nothing but Reason exalting it self against the Word of God David put his life in
Or can we expect that the telling men of its infinite sufficiency will beget hope in them more then if it were onely sufficient for them for whom it was intended whenas they are told they are never the more included in its intendment by vertue of its infinite sufficiency then if it was far less sufficient VVe may its true assure men of salvation if they be believers or do believe but can we upon that ground assure any one of good ground for their believing or that Christ is an object meet for them to believe on that he is appointed as a Mediator for them or is able to save them For can we say he is able to save any more then those that were included in his intention If he should save any more he must make a new bargain for them and pay a new price for their salvation VVhat is this better then Law-preaching to say If thou believest thou shalt be saved The Law promises life to those that keep it but affords not motive and spirit to effect what it requireth So doth their Doctrine promise life upon Faith but gives no straw affords no certain object that such or such have cause to believe on him demonstrates no love to the soul to draw it in to believe for that 's uncertain such Preachers give but an uncertain sound that cannot affirm that the VVord of God saith That there is any thing done by Christ for any one man in their Congregations that may evidence it a just and right thing for him to hope in God for salvation But he tells us That when God calls upon men to believe he doth not in the first place call upon them to believe that Christ died for them but that there is no name under heaven whereby they may be saved but only of Jesus Christ Well and is there not an intimation in that that Christ died for them Sure he that excepts the Name of Jesus Christ intimates he hath a Name by which they may And what is that Name Either signifies Power and Authority or the report and fame that goes on him Now he that leaves it uncertain whether Christ died sufficiently for them as he confessedly doth that leaves it uncertain whether Christ hath died for them leaves it also uncertain whether Christ hath power by his death to save them Nor can they fame him to be one able and ready to save them and so they cannot preach that there is a Name of Jesus by which they may be saved So that the proof he brings overthrows the Assertion which it is brought to prove Can men be called on to believe in God and not through a Mediator And can they look through a Mediator on him when they know not of any they have He then that calls upon me to believe through Christs Mediation as whoever calls upon men rightly to believe must do doth intimate that there is something in his Mediation for me to be incouraged to believe in God by and so by consequence that he died for me else be the merit of it never so great its no ground of Faith to me And surely however Mr. Owen determins God hath no where so determined nor the Apostles so Preached One tells us That the Record of God which he that believes not makes God a lyer is this That God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 Joh. 5.10 11 12. And surely this is the onely full ground of drawing men to the Son when they are told by the VVord of God that God hath given them life in his Son and the way to have it is to have him but rejecting him and not coming to him for life they reject life and deprive themselves of what God hath given them He that believes not this in every part of it when declared makes God a lyer and will not nor can come in to him to believe on Christ If he believe not that God hath given him life then will he either despaire or seek it by Works and not by Faith if not that this life is in Christ then will he not look to Christ for it or believe on him If he think he may have it and not have Christ and have Christ or not have it then will he neglect believing on Christ as a thing unnecessary or unprofitable for him So Peter tells the people Acts 3.23 God sent Christ to turn every one of you from your iniquities And Paul Acts 13.37 tells them that Remission of sins was Preached to them in Christs name both equivalent to Christs Mediating and dying for them and coming for their sakes And so in 2 Cor. 5.19 and Matt. 224.9 The Declaration of Gods good will to them is laid down as the ground of exhorting them to come in to God And to say no more See what the testimony is of which God made the Apostle Paul an Apostle and Teacher of the Gentiles in Faith and Verity Is it not that in 1 Tim. 2.4 5 6 7. God would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledg of the Truth for there is one God and one Mediator between God and men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransom for All And the appearance of the love of God to man was it that brought Paul himself in Tit. 3.4 5. Was it ever found that a man was called by God to trust in that that he never set up for him to trust in to stay upon Christs blood and Christ shed none for him So that I hope by this the vanity of Mr. Owens Inferences from his first premise appears and that his understanding of the Distinction of Sufficiency and Efficiency together with the Consideration of the dignity of the Sacrifice of Christ in regard as of his person so of the greatness of his pains holds forth onely this to us That God to make his Sons sufferings more valuable then needed to be for the bargain intended put him to more pains then he needed to have endured which is a piece of blasphemy But I pass from that Consideration 2. His second premise is about the Dispensation of the Covenant of Grace Consid 2. and inlarging of the Kingdom of Christ after his appearance in the flesh opposed to the former Dispensation restrained to one People and Family And this he says gave occasion to many general expressions in the Scriptures which are far enough from including an universality of all Individuals All which I grant him and will Instance a few such expressions for him as that of Peter Acts 10.34 Rom. 1.16 and 10.13 In every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him And that The Gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Gentile And that The Lord over all is rich in mercy
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Draw me not with the wicked c. So that as this place is beg'd for his purpose so it s impertinently indeavored to be confirmed That Rev. 5.9 Is the interpretation of that Text Joh. 12.32 the Scripture tells him not that 's beg'd and untrue also For if they were the All who are called the four Beasts and twenty four Elders who and what then were those 144000 mentioned to sing before those Beasts and Elders and said also to be redeemed Rev. 14.2 3 4. which number of 144000. agrees with the number of the sealed Chap. 7. Besides whom were yet an innumerable number out of all Nations Kindreds c. If the first were the All spoken of by Christ who were the other two numbers exceeding that All The following proof of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I conceive impertinent too for Did they take for Tithe the tenth species onely and not rather the tenth individual in Geometrical or Arithmetical proportion of every species And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if Christ cured not every particular disease of the people where he was and that were brought unto him for of them onely he there speaketh So his instance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2.8 That it cannot mean every individual place I Answer It means any individual place where ever men come none that I know excepted And that in opposition to an elected place onely as formerly in Jerusalem And if Mr. Owen will but grant us the same liberty of interpreting the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in verse 4. and 6. We desire no more I know not that the Apostle excepts either heaven or hell when the believers come into them but they may pray in them Paul conversed in heaven and I believe he prayed there too in his there conversing Phil. 3.20 and for Hell Jonas prayed out of the belly of it Jonas 2. And why others may not too that can pray I know not if ever God try them so far as to cast them into it His other Exceptions I pass over the whole Postulatum if granted being not material against us as we shall see I hope in due place He gives us some conclusions about the signification of the word All as 1. That it signifies All believers so as to be restrained to them So he says it is in Rom. 5.18 To all men to justification of life But there he is manifestly out For the Apostle himself subjoyns the Substantive to the word All All men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the word Man is equipollent to the word Believer is another question which I leave for Mr. Owen to prove For for my part I think not that all men are onely believers and none but they men The 1. Cor. 15.22 In Christ all shall be made alive He says is not All men but All believers onely In which he intimately asserts one of these two Propositions either that all men shall not rise or be quickned to life again or that it shall not be in or by Christ for so this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often signifies quoting Epes 4.10 He tell us That he might fill all things signifies That he might onely fill all believers And so that in Psal 33.5 may not be applied to Christ That the earth is full of his goodness Which as I am not bound to believe it because I have but Mr. Owens word for it so neither do I no more then that there is or may be no act of justification in any sense no not in the publike person none to life without faith because that 's the ordinary way to life eternal 2. He says All is used sometimes for some of All sorts it s the same he said before only he backs it with another impertinent proof for Jer. 31.34 says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all of them that is of the house of the Judah and Israel in the latter dayes not of All sorts of men and sure it is all the Israel of God the confessors of his goodness in faith that are taken into the Covenant and shall know God not only some of all sorts of them and whereas the Apostle Paul translates it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All in Heb. 8.11 he supplies the want of the Pronoun Affix in the next phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and I hope All from the least of them to the greatest of them is as plain as All of them he quotes also the 1 Tim. 2.1 2. and tells us he thinks the Apostle by All means All sorts and so he doth but that he means but some of All sorts is void of proof for he saith not some Kings and some peasants but Kings and all in Authority he names but one Genus of men men in authority and he says all of that sort And why not all of all the other sorts as well as that I expect some reason more then I shall meet with before I believe it Why all Merchants all beggars c. may not as well as all in authority be the object of my prayers I know no reason I think I have as good ground to think All of the one shall be saved as All of the other So that these are but impertinent observations to the purpose But then 3. He would have us compare the Generall expressions of the old and New Testament together the Lord affirming in the New to be done what was foretold in the old should be done so that they are answerable to and expository one of another Well I accept the motion but then this comparison must be adidem but so Mr. Owen compares not for he compares prophecies of the conversion of Nations families to the Death of Christ for all and his mediation for them but this is not equal The dying of Christ for a man was not the fulfilling of the prophecy of the conversion of that man and of his coming to Christ Act. 15.9 13 48. Col. 1.6 Those prophecies agree with these speeches God put no difference between them and us after that by faith he had purifyed their hearts and this The Gentiles glorified the Word of the Lord believed so many as were ordained to eternall life and this The Gospel is come to you as in all the world and brings forth fruit as it doth also in you and many the like But that he gave himself a ransome for All and is the propitiation of the sins of the whole world expound these praedictions of the conversion of All Nations I deny for these say not All believe or come to his holy mountain c. that invitation in Isa 45.22 Look to me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth is a call not a propheticall assertion That all the ends of the earth shall look to him and be saved So that this also is but a fruitless inept comparison Whereas he says when God saith he will wipe off
kinde of Faith not so infallibly attended with eternal salvation as that compared to the stony ground Matth. 13.19 20. And in those that made shipwrack of faith and a good conscience But he says That that 's the substance of the Gospel promulgation whoever believe shall be saved that 's the onely thing held out to innumerable That Faith shal be attended certainly with eternal life Truly I believe that that 's All the Gospel held out to innumerable indeed For they that know of no other Gospel predicable to them at least believe it not how should they preach it And truly though that 's a truth yet not a truth meet to beget Faith but that declares God in Christ an object fit for souls in general and particular to believe on That that 's all the divine Truth that God bids us preach as Gospel to innumerable of men I deny He quotes for it Matth. 16.16 1 John 5.11 but fails in them of his purpose He shews his mistake of the first in that he thinks that that in Mark 16.16 is a declaration of the Gospel that they should preach As if our Saviour had said This is the Gospel you shall preach He that believes shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned Now that this cannot be the Gospel is plain for then the latter sentence He that believes not shall be damned should be part of the Gospel too and so good news which I suppose will be hardly judged so The truth is Our having Saviour bid them preach the Gospel informs them what should be the consequences of their preaching it He that believes that is that believes the Gospel that you preach shall be saved but he that believes not but rejects it shall be damned The Gospel that they were to preach was his Mission into the world as the Saviour of it his Death for our sins his Resurrection Ascention c. with the promises of Life to them that believing the Gospel believe on him and so the Apostle preached also as we have before shewed We declare to you good tidings that God hath performed his Promises to us in raising up Christ from the dead And be it known that in this mans name is preached to you remission of sins And to instance no more his other proof is plain that they preached more fully then as he tells us For in that 1 John 5.11 He says not onely this is the Record that life is in Christ and he that hath him hath it but also which he leaps over God hath given us that life eternal that is in Christ so as that it behoves us to receive it in receiving him or else we are ingreateful and guilty of our own destruction Whereas he chargeth us with a Conditional will in God for saving men I speak not of any thing conditional in him but I say God propounds to men salvation on condition and will make good his VVord where-ever that condition is performed by men That which follows in this Consideration is spoken to generally before and therefore I shall pass it and come to the next Consideration 9. He mindes us of the mixt distribution of Elect and Reprobates Consid 9. Believers and Vnbelievers throughout the world in the several places thereof in all or most of the single Congregations and that 's another ground of tendring the blood of Christ to them for whom it was never shed Here are a heap of beg'd questions all without proof As 1. That some are Elect and others Reprobates before the Gospel come to them and fasten upon some to pull them to Christ and his Justice pass upon others in hardning them for their rejection of Christ 2. That there are believers and unbelievers in the Congregations throughout the world antecedently to the Gospels publishing to them and therefore the Gospel must be tendred to All and the blood of Christ offered to them for whom it was never shed 3. That there are some men for whom Christ never shed his blood and that God hath ordered it to be offered to them But 4. Chiefly This is to be admired that the holy Ghost that knows the secrets of God and revealed them to the Apostles should out of these grounds affirm that Christ died and gave himself a ransom for All when he wrote to one of the Churches All which are no matters of our Faith till they have better proof VVhat he says of the Promises there is impertinent for it s not of those we speak but of the affirmations of the extent of Christs Death Propitiation and Ransom which are not promises upon any condition propounded but Declarations and Assertions of things done for us in Christ that are grounds to us for Faith Even such grounds as upon which the Apostles exhorts to Faith Matth. 22.4 2 Cor. 5.19 20. c. and from them though not from the promises which are the believers portion Faith meets with something to perswade us of his Death for All. VVhereas he says the offer is not absolutely universal If he speak of it as profferd in act by men its true but if as proferable and according to the terms of its Proposition in the Scripture its untrue for there it s expresly said To all the ends of the earth and to the whole Creation For Gods refusing to bestow Faith I would have him shew me that God any where expresses himself as unwilling and unready to bestow Faith upon men where they have not first wilfully rejected him as if it was a vain thing to preach to most and for most to hear because God will not afford them power of believing 10. His last Consideration is of the several degrees of Faith Consid 10. tending to clear this That men have an object fit to believe on though they believe not that Christ died for them Which I deny for this believing on God the onely ultimate object of Faith being a reliance or depending on him presupposes an apprehension of God as one able and willing to help him and that apprehension springing from his VVord reporting him to be such which cannot be apprehended with this in question Whether God hath given Christ for him or not for if that be doubted or uncertain its uncertain too whether God be willing to help him seeing he hath appointed help no ways but by him and through his dying for men But let us see what are his Positions He tels us there is 1. This That sinners cannot have salvation in themselves in as much as all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Nor can be justified by the works of the Law This is indeed a truth to be believed but not properly Gospel or good news much less doth it shew the object to be believed on 2. That life is to be had in the promised seed But this is a lame Proposition for it expresses not whether life is there for them to whom it s preached or onely for some
they know not who If the latter this not yet meet to beget faith in God in them it being yet uncertain wheher he bean object for faith to them That many believe not this that are outwardly called is not material nor proves that there is no more Gospel-Truth that appertains to them proposable to them And indeed one thing that makes many not believe it is that they regard not the report of it and they regard it not perhaps because it propounds nothing for certain that may be beneficial to them 3. That Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified at Jerusalem was this Saviour This also is a truth to be believed but yet affords no certain ground or motive for any mans expecting good from God to himself nor propounds him as a fit object for this or that man to believe on But then 4. He says The Gospel requires resting in this Christ as an All-sufficient Saviour with whom is plenteous redemption able to save to the utmost all that come to God by him But can a soul rest on him that it knows not to have done any thing for it to rest in To rest in is to sit down and be at quiet in the belief of something in which the soul sees it need stir no where else for satisfaction but it may certainly have it there But how can a man preach to any one or he believe that Christ is an All-sufficient Saviour as to him and so meet for him to rest on for safety and yet cannot say by the Word of God That Christ died for him or was appointed by God to be a Mediator for him to rest on Is Christ sufficiently furnished for saving a man without an offering made to God for him Or can he remit his sins without shedding blood for him To come to God by Christ is through the viewing and considering his Person Sufferings and Mediation to be incouraged to hope in God and in that hope to ask and waite for his salvation Now what am I more helped for trusting in God by believing that all that finde such incouragement in him as Mediator as that they are raised up to hope and to have confidence in God thereby have Him Al-sufficient to save them if in the mean time not knowing whether he be sufficient to save me that is whether he hath done any thing as Mediator for me I cannot see incouragement from thence to hope and rest on God for his saving me It s true few within the Pale of the Church may finde strength to perform that act of resting on God and that is because they see not nor are shewed what ground they have to do so They are held in suspense about their right to rest on him or to think he is appointed for them They see not the way of entrance to God how then should they approach by it but deceive themselves oftentimes in thinking they approach to him when they do not The Truth of God which being believed should work in them effectually to draw them to God is kept back from him viz. That there is a Mediator between God and them who hath died for them That Word of God is suspended upon acts in themselves which indeed properly slow forth from that Truth first believed by them It s love in God discovered to us that makes us hope in and stay upon him but that in this way is held back from men till they do hope in him and so the Cart is set before the Horse the thing that should draw us is set after our drawing in O poor preposterous way that souls are led in 5. Now after all this He tells us We are called on every one in particular to believe the efficacy of the Redemption that is in the blood of Christ towards our souls This also is obscurely or preposterously laid down For why I pray says he The efficacy of that Redemption is then to be believed and not rather our interest in that act of the Redeemer in giving himself a ransom for us Doth he think that came in before why then did he in no place mention it and shew where it comes in that we are to believe that Christ died for us The efficacies of his Redemption in and upon us we indeed look for and expect in and upon our coming to him and we therefore come to him that we might receive them even grace and mercy to help us in times of need and in believing and resting on him we shall experiment them After believing we are assured of remission of sins and eternal life but where come we to know that Christ died for us and so that the Mediation of Christ hath that in it for us that we may be imboldned by to hope in God Men talk of Gods working faith by an Almighty power in them as if he wrought it through the Air and not by opening his love and goodness in the Mediation of Christ and so by his VVotd that declares him I cannot but question a great many of these mens faith whether they yet know what it truly is they talk so strangely of the working of it It s by an Almighty power its true ay but that 's put forth in the Record of the Gospel concerning Gods goodness in Christ to us Doth he mean by efficacy of Redemption but this that Christ died for us Beside that that 's an notable confusion of an act done without us for us and the operations of it by faith in us it crosses the way of the Apostles who laid down the Gospel thus There is one God and one Mediator between God and man they staid not there Nor yet at this the Man Christ Jesus Which is all the Gospel that Mr. Owen hints at that is to be preached before mens coming to rest on God but the Apostle goes a step further Who gave himself a ransom for All. All this the Apostle the Teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity lays down as the Testimony of God the object of our Faith concerning God and Christ the foundation of our approaching to God for salvation and the demonstration that God would have us saved Now what 's the matter that men can dare to venture upon all the other parts or steps of the Gospel Truth to be preached to men as that there is a difference between God and Man a Mediator and Saviour appointed for men and that this is the Man Jesus Christ and then in stead of the last He gave himself a ransom for All boggling at that and avoiding it as a dangerous rock put in this That you must rest upon 〈…〉 in him before you have ground to believe 〈…〉 ransom for you and then you shall know 〈…〉 for All that believe and so for you 〈…〉 that men have departed from the 〈…〉 down by the Teacher of the Gentiles in Faith and that that he calls Verity is accounted a dangerous Very-lye and yet they say they can set before men an object
of Faith as rightly as the Apostles No no Our charge yet stands faster against them then that the strongest hand of them All can move it They cannot preach or represent God Doctrinally in that their way as an object that the people they speak to hath good ground to rest in for safety and satisfaction for they know not confessedly whether he hath appointed Christ as a medium of access for them and as a Sacrifice and Ransom for their souls They can tell men he is able to save them that believe provided they be the Elect otherwise not but cannot assure that he is a meet object for them to believe through because they cannot assure them he hath done any thing for them And thus we have viewed his previous Considerations Come we now to view his following Answers to our Arguments CHAP. II. An Answer to his evasions from those Scriptures that declare Christ sent for the world and the whole world BEfore he comes to the Arguments that he would Answer he dips his Pen in Gall and slings durt upon the faces of them that will not forsake the sure Word of God to take heed to his contradictory Conclusions made against it Pretending his Opinion to be undeniably confirmed by the Word of God by many Demonstrations and innumerable Testimonies of Scripture though not one place hath been brought to the purpose for it Yea I will make Mr. Owen this offer That if he can produce any one Testimony of Scripture that denied Christ to have died for any one man of the world or that limits his Ransom and Propitiation to fewer then All I say That limits it and I will yield him the Cause and say that I have been egregiously deceived But to let that pass Our first general Argument he frames weakly and then makes us by reasoning as weakly to defend it that so he might have the more advantage against it I would make this and the second from general expressions of Scripture into one thus That Matter or Article of Faith Argum. that is frequently delivered in the largest and most general expressions of Scripture without other Scripture in any place excluding any or limiting as but to some is to be received according to the latitude of those large expressions But such is this business of the Death of Christ as the Ransom it s delivered in the largest and most general expressions and no other Scripture any where limits it but to some or excludes any particular Therefore according to the latitude of those expressions its to be received The Major of this is founded upon this Rule Every Word of God is pure nothing to be added to it nothing to be taken from it But to limit where it no where limits or to exclude where it excludes not is to take from it of our own heads and therefore is not to be attempted Besides it may be seen by induction No other Truth that is so frequently laid down in such general terms is taken limitedly to fewer if no other Scripture limit or restrain it or the very Circumstances of the places where it is as might be instanced in Creation Sinfulness Preservation Resurrection Judgment The Minor hath been cleared throughout this Discourse that though there be places that speak not of all its object as also there are many about Creation Sin Resurrection Judgment yet there is no limitation of it in any of those places as a Ransom or Propitiation to a less object then the general places will reach to And that the largest expressions are used about it is clear as All men Rom. 5.18 1 Tim. 2 6. Every one Heb 2.9 The whole world 1 Joh. 2.2 That those phrases are in themselves extendible to All and Every man in the world is plain and confest by Mr. Owen That sometimes in the Scriptures they are so used and that very usually too and most properly as is easie to shew And therefore may so signifie there His Argumentations from the word World I disclaim nor doth he finde any so to use them as he propounds them We argue not the extent simply from the word World but from the words All and Every and whole World and we understand the word World extendible as far as them not from the word World simply but from these other places reaching it to the whole World and All men As when it s said God created man upon the earth the force of the word Man proves it not that he created every Man in the world but yet we believe it extendible so far because other Scriptures say it of All Nations of men and that he made them of one blood The Argument from the word World we use against their conceit of For the Elect onely In that we never finde any Scripture calling the world Elect or the Elect the World but distinguishing them from the world they being in election separated from the world They that would have us restrain general words but to some particulars must shew us some ground for it that the Scripture somewhere in the same business so restraineth them for the restraining of a word usually and Properly of a large extent in other things is no sufficient ground for our straitning it in this or another thing where the Scripture doth not plainly declare that it ought to be so straitned And this is our defence against them in straitning this Word to the Elect. But Mr. Owen endeavors to shew that the general words in such places ought to be straitned from the consideration of the places themselves Beginning with that in Joh 3 16. In which the great Saviour of the world assisting us we will follow him He thereupon first gives us our construction of the place and that with as much weakness as he can I shall give my Paraphrase my self thus God beholding man faln even the men of the world pitied him in that condition and out of pity to him sent him for a Saviour his own onely Son to this end and with this intention that he dying for him and rising again and being perfected for saving man all those of mankinde whosoever that upon declaration of him do believe on him should not perish but have eternal life In which observe 1. That the motive of Gods sending his Son was that love or good will that he bore to lost man and readiness to shew forth his mercy to them in providing a fit medium and way to salvation 2. The object of this love was Mankinde faln as here expressed indefinitely but as other Scriptures explain this indefinite All men the whole world 3. His act of giving was both to death for men and in the Gospel preaching Him to men as an object to be believed on 4. The end That whosoever believes should not perish In which we have 1. The Way to the participation of the choise benefits of him viz. believing on him 2. The Extent of that choise benefit whosoever believes In which is also
end propounded to and attainable by the world on condition of believing as healing was to the wounded Israelites by looking upon the brazen Serpent unto which Christ is resembled ver 14 15. Christ so sets Gods good will before the world there as may let it see and move it to believing as its duty But as M. Owen would have it understood we may say VVhat He would fasten upon us Solvite mortales curas c. Let every man take his own course and swim down the stream of a fatal necessity If there be any salvation to be had for him he must have it God will bring him to it though he look not after it and if it be otherwise it s in vain to think of it it s not so much his fault as Gods Wil that he believs not as a late Resolver hath too badly insinuated While he determins that there is no other cause why some believe not the Gospel preached to them but only the Wil of God himself As for his Reason viz. because this is the most eminent and transcendent love of God c. That would be considered how far its true and whether it will insorce his conception quite beside the tenor of our Saviours expressions Love may be considered either according to the things it acts forth as tending to the good of the party loved or according to the inward strength of affection as affording us means of good or possessing us of that good In regard of the first this wasa most glorious eminent and transcendent act of Love God afforded many means of good to the world but none of them in themselves so worthy and so glorious as his Son nor is there any thing in which either so much of Gods heart or good will to the world is to be seen that he delights not in their death but rather in their conversion and living or so much good to be met with as in him In nothing hath God condescended more to man or provided so much good for him As to its act then and provision of means to our good this is the most eminent act of his Love to us But yet this act of giving Christ is but the provision of good for us and of the best mean and way to it It s not the possessing us of the good in him with reference to that some that were loved so as to have Christ given as a way to life for them may not be the objects of so intense affection as others for whom he also gave Christ nor come to experiment that love of Delight or Fellowship in which his Love in giving Christ perfects it self in them that believe on him This act then I say of love to the world in which God gave forth Christ though it be the most eminent and transcendent in regard of his provision of a mean to its good and though it be that through which the most choise delightful acts of his Love are met with by those that believe on him yet as its comprehensive of the world is not an absolute purpose of all their salvation The same most eminent expression of Love may be acted toward many and out of exceeding great good will to them All too and yet may not be with the like intensness and eminency of affection and purpose for endevouring to make it beneficial to All as we noted above in the instance of David lib. 3. cap. 9. In a word Gods greatest love to the world was not an unchangeable absolute purpose of saving every one of them and therefore the giving Christ out of love to the world was not a giving him out of such a purpose to save every one of them The phrase So God loved will not evince it For though that word So intimates so exeeedingly so really and heartily to such a remarkable astonishable heighth yet it proves not either that he loved it equally to his Son or so as to purpose absolutely the eternal salvation of all of them For our Saviour expressing that So tells us that it was so as to give his Son That every one that believes in him should not perish c. but not so as to give all things to it as he says of his Son v. 35. which yet is the same love in which he loves his chosen his called and believing ones Joh. 17.24 Nor says he so as to cause them to believe in him and have eternal life So that that word So will not prove that his conception It s true as he also minds us That the Scripture says God commended his Love to us in this That Christ died for us though that 's not all the commendation of it but that he did that for us while we were sinners and ungodly And I think its a marvellous commendation of his Love that he died for All while sinners and they are the more to blame that withhold this so great commendation from multitudes by which they should be induced to believe in him love and serve him But will that prove that that Love was not his compassion and pity towards men that is therein commended or that it was an unchangeable purpose of making all those he so loved to answer his love with love again and so to attain to eternal salvation Cannot Love be commendable exceeding commendable except it be so received by all it acts towards as to make them grateful and so to attain the effects that it produces to the grateful Was not Gods Love to Israel in bringing them out of Egypt by a mighty hand and outstretched arm and taking them out of the midst of another Nation by signs and wonders to be a people for himself and speaking to them out of the midst of the fire from heaven an exceeding commendable love a love flowing from and most eminently of any other acts tending to the accomplishment of his Covenant made with Abraham Deut. 4.31 32 33 c. and yet all they to and upon whom all those most glorious acts of his love were acted were not therefore possessed of that end The land promised to Abraham to which they tended nor was his love therein then a purpose absolutely to possess them of that end except as Mr. Owen here argues he failed of his end The greater commendation it is of Gods Love that he gave Christ the greater ingagement it is to the world to believe on him love and serve him and the greater its sin that it not so answer such a love to them and the greater will his terror be in judging them that Christ died for All and yet many that had their lives through his Death lived not to him 2 Cor. 5.10 11.15 for God is a jealous God and may be provoked to jealousie by men and what is jealousie but love inraged or the fury that springs up from love abused as when he that loves hath his love slighted and others prefer'd before him Sure the Apostle uses this very love and its greatness
difference in the act as the same shine of the Sun may refresh a sound eye and yet hurt the same eye when sore 5. Then he says He gives not all things to All to whom he gave his Son This with the Scripture alledged for it is once and again answered before 6. Then he knows not certainly who shall believe and be saved Which no more follows from it then this God loved Israel to bring them out of Egypt that he might bring them that followed him into Canaan But he brought not all the Israelites into Canaan Ergo If he brought all the Israelits out of Egypt he knew not who would believe in him and follow him into Canaan What a piece of Non-sense is such an Inference But against the inlarging of the object he further thus reasons from the next particular That who so believes thus If the object be restrained there to believers then that depends upon the will of God or upon themselves If upon themselves That contradicts 1. Cor. 1.7 and men make themselves to differ If upon God then we make the place say thus God so loved All that but some should partake of the fruits of his Love and to what end then did he love All Is not this Out with the Sword and run the Dragon through with the Spear To which I answer That the second act the giving the injoyment of eternal life is here asserted but for them that believe and both the appointing life to the believer and the effecting of that faith depend upon Gods Will. As we can make no Law upon what terms to have that life So neither can we work in our selves that condition upon which God giveth that life Faith is the gift of God Acts 28.26 27. with Joh. 12.40 Yet this latter is so of God as that it is not without some actings of man to which he exhorts men and for want of which he justly faults them yea brings them not to faith It s by mans hearing though not of mans power Whence though one man listen to the means and is brought to believe and another that had as much power to have listened stop his ear and believes not yet it follows not that the first made himself to differ because not his listening but God by it gave the faith no more then one Israelite looking to the brasen Serpent being healed might be said to have made himself to differ from another that looked not up in point of healing in which they had both yet remained alike had not God given healing to the one and not to the other The impertinency of the Allegation of 1 Cor. 4.7 I shewed before Nor yet follows that other Inference That it s but thus God loved All that but some might partake of the fruits of his love For 1. There are other fruits then eternal life of which all partake 2. There is no exclusion of any from that condition by which we may partake of that When he says That every one that believes It s to incourage all to believe not to hinder any The whole Argument is but like this God brought Israel out of Egypt that he might bring them that obeyed and followed him into Canaan Either that restriction was determined by Gods Will or their own If their own then they made themselves differ one from another contrary to the Apostle If by Gods then the sense is He brought all out of Egypt that he might bring but some into Canaan To what end then I pray did he bring All out of Egypt Is not this Out with the Sword and run the Dragon through with the Spear Is not this folly and soppery thus to reason or from such a reason to deny the Truth of Gods Word and say God surely did not bring any out of Egypt but whom he brought into Canaan Or will he ascribe Caleb and Joshuah's faith more to will then the believing that which is attested by the VVord of God or by the powerful working of miracles or the like is the Truth of God Ay But if believers onely be the object that shall have salvation Then the general ransom is an empty sound Answer It is so to Unbelief as God himself is in respect of that infinite satisfaction that is in him and so was Gods bringing Israel out of Egypt to them that believed not Such is the pernicious nature of Unbelief that it turns wholsom food into poyson but to such as have learned to become fools that God might make them wise to those that learn to subject their reason to Gods Truth it s not so for they finde it a motive to draw them in to believe in God and to admire his Love to men and the depth of his judgments towards them yea in a word to teach them to deny ungodliness and live godlily as Tit. 2.11 12. And they finde it a very wholsom useful Truth to hold forth to others to let them see cause for believing in God and hoping in him and to charge them with folly and madness that having such ground to believe yet refuse it The most pretious Truth that is is an empty found in respect of spiritual good to the Unbeliever Shal we conclude Ergo it s a falshood Gods goodness it self that lead men to Repentance is an empty thing to those that harden themselves against it and brings them to no spiritual good or happiness shall we therefore teach men to say God is good to none but them that rightly use his goodness and receive the fruit of it in life eternal Is not this to teach men to despise the riches of Gods goodness O the blindeness of our reason in the things of God the folly of preferring it as Umpire in matters of our faith waving the Word of God that should rightly guide us But yet this let me say Unbelievers shall see and finde one day that this general ransom was no empty thing in it self it was meerly their folly and wickedness that made it so to them and then it shall be full of dread and terror to them that they have denied him that bought them His premises being such humane mistakes high thoughts lifted up and strengthned against the Scripture-Declaration his Conclusion that Christ died not or God gave not his Son for them that believe not c. falls with them They being notable justifications of all Unbelievers and Patronizers of slothfulness from which these things follow That to Unbelievers God was not an object meet to be believed on by them nor had any reall reason to love him they being ever hated by him and he never doing them any good in his Son That the want of faith was no fault of theirs for they could no way have avoided what they did in not believing God neither gave them cause nor grace to believe c. But I shall rake no further in so unclean a dunghill that savors so much of Satan and justifies the case of
all Unbelievers CHAP. III. A consideration of 1 Joh. 2.2 and 2 Cor. 5.19 In Answer to what Mr. Owen says about him IN his third Chapter he proceeds to another instance of Scripture for us viz. 1 John 2.2 He is the propitiation for our sins and not for our sins onely but also for the sins of the whole world Urged by us both from the plain full expression which except in opposition to some called out of the world always signifies All men the world and then All men besides those spoken of with or opposed to it when so joyned And 2. From its opposition here to believers or speaking of it as a distinct party beyond them To pass by his frivolous exposition of men living in all parts of the world which is as good as nothing by way of opposition to us That expression reaching to All men in the world except it were bounded with some limitation as onely some of all sorts living in All places And then we challenge him to shew us the words whole world so taken in any divine expression I shall view his more serious reply consisting of an indeavor to do these three things 1. Clear it to whom the Apostle writ 2. What his purpose and aim in this place is 3. What the meaning of Christs being a propitiation is and what he means by the whole world 1. For the first he saith This Epistle was peculiarly directed to the Jews But he holds in his proof of it For 1. He confesses he hath nothing in the Epistle that nominates them to whom he writ it to make the assertion infallibly true de fide and so what he can say is no matter of faith nor sufficient ground of limiting what what is evidently propounded in it to our faith Onely he brings probabilities as he calls them that it was intended to the Jews to them onely he must mean or he says nothing to the purpose they are these four 1. That John was one of them that was to preach to the Circumcision with Peter and James Now they writ to the Jews Ergo John also I answer Whether by the twelve Tribes and the strangers scattered abroad James and Peter mean the Jews onely is questionable seeing the place where the ten Tribes were carried was scarcely then known nor yet is And besides the Christians are taken into their place and made one body with them and I suppose are by our Saviour meant to be the twelve Tribes when he says The Apostles shall sit on twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Matth. 19.28 Luke 22.30 And the Christians were strangers to the world more then the scattered Jews even the Gentile Christians also because of their conversation 1 Pet. 4.3 4. And sure that in 1 Pet. 2.10 Sometimes not a people but now a people agrees rather to the Gentiles then the Jews Again We finde Paul was one of them that was to preach to the Gentiles the prime of them and yet it s supposed he wrote to the Jews the Epistle to the Hebrews However that he preached often to them is manifest Acts 17. c. So John though firstly he was to preach to the Jews yet did take care of the seven Asian Churches and living after all the rest of the Apostles took care of all the Churches as an Apostle and its most probable that he writ to them all too his Epistle being Catholike that is universal and without any particular limitation and inscription to any Church or any sort of believers more then them of James and Peter were Yea he inscribes it to believers indefinitly not to Jew-believers Chap. 5.13 These things have I written to you that believe He says not to you that are believing Jews or the like but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Believers then as such and so all such are those he directed it to that they might know that they have eternal life c. So that there is more probability yea more from the very letter of the Epistle against his conceit then for it But 2. He tells us John frequently intimates that those he wrote to received the Word from the beginning Now the Jews had it first preached to them He instances Chap. 2. ver 7. That commandment which ye heard from the beginning The words are thus I write no new Commandment to you but an old Commandment which ye heard from the beginning the old commandment is the word that ye heard from the beginning Now who would conceive that the meaning of that is this The word that ye heard before the Gentiles The truth is He tells them He writes no new Commandment to them but that which they alwayes had heard from the beginning of the Gospels being preached to them They should not think they preached one to them at first but now as some false Apostles would perswade them and as many Deceivers would do believers now that its necessary that they should have some other Doctrine then that at first preached to them some higher things then the Gospel contains new things that they never heard of before no says he it s but the same as in ver 24. Let that therefore which ye have heard from the beginning abide in you Let not that slip those first foundamental Truths With that also in Revel 2.24 25. and 3.3 and if that abide in you that ye heard from the beginning ye shall abide in the Father and in the Son It s the same in substance with that of Paul to the Gentiles at Corinth 1 Cor. 15 1 2 3. I do you to wit of the Gospel which I preached to you not of another but that which ye also received and in which ye also stand and by which ye are saved if ye keep in memory how I preached to you viz. How that amongst the first truths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ died for our sins Keep saith he those truths heard in the first place the word of the beginning of the Gospel of Christ as Marke calls it Mar. 1.1 and as it s called Heb. 6.1 The Word of the beginning of Christ and in Chap. 3.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginning of the Confidence those Doctrines which first begat confidence in them that 's the old Commandment though new in it self and comparatively to former Dispensations in shadows in darker Ages of the Church So that makes not one jot for him Beza In locum expounds it Verbum Evangelii ab iis jam pridem auditum quibus insâ—ribitur Epistola Christianis sc minime novitiis c. 3. He argues from the opposition between us and the world as a Jew reckoning himself with the Jews in opposition to the rest of believers in the world Which he thinks is enough alone to manifest whom he wrote to But this is the most improbable of all the rest as if the Apostle writing to all believers would not reckon himself one with them whether Jew or Gentile but keep open yet the
be one of them for ought I know 4.5 The promise of life upon believing and the assured salvation of all believers without exception These two are of the same nature with the former only the soul hath this to except It s not every believer for many fall away in time of temptation having no root in them as my faith cannot have if I know not that Christ dyed for me and so grow not upon Gods love therein evidenced to me The soul cannot so believe as to love God and so but with a dead faith unless it believe his love first It may see all its endeavors to believe and to rest on God to be but fleshly strivings out of self principles and at the best it argues Gods love but from its own believing which it may justly question the heart being deceitfull and he a fool that trusts for it for evidencing his condition This is but a promise and an assurance of thriving to all that eat duely of a meat which it knows not whether it may or can duely eat or not for to eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ and so to believe on them is when the soul beholding the love of God and Christ in his Death and sacrifice commended to it doth gather boldness and incouragement to love and cast it self upon God and so grows up into the full assurance of peculiar love to him even to eternall life without the knowledge of love to the soul first it can but at highest come to this It may be I am one that God loves and perhaps not well I will leave thinking about it and tyring my self with thoughts if I can and let it alone I must submit when all is done to be disposed to Heaven or Hell by him which indeed is a condition most sit and needfull for the Gospell to be preached to but is far from faith in God which works by Love and is justifying These things The call to believe the command threatning promise c. are good evidences that the ransome is given and accepted for All and there is good provision in Christ for them God never using to call men to any ordinance that he appointed not for them and coming with this they may incourage thee to believe on and love him that gave his Son for thee to believe on And this implyed by them is that declaration that good tidings to sinners that indeed draws them into believe through the spirits working in them or else if they turn their backs upon it renders them throughly guilty when they shall say in their hearts O what did God for me and what cause had I to believe and to have stayed upon him but I refused it As the Israelites in Egypt were indeed sinners for not believing when God had done so much for them to ingage them to it His conclusion then under this head is false viz. That those are enough to remove all doubts and fears much less which I would rather urge against it are they sufficient to incourage and imbolden the heart and frame it to believe but more especially is that false that follows in him viz. That those are All that the Scripture holds out to that purpose It holds out others as we have noted from Acts 3.26 13 37. 1 Tim. 2.4 5 6. but of this he can take no notice they are nothing for his purpose I could give him back here some of his own expressions as that in pag. 283. That if pride and error had not taken too much possession of mens minds they could not so far deny what they reade in plain texts of Scripture as if they had never seen them to maintain their corrupt and false opinions But he answers further 4. That that perswasion which asserts the certainty of the Death of Christ to All believers and 2. That affirms the command of God and call of Christ to be infallibly declarative of that duty which is required of the person commanded and called which if it be performed will be assuredly acceptable to God 3. That holds out purchased free grace to all distressed burthened consciences whatsoever and 4. Discovers a fountain of blood alsufficient to purge all the sin of every man in the World that will use the appointed means for coming unto it that doctrine cannot possibly be the canse of any doubt or scruple in the hearts of convinced burthened sinners whether they ought to believe or no. I answer that this is in a manner the same with the former and there answered I will adde this touching the second particular that its ambiguous whether by the person called he mean by man in the preaching of the Gospell or by God effectually for many are of that mind that God cals not nor holds forth Gospell to all that the Ministers declare it to but only to the Elect if he be of that mind too it s not so undoubtedly true to the hearer as he would make it that God requires what the Minister doth because they may be divided the command and call may be intended only to some that the hearer knows not whether he be one of or not though the Preacher out of ignorance direct it to all and this may beget much doubting in the hearer whether its Gods voice to or him no. Again he supposeth more in this Doctrine he pleads for in two last particulars then is in it as that it holds forth purchased free grace to all distressed burthened consciences there are many among the Heathen have their consciences accusing them yea sometimes like furies burthening them there are many that profess Christ conscious of heinous sins and are ready to despaire and make away themselves for them there are many burthened that they can no more walk up to the righteousness and labor to stablish righteousness to themselves and cannot be setled Will Master Owen say that their doctrine holds forth purchased free grace to all these that I deny for it says he purchased free grace only for the Elect and that all such are Elected I suppose he will be put to it to prove seeing many such go on in their sins notwithstanding their burthens and many seek to put them off and sometimes do stifle them by worldly imployments and vanities and many actually despair and make away themselves If he say he means not such the matter is where it was the distressed conscience may yet doubt and is apt so to do whether it may not be one of those in the issue As for that in the fourth that there is an alsufficiency in the blood of Christ for all that will use the appointed means c. I will not stand to tell him though I might that his speech here is like one of them that in us he uses to tax with-holding Free-will which seeing he declaims against I hope he will be so charitable as to allow us the like liberty of speaking without fastening upon us that Odium But I say
upon them that believe not though they say God never gave any power to them setting men upon an indeavouring by their own power and approving their such indeavors as the products of Gods Grace as the Pharisee did Luke 18.10 11. though they have not declared that to them as pertaining to them We attribute no more to Will then the Scripture affords It s meerly with our expressions suitable to the Scriptures that they quarrel at As when we say God would have done this or that but they would not they will not come to Christ for life they did not chuse the fear of the Lord. These kinde of expressions many when they hear from us as if they were so wholly taught the Fear of God by the Precepts of mâ—â— or were so destitute of the fear of the Lord as not to minde whose expressions those have been by and by they cry out What have men free-will then You set up Freewill now as if the expressions of our Lord and Saviour were judged dangerous and hereticall by them and not fit for his servants scarce to mention but these are of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of whom Paul speakes from whom we have need to pray God to deliver us We know no power or freedom of will that men have to good that God hath not given them And we think it less derogation to his grace and more agreeable to the Scriptures to say that God in his workings with men gives them liberty and power to make use of and listen to the means of light and life afforded them and that when he in those means works and convinces moves at and strives with their hearts he gives them in those strivings and convincements power and liberty to see and minde and acknowledge what they could not do before and in such acknowledgement yet to attend the means and grope further after him if perhaps he may when he hath unraveled them of themselves inable them to believe and that they wink with the eye refuse and reject the means put within their reach and suited to their infirmity or if they do attend them yet that when they meet with reproof and convincement they refuse to see or take notice of what God shews them and to hear the inward voices of spirit that speak to them rebell against the light and pull away the shoulder quenching smothering and imprisoning the operations of Gods Spirit and truth and that for these things he justly rejects them then to say that God doth nothing for men gives no power to them requires all that they had in Adam for which the Scripture affords them not one title of proof cals upon them to do things to which he gives no power or means and yet condemns them for ever not for doing them and yet such are M. Owens expressions as when he says We make God to propound life upon such a condition as he knows they cannot perform without him and yet in it he will do nothing for them he will not give them it Which is a great mistake for want of believing the truth of God recorded for when he bids men listen to him and their souls shall life if some refuse to listen and others when convincements come tending to the saving them out of their sinfull condition willingly turn from them and will not abide them nor fall down under them and so not listen to his inward convictions of them but run away from him that would not be wanting in their further listening to him to quicken them up to believe and so to gather them shall we slander God and say now because these never come to that believing that he would not bestow upon them that condition he knows that they cannot believe of themselves and he will give them no faith Because they cannot believe of themselves followes it therefore that they receive no power from him by which they might attend upon the means in which he uses to beget faith and give it to men shall he be said to deny them faith when they refuse to listen to him that would gather them to the faith says not he himself that he would have gathered Jerusalems children and they would not was not this gathering them a bringing them by faith into himself as the Chickens under the Hens wings for safety was not their refusall in not soberly attending to him but shutting their ears against his sayings shall we say he refused to give that that he chides them for refusing to receive Come forth the best of you all and prove that God hath not given you in his workings upon you power to have sought him and attended to him better then ye have done and then I will say your reasoning for the wicked is good that he set salvation before them upon a condition that they could not have without his gift and yet he refused to give it them otherwise his after-comparison in which he says We make God like a man tendring a blind man a thousand pounds if he will open his eyes which he cannot is but an inept one for God complains of men for shutting their eyes and otherwhere bids them but look with their blind eye-holes that they might see his word that he sends giving light to them that attend upon it being never so blind But enough to these Rhetoricall Flourishes and Rabshekah like language against the glorious grace of God and Scripture-truth for which I am perswaded one way or other serius aut citius God will rebuke him What he says about the Gentiles is before answered Where he gives less he lookes for less again obedience to his truth being acceptable to him and rebellion against him detestable whether in more or less nor will it be an excuse to them that they had no more when they have volunrarily put away and rejected that more that God sent them I mean the Gospell or imprisoned and abused that less they had And yet I am perswaded many of them shall rise up in judgement with their lesse against many amongst us that have more he lets them know and perceive more then they acknowledg and gives them more of his goodness and kindness then they answer so that when he pleads with them they shall have no excuse Romans 1.18 19 20 21. That our Doctrine everts the whole Covenant of distinguishing grace is another untruth we hold and prove that the Death of Christ seals and ratifies it and we think the free grace of God freely made it and powerfully puls men into it as he pleases holding it forth to men largely and ready to enter into it any that will hear him Isa 55.2 3 4 Whereas he askes Did that ever do good to any as to salvation which is common to all he speaks as one despising the riches of the bounty of God that leads men to repentance because of their wickedness that are not lead by it teaching others also wickedly to blaspheme it The Gospell that
being translated into the English tongue for fear the Bakers and Plawmen not understanding some passages should be disheartned from or miscarry in their callings things without any great shew of weight worth other answering then Mr. Latimer gave to Hubberdine That in some places we are to take the Scripture as it lies none that are sober doubt Now if this objection suit not to the Scriptures in general but only to some places then who shall tell us what they are in which it suits not Sure the Apostles speak plainly in laying the foundation truths that are propounded to bring men to believe for if the language there be strange who shall understand what it is that is said if the trumpet there give an uncertain sound who shall prepare himself to battel Now this point we speak of namely the death of Christ and for whom it is is fundamental and the propositions that the Apostle the Teacher of the Gentiles lays down as the Testimony he Preached in the other parts of them are very plain and perspicuous And that this only that he gave himself a ransom for all should be obscure is a groundless evasion of them that do not believe the truth seeing in their preachings of the Gospel he himself tels us they put no vaile over their faces in their ministration but manifested the truth to every ones conscience which sure they did not if they spake so figuratively that many might mistake and few could perceive their meaning as is pretended It s true the Gospel is a mystery but yet a mystery now revealed many things hard to be understood says Peter speaking of Pauls writings but that 's spoken particularly in the things of Christs second coming the word is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which things not in which writings Again the speeches that are figurative are generally conspicuous by the maner of speaking as plain as Latimers Fox preaching in a Monkes Cowle and sometimes expresly called parables but no such thing is conspicuous in those places except in the allusive words of ransom and propitiation nor will the places bear such limitations as they speak of as the following Treatise proveth As for that inference of transubstantiation we deny it or the rest proveable upon that supposal No one Scripture saying that either Christ called the bread his body or the cup he took in his hand his blood more then that he said to the Jews destroy the Temple that he was walking in John 2. but by this he might mean and indeed point to his present body and by this Cup his present instant sufferings that he was about to undergo which the Scripture and himself also cals a Cup and the Cup that his Father gave him much less say they that the one or other was turned into his natural body or blood nor is the parallel fair between the doctrines of the Gospel preached as the first principles of faith and these Sacramental and more mysterious speeches Gen. 17.14 15. with ver 2 3 21. As inept it is almost as to make the Every fowl and beast that entered into the Ark to be a fit exposition of the Every man that Christ dyed for whereas the Scripture there expresly limits them to seavens and to two and two of every kinde and excludes the rest and there is no such limitation to any sums numbers qualities or conditions about Christs death they would hiss at men that should produce such places to parallel and limit the All and Every that shall arise or give an account of themselves to God by which shews them to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 absurd and foolish men in these their reasonings for want of faith These and such like rubs are sorry Remoraes to any that are capable of understanding reason and will Judg impartially in this controversie 3. For free will we say that God deales not with men as with stocks and stones and so much all generally grant us But what other I pray are men if their wils have no power or freedome given it of God to act this or that but as external powers carry them if they can only go quò fata trahunt whether they are necessitated can avoid no evil that they commit or do no good that they neglect And yet good reader mistake me not I believe man hath no power but what is given him of God either in naturalls or in spiritualls nor any power or liberty to spiritual acts till some spiritual force or power come to him from God That men are naturally dead in sins and trespasses and wholly strangers to the life of God cannot come to Christ except God draw them and when they are brought to him they cannot of themselves as of themselves think any good thought that 's right and approveable without the grace of God But I believe that God in naturals hath given men as more understanding so also more liberty of choice then the bruit beasts to them more then to insensitive creatures and in reference to spiritual life he hath and doth afford means to the natural man suited to his liberty and power to make choice or refuse to make use of as to read the Scriptures hear the word look upon and view his works c. and we conceive that though those things have no natural ability in them to to save or spirituallize such as use them nor the acts of men in using them can do any more thereto then the blinde mans washing in cold water to open his eyes Yet in as much as God useth to work in them as mediums and sends forth his Spirit with them to inlighten and draw men they are justly guilty of their own destruction that neglect those things when God affords them Yea further I understand and believe that God by his goodness and with and in those means prevents men and wroks in them manifesting his truth in them and giving them a discerning apprehension of it with convincing or drawing power and that he then gives them ability to do what they could not before as to acknowledg the folly he shews them confess the truth and goodness he makes evident to them strive against the ways they see harm them c. though yet these are not spiritual acts of divine and Christ like life they springing from self-love and desire of their own proper good not out of love to God But they that when they are so prevented and in such preventions reproved called allured to listen further to God in the means afforded do stop their ears close their eyes harden their hearts imprison the truth they see and neglect to use the power given them in these strivings of Gods truth with them are justly guilty of their own destruction should God there leave them and strive no longer with them and they that turn at such reproofs and listen yet to the truth that speaks to them and do not slothfully
Whether the salvation of Abraham and Isaac c. was not in the Covenant made between God and Christ if not then some more are saved then were included in that Covenant If yes then I demand what passage in that Prayer requests that they might believe and be sanctified if none then he asked less in that Prayer then God had ingaged himself to him for To the second I desire him to shew in what passage he prayes for the faith of the Elect in all that Prayer not from the sixth to the twentieth for he tells his Father they had it already and I suppose he will not be able to prove that he prayed to his Father there to give them that which they had before that prayer at least in that degree in which they had it nor in ver 20. for them he supposeth as future believers as he makes them the suppositum of his prayer his prayer is not that they might believe but that believing which he supposeth they should they might be one viz in body priviledg and injoyment of the grace of God in Christ except he will say Faith is prayed for in ver 21. and 23. when he saith that the world might believe but first that 's for the world not for the Elect secondly that he himself denies to be the faith of the Elect and so the fruit of that love here said to appertain to the Elect but only a conviction not for any good of the world but onely for the vindication of his people cha 7. pag. 47. therefore I desire him to shew me in what place of that prayer that Faith he here speaks of as a fruit of Gods electing love is prayed for In pag. 19. He tels us That it seems strange to him that Christ should undergo the pains of hell in their stead who lay in the pains of hell before he underwent those pains and shall continue in them to eternity To which I need not say with many of the Antients that he emptied hell by his death Bishop Vsher in his Answer to the Irish Jesuit upon Limbus Patrum c. and descent into those pains as Bishop Vsher relates nor will I put him to prove that any were as then or yet are undergoing those pains before the judgment of the great Day when they shall be sentenced thither which will be somewhat hard for him to do except he take that in Luke 16. to be a Narration or History of things really done and think that the rich man see Lazarus in Abrahams bosome and could call from hell to heaven to him but I say it will not follow from our saying That Christ gave himself a ransom for All that he must undergo those torments for All which were properly inflicted upon men for their abuse of that liberty which he virtually gave them to injoy by his after-death His enduring the sentence of the death he found them under as in Adam was enough to pay for that dispensation of life liberty grace mercy to them which they in their several times injoyed upon the ingagement of his future dying See more to this in cha 3. li. 3. without induring those torments for them to which they stood by the word adjudged for their not receiving him who was the Author of such liberty and mercy to them in those hints of truth and reproofs and counsels in his Spirits strivings despised by them Hence we may fall into an Answer of a Dilemma there propounded to us and again repeated chap. 3. lib. 3. viz. That God imposed his wrath due unto and Christ underwent the pains of hell for either all the sins of all men or all the sins of some men or some sins of all men If the last then all have some sins to answer for and so no man shall be saved if the second then that is it he affirms if the first then all should be saved or why not This may seem at the first view such a three-headed Monster as that there is no conquering it but through Gods assistance we shall grapple with it About his suffering the pains of hell I shall not question with him it s an ambiguous word and variously used And as no Scripture uses his expressions perhaps in his intention so as the Scripture uses the word hell I have no ground from Scripture to deny the expression therefore to the thing it self I may say that in severall respects all those three branches of the Dilemma are true and yet his consequences will not follow As 1. He underwent the wrath of God for some fins of all men 1 Tim. 2.6 Rom. 5.18 else he could not give himself a ransom for them all nor his righteousness come to All men to justification of life nor any favor of God be extended to them except he interposed between God and that sin that in its desert and by Gods sentence of death stopt the passage of all good flowing upon them unless hindred by mediation But then he says All have some sins to answer for Nego consequentiam that follows not for he that bears some sins of all may yet bear also all of some those two are not inconsistent had he said But some sins of any that had excluded All of any but some of All doth not those that may be but some of one mans sins may be All of another as suppose he bare all sins in genere but the sin against the Holy Ghost he then bare all some mens sins Heb. 10.26 for some men are not guilty of that but are kept from it but yet in respect of their sins that run into that he bare but some of their sins not all as so considered 2. He underwent the wrath of God for all the sins of some that is gave such satisfaction to his justice that no sin they have shall be their condemnation namely of those that believe and walk in the light with him as it is 1 John 1.7 Rom. 8.1 otherwise the phrase as he expresses it the Scripture hath not But then that 's it he faith No sure for he says he bare only All the sins of some men and dyed for none else but those some but so neither the Scriptures nor we say He might bear the punishment of all the sins of some men and yet not them only 3. He underwent the wrath of God for all the sins of All men in some sense considered That is as they were sinners in his first stepping in to undertake for men as sin was upon them through the fall of Adam and bound them to curse and death and so they needed a mediator or else they must presently be cut off and perish and so in a consideration and view of them as previous to his steping in to mediate And his bearing all of them was enough to ransome them all from that first condemning sentence and yet neither follows it so that all must then be eternally saved because there are other
and that 's the Apostles phrase Heb. 6.18 we might have strong consolation that have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us So that here 's never a whit the less censolation for them that do believe then in their way and there is more ground and incouragement for any man to believe then in their way this doctrine shewing more evidently testimonies of Gods love to any man then the other doth That can assure none of Christs Intercession but upon believing this doctrine assures such as believe of it too So that that Affirmation that the Doctrine of the General Ransom cuts in pieces all the nerves and sinews of that strong consolation that God is so abundantly willing we should receive is a very gross mistake as I hope by this is evident and may afterward more appear Mean while I would have Mr. Owen minde that his doctrine leaves men at an uncertain whether there be any mediator for them or no till they can finde fruits of Election in them which how any should do till he first know love in God towards him the mediation of Christ for him so as that by the knowledg thereof he be brought to trust in God by him I would faine have any man to prove Yea that doctrine layes open men horribly to desperate courses while the very proper result of it is that All men are under one of these two decrees either Elect or Reprobate either he hath a mediator or not so that any man may say Either Christ dyed for me or not If he did I am sure enough what ever sin I commit Christ will follow me into every Court I shall be safe enough in the issue yea I am already safe enough by his Death and Intercession though I know it not therefore why should I take care for any thing If God will have me know it he will reveal it to me bring me to the means or the means to me and I cannot perish the proper fountain of that Ergo agite juvenes mentioned by Mr. Owen in his preface If not I shall perish let me do what I can and I had as good save the labor of afflicting my self in hearing and praying c. as to tire my self out about needless businesses to get that which if I be excluded the Death of Christ can never be obtained and which shall be thrust upon me and I cannot miss what course soever I take if I be not See sir if these do not inevitably flow from your principles As for our doctrine it lies not open to these loose consequences for if I know and believe that Christ dyed for me I know and believe also that he is ready and able to save me and looking to him and going to God by him he will assuredly save being found in him and yeelding up to his spirit this doctrine tels me that not any sin acted through infirmity and temptation shall appear against me to condemne me His Death Resurrection and Intercession shall have their fruit in me to eternal life but if I neglect so great salvation or deny him that bought me turn away from him that speaks from heaven and hath the blood of sprinkling to sprinkle upon me c. then how shall I escape then how shall not his love rise up into jealousie and the greater condemnation fall upon me and are not these agreeable to the Apostles reasonings in his Doctrine Rom. 8.1.13.33 34. Heb. 2.1 2 3 10.25 26 29. 12.24 25. 2 Pet. 2.1 But I have done with that Chapter also CHAP. V. A reply to his Answers of Objections made against his former doctrine in Answer to his eight chapter IN his next Chapter he assays to remove Objections as a man removeth dung till it be all gone I shall follow him in that too and see if he remove not pearls in stead of dung and cast not dung upon that that is pretious truth I fear he plucks up Wheat in stead of Tares He tels us some have undertaken to Answer an Argument like this proposed in these words Object The Ransome and Mediation of Christ is no larger then his offices of Priest Prophet and King But these offices pertain to his Church and chosen Therefore his Ransom pertaines to them only I confess they that propounded the Objection so as I believe the Answerer had it so delivered to him in writing propounded it foollishly the conclusion containing a quartus terminus and having more in it then follows from the premises Indeed I have heard it thus propounded The Offices of Christ are of equal extent But his Kingly and prophetical Offices pertain but to his Church Ergo his Priestly pertains to them onely The Minor of which I deny and would invert it thus His Offices are of equal extent in regard of their Object But his Kingly and Prophetical Offices extend to All Therefore also his Priestly The Minor I prove thus He is King of all the earth Psal 47.7 which speaks of God ascended who is the same that first descended as the Apostle speaks upon a like Scripture So he is King upon the holy hill of Sion and all Nations given him and the utmost parts of the earth Psal 2.7 8. King of Kings and Lord of Lords and therefore sure of all under them Kings and Lords too And so he is a Prophet for them that hear him and them that refuse to hear him too Acts 3.22 23. and indeed if he was not a Prophet sent of God to any but the Elect then none but they should be in danger for not hearing him for God useth not to punish men for not attending to Ordinances that were not for them or not hearing a Prophet that prophecieth nothing to them so that there he is clearly held forth to be a Prophet to more then his Church and chosen Yea as it pertains to his Prophetical Office to reveal the Truth of God so as the Wisdom of God he cries in the streets to the sons of men and to those that are without Pro. 1.20 and is the light that lightneth every man that cometh into the world Joh. 1.9 and therefore so far also his mediation must extend for its the life in him is the light of men even that life that he hath for men ver 4 5 6. But let us see what he saith to the Answerer of the Objection First He in stead of removing dung casts dung upon him as if he was guilty of making a distinction or division between the death of Christ and the ransom as if he might die for All and not be the ransom of All. Whereas indeed the Answer intimated that to be the Objectors conception It s clear that he is every where in his Book contrary to it making the death of Christ as for All to be the ransom And whereas he thinks there is no man in his right wit will propose it I know not what wit they are in but I believe men
sentence to that death as in this case A malefactor of an evil disposition is condemned to dye for some evil fact the day determined and way prescribed another steps in and intreats for his life to see if clemency may win him or however that he may be more excuseless if he persist after this mercy shewed in his wickedness to a new condemnation and whereas the sentence is to be executed he tenders sastisfaction perhaps to dy for him upon this the others life is given him but that the other being ill disposed must needs be now made a favourite or all the Kings anger wholly turned from him it follows not he may testifie yet such displeasure against him as ill-conditioned as to let him live at a distance from him not put all his anger or displeasure with him apart so as to bring him into his favor fellowship till this his accepting another for him and giving him conveniences for life though at a distance with other means for winning him to a better disposition work upon him and make him better So when Joab had mediated for Absalom and the King had reversed his sentence of Banishment yet he was not well pleased with him Suppose Joab had done it by exchange become a banished man that Absolom might be called home it would not follow that therefore David must receive him into his Court and make him a favorite not being changed in his disposition Indeed he could not justly banish him and the other too accepting that change for him but he might justly yet shew displeasure toward him and only receive him into favor as he submits to him So is the case here Reconciliation and Justification with admission into favor suppose more then only satisfaction by way of commutation of punishment It presupposes also the parties submission to and compliance with him that he is Reconciled to Reconciliation is when two parties agree not when one accepts the punishment of a third for a seconds fault he still retaining his evil disposition And when men are Reconciled that is brought to Gods tearms and into Gods favor then he justifies them so as to pronounce them and accept them as righteous Therefore let this be minded that I lay down as a positive truth That though Christ suffered by way of commutation of penalty and therein sustained acts of displeasure from God against the sin of man yet he did not suffer by way of commutation of affection that is God was better pleased with his Son in all his suffering when his humane nature was under all its punishment then with any man unconverted while unconverted though Christ hath dyed for him and he be exempted from that punishment He was wel-pleased in his Son in that he bare all our sufferings and he is angry with those for whom he suffered while not submitted to him And indeed if Mr. Owen thinks that Christ suffering for mens sins takes off all wrath and anger from those for whom he suffers then I would have him tell me whether Christ suffered not for all the sins of the Elect I know he says Yes Then I demand whether any anger of God comes or lies upon any of them at any time If he say No then he speaks contrary to many Scriptures and to his own contests with the Socinians in chap. 8. 9. If Yes then he overthrows his own inferences here and shews that he goes too far when from the minor granted he infers Then they reconciled justified and imputed righteous c. And in this also is answered that objection from Joh. 3.36 The wrath of God abides on him That is God never comes to be at one with and welpleased with him nor he ever comes to see life As if Joab changing sentence of banishment with Absalom and Absalom when called home refusing by all loving Arguments to submit himself to David Davids displeasedness with him abides and some testimonies of it as keeping him at a distance abide on him he never admits him to see his face yea for persisting in Rebellion after this favor shewed him He takes away his life from him In which also his second inference with the several branches of it are answered as also they are before lib. 1. chap. 2. for whereas he infers that 2. Then Christ made satisfaction for the sin of all and every man It s granted as to that or those sins that brought that sentence of death upon men which occasioned and as it were in the order revealed required Christs coming to satisfie for them that lire might be afforded to men and goodness extended to their persons See chap. 3. lib. 1. But his Assumption here viz. That he hath not satisfied for all the sin of All contains a quartus terminus as I appeal to learned judgment Joab might by commutation have satisfied to the penalty upon Absalom imposed for all his evil past and yet it follows not from thence that in that commutation supposed he satisfied for whatever should follow his return from banishment and so his after-rebellion His three following reasons then brought to prove that Christ satisfied not for all the sins of every man fall as so many prevarications with his Assumption As for Christs satisfying justice for them that were in hell before we have answered it in chap. 2. lib. 1. we might a little alter his simile and illustrate it thus A company of malefactors being condemned to dy one promises such a sum of money for their lives and freedoms from that sentence obtains it the sentence is reversed they are provided for and preserved and greater favor is profered to them upon tearms of compliance with him against whom they had sinned many of them rebell a second time and are taken and condemned anew and executed others of them are won and become obedient subjects and all this before the promised payment is performed I ask now seeing he that bought their lives had his bargain for that he compacted for shall it be thought injustice for him who upon that promise spared their lives to demand his Covenants because they being then spared afterward rebelled and were anew condemned and executed the case is like here If God gave such and such favors to men upon Christs promise of payment shall not he pay for it upon whose score he gave them what ere in the after estate become of them His Dilemma is the same verbatim which we had in Chap. 3. Lib. 1. Where we gave it its answer His seventh Argument is For whom Christ dyed Argu. 7 for them he is a Mediator I conceive that 's true for I think his dying for them was an high act of Mediation or coming between God and them But says he He is not Mediator for All because then he must be Priest too for them which he brings no proof for Joab mediated for Absalom yet was no Priest for him neither proves he that he is not Priest for All not that he applies not
should not serve sin But quorsum haec how doth this prove that all that Christ dyed for are and shall be sanctified by his blood Why he tels us That the fifth verse says That a participation in the death of Christ shall be accompanyed with a conformity to him in his Resurrection But what mean you Sir by a participation in it an having part in it or being a part of the object of it If so which word in ver 5. says so That says He that 's planted into the likeness of it not he that Christ died for Surely if Mr. Owen had dealt fairly he should have kept the same tearms in both branches of his Assertion as the Apostle doth thus Conformity to Christ in his death shall be followed with a conformity to him in his Resurrection Sure if planting into the likeness of him signify conformity to him in the latter branch as it doth it signifies so in the former too it being the very same maner of expression But Mr. Owen hath a little too much art of making quidlibet de quolibet But what follows The words of the later verse yield a reason of the former Assertion Because our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed c. What gathers he from that why this That our sinful corruption and depravation of Nature are by his Death and crucifying meritoriously slain and disabled from such a rule and dominion over us as that we should be servants to them But suppose this was the Apostles sense That Christ merited that such as are planted into the likeness of his Death by Baptism or conformed to him in his Death should have their sins subdued in them will it therefore follow That he says all that he died for shall be so conformed to him or shall have their sins subdued in them Let Reason judg of that Consequence But which word in the Text signifies a Meritorius slaying I suppose he means the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If so I deny it That signifies there a real crucifying in us according to that in Gal 5.24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh c. That is have nailed it upon the Cross that is the Grace and Spirit of God which is cross to it and lusts against it they have given it up to be mortified by the Spirit that so the body of Sin might be destroyed It is not destroyed yet nor doth the Apostle say so as well he might if he had spoken of a meritorious slaying for what concerns the matter of Merit that is already accomplished though the thing merited be not But when was this crucifying I answer when the soul was brought to give up it self to Christ and not before Rom. 6.4 5. when it was Baptized into his Death not in the outward onely but chiefly in the inward spiritual Baptism 1 Pet. 3.21 and so begun to be planted into the likeness of it But perhaps he will say The word is Crucified with Christ and therefore must be referred to what was done in his crucifying I answer no It signifies but a companionship in being crucified as he was or after his similitude not a thing done when he was crucified as Col. 2.12 we are said to be buried with him but when was that He says not in his being buried but in Baptism which is a thing not inwardly accomplished no nor begun before believing And so You that were dead in sins and trespasses hath he quickned with him the quickning men up to hope in God and bringing them from their dead condition in which before believing they lay without hope is said to be with Christ Yea when we suffer for Christ and dye for his Name we are said to suffer and dye with him 2 Tim. 2.11 12. Rom. 8.17 which are not to be referred to the time of his suffering and dying as if we then suffered and died meritoriously with him So that first express saying is pressed too injuriously to speak for Mr. Owen besides its proper intention Again He brings 2 Cor. 1.20 All the Promises of God are in Christ Yea and in him Amen Which says nothing that God hath promised that All that Christ died for should be sanctified and cleansed from all their sins but that in him all the promises are surely to be met with The Covenant we have spoken to before That 's made or rather promised to be made with the House of Israel and the House of Judah of which houshold men are not accounted till brought to Christ to believe as is plain Ephe. 2.12 17 18 19. After Christ hath preached peace to us and given us access to the Father then we are of the houshold of God and fellow Citizens with the Saints The promise of circumcising the heart which he mentions as most famous in the New Covenant follows after obeying the voice of God in listning to his Son Deut. 30.1 2 3 4 5 6. so the Apostle intimates 2 Cor. 3.16 When the heart turns to the Lord the vail shall be taken away which I conceive answers to Circumcising the heart As impertinent to his purpose is that in Heb. 9.23 of purging the heavenly things except he prove that All that Christ died for are heavenly men even before believing and before their calling to God with a heavenly call And that in Col. 1.14 of the believer brought to Christ receiving and having the Redemption in him with which agrees the 1 Cor. 1.30 which says not all that he died for are made wise redeemed righteous c. by him but they that are in him by faith as see Rom. 16 7. have him in the vertue of his blood and by his Spirit for wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption As impertinent is his allegation of Heb. 2.14 To destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil that he might free those that by reason of death or through the fear of death rather were all their life time subject to bondage No more is his Probandum proved by that then that all that Christ spake to are saved can be proved by that in Joh. 5.34 These things speak I to you you that had neither heard the voice of God nor seen his face And who will not come unto me that ye might have life ver 38.40 that ye might be saved Or from this That he brought us into Egypt that he might bring us into Canaan that all that came out of the one entred into the other Nor is there any more consequence from the other places mentioned in Ephes 5.25 26. and Tit. 2.14 He gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie it provided in his death for the perfecting those that should believe in him Ergo All he died for shall be sanctified and saved So that the contrary to his Conclusion is true that he hath in no one place proved what was by him undertaken But to take off this that we say Many
justification by a lesser revelation of God then Paul had Josh 2.10 11 12. with Heb. 11.31 and so Cornelius before Peters coming to him believed in a lower act by less light then Peter brought to him and the Ninivites by far lesser then the Jews rebelled against now that power accompanies these mediums too in their lesser or greater dispensations is evident in that the Spirit is said to have preached to striven with men even those that yet obeyed it not Gen. 6 3. 1 Pet. 3 19. the hand of the Lord was stretched out with his reproofs and councels Prov 1.24 and in the effects it produceth as that they attain to some knowledg of God convincements illuminations c. against which they often willfully rebel and close their eyes and I say further that God doth in many by these means effect faith and bring them actually to believe and I conceive many more might have faith did they not wilfully turn away from God for I conceive a fore going act propounded or injoyned to men you may call it a condition if you please upon which they might be brought to believe Whereas Mr. Owen askes what that is I answer it is to listen to the voice of God not hardning the heart So Isa 55.3 hearken diligently and your souls shall live by diligent attendance to the voice of God the soul is quickned up to a life of faith and hope in God so Isa 49.1 Listen O Isles unto me and hearken ye people from far and in Psal 95. To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Lift not up your reasons and understandings against the authority of God be swift to hear hear him out and make not haste to speak and cavil against him As also to minde those demonstrations of his Divine Power and Goodness that he affords not winking with the eye and wilfully turning from the light when he makes it appear or from the means of light which beheld would give us to see what he holds forth to us according to that Call Hear ye deaf and look ye blinde that ye may see Isai 42.18 So Behold my servant whom I have chosen ver 1. And look to me and be ye saved Isai 45.22 And consider the works of God Job 37.14 That that is to be known of God is in them manifested c. Rom. 1.19.20 But then Is not this same hearing and listening believing I answer No It s but a mean to it We are to attend that we may believe by this hearing Faith and the spirit of it are given unto us But it will be objected Its obeying and obeying is believing So M. Owen But there is a fallacy in that for neither is every Act of hearing obeying nor every Act of obeying the believing spoken of As obeying in some acts follows believing so in some it may be but a tendency to the meeting with that which will cause us to believe so believingly to obey Take this Simile Two men are at controversie suppose a Master and a Servant the Master would have him do such things as the servant doth not nor will The Master begins to expostulate with him and to shew him reasons for his demands the servant hears what he says this is not yet an act of obedience to his Master for perhaps he may yet prove refractory and more obstinate then before and perhaps in hearing he may be perswaded and become obedient to him being convinced and changed in minde by what he hears till which change his act of hearing will not denominate him obedient or pass for an act of obedience Mr. Owen saith If we can propound a condition for Faith that is not Faith he will hear it And yet I suppose he will not think his hearing us propound it an act of obedience to us at all But then he says This is procured by by Christ or not In the sense before explained we grant it procured otherwise not and that to the power of exercising it is absolute but as to the act of exercising of it its voluntary and to the most uncompelled or unnecessitated Many have absolute power and ability given them of hearing and seeing the hints of Light and Truth that come from God that yet have it in their choise whether they will act so or so and therefore are faulted for not acting as they might for not chusing the fear of the Lord Prov. 1.29.30 For shutting their eyes against his Light and stopping their ears Matth. 13.15 Acts 28.27 And yet the cause of Faith is not resolved into our selves but into him that gives the power to hear and that speaks such words when we do listen as overcomes our reason and our hearts Our faith is justly still ascribed to him For if he spake not we could not hear yea if he gave us not power to hear yea if when we hear he spake not suitable words and exercised not power with his words we should not yet believe in him So that Inference is as absurd as these That because the blind man went and washed in the Pool of Siloam Therefore he was the cause of his own healing or Not Christ so much as he and The ten Lepers were the cause of their own cleansing because they went on their own legs to shew themselves to the Priests at his Commandment VVe avoid also all his following Consequences If by procuring Faith he means his meriting and obliging God to cause all to believe in him for whom He died For denying that it follows not either 1. That Faith is an act of our own wills and so our own as not to be wrought by Grace and that its wholly sited in our own power to perform that spiritual act No such thing follows upon that Proposition denied 1. That Faith is an act of the VVill no man can deny for in it the Will closes with an Object propounded as good to be relied on but that it s not wrought by Grace is clearly false from what is said above It s our act to hear and yet not that without the VVord of God buts t is Gods Act even the act of his Grace to perswade us by what he speaks to lean upon him and believe in him Besides 2. God might freely work it in some without being obliged to it by the Death of Christ the same love that led him to give Christ may sin being removed and the enmity being slain by Christ work as much as it pleases without being obliged and tied to work it Besides 3. Christ might oblige him to work it in some and yet not in all He died for So that every way this is inconsequent And we neither 1. Contradict any Scripture Nor 2. Speak contrary to the nature of the new Covenant of Grace which indeed is sealed by Christs Death to believers but says not that Christs Death obliged God to make this and that man much less all he died for to believe Nor is it 3. Destructive
and refused to go where they went for the alms So that that 's impertinent That in Acts 13.48 seems to have the greatest force for proof that Faith is in some the fruit of Election The words are And they believed so many as were ordained to life eternal The word that we Translate Ordained is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is properly to rank and order and often in the Writings of the Apostles is used to signifie an actual appointing or ordering to a thing as Rom. 13.1 The Powers or Authorities that are are ordained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordered or ranked of or under God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some expound it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Acts 22.10.14 as if it were foreappoined or ordained But the word is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foreappointed as if it spake of an act of Gods purpose and counsel in himself only But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Besides that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies too an actual setting apart or separating in time unto a thing a transient act of God upon a creature as is plain Acts 26.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I have appeared to thee to ordain or foreappoint thee a Minister and Witness of those things that thou hast seen Where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to foreordain is a thing not precedent but consequent to Gods appearing to him for he appeared to him he saith not because I had fore-appointed thee but to fore-appoint thee which was an actual ordering him into such a place or office before he should or could act in it and so * Châ—â—s in locaâ— Chrysostom interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 separated to God and the Syriack interpreter by Positi put into such an order The sense then is So many as in the call of God and by the coming of his Word unto them were separated from the world unto and disposed ordered or set for eternal life believed And then it s further to be considered That the word Believed signifies here as sometimes else a continuing or abiding in believing as in Joh. 2.11 His Disciples believed on him They were Disciples and had faith before but now they believed that is went on believing in him they were furthered in their faith confirmed in it and so in verse 22. They believed the Scripture after the Resurrection They did so in part before but They believed there is all one with they were fastened or confirmed in believing them they believed them stronglier So Joh. 17.8 They have known and believed in opposition to those that believed for a time and then fell away these continued believing And so in Acts 17.34 Some clave to Paul and believed that is abid constant in the Doctrine and went on in it Such I conceive may be the meaning of it here too The Gentiles glorified God they were generally affected and taken with it Many were called And they believed so many as was ordered or ordained to life eternal that is they abode constant in the Doctrine they were not for a flash onely as the others were others thought the Word true and rejoyced in it and glorified it but none abid in it but them that God more especially pull'd in to himself These things we have noted on the Minor though the faultiness of the Major is sufficient to overthrow the Argument in the thing that should have been concluded viz. That Faith is the immediate fruit and effect of Christs death which God is obliged by it to give to All that Christ died for All the fruits of the New Covenant are procured and purchased by him Argu. 3 but Faith is one of them But neither doth this conclude And we have shewed before cap. 1. lib. 3. that he neither hath proved Faith to be a fruit of the New Covenant but a thing presupposed Nor that that Covenant is made with all them that Christ died for That without which its impossible that we should be saved Argu. 4 must be procured by him by whom we are fully and effectually saved This may be granted in the sense we have taken the word Procuring And yet it concludes not neither except he could infer But all that Christ died for are fully and effectually saved which he doth not nor can any where prove Besides his proofs prove neither the Major nor the Minor Matth. 1.21 His people Heb. 7.25 All that come to God by him And intimately Heb. 5.9 He is the Author of eternal salvation But to whom saith the Apostle To all that obey him None of which Scriptures takes in Faith as one of those things which he is the Author Procurer or Confirmer of For the very Suppositum in them all is Believers his people men called and of no people made a people of God as 1 Pet. 2.10 They have faith Them that come to him and obey him they have faith So that Christ may be affirmed to be the Author of their eternal and perfect salvation there mentioned and yet not the procurer of their faith As David was a protector of all that fled to him and stood by them to the utmost and yet it follows not that he purchased it of any to make them come to him So that this also is impertinent The last Argument is that of Phil. 1.29 Argu. 5 Its given to you to believe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He leaves out the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be read thus It s given to you as pertaining to Christ not onely to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake This is given of grace As if he should say I speak not now of all sufferings and faith but of what pertains to Christ and what is in his Cause As pertaining to Christ its given by Grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely to believe c. Or thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. To you that which pertains to Christ was given freely not onely to believe on him but also to suffer for him But let the words be read as they are though I conceive not so rightly because of the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omitted yet it follows not either that it was given them as his purchase I may give a man a thing for my childs sake because I love him and would have him esteemed and loved which yet is not by him bought of me for that man Or if so yet it follows not that Christ did so for all that he died for Christ might procure that God should absolutely make some believe in him and yet leave him to glorifie his Mercy or Justice on others as he pleases leave them to such grace as whereby they might have been brought to believe in walking out in the means according to power given yea leave it wholly to the meer VVill of God whom to cause to believe both as to persons and their number So that no wayes doth this Argument conclude Nor doth Ephes 1.3 another
CHAP. V. An Answer to his fifth Chapter In which is considered How Christ gave himself a ransom for All. HAving done with those Arguments we follow him now to Arguments taken from words used in this matter which he saith Disagree in their genuine signification from the Opinion that extends to all the matter spoken of in them Arg. 10 And first He lays down his Argument generally thus That Doctrine that will not by any means suit which and be conformable to the thing signified by it but contradicts the expressions literal and deductive whereby in Scripture it s held out to us cannot possibly be sound and sincere But such is the perswasion of Vniversal Redemption or General Ransom Ergo It s unsound And this strange Argument that grants the Doctrine held forth in Scripture expressions Instance 1. and yet contradicts those Scriptures he labors to prove by Induction and first from the word A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dransom or price of Redemption He argues thus That the thing signified in it agrees not to all therefore the word is not to be so applied Which is in substance Paul spake unadvisedly when he made so general an expression this is not to believe the Scripture but to judge and deny it to be right VVell let us see what the word signifies It signifies a price for Redemption Now saith Mr. Owen If Christ pay a price for Redemption his aim is their deliverance for whom it s paid to that end he satisfies the Judge and conquers the Jaylor but this agrees not to All All are not ransomed Shall we believe Mr. Owen or the Apostle here who also tells us in Rom. 5.18 That by one mans Righteousness to all men to Justification of life And again in 1 Cor. 15 22. As in Adam All die so in Christ all shall be made alive But Mr. Owen says Why are not all saved then I might say Nay but O man who art thou that repliest against God But I have answered before From the first death they are from the second they are not because many are disobedient against their Saviour As all Israel were saved out of Egypt Jude 5. Its the Apostle Judes expression But why then not all preserved into Canaan He tells us He afterwards destroyed them that believed not So here he afterward in a second death destroyes all those that know like or approve not God and all that disobey the Gospel of Christ 2 Thes 1.7 8. All were in thrall to the sentence of death and so to the execution of vengeance from God upon them all in Adam in an utter ruine and again for slighting and sinning against Light and Goodness afforded deserve destruction to come suddenly upon them in plagues famines c. The bond that held them in the former was their sin in Adam and to the latter many sins against Gods goodness now exposes them VVhat price pays Christ Himself to bear that blow for them and be the propitiation for their sin Now in that the sentence passed not or rather lyes not upon men Men are not debarred reaccess to God for that folly the sentence of banishment is reversed and the banished called home again here is a Redemption made from that thraldom And whereas many times they are liable to destruction again in their persons Christ Mediating and Interposing himself as the Propitiation preserves them And on this ground we are to pray for All and make Intercession with thanksgiving for All as in 2 Tim. 1.2 6. But I suppose he thinks All not ransomed because many remain thralled in their corruption To which I might say but as Prosper Ad capit Gallor Sanguis Christi est totius mundi pretium pro omnium redemptione verè persolutum and that 's as much as 1 Tim. 2.6 says sed illi homines ab eo pretio extranei sunt qui aut captivitate delectati redimi noluerunt aut post redemptionem ad eandem servitutem sunt reversi and again Omnes rectè dicantur redempti sed non ownes a captivitate eruti But to clear it I shall propound these following considerations 1. That men in sinning fell under a double bondage 1. To death to be inflicted from God according to his sentence In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death and death came on all in that all sinned 2. To corruption or sinfulness of Nature in themselves and the delusions of Satan Ephe. 2.1 Dead in sins and trespasses conceived in sin and born in iniquity 2. The latter of these thraldoms was not the curse or death inflicted as the punishment of the fall but the proper consequence of it That it was not its punishment nor any essential part of it appears in this that every essential part of the punishment of it Christ was to bear by way of satisfaction and so he bare anguish in body and soul death of body and separation from Gods presence but he bare not the inherency of sin for us nor inability for serving his Father nor was he subject to the deceits of Satan as if it had been an essential part of that punishment he must have done for it appertains to and spreads over the whole nature But the first was the punishment to which we were subjected and which had we abid never so pure in our natures must have been executed for the fault committed because the word was not If thou becomest so polluted but In the day thou eatest thou shalt die and therefore Christ also suffered that becoming a ransom for us though innocent 3. In the latter the Justice of God did not detain us but as man being debarred from any new grace without that could not do what he should but we ought that notwithstanding to do our best to serve him we had his permission to it if such a thing might be supposed that we might have lived under that sentence unsuffered for us He neither put sin into us nor kept it in us But the former came directly from God upon us and his Justice detained us in our Mediator in it till his sentence was satisfied 4. That first was the death of which Satan had power and the fear of which though but now a carkass detains men in their spirits in bondage Heb. 2.14 Men fear not but love the other their corruptions now Christ conquered Satan when he brake his snare and got victory over that death that should else have swallowed us up for ever So that Satan could not as else he would have done play the Executioner upon us 5. God neither putting men into corruption nor corruption into them nor his Justice standing against our doing better he would that they should come out of it if they could the price was not given to God properly as the price of Redemption from that but onely as the ransoming them from the death inflicted makes a passage for means also to be afforded to them for their recovery and setting free from
death of Christ to make them all affect him It reaches but to a way-making and foundation laying unto that And indeed it s to be minded that Reconciliation is neither there spoken of as the act of Christ toward God as had it signified an ingagement putting upon him it should rather have been but as the act of God in Christ God was in Christ reconciling nor as of a thing accomplished and done as had it been of a meritorious reconciling it might have been with respect to the act of Merit so spoken of the act of Meriting being a thing already done but onely as of a thing then * It s but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in fieri in the doing and as the following vers ver 20. argues not as yet done while that exhortation to be reconciled is but yet a pressing It s as if he should have said God hath been doing that in Christ for the world that tends to and makes for its reconciling or being reconciled to him he hath taken that out of the mid-way that stood against the shewing himself gracious to them and receiving them into favor nothing is wanting on his part to their being at one with him nay he hath done that in Christ that may induce them thereto as in Matth. 22.4 His Oxen and Fatlings are killed and he hath prepared a dinner and all is ready for receiving them upon which ground also as there the servants were sent out to the guests with that good tidings and thereupon to invite them to come to the wedding so here the Apostles were sent out former hints of his goodness in the Wisdom of God afforded Joh. 1 4 5. 1 Cor. 1.21 being not in the wisdom of the World understood or discerned plainly to declare this that God had done in Christ for them and to intreat them to be at one with him which as it intimates as I said before that they were not yet in their hearts reconciled to him for why then needed any further beseeching of them thereto So doth it no more prove that they must be all so reconciled and that Christ had obliged God thereto Mat. 22.4 then that phrase All things are ready come ye to the Wedding argues that Christ had obliged God to make all those bidden guests to feast with him and the following Caveat in Chap. 6.1 warning them not to receive the Grace of God in vain both argues that there is such a receiving it and that there is danger that some such as this grace is affirmed to concern may so receive it and so by consequence not be reconciled in their hearts at all to him So that this place duly weighed rather overthrows Mr. Owens Assertion then contributes any the least mite to its confirmation He produces also Rom. 11.15 The casting off of the Jews is the reconciling of the world which neither speaks a title of Christs death nor can be understood to make any thing for a meritorious reconciling Reconciliation there signifying only the occasional way and means of reconciling As Salvation Acts 28.28 is the means of saving He quotes also Rom. 5.10 If being enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son c. and Col. 1.21 Now are ye reconciled in the body of his flesh through death But neither will they serve him up to his purpose For neither of them either speak in that latitude as All for whom Christ died nor of a meritorious reconciling onely but of Reconciliation at least inchoativè accomplished in mens persons In Rom. 5. The Apostle having said Verse 1. That the believer being justified by faith in Christ is at peace with God which is all one with Ver. 2 3 4 5. is reconciled and is lead to rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God even in afflictions shews how Faith nourishes and acts the soul in that hope from what principle and by what considerations viz. By minding the great love of God in giving his Son to the Death for it when in a miserable condition Ver. 6 7 8. and the great love of Christ in so dying for it and the state to which God hath there-through already brought it viz. Ver. 9 10. A justified and reconciled estate VVhence it leads the soul thus hopefully to judge and reason Hath God shed his Sons blood for me that I might have good ground of believing in him and overcoming me to believe therein hath he justified me there-through Compare ver 1.9 with Chap. 3.25 how shall he not much more now save me me or us that are thus justified from wrath to come And again Hath God made me of an enemy his friend by such a way at such cost as the death of his Son how much more wil he now that I am no more his enemy but his friend reconciled to him save preserve me in and bring me safely out of all afflictions and trials unto glory by his life seeing he shall not need to die again to do that for me Yea not only so says he but it leads too to Glory in God himself through Jesus Christ through or by whom it hath now now that it believes and is justified received the atonement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a Metonymy the Grace of God that effected this reconciliation and brought it in to be the reconciled of God as he had before ver 10. affirmed He says not we were reconciled in the time of Christs dying that would have been rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the reconciliation which we now have received in receiving him to wit and in which we are reconciled we have it by his Death That phrase By his Death that men so stumble at I have explained before lib. 1. cap. 1. This then says nothing of Christ meriting of or obliging God to reconcile that is turn the affections of all to himself for whom he died nor says that in Col. 1.21 22. any thing more for it but that the believing Colossians were of enemies to God become now his friends reconciled to him onely the Apostle there tell us what was the bond or medium of their agreement viz. The body of Christs flesh through or by means of death that is he having in that his body suffered for our sins and offered up himself to God God there takes up his delightful dwelling and is propitious towards us now we also by Faith closing with and feeding on that his body as it hath or he therein died for us God and we are at one But what is this to his meriting of God that he actually reconcile all for whom he died His last proof is Ephes 2.15 16 where the Apostle having said that the Ephesians sometimes strangers to God and his Church were now made neer by the blood of Christ which we may either understand of that cleansing of the state of the Gentiles in general and opening a free access into his Kingdom to
his hand for All Israel Why seeing that was the greatest act of love a man could shew did he not do all other acts of love to them all as to Jonathan Again This This life is more then food Matth. 6.25 Why then doth God suffer any to perish for want of food which is the less seeing he hath given them life which is the greater Why doth he not inrich and furnish them to the utmost Where is the sobriety of Faith that should keep men from being sick about such questions His next is Scrip. 8. I pray for them I pray not for the world and for their sakes I sanctifie my self Joh. 17.9.19 Ergo He died onely for them This is answered before lib. 1. cap. 2 3 5. It s like this A Prince procuring pardon for a company of Rebels releases them from the sentence of death and by publishing his grace to them gains in some of them to be his servants whom he makes his Favorites and imploys them to negotiate for him with the rest that they also might become his servants and finde favor Being about to leave that Country and go a far journey he commits them to his Father and intreats him to have a special care of them his Servants and Favorites admit them at all times into his presence make them acquainted with his counsels assist them in their work against all Opposers And tells him in his request making he asks not those things for the Rebels yet standing out but for those reconciled ones for whom in special he set himself apart to make this request and yet intreats him also That whoever of the Rebels yet in Arms shall by their ministration be won in to like affection and service to him they might finde like respect from him as they Ergo. This Prince procured not the former pardon for all the Rebels or did not rescue them from the death they were going to A baculo ad Angulum Such also is his last His last is Ephe. 5.25 Acts 20.28 Christ loved the Church Scrip. 9.10 and gave himself for it Ergo Christ died not for all David fought with the Philistin and exposed his life to danger for his friends and Fathers House suppose to bring them to honor Ergo He did it not at all for All Israel The Church People called are properly the object of Christs care to be washed and presented glorious as a fit Bride for himself Ergo He loved he died for no more It s like this A mans wife is properly the object of his Conjugal affection Ergo A man may love none but his wife with a love of charity The brazen Serpent was to heal no more then looked up to it Therefore it was provided for none to look to but them that did look to it and were healed Such are Mr. Owens Inferences Christ eyed such as were to be given him of the Father as a people that would stand in need of much healing and washing and provided in his Death that such should have what ever tends to their perfection Ergo he laid down his life for no more to ransom them and set them at liberty to seek after him A Prince ransoming a thousand prisoners makes it in his bargain that all of them that submit to him upon view of this act should be made Courtiers Onely fifty of them submit and are made so Ergo he ransomed no more out of Prison Such Arguments as these are scarce worth so much time and labor as to answer No one of the places alledged by Mr. Owen says That Christ died not for All or tells us that there are some that he died not for nor can such a Conclusion be fairly and by Scripture-proof be inforced from any one of them or all of them together And whereas he thought to have added more He did better as he did except they had more force in them And so I have passed through all his Arguments which I have found propounded with more confidence of their weight then he had reason And so we have done also with his Third Book Lib. Quartus A view of and a reply to his Fourth BOOK His Fourth Book is spent about answering our Arguments for the extent of Christs Death as a Ransom So that as in the other three we had his Arguments to throw down So in this we have to defend our own against him CHAP. I. A view of an Answer to the Premises laid down by him in his first Chapter IN the first Chapter of this Book he lays down some Previous Considerations as Grounds upon which he intends to frame his Answers to our Arguments Of which 1. The first is Consid 1. about The innate Sufficiency of the death of Christ That the death of Christ is sufficient for the Redemption of the whole world for the expiation of all the sins of All and every man in the world and that arising from the dignity of his person the greatness of the pains that he suffered he undergoing the whole curse of the Law and wrath of God due to sin This he says is its own Internall worth which I will not deny but then he adds that It s being a price for any and being beneficiall to them according to the worth that is in it arises not from that but is meerly Externall and depends upon the Intention and Will of God The intention of the offerer and accepter that it should be for such some or any All which I will grant him also But thence he comes to view the Distinction used by some Protestant Divines Of his Dying for All Sufficienter but not Efficaciter in regard of the Sufficiency of the Ransome he paid but not in regard of the Efficacy of its Application which he denies except in this sense That it was sufficient to have been made a Price for All but it was not a sufficient price and ransom for All not because not sufficient but because not a Ransome In which he speaks 1. Improperly as to his own intention for that it was a Ransome is as undoubtedly a Truth as that it had an innate sufficiency for All but he should have said had he spoken rightly to his own meaning not because not sufficient but because not intended for All as a Ransome 2. Untruly and so as he overthrows that distinction for that which was not done at all for All was not sufficiently done for All. Now I on the contrary affirm That it was sufficiently indured for All yea as a ransome yea and so effectuall with God too for All that he inflicts not upon All what justice exacted according to the sentence gone out upon Adam and All in him had he dealt with All men according to that word He and all in him had that day perished and been cut off for ever but Christ interposing made All things to consist and upheld the pillars of the earth which else were dissolved Yea God deals mercifully and bountifully with
ever that were broken off might and did miss of by observing lying vanities forsaking their own mercies Jonas 2.8 either by unbelief or negligence in a vain cursory receit of the Ordinances and grace of Reconciliation therein tendered So that neither doth that conclude the thing intended namely that by the word world is there meant only Gods Elect and Chosen His proof from Colos 1.6 Lib. 3. ca. 6. We have before spoken to in Chap. 1. That of 2 Cor. 5.19 We have also spoken to largely before in the Chapter about Reconciliation Onely I shall add here that the word world cannot there mean the Elect onely for then no need of fearing that any toward whom that grace was vouchsafed should receive it in vain as is intimately feared by the Apostle Chap. 6.1.2 As for the Argument used from the Non-imputation there spoken of we have shewed it to be weak also God reckoned not the sins of the world to it in that he winked at them and did not demand satisfaction at their hands for them but preached forgiveness to them which indeed was a very great blessing but it comes to life and happiness onely upon them that receive it and believe as the Apostle says Rom. 4.6 7 9. His reasons why the Elect should be called the world as they are especially the three first very slender ones so they do all fall to the ground except it can be first proved that it is so called 4. His fourth Reason is like Nicodemus's How can these things be Why doth not God give the Gospel to all then who do any perish c. He might as well say If God brought Israel out of Egypt that they might go to Canaan why did he not make them all trust in him and carry them all thither This is not to believe the VVord of God that says Christ is the Propitiation for the sins of the whole world c. But to set our Reason against it though we could say God hath told us more about his revealing Christ then he doth believe viz. That He is the true Light that inlightneth every man that comesin to the world But hewil there say too as the manner of our darkness and unbelief is at every truth of God that it cannotcomprehend Durus est hic sermo How can this be for he will scarce conceive that the Word can sparkle through the Humanity united to it into the hearts of every man except the Manhood too be plainly declared or that that divine being that the Gentiles are led to see in the VVorks of God is no other then the VVord that was incarnate and is the true God this may seem as strange to him as that to the Jews Before Abraham was I Am and may meet with as many stones about it For Truth is full of Paradoxes to the wisdom of the Flesh though plain to him that findes understanding Besides God hath sent his Gospel to All Nations and Peoples though many have put the light from them and chosen darkness rather even whole Countries and Peoples and therefore shall be justly condemned not for that they had it not but because when God sent it they received it not but have from age to age slighted and rejected it 5. He heaps up another nest of absurdities upon us As 1. That we cannot understand this to be All and Every man except we grant some to be loved hated from eternity But how our granting that should depend upon that large extent of the Word it will pose Reason it self to conceive and Scripture too Sure he meant Except we deny it as we do if by hatred he mean a purpose not to send his Son for them without their disobedience to his Son and the light extended through him to condemn and destroy them 2. He says We must make the Love of God toward innumerable to be fruitless and vain We deny that too For there-through they injoy their lives liberties patience bounty goodness hints of truth to their mindes some more some less as he sees fit in his wisdom and God shall receive much glory Though its true and no absurdity to say that some do reject much grace or receive it in vain in regard of many further fruits it would effect yea and turn that that was for their welfare into a snare Turning that grace and goodness into wantonness that should lead them to repentance 3. That then the Son of God is given to them that never hear word of him nor have any power to believe Answer It s not said He gave him to the world but gave him simply out of love to the world and give him he might for them to whom so properly he may not be said to give him I suppose you think he was given for if not also to some children that die in infancy and yet they never hear of him and so many former Jews might never hear of him distinctly as that he should be crucified and yet they had good by that they heard not of Death came in upon All through Adam though many never heard of him and so may and doth much mercy by Christ to such as never hear distinctly of him And did men in that mercy grope after God as the Apostles say they might haply finde him What power God gives to men to yield up to the light that comes from him I cannot say for others I am not in their bosoms but for my self I am sure more then I have acted forth and followed him in And that God gives no power to believe or at least soberly to attend to God that they might be helpt to believe but onely where men indeed do believe is as inevident as that God gave not power to Adam to forbear eating the forbidden fruit because he did not forbear I cannot see into those secrets how far God acts or acts not upon others but the not seeing such secrets shall be no reason to me to wave what is revealed if not plainly in this yet in other Scriptures of larger expression If Mr. Owen see into mens spirits and can tell us what God doth to all and how far he deals with them or finds the Scripture expressing it let him demonstrate to us that God doth give no power to any to attend to him in the ways wherein he useth to beget faith according to the means vouchsafed but onely to them that are actually brought to faith and I shall listen to him 4. He says Then God is mutable in his Love Answer That follows not for so far as he says he loved it he acted and never altered it he did give his Son and never reversed it that whosoever believes should not perish c. And yet we being mutable and corrupting our selves God may say to us as well as to Ephraim Hos 9.15 I will love them no more and yet the alteration in us onely not in him The effects of the same act may be different to an object without
seeing Christ preached the Kingdome of God to them it s no sufficient evasion God usually punishing men with deprivation of temporal mercies for neglecting eternall Mat. 22.7 Psal 2.10 11 12. He says Rom. 2.5 speaks of the Gentiles who had the works of God to teach them and the Patience of God to wait upon them yet made bad use of both which is too slender an Answer to the place Could he not finde it in the Text that they led them to repentance and can he shew us any ground of Repentance and change of mind for any man that hath no cause in and from God for it nothing better to be enjoyed by them in and with God then what he sets his mind upon already or that any have any such favours afforded them as lead to Repentance with whom God deals according to the sentence pronounced upon All in Adam and for whom Christ never came to procure any such things for them or that Christ procured such things for any for whom he did not interpose himself between the Sentence of Death and them Sure these things deserve a little more consideration then he affords them Besides that they make against his exposition of 2 Pet. 3.9 where he would tye up Gods willing men to come to Repentance to the Elect only for here he speaks of Gods goodness and patience leading such to Repent as treasure up wrath to themselves by occasion of Gods goodness to them Mat. 6.26 Mark 8.36 Sure he will not tell us they are the Elect onely too He makes little of those expressions in which men are said to lose their own souls but onely as if therein was intimated That they make the losse of them sure to themselves then it seems it was not sure enough to them in Adams sinning and why not Sure Adam lost us All sure enough If Christ did nothing for recovering them they are lost sure enough without any mans doing any more to loose them But perhaps he means that they make it evident to themselves that Christ did nothing for them and so that they remain lost by Adam Sure this is a new way of exposition and before it pass for currant he must prove that to lose or save in Scripture signifies onely to make it evident that a thing was lost or saved before-hand or that we are said to lose by doing this or that that that was lost out of our power before we did that As that if a Corporation have forfeited their Charter and it was taken from them an hundred years ago so that now they have none yet they that are now of it do forfeit and lose it by so doing something that they should not let him shew us that the Scripture speaks in that language and we shall listen to his evasion His after Collection from T. M. is spoken to before it s but his own misunderstanding of him and so are all his Inferences drawne from it For his Argument from Gods expostulations pag. 296. it is to shew that God wils them to be saved and delights not in their destruction which opposes M. Owens Interpretation of 1 Tim. 2.4 and by consequent intimates Christs interposing himself between God and them there being no salvation to be had for any but in him and those expostulations being with others then the Elect about looking and listning to him c. What there is in God we cannot tell but as the only begotten Son hath revealed to us and that is indeed that there is in him no imperfection But that he desires not those salvation that miss of it he hath no where told us that I know of but often the contrary and yet that may be in him without imperfection We are no competent Judges by our narrow conceptions of his perfections There is that in and with him that seems foolishness to our wisdome and weakness in our judgements that yet is wiser and stronger then we can conceive of 1 Cor. 1.22 23 24. It s sauciness in us to prescribe rules to Gods wisdome and perfection and rashnesse to say what is or is not in God but as Christ hath revealed to us Obedience is better then Sacrifice and a simple belief of his words better then our wisest reasonings against them In pag. 298 299. There is some difference about judging All men by the Gospel Indeed it should be said according to the Gospel the difference is grounded on the divers understanding of that phrase Rom. 2.16 They take it that this Truth That all shall be Judged is according to the Gospel We understand it also that Christ in judging shall proceed according to the Gospel Not that we mean that they had heard not the Gospel shall be judged for rejecting or not believing what they heard not but that they shall be judged onely for and by what they had given them and they received or abused but that Christ in judging by and for those things shall not go according to the Law of Creation requiring them to have done according to that that was given them in Adam and so according to the strict rule of that first Obligation but only as in rejecting Light and Truth given them or accepting it they have sinned against Rom. 1.18 19 20 21. or submitted to God dealing with them in and by the Mediator the Word of God by whose interposition of himself between God and them their lives liberties mercies and all the light they had since the Fall was derived to them Joh. 1.9 and so according to the Gospel that relates Christ to have died for them and to be Lord over all thereby And that such shall be his proceeding in Judgment I am the rather perswaded by that of Christ himself in Matth 25.31.46 c. where declaring the maner of his Judging All Nations he tells us his Rewards and punishments shall be given according to mens carriages of themselves towards him in such Mediums as he appeared in to them He Judges men to life as feeding and cloathing Him to death as not doing such and such things to him Which he makes out to be an equal sentence though many shall reply that they never see or knew him as an object to be so or so acted toward by them He mentions nothing there to be charged upon them as acted by Adam or by them but with reference to himself which deserves also some consideration Whereas in page 299. He tells us of Totus mundus ex to to mundo a whole world out of the whole world That he says without book I mean without Gods Book speaking of the world as it now is having borrowed it from Prosper or at highest from Austin But we desire not to prefer the Traditions and Documents of the Elders though they might be in many things worthy men in their times so highly as for them to justle out or by them to Interpret Apostolical Doctrine or by them to teach men their fear towards God as was
to pass that I fear he will be put to it again to prove this also by his doctrine seeing many are willing to run to Ordinances and do any thing to have ease and comfort and yet afterward forget that they were purged from their old sins and having escaped the pollutions of the world and walked in the means appointed for a while afterward imbrace the present world and fall off again which their doctrine intimates they must do and will if not elected or else never meet with any thing of God to purpose though they should continue attending the means to the last gasp I fear he will not say Christ had any Free grace for these and yet all weary heavy laden sinners one and other Christ calls to him yea and the fools and scorners too the wicked unrighteous and who not to listen to his Doctrine for salvation So that these are but fair flourishes that being looked into wind up onely in this Though ye be never so much troubled and weary and never so diligent now in the use of means yet forasmuch as your Election is unknown to us we cannot say that there is any thing purchased by Christ for you or that the blood of Christ is sufficient to purge you because we yet know not whether it was shed for you whatever inward worth it hath in it yet it being shed onely for the Elect he may not be able to save you by it nor unless ye be elected will all your use of means profit you if you should continue in them And so all depends yet even its future use of means too upon that hidden purpose and till that be known whether there be any cause for it to rely on Christ and love him and God in him he knoweth not so that all these answers avail him nothing therefore he doth well to leave his answering and fall to querying viz. What that is that according to our perswasion men are bound to believe when they first know that Christ died for them I answer They are to believe that Christ is their lawful Lord and able to save them and that they ought to live to him also that God is good and loving to them which is not a thing known before-hand as he says but in and through the knowing Christ to have died for them as the Cause though it be before the Effect yet in ordins cognoscendi it may be through and in order of nature after the knowledg of the effect which also the Spirit will there through be now glorifying and presenting to the soul they attending the doctrine of Christ and following him therein till it raise them up to full assurance as it did the Apostles Yea upon the knowing of the death of Christ for them it s to believe that God delights not in their death but is ready in and through Christ to save them and will do it they as they herein see good ground and as also they are by the Gospel that declares it obliged to do waiting on him and trusting in him Now whereas he says That they cannot there being no fruits of his Death but what are common to All which may be Damnation as well as Salvation That 's very untrue 1. Damnation is not the fruit of his Death but of mens abusing the mercies they have by his Death and their refusing to listen to him and look to him for salvation 2. The fruits of his Death in them and to them that come to him are washing purging sanctifying giving in remission peace joy spirit and life everlasting So that that is either an ignorant mistake or a wilful slander and yet as its true that some men may so abuse the Doctrine of Christs Death for them or so disserve him that his Death for them may be an aggravation of their punishment and misery so in that sense As the fruit of Gods Presence with the Israelites that led them out of Egypt into the Wilderness was to them that believed as they all had reason to have done protection and guidance into Canaan and possessing them thereof but to others that causlesly rebelled through their own folly destruction So is Christ and the Gospel of Christ a Savour of life to life in them that receive but of death to death in them that reject him So that as he answered impertinently and inconcludently for himself before so he answers untruly and irrationally here for us But I leave that also From this he comes to tell us That there are two things that both perswasions pretend to the exaltation of Gods free Grace and the Merit of Christ To the first of these he plays the Rhetorician more then either Logician or Divine He asks what that free grace is And I answer This That God hath given his Son to die for All and through him tenders salvation freely in the Gospel to All Whoever will let him come he is ready to receive him rejecting or reprobating none from it to destruction but for their rejecting his Truth and goodness made known to them His Queries Whether it stand in Election effectual Vocation Justification Sanctification Redemption in the blood of Christ If by Redemption in Christs blood he means the actuall setting their spirits at liberty from sin and corruption and from the power of Satans delusions to worship and live to God effected by the sprinkling of his blood upon them Heb. 9.13 14 as is there intended Rev. 5.9 miss the cushion Though Free Grace standeth in all these things which we maintain as well as they yet the extent of it we say not standeth in them but in giving his Elect one in whom his Election and purposes all are to the death for All and setting him up as a medium to whom coming any of them may and in coming shall finde Justification Sanctification Redemption and what ever follows which the Gospel holds forth freely to All as ready in him for them and to be dispensed by him to them upon believing which so held forth is the medium also of his effectual calling Whereas he asks If it be not universally a figment of our own brains or a new name for the old Idol Freewill I answer That it is not the first the authority of Gods Word acquits us which we dare not for all the Sophisms he hath brought against it renounce to cleave to that onely Elect which he and the Elders traditions have created and to which they bow the knew of their faith more then to Gods Word And if no device of our own then no new name For that Idol of Freewill which we no more adore if so much as they who substracting the declaration of Gods good Will to men as pertaining to them the medium appointed by him for his power to work in to uninthral men and impower them to believe do yet call upon men to believe and get Christ as if they had power of themselves to get him and to believe on him thundring damnation