not finding that which they had mistakingly looked for but that he was a dry tree and barren wilderness to them was it not more excusable that they should leave him and take such comforts as the world would afford them and not go on to suffer for him that would not save them he having not dyed for them Whereas he further adds that the Apostle is silent about washing them in the bloud of the Lamb what a sorry shift is that How many places speak of buying men and yet mention not the washing them in the bloud of the Lamb where yet there is no doubt but his bloud was the price that bought them as to instance in Rev. 14.4 1 Cor. 6.20 Again What is it to wash in the bloud of the Lamb I feare there may be some mistake in that Is it any thing else but when the death sufferings or bloud of Christ declared in the Gospel set home by the Spirit do cause the heart for his loves sake that so loved it to renounce its vanities affections lusts c. and removes its fears despairs horrors c. that the guilt of sin before the remedy was known filled it with do we think that this washing the souls in the bloud of Jesus is without application of the bloud to it Was there ever such a washing heard of in which the medium of the washing and the thing washed were not to each other applyed Or do we fancy any bodily or materiall application of the materiall bloud of Christ that issued out of his side Sure it s nothing but through the Spirits revelation of the death and sufferings of Christ for us and the hope therein set before us a cleansing of the heart and conscience from guilt and pollution And is not that intimated here Is not the knowledge of Jesus Christ Lord and Saviour to know him as one that dyed for us and is appointed to be our Mediator and way to God able and ready to save us by vertue of those his sufferings for us could there be lesse in that knowledge of Christ that will give a man escape from the worlds pollutions and when that knowledge doth wash from pollutions is it not the bloud of Christ therein known that washes Was not that it that washed Paul from his former conceits in his Pharisaisme and from all his pollutions Phil. 3.7 8 9. Tit. 3.4 5 6. and that washed the believing Corinths 1 Cor. 6.11 because he names but the knowledge of Jesus Christ and the appearance of Gods love to man the name of Christ and Spirit of God as the way of his and their washings shall we say neither he nor they were washed in the bloud of Christ These are sorry evasions unmeet to shift off the shining truth with 3. But his last evasion is vainer then any of these viz. That he might speak of them only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not according to Truth but according to appearance for which he quotes again that formerly answered place of 2 Chron. 28.23 As if the Apostle writing Dogmatically and laying down Propheticall declarations of things that would be and aggravating the hainousness of their sinne that should deny Christ should conjoyn things according to truth not conjungible If he had spoken of some particular person then in being there had been somewhat more shew for such an evasion and yet in truth not enough to make the Apostle couple as incompatible things together in his expressions as to talk of Christs or his Elects perishing But much lesse colour when he speaks of things in the Theory and Dogmatically not with Designation of this or that person This is but all one as to say Christ or God seemed but to be their Lord and Master and they to be his servants by way of purchase and so they had the more ground of denying him seeing he was not what he seemed to be nor had done what he seemed to do And whereas he addes That its the custome of the Scripture to ascribe all those things to every one that are in fellowship of the Church which are proper to them only that are true spirituall members of it as to be Saints Elect c. Not to examine the truth of that again were it so yet it could not be of force here these in the very formality of them as the subject spoken of being stiled false Teachers Sure though he might write to All in fellowship with the Church that is in Doctrine and Profession as Saints c. as in some sense they were truly yet it s not supposeable that he judged these he looks upon as departed from the Truth and false Teachers to be such or to be bought by Christ if he thought indeed such manner of people were never so bought To be a member of the Church and to be Elect are terms very competible but to be and so to be spoken of as a false Teacher bringing swift destruction on himself and yet in the same view to be looked upon and spoken of as bought by the Lord if no such are indeed bought is componere non componenda to couple words and things together that are we not competible like those that talk of Almighty nothings So that wee see no solidity in his exceptions to this place neither Whereas in his winding up he tels us that this will not conclude Vniversall Redemption and 2. That those who are so redeemed may perish is contrary to expresse Scripture and 3. That this could be no peculiar aggravation of the sin of any if the matter was common to All. These are but prevarications For 1. We conclude not hence the universality of Christs death but onely that it s not so bounded up to the Elect onely as Mr. Owen and his partners bound it 2. That its contrary to expresse Scripture as to Rev. 14.4 That any so redeemed should perish is a speech fallacious and untrue For 1. How knows he that that in Rev. 14.4 is expresse Scripture and speaks according to truth and not only according to appearance more then this might not we by as good Authority say that the Apostle speaks there but according as things seemed to him in a vision but not that all he sayes there is spoken according to truth as he hath to say so of Peter here 2. What means he by So redeemed if only that Christ dyed really for them and not in shew only and that the knowledge hereof and of that salvation that thereby is in him even for them to look after and attainable to them by Faith bought them really off from the world and engaged them to Christ then there is no such passage in Rev. 14.4 as that none such can perish That speaks onely of a certain number redeemed from the earth and men that were virgins and defiled not themselves but followed the Lamb where ever he went But it says not either that All bought by Christ and brought to escape the pollutions of the
which is the thing the Apostle brings it to prove but that he hated either of them from Eternity and before they had done either good or evil or that he so hated the greater part of mankinde that God loved only his elect and chosen that he is only their Saviour that Christ died only for them and gave himself a ransom only for his sheep and Church and did not die for the greatest part of men nor hath any fitness or sufficiency as a mediator for them to save them that God did make the greatest part of men with intention to destroy them and never bare any good will to them that they perish for ever for the sin of Adam and that their condemnation is aggravated by their after sins for their neglecting that that was never for them and for not repenting and believing on him though there was neither object meet for them to believe on nor any power vouchsafed to them from God by which in attending to God in the meanes propounded they might have been brought to repent and believe that all that Christ died for shall be saved eternally and none of them shall perish these and the like positions maintained by them we finde no Scripture asserting and so have no divine ground of believing but to maintain them they rely on their reasons adding to and detracting from the Scripture-expressions as they please yea plainly contradicting them making particular affirmative propositions in Scripture equipollent to universal affirmatives as We or the Church are sanctified by his Death ergo All that he died for and particular Affirmatives to be repugnant and contradictory to universal Affirmatives as He gave himself for us ergo Not for all gave his life as a shepherd for his sheep ergo he gave not himself a ransome for all men and many such inept and unscholarlike inferences their wisdomes make to maintain and strengthen their devised Assertions drawing conclusions by them openly contradictory to the Scripture-expressions as ergo He died not for all and every one God would not that all men should be saved c. I would Master Owen and the rest of his minde would be content that God should be true and reason be judged absurd and vain where it opposes him that he may have but that glory of his mercy goodness truth and Justice that he in the Scriptures asserts to himself we should willingly hold us to that bargain with them But alas how injurious they are to the truth of God too and how unbelieving of and contradictory to the Scriptures thou mayst see by this litle tast here given and more fully I hope by the treatise itself here presented to thee as an answer to him but yet I have not set before thee all the good and usefulness of the truth here defended nor all the evil of theirs opposed For 3. This truth is profitable too for men both in respect of themselves and others in both which regards too their counter-positions are injurious First In respect of mens selves to whom its propounded who are to believe and receive it its profitable for them to hear and receive it because it presents to them an object for their faith a motive to repent believe serve and love God and matter of comfort to them that lye in sadness and distress for want of seeing ground to hope in him for this presents God as loving and gracious to them and what can be a greater motive to a man to listen to God then that his Doctrine comes in love and good will and brings good to him or what so powerful as love to break a man off from evils against him a loving carriage in David toward Saul melts him into tears and brings him from seeking to harm him to confess his evil and give good language to him how much more shall the love of God preached to men and believed by them work upon them Rom. 2.4 5. Psal 36.7 8. or else they shall be left the more excuseless and God shall be the more glorified in their destruction It is not commands to repent but love and goodness in him that is offended that indeed leads and brings in the heart to true repentance So what will so effectually draw a soul to trust in God as when it hears and believes the goodness of God Mansheart is so conscious of its own evil that neither commands or promises especially being so uncertain whether they appertain to us or no will draw us in to betrust our selves with God 1 John 4.19 except we perceive some real Testimonies of his love first towards us And what so strong a cord to love and service of him as to see his love preventing us Love seen and believed in him Tit. 3.4 5. begets love and service in us to him We love him because he loved us first Such our contrariety to God in our selves and such our apprehensions of his contrariety to us that till our hearts be purged from both by the demonstrations of his love and goodness we will not love and serve him not serve him in love without which our service is not acceptable and delightful to him so that from this love of God preached and believed springs true obedience and the hearty keeping of Gods Comandmments Yea herein it is that men see their sins most exactly odious and are abased in the sight of them True the Law saies what is good and evil righteous and sinful but the Gospel shews most lively the hainousness of that sin while it presents it not otherwise to be expiated then by the bloud of Gods own Son and shews otherway no remission yea this love and goodness at once both humbles for sin against God and leads to hope in and expect good from God yea and while it speaks not of an absolute certainty of life and happiness for all for whom Christ died but these things to be certainly obtained in submission to him believing on him and yielding up to his Spirit it leads the soul to serve the Lord with an holy fear and to rejoyce in him with trembling through which holy fear the heart is preserved from departing from him So that this doctrine from the very word and Oracle of God discovers to thee or any man while yet not sinning that great sin to death an object meet to look upon and admire God meet to be turned to sought after hoped in and served yea is a motive to and a ground foundation and spring of true comfort and godliness of all which the contrary position deprives a man No man by that beeing able as from the word of God to see good and right ground of loving hoping in and serving God till he see that he do love hope in and serve him there being nothing that bears witness of God to any particular soul in their doctrine that he loves and hath good will towards it untill it see the discriminating and distinguishing electing love of God towards
bring into Canaan all that he brought out of Aegypt and then prove it by shewing that he so intended to all that believed and followed him Or else 2. Those places show not that those things so mentioned were the absolute intentions of God and Christ taken upon themselves to be effected by them without suspending them upon condition in us and if the Minor take not the word intended in that sense it suits not with the Major but contains a quartus terminus and the major not so taken is untrue If it be said the words are I came to save that that 's lost he gave himself that he might purge Vs and suffered for the unjust to bring us to God c. and where things are so spoken of as the ends and aimes of God in acting there though we have not the expressions He intended this and that yet we are to understand that God absolutely intended to accomplish and bring about those things and so that all those that are the object of those acts which were acted to such an end obtained or shall obtain that end Then I deny it and will prove it that in such speeches where two acts are mentioned as end and means and God the agent in the act directed to such an end it is not safe to say that alwayes that act propounded as the end in his acting was absolutely intended to be and answerably is brought about by him in all those upon whom or for whom he acted that act that 's mentioned as the means as to instance Act. 17 26 27. He made of one bloud all the kinde of men to inhabit all the face of the earth and hath determined the times appointed and the bounds of their habitation that they might seek the Lord c. Here is end and means propounded the making all of one bloud bounding their times habitations the means directed to this end that they might seek the Lord. Will any man hence say that God absolutely intended that he would cause all that he made and whose times and habitations he bounded to seek him and who ever seek him not and so call those in Rom. 3.11 were not made by him So John 1.6 7. John was sent to bear witness to the light that all through him might believe Doth it follow that because that was the end propounded therefore God absolutely purposed to make all believe to whom he bare witness and so its true that he bare witness to none else is not that contrary to Mat. 11.16 17 18. and 21.32 So John 5.34 Christ tels the cavilling Jews that he spake those things to them that they might be saved will it follow that it was his absolute intent that they should all be saved hear him or not or to make all hear him and be saved even those that would not come to him that they might live vers 40. Christ came to save that which was lost Doth it follow that he absolutely determined to bring all them to eternal life to whom he came even those also to whom he came and they received him not John 1.11 So Psal 105.33 34. He brought his chosen into Canaan that they might observe his Statutes and keep his Laws Therefore he intended to make them all do so and all that he brought into that land did so contrary to Psal 106.34 35 36. And to say no more God came down to bring Israel out of Aegypt to bring them into Canaan Exod. 3.7 and he brought them out thence that he might bring them into and give them that land Deut. 6.23 Ergo he absolutely purposed it concerning all that came out of Egypt and no more were brought out thence then were brought into Canaan Such his Argument Like to which he hath another taken from the effects of Christs Death Lib. 2. cap. 3. pag. 66. the Minor of which Affrmes that his Death sanctifies and and purges all them for whom he dyed redeems them from Law Curse Death c. none of all which he proves none of all those Scriptures alledged for proof This argument he hath again in lib. 3. cap. 4 where we shall speak further to it having such a clause in it as All for whomsoever he dyed or any thing sounding that way they being but applicative speeches not universal assertions It s such an argument as this The Lord brought us out of Egypt and brought us into this place viz. Canaan Deut. 26.8 9. And the Lord made you to go up out of Egypt and hath brought you into this Land Judg. 2.1 Therefore all that God brought out of Egypt he brought into Canaan Besides he hath for the bottom of this Argument this proposition in p. 4 line 71. and again in page 66. that the things before recounted are the immediate fruits and products of Christs Death namely Reconciliation Justification Sanctification Adoption Glorification which is as true as that the dispossessing the Canaanites and the giving their Land to the Israelites was the immediate fruit and product of their bringing out of Egypt over the red Sea as may be seen by what we sayed to them p. 10. No one of those things as accomplished in men is the immediate fruit and product of his Death Not Reconciliation though that be by the Death of Christ yet not immediately there is requisite to it beside Christs death the word of Reconciliation to declare it and that heard and submitted to as is plain 2 Cor. 5.19 20. We beseech you be ye reconciled to God yea and all these things come between the death of Christ and Reconciliation and are mediums of it Justification is not the immediate fruit and product of his death but mediante fide We are justified by faith Rom. 5.1 thence we have believed that we might be Justified Gal. 2.16 and that presupposes the word and spirit opening the death of Christ and shedding abroad the love of God and sprinkling the bloud of Christ upon the soul as in Tit. 3.5 6 7. He shed on us the Spirit abundantly that being justified by his Grace we might be made heires c so 1 Cor. 6.11 ye are Justified by the Name of the Lord and by the Spirit of our God Sanctification is not the immediate fruit and product of Christs Death but mediante fide too Sanctified by faith that is in Christ Jesus Acts. 26.18 and so there intervenes the being called out of the world and Church't Ephes 5.26 27. Adoption is not the immediate fruit and product of Christs death but hath Faith and Justification intervening John 1.12 To them that received him he gave this priviledge to be the sonnes of God to them that believed on his Name Gal. 3.26 27. Ye are all the Sons of God by faith in Jesus Christ Tit. 3.7 That being Justified by his grace ye might be made heirs c. And I am sure glory and immortality follows all these except we will have the inheritance go before the heirship and right to it
a seed and to that end so to glorifie him with himself and to men and so to exercise his power and goodness amongst them that Nations and people should run in to him and so come to injoy the life that 's in him and glory with him leaving that so far as I finde to his Fathers goodwill whom and how many so to cause to run unto him not doubting but he will make good his word to his satisfaction Thus for his Impetration Now accordingly by way of Application if we may so call it He and God in him 1. Deals with all men in a way of mercy bounty and goodness and not according to the Tenor of the first obligation or the curse deserved by their sin in Adam 2. Hath invested him with supream Authority over All Creatures giving all things into his hands and he rules the Nations with a rod of Iron c. and dispenses to them as seems good to him And 3. Hath life in himself free for and communicable to All or any which he makes over to his people brought into him forgiving their sins sanctifying their souls putting into them his spirit laws fear c. changing them into his likeness till he bring them into the full possession of all his glory And 4. The Father glorifies him amongst men and so works in his word and providences by his Spirit that he hath a Church and Spouse a seed given him to whom he doth impart that fulness that is in him and executes his Lordly office amongst the rest according to his and the Fathers will so as that he brings about the main end of his sufferings the glory of God in all his dispensations even toward them also And these are my thoughts about this distinction Some make use of a Distinction of a Reconcilation wrought in Christ for men and in men by Christ the first for all men the second in all cordial and through-believers Which I make out and approve thus 1. The nature of man was fully and perfectly reconciled to God in the person of Christ by his death for All men or in the behalf of and for the benefit of all men The nature of man though the Word descended into it and was made Flesh yet as it was given in the behalf of other mens persons yea he in it as the publike sinner to ransom all so between it in Christ and God there was a controversy and that so great that God fell upon it wounded bruised afflicted yea cursed it as I may say or made it accursed and his Son as in it pouring upon it the punishment of the sin of man before he took it up into his glory but having done so to the utmost of his will not sparing him he then raised it Acts 13.33 took it up into Sonship with the Word and filled it with all his fulness being at perfect unity with it and it with him never more to be at odds again here is a full compleat and perfect reconciliation of the nature of man in Christs person and this for All as the punishment was suffered in stead of the whole nature in its several individuals and so as that God now le ts go all other from executing the fierceness of his wrath upon them for that sin in which they formerly stood condemned and calls for satisfaction to his justice in that point from none of them Rom. 2.4 5. but extends such means and goodness to them as leadeth to Repentance Yet in their persons they are not reconciled they all except the man Christ remain in enmity against him and the nature of man in all our persons is such that with no one of mankinde can so holy a God have fellowship till something be done to them that is De adultis loquor till there be wrought in them a renouncing of themselves and sins and a willingness to walk with God through his love and goodness which none have in them meerly by Christs dying for them and ascending to God till something be wrought in them from heaven by his Spirit 2 Sam. 14.24 28. Till when men are like Absolom when David at Joabs mediation took of the sentence of his banishment but yet would not let him see his face All yet in that regard children of wrath worthy of wrath though God deal not with them according to desert nor goes about to execute the fierceness of wrath upon them but on the contrary affords them means of seeking him c. to some more to some less as he pleases But 2. When the goodness of God Psa 36.7 8. Eph. 1.13 and the operations of his Word and Spirit the insinuations of divine light and love into the hearts of any is so received and yielded to that they are brought to Repentence and faith in God and Christ and submission to his Spirit then they come in their own persons to be reconciled to receive the reconciliation and atonement then God begins to own and walk with them Rom. 5.11 and take them up into unity and fellowship with his Son and this is the reconciliation wrought in men by Christ to which the Apostle exhorts in 2 Cor. 5.20 How much my sense of these distinctions differ from the Arminians Camero's Testardus and others who as M. Owen tels us all speak of an Impetration of Reconciliation Remission Redemption conditionally if they believe I leave to their Judgments that compare us M. Owens arguments against that first distinction as used by them make nothing against me I affirming an application or donation from the Father to be made to Christ and through Christ to men according to the purpose of his Impetration only some passages in his arguments would be spoken to as whereas in his second Argument p. 89. he affirms that whatsoever is obtained for any is theirs by right for whom it is obtained I think that is not every way true I may purchase a picee of land intentionally for my childe and yet keep the right and title in my own hand so that he may not have right in it or title to it till I actually instate him in it Whatever the thoughts of Christ were to any in dying for them yet we are not made heirs till brought into him till then we have no right either to claim or to receive the promises Ye are all the sons of God by faith in Jesus Christ and if Christs then Abrahams seed and heirs according to promise Gal. 3.29 So Tit. 3.6 being justified by grace we are made heirs according to the hope of eternal life Whether the condition of faith be purchased or no we shall view elsewhere Again in his third Argument he tels us that these two Impetration and Application are alwayes joyned together in the Scriptures in which he saith not truly for I demand where is the Application in 1 Tim. 2.6 He gave himself a ransom for All or in Heb. 2.9 by the grace of God he might
whomsoever Christ obtained good to them it must be applyed To which I oppose this That Christ procured good things into himself in the humane nature for those that refusing him go without them He received gifts for the rebellious as Psal 68.18 there are favors held forth by God to them and in a sort given them as Christ tels the unbelieving Jews that his Father gave them the true bread but that all they for whom such gifts are received by Christ must also necessarily receive them is as void of proof as that all the unbelieving murmuring Jews received Christ as the bread of life and fed upon him sure the Holy Ghost says Joh. 6.32 Jon. 2.8 Psa 81.13 14. Luk. 19.4 42 c. Isa 55.2 3 Prov. 1.21.22 23 24. That some deprive themselves of their own mercies miss what in oheying they should have had know not and so miss of the things pertaining to their peace Nor is it rational to think or Christian so say that God cals people to Christ that hath received nothing into himself for them and so hath nothing to dispense to them that will do them good is so earnest to draw them to that that cannot satisfie them and condemns them for refusing that that had nothing for them in it as he hath not any thing of what he cals them to as communicable to men but by his sufferings Whereas he saith That the blood of Christ in the vertue of it cannot be looked upon as a Medicine in a Box laid up for all that shall come to have any of it and so applied now to one and then to another That speech so far is false as to the good things pertaining to eternal life and the vertue of that blood for the injoyment of them for it is resembled to the ashes of an heifer laid up in a clean place and from thence to be sprinkled upon men Num. 19.9 Heb. 9.13 14. and so his name is compared to ointment poured forth Cant. 1.3 what 's his name but his love grace vertues and excellencies declared and made known the pouring forth of which intimates that they were all first included in him as ointment in a Box. Now though the declaration of these be as oyntment poured forth yet the things themselves Remission Sanctification Spirit of Joy Glory c. are all contained in him and passe not from him to any soul till it be first brought in to him yea the whole tenor of Scriptures speak of these things as laid up in him for men one and other thence those phrases The salvation that is in Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 2.10 Neither is there Salvation in any other Act. 4.11 12. All fulness in him Col. 1.19 All the fulness of God dwels in him bodily and in him we are compleat Col. 2.9 10. In him we have Redemption Col. 1.14 the life that is given us in the Son 1 John 5.11 12. in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledg Col. 2.3 Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.1 yea this grace is compared to a feast made in a house whitherto men are to come c. Matth. 22.2 3 c. 1 Cor. 1.90 Act. 10.43 Rom 5 1◠Joh. 1.12 Yea thence Christ himself is said to be made to the believer wisdom righteousness c. and we are said in believing to receive remission to receive the atonement c. because in believing we go to and receive him yea we are said to come to the blood of sprinkling Heb. 12.24 Now that this also is laid up in him for all that shall come to have any of it and so applyed now to one and then to another as they come or rather laid up for All that upon his call they might come to him for it is also the tenor of Scripture Doctrine thence Look to me and be ye saved all ye ends of the earth Isa 45.22 Whoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely He says not the Elect or any shall have it given out from him without coming or they only have right to come for it it s only for them but whoever will may thence it is a feast made for all people Isa 25 6. and all are inivted in the Gospel even whomsoever we meet with we may call Matt. 22.8 9. though all obey not the call to come yea and the blood is sprinkled upon and the grace applyed now to one then to another as they come Thence some obtain mercy and grace before others as an example and incouragement to others 1 Tim. 1.15 16. some are in Christ before others as Andronicus and Junia were in Christ before Paul Rom. 16.7 and so have fellowship with God and Christ before them yea before others be called to it or born And this also is given to All comers without difference as is clear in Scriptures to Jew and Gentile bond and free for there is no difference Rom. 3.23 24. Gal. 3.27 28. its open to All and intended no more for one comer then another as to the essentials of it though more to those that come then others that come not Yea though Christ hath purchased All good things into his humane nature and they free for all and prohibited to none till they be wickedly put away yet it s uncertain to any before coming whether it shall be theirs or no and as to Scripture Revelation for them its left indifferent the Scripture expressing them no more then others nor others yet unbelievers more then them His arguments to the contrary touch not to any purpose what hath been said they are these 1. It s against common sense that such a thing should be obtained for one and yet that not be his To which we have given some answer before besides which we say further that it s here inconcludent for it should have been That a thing should be obtained for one and yet he never injoy it not that it should not be his The application answers not to right and title but to injoyment of right Men may have right to that in Christ which they refusing to accept or look after have not the injoyment of so Jon. 2.8 they that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercies its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their own mercy and yet they deprive themselves of it So Esau had a birthright the first portion was his by right and yet he never had it applyed to him he lost it or sold it willingly and so went without it and there are too many prophane as Esau Corn may be treasured up with Joseph for All Egypt yet with this Proviso that men must go to Joseph before they can have it Heb. 12.15 so that any Egyptian hath right to go to him and receive it yea good ground to go to him too and yet if any man refused to go to him and to take it at his hand he might perish for want but as
were Baptized into Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea and were come to Mount Sinai The Apostle alluding to that tells the believing Hebrews partakers of the heavenly Call Heb. 3.1 that they were not come to Mount Sinai to have a Law of works and death put upon them but to Mount Sion * Whence the Law of Grace goeth forth Isai 2.3 to hear him that speaks from heaven and so intimately to have the Law writ in their hearts Heb. 12.18 22 24 25. in which they came also to the blood of sprinkling He doth not say they were come to Mount Sion while they were yet uncalled but in obeying the Call they came thither to meet with and receive the new Covenant opposed to the Covenant made with their Fathers at Mount Sinai That that confirms me in this belief is this that it is by faith that we are made of one body with the Israel of God and are no where called the seed of Promise or Israel of God till brought to Christ but then we are all one with the believing Jews Jews in the inner man the Circumcision the seed of Abraham and heirs according to Promise Gal. 3.26 29. Now the Covenant spoken of is made with the house of Israel and Judah If Mr. Owen think men to be faederates in that Covenant before faith let him shew me that any unbelieving Gentiles or uncalled are called by the name of Israel and Judah Besides That the promises of God are made with Christ Gal. 3.16 and are in him yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 But if any yet out of Christ should be faederates while out of him then they should have a larger object then Christ and a larger performance then in Christ Jesus But I say this ex abundanti to the Minor it being sufficient to the overthrow of the Argument that the Major is proofless Whereas Mr. Owen makes the difference between the Old and New Testament to be That this Covenants the giving of Faith and that not I deny it and say The difference between them is in this That was carnal weak and afforded not such operation of Spirit This spiritual powerful and full of life writing Gods teachings in the heart whereas that writ them but without in Books or Tables of Stones That propounded Precepts and Promises but gave not the performance This in Teaching conforms the heart to Gods VVill and gives in the injoyment and accomplishment of the promises whence as the Apostle saith The righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.4 That this Covenant is propounded conditionally too to those that are not yet believers we have shewed before in Isai 55.3 So that no man short of believing can say as Mr. Owens Objection supposeth The Lord hath promised To write his Law in our hearts but if we listen to Christ he will write them in our hearts but to the believer in Christ to him that is Christs the Covenant is free he being the proper heir of it as is before shewed He repeates his Argument again in the winding up of the Argument That the blood of Jesus Christ was the blood of the Covenant and his Oblation was intended onely for procuring the things intended and promised thereby and therefore it cannot have respect to All c. That it procured the good things contained in the Covenant or rather that he ingages the performance of them to the called for I think the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sponsor hath rather that signification then of a procurer we grant and to that the Quotation of Heb. 7.22 is pertinent but his inference from thence is yet unproved as we have shewed And so we have seen the fallacy and weakness of this Argument 2. His second Argument is thus That if the Lord intended Argu. 2 that he should and so Christ by his death did procure pardon of sin and reconciliation with God for all and every one to be actually injoyed upon condition that they do believe then ought this good will and intention of God with this purchase in their behalf by Jesus Christ be made known to them by the Word that they might believe for faith comes by hearing c. otherwise men may be saved without faith in and the knowledg of Christ or else the purchase is plainly in vain but all men have not those things declared to them in and by the Word c. To this Argument many things may be answered Answ As 1. That it concludes not against the Assertion that he undertook to oppose in lib. 1. cap. 1. pag. 4. viz. That Christ gave himself a ransom for all and every one But against his intention of purchasing pardon and reconciliation for All to be injoyed upon condition of believing which is a fallacy that we call Ignoratio elenchi 2. Again The Antecedent of the Major contains and crowds together divers questions which is another fallacy in arguing As with this Of Christs dying for All it jumbles Gods intention of his procuring Reconciliation and Pardon and the intention of bestowing it and upon what condition Now these are three distinct questions viz. First Whether Christ died for All The thing he set himself to oppose Secondly Whether in dying for them he procured Reconciliation and forgiveness for all And Thirdly Whether he procured it for All with intention that they all should injoy it upon condition of believing The first of these I absolutely affirm and Mr. Owen denies The second I thus affirm That for the offence of Adam and the condemnation that came upon All therefore he hath procured justification or pardon for All so as that God dealeth with All after another manner then according to its Merit and the Obligation to Death that came thereby And for their other sins there is with him a treasury of Forgiveness and Redemption full and free for All. So as that in answer to the third All may have forgiveness of all their sins and Reconciliation upon believing in him and it was his intention that whosoever of All yea were it All believe in him should have forgiveness of sins and be reconciled to God by him Whence it s propounded to men in general upon that condition in the Gospel But yet neither is that condition upon which God propounds it to be confounded as Mr. Owen here doth with the act of purchasing it and Gods intention therein nor may we binde up God to that condition in his dispensing it nor his intention of forgiving and saving men in his giving Christ to dye for them as if because All or Any may have it according to the Gospel-tender upon believing therefore he intended that none should have it that have not that believing condition For I dare not say That God intended not that any Infant dying in its Cradle or deaf man that never heard any word at all should have forgiveness or salvation by vertue of Christs purchase
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
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
do fall we have but discovered a hypocrite and parted with him and discern that Christ never died for him Is this to expound the Scripture or to pervert and elude it But why did he but seem to be a brother Surely hypocrites use-rather to boast themselves of strength and seem to be strong then to appear weak they use not to dissimble and counterfeit the lowest places or least strength as we may see in Jehu But we are brethren onely by Faith That 's untrue In a Church-Fellowship Faith and Confession make brethren with professed agreement in joynt worshiping And such also as have true illuminations and some measure of saith in believing the truth and seeking God therein may and do turn aside as the Scriptures witness As the Galathians did run well not hypocritically but well and yet some of them Paul greatly scared for they were turned away from him that called them And others put away a good conscience making shipwrack of faith 1 Tim. 1.20 Sure a counterfeit profession never makes a good conscience Weak believers not yet setled and rooted nor so far prevailed with as to be brought to commit their souls to Christ nor made one with Christ and his chosen ones in spirit throughness of heart are in danger of falling off by corrupt doctrines and temptations if they take not diligent heed to Christ and his doctrine Thence the Apostles were especially earnest in watching over admonishing such And yet that faith truth confession goodness of way and walking they had might truly denominate theÌ„ brethren And such the Apostle speaks of here as had had some illuminations and their hearts closing with the truth yea the truth so powerful in them as to pull them out of the worlds way and fellowships and made them attend amongst the Church for further knowledg and divine teachings yet being not established and so throughly united to them in Spirit they might be shaken and turned away again by offensive carriages But that the Apostle should mean him thou countest a brother and Christ to have died for or wish him onely to avoid endeavouring his perishing is a meer perverting of the Apostles saying The Apostle uses not to speak things contrary to truth to suit with seeming appearances to men as we noted above As for his making us draw an universal Conclusion from this or the other Scripture viz. That therefore he died for all Reprobates it s none of ours but this Therefore the after perishing of men proves not that Christ died not for them as they use to argue nor did he dye for the Elect onely as they say 3. The third place is 2 Pet. 2.1 Denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction In which he questions every thing As 1. Whether by Lord be meant Christ as Mediator 2. Whether by buying be meant an eternal Redemption by the blood of Christ 3. Whether it be spoken according to Reality or appearance To the first he says It rather signifies God the Father because the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is every where given to him To which I answer 1. Christ calls himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matt. 10.25 alibi 2. Jude in his Epistle which is almost word for word the same with this Chapter tells us speaking of these men that they deny 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the onely Master God and Lord Jesus Christ where a Vnicus articulas omnibus istis epithetis communis omnino declarat Christum esse Herum illum unicum Vid. Bez. in locum Beza strongly contends that all those Epithites are given to Christ there being no pause between them and but one Article prefixed before them All blaming Erasmus much for otherwise rendring it Nay He tells us That one ancient Greek Copy Codex Complutensis reads it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And sure if that b Vide etiam Zâ—nch in Jud 4. Qui Deitatem Christi inde arguens haec habet Petrus verò à quo Judas desumpsitsua docet Jesum Christum esse hunc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quem falsi doctores negant Etiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inquit Petrus qui illos mercatus est abnegantes quis mercatus nos est nisi Christus suo sanguine c. Et Paulò post Confirmat Judas Christum esse hunc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nostrum Deum Illà enim omnia praedicata de uno subjecto Jesu Christo praedicantur cum unus tantùm sit articulus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 communis omnibus ille praedicatis Zanch. de trib Elohim par 1. lib. 6. 5. place that answers this so exactly ascribe that title to him it s not to be denied that this doth it too But he says It s not a proper word for our Saviour in that work of Redemption because its such a Lord and Master as refers to servants and subjection but the end of Christs purchase is always exprest in words of more indearment But this is frivolous for in 2 Cor. 5.15 He died for all that they might live to him expresses subjection and to be as his servants as the end of his death So in 1 Cor. 7.22 23. upon this ground that Christ bought us with a price it s said He that is called being free is the Lords servant and so in Rom. 147 8 9. Thence the Apostles through redeemed by Christ I trow stile themselves the servants of Christ To say nothing that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used to denote as much reference to subjection as this can and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used over all in the house Elect and others See Matth. 15. â—7 27 and 18.25.32 Joh. 15.15 Matth. 20.1.16 2. Was not such a word as argued their duty of a subjection fittest to aggravate their sin of denying subjection Whereas he says God only in the following verses is named and not Christ That 's not so for in ver 20. where he speaks again to this Apostacy of theirs they are said to have escaped the pollutions of the world through the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ But 3. Suppose it be meant of God Is not Christ as Mediator God too And is not God said to purchase his Church with his blood Acts 20.28 Doth he buy any into his Church but by the Death and bloodshed of Jesus Christ He says Yes and that 's the second thing to be spoken to in which he says 2. its uncertain whether this buying was made with the ransom of his blood or by the goodness of God delivering them by the knowledg of the truth from Idolatry To which I answer By both The goodness of God is not extended to faln man but by Christs death The Declaration of which as so testified is the truth that God makes forcible for drawing men to himself from their Idolatry Tit. 3.4 5. 1 Cor. 15.2 3. That there must be a price is evident and
I finde no other price mentioned in the New Testament but the blood of Christ either as shed or as also testified if Mr. Owen doth let him shew it for us to devise prices is to add of our own heads to the Scriptures Now if Christ be the price it s not material whether we say that the Lord that bought them be God or Christ the act of buying or purchasing being attributed to both Acts 20.28 1 Cor. 6.20 Rev. 5.9 Christ buys men unto God and God buys men by Christ God gave Christ as a price to purchase men and Christ gave himself for and gives himself to men And there are these two things in this buying or price by which people are bought 1. Christ given by God and Himself to the Death for men that they might be preserved and delivered and from the destruction due to them in Adam 2. Christ given of God and by Himself to them in point of tender and free offer as in Joh. 6.32 and at least good things given unto them by and through him And as I understand none are said in Scripture to be bought or redeemed from their vain conversations or unto God from men till this price made known to them buy them off from their love to those other things and ingage them for God to be his Thence men reason inconsequently from those Scriptures which say By the blood of Christ men out of all Nations Peoples or Families are bought or redeemed to God As that in Rev. 5.9 and 14.4 and 1 Pet. 1.18 19. which speak of the efficacy of his blood declared and believed ingaging their hearts and spirits to and for God as Hosea bought him a wife by a price given her Hos 3.2 to deny the extent of Christs given himself a ransom and dying for men These two things then I understand in this place of Peter 1. That God had given Christ to the death and he gave himself a ransom for these false Teachers amongst all the rest of men and thereby they with all other were delivered from perishing in that sentence of death which should in Adam have else destroyed them and had with others their liberty to the Church and Kingdom of Christ 2. That God in the Gospel presenting this his love unto them and this his Son that dyed for them or the Son presenting himself so and so as the onely Lord and Saviour able and ready to save them with promises of salvation upon their submission to him bought them or disingaged their hearts from their former idols worships vain and evil ways called ver 20. the pollutions of the world and had ingaged and purchased their affections to his Gospel People Salvation and Glory set before them and so to the service of him and they now after all this denying him as the Israelites after their bodily redemption did Deut. 32.6 They brought upon themselves swift destruction If Mr. Owen would fasten any other sense upon this place he must shew us that any people are said to be bought or redeemed from their vain conversations as these were ver 20. for such are the pollutions of the world by any other price then the bloud of Jesus 1 Pet. 1.18 or 2. That some are bought with that for whom it was never shed That God glorifies it to and purchases those by it for whom it hath done nothing nor shall do any thing for we have proved and do believe him to have dyed for All. If he perform either of those two things we shall listen further to his exposition Whereas he sayes The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answers to the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he deals not ingeniously with his Reader For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all those places he brings for proof of it viz. Deut. 7.8 15.15 and Jer. 15.21 and in all other places generally so far as I find yet is in the Greek translated by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so those places of 1 Pet. 1.18 and Luke 1.78 may better be applyed to that observation that Mr. Owen thence makes then this The Hebrew word that Answers to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He objects further the Apostles not mentioning the Word Price Isa 55.1 But that 's frivilous for if we speak of buying things especially of Gods buying a price is necessarily intimated as the correlate to buying though we may buy the grace of God without price yet he buyes not us at that rate we are well paid for what ever God hath of us Whereas he would have this buying to be onely a deliverance by Gods goodnesse from the defilements of the world a seperation of them from them by the knowledge of the truth Besides that that note is grounded on his former mistake that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answers to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to deliver I would faine have him shew me that God extends any reall goodnesse to men without Christs buying them from their obligation to the misery contracted to them by Adam or else that rather confirmes that Christ dyed for them and the knowledge of him as so dying for them and able and ready thereby to save them bought them yea what else is it to know him Lord and Saviour How Lord but by dying for them especially how else a Saviour Againe did God give them any thing in that truth made known to them worthy their forsaking the world for him had they any share right interest in that truth namely in the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was there any good for them to get there for to be sure the worlds good they were not like to get by that knowledge in those dayes If yes then whence proceeded that if he never dyed for them if it declared no salvation as attainable by them would men leave all and expose themselves to persecutions for meer uncertainties when they could not be told that Christ had done any thing for them or God by Christ or that Christ was a Mediator for them to attaine to happinesse by If they had no right to the truth nor that had any thing of goodnesse in it for them what had they to doe with that truth that so little concerned them If he say it had matter of advantage in it for them for ought they knew they might think it had though it had not Then I answer they had made but a blind bargain and they knew not the Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus It was rather a mistake about him that gave them that escape from the worlds pollutions then any knowledge of him had they known him rightly they should have known that they had no such reason to let all go for him that had excluded them his mediation and could not save them not having dyed for them And then having made some tryall and
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
that doth thus and thus shall live For ought that they can tell them God hath from Eternity hated them and there is no way to salvation made for them Surely that 's not so much as what he further points to That there is no name under heaven whereby they may be saved but that of Jesus for that intimates that by that Name they may But to this I have spoken sufficiently before To what he says about the not believing Jesus of Nazareth to be the Christ and their need of him that its a soul-condemning infidelity of such obstinate refusers to come in upon the Call of the Gospel and not a refusing to believe that Christ died for every one of them in particular I have answered also before and say here further That each of them are condemning The last because there is not a believing of the Testimony of God that he bears of his Son and so not a receiving the love of the Truth the love that the Truth witnesseth and so not a leaning upon his Mediation nor an approaching to God thereby For how should he come to God by his Mediation that refuseth to believe that he died for him in particular and so that his Mediation for him The Jews sayes he were charged with infidelity for not believing Christ to be their Messiah And truly by Mr. Owens Doctrine he was not so For how was he for them if he was a Mediator for none but the Elect seeing they persisted in unbelief and rebellion Sure mens not believing their need of a Mediator or that Jesus is He proves not that they are not chargeable with not believing Christ to have died for them no more then others not believing themselves to be sinners proves that they are not chargeable with not believing in Christ The object of Faith I trow is not to be measured by mens acts of Faith but their acts ought to come up to that that 's in the object But beyond all these he hath somewhat more to the Minor viz. That they to whom the Gospel is preached are bound to believe with that faith which is required to justification onely I will not stand upon that word onely I am content that he grants They are bound to believe with that Faith but then he assumes That that is not a full perswasion that Christ died for any one in particular Here I except against the word full perswasion as being a Quartus terminus which is not fit for a Disputant to put into a Syllogism Nor is it to the purpose that it is not justifying Faith it s enough to this business if it be necessary to a justifying faith according to the Revelation of the Gospel since his Ascension to believe and be perswaded that Christ died for him in particular though his perswasion be not full Rom. 3.25 and that I say is necessary For to believe to justification is to believe on God through Christ or in the bloud of Christ and that is from that that Christ as Mediator hath done and is further authorized to doe to be perswaded to rest on God for salvation by him Which I deny that any man can rightly come to except he believe that that which God hath done in Christ and that which Christ hath done as Mediator between God and man was done also for him I can Divinely gather no boldness from the bloud or sufferings of Christ to approach the Holies and look to God to save me further then by a Divine Faith that leans upon Gods testimony I am perswaded that those sufferings of Christ concerned me and were for me But let us see how M.O. goes on in this business and that is thus He says there is an order naturall in it self and established by Gods appointment in the things that are to be believed so that till some of them are believed the rest are not required As a man is not commanded nor can be reasonably to get to the top of the Ladder by skipping all the lower rounds But what makes this to prove the business in hand 1. This shews that a mau cannot come to believe with a justifying Faith the thing ex confesso required of them to whom the Gospel is preached except he orderly believe those things that lead unto it of which I contend That this is one to believe that God hath provided him Christ to be his Mediator and that he hath died for him and so that he hath good ground to believe in him and rely on God through him and so it makes for what I say but it proves not that every step in that order are not required of every one to whom the Gospel is preached that so he may come to that that is principally required viz. To justifying Faith His comparison is not worth a Rush to that purpose For though I would not rationally bid a man climb up into a chamber by a ladder and skip all the rounds save the highest yet I may rationally bid him climb up to it and go by all the rounds and so by the highest and I trow his not going up one step will not excuse him for not going all even up the highest too He that commands me to believe with a justifying faith surely commands me therein to go by every step that tends to it and to believe all that 's absolutely requisite for believing with that faith 2. He here speaks against his main Concession viz. That men that hear the Gospel are bound to believe with a justifying faith For here he says in substance That that 's not required till they have first believed the truths that lead to it and so Gods Commands shall be bounded by mans obedience If any man to whom the Gospel is preached shall deny to believe that there is such a one as Christ that man is not required of God to believe in Christ for its irrational to require him to believe in him till he hath first obeyed him in believing the other I suppose any man that understands reason will rather think that Mr. Owen had not the exercise of reason about him when he here talked of irrationality the first proof of his Argument contradicting his Argument For the Argument saith That they to whom the Gospel is preached are bound to believe with a justifying faith and the proof says it is irrational that they should be required to that till they believe that there is an object of faith To say nothing that the believing Christ to have died for a man is not the highest step to that faith as he supposeth But after this he sets down his order viz. 1. That men are to repent and believe the Gospel to be the Word of God to contain his Will and that Jesus Christ therein revealed is the power and wisdom of God to salvation 2. That there is an inseparable connexion between faith and salvation 3. That there be a conviction by the spirit of a necessity of a Redeemer to
their souls in particular whereby they become weary heavy laden and burdened 4. A serious full recumbency and resting the soul upon Christ in the promise of the Gospel as an Alsufficient Saviour able to deliver and save to the utmost them that come to God by him Ready able and willing through the preciousness of his blood and sufficiency of his ransom to save every soul that shall freely give up themselves to him for that end amongst whom he is resolved to be one Now says he in doing all this there is none called on by the Gospel once to inquire after the purpose and intention of God concerning the particular object of the death of Christ every one being fully assured that his Death shall be profitable to them that believe in him and obey him but after all this and not before it lies upon a believer to assure his soul of the good will and eternal love of God to him to send his Son to dye for him in particular I might here return him his own words with admiration Oh what a preposterous course is this and how differing from the right way of the Gospel 1. I would know what is that Gospel that men in the first place are to believe to be true Is it onely that Jesus Christ is the power and wisdom of God to salvation and the connexion of faith and salvation That we have shewed before to be untrue The Word of God it self tells us that the Gospel used to tell men of Christs being sent of God to turn them in particular from their sins and to lay down that as the ground of Repentance and believing on him 1 Tim. 2 4.6 And the Apostlesays expresly that that wâs the Testimony or Gospel that God ordained and sent him to preach ver 7. Acts 3.26 And that God would have all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth for there is one God and one Mediator between God and man the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for All and can a man believe that to be true and not believe that he gave himself a ranson for him Is he no body So that what he says in this first step overthrows him But 2. See the preposterousness of these men that that the Apostle writ about the High-Priesthood of Christ to the believers as peculiarly useful for them to lead them up to perfection in their faith and confidence viz. That Christ hath the office of an unchangeable Priesthood is able to save to the utmost all that come to God by him because he ever liveth to make intercession for them that is here produced as the ground to draw in unbelievers though the intercession there mentioned is not affirmed there for any as while yet unbelievers and on the other hand that which the Apostle tells us was the Testimony whereof God had made him a Minister an Apostle to preach to the Gentiles that were ignorant of God as that before repeated that is not to be preached as true for any ones particular and as so to be believed by him till they are made believers Who would think that wise men should go so preposterous a way but that its the judgement of God for their leaning to their own wisdom and no more then is fore-prophesied that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise c. 3. He impertinently mixes the object of faith with the operations of that object attended to and believed as conviction by the Spirit of their need of a Redeemer and recumbency in him with the truths of God that lead to that convincement and reliance on him The Argument is about the object of faith needful to be believed by all that hear the Gospel that they may believe to justification And he tells us of an order in the operations of God upon mens spirits before they believe as they should do And yet he minds not that the convincement of the great sin of unbelief is not kindly effected till men see they have ground of believing and yet believe not till when the heart rather thinks it is sin and presumption to believe But when it sees that Christ hath done so much for it then it must needs be convinced that it sins greatly in not betrusting it self wholly to him 4. He confounds the object of faith about the Mediation of Christ and the object of his Death with the secret Purpose and Counsel of God about our particular right to and injoyment of eternal salvation 5. He talks of rolling the soul upon Christ in a Promise whenas he cannot prove that any can have him in a Promise to be rolled on further then he is supposed first to have dyed for him the Promises being sealed in his blood and the way of closing with them is believing in his blood which how should men do whâ—le its wholly doubtful to them whether they have any thing to do with his blood or nor Indeed 6. He supposes that a soul is brought to believe in God and to trust in his mercie through Christ before it know of any love in God toward it whereas he uses to draw with the cords of love and testimonies of his goodness It s goodness seen in him leads us to repentance It s not only a letting sinners see a need of a Saviour that there is one able to save them that go to God by him that will suffice to draw in a man that yet cannot see him as a way for him to go to God by as he is not for any otherwise then he hath died for them Heb. 10.19 20. to rowl himself upon God for salvation Never yet could any sinner that indeed was convinced to be so and to be under wrath and that saw Gods Justice and Anger against him hope in and expect help from God by Christ not being first perswaded that Christ had done so much for him that he might have salvation through him Many men may delude themselves and take their own self-actings for acts of Grace as the Pharisee did Luke 18.10 11. and from their endeavors and self reformations seem to commit themselves to God and conclude themselves to be believers that yet never knew what it is rightly to believe The true Gospel-believers believe through Grace 2 Cor. 6.1 as they Acts 18.27 That is by the grace and goodwill of God declared to them in the Gospel The grace of God appearing to them teaches them to live godlily and saves them from their former disobedient condition Tit. 2.11 12. and 3.4 5. They do no per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Pharisee argue Gods grace towards them by their frames towards him that God loved them first because they as they conceive love him but on the contrary they therefore love him because he first loved them and sent his Son for them Believing Gods Testimony of what Christ hath done for them they are helped through the power of God to believe