that look upon the place that the Apostle to the end he might clear up the way how beleevers partake of the benefites of Christs death maketh a comparison betwixt Adam and Christ and so cleareth up how it is that all Mankinde is become Corrupt and that in and through the first Man Adam from whom this corruption is derived not by Imitation for they cannot imitate it who never heard of it and yet even they partake of this corruption therefore by real Participation of the guilt saying verse 12. as by one man sin entred into the world c. and that in him all sinned and afterward that upon this sin death passed upon all men and reigned even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgressions that is over infants that had not yet committed any actual sin and that judgment was by one to condemnation so that the fruit of this sin was Condemnation or Obnoxiousness to condemnation and that because by this one sin the posterity were made sinners 2. By Death here is meaned every kinde of death Temporal and Eternal and Spiritual for it is a death that reigned over Iâ—fants and is called Condemnation 3. we finde no person old or young that come of this first Adam by ordinary generation here excepted nay Infants are expresly enough included vers 14. 4. So that all the posterity of Adam young and old being in Adam their Natural and Federal Head partake of his sin having sinned in him and of the miseries or just punishment of that sin All this is so clear and manifest both from the very words and expressions of the Apostle and from his scope that who ever speak against this must do violence to the text and weaken the Apostles argueings This same passage did the ancients Augustine and others urge against the Pelagians as is to be seen in Vossij histor Pelag. Pag. 146 147. By this argument That sin which is so described to us by the Apostle that he sayeth is brought death upon all men that men sinned by it and were made sinners even they who could not as yet actually sin that thereby all became guilty of death and of condemnation that sin by imputation is the sin of the whole nature included in Adam and rendereth the whole nature obnoxious to death and to condemnation But the first sin of Adam is decribed to us by the Apostle c. Ergo That sin is the sin of nature because Adam did sustaine the person of all who potentially were in his Ioines and by vertue thereof all are liable to death the punishment thereof Vossius tels us moreover that the Ancients took much notice of Paul's calling Adam a Type and of the particle As and did hence gather that as the Obedience of Christ belongeth to all such as are spiritually begotten not by Imitation but by Imputation so the Disobedience of Adam is conveyed not by Imitation but by Imputation unto all such as corporally come of him They took notice also as he sheweth us of the particle By which did denote the Efficient cause of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom which saith that the posterity did sin in Adam or if it be rendered because or in as much or for which it will shew what is the Adequate cause of death and that it hath also place in Infants 19. Thus we have seen the Argument of the orthodox Church and its ground let us next see what he sâ—ith against it As concerning the words of the Apostle saith he the reason of the condemnation in whom all did sin that is in that seed or by occasion of that seed for no man is said to sin but in his owne person But I pray By what warrand may he foist-in words at his owne pleasure into the tâ—xt Is there the least mention made of seed in all the text Is not this intolerable boldness to deal so with the Scripâ—ures of Truth But if Infants be condemned because they sinned in or by occasion of that seed then that seed was imputed to them Yes he will say but that was when they began to sin in their owne persons No say I that cannot be because the text importeth no such thing yea it saith the contrary viz. that death which is included in the condemnation passed upon all men and reigned even over such as had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression that is had not as yet sinned actually So that his reason is directly against the Apostle and we have further above discovered its untruth He addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aggreeth with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so sheweth how Adam by his sin gave entry to sin into the world and so death by sin entered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. by which viz. occasion or in which viz. death all others did sin i. e. actually in their persons viz. who were capable of sinning of which number Infants are not who are under no Law as was showne and where no Law is there is no transgression as the Apostle sayeth This upon the matter is the same that the old Pelagians said as Vossius sheweth us Hist. Pelag. Pag. 182.183 For they interpreted these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom all have sinned by sinning after example or Imitation and this man by sinning upon that Occasion when they become capable and the Socinians with Episcopius homologate with the Pelagians and have been abundantly answered by the orthodox who shew that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of Xenophon Aristophanes Demosthenes and other Greek Authors But For Answere unto this Quaker I would say 1. If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the meaning must be this and so death passed upon all men in which death all men sinned and what sense can this make out May not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agree as well to Man If not let him give us the least colour of reason either from the text or context 2. If Adam by his sin gave entry unto sin into the world this must be meaned of his first sin for the Apostle speaketh alwayes of one sin or of Offence in the singular number that Vers. 18. may be read by one offence And so sin entered not by Imitation nor yet by Occasion for his after sinnes might have laid the way for Imitation and have given Occasion as well as the first Yea more yea only for while the first sin was committed there were none to imitate him and if this had been the Apostles meaning he had spoken of sins in the plural number 3 If this had been the Apostles meaning he had not named One man and One man as a Type a Type of him that was to come for Eva's sin the Devils sin might also have been an Occasion 4. Hence it will follow thaâ— beleevers are made Righteous only upon Occasion of Christs Righteousness
giveth life unto the world not such a life sure as may never quicken any Upon Christ's death doth the Apostle inferre Rom. 8 32. that the Elect shall have all things and vers 33 34 35. that they are free from all Accusations or any Hazard there from being justified and having Christs Death Resurrection and Intercession to secure them at all hands thereupon they have assurance that nothing shall separate them from the love of God Act. 20 28. Christ hath purchased a Church with his own blood The whole world is not this Church nor is this purchase an uncertane may be And all this Real and Certaine Effect of Christ's death was foretold by Daniel Chap 9 24 to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness c. And who can imagine that this is Universal or Uncerâ—ane 18. If we will 7. Consider some other Ends of the death of Christ which the Scripture pointeth forth which are not to be found among Heathens or any except the few Chosen ones Ordained to life we shall see how unreasonable this Quaker is Gal. 4 5. Christ died to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sones Was this end and fruit left at an Uncertanty Shall we think that Christ might have died and yet not one man receive this Adoption Was this Adoption purchased upon an uncertain condition Or was this purchased equally for all Then such as received it might have thanked their owne well natured Free will upon that account But let us consider some other fruits Gal. 1 4. who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world So 1 Pet. 2 24. He bear our sins in his own body on the tree but for what end That we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness Chap. 3 18. Christ suffered for sins the just for the unjust To what end and purpose To bring us to God Heb. 10 10. by the which will we are sanctified How came this to passe Through the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all So he suffered without the gate that he might sanctify the people Chap. 13 12. Revel 1 5 6. he loved us and washed us from our sins in his owne blood But was this all No it is added And hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father So Ch. 5 9 10. thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood and what more And hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests c. So 2 Cor. 5 15 He died for all But for what end and purpose That they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose againe See Col. 1 22. These and the like passages do clearly pointe forth a special end of Christ's Death which was designed both by the Father that sent him and by himself and shall we suppose that this great and chiefe designe was made to hang upon the lubrick and uncertain will of man Shall Christ be beholden to mans good will for the purchase he made at so dear a rate If not why are not all these ends attained in all for whom he died Did Christ fail in laying down the Ransome Or doth not the Father keep condition Who can say either of these Then surely there can be no reason to say that Christ made an uncertain bargan and purchased only a Possibility of these fruites which he knew not if ever he should attaine in any one Nor to say that he died for all 19. Let us further 8. take notice That for whom Christ died he died to take away their sins And that so as they may be fully Pardoned never brought on reckoning againe that is that they be Remitted and Pardoned and that the poor sinner may not suffer therefore This sure must be the import of that prayer forgive us our trespasses If then Christ by his death hath taken away sin and purged it away making satisfaction to justice therefore how can we think that justice can punish the sinner in hell fire for these same sinns But let us see what the Scripture saith 1 Ioh. 3 5. he was manifested to take away our sins Ephes. 1 7. we have redemption in his blood what redemption foâ—giveness of sins according to the riches of his grace So likewise Col. 1 14. Now when sinnes are thus taken away they are blotted ouâ— and not remembered Esai 43 25. Ier. 31 34. Heb. 8 12. Yea they are blotted out as a cloud and as a thick cloud Esai 44 22. So they are said to be subdued casten into the depths of the sea Mica 7 19. Shall we now say that Christ hath died to purchase this Redemption the Forgiveness and blotting out as a thick cloud and casting into the depths of the sea of sin and yet multitudes of those for whom this was purchased and that by the blood of God should never obtaine this benefite but have all their sins charged upon their owne score This so pincheth the Adversaries that the best evasion they can fall upon is to say that none shall have Original sin charged upon them But the Scripture no where estricteth this Remission to that sin only Others therefore say That no sin now shall be charged upon any but the sin of Unbeleef Then Iudas doth not suffer to day for betraying his master was it for this sin only that the Old World was drowned or that the Cities of Sodom are suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Iude seemeth to say some other thing vers 7. so are there other sins there reckoned up vers 8 9 10 11 12. to which is reserved the blakness of darkness for ever vers 13. But some say that these are all but pardoned upon condition Then the Redemption is neither Actual and Real nor Compleat but a poor May be and a may be may not be and how can such sins be said to be forgiven or blotted out and casten behinde God's back and into the depths of the sea Did Christ know whether or not this condition would be performed If not then He is not the omniscient God If he knew that it would not be performed by the greatest part how can we imagine that he would notwithstanding lay downe his life to purchase a Remission for them And how can we think that He should purchase a Pardon to all and let the event hang upon the pendulous tottering will of a sinfull creature But as to that condition we shall 20. Propose 9. this consideration The not performance of that Condition was no doubt a sin and if Christ died for all the sinnes of the world he died for that too And if he died for that too that is taken out of the way or there must be another condition imagined upon performance of which that is to be taken out of
thing which we inferre is manifest viz. the originated sin or the corruption of nature which here David calleth Sin And if this Quaker think that this came from another Original than from Adam let him tell us what it is and not joyn in with the Manichees nor make God the Author and cause of sin if he can 21. Another of our Arguments is from that word of Paul's the wages of sin is death And seing infants die they must have sin as a procuring cause That death was and is a Punishment of sin we cleared above and the Apostle asserteth it here so manifestly calling it the Wages and due Desert that it must argue wonderful impudence in any to question it What sayeth this Quaker He granteth that death is a Consequence of the fall but denyeth that hence we can necessarily inferre iniquity to be in all those that are subject to death That is in plaine termes but the mans modesty dar not speak it out to say the Apostle speaketh not truth who ever imagined that wages were no more but a Consequent of the workmans labour If Death be the Wages and Reward and just Punishment of sin it can certanely be inflicted by the Righteous Judge of the world upon none but such as are guilty of sin How oft doth the Apostle speak of death as the just Desert and Punishment of sin Rom. 5 12 death entred by sin death passed on all for all had sinned suppose that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should not signifie in whom as it doth Marc. 2 vers 4. Luk. 5 vers 25.2 Cor. 5 vers 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being several times put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9 10 15 1â— but did only import the Cause as Socinians would have it it would sufficiently confirme this that death is inflicted because of sin so vers 15. through the offence of one many be dead and this is called vers 16. judgmnt to condemnation and vers 17. by one mans offence or by one offence death reigned And vers 21. sin reigned unto death And then againe Chap. 6 23. for the wages of sin is death So likewise 1 Cor. 15 21.22 by man came death for as in Adam all die He addeth as a reason of his denyal that it might appear he did not contradict the Apostle without reason For sath he all the outward creation suffered detriment and ruine in some respect by Adam's fall and yet the herbes and trees c. are not therefore sinners Ans. Is not this a valide reason wherefore to reject death as a punishment of sin Nay seing the vanity under which the world groaneth because of sin is a punishment to all Mankinde to Infants as well as to Adult persons it is hence manifest that all are guilty of sin that is all mankinde who are capable of sin as trees and herbes are not But yet more he addeth to Confront the Apostle and sayeth death is no wages of sin to the saints but is gaine Phil. 1 v. 21. Answ. Why is death called an enemy and the last enemy 1 Cor. 15 v. 26. wâ—at meaneth that that when corruptible hath put on incorruption and mortal hath put on immortality death shall be swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15 vers 54. Because the Lord by grace through Jesus Christ hath taken the sting of death away and made it a passage to glory unto his owne shall we therefore look upon it in it self as no punishment of sin or as not coming into the world because of sin This will tend as much to prove that Adult persons are not sinful as that Infants have no sin and that a womans paines in child birth or a Mans purchaseing his bread with the sweat of his face c. are no punishments of sin Original or Actual because all these Paines Troubles Afflictions c. worke together for good to such as love God Rom. 8 vers 28. And so the Godly have no Punishments Chastisements Visitations Corrections or the like for sin though the Scripture say so in hundereds of places Here this Quaker joineth with Antinomians 22. He mentioneth another argument which as he thinketh fools only make use of which is this If Infants have no sin they must all be saved Well what replyeth he to this argument We will rather saith he admit this supposed absurdity as a Consequent of our doctrine then say that innumerable Infants perish eternally not for their owne but only for Adams fault But though he should not value such Absurdities notwithstanding he therein run wilder than Papists and joine with Anabaptists and some Pelagians Yet me thinks he should take heed of contradicting his owne doctrine for afterward we will heare of his pleading for Christs dying for all Mankinde And sure if that be true he must say that he died also for Infants and yet here he granteth that they will be all saved without Christ for they have no sin they have no need of a Saviour to save them from their sinnes But how can they be all saved seing they have the Seed of sin â—n them and the Spring of all actual sinnes and that seed of sin which in Scripture is called death and the body of death the old man and the old Adam as he himself speaketh Pag. 62 When Paul speaketh of the body of death Rom. 7 24. he looks upon it as that from which Christ must deliver him How will this Quaker reconcile these things The old man must be put off or we cannot enter into glory and if Infants have the old man how can they enter into glory And beside All in glory must sing the song of the Redeemed and praise him that hath redeemed them by his blood Revel 5 9 10. How can Infants do this who have never been washen from their sinnes in the blood of the lamb as never having had sin And Pag. 55. he told us that none of Adam's posterity had any good in them which he had not from whom they descended Adam then being deprived of his Original Righteousness none of his Posterity no not Infants can lay claim to that Righteousness how I pray can Infants go to heaven who want a righteousness The heaven then which they go to must be a heaven wherein dwelleth no Righteousness and what can this be but some new Limbus But to be more plaine with him It is not enough for him to say he may grant such a Consequence from his doctrine for we must have sure Scripture grounds ere we beleeve that all Infants even of Turks and Heathens shall certanely go to heaven The Scripture giveth more ground of hope of those that are within the Covenant I am sure than of those who are without what thinks he of the Infants of Sodom See Iud. vers 7. and of Coreh and his company not to mention the Infants of the old world And why doth the Scripture call the children of such as are without the church 1 Cor. 7 14. unclean
render the Truth we owne odious for neither doth he tell us his owne Judgment concerning this nor would he onâ—e consider what grounds we walk upon or speak one word to the passages of Scripture upon which we ground our Opinion Thought he that his Readers would not be in case to take notice of his fraudulent and unfaithful dealing It is well that he hath written this in latine for the world is no stranger unto the debates betwixt the Orthodox on the one hand and Pelagians Socinians Arminians and Iesuites on the other But we proceed unto the examination of his following Thesis CHAP. VIII Of Universal Redemption 1. Our Quaker having as we heard laid by and taken out of the way so far as he could the Principal and Fundamental discriminating Purpose of God in denying for any thing we could observe all Eternal Electiâ—n and Reprobation and having thereby homologated with Arminians as also with Socinians who run upon Universalities as abhoring all Specialities and Discriminating Acts exclusive of any except what Lord Free will doth and of which this Absolute and Supream Lord is master and disposer and therefore Assert in the first place An Vniversal Love and good will in God to all and every mothers son of the race of Mankinde He proceedeth in showing us how in the rest of their Universalities he is their friend and therefore talketh not only of an Vniversal Ransome Price paid for all Adam's posterity by Christ of which he speaketh next but proceedeth as we shall hear to hold forth an Vniversal Covenant of free grace made with all the sones of Adam though he be pleased to give us it in other termes and an Vniversal Call and Gospel as also Vniversal Grace by which every one may if he will lay hold on the offer and be saved and withall he giveth us a Salvation among Heathens as we shall heare 2. When he rejected Election Reprobation Absolute he made way and laid a good foundation for this other Errour of Vniversal Redemption for these two cannot well be separated however some of late would maintaine this Universal Redemption and withall assert an Election of grace whereby the Lord made choice of so many as pleased him whom he would certainly redeem and bring to glory which I cannot see how they can consonantly and satisfyingly hold unless they can prove out of Scripture two distinct Covenants betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator two distinct and different Ends of Christ's death Two distinct Prices laid down and Two distinct Purchases made if the one could well be called a purchase Two Satisfactions Christ a Cautioner and no-Cautioner a Redeemer and no-Redeemer an absolute Saviour and a Conditional Saviour c. But the Scripture cleareth no such thing to us for any thing I see 3. As concerning the point of Vniversal Redemption we finde various sentiments or various explications of the matter given to us by Adversaries for they do not all agree in their apprehensions of the thing Some explaine the matâ—er thus God sent his only begotten Son to be a Redeemer and Propitiator for Adam and all his Posterity who by his death did pacifie an angry God and restore Mankinde to their lost inheritance so as all who are now condemned are not condemned for their former sins and guilt for Christ hath abundantly satisfied for these but for their Unbeleef for not beleeving in thâ— Redeemer of the world and for rejecting the Reconciliation made the grace of God declared in the word And thus they must say that Christ hath died for all sinnes but Unbeleefe and that salvation doth not certainly follow upon this Reconciliation and so that it is rather a Reconciliableness than a Reconciliation and they must necessarily maintaine that this matter is revealed unto all and every son of Adam who otherwise cannot be guilty of Rejecting this reconciliation other wayes it shall be of no advantage to them unless they say that the want of the Revelation putteth them out of a capacity of being guilty of Unbeleefe and so they must necessarily be saved and thus their condition shall be undoubtedly better than is the condition of such as hear the Gospel and then the revelation of the Gospel shall be no Favour but a Prejudice rather And in reference to this they devise an Universal and Antecedanious Love whereby God out of his Infinite Goodness was inclined to desire the happiness and salvation of every mothers son and therefore to send his Son to die for all as if God had such Natural and Necessary Inclinations and as if all his Love to Mankinde and every appointment of his concerning us were not the free act of his good pleasure and as if there were any such Antecedent and Conditional will in God that could or might have no issue or accomplishment but as Lord Free will would and as if the Love that sent Câ—rist were only such a Poor Conditional Inclination towards all Mankinde which the Scripture holdeth forth as the greatest of Loves and as the ground of all the Effects and Grants which mans full Salvation calleth for But why could not this Love effectuat the good of all Therefore they tell us that Iustice being injured by sin unless it were satisfied that Love of God whereby he wisheth well to all sinners could effectuat nothing as to the recovery of any and upon this ground they imagine Christ was sent to make an Universal Atonement and so Iustice being satisfied might not obstruct the salvation of any whose Free will would consent unto termes of new to be proposed 4. Others hold forth the matter thus Christ according to the eternal Counsel of God did properly die for this end and by his propitiatory sacrifice obtaine that all and every man who beleeve in Him should for his sake actually obtaine Remission of sins and Life Eternal but others in case they would Repent and Beleeve might obtaine it But thus we hear no word of Christs obtaining any thing to any in particular no word of his obtaining Faith and Repantence and what Counsel of God can this be to send Christ to die for persons upon that condition which he knew they would not and could not performe And what by this meanes hath Christs Propitiatory Sacrifice obtained more than a meer possibility of salvation to either one or other Shall we imagine that God designeth good to persons who shall never enjoy it Or that God hath Conditional Intentions and Designes By this means Christs death was designed and no person designed thereby to be saved yea Christ should be designed to die and that for no certain end unless to procure a meer possibility by stopping the mouth of justice that it should not stand in the way but then we can not say that God sent Christ to die for Any man much less for All. 5. Others express the matter thus Christ out of the gracious Decree and Purpose of God did undergoe death that he might procure and
the way and the non-performance of this condition being also a sin our proposition will recurre upon this and so in infinitum but if this sin be taken out of the way it cannot prejudge them of the pardon of the rest and thus all their sins being pardoned they must needs be saved and yet it is not so But it is said that Christ died not for the sin of Final Unbeleef yet it seemeth thâ—t it will be granted that he died even for the sin of Unbeleefe of all the world and for unbeleefe continued in until the last houre of a mans life but not for that last act which yet is but the same Unbeleefe continued in an hour longer and shall we think that Christ bare the Unbeleefe of 20 40 60. or moe yeers in his body on the crosse and not the same Unbeleefe for one houre or halfe houre yea or quarter of an houre Who seeth not how little ground there is for such an imagination But the thing I would have mainly here considered is this That for whose sinnes Christ hath died he hath died for all their sins and therefore if he died for the sinnes of all the world he died for the final Unbeleefe of all the world But this will not be granted therefore neither can it be said that he died for the sinnes of all men Whose sinnes he took upon him to make satisfaction for he left none for them to answere for for he is a compleat Mediator and is sole Mediator If he died for all the rest of the sinnes of the Reprobat and of the whole world why not for that also Sure when the Scripture speaketh of Christs taking away of sin and of the Redemption that is forgiveness of sins which people enjoy through him there is no sin excepted He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities Esa. 53 5. the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all vers 6. or mâ—de the iniquitie of us all to meet on him there is no ground for any exception here when he was stricken for transgression vers 9. and his soul was made an offering for sin v. 10. is there any appearance of the exception of any one sin when he bear their sin and their iniquities vers 11 12. what intimation is given of an exception of any Yea if this exception was to be made which would null and destroy all what consolation could the declaration of this redemption remission of sins yeeld unto poor sinners Col. 1 14. Ephes. 1 7. When the Lord made him to be sin for us was it only in part how then could we be made the righteousness of God in Him 2 Cor. 5 21 was the Lord in Christ reconcileing the world unto himself not imputing only part of their trespasses to them but the imputing of one sin would mar the reconciliation for ever Is not final unbeleef a dead work Doubtless yet the blood of Christ purgeth consciences from dead works Heb. 9 14. Did the blood of buls and goats so sanctify as to the purifying of the flesh as to leave the most defileing spot of all untaken away How could healing come by his stripes if he bear but part of our sins in his body on the tree seing final unbeleef alone would mar all for where that is there is no coming to God imaginable But moreover the Scripture tels us that the blood Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin 1 Ioh. 1 7. and that if any man sin there is an Advocat with the Father who is a propitiation for sins 1 Ioh. 2 vers 1 2. and so must be for all sins otherwayes there were little ground of comfort here And it was foretold by Daniel Chap. 9 24. that he should make an end of sin and finish the transgression and so bring-in everlasting righteousness Doth this admit of exceptions and of such an exception as would unavoidably make all null No certanely But you will ask of me If I think that Christ did die for final unbeleefe I Answ. Not for I judge it is the sin only of Reprobates who hear the Gospel and I judge that Christ did not die for any sin of Reprobats But this I hold and have cleared That for whose sinnes soever Christ hath died he hath died for all their sins And because he hath not died for final Unbeleef therefore he hath not died for any sin of such as shall be guilty of this and as for his owne he died to prevent their falling into and to keep them from this sin for he died to bring them unto God that they might have the Adoption of sons that they might be sanctified and live unto righteousness be made righteous yea the righteousness of God as is clear 1 Pet. 2 24. Gal. 4 4. Heb. 10 10. 2 Cor. 5 21. 1 Pet. 3 18. Rom. 5 19. what then will this Quaker say to this Final unbeleef is certainly a sin and Christ either died for it or not if he died for it than it can be laid to no mans charge or Christ's death is of no value If he died not for it he died not for all the sinnes of alâ— men but at most for some sinnes of all men and if that was all no man could thereby be saved for one sin is enough to procure damnation 21. Moreover 10 we finde the Persons for whom this price of blood was laid down designed more particularly and the Object of this Redemption restricted and so it could not be for all and every one It is said to be for Many Esai 53 11. Math. 20 28. and 26.28 Mark 10 45. Heb. 9 28. and what these many are is abundantly declared in other Scriptures where they are called Christ's Sheep Ioh. 10 15. Christ's People Mat. 1 21. His People whom according to the predictions of the Prophets which have been since the world began he should save from their enemies and from the hand of all that hate them to performe the mercy promised to the Fathers and to remember his holy covenant the oath which he swore to Father Abraham that he would grant unto them that being delivered out of the hand of their enemies they might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of their life Luk. 1 68 70 71 72 73 74 75. His Church Ephes. 5 25 Act. 20 28. His Body Ephes. 5 23. The Children of God that were scattered abroad Ioh. 11 52. Sones Sanctified Brethren the Children that God gave him the Seed of Abraham Heb. 2 10 11 12 13 14 16 17. They are the Sheep that shall infallibly beleeve because sheep Ioh. 10 26. and Whom Christ knoweth and of whom he is known vers 14 and such as shall heare his voice vers 16. and follow him vers 27. to whom he will give eternal life so that they shall never perish and who are given to him of his Father vers 28.29 and the Elect 2 Tim 2 10 He is bread
his Church Act. 20 28. Ephes. 5 25. his Elect Rom. 8 32 34. his Children Heb. 2 12 13. 26. If we would consider aright 15. What Christ did undergoe suffer while he was made sin or was making satisfaction for sin we should hardly think it probable that Christ Jesus God-man who was the brightness of the Fathers glory and the express image of his person Heb. 1 3. and thought it no robbery to be counted equal with God Phil. 2 6. Should have undergone what he did undergoe and that the Father should have laid all that upon him which he did lay upon him and that to purchase only a meer Possible Redemption from sin and wrath whereby not one person should be saved or pardoned if so it had seemed good to captaine Free will Not to Mention his condescending to be Born of a woman and to be Made under the Law Gal. 4 4. nor his being in the Forme of a servant Phil. 2 7. nor his Poverty and mean condition in the world 2 Cor. 8 9 nor his Conflicting with the indignities of the world Psal. 22 6. Heb. 12 2 3. with the temptations of Satan Mat. 4 1 -12. Luk. 4 15. and his being under the infirmities common to the nature of man being in all things like us except sin Heb. 2 17. 4 15. Esai 52 13 14. Nay nor his sufferings in his Body Name Honour at death when he was Betrayed by Iudas Mat. 2â— 4. Forsaken by his disciples Mat. 26 56. Scorned and Reviled by the world Esai 53 2 3. Condemned as a malefactor by Pilat and Tormented by his persecuters Mat. 27 26 50. Ioh. 19 34. and Endured the Painful Shameful and Cursed deatâ— of the crosse Phil. 2 8. Heb. 12 2. all which and the like being endured by Him who was the Son of God could be no mean suffering nor undergone for an uncertain end or for the procureing of a meer Possible and Uncertain good But that which we would most take notice of here is his Soul sufferings being pursued by divine justice when that Zach. 13 7. was accomplished awake O sword against my shepheard against the Man that is my follow saith the Lord of hostes smite the shepheard and the sheep shall be scattered Mat. 26 31. and the Lord did bruise him and put him to griefe Esai 53 5 10. and he began to be sorrowful even unto death Mat. 26 37 38. and was sore amazed and very heavy Mark. 14 34. and was put to offer up prayers and supplications with strong cryes and teares to him that was able to save him Heb. 5 7. when notwithstanding that an angel appeared unto him from heaven strengthening him yet being in an agony he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground Luk. 22 43 44. and at length was made to cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Psal. 22 1. Mat. 27 46. Mark 15 34. This was no mean business when the Rayes and Irradiations of Divine Love were drawn-in and withheld from him who had such a sharp sense of the happiness in the enjoying of God's favour because of the Personal union with the Godhead But that which is most of all to be considered is his being made a Curse Gal 3 13. and so made to wrestle with the Justice and Wrath of a sin-revenging God This was the gall and the wormwood that made him cry Ioh. 2 27. Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this hour Shall we suppoâ—e that all this was about an Uncertane Bargane Shall we think that he died the cursed death of the crosse and bore the weight of God's wrath Luk. 22 4â— Mat. â—7 46. and so became a sacrifice to satisfie divine justice Heb. 9 14 18 all to purchase a meer Possâ—bility or a meer Possible Redemption Shall we think that the Second pâ—rson of the Trinity should do and suffer all these things for to redeem man when possibly if Freewill should be so ill natured not one man should reap any advantage thereby Me thinks the asserting of this should be a great temptation to cause people turne Socinians and deny all these soul sufferings of Christ and his bearing the wrath of God and making any satisfaction to justice 27. Adde to this 16. That the Scriptures speak of Christ's Death Sufferings as being not for himself but for Others and that not only for the good and advaâ—tage of others and doubtless the advantage of all this should be but little if it were nothing else but a meer Possible Redemption which Free will might make Actual or Not Actual as it pleased but in their Roome and Place hence it is called the chastisement of our peace Esai 53 5. and he is said to have bâ—rne our griefs and carryed our sorrowes vers 4. He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities vers 5. The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all vers 6. for the transgression of my people was he stricken vers 8. for he shall bear their iniquities vers 11. he bare the sin of many vers 12. He bear our sins in his body on the tree 1 Pet. 2 24. the just suffered for the unjust 1 Pet. 3 18. Hence beleevers are said to be crucified with him Gal. 2 20 to be baptized into his death Rom. 6 3. buried with him by baptisme into death vers 4. planted together in the likeness of his death vers 5. dead with Christ vers 8. He was cut off but not for himself Dan. 9 26. See also Heb. 2 9. 1 Pet. 2 21. Shall we say that this was meerly for our good seing it was in some respect for the good of the whole creation Rom. 8 20 21 22 23. Act. 3 21. and not in our Place and Stead Paul saith 2 Cor 2 14. If one be dead for all then were all dead And iâ— is manifest that he payed the Law-debt having taken on him the seed of Abraham for this end Heb. 2 16. and being made a curse for us he redeemed us from the curse of the Law Gal. 3 10. So that it was in our stead Rom. 5 6 7 8. Ioh. 11 50. 10 11 15. And the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath clearly this import Mat. 5 38. 17 27. Esa. 4â— 4. Exod. 21 23 24. 1 Chron. 14 1. 1 King 3 7. 2 King 1 17. 11 43 Prov. 11 8. Iob. 16 4. 34 â— 1 Pet. â— 9. Rom. 12 17. See many other places cited by worthy Mr Rutherfoord in his book of the Covenant Pag. 25.255 where both in the N. T. and to the LXX version of tâ—e old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath his impâ—rt And this tâ—uâ—h is abundantly made out by our Orthodox Divines writing against the Socinians so thâ—t I need say no more of it only I â—hink such as aâ—â—ert the Reâ—emptâ—â—n puâ—chased by Christ to have been a
for some sinnes of all and not for all their sinnes for whom he died seing he was a Compleet Cautioner So then as Christ died in their roome and stead as their Cautioner and Sponsor for whom he died wrong should be done to Him if all these for whom he was a Cautioner should not at length actually be delivered out of prison freed from the accusation of the law They for whom he died being in him legally when he died and morally and virtually dying in him and with him must not in justice be made to pay their own debt and satisfie the law over againe Christ's stricking hands as the phrase is Prov. 22 26. and so putting his name in the obligation and accordingly making satisfaction the Principal 's name is blotted out and he freed in the time appointed for he beare our griefs and carryed our sorrowes c. Esai 53 4 5. and by meanes of death he delivered them who through fear of death were all their lifetime ubject to bondage Heb. 2 14 15. 37. This matter will be further clear if we consider 26. How the death of Christ was a Satisfaction and none can deny this but Antichristian Socinians Others willingly grant that Christ did substitute himself in the room of sinners and was willing to undergo the punishment threatned in the Law against sin that the sinners for whom he undertook satisfaction might be freed So he bear their sins Esai 53 11. 1 Pet. 2 24 And he was made sin 2 Cor. 5 21. Hence he is called a Propitiation 1 Ioh. 2 3. 4 10. Rom. 3 25. Whereby we see that Christ took upon him the whole Punishment that was due to sin and that God whom sinners had offended was well pleased with what he did and suffered according to that undertaking yea more pleased than he was displeased with all the sinnes of those for whom he suffered for hereby His Authority and justice was made to appear more glorious excellent How then can we think that many of those it may be all for whom he gave that satisfaction may notwithstanding possibly be made to make satisfaction for themselves as they may by our Adversaries way Was not his satisfaction full compleat Why should any then for whom he gave that satisfaction be liable to Punishment Is this consonant to justice Did not the Lord Jehovah send Christ and fit him with a body for this end Psal. 40 6. Heb. 10 5. laid upon Him the iniquities of us all Esai 53 6 that He might make full satisfaction for them to justice suffer for them all that the Law could demande of them or they were liable unto by the broken Law Did not Christ do suffer all which he undertook to do suffer for this end And did not the Father accept of what he did suffered as a full Compensation Satisfaction And seing this cannot be denied it is manifest that this was done by Christ as a Cautioner Heb. 7 22. how can it be imagined that the Principal debtor shall not thereupon have a fundamental right to freedom pardon in due time after the Gospel method be actually Discharged delivered from the penalty of the Law Redeemed by the Satisfactory Price payed by the Cautioner accepted of the Creditour Doth not the denying of this certain infallible Effect call in question the value worth of Christ's satisfaction and give ground to say that Jehovah was not Satisfied with the price or that Christ made no Satisfaction Did not Christ make Reconciliation for the sinnes of his people Heb. 2 17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 38. Adde for a further confirmation of this 27. That Christ's death was a propitiating sacrifice He gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Ephes. 5 2. He offered up himself once Heb. 7 27. He is a sacrifice for us 1 Cor. 5 7. the lamb of God which beareth or taketh away the sin of the world Ioh. 1 29. He offered up himself without spot to God Heb. 9 14 he was once offered to bear the sinnes of many Heb. 9 28. we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all he offered one sacrifice for sin for ever Heb. 10 10 12. Now as the sacrifices under the Law which were a type of this did not procure a General Possible benefite but did procure a Real favour only to the People of God for they sanctified to the purifying of the fâ—esh Heb. 9 13. So certanely this Real and Perfect sacrifice must have a Peculiar and Real Effect and sprinkle consciences from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 And this is not a thing common to all nor is it a meer Possible thing They must then do a great indignity unto the Sacrifice of Christ who speak of an Universal meerly Possible Redemption 39. Adde to this 28. How upon this Sacrifice which Christ offered up in his death we read of a Reconciliation made Ephes 2 â—6 and that he might Reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse having slaine the enmity by it or in himself 2 Cor 5 10. when we were enemies we were Reconciled to God by the death of his Son Col. 1 20. and having made peace through the blood of his crosse by him to Reconcile all things unto himself Therefore is he called our Peace Ephes. 2 14. he maketh Peace vers 15. we have Peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. Rom. 5 1. Now this Reconciliation being of parties that are at varience must be a Reconciliation of both to other and so a mutual Reconciliation and Christ effectuateth both and both are purchased by his death we cannot then imagine with Socinians that all the Reconciliation mentioned in Scripture is of us to God as if God's Anger and Wrath were not appeased and taken out of the way nor with Arminians that Christ obtained an Universal Reconciliation of God to all but no Reconciliation of man to God friendship betwixt enemies must be mutual if a Reconciliation be and our state before this was enmity Rom. 5 10. Col. 1 20 21. and God's wrath was against us and upon us Ephes 2 3. Ioh. 3 36. But now how will this agree with Universal Redemption Is God Reconciled to all when many perish under his wrath for ever Can God be said to be upon the death of Christ Reconciled to all when it may so fall out that not one soul shall have peace with God How cometh it to passe that many whose Reconciliation Christ hath purchased live and die enemies to God Sure the Apostle tels us 2 Cor. 5 19. that to whom God is reconciled to them he doth not impute sin and he assureth us that all such as are reconciled to God by the death of his Son shall be saved Rom. 5 10. 40. Adde 29. That it seemeth
acquanted with griefe who was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities who was brought as a lamb to the slaughter and made his soul an offering for sin and poured it out unto death who bore the wrath of God due for sin and was crucified at Ierusalem But the Christ whom they command us to believe in is a Christ borne with every man that came into the world since the beginning that is neither God nor Man could neither suffer nor die nor satisfie justice So that their Christ is a Christ that the Gospel no where maketh mention of yea against which every Chapter and verse in a manner of the whole Old and New Testament beareth witness 7. He tels us that they exhort all men to beleeve in this Light and obey it And what can the Faith of or Obedience to this Light do Did ever this light teach or require of Aristotle and the wisest of the Heathens as Plato Seneca Cicero Pythagâ—ras and others Faith in the Messias or in Iesus Christ promised or at length exhibited and crucified Is that light Christ crucified and Satisfying justice and paying the Penalty of the Law and broken Covenant What desperat mischievous madness is this what horrid abomination do these men preach hold forth 8. He tels us that Christ is born and risen in every man and all their preaching is to exhort them to know him and yet he told us before that this was the work and proper effect of this Light and if this effect be already wrought in every man in no one person is this light resisted and suppressed and he needeth not preach and exhort every man to beleeve in this light and obey it for that is done in every man already having Christ formed in him and arisen in hâ—m Behold how their abominable doctrines cannot hang together but are ropes of sand yea crosse and contradict one another 9 Then he tels us that it delivereth them from all sinnes Then Heathens have a Christ within sufficient to purge and take away all sin Then all must be saved for who ever is delivered from sin cannot but be saved O what devilish doctrine must this be It may be a doubt if the Devil appearing in mens bodies and coming to preach among people could broach more damnable and soul-destroying Tenets than these are O! what times are â—hesâ— we live in wherein such doctrines are put in print and avowed O woful pagan preachers O hellish Paganisme Whither will these men run and be driven by the Devil 10. We have seen by this short hint what a dash they give unto the whole Gospel and what an indignity they have thereby done unto Iesus Christ cannot be hid from any that knoweth what true Christianity meaneth and he in the following words seeking to alleviate the mater doth in effect make it worse than ever for in stead of exalting Christ he doth with the base Unchristian Socinians debase our Lord Jeâ—us Christ for saith he P. 83. We desire not hereby to equalize ourselves unto that holy man the Lord Iesus Christ who was borne of the virgine Mary in whâ—m dwelt all the fulness of divinity bodyly nor as we destroy the reality of his present existence as some calumniate us Ans. Unworthy man that dar move such an Objection and give so unsatisfyinâ— an answere thereunto O what abjects of blasphemous pride must this gang of creatures be that dar have such thoughts of themselves What and was our Lord who was the Fathers equal no more but an holy Man and born of a virgine and had the fulness of divinity and not of the God head or Deity though the word in the original that is used Col. 2 9 is more emphatick than that used Rom. 1 20. it being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in him bodily And will this Miscreant deny him to be God equal with the father in power and glory But if he be but a man how can he be said to dwell in us He dwelleth not in us saith he immediatly but mediatly as he is in that seed which is in us But himself called this seed Christ born in us and raised in us and thus Christ dwelleth in us by Christ borne in us What demented creatures must these be who speak thus non sensically in these soul-maters He addeth as the top-mystery of their mischievous doctrine Seing He to wit the Eternal word which was with God and was God and immediatly dwelt in that Holy Man so that he is as the head we as the members He the vine we as branches and as the soul is far otherwise and more immediatly in the head and in the heart than in the armes and feet and as the sap and life of the Vine doth otherwayes and more exist in the trunck and root than in the wine branches so God dwelleth otherwayes in the Man Iesus Christ than in us Behold here is all the honour and preference that Christ geteth He was nothing but a mâ—er man as this Quaker is only God dwelt in him as the sap is in the root or trunk of the tree but he dwelleth in the Quaker as the sap is in the branches Christ and He is animated with one God as the Head and the hand are with one soul And thus Christ had no existence before he had it in the womb of the virgine more â—han this Quaker had an hundered yeers ago Where is then the God head of our Mediator Where is our Immanuâ—l How was the Word made flesh Ioh. 1 14 How was God manifest in the flesh 1 Tim. 3 16 Where is he who was the brightness of God's glory and the express image of his person Heb. 1 3 Where iâ— he who being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the forme of a servant c. Phil. 2 6 7 Where is he who is the Image of the invisible God by whom all things were created Col. 1 15 1â— 2 Cor. 4 4 Where is he who toke part of flesh and blood and the see of Abraham Heb. 2 14 16 Thus the Quakers deny the Incarnation of the Son of God and that our Lord Iesus Christ was and is the Second Person in the Trinity very and eternal God of one substance and equal with the Father and so joyne themselves with the wretched Socinians wherefore we if their doctrine be true can no more be said to be purchased by the blood of God as Act. 20 28. And if He had not been true God how could â—e have stood under the infinite wrath of God and the power of death Act. 2 24 25. Rom. 1 4 with 4 25. How could he have given worth efficacy to his suffering obedience and intercession Act. 20 28. Heb. 9 14. 7 25 26 27 28. How could he have satisfied God's justice Rom 3 24 25 26. How could he have
of them He cannot deny but God did permit sin nor will he say that God could not have prevented sins coming into the world if He had pleased will he say that God did not foresee sinnes coming into the world If he did foresee it and might have hindered it if he had pleased and did not hinder it shall we say that sin came into the world whether he would or not And if he willed or decreed that sin should exist through his permission shall we call him the author of sin Then he must be the author of sin because he did not hinder sin effectually by his Omnipotency and then whatever we say of Reprobation whether we affirme it to be Absolute or upon sin Foreseen there is no remedie as to this for God must alwayes be the Author of sin But hallowed be his Name 6. The Decree of Reprobation putteth no man into a state of sin It is true the Execution theâ—eof presupposeth sin but hence it will no more follow that the decree of Reprobation placeth a man in sin than that the decree of Election doth so for the execution here presupposeth also mans being in sin 7. Where readeth he that expression among our divines that by vertue of the decree of Reprobation the Reprobat are secondarily led or to be led to destruction as the end The Lord leadeth no man to destruction but every reprobat runeth head long thither of his own accord and because the Lord hath designed and decreed to let them run-on and not restraine them by saving grace shall he therefore be the Author of their sinnes Then all the sins that are committed must be charged upon the Holy one of Israel because He did not prevent them by his grace And thus the devils may come in play and learne of this man to plead Excuse for themselves and lay the blame of all their wickedness upon God Sure this must be Develish doctrine 8. But what is it that God is the Author and Cause of His hujus doth not distinctly inform us That he is the Author and Cause of his own Act and Decree is most true But that he is the Cause and Author of sin as this man would inferre we see not the Antecedent from whence this Consequence can follow Beside that the Author of a thing is he by whose authority or judgment it is done or upon whose testimony it is beleeved for Cicero opposeth Authorem and dissuasorem and joineth these together as of the same import Hortator atque Author Consiliarius Author Suasor Author Plautus said Impero autorque sum Now dar this Man say that God Exhorteth Counseleth and perswadeth to sin Dar this Man say that we hold or tâ—at it followeth from our juâ—gment that by God's Authority Sentence and Swasion sin is committed Let him prove this and then carry the cause 9. In a word we referre this Man to the Apostle Paul Rom. 9 11 12 13. to receive his answere and let him dispute no more against us till he once take the boldness to confute that his inferring from our doctrine that God is the Author of sin is but the same which the Apostle saw would be deduced from his doctrine by men of corrupt mindes when he addeth by way of Objection vers â—4 Is there unrighteousness with God And if our answere will not satisfie him let him confute the Apostles answere for we but say the same viz. That God hath mercy on whom he will hardeneth whom he will And if for this cause our doctrine be blamed we cannot help it but must be content to be contradicted and if he make use of the reply used vers 19. we must give the returne which the Apostle giveth vers 20 21. And if all this will not satisfie we must leave him to the judgment of the great day when that God against whom these proud carpers thus reply shall answer them by himself put them to eternal silence and everlasting shame 17. Thereafter he citeth some sayings of Calvin Beza Zanchius Pareus Martyr Zuinglius Piscator out of which he would inferre that they allaiged God was the Author of sin All which and moe he might finde collected to his hand by Bellarmin and answered by the learned D. Twisse in his Vindiciae And therefore as also because this belongeth to a distinct question we need neither spend time in searcâ—ing out what truth is in all this not yet in vindicating of them One thing I shall say That among them all he shall not finde one that saith directly that God is the Author and Culpable Cause of sin and if he suppose that this may be drawn from their expressions I shall only reply That if there be any of them that giveth more real ground for such an Inference than the very Expressions used in Scripture I shall not owne them and if they say no more and yet are condemned by him as making God the Author of sin though they expresly deny it let him see how he shall vindicate the Spirit of Goâ— from the same charge or rather how in his blind boldnesse he charges the Spirit of God As for these passages of Scripture which our Divines aâ—duce against the Pelagians and Iesuites who ascribe unto God in the matâ—er of sin an Idle Provideâ—câ— aâ—d Permâ—ssion Bellarmine ranketh them up in five classes First Such as speak of God's Willing and Decreeing from eternity that sin shall exist such are Act. 2 23. 4 27. Esai 53 10. Second Such as import God's creating evil men for this end that his righteousness might shine forth in their punishment such are Prov. 16 4. 1 Sam. 2 25. Exod. 9 16. Rom. 9 17 21. Third Such as import God's setting of Satan and men to evil and useing of them as instruments to do that which could not be done without sin such are 1 King 22 20 23. Iob. 1 12. 2 6. 2 Sam. 16.10 24 1. Esai 5 26. 10 5 15. â—3 17. 19 2 4. Ier. 50 24 25. 51 11. Ezech. 12 13. Psal. 105 25. c. Fourth Such as speak of God's blinding hardening c. as Exod. 4.21 7 3 13. 9.12 10 1 20 27. 1â— 10. 14 4 8. Deut. 2 30. Iosu. 1â— 20. 1 Sam. 2 25. Iob. 12 16 20 24. Esai 19 14. 63 17. Ier. 20 7. Ioh. 12 3â— 40. Rom. 1 24 26 28. 9 18. 2 Thes. 2 11. c. Fift Such as import God's doing of those things which are evil as 2 Sam. 12 11. Luk. 2 34. Rom. 9 33. Esai 8 14. 28 16. Gen. 45 8. 1 King 11 31 37. 12 15 24. 2 King 9 3. 10 30. c. Now if he can adduce any testimony of our Divines whence he can with more probability inferre that God is the Author of sin I shall not as I said owne it And if such as are but consonant to the Scriptures do not please him
made for what interest could others have in this or advantage by it And so the Redemption was neither Universal nor yet meerly Possible and no more 13. Againe 2. The Scripture every where pointeth out the end of Christs coming and dying to have been to Procure and Obtaine some good to man it were endless to cite the Scriptures speaking this out plainely But if it had been only to have procured a Possibility then the proper and immediat end of his dying had been only to have procured something to God viz. a Power to Him that he might without hurt to his Justice prescribe a possible way of salvation Now not to discusse that question agitated among Orthodox Divines viz. whether it was impossible for God to have pardoned the sins of man without a satisfaction made by his Son or not meaning antecedently to a decree determineing this way of manifestation of the Iustice of God only I must say that as yet I can see nothing from Scripture determineing the egresses of the Relative Iustice of God to be more essential to God and less subject to the free determinations of his good will and pleasure than are the egresses of his Mercy nor do I see any necessity for asserting this against the Socinians seing our ground walking upon a decree is proof against all their Assaults far less see I any necessity of founding our whole debate with the Socinians upon that ground yea I cannot but judge it the result of great imprudence so to do seing the Socinians may reply that the sole ground of that Opposition to them is not only questioned but plainly denyed by such as we account Orthodox and learned and may hence gather that we have no other solide ground whereupon to debate with them but such as the learned of our owne side overthrow The depths of God's Counsel are beyond our fathoming and it is hard for us to say hithertil the omnipotent can come but not one ince further I daâ— not be wise above what is writen and I would gladly see one passage of Scripture declareing this to have been in itself utterly impossible and inconsistent with God But whatever may be said of this what Scripture tels us that Christ was sent to die that he might obtean this Power unto God And further what was this power Was it a meer Power and Liberty that should never have any Effect If it was to have an Effect what was that Was it only to make a new Transaction with man in order to his salvation If that was all notwithstanding of all this Power and Ability not one man might have been saved Was it certanely to save some Then the Redemption cannot be called Universal nor yet meerly Possible Nay if by the death of Christ a Right and Power only was obtained to God God was at full liberty to have exerced that Right and Power or not as he pleased and so notwithstanding thereof man might have remained in the same condition whereinto he was and never so much as have had one offer of life upon any termes what ever or only upon the old termes of the Covenant of works and what then should the advantage of this have been The whole Scripture speaking of the death of Christ mentioneth far other Ends respecting man 14. If we 3. Consider how the Scripture mentioneth a number given of the Father to Christ to be Redeemed and Saved we shall see that there is neither an Universal nor yet a meer Possible Redemption for this gift is utterly repugnant to and destructive of both for if conforme to the Covenant beâ—wixt the Father and the Son there were some given to Christ to save and redeem these He must actually save and redeem and for these only was Christ ordained and designed of the Father to be a Redeemer and upon the account of these only did he undertake the work and lay down the ransome-money for it is not rational to suppose that the designe of Father and Son being to saâ—e actually these gifted ones Christ would shed his blood for others who were not given to him and who should receive no salvation by his blood for cui bono what could be the designe of Father and Son in this The matter goeth not so in humane transactions where the price is considerable Now that the Scripture mentioneth some given to Christ and that in distinction from others is clear Ioh. 17 2. that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him So vers 12. Those that thou gavest me I have keept and none of them are lâ—st c. So Ioh. 6 37. All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me vers 30. And this is the Fathers will that hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing Ioh. 17 9. I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine 10. And all thine are mine and mine are thine and I am glorified in them 11. Father keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am c. Whence we see tâ—at Christ had no charge of the rest was under no tye to save them nor would he so much as pray for them but as for the given ones Ioh. 10. called his sheep for these he laid downe his life and prayed and for these was he to give an account nay which is more these had a special Interest in God's heart and affection were thereupon given to Christ. They were the Father's and given of the Father to tâ—e Son and so fully discriminated from all the rest and both Father and Son stand engadged to carry these thorow unto salvation all which considered it is most plaine that the Redemption was Particular and Actual conforme to the Undertaking and Transaction 15. Nay 4. If we will consider the fountaine love from whence the sending of Christ came we will see how unreasonable it is to imagine an Universal meer Possible Redemption as the proper end and effect of Christs death and merites It is said Ioh. 9 16. A place which our Universalists look upon as most favourable for them that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that all beleevers in him might have eternal life This love is held forth as unparallelable a love greater than which cannot be conceived and a a love demonstrated by the greatest effect imaginable sending and giving his only begotten to give his life a râ—nsoâ—e and to die for sinners and it must be contrary to all reason to imagine that all this was to procure a Redemption by which it was possible that not one man should be Actually Redeemed Christ himself saith Ioh. 15 13. greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends See also Rom. 5.8 And shall we think
Christ was not sent to all Universally for he was to reigne over the house of Iacob Luk. 1 13. and was to save his people from their sinnes Mat. 1 21. And that not Possibly only but Really Luk. 1 69 70 71 72 73 74. Which is not verified of all Universally but of all his People who are in due time delivered Actually and Really out of the hands of their enemies and made to serve him without Fear in Holiness and Righteousness and have Actual Remission of their sins through the tender mercy of our God whereby the day spring from on high hath visited them c. vers 74 75 77 78 79. 49. Nor saith he Pag. 70. had the Angels had occasion to have praised said on the earth peace and goodwill towards men Answ. Much lesse had they sung thus if all the salvation that Christ brought with him had been a meer Possibility a may be that might never have been but the ground of the song is clear with us because Christ was certainly to have a Chosen Flock a Redeemed Company out of all the coastes corners of the earth who should be Reconciled unto God and enjoy the fruites of his good will toward them He alleigeth next Christs commission Mark 16 vers 15. to preach the Gâ—spel to every creature adding that of Paul Col. 1 28. But 1. This will no more prove that Christ died for all men than for Devils Beasts for they are creatures 2. Christ's commission now when the partition wall was taken away by the death of Christ Ephes. 2 14. is enlarged He formerly did limite them to the Jewes to the lost sheep of the house of Israel expresly forbad them to go into the way of the Gentiles Mat. 10 5 6. but now he sends them through the World to preach to all Indefinitely without discrimination Mat. 28 19. because the Chosen who were to be brought in by preaching were scattered through the Nations 3. How will this then prove an Universal Redemption when the very enlarging of the commission doth demonstrate the contrary as â—o the ages preceeding the death of Christ the grant of this enlarged commission 4. From the preaching of the Gospel to all indefinitly by Men who know not the hidden Counsels Purposes of God to inferre an Universal Redemption is no rational way of argueing Men must preach to many indefinitly for the Elects sake whom the Lord may have among them as Paul did at Corinth where the Lord had much people Act. 18 10. And sometimes we finde the Lord would not suffer them to preach to some Act. 16 7. 50. But saith he furtâ—er The Gospel inviteth all will God mâ—ck any whom he inviteth and calleth to come to him Sure if Christ hath not died for all and made salvation possible to all Ministers should be sent out to mock people when they are sent to command all to beleeve that Christ died for them This is the summe of what he largely discourâ—eth and is to no purpose for it is founded upon an untruth to wit that the preaching of the Gospel is a commanding of all to beleeve that Christ died for them while as the Gospel commandeth such to whom it is preached to flee to an alsufficient Saviour in the sense of their sin misery conviction of their impotency to save themselves and in the faith that there is not another name given among men by which we must be saved Act. 4 12. And truely this name is an alsufficient name there being herein salvation for all that will come and none by the preaching of the Gospel are debarred who do not by wilful unbeleefe debarre and exclude themselves for thus hath the Lord in his deep wisdome contrived the business And this preaching of the Gospel doth not properly and directly declare the secret purposes of God for secret things belong not to us but unto the Lord our God but those things which are revealed belong to us Deut. 29 vers 29. And the preached Gospel pointeth forth the duty of such to whom it is preached and this word of command is the only Rule of peoples duty and not the hidden and unseen Purposes of God It is true the fixed preaching of the Gospel in a place may say that it is probable God hath some people there and it certainly telleth us that all such as do beleeve the Gospel and obey it shall be saved because of the fixed and indissoluble connexion betwixt that which the Gospel requireth and salvation And though the Lord send his servants upon the same errand that he sent Esaias Chap. 6 9 10. and that Christ himself was sent upon Ioh. 12 37 38 39 40. and Paul Act. 28 25 26 27. we must not say that the Lord is mocking more then that he was mocking Pharaoh when he sent Moses to him commanding him to let the people of Israel go It would become us rather to adore and stoup And this may satisfie for an answere to what he addeth in the end of § 6. Pag. 71. though it be not to the present business But to close this what can all this say for Universal Redemption seing the Gospel the Ministers thereof are not sent to all and every person in every corner of the world and that in all ages 51. He proceedeth Pag. 71. § 7. and tels us That he remembereth not one passage of Scripture where it is said that Christ hath not died for all And it may suffice for answer to tell him that neither do we remember one place of Scripture where it is said that Christ hath died for all men or for all and every man And if he think that the Scripture speaketh this sufficiently by consequence We have showne above that the Scripture saith sufficiently by consequence that Christ did not die for all but for a select company He citeth 1 Tim. 2 1 3 4 6. as did the Pelagians of old as August sheweth lib. 4 contra Iul. c. 8. Enchir. adlaur c. 103. lib. de Corrept Gratia c. 14. all the Arminians of late And after some discourse hereupon he reasoneth thus therefrom Pag. 72. For whomsoever we may pray to him salvation is possible But me may pray for Salvation to every one in the world Therefore salvatiâ—n is possible to every one The assumption he should have said the Proposition I prove thus No man is obliged to pray nor may he pray for that which is impossible But every man is commanded to pray for all Therefore it is not impossible Againe No man is bound to pray but in faith But he who prayeth for what is impossible cannot pray in faith Therefore Againe what God willeth that is not impossible But God will have all Men to be saved Therefore it is not impossible Finally for whom Christ gave himself a price of redemption to them Salvation is possible But Christ gave himself a price of redemption for all Therefore c. 52.
Yet as the Apostle sayeth concerning God's faithfulness Rom. 3 3 4. for what if some did not beleeve shall their unbeleef make the faith of God of none effect God forbid yea let God be true and every man a liar so say I what if some do not beleeve shall their unbeleefe make the unchangeable Purposes and Intentions of God of none effect No let God be Unchangeable and every man a Changeling and as for Ioh. 3 16. On which our Adversaries build much though this Quaker hath not the wit to improve what they have said the meaning of the place is directly against them for the words run thus in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that all beleeving or all beleevers or every one that beleeveth in him might nâ—t perish but have everlasting life So that his death here is manifestly restricked unto Beleevers and if our Adversaries shall prove that either all are or shall be Beleevers we shall easily grant without disput that Christ died for them all And this is further manifest from the preceeding verse unto which this is subjoyned as a Confirmation and connected by the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for there Christ had said that all and every beleever in him should not perish but have everlasting life and vers 14. as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the son of man be lifted up now lest Nicodemus should suppose that because Christ had made mention of the brazen serpent which Moses lifted up in the wilderness the benefite of which was peculiar to the Jewes that therefore the benefite of Christ's death should reâ—ound only to the advantage of the beleeving Jewes our Lord sheweth in the proof vers 16. the large extension of the death of Christ to wit that God sent not his Son for the Jewes only but for the Gentiles also whom the Jewes looked upon as devouted to destruction and said that they should all be destroâ—ed in the dayes of the Messiah and whom they ordinarily stiled the Nations of the world as is observed by such as are versed in the writings of the Rabbines and in the Talmuds To rectifie therefore this mistake Christ tels Nicodemus one of the Jewes Rulers and Rabbies that God so loved the world that is the Gentiles whom they called the Nations of the world that he gave his only begotten son that all beleevers even among them should not perish and in the next vers addeth moreover for God sent not his son into the word to condemne the world that is the Gentiles as they foolishly imagined but that the world through him might be saved See Ioh. 6 v. 33 51. 2 Cor. 5 v. 19. Ioh. 4 v. 42. 12 vers 47. 60. He proceedeth § 8 and bringeth another proof from Heb. 2 9. where it is said that Iesus by the grace of God should taste death for every man And thence he inferreth that if he tasted death for all then there were none for whom he did not taste death therefore there is none that may not partake of the benefite of his death Ans. 1. That for every man in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by an enallage for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for all and this tasting of death was no other then dying as Mat. 16 28. Mark 9 1. Luk. 9 27. Ioh. 8.52 Shall we now think that Christ died for all and every man that is in their roome and stead as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth Philemâ— 13 2 Cor. 15 20. and alwayes in profane Authors when mention is made of one dying for another and frequently also in the 70. version as when David wished to have died for Absolom and one King is said to have reigned in the stead and place of another and yet that many of these same men shall die for themselves and suffer in their own persons what Christ suffered for them This is the import of this mans glosse Nay when Christ by his death in the room of all every man did procure no more than that they might partake of the benefite of his death it might so have come to passe that not one of all these all and every one should ever have reaped any good of his death 2. What we are to look upon as the proper import of this and the like Universal terme we have showne above And the Apostle here writing unto the Hebrewes who as was said fondly conceited that salvation belonged to them alone and that the Gentiles should reap no benefite of the Messiah had ground to use the same that they might see the Messiah was not for them alone 3. What these all are for whom Christ tasted death the text clearly sheweth when they are called Sones who must be brought to glory and not have a meer may be of salvation and of whose salvation Christ is peculiar Captane vers 10 the Sanctified who are all of one with the Sanctifier and his Brethren vers 11 12 17. that belong to his Church vers 12. The Children which God had given him vers 13. who were to be dilivered vers 15. did belong to the seed of Abraham vers 16. and for whose sins he made reconciliation vers 17. whom he succoureth in temptation vers 18. If this context do not sufficiently confute this conceite we need regaird the Scriptures no more 61. He addeth Ioh. 3 17. 12 47. And then tels us that by our doctrine Christ should rather be said to have come to condemne the world for if he came not to bring salvation to the most part of the world but to augment their comdemnation he came of purpose not to save but to condemne the world Ans. Prejudice hath so far blinded this mans eyes that he seeth not the beame in his owne eye He observeth not that by his owne opinion this may be more truely said of Christ viz that he came to Condemne the world and the whole world than of ours for by his opinion not one man might have been saved because Christ only procured a meer Possibility and no Certanty for any one man as he supposeth and can he be so blinde as not to see that this is worse than to say that Châ—ist shall certanely save some though the greatest part shall perish 2. was not Christ set for the fall of many Luk. 2 34. and for a stumbling block Esai 8 14 15. Rom. 9 33. 1 Pet. 2 7. Esai 28 26. Sayeth not Christ himself Ioh. 9 39 for judgment I am come into this world that they which see might be made blinde See also Ioh. 15 22 24. But 3. Our answere is this that Christ came indeed to save the World that is his People scattered up and down the world and especially among the Gentiles whom the Iewes looked upon as was said lately as the Nations of the Gentiles who were to be destroyed at the coming
in Politiques as not to see it of his Advantage to cloath Old Errours with New Notions that they may the better passe among the ignorant for matters never heard of before 2. But leaving this to the ensueing tryal let us see what is this New Light and Gospel the knowledge of which he saith they have gote by the Revelation of Jesus Christ and have it confirmed by their sensible Experience and sealed by the Inward Testimony of the Spirit in their hearts He layeth downe the mater in three Propositions Pag. 79. § 11. The first whereof which in this Chapter we are to examine is this That God who out of his infinite love sent his Son who tasted death for every man hath granted to every Person whether Iew oâ— Gentile or Turk or Schithian or Indian or Barbarian of whatsoever Kinde or Nation or in whatever part of the world he live a certain day and time of visitation in which day or time it is possible for them to be saved and partake of the benefite of Christs death This is one part of the New Gospel which the Quakers preach And â—re I proceed in the examination of the grounds thereof I must premise these two things first That all this is founded upon the errour of Vniversal Redemption which we have rejected and confuted in the preceeding Chapter and when the only pillar on which this new Fabrick is erected is taken away by such force of Scripture and Reason as this Man I suppose shall be forced to yeeld unto or declare himself to be self condemned the building setled thereupon needeth no more than its owne weight to bring it downe headlong And when further Chap. VII we have vindicated the doctrine of Reprobation and free Election which this man laboured with all his might to take out of the way knowing that if that should stand his New Religion or rather Old Pelagian Arminian Delusion should finde no footing we might forbear the further examination of his following doctrine which is but so many native consequences flowing from false Grounds and Positions But Secondly I cannot well understand how he can say that he and the rest of the Quakers have this confirmed unto them by their sensible Experience it not being a matter that can come under that manner of cognition it seemeth that their inward senses are so quick and lively that they can sensate what is not sensible But I finde it usual with him to say so much weight upon his owne Experience and Feeling as if it were the whole basis of his new Inventions and Doctrine that it is no wonder he make use of it in all cases pertinent or impertinent all is a matter valeat quantum valere potest every one will not advert to its impertinency but beleeve the man speaking from his owne Experience what his owne Experience can never make him sensibâ—e of for the Quakers do experience as they say what is not done but remaineth to be done in the world let be what is past as all Christ's sufferings c. These thoughts and the like may possibly have moved him thus to speak here 3. We have seen what his Proposition is and the meaning of it is in short this so farr as I can take it up That because God hath an inconceivably great love to all desire to save all for this end sent his Son to die alike for all every man mothers son he granteth to all every man a certain space of time within which if they accept of the offer of peace hearken to his commands it is well they shall be saved but if not they must perish But if now we enquire How this matter cometh to the knowledge of every son of Adam for it is but reasonable they hear of the termes on which they may be saved before they be condemned for rejecting of them He will tell us afterward of an Vniversal Gospel making the matter known to all every one But againe if we enquire Whether or not every one of Adam's posterity hath Power in himself gracious Ability qualifying his Natural Faculties to accept of this offer He will tell us afterward that there is an Universal Saving Grace and Light given to every man whereby this may be brought to passe if Freewill be so kinde and tender of the mans salvation Whence we see that Salvation lyeth equally at every mans door be he Iew or Gentile Schythian or Barbarian Turk or Christian And every man hath Power and Ability Moral to lay hold on Salvation if he be disposed to accept thereof This and nothing else must be the Possibility whereof he speaketh so that there is not requisite hereunto any new grant of Grace or Divine Helpe to quicken the man or to work Faith or any other grace requisite in him he hath a stock from his Mothers womb which is sufficient if he will but improve it and that notwithstanding of any thing he lost in Adam it was not then we see for nothing that this Quaker was so much against Original sin as we heard Now this being the proper and native face of this mans doctrine let any man tell me wherein it differeth from the Old Pelagian and late Popish Iesuitical Arminian and Socinian Errour And yet so vaine and confident is the man in his Ignorance and Self Admiration that he holdeth these things forth as a New Revelation from the lying Spirit that hath bin a lyar and murderer from the beginning no doubt communicated only unto the Quakers who are but a company of ignorant mechanicks not acquanted with controversies or read in the writtings of Pelagians Iesuites Arminians and Socinians And it may be this is all the ground of his concluding this as to the unlearned and unread Quakers to be from Revelation little knowing or observing how deeply this erroneous imagination is implanted and rooted in the corrupt heart of every son of Adam so that they learne it without book or study yea so that all the preaching of the Gospel of truth will never be able to eradicate these Natural errours particularly this Natural Pelagianisme Iesuitisme Arminianisme and Socinianisme out of their mindes and hearts till the Grace of God come and hence is it that the Gospel which is the doctrine of the Grace of God diametrically opposite to this delusion which is in all points a sworne enemy to the grace of God is so little imbraced and closed with by many who live and die under the clear Manifestations thereof And it is no wonder that these false imaginations being natural in laid in our corrupt natures have so deep an Impression be looked upon by this Corruption that is as blinde as self conceity as Impressions of the Spirit especially when the God of this world who is in them blinding their mindes doth concurre to fortifie this Prejudice against the doctrine of the true grace of God and withall transformeth himself into an Angel of
by the Covenant of works for that is broken and all are become heires of hell wrath because of the violation of that Covenant Not by the Covenant of Grace for that requireth faith before persons be interessed in these special favoures privileges And the Scripture tels us that all men have not faith how then come all men to share of these highest privileges or of this divine and glorious life which are promised in the Covenant of grace through Jesus Christ by whom they are purchased Is this divine and glorious life so meane and common a thing that even Heathens and Reprobats share of it Sure the divine and glorious life pointed forth in the Scriptures is a rare thing and is the privilege of very few and even of few of those that are members of the visible Church Will this Quaker tell me if this â—ivine and glorious life whereof all Iaponians Brasilians Cannibals are made partakers be distinguished from the divine and glorious life peculiar to the Saints And if it be distinguished how Or if it be the same in kinde why Regeneration Union with Iesus Christ by faith the Effectual Working of the grace of God and a through Renovation is requisite to the enjoyning of that in some greater measure which all have Naturally in some measure 8. He saith this measure of the divine and glorious life is a seed But whereof Is it the seed of the Eternal weight of glory that the Saints live in the hope of Wherever that seed is it cometh at length to the harvest of glory as the Scripture teacheth us and if this seed be sowne in all all shall at length be saved If it be not the seed of Glory whereof I pray is it the seed Is it the seed of Grace This seed abideth 1 Ioh. 3 9. and is incorruptible and is by the Word of God even that Word of God which is preached by the gospel 1 Pet. 1 23 25. So that this seed is no common thing but peculiar to such as are borne againe who by Christ do believe in God who raised him up from the dead and who have purified their souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit 1 Pet. 1 21 22. 9. He saith this seed inviteth and inclineth all men to good But doth it invite and incline the Iaponians Braâ—ilians Artigovanteans and such Heathens who never heard of Christ nor had any shew of Religion to faith in Christ Or even to all that is enjoyned by the Law of Nature or the Law of the two Tables How cometh it then that Paul who was far better versed in the Law than Heathens are saith he would not have known concupiscence unless the Law had said thou shall not covet And how can this consist with the sinful state of every natural person whose thoughts and imaginations incline and invite to evil Read Rom 3 10 to 20. All are under sin vers 9. all have sinned and come short of the glory of God vers 23. Nay how can this be seing the carnal minde is enmity against God and is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom 8 7 Is not the heart of every man by nature deceitful above all things and desperatly wicked Ier. 17 9. is not their very minde and conscience defiled Tit. 1 15. Where then can this good seed lodge It lodgeth neither in Heart Minde nor Conscience And shall it lodge in the Flesh It is true there is left in every Man a bit of a Natural Conscience informing concerning some Natural good requisite for self-preservation and for the preservation of Societies and inclineing thereunto but what is this to that Spiritual good required now by the Gospel and discovered by its Light Alas I see the hieght of the Quakers divinity is what a Natural Conscience can teach a Man-eater and this is their Gospel and this is their divine and glorious life O poor wretches 10. This seed he calleth the Vehicle of God A wonderful expression savouring more of a distracted braine and of an audacious blasphemous spirit than of a sober Christian fearing God 11. He calleth it the Spiritual body of Christ But by what Scripture I know not Christ is called the Saviour of the body Ephes. 1 23. Is Christ the Saviour of this seed The spiritual and mystical body of Christ is the Church Ephes 4 4. 1 Cor. 10.17 12 12 13 20. Rom. 12 4 5. Col. 1 24. Ephes. 2 23. Râ—m 12 27. Ephes. 3 6. 4 12 16. Col. 1 18. 2 19 What are the members of this body the body is not one member but many 1 Cor. 12.14 12. He saith it is the flesh and bloud of Christ that came out of heaven But had Christ no other flesh and blood than this Then the whole Incarnation of Christ is denyed And where is our Christian Religion then where is the Death of Christ where is his Resurrection where is his Ascension where is all the History of his life Is all that but dreames and lies whither will the Quakers lead us Christ gave his flesh for the life of the world Ioh. 6 51. did he give this seed for the life of the world was this seed a sacrifice to satisfie the justice of God what foolries be these Now the man in deed appeareth in his colours a Quaker in graine speaking non-sense at random and hereby evidencing what Spirit acteth him But one word more where readeth he that Christ's flesh and bloud came out of heaven They mean that Christ had the same Spiritual flesh and blood within his carnal flesh and blood which they have and so they are as much the Christ's of God as he was O dreadful blasphemy 13. He saith all the Saints eat of this What do only the saints eat of this while it is in every Man Every man by this mans doctrine is partaker of Christ's Spiritual body and hath Christ's flesh and bloud in him but they do not all eat thereof a strange phancy that persons have food in their belly before they eate it that persons are partakers of Christ's flesh and blood before they eat him by faith what wilde Notions be these Men are partakers of a glorious and divine life by having the spiritual body of Christ in them and the flesh and bloud of Christ that came out of heaven and that before they make any application of him to themselves by faith where read we of such things Christ tels us the contrary that except we eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood we have no life in us Ioh 6 53. and that with a doubled asseveration verily verily And he tels us moreover that he dwelleth in such as eate his flesh that is in beleevers vers 56. and not in others and vers 57. that he that eateth him even he shall live by him But these Impudent Quakers whose work is as it seemeth to câ—ntradict Christ and all the Gospel tell us that even
this for a true declaration of the truth which we maintaine and with this open discovery of his unfaire dealing might we rest satisfied because it is to be presumed his following reasons can conclude only against this he hath laid forth as our judgment but as we have showne This is not our judgment and therefore his Arâ—uments cannot touch us if they lavel at nothing but at this man of straw which he hath made for himself to shoot at Yet lest he boast as if we were not able to look his Reasons in the face we shall view them 14. He tels us that this is a new opinion there being no mention made thereof in the first four hundered yeers after Christ and that Augustin laid the first foundation thereof in his later writings out of zeal against the Pelagians and sowed some sayings which some have unhappily laid hâ—ld on to strengthen this errour whereby they contradict both truth and the sayings of Augustin and others Answ 1. This man would make us bâ—leeve that he had read all the Fathers that wrote before Augustine but we know whence he hath this for it is the old saying of Arminians But 2. This can conclude nothing against the Truth which we have seen asserted in the Scriptures of truth The Fathers in those ages had not to do with such hereticks as were the Pelagians Before that Enemy of the grace of God arose the Church was in pâ—ace as to these controversies and the Fathers had no occâ—sion to debate such questions as Pelagius afterwards gave occasion unto Can he evince that all the Fathers before Augustine were of a contrary opinion to what we maintaine 3. Is this mans Religion grounded upon the authority of men And will he beleeve no more than what the Father 's said in the first foure ages Let him follow what cisterns he pleaseth we will satisfie ourselves with the Word as the ground of our Faith and we do look upon the Apostles as more ancient than these Fathers and take their positive assertions as of more authority than the silence of these 4. Yet Augustine de dono persever Cap. 11. citeth Ambrose Nazianzen and Cyprian as concurring with him in the ground of his doctrine of Predestination 5. as concerning Augustine what this man groundlesly suggesteth of him is the same he said before when speaking of Original sin and there we answered it 6. what contradictions are in our doctrine either unto Truth or unto Augustine he hath not showne Augustine it is true in his later dayes and after more mature deliberation and consideration of the matter occasioned by his disputs with the Pelagians did retract somethings said by himself in his younger yeers But all this is for the further Confirmation of the truth which we owne The Reader who desireth more satisfaction concerning this matter of Antiquity as to this point may consult the learned D. Twisse against Mr Hoord Sect. 1. 15. He next tels us that the Dominicans imbraced this Opinion And so he giveth us to understand that he is more pleased with the doctrine of the Iesuites But all except Pelagian-Arminians confesse that in these points the Dominicans are preferable to the Iesuites who are more downe right Enemies to the grace of God And then with a crocodile tear as it were in his eye he tels us with an Alas that Calvin éspoused this opinion and addeth that he wronged his name much hereby But with none of the orthodox I am confident for as to what this Quaker and his Arminians say in this we value it not He addeth that hereby the Christian and Protestant Religion was defamed And yet the world heard of no such thing but by Papists Iesuites Arminians who is bound to regard their scandal who are blinde leaders of the blinde must truth be foresaken because these Enemies to the grace of God like it not He confesseth that the Synod oâ— Dort did defend our opinion but addeth that notwithstanding it is exploded by the major part of learned and pious men in all the Churches of Protestants We know indeed that too many nowadayes are turning from the truth and imbraceing Pelagian Iesuitical and Arminian errours but that they make up the major part we deny possibly he will take in the Lutherans but we account them not Reformed Protestants 16. But Pag. 66. he tels us he would not much regaird all this if our opinion had any ground in the word And we have shown that it hath good ground there Then he saith that it is most injurious unto God If this be true it must certanly be an Errour but how is this made good It maketh saith he God the Author of sin An heavy charge if true yet this is so clear thiâ—keth he as that two and one make three But a Quakers confidence following a blinde guide is no strong argument to us let us hear his reason If saith he the Lord decreed that these predestinate ones should perish having no respect unto their evil actions but out of his meer good pleasure and if he also decreed long before they did exist or in any capacity did either good or evil that they should be in these sins by which secondarily they were to be led unto that end who is the first Author and cause of this our God who so willed and decreed it then which there cannot be a more necessary consequence Answ. 1. The word Predestinate being usually taken in a good sense as meaned of these Elected to glory the man vents his gall in thus misapplying the word to render the truth Odious 2. Though no consideration of sin was or could be the Meritorious Moving or Procureing cause of God's eternal decree yet when he decreed to puniâ—h everlastingly thâ— Reprobat for their sinnes he cannot be said to have no respect to sin in his decree as he here alleigeth who considereth not well what he sayeth 3. Though he decreed to punish everlastingly for sin such and such persons and none else meerly out of his owne good will and pleasure yet he cannot be said to have had no respect to sin which punishment alwayes presupposeth and answereth unto 4 If God's decrees be not before man exist or do any good or evil they cannot be Eternal but Temporal and so this man is a Socinian and the decree of God concerning every individual person must exist when the man hath done good or evil and so as many men as many decrees nay according to this man the Lord can make no decree concerning the Everlasting state of man so long as he liveth and so not only we cannot but God himself cannot say to or of any man before the point of death that he is a Reprobate or an Elect what Apprehensions these men have of God I tremble to express 5. What he meaneth by these words ut in iniquitatibus illis versarentur I know not unless their meaning be as I have expressed it And what would he then make
others who performe not the condition and so obtaine nothing but to Ourselves only who make ourselves to differ and so may we sing praises to ourselve and put the crown upon our owne heads and give no song of praise to the Redeemer but what such as go to hell are bound to give contrary to all Christian Religion If Christ hath purchased this Condition then iâ— is done either Absolutly or Conditionally If Aâ—soâ—utely tâ—an all shall Absolutely have it if Conditionally we enquire what is the Condition And whatever it be we may move the same questions concerning it 5. By this meanes the act should creat â—ts owne object for Faith in the death of Christ is ordinarily given as the Condâ—tâ—on and this faith maketh the death of Christ valide which otherwayes would not be 6. This maketh all the vertue of Christs death to depend upon mans act so that if man will all shall be saved if not no man shall be saved notwithstanding that Christ died for them 7. This makes Christ but at most a half Mediator doing one part of the work and man coming in to compleete it must be the other half mediator and so at least must have the halfe of the Praise 8. where saith â—he Scripture that if we beleeve Christ died for us or that Christ died for all or for any Conditionally It is true some of the effects of Christ's death are bestowed conditionally â—aking the word conditionally not properly as it the performance of that condition did in proper law â—ense procure a right to these mercies for through the merites of Châ—ist's blood have we a right properly to alâ— but improperly as denoteing nothing but the Methode and way of Goâ—'s bestowing the blessings purchaâ—ed fiâ—st this and thâ—n upon the souls acting oâ— that another as for examâ—le fiâ—st faith then upon the souls acting oâ— Faith Iustâ—fication then Saâ—ctification c. and upon the souls acting of Sanctification Gloâ—ification but the deâ—th of Christ cannot therefore be called Conditional more than thâ— will or purpose of God can be called conditional because some of the things willed may depend â—pon other as upon a condition 9 Then by performing thâ— Condition man should â—rocure to himself a Legal Right and Title not only to the dâ—aâ—h of Christ buâ—â—o Iustification Adoption Sanctification yea and to Glorification yea and that a more near and effectual Title and right than what was had by Christ's death for the Title had by Christ's death if it can be called a Title was far Remote Common to such as shall never have any pâ—ofiâ—e by it but the other is Câ—rtain Particular Proxime and giveth possession jus in re 10. Then Christ's blood as shed upon the crosse was but a Potential thing hâ—ving no power or vertue in it self to redeem any it was but a poor Potential price and all its vertue of actual purchasing and procureing is from mans performing the Condition this and this only giveth it Power and Efficacy and so Christ is beholden to man for giving vertue unto his Blood and making it effectual which before was a dead ineffectual thing Then let any judge who should have the greatest share of the glory of Redemption Man or Christ 11. was Christ's death Absolute in no respect or was it as to some things I mean belonging to Grace and Glory Absolute if in nothing then Man must certanely have a great share of the glory if it was Absolute as to any thing what was that and why was it more Absolute as to that than as to other things And why should it then be simply and without limitation said that Christ died for all Conditionally 12. what will this Quaker say as to infants did Christ die for them Conditionally But he must say that Christ died not for them at all because they have no sin where is then his Universal Redemption Infants sure make a great part of mankinde and therefore the Redemption from whâ—ch they are excluded and of which they have no need can not be called Universal 32. For Further confirmation of our 19. Argument and confutation of our Adversaries position we adde 21 That Christ Iesus is heard of the Father in all that he asketh Psal. 2 8. Ioh. 11 41 42. and as an High Prist he entred into heaven Hâ—b 9 11.12 â—ow to appear in the presence of God for us vers 24 to prepare a plaâ—â— Iob. 14 2. to act the part of an Advocat inteâ—ceding with the Father in the behalfe of all such for whom he died 1 Ioh. 2 1 2 If then Christ whom his Father heareth alwayes intercedeth in the behalfe all these for whom he died either he did not die for all or all must certainly be saved That Christ's Intercession and Death are so the same persons will be and must be denyed by our Adversaries But to us it is most manifest from these grounds 1. To Inteâ—cede and pray are as Essential and Necessary Acts of the Priestly office as to offer sacrifice and the Apostle Heb. 9 cleareth up how Christ did in truth what the High priest among the Jewes did in the type for as the High priest alone went once every yeer into the second tabernacle or holy of holies notwithout blood which he offered for himself and the errours of the people vers 7. So Christ being come an High priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle by his owne blood he entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redâ—mption vers 12. Hence he is said to Live for ever to make Intercession for us Heb. 7 25. and he is an Advocat with the Father 1 Ioh. 2 1 Hence then it is manifest that Christ must Intercede for such as he did Offer up himself for or he shall not be a Perfect and Compleet High Priest or not faithfull to performe all the Oâ—fices of the High Priest neither of which can be said 2. The ground of his Intercession is held forth to be his Oblation as the High Priest went into the holy of holies with the blood of the sacrifices which he had offered so Christ entered into the holy place having first obtained by the sacrifice of himself an Eternal Redemption Heb. 9 12. So he is an Advocate with the Father being first a Propitiation for sinnes 1 Ioh. 2 1 2 3. Both his Death Intercession make up one Compleet Medium and are intended and designed as one Medium for the end designed viz the bringing of many sones unto glory saving to the uttermost all that come to God through him c. 4. How unreasonable is it to think that Christ would refuise to Pray for such whom he loved so dearly as to lay down his life for yet he saith expresly thâ—t he prayeth not for the world but for others distinguished from the world Ioh. â—7 9. 5. As His Death was for such as the Father had given him as we saw above so his
Intercession and Prayer is restricted to such Ioh. 17 9. I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine 6. Christ's end in coming into the world was to save his people Hence he gote that name Iesus but he should not be able to save them Perfectly Compleetly and to the Utermost if he did not joyne his Intercession with his Oblation Yea upon this account he continueth ever a Priest having an unchangable Priesthood Heb. ◠24 25. But this man because he continueth ever hath an unchangable Priesthood wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seing he ever liveth to make intercession for them 7. The Apostle so joyneth them together Rom. 8 34. that they must do manifest violence to the Apostles reasoning who would pull them asunder and separate the one from the other It is sais he Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us 8. Yea they are so joyned together here that his death alone considered could not yeeld that ground of triumph and boasting nor security from Accusations Yea rather that is risen againe c. 9. So that the separating and taking of these asunder is greatly prejudicial to the consolation of his people for though they should attaine to some apprehensions of Christ's dying for them as an Advocate with the Father upon new sinnes 1 Ioh. 2 1 2. Though Christ died yet they might be condemned for he must also Interceed and if he do not Intercede for them their Hopes and Comforts are gone And so there should be no force in that who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died Rom. 8 34. And a poor soul might be had saved but not to the uttermost contrare to Heb. 7 25. 10 And that place Rom. 8 33. restricteth both equally unto the Elect who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect 11. When Christ laid down his life a Ransome for sinners he could not but know that by that Ransome none should be actually saved without his Intercession it being accorded betwixt Father and Son that the mediator should mediate both by Price and by Prayer And he could not but know for whom he purposed and intended to Interceed how shall we then suppose that he would lay down his life for those for whom he was purposed not to Pray Or that he would do the most for them For whom he would not do the least 12. Christ's intercession is really a presenting unto God the Oblation made Therefore sayes the Apostle Heb. 9 24. that Christ is entered into heaven it self to appear in the presence of God for us And so by appearing he Interceedeth and his appearing is in his owne blood whereby he obtained Eternal Redemption Heb. 5 12. and so his Intercession must be for all for whom the Oblation was and the eternal Redemption was obtained 13. Yea both these are so joyned together by Esaias Chap. 53 12. as that they are made one ground and procureing cause of God's divideing him a portion with the great and of Christs own divideing the spoile with the strong Because he hath poured out his soul unto death and he bare the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressours 14. This is further clear from the reasons we gave to confirme that fast connexion betwixt Christ's Impetration Application in the foregoing paragraph for the Actual Application of the benefite and fruit of his oblation is attributed to his Intercession 15. Nay that whole Chapter Ioh 17. confirmeth this for there Christ is both Offering himself or sanctifying himself thereunto vers 19. and Interceding and these are so lincked together both in themselves and as to the persons for whom that it must argue at least much incogitancy to imagine a divulsion separation of these two acts of his Priesthood 16. If Christ Intercede not for the same persons for whom he died we ask for whom he Intercedeth Is it for actual beleevers Then we ask a Scripture ground for this restriction And then it is manifest hence that Christ Intercedeth not for the working of faith in any And yet Esaias tels us that he maketh Intercession for transgressours And we see Ioh. 17 20. that he prayeth not only for those who were already beleevers but for such also as were not yet beleevers He told us Himself also that he would pray the Father for the Spirit Ioh. 14 vers 16. And among other things this is one work of the Spirit to cause a sinner beleeve 2 Cor. 4 13. Ephes. 1 17 18 19. 33. The point we are upon will be further cleare if we consider 22. That Christ's death was a Redemption and we are said to be Redeemed thereby Gal. 4 5. and 3 13. Rom. 3 24. Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. 1 Pet. 1 8. Revel 5 9. Tit. 2 14. And therefore all such as he laid down this Redemption or Redemption-money for must of necessity be redeemed and saved and consequently he died not for all seing all are not redeemed and saved His Ransome or Price of redemption which he laid down viz. his blood which he shed is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransome Mat. 20 28. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2 6. That all such for whom this Redemption-money was payed and this Ransome was given must be saved is cleare for 1. Other wayes it were no Redemption a ransome given for Captives doth say that these Captives in law and justice ought to be set at liberty 2. This Redemption is the same with as to the effect or hath attending it forgiveness of sins Col. 1 14. Ephes. 1 7. and forgiveness of sins is with justification hath blessedness attending it Rom. 4 6 7 8. 3. Salvation necessarily followeth upon this Ransome and Redemption as is clear 1 Tim. 2 4. compared with vers 6. 4. This redemption is from a vaine Conversation 1 Pet. 1 18. and consequently is attended with Salvation 5. It is attended with justification Rom. 3 24. being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ 6. Hence it is called the Redemption of the transgressions Heb 9 15. that is either of Transgressours by a metonimy or of us from the evil of transgressions that upon a valuable compensation and satisfaction for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Redemption from evil by the Interveening of a Price a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Ransom 7. This was a Redemption from the law for God sent forth his son made under the law to redeem them who were under the law Gal. 4 4 5. so by this redemption there is a liberation had from the Law and its Curse and Penality 8. And it is a Redemption of such as were under the law for this end that they might receive the adoption of sones Gal. 4 5. But this Adoption of sones