seek him groping after him if happily they may finde him yea such power as that men are fain to suppress and keep them under and bid them be gone and shut their eyes against them lest they work too much upon them Now though they see not what a one or who he it whence these beams come and those operations in their hearts yet they knowing in their consciences that they ought to obey them and that it would be better for them so to do though what that betterness is they comprehend not and contrary to that knowledg they have willfully rebelling they cannot plead ignorance total ignorance of this great physitian but for not obeying what they know shall be excuse less before him So that Mr. Owens comparison of Christ to a physitian tendring cure he wholly unknown Rom. 1.20.28 is a mistake also nor shall men be able to make good that plea when he comes to judge them though many shall say in respect of his person and fuller appearances when saw we thee thus and thus as if they would plead ignorance of him yet he shall take away that plea from them making it appear that in such and such mediums as his poor people Matth. 25.42 43 44 55. he was evidencing himself to them and presenting himself before them and there they would not know him Nor is he as one tendring a thousand pound to a blinde man on condition he will see and yet giving no ability to see but he in tendring gives forth such light that men see some glimmerings and bids them look though but with their blinde holes that they may see which did they the light would make them see and see more clearly yea it would turn them Isa 42.18 and he would heal them Act. 28.27 but many wilfully loving their own ease and wils will not see lest they should be turned and be healed by him they see they should listen to him yea many see that in looking to him they might have healing and yet refuse to look to him they desire not his healing Whereas he saith the condition of faith is procured for us by the death of Christ or not I shall here say but this viz. 1. That Christ is become an object fit for us to believe on and hope in through his death which else he had not been for us sinners 2. That God in Christ hath done so much for All men and doth so much for them through him that he deserves highly at their hands to be trusted in by them I know this agrees not with Mr. Owens principles yet I shall stand to it against him that all men have good cause and ground to believe in him or to betrust themselves to him and so much we are in preaching Gospel to demonstrate to them not having sinned to death or blasphemed against the Holy Ghost It s but a righteous thing for any man to believe in God and in Christ and its unrighteousness and hainous sin not to believe in him being declared to them that is not to commit souls and bodies to him as to one ready to save them 3. All the ways and means with all the power that comes in and with them to inable men to believe are vouchsafed to men through the Death of Christ none of them had been afforded to us had not Christ dyed for us 4. It s the promise of God to Christ so to exalt and glorifie him that some should be brought in to him and be given him to believe and be his seed 5. Yea it s by the discovery of Gods good-will in the death and resurrection of Christ that God useth to overcome men to believe and so his blood and death as so discovered and set home redeems men out of their bondage to Sathan and world and corruption Rev. 5.9 10 14.4 But that Christ obliged the Father to make all those men that he dyed for to walk out in the exercise of such power and liberty of acting as he should in his gracious dispensations afford them for attendance to means receit of light given looking up to him in that light yea to believe in him and rely on him for salvation this I desire him to prove It s not proveable by Scripture so far as I can finde nay I may use this argument against it bottomed upon Mr. Owens own maxime viz. Whatever Christ procured or merited by his oblation that he intercedes to have collated or bestowed on men But Scripture no where shews that Christ intercedes for faith saving faith to be given to one or other Ergo Scripture no where proves that he procured that by his oblation The major is Mr. Owens own in cap. 4.6 7. lib. 1. The minor is easily proved by Induction no one place speaking of Christs Intercession mentions his interceding for saving faith not that platform as some say of his Intercession in John 17. as we shewed lib. 1. chap. 2. if not there no where else for in Rom. 8.33 he mentions his interceding for Vs men in Christ believers but says not for what much less for faith that they had already In Heb. 7.25 It s for those that come unto God by him that some might come to God by him I leave it for him to finde any one place in which Christ prays that God would make any to believe Nor will this diminish at all the honor and love due to him for as Mr. Owen says We are not to invent ways of honoring him but give him that that in the Scripture God gives to him He produces Tit. 3.5 6 2 Cor. 5.21 but neither of them say that Christ procured faith for us as obliging God to give it us the former shews but how God wrought it in discovering his love and the latter that Christ became sin for us that we might in him that is in believing in him be made the righteousness of God and so that he opened the way for our believing and making righteous not that he obliged God to make us or all that he dyed for righteously to believe no more then in vers 15. where He says he dyed for all that they that live might not henceforth live to themselves he shews that therefore he obliged God to make all cease from thenceforth to live to themselves and God performs not his obligation to him in that so many even after believing live so much to themselves and minde their own things as Paul complaineth That he shall bring in a seed to him I grant but that he is obliged to bring in this or that Individual to be of that seed muchless all that he dyed for I no where finde That in Eph. 1.3 Phil. 1.29 We shall meet with afterward and with the point it self also more fully urged viz. in lib. 3. cap. 4. where we shall speak to them only this I shall say to them here that neither of them say that Christ by his death obliged the Father to
limbs strength health food and raiment the shining of the Sun the falling of the rain with fruitful Seasons peace liberty and gladness victories over enemies and good successes Day to day uttereth speech and night to night uttereth knowledge and they all are Evidences and Witnesses of his goodness But whence all these to sinful unworthy creatures Rom. 2.14 1.32 whose consciences daily accuse us of evils and tell us death and vengeance is due unto us Surely as the Scriptures say they are the beamings of his bright goodness the issues or out-flowings of the life in Christ which is the light of men which life was and is in him through his sufferings for us Joh. 1.4 5. For verily Adam forfeited for himself and us what ever might evidence goodness towards us even life it self and all other mercies thereof so as had God dealt with us after the demerit of his sin nothing but wrath and misery had been upon us But verily Christ stepping in upholds all things and makes them consist and stand together for our use and service Yea there-through also have we in these latter days that which is yet more precious the Publishing of the Word and Gospel of God ordered unto all Nations the end and tendency of all which too is to lead us to repentance that repenting of our evils against one so good to us he might shew us greater things still even the blessings of a better life prepared and made ready in Christ Jesus for us pardon and peace and spirit and eternal happiness And surely the gift of Christ and his death and sufferings for us must needs it self be an inestimable favour and deserve at our hands unutterable thanks which is the way and inlet yea in a maner the onely procuring cause under the good Will of God of all these mercies How then are men in generall bound unto thankefulness but especially we in this Nation that enjoy the Scriptures and publishing of the Gospel therein which many other Nations have wickedly put away from themselves and their posterities their supream powers yielding up themselves to the power of darkness and neither imbracing the Word of Truth themselves nor permitting it to others Yea what cause of thanks have we to God that hath broken yokes of Tyranny and Oppression from off us that formerly hindered mens receit and free confession of his goodness What salvations hath God wrought for us in the midst of this earth What plots hath he discovered What designs of the enemies of Sion hath he defeated How hath he guided Counsels and strengthened Armies to deliver us from the Power and Oppressions of those who being ingrateful to God themselves for his goodness could not indure that others should acknowledge it aright and be truly thankeful And O that we also after such an addition of favors above what all have in common may not run into that horrid sin of unthankfulness nor reject the tidings of his great goodness and by observing lying vanities forsake our own mercies much less abuse and turn it into wantonness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 5.3 4. Surely for these things comes the wrath of God upon the children of unperswasibleness Yea not onely destructions and desolations of Persons Families Cities Countries and Nations here but also hereafter eternal vengeance Now of the evil of unthankefulness dear Sirs how greatly guilty are they who though they confess men faulty for it and can aggravate the evil of it above my Rhetorick yet make it a part of their business and Religion with zeal and earnestness to perswade the most of men that they have cause to doubt whether they have any thing in good will from God and so by consequence whether any real ground and cause to be thankeful to him while they hold forth to them that Christ died but for a few and the rest are the objects of his hatred from everlasting and all they have even the Gospel it self they have in hatred and displeasure from him and so onely to this end that they may work out and increase their own misery by them Against which their evil Doctrine I have written this insuing Treatise in which I have indeavoured to remove that froth of wit and humane reason and high thoughts of error which are with so great noise of Orthodoxness equivalent to the Romanists cry of Catholike lifted up against the Apostles Doctrine and to shew that God is good really good to All but especially to those that his goodness makes good and thankefully through faith to live unto him And so also that all have real cause of believing and living thankefully doing good after his example to All but especially to the good and the believing and that the unbelief of his goodness and unthankefulness to him for it is the true cause of multitudes perishing And now Dear Sirs that I might not run into that odious evil of ingratitude toward you from whom as instruments in the good hand of God I acknowledge I have received very much favor and kindness and under whom I enjoy my Place and Liberty of Gospel-preaching and many others with me have received many ingagements of thanks for and to you having finished this Treatise I am imboldened to thrust it out into the world under your Protection and Patronages under God and the Lord Jesus to whom supreamly I have devoted my self and service I hope your Honors will not expect it should exceed its Author in whom you know weakness but I hope you will take it in good part as a Testimony of my thankefulness I expect it will meet with oppositions good store against it as is always the Lot of Truth in an unthankeful world especially from those it argues guilty of mens unthankefulness may it but finde with you that entertainment Truth should have with the Saints so far as you shall see Truth held forth in it I shall rejoyce therein concerning you For whom with your beloved Consorts and all yours My desire is That God would please so to order guide and keep you that walking righteously in the earth and serving your generation with faithfulness in the Work of God you may receive the reward of the righteous in eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord in whom I remain From my House in South-Lyn June 20th 1650. SIR Your Honour and Worships faithfully to serve you in the Gospel JOHN HORN A Brief Revise of some few Passages THere is a passage good Reader in the Epistle to the Reader Pag. 14. viz. where I say That none till brought into Christ can make any profitable use of or rightly understand the Doctrines of Election and Reprobation of which I desire thy candid and favourable construction as spoken of as they are most usually looked upon as secret Decrees and Counsels of God about the future estates of men and not as acts or executions of decrees passing upon men in time for indeed in this latter sense the Scripture and we
herein then the body of Truth it self then the word of God made flesh and manifested in the flesh met with in the dayes of his flesh Came not He from the bosome of the Father to open his name unto men and to shew to them the way of their salvation was not he truly Jesus the salvation of God and Saviour of the world one that came to teach men the knowledg of God and lead them unto life But O what course usage did He finde Did not the world abominate him as if he had been a Devil incarnate filled with Satan the great deceiver of mankinde leading them to Destruction how often did they cry out against him and offer to lay violent hands upon him as if he was unworthy to live amongst them What evil laws enacted they against him casting out of their Synagogues meetings and fellowships those that would own him Did they not call a councel about him and condemnâ— him therein and crave yea almost force it upon the Secular power to deliver him up to be crucified by them till they got their wills in that matter on him how did they after his condemnation all-to revile mock and taunt him yea dispitefully intreat and kill him And as if they would leave no stone unremoved for effecting their designes upon him they seal him up in his Sepulcher and set a guard to keep him therein And who I pray were the persons that thus used him Were they not the generality of the people but principally the Priests and Rulers the zealous and devout the seeming godly party that were so strict for tithing mint and rue for keeping Sabbaths keeping out errors and blasphemies as that a man that judged by the outside would have sworn they were the holiest people and best beloved of God that the world contained The wise the prudent the powerful the Scribes Pharises and Rulers of the people But I pray was Christ less the Son of God or the great Truth of truths because he found so bad entertainment by these prudent zealots because they condemned him and put him to Death was he therefore really guilty of that deceit and blasphemy with which they charged him was it not indeed as himself told them because he spake the truth to them and they could not endure to hear it from him Because he testified of them that their deeds were evil and their doctrine vitious which they set so high a price upon many good deeds have I done saith He for which of them do ye stone me And truly friend so have men dealt with this truth in hand It s cryed out upon as a Doctrine of Satan as error and blasphemy as the most pernicious Doctrine that can be taught almost they sit upon it in councel and condemn it they have reviled it railed on it mocked taunted it yea have they not crucified it and almost killed it and all this too hath been acted by the Learned Prudent Rabbies Scribes and Rulers but what evil hath it done Why disturb the Churches peace so they said Christ and the Gospel did their Synagogues Deprives believers of their comfort nay t is but them that believe it not as Christ did them that believed not in him not any right believers as we shall shew they can prove it guilty of no evil and therefore let not their charges of it move thee Veritas magna est praevalebit let them bury it and set a guard upon it banish it their cities countries kingdomes strike hands with Satan himself and combine with the gates and powers of hell to under it out it will and shall and shall be received As Moses lift up the Serpent in the wilderness so shall the son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him may not perish but have eternal life For truth is truth though hated and reproached its cause is just their accusations groundless their opposite positions Antichristian but it self divine no nicety or fancy but of great concernment it being a truth that glorifies God and brings good news or tidings to men which with thy patience I shall a little demonstrate with the differences of their Anti-position of Christs dying only for an elect number in these following particulars 1. It s a doctrine that gives glory to God and magnifies his mercy or goodness and justice toward the sons of men in his dealings with them whereas the opinion it opposeth detracts from his glory in those particulars First I say it commends and magnifies the goodness of God in the exercise of his mercy while it speaks of him as love it self one that is good and therefore doth good good to All a lover and Saviour of mankinde and of the world in general one that delights not in the death of the wicked nor would that any should perish and run themselves into destruction but rather come to repentance and live to which end it shewes that he hath provided a means for banished mankinde to be brought back by to him again from that estate of misery unto which they were banished yea that to that end he enlightens manifests his truth calls to look to him lades with benefits waytes with patience upon sinners chastens them in mercy to keep their souls from the pit and to inlighten them with the light of the living and all this not bounded up to a few the far fewer part of men but in some degree or other inlarged generally to all And is not this a commendation of him as good and loving is it not the nature of love to diffuse it self abroad to extend it self to all as well as to burn intensively to any And 2. Doth not that that speakes of God as so mercifull illustrate also his justice the more brightly when it shewes his wrath and vengeance to come upon men for abusing love undervaluing goodness and for not accepting his grace can any thing be thought more just then to punish him that transgresses a command of an Authority in it self not onely lawful but also good and Fatherly that not only by its soveraignty might exact but also by its clemency and goodness did deserve obedience to its injunctions from all under it such as this doctrine declares Gods dealings with men by way of justice to be not only in respect of Adam our first parent and all in him but also in respect of us in our particulars and yet we ascribe his Soveraignty to him in all things too while we say all these his dispensations are not necessitated to him but free and voluntary so as that his giving Christ the streams of goodness that come to us through Christ were all of his good will not of our works yea his extending these or those means longer or shorter time with less or greater power are all free dispensations according to his will the Law he gives to men and the rewards he propounds all according to his own will only we say he acts forth this his
neither is that true that after follows in him That if he should intercede for All All should undoubtedly be saved meaning eternally for he may intercede for some for other things not for eternal salvation as in Luke 13.7 8. Lord let it alone this year till I dig about it dung it and if it bring forth fruit well if not then afterward thou maist cut it down sure he was the prime Vine-dresser and that 's likely to be his intercession for the barren Nation of the Jews or if it was of subordinate Officers yet sure their intercessions prevail not for patience and continuance of the means of Grace as that Parable compared with what went before v. 1.5 intimate they do where he intercedes not and carries not up their prayers for that particular so that how he should be there excluded I know not and so he may pray as Luke 23.34 Father forgive them they know not what they do and yet they not be saved for that 's not Father justifie them and bring them to life eternal there is forgiveness mentioned in the Scripture short of what is attended with that as Lord lay not this sin to their charge Acts 7.61 and such as are mentioned in Numb 14.19 Psal 73.37 38. Amos 7.2.3 5 6. Math. 13.27 34 35. So that neither of these is proved Either that he intercedes for All he dyed for or that if he do they are all saved eternally It s true indeed as he after saith He is able to save to the utmost all that come to God by him because he ever liveth to to make intercession for them but neither proves that he makes intercession for all that he dyed for nor that whosoever he makes Intercession for he makes it for them for ever and they shal be saved to the utmost The Fig-tree notwithstanding that intercession made for patience and means of grace yet not coming to God by him might be cut down It says not all that he goeth to God for any thing for shall be saved to the utmost but he is able to save to the utmost all that come to God by him because he ever lives to make intercession for them He is able to save them to the utmost by vertue of that powerful office but if men come not to God by him or withdraw from him he says not that he lives for ever to execute his office for them and to save them to the utmost Indeed from this his office and intercession founded on his oblation believers men that come to God by him have notable confidence as is expressed Rom. 8.33 34 another place quoted by him even as Caleb and Joshuah whose spirits were right with God had notable confidence from the great things God had done for them and his presence amongst them to possess the Land of Canaan and subdue their enemies Numb 14.9 and yet it was not therefore a truth that all that God had done those mighty things for and was walking amongst either had that confidence or their success which being considered keeps alive the General Ransom from that break neck with which Mr. Owen threatneth it for though its true that those for whom he dyed hearing and believing his love to them have no cause but to trust in him and seek and hope for great things from him as all the Israelites that came over the red Sea and see Gods mighty works for for them had no cause but to have believed in God as well as the rest Numb 14.11 yet as there all that shared in those great things did not so believe as some nor had the like issue but many through their unbelief sell short of Canaan so here many not believing the goodness of God to them for which in part many may thank their Ministers that leave them to seek whether they have a mediator appointed of God for them or not do not believe in Christ and so for not believing and by not believing perish for the Apostle saith not that All that Christ dyed and rose for he intercedes for nor that all that he intercedes for shall be saved and have no condemnation no more then Caleb said All that God brought out of Egypt and that he at that present was with should enter into Canaan but as he so the Apostle believingly feeding upon the goodness of God joyes in it and is raised up to exceeding confidence by it and shews that they who are in Christ and walk after the spirit as they did have no condemnation but are kept from it by the Death Resurrection and Intercession of Christ believed on by them but he affirmes not that of all that he dyed rose and intercedes for Whereas a little after he saith That God only promised to Christ that he should be Captain of all Salvation to all that believe and effectually bring many sons to glory he saith not truely for he promised him also Psa 2.8 9. That he should rule the Nations with an Iron rod and break them in pieces as a potters vessel as he tels us he hath also received Rev. 2.26 27. And therefore that Christ looked only and alone as Mr. Owen also saith for the accomplishment of those things that he there mentioned is false also He looked for and doth and shall see the other made good to him too But so much to his deviations in this Chapter The fifth only shewing that the Holy Ghost hath his concurrence and had his operation in the birth death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and no Argument being thence drawn to his purpose I shall pass it over and proceed to the following Chapters CHAP. IIII. A further view of what he affirmes of the equal latitude and extent of the Oblation and Intercession of Christ in his sixth Chapter and seventh HIs sixth Chapter goes over the same things again spoken of in the fourth only here they are considered as means conducing to an end namely the Incarnation Oblation and Intercession of Christ the last of which Intercession he says contains every act of his exaltation even his Resurrection for which he brings no proof at all nor any reason wherewith to back it only quotes Rom. 4.25 which saith no such thing but that he rose again for our justification no nor appears it as he saith that by his Resurrection all his following dispensation and perpetual intercession is there intended It s but his conception without proof it may rather he conceived that in saying For our justification he means that he might do all those acts conducing to our justification and so include his Intercession there then that in the word Resurrection those acts are intended Nor saith Acts 3.26 any such thing and her falsifies it doubly in his quotation of it For first he renders it thus that God raised up his Son Jesus to bless us Whereas the Text is having raised him up he hath sent him to bless I conceive he means it of his sending him in the Gospel
justification by a lesser revelation of God then Paul had Josh 2.10 11 12. with Heb. 11.31 and so Cornelius before Peters coming to him believed in a lower act by less light then Peter brought to him and the Ninivites by far lesser then the Jews rebelled against now that power accompanies these mediums too in their lesser or greater dispensations is evident in that the Spirit is said to have preached to striven with men even those that yet obeyed it not Gen. 6 3. 1 Pet. 3 19. the hand of the Lord was stretched out with his reproofs and councels Prov 1.24 and in the effects it produceth as that they attain to some knowledg of God convincements illuminations c. against which they often willfully rebel and close their eyes and I say further that God doth in many by these means effect faith and bring them actually to believe and I conceive many more might have faith did they not wilfully turn away from God for I conceive a fore going act propounded or injoyned to men you may call it a condition if you please upon which they might be brought to believe Whereas Mr. Owen askes what that is I answer it is to listen to the voice of God not hardning the heart So Isa 55.3 hearken diligently and your souls shall live by diligent attendance to the voice of God the soul is quickned up to a life of faith and hope in God so Isa 49.1 Listen O Isles unto me and hearken ye people from far and in Psal 95. To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Lift not up your reasons and understandings against the authority of God be swift to hear hear him out and make not haste to speak and cavil against him As also to minde those demonstrations of his Divine Power and Goodness that he affords not winking with the eye and wilfully turning from the light when he makes it appear or from the means of light which beheld would give us to see what he holds forth to us according to that Call Hear ye deaf and look ye blinde that ye may see Isai 42.18 So Behold my servant whom I have chosen ver 1. And look to me and be ye saved Isai 45.22 And consider the works of God Job 37.14 That that is to be known of God is in them manifested c. Rom. 1.19.20 But then Is not this same hearing and listening believing I answer No It s but a mean to it We are to attend that we may believe by this hearing Faith and the spirit of it are given unto us But it will be objected Its obeying and obeying is believing So M. Owen But there is a fallacy in that for neither is every Act of hearing obeying nor every Act of obeying the believing spoken of As obeying in some acts follows believing so in some it may be but a tendency to the meeting with that which will cause us to believe so believingly to obey Take this Simile Two men are at controversie suppose a Master and a Servant the Master would have him do such things as the servant doth not nor will The Master begins to expostulate with him and to shew him reasons for his demands the servant hears what he says this is not yet an act of obedience to his Master for perhaps he may yet prove refractory and more obstinate then before and perhaps in hearing he may be perswaded and become obedient to him being convinced and changed in minde by what he hears till which change his act of hearing will not denominate him obedient or pass for an act of obedience Mr. Owen saith If we can propound a condition for Faith that is not Faith he will hear it And yet I suppose he will not think his hearing us propound it an act of obedience to us at all But then he says This is procured by by Christ or not In the sense before explained we grant it procured otherwise not and that to the power of exercising it is absolute but as to the act of exercising of it its voluntary and to the most uncompelled or unnecessitated Many have absolute power and ability given them of hearing and seeing the hints of Light and Truth that come from God that yet have it in their choise whether they will act so or so and therefore are faulted for not acting as they might for not chusing the fear of the Lord Prov. 1.29.30 For shutting their eyes against his Light and stopping their ears Matth. 13.15 Acts 28.27 And yet the cause of Faith is not resolved into our selves but into him that gives the power to hear and that speaks such words when we do listen as overcomes our reason and our hearts Our faith is justly still ascribed to him For if he spake not we could not hear yea if he gave us not power to hear yea if when we hear he spake not suitable words and exercised not power with his words we should not yet believe in him So that Inference is as absurd as these That because the blind man went and washed in the Pool of Siloam Therefore he was the cause of his own healing or Not Christ so much as he and The ten Lepers were the cause of their own cleansing because they went on their own legs to shew themselves to the Priests at his Commandment VVe avoid also all his following Consequences If by procuring Faith he means his meriting and obliging God to cause all to believe in him for whom He died For denying that it follows not either 1. That Faith is an act of our own wills and so our own as not to be wrought by Grace and that its wholly sited in our own power to perform that spiritual act No such thing follows upon that Proposition denied 1. That Faith is an act of the VVill no man can deny for in it the Will closes with an Object propounded as good to be relied on but that it s not wrought by Grace is clearly false from what is said above It s our act to hear and yet not that without the VVord of God buts t is Gods Act even the act of his Grace to perswade us by what he speaks to lean upon him and believe in him Besides 2. God might freely work it in some without being obliged to it by the Death of Christ the same love that led him to give Christ may sin being removed and the enmity being slain by Christ work as much as it pleases without being obliged and tied to work it Besides 3. Christ might oblige him to work it in some and yet not in all He died for So that every way this is inconsequent And we neither 1. Contradict any Scripture Nor 2. Speak contrary to the nature of the new Covenant of Grace which indeed is sealed by Christs Death to believers but says not that Christs Death obliged God to make this and that man much less all he died for to believe Nor is it 3. Destructive
to free Grace but leaves it still as free to some as if the Death of Christ obliged him to bestow such grace upon them Grace bestowed without an obligation to it is as free as grace bestowed upon obligation Nor set we up the power of Free will to the sleighting or undervaluing of Free-grace For we say that its grace that gives men that freedom to good they have and its mens abusing the freedom given by grace and turning grace into wantonness and not improving it but receiving it in vain that brings destruction upon many Therefore we exhort men so to magnifie grace as to believe and receive it and that not in vain and fault men because they will abuse the liberty that God gives them of his goodness and grace chusing their own ways and not his refusing to come to Christ c. And I think in such language the Scripture speaketh Nor do we 4. Contradict the received doctrine of our natural depravedness and inability to good We say that what power men have to good they have it in and by Gods striving with them light manifested in them and grace preventing them and that otherwise they are wholly unable to any thing that is good Nor say we 5. That a natural faculty is able to produce of it self without some spiritual elevation an act purely spiritual no more then the blinde mans natural act of washing was able to produce a supernatural gift of sight to him and so neither are we guilty of contradicting right reason Nor 2. Must we resolve almost the sole cause of our salvation ultimately into our selves as being able to make all that God and Christ do to that end effectuall or ineffectuall This we have before disproved And here say again That we leave it in the Power and Will of God to use what means he pleases to any man and how long and compell whom he will to come in and believe And yet it follows not that either Christ obliged God to do it to this and that man or much less to All for whom he died the thing he should have proved which he further endeavors after these premises by the following Arguments viz. Argu. 1 The death of Jesus Christ purchased holiness and sanctification for us as was proved at large Argument 8. But faith is a part of our sanctification and holiness Ergo he procured faith for us If this Argument should be wholly granted yet his Assertion goes unproved viz. That he hath purchased faith for All for whom he died The word Vs being applicative may be diversly expounded as Vs that are of this Nation Vs that are of this minde Vs that believe c. and so its ambiguous But if by Vs he means All for whom he died then the Major with the eight Argument brought to uphold it is already disproved Beside the Minor is questionable whether Faith be a part of our sanctification VVe are sanctified by Faith its true that 's the instrument that receives it but that no more proves it a part thereof then that the Israelites were healed by looking to the brazen Serpent proves their looking to it a part of their healing The Church Ephes 5.26.27 as a Church are a people called and believing and them he is to sanctifie and will sanctifie but that rather proves Sanctification a consequent of Faith then Faith a part of that sanctification All the fruits of Election are purchased by Christ Argu. 2 But Faith is a fruit of Election c. The Major is proof-less and deficient too for it should have been general as to the object of his Death thus All the fruits of Election were purchased by Christ for All he died for or it concludes not if he mean it so then I deny it as he takes the word purchase and desire his proof for it Nor yet is the Minor without exception Luke 8.17 For faith is scarce a fruit of Election in all that believe except such as believe for a time were elected for a time too His proofs as they reach not that so neither are they all pertinent to what he brings them In Eph. 1.4 the Vs is the Saints and faithful ver 1. if not of a narrower signification as distinct from the persons spoken to as the 12 13. verses seem to import as first speaking of their own experiences and priviledges and then of theirs At furthest the Text extends it but to Saints and faithful in Christ blest with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in him And so it shews that it was according to the eternal purpose and counsel of God that men in Christ should be holy in him and that in chusing Christ before the world was they also were by consequent chosen He chose not either in Adam or in the Law or in mens selves but in * See further about this place in the Epistle to the Reader Christ a holy people for himself which holiness is a consequent of mens faith and being in Christ as was said before and as is proved 1. Cor. 1.30 I question too whether Rom. 8.29 says that unbelievers as so eyed was the object of predestination and not men fore-known as future believers to which in time they are called So that though that Scripture in a manner couples them yet it says not Faith at least in all that believe is the fruit of Predestination or Election Much more is that in 1 Cor. 4.7 impertinent to that it s brought for for as Beza also expounds it and as any man that seriously mindes the Apostles duft in the three foregoing Chapters and in the verse before may see the Apostle is not speaking of men differenced from the world by believing in comparison with the world but of believers differing from one another in gifts and crying up one above another according to that difference or lifting up themselves for that one above another Nor is the difference he speaks of in the act of believing as if one had believed and another not as if he had said Who made thee to receive but in the matter of their receits who had all received something What hast thou that thou hast not received The meaning is Believers are not to lift up themselves or one another one above another for their gifts in that one hath more or better gifts then another and so not to fault and disown them that have less and dote on them that have more But they may fault and disown them that believe not and commend them that do and they have good warrant so to do which they might not if the want of Faith in men was because there was none for them A company of poor beggers receiving alms some six pence some a shilling have no cause to brag one over another and fault one another when the gift was free to each and not out of desert to any more then other yet they may fault other beggers and glory over them that were slothful
and refused to go where they went for the alms So that that 's impertinent That in Acts 13.48 seems to have the greatest force for proof that Faith is in some the fruit of Election The words are And they believed so many as were ordained to life eternal The word that we Translate Ordained is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is properly to rank and order and often in the Writings of the Apostles is used to signifie an actual appointing or ordering to a thing as Rom. 13.1 The Powers or Authorities that are are ordained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordered or ranked of or under God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some expound it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Acts 22.10.14 as if it were foreappoined or ordained But the word is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foreappointed as if it spake of an act of Gods purpose and counsel in himself only But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Besides that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies too an actual setting apart or separating in time unto a thing a transient act of God upon a creature as is plain Acts 26.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I have appeared to thee to ordain or foreappoint thee a Minister and Witness of those things that thou hast seen Where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to foreordain is a thing not precedent but consequent to Gods appearing to him for he appeared to him he saith not because I had fore-appointed thee but to fore-appoint thee which was an actual ordering him into such a place or office before he should or could act in it and so * Châ—â—s in locaâ— Chrysostom interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 separated to God and the Syriack interpreter by Positi put into such an order The sense then is So many as in the call of God and by the coming of his Word unto them were separated from the world unto and disposed ordered or set for eternal life believed And then it s further to be considered That the word Believed signifies here as sometimes else a continuing or abiding in believing as in Joh. 2.11 His Disciples believed on him They were Disciples and had faith before but now they believed that is went on believing in him they were furthered in their faith confirmed in it and so in verse 22. They believed the Scripture after the Resurrection They did so in part before but They believed there is all one with they were fastened or confirmed in believing them they believed them stronglier So Joh. 17.8 They have known and believed in opposition to those that believed for a time and then fell away these continued believing And so in Acts 17.34 Some clave to Paul and believed that is abid constant in the Doctrine and went on in it Such I conceive may be the meaning of it here too The Gentiles glorified God they were generally affected and taken with it Many were called And they believed so many as was ordered or ordained to life eternal that is they abode constant in the Doctrine they were not for a flash onely as the others were others thought the Word true and rejoyced in it and glorified it but none abid in it but them that God more especially pull'd in to himself These things we have noted on the Minor though the faultiness of the Major is sufficient to overthrow the Argument in the thing that should have been concluded viz. That Faith is the immediate fruit and effect of Christs death which God is obliged by it to give to All that Christ died for All the fruits of the New Covenant are procured and purchased by him Argu. 3 but Faith is one of them But neither doth this conclude And we have shewed before cap. 1. lib. 3. that he neither hath proved Faith to be a fruit of the New Covenant but a thing presupposed Nor that that Covenant is made with all them that Christ died for That without which its impossible that we should be saved Argu. 4 must be procured by him by whom we are fully and effectually saved This may be granted in the sense we have taken the word Procuring And yet it concludes not neither except he could infer But all that Christ died for are fully and effectually saved which he doth not nor can any where prove Besides his proofs prove neither the Major nor the Minor Matth. 1.21 His people Heb. 7.25 All that come to God by him And intimately Heb. 5.9 He is the Author of eternal salvation But to whom saith the Apostle To all that obey him None of which Scriptures takes in Faith as one of those things which he is the Author Procurer or Confirmer of For the very Suppositum in them all is Believers his people men called and of no people made a people of God as 1 Pet. 2.10 They have faith Them that come to him and obey him they have faith So that Christ may be affirmed to be the Author of their eternal and perfect salvation there mentioned and yet not the procurer of their faith As David was a protector of all that fled to him and stood by them to the utmost and yet it follows not that he purchased it of any to make them come to him So that this also is impertinent The last Argument is that of Phil. 1.29 Argu. 5 Its given to you to believe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He leaves out the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be read thus It s given to you as pertaining to Christ not onely to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake This is given of grace As if he should say I speak not now of all sufferings and faith but of what pertains to Christ and what is in his Cause As pertaining to Christ its given by Grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely to believe c. Or thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. To you that which pertains to Christ was given freely not onely to believe on him but also to suffer for him But let the words be read as they are though I conceive not so rightly because of the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omitted yet it follows not either that it was given them as his purchase I may give a man a thing for my childs sake because I love him and would have him esteemed and loved which yet is not by him bought of me for that man Or if so yet it follows not that Christ did so for all that he died for Christ might procure that God should absolutely make some believe in him and yet leave him to glorifie his Mercy or Justice on others as he pleases leave them to such grace as whereby they might have been brought to believe in walking out in the means according to power given yea leave it wholly to the meer VVill of God whom to cause to believe both as to persons and their number So that no wayes doth this Argument conclude Nor doth Ephes 1.3 another
Or can we expect that the telling men of its infinite sufficiency will beget hope in them more then if it were onely sufficient for them for whom it was intended whenas they are told they are never the more included in its intendment by vertue of its infinite sufficiency then if it was far less sufficient VVe may its true assure men of salvation if they be believers or do believe but can we upon that ground assure any one of good ground for their believing or that Christ is an object meet for them to believe on that he is appointed as a Mediator for them or is able to save them For can we say he is able to save any more then those that were included in his intention If he should save any more he must make a new bargain for them and pay a new price for their salvation VVhat is this better then Law-preaching to say If thou believest thou shalt be saved The Law promises life to those that keep it but affords not motive and spirit to effect what it requireth So doth their Doctrine promise life upon Faith but gives no straw affords no certain object that such or such have cause to believe on him demonstrates no love to the soul to draw it in to believe for that 's uncertain such Preachers give but an uncertain sound that cannot affirm that the VVord of God saith That there is any thing done by Christ for any one man in their Congregations that may evidence it a just and right thing for him to hope in God for salvation But he tells us That when God calls upon men to believe he doth not in the first place call upon them to believe that Christ died for them but that there is no name under heaven whereby they may be saved but only of Jesus Christ Well and is there not an intimation in that that Christ died for them Sure he that excepts the Name of Jesus Christ intimates he hath a Name by which they may And what is that Name Either signifies Power and Authority or the report and fame that goes on him Now he that leaves it uncertain whether Christ died sufficiently for them as he confessedly doth that leaves it uncertain whether Christ hath died for them leaves it also uncertain whether Christ hath power by his death to save them Nor can they fame him to be one able and ready to save them and so they cannot preach that there is a Name of Jesus by which they may be saved So that the proof he brings overthrows the Assertion which it is brought to prove Can men be called on to believe in God and not through a Mediator And can they look through a Mediator on him when they know not of any they have He then that calls upon me to believe through Christs Mediation as whoever calls upon men rightly to believe must do doth intimate that there is something in his Mediation for me to be incouraged to believe in God by and so by consequence that he died for me else be the merit of it never so great its no ground of Faith to me And surely however Mr. Owen determins God hath no where so determined nor the Apostles so Preached One tells us That the Record of God which he that believes not makes God a lyer is this That God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 Joh. 5.10 11 12. And surely this is the onely full ground of drawing men to the Son when they are told by the VVord of God that God hath given them life in his Son and the way to have it is to have him but rejecting him and not coming to him for life they reject life and deprive themselves of what God hath given them He that believes not this in every part of it when declared makes God a lyer and will not nor can come in to him to believe on Christ If he believe not that God hath given him life then will he either despaire or seek it by Works and not by Faith if not that this life is in Christ then will he not look to Christ for it or believe on him If he think he may have it and not have Christ and have Christ or not have it then will he neglect believing on Christ as a thing unnecessary or unprofitable for him So Peter tells the people Acts 3.23 God sent Christ to turn every one of you from your iniquities And Paul Acts 13.37 tells them that Remission of sins was Preached to them in Christs name both equivalent to Christs Mediating and dying for them and coming for their sakes And so in 2 Cor. 5.19 and Matt. 224.9 The Declaration of Gods good will to them is laid down as the ground of exhorting them to come in to God And to say no more See what the testimony is of which God made the Apostle Paul an Apostle and Teacher of the Gentiles in Faith and Verity Is it not that in 1 Tim. 2.4 5 6 7. God would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledg of the Truth for there is one God and one Mediator between God and men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransom for All And the appearance of the love of God to man was it that brought Paul himself in Tit. 3.4 5. Was it ever found that a man was called by God to trust in that that he never set up for him to trust in to stay upon Christs blood and Christ shed none for him So that I hope by this the vanity of Mr. Owens Inferences from his first premise appears and that his understanding of the Distinction of Sufficiency and Efficiency together with the Consideration of the dignity of the Sacrifice of Christ in regard as of his person so of the greatness of his pains holds forth onely this to us That God to make his Sons sufferings more valuable then needed to be for the bargain intended put him to more pains then he needed to have endured which is a piece of blasphemy But I pass from that Consideration 2. His second premise is about the Dispensation of the Covenant of Grace Consid 2. and inlarging of the Kingdom of Christ after his appearance in the flesh opposed to the former Dispensation restrained to one People and Family And this he says gave occasion to many general expressions in the Scriptures which are far enough from including an universality of all Individuals All which I grant him and will Instance a few such expressions for him as that of Peter Acts 10.34 Rom. 1.16 and 10.13 In every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him And that The Gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Gentile And that The Lord over all is rich in mercy
difference in the act as the same shine of the Sun may refresh a sound eye and yet hurt the same eye when sore 5. Then he says He gives not all things to All to whom he gave his Son This with the Scripture alledged for it is once and again answered before 6. Then he knows not certainly who shall believe and be saved Which no more follows from it then this God loved Israel to bring them out of Egypt that he might bring them that followed him into Canaan But he brought not all the Israelites into Canaan Ergo If he brought all the Israelits out of Egypt he knew not who would believe in him and follow him into Canaan What a piece of Non-sense is such an Inference But against the inlarging of the object he further thus reasons from the next particular That who so believes thus If the object be restrained there to believers then that depends upon the will of God or upon themselves If upon themselves That contradicts 1. Cor. 1.7 and men make themselves to differ If upon God then we make the place say thus God so loved All that but some should partake of the fruits of his Love and to what end then did he love All Is not this Out with the Sword and run the Dragon through with the Spear To which I answer That the second act the giving the injoyment of eternal life is here asserted but for them that believe and both the appointing life to the believer and the effecting of that faith depend upon Gods Will. As we can make no Law upon what terms to have that life So neither can we work in our selves that condition upon which God giveth that life Faith is the gift of God Acts 28.26 27. with Joh. 12.40 Yet this latter is so of God as that it is not without some actings of man to which he exhorts men and for want of which he justly faults them yea brings them not to faith It s by mans hearing though not of mans power Whence though one man listen to the means and is brought to believe and another that had as much power to have listened stop his ear and believes not yet it follows not that the first made himself to differ because not his listening but God by it gave the faith no more then one Israelite looking to the brasen Serpent being healed might be said to have made himself to differ from another that looked not up in point of healing in which they had both yet remained alike had not God given healing to the one and not to the other The impertinency of the Allegation of 1 Cor. 4.7 I shewed before Nor yet follows that other Inference That it s but thus God loved All that but some might partake of the fruits of his love For 1. There are other fruits then eternal life of which all partake 2. There is no exclusion of any from that condition by which we may partake of that When he says That every one that believes It s to incourage all to believe not to hinder any The whole Argument is but like this God brought Israel out of Egypt that he might bring them that obeyed and followed him into Canaan Either that restriction was determined by Gods Will or their own If their own then they made themselves differ one from another contrary to the Apostle If by Gods then the sense is He brought all out of Egypt that he might bring but some into Canaan To what end then I pray did he bring All out of Egypt Is not this Out with the Sword and run the Dragon through with the Spear Is not this folly and soppery thus to reason or from such a reason to deny the Truth of Gods Word and say God surely did not bring any out of Egypt but whom he brought into Canaan Or will he ascribe Caleb and Joshuah's faith more to will then the believing that which is attested by the VVord of God or by the powerful working of miracles or the like is the Truth of God Ay But if believers onely be the object that shall have salvation Then the general ransom is an empty sound Answer It is so to Unbelief as God himself is in respect of that infinite satisfaction that is in him and so was Gods bringing Israel out of Egypt to them that believed not Such is the pernicious nature of Unbelief that it turns wholsom food into poyson but to such as have learned to become fools that God might make them wise to those that learn to subject their reason to Gods Truth it s not so for they finde it a motive to draw them in to believe in God and to admire his Love to men and the depth of his judgments towards them yea in a word to teach them to deny ungodliness and live godlily as Tit. 2.11 12. And they finde it a very wholsom useful Truth to hold forth to others to let them see cause for believing in God and hoping in him and to charge them with folly and madness that having such ground to believe yet refuse it The most pretious Truth that is is an empty found in respect of spiritual good to the Unbeliever Shal we conclude Ergo it s a falshood Gods goodness it self that lead men to Repentance is an empty thing to those that harden themselves against it and brings them to no spiritual good or happiness shall we therefore teach men to say God is good to none but them that rightly use his goodness and receive the fruit of it in life eternal Is not this to teach men to despise the riches of Gods goodness O the blindeness of our reason in the things of God the folly of preferring it as Umpire in matters of our faith waving the Word of God that should rightly guide us But yet this let me say Unbelievers shall see and finde one day that this general ransom was no empty thing in it self it was meerly their folly and wickedness that made it so to them and then it shall be full of dread and terror to them that they have denied him that bought them His premises being such humane mistakes high thoughts lifted up and strengthned against the Scripture-Declaration his Conclusion that Christ died not or God gave not his Son for them that believe not c. falls with them They being notable justifications of all Unbelievers and Patronizers of slothfulness from which these things follow That to Unbelievers God was not an object meet to be believed on by them nor had any reall reason to love him they being ever hated by him and he never doing them any good in his Son That the want of faith was no fault of theirs for they could no way have avoided what they did in not believing God neither gave them cause nor grace to believe c. But I shall rake no further in so unclean a dunghill that savors so much of Satan and justifies the case of
old distinction which the Gospel came to take away Again How usuall was it with Christ speaking to believing disciples of the Jews onely to oppose them to the world and by the world to mean unbelieving Jews also as in Joh. 15.19 and 7.7 and 17.14 So Paul to the Gentiles as to the Corinths 1 Cor. 11.30 opposes the world to believers of the Gentiles and by the world means all final unbelievers Jew and Gentile Nay if this had any force then in 1 Joh. 5.19 he should strengthen the Jew in their obstanacy which he says they had against the Churches of the Gentiles for there he opposes himself and those he wrote to to the whole world besides in like manner as here We know that we are of God and the whole world lies in wickedness Now if he writ as a Jew reckoning with the Jews and set himself with them in opposition to All other believers in the world then he says there That he and the believing Jews were of God but all the Churches of the Gentiles lay in the wicked one And who would not abominate such an Exposition Nay Mr. Owen should do well to finde any one place in all the Scripture where the word world specially spoken of with distinction from believers or any sort or Nation fignifies another sort or kinde of believers So that that 's vain too His last is His mentioning and given cautions of Deceivers Seducers Antichrists c. As if any man that mindes the Scriptures could be ignorant that these kinde of people did pester also the Gentile Churches as the Galathians Corinthians Churches of Asia c. And that the Apostle Paul was as circumspect of the Gentile Churches and as careful to preserve them from these Seducers as possibly could be and so that John living after the rest of the Apostles needed as much to war and watch over them as an other Churches Nay he that shall equally weigh things will say there was more need for them then others because they receiving the Gospel from the Jews the Deceivers of the Jews had more influence upon them then upon their own Churches for they were apt to question Pauls Doctrine upon this ground that others of the Jews that pretended Authority from the Apostles taught otherwise Besides that the great stumble of the false Apostles was in the Gentile Churches that they wanted Circumcision which the Jewish Churches wanted not to say nothing that we finde them troubling the Gentiles often but never that they troubled with such Doctrines the Jewish Churches Acts 15.3 4 5.23 24. So that I shall need to say no more to that first Consideration having undermined it and made it unable to afford that patronage to his Gloss that he puts upon it 2. For the scope and aim of the Apostle It is saith he to give consolation to believers against their sins and failings If any man sin we have an advocate c. But herein also he comes short For though 1. I grant that he writ to comfort believers all or any believers and not believing Jews onely and that that was his main aim yet it was not all for 2. He affords them also a Direction in case of other men to improve their interest in their Advocate by Prayers Intercessions c. for them according to Pauls direction to Timothy 1 Tim. 2.1 c. Thence it s to be noted That he says not If any of you sin but indefinitely If any sin But suppose he aim onely at the comfort of believers what then He adds Then he can speak of none but them onely and that the extending it to All can possibly make nothing to the end proposed namely the Consolation of believers But sure he is out here For the consideration that Christ renders God propitious to strangers such his power and prevalency with him is an argument much conducing to perswade them that he will render him much more propitious to his children that are wounded for their follies and fly to him And I conceive the Apostle may be understood so to speak in Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but gave him up for us All That is for us All men one and other how shall he not with him having given him to us also as Beza notes on the place give Vs that is his chosen ones All things He that doth good to good and bad to them that are unkinde and ill-requiting will not he do good to us that love him and are born of him Surely if this afford no comfort I know not what will Nay I see nothing in the Text aggravate the consolation more then this It s like that in Matth. 6.26 28. He feeds the Fowls of the Air and clothes the Lillies how much more you his children So here Christ is free for All to come to God by how much more you that have believed and are his peculiarly He procures that gratiousness and kindness or mercy be extended to the whole world how much more to you his choice Inheritance That 's the very voice of unbelief that counts this light Manna and retorts the Argument as Mr. Owen doth They perish most of them through unbelief so may I too So might the Disciples have retorted Ah Lord but many of the fowls of heaven are taken and kill'd and perish for want of food and so may we do too The Argument is strengthned from that If God care for Birds made to be taken and killed and for Lillies that fade and are cast into the Oven much more for you that are his children ordained to an eternal inheritance So If the world many of whom yet perish finde Christ ready to do them good till they have made themselves void of all excuse and hardned their hearts against him much more will he be ready to accept us and pass by our offences who believe on him Yea if their perishing is for their unbelief and they might be brought into special favor did they believe what cause have we to believe on him and not let go our belief And yet in this the Apostle doth no more throw the consolation of believers to Dogs then Christ did throw the consolation of his Disciples to the fowls or then James doth the believers consolation to Dogs in James 1.5 Nor is Christs dying for men the childrens proper portion that 's yet to prove but the Kingdom and Priviledges of Christ in the injoyment of God which we do not throw to any Dogs which yet men are not accounted as meerly natural but as Rebels against the grace of God proud scorners Prov. 9.8 except it be by some conceited Jew◠like spirits that count themselves the onely Elect and Priviledged people and all others as refuse and reprobate beside themselves and men of their opinion c. 3. For the words Propitiation and the whole world 1. The word Propitiation in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coming of that Verb the Publican uses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
those his wrastlings have been rejected as is plain to any that minde Psal 81.9 10 11 14. Prov. 1.22 23 24. Matth. 23.37 Luke 19.41 c. Now for these All that the Apostle says God would have to be saved and come to the knowledg of the truth Mr. Owen confesses the 6. verse proves that Christ gave himself a ransom that All being of the same extent with this in verse 4. Therefore he said not right when he denied that the Scripture saith he gave himself a ransom for All men that in ver 4. being expresly All men And also his Conclusion here is wrong viz. That Christ died and gave himself onely for his Elect and such as shall be eternally saved for that 's the sum of his Conclusion His Argument from the word Ransom and so the commutation he speaks of is answered before in lib. 3. cap. 5. Mr. Rutherfords reasons being the same in substance with what we have had before in Mr. Owen I shall not insert any thing of them here nor give them any other answer then what I have given in Mr. Owen to him 2. The next place that he endeavors to bear off the force of is 2 Pet. 3.9 God is patient to us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance To avoid the light of which he corrupts the Text by adding to the words but detracting from the sense he will have it read that he is patient toward us not willing that any of us should perish but all of us should come to Repentance By such liberty he might answer any Argument For he doth like the Papists when we tell them of being justified by Faith and not by Works they can answer with this addition the Works of the Law we are not justified by them but by other works we are Besides who are that Us none of which he would have perish and all of whom he would have come to Repentance He says Those that had pertook of the precious promises chap. 1.4 whom he calls Brethren chap. 3.1 and that he might be sure to make the text speak what he would have it he runs back as far as Math. 24. the Elect intimating that they include some part of the world uncalled But besides that he no where proves that and that it s very far fetcht to find the substantive of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there can that be any reason of his patience Could any of them perish should Christ come the sooner who can in no wise be deceived or drawn away by perverse Doctrines from Christ Or are those that have received the precious promises of eternal salvation and Brethren to the Apostles in danger to perish if Christ should come sooner who are ready to think long for his coming for their deliverance Or are they yet short of Repentance Apage has nugas The plain sense is That God is patient in behalf of us that believe and doth not speedily execute Judgment for us as the like phrase also signifies in Luke 18.7 8. though he be much provoked to come and plead our cause and destroy ungodly men yet he forbears not willing any should perish not being hasty to destroy any as one that would have them perish or as one that delighteth in their destruction but affording all men in general space for repentance of their follies and evils desires and approves of it that they repent his goodness and forbearance leading to that even such as abuse it and treasure up wrath against themselves by it as is affirmed of Jezabel Rev. 2.21 and others Rom. 2.4 5. Now as we desire not to stretch the latter clause to every individual as to Infants while not capable of it so neither can it be limited to the Elect only he willing others also as that fore-quoted Scripture proves to come to Repentance but to the generality of men we do extend it That God hated any from eternity he hath often said but never yet proved it nor hath he shewed that God denies repentance to any before they put away obstinately what would lead them to it He that gives that which leads to Repentance cannot be said to deny it to them to whom he gives that while that is giving to them as he that gives a plaister that will heal if men according to the power they have would apply it cannot be said to deny healing though some refusing to apply the plaister are never healed 3. The next place sought to be eluded is Heb. 2.9 That by the grace of God he might tast Death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for every man Where first he tells us all acknowledg that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every one is put for All by an Enallage of number Which as he but begs so see I no ground for granting him It s as proper a speech to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if not a tittle of the Law shall pass away till all be fulfilled then why should we causlesly let such a change be made of whole words of the Gospel seeing the Gospel is more permanent But then again he tells us That this expression of Every man is commonly used in Scripture to signify men under some restriction That it s so used in speeches about mens actions thoughts knowledg c. and in places where the foregoing speeches to which it hath reference are evidently bounded up to particular Nations Countries Parties I grant it then signifying but any one without restriction that come within the reach or opportunity of such men to act such things towards as are in those speeches spoken of or that appertain to those places or parties as in that of Col. 1.28 but that in speeches in which it s coupled with God or Christ as Mediator acting willing purposing or knowing it signifies but some of those that it refers to I deny cheifly in matters of fundamental concernment as the death of Christ for men is That that he produces from 1 Cor. 12.7 might seem to evert the truth of this The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man But to that I answer 1. That there is not the same word it s not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a Distributive alwaies of some Totum before mentioned which there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about spiritual men the members of Christ to every one of them not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Spirit given and the like is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 1 Cor. 4 5. Then shall every one that is of the Stewards or Embassadors of Christ have praise of God in which I conceive is also a Synecdoche Speciei pro genere praise for judgment or doom But that it fignifies All and Every one here Mr. Owen will not allow for these Reasons 1. Because to tast Death is to drink up the cup due to sinners Which is as
for him To make good which denyall he sayes 1 That no man is bound to believe that that 's false but that he dyed for every man is false and he hath proved it so before This is Petitio Principii and contrary to the Scripture He is no competent Judge in his own cause and any that reads my Answers may see his proofs have all failed 2. Then he says men should be bound to believe immediately that that is not revealed though Divine Revelation be the Object of all Faith I deny this consequence from the Minor either as laid down by me or stated by him in the second way And whereas he says That the Scriptures do not hold out any where that Christ died for this or that particular as such but indefinitely as sinners specified of times antecedently by Gods purpose and consequently by their owne purchased obedience To the first of these passages I say that the Scriptures holding out an Universall proposition of truth are though not immediately yet mediately the Object of Divine Faith to any one particular for himself that 's included in the generall As when it s said All have sinned To believe thence that I have sinned is a Faith closing with and springing from that that is revealed though not immediately in the expression yet by undeniable intimation and consequence And so in the case of the Resurrection and Judgement in closing with this divine Revelation that all shall rise and be judged I necessarily upon the same divine Revelation believe that I shal rise and be judged also Yea unlesse I believe for my self I do not believe the Divine Revelation as concerning All. So is the case here God having revealed that Christ dyed for every one and all men c. In believing that Divine Truth I believe that he hath done so for me for that Divine Revelation includeth me as a man and one of the world And if it be not so I deny that any particular mans Faith in that particular can be proved to be grounded on the the word of God or that he hath any right to believe on the Mediator or that there is a Mediator for him To the latter passage about the Scriptures holding it forth only for sinners indefinitely often so and so specified I answer 1. That 's untrue It s held out also for the world universally 1 Ioh. 2.2 and for men generally 1 Tim. 2.4 6. Heb. 2.9 Again 2 He contradicts himself for if Scriptures specifie those Sinners for whom Christ dyed to be such or such then it holds not out his Death for sinners indefinitely Scripture holds forth nothing in any place but as it agrees with the truth of other places and indefinitely and boundedly are contradictions when spoken of the same subject Sinners unlimitedly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and limitedly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are incompetible expressions 3. I deny that the Objectum totale the full Object of the Death of Christ is any where specified either by the purpose of God to save them eternally or the consequent obedience found in them which denyall we have managed throughout this discourse 3. He saith The purpose of God and his intention is not propounded as the Object of the Faith of any but only his commands promises and threatnings the latter clause of which is not full enough for neither are his commands properly the Object of Faith but of Obedience nor are those things mentioned the onely object of Faith sure his Declarations may have a share therein too 2. His purpose and intention that he should die for this or that man is necessarily involved in the object of Faith propounding that he died for All men But his purpose or intention of bringing this or that man absolutely to eternal life is not revealed as the object of Faith to any not united to Christ by Faith and the inhabitation of the Spirit But that 's beyond our question not intended at all in the Argument as either way produced and so it s impertinently here mentioned by Mr. Owen In this also is answered his fourth Exception viz. That no command in Scripture to believe is to be measured by Gods purpose and intention His fifth onely answering to the Minor as disowned by me I have nothing to say to it But then he says That the not owning the Argument as in the first way propounded makes it useless as to the cause defended To which I answer That for Christs dying for every man in the world we have more divine proofs then that can come to but as altered into the second form it proves that Tenent untrue that Christ died onely for Gods Elect and them that shall for ever be saved against which I own it Besides this being granted it will follow That the Gospel being proposeable to All the world and that obedience of Faith also requireable thereupon of All there is the same truth in the matter of the Gospel concerning Christs Death for them all also it being otherwise not proposeable nor the obedience of Faith requirable of them His answer to this That it s no safe disputing of what should or would be if things were not as God hath appointed them satisfies not For as 1. We need not such disputings were men contented to be so far fools as to believe Doctrines as God propounds them And 2 As such suppositive Conclusions may be as strong and undeniable upon such supposed principles as positive conclusions 〈◊〉 positive premises yea and may illustrate positive truths too at lest they are as lawful for us to use as for them that oppose us So 3. This is not onely suppositive but positive that the Gospel is predicable to All and therefore the commission runs to preach it to All and I say it s in this positive truth implied that the truth therein declared as true before mens faith is true for All for otherwise there would not be in it a predicability unto All and ground for requiring Belief and Obedience of All we have opportunity and that we might preach it unto upon such preaching it But he excepts That if the Gospel were preached to All the world and All in the world yet this is all the will of God that could in general be signified by it to them viz. That he that believes shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned and so that God hath concatinated these two together Faith and Salvation Which that its untrue we have shewed before in Chap. 1. The Gospel declares good will to All That God would have all men saved and come to know the truth c. ut supra It argues mens wisdom have too much blinded them from seeing into or understanding the Gospel when they finde nothing in it for sinners and men in general but that they that believe shall be saved and can shew them no good reason that any of them have to believe in God more then the Law can shew that says he
not ever true that he that believes that God delivered him from one danger is confident he will from another much less That that belief in all that so believe yea or in any is the confidence that he will deliver from another 2. Whereas he askes if it include not a sense of the spirituall love of Christ I answer That where the Death and Resurrection of Christ are opened to the heart by the Holy Ghost there the love of God is shed abroad into the heart also but not wherever this proposition is believed viz. Christ dyed for me many a man believes that and yet seeth not into the glory of it nor the depth of goodness held forth in it and so hath not the love of God therethrough shed into his heart yet the minding God in this is the way to meet with the holy Ghosts displaying that love Many Israelites believed that God brought them out of Egypt 2 Pet. 1.9 that had not such a view of his power and love therein or at least like them that forget that they were purged from their old sins forgat what they had seen as to be lead to confidence in God for the future by it 3. Whereas he says By this a man must believe before he believe What strange thing is that with reference to diverse acts of believing did not he himself say that we must have a faith of reliance and recumbence in Christ and before that too believe many truths of the Gospell before we can believe that Christ dyed for us so that there is believing before believing and believing before believing again and yet he counts that absurd in us when we say only we must believe the word of God to be true before we can by it be led to believe in God we must believe Gods goodwill to us-ward and a medium provided for us by whom to go to God before we can be perswaded to go to him by faith whom otherwise we look upon as angry and dreadfull ready to consume us We cannot put our confidence in his blood and there through rise up to assurance of eternall life except we first be perswaded that he shed his blood for us So long as we doubt whether he be a Mediator for us or no and whether he hath given himself to ransome us from death we shall doubt whether God will accept us or no or whether he hare us from eternity or not and whether we have any thing to do to take incouragement from the blood of Christ to approach him because we know not we have any right unto it Nor can Master Owen nor all the world beside to help him make it appear to be otherwise but that the soul will question whether it may expect salvation from God or betrust it self with God so long as it knows not but he hates it and Christ hath never done any thing with him for it 3. He denies That a perswasion that it was Gods will that Christ should dy for him in particular neither is nor can be necessary that a sinner be drawn to believe because other grounds will do it without The consequence of this is that many things were spoken unnecessarily by the Apostles Act. 3.26 as when Peter says Christ was sent to turn every one of them from their iniquities And Paul that the grace of God reconciling the world 2 Cor. 5.19 20. 6.1 was to them Corinthians to perswade them to be reconciled That he preached to the Corinths in the first place that Christ dyed for our sins 1 Cor. 15.2 3. And so all those generall phrases that include mens particulars But let us see what other grounds he gives viz. That it is the duty of sinners as such to believe Math. 11.28 Isa 55.1 To believe in what in the blood of Christ as Rom. 3.25 Then it supposes it shed for them all and so it s a truth according to the Gospell-declaration but denying the extent of his Death how can he make it out that sinners as such * A quatenus ad omne valet consequentia which reaches to All sinners ought to believe in Christ What have sinners if not Elect to do with Christ besides he had said before they must be sinners so and so convinced and qualified before they are to be called upon to believe in Christ And I fear he will upon second thoughts say that those Scriptures hold forth that sinners not as such but as so qualified with thirsting after Christ and being weary c. are there required to believe but many a soul is hereby put upon doubting whether it be Elected or so convinced and thirsty c. as is required and so whether God be not an enemy to it from eternity and so whether it hath cause of trusting in him 2. The command of God John 3.23 That shews it to be its duty if it could be proved to extend to it for that says That we believe in his name and a soul may more justly doubt whether that We reach to it seeing they that deny the extent of Christs Death and teach it to doubt of it use such applicatives as We to oppose an Universality and to signify but the Elect and Church c. This therefore yet leaves the soul to doubt whether it may hope in him for salvation especially being told that these things God sends to men indefinitely that the Elect onely might be brought to him he hath no goodwill to any other and that its Elect it knows not commands to believe while men are taught to doubt whether the object to be believed in as such pertains to them can give no more security from doubting then the building with one hand and pulling down with another secures the building from falling 3. The threats against unbelief That indeed doth as much as the threat for not keeping the Law fils the soul with terror on every side while it hears that God commands more to believe then have cause so to do and threatens them for not believing and yet gives them nothing to induce them to it no evidence of his goodwill to them to draw them to believe this may fill them with hard thoughts of God representing him to them like one that bids another eat or else he will kill him but yet gives him no meat to feed on no evidence of his goodness that may induce him to hope and trust in him 4. The alsufficiency of the blood of Christ to save all believers This may make the soul say O how happy are they that do believe and that have his blood to drink for its able to save them but as for me I know not whether it belong to me or not or whether one drop of it was shed for me and so how I can lean upon it I hear it s not sufficient to save any that it was not shed for not for want of inward worth in it but because it s not for them and I may
be one of them for ought I know 4.5 The promise of life upon believing and the assured salvation of all believers without exception These two are of the same nature with the former only the soul hath this to except It s not every believer for many fall away in time of temptation having no root in them as my faith cannot have if I know not that Christ dyed for me and so grow not upon Gods love therein evidenced to me The soul cannot so believe as to love God and so but with a dead faith unless it believe his love first It may see all its endeavors to believe and to rest on God to be but fleshly strivings out of self principles and at the best it argues Gods love but from its own believing which it may justly question the heart being deceitfull and he a fool that trusts for it for evidencing his condition This is but a promise and an assurance of thriving to all that eat duely of a meat which it knows not whether it may or can duely eat or not for to eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ and so to believe on them is when the soul beholding the love of God and Christ in his Death and sacrifice commended to it doth gather boldness and incouragement to love and cast it self upon God and so grows up into the full assurance of peculiar love to him even to eternall life without the knowledge of love to the soul first it can but at highest come to this It may be I am one that God loves and perhaps not well I will leave thinking about it and tyring my self with thoughts if I can and let it alone I must submit when all is done to be disposed to Heaven or Hell by him which indeed is a condition most sit and needfull for the Gospell to be preached to but is far from faith in God which works by Love and is justifying These things The call to believe the command threatning promise c. are good evidences that the ransome is given and accepted for All and there is good provision in Christ for them God never using to call men to any ordinance that he appointed not for them and coming with this they may incourage thee to believe on and love him that gave his Son for thee to believe on And this implyed by them is that declaration that good tidings to sinners that indeed draws them into believe through the spirits working in them or else if they turn their backs upon it renders them throughly guilty when they shall say in their hearts O what did God for me and what cause had I to believe and to have stayed upon him but I refused it As the Israelites in Egypt were indeed sinners for not believing when God had done so much for them to ingage them to it His conclusion then under this head is false viz. That those are enough to remove all doubts and fears much less which I would rather urge against it are they sufficient to incourage and imbolden the heart and frame it to believe but more especially is that false that follows in him viz. That those are All that the Scripture holds out to that purpose It holds out others as we have noted from Acts 3.26 13 37. 1 Tim. 2.4 5 6. but of this he can take no notice they are nothing for his purpose I could give him back here some of his own expressions as that in pag. 283. That if pride and error had not taken too much possession of mens minds they could not so far deny what they reade in plain texts of Scripture as if they had never seen them to maintain their corrupt and false opinions But he answers further 4. That that perswasion which asserts the certainty of the Death of Christ to All believers and 2. That affirms the command of God and call of Christ to be infallibly declarative of that duty which is required of the person commanded and called which if it be performed will be assuredly acceptable to God 3. That holds out purchased free grace to all distressed burthened consciences whatsoever and 4. Discovers a fountain of blood alsufficient to purge all the sin of every man in the World that will use the appointed means for coming unto it that doctrine cannot possibly be the canse of any doubt or scruple in the hearts of convinced burthened sinners whether they ought to believe or no. I answer that this is in a manner the same with the former and there answered I will adde this touching the second particular that its ambiguous whether by the person called he mean by man in the preaching of the Gospell or by God effectually for many are of that mind that God cals not nor holds forth Gospell to all that the Ministers declare it to but only to the Elect if he be of that mind too it s not so undoubtedly true to the hearer as he would make it that God requires what the Minister doth because they may be divided the command and call may be intended only to some that the hearer knows not whether he be one of or not though the Preacher out of ignorance direct it to all and this may beget much doubting in the hearer whether its Gods voice to or him no. Again he supposeth more in this Doctrine he pleads for in two last particulars then is in it as that it holds forth purchased free grace to all distressed burthened consciences there are many among the Heathen have their consciences accusing them yea sometimes like furies burthening them there are many that profess Christ conscious of heinous sins and are ready to despaire and make away themselves for them there are many burthened that they can no more walk up to the righteousness and labor to stablish righteousness to themselves and cannot be setled Will Master Owen say that their doctrine holds forth purchased free grace to all these that I deny for it says he purchased free grace only for the Elect and that all such are Elected I suppose he will be put to it to prove seeing many such go on in their sins notwithstanding their burthens and many seek to put them off and sometimes do stifle them by worldly imployments and vanities and many actually despair and make away themselves If he say he means not such the matter is where it was the distressed conscience may yet doubt and is apt so to do whether it may not be one of those in the issue As for that in the fourth that there is an alsufficiency in the blood of Christ for all that will use the appointed means c. I will not stand to tell him though I might that his speech here is like one of them that in us he uses to tax with-holding Free-will which seeing he declaims against I hope he will be so charitable as to allow us the like liberty of speaking without fastening upon us that Odium But I say
reasoning Christ dyed for Believers I am such a one therefore for me though the Major is true yet the Minor cannot well be affirmed of those that know not otherwise before that Christ dyed for them and if they do this medium is needlesse to them for what Faith hath a man before he believe that Christ dyed for him by which he may know and believe that Christ dyed for him not a faith that worketh by love because that springs from an apprehension of Gods love for we cannot love him but as we behold him loving us first Not a Faith by grace because while men doubt or know not that Christ dyed for them they know not the grace that the Gospel holds forth to move them to believing seeing according to the Gospel-Declaration all grace runs by and through Christs mediation And if not such a Faith then the Major and Minor agree not for they will not say that Christ dyed for All that have a dead Faith or conceits of faith wrought by self-endeavor seeing men may have those yet perish So that this argument hath in it a great deal of deceit and puts men upon many inconveniencies to prove the Minor upon which all the grounds of their comfort stand For upon that act of their faith Christ himself with all his death and mediation is laid that being the foundation they lay him upon whereas those things as asserted in the word for them credited by them should lay faith upon him so themselves also upon him by faith Whereas he says that a better syllogisme then this He dyed for All men I am a man ergo for me I deny it For 1. This is a more immediate Divine Faith as springing from and being bottomed upon the Word of God as hath been seen 2. The Minor is more conspicuous and evident 3. The grace of God is more admired to see that he dyed for me while yet I am as other men a sinner then when by my industry I think I am framed to believe for then I look upon his love through something found in me in which I differ from others which lifts me up above others looking upon them as not so framed but the other abases and leads to love and pity others even sinners that are as I. But oh the pride and vanity of mans heart that prefers such consolations as take in something of the creatures frames with them before those that have nothing but God to a naked creature to spring up all his frames from pure love without him How many are the endeavours and strifts of men again and again to make out this proposition I am a Believer while in the mean time they reject and believe not that love of God to them as men and sinners that should indeed in the receit of it and the Spirits setting it home make them believers and spring up all those frames which they as it were by works of the Law endeavour after and cannot that way attain that they might evidence themselves to be believers and when they think they have by much strift attained to believe then those their strifts their faith as they suppose with all the signs that they have annexed to it are taken in together as the ground of their comfort and hope in God yea of their belief that Christ was sent and dyed for them which yet they are at a losse in questioning Gods love to them and their ground and cause of hoping in him as they see cause to question their own love to and so by consequence their own faith in him A miserable way it is God knows that this Doctrine leads multitudes into while they either curiously pry into Gods secrets almost to destraction or else look into themselves for fruits of faith that may evidence them to have faith and so their Election and so right to Christ and his Gospel and all this before they can see that there is any thing in the Gospel that is good news to them or any love in God towards them that works that Faith and those Fruits in its appearance by which their Election should be discerned by them 4. The fourth thing he leaves onely desiring the Reader to peruse that place of Rom. 8.32 33 34. which I also commend to the Reader that upon good grounds knowes himself a Believer one in Christ walking after the Spirit and not after the flesh for to such it is written and to their consolation ver 1.28 29 30 c. and I say to such its a rich Mine of firm lasting comfort consolation joy assurance rest peace refreshment and satisfaction no place fuller or sweeter that I know of and all springing from the consideration of God as their friend and Father justifying them Christ that dyed for them and rose again now interceding at Gods right hand for them that they may be one with Christ in priviledges and glory and have the New Covenant fully performed to them But if the Reader that believes desires to perswade others to faith or if he be one that knows not whether God hath any good-will to him or no and so is not yet by faith in Christ that place will afford little to him But I desire him to read 1 Tim. 2.4 5 6. that God wils All to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth That there is one God and one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransome for All c. And if he believe that record of God that testimony born to him and his Son he may therein see Gods good-will to him and good ground for him to seek him through Christ that gave himself a ransome for him good cause to Repent of all his evils against him that is so well affected toward him good cause to leave his evill wayes of grieving him and live to him and love him that is so loving to him good cause to hope in his mercy and in that hope to call upon him and seek to enjoy more knowledge of him and experience of his salvation and good matter to hold forth to others for their conversion and bringing in to Christ None of all which their restrictive Doctrine which is Anti-Christian as it hinders the course of the Gospel of Christ and keeps men in ignorance of the grounds they have to repent seek after love and hope in God and not at all held forth in Rom. 8.32 can lead them to for by it none who yet believeth not and so knoweth not himself to be Elected can see any ground to believe in live to love please or serve God inasmuch as for ought he knowes he is from eternity an enemy to him and hates him but it will lead him to go on resolutely in his way and do what seems good to him seeing by that its undeniably true that if Christ dyed for him he cannot miscarry if otherwise he must doe what he can as hath been noted But let