Cain Pharaoh Saul and Iudas not as they were reprobates but as they were sinners for God say they doth equally intend and desire the saluation of all men and the incredulitie of man is the cause that remission and reconciliation is not applyed to all They hold moreouer that the end which God propounded to himselfe in deliuering his Sonne to death was not to apply the benefit of remission to some particular men nor doe they 〈◊〉 that Christ was appointed to death by his Father before God thought of sauing men One of them sayes That reconciliation being obtained there was yet no necessitie of application that is after saluation and reconciliation for almes was obtained there was no necessitie that any one should bee saued because hee will haue the decree of sending Christ in order to goe before the Decree of sauing those that beleeue therefore that God intended to send his Sonne when as yet hee had not intended to saue them that beleeue And the 〈◊〉 would haue this to be the end why God sent his Son namely to make the saluation of men possible and to lay open a way to himselfe whereby hee might saue sinners without any preiudice to his Iustice by this meanes say they God hath gotten power of sauing man because without the death of Christ by which the iustice of God was satisfied God could not bee willing to saue man But the Truth bids vs be of another opinion Wee doe acknowledge that Christ dyed for all men but we deny that by the death of Christ saluation and forgiuenesse of 〈◊〉 is obtained for all men or that reconciliation is made for Cain 〈◊〉 Saul Iud 〈◊〉 Neither doe we thinke that remission of sinnes is obtained for any one whose sinnes are not remitted or that saluation was purchased for him whom God from eternity hath decreed to condemne We deny that election is after the death of Christ seeing Christ doth euery where affirme that he dyed for his sheep and for those whom his Father gaue him And when we say that Christ dyed for all wee take it thus that the death of Christ is sufficient to saue 〈◊〉 doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that it is sufficient to saue all men that euer were are or 〈◊〉 bee if they did beleeue in him and that the cause why all men are not saued is not the insufficiency of the death of Christ but the incredulity of man Whosoeuer therefore shall say that Christ offered his body an expiatory sacrifice for the sinnes of euery particular man as of pharaoh Cain and Iudas hee doth by this doctrine openly mocke God for Christ is imagined to obtaine that from his Father which he knew would neuer profit as if God should grant to his Sonne the saluation of that man which from eternity he decreed to condemne for if Christ obtained reconciliation and remission of sinnes for Cain or Iudas whether considered as reprobates or as sinners yet he knew this reconciliation and remission should neuer be applyed vnto them and therefore their doctrine is as if Christ should say vnto his Father I pray thee receiue to 〈◊〉 those whom I know thou 〈◊〉 neuer receiue into 〈◊〉 and whom I know certainly to be condemned For Christ as God knew full well the secrets of election Surely these men doe their endeauour that Christian Religion should be made a mocking stocke Can God at one and the same time loue and hate a man Loue him because he giueth his Sonne for him and would haue reconciliation obtained for him hate him because from eternitie he decreed to condemne him Can God be so vniust as to punish one offence twice For once Christ as the Arminians teach sustained the punishment of 〈◊〉 and Iudas and for them made satisfaction vpon the crosse yet for the same sins doe the same persons suffer eternall death Obiect To strengthen their tottering and declining cause they alleadge scripture God so loued the world c. which place they rest to prooue Christs dying for all men wheras indeed by the world Christ vnderstandeth the noblest and most worthy creatures as in the sequel of the verse That al those that beleeue in him might not perish 〈◊〉 haue euerlasting lise Where what was obscure by the generall tearme of the world is explained by its restriction onely vnto the faithfull and in this sense is the word World 〈◊〉 Ioh. 6. 33. But albeit we grant that by the world is vnderstood mankind in generall yet it will not follow that Christ purchased saluation for all particular men but that he came to saue the whole nature of man though not all 〈◊〉 for in that hee redeemed some men it doth aboundantly testifie the loue of God to mankind Obiect 2. They assault vs with the words of 〈◊〉 Iohn Baptist Behold the lambe of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 away the sinnes of the world but hereby wee are to vnderstand that in the whole world no mans sinnes are remitted but by Christ as in the same sense Saint 〈◊〉 speakes In Christ all men are made aliue because no man is made aline but by him If a man say that 〈◊〉 taught all Greece and Italy Physicke hee doth not say that all particular men each seuerall person in Greece or Italy learned of him but that no man learned 〈◊〉 but from him Not to trouble you with many arguments the Thesis or true Position of this 〈◊〉 is this That Christ 〈◊〉 fus offere a not his body vpon the crosse to bee a propitiatory or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the sinnes of any reprobate but onely for the sinnes of the elect which haue in times past doe at this present and shall hereafter beleeue in Christ and attaine to true repentance This benefite then of Christs sacrifice is onely confined to beleeuers as the Apostle manifests whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood whereby it appeares that there is no propitiation without faith and consequently no obtaining of reconciliation And the same Apostle in the same epistle affordeth a strong testimony for the confirmation of this point for he sayes who shall lay any thing to the charge c. which place tells vs that they for whom Christ dyed cannot be condemned nor can any thing be layed to their charge but the reprobates are condemned and something is laide to their charge therefore Christ dyed not for them neither did he make satisfaction for their sinnes but onely for such as beleeue in him and for these alone doth hee also make intercession I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast giuen me So that the Ocean of Christs loue in offering of sacrifice and applying it is bounded within the shoare of beleeuers not extending it selfe vnto any reprobate wherefore the Scripture which is the best expositer of it selfe shewes that when it sayes Christ was a propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world meanes not of all men in generall
to goe in to bow with his Master in the house of Rimmon and therefore prayeth twice for mercy for it professing he will neuer worship any but the true God neither doth he onely pray for sinne past but in the sence of his owne weakenesse desireth mercy that 〈◊〉 may not bee drawne from his purpose and withsll stirreth vp the Prophet to pray for him that God would giue him grace and strength and for pardon if at any time hee should against his purpose bee drawne into his former sinne and in this sense the Prophet bids him goe in peace as if hee should say I will pray that God would keepe thee in thy godly resolution and for mercy and pardon if thou shouldest be drawne aside and so farewell The words of the Prophet Elisha Goe in peace are also diuerssy expounded Some thinke the Prophets words 〈◊〉 no grant made vnto his petition but rather a prohibition not to trouble himselfe about those matters as if he should haue sayd Content thy selfe require no such thing it would trouble thy conscience but goe in peace keepe a good conscience and labour for the peacetherof so as Polan obserues the words of the Prophet are Tantum dimittentis abeuntem non concedentis postulatum onely a valediction and not any concession or granting of his request Againe it appeares not by the words of the Prophet that he gaue any tolleration or dispensation vnto Naaman for Naaman makes in one verse two petitions one for permission to goe into Rimmons Temple the other for two mules load of earth to carry home with him to offer sacrifice vpon vnto the Lord. Now the Prophet makes the same answer vnto both and therefore doth either condescend to both or deny both but grant them both he did not for the one was cleane contrary to the law to giue Naaman leaue to sacrifice in Syria who was not a Priest whose office it was alone to offer sacrifice and moreouer Ierusalem was the onely place appointed for that action This request therefore the Prophet can by no meanes be thought to haue granted Ergo nor the other And vnto this sence I doe adhere for that the Prophet neither could nor durst giue any liberty to Naaman to be present at the Idolatrous worship of the Syrian Rimmon I am not ignorant of the opinion of some that the Prophet answers dispensando by the way of dispensation though not generally yet in that case onely to goe into the Idols Temple and to bee present at their Idolatry But Lyranus will haue it declarando by declaring it to be lawfull for Naaman to bee present in the Temple of Rimmon at Idolatrous seruice and sacrifice so it were onely for ciuill respect vnto the king his Master and of this opinion seemes 〈◊〉 to be who allowes a man to bee present by reason of some ciuill office so hee yeeld not to the least shew of Idolatry but I should rather commend the practise of the Protestant Princesat Augusta who brought Charles the fift their Emperour along as he was going to the Masse but left him at the Church doore as also of Valentinian who brought Iulian to the Temple of his Idols and when the doore-keeper sprinkled his gowne with the Idols water as the Pagans vsed Valentinian forthwith gaue him a blow on the eare Conclusion Thus hauing sufficiently refelled their strongest arguments and giuen answer to their chiefest pleas the conclusion shall bee this Seeing the Romish Masse hath quite ouerthrowne and thrust the Supper of the Lord out of the Church the holy Supper being an assembly a body of the faithfull vnited and knit together in one spirit strengthening our faith 〈◊〉 our charity kindling our zeale wherein is celebrated the memory of the death and passion of our Lord by a plaine and open rehearsall of the cause manner and benefits of the same whereby the faithfull are taught to acknowledge and call to mind the greatnesse of their sinnes and to admire and magnifie the great and vnspeakeable mercies of God whereby they are stirred vp to renounce and forsake themselues to giue themselues wholy vnto God to dye vnto their lusts and concupiscences and to liue vnto Christ who hauing once deliuered himselfe to the death of the crosse for to giue them life did yet further vouchsafe to giue himselfe to them in this sacrament as spirituall meate and drinke to feede their soules vnto eternall life and herein all the faithfull doe communicate together in the bread and in the cup in the body and in the blood of our Lord being taught thereby that they are diuers members of one mysticall hody whereof Christ is the head being quickned mooued and gouerned by one Spirit euen the Spirit of Christ liuing one life and hauing their hearts vnited one to another by loue Herein wee are seriously admonished of our bond and obligation to God the Father for sending his Son and God the Sonne fulfilling the will of his Father the remembrance of whose death wee shew forth till he come who as verily as the Minister giueth vs the bread and wine to be receiued with our hands which being eaten and drunken are conuerted into our substances and become nourishments of our bodies giueth vs his body and 〈◊〉 to be receiued with faith that we may eate and drinke them spiritually and that they may be turned into the life and substance of our soules making vs one with Christ and Christ one with vs. This was the holy Supper of the faithfull in the ancient Church and this is ours with the rest of the reformed Churches But in the Masse there are no footsteps of the holy Supper but all things are so changed as if the Lords Supper were abolished and the Masse were come in the stead therof for in the Masse there is a Prieft in a strange garment his face fixt vpon an Altar with a Clarke standing behind him muttering in a strange language interlarded with signes lifting vp a wafer in an affected and ceremoniall superstitious sort causing it to be worshipped dipping it in the wine eating it alone persuading the people that by thus much as hath beene done beeing at their request and bought with somepiece of money he hath sacrificed Christ for them What shewing foorth of the Lords death is there till he come Nay is there not an abolishing of the perfection value and efficacy of Christs death and sacrifice Is their not 〈◊〉 in robbing the lay-people of the cup Is not the Masse ful of abhominable blasphemies and grosse impieties Are not the deaths and sufferings of Saints and Martyrs rather reckoned vp then the death of Christ represented Is there not rather a breach of charity then any Symbole of loue when the Priest eates all himselfe the common people being excluded from it where is there any communion betweene the members or signification of our engrafting into Christ The scriptures neither authorising nor the Primitiue and Apostolicall
estated in glory By him we haue our fetters knockt off and our filthy rags cast away by him we are arrayed with rich apparrell of holines and innocencie by him wee are brought into his fathers presence and are accepted of God Almightie Through him we haue our Iustification through him we haue our Sanctification through him we haue our Glorification Seeing then the saluation of all beleeuers is perfectly wrought and consummated by the sacrifice of Christ here may arise a question Quest. Whether there be any sacrifices to bee offered by Christians vnder the Gospell or no Answ. I answer there are not any Ilasticke or propitiatory sacrifices to bee offered for attonement with God for to that end Christ hath offered himselfe once for all But as you haue heard that all Christians are spirituall Priests so they haue spirituall sacrifices to offer still vnto God which sacrifices are these First a broken and a contrite heart The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart oh Lord thou wilt not despise without this sacrifice all others are abhominable in the sight of God Secondly the offering vp of beleeuers per leitourgian ministrornm by the seruice of Gods ministers of this Paul speakes That I should be the minister of Iesus Christ to the Gentiles ministring the Gospell 〈◊〉 God that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable 〈◊〉 sanctified by the Holy Ghost Thirdly al manner of prayer and supplication Let my prayers be directed before thee as 〈◊〉 incense and the lifting vp of my hands as the euening sacrifice Fourthly all praise and thanksgining which wee giue vnto God By him therefore let vs offer the sacrifice of prayse to God 〈◊〉 that is the fruits of our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thanks to his name This sacrifice of 〈◊〉 Orthodox fathers called an im ton thu sian an vnbloody sacrifice as 〈◊〉 in his embassage for the Christians to the Emperours Antonius and 〈◊〉 And Eusebius Offerant illi logikas kai anaimous thu sias Let them offer 〈◊〉 and vnbloody sacrifices So Cyrill Oecumenicus Iustine Martyr Clemens Alexandrinus fathers of great 〈◊〉 called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haleluiahs of Angels and the holy hymnes of the Saints acceptable 〈◊〉 sacrifices Fiftly our almes and reliefe of the poore are spirituall sacrifices To doe good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is well 〈◊〉 And Paul calls the beneuolence of the Philippians sent by Ep phroditus an odor of a sweet smell and a sacrifice acceptable well pleasing to God Sixtly there is the sacrifice of righteousnesse or iustice Offer to God the sacrifices of right 〈◊〉 and againe Then shalt thoube pleased with the sacrifices of righteousnesse 〈◊〉 there is the slaying of our sinnes and offering them vp dead vnto the Lord with there signation of our selues to Gods seruice I beseech you therefore 〈◊〉 by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable seruice Eighthly the bodily death of the Martyrs inflicted on them by bloody tyrants is a spirituall sacrifice Thus Paul calls himselfe a Sacrifice Yea if I bee offered vp a sacrifice for the seruice of your faith And I take it in this sense it is the Prophet Dauid speakes saying Precious in the sight of God is the death of his Saints Thus did that holy Polycarpe the Disciple of Saint Iohn call his death which hee indured for the testimony of Iesus a Sacrifice And so Saint Augustine speaking of the Martyrs hath these words The Gentils dedicated Temples consecrated Priests erected altars and offered sacrifices to their gods We Christians dedicate Temples to our Martyrs not as to Gods but to their memories as to dead men whose spirits liue with the Lord. Neither doe we erect alvars whereon we sacrifice to the Martyrs but to one God theirs and ours Wee offer sacrifice at which sacrifices those Martyrs as men of God are named in their place and order nor are they 〈◊〉 by him that offers the sacrifice for the sacrifice is not made to them but to God although it be in the remembrance of them for he is the minister of God and not theirs and the sacrifice is the body of Christ which is not offered vnto them for they themselues are that body In the latter end of which words Saint Augustine shewes that the whole Church which is the mysticall body of Christ whereof the Martyrs are a part is a gratefull sacrifice acceptable vnto God Lastly the sacrament of the Lords supper is a sacrifice but not after the manner of the Papists but onely figuratiuely So the bread and cup are called the sacrifices of Christians by Iustine Martyr because they represent the sacrifice of Christ and were instituted in remembrance of it So Dyonisius calls it Sumbolike ierourgia ☠Symbolicum Sacrificium Eccles. Hiera cap. 30. a Symbolicall sacrifice So Saint Augustine Quod ab omnibus appellatur sacrificium signum est veri 〈◊〉 That which by all men is called a sacrifice is but a signe of the true sacrifice And that immolation which is in the hands of the Priest is called the passion death and crucifixion of Christ not that it is so indeed and in truth but onely by the way of remembrance So that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper may be called Sacrificium 〈◊〉 a Recordatory Sacrifice wherein vsing the signes and Symbolls of his body and blood with true faith and thankfull hearts we celebrate the memoriall of the death and sacrifice of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. Wherefore the Fathers called it an vnbloody sacrifice because it was not a proper sacrifice but onely mysticall and figuratiue And indeed this makes it not to bee properly a sacrifice because in a sacrifice we giue vnto God but in a Sacrament wee receiue from God but in the Lords Supper wee giue not the body and blood of Christ vnto God but receiue it from the minister as from Christ for the confirmation of our faith which makes it to be properly and truely a sacrament but a sacrifice it is called improperly and by representation Thus you see what was the sacrifice offered by Christ and what are the spirituall sacrifices of euery Christian. Now followes the third branch of this first part of the text Namely the cause why Christ offered this sacrifice or the end whereunto this sacrifice was directed which is said here to be for sinne But this man hauing offered one sacrifice for sinne Here we are to note that albeit the Angels had sinned as well as man yet it was not for their sinne that Christ offered sacrifice for they had no benefite by his incarnation death or passion but for the sinnes of mankind and withall we are to obserue that albeit Christ was a man endued with true humane nature yet in regard he was not a sinnefull man but a lambe without blemish and without spot a
but makes it plaine by restraining it to some onely This is my blood which is shed for many for remission of sins and the sonne of man 〈◊〉 that he might giue his life a redemption for many and he was offered once for the sins of many By this it is plaine that all men haue not benefite by Christs sacrifice neither is the guilt of euery mans sinnes washed away by the 〈◊〉 of this lambe of God but onely of the elect in Christ who haue doe and shall beleeue in his holy name Away then with the erroneous innouation of the Arminians teaching satisfaction for each particular man And away with that 〈◊〉 conceit of most common people concerning 〈◊〉 Redemption whereby they are apt to say that all men shall be saued and God forbid that any man should goe to hell thus out of 〈◊〉 charitie they iudge contrary to the Canon of Gods word for the iudgement of charitie is not alwayes the iudgement of verity The 〈◊〉 and Sacrifice of Christ with the end of both of them beeing thus largely and sufficiently explained I shall thinke it necessary now to draw all that hath beene formerly spoken to this Corrolary which I will lay downe as a generall doctrine collected out of the three parts of the first branch of the text and it is this That Iesus Christ the eternall Sonne of the euer-liuing God as God and man was the onely Priest that offered on the crosse his whole humane nature soule and body a true and perfect Expiatory sacrifice to satisfie for all the finnes of all true 〈◊〉 where by hee wrought their perfect reconciliation with God and obtained full remission for all their offences The which position in euery particular hath beene so fully prooued that it needs no further confirmation wherefore it shall be necessary to make some application to our selues The vses to be made of this doctrine are diuers Vse 1. First it teacheth vs to consider the true and proper nature of sinne which is so contrary to the 〈◊〉 essence of God so opposire vnto his sacred law so odious and abhominable in his eyes so noxious and dangerous to the soule of man that all the creatures in the world men and angels gold and precious iewells could not appease the wrath of God or be a propitiatory sacrifice for the atonement and reconciliation of mankind but onely 〈◊〉 Christ God and man the eternall Sonne of his Father Oh then how are most men too blame that esteeme their 〈◊〉 as things not worthy regarding not worthy excepting against and how are all men to bee condemned that either for a little gaine or a small deale of perishing pleasure will make no scruple to pollute 〈◊〉 to wound and slay their soules with wilfull and knowne wickednesse Alas alas sinne is so hainous in Gods account that all the world is not able to satisfie for it but onely the eternall Sonne of God and that by being a sacrifice and powring foorth his precious blood Well then did sinne draw Christ from the bosome of his father Did sinne cause him to take our nature vpon him Did sinne nayle him to the crosse piercing his hands his feet his side Did 〈◊〉 take away his blood and with his blood his life Did sinne make him a sacrifice burning in the flames of his fathers wrath and crying Eli Eli 〈◊〉 My God my God why 〈◊〉 thou for saken me was sinne the procuring cause of all this his 〈◊〉 Cursed then be that man that shall eyther 〈◊〉 and delight in sinne or shall extenuate and lessen his sinne esteeming it 〈◊〉 or slender cause why God should cast a man into hell or as sinne 〈◊〉 the heart of Christ shall not bee pricked and pierced at the heart with sorrow and repentance Put thy sinne in one ballance and the price that was payd for it in the other and thou shalt soone finde the one to be of infinite weight to presse thee downe to hell and the other to be of infinite pretiousnesse to recouer thee to heauen This is the first vse of this point for information to teach vs that if Christ were offered a sacrifice for our sinnes sinne then is not to be 〈◊〉 as a slight and slender thing Vse 2. The second vse of this point is for instruction to teach vs what loue God the Father hath expressed vnto vs mortalls in that he sent his Sonne to bee a sacrifice for mankind God commendeth his loue towards vs in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for vs. Great yea infinite surely was the loue of God in that when we had reiected him and giuen heede to the entisements of the Serpent when we had raced forth his image out of our whole man and instead thereof had imprinted therein the feature of the Diuell when we had rebelled against our maker trampling his law vnder our feete destroying our owne soules yet that there should remaine within his bosome a more then fatherly affection towards vs insomuch that he gaue his onely sonne that euery one that 〈◊〉 in him might not perish but haue euerlasting life this is loue indeede farre transcending the loue of any creature which ought to beget in vs true thankfulnesse and a holy retorsion of loue againe For but that God had so much compassion on Adam as to make vnto him that promise of the blessed seede he and we in him had beene hopelesse and helpelesse not 〈◊〉 to get forth of that pit into which we were plunged so that the Lord may say vnto Adam Perditio tua ex te ô Adam saluatio ex me Oh Adam thy destruction proceedes from thy selfe thy saluation only from me and from my loue Should not the consideration of this loue of God plentifully powred out vpon vs without any desert on our part prouoke vs to loue him with all our heartes withall our strength withall our power Why do men loue riches more then God why doe men loue pleasure more then God why do men reioyce more in temporall honour then in God Because they call not to minde the loue that God hath shewed to mankind in sending his sonne into the world to be a sacrifice for our sinnes Hath God so manifested his loue and shall it be so buried in obliuion O consider this yee that forget God least I teare you in peeces and there be none to deliuer you Here as God the father hath manifested his compassion so God the Sonne Iesus Christ hath declared his prompt and ready affection to vs poore sinners in that sponte of his owne free-will he was pleased to take vpon him that arduous and paineful office of priesthood and to effect that stupendious worke of our redemption That he that was verbum increatum the Word increate should become verbum incarnatum the Word incarnate Here was loue without parallell without compare Especially if wee consider that he could not take vpon him the shape of a seruant but
lambe for his innocencie of nature and without blemish for integritie of conuersation therefore hee needed no sacrifice to be offered for him to purge his sinne as all men els doe but onely offered in behalfe of all beleeuers Therefore we may safely affirme that Christ receiued no benefit by his owne sacrifice in respect of remission of his sinnes for seeing hee was without sin he needed no sacrifice to bee offered for himselfe Wherefore the actiue obedience of Christ to the law did appertaine both to the elect and to himselfe to the elect that the law might be fulfilled by Christ for them to himselfe for as hee was a creature after the image of God so was hee bound to obey the law of his creatour but his passiue obedience appertaineth onely to the faithfull seeing he had not sinned therefore he deserued no punishment and hauing not 〈◊〉 needed no sacrifice to bee offered for himselfe This appeares by the word of the Angell Gabriel vnto Daniell And after threescore and two weekes the Messiah shall be 〈◊〉 but not for himselfe Thereupon worthily did the Councill of Ephesus stablish this Canon Si quis dic it Christum pro se obtulisse sacrificium non magis pro nobis solum Anathema 〈◊〉 If any man shall say that Christ did offer an oblation for himselfe and not rather for vs alone let him be accursed For vs then it is that Christ offered sacrifice and for our sinne Quest. But what sinne Answ. All sinnes of the elect originall and actuall of omission and commission of weakenesse and wilfulnesse before their conuersion and since their conuersion whatsoeuer is anomia a transgression of the law is by this sacrifice of Christ expiated yea the sinne against the Holy Ghost albeit it be not at any time actually pardoned yet there is so much merit and worth in this sacrifice as to deserue the pardon of it if the party com̄itting it could come to repentance Not that that sinne can bee or is at any time pardoned because of the incredulitie and impenitencie of the sinner but that the sinne in it selfe considered cannot be so great but the mercy of God is able to pardon it and the merits of Christ in this sacrifice are of such sufficiencie as to deserue remission and giue satisfaction for it Now whereas it is said to be a sacrifice for sinne it offers to our obseruation three things First the heinousnesse and abhominablenesse of sinne euery sinne be it neuer so small is both so odious in the eyes of God and iniurious to his diuine law that nothing can expiate it but the death and sacrifice of the Sonne of God why then shall any Christian take pleasure in sinne which drew Christ Iesus from his 〈◊〉 one of Maiestie and fastned him to the crosse which caused him to shed his precious blood and to giue his life as a ransome for the sons of men As the burthen of our sinnes were well nigh vnto Christ 〈◊〉 so let the practise of them be vnto vs detestable Let vs neither extenuate their number nor their nature for the smallest sin though but once done is committed against a God of an 〈◊〉 maiestie and deserues an infinite punishment and could not be satisfied for but by the infinite sacrifice of the Sonne of God Christ Iesus Secondly we may obserue heere the insufficiencie of all other sacrifices both before and vnder the law for they were not able to 〈◊〉 the sinnes of the 〈◊〉 and therefore to speake properly there was 〈◊〉 but one true Ilasticke and propitiatory sacrifice for sinne which Christ Iesus offered when he gaue his body vpon the crosse for our redemption And therefore doth the Apostle 〈◊〉 this sacrifice of Christ 〈◊〉 exochen aboue all others thusian to theo is 〈◊〉 euodias a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling 〈◊〉 Thereby intimating that this sacrifice beeing most gratefull to God in it alone was God well pleased Obiect But here may be obiected Noah after the waters were abated off the earth and that at Gods command he was come forth of the Arke hee tooke of euery cleane beast and of euery cleane foule and 〈◊〉 burnt offerings on the altar and the Lord smelled a sweet sauour And againe Exod. 29. 18. The offerings that are made for the consecration of the Priests are called sweet sauours vnto the Lord. Answ. I answer these sacrifices are to be considered two wayes either in themselues or as they haue relation to Christ. As they were considered in themselues so they had no sweet sauour in the nostrills of God because they were but earthly things and of a finite vertue and therefore doth the Lord often complaine against those that reposed confidence only in the outward ceremony of sacrificing whose oblations were an abhomination to him But as these offerings had relation to the sacrifice of Christ and were offered by faith in his sacrifice so they were acceptable vnto God and God did smell a sweet sauor in them not for themselues but for the Antitype Christ Iesus who was figured by them and therefore it is said that By faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice then Cain Not but that Cains might in value equall Abels but because Abel offered by faith in Christ and Cain without faith And as the Leuiticall sacrifices of the law were onely accepted in Christ so and no otherwise are our spirituall sacrifices of the Gospell yee also as liuing stones are built vp a spirituall house an holy Presthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifice acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. By which it appeares that all our sacrifices and seruices are to be presented before God onely in the perfection of this al-sufficient sacrifice of Iesus Christ. Thirdly obserue we here the perfection of this sacrifice in that there was nothing in sinne but the contrary might bee found in this sacrifice In sinne there is imperfection in this sacrifice perfection in sinne disobedience in this sacrifice obedience in sin carnall delight and pleasure in this sacrifice vnspeakable torture and torment in sinne pride in this sacrifice humilitie in sinne enuy in this sacrifice loue in sinne mans destruction in this sacrifice mans restauration in sinne death in this sacrifice life So that wheresoeuer sinne had made a breach this sacrifice of Christ makes it vp giuing full satisfaction for euery default Quest. But here will arise a great question which of late hath troubled the Church of God and it is this Seeing here it is 〈◊〉 downe indefinitely that Christ offered one sacrifice for sinne Whether did Christ offer a propitiatory sacrifice to satisfie for the sinnes of all men as well reprobates as elects Answ. The Arminians are of opinion that Christ by the sacrifice of his death obtained remission of sins reconciliation and saluation for all and particular men Nor doe they doubt to say that by the death of Christ reconciliation was obtained for