in our dispute yet with those that are contentious and will needs insist on the supposed advantage which the state of Indians and other Pagans and their Infants do afford them I shall though unwillingly proceed further rather than prejudice the Truth But the greatest Ambiguity in our Question is in the term For. This proposition here may admit of divers Senses Sometime Christ is said to Die For our Sins Sometimes To Die For us When he is said to Die For our Sins it may be understood 1. Either for our Sins as the pro Meritorious procuring Cause of his Suffering through his own undertaking to bear what they deserved Or if any think it fitter to call them the Occasion than the Meritorious Cause they may And so to Die For our Sins is to Die through the Desert of our Sins 2. Or else he may be said to Die For our Sins Finalitèr as Sin is part of the Evil which he intended through death to free us from And so to Die For Sin is To Die against Sin As when we say This Medicine is good For such a Disease we mean it is good against it When Christ is said to Die For us it may be meant either 1. Subjectivè that he Died Loco nosiro of which more anon 2. Or Finaliter And that two ways 1. Either as we are to be his own in propriety and so 1. To be a means to his own glory 2. Or his Propriety a means to our further good And thus he dyeth For Men by way of purchase as a Man gives a Price For a Slave or Condemned Malefactor for I will not say as we buy a Beast in the Market seeing that is only for our selves and not for the good of the Beast 2. Or else more directly as we are the Finis Cui of those benefits which by his Death he procureth And so Dying For us is either taken generally respecting our selves generally considered as the Objects of his love As one Friend or Lover is said to Die for the sake of another in several Cases as in fighting for him or other way of signifying or testifying Love So generally considered Christ Died nostri gratiâ 2. Or in reference to the special Benefits which by his Death he procured for us Which Benefits might be variously considered either 1. As to be offered or to be enjoyed 2. Either quoad possibilitatem vel quoad futuritionem possessionis 3. Quoad rem ipsam vel quoad Jus ad rem with divers other Considerations which I will pass by lest by needless distinguishing I should rather obscure the point than clear it Only before I can go any farther I must needs lay down a few Distinctions which are of great moment and necessity for the right understanding of this matter 1. And first and above all we must both distinguish between the divers Effects or Ends of Christs Death and rightly consider the Reason and the Order of each of them For to know only in general that Christ dyed for us is so far from being a sufficient knowledge for a Divine that it is not sufficient to denominate a man a Christian seeing it saith no more of Christ than may be said of Stephen Peter Paul or one another For we must if called to it die for one another saith John 1 Epist 3. 16. Yet I confess the right ordering of this whole work in our Conceivings is a matter of great difficulty though of great moment At the present time will permit me only to give you this brief Account of my thoughts herein I Consider 1. What Christ did 2. Why he did it 1. That which he did was 1. In sensu Naturali to Suffer and Die 2. In sensu Legali vel Morali It was 1. In General to be Punished 2. In Special it was A voluntary bearing in the person of a Mediator in the stead of fallen Mankind that punishment in weight which for their Sin the Law of works Obliged them to bear Or to speak in the Scripture phrase which it were well if men had been contented with it is the offering himself a Sacrifice for Sin and so to take them away as a Ransom for Attonement and Propitiation 2. Why Christ did this must be answered from the Efficient and Final Causes In general Gods will is the Principal Efficient and Ultimate Final Cause of this and all things More particularly 1. God was the Author or first Cause in committing this work to his Son and sending him to do it 2. Gods Mercy and Compassion speaking after the manner of Men was the Impulsive Cause 3. Mans misery was the Occasion 4. Mans sin was another occasion as being loco Causae Meritoriae for properly there was no Meritorious Cause 5. The Laws Curse or Obligation was another occasion as being Miseriae Causa removenda 6. Christs Voluntary Sponsion or Consent was the Moral Obliging Cause supplying the place both of a Meritorious and of a Legal Obliging Cause 7. Christ himself was the Voluntary Patient 8. God himself was the Principal moral Efficient so far as it had rationem boni For he cannot be a morally deficient Cause nor an Efficient of Punishment so far as it hath in it rationem veri mali 9. Satan was the Principal Author of it as it was Evil. 10. Wicked men were the Instruments 2. And for the Ends there is two ways of discerning and expressing them The 1. is according to Gods order of Intention The 2. accordding to His Order of Attainment and Execution 1. The former is less fit for our observation both because we are utterly uncertain whether it be fully and wholly revealed seeing God may have End◠which he judgeth not fit to communicate to us and where it is not revealed either 1. By Scripture or 2. By Event it is impossible we should know it 2. And because when we do see Events yet we are so vastly distant from God and exceeding strange to his unconceivable unexpressible Nature that we know not what hath the place of an End and what of a means in the Divine Intention farther than He hath told us Nor know what Gods intention is the term being properly appliable only to Creatures and no term of Human Language in strict propriety appliable to the Nature of God But this much the Scripture Revealeth to us 1. That in the sense as God may be said to have an end Gods proper ultimate end is himself He made all things for himself and can have no lower end than himself But how himself is his end is hard to open If we say his Being as such is his End or that his Essential Glory is his End we do but darken the matter and lose our selves For neither Redemption nor any other work can either cause conserve or add to that Being and Glory If we say His Glory in the Esteem of the Creature is his utmost End we suppose him to have an End Infinitely below himself If you say that
Revelation of his will 2. This Revelation of Gods will de Debito we call his Law This therefore is the second thing which I call Gods will de debito or his Legislative will that is the Law as it is signum voluntatis Divinae that is formally as a Law This I call Gods will de Debito only Metonymically as it is the sign of his will before expressed If the proper will of God were separated from this it would then be no producer of Dueness or Right at all for it would be no Law no signum it would lose its Nature as Abrogated Laws do Also observe that you must here carefully distinguish between Gods Act in making a Law and the Moral Act of that Law or of his will by that Law when it is made I call not Legislation it self God 's will de Debito or his Legislative will His ordaining the sign it self or making the Law which is his instrument is an Act of his will de rerum Eventu vel Naturae For it only maketh that instrument or sign by which Right shall be after produced but doth not directly thereby produce that Right But it is the signification and Moral Act of that Law which floweth from its Nature which doth produce Right and which we here intend The Scribe that writes a Statute and the Sovereign himself in composing the Matter Order and Terms doth but make that Signum or Instrument which being made doth therefore Institute Right because it signifieth the Sovereigns will to institute it So much for the explication of my meaning in this Distinction 2. Next I shall say somewhat to prove the soundness of it which is therefore necessary because some ignorant persons laugh at it as if we feigned two wills in God and one of them contrary to the other Otherwise to men of understanding it is not very needful And therefore I shall say but this briefly It is not two Wills in God as two distinct Essences or Faculties that I assert but only two distinct Acts Distinct I say in regard of their distinct products or Effects and so to mans apprehension though in God we say there is no diversity or distinction Yet as we cannot hansomely conceive of his will to save Peter and his will to damn Judas as one act having such different Effects so it is here Who knows not that Naturality and Morality Physicks and Ethicks Event and Right are different things and consequently we may and must distinguish of Gods willing them accordingly When a Man saith You shall do this preceptively he doth only say It shall be your duty to do it but saith not that eventually you shall do it Nor are his words false if you never do it He that saith prophetically or by prognostication you shall do this means that it shall so come to pass and if it do not his words are false But he doth not say It is or shall be your Duty 12. Accordingly we must distinguish between the antecedent and consequent Acts and Will of Christ as Ruler of Mankind For the understanding of which and avoiding mistakes observe 1. That we speak not now of Eternal Decrees but of the will of Christ in this Relation as he is the Ruler of the World and Church and as he is the conveyer of his mercies according to and by his Covenant and as he judgeth the World according thereunto 2. That by his Antecedent will and acts we mean only that which in his Government is Antecedent to Mans Obedience or Disobedience which is principally Legislation and and making his new Covenant and also the giving of Preachers and other acts which are the first part of his Administration And by his consequent Acts and Will we mean only that second part of Government which findeth Man Obedient or Disobedient and is commonly called Judgment and Execution And when we say that by his Antecedent Acts and Will Christ giveth Pardon Justification and Right to Glory equally to all we mean that as Legislator and Promiser he hath antecedently made an Universal Act of Oblivion or Deed of Gift Conditionally Pardoning c. all and no farther than Conditionally Pardoning any And when we say that he consequently justifieth and saveth none but true Christians and in that Sence dyed for no other according to his consequent will we mean that as Judge of Mankind he will give Justification and Salvation to Believers and to no others nor ever intended to do otherwise Let the Reader know that the foresaid Scheme of the Effects of Christs Death is more accurately and yet more briefly done in my Methodus Theologiae And therefore let him that disliketh the Number or Order of Distributions pass it by But I have not time to reform it here CHAP. III. Explicatory Conclusions Proposition I. CHRIST Died nullius loco so as strictly and properly and fully to represent Mens Persons as if in sensu Legali vel Civili they themselves did suffer and satisfie Prop. II. Christ Died loco nostro so as to bear that Suffering partly for kind and wholly for weight which our sins deserved and we should have born Prop. III. Christ's Dying in our stead is in order of Nature before his procuring us Benefits by his Death as the means necessary thereto Prop. IV. Christ dyed not for any Mans final non-performance of the conditions of the Law of Grace Prop. V. Christ did not bear for any the proper punishment threatned by the New Law as such nor taketh off its Actual proper obligation from any Prop. VI. Christs Obedience was a perfect fulfilling of the preceptive part of that Law whose actual obligation he submitted himself to Prop. VII Christs sufferings were not a fulfilling of the Laws commination as obliging us nor was it fulfilled but relaxed to us by a pardon Prop. VIII Christs sufferings were a satisfaction or Redditio aequivalentis non ejusdem for our not fulfilling the Precept and the Fathers not fulfilling the Threatning upon us or our not bearing the penalty Prop. IX Christs satisfaction was not made to the Law properly but to the Law-giver for the transgression of the Law Prop. X. The Law as binding us was the great Occasion of Christs Death and Loco-causa Obligatoriae But not the Obligatory Cause it self Prop. XI Christs own Sponsion and his Fathers will were the only proper obligations Prop. XII Christ satisfied God most properly as Legislator or Rector per legem operum and not without respect to his Law His satisfaction was for the obtaining the principal ends of the Law Prop. XIII Christ suffered in our stead that we might not suffer but he did not in proper sence obey in our stead that we might not obey but for our sakes and benefit and that we might obey Prop. XIV All mens sins equally were the occasion or Loco causae meritoriae of Christs sufferings except the fore excepted sins Prop. XV. Christ in suffering bore the punishment antecedently due to all Mankind
satisfaction was made to God as Legislator and Rector Supremus and not â—as Dominus absolutus or meer Proprietary Prop. XIII Christ did neither Obey nor Suffer in any Mans stead by a strict proper Representation of his Person in point of Law so as that the Law should take it as done or suffered by the party himself But only as a third person as a Mediator he voluntarily bore what else the Sinner should have born To assert the contrary specially as to particular persons considered in actual Sin is to overthrow all Scripture Theology and to introduce all Antinomianism to overthrow all possibility of pardon and assert Justification before we Sinned or were Born and to make our selves to have satisfied God Therefore we must not say that Christ dyed nostro loco so as to personate us or Represent our Persons in Law Sence but only to bear what else we must have born Prop. XIV Christ by his Death and so satisfaction to Justice hath purchased to himself a full Propriety in all the Creatures which were under the Curse and so is become Dominus Absolutus of all on a new Title of Redemption as God was before on the Title of Creation Prop. XV. Christ hath hereby purchased also a Supream Rectorship so far as a Derived Power may be called Supream and God as he is Redeemer is properly Supream grounded on his Absolute propriety even as Gods Rectorship as Creator was grounded on his Absolute Propriety as Creator Every man may rule his own according to its Nature and Capacity Prop. XVI Hereupon by actual Rendition all things are Delivered up to Christ both as Proprietary and Rector Prop. XVII As Proprietary or Dominus Christ over-ruleth the World and disposeth of all Events and Beings Naturally as most conduceth to his Redemption Ends. Prop. XVIII As Plenipotent Rector he now Ruleth all inferior Rational Creatures by his Laws as the Universal Lord-Redeemer Prop. XIX Seeing both the Rational Creature and the visible frame of the Creation are delivered up to Christ the Redeemer it must needs follow that the very Law of Nature whether it be in Natura rerum ut signum or in mente humanâ ut principia Cognita is Christs Law And so that those that are ruled by the meer Law of Nature are ruled by Christ so far as they do well Prop. XX. As God is the Ruler as to Title and some Legislation and Judgment of those very Pagans who know him not but deny a Godhead so Christ is so the Ruler of those very Infidels who know him not but deny the Mediator Prop. XXI In giving up all Propriety and Rule to Christ God has not divested himself of any thing save only a Right or as it were an Obligation to punish the pardoned For as Christ is God himself so the Father still Possesseth and Ruleth by the Redeemer As he hath still the Title of Creator so is he in the Son God-Redeemer Prop. XXII Seeing no Man can fulfill the First Law or Covenant and no Man can be saved by a Covenant not kept and Christ Redeemed not Man into absolute liberty to be from under Law and Rule which were Misery to him and not liberty Therefore it hath pleased the Father and Mediator to make to Man a New Law and Covenant suited to his present State of Misery Prop. XXIII The Tenor of this Law is that whosoever will Repent Thankfully and heartily accept Jesus Christ to be his Saviour Teacher King and Head believing him to be the Redeemer and will Love him and God in him above all and obey him sincerely to the Death shall upon his first acceptance be Justified and Adopted and upon his perseverance be justified at Judgment saved from Hell and Glorified And whosoever rejecteth him shall bear the Guilt and punishment of all his Sins against the Law and for his refusal be far sorelier punished Prop. XXIV By this New Law or Covenant Christ hath brought all Men where it is Promulgate under the Duty of receiving him and Life in him And under a Promise of Life if they do receive him and a Threatning of Death if they reject him Prep XXV The tenour of this New Law in all these Parts is Universal extending to all No Man is excepted out of Precept Promise or Threatning whether the Promulgation be Universal or not Prop. XXVI It can hardly be proved that there is any great Part of the World that have not heard of Christ or had some means to have come neerer to the knowledg of him Prop. XXVII All those that have not heard of Christ have yet much Mercy which they receive from him and is the Fruit of his Death According to the well or ill using whereof it seems probable that God will judg them Prop. XXVIII But it is safest to leave the Case of those that never heard of Christ and their Infants as a thing unrevealed or so darkly revealed that God would not have us know any more of it than that our condition is far better than theirs that so we may be thankful Prop. XXIX It is a course to blind and not to inform Men to lay the main stress in the Doctrine of Redemption upon our uncertain conclusions of Gods dealing with such as never heard of Christ Seeing all proof is per notiora And we must reduce points uncertain to the certain and not the certain to the uncertain in our Trial. Prop. XXX Christ may be Ruler de jure and in Part de facto where yet Satan prevaileth and the Sinner shall perish for Rebellion Prop. XXXI In the New Law Christ hath truly given himself with a Conditional Pardon Justification and Conditional Right to Salvation to all Men in the World without Exception Prop. XXXII This Law giveth Christ to no Man in the World by name now nor more then other antecedently to their believing But to all if they will believe Prop. XXXIII It is therefore a proper and true Speech to say that Christ dyed for all especially all that ever heard his Gospel Seeing that in Law sence he did Dye for them in all the forementioned respects As the nature of the Law is to constitute Debitum Dueness so it constitutes to all Men 1. The Dueness of Obedience that they accept Christ offered them 2. The Dueness of the Benefit if they accept him a conditional due 3. And the Dueness of the punishment if they reject him So that in Law Sense Christ dyed for all Prop. XXXIV If Christ were not their Redeemer and his Satisfaction had been no way for them nor a Mercy to them then the Damned should not perish for rejecting their Redeemer nor for refusing the mercy of Redemption Nor their consciences accuse them for it But undoubtedly for this will be their destruction and for this their consciences will accuse them Prop. XXXV It being not the satisfaction it self that is tendered to Sinners but the Fruit of it It cannot by any Minister nor will not
Law But c. Ergo c. Prob. Min. that the Law knoweth no other satisfaction but fulfilling Argu. 1. Satisfaction strictly as distinct from fulfilling is Redditio aequivalentis But the Law as continuing the same cannot commute or substitute the aequivalens vel tantundem for the Idem or proper Debt 2. It is essential to the Law to constitute the Debitum vel officij vel Poenae But it constitutes not the Debitum alterius speciei vel tantidem else it should confound the ipsum debitum with the aequivalens The Law never imposed it on Christ to satisfie for our sins This was the obligation of his own Sponsion 3. Satisfaction which is the giving of the value for the proper Debt implyeth a relaxation of the Law to its acceptance But the Law cannot relax it self Ergo c. 4. To admit of satisfaction is the Act of the Lawgiver or Rector as he is above Law therefore it is no act of the Law As to make a Law to pardon an Offender to abrogate a Law c. are acts of one above the Law so is the relaxing of the Law in pardoning the Sinner and taking Christs sufferings for ours Can any obligation dissolve or remit it self 5. If the Law did neither threaten Christ in the first enacting of it nor hath power to change it self since by assuming another sense then Christs sufferings were neither a fulfilling nor satisfaction to the Law At verum prius Ergâ— If the name of Christ were put into the threatning after the Law was made then the Law was changed and so is not the same and it could not change it self Indeed if another for you pay a Debt the Bond is satisfied because it was the ipsum debitum But if another will bear the Death that you deserve the Law that threatens you is not satisfied nor fulfilled But the Law-giver is satisfied and the ends of the Law attained But here note that this relaxation and non fulfilling of the Law is not total and absolute nor such as derogateth at all from the honour of the Law or Lawgiver but it is a relaxation upon such terms as preserve both fully the full weight of the threatned Punishment being born or undertaken by the Son of God before God would relax his Law 6. To this and the two former together I add If the Laws Commination be fulfilled or if Christ suffered the same that was threatned or if we satisfied fully in Christ then we are not by that Law obliged to obedience during this Life But the consequent is false Ergo c. The reason of the consequence is this The Law obligeth aut ad obedientiam aut ad poenam disjunctively pro eodem tempore and not ad obedientiam ad poenam Now Christ hath satisfied for our sin not only against the Law of Works by Adam but against all Laws of Nature or Grace since except the non performance of the condition of the new Covenant and this to our Death So that if we have in Christ fully satisfied the threatning for all sin in this Life then we cannot be bound by the Precept after such satisfaction till after this Life be ended To say we are not obliged to the same Ends is no answer For that Law can oblige us to no ends which is fulfilled already and which did never oblige but aut ad obedientiam aut poenam propter obedientiae defectum CHAP. VII Prop. IV. It was not only the Sins of the Elect but of all even Elect and Non-elect which were the pro-causa meritoria of Christs sufferings Or it was not only the Sufferings Due to the Sins of the Elect but of all which Christ did undergo And accordingly hath made satisfaction for all IT is necessary that we speak of the efficient Causes of Christs Death before we handle the Effects And therefore we must consider quorum loco he Dyed before we consider how far they shall partake of the Benefits Here it must be remembred that we have already proved that Christ did not represent our Persons in satisfying but yet he bore our sins that is the penalty due to them and so did in a larger sence suffer nostro loco or nostri loco not as our Delegate or proper â—â—carius but as a voluntary Sponsor and so substitute in suffering Also understand that Christs sufferings had no real proper meritorious Cause But yet Mans sins were the pro-causa meritoria He undertook to bear that suffering which for them was due to us not to him And therefore when I say he bore the sufferings due to us I mean it materialiter only such sufferings for kind and weight he bore but his obligation to bear them was only from his own Sponsion and not the Law The Law by constituting the Dueness of punishment to us was the occasion of his suffering it but not the obliging cause I add that accordingly he hath satisfied for all For this will not be denyed if the first be proved For he satisfied by suffering what the Sinner deserved And in whose stead soever he suffered for them he satisfied Now I shall think it meet to stand the longer on this point because the decision of the main Question Whether Christ dyed for all men dependeth mainly on it For the strictest sence in which he is said to die for men is to die in their stead or to Die for their Sins as the procuring Cause on his own undertaking Yield this once and we shall much easilier agree on the second Part Pro quorum beneficio or what the benefits be which Christ hath procured to all At least no man will think it unmeet to say that Christ died for all men if we can prove that he dyed for the sins and in the stead of all and satisfied Gods Justice for all And if he dyed for them it is certain that he satisfied for them as is said because God doth neither require nor accept the Death of his Righteous Son but as it is necssary to the satisfaction of his justice for Sin Lastly remember that I put the word all as contradistinct from the Elect pleading specially against them that would confine Christs satisfaction only to the Elect Not that I doubt of Christs sufferings for all in the utmost universality but I think it far safer to dispute it as to all that hear the Gospel For God hath plainlier shewed us how he dealeth with these than the rest and it is not fair nor profitable to carry the disputation into the obscurest part to lose it rather than determine it And if any agree with me in this that I prove That Christ satisfied for all that hear the Gospel I will not trouble them with disputing it about the rest but willingly let them enjoy their opinion though contrary to mine as judging it to be to us of far lesser moment My Arguments shall be first from the scope of Scripture Doctrine and 2. From some particular Texts
special and follow the performance of the condition imposed on us Faith and Repentance such are Pardon Justification Adoption Sanctification Glorification These being the main effects of Christs Death which Scripture most frequently mentioneth and to which the rest are but general preparatives therefore our Divines use to call these peculiarly Redemption and the Effects of Christ Death and they say his Death is effectual when these effects are produced And so I conclude that as to the first effect of satisfaction to God Christs Death is both sufficient and effectual for all Or else he could not be said to die for all quoad sufficienciam pretii For it is impossible that Christ should intend it as a Price and make it a sufficient Price and yet that God should not accept it as such Seeing Christ is God and the will of the Father and the Son is one And the like I say of the General Common benefits And as for the great particular special benefits of Pardon and Sanctification and Glory I say Christs Death is sufficient for all but effectual only for the Elect. And this must needs be the meaning of our forementioned Divines For the sufficiency to Justification and Salvation containeth the efficacy and effect in point of satisfaction But our new more rigid Divines will make me more work And therefore to them I must forme my Argument otherwise or else they will say I beg the question With them therefore I argue thus If Christs Death be sufficient for all then Christ satisfied for all But Christs Death is sufficient for all Ergo c. In these terms they use to acknowledg the Minor proposition themselves And as to the several effects 1. They frequently say that Christs Death is sufficient for the Pardon and Salvation of all Men in the World if they will believe Where the Words if they will believe must needs be referred to the effect Pardon and Salvation and not to sufficient For Mans belief addeth not to the sufficiency of Christs Death Nor will Faith make it sufficient if it were not so before The sufficiency goes before Faith But that which is sufficient to justifie men shall not actually do it till Men believe 2. They say that Christs Death is sufficient ut esset pretium pro omnibus to have been a Price for all But then they say that it is not sufficiens pretium a sufficient price for all because no price for all Now I shall prove that both their concessions do warrant my consequence and 1. That If Christs Death be sufficient for the Pardon of all if they would believe then he hath satisfied for all and it was all Mens Sins that procured his punishment and which he bore on the Cross Or that Christs Death is insufficient to the Pardon of any one for whom he hath not satisfied 1. That which hath not satisfied offended Majesty is not sufficient to the pardon of Mans Sin though he should believe But Christs Death As these Men say Hath not satisfied the offended Majestie Therefore it is not sufficient c. He that denieth the consequence must hold that Sin may be pardoned without Christs satisfaction 2. That which leaveth the great impediment of Mens Remission unremoved and not removeable by Faith is not sufficient to the Pardon of Men though they should believe But Christs Death if it be not suffered for Men oâ— have not satisfied for their Sin doth leave the great impediment of remission unremoved and not removable by Faith Therefore it is not sufficient to the pardon of these Men though they should believe The impediment I mean is in a word all that which did necessitate or require satisfaction That Faith cannot satisfie God instead of Christs Death is undeniable Nor yet can it make that satisfaction or be mine that was never made for me There is neither in the nature of Faith nor in the Office which God hath appointed it any sufficiency to be instead of a Redeemer or satisfaction And therefore it is not merely nor chiefly for want of faith that such would perish but through the insufficiency of Christs Death If they shall still say that it is not to be supposed that the Non-redeemed should believe I Answer Do not they suppose it themselves when they say that the Death of Christ is sufficient for the Pardon and Salvation of all Men if they would believe 3. That which leaveth the strongest Faith supposing it were both without ground and use or profit is not sufficient to remission or Salvation though Men should believe But so doth Christs Death if it be not suffered for Men and have not satisfied for them Ergo c. 1. If all the Faith in Christ that is in all Men in the World were confined to one Man it would not do the least good to his Justification or Salvation if Christ have not satisfied for him as is already proved 2. Nay indeed such a Faith would be but an ungrounded fancy or presumption To expect pardon from a satisfaction that was never made for me is a vain expectation 4. If Christs Death have no more conducibility or virtue for any Mens remission and Salvation then if he had never died at all then it is not sufficient to Pardon those Men if they will believe But if Christ hath not satisfied for Men his Death hath no more conducibility or vertue for the Remission of those Mens Sins or for their Salvation then if he had never died at all Therefore his Death is not sufficient to the Pardon or Salvation of those Men though they should believe The Major is clear The Minor is proved in that satisfaction is the first and great effect of Christs Death and where that is not made there is nothing done by it that can any way Conduce to the Remission of Sin And if that satisfaction be not already made it never will be for there is no more Sacrifice for Sin So that methinks I may confidently conclude that they deny the Sufficiency of Christs Death for the Pardon of all Mens Sins though they should believe who say he did not suffer and satisfie for all And that this is unsound Doctrine I will now prove only by their Judgments who are the owners of it 1. Mr. Owen of Redemption Lib. 4. c. 1. Page 173. saith The maintaining and declaring of this dignity worth preciousness and infinite value of the Blood and Death of Jesus Christ is doubtless especially to be considered And every opinion that doth but seemingly clash against it is exceedingly prejudiced at least deservedly suspected yea presently to be rejected by Christians if upon search it be found so do â—â— really and indeed as that which is injurious and Derogatory to the merit and honour of Jesus Christ The Scripture also to this purpose is exceeding full and frequent in setting forth the Excellency and Dignity of his Death and Sacrifice c. And Page 174. But its true worth consists in the immediate
the same Again that this sorrow of his is joy and rejoycing to thee if thou wilt believe in him When thou readest that in the Garden he prayed lying grovling on his Face sweating Water and Blood begin to think seriously what an unspeakable measure of Gods wrath was upon thy blessed Saviour that did prostrate his Body upon the Earth and cause the Blood to follow and think that thy Sins must needs be most hainous that brought such bloody and grievous pains upon him Also think it is a shame for thee to carry thy Head to Heaven with haughty looks to wallow in thy pleasures and to draw the innocent Blood of thy poor brethren by oppression and deceit for whom Christ Sweat Water and Blood and take an occasion from Christs agony to lay aside the pride of thy Heart yea even to bleed for thy own offences c. When thou readest that Christ was taken and bound think that thy very Sins brought him into the power of his Enemies and were the very bonds wherewith he was tied Think that thou shouldst have been bound in the very same manner unless he had been a surety and pledg for thee Think also that thou in the same manner art bound and tied with the Chains of thy own Sins c. Lastly think and believe that the bonds of Christ serve to purchase thy liberty from Hell death and damnation When thou hearest that he was brought before Annas and Caiphas think it was meet that thy surety and pledg who was to suffer the Condemnation due to thee should by the High Priest as by the Mouth of God be condemned And wonder at this that the very Coessential and Eternal Son of God even the Soveraign judg of the World stands to be judged and that by wicked Men perswading thy self that this so great confusion comes of thy Sins Whereupon being further amazed at thy fearful state humble thy self in dust and ashes and pray God to soften thy stony Heart that thou maist turn to him and by true Faith lay hold on Christ c. When thou readest that Barrabas the murderer was preferred before Christ c. Thy very Sins pulled on him that shameful reproach and in that for thy cause he was esteemed worse than Barrabas c. When thou readest that he was openly and judicially condemned to the cursed death of the Cross consider what is the wrath and fury of God against Sin and how great is his mercy to Sinners and in this Spectacle look on thy self and with groans of Heart say O good God what settest thou before mine Eyes I even I have sinned I am guilty and worthy of damnation Whence comes this change that thy blessed Son is in my room but of thy unspeakable mercy Wretch that I am How have I forgotten my self and thee my God O Son of God how low hast thou abased thy self for me Therefore give me grace O God that beholding my own Estate in the person of my Saviour thus condemned I may detest my Sins that were the cause thereof and by a lively Faith embrace that absolution which thou offerest me in him who was condemned in my stead and room O Lord Jesus Saviour of the World give me that Holy Spirit that I may judg my self and be as vile in my own Eyes as thou wast vile before the Jews Unite me unto thee by the same Spirit that in thee I may be as worthy to be accepted before God as I am worthy in my self to be detested for my Sins c. When thou readest that he was script of his cloathing think it was that he being naked might bear thy shame ou the Cross c. When thou readest of the complaint of Christ that he was forsaken of his Father consider how he suffered the pangs and torments of Hell as thy Pledge and Surety c When thou readest of his Death consider that thy Sins were the cause of it c. Thus far Mr. Perkins whose words I have thus largely set doown both as a pattern for Ministers how to Preach the Doctrine of Redemption and to shew the necessity there is that Ministers and People do see and discover to others their Sin in this great aggravation as they were the crucifiers of Christ and to shew you what English Ministers Preach to the People whatever they speak in Disputes and what kind of Preaching it is which hath succeeded so in England for the conversion of Souls If this be not a plain Preaching of Universal Redemption or Satitfaction as to all that hear the Gospel whom he requires so oft to consider that Their sins crucified Christ then I know not what is And if any quirke may be produced to wrest so plain words to a contrary sense I am sure the poor sinners to whom it is Preached know not ordinarily those evasions but receive it in the plain sense I could fill a Volume with the like passages as this out of our most powerful and successful Preachers Here then are two distinct aggravations of sin both necessarr to every penitent Soul both which are denyed by the denyal of Universal satisfaction The first is that our sins killed Christ as being the cause of his Death Is not a man bound to mourn over him whom his sins have pierced before he knoweth himself to be Elect How few then of the Elect themselves should do it 2. The second aggravation is that all our sins against recovering mercies are committed against him that Died for us He that denyeth both these aggravations of sin doth not a little wrong Christ and mens Souls Lastly I argue thus If without those forementioned aggravations of sin no man can truly and savingly Repent then all men are bound thus to aggravate their sins in their self accusations But without these there can be no saving Repentance Ergo c. The consequence of the Major is proved in that all men are bound truly to Repentance even with that which is called Repentance unto Life The Antecedent or Minor is proved 1. In that else it can be but a Legal Repentance and not an Evangelical if it be not for sin as the crucifier of Christ and for sin as against our Redeemer 2. From the description of true Gospel Repentance Zech. 12. 10. They shall look on him whom they have pierced and mourn over him c. Or if it were proved that there is besides this a true Repentance foregoing yet it is but part of that great work seeing this Evangelical Repentance must go close with it And if any say tha tmen are bound first to believe before they are bound to this evangelical repentance for sinning against the blood of Christ I answer 1. They are bound to both at once and the Apostles prest both at once on men To Repent and Believe 2. Most Divines make Repentance with Faith to go before Justification 3. Some have writ whole Volumes to prove that it goes before Faith it self 4. All acknowledge
when man is already condemned the Law of Grace say that he shall undergo a far sorer punishment and it shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment than him except he will do these impossibilities this is still harder It is not all the believing in the World supposing it were performed that would make Christs Death which is past to be suffered for those that it was not suffered for This makes Christ to come into the World to condemn the World and that to a far sorer punishment than the Law of Works did oblige them to without procuring them any possibility of escaping For there 's no possibility of that mans escape for whom no price of Redemption is paid Nay it lays an absolute necessity ab extra and unavoidable on men of perishing under this double damnation For he that before I am born makes a Law that I shall dye except I have part in a payment that was made 1000 years ago and that only for others and not at all for me he doth necessitate my Death by that Law For it is impossible that I should ever have part in it if it were not paid for me Now I know our Divines speak of Gods necessitating mans Damnation by Foreknowledge and Decree which they call only Necessitas Antecedentis non Causae But who ever affirmed that Christ in giving the New Law He that believeth shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned did necessitate and that Causally and that Antecedenter ad Culpam the far greater damnation of miserable wretches that were condemned already And that the Gospel is not so much harder than the Law I prove Mat. 11. 27 28 30. My Yoak is easie and my Burden is light Heb. 8. 6. Jesus is the Mediator of a better Covenant stablished on better promises Heb. 7. 22. And the Author of a better Testament Rom. 5. 14 15 20. Where sin abounded Grace much more abounded John 3. 16. God so loved the World that he gave c. Eph. 3. 19 20. Heb. 11. 40. His service is a reasonable service His Commandments are not grievous His tender mercy is over all his Works He is kind to the unthankful and unjust His mercies lead men to Repentance He delighteth not in the death of him that dyeth but rather that he Repent and Live He calleth all men every where to repent and seek after God All the day long doth he stretch out his hand to a froward and gain-saying generation He dealeth not with us after our sins He inviteth the Non Elect to the Wedding Feast and telleth them that all things are ready and some of them he compelleth to come in as he did him that had not on the Wedding Garment he chargeth his Messengers to beseech men in his stead to be reconciled unto God He would gather under his Wings even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens those that Will not be gathered All these with a multitude the like are the Scripture expressions of Gods gentle and merciful dealing with men under the Law of Grace And so much of the execution as we see is answerable He offers mercy to all in the Church and confers much Mercy on every man in the World He dealeth with no man according to the strict rigour of the unremedied Curse of the Law of Works Abuse of the Talents of undeserved Mercy is the thing that men must be condemned and perish for No one sinner on Earth is excepted or excluded by him out of his Offer and Promise of Mercy so be it they will themselves consent whoever Will may have the Living Waters freely without Money and without Price and if their sins be as red as Scarlet he offers to make them as white as Snow and to cast them all behind his back and bury them in the depths of the Sea He calls to them return why will ye dye How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and ye scorners delight in scorning and fools hate knowledge Turn you at my reproof behold I will pour out my spirit unto you I will make known my words unto you Prov. 1. 22 23. He hath received Gifts for men even for the Rebellious that the Lord may dwell among them God hath sent his Son Jesus to you saith the Apostle Act. 3. last to bless you in turning every one of you from his iniquities And when men will not hear he saith O that my People had hearkened unto me and Israel had walked in my mays Psal 81. 13. O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always that it might be well with them and their Children for ever Deut. 5. 29. Can any man then believe that the tenour of the new Law or Covenant is so much harder than ever was the Law of Works as is before expressed As for them that say the New Covenant is no Law and Wicked men or the Non-Elect are not under it they manifest so great ignorance and go against so full light of express Scripture that I think them not worthy a confutation Only I would have the Lutheran Divines remember that near to the Apostles times it was not only an unquestioned truth but also was part of the Christian Creed Christum predicasse Novam legem novam promissionem Regni Caelorum Tertullian de Prescription cap. Arg. 20. A Legis Mosaicae Abrogatione If all men that were any way under it are freed by the blood of Christ from the Bondage of the Mosaical Law of Ceremonies then Christ died for All such and consequently not only for the Elect But the Antecedent is certain Ergo c. Some Divines say that All the World were thus far subject to the Jewish Law that they could not be saved without knowing it and submitting to it in obedience because God had then no other Church nor stablished way of Worship If this be true then all the World hath a deliverance in the Abrogation of that Law Others say that it obliged only the Jews and Proselites and that others at the remotest distance should not have been obliged by that Law if they had known it If that be so then it was only the Jews and Proselytes such as had opportunity to incorporate with them or joyn to them that had this deliverence However it is evident it was to all the Jews and so to more than the Elect and then almost all the Arguments against Universal Satisfaction are hereby overthrown for they are built on this that Christ died only for the Elect. Here I must prove 1. That Moses Ceremonial Law is abrogate 2. That it was done by the shedding of Christ's Blood for those that were under it 3. That it is abrogated to All. 1. And for the first it is so generally acknowledged and the Scripture so express in it specially Act. 15. and all the Epistle to the Galatians that I may spare that labour only some doubt whether
equally and not the punishment due only to some and so dyed Loco omnium aequaliter in regard of his suffering and their sin the cause Prop. XVI The purchasing meritorious Virtue of Christs Death and all the rest of the effects which follow thereupon do presuppose the satisfactory Virtue as the very ground of all and without which Christs Death would have been unacceptable to God as having only Rationem mali or at least would have been but a pattern of Patience as suffered from men Prop. XVII Christ did not purchase further benefits Loco nostro though he suffered Punishment Loco nostro Prop. XVIII God was not well pleased with Man no not the Elect nor did he acquit or justifie them when he proclaimeth himself well-pleased in and with his Son as being a perfect accomplisher of his will and when he did acquit and justifie him Prop. XIX All Mankind immediately upon Christs satisfaction are redeemed and Delivered from that Legal necessity of Perishing which they were under not by remitting Sin or Punishment directly to them but by giving up Gods Ius puniendi into the hands of the Redeemer nor by giving any Right directly to them but per meram resultantiam this happy change is made for them in their Relation upon the said remitting of Gods Right and Advantage of Justice against them and they are given up to the Redeemer as their owner and ruler to be dealt with upon terms of mercy which have a tendency to their recovery Prop. XX. In Law-sence or in respect to the Legislative will of God Christ Dyed for all men This will be explained in the following Propositions Prop. XXI Neither the Law whose curse Christ bore nor God as the Legislator to be satisfied did distinguish between men as Elect and Reprobate or as Believers and Unbelievers de presenti vel de futuro and so impose on Christ or require from him satisfaction for the Sins of one sort more than of another but for Mankind in general Prop. XXII Christ hath made satisfaction to God as Legislator and accordingly his Legal Rigorous Justice is satisfied for the Sins of all mankind as they are condemned and were to be judged directly primarily simply by that Law and hath not satisfied the Legislators Justice for some men only as Elect or for one more than another but equally for all Prop. XXIII Christ hath by his Redemption of all obtained a Novum jus Imperii over all and is Rector derivativè Supremus Prop. XXIV As those those that know not God nor his Creation are yet Gods Subjects as Creator and he their Lord So those that know not Christ nor his Redemption are yet his Redeemed and his Subjects as Redeemed and he their Lord-Reedeemer as to his Right and Law and their Obligation Prop. XXV God the Father and Christ the Mediator now dealeth with no man upon the meer rigorous terms of the first Law Obey perfectly and Live else thou shalt Die But giveth to all much Mercy which according to the tenor of that violated Law they could not receive and calleth them to repentance in order to their receiving further mercy offered them And accordingly he will not judge any at last according to the meer Law of works but as they have obeyed or not obeyed his conditions or terms of Grace Prop. XXVI Though God hath been pleased less clearly to acquaint us on what terms he dealeth with those that hear not of Christ yet it being most clear and certain that he dealeth with them on terms of Grace and not on the terms of the rigorous Law of works this general may evince them to be the Mediators Subjects and Redeemed Prop. XXVII The Law of Nature since the fall is part of the Mediators Law by which in part he governeth For it with all things is deliverto him Prop. XXVIII Man without Scripture may find that he is a Sinner and that Sin deserveth Gods wrath and his destruction and in the Creatures and Providences providing for him preserving maintaining delivering him he may find abundance of Mercy which being given to one that deserveth misery must needs evince that it comes from a most gracious disposer and tends to recovery and to further mercy Prop. XXIX Hence all Nations of the World have known themselves Sinners and all Nations have had a Hope of obtaining mercy in the pardon of their sins and thence it is that all who acknowledge a God have had some kind of Religion and expressed it in Sacrifices or Prayers for pardon and mercy which could never have been without the said Hope Prop. XXX Though it be very difficult and not very necessary to know what is the condition prescribed to them that hear not of Christ or on what terms Christ will judge them yet to me it seems to be the Covenant made with Adam Gen. 3. 15. which they are under requiring their taking God to be their only God and Redeemer and so expecting mercy from him and loving him above all as their end and chief good and repenting of Sin and Sincere Obedience according to the Laws promulgate to them to lead them further Prop. XXXI As the rigorous Law of works is so far taken down to all men that they are no longer under its imposed necessity of perfect obedience to salvation so the Mosaical Ceremonial Law is Abrogated totally and so the Obligation destroyed for all that were under it without difference of Elect or Non-Elect Prop. XXXII God the Father and Christ the Mediator hath freely without any prerequisite condition on mans part enacted a Law of Grace of Universal extent in regard of its tenor by which he giveth as by a Deed of Gift Christ himself with all his following benefits which he bestoweth as Benefactor and Legislator and this to all alike without excluding any upon condition they Believe and Accept the Offer Prop. XXXIII By this Law Testament or Covenant All men are Conditionally Pardoned Justified and Reconciled to God already and no man Absolutely nor doth it make a difference nor take notice of any till mens performance or non-peformance of the condition make a difference Prop. XXXIV This Law or Covenant Christ ordaineth Heraulds to Publish and commandeth them to Preach it to every Creature and commandeth every man in his place to publish it without excepting or excluding any from the Priviledge of receiving it Prop. XXXV As a Sovereign is not bound to cause every particular man infallibly to hear of his Laws so he maketh a convenient publick Declaration of them so Christ as Legislator is not bound to provide that every man hear of his Law whom it doth concern Men that by Nature may be convinced that there is a God and how necessary it is to know him and their Duty concerning him and how little they do know of him are bound to make all possible enquiry after the further Revelation of his will though it were by travelling into other Countries Prop. XXXVI When we say God
effects products and Issues of it with what in its own nature it is fit and able to do Is it not therefore strange that this Author should Page 175. 176 say 1. That this fulness and sufficiency of the merit of the Death of Christ is a foundation for the general publishing of the Gospel to all Nations with the right that it hath to be preached to every creature because the way of Salvation which it declares is wide enough for all to walk in There is enough in the remedy it brings to light to heal all their diseases to deliver them from all their evils If there were 1000 Worlds the Gospel of Christ might on this ground be Preached to them all there being enough in Christ for the Salvation of them all if so be they will derive vertue from him by touching him by Faith the only way to draw refreshment from this Fountain of Salvation 2. That the Teachers of the Gospel in their particular Congregations c. may from hence justifiably call upon every Man to believe with assurance of Salvation to every Man in particular upon his doing knowing and being fully perswaded of this that there is enough in the death of Christ to save every one that shall so do To all which I briefly reply 1. I have disproved this in what is said before and shewed that Christs death cannot be affirmed sufficient for any Mans Salvation for whom it never satisfied though he should believe 2. How can he say there is sufficient merit where there is no merit at all The Death of Christ hath no merit as to the Pardon of Devils or any for whom it was never suffered 3. How can he call any thing a way of Salvation wide enough which presupposeth not Christs satisfaction for the person Can Men walk to Heaven by Faith without a Redeemer Or is there such a true Faith 4. How can he truely say there is enough in the remedy Which is as to them no Remedy Is there enough in that remedy to heal the Devils if they believed 5. How can there be enough in it or how can it be any remedy to heal all diseases and deliver from all evils before it have made satisfaction Must it not do that before it can heal any other disease 6. How can he say There is enough in Christ for the Salvation of them all if so be they will derive virtue from him by touching him by Faith Must not the application be first to God by satisfying him before it can be made to Man by believing Is not the Salvation of Men the Fruit of Christs dying for them And can there be the effect without the cause Hath Christ virtue to be derived for the saving of any that he died not for Will believing make Christ to die for them that he hath not died for already 7. In plain truth your ground of preaching Christ to all is your foreknowledge that only the Elect will believe and not the sufficiency of Christs Death knowing that there is nothing in Christs Death to save any man that he did not Die and Satisfie for though he should believe never so strongly 2. But let us come to the first effect of Christs Death and see whether it were sufficient to that viz. to be a satisfaction for the Sins of all And here they do maintain that it is only materially or aptitudinally sufficient as the money which my rich neighbour hath in his purse is sufficient to pay my debt which he resolveth never to pay Or as the Ransome paid for one man was enough to have redeemed another also if it had been paid for him And what the better is he for whom it was never paid And what difference as to their ransome between most men and Devils For the form of a satisfaction or Price for all they affirm that Christs Death hath it not sufficiently or at all These men must once more therefore new moddel their Doctrine or reform their expressions and give over saying that Christs death is sufficient for the pardon of all if they would believe for that is notoriously false according to them seeing the effecting of satisfaction is that wherein the sufficiency of it lyes as to remission But they must hereafter say only that Christs Death was sufficient to have procured pardon for all men if he would have suffered it for all And I will give them this encouragement so far to innovate viz. Though they speak not only against Scripture and the Primitive Fathers and the Church of Christ in all Ages and the generallity of our most severe Protestant Divines yet because 1. It is against Arminius an adversary 2. And tendeth to extreams 3. And so is agreeable to Nature they shall perhaps with applause at least with far less wounding of their Reputation raise up these novelties than a Sober Moderate Judicious Divine shall beat them down again or revive any one Truth which extreams have clouded laid by and trodden under foot But I will not stay here to shew the absurdity of mens so confident asserting Christs death to be aptitudinally sufficient for so many for whom it was never suffered seeing I shall deal on this purposely in the next Argument But how useless this sufficiency is and no foundation at all for our general offer of Christ and mercy to all if they will believe may be seen in what is said before And how useless and insufficient it is to encourage any man to believe we shall yet further have occasion to shew anon In the mean time I think the unsoundness of their Doctrine who deny Universal Satisfaction is manifest hence in that it fully overthrows the sufficiency of Christs Death for the pardon of all mens sins if they should believe which yet the generality of our Divines do maintain Arg. 10th Ab absurdo injurià coutrariae Doctrinae in Christum If Christ have paid a Price of satisfaction sufficient for the sins of all the World and yet paid it not for all the World then he suffered much in vain But he suffered not any thing in vain Ergo c. The Minor none will deny that is a Christian The consequence of the Major is proved ad hominem by the concessions of them of the contrary Opinion For 1. No Reformed Divine doth deny but that as one part of the value of Christs sufferings was from the Dignity of the person so the other and a necessary part was from the greatness of his sufferings 2. And all conclude that there was more suffering necessary for the expiation of the sins of all the World than for one particular sin or then for one mans sins and so more necessary to expiate the sins of all men then of the few only that are chosen And consequently if Christ suffered no more than was sufficient for the Redemption of the Elect then it was not sufficient for the Redemption of all And if it were sufficient for the Redemption of
Heaven when he said unto them ye have Crucified the Lord of glory So that at the same time 3000 Men were pricked in their Hearts and said Act. 2. 37. Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved Again if Christ for our Sins shed his Heart Blood and if our Sins made him sweat water and Blood O then why should not we our selves shed bitter tears and why should not our Hearts bleed for them He that finds himself so dull and hardened that the Passion of Christ doth not humble him is in a lamentable ease for there is no Faith in the Death of Christ effectual in him as yet These words shew that Perkins speaks not this only to believers 2. The meditation of the passion of Christ is a most notable means to breed repentance and reformation of Life in time to come For when we begin to think that Christ Crucified by suffering the first and 2d Death hath procured to us remission of all our Sins past and freed us from Hell Death and damnation then if there be but a spark of Grace in us we begin to be of another mind and to reason thus with our selves what hath the Lord been thus merciful to me that am of my self but a firebrand of Hell as to free me from deserved destruction and to receive me to favour in Christ Yea no doubt he hath His name be blessed therefore I will not therefore Sin any more as I have done but rather endeavour hereafter to keep my self from every evil way 3. The right knowledg of our selves ariseth from the knowledg of Christ Crucified in whom and by whom we come to know five special things of our selves The first how grievous our Sins are and therefore how miserable we are in regard of them If we consider our offences in themselves and as they are in us we may soon be deceived c. But if Sin be considered in the Death and passion of Christ whereof it was the cause and the vileness thereof measured by the unspeakable torments endured by the Son of God and if the greatness of the offence of Man be esteemed by the endless satisfaction made to the justice of God the least Sin that is will appear to be a Sin indeed and that most grievous and ugly Therefore Christ Crucified must be used by us as a mirror or Looking-Glass in which we may fully take a view of our wretchedness c. And before and for our Neighbors those specially that are of Christs Church they are to be known of us on this manner When we are to do any duty to them we must not barely respect their Persons but Christ Crucified in them and them in Christ And Page 631. The 5th point is that we owe to Christ an endless debt for he was Crucified only as our surety and pledg and in that Spectacle of his passion we must consider our selves as the chief debtors and that the very discharge of our debt that is the Sins which are inherent in us were the proper cause of all the endless pains and torments that Christ endured that he might set us most miserable Bankrupts at liberty from Hell Death and damnation For this his unspeakable goodness if we do but once think of it seriously we must needs confess that we owe our selves our Souls and Bodies and all that we have as a debt due unto him And so soon as any Man begins to know Christ Crucified he knows his own debt and thinks of the payment of it And that you may be sure that Perkins speaks not only of the Elect see Page 631. Col. 2. The common Protestant likewise cometh short herein for 3 Causes 1. Whereas in word they acknowledg him to be their Saviour this he blameth not in them that hath redeemed them from their evil Conversation yet indeed they make him a patron of their Sins The Thief makes him the receiver The Murderer makes him his refuge The Adulterer be it spoken with reverence to his Majesty makes him the Bawd c. Thus Christ that came to abolish Sin is made a maintainer thereof and the common Packhorle of the World to bear every Mans burden 2. Men are content to take knowledg of the merit of Christs passion for the remission of their Sins but in the mean season the virtue of Christs Death for the mortifying of Sin is little regarded c. 3. Men usually content themselves generally and confusedly to know Christ to be their Redeemer it seems then that it is true never once seeking in every particular Estate and condition of Life and in every particular blessing of God to feel the benefit of his passion What is the cause that almost all the World live in security never almost touched for their horrible Sins Surely the reason is because they did never yet seriously consider that Christ in the Garden lay grouling upon the Earth sweating Water and Blood for their offences Can a Man speak plainer for Christs dying for all Again all such as by fraud and oppression or any kind of hard dealing suck the Blood of poor Men never yet knew that their Sins drew out the Heart Blood of Christ And proud Men and Women that are puffed up by reason of their attire which is the badg of their shame and never cease hunting after strange fashions consider not that Christ was not Crucified in gay attire but naked that he might bear the whole shame and curse of the Law for us These and such like whatsoever they say in word are flat Enemies of the Cross of Christ and tread his precious Blood under their Feet Now then considering this so weighty and special a point of Religion is so much neglected O Man or Woman high or low young or old if thou have been wanting this way begin for very shame to learn and learning to know Christ Crucified That thou mayest attain to this behold him often c. 1. Look on him as a glass or spectacle in which thou shalt see Gods Glory greater in thy Redemption then in thy Creation c. 2. Thou must behold him as the full price of thy Redemption and perfect Reconciliation with God And pray earnestly to God that he would Seal up the same in thy conscience by his Spirit 3. Thou must behold Christ as an example to whom thou must conform thy self by Regeneration c. Read the History of Christs passion Observe all the parts and circumstances thereof and apply them to thy self for thy full Conversion When thou readest that Christ went to the Garden as his custom was where the Jews might soon attack him consider that he went to the death of the Cross for thy Sins willingly and not of constraint and that therefore thou for thy part shouldest do him all service freely Psal 110. 3. When thou hearest that in his agony his Soul was heavy unto death know it was for thy Sins and thou shouldest much more conceive heaviness of Heart for
will tell me then we must say Christ is a Door a Way a Vine and the Bread is his Body c. But this is nothing to what I am speaking of For I did never say that we must take the literal sense in opposition to the figurative but only the plain obvious sense in opposition to a wyer-drawn extorted sense Some figurative speeches are so usual or plain and well known that he that should interpret them literally would be derided by any Plowman And every ignorant man useth figurative speeches in his common talk and use makes the true sence as plain and obvious as if they were not figurative You can scarce hear three sentences from any Countryman but will convince you of this If any man of common reason had heard Christ say I am the way to the Father would he have thought his plain obvious sense to be I am an Earthly or other Material way to be trodden on by the Feet of them to come to God What will not the lust of contradicting persuade men to Now I would know of any man would you believe that Christ died for all men if the Scripture plainly speak it If you would do but tell me what words can you devise or would you wish more plain for it than are there used Is it not enough that Christ is called the Saviour of the World You 'l say but is it of the whole World Yes it saith He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole World Will you say but it is not for All men in the World yes it saith he died for All men as well as for all the World But will you say it saith not for every man Yes that it doth he tasted death for every man But you may say It means all the Elect if it said so of any Non-Elect I would believe Yes it speaks of those that denied the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction And yet all this seems nothing to men prejudiced 3. Furthermore it deserves consideration whether men can considerately go against the plain light of so many express Texts of Scripture without some reluctancy and regret of Judgment And then whether using a mans Judgment to such a course to bear down the evidence of of many express texts of Scripture be not a matter of a dangerous nature both symptomatically and effectually Doth it not signifie a defect in our belief of the truth of Scripture Or at least of our reverend esteem of it when we dare use it as a Leaden rule and Nose of Wax as the Papists presumptuously call it He that can think it will endure such bending is in danger of thinking it may endure breaking Hath it not too plain a tendency to infidelity and disobedience It is the truth of this word that must preserve us from both And he that thinks so meanly of the Scripture as that it will patiently endure such violence and stretching is in great danger of being drawn to question whether it be Gods Word or no and of venturing over its bounds in practicals in case of temptation For what have we to persuade us that Christ is the eternal God but plain Scripture And is it plainer in this than in its affirming that Christ died for All All tender conscionable Christians should be as fearful to adventure against the plain meaning of Scripture in the matter of Faith as to adventure against its plain precepts and prohibitions in matter of practice And therefore I conclude that when God saith so expresly that Christ died for All and tasted death for every man and is the Ranfom for all and the propitiation for the sins of the whole World It beseems every Christian rather to explain in what sense Christ died for All men then flatly to deny it The first text of Scripture ordinarily used and which I shall insist on is Job 3. 16. God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Here it is plainly expressed that the giving of Christ proceeded from Gods Love to the World as the principal efficient and that it was to this end that whosoever of this World believe in him should be saved One would think all were plain here yet men have found or made almost as many knots as words If a King had his whole Army prove false to him and turn to the Enemy and when they are in his power the Enemy Imprisoneth them and maketh them Slaves in this misery the King saith of them I so love my Army that I give so much money or my own Son in Ransom that whosoever will thankfully accept my kindness and return to his Allegiance shall not remain in slavery but be delivered fully into my favour and their dignities would not ordinary men easily understand this speech Would so many doubts be raised whether he mean the whole Army or part What is meant by Love by Whosoever c. yet here we have such a dust raised in as plain a case or as plain words as such Divine mysteries could well be expressed by 1. It is doubted what is meant by the World 2. And then what is meant by Loved 3. And what is meant by Whosoever The 4. What is meant by Believeth in him we need not here stand on And for the first some say by the VVorld is meant the Elect part of the VVorld some say as Dr. Twiss and others it is meant of Mankind as distinct from Angels excluding none and not of the Elect only and withal that it speaks only of the sufficiency of Christ's Satisfaction which if it were not sufficient for All there were no place for the General Promise Whoever believeth shall be Saved There is more truth and soundness in this exposition than will stand with some other contradictory passages in the same Authors For my part I stand to this exposition of Dr. Twiss as you may find him industriously explaining this text Vindic. Grat. lib. 1. part 2. § 7. pag. mihi 203. I will repeat part of his words Ad locum illum Joh. 3. 16. quod attinet negamus ex his evinci posse Mundum eo in loco significare Electos in mundo degentes Ad cujus loci majorem elucidationem observandum est cum decrevisset Fidem Rescipiscentiam electis suis non modo concedere sed easdem modo naturae ipsorum rationali convenientissimo nempe per Suasionem exhortationem in ipsis operari consequenter Evangelium sub generali invitationis formâ proponendum esset in hunc modum Quisquis crediderit salvus erit qui non damnabitur hinc evincitur mittendi Mediatoris duplicem Deo habendam fuisse rationem alteram Pretii alteram Efficaciae Nam Pretium oportuit sufficiens esse redimendis omnibus alias enim tam generali promissioni quisquis crediderit salvus erit locus nullus fuisset rursus oportuit
efficax esse redimendis electis alias enim frustra fuissent constituti ad obtinendam salutem per Jesum Christum si salutem per Christum non fuissent assecuturi His hunc in modum constitutis apparet fieri posse ut quaedam loca Scripturae de Christo mediatore tractent quoad pretii ipsius sufficientiam alia vero quoad mortis ejus efficaciam Locum autem hunc de quo agimus existimo significare tantum pretii ipsius sufficientiam Ratio est quia agit non de efficacia Spiritus sancti in danda hominibus fide sed de modo quo fides dari solet nempe per predicationem Evangelii Generalem omnium invitationem ad fidem in hanc formam Quisquis credit in Christum non peribit sed habet vitam aeternam Hujus autem invitationis Generalis fundamentum est pretii a Christo soluti sufficientia Atque hic rursus sese in gerit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peculiaris divinae clementiae propensio in genus humanum quod scilicet pro peccatis humani generis pretium sufficiens solutum iri voluit non autem pro peccatis Angelorum For the better understanding of this it must be remembred that there is a double efficacy of Christs death 1. It s satisfying God's Justice for the Sins which Christ bore 2. The effecting of Pardon Justification Sanctification and Salvation of Sinners It is only of this latter that solid Divines speak when they distinguish the efficacy of Christ's death from its sufficiency But the former the effecting of satisfaction is presupposed to the sufficiency as being the proper immediate end of Christ's death for there is a double sufficiency First a sufficiency material antecedent to satisfaction passive as we may call it by which it is said to be sufficient to satisfie God for all Men. Secondly A sufficiency of this price and satisfaction so made for the pardoning and saving of all that will believe It is the latter sufficiency which is to be distinguish'd from the latter efficiency and that implies some efficiency as necessary to that sufficiency viz. The efficiency of satisfaction And the Doctor can be understood no otherwise here than according to this interpretation 1. Because he makes it the necessary ground of the general promise without which it could have no place Now leave out the efficiency of satisfaction to Justice from Christ's death and it is no more a ground for an Universal promise than if he had not paid a satisfaction materially sufficient at all For it is not sufficient to pardon all men if they did believe except Justice be first satisfied for them 2. He expresly makes it to be sufficientia pretii and not ut sit pretium though I know elsewhere he contradicts that 3. He makes it the interpretation of those Scriptures that speak of Christs dying for all which cannot be if he satisfy'd not for all 4. He makes a general promise and invitation to be grounded on it But surely Christ is not with his Salvation given so much as conditionally to any but whom by satisfying for them he hath purchased that mercy to 5. Yea he expresly in his Reason shews that by the efficacy of Christs death he means that which consisteth in the Spirits efficacy in working Faith Others say that by the World is meant only the Elect but not as Elect but as they are Gentiles who are called the World in contradistinction to the Jews This cannot be true for First Then no Elect Jews should be included but it should run thus God so loved the Gentiles that he gave his only Son c. whereas Christ was sent to Jews as well as Gentiles and that first in some respects Secondly This way crosseth themselves also for the Gentiles consist of Elect and non-Elect and therefore according to their Doctrine it should only run thus God so loved part of the World if the Gentiles be the World or else they must say that by the World is meant the Elect part of the Gentiles But I shall prove further that this is false by proving that it includeth the Non-Elect also By the World it is evident is not meant the containing World the Air Earth c. Nor Angels or unknown Superiour Creatures nor yet brute Beasts but the Men living on Earth It is granted that the usual obvious sense of words is not to be denied without evident cause and when there is cause of denying that sense we must go but to the next obvious and usual sense and not to a remote unusual improbable one Now it is known that the word World used for Men doth most directly and obviously signifie Mankind in general without excluding any Next to that it signifieth the greater part or common sort of the World Next that it signifieth the generality or greater part of some Country where the speaker then is not to speak of more remote significations If therefore we be forced to forsake the first signification it must be proved that we are also forced from the second before we must take the third and both second and third must be disproved before we can take the World for the Elect only 2. The effects of that love and giving of Christ here mentioned are undoubtedly such as are given to all and not only to the Elect as to the Tenor of the Law or Deed of Gift they are given to all Mankind and as to the promulgation they are given to all those that hear the Gospel Therefore the World here mentioned is all and not only the Elect. I think none will deny the Consequence and for the Antecedent it is evident through all the Scripture as well as this Text. The effect of the giving of Christ here expressed is the conditional gift of Salvation But the conditional gift of Salvation is to all and not only to the Elect Ergo c. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish is a plain giving of Salvation on condition of believing it being usual in Scripture and common speech to make whosoever will and if you will equally conditionally Whosoever will let him take the water of Life freely is equivalent to this it shall be yours if you will take it If you beat up the Drum for Souldiers you proclaim whosoever will come to such a place and list himself under such a Commander shall have Entertainment and Pay here whosoever will come and list himself is equivalent to if any or all of you will come and list your selves So that where they put the question whether the word whosoever be distributive I answer no not directly it is but the universal extension of the Conditional Promise with an expression of the conditionality but consequently it is distributive though Antecedently and directly it be not As in the former Comparison when you say whosoever will list himself c the word whosoever is not directly distributive for you offer all that hear you that priviledge and
who are true spiritual Members of the same as to be Saints Elect Redeemed c. Answ 1. All professed Christians are Saints by separation from the World to the Church Visible and Elect or chosen to that Condition 2. Scripture speaks thus of none but those that seem to be such the Penmen of Scripture therein speaking of men that knew not the heart 3. But when by denying Christ they manifest the contrary doth the Scripture say yet that they were Elect Saints c. or rather that they were before of old ordained to this Condemnation 4. Why else may not we still use this Language if it be true that it is the perpetual course of Scripture Be not then offended with us if we write and say that Christ redeemed by his blood all professed Christians Nay then we might say Julian was a Saint Elect and so was Judas c. 5. I would our Brethren of the separation would speak in the same Language when they are judging of Church-Members and Communicants as they do when they use these Arguments against Christs Universal Ransom or at least come near to this charitable vein laying by the delusory part 2. But the great prop of this Cause is that they will prove from other Texts that the Scripture speaketh thus And three Texts I find urged and I may safely say sadly abused The first is Mat. 27. 53. Hierusalem is called the Holy City because it was so in esteem and appearance saith my Author Answ Must we needs take his bare word for this when we know it was Holy by Gods own separation of it from the rest of the World for the principal place of his publick Worship and residence of his Church and Priests and so denominated by himself What Man then will believe that it was called Holy meerly from the Peoples professing to be Holy The Second Text is John 5. 18. It is said of Christ that he had broken the Sabbath which he only did in the corrupt Opinion of the blinded Pharisees Answ 1. The words seem to speak only of the Jews accusation of him i. e. what they charged him to have done and not what he did therefore they sought to lay hands on him not only because he had broken the Sabbath c. 2. Distinguish between breaking the rest of the Sabbath naturally by Natural actions contrary to rest but without sin and breaking it morally by sin The former way Christ did break the Sabbath the latter he did not take this distinction from Christ himself who tells you that the Priests in the Temple brake the Sabbath viz. the external rest of it by labour and are blameless and therefore broke it not morally But the Text that I find alledged most frequently and confidently by very many Learned Men is 2 Chron. 28. 23. and I desire God to forgive me that in my ignorance I have oft so abused it my self The words are these For he Sacrificed to the Gods of Damascus that smote him and he said because the Gods of the King of Syria help them therefore will I sacrifice to them that they may help me The last words are confess'd to be the false words of the deluded Idolater Ahaz but all the question is of the former words which are the words of the Holy Ghost He Sacrificed to the Gods of Damascus that smote him where by supine oversight Men have taken it as if the Text made this smiting the act of the Gods whereas it makes it the act of Damascus or the Men of Damascus It was Damascus that smote him and not the Gods of Damascus according to the Text. Tremelius and Junius render it thus plainly Sacrificavit enim Diis Damascenorum percutientium ipsum not Diis Damascenorum percutientientibus ipsum And would one think now that so great a stress should be laid by prudent sober men on such an oversight Darmesek being a collective the Cities name put for the Peoples than which nothing more usual when there is mention of the acts of Cities and Countries did truly smite Ahaz As England did smite Scotland Or Rome conquered so much of the World And Venice holds War with the Turk 2. What if it had been otherwise May not God give power to those Devils which were the Gods of Damascus really to smite Ahaz As well as he gave the Devil power to smite Job a better man 3. And what if all that they supposed of this Text had been true If God had spoke in so strange a language once in all the Bible If we shall thence take liberty to interpret him so elsewhere without proving this to be the sense we may then indeed make any thing of the Scripture And though I doubt not but God in mercy will bear with the weakness of good men that by the power of prejudice do run on such expositions having a zeal for God though not according to knowledge and supposing themselves necessitated to it yet certainly the proper natural tendency of such violent dealing with Scripture is to infidelity it self and the questioning of the truth of Scripture and if we escape that we lie fair open to the invasion of Popery to conceit a necessity of an Earthly final Judge of the sense of Scripture as being insufficient to manifest its own sense In the mean time how do we gratifie Papists and Scepticks by this dealing But inded the Text is plain though I confess the Septuagint and some Translators might give occasion to some of this common mistake The sixth Text that I shall alledge is Heb. 6. 4 5 6. For it is impossible for those who were once inlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again to Repentance seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame Here these Apostates are said to crucifie the Son of God afresh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not barely to crucifie Christ again but to crucifie him to themselves again That is either finaliter as some expound it or efficienter as others which way soever it be it is not efficaciter but quantum in se 1. If it be the first then the meaning is this If such be saved then it must be by a new Sacrifice and so they bring themselves into that case that Christs Death on the terms that first it was accepted will not serve to save them because he died not to satisfie for that sin So Paraeus expoundeth it sed quomodo hoc faciendo Christum denuò crucifigunt sibimetipsis Quia filium Dei semel crucifixum abnegando nolunt salvari ejus morte ex qua sola dependet resipiscentia salus Si igitur resipiscere servari deberent denuò crucifigendus esset eis Christus quod est impossibile quia amplius mori non potest Sic infra
natural suffering nor ever was to be punished meerly on the old score that is meerly for violating and incuring the penalty of the first Law by God as Rector according to that Law God might have refused to accept Christs Sufferings as a Satisfaction for Sinners much more to have freely provided it out of his own Treasure as it were when God therefore did freely himself provide a Satisfaction and freely Accept it He did both only on these terms that as Legislator of the strict Law of Works as standing without remedy he would punish no Man but yet he would not actually and absolutely discharge them for they are still his Subjects and now by a double right and bond viz both of Creation and Redemption and therefore must still be governed by him and therefore must still be Governed by Laws and therefore must still be under Precepts Prohibitions Promises and Threatnings which are the Parts of the Law For the Nature of Man is such as that it must be governed not meerly by Commanding but also per Praemia Poenas Experience tells us that of the best Men on Earth as propounded to them therefore God in mercy would make a New Law commanding all men to repent and that hear the Gospel to Believe and giving to the Redeemed the actual pardon of all their Sins on these Conditions making Christ the Fountain of our Life and Head of all that shall be Saved and Ordaining that Christ and with him Pardon and Adoption and the Spirit for further Sanctification and Salvation shall be given to all that will take Christ and that those that refuse him shall be unpardoned for all his Sacrifice and Satisfaction and shall moreover incur a far sorer punishment These are the terms on which God took Christ's Sufferings as satisfactory to his Justice which terms are well pleasing to the Son himself nor did he ever desire to ransom them on other terms or to bring them into any other Condition than under this his own Government and Laws nor to convey Pardon and Glory the Fruits of his Death to any that refused him still supposing his Everlasting secret Decree of procuring his chosen infallibly to perform the Conditions and partake of the benefits which belongs to another part of Theology Also it must be well observed as the very Principal Point for avoiding the common Errours in this business that the satisfaction is made to God as Legislator and so Rector per Leges and so hath its main direct respect to his Legislative Will His Will de Eventu is naturally Antecedent to it and the Cause of it as Event But his Law was the cause or occasion of it as due or morally necessary and also there are no Acts of his Decretive Will de Eventu caused by it but there are Acts of his Laws and so as to our manner of conceiving of his Will de Debito caused by it and so it was not for Christ's Death that God decreed to give Faith to any and consequently to give actual Pardon and Glory But God Decreed to give these for Christ's death when he so gives them And it is because of Christs death that they are due though not immediately from his death but mediante donatione Testamenti vel faderis Christ's death is the Cause of Faith but not of the Decree to give it Again it must be understood that it is not God as Legislator of the New Law that is satisfied for Sin by Christ's death that were to dye to satisfie himself the Mediator for the Non execution of his own remedying Law But it is God as Legislator of the Law of Works constituting Everlasting Death the due Penalty of every Sin Or if any had rather say that it is not formally the Law of Works which is now in force conjunct with the Law of Grace but it is become part of the Law of Grace the matter comes all to one sense though we change the words There is one Law that saith He that Sinneth shall dye call it what you will this Law as to the end Christ hath satisfied i. e. he hath properly satisfied the Law-giver There is another Law or as they call it the peremptory part of the New Law which saith He that believeth shall be Saved and he that believeth not shall be Damned Christ hath not satisfied the Justice of this Law by his Sufferings The sense of the Commination is He that in the time of this Life believeth not shall be Damned This Law is ever executed on all that are guilty and by it obliged to Everlasting Death that is on those that in their life time here do not Repent and Believe For the violation of the precept of this Law as it requires Belief or other Duty at the present time Christ did dye but not for the non-performance of the Condition which Death is threatned to Lastly It is therefore certain that Christ dyed not for the Sin of Final Impenitency in a prevalent degree and unbelief or Final Rebellion against himself or his Father And therefore when I said before that he satisfyed God as Legislator of the Law of works for sin as sin it is to be understood of the Law of Works as contradistinct from the Law of Grace and so all the sins peremptorily Condemned by the Law of Grace are excepted from the satisfaction Not only nor at all because they are the sins of such Persons but because they are such excepted sins who ever the person be Now therefore to the Argument and first to the Major I deny it and never saw any fair colour of proof of it and therefore having full plain Scripture to the contrary do confidently believe that all those are not Saved that Christ satisfied for and to the Proof brought I answer 1. It is untrue that Christ satisfied for every sin of every Man for whom he satisfied and it will never be proved He hath excepted all those Sins which are comprized in the final non-performance of the Condition of Salvation Object None that he satisfied for are ever guilty of that and that 's the Reason why he may not be said to dye for such Sins Answ That 's denyed and to be better proved before it can be received by Sober Men. I have already proved that he dyed and satisfied for those that are final Unbelievers or Apostates and so perish And I now prove that the Reason why Christ satisfied not for such sins as final Impenitency Infidelity or Rebellion is not accidental from the state of the Redeemed viz. because none of them are guilty of such but it is directly from the Nature of the sin without respect to this person more than that If Christ have expresly excepted the final non-performance of the Gospel Conditions from among the number of those sins which he hath satisfied for and that even in the New Law which he hath enacted for all Elect or Non-Elect then it is not only accidentally or because it
all Unbelievers in their own damnation Christ did by his Sufferings only pay as it were that which is a valuable consideration for the non-execution of the Law as to all that will perform the conditions of the Gospel or New Law Obj. Did not Christ bear the Curse of the Law for us that he might Redeem them that were under the Law Answ Yes he bore the Curse of the Law Materially that is that Cursed Death which the Law threatned But he bore it not ex formali Legis obligatione sed tantum ex obligatione sponsionis propriae precepti paterni The Law obliged us to punishment but it never obliged Christ to Punishment only its obliging us to it was the occasion of Christs Obligation because it occasioned him to Oblige himself by his own voluntary sponsion that he might free us But still it was only his own sponsion that obliged him together with that peculiar will of his Father that he should undertake and discharge our debt so that you see the Law is but once executed even on the Damned as to full execution for mans mortality and sufferings here are a small part of the Execution which Christ saw it not meet to take off And so the ipsum Debitum is paid but once Christs Sufferings being not solutio ejusdem sed satisfactio i. e. solutio aequivalentis alias indebiti 2. Nay consider further that the equivalency lay not in the proportion of Punishment pain or loss equal to that which was due to all or to the Elect but in the sufficient aptitude of that Degree or Punishment which Christ bore becoming a publick spectacle of shame for the demonstration of Justice c. from the exceeding Dignity of the person to be a means to Gods obtaining the remote ends of his Law viz. the demonstration of Justice and right governing the Creature and preserving the Authority of the Lawgiver though the nearest ends of that Law were not attained viz. the personal obedience of man and for want of that his personal suffering Many Learned Divines have written largeiy to prove that Christ did not properly suffer the pains of Hell on his Soul I will not meddle much with that question But doubtless it was a very great part of our punishment which Christ was uncapable of undergoing much less may any dare to affirm that his Sufferings Materially were as great as All the Sufferings of All that he died for should have been The Death due to us was Temporal Spiritual and Eternal The Temporal Death is so much the least that many Divines will not be persuaded that it hath now to the Godly any nature of Punishment but is only materially a suffering The Spiritual Death so far as it consisted in the loss of Gods Image and privation of Holiness and Dominion of Sin and Slavery to Satan Christ bore not at all Nor yet as it lay in any Torments or Gripes of Conscience which are the fruits only of personal proper guilt in the remembrance of the Folly or Wilfulness or Negligence or Unkindness or the like Evils manifested in Sinning Christ had no sin of his own to look on to torment him and other mens Sins could not procure to him the gripes of a Guilty Conscience Nor yet was his Soul or Body so deprived of Gods Love as are the wicked nor so hated by God nor at all disunited from God For upon the loss of Union with God and Spiritual Communion with him would have followed the loss of Grace and depravation of the Soul and prevalency of sin nor yet were any of Christs sufferings Eternal Yet did he endure that debasedness and publick shame and that forsaking of God by the denial of Spiritual Comforts and by giving him up to the Will of his Enemies and by an inward sense of Gods displeasure in trouble of Soul which was a full satisfaction to Justice or a Sacrifice sufficient for God to do what he did upon the reception of it But you see that quoad Materiale poenae there was much difference between Christs Sufferings and the Damneds in Hell 3. Consider Christs sufferings being not solutio ipsius Debiti but satisfactio as is before explained therefore it was solutio recusabilis God might have chosen to accept it and there must intercede as it were a new agreement for its acceptance Now God did accept it and Christ suffer it only on these terms that none should for all that have the Pardon of his sins till he accepted Christ as his Lord Redeemer and Repented of his sins and this is the true reason why Christs Satisfaction is no hinderance to the punishment of those that reject him and his favours 4. The Satisfaction of Christ is sufficient and perfect ad suum finem to all its own ends but not ad omnem finem to every use and end and it was not its use and end to acquit ipso facto any sinner but only to acquit all on condition of Repenting and Believing it being also the full intent of God to give that condition to all his Elect as shall be anon opened Some very Wise Godly and Learned men that I have spoke with wish that the Word Satisfaction had been never here used but instead of it the terms of an Expiatory or Propitiatory Sacrifice because the last is the Scripture phrase and the first is not But yet Satisfaction is no such unfit term but that it may well be used though still Scripture phrase I confess is better 5. As Christ hath satisfied the Father so the Father hath satisfied Christ in the larger sense i. e. he hath fulfilled his desire It was not man himself that satisfied but Christ for man nor did Christ satisfie in our person as a delegate pays a Debt in the Debtors name so as in Law-sense Civiliter it is the Debtor himself that pays it For then it should have been Solutio not Satisfactio There being no Vicarius Poenae allowed by the Law it is indeed impossible for such a solution to be made For it should be the Idem and not the Idem quod debetur quia non naturaliter per eundem and consequently not civiliter per eundem Yet a satisfaction may be made by suffering alterius loco and so Christ did But as Christ suffered in his own person viz. Sponsoris and not our selves so the effect that he desired was that he might himself be the first Recipient of the fruits of that satisfaction in that sense as he is capable of receiving them that he might be the Head and the publick Treasury of all the Mercy procured by his Death and being made Lord of all might give them out to whom and when and how he pleased and in special that he might make a general Deed of Gift of himself and Pardon and Salvation to All that would accept it and might send forth the Spirit and Word to bring in men to himself in what measure he please and in particular
And as Dr. Ames saith in the place before cited Anti-Bellarm it is to the work of Grace as Creation is to the work of Nature And therefore as none can deny but the Non-Elect have common grace as Conditional Pardon Illumination the Holy Ghost c. else how do they turn grace into wantonness so none can well deny but they have it from the general Fountain of Redemption Let us then consider what is the proper use of satisfaction as such and what it was that made satisfaction necessary And it is evident that it was the justice of God Creator as Rector according to the Law of Works and the misery of Man that haâ— offended God by the breach of that Law and was become liable to the Penalty which he could not bear without his everlasting undoing These made satisfaction necessary God's Justice required that either the Sinner must perisâ— or satisfaction by an Expiatory Sacrifice must bâ— made by which the remote and main ends â—â— the violated Law might be as well attained â— by the Sinners Damnation they would have been so that it was the death which was become due to Mankind which required the death of Christ their Sacrifice as on Man's part and God's Justice which would not remit sin but on a valuable consideration for the demonstration of its self and of God's Holiness which required it on God's part so that you see that on our part which required a Sacrifice was guilt that is obligation to everlasting punishment And it doth not belong to the satisfier as such to see that the guilt be actually done away quoad eventum or that the Damnation be actually escaped but that a sufficient Sacrifice or satisfaction be given on consideration whereof Remission and Salvation may be given on the terms as the Legislators and Redeemers Wisdom shall appoint How Christ doth give out this Pardon we shall shew you anon de quadruplici Remissione so that it is apparent that the want of the act or habit of Faith or the want of the Holy Ghost to effect Faith is not the thing that required satisfaction to God's Justice directly but that Faith is only a remote effect of this satisfaction and such an effect as hath no such Natural Connection with this Cause but that the Cause materially may be and oft is without that effect in many and the effect might have been without that cause from another if God had so pleased To manifest this that it is not want of Faith that required satisfaction as such and that satisfaction may be made for those that shall never believe observe these things 1. That Man's Suffering is not a thing pleasing to God in and for it self but for its end viz. The Demonstration of Justice and Right Governing of the World God professeth that he hath no pleasure in the death of a Sinner Ezek. 18. nor in the death of him that dyeth Ezek. 33. but rather that he repent and live Much less hath he pleasure in the death of the innocent and least of all in the death of his own Son God is not blood-thirsty who abhorreth the blood-thirsty man 2 It is not therefore for Christ's Sufferings as in themselves considered that God doth give men either Faith or any Mercy God doth not sell his mercies for blood as if he would give the World Remission of Sins on condition he might put his Son to so much torment And therefore Faith is not the immediate effect of Christ's death in sensu morali It comes not from his death as death or suffering nor may it without Blasphemy be conceived that ever God made such an agreement with his Son as to give Faith to Men meerly on Condition that Christ would suffer death without first considering somewhat else that required that suffering and something that put a value upon it 3. So that the thing which did require Christs Suffering was as is said before the obligation to punishment called guilt on mans part and vindictive justice on God's part Unbelief as Unbelief did not necessarily require it but the guilt of unbelief or any other sin did require it if ever it be pardonable 4. So that the following effects of Christ's death do all presuppose the satisfaction of Justice and hence Christs death becomes so pleasing to God not as death but as satisfaction and so a means fitted to the attainment of his ends And because this means so pleaseth him he esteemeth Christs satisfaction meritorious of further benefits joyned with his meritorious obedience upon which estimation and his own will called the Covenant with Christ he annexeth further benefits thereto For the end why he satisfied his justice by the Sacrifice of his Son was that he might honourably wisely and justly give out the following benefits which he giveth out hereupon So that Christs death is as to God first satisfactory and then meritorious of further benefits Now Faith very remotely followeth all this as shall be shewn 5. The thing that God could not do without satisfaction was the remitting of sin and freeing the delinquent from punishment it was not directly nor in its self the bestowing of Faith 6. For I would desire any Judicious Man to consider whether if Christ had by his death satisfied God's justice for mans guilt and had not at all done any more by his death for the meriting of Faith might not God have given man Faith at his own pleasure without the least shew of injustice or any other prohibiting inconvenience though Christ de facto did merit more yet we may well in dispute for searching out the truth separate in our thoughts guilt of sin and want of Faith in Christ and we may suppose that Christ had done no more by his death than to satisfie God's justice for man's guilt by bearing that which was due to man Now I would fain know this being once done why God or the Redeemer might not give Faith to whom he will Is there a further necessity of any new death or suffering to merit Faith for us If there be what is that necessity It is no injustice in God to do it There is no Law standing in the way by which he is obliged to the contrary Perhaps some will object that the same may be said of Pardon and Salvation that there needs no new suffering to merit them if once Justice be satisfied and yet Christ dyed for our Justification and Salvation To which I answer All this is true but then observe the difference separate in your thoughts Remission Justification and Salvation on one side from Faith in Christ on the other side as we by supposition may well do in disputation and you will find that God could not give Remission Justification and Salvation from Punishment without Christ's satisfaction but he could have given Faith in Christ if you will suppose it to go alone without the former benefits without satisfaction I say he could not give the former not by reason of any
but no doubt it is mediante Sanguine Christi and in a remote sense are fruits of Christ's death By what hath been said it may appear that Faith is not the proper effect of satisfaction as satisfaction nor is it any neer or inseparable effect of satisfaction as it is meritorious God did not give Christ Faith for his bloodshed in exchange the thing that God was to give the Son for his satisfaction was Dominion and Rule of the Redeemed Creature and power therein to use what means he saw fit for the bringing in of Souls to himself even to send forth so much of his word and Spirit as he pleased both the Father and Son resolving from Eternity to prevail infallibly with all the Elect. But never did Christ desire at his Fathers hands that all whom he satisfied for should be infallibly and irrisistibly brought to believe nor did God ever grant or promise any such thing Jesus Christ as a Ransom dyed for all and as Rector per Leges or Legislator he hath conveyed the Fruits of his death to all that is those Fruits which it appertained to him as Legislator to convey which is right to what his New Law or Covenant doth promise But those Mercies which he gives as Dominus Absolutus arbitrarily besides or above his engagement he neither gives nor ever intended to give to all that he dyed for no nor to all his Elect doth he give all those fruits of his death nor for ought I know to any in the same degree for these are but remotely the Fruits of Christ's death and not constant nor inseparable Fruits Peruse the foresaid Table of the Fruits of Christs death and it will shew you which the mercies be that Christ gives by Law and which arbitrarily as besides his engagement Is it not manifest then that it is a desperate charge against the Lord Christ to say that he is an imperfect Saviour if he do not perfectly save all that he Died for or convey to them all the fruits of his Death The Preaching of the Gospel expresly is a fruit of Christs Death Some have this in great power clearness and constancy some but weakly darkly or seldom and some not at all Shall they that have been at one or two dark Sermons of Christ in all their Lives say That either Christ Died not for them or else was an imperfect Saviour Some are endowed with the gift of Prophecy Tongues Miracles as fruits of Christs Death shall all that receive not these say that Christ is an imperfect Saviour because he gave them none of these fruits of his Death Some are made Kings and Rulers and some Apostles Evangelists Pastors Teachers c. and all are fruits of Christs Death Yet all are not Apostles Pastors Teachers c Some have Learning and some none Some have good Parents and good Education and some bad Some of the Elect have Health of Body and Helps Opportunities and Advantages to to serve God which others want Some are permitted to live long in sin as Manasses And others converted in the morning of their Days Some are preserved in a more even and comfortable walking with God And some are permitted to fall into most hainous scandalous sins to the great dishonour of God and their Profession and to walk sadly for it all their Days Nay some to suffer Death by the hands of publick justice Shall all these say Christ is an imperfect Saviour to them Some are kept in vigor and growth in grace and some remain Infants and some lose their first degree of Love and grow more luke-warm and Die in a very low ebb of Grace Comfort and Assurance Some enjoy much fellowship with the Father and Son in the Spirit And others are almost wholly strangers to it Some are made instruments of doing God abundance of service and the Church much good and bringing home or building up many Souls and that to the end of their Lives Others are kept without parts and gifts next to useless if not burdensome Some Distracted and after a Godly Life fall into stark madness and so spend their days as being uncapable of making use of their Affliction or of any Mercy And some are cut off in Infancy or in the Womb before they did ever believe or love God or do him any service And is Christ an imperfect Saviour to all these Nay and he hath revealed to us that according to this diversity here in degrees of Grace Holiness and Obedience so will be the diversity in the degrees of glory One shall be Ruler of ten Cities and another but of two For he will reward every Man according to his works How vast a difference then is there like to be between the Glory of an Infant that being born of a weak believer Died from the Womb and the Glory of Peter John Paul or those to whom it shall be given to sit on Christs Right Hand and Left Hand in his Kingdom And yet all these are Elect. Where is it then that the force of the Argument lyeth that would prove that all must needs have Faith for whom Christ Died If he be an imperfect Saviour except he save all alike or give to all that he Died for all the fruits of his Death then such a charge might as truly be grounded on his dealings with the Elect themselves as with others Object But he saveth all the Elect though not all alike He bringeth them all safe to Heaven at last but so he doth not others Answ That 's true But then 1. It 's yielded that it belongs not to the perfection of Christs Office or Work to give all the fruits of his Death quoad speciem to all that he Died for 2. It belongs as truly to his office of saving to save men from sin and to give them a full degree of Grace and Glory as to give men Faith And yet it belongs not to his office necessarily to give these to all that he Died for No doubt a greater measure of Glory is a greater good than that small measure which some enjoy Specially if the joy of some saved Infants were no greater than Nazianzene Orat. 40. and other antients did think the pain of some condemned Infants would be 3. Some of these parts of Salvation which the Elect themselves do come short of are penally denied them and so are given by Christ as Legislator being propounded on a condition and they not performing the condition to the performance whereof Grace was necessary to assist them If then Christ may give good things by a conditional grant as Legislator to his Elect and yet not give them that Grace which may cause them infallibly to perform the condition and so deny them the benefit conditionally given for want of that performance what reason can be given why he may not do so by the Non-Elect in respect of Salvation and Faith and Repentance the Conditions thereof So that all the weight of their Argument lyeth on this
for all and the propitiation for the sins of the whole World it beseems every Christian rather to explain in what sense Christ dyed for all men than flatly to deny it And let me add those words of Bishop Usher Distinguish between the satisfaction of Christ absolutely considered and the application of the same unto every one in particular The former was once done for all the other is still in doing the one brings with it sufficiency abundant to discharge the whole debt the other adds unto it efficacy The Universality of the satisfaction derogates nothing from the special grace neither the speciality of the one abateth the generality of the other The Lord give us a right understanding of his mind and will and bless this work of the Author both to Ministers and their People that the common Salvation may not be narrowed or lessen'd that Coming Souls may not be discouraged and that the Gospel of Salvation which we Preach may be Tydings of Joy to all People and then I shall not repent my part in the Publication thereof June 18. 1694. JOSEPH READ OF Universal Redemption Chap. 1. The General Question Whether Christ Died for All Men and not only for the Elect Aff. THough according to the Order of our Disputations I must directly Affirm or Deny and indeed may safely Affirm as the Question is thus generally put yet that it may be understood in what sense I affirm it it is necessary that those ambiguities be removed which in some of the terms do cloud the sense and that the nature of the Subject be somewhat opened And indeed it is a clear Explication that is most necessary in this Controversie that we may not as is here usual fight in the dark and trouble our selves with unuseful Argumentations on an ill stated question and in dubious terms not knowing each others mind if well our own Who is meant by Christ we are all agreed and who by Men and that therefore we extend not the Question to Angels though that with some be a great dispute whether Christ dyed not in some sort for them By his Dying we mean His whole Humiliation of which his Death is so principal a part that as the Scripture takes most notice of it so must we Amesius thinketh that the Assumption of the Human Nature is no part of this Humiliation his reason is because it was an Act of the Sole Deity And the Godhead cannot suffer But I think we need not be of that Opinion For 1. The Holy Ghost seems to me to contradict it making it part of Christs Humiliation To make himself of no Reputation and take upon him the form of a Servant and be made in the likeness of Men when he was in the form of God and equal with God Phil. 2. 6 7. 2. And though the Godhead cannot suffer the Loss of any Real Good or suffer any Pain yet in a Relative Sense he may be said to suffer while he is disesteemed and dishonoured Mans Obedience addeth nothing to him nor can it properly be said to do Good to God yet is it in Bonum Dei Reputavitè as Aquin. speaks It is Good and due to God from us and when we deny it him we deprive him of his due Gods Glory is dear to him or else Divines would not so use to affirm it his Sole End which saying yet needs Caution And as Relative and Reputative he enjoyeth and delighteth in his Honour and our Praises as good so Relative and Reputative he suffereth when he is Dishonoured And so the Condescention was so great indeed to the astonishment of Angels and Men that it may well be taken for part of Christs Suffering that â—â—od should by assuming so mean a Nature become Man It is the point that so surpasseth Human Reason and seemeth so improbable to it that it puts Faith harder to it and consequently ennobleth it more than any other in the World which occasioned the whole Moral work of Faith containing divers Physical Acts to be all entitled or denominated hence by the name of Belief So that I am readier to think that the Eclipsing of the Glory of the Godhead in so strange a Condescention and Humility not only in his Assumption of the Human Nature but in the Life and Death of Christ was the greatest part of his Sufferings And am so far from thinking that the Godhead did not Suffer that I think its Sufferings were the chiefest for merit though in a Natural Sense it be uncapable of suffering But a greater Ambiguity lieth in the Word All. All is taken sometime limitedly and improperly for the multitude or very many as in Mat. 2. 3. and 3. 5. Mar. 1. 32 33. Acts 5. 12. c. 2. Sometime properly according to the different subjects Sometime it is spoken of All kinds only as of All Ages Sexes Estates Degrees Nations Conditions of Men Sometime of All Persons and then if it be All in proper speech we need not expect that Every one should be added for All Persons and Every Person are equivalent And though our Question be of All in this last proper sense yet principally as contradistinguished from the Elect only And I had rather far so take it here as referring only to those that have heard the Gospel Not that I doubt at all of Christs Dying for every Man so far as we shall anon explain But 1. Because the case is more clearly opened in Scripture 2. And much more concerneth us to know How God dealeth with those to whom Christ is revealed than with those to whom he is not revealed God speaks both little and more darkly of the State of those to whom he speaks not seeing it concerneth us not to know his Counsels about others so much as about our selves Those therefore who in all disputes on this Question do still insist on the Case of Infants and Pagans to whom Christ was never revealed to prove that he Dyed not for All do plainly shew that they seek not the clearing of the point and manifestation of the truth but the Obscuring of it It being the usual trick of men that are at a loss and can carry on their Cause no farther to argue presently à minus noto ad obscurum ab obscuriore that so they may carry the business into a mist which will not endure the light and so may bring their Antagonists to grope the weakest having the most disadvantage in the dark If it had much concerned us to know on what terms the Indians are judged that never heard of Christ the Scripture would have said more of it and not have fitted the description of the Judicial process wholly or almost wholly to the state of those that have heard the Gospel Mat. 25. 2. Thes 1. 6 7 8 c. So that I desire to handle this Question now as it concerneth all those that have heard the Gospel knowing no great use but some hurt that may be in the extending it farther
the Communication of himself to his Creature is his End either you speak of the Acts of Communication as in God and so it is himself as before expressed Efficiently and not Finally Considered Or else you speak of the form produced by it or as received by the Creature and so it is quid Creatum extra Naturam Divinam and too low to be his End I conclude therefore that man is uncapable of a clear and full conceiving of the Nature of Gods End or Intending But the conception and expression which I judge to be most favoured by Scripture and Reason is That Gods will is the Beginning and End of all things Whatsoever pleased him that did he And when he hath done it the pleasing him is his End And therefore he Rested after the work of Creation and expresseth himself well pleased by and in his Son in the work of Redemption as seeing his work in both to be very good and therefore instituted a day of Rest in Commemoration of both The term Rest expresseth the End and his Well-pleasedness Content or Will is his Rest and so his End And in this sense God himself is his own End and indeed this Pleasing him should be Mans End also 2. But besides this Ultimate End though properly God can have no End but himself yet there are some means so closely conjunct with this End as being the immediate matter of Gods Approbation Delight that they may not unfitly be called Gods secondary or less principal ends themselves especially we may so say in regard of Christs intentions who is Man as well as God And these are 1. The Glory or Image or Perfections of God as appearing in all his works thus his own Power and Wisdom and Goodness there shining forth is that Glory in which he is well-pleased and which he loveth And thus the Glory of God is materially only or objectively his utmost End as that in which his Will doth Rest 2. The Glorifying of the Mediator in his Human Nature and his full satisfaction and content in the fruits of his Redemption 3. The Glory and Happiness of his Elect who are his Body 4. Their Everlasting perfect Praises of God loving him and rejoycing in him 5. And even in this Life the Just Wise Merciful Administrations of the Mediator in his Kingdom and the imperfect Deliverance and Holiness of the Saints and the glory that redounds to God hereby may not unfitly be said to be the Ends of the Redeemer But I will meddle with this Order of Intention no farther as intending God willing to speak more fully and accurately of that Question de ordine decretorum de fine de mediis in a fitter place 2. But let us consider of the Order of these Ends as Executed I mean of the Effects of Christs Death And they are 1. Such as immediatly follow it as it is the Discharge of the Sufferers undertaking being indeed 1. Part of his Work in its Moral Consideration 2. Or else the immediate results of that Discharge These are 1. That Christs Death doth demonstrate Gods justice and hatred of Sin 2. In it an Example is given for the deterring of Offenders 3. And for preserving the Lawgiver and the Law from contempt 4. And a demonstration made of unspeakable Love to Men. 5. And in and by these 1. The Lawgiver satisfied 2. And the chief Ends of the Law are attained though we cannot strictly say that the Law it self is satisfied because its sense and nearest end is not fulfilled Thus satisfaction of Justice is the sum of these most immediate Effects And the whole work together may well be called A Satisfactory Penalty 2. Satisfaction being thus made there are immediately hereupon several Relative Effects resulting from it Whereof some are from the Nature of the Work supposing that which is called The Covenant between the Father and the Son that is Gods Acceptation And some are given as it were by way of Retribution or in Communication to Christ for his satisfaction Of the first sort are these 1. Christ himself is now free from his Voluntary obligation to suffer In the same sense as he was before made Sin he is now Justified and upon his Resurrection declared just He oweth no more nor can any more be required of him 2. The Father therefore doth give him an Acquittance and acknowledgeth the satisfaction proclaiming himself well-pleased in his Son 3. And hereby is Christ become Conquerour over Death and Him who had the Power of Death even the Devil Supposing his Resurrection 2. Satisfaction is so pleasing to God that upon the giving thereof the work becomes Meritorious of Reward to the satisfier 1. Because it was not Due from Him nor Compelled but voluntary 2. Because though God be not capable of receiving good yet it was from his own earnest desire which he was moved to by Compassion to Man and so it was reputative in bonum Dei as being pleasing to him The things given to the Satisfier by way of Retribution are 1. Some directly to himself as necessary to the Ends of Redemption 2. Some for the Sinners in whose stead he suffered To himself is given 1. Something to be received before the End and Delivering up of the Kingdom and something after Before he Received 1. Real the glorifying of his person 2. Relative Fruits Novum jus Dominii a full Propriety in the Creature as his own which he bought And that is 1. Over Mankind whom he Redeemed 2. And all the Creatures as they may be serviceable to his Ends. By his Propriety in Man he hath Power 1. To use what means he seeth meet to perswade them to himself Either 1. External 1. As the Word or 2. Works 2. Or Internal by his Spirit and their Conscience 2. And to succeed the means By his Propriety in other Creatures he hath Power to dispose of 1. Persons both 1. Angels and 2. Enemies as Devils and 2. Things As 1. Creatures 2. Actions and Thoughts so as many serve his Ends of Redemption 2. Beside this Propriety he hath Novum Jus Imperii and is become Rector of the Rational Creature whom he Redeemed This is partly consequential to his Jus Dominii For every Man hath Power to Rule his Own according to its Capacity By this Rectorship Christ hath Power 1. To Determine both 1. What shall be Due from Man 2. And What shall be Due to him Which he doth 1. By making Laws de novo 2. And disposing of the Old at his pleasure And as he hath this power of the Laws So 2. Of their Execution 1. By Sentence 2. And by the Execution of the Sentence Thus much of that which Christ himself was to receive for his satisfaction in this time before the End 2. After the End he was further to receive 1. The continuation or perpetuating of his Personal Glory and Blessedness 2. A full Content in the perfect accomplishment of his work 1. In the just Destruction of his
by Christ be offer'd in those Fruits to Men if it were not first given and accepted for them as well as others in Law Sence by God from the Redeemer The Rector or Creditor must first receive the satisfaction before a discharge can be offered to the offendor or Debtor on consideration of that satisfaction made and accepted Much more before Men can be condemned justly for refusing it If the satisfaction were given and accepted for the Elect only it could not in the Benefits which wholly presuppose it be so offered to the Non-Elect and they judged for refusing the benefit of a satisfaction never made for them Prop. XXXVI Christs dying for Men is Antecedent to their believing in him Their believing presupposeth his dying for them His Death saveth them because they believe but he did not die for them because they believe but they must believe because he dyed for them The Act both as performed and commanded here presupposeth the Object The Command therefore of believing presupposeth that Christdyed for Men. Prop. XXXVII No Mans name or Description so as to difference him from others being in the offer and promise conditional but it being made alike to all it will follow that no Man could have any true ground to believe or accept Christ if he knew not that he is one of those to whom he is universally offered and conditionally given and consequently for whom he satisfied Prop. XXXVIII If the condition on which Christ is given to all and Life in him were something of natural proper impossibility or unreasonable or if it were long of Christ that the condition is not performed by them then it were less proper to say that Christ is given them or that he dyed for them in respect to this conditional gift But seeing the condition is nothing of natural proper impossibility nor unreasonable being but their hearty acceptance of Christ as he is offered them and not the least Repensum requital price or repayment and nothing but their own wicked disposition and obstinacy can cause their non-performance so that they may have Christ and Life if they will therefore it is proper to say that Christ is given them and conditional Pardon and Life in him and that Christ therefore dyed for them Prop. XXXIX It is Gods Law or Covenants which constitute the Right or Dueness of obedience rewards and punishments and it is not Election or the meer Decree of God that doth any of these We have no Right to Christ upon Election till the Covenant or Law give us Right Prop. XL. Elect and Non-Elect therefore have equal Right to Christ till believing difference them That is all have a conditional Right and none an actual and absolute Prop. XLI The Covenant berween the Father and Mediator commonly so called gave Christ a full Power to confer pardon and Life but gave not to Men any Right ot Title to the benefits Prop. XLII Nor did that Covenant or promise which God made to fallen mankind of sending a Saviour to Redeem them give this Right actually to these benefits Prop. XLIII Nor doth that promise or Covenant which God hath made of giving a new and soft Heart to the Elect give any Man an actual Right to Remission Justification or Glory No nor to renewing Grace it being but a prediction what God resolveth to do for the saving of some known only to himself and so a discovery of his purpose and not a conferring of Right Or if it were a Promissum vel Donatio in diem sine conditione as some would make it yet it would not give actual Title till the time come Non daâ—â—r actio ante diem in talibus promissis inter homines It is the nature of such gifts that upon the Donors will the Right should be as it were in passing from the Donour to the receiver till that day Et si cessit dies saltem non venit It is not ours in Title till the Day But indeed here is no prefixed day nor proper Gift Prop. XLIV We Must therefore carefully distinguish between these three forementioned Covenants and that universal Law or conditional Covenant of Grace made to all mankind which is it by which Christ ruleth and will judge us And which is his Instrument of conferring Right and so of pardoning Justifying and Adopting us Prop. XLV Christ hath a threefold Kingdom Of one all the World are Subjects these he over-ruleth and partly ruleth to restraint at least by the Law of Nature Of the other the visible Church all professed Christians are members These he ruleth by his Law of Grace and Spirit but differently Of the third which is the Souls of believers only true believers are members These only Christ ruleth to Salvation but the rest also as Redeemer Prop. XLVI When the Schoolmen and our own Divines say that Christ dyed for all quoad sufficientiam pretii but not quoad efficientiam they cannot without absurdity be interpreted to mean that his Death is sufficient for all if it had been a Price for them and not a sufficient Price for them For that were to contradict themselves And so Christ could not be said to dye for Men quoad sufficientiam pretii For it is neither for them nor a Price so considered Prop. XLVII It seems an injurious feigning of Christ to suffer much in vain to say that he paid a Price sufficient for all the World when yet it shall be no way efficient Unless they think that Christs sufferings are no greater for all Men than if he had suffered but for one or few and that minima guttula sanguinis Christ i sufficit ad redimendum mille mundos which our Divines disclaim as a dangerous Error They therefore that think it a making Christ to suffer in vain to say He dyed for some that perish do themselves make him much more to suffer in vain in saying he paid a Price for some which was sufficient for all but shall be no way efficient for them Prop. XLVIII Christs Death is a sufficient Price and satisfaction to God for the Sins of all Mankind The Efficiency of satisfaction passive is it wherein the sufficiency to further uses doth consist But it effecteth actual Remission Justification Adoption Salvation only for Believers This is the plain truth and the Sense of Divines in saying that Christ dyed for all quoad sufficientiam pretii non quoad Efficientiam Prop. XLIX It hath not so much as a shew of Injustice or wrong to any for God to punish unbelievers for the same Sins that Christ died for if we do but understand 1. The difference between suffering by our selves or our delegate substitute or Vicar and a Mediator suffering for us 2. And between solutio ejusdem satisfactio which is Redditio equivalentis and so 3. Between a refusable suffering or payment as the last is which doth acquit but on what terms the accepter pleaseth and not ipso facto and a not refusable payment such
which is their Master Argument may as well say that God is an imperfect Creator because he maketh not Worms to be Men or that he is an imperfect Conservator because he preserved not man from Mortality Damnation and Antecedent Calamities especially from Sin Or that he is imperfectly Merciful because he permitteth Men to sin and Condemneth them Or that Christ is an Imperfect Redeemer of the Elect because he suffereth them after his Redemption to Sin Suffer and Die Or that the Holy Ghost is an imperfect Sanctifier and Caller because many wicked Men are Sanctifyed and Believe imperfectly so as will not suffice to Salvation and because they resist and quench the Spirit and fall from that Faith and Sanctification which they had Or that the Spirit is an imperfect Comforter because so many Saints Live and Die in such unconformitable sadness Or that Scripture is an imperfect means because the Effect is so imperfect In a word they may as well say that where God doth not overcome mens wicked dispositions he is an imperfect God to them in regard of his Mercies All which beseem not the Tongue of a Christian Prop. LX. That Argument commonly brought against Universal Redemption that where Christ doth the work of a Mediator for any man in one of his Offices he doth it in all is undeniably destructive to the cause it is brought for For it is undeniable that Christ as Prophet and King Teacheth Calleth Illuminateth many Non-elect giveth some Faith some Taste of his word and the powers of the World to come sanctifyeth them by the Blood of the Covenant and washeth them from their former pollutions Mat. 13. Heb. 6. and 10. â—2 Pet. 2. 20. Therefore in his Priestly Office he must at least be as far their Mediator CHAP. IV. The First Proposition Asserted Prop. I. CHRIST in Sufâ—ering did not strictly and properly bear and represent the person of the Sinner so as Civiliter Moraliter Legaliâ—er it might be said that we either satisfied or sufferâ—d in or by Christ Explic. I am not willing to make the meer â—ords here any matter of quarrel If any dislike â—ny term of mine or like his own let him apâ—ly himself to the matter in Question and let â—…e words pass 1. I deny not that Christ Sufâ—ered nostro loco in our place or stead suffering â—…at which we deserved and should else have unâ—voidably suffered 2. I acknowledge and mainâ—â—in that our Sins were the quasi Causa Meritoria 〈…〉 loco causae meritoriae of his sufferings and that 〈…〉 became Sin for us that is a Curse for Sin â—…at is he made himself by his own Sponsion obâ—â—xious to the Curse and Punishment due to us for 〈…〉 Sin And so far Sin was imputed to him But Christ was neither really a Sinner nor eâ—â—eemed of God so to be and in that sence sin â—as not imputed to him 4. All know that 〈…〉 Physico Christ did not bear our persons Some will needs extend the phrase of bearâ—â—g or representing the person of another civiliter so far as if it were applicable to every sponser surety or one that alterius vice loco doth do or suffer any thing And so they say Christ bore our Person But as I think they abuse the phrase by extending it so far so I am content they use their liberty to express themselves as they please only I intreat them that they misunderstand not me but know that my meaning is that the Law doth not look on any Man no not the Elect as having either satisfyed or suffered in or by Christ nor doth the Law-giver and judge so look on him And so Christ did not strictly in Law-Sense bear the person of any Man in suffering so as that person might be said to have in him suffered 6. Some think Christ in suffering the penalty as penalty did strictly bear our persons as Sinners but not as this suffering was a satisfaction to Gods Justice which is the effect of it much less as it was meritorious of further Grace and Salvation The Authors or owners of this opinion of whom Arminiâ—â— himself seems one discerned the inconveniences that would follow the opinion of strict Representation but while they discerned not the right way of avoiding them and feared lest they should swarve by a full denial of it they seem to me to fall into the same place from which they leaped Though I confess that at the first view I began to incline to this opinion as most moderate which now I see to be unsafe The most of my Arguments are drawn from those intollerable consequences of the Doctrine which I oppose as being such as overthrow the very substance of the Gospel Though to the inconsiderate it may seem a small matter 1. Argument That Doctrine which consequentially denyeth all Pardon of Sin is not of God But such is the Doctrine which I here oppose Therefore c. The Minor only requires proof Where the proper debt is discharged or penalty undergone in Law-Sence by the person himself who was obnoxious there is no room for Pardon to such a Person But according to the Doctrine which I oppose the proper debt is discharged or the penalty undergone in Law-Sence by the Person himself who was obnoxious Therefore according to that Doctrine there is no place for Pardon to such The Minor needs no proof it being the express terms of the assertion which I deny that Christ so represented our Persons in suffering or â—atisfying as that Legaliter vel Civiliter we may properly be said to have suffered or satisfied in â—im so that though it was Christs Person naturally yet it was ours Legally Morally or Impuâ—â—tively The major I prove thus He that oweth nothing or to whom no penalty is due can have â—one forgiven him But he that hath paid all the â—ebt or undergone all the punishment that was â—â—e by himself or another that in Law-Sence is himself doth owe nothing or to him no penalty â— due Therefore he can have none forgiven him â—ob Major Remissio est Debiti Remissio Thereâ—â—re where there is no due there can be no reâ—â—ssion Prob. Minor To have paid or suffered all 〈◊〉 to owe some are contradictory and inconstent Therefore he that hath paid all owes noâ—â—ing The Antimonians Answer is this It is true that no punishment is due to the Elect and none is properly forgiven them now since Christs Death But Christs assuming their Persons in satisfying was a Remission to them Or God did in one instant remit it to them and transfer it on Christ Reply 1. Christs assuming our Persons is not remission of Sin 2. If God did remit it to us when he transferred it on Christ and yet we Legaliter suffered in Christ then God did both remit the whole debt to us and receive satisfaction in Law-Sence from us at the same time But that is a contradiction Therefore c. From hence I may therefore further argue 2. Arg. That Doctrine
Christs Dying for one man cannot procure these great benefits to another It cannot have causality as to such an effect God doth not forgive Thomas because Christ Dyed for Peter 2. A non necessitate There was a necessity of Christs Death as is before proved to the procuring of this pardon But there was no necessity for procuring pardon to one man that Christ should Die for another therefore the necessity was that he Dyed for the person himself 3. If Christs Death were not necessary to the conditional pardoning of the Non-elect but that God doth it without Christs Dying for them then it was not necessary for the conditional pardoning of the Elect but God might have done it without Christs Dying for them But the Consequent is â—alse therefore so is the Antecedent The Major is plain in that there is the same reason both as to their Sin and Case and Remission 1. The Sins of the Elect did not differ from â—hose of the Non-elect so as that they more â—eeded a satisfactory Expiation 2 They were both under the same Law â—urse and Wrath of God 3. The Deed of Gift or Promise which reâ—itteth one is the same with that which remitteth the other The Minor is plain for if any â—ould say that without Christs Death God â—ight conditionally have pardoned all Elect and Non-elect but not Actually I Answer 1. Then Christ should Die only to purchase Faith which is false For God doth perform no new act to make the conditional Gift become actual but only the giving of Grace to believe and so perform the condition 2. Then God might have made this new Law and Covenant of Grace Believe and be pardoned and saved or Whosoever will let him take the Water of Life freely without any expiatory Sacrifice or Satisfaction by Christ which 1. So contradicteth it self seeing the thing given is a Dead revived Saviour with his Benefits and therefore it cannot be given which is not 2. And so subverteth Christianity it self that I think I need not spend more words on it Only I add this which is of considerable moment that on the contrary the great necessity and ends of Christs Death are in respect to God as Rector per leges and not as Dominus absolutus or benefactor merè arbitrarius God received no addition of Love or Goodwill nor of Wisdom or Natural Power by Christs Death But he received a Reparation of his honour as Legislator and a Moral Power consisting in Convenientâ— rei efficiendae to pardon sin by making a general act of pardon to all that will accept the Redeemer and his Benefits So that the proper use of Christs Death was to be an Expiatory Sacrifice for Sin offered to God as the offended Rector And therefore the New Law or Covenant of Grace which followeth hereupon giving Christ and Pardon to all that will Receive him must needs be the proper effect of Christs Death Whereas Faith is given rather by God as Dominus Absolutuâ— arbitrarily doing good to his Creature then as Legislator and is said to be purchased by Christs Death but in a more remote sense as shall anon be shewed so that to deny this Conditional Gift Covenant or Promise to be the fruit of Christs satisfaction is to deny a very great part of the fruit of it and tantum non to make Christ to dye in vain The Consequence needs no proof Therefore I pass to the next Arg. II. If God do offer by his Word and Messengers Remission Justification Adoption and Right to Glorification to all Elect and Non-Elect then Christ hath satisfied for all But God doth so offer these to All Ergo c. A Remissione Salute omnibus Oblatis The former Argument was drawn from the Gift and this is drawn from the Offer which though it be inseparable from the former and so implyed in the former Argument yet I shall annex it because of them who deny the Conditional Gift but confess the Offer The Antecedent I think few will question as to All who hear the Gospel and God as Legislator hath done his part in offering it to those that yet â—eâ—er heard it 1. In making the Tenour of the promise or Offer of Universal extent 2. And in Commanding his Officers to go into all the World and Preach the Gospel to every Creature The Consequent is proved thus 1. The Pardon offered is either a Pardon purchased by Christs Satisfaction for them to whom it is offered or else procured some other way But there is no other way of procurement Ergo c. 1. Not without Christs Blood as is proved 2. Not by Christ's Blood as shed for others as is proved Object But it is by his Blood as shed for all that will Believe Ans 1. Believing is not the Condition of Christs Dying for us but of our participation of the benefits thereby purchased not of the Impetration but of part of the Application Christ never said If men or this man will Believe I will dye for them But If thou Believe thou shalt be justified and saved by him that hath died for thee Belief is not presupposed as the Qualification of the subject for whom Christ must dye but is required after and given freely to his chosen for the further Application of his Death 2. His dying for them that will Believe was either for certain determinate persons who should Believe or else without a determination of the persons If the latter only then he died certainly for none If the former then his dying for one man would not procure pardon for another 2. God doth not offer that which he cannot give for his offer is a gift on condition of Acceptance and we must not dare to charge God with illusory or ludicrous actions But God cannot give Pardon and Justification and Right to Salvation to any sinful man for whom Christ never satisfied When I say God cannot I mean not that he cannot for want of Power but because of his Wisdom Goodness and Justice He cannot being Rector of the World do that which is so Inconvenient and such a Monster in Government and so destructive to the ends of his Government All grant that quoad potentiam ordinatam now he cannot that is He will not If God may give these to one man yea to All the Non-Elect to whom they are offered without Christs satisfaction procuring them then he may do so by all but that is not true Ergo c. Object But iâ— men will Believe God Can and Will give them what he offers Answ This Objection supposeth the Believing of that person for whom Christ died not or else it changeth the subject of the question For the Question now is Whether God can give Pardon to a Man for whom Christ hath not satisfyed And it is hereby answered that He can if that man Believe To which I reply that he cannot or will not supposing that such a Man should believe For it is Christs Death that is
under the meer Law of Works as remediless Men are not then examined meerly whether ever they Sinned nor accused meerly as Sinners But the Question will be of that Sin in Specie which consisteth in refusing to repent or believe or abusing that mercy which should have led them to repentance Mat. 25. It is for not improving their Talents which is not the legal reason as the Law of Works is alone or for not loving and cherishing Christ Jesus in his Members It is for not knowing God nor obeying the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ It is true that all their Sins also against the Law shall cause their condemnation for they were never pardoned But that is consequentially because they abused the Grace that should have recovered them and so the Wrath of God abideth on them that would not yield to his means for removing it I no where read that God will make this Rigorous Law alone the Norma Judicii and pass sentence on any meerly on these terms If thou have never Sinned thou shalt be saved else thou shalt be condemned so that if we have no discovery what way or on what terms in special God will judg them that hear not of Christ yet we have a plain discovery of the Negative that he will not deal with them on the forementioned terms of the sole Covenant of Works And consequently for the affirmative we are sure in general that he deals with them upon terms of Grace i. e. Mercy contrary to their desert More of this may be added anon Arg. 5. Ab aequitate novae Legis Credendi Debitum Constituentis The Faith which God requireth of Men to their Justification hath not a feigned or deceiving object But it should have such an object if Christ have not satisfied for all who are commanded to belieâ— ergo c. Or tâ—â—s if Christ have not satisfied for all who are commanded to believe in him to Justification then the Faith commanded them should have a feigned or deceiving object But the Faith commanded them hath not a feigned or deceiving object ergo c. All the proof requisite is of the consequence of the Major Proposition And here we must first know what the justifying Act of Faith is and then what the object must be and then the consequence will manifest it self Divines are not agreed what the justifying Act of Faith is some think it must be but one Act and therefore it must be placed but in one faculty Of these some place it only in the understanding as Camero and many others Some only in the Will as Amesius and some few with him Some and most place it in both faculties and so in divers Acts and that rightly And inded it hath divers Acts in each faculty For as it is more then one particular Truth or exunciation which is the object of Assent and therefore must have divers Acts of Assent so it is in more then one shape and profitable respect that the Goodness of the object is presented to the Will and therefore it must there have several Acts as consent affiance c. Now let us first enquire after the Acts of the understanding where I will meddle with none but what is ordinarily by Divines asserted to be justifying or prerequisite thereto And 1. I will let that pass which Dr. Twiss makes the first Act viz. To believe Gods word to be true For if it be not known what that word is here is no material object of Faith but the formal object alone 2. I will pass over the duty of repenting which Dr. Twiss saith is next required contrary to the usual Doctrine though it is manifest that repentance it self as a means to remission cannot be required but on supposition of satisfaction for Sin The common answer to the Arminians Quicquid tenemur credere verum est c. Is We are all bound to believe that Christ died for all that will believe in him See what Twiss saith against this Answer in Piscator Vindic. de promiss lib. 2. Part 2. Sect. 20. Page 475. Vol. Parv. 1. Men are not supposed first to be believers and then Christ to dye for them nor hath died at random without determining in quorum Loco in whose stead and left it to their Faith to determine afterwards He hath not said either if thou believe I will die for thee Or if thou believe that Death which I have undergone shall be tui loco in thy stead or for thy Sins Mans Sin being the loco causae meritoriae of Christs sufferings it must be determined whose Sins he should suffer for before he suffer For the meritorious cause is before the effect And therefore Christ died for them before they are believers for else how did he procure them grace to believe Not only Davenant hath well cleared this in his dissert de redempt but Twiss ubi super P. 474. could say Neque enim hujus propositionis veritas Christus est Redemptor Noster est veritas consequens fidem nostram Nec ejus falsitas est falsitas consequens infidelitatem nostram sed antecedens Antecedens inquam natura in genere causae moralis nempe meritoriae non autem in genere causae Physicae Quod eo tantum addo quoniam quod est prius natura in genere causae Physicae impossibile est ut sit posterius tempore eo quo prius est natura At quod est prius natura in genere causae moralis meritoriae presertim ex libera Dei constitutione proficiscens potest esse posterius tempore etiam eo quod est prius naturâ 2. There must therefore be some former consideration of those for whom Christ died Antecedent Moraliter to his Death And that can be nothing but for Sinners as such It is therefore for all Sinners or only for some And the Doctrine of those that contradict me is that it was not indeterminately for all that will believe but determinately to these particular Elect Persons that they may believe for whom Christ satisfied Now then according to this Doctrine all Men where the Gospel is preached are bound to believe that Christ satisfied for the Elect to procure them Faith and consequently justification that by so believing themselves may be justified But if they should so believe this Faith would not justifie them for whom Christ Died not so that here is a justifying Faith Commanded without a justifying object as I shall fullier shew anon 2. And whereas Dr. Twiss saith It is only the penitent that are commanded to believe on Christ for justification I Answer 1. Then the Impenitent shall not be condemned for not believing in Christ for justification which is false for the omission is not so much as a Sin much less damning if faith be not commanded them 2. It is nevertheless their duty because other duties as suppose repentance are first to be performed God may constitute many duties at once though they are not to be performed at once
satisfaction though common not only may be but is the ground or motive of our first special love if it be orderly and rightly raised though Christs special love be the efficient Object Then none do love God a right at first but those that hold Universal Redemption Ans 1. Yet they may love him sincerely though they are brought to it through the fault of their Teachers in a disadvantageous and disorderly way 2. Young Converts are not used so soon to be troubled with the Controversy of Universal Redemption 3. I have known few in my observation but at their first closing with Christ they have had the same judgment of the Universality of Christs satisfaction so as to be sufficient for all Sinners and wanting only their own Faith to make it effectual to Remission which I plead for 4. It is the usual way of Preachers in their popular Sermons to speak far more soundly in these points then in their disputations And indeed their way of Preaching for the Conversion of Sinners doth plainly intimate Universal satisfaction For they use to lay all the blame on the Wills of Sinners and justly as that only which can deprive them of the benefits of Christs sufferings and to urge them to accept him and to let them know that their case is not left remediless and desperate Yea and to tell them plainly that Christs Death is sufficient for all to pardon all their Sins be they never so many or great and if they will believe they shall have the Fruits of it Which is in other words to say Christ hath satisfied for all So that upon these right grounds they use to bring Men to believe and love Christ at the first and then they must have some longer time before they can pervert them again by working out these apprehensions and acquainting them that Christ hath not satisfied for all but for the Elect only Object Mens first love to Christ is not to him for what he hath done but for what he can do for us and as he is to us a desirable good because it is but Amor Concupiscentiae Ans It is also a love of gratitude And all the good that we can expect from him for the future or desire him for is but the fruit of what he hath done for us already and therefore presupposeth it And he that looketh for Mercy from Christ as not procured by his satisfactory sufferings knows not the Gospel nor what he expecteth The Gospel at its first Preaching is glad tidings and brings news first of what Christ hath done for Men and next of what he will further do Object But it is not for Dying for me in particular that I am first obliged to love Christ but for paying a sufficient price Ans 1. If by For me in particular you mean more for me then others I grant it But it is for dying and satisfying for fallen Mankind in general of whom I am a Member 2. I have shewed that according to this New Doctrin Christs Death is not sufficient to pardon all if they did repent nor formally a sufficient price but only materially or Aptitudinally sufficient to have been a price Now that this can engage any to love or thankfulness is past my reach to apprehend For it is not a benefit to such as for whom it was no price If 100 Men lie in Prison for debt and one shall pay as much for the debt and discharge often of them as was sufficient to have satisfied for the debts of them all and yet would not pay it for them but rather give it superfluously then that they should have any benefit by it how doth this oblige these Prisoners to love and thankfulness to this Man At least not as any Redeemer or Friend of theirs Rather they will think him envious and an Enemy to them that would rather cast away his Mony Giving for one that which was sufficient for all then they should have any benefit by it Object But it is not for his Death that Men are bound at first to love Christ and be thankful but for the free and general offer of himself and his benesits to them in the Gospel Ans 1. The negative is wicked and Unchristian 2. The part affirmed is a contradiction to their denial of Universal satisfaction For Christ is offered to Men as their Redeemer only And the Word Redeemer signifies 1. One that hath paid a price for them already 2. One that will recover them by the effectual conveyance of his benefits if they accept his offer And the later always implies the former The effect cannot be without its cause He is no Redeemer to them for whom he suffered not And he cannot be a Redeemer to them by Pardon and Salvation for whom he hath not been already a Redeemer by satisfaction And he doth not offer to satisfie for them de futuro a new and therefore the offer certainly proves a general satisfaction as is shewed before 3. And if Christ offer himself to any Men as their Redeemer whom he never did Redeem no nor can Redeem by Remission and Salvation because he hath not first Redeemed them by price and satisfaction charging the refusal upon them to their deep damnation doth this oblige Men to love and gratitude If he procure by his Death no possibility of their Salvation but induce a necessity of their deep condemnation If he offer them the benefits of a death never suffered for them that is effects without their cause and which he cannot give them and destroy them for not receiving them Is this all the obligation Object But it is the Law of God that obligeth them to love and gratitude And therefore they are obliged though Christ be none of their Redeemer and though his Death were not a benefit to them Ans 1. These are duties that result ex natura rei viz. boni oblati beneficii â—ollati and so from the Law of nature and not from a meer positive Law Love and gratitude are not ceremonies and therefore where the nature of the thing obligeth not there is no obligation 2. There must be an objective cause of love and gratitude as well as an efficient and exemplary cause And therefore our question is only of the objective cause God doth not alter the nature of love and gratitude by commanding them He doth not command love that hath not good for its object for there is no such thing in rerum natura nor doth he command a gratitude that is not for a benefit Object But it is unknown to them whether Christ died for them or not For ought they know he did And therefore they are bound to love and gratitude Ans 1. An unknown benefit bindeth not to love and thankfulness 2. It is Real favours and not feigned that Christ obligeth Men by As it is real love and thanks and not feigned that he expecteth from them 3. Else that common love and thankfulness which the Non-elect
Workmanship But he loveth man after his Faith and Love to him as Rector per Leges as putting on the resemblance of goodness and justice in civil Sense and as he now stands in that Relation to them in which he is by his own Law as it were obliged to do them good Note this difference of Christs love Prov. 8. 17. I love those that love me and those that seek me early shall find me So ver 21. Luke 7. 47. Many sins are forgiven for she loved much If it be meant therefore she loved much yet it would not make against this From John 3. 19. I argue thus If men are condemned for loving darkness rather than Light and Christ is this Light then they were obliged to love Christ the Light But c. Ergo c. And I have shewed it is as Redeemer that he must be loved For to Love Christ as an excellent Prophet only that a Turk may do for Mahomet so confesseth him to be Mat. 10. 37. It is Christs condition propounded to all That if they love not him better than Father Mother House Land or Life they cannot be his Disciples So that those that are not yet his Disciples are obliged at once to love him above all and become his Disciples 1 Cor. 16. 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maran-atha And then more specially for Gratitude because I have hitherto insisted on the other species Love there are many Parables in the Gospel that shew that wicked men are condemned for ingratitude to their Redeemer Mat. 21. 37 40. c. Christ convinceth his Auditors that those unthankful Husband-men that refused to pay the Fruits and killed the Son that was sent to them he was sent to be entertained as Redeemer would deservedly be destroyed with a miserable destruction and the Vineyard let out to others i. e. that the Kingdom of God should be taken from them and given to a Nation bringing forth the Fruits thereof And what is that Kingdom here meant but the Gospel The proclaiming and offer of Christ as Redeemer and of mercy in and with him Mat. 22. 8. It is unthankful refusal of the feast prepared when all things were ready and they invited which was the unworthiness that there is mentioned which shut out those Guests Mat. 18. 32. Unthankfulness is intimamated as part of the Sin of that wicked Servant who took his fellow Servant by the throat for 100. Pence when himself had been forgiven 10000 Talents I forgave thee all the debt signifieth such a mercy as Men may have that perish as is plain verse 34. 35. and yet certainly presupposeth Christs dying for them and obligeth them to thankfulness If any ask the sense of the Text I shall give it after by it self more fitly Let me therefore conclude thus That Doccrin which subverteth a very great part of Religion is not of God But so doth this which denieth Universal satisfaction Therefore it is not of God The Minor is proved from what is said It destroyeth the ground of all Mens first love to Christ for Redeeming them It justifieth all the Non-Elect in their ingratitude and not loving Christ as their Redeemer Besides what was said before of its destroying the use of repentance and all Means But we shall recollect more of these consequences in the end and shew you more fully the face of the Doctrin which I dispute against I have proved that all Men that hear the Gospel owe Christ love and thankfulness for Redeeming them by dying for them I should next shew that all Men in the World do owe God love and thankfulness for those mercies which are the effects of Christs satisfaction But especially those within the Church who have in the New Covenant made over to them a conditional remission of their Sins and adoption and everlasting life viz. If they will accept Christ with his benefits Those that are sanctified with the Blood of the Covenant and are made partakers of the Holy Ghost and were escaped from the pollutions of the World through the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and and have tasted the good word of God and the Powers of the World to come c. Certainly these have received the fruits of Christs satisfaction for which they were bound to be thankful But of those more particularly in their place Arg. 14th Acertitudine fidei possibilitate rectè credendi If Christ hath not satisfied for the Sins of all then no Man hath a sufficient ground for his first justifying Faith All Men are left at an utter uncomfortable uncertainty whether they may believe to Justification or not But the consequent is false Therefore so is the Antecedent That which is said before doth shew so much of the grounds of this Argument that I shall be the shorter in it now All the doubt is of the consequence of the Major and to clear that I suppose it is granted that all firm sufficient Faith for justification must not only have a command to warrant it but also a fit object about which it must be exercised God commandeth no Man to believe a falshood to make it become true by believing it nor to trust to a person or promise that is not to be trusted as being not only fallible but certainly will deceive As for the Act of affiance or recumbency commonly called the justifying Act no Man can groundedly or comfortably rest on Christ for justification by his Blood who doth not first know that his Blood was shed for him and hath satisfied for him Else he must rest on that which he knows not to be sufficient for him to rest upon For it hath been proved that Christs death is not sufficient to justifie any for whom it was not suffered though they should believe He suffered not superfluously as I have shewed Take the confession of a Divine that for fear of Arminianism joyned Hands with the Antimonians Maccovius colleg disp de justif disp 5. § 22. Quoad substantiam poenae nihil olus perpessus est Christus quam per legem debebatur Neque enim vel Amor Patris vel etiam justitia permittere potuit plura ut filio imponerentur quam quae illi necessariò tanquam sponsori ferenda erant Quoad circumstantias autem patientis personam patiendi causam passionis efficaciam plusquam sufficiens satisfactio Christi Neque enim lex requirebat ut Deus moreretur neque ut sine peccato proprio quis moreretur neque morstalis quae suffecisset pro peccatis totius mundi sive pro omnibus singulis hominibus Here he confesseth that Christ suffered no more than was due by Law and than was necessary for him to suffer as Sponsor And yet that his Death was sufficient for the Sins of all the World even for all Men and every Man And if so then either he suffered as Sponsor for all Or else circumstances did make that Death sufficient for
Non-Elect to use no means at all for their Recovery and Salvation or else to have appointed them means which are all utterly useless and insufficient for want of a prerequisite cause without them yea which imply a contradiction 7. It maketh the True and Righteous God to make promises of Pardon and Salvation to all men on condition of believing which he neither would nor could perform for want of such satisfaction to his Justice if they did believe 8. It denieth the true sufficiency of Christs Death for the pardoning and saving of all men if they did believe 9. It makes the cause of mens Damnation to be principally for want of an expiatory Sacrifice and of a Saviour and not of believing 10. It maketh Christ to have suffered much in vain enduring as much for the sins of the Elect only as if the sins of all men had layen on him 11. Or else it dangerously extenuateth and denieth the sufferings of Christ as if he did not suffer as much as was due for the sins of all and it extenuateth his love as if he took on him only the sins of the Elect. 12. It either denieth that any but the Elect should love Christ or be thankful to him as their Redeemer yea or any Elect that have not the knowledg of their Election and so should not repent of the want of this love and thankfulness or else that they should love him and be thankful for that which never was true and never was done for them or given them 13. It maketh God to have inflicted more on Christ then was due even as much for the Sins of the Elect only as was due for the Sins of all the World 14. It leaveth all the World Elect as well as others without any ground and object for their first justifying Faith and in an utter uncertainty whether they may believe to justification or not 15. It maketh the knowledg that we have justifying Faith to go before the having of that Faith 16. It denieth the most necessary humbling aggravation of Mens Sins so that neither the Minister can tell wicked Men that they have sinned against him that bought them nor can any wicked Man so accuse himself no nor any Man that doth not know himself to be Elect They cannot say my Sins put Christ to Death and were the Cause of his sufferings Nay a Minister cannot tell any Man in the World certainly thy Sins put Christ to death because he is not certain who is Elect or sincere in the Faith 17. It subverteth Christs new Dominion and Government of the World and his general legislation and Judgment according to his Law which is now founded in his Title of Redemption as the first Dominion and Government was on the Title of Creation 18. It maketh all the benefits that the Non-Elect receive whether Spiritual or corporal and so even the relaxation of the curse of the Law without which relaxation no Man could have such mercies to befall Men without the satisfaction of Christ and so either make satisfaction as to all those mercies needless or else must find another Satisfier 19. It maketh the Law of Grace to contain far harder terms then the Law of Works did in its utmost rigor 20. It maketh the Law of Moses either to bind all the Non-Elect still to all Ceremonies and bondage-ordinances and so sets up judaism or else to be abrogated and taken down and Men delivered from it without Christs suffering for them 21. It destroys almost the whole work of the Ministry disabling Ministers either to humble Men by the chiefest aggravations of their Sins and to convince them of ingratitude and unkind dealing with Christ or to shew them any hopes to draw them to repentance or any love and mercy tending to Salvation to melt and win them to the Love of Christ or any sufficient object for their Faith and affiance or any means to be used for pardon or Salvation or any promise to encourage them to come in or any threatening to deter them 22. It makes God and the Redeemer to have done no more for the remedying of the misery of most of faln mankind then for the Devils nor to have put them into any more possibility of pardon or Salvation 23. Nay it makes God to have dealt far hardlier with most Men then with the Devils making them a Law which requireth their believing in one that never died for them and taking him for their Redeemer that never redeemed them and that on the meer foresight that they would not believe it or decree that they should not and so to create by that Law a necessity of their far sorer punishment without procuring them any possibility of avoiding it 24. It makes the Gospel of its own Nature to be the greatest Plague and Judgment to most of Men that receive it that ever God sendeth to Men on Earth by binding them over to a greater punishment and aggravating their Sin without giving them any possibility of remedy 25. It maketh the case of all the World except the Elect as deplorate remediless and hopeless as the Case of the damned and so denieth them to have any day of Grace Visitation or Salvation or any price for happiness put into their Hands 26. It maketh Christ to condemn Men to Hell Fire for not receiving him for their Redeemer that never redeemed them and for not resting on him for Salvation by his Blood which was never shed for them and for not repenting unto life when they had no hope of mercy and Faith and repentance could not have saved them 27. It putteth sufficient excuses into the Mouths of the condemned 28. It maketh the torments of conscience in Hell to be none at all and teacheth the damned to put away all their sorrows and self accusations 29. It denieth all the privative part of those torments which Men are obliged to suffer by the obligation of Christs Law and so maketh Hell either no Hell at all or next to none 30. And I shall anon shew how it leads to Infidelity and other Sins And after this what Face of Religion is left unsubverted Not that I charge those that deny Universal satisfaction with holding all these abominations but their Doctrin of introducing them by necessary consequence It is the opinion and not the Men that I accuse 2. Next let me give you some express Texts of Scripture which I shall anon run over more fully and vindicate and see which opinion is the truth of God Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life 2 Pet. 2. 1 20 21. But there were false Prophets also among the People even as there shall be false teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction 20. 21. And as Jude hath it 4. There are certain Men crept
I like not his phrase that men come short of Salvation by Gods disappointment Gods not giving them Faith nor yet his adjudging Unbelievers to Death are neither of them to be called his disappointing them of Life But because he asks who dare say this let us next see whether the Holy Ghost dare not The fifth Text which I shall insist on is 2 Pet. 2. 1. But there were false Prophets also among the People even as there shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction And verse 20 c. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the World through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter end is worse with them than the beginning For it had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness then after they have known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them But it is happened to them according to the true Proverb The Dog is turned to his own Vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire VVhereto for fuller explication add but Jude's words of the same men ver 4. Ungodly men turning the Grace of our God into Lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ put all these together because they all speak of the same men Now 1. The Text expresly saith they denied the Lord that bought them 2. That it is the Lord Jesus that is this Lord appears 1. In that it is expresly said in the 20. ver that it was by the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that they escaped the pollutions of the VVorld 2. Jude expresly saith They denied the Lord Jesus Christ 3. There have been few that have denied God among all Apostates in comparison of those that have denied Christ Nay it is a great doubt whether it can be proved of any directly that were in those times 4. Their Apostacy is described by turning from the holy Commandment delivered to them which is called the way of Righteousness and to their former Vomit which must needs be the state they were in before they turned Christians and to the mire after they were washed And this state of Apostacy is opposed to escaping the pollutions of the World by the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ so that it is left past doubt that it is the Lord Jesus Christ that bought them whom they are said to deny And Jude saith of them that they are twice dead plucked up by the roots by which it appears that after their first death they had received some kind of new Life by Christ Lastly Note that here are many benefits which they received which could not have befallen them but through the Death of Christ They could no other way have been washed and have escaped the worlds pollutions and have known the way of Righteousness c. yea Jude saith They turn the Grace of God into Lasciviousness therefore it was a sin against Grace and all Grace is by the blood of Christ yea it seems they had themselves some Grace that is Mercy contrary to merit and tending to a recovery which they so turned into Lasciviousness And Peter in the next chapter shews that their Apostacy lay in a not-believing Christs second coming because of his seeming delay and therefore they gave themselves up to their Lusts and said mockingly Where is the promise of his coming so that it is both evident that they were purchased by Christ and that it is Christ that bought them whom they are said to deny Yet as plain as the Holy Ghost hath here spoken what industry is used to raise a Dust and compel these words to receive an alien sense 1. It is said that all things for Universal Redemption are here Uncertain but against it this is certain 1. That there are no spiritual distinguishing fruits of Redemption ascribed to those false Teachers but only common gifts of light and knowledge which Christ hath purchased for many for whom he did not make his Soul a Ransom 2. That else the Redemption of any by the blood of Christ cannot be a peculiar aggravation of the sins of any because they say he died for all and yet this buying of the false Teachers is held out as an aggravation of their sin in particular Ans 1. It is here meerly beg'd and never was yet proved that Christ hath purchased common gifts of light and knowledge for men without making his Soul a Ransom i. e. his Life a satisfaction for them and that all that he satisfied for have distinguishing fruits of Redemption It is easier to take these as certainties than to prove them so 2. Redemption is no aggravation of that mans Apostacy that never was an Apostate It cannot be said that they deny the Lord that bought them who never denied him And therefore it is a common aggravation of the sin of all that do sin against him and of all their denial that do deny him but all do not deny him May not that be an aggravation of these mens sins in particular which would also aggravate the sins of any other according to the several quality of the sin May it not be said of an Atheist He denieth the God that made him as an aggravation of his particular sin and will you by force of VVit thence prove that God made not all men Now to the uncertainties And 1. They say it is uncertain whether Christ as Mediator be here intended as Lord or no there is not any thing in the Text to enforce us so to conceive Answ It may enforce the unprejudiced I think review what I have produced out of the Text to prove it But they give these reasons against it 1. God only as God with his dealing toward such is mentioned of Christ not a word Answ 1. Is not Christ God And from this Text Divines have proved it joined with Jude 4. against the Arrians and must we give up that argument for nothing 2. I have before shewed special mention of Christ 2. They say the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly Herus attended by Dominion and Soveraignty is not usually if at all given to our Saviour in the new Testament c. Nay is the name proper for our Saviour in the work of Redemption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is such a Lord and Master as refers to servants and subjection Answ 1. I hope we must not also deny Christs Dominion and Soveraignty and deny our selves to be his Servants and Subjects as he is Mediator only that we may the better deny his Universal Sacrifice and Satisfaction If we do it will be a dear bought conclusion All power in Heaven and Earth is given to him and the Father hath committed all judgment to him and for that end he Died Rose and Revived
cap. 10. Videtur declarare non est eis reliqua hostia pro peccato postquam unicam Christi hostiam semel abjecerunt conculcarunt Impossible igitur est eos resipiscere servari So Calvin also Porro haec ratio est cur iterum dicat Christum crucifigi quia nos hâc conditione illi commorimur ut meditemur perpetuam vitae novitatem Qui◠ergo in mortem recidunt opus habent secundo sacrificio ut capite decimo habebimus Crucifigentes sibi hoc est quantum in se est Yea Beza himself who seeing what might be said for Universal Redemption from this Text endeavours to put in a bar yet concludeth thus Et fortasse sic potest ista sententia explicari acsi declaretur istos non posse rursum renovari quoniam rursus oporteret Christum crucifigi illis ludibriis exponi quod fieri amplius non potest illo semel pro mortuis credituris crucifixo nec in gratiam istorum apostatarum rursum crucifigendo quam sententiam si amplectamur uti sane probablis commoda mihi videtur c. I will add no more though many more might be added Now according to this exposition it is evident that it is implied that Christ died for these men or else there seems no force in the Argument to prove their sin unpardonable and themselves unrecoverable For the Holy Ghost here plainly intimateth that this unrecoverableness is the fruit of their Apostacy and that they were not unrecoverable before they were Apostates and yet the reason of their uncureableness lies in this that it is necessary to their pardon and cure that Christ should die again which cannot be Now it implieth that he died for them as they were in their state before Apostacy or else on this reason it might be said as well that their recovery and pardon was as impossible then and so their Apostacy should not be the reason but Christs not dying for them at all should be it Which is plainly contrary to the Text. But if any will needs deny this most probable interpretation and expound it efficienter that they do as much as they can to kill Christ again by their malice and contempt and making him to be but as a malefactor do approve of the Jews crucifying him as Grotius and many more expound it still it intimates that their sin did put him to Death once before or else what force is there in the Argument For it seems to run thus they that as much as in them lieth put Christ to Death twice or a second time are remediless But so do these Apostates Ergo c. Now if their sin as the pro-causa meritoria had no hand in his Death at first how can they be therefore remediless for endeavouring it a second time For it was but once by them And if the same sin was pardonable in those that not only in desire but in act did put him to Death viz. the Jews then it appears that it was a pardonable sin And that the same sin nay the Conatus or meer desire of it which was pardonable then should become unpardonable since as it is a fancy and hath no Scripture proof so it is apparently false seeing it supposeth that the Law of Christ is not now the same as then which is false A second Argument for Universal satisfaction this Text affordeth us Christ satisfied for all those who are inlightened and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and are made partakers of the Holy Ghost c. But some Non-Elect are such Therefore Christ satisfied for some Non Elect and consequently for all This Argument is urged before therefore I shall say little to it Some answer to the Minor that it is to be denied because this Text doth nihil ponere sed tantum supponere Answer But it doth not suppose that which never was nor will be nor is possible Most Interpreters almost all that are against Universal satisfaction do expound this Text of those gifts which may and oft are really lost The number is so many that I will cite none 2. It is further said by some that these benefits presuppose not Christs dying for them Answer This is answered already They that can prove that God can will and doth give all these without satisfaction to his Justice first made are but a step from Socinianism and may next say he can and will give pardon without satisfaction And then they are within a step of infidelity and next in danger of saying that Christ Died in vain surely the Holy Ghost is given by Christ Crucified and I think only to them for whom he was Crucified The Devils are not therefore uncurable for ought any Scripture reveals because they would put Christ to Death through malice if it were in their power nor had they ever these fruits of his Death But according to their sense against whom I argue the Devils might hence be said to be unpardonable as well as Apostates Which is no Scripture Doctrine The 7th Text which I shall urge is Heb. 10. 26 27 28 29. For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sins but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the Adversaries He that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three Witnesses Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden nunder Foot the Son of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith he was Sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despight to the Spirit of Grace Hence I raise two Arguments 1. Those who receive the mercies here mentioned are of the number of them for whom Christ diéd But such are some Non-elect Ergo c. The Blood of the Covenant is shed before it is sprinkled or Sanctifieth shed Physically or morally and it cannot sanctifie Men before it is shed for them For Sanctification being some degree of application presupposeth it shed for them I mean If by Sanctification be meant either separation relative from the World to the Church and to Christ secundum quid Or else Sanctification real by giving Men a temporary Faith and other Graces proportionable and their escaping the pollutions of the World by that Faith But some think that by Sanctification is meant that cleansing which immediately followed the Sacrifice the word being used from the Jewish Sanctifyings and so by Sanctification should be meant that conditional justification or cleansing which all Men have immediately from Christ crucified before any further Personal application And if this be so then the Case is plain and past question The 2d Argument is from those words there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sins but c. Here the Apostle proveth the uncurableness and desperateness of their Case in that there remaineth no more Sacrifice And this is proper to them when they are Apostates Now if there were never
in an infallible prevalency to his chosen And that none might perish merely on the old score or be judged meerly by the Old Law but all stand or fall according to their improvement or abuse of recovering Mercy And all this God hath hereupon granted to his Son And so he hath satisfaction for his satisfaction though many that he hath satisfied for do perish 6. Besides consider though men be punished for the same sins that Christ suffered for yet as to God the same do become new sins and so men suffer for them as it were as for new sins For 1. The old Obligation was so far made void or disabled that of it self it could never more bind them to punishment by reason of the addition of a remedying grant 2. God did quantum in se as Legislator of the old Law forgive them all the debt except the sins of non-performance of the Gospel conditions which God still excepted and Christ never suffered for for God hath delivered the obligation out of his own hand as standing in that first Relation of Rector secundum Legem Naturae sâ—lum and given it up into the hand of the Redeemer to give Remission to whom he please He hath also made a free Deed of Gift of an Universal Pardon to all that will accept it So that though men be not actually pardoned yet God may conveniently be said to have pardoned them in that he did his part as Rector secundum Leges As he saith to Israel I have healed thee and thou art not healed When a true Believer is actually Pardoned God doth put forth no new act to Pardon him but doth it by the general Grant or Act of Oblivion whereby he Pardoned All men conditionally as well as them The Law saith a man hath done a thing or given a benefit when he hath done his part though the effect follow not and the Work be yet undone For Moral Causes may do all their part and â—et the effect not follow for want of the performance of conditions in the receiver or because con-causes do not their part And therefore if the effect follow not the Law enquires Who it is long of Whose fault was it if of the Patient or Receiver then the Donor or Agent is said to have done the thing though yet it be not done For as to him moraliter vel Civiliter it is done There being no default on his part If any say that God followeth not the Rules of Humane Laws I answer God is the Fountain of all right Laws and Reason and Justice and I speak not of any unjust or mistaking Laws This is an ill pretence for men to judge their Maker by when they will not allow him that reasonable apology nor make that construction of his ways according to common undeniable equity as they will do of the ways of men Right Reason and the Laws made thereby are a beam of Gods perfect Wisdom and Justice If any say that God doth not Totum quod ad se attinet all his part in making a Deed of Gift of Christ and Pardon and Glory to all that will accept it unless he also give Faith which is the acceptance it self I shall now only say this much till we come to the point by it self that God doth Totum quod ad se attinet ut Legislatorem vel Rectorem juxta Leges all that belongs to him as Rector according to Laws though not all that belongs to him as absolute Lord and Disposer of events and all Creatures And it is in that Respect sub 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rectoris that Christ made satisfaction to him and not in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Relation of an Eternal-Elector or Absolute Proprietary and Disposer of all So that you see now that quoad Deum all men are pardoned all their sins except those excepted in the conditions of the Grant though quoad delinquentis Receptionem they are still unpardoned They may have Christ and Pardon if they will And when they are deprived of the Gift meerly because they will not have it no Reason can say God did not give it or Christ did not procure it or that God is unjust in that they are without it So that it is not now meerly the obligation of the first Law as unremedied that binds them over to punishment nor as it is in the Hands of God as Creator or Rector secundum Legem operum but it is the Obligation of the new Law primarily He that believeth not shall not be forgiven nor be saved and consequently of the Old Law as the obligation is in the Redeemers hands to be charged only on the Rejecters of Grace It is not primarily for sin as sin according to this Law Whosoever sinneth shall dye but it is primarily for Rejecting the Remedy and then that sin by necessary consequence remains unpardoned so that it is not directly because they were guilty of Death by the first Law but propter rejectam Remissionem for despising the Remission of that guilt So that quoad Deum it may be called the return of Sin or Guilt Remitted and so to be more properly ex novd obligatione from the New Obligation of the Law of Christ binding all their sins again upon them though as to them and their reception it is both from the New Obligation and the old And therefore Jude calleth such twice dead and pluckt up by the Roots If an hundred Traytors be condemned and the Prince Ransom them all at a Price agreeing in the payment of it that they shall now be all his own and none of them be delivered for all that who will not thankfully own him and acknowledge his favour Here it is just that all the Refusers of Pardon yet perish And their Death is directly for the refusing of the Remedy and secondarily from their old crime because they would not have it remedied So that though Materialiter they lose but one Life yet it may be said that the Life they now lose Civiliter is not the same that before they lost but it is vitam de novo donatam a Life newly given them for they were dead in Law and the King gave them a new Life Moraliter etsi non Naturaliter And it is the rejecting of the Gift by which they lose their former Natural Life and their New-given Mortal Life And will any man be so ill advised in this case as to say that it is injustice in the King or Prince to punish the same persons that were before Ransomed Yea if it were not by Money but by suffering publick shame that the Prince had Ransomed them Having thus Explained the Case and Answered the Argument I will looking at Edification and not the usual form of Disputing go beyond the task of a meer Respondent and give you two or three Arguments to prove that it is no injustice in God to punish those for whom Christ hath satisfied or for whose sins he was a sacrifice
should do him good is hard to discern 3. If we had a Promise that sin and all should work for the best then we had no evil to fear nor avoid nor pray against nor lament but that is not true 4. Such a Promise would be a dangerous encouragement to sin if every Christian knew by promise before hand that how much soever they sinn'd it should be better for them than if they had not sinned 5. The good of a Christian lyeth in the enjoyment of God by knowledge love joy c. therefore his want of knowledge love c. is not that which is Promised shall work for the best 6. It is possible for a believer by Revolting to decline in Grace and consequently in Happiness else we need not fear declining nor lament it But if sin should all work for the best to them then it were impossible their Happiness could decline for nothing but sin or so much as sin can cause it 7. They that have least improved their Talents and have least Grace shall have least Glory God is enjoyed hereafter in various degrees according to mens various capacities therefore that defect of Grace or that sin here which caused their less degree of Glory did not work for their greater good Yet I confess 1. That God may and oft doth make sin an occasion of good to his People 2. And always brings good out of it to his own Glory But he hath not Promised that every believers sin shall work together for good to him 8. The word working together expresseth a causality and a concausality with God which cannot be ascribed to sin it being at the best but an occasion of good 2. If this Promise were so to be understood it were nothing against what I say And if it do extend to all sufferings as well as those for Christ yet it is not against it For it proves no more but that they are chastisements that shall produce a greater good than the suffering is evil But yet chastisements are punishments and the evil is still evil though it occasion good It is evil in it self or directly it doth us good but by accident Or whatsoever you conclude of chastisements in suffering certainly it is a heavy Punishment when God permitteth his People to sin as he did David Peter c. yet such as Christ hath Died for do suffer this Punishment Again is not Original sin the loss of Gods Image and the pravity of Nature a Punishment for the first sin I mean Gods withdrawing his Grace which is the Antecedent Lastly If all this were nothing as to the Regenerate yet who ever said that God never punisheth any of his Elect while they are Unregenerate Are none of their sins Original or Actual nor any of their sufferings or disunion from Christ and Alienation from God punishments to them It is beyond all dispute I conclude therefore that it is a point of undenyable evidence that God doth actually punish some yea all for whom Christ Died and he doth it justly And therefore it is not injustice to punish men that Christ Died for meerly as if God could not do it lest he punish twice for one sin Object But the great Punishment of everlasting Death would be injustice though lesser be not Answ Degrees here make but a gradual difference If it be therefore injustice to inflict punishment because Christ hath satisfied for the sin then a lesser punishment would be a lesser injustice But God is as uncapable of the least injustice as of the greatest 3. The Third Argument It is no injustice in God to make a Law to those that Christ Died for which threatneth Punishment to them conditionally and commandeth them to fear it and avoid it therefore it is no injustice in God to punish some for whom Christ Died. The Antecedent is doubtless because God doth actually make such Laws as threaten to all both Temporary and Everlasting punishments If it be said that they threaten none but final Unbelievers and Christ Died for none such I answer to omit the begging of the Question in this Objection Gods new Law threatneth Temporal Punishment to those that are not such Unbelievers and Eternal Punishment conditionally to All viz. If they believe not And it threatneth no man but conditionally for the discovery of absolute Non-election and the certainty of the perishing of all the Non-elect is not properly a threatning but a Prediction yet improperly may be called a threatning Even as the discovery of absolute Election and of the certainty of the Salvation of all the Elect is improperly called a Covenant or Promise which is properly a Prediction de eventu only not constitutive of any Right If the whole New Law He that believeth shall be Saved and he that believeth not shall be Damned be made to all Elect as well as others and must be preached or promulgate to every Creature then the comminatory part is made to all Elect as well as others But the Antecedent is true Ergo c. 2. For the Consequence of the Argument I need not say much more than is said already in the first Argument Object But the Elect will all certainly Believe and therefore God cannot justly execute that threatning on them Answ 1. But he may on others for whom Christ satisfied 2. The reason why he cannot on them is not properly because they are satisfied for but because they believe and so are not the proper subjects of the penalty 3. They will certainly believe not meerly or directly because Christ satisfied for them but because God hath chosen them to Faith and Salvation and Christ in Dying for them had a peculiar intent of saving them infallibly and giving them Faith to that end they being given him peculiarly by his Father 4. The Fourth Argument is the same that I have elsewhere handled viz. If it be injurious or unjust to punish the same man for whom Christ Died then it is injurious to some one But it is injurious to no one therefore it is not unjust or injurious at all The Major is evident All injury is an injury to some and so is all injustice injurious to some Object It may be that injustice which is contrary to Vertue or Universal Justice though it be injurious to none Answ That 's not so for that Unrighteousness is injurious to God and perturbeth the order of Nature and is injurious to our selves But this God is not to be conceived as capable of seeing it consisteth in a disconformity to his will And 2. It 's apparent that it is Gods distributive Justice as to men and his commutative Justice as to Christ which is here pleaded by Divines to prove a necessity of the Salvation of all that Christ Died for Let us therefore go to the proof of the Minor Proposition And it is proved thus If Gods punishing the same men that Christ Died for be injustice or injurious then it is either a wrong to God himself or
acknowledged or pray'd for Remission of such a Guilt nor any Ministers that ever acquainted them with it yet Ursine and some few I find make it doubtful yet here is no ground for their objection who say that then for the Sin of Cain or Cham God may destroy all their present Posterity To which I Answer 1. According to the Law of Works he may 2. According to the Law of Grace if there have been no Godly intermediate Progenitors which is false or improbable 3. Or if the Children prove wicked and rebellious themselves God may bring on that Generation the Evlis deserved by the foregoing Yet is there a great difference in degree between guilt from Progenitors and guilt from our own Personal voluntary Actions and therefore God never imputeth the former where men are personally obedient and penitent but lays it as an addition to their personal guilt on the Impenitent and Disobedient Prop. XX. I cannot find in Scripture where it is clearly revealed to us on what terms God will Judge those that heard not of Christ In general we find that he will judge them according to their usage of the Talents of Mercy received and not according to the rigour of the Law of works as it stands alone but particularly how God will proceed with them or whether any Heathen be ever saved I cannot find that he hath revealed For indeed it doth not concern us to know it I dare not say that any of them Socrates Seneca Plato c. are saved Nor dare I say that I am certain they are not They that are certain let them be thankful for their knowledge and not be angry with me for confessing my Ignorance And I hope they will distinguish between Ignorance and Error and therefore not charge me with Error in this It seems to me that these men being not under any conditional Promise of Life for Faith is the condition therefore they cannot lay claim to Salvation by the Tenour of the Covenant Though some think that the Promise of Pardon and Life to them that Repent may give them an interest But yet God is not engaged to the contrary but dealeth Arbitrarily with them and therefore we cannot know his dealings particularly and fully herein Prop. XXI Those Scriptures that speak of the necessity of Christ to mans Salvation for satisfying Justice do plainly extend it to all men in the World but those that speak of the necessity of believing seem to limit it to them that hear the Gospel or might have heard it but for their own fault It is true of all men that there is no other name given under Heaven by which they can be saved but the Name of Jesus There is no Remission but by his Blood nor Acceptance with God but for the sake of his Satisfaction and Merits But it may be observed from the Context that when it is said He that believeth not shall be Damned it is plainly fore-implyed that they are such as are called to believe It hath the Nature of a threatning and therefore presupposeth the sin of Unbelief and that it be not meer Negative Unbelief but Privative and that supposeth the duty of believing and that supposeth the command constituting the Duty and that supposeth Natural Power in Man though not Moral and the Natural possibility of obeying Peruse each particular Text of this Nature and you will find this true Prop. XXII Personal Believing was never commanded to Infants or Ideots nor required as necessary to their Salvation Prop. XXIII The same Faith which is now among us of absolute necessity to our Justification and Salvation was not so to those before Christ therefore it is not per se of absolute necessity to Justification by Christ Therefore if God so please those that hear not the Gospel may be Justified without that Faith which to us is necessary If we believe not that Jesus is the Christ we shall Die in our sins But this was not necessary to the Jews before Christs coming Nay it appears by divers passages in the Gospel that Christs own Twelve Apostles after they had long heard his Teaching and seen his Miracles did not believe that Christ should be put to Death and be made a Sacrifice for Sin much less his Resurrection c. And how unlikely is it then that all the true believers of the World long before should believe this However some Prophets might discern much of it Do but well peruse every example of believing in Heb. 11. and see what Faith it was that then saved them Yet to think that the same would save us now were a desperate mistake Prop. XXIV God can if he please pardon and save men for the sake of Christs satisfaction without letting them once know that Christ satisfied for them else he cannot save an Infant or an Ideot Some Divines as Twisse c. are so bold as to say that God could have pardoned Sin without Christs satisfaction I dare not say so But methinks the same men should never make mans knowledge or belief of Christs satisfaction to be absolutely necessary to Salvation if the satisfaction it self be not Dare any say My own Faith was more necessary than Christs Death I could have been saved without Christ but not without Faith God could have forgiven men absolutely if he would or else have made some other condition when once his Justice was satisfied And therefore we cannot conclude that this is the condition to any further than Scripture saith so Prop. XXV Yet is Repentance Belief in God Love to him and sincere Obedience of Natural necessity For God cannot be enjoyed in Glory but by these Graces nor as a Just Rector can he save them that love him not and that Rebel against him Prop. XXVI Those who think it possible for a Socrates Seneca c. to be saved or one that never heard the Gospel do not hereby equal Heathenism with Christianity nor make our Religion needless For they 1. Make their Salvation less certain and ours most certain 2. And their Salvation most difficult as for a man to hit a narrow way in the dark and ours incomparably more easie as for a man to hit the right way by day-light 3. And that therefore they are very few of them that are Saved but Multitudes with us 4. That their Glory shall be lesser as his that improved the two Talents and ours greater as his that improved the ten Besides many more differences Prop. XXVII If all the Heathen be Damned though their loss will be materially equal with ours yet formally as a privation for they were never in our capacity of Glory and their poena sensus will not be near equal to ours either materially or formally For their Consciences will never torment them for the refusal of Christ revealed and Heaven offered to them or any other sins which they were not capable of committing Nay if it were true that some teach that they had no Gospel Mercy or Grace given
I intend not here to determine or meddle with 3. We anumerate Salvation that is Glorification to these intended effects of Christ's Death for his chosen this being the End of all the former and therefore we imply that Perseverance in Faith and a State of Justification was intended infallibly and certainly to be given them Tenthly Observe that we do not here enquire after the present immediate effects of Christ's Death as a satisfaction to Justice For I doubt not but the sins of the Non-Elect did lye upon him as the pro meritorious Cause of his Suffering as well as the sins of the Elect and consequently that he made Satisfaction for them to God and purchased them by his Blood Eleventh and Lastly Observe that in affirming this Infallible Immutable purpose of God to save his Elect and them only we do not deny his Purpose of giving Pardon and Life in Christ Conditionally to those that are not Elect For that which he hath done in Time he Purposed before Time and so did Christ at his Death But in Time he hath made such a general Conditional Grant or Gift of Christ and Life as is legible in the Gospel beyond all exceptions Ergo c. And therefore according to his Legislative Will antecedently God would have all men to be saved tho' consequently considering many as finally Impenitent Unbelievers he Wills as a Righteous Judge their Damnation Nor will I dispute whether as we ascribe a Volition to God as the cause of his Effectual Grace so we may ascribe a Velleity to him as Lud. Crocius and other of our Divines do as the cause of that Grace which proveth not-effectual in both speaking of him from the manner of man Upon this very cursory explication I proceed to prove the Thesis thus Argum. I. If Christ Died with a Special Intention to bring his chosen Infallibly to Believe and to give them Justification and Glorification on condition of believing then he died with a special Intention of bringing infallibly certain chosen persons to Faith Justification and Salvation But the Antecedent is true therefore so is the consequent That which we have to prove therefore is that he had a Special Intent to give Faith to some Infallibly and then there will be no more question of Justification and Glorification And that I prove thus Whatever Grace Christ giveth absolutely and infallibly that he purposed before to give absolutely and infallibly But Christ giveth the Grace of Faith and Repentance to his chosen and them only absolutely and infallibly Ergo c. By giving in this Argument I mean the actual Causation or Collation of faith it self and not merely a Legal giving a right to it of which anon The Major I think no sober Christian will deny For how can the Omniscient Immutable God be suddenly surprized with a new purpose which never came into his mind before our being Believers The Minor is proved 1. From the visible Event 2. From Scripture 1. We see undâ—niably that some men have Faith and others have not therefore we know that God giveth it absolutely and infallibly to those only Obj God gave it to all alike but the rest refused it Answ I. If that were true of God's Moral Civil way of giving yet it cannot be true of his Physical gift or operation which we now speak of for that giving is ever connexed with receiving As God never giveth a Soul to any Body nor health to any Sick man but those that receive them so he never thus gives Faith Repentance a New-heart to any but those that receive them Obj. He offereth Christ and Grace to believe in him to All and offering is conditional giving and he doth no more to any but on supposition of their Reception or performance of the Condition Answ I. It 's false that he actually offers Christ to all tho' as to the tenour of the Gift he doth which without the Promulgation which extends not to Millions of Heathens is no actual offer II. Much less or as little doth he offer them Faith III. It 's false that he doth no more but offer Faith conditionally to his chosen For he effecteth it absolutely To offer Conditionally is a Civil act and we are speaking of a Physical Causing This objection therefore flatly denieth that God is the Author of any man's Faith We therefore prove it out of Scripture Eph. 2. 8. By Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God The Expositors that are most against the Doctrine which I defend do confess that it is Faith and not Salvatiin only that is here called the Gift of God but they say God giveth it by giving the object Christ and the Gospel Answ That is somewhat towards the giving of Faith but that is not the giving of Faith if there be no more Do these men think that the unrenewed faculty hath need of no Grace but an object or perswasion from without to cause it to believe Many have the Gospel that have not Faith therefore God hath not caused such to believe 1 Pet. 1. 5. Who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation God's Power is exercised in keeping us in Faith as the means to Salvation the end And he that by his mighty Power keeps us in Faith no doubt did cause it 2 Pet. 1. 3. According as his Divine Power hath given to us all things that pertain to Life and Godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to Glory and Virtue If he give us all things pertaining to Life then he gives us Faith Obj. Faith is expresly excepted in the Words through the knowledge of him that hath called us that is through our own believing Answ I. It is distinguished from the rest as a Gift which is a means to the other gifts but not excepted II. Our following acts of Faith seem to be included in the All things here mentioned viz. Through our first believing God giveth us Christ the Spirit and all following Grace And if the following acts of Faith are the gifts of God then no doubt the first was so which was required of us when we were less able of our selves to perform it then when we are Sanctified Heb. 12. 2. Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our Faith Obj. That 's meant of the Doctrine of our belief and Objects of Faith the Christian Religion Answ I. Then to be the Finisher and to be the Author would be all one For as soon as Christ was the Author of Christian Doctrine he was the Finisher but not so about our own Faith II. If it were so yet may it be meant of Faith as it contains both even the whole work of our Christianity and Salvation Phil. 1. 29. For to you it is given on the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake From this Text Grotius himself confesseth that it is proved that Faith is the
Universal Redemption OF Mankind BY THE Lord Jesus Christ Stated and Cleared by the late Learned Mr. Richard Baxter Whereunto is added a short Account of Special Redemption by the same Author 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one dyed for all then were all dead and that he dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which dyed for them and â—ose again Mors Christi in Sacra Scripturâ— proponitur ut Universale remedium omnibus singulis hominibus exordinatione Dei naturà rei ad salutem applicabile Davenant de morte Christi LONDON Printed for John Salusbury at the Rising-Sun in Cornhill 1694. THE Epistle Dedicatory To the Honoured Thomas Foley Paul Foley Phillip Foley and William Jolliff Esquires Worthy Sirs MY particular Relation to your Honoured Father my Worthy Patron and Benefactor as also to Mr. Baxter the Author of these ensuing Disputations whom I cannot but own as a Spiritual Father to me and the best Friend I had in the World gives me occasion to prefix your Names to this Book Not to flatter you though I truly honour you for your Faithfulness Courage and Constancy in asserting the Rights of Religion and Property in opposition to the prophane and mercenary designs of such as appeared against them but that by their Example I may invite you to go on in filling up the measure of your Fathers Vertues and in following the Counsels of such a Minister of Christ whose gifts and graces gave him the preeminence amongst his Suffering Brethren and made him more than a Bishop even of the first Magnitude to the Inferiour Clergy Your Father is dead long since and Mr. Baxter is dead also But the Memory of the Just is blessed whereas the name of the Wicked shall rot The Righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance We cannot easily forget such Persons whose good works and great labours for publick good have left them a Name better than of Sons and Daughters A numerous Posterity is a great Blessing a Holy Seed much greater that the Blessing upon both accounts may be entailed upon you and yours to many Generations is the hearty desire of Yours in the Service of Christ JOSEPH READ READER June 27. 1694. HAving been assured from Mr. Baxter himself both by word and writeing that he had given this his Treatise in Manuscript of Universal Redemption c. to Mr. Joseph Read the now Publisher thereof and having seen some of the Manuscript it self whilst it was printing off and knowing it to be Mr. Baxter's own hand writing I do at Mr. Read's request assure thee that this is the Treatise upon that Subject which hath been so long desired and expected by the World from the Author thereof Mr. R. B. And I cannot doubt but that an Impartial and observant Reading thereof will quickly discover that acumen of judgment which will evince it to be his Thine in the best of Bonds and Services MAT. SYLVESTER To the READER IT is necessary that I give some Account how these Disputations with many others came to my hands and of their Publication Being sent to Cambridge by Mr. Baxter be was pleased at my return from thence to receive me into his Family and to make use of me as his Assistant at my first entrance into the Ministry Anno 1657. in Kidderminster the place of my Birth Some of the first work he put me upon was to transcribe these Papers of Redemption which he designed for the Press The Ministers of Worcestershire and Neighbourhood thereabouts who usually attended on his Thursday Lecture and heard these Disputations at their Monthly Meeting were generally desirous to have them Printed Mr. B. had long since raised their expectation thereof by declaring his intention of it in Print At last though long first viz. July 17. 1691. he gave them to me signifying his willingness to have them Printed If any Person question whether he wrote and fitted these Sheets for the Press I shall readily satisfie him by producing the Original of his own hand writing as well as the Copy thereof wrote by me at least 38 years since If these Disputations of Redemption find acceptance which I see no cause to doubt of I shall be thereby incouraged to Print the rest or such of them as may be thought most useful It was a great word of Bishop Wilkins that Mr. Baxter had cultivated every Subject he handled read this Subject of Redemption and judge whether there be not cause to say so of it if he had lived in the Primitive times he had been one of the Fathers of the Church And again It was enough saith he for one Age to produce such a Person as Mr. Baxter But his works praise him much more than the Tongues or Pens of the greatest Doctors or best of Men can do There is therefore no need of Letters of Recommendation to set forth the excellence of this Work or the Praises of the Author thereof Let it suffice to assure the Reader that this Disputation of Universal Redemption was composed by him in the strength of his day about the 40th year of his Age when the opposition of the Learned of differing Opinions had sharpen'd his Pen and made him critically exact in considering what he intended for the Press That which I earnestly desire is that young Ministers and especially all Candidates for the Ministry would put on humbleness of mind and set themselves at the feet of this Great Man as Learners and then through the Divine Blessing I doubt not but their profiting will appear unto all men And let those of different Judgment from him but remember that Mr. Baxter now dead is as much above their clamorous censures as while living he was their Superiour in his Gifts and Graces Had the one or the other but known Mr. Baxter as well as others of his familiar Friends his Works would be highly valued by them or at least his unspotted Holiness and great Charity would so far have conciliated their minds and engaged their affections as to love and honour his memory and imitate his Life which we impatiently wait for an account of from another band being now ready for the Press May every Minister but have that Book when Printed and lay aside prejudice so far at least as calmly to read it and then I may with confidence expect not only that humble Learners but the greatest Scholars will be as desirous of acquaintance with his Works as ever Usher Gataker Vines and many others of the best of men were admirers of his Personal worth and desirous of his Converse and Company If any shall be so far dissatisfied with the Title and Subject of the Book as to throw it aside I only desire they would seriously think of those words p. 286. When God saith so expresly that Christ dyed for all and tasted death for every man and is the Ransom