not be as their Fathers A stubborn and rebellious generation c. Now if any with a brazen face would say Might here had the force of an absolute certainty the sequele in both places will prove him false for they did not all so but to come to the very Text thus by him abused Joh. 3 17. For God sent not his Sonne into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved Here if Might have the force of an absolute certainty the world shall certainly be eternally saved or otherwise then in and by himselfe ransomed and preserved and means used that they might repent beleeve and so be saved How is that true our Saviour saith of the same world distributed into parts verse 18. He that beleeveth on him is not condemned but he that beleeveth not is condemned already c. vers 19 36. Where were Mr. Knowles and Mr. Garners eyes that durst presume to force such a contradictory sonse on this place But let us see this very word Might in this Evangelist and and take the interpretation from our Saviours own mouth Joh. 5 32 33 34 There is another that beareth witnesse of mee c. now did not John beare witnesse of the light that all men through him might beleeve Joh. 1.7 And are not here many of them to whom he did beare witnesse that did not beleeve Besides our Saviour in this John 5 farther instiucting and teaching these Jewes Doth he not say expressely vers 34. These things I say that Jee might be saved behold the same word that is in Iohn 3.17 and yet doth he not say to the same Jewes Ioh. 5.40 Yee will not come to me that yee might have life Oh how contrary is the mind and exposition of Christ to the mind and exposition of Mr. Garner whose corrupt sense is of ill consequence viz. 8. The words Gave Give Send Sent Joh. 3.16 17. we are every where in Scripture speaking of this businesse saith he pag. 79. To understand therein the everlasting blessednesse and salvation of those for whom God Gave Sent c. This is so contrary to Scripture and truth that nothing need be said thereof the next verses 18 19.36 confuting it 1 Cor. 6.8 Mark 12 2.8 and Joh. 6.32 My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven And what was this lesse then that John 3.16 17. and yet they mist that everlasting blessednesse c. Iohn 6.66 ☞ 1. 9. The words Taketh away in Joh. 1.29 Taketh away the sinne of the world Here and else-where he saith the words Taketh away is Hee certainly fully freely powerfully and for ever taketh them away and this in some sense might stand but he stops not here but proceedeth and saith it signifieth a perfect powerfull absolute and compleat removeall and that for ever yea of the dominion lordship merit wages power and strength of sinne so as the one or the other shall never returne any more yea so as makes to the perfection and salvation of those from whom hee taketh them away c. pages 66 67 68. Are not here glorious and high words Are his own sinnes thus taken away thinke you what ever they may be hereafter Is he already so much freer then the Apostles were in their times Ro. 7.15.24 and 8.1 2 23. Jam. 4. ◠1 Joh. 1 7 8 9. But let the businesse be weighed in the Ballance of the Sanctuary Taketh away both in Scripture and common use of speech may be truly and rightly understood 1. Of one that hath taken sinne out of the way 2. Of one that doth it that is ordained to and able for it and will do it in all them that come to him 3. Of one that hath done it in all that have come in to him And in all these senses it is meant of Jesus Christ First For Taking out of the way We have two things to note how sinne lyeth in the way between God and men to make a separation and so to stop the passages and make it impassible either for the mercies of God to bee extended to men or for mens approach to God And these are 1. That great offence of our first Father Adam by which sinne entred into the world and death by sin so as all have sinned and in their receiving of their being from him are guilty of and defiled with and under the power of sin and so subject to Law and Death Rom. 5.12.18 19 And the truth of God necessitates his Death and his Justice necessitates his suffering the curse and till both bee done and overcome there can no mercy bee shewne to men nor is there any passage open for their approach to God The Winter abides for impassibility of the way Heb. 9.22 Now Jesus Christ as a publike man in the nature and stead of all being manifested to take away our sins and being made a curse for us and in rising Just and a Conquerour offering himselfe a sacrifice to God hath done this work fulfilled truth and satisfie Justice and so mercy and truth meet and truth is sprung out of the earth and hee hath abolished death removed out of the way that which was contrary to us opened a gate to life procured mercy to be shewed us so as the Winter is past the way passible and righteousnesse flows down from heaven 1 Joh. 3.5.6 Psal 85.10.11 2 Tim. 1.9 Cant. 2.11 Psal 136. and 145. So far are all men indebted to Jesus Christ for so taking sn out of the way that mercies are shewne them through him and a gate opened that they might enter Psal 75.3 Rom. 14.9 which might move to submit to him Though Mr. Garner by denying this teach the greatest part of men to deny the Lord that bought them 2. This Doore opened through Christ and these mercies extended testifying of him and calling to him Act. 14 17. and 17.24.28 Rom. 2.4 God being well pleased in his Son and delighting in him lookes downe from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there bee any that by all this his goodnesse extended will understand and seeke after him but alas men comming to understanding and the light of his mercies shining on them they yet abide in darknesse impenitencie and unbeliefe hardning their hearts against his mercies c. Psal 14. and 53. with Rom. 3 10.19 And this most properly is called The sinne of the world John 1.4 5-10 11. 1 Joh. 5.19 And its terrible to persist therein Psal 68.18.21 For this provokes more highly then the former so as from the love God beares to his Son it would stop all continuance of mercies and meanes and cause the shutting of the doore to repentance and life but that even this Jesus against whom they so sin doth mediate for them by vertue of his sacrifice and takes this sin also out of the way that hee procures lengthening the dayes of his patience and continuace of mercies and meanes with some strife of spirit to them 1 Tim.
belonged to Paul not as a man but as an elect vessell A secret indeed no where as redemption was effected by Christ in his owne body set forth in the Scripture which tels us That all are by nature dead in trespasses and sins under sin c. without difference Rom. 3. Eph. 2. And that Christ dyed for the ungodly and unjust and for our sinnes and surely men are ungodly and unjust and sinners as they are men and not as they are elect vessels Rom. 3 10-20 But that it was for men is evident 2 Cor. 5.11.14 15. 1 Tim. 2.5 6. Thirdly for what Christ thus gave himselfe to God whether for this that for and upon this very gift men should be at peace with God one with him and God now without any more done take all sinne out of them or from off them and so all punishments and deaths and fill them with eternall life embracing them as sons in his delightfull love or whether it was for this that for and upon that very gift Jesus Christ might have the dispose and be the Lord of all Rom. 14.9 Psal 2.7.9 And be the Saviour of the world 1 John 4.14 Isa 49.6 And the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world Ioh. 2 2. And be filled with authority power and spirit to preserve men and creatures for their use and to use means and send forth spirit in the means to move men to repent and seek the Lord Matth. 28.18 Phil. 2.8 9 10. Psal 75.3 68.18 Rom. 2.4 And to be the Judge of all to absolve all that by his grace in the meanes are prevailed with to beleeve on him Mat. 9.6 Act. 10.43 And to condemne such as hold the truth in unrighteousnesse and so persist in their impenitencie unbeliefe and rebellion Ioh. 1.18 19. Psal 68 18-21 And that being thus made perfect he should be the Author of eternall salvation to all that obey him Hebr. 5 8 9. And throw into a second death all that rebelled against him their right and lawfull Lord that bought them and abolished the first death for them 2 Pet. 2.1 2 Tim. 1.10 With the Devils also for that they usurped to deceive and draw men to rebell against his government Now whether of these wayes Mr. T. W. will answer this question Charity bids me make no resolution because if he should answer the former way as his writing gives occasion to suspect then I know no full or plaine sentence of Scripture to expresse or countenance his Answer with nor can Iunderstand how he can free his saying from charging God with injustice for receiving a sufficient price and detaining that for which it was given in suffering such as by such saying ought to be freed still to be born under guilt and defilement of sinne and to remaine many dayes under the power the darknesse and sinne and Satan and afflicted with punishments and death nor can I see how he will avoyd derogating from the great mediation and exercise of the High priest hood of Jesus Christ which Scripture shews to be at the Right hand of God and by vertue of his Death and Sacrifice offered to God wherefore I will not so conceive of his meaning but if he Answer in the latter though it be with more apt and fit expressions then hee granteth all that T. M. hath laboured to maintaine for how else will he understand the sufficiency of the death of Christ wee are not questioning what is the sufficiency of God the Creator as Creator The Death Resurrection and Sacrifice of Christ is certainly a creature though such as in which the Creator is yet as Christ is the first borne of every creature The first borne from the dead the second man made a quickning Spirit so all this in him a new creation now how there should be a sufficiency in any created being though possessed with God for redeeming any for which there neither is nor ever was any intention or will of the Creator I cannot understand indeed if he had said it might have been sufficient if God had so willed I might and would have spared this given another Answer But he plainly confesseth There was value and worth in Christs Death in regard of the sufficiency and excellency of it for the redeeming al the men in the world And if there was such value and worth for sufficiency in it It is so in it still compare John 1.4.5 with 1 Ioh. 1.1 2 3. The Word of the Lord endureth for ever I say 40 8. 1 Pet. 1.24 25. And we are to follow those the end of whose doctrine and conversation is to set forth Iesus Christ The same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13 8. And so whosoever misse it is for not receiving the tenders of it in the meanes Prov. 1.23 24 c. So that Mr. T. W. in this saying hath secretly granted that which he openly opposeth but yet he saith whether Christ in Gods intention and his owne performance so payed a ransome for all and every particular man as thereby to make satisfaction and procure reconciliation with God for them is the thing in question This T. M. undertakes to prove saith Mr. T. W. He meanes not that T. M. goeth about to prove that this is the thing in question that rests for himself to prove But that T. M. undertakes to prove this thing that is in question but he should either have put downe T. M. his owne expressions or else not after have slandered him p. 3. l. 5 6 7. saying That Christ entended to reconcile all men to God by the reconciliation wrought in his body with God for men which saith he are Tho. Moore his owne words but as hee hath annexed them they are Mr. Tho. Whitfeild his owne surmises And therefore seeing he hath not set downe the question either as Doctor Davenant did To which I yeelded in my Booke nor as I there expressed it nor kept close in his Treatise in answering to that hee expresseth as mine I must a little open the businesse before I yeeld him this to be mine And so I confesse my selfe to conceive that I understand and beleeve that in the beginning God made one man a living soule and that he made him righteous and a publike man Gen. 1.26.27 1 Cor. 15.45 That he made them superiour and inferiour male and female fit for encrease by generation and called their name Adam 1 Tim. 2.13 Gen. 1.27 5.2 And that God at the first created all men in his creation of this man and made all men righteous in making this man righteous Eccles 7 29. So as what this Adam was in his publique place in which he then stood all men were in him for he was all men and what God adorned and furnished him withall he did it in him to all men And the oportunity of eating of the Tree of Life with the charge not to eat of the tree of Knowledge of good and evill and affirmation of
Death in dying to Dye in the very day he should eat thereof given to this man was given to all men in this man And this publique man eating of the fruit of the forbidden tree he sinned and so lost the Image of God out of his heart and fell under the guilt and power of sin and so under the power of the Law and of death c. And what he did all men did in him so as in him all men sinned and fell Rom. 5.12 And the Almighty convicting him of sin convicted all men of sin so that by this one offence or the offence of this one unto all men to condemnation that is on all men in a publique man yet not at the first on them as individuals and particulars yet so as all the individuals when ever they come forth by propogation from him as they are of him in that Nature they partake of and are under the guilt and partake of the same misery in bondage to law sin and death Rom. 5.19 Ephes 2.1 2 3. So that by reason of the sentence gone forth from the Almighty Genes 2.17 more unalterable then that of the Medes and Persians Hest 3 8 Truth and Justice required a present imposing of the execution of that Death and curse which is the first Death according to the just judgement of God without a mediator and that all men must have perished in if God had not found out a remedie for without sheading blood no Remission Heb. 9.22 But now this I beleeve that as God in his purpose of making man did see that man would fall So in his purpose and Councell he provided the remedy in his Son before the world was 1 Pet. 1.20 And presently upon the fall in the very same moment this businesse was done and acted in respect of agreement conceipt Tender and acceptation betweene God and Christ the Sonne of God to take into union of Person the nature of man to be made flesh under the Law and beare the imputation of sin and so to dye and rise and offer sacrifice for man which God accepted and so filled him in the nature of man with all fulnesse of grace and truth so that here is a propitiation life from the dead and a new creation in And a new heaven and earth for this second Man And spirit to quicken c. Psal 40. Heb. 10.5.10 So that here are two men two Adams the first the last 1 Cor. 15.45 c. So that the vertue of the Death Resurrection and Sacrifice of Christ was from the beginning so as thereby men were either saved or left to the judgement of Christ Though the fruitfulnesse thereof was neither so apparant nor abundant till it was really acted in our nature by Christ John 1 1-17 John 1.1 2. so that there is no Divinity in this Argument of Mr. W. That because many were damned before Christ actually Dyed therefore Christ dyed not for them page 4.36 37. page 11. l. 4. hee might as well have said mâ—ny were saved before Christ actually dyed therefore he dyed not for them But passing such Arguments as of no force to enlightened beleevers Scripture sheweth us two things wrought by God in the gift of his Son and obtained of God and effected by Christ by vertue of his Death Resurrection and offering himselfe a Sacrifice to God and receit of Spirit in the man viz. 1. A supportation of the old or first creation for a time Psal 75.3 Col. 1.17 Heb. 1.3 In which there is both time and space given that men might repent and come in to their Lord 2 Pet. 3 9. Rev. 3.21 And also meanes and some motion of Spirit to sead and move to repentance and seeking the Lord Rom 2 4. Act. 14 17. 17 26 27. Gen. 6.3 Psal 68.18 And 2. A new creation in which is pardon Peace justification life from the dead or eternall life and inheritance Revel 21.5 which all that by grace are brought into union with Christ partaking of 2 Cor 5 17. Here in this life in spirit in a first fruits Rom. 8 10.23 In the Resurrection in fulnesse both in soule and body Phil. 3.21 1 John 3.2 Now in these two men the first and the last man all men are considerable The first a naturall man The second a spirituall In the first difference of sexe and degree In the second not so The first fallen The second having undertaken hath restored that fallen nature And thereby preserveth the first with that creation for a time so as generations come forth from him the distinctions of sexe and degrees remaining preserved and ordered by him for the time and hath also a new creation for all that come forth of the first Adam and by the means he useth come in to him But as none come in to the second Adam that came not forth of the first so none come forth of the first Adam whose nature the second hath not taken for whom he hath done nothing by which they might partake of him and for refusall thereof be justly judged by him but these two Adams are not both naturall to have their severall posterities by generation The second is a spirituall man and his seed is of such as come in to him by regeneration It was therefore something unsavoury and of no force to prove any thing so to exptesse his comparison and the opposition of the two Adams with their severall posterities and then mention the supposition of a third page 68. line 17 18. unlesse Mr. W. could shew a posterity comming forth of the loynes of the Man Christ or a Generation comming in to him who never came forth of the first Adam and so were first of his posterity But to the businesse as I am helped to understand but by Scripture and also by reason subdued to beleeve God in his owne sayings If Jesus Christ in the beginning did by his consent and agreement with God his Father become the second Man the last publique Man and so under-tooke for the first man the first publique man who was all men Then he under-tooke for all men Rom. 5.12.14 1 Cor. 15.22.45 46 47. If he tooke the nature of the first Adam that was all men and not only a part of that nature or some part of the nature of Adam but the whole nature of whole Adam then he took the nature of all men Luke 3.23.38 Act. 17.26 If Jesus Christ became under the Law and stood in the stead and bare the sins of the first Adam and dyed for his sins in whom all sinned and fell under Law and whose sin was the sin of all men Then surely hee was made under the Law for and stood in the stead and bare the sins and dyed for the sins of all men Though the gift in and by Christ exceed the offence Rom. 8.3 Gal. 3.3.4 Rom. 5. And if Jesus Christ took not on him the difference of sexes and degrees or any of the excellencies or furniture
the hands of an Executor given to many to be given unto them when upon the publishing the Will they come in to the Executor and acknowledge the benefactor which if they refuse when so made known and tendered the refusers may be refused And so this Redemption life and justification is in Christ as in the giver some fruits whereof he extendeth to all men in preservation of creatures for them and their lives and giving meanes that they might know seek and receive the thing it selfe Psal 75.3 and 36.6 7. Acts 14.17 and 17.26 27 30 31. John 1 4 5 7 10 11. But the choyce fruites and the Redemption life and justification it selfe that is eternall he according to the Fathers appointment giveth to those that beleeve on him Iohn 17.2 and 6.40 and 1.12.12.33 But now this Redemption is in us not as such a manner of gift and in such a giver but as a gift in this gift first and then with and through this gift 2 Tim. 1.9 Rom. 8.32 and 7.25 and 8.1 2. And from the gift of this giver Jesus Christ Iohn 1 12. and 17.2 Ephes 5.14 Rev. 2.10 it is in us as a receit that wee have received of in with and through Jesus Christ in the receit of him Iohn 1 12 16. Acts 26.18 Rom. 1.5 and 5.11 1 Cor. 15.1 Gal. 4.5 Col. 2.6 7. This Redemption life and justification is in Christ Jesus before men either know it or beleeve in him so whether men beleeve in him or no set forth that men might beleeve Rom. 3.24 25. Iohn 1.4 5.7 1 Iohn 5.11 12. neither doth any mans beleeving make it the more in him nor any mans unbelefe make it the lesse in him who is alwaies and for ever the same 2 Tim. 2.10 11 12.13 Heb. 13.8 But now whatever all men or any man as they are in the nature Christ tooke and wrought Redemption in have by the gift and preparation of of God in Christ yet have they no enjoyment in themselves of the same no not before God or in Gods account till by grace they be brought to beleeve in Christ when there is not an imaginary change or a bare manifestation but are all change wrought in them Tit 3 4 5 6 7. a new birth John 3.5 1 Peter 1.23 a reall translation and change not in Christ but in them from the power of Satan and darknesse unto God and the Kingdome of Christ Acts 26.18 Col. 1.23 from children of wrath to be children of God Ephes 2.1 22. from darknesse to light 1 Peter 2.9 from death to life 1 Iohn 2.14 15 yea from being not his peculiar people nor so beloved to be his peculiar people and so beloved Rom. 9.25 26. And is not here a great difference between the same redemption as it is in Christ for men and as it is in and upon men or can such teachers of Israel be ignorant of these things or are they not willing to yeeld Jesus Christ the preheminence in all things as the Father willeth or if in other things will they needs deny it him in the largest of the Redemption that is in him But enough hath been said to this But that I must follow him in the veiw of the Scriptures abused by him Rom. 3.24 and 4.24 25. his abuse of these and the truth is cleared before Rom. 5.18 is quoted by me for the atonement made in and by Christ for men and Rom. 5.1 6 10 11. is for the same received which he in quoting and answering obscures and answers darkly like a man a fraid of the light in the text for what if the Apostle speaking of the receit of the atonement and justification speaketh of the receivers doth that prove there is no atonement made by Jesus Christ nor Justification in him for any more then had then received or that there was no atonement or justification in Christ for them before they receive it or had they received it from eternity Consider the text when Jesus Christ made the atonement they were without strength ungodly verse 6. sinners verse 8. enemies verse 10. But when the atonement was received by them sure they were friends and Saints c. as Scripture affirmeth besides it is not affirmed of them that beleeved verse 1. they had now received By Christ the atonement verse 11. and was not that by faith Rom. 4 22 23 24. and 5.1 John 1.12 and how could they receive the atonement if the atonement was not made compleat in Christ before how or could they truly say they received it yea that they have now received if they had it from eternity in themselves So that all the way the atonement received is held forth and yet as plainly the same atonement held forth and the foundation laid for such also as yet had it not that they might be brought in to beleeve and so receive the same and these receives propounded as an incouragement to them as in 1 Tim. 1.11 to 16. the Apostle first mentioning the Gospell verse 11. and then shewing what a great sinner he was and yet received mercy verse 12 13 14 he then layeth the foundation for others and that in generall and at large verse 15. and then affirmeth the mercy shown him was for an example or pattern of encouragement to them that should after beleeve c. verse 16. even so here in this Rom. 5. having shewn the rich grace received in such beleeving as in which the atonement is received verse 1 5 11 he both laieth and explicateth the foundation and sets it forth even for such also as had not received it and so verse 6. though he saith when we were without strength yet he speakes not there so applicatively Christ dyed for us much lesse as Mr. Garner would have it for us who have received the atonement and enjoy it in our selves for such if such before his death he needed not to have dyed But he speaketh indifferently and undeterminarly in generall and at large and that truly Christ dyed for the ungodly verse 6. and then his explication is sutable in which he setteth forth the disease as generall and opposeth the remmedy to it as generall verse 12. yea surpassing the disease and then he comes to distinguish between the remmedy and the receit of the remmedy verse 17. for if there be not grace and the gift of grace before receit there can be no receit and the Apostle saith not that all for whom there is grace and such a gift of grace prepared but all that receive the same shall raigne in life c. and then the Apostle gives a ground of all he had said in this businesse verse 18 19. in which the extent of the foundation and distinction between it and the receit or the truth of it before receit and the effecacy in receit is held forth in verse 18. read it in what translation you will and take the text only and forbeare the words added by translators to supply the
when they turned aside they came neerer to truth and had before been seeming servants to him who by this mans doctrine was but a seeming Lord to them whose heart trembles not at this But he will helpe it with comparing it with the Epistle of Iude let that therefore be also veiwed doth not Iude mind them of the faith of the common salvation and tels them of some that turned not a seeming or shew but the grace of our God into wontonnesse and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ Iude 2 3 4 doth he not professe for their admonition even therefore to put them in remembrance though they once knew this how that the Lord having saved the people out of the land of Aegypt afterwards destroyed those that beleeved not Jude 5. Doth not Jâ—â—â— here point the Christians to the remembrance of Gods dearing with Israel of old as Peter about their Teachers to the Prophets of old And was not this deliverance out of Aegypt a â—ipe of Gods now bringing men out of the darknesse and fellowship of the world to fellowship with his people which is somthing above that Mr. Garner opposeth and is not that deliverance called a redeeming them Deu. 15.15 and. 25.8 and 24.18 and buying them Peu 32.6 16. a saving Psal 109.8 15. so that here were a people redeemed bought saved yet many of them for their unbeleef afterwards destroyed and this writ for our admonition who is that which is so bold to give the holy Ghost the lye say they were not really redeemed bought saved but only seemingly so they perished really in the first overthrow but seemingly afterward now that men were once alive in Adam fell truly into the power of the first death but are in no sort truly made alive by Jesus so cannot be twise dead indeed but once really and the other is seemingly How thinkes any they shall perish in a second death for denying a seeming Lord a seeming redemption forsaking a seeming life in a seeming profession who like M. Garner to paint out these things in fine words yea in his conceit he hath so coloured and garnished these texts with his device that every understanding Reader shall see no other but take this his forgery to be as he professeth it to be even the mind of God not only in this but in many other Scriptures as he saith page 163. so that where the holy Ghost speaks not of mans goodnesse or works in purging or sanctifying themselves but of his own goodnes in the gift of his Son and of his Sons blood in the vertue thereof that had made a purgation for them prevailed for means to work purgation in them and sent his gracious spirit in the meanes with some prevailing effecacies to set forth the greatnesse of their sinne and the justnesse of their judgement like that Ezek. 24 23. that slight such grace despite such a spirit and ill require such goodnesse 2 Peter 1.9 Heb. 10.29 30. all this gracious workes of Father Sonne and holy Spirit he conceives must be taken for counterfeits and seemings also and who will be charged with hypocrisie here so that the evill of men in departing from the faith is their departure from hipocrysie whereas the Holy Ghost chargeth them with hypocrysie in their wayes when they are departed 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3 4 now he that dares thus deal with the Scripture pretend the originall put words for text that are none make seemings of truth and adde too and change the sayings of the Holy Ghost and call his own sayings the mind of God what error may not he this way bring in if beleeved But who that is wise will credit him that so dealeth with the Scripture VII I might note his intimation of difficultie in the plain sayings of the Gospell page 47.77 which when they speak of the foundation and first beginning of the Gospell are all plain and easie as they are now set forth as the Holy Ghost justifieth Pro. 8.6 7 8 Heare for I will speake of excellent things and the opening of my lips right things for my mouth shall speak truth and wickednesse abomination to my lips all the words of my mouth in righteousnesse nothing froward or perverse in them they are all plain to him that understandeth and wright to them that find knowledge and chapter 22.20 21. Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsell knowledge note the end that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth and that thou mights answer the words of truth to them that send to thee Surely had Mr. Garner beleeved this testimony he would not have conceited so many impossibilities of truth and absurdities in the plain sayings of Scripture and under pretense of difficulties have so wrested altered and added to them to make them right to his seeming but it may be he will deny all this and say he hath denied no truth though he have often but onely sound out fitter words to expresse it but for that note Eccles 12.10 The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words note here words acceptable and pleasing to God and profitable and safe for men to vent and receive the mind of God in and what are they marke and that which was written up ight words of truth Where is he that can find us out more acceptable words to tell us the mind of God in or that will plead difficultie in his words in the beginning of the Gospell that he may help us with plainer words to give the sense wil such a one reply that in 2 Pet. 3 16. many things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned unstable wrest as they do all the other Scriptures to their own destruction Let such a one again mind this very place whithout colouring or wresting or glossing he may see 1. That the spirit by Peter speakes not here by things of the beginning of the Gospell of Christ neither what Christ hath compleated in his own body for men not what by spirituall opperation he workes and dispenseth heere in beleeving men But of the second comming of Christ to restore all things and so of the new Heaven and new Earth of which things Paul writ to these Hebrewes Heb. 2.5 8. and 12.26 27 28. and so in all his other Epistles in one place or other 2. That he speaketh not of all or any whole Epistle of Paul but only of some of his sayings about these things the comming and Kingdome of Christ c. and of these things he saith not all but as some Translators many some certain things are hard to be understood 3. That he saith not that the manner of his writing nor that the sayings but some things in those sayings are hard to be understood now this is commonly known a saying may be plain and easily understood what is said and yet somthing spoken in that saying above our knowledge especially in promises of this
to all men according to his dâ—iâ—t eternall life where as the Scripture speaking of all comming before him gives us to understand it in a larger sense namely that as in his call many are by discoveries of his grace drawn in to beleeve on him and so given up to him and receive eternall life in and with him so they that refuse and rebell shall yet one day by his power given him by vertue of his ransome come before him bow to him and acknowledge him Lord before he passe the sentence on them Isay 45.22 23. Rom 14.9 10 11 12. Phil. 2.7 to 10.11 So that the same abuses as before may here be noted ☞ 1. 3. The word For 2 Cor. 5.14 15. Rom. 4.25 and 5.8 page 28 29. 2 Tim. 2.6 Mat. 20.28 and 26.28 Luke 22.20 page 49 50. This word For where it is Hee dyed for all or many for thee for us and the like The nature and force of the word For saith he is very significant It signifies interest propriety and carrieth the force of promise performance in it unto the persons concerned therein and this sense he explicateth thus They have an interest or propriety in the glory vertue power life and riches of his death yea he after puts in specialty right enjoyment In which expressed sense of his as set down page 28 29. and 49 50 There is much darknesse and un Scripture like language in it for the dying of Christ was but once in his own person as the publike man to fulfill truth and satisfie justice and it is over and past and he is not now so dying nor can dye any more Rom. 6.9 10. Rev. 1.18 Besides had he not risen and overcome death Wee had yet been in our sinner and our faith vain and perished when our bodyes dye 1 Cor. 15.17 18. Yea and however his death is exceeding precious and fruitfull yet the vertue of it for eternall life glory riches c. is in Scripture language ratherest put upon his resurrection ascension and glory with which the Father hath glorified him and his everliving to intersede Asts 13.33 34.38 39. â— Rom. 5.10 and 6.10 and 8.2 34. Heb. 7. and 8 and 9. and 10.1 Peter 10 â— Col. 1.19 and 2.3 9. But his death in the vertue of it as he is risen and is with the vertue of it gone into the holy of holyest and hath there presented before God the Father and offered himselfe by the eternall Spirit to God a ransome and spotlesse sacrifice and so fat down by vertue thereof a Mediatour so his death in the vertue of it is remaining and perpetuall Heb. 9.12 14.15 and thus it appears by his after writing page 189. he is to be understood and so if wee mind that which is generall and common to the nature of man his sense as first set down without his explication hath a truth in it that as he tooke that very nature that all mankind hath and dyed in that nature for sinnes and rose for just fication and ascended and gave himselfe a ransome to God for all and by vertue thereof is the man the Mediator between God and men so all in that nature have a speciality of interest a bove the fallen Angels and so have their lives by him Acts 17.27 28. John 6.33 And have mercy and life prepared in him and so a right to looke and come to him in the meanes that he useth John 1.4 5. And a promise that in so turning and comming in to him he will save them c. Porv. 1 22 23 24. Isay 45.22 whence they that deny him in his call and follow still on for lying vanities are said to deny him that bought them 2 Peter 2.1 To forsake their own mercies Jona 2.8 To loosse their own soules Mate 16 26. to bring upon themselves swift destruction 2 Peter 2.1 and so even such to perish for whom Christ dyed 1 Cor. 8.11 But when they are so given up and perish they have lost their interest that once was theirs and are blotted out of the Book of life and so though in agravation of their sinne it may be said stall Christ dyed that is did once dye for them but then For implyes not the remaining vertue of his death in blessed operations nor their present interest therein which they have now deprived themselves of Prov. 1.24 25. But now for his sonse as explicated by him it is very false for it is not in every place so significative for such an interest as he hath explicated that is manifest abundantly in the Scripture 1. Christ dyed for the Ephesians before Paul preached to them and yet before their receit of the Gospell they were without Christ being alians from the common wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world Ephes 2.12 which had not been true if Christ his dying for them had in and by that act of dying only or in that saying For given them such an interest as Mr. Garner affirmeth from the word For. 2. But to proceed he speakes in a plain contradicting language to the Holy Ghost who saith expresly That Christ dyed for the ungodly Rom. 5.6 For the unjust 1 Peter 3.18 And yet saith again as expresly that none such hath any inheritance in the Kingdome of Christ and of God Ephes 5.5 and that such that is while such or as such shall not inherit c. 1 Cor. 6.9 10 Gal. 5.22 And that those who now doe inherit were some times such but then they did not inherit but now they are washed c. and so made meet to inherit 1 Cor. 6.11 Col. 1.12.13 The holy Ghost never fastening the inheritance and such interest on this word or bare act Christ dyed for them But on his gracious application of the vertue of his death and resurrection inabling them to beleeve and making on in Christ Iohn 1.12 so that heerin his sense appeares unsavory in such an affirmation of Christ dying for all But to come closer to him in that wherein hee would strive to wind himselfe out by saying though the word For implyes not such an interest That all have at present yet it implies that at one time or other they shall that are concerned in that word For shall have such an interest I shall therefore let the Scripture appeare 3. That not only the dying but the death of Christ in the vertue of it in his Resurrection Ascension Sacrifice offering with its prevailency with God and spirit and grace received as it is in him the publicke man a purgation fit to purge a Reconciliation to reconcile a medicine to heale a life to enlive food of life to afford eternall life to the eaters and all ready and prepared in him and set forth in the Gospell and men by Christ and his servants called thereto Prov. 9.1 2 3 4 5. Mat. 22.17 So it is affirmed ready yea and many called and invited on this
ground Luke 14 17. come for all things are now ready and yet those concerned in it never eate of this ready and prepared supper Luke 14.24 Mat. 22. And where was the interest Mr. Garner talkes on for present or furture in these or those that perish for whom Christ dyed more might be said and also how Christ first purchased a right in men as Rom. 14.9 before he give that right to any which he gives only to beleevers Iohn 1.12 13. Besides the word For Being a relative to other words which words gives us to understand the force of it whether it point to the cause or to the motive or the persons c in which we shall alwaies see that Beleevers are only concerned in the saying when For hath that force for such a sense as Mr. Garner fastens on it when it 's said he dyed for all men And wee can shew Mr. Garner that all men have not saith 2 Thes 2 3. And so not such an interest though Christ dyed for all But as neither Mr. Garner nor Mr. Knowles are able to produce a Scripture that saith Christ dyed not for all men to exclude the Scripture sense so neither can they produce one sentence of the Holy Ghost that all men have faith to justifie their own sense withall and so did ill to make this an independant expression to force a sense to exalt reason above the plain sayings of the Holy Ghost to take of most mens engagement to Christ and stop the passage of their comming to him ☞ 1. 4. The word All in 2 Cor. 5.14 15 page 31. Heb. 2 9. page 41. 1 Tim. 2.6 page 52. This word All and every he restraineth to be ment though he would say it in generall words yet of the fewest and smallest number of men in all ages from Adam to Abraham from Abraham to Christs comming in the flesh and from thence to his comming again for of that small comparatively though in themselves a great number he speaketh and desireth to be understood and his reasons he gives for such an understanding are very weake That in 2 Cor. 5.14.15 cannot be saith he All mankind because it 's said verse 12. Some glory in appearance c. which were specially the Jewes which saying of his is too restrictive for many both then and now that were of the Gentiles did glory in appearance as their great knowledge parts gifts their enjoyment of Church order Baptisme and other Ordinances with many famous Consentors that had it not in heart from the word and spirituall evidence and the Apostle writ some things to this end that they and we might have to answer such and amongst the rest this in speciall verse 10. Wee must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ that every one c. and verse 11. Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord wee perswade men c. And of these men that must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ it 's evident he speaketh saying Hee dyed for all That in Heb. 2.9 cannot be taken for every man because the word All and every is some times to be understood with a limmitation as when it 's spoken of the Church or a company of Beleevers in one place Acts 2.14 15. and 4 45-21 No question but this high understanding together with restraining generall sayings to applicative is the way by which some evade these generall and plain sayings Rom. 13.7 8. Render therefore to all their dues c. Marke 10.19 Defraud not Marke 10.19 Doe good to all men Gal. 6.10 To speake evill of no man but to be gentle shewing all meeknesse unto all men Tit. 3.2 To justifie the defrauding of dues c. Defrauding and breaking truth and faith with those that are not of their Religion and using rigor towards them saying these generall sentences must be understood by the applicatory sayings 1 Thes 4.6 that no man go beyond or defraud his Brother in any matter Col. 3.9 Lye not one to another c. Ephes 4.25 Speake every man truth with his neighbour for wee are members one of another Col. 3.13 Forbearing one another Oh that every Scripture should be thus grossely abused Again 1 Tim. 2.6 All cannot be All because saith he All he dyed for he ransometh from the power of Satan to God from death to life This he affirmes in his own name and abuseth that of Peter thereto which speaketh of an applicatory redemption for by his ransome he first purchased all of God and they are given into his dispose who hath redeemed them from perishing utterly by the first judgement which he underwent or in the first death which he hath over come so that if they perish it is for their sinnes as they stand related to him And by a second judgement and in a second death and for denying him that bought them Psalme 2.6 11. Rom. 14 9-12 And so from the word For and the word many c. he reasons which are fore-answered and likewise he reasons from the will of God to have all saved which by Scripture is evident in such a salvation as fore-mentioned that fore runs the knowledge of the truth is done by Christ who also will bring all to a knowledge of the truth one day Phil. 1.10 11. Though I will not oppose those who conceive his will to have all saved is to be preserved that they may all come to the knowledge of the truth and so it hath reference to the Magistrates ordained of God to such an end Rom. 13 And here on that ground to be prayed for But so much is said in the 11. chapter of the opposed Treatise about this and nothing of it refuted that it is needlesse to say any more But he hath a little more to say and that in which there is a mystery He saith also that by All is meant all degrees of men but chiefly all Nations or kindreds of men not of the Jewes only but of the Gentils also page 53. All to be meant of Nations or kindreds of people and not of persons wee had need mind this well because it is one of his profest mysteries that he hath unvailed who saith page 53. and 39. many Scriptures are so to be understood Whereas I beleeve Christ tooke on him the person of the publike man and so the nature of mankind and in that nature dyed for men the persons of men and tooke his degree of exaltation after his resurrection and that he did not take on him any humane degree of King Magistrate superiour or inferiour or Judge Lawyer Counseller Noble-Gentleman Yeoman Husbandman or Farmer School-master or Scholler yet I suppose he had a trade but not to prefer a Carpenter before a fisher Tent-maker Tayler Weaver or Apothecary not doe I thinke that he dyed for these degrees but for the men themselves and that for our sinnes not for our degrees though I beleeve he sanctified them as other creatures for the good of men But mind this
mystery he hath unvailed are not all degrees of men and all Nations and all Kindreds of people all persons had he not as good have writ plainly and said All signifies but some of all sorts of men and so have saved himselfe out of that snare of denying persons to be men But if he had so said yet the Scripture would reprove his saying where Paul was preaching Gospell and Christ risen from the dead and that God will judge the world by him and that he hath given assurance thereof to all men or offered them faith a ground to beleeve it in that he hath raised him from the dead how doth he teach us there to understand All men and All Nations see Acts 17.24 God that made the world and all things therein mind how well this suits with Psalme 8.6.10 Heb. 2.6.9 John 1.3.11 Seeing he is the Lord of Heaven and Earth c. compare this with Col. 2.3.9 He giveth to all life and breath and all things and was not all this by Christ who by vertue of his death and ransome is the Lord of all Acts 10.36 Rom. 14.9 now mind verse 26. And hath made of one blood all Nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth so here in respect of the nature the flesh and blood Christ took is no difference so in respect of his death as death was the wages of finne and of his resurrection and offering through which he is become Lord of all so as there is in him a door of hope and he shall be the judge so farre no difference the difference and so the mystery unvailed by the Spirit through the Apostles and not Mr. Knowles and Mr. Garner is in some further thing And all Nations of men is here all men that are in all Nations of all sorts and degrees which also is from his providence according to his purpose as saith the text mind it And hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation and now marke the end verse 27. that they should seeke after the Lord if happily they might feel after him and find him note here his gracious end but is there any hope or possibility mind the text though he be not farre from every one of us see here how the word Vs may be stretched to the largest when All is spoken of all while used in the works of God leaves none out and that is a good ground in speaking to and of persons surviving and hearing to leave none out and so the Apostle here doth not after such a large proposition single out himselfe and those of his mind from the residue But in respect of that he had spoken in this equalizeth himselfe to them according to that Phil. 2.6 7. and so Vs is as large as all spoken to yea all at that time living as the text doth manifest verse 18. for in him wee live and move and have our being and that wee may be assured the Apostle puts in himselfe with them in the word Vs see how he applyes the saying of some of their own Poets for wee are also his ofspring c. and on this ground exhorteth to repentance by preaching Gospell and that this shall not be in vain wee have a sure word Psalme 86.9 speaking of God and his workes he saith All Nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee Oh Lord c. which is true and will appear true as a Prophesie at the returne of the Jewes and Christ sitting on his Throne and as a proposition at the great and generall Judgement Isay 45.22 23. Phil. 2.10 11. So that he that will exclude the persons of men or any of them from the death of Christ and his resurrection and this fruit of the same mentioned Acts 17 24-31 and Psalme 86.9 Doth likewise as much exclude their persons or for many persons from being created and preserved by God But had Mr. Garner observed or would any man observe how the Holy Ghost gives us to understand the word All when spoken by God of his workes in and by Christ when of creation when of a restoration by and in a publike man when of Son like priviledges when the word All is in such speeches used as a proposition and when as a prophesie hee should see it in the largest extent the word in such a sentence can beare and that as a ground when his servants speake of the same it is in the largest sense that can be sutable to his servants therefore concerning me and those of my mind Mr. Garner with the approbation of Mr Knowles hath written a notorious and plain un-truth and slander page 57. In saying that by All in Isay 53.6 wee understand all persons from first to last wee have no cause so to do for in that when God speakes of his giving his Sonne to dye for All men he meanes all from first to last is a good ground for men to speak of all men in their time and to whom they speak and so for the Prophet to speak of all Israel But with this slander he hath written as false doctrine in his interpretation that All is only wee who doe enjoy peace with God whereas he meant all Israel as is evident John 8.39 as the Apostle includes unbeleeving Gentils with himselfe and stretcheth All to the utmost a servant may without limmitation Acts 17 24-31 But enough is shown before about the word All which in so many Scriptures is abused by M. Garners Reason and a forced stinted sense put in it ☞ 1. 5. The word Tast in Heb. 2.9 should tast death the naturall meaning of these words he conceives and layeth his conceit for a ground of Doctrine and truth is not his suffering of death but an effect and fruit of his suffering of Death and being crowned with glory and saith he we are to understand the words Tasting death to be a sweetning or rellishing of death a making of death tastfull savory sweet usefull and gainfull page 44. now for answer That Jesus Christ by his death and resurrection hath taken out the sting and curse of the first death so as in it selfe it is to no man a curse nor is able for ever to detain those that dye But they shall be raised and made a live again and so it is made lesse dreadfull more easie and but as passage to immortality to every man is a truth affirmed in Scripture though by Mr. Garner denyed 1 Cor. 15.21 22-54 55 56. 2 Tim. 1.10 though the choyce benefit be to Beleevers Eccles 7 1-8 1 Cor. 15.57 58. so that through the mediation of Christ and only his own personal death is made savory gainfull to them Rom. 5 8-10 Rev. 1.5 1 John 1.7 but their-through even their own dyings also 2 Cor. 4.11 to 18. Phil. 1.21 2 Cor. 1 5-9 And had the word Tast such a meaning in this Heb. 2.9 it would still confirme the truth Mr.
Garner opposeth seeing by Christ death is made more easie for all men and so as all men shall be brought out of it yet a specialty for Beleevers which overthrowes Mr. Garners drift but this being plainly set forth in other places of the Scripture and no so plainly in this word Tast wee are still to try whether Mr. Garners private sense having no other place to second it will stand or not first he prepared his way by his reasonings and they are divers 1. Hee no where finds the death of Christ no where called a tasting death but what strength is in this what if it be so called here and what if the denying of some of those for whom he dyed be so called is not that equivolent And that it is so see Mat. 16.28 with 17.16 Marke 9 1-6 Luke 9 27 32. yea and even the Jewes though they saw not the spirituall life and so minded not the spirituall death Christ spake of at that time yet understood seeing and tasting death for dying John 8.51 52. so sight or tasting was understood and that rightly by old Simeon Luke 2.26 so that there is no weight in this reason 2. Hee conceives to take Tasting Death for dying implies a needlesse repetition and much hashnesse in the words as that he suffered death that he should suffer death but there is no ground for this his conception if he could nor have seen to have read the words otherwise yet then he might have taken Death in the first place for his fore-going abasement and sufferings which in Scripture are called Deaths also 2 Cor. 1.9 and 4.10 11. and 11.13 and so have suited it with other places speaking of his abasement and sufferings that he might dye as Phil. 2.7 8. Heb. 2.14 and 10. But the words are plaine to set forth that exalted one even our Lord Jesus Christ of whose exaltation he speaketh and how farre the subjecting all to him is already fulfilled concerning himselfe And in this Heb. 2 9 two things he shewes concerning him whom by faith wee now see crowned with glory as first the end why he was abased namely That he migh suffer death he was made a little lower then the Angels verse 7. and this the same hee that is crowned with glory as verse 7. Who was made lower then the Angels for suffering death that he might suffer death and so overcome death as verse 9.14 Secondly the manner for whom and that was That by the grace of God he should tast death for every man agreeable to that 2 Cor. 5 14 15. and so the words crowned with glory and honour import not that it was so before his suffering death but referring to that said verse 7 may be read as in a parenthisis and yet truly he was much glorified in being made such a publike man and filled with might to suffer and overcome such a death and so to read the words in order Then tasting Death is not onely dying but also instructive to us in two things about his death as namely 1 Tha the only grapled with the sting curse and strength of the first death that hee and he only tasted or felt indeed 1 Cor. 15.3 4 55-52 2 Cor 5.21 Gal. 3 13. and 2. That he stayd not long in death no not so long as to see corruption of his body but soon overcame it and rose again Acts 2.29 31. But this is shown at large for All in the 12 charter of the opposed Treatise and not refuted by this opposer And so his third reason as absurdly raised is fallen Secondly for the sense it selfe of the word tast he hath given it in his own name and though he pretended at first to refuse the naturall and openly appearing sense of the words because he could not find it in another place yet he hath presumed to put his fancyed sense upon it without any allowance from this or any other place either from the word in the originall or in any translation or in any customary speech for though the Noune tast may some times signifie savoury and some times bitter yet to make tastfull it signifieth not that is another word But the verb tast so tast or tasting which may signifie feeling or savouring either sweetness or bitterness to signifie to put a tast in a thing and so to make it sweet or savoury is no wherefound and if we should so read the Scriptures wee should multiply absurdities so that in this he hath advanced his reason to force a strange sense to an evill end ☞ 1. 6. The word World is abused by him and a limmitted sense forced on it as if in such and so many places it signified the Gentils or all Nations opposed to the Jewes or rather according to his drift a few here and there a small number comparred to the rest among the Nations or Gentils opposed to a small remnant of the Jewes for so is his drift and meaning though he strive to colour it with words and so he hath abused John 1.29 page 74. John 3.16 pag. 82. John 6 51. page 101 Iohn 12 47. page 126. 2 Cor. 5.19 page 1 18. and 1 John 2.2 page 97. In which places the text it selfe beareth out a larger sense and that the answer to him about these and other places abused by him may be the briefer let thi◠be noted that the word World when it is in Gods own sayings and of his works by Christ used for the world of mankind It most usually frequently fignifieth naturall men as they come from the first Adam and bear his Image and are preserved through Christ whose light shines on them and yet they remain in their blindnesse and naturall state still and so wee are taught Iohn 1.3 to 11. verse 3. All things made by Christ verse 4 in him was life and the life was the light of men verse 5. And the light shined in darknesse and the darknesse comprehendeth it not and then more meanes used to testifie of the light to verse 9. where he is affirmed The true Light which lighteneth every man that commeth into the world and having spoken of the world of mankind sayeth verse 10. He was in the world by his light mercies and means vouchsafed from the beginning and in fulnesse of time in his bodily presence and the world was made created preserved and stored with good things by him and the world knew him not so explicating verse 4 5. and verse 11. He comes to his own he gave to a certain people of the world more meanes and came to them by his word and Orracles and put his name upon them and called them his and in fulnesse of time came in personall presence and preached by his messenger and himselfe to them and his own received him not they beleeved not one him so explicating verses 6.7 8 9. And so though a distinct part of the world yet the world still all concluded under sinne and under unbeleefe Rom.
lesse then salvation through faith in Christ page 119. and mind his after explication saith he No taking away of sinne no Redemption Reconciliation or Atonement wrought for any but by the sprinckling or application of the blood of Christ upon them neither is it any other way of use to us neither doth it any other way speak good for us before God but as it 's sprinckled on our consciences by the power of the Spirit page 194. Neither are any persons redeemed or purchased with the blood of Christ not have they any part in his death and blood shed who have not their consciences sprinckled with the blood of Christ neither doth his blood any other way redeem purchase reconcile or make Atonement c. Surely were it not for the sake of some others I should no otherwise answer these greiveous blasphemies of the death Resurrection and presenting of the vertue of the precious blood of Iesus Christ and his invaluable Sacrifice offered to God his Father then they did Rabshâ—kah with silence Isay 36.21 For he knoweth that in the opposed Treatise it is shown by and according to Scripture that there is none reconciled in heart to God none Redeemed from among men to God no purgation in Conscience but by the spirituall sprinckling and application of the precious blood of Christ and so in the application and receit of that reconciliation propitiation Atonement Redemption purgation and righteousnesse which Iesus Christ hath by and in himselfe wrought with God for men and in whom it is perfect and compleat before any receive the same and though here through many mercies by him be reached unto men to draw to him yet this Atonement c. is received no other way but in receiving him in whom it is and from whom it is never devided as is also shown in that other Treatise of the discourse about the precious blood of Christ And in this Reply also which distinction he hath striven to confound and yet now in his fashion he would seem to acknowledge it but to the greatest dishonour to Christ and in fury to men and to Saints also that ever I saw in any writer that confesseth Jesus that was borne in Bethlehem and of the Virgin Mary to be the Christ which yet I hope in part he doth but here in these affirmations it is evident without any wresting or glosse 1. He hath denyed That Christ by the vertue of his blood and Sacrifice offered to God hath purchased All men of God and received the right of Lord-ship over them thereby and so a power and right of judgeing them by his Gospell and aggravation of their sinnes by his blood shed for them and mercies extended there through to them For he hath peremtorily affirmed that there are no persons purchased with the blood of Christ who have not their coÌ„sciences sprinkled with his blood and that his blood doth not any otherwise purchase then by sprinckling upon the Conscience And so hath plainly denyed the truth of those sayings of the Holy Ghost Ro. 149 12. Phil. 2.9 10 11. Acts 10.36 42. Psalme 2.6.10 2. He hath fully denyed all that preparation and provision of Redemption Reconciliation Atonement righteousnesse life and Spirit which God by vertue of the precious blood and Sacrifice of Christ presented to him hath made in Christ to be preached to men to invite them to come in to him and receive it yea for any but those that are come in and have it already for hee affirmed that there is no taking away of sinne no reconciliation Redemption or Atonement wrought for any but by the sprinckling or application of the blood of Christ upon them which is sure in their in-comming and within them and so hath denyed the truth of these Scriptures Joh. 14 5 9 10 11. 2 Cor. 5.10.14.19 Prov. 9.2.6 Mat. 22.1.14 3. Hee hath also denyed the will of the Father that all should honour the Sonne as they honour the Father John 5.23 for he denyeth the Lord Jesus Christ the glory of all the mercies light meanes and spirituall motions he by the vertue of his blood and Sacrifice offered to God hath procured for and extendeth to the Sonnes of men to call invite and move them to repentance and turning in to God for he saith plainly neither is his blood any other way of use to us neither doth it any other way speak good for us before God but as it 's sprinckled upon our consciences by the power of the Spirit And so he hath denyed the truth of that affirmed in John 1.4 11. Psalme 75 3. Col. 1.17 Rom. 2.4 Acts 14.17 and 17 26.31 4. Hee hath also denyed the mediation of Christ between God and men by vertue of his blood and Sacrifice offered to God 1 Tim. 2.5 Isay 53.12 yea and also his speciall Advocation and intercession by vertue of his precious blood and Sacrifice with God for Beleevers 1 John 2.1 Heb. 7 25. In that he saith his blood is no other way to us neither doth it any other way speak good for us before God but as it is sprinckled upon our consciences now in sprinckling on the conscience it speaketh peace and good to us and purgeth within And if it had not spoke good for us and Christ by it had done nothing with God for us what is that which brought it to us or is he of their mind that thinkes their was no dying of Christ for us but his dying in us I hope he is farre from that but I fort eare though here is just cause to say further only he hath denyed one part of that mediation mentioned Heb. 9 15. Thus hath he altogether denyed and raced the Gospell as it is set forth to be preached to unbeleevers as a truth that they might beleeve and in beleeving might receive and for not believing be under sinne for he hath affirmed their is no Redemption no Reconciliation no Atonemen and so no sinne taken out of the way no pardon no life obtained wrought or made with God by Christ or received into the hands of Christ for men to dispence to such as beleeve that it might be preached to them in his name that they might beleeve as Paul did to such as yet beleeved not Acts 13.36 37 38. but this mans sayings give out that of all this there is nothing done with God for any by Christ his Dying Resurrection Ascension offering Sacrifice and mediation by vertue of all with God nothing hath his blood done for any till by spirit it be sprinckled on their conscience nor doth it any thing with God for any by his presentment of it to God nor any other way but by sprinckling upon the conscience and sure that is not till they be made Beleevers so as they come to the blood of sprinckling so that till men be Beleevers and first washed by his blood there is by Mr. Garners doctrine nothing done for them by Christ of any worth to be told them to bring them
before Mr. Garners time or mine so that he in this hath unvailed no mystery but strove to cast a vail on Iohn 6.33 51. to obscure the plainly appearing sense and to make men beleeve that the life of the world and the life of Christ that eternall life he gives to them that in beleeving he draws out of the world is all one and the same life a grosse and absurd conceit V. Mystery That the reall manifestation and suffering of Christ in the flesh his personall Death upon the Tree was more wonderfull glorious and mysticall in respect of the declaration of the wisdome power and grace of God which did more wonderfully shine forth in it then either the promises or shadowes of his Death so it was more wonderfull and glorious then those in respect of the power fruit of it also which was the breaking down the partition wall which was between Jewes and Gentils it was the beginning of life and salvation unto all Nations of the world p 111 112 113 114 126. He cals ' it the glorious saving power of the Death of Christ and surely I am ready to acknowledge the dying of Christ precious powerfull glorious c. and the Death of Christ exceeding in power glory and fruitfulnesse and that to Gentils also But this hath been unvailed by the Apostles and is clearly held forth in preaching and writing generally and so not unvailed by Mr. Garner who hath rather vailed the plainly appearing truth then unvailed the mystery in his expressions for the Death of Christ was gloriously and savingly powerfull even before his actuall dying and that to mankind and in Beleevers from Adam to Noah and from Noah to Abraham before there was any Nation of Israel distinct from Gentils Heb. 11.1.8 and when that distinction was it did not limmit the power of his Death to Israel muchlesse did it limmit it to the lewes it only limmitted the enjoyment of the priviledges of the first Testament to them and yet not so but that the door was open for any Gentile of any Nation in submitting and comming in by Circumcision to be one people with them they might enjoy Exod. 12. and 13. though through the pride of the Gentils this became a partition-wall And yet farther through Christ was much glorified in being inabled to dye such a death and mercy and truth met therein yet the Holy Ghost speaketh of the personall sufferings and dying of Christ as of an abasement Isay 53. 2 Cor. 5.21 Phil. 2.7 8. and of his resurrection as that wherein he was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God Rom. 1.4 and sayeth expresly notwithstanding his denying that if he had not risen wee had been yet in our sinnes and faith and preaching vain 1 Cor. 15.17 And that he is exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour c. Acts 5.31 and received spirit gifts in the man for men even for the rebellious also That the Lord God might dwell among them Psalme 68 18 and by this spirit making known and applying the death of him that is risen that was once dead and is alive for evermore it is that his death is so glorious powerfull and saving in men as is foreshown But Mr. Garner saith expresly that to dye for men and to gather them together in one is one and the same thing pag. 126. so that he doth but talke confusedly when he talkes of sprinckling for blood-sheding and blood sprinckling are by this saying one and the same thing so that here he vailes the mystery in Scripture unvailed VI. Mystery That Christ was fore promised to be a light in the Gentils revealing in them and giving to them remission of sins salvation life everlasting through saith in Christ page 128 And that unto all those to whom he is a light which himselfe expounded in many places to be all the Nations of the earth All men the World the whole World the Gentils c he revealeth himselfe in them drawing their hearts to beleeve in him unto life everlasting page 129. This is the main and bottome matter the grand mystery and swaying and interpreting truth which though in many places he puts down in his own name yet he takes it for granted none will deny it this streams through his Book from the beginning to the end and is the ground of his forcing his private sense on so many places of Scripture this is it led him to such expressions in his unvailing Mysteries This is it with which he answers Mr. Lambs reasons this is the maine matter and bottome proofe for his confounding the destinctions at first and for raising his conclusions at last and to speak as the truth is if he have unvailed any one Mystery this is it but whether it be a mystery of truth or no that remaines to be tryed for he hath brought no proofe nor testimony for the truth of it but his own affirmation and Mr. Knowles aprobation and that is to light for proofe for we have no Rabby to take any point of faith from for his own authority or testimony but only Christ Mat. 23.8 nor are we to esteem any light in his sayings that addes to or takes from or speakes besides and otherwise then the sayings of Christ in the Gospell Isay 8 20. Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. Rev. 22.18 19. Besides Mr. Garners expressions are some-what harsh and dangerous giving to much aprobation to the opinion of those that will speak as gloriously of the death of Christ as he and yet concerning Jesus that was borne in Bethlehem â—e out of us dying and rising and offerering Sacrifice for us and so a propitiation with God for us and this made known to us concerning that in his person without us by word and Spirit and all effecacies thereof are nothing but Christ after the flesh and knowing him after the flesh And they exalted a Christ that is the Son of God the Saviour the propitiation they say and in every man Dying in a man and rising in a man and this their happinesse when this in them is revealed to them quite besides the Scripture the next step to Athisme And Mr. Garners expressions are come very neer to it but to say the least in this expression of his mystery that with faithfulnesse can be said he wrongs the Scripture Isay 52.15 and 9.1 2. Mat. 4 14 15. That speakes of Christ personall comming to the Jewes preaching the Gospell to them and that Gentils also might enjoy the same As if Zabulun and Napthaly because bordering upon and in the way of the Gentils were Gentils and as if the Gospell preaching by Christ come in the flesh were not a great light among them yea no light but only to those in whom Christ was revealed giving them remission of sinnes and everlasting life yea he alters the language of the Holy Ghost who speaking of the life and propitiation in Christ and the Salvation in him as set forth shining and tendered in the Gospell
saith It is for men John 1.4 5.9 The world 1 John 2.2 All Nations to the ends of the Earth Act. 13.47 But speaking of the same received and enjoyed he saith it is in beleevers that are borne of God John 1.12 13. and 3 3.5-16 a people chosen out of the world and not of it John 15.19 17.14 redeemed unto God out of every kindered tongue and people and Nation Rev. 5.9 yea he contradicteth the very testimony of the Holy Ghost that saith of the life of Christ Iohn 1.4 5. It is the light of men and the light shineth in the darknesse and the darknesse comprehendeth it not But this man saith he is a light of or to none but those in whom he revealeth himselfe and draweth their hearts to beleeve on him and so also denyeth the doctrine of Jesus Christ Iohn 3.19 that saith This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse c. and hate the light which this man denyes saying that Christ is no such light to any that they may take offence at it or so as they may for that be condemned for if he extend any light they beleeve c. surely our Saviour said well Mat 6.23 If the light that is in a man be darknesse how great is that darknesse And so if Mr. Garners grand opinion and most esteemed truth and Mystery that must season all the rest be filled with so much darknesse no marvell his whole Treatise be full of darknesse To conclude his mysteries with his affirmation concerning Jesus Christ being a light to the Gentils c. That mystery was not in being till Christs manifestation and suffering in the flesh page 115. and 123. and 131. I confesse this is my sterially exprest and had need to have been better explicated that it might be acknowledged true for certain the word the Sonne of God that is the Christ in whom is all the mystery of God and the life in him that is the light of men was verily in being before he tooke flesh John 1.2 3 4.14 1 Iohn 1.1 2. yea and the calling of the Gentils was fully in the Scriptures of the Prophets though the flesh of Christ and his actuall and personall death resurrection and Sacrifice was not so in being till acted and then the mystery concerning Gentils cōversion not made known in his dying but by his Spirit after his resurrection and ascension Acts 2. and 9. and 10. and 11 Col. 3.5 So that in all this view of his expressed Mysteries one may clearly see that 1. he hath only pretended to and boasted of but not unvailed any mystery 2. He was out of his place and out of the way of Christ and those taught of him to pretend and assay to talke of the high and deep mysteries when he is discoursing of the beginning of the Gospell of Christ the foundation of repentance to draw in unbeleevers to beleeve and help forward the weakest Christ and his did not so Iohn 16.12 1 Cor. 3.1 2. 2 Cor. 3.12 and 4.2 Heb. 5 12. 3. He tooke a wrong course to discover mysteries in that he strove to find them in and fetch them out of such words as All men All nations the world the whole world It had been more seemly to have done it in and out of the names and titles of Christ and his members as Jesus Christ our Lord the Sonne of God the Saviour of the world Emanuel the seed c. though indeed the mysteries are unvailed in full sayings of the Gospell 4. He wrongs the sayings of the Gospell in pretending as if the sayings therein about the foundation and things absolutely needfull to salvation were darke and full of mysterious equivocation as his own sayings are that so he might have his fancies admired and received for truth as is shewn in this reply 5. In all his acknowledgements of truth he hath come short of those that have gon before him if not of those he opposeth let their writings testifie 6. In all his pretence of unvailing Mysteries he hath missed the very mentioning of them as Scripture doth which are plainly unvailed set forth therein yet in such words of wisdome and truth without any equivocation as by reason of the vaile over the heart till it turne to the Lord none clearly see prize or understand without some spirituall illumination and opperation of the Holy Ghost that turneth the heart to the Lord and giveth both the eye to see and some experimentall tast thereof 2 Cor. 3 17 18. As 1. The freenesse riches and glorious love of God in the gift of his Sonne and the reconciliation wrought and hope laid up in him this shining through the death of Christ upon the heart of a man so as when a man is found in his filth and enmity and sees nothing in himselfe to difference him from others or encourage him to looke to God yet such the power of his death when this love is commended through it and the power of the love through it commended as it puls a man from out of himselfe dependances and delights and from the worlds state way and fellowship and reconcileth him to God enabling him to beleeve on Christ renewing the heart c. Rom. 5.5 8.10.11 Tit. 3.4 5 6 7. 2. The speciall interests priviledges and gifts confirmed on these that are so brought in to beleeve even all the priviledges of the new Testament even the holy Spirit to mind them of Christ and teach them the things of him and write his mind in their heart to lead them indue them with gifts make them usefull c. Iohn 1.12 13. and 14.16 17 26. and 16.13 14 15. 1 Cor. 2.9 10.11 Heb. 9.14 15. 3. The intercourses of love the streams and springs the secret hints of light whispers the cōmunications receits between Jesus Christ the heart of the Church or souls of unfained Beleevers Cant. 1. and 2. and 3. and 4. c. In all which is some experimentall knowledge of that great mystery God manifested in the flesh c. These are mysteries plainly declared and evidenced in words of truth and wisdome that are a light yet rightly known discerned and prized of none without the spirituall teaching of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 2.8.15 7. He hath come short of expressing those mysteries or that mystery he hath most busied himselfe to unvail which also though with brevity is more plainly and fully exprest in the Treatise that is by him opposed as may be there seene in chap 14. page 78.81 82 83 84. And Oh that he rightly knew this mystery as it is unvailed That the Gentils should be fellow-heires and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospell Ephes 3.6 By circumcission and being endeered too and made one with the Jewes by Mosaicall observances It was not doubted by any of the Beleeving Jewes in the primitive times But without this and only by the