before Him carried the Apostles meaning in the words the same way as they are cited and owned in their respective Interpretations by Musculus upon the place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tollens taking saith He is so expounded by Jerom as that it is declared by the Apostle that those Bodies which are made the Members of an Harlot are taken away and cut off from or out of the Body of Christ He takes saith He the Members of Christ i. e. He cuts Himself off from the Body of Christ who is joyned unto an Harlot Ambrose avoucheth the same when he saith He meaning the Apostle saith thus because such Members which adhere unto an Harlot cease to be the Members of Christ. Certainly it cannot be that a Member of Christ should be a Member also of an Harlot a Tollens ità exponitur à Hierōut indicetur ea corpora quae scorti Membra fiunt sublata esse abscissa è corpore Christi Tollit inquit membra Christi i. e. abscindit se à corpore Christi qui junctus est meretrici Idem ponit Ambr. cum dicit Ait quia meretrici adhaerentia membra desinunt esse membra Christi Certè non potest fieri ut membrum Christi sit membrum scorti c. c. And if it be no dishonour unto Christ to admit and take in such who have been the foulest and most deformed Members of the Devil upon their Repentance for Members of His Body which is nothing but what He doth dayly why should it be any disparagement unto Him to reject such from being Members of this His Body who by their wicked and abominable ways render themselves altogether unworthy the great dignity of such a Relation 3. And lastly for the frequent repetition of Regeneration it is of the same §. 29. consideration with the two former Particulars there is no inconvenience nothing unworthy God or of Christ in it and for men it is of a most happy and blessed accommodation unto them When the Scripture speaks of an impossibility of renewing some by Repentance in case they fall away b Heb. 6. 6. it plainly supposeth that there is such a thing incident unto men or whereof some men are capable as renewing again by Repentance And what is Regeneration being interpreted but a renewing again by Repentance And if men may dye twice spiritually as Jude speaketh of some that were twice dead Vers 12. why may they not live twice or twice receive the life of grace opposite hereunto As it is agreeable to the Righteousness and Holiness of God to denounce the sentence of exclusion from his Kingdom against men whoever they be or have been when they turn Adulterers Fornicators Idolaters c. yea and to execute this sentence accordingly in case they return not from these sins by Repentance before they dye and so to leave them no footing or foundation for their Faith I mean to beleeve or to expect Salvation by Jesus Christ but onely upon their Repentance so is it no less agreeable to the Mercy Patience and goodness of God to promise unto backsliding sinners a re-injoyment of his Favor and Love which is in Christ Jesus upon condition of their renewing again by Repentance and to exhibit unto them accordingly the full fruits thereof in the Salvation of their Souls if they persevere in a course of Repentance unto the end And how sad and deplorable above measure would the condition of many thousands of Saints be in case there were no reiteration of Regeneration I mean of all such who at any time fall into such ways and practises of sin which according to what we have lately heard from the Scriptures exclude from the Kingdom of God! Doubtless there is no more inconvenience for the same person to be twice regenerate then it was or would have been under the Law for the same man to have taken Sanctuary the second time in case He had the second time miscarried in slaying a man at unawares And for Regeneration it self according to the Grammatical and proper signification of the word it imports a reiteration or repetition of some generation or other It cannot import a repetition of the natural generation of men the sence of Nicodemus in John 3. 4. this point was orthodox who judged such a thing impossible therefore it must import a repetition of a spiritual generation unless we shall say which I know is the road Opinion that it signifies onely the spiritual generation with a kinde of reference unto or reflexion upon the birth natural But it is the common sence of Divines that the two generations mentioned the natural and spiritual are membra dividentia and contradistinguished the one unto the other and so the Apostle Peter seems to state represent them a 1 Pet. 1. 23. as also our Saviour Himself Joh. 3. 6. Now I suppose there can hardly any instance be given where the introducing of one contrary form or quality into the subject is termed a reiteration or repetition of the other Calefaction for example is never termed a repetition of frigefaction nor is albi-faction called a reiteration of nigri-faction nor when a regenerate or mortified man dyeth His natural death is He said to reiterate or repeat His spiritual death Therefore I rather conceive that Regeneration which the Scripture makes appropriable onely unto persons living to years of discretion who generally in the days of their youth degenerate from the innocency of their childhood and younger years and corrupt themselves with the Principles and ways of the world relates not unto the natural generation as such I mean as natural but unto the spiritual estate and condition of men in respect of their Natural generation and birth in and upon which they are if not simply and absolutely yet comparatively innocent harmless free from pride malice c. and in respect of these qualifications in grace and favor with God upon the account of the death and sufferings of Christ for them as we shall God willing prove more at large in the second part of this Discourse In the mean time what we now offer as most probable touching the Reason of the name and relation of Regeneration I conceive our Saviour Himself implieth in that Passage of His with His Disciples At the same time came the Disciples unto Jesus saying who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven And Jesus called a little childe unto Him and set Him in the midst of them and said Verily I say unto you except ye be CONVERTED AND BECOME AS LITTLE CHILDREN ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven b Mat. 18. 1 2 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except ye be turned back as Calvin interpreteth i. e. unless ye recover and re-instate your selves in that estate or interest in the love and favor of God which you are in danger of losing by your ambition by returning to such an humility innocency and simplicity wherein whilest
them as in their simple Existence or Being it self Page 1. Cap. 2. Though there be as absolute and essential a Dependance of second Causes upon the first in point of motion action operation as of simple existence or being yet are not the motions actions or operations of second Causes at least ordinarily so immediately or precisely determined by that Dependance which they have upon the first Cause as their respective Beings are 7 Cap. 3. Concerning the Knowledg and Foreknowledg of God and the Difference between these and his Desires Purposes Intentions and Decrees and how these also are distinguished one from another 28 Cap. 4. Concerning the Perfection of God in his Nature and Being Some things clearly deducible from it particularly his Simplicity Actuality and Goodness of Decrees 40 Cap. 5. Four several veins or correspondencies of Scriptures propounded holding forth the Death of Christ for All Men without exception of any The first of these argued 73 Cap. 6. Herein several texts of the second sort of Scriptures propounded in the former Chapter as holding forth the Vniversality of Redemption by Christ are discussed 97 Cap. 7. The third sort or consort of Scriptures mentioned cap. 5. as clearly asserting the said Doctrine argued and managed to the same point 113 Cap. 8. The Scriptures of the fourth and last Association propounded cap. 5. as pregnant also with the same Great Truth of general Redemption by Christ impartially weighed and considered 120 Cap. 9. Entereth upon a Digression about the commonly-received Doctrine of Perseverance occasioned by several passages in the preceding Chapter avouching and clearly evicting the benefit peace and comfort of that Doctrine which teacheth a possibility of the Saints declining and this unto death above the other contrary unto it 154 Cap. 10. A Continuation of the former Digression wherein the texts of Scripture commonly alledged to prove the impossibility of the Saints declining unto death are taken into consideration and discharged from that service 177 Cap 11. A further Continuation of the former Digression wherein the Arguments and Grounds commonly insisted on in defence of the received doctrine of Perseverance are detected of insufficiency proved and declared Null 225 Cap. 12. The former Digression yet further prosecuted and a possibility of defection in the Saints or true Beleevers and this unto death clearly demonstrated from the Scriptures 268 Cap. 13. Grounds of Reason from the Scriptures evincing a possibility of such a defection even in true Beleevers which is accompanied with destruction in the end 299 Cap. 14. Exhibiting from the Scriptures some Instances of a total Declining and falling away from the Grace and Favor of God in true Beleevers 344 Cap. 15. Declaring the Sence and Judgment as well of the Ancient Fathers of the Christian Church as of Modern Reformed Divines touching the Point of Perseverance and so concluding the Digression concerning this Subject 365 Cap. 16. Several other Texts of Scripture besides those formerly produced in ranks and companies argued to the clear eviction of Truth in the same Doctrine viz. that the Redemption purchased by Christ in his Death was intended for all and every man without exceptiof any 403 Cap. 17. Declaring in what sence the former Passages of Scripture asserting the Vniversality of Redemption by Christ are as to this point to be understood and consequently in what sence the said Doctrine of Vniversal Redemption is maintained in the present Discourse 432 Cap. 18. Exhibiteth several Grounds and Reasons whereby the Vniversality of Redemption by Christ or Christs dying for all men without exception is demonstratively evicted 453 Cap. 19. Wherein the Sence of Antiquity together with the variableness of Judgment in Modern Writers about the Controversie under discussion is truly and unpartially represented 524 Cap. 20. The Conclusion Exhibiting a General Proposal or Survey of Matters intended for Consideration Explication and Debate in the second Part of this Work 562 CHAP. I. There is no created Being or second Cause whatsoever but dependeth upon the first and supream Cause or Being which is God and this as well in the second as in the first Act I mean as well in the Motions and Operations issuing from or performed by every of them as in their simple Existence or Being it self WE shall not need I presume to levy a dispute for the gathering §. 1. or geting in that tribute due to the Crown and Soveraignty of Being from all Beings besides which consists in an acknowledgment of his free bounty in calling them out of the abyss of vanity and nothing by the Word of his Power hereby taking them into part and fellowship with himself in his Prerogative of Being according to what was resolved by the counsell of his Will as meet to be dispeâ—sed unto every of them respectively in this kind Trees that are throughly and deeply rooted in the Earth will grow and flourish though the dew or rain from Heaven should seldome or never fall upon them but grasse and herbs and tender plants whose roots have but a slender and thin protection of their Element against the scortching violence of the Sun will soon wither and die away if the clouds of Heaven should not ever and anon drop verdure upon them and relieve them In like manner such notions and impressions in the Soul into which Nature is deeply baptized and mightily 〈…〉 ssest with their Truth are like to live and to maintain their interest and autâ—â—rity in men though not seconded or relieved by argument or dispute but those which have only taken a fainter and looser hold of the judgements and consciences of men are in danger of miscarrying and proving like the Corne upon the house top which as David observeth withereth before it be grown up a Psal 129. 6. unlesse they be timely yea and frequently encouraged back'd and strength by discourse That there is a Being which looks upon this Universe â—ith all the host of it as the workmanship of his own hands and that every creature or finite Being is lineally descended from him as their Great and first Progenitor are I conceive such principles of Light and Truth written in so fair and full a Character in the Tables of all mens hearts that even whilst they run they may read them yea and cannot lightly depose or suffer the losse of â—hem though they be not bound upon their judgments and consciences with any other bands of argument or demonstration then those of their own evidence and conviction Therefore what God hath made manifest and clear in men we shall not cast any suspition of darknesse or obscurity upon by making it matter of disputation And though the dependance of things in actuall and compleat Being upon §. 2. God for sustentation and support as well of their simple Existences and Beings themselves as of their Operations respectively which is the sence and substance of the Thesis propounded be not altogether of so pregnant an inspiration as dependance upon him for their
Acâ— 27. 31. whereas upon their staying in the ship it so came to passe that they came all safe to land c Vâ—s 44. The Lord Christ himselfe by the care and faithfulnefs of Joseph in conveying him being yet an Infant into Egypt according to the charge of the Angel which appeared unto him came to see many more days in the flesh then he was like to have done in case he had bin found in Bethlehem or near to it when Herods bloudy Inquisition came forth against him For this is the reason which the Angell gave unto Joseph why he was injoyned by God to remove the child Jesus into a place of safety Herod saith he will seeke the young child to destroy him which supposeth not only a possibility but a probability at least if not a certainty That if the child had remained in or about Bethlehem Herod both would have found him out and also destroyed him So afterwards we read Luke 4. and elsewhere That Christ by declining the present rage and bloody intentions of the Jewes from time to time drew out the days of his mortall Pilgrimage to that just period and â—our wherein according to his ever-blessed good pleasure he had appointed that happy meeting between his own death and the life and salvation of the World True it is the days of humane subsistence and continuance on Earth are §. 4. in the generall but finite yea and few yet if we speake of particulars they are not properly determinate or set down as so many and no more by any decree of God It is indeed appointed by God unto men once to dye d Heb. 9 27. yea as Job calculateth within a short time Man saith he that is born of a woman is of few days e Iob 14. 1. But I do not find it said of particular persons that it is appointed unto them to dye precisely at such or such a time day or year of their lives or that they shall neither dye sooner nor live longer I deny not but that there are some few examples in Scripture of persons the precise number of whose days seemeth to have been fixed by God His gracious Message to King Hezekiah being now sick unto death was That he would adde unto his days fifteen yeares a King 20. 6. Yet this expression doth not necessarily imply that they should be adequately and precisely so many and no more Nor when Job in passion reasoneth thus with God as our last Translation rendreth his words Seeing his days are determined and the number of his moneths are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot passe turne from him that he may rest b Job 14 6 7. c. doth he suppose that the bounds and limits of all mens lives are so rigidly or immoveably pitched by any decree of God that they must of necessity live home to them and cannot possibly live beyond them but only this that if God will at any time interpose by his power to cut off the life of any man he may determine and put a period to it without being resisted or hindred by any According to the exigency of this sence both Tremellius and Beza translate that clause and the number of his moneths are with thee out of the Originall thus Numerus mensium ejus penâ—â— te est i. e. the number of his moneths is in thy power meaning that thou mayst make them fewer or more if and thou pleasest Doubtlesse if either David or Hezekiah had conceived the date and period of their lives to have been irreversibly concluded by any precedaneous decree of God they would not have interceded with that affectionate importunity which is found in their Prayers for a prorogation of them I said saith David O my God take me not away in the midst of my days c Psal 102. 4 And again O spare mee that I may recover my strength before I go hence and be no more d Psal 39. â— These expressions clearly imply That David apprehended as well a liberty in God as an executive power either presently to take away or else to continue his life and being in the world for a longer time For who will sollicite a man to do that for him which he apprehends him in no capacity or possibility to do or for that which hee conceives him whom he requesteth absolutely engaged and necessitated to do for him whether he requesteth it or no Now such a liberty in God as we speak of and as David supposeth was wholy inconsistent with such a peremptory and irreversible decree concerning the punctuall extent and duration of his life which some imagine So when he fasted and wept for the life of his child being sick he neither supposed God bound by any unchangeable decree either to continue or presently to take away the life of it but at liberty to do either In the Prayer of Hezekiah though there be no expresse Petition found for the enlargement of his life yet there are grounds laid down which are proper to inforce such a Petition upon and by the tender whereof unto God it is evident that he did sollicite for a reprieve which is yet more apparant from that gracious return which God made unto him of this his Prayer by the Prophet Isaiah Go saith God unto him and say unto Hezekiah Thus saith the Lord God of David thy Father I have heard thy Prayer and seen thy Tears behold I will adde unto thy days fifteen years e Isai 38. 5. Therefore doubtlesse when Job saith as we heard That the days of man are determined or paecisi i. e. cut short as Junius and Tremellius render it and that God hath appointed his bounds that he cannot passe he doth not speake of any determinate number of days or years set out by any decree of his unto particular Persons for life which by no interveniency of means or occasions on either hand can either be diminished or protracted but of that generall councell purpose or decree of his by which he hath reduced and contracted the mortall Pilgrimage of man on Earth to a very short and inconsiderable space of time Nor doth it follow from any the Premisses but that God doth frequently §. 5. interpose and that after a very speciall and remarkable manner sometimes for the preservation other-while for the abbreviation and cutting off the lives of Particular men When God will undertake and resolvedly engage to stand by the life of man as now and then he doth at least for a time a thousand shall fall at his side and ten thousand at his right hand and the danger not come nigh him i. e. he shall remain as safe and as free from evill as if all danger of evill were far from him He shall not be afraid i. e. such a man needeth not to be afraid for the terror by night nor for the arrow that flieth by day Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darknesse nor for
the destruction that wasteth at non-day a Psa 91. 5 6 7 But dayly experience sheweth That God doth not engage himselfe upon such terms as these for the protection of the lives of all that are godly many of these falling by the hand of death even whilst the lives of thousands and ten thousands round about them are not touched there with Nor have any Persons though never so godly any sufficient ground from the passages mentioned or the like to expect absolutely and with confidence protection of life in the midst of all such dangers which are there specified but only conditionally viz. if God will vouchsafe to undertake for their Preservation and Peace Such Scriptures hold forth the constant power not the uniform Will or Pleasure of God On the other hand when God taketh no pleasure as the Scripture phrase is in the life of a man the little finger of death is enough to crush it my meaning is a very slender and inconsiderable occasion will serve his Providence for the dissolution of it But neither of these dispensations amounts to any demonstration of any such decree in God wherein he hath punctually and indispensably assigned to all Persons whatsoever a set number of years moneths days houres and moments for their allowance of life which neither himselfe nor themselves nor any other creature hath the least liberty or power either to augment or diminish upon any occasion or by any means whatsoever It is indeed commonly reported to be a great Article in the Turkish Creed That the lives of all men at least of all Turkes are so absolutely disposed of in the counsell and decree of God that it is a thing simply impossible for men either by running upon the mouths of Cannons or by casting themselves into the Sea or by rushing naked into the midst of an Host of armed enemies or by adventuring upon any danger upon any death whatsoever to anticipate the date of such a disposall and so on the contrary by any Care Prudence or circumspectnesse whatsoever to prevent the fatality thereof But such Notions and Decrees as these are fitter to make Alcoran Divinity then Christian. I freely acknowledge all the Decrees of God to be absolute and unchangeable upon any occasion or by any means whatsoever and none of them in a true and proper sence conditionall but I am far from making the Decrees of God commensureable with his Prescience or fore-knowledge But of this hereafter In order to a full and thorough explication of the subject last in hand if §. 6. this had been any materiall part of our present designe many Particularities besides those insisted upon should have been added But the consideration of the dependance of the motions and actings of the creature upon God in respect of their determination is more intimous to the heart and spirit of our Grand Intendment then of their simple existences or beings Therefore to passe on to the explication of this we have laid downe for the Argument of his Chapter this conclusion either in words or substance that the motions actions or operations of second Causes though they do as absolutely depend upon the first as their existences or beings as was argued in the former Chapter yet are they not by this dependance at least ordinarily so immediately or precisely determined as their beings Notwithstanding how their beings in respect of their natures their Productions their subsistings or durations in being are determined or not determined by God hath been the inquiry and decision of the preceding part of this Chapter We come now to inquire how how far and after what manner the motions and actions of second Causes are determined or necessitated to be both when and where and what they are by that essentiall dependance which they have upon God All second Causes whatsoever are reducible to one of these three heads §. 7. or kind◠They are either 1. Such which act and move without any knowledge or apprehension at all as being capable of neither either of the end for the obtaining whereof they act or move or of their motions or actings in order to this end Or 2. Such which are capable of some kinde of knowledge or apprehension both of their ends and of their actings and movings towards these ends but very imperfect and weak viz. such which extend not to the reason or relation of these ends nor to any deliberation about them nor yet to the proportion or aptness of those their actings and moveings for the obtaining of their ends Or 3. and lastly they are such which know and apprehend or at least are capable of both not simply of those ends in order whereunto they act and move but of the Nature Reason and further tendency of these ends also as likewise of the proportion of likelihood of their ingagements in any kinde for the obtaining of their ends The first kinde of these causes are called Naturall or meerly naturall the second Animall or spontaneous the third Rationall Voluntary or free-working Of the first sort are 1. all inanimate and life-lesse creatures as Fire Water Ayre Earth Stones Minerals and such like 2. all Creatures which are endued with a Principle of vegetation but not of sence Of the second are all animall or sensitive Creatures not partakers of any Principle or indowment above those of outward sensation and a certaine estimative faculty or phantasie by which they 1. apprehend what is naturally good or evill for them at least in some Particulars and 2. are acted and moved accordingly as either to or from them but without any deliberation or consideration had either about the one or the other Of this kinde are beasts of the Field birds of the Ayre fishes of the Sea and generally whatsoever hath breath and life excepting men These are said to act or move Spontaneously because they act out of some knowledge of their end without any compulsion or necessitation from without Of the third and last sort are only men and Angels whether good or bad in either kinde who are therefore called rationall voluntary or free working causes because they are capable not only of an apprehension or knowledge of such ends for and towards the obtaining of which they act and move but also of the nature quality and import of them and of deliberation likewise or consulation about the means and wayes of their Procurement Now though all these severall causes have such a dependance upon God §. 8. that as hath been said none of them can move into action without a surable concurrence from him yet are not their actions or motions thereby determined ordinarily or necessitated unto or upon them The reason why fire burns or heats and doth not moisten coole or the like is not because God concurreth with it when it acteth for then Ayre or Water should burn and heate likewise with a like concurrence Therefore the particular and determinate actions of the Fire are not caused by
man or number of men should attempt his death he would not restrain or hinder them from effecting it If it be objected But did not the Redemption and Salvation of the World depend upon the actuall death or crucifying of Christ and if so should not God have left this great and gracious designe of his in suspence and at uncertainty for matter of execution in case hee had not Absolutely and Positively decreed the death of Christ by one meanes or other as either by those who now did effect it or by some other men To this I Answer No the Salvation of the World doubtlesse did not depend upon the actuall or literall dying or crucifying of Christ but partly upon the councell and good pleasure of God to deliver him up unto death in order to this end i. e. To leave him freely unto men to crucifie him if they would partly upon the readinesse and perfect submission of will in Christ to suffer death in case any man or men should be found that would inflict it upon him My grounds and reasons for this Opinion are 1. If the Salvation of the World depends wholly and intirely upon the merit and satisfaction of Christ in conjunction with the Will and good Pleasure of God the Father to accept of this satisfaction in order thereunto then did it doth it no wayes depend upon any thing done by other men especially wicked men least of all upon any thing done wickedly and provokingly in the sight of God by them and consequently the actuall or literall Crucifiers of Christ contributed nothing at all simply necessary towards the salvation of the World Sed verum prius ergo et posterius 2. If the merit of Christ received no addition was no wayes perfected by the actings of those who Crucified him or by the things which he suffered from them then did not the salvation of the World depend upon his being actually crucified or upon his crucifying by men but only upon that crucifying wherewith he had crucified himself before men came to lay hands upon him Sed verum prius ergo et posterius That the merit of Christ was no wayes perfected or augmented by the things which he suffered from men is evident because he acted or did nothing herein or under these sufferings more then what he had done before in the inward transactions of his Soul yea and would have done still or againe whether men had Crucified him or no. 3. If the acceptation of the sacrifice of Christ depended only upon 1. The nature quality and legitimatenesse of the Sacrifice 2. Upon the legitimacy and dignity of the Priest offering 3. And lastly upon the legitimatenesse of the manner observed in the offering then was not the act of those who Crucified Christ any wayes contributing towards the acceptation of this Sacrifice and if so the acceptation hereof with God had been the same and consequently the salvation of the World Purchased and Procured by it whether men had interposed to Crucifie Christ or no. Evident it is that they who Crucified Christ neither gave legitimatenesse to the Sacrifice nor were any legitimate Priests upon whose actings about the Sacrifice the acceptation of the offering any wayes depended nor 3. Did they in what they did about the Crucifying of Christ observe any legitimatenesse of order or manner which should render the oblation acceptable with God Therefore the acceptance of that great Sacrifice we speake of with God depended wholly upon Christ Himself who 1. In respect of his Person was a legitimate Sacrifice to make that great attonement for the World that was made by him 2. In respect of his office was a legitimate High Priest anointed by God to offer that great Sacrifice of himself 3. And lastly by vertue of his Holinesse Love Zeale and all other heavenly endowments requisite for his Office of Priest-hood performed the oblation with a perfect observation of all the requirements appertaining to the Law or manner of such an offering In none of all these had he the least dependance upon those who put him to death nor stood he in need of their wickednesse in Crucifying him to make him either Sacrifice Priest or oblation of highest acceptance with God 4. The Apostle expresly affirmeth concerning men that if there be first a willing minde it is accepted meaning with God according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not a 2 Cor. 8. 12 His meaning cleerely is that where there is a cleare perfect and upright desire of soule in any man to perform any service pleasing unto God but wants opportunity or meanes for the actuall or compleate performance of it and shall go in or towards the Performance as far as he hath opportunity or meanes to carry him such a man findes the same acceptance with God under these deficiencies which he should finde under an actuall and compleate Performance This is that which Divines commonly expresse in saying that God accepts the will for the deed Now there is no reason to conceive or think but that God should deal in a way of as much equity and grace with Christ as he doth with other men Therefore supposing that there was a cleere perfect and intire willingnesse or readinesse of minde in Christ to lay down his life for the World but he had wanted an opportunity actually to have done it as suppose no man should have appeared to take away his life from him there is no sufficient reason to think but that he had been accepted with God upon the same terms under or in respect of such his willingness or desire on which he is now accepted under his actuall Death 5. And lastly if it was the deepe humility and perfect subjection to the Fathers Will and Pleasure together with those other inward and gracious deportments of soule in Christ in and under his sufferings which gave the whole and intire worth of merit and satisfaction unto them then were his bare externall sufferings considered a part from these no wayes meritorious and consequently of no absolute necessity for or towards the Redemption of the World Sed verum prius ergo et posterius The former consequence in this argument is evident because nothing whether Action or Passion can be meritorious without something in it or relating to it which should give it the weight or worth of merit The latter consequence is no lesse evident neither For whatever whether doings or sufferings are wholly voyd of merit though they may somewayes contribute towards the worke of Redemption yet can they be no wayes essentiall or of absolute necessity thereunto For the minor neither is this much questionable the Scriptures themselves from place to place placing the value merit or expiatory worth of the death and sufferings of Christ over and besides the dignity of his Person in his innocency meekenesse humility Perfect subjection to his Fathers Will c. Let these Passages be considered Heb. 9. 14. 1 Pet.
1. 19. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Heb. 7. 26 27 28. with many others of like import Now certaine it is 1. That the excellency and dignity of the Person of Christ was and would have been the same 2. That the Innocency Humility Love Patience Obedience of Christ were and would have been the same also whether he had actually and corporally suffered or no. Therefore whatsoever was Properly Formally or Essentially meritorious in Christ was in him before his sufferings of a naturall death and would have been in him whether he had suffered such a Death or no and consequently the worke of Redemption might have prospered in his hand whether he had thus suffered or not If it be demanded but doth not this Doctrine suppose or make Christ to have died in vaine yea and contradict all those Scriptures which ascribe the Redemption and Salvation of men to his Blood Death Crosse and Suffering I answer neither it is most free from both these erroneous impieties From the former because the death of Christ is soveraignly necessary upon severall other accounts as 1. If he should not have actually yeilded up himself unto death there being found those that would and did attempt it it must needs have been conceived and concluded by men that he was not truly inwardly and really willing and free to have laid down his life for the World and consequently there had been no ground or footing for any man to believe either that he was the Son of God or that he was meritoriously qualified for the Redemption of the World Secondly had he alwayes declined actuall dying under those frequent attempts made by men to take away his life it could not have been known and so not upon any sufficient ground believed that God the Father delivered him up to Death and consequently his Will and good Pleasure concerning the salvation of the World by his Son could not upon any competent terms have been believed Thirdly the Prophecies in the old Testament concerning the actuall sufferings of Christ could not have been fullfilled Fourthly upon the said supposition as viz. That he had an opportunity thorough the bloud thirsty malice of men to lay down his life actually if he should not have done it that great example of his Humility Patience Self-deniall Love of the Brethren even unto bloud c. had been wanting in the Churches Fifthly and lastly upon the supposition mentioned the actuall dying of Christ was altogether necessary in respect of the inward frame and disposition of his Soul which rendred him freely willing to lay down his Life in case it should be required of him at or after such a time as his Father judged it meete to permit the execution Now such a frame and disposition of Heart and Soule as this was as was formerly argued absolutely necessary to be found in Christ to qualifie him for a Redeemer and being found in him it could not possibly but produce his actuall death when men should attempt it and God no wayes interpose to prevent it Thus then you see cleerly how the Doctrine which denieth an absolute necessity of Christs actuall and externall Death in order to the salvation of the World no wayes rendreth or supposeth this death of his to be in vaine Nor doth the Doctrine we now speake of contradict any of those Scriptures which attribute the Redemption and Salvation of the World to his Blood Death Sufferings c. For when we are said to be healed by his stripes 1. Pet. 2. 24. to be justified by his Blood Rom. 5. 9. to have Redemption thorough his Blood Eph. 1. 7. c. It no wayes supposeth or implies that the literall or materiall shedding of his Blood by men was simply and absolutely necessary either to the justification or redemption of men but only that a shedding of it by himself spiritually in that great Act of Resignation of it to be shed by men which passed and was transacted inwardly in his Soule whether it had been externally shed by men or no was simply and absolutely necessary thereunto There is scarce any Phrase or Idiome of speech more frequent in Scripture then to mention and speake of an act simply and indefinitely as performed and done when the doing of it hath been fully resolved concluded or consented unto in the heart and soule whether ever it be actually and externally done or no. Thus Abraham in the same Verse is twice said to have offered up his son Isaac a Heb. 11. 17. only because he was inwardly really and fully willing to have offered him up literally which yet we know he did not So a man is said to forsake all he hath b Luk. 14. 33. when he is inwardly and unfeignedly willing and resolved to forsake all literally and actually when he shall be called to it whether he be ever so called or no. In this Phrase of speech God is said to have given the Land of Canaan unto the Israelites Ios 1. 3. when as he had only purposed or resolved to give it unto them as appears Ver. 6. So to have saved us 2 Tim. 1. 9. only because of his full purpose to save us upon our believing So againe to have rejected Saul from being King 1 Sam. 15. 23. only because he was fully purposed to reject him upon his impenitence in his rebellious course for evident it is that Saul was permitted to injoy his Kingdome a considerable space of time after it was said that God had rejected him from being King In like manner he is said Cap. 13. 13. To have established for so Arias Montanus translates out of the Originall viz. stabilierat and our former English Translators had established the Kingdome of Saul upon Israel for ever only because he was purposed to do it and that conditionally too viz. upon the good behaviour of himself and his Posterity in the Throne It were easie to multiply instances in this kinde even unto wearinesse In like construction of speech Christ may be said to have given his Flesh layd down his Life shed his Blood for the Redemption of the World justification of men c. and consequently the World be said to be redeemed and men justified by his Blood Death Crosse c. onely because he was freely willing unfeignedly ready and prepared to doe all these actually when the Providence of God and the wickednesse of men should afford him an an opportunity to do them Nor can it be said that in such a sence he should ever the lesse have given his Flesh layd down his Life shed his Blood for the salvation of the World then now he hath done in case the Providence of God and wickednesse of men should never have conspired or agreed about the taking away his Life from him It was his Blood as shed by himself not by men it was his Life as laid down by himself not as taken from him by men it was his Flesh as given or offered by himself not as sacrificed by
goodnesse of God as a Creator towards his Creatures The Lord saith David is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works * Psal 145 9. erga omnia opera ejus as Piscator i. e. are extended and shewen unto all his Creatures But had he intended from eternity to abandon the far greatest part of the best of his works Men to the vengeance of eternall Fire could his tender mercies in any tolerable sence be said to be over these Especially can those men justifie David in such a saying as this who conceive and teach that whatsoever God doth in a providentiall way for such Men so abandoned as in causing his Sun to rise or his Raine to fall upon them in filling their hearts with food and gladnesse in giving them Health Wealth Liberty Peace c. he doth all with an intent to harden them and so to bring that heavy destruction upon them with the more severity and terror in the end whereunto they were predestinated and appointed from the beginning Will Men call Health Peace Liberty Meats Drinks c. given with an intent to become snares unto Men and to bring inevitable damnation upon them the tender Mercies of God The holy Man Job being conscious to himself of no signall departure from God by unrighteousnesse in any kinde looked upon that dispensation of God in so severely afflicting him as very strange and that only upon this account that he was his Creator Thy hands have made me and fashioned me together round about meaning that he was the sole Author of Being unto him yet thou dost destroy me Remember I beseech thee that thou hast MADE me as the Clay and wilt thou bring me into the dust againe a Job 10. 8. 9. If Job thought it strange that God being the Author of Life and Being unto him should without any grand offence or provocation given him handle him with so much severity as he conceived in the outer Man how incredible would the Doctrine of those Men have been unto him who teach that God from eternity hath irreversibly consigned over to the mercilesse torments of Hell fire millions of millions of Men who never offended or provoked him in the least The same Author doth elsewhere also notably assert the universall Love Care and Respects of God as a Creator towards men alledging the consideration of these as a grand ingagement upon him to deale justly and equally with his Servants If I did despise the cause of my man servant or of my maid servant when they contended with me what then shall I doe when God riseth up and when he visiteth what shall I answer him Did not he that made me in the womb make him and did not one fashion us in the womb b Job 31. 13 14 15. Cleerly intimating a tender care and regard in God towards Men even the poorest and least considerable of them After the same manner Elihu also advanceth the poore into equall respects with Princes before God viz. because they as well as these are the works of his hands How much lesse to him who accepteth not the persons of Princes nor regardeth the rich more then the poore FOR THEY ARE ALL THE WORK OF HIS HANDS a Job 34. 19. cleerly implying that that relation wherein every Man standeth towards God as his Creature is a pledge of security unto him that God tenderly Loveth and Respecteth him excepting only the case before excepted From the Scriptures lately produced unto which double their number confederate in the same Truth with them might be added it manifestly appeares that such an hatred or rejection of the Creature by God from eternity as is commonly taught and received amongst us is broadly and wholly inconsistent with that Love Tendernesse and Respect which the Relation of a Creator to a Creature every where imports and consequently is not to be looked upon as any Prerogative worthy of him CHAP. V. Foure severall Veynes or Correspondencies of Scriptures Propounded holding forth the Death of CHRIST for all Men without exception of any The first of these Argued THe Premises considered me thinks it is one of the strangest and most §. 1. importune sayings that to my remembrance I ever met with from the Pen of a learned and considerate Man which I finde in the Writings of a late Opposer of Universall Attonement I know saith he no Article of the M. S. R. Gospell which this new and wicked Religion of Universall attonement doth not contradict That which he calls a new and wicked Religion the Doctrine of Universall Attonement I shall God assisting and granting life and health for the finishing of this Present Discourse evince both from the maine and cleer current of the Scriptures themselves as likewise by many impregnable undeniable Demonstrations and Grounds of Reason to be a most ancient and Divine truth yea to be none other but the Heart and Soul the Spirit and Life the strength and substance and brief sum of the glorious Gospell it self Yea I shall make it appeare from ancient Records of best credit and from the confessions of moderne Divines themselves of best account adversaries in the point that Universall Attonement by Christ was a Doctrine generally taught and held in the Churches of Christ for three hundred yeares together next after the Apostles And if I conceived it worth the undertaking or were minded to turne the streame of my Discourse that way I question not but I could make it as cleer as the Sun shining in his might that there is no Article of the Gospell as this Mans dialect is I mean no great or weighty point of the Christian Faith can stand with a rationall consistency unlesse the Doctrine of Universall Attonement be admitted for a Truth Yea upon a diligent and strict iniquiry it will be found that if any Man holds such a limited Râ—demption as is commonly taught and believed amongst us and yet withall â—â—â—es holily and like a Christian he acts in full contradiction to such a Principle and happily denies that in practice which erroneously he holds in judgement God in such cases as these makes Grapes to grow on Thornes and Figgs on Thistles nor doth there want any thing but Sence and Visibility of the disproportion between the cause and the effect to make the lives and wayes of such persons miraculous Neither doth any thing nor all things that I could ever yet meet with either from the Tongues or Pens of the greatest Patrons of particular Redemption deliver me from under much admiration that consciencious and learned Men professing subjection of judgement to the Scriptures should either deny universall or assert particular Redemption considering that the Scriptures in particularity plainnesse and expresness of words phrase do more then ten times over deliver the former whereas the latter is no where asserted by them but only stands upon certaine venturous consequences and deductions which the weake judgements of Men so much
lieth in the Physician He came to save or heal the sick He slayeth Himself who will not observe the Precepts of the Physician He came a Saviour unto the World Why is He called the Saviour of the World but that He should save the World b Ergo quantum in medico est sanare venit aegrotum Ipse se interimit qui praecepta Medici observare non vult Venit Salvator ad Mundum Qâ—are Salvator dictus est Mundi nisi ut salvet Mundum c. Aug. in JohaÌ„ tractat 12. Doubtlesse he that speaketh these things had not yet dream'd of any other signification of the World in the Scripture in hand but only that which we have asserted nor did he imagine that Christ was given or sent into the World upon any other terms then those which equally and indifferently respected the healing of all that were sick or the saving of all that were lost otherwise why should he insert this Provisionall Clause as much as in the Physician lieth meaning Christ This plainly importeth that he came to heale such sick ones who notwithstanding slew themselves by neglecting His Precepts yea and that he could do no more then he did in or by his Death to save those from perishing who do perish and consequently that he died as much for these as for those who are saved Nor doubtlesse had the other I mean Chrysostome any other Notion of §. 27. the World in the said Scripture then the former For describing those whom God is here said to have loved he gives no other description of them then which agreeth as well to the Reprobate as Elect affirming them to be such who come from the Earth and Ashes who are full of an infinite number of sinnes who injured or offended Him without ceasing very wicked or deserving no Pardon And afterwards but we neglect or despise Him being naked and a stranger who died for us And who then shall deliver us from the punishment or judgement which is to come a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys Homil. 27. in Johan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. Cleerly implying that those for whom Christ died may notwithstanding suffer and undergoe the wrath or punishment which is to come It were easie to levy many more quotations both from the Authors already mentioned and from many others as well ancient as Moderne of a full and cleer concurrence with the interpretation given But I take no pleasure in quotations from Men nor doe I know any great use of them unlesse it be to heale the offence which truth is alwayes apt to give to prepossessed and prejudicate minds The use which more commonly is made of them is a grand abuse being nothing else but the interposing or thrusting of the credits and authorities of Men between the judgements of Men and the truth that so the one should not easily come at the other However we have I trust made it fully evident by many demonstrations in full conjunction with the judgements of learned Men that the Scripture in hand casteth the light of that love of God out of which he gave his only begotten Sonne to Death with an equall brightnesse upon all Mankinde and consequently that this Death of his faceth the whole Posterity of Adam with the same sweetnesse and graciousnesse of aspect The Scripture last opened speaking so plainely and fully as we have §. 28. heard the point in hand might well be accepted as a sufficient security that all its fellowes mentioned with it as in effect they speak so likewise they intend and meane the same thing Yet because prejudice is froward and hard of satisfaction let us unpartially examine one or two more of the company we shall finde Universall Attonement as well at the bottome as at the top as well in the heart as in the face of them The former of the two shall be that of the Apostle Paul To wit that God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of Reconciliation a 2 Cor. 5. 19. That by the World which God is here said to have been in Christ Reconciling unto Himself cannot be meant the Elect only but the universality of Men is cleer upon this account First it is not here said that God in Christ did actually or in facto esse Reconcile the World unto Himself but that he was Reconciling the World c. i. e. God was and is and ever will be for the unchangeable Perpetuation of the Acts of God are usually expressed in the Scriptures by Verbs signifying the time past for the reason specified in the last Chapter in i. e. by or through Christ following and prosecuting his great and Gracious designe of Reconciling the World unto Himself Participles of the present tense active import the currency or carrying on not the consummation or ending of an action or endevour Secondly by the Reconciling the World unto Himself in or through Christ which is here ascribed unto God must of necessity be meant either such an act or endeavour in him by which he gaines or rather seeks and attempts to gaine the love and friendship of the World which was and is full of hatred and enmity against him or else such an act by which he went about to Reconcile Himself i. e. to render and make Himself Propitious and Benevolous unto the World Now take either of these Sences it is unpossible that by the word World should be signified only the Elect or indeed any thing but the generality of Men. If we take the Act of God here termed the Reconciling the World unto Himself §. 29. in the former sence which doubtlesse is the true sence of it as cleerly appears from the next Verse and subsequent Clause in this by the World cannot be meant only the Elect because God doth not by Christ or in Christ held forth and Preached in the Ministry of the Gospell seeke to bring over these only unto him in love or to make only these his friends neither doth he send the word of Reconciliation as the Apostle calleth it i. e. the gracious message of the Gospell by which this Reconciliation is to be actually made only unto them but Promiscuously to the generality or universality of Men without exception of any Gâ—e and Preach the Gospell to every Creature under Heaven b Mar. 16. 15. And therefore Paul did but keep to his Commission when as he saith he Preached Christ warning EVERY Man and teaching EVERY Man in all wisdome that he might present EVERY Man perfect in Christ Jesus a Colos 1. 28. And 2. Evident it is that in the Ministry and Preaching of this word God doth as well and as much and after the same manner perswade the obstinate and many of those who never come to believe as he doth those who are overcome and Perswaded hereunto It is said concerning the ancient Jewes that the Lord
Texture of words as this Yea doth not such a carriage of the place cleerly imply that there are or may be some of the Elect themselves who shall not live or be restored from death by Christ and consequently shall not be bound upon any such ingagement to live unto him Doubtlesse if by the word ALL the Apostle had meant ALL the Elect and these only he would not have added that they who live but rather that they or these might live For these words that they who live cleerly import a possibility at least yea a futurity also i. e. That it would so come to passe that some of those ALL for whom Christ died would not live and consequently would be in no capacity of living from themselves to live unto him The uncouthnesse and sencelessnesse of such interpretations as these was somewhat more at large argued in the next preceding Chapter Sect. 12. 13 c. But now let us take the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ALL in the proper and due signification of it viz. for the generality or universality of men the sence will run cleer and have a savoury and sweet relish with it Because we thus judge i. e. upon cleer Grounds and Principles of reason argue and conclude that if one died for All Men then were All Men dead i. e. Obnoxious unto death dead in Law as good as dead otherwise they should not have had any need that another should die for their preservation and that he died for All Men i. e. we further also judge and conclude that he died for All Men with this intent or for this end amongst others that they who live i. e. That whosoever of those for whom he thus died shall be saved by this death of his for them should in consideration of and by way of signall thankfulnesse for such a Salvation not live unto themselves i. e. only or chiefly minde themselves whilest they live in the World in their carnall and Worldly interests but unto him who died for them and rose again i. e. Promote his interest and affaires in the World who so notably ingaged them hereunto by dying for them and by resuming his Life and Being after his Death is become capable of their love and service to him in this kinde In such a carriage of the place as this there is spirit and life evidence of Reason Commodiousnesse of Sence Regularnesse of Construction no forcing or straining of Words or Phrases or the like whereas in any such exposition which contracts the signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ALL Men either to the Elect or to any lesser number of Men then ALL there will be found an universall disturbance in the sentence nothing orderly smooth or clear By the way the Apostle in saying that Christ died for All Men that they §. 6. who live should not live unto themselves c. doth not intend to confine the duty of thankfulnesse for Christs Death only unto the Saints or those that are put into an estate of Salvation by it as if wicked Men and Unbelievers ought him no service at all upon that account but only shewes that Christ expects or lookes for no such deniall of themselves for his sake at the hands of any but of theirs only who come actually to taste and partake of the great benefit and blessing of his death Thus then we see that the word ALL or ALL Men though in some place or places it may yea of necessity must signifie only some men or some parts of all men yet in others and particularly in those two lately insisted upon it must with the like necessity signifie ALL Men without exception 4. And lastly for the word World which was the terme of contention in the former head of Scriptures though I deny not but that in some places it signifies only some part of men in the World and not the intire universality of Men as Luke 2. 1. Acts 19. 27. and frequently elsewhere yet that it any where signifies precisely that part of the World which the Scripture calls the Elect I absolutely deny neither hath it yet been nor I believe ever will be proved and the rather because the Holy Ghost delights still as some instances have been given a Cap. 5. Sect. 10. and more might be added without number to expresse that part or party of men in the World which is contrary unto the Saints and which are strangers and enemies unto God by the World This by way of answer to that exception or pretence against the exposition given of the Scriptures alledged viz. that the word World and those generall terms ALL and every Man are sometimes used in a restrained signification Concerning the exposition given of the Scripture last argued were it not §. 7. clear and pregnant enough by the light wherein it hath been presented further countenance might be given unto it by shewing what friends it hath amongst our best and most approved Authors Among the Ancients Chrysostome is generally esteemed and that worthily the best Interpreter of the Scriptures His sence of the place under debate is plainly enough the same with ours For saith he writing upon the place He meaning Christ had not died or would not have died for All had not All died or been dead In which words he cleerly supposeth that Christ died for as many as were dead and consequently for ALL without exception in as much as ALL without exception or difference were dead A little after thus For it argueth an excesse of much love both to die for SO GREAT A WORLD and to die for it being so affected or disposed as it was b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amongst our later Divines Musculus is not the least if not equall to the greatest Yet he also gives the right hand of fellowship to the interpretation given upon the place But Christ saith he died not only for his friends but for his enemies also NOT FOR SOME MEN ONELY BVT FOR ALL without exception This is the unmeasurable or vast extent of the love of God a Christus verò non pro amicis tantum sed inimici◠non pro quibusdam tantùm sed pro omnibus Mortuus est Haec est immensa Divinae dilectionis amplitudo But the cause we plead needs no such Advocates as these being potent enough with its own evidence and equity and therefore we shall retaine no more of them A third Text of Scripture presented upon the same account with the former §. 8. was that he by the Grace of God should taste death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for every Man b Heb. 2. 9. This clause importeth that universality of attonement made by the Death of Christ which we maintaine more significantly if more may be and with lesse liablenesse to any evasion or shift then any of the former places ingaged in the warfare To shew that the Lord Christ though cloathed with a body of flesh
wherein he was capable of dying as well as other men yet did not suffer death simply through the malice or power of his enemies but upon an account far superior unto these the Apostle attributes his death to the Grace of God i. e. The love and gracious affections of God not towards some or a few no nor yet towards all men collectively taken or in the lump but towards all men distributively taken i. e. towards every particular and inviduall man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Holy Ghost for every man i. e. to procure eternall Redemption and Salvation for every man without the exclusion of any I cannot apprehend what can reasonably be said to alienate the minde or import of this Scripture from our present cause Evident it is and you shall finde our best interpreters of the place affirming the same that the Apostle in these words that through the Grace of God he might taste death c. assignes a Reason or two rather of what he had said a little before concerning the Incarnation and Humiliation of Jesus Christ whom he had in the former Chapter asserted to be the Son of God to prevent or heal any scandall or offence that either had already or might afterwards arise in the minds of these Hebrewes through the unlikelyhood strangenesse ot incrediblenesse of such a thing It is a saying among Philosophers and all men have experience in part of truth in it that a knowledge of the Reasons or Causes of things causeth admiration and so all troublesomenesse of thoughts about them to cease So then the Apostles drift and intent in the words mentioned being to satisfie the Hebrewes concerning such a strange wonderfull and unheard of a thing as 1. That the Son of God should be made Man and 2. That being made Man he should suffer death it is no wayes credible but that he should 1. Assigne such a cause as would carry the greatest weight of satisfaction in it and 2. expresse himself in such Perspicuity and Plainnesse of words that they might not lightly mistake his meaning lest if by occasion of his words they should first apprehend the Reason or Cause assign'd by him to be more weighty or considerable then he intended it and afterwards should come to understand that it was far lighter and lesse considerable their scandall and offence in stead of being healed or prevented would be more strengthened and increased as usually it comes to passe in such cases Now evident it is 1. That the Apostles words in this place that he through the Grace of God should taste death for every Man in the plainest the most obvious and direct sence and signification of them hold forth the Doctrine which we maintaine for Truth here being no restraint at all nor the least whispering of any limitation to be put upon that terme of universality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every Man and 2. As evident it is that the Death of Christ for all Men without the exception of any which is the Doctrine we assert and the Grace of God so intending it amount to a far more weighty consideration and satisfaction touching those great dispensations spoken of the Incarnation and Humiliation of the Son of God then his dying only for a few or for a select number of men and the Grace of God commensureable hereunto Therefore there is not the least question to be made but that the large and not the limited sence was the Apostles sence in the words now under debate And when the Holy Ghost expresseth himself as we have heard that he through the Grace of God should taste death FOR EVERY MAN for any man to come and interpret thus for every Man i. e. for some men or for a few Men which if not for forme yet for matter and substance must be their interpretation who oppose the exposition given is not to interpret but to correct and to exercise a magisteriall authority over the Scriptures Nor had Pareus himself the heart to decline the interpretation asserted §. 9. though he seemes somewhat desirous by some expressions to hide this his ingenuity from his fellowes to avoide their offence Whereas saith he the Apostle saith for every Man it respects the amplification or extent of the Death of Christ HE DIED NOT FOR SOME FAVV the efficacy or vertue of it appertaines unto ALL. Therefore there is life prepared or made ready in the Death of Christ for ALL afflicted consciences a Quod dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad fructum mortis Christi amplificandum pertinet Non pro paucis aliquibus mortuns est sed ad omnes efficacia ejus pertinet Omnibus igitur afflictis conscientiis in morte Christi vita parata est c. c. The truth is that there can be no solid ground of Peace or Comfort to any afflicted conscience whatsoever without the supposall of Christs Death for every Man without exception as hath been argued in part Sect. 38. of the former Chapter and might be further evicted above all contradiction Amongst the Orthodox Fathers Chrysostome who as we heard avouched the exposition given of the former Scripture stands by his own judgement and mine in his explication of this That he through the Grace of God should taste Death for every man not only saith he for the faithfull or those that believe but for ALL THE WORLD He indeed died for ALL Men. For what if all Men doe not believe yet He hath done His part b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or fully performed that which was proper for Him to do The Scripture next advancing in the forementioned troope was Who will §. 10. have ALL MEN to be saved speaking of God and to come unto the knowledge of the Truth b 1 Tim. 2. 4. Whereunto for conformity in import we shall joyn the last there specified which is this The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some Men count slacknesse but is long suffering to us-ward NOT WILLING THAT ANY should perish but that ALL should come to Repentance c 2 Pet. 3. 9. Concerning the former of these places we cleerly evinced in the first Section of this Chapter from the unquestionable tenor and carriage of the whole Context that by ALL Men cannot possibly be understood either some of all sorts of Men or Jewes and Gentiles or all the Elect or the like but of necessity All of All sorts of Men simply and universally without the exemption of any whether Jewes or Gentiles Any other interpretation or sence of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All Men but this renders the Apostle palpably impertinent and weake that I say not ridiculous in his arguing in this place This I plainly demonstrate in the said Section I now add that if it may be said that God will have All Me◠to be saved because he will have some of All sorts of Men to be saved it may more properly and truly be said of him that he
duty to do is as properly his Will as that whereby he willeth or decreeth things to be done My Will or desire that my Child should obey me or that he should prosper in the World is as properly my Will as that whereby I Will or purpose to shew the respects of a Father unto him in providing for him being as proper naturall and direct an act of that Principle or Faculty of willing within me whereby I Will the latter as that act it self of this Faculty wherein I will the latter is For the Principle or Faculty within me of willing how numerous or different soever the acts of willing which I exert by vertue of this faculty may be is but one and the same And this faculty being naturall there can be no such difference between the acts proceeding from it which should make some to be more proper and others lesse though some may be better and others worse But this difference can have no place in the acts of the Will of God Therefore if the precept or preceptive Will of God be not properly his Will neither can any other Will of his or any other act of his Will be properly such If so then that Will of God or act of Will in God whereby he Willeth or injoyneth Faith and Repentance and consequently Salvation unto All men is as properly his Will as that whereby he willeth the Salvation of any Man Therefore if there be any secret or unrevealed Will in God whereby he willeth the destruction of any man at the same time when he willeth the Salvation of All men be it with what kinde of Will soever these two wills must needs enter-feere and contradict the one the other Nor will that distinction of the late mentioned Author salve a consistency between them wherein he distinguisheth between the Decree of God and the thing Decreed by him affirming that the thing which God Decreeth may be repugnant to or inconsistent with the thing which he commandeth though the Decree it self cannot be repugnant to the Command a Râ—m a Deo decretam cum re a Deo mandata pugnare posse dicimus decretum vero Dei cum mandato pugnare posse non dicimus Twissus ubi supra The vanity of this distinction cleerly appeareth upon this common ground viz. that Acts are differenced and distinguished by their Objects Therefore if the Object of Gods decreeing Will or the thing Decreed by him be contrary to the thing preceptively willed or commanded by him unpossible it is but that the two acts of his Will by the one of which he is supposed to will the one and by the other the other should digladiate and one fight against the other Therefore certainly there is no such paire or combination of wills in God as the distinction of voluntas signi and beneplaciti as applied in the question in hand doth suppose It is unpossible that I should inwardly and seriously will or desire the Death of my child and yet at the same time seriously also will and injoyn the Physician to doe his best to recover him Again if God injoyn Faith and Repentance unto All men with a declaration §. 15. that he injoyneth them in order to their Salvation or with a promise that upon their obedience to this injunction of His they shall be actually saved then can he not at the same time will with a secret will the condemnation of any But most evident it is that unto whomsoever he injoyneth Faith or Repentance he injoyneth them in order to their Salvation and with promise of actuall Salvation upon their obedience to this injunction Mar. 16. 16. Acts 3. 19. Joh. 20. 31. c. Therefore unpossible it is that he should secretly intend will or purpose the destruction of any to whom he injoyns Faith and Repentance The consequence in this argument is so rich in evidence that it needs no Proof If a Prince should inwardly and resolvedly determine to put such or such a Malefactor to death and yet by Proclamation or otherwise promise him his Life or a Pardon upon condition he would reform his course would this be a strain of Divine Perfection or like unto one of the Wayes of God There is a sence I confesse wherein the distinction now in consideration §. 16. may be admitted If by the signified or revealed Will of God be meant nothing else but such Declarations or Manifestations made by God which when made by men are signes of a Will Purpose or Desire in them suitable to their respective tenors and imports which is cleerly their sence of this member of the distinction who were the first coyners of it I mean the Schoolemen b Aqu. Sum. Part. 1. Qu. 19 Art 12. in Cor. there is no inconvenience in granting a revealed will in God distinguished from or opposed unto a will of good Pleasure or of Purpose in him This sence makes no opposition of Wills in God nor yet between things willed or purposed by him but only sheweth or supposeth that the will and good Pleasure in God extendeth not to the actuall Procurement of obedience from men unto all those Lawes or Commands which he judgeth meet to impose upon them or which is the same that God hath not positively decreed that all Men shall or shall be necessitated by him to live in subjection to all those Lawes which he hath appointed unto them This sence is orthodox and unblameable but holds no intelligence with that opinion which supposeth one will in God according unto which he willeth all Men to be saved and another according unto which he willeth the far greatest part of men to be damned and both antecedent For otherwise two such wills as these are fairely and cleerly enough consistent in him God according to the distinction of the Will of God into Antecedent and Consâ—quent first set on foot by some of the Fathers Chrysostome and Damascen by name and since made use of by the Schoolemen may with the former be said to will the Salvation of all Men and yet with the latter be said also in a sence to will the condemnation of far the greatest part of them His Antecedent Will the distinction being admitted as it ought to be having so cleer a foundation in Scripture respecteth men simply as men his Consequent Will relateth to them as considerable under the two opposite qualifications or immediate capacity of life and death or of Salvation and Condemnation the one of these being Faith persevered in unto Death the other finall impenitency or unbelief According to the former of these wills God is said to will the Salvation of all Men partly because he vouchsafeth a sufficiency of means unto all Men whereby to be saved partly also because he hath passed no Decree against any man which either formally or consequentially or in any consideration whatsoever excludeth any man personally considered from Salvation before he voluntarily excludeth himself by such sinfull miscarriages
and deportments which according to the revealed Will of God render him utterly uncapable thereof According to the latter of these wills as he peremptorily willeth the Salvation of all those who are faithfull unto Death so doth he as peremptorily will the condemnation of all those who shall not be found in the Faith of Jesâ—s Christ at their end These latter through their own deplorable and voluntary carelessenesse and negligence proving to be in number far the greater part of men God upon this supposition and in a consequentiall way may be said to will the condemnation of the greatest part of Men and the Salvation only of a few comparatively But of these things more hereafter In the meane time evident it is from the Scriptures argued that Christ d 〈…〉 §. 17. intentionally for All men without exception considered as men anâ— that there was nothing more procured nor intended to be procured thereby for one man then another personally considered or simply as men Only this was intended in this Death of Christ in the generall that whosoever whether few or whether many should with a true and persevering Faith believe in Him should actually partake of the benefit and blessing of this his Death in the great reward of Salvation and on the other hand that whosoever whether few or whether many should not believe in him with such a Faith should upon this account be excluded from all Participation in the great blessing of Salvation purchased by his Death notwithstanding the purchase was as much made and intended to be made for them as for those who come actually to inherit even as the marriage-feast in the Parable was as much provided prepared and intended for those who upon their invitation came not as it was for those who came and actually partooke of it unlesse we shall say that the King who made this Feast intended it not for those whom notwithstanding he solemnly invited to it and with whom he was highly displeased for their refusall to come being invited a Mat 22. 3 4 c. And that the Death of Christ and the gracious intentions of God therein did and doe equally and uniformly respect All men is abundantly manifest from that Declaration made by the Lord Christ Himself on this behalf formerly opened So God loved the World that he gaâ—e his only begotten Sonne that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life b Joh. 3. 16. Those words that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish c. evidently import un-differenced and impartiall intentions on Gods Part towards men in the gift of His Son The last Scripture of the Division yet in hand was this Therefore as by §. 18. the offence of one the judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon ALL MEN unto the justification of Life Rom. 5. 18. Evident it is that the Apostle in this Passage compareth the extent of the condemnation which came by the sin of Adam with the extent of the Grace of justification which came by Christ in respect of the numbers of Persons unto whom they extended respectively and finds them in this point commensurable the one unto the other The Persons upon whom the gift of justification cometh by Christ are made equall in number unto those upon whom the judgement of condemnation came by Adam For as the offence of Adam is here said to have come upon ALL MEN unto condemnation so also is the gift of justification of Life i. e. of such a justification upon which and by means whereof men are saved which comes by Jesâ—â— Christ said to come UPON ALL MEN likewise Now to say that ALL MEN in the former clause is to be taken properly and signifies ALL MEN indeed without exception of any which all Expositors grant without exception of any but in the latter unproperly and with limitation yea with such a limitation which comparatively and a few only excepted excludes ALL MEN there being not the least ground or reason in the Context to vary the signification of the words or to make them to signifie more in the one clause and fewer in the other is to exercise an arbitrary dominion over the expressions of the Holy Ghost and to invent and set up significations and senseâ— of words at pleasure Nor doth it at all ease the matter to say or prove that in other places of §. 19. Scripture this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All men signifies not all without exception but only a great number or all of one particular sort or kinde of Persons because 1. If it can be proved that in other places of Scripture it so signifies I meane not All without exception but only some greater number or numbers of men it seemes then there is a reason why it should or must so signifie in these places otherwise it could not be proved that there it so signifies a See more of thiâ— Sect. 3. 4. of this Cap. as also cap. 5. sect 35. 36. But here is no reason at all to be given why it should be taken out of the proper and native signification or signifie any lesser number then All Men simply Now to refuse the proper signification of aword where there is no other reason why it should be refused but only because it is to be refused where there is a reason and so a necessity to refuse it is as if one should perswade a man that is an hungry to forbeare Meat whilest he may have it because he must forbeare it when he cannot get it When the Context or Subject matter doth require a by lesse proper or limited signification of a word or Phrase this signification is put upon them by God But when there is no occasion or necessity either in respect of the one or of the other why such a signification should be put upon them now if it be done the doing of it is arbitrary and from the lawlesse presumption of men How much more when men shall do it not only without any sufficient ground or reason but against reason which is the case of those who by All men in the latter clause of the verse in hand will needs understand only some men and these but very few comparatively For 2. Though one and the same word or Phrase is sometimes to be taken §. 20. in a different signification in one and the same Period or sentence as elswhere is observed yet this is no where to be done but where there is a manifest and pregnant reason for the doing of it as in these and the like places Let the DEAD bury their DEAD Mat. 8. 22. So again Whosoever drinketh of this WATER shall thirst againe but whosoever shall drinke of the WATER that I shall give him shall never thirst more Joh. 4. 13 14. There is a plain reason why by the dead in the end of the former of these places
for whom Christ Died or no and consequently the Apostle may upon a good account admonish them to take heed of destroying such I Answer it can at no hand be supposed that the Persons here admonished should be ignorant whether the Men about whose destruction they are so deeply cautioned by the Apostle be of the number of those for whom Christ Died because the Apostle himself so plainely and positively asserteth it for whom saith he Christ Died. Besides the maine strength and stresse of the argument or motive by which he inforceth the dehortation standeth in this that those Persons whosoever they be whose Salvation they shall endanger by eating things sacrificed to Idolls are of those for whom Christ Died. Now to presse an exhortation or dehortation upon the consciences of Men by such a motive wherein these Men shall be supposed ignorant whether there be any Truth or no is to fight with a wooden Sword especially when it shall be yet further supposed that such Men are under an absolute incapacity of ever knowing whether there be any Truth or no in this motive which must needs be the case here if we shall suppose there be any number of Men for whom Christ Died not For unpossible it is and so generally confest to be for one man certainly to know the Truth of Grace or Faith in another and much more to know the certainty of his Preseverance unto the end and consequently according to the Principles of Anti-universalisme for any Man to know whether Christ Died for any Man in Particular and by Name but Himself Therefore most certaine it is that there is a possibility for those to perish and be destroyed for whom Christ Died or notwithstanding Christs Dying for them And if so then Christs dying for Men doth not suppose a necessity of their Salvation and if so then Christ Died as well for those who may not be saved and shall not be saved as for those who may and shall and consequently for all Men for they who may and shall be saved and they who may not neither shall be saved together comprehend all Men whatsoever The Exposition of the Scripture in hand as importing the Death of Christ §. 5. for those who yet may be destroyed and perish is so pregnant with evidence and truth that it hath subdued the judgements of all Expositors I meet with unto it And Christ verily saith Chrysostome upon the place refused not neither to be made a servant nor to die for him and wilt not thou so much as neglect thy belly to save him For although Christ was not like to win or gain all Men yet did He die for all Men so fulfilling that which appertained to Him a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in order to the procuring of their Salvation Our late Protestant Expositors follow in the same path Another consideration saith Calvin wherein the offence of the Brethren renders the use of things in themselves good vicious or faulty is that in wounding a weake conscience the price of the Blood of Christ is dissipated or dissolved for even the most contemptible Brother or member of a Christian society is Redeemed by the Blood of Christ therefore a very unworthy thing it is that he should be destroyed for the satisfaction of any Mans belly b Altera ratio est quòd dum vulneratur infirma conscientia dissipatur pretium sanguinis Christi nam contemptissimus frater Christi sanguine est Redemptus indignum est ergo ut perdatur quo ventri satisfiat I trust that from henceforth no Man that shall reade these passages from his Pen will say but that Calvin cleerly held a possibility of the destruction of such Men for whom Christ Died and consequently that Christ Died for more then shall be saved and if so for all as we formerly argued He saith Peter Martyr meaning Christ hath REDEEMED Him wilt §. 6. thou DESTROY him speaking of the Apostles weake Brother He hath shed his Life Soule and Blood for thy Brother canst not thou for his sake abstaine from a poore peece of Meat Therefore the clear sence of this Orthodox man is that the Redeemed of Christ may perish and be destroyed If the Salvation of our Brethren saith M. Bucer on the place be to be procured by us by the laying down of our lifes and nothing be to be respected in comparison thereof how impious and accursed a thing is it that any Man should destroy a Brother for Meate He had said immediately before If we follow Christ He for the rescuing or saving our Brethren suffered Death therefore we also ought to lay down our lives for the Salvation of the Brethren and to abhor the destroying of a Brother more then Death a Jam si salus fratrum etiam nobis morte nostrâ paranda est nec quicquam illi non post habendum quà m impium execrandum sit si quis perdat fratrem cibo c. Si Christum sequimur ille pro adserendis fratribus nostris oppetiit mortem nobis igitur pro salute fratrum ponenda anima est morteque magis aversandum fratrem perdere Therefore he also plainly supposeth that even such a Brother may be destroyed and that for meate for whom Christ Died. Musculus speakes by the same spirit with the former To this grieving of the Brethren the Apostle aptly subjoynes the destruction of those who are offended at the unadvised liberty of those that are strong For the minde being thus grieved as being weak easily falls to this point viz. to begin by little and little being shaken through a sinister suspicion to fall away from Christianity and FROM TRVE FAITH b Commodè subiicit huic contristationi perditionem eorum qui temerariâ fortium libertate offenduntur Animus enim ad hunc modum contristatus tanquam infirmus facile eò labitur ut incipiat sensim per sinistram suspicionem labe factatus deficere a Christianismo à vera fide In which words the Author cleerly avoucheth the opinion of those not only who hold that those may be destroyed for whom Christ Died but theirs also whose judgement stands for a possibility of falling away and that to destruction from true Faith But as to the former point he speaks more significantly a little after the former words It is all one as if the Apostle should say Christ would have him saved and sought it by his Death but thou doest not only despise thy Brother but opposest Christ also and makes void or of none effect through thy rashness and that for the sake of Meate that DEATH of His which He under went FOR HIS SAKE and by which thou thy self also art saved c Idem est hoc ac si dicat Christus voluit hunc salvum idque suâ morte quaesivit tu verò non solum fratrem contemnis sed Christo repugnas mortem ipsius quam illius gratiâ subijt quâ
that Christ Died not equally for all and every Man because all and every Man have not the same â—eanes of Salvation granted unto them Yet in what sence it is at least very probable that all and every Man have the same means of Salvation vouchsafed unto them shall be taken into consideration in due place Thirdly whereas the same Author saith that it is one thing to die for §. 29. the Reprobaâ—â— in some sence and another I suppose he meanes to die for them with an intention and purpose to save them I verily believe that neither he nor â—ny of his perswasion in the present controversie are able to credit such a distinction unlesse captiously and altogether irrelatively to the businesse in hand understood either by the Scriptures or any solid Reason For I confesse I am yet to learne where in the Scriptures Christ is said to die for any for whose Salvation he Died not It is true Christ Died not so Precisely or Adequately for the Salvation of any Man as not to die for the obtaining of many other good things also for them which are not comprehended in Salvation formally taken and in this sence the distinction may be admitted in as much as upon this account it amounts to no more but this It is one thing to say that Christ Died for the Reprobate in some sence i. e. for the obtaining of lesser mercies for them and another to say that He died for their Salvation I confesse that these two Assertions are not formally and every wayes the same as lesser things and greater things compared only between themselves are not the same But such a sence as this no wayes accommodates the Authors Discourse Therefore His meaning to make him speake like a Man must be that to say that Christ Died for the obtaining of some good things for Reprobates may according to Scripture Principles and Grounds stand and be justified but to say that He Died for the Salvation of such Men cannot by these Principles and Grounds be evinced But in this sence the said distinction hath not yet been nor I believe ever will be in the latter member of it made Orthodox or sound upon such termes The said Author in Processe of the same Discourse to save his Bottle of §. 30. Hay or Stubble from being burnt in the fire of the Scripture in hand advanceth another distinction every whit as helplesse that way as the former We confesse saith he speaking of the false Teachers in the Text before us who bring swift destruction upon themselves that they were bought by the Blood of Christ because all these were fruits of Christs Death whereof they were made partakers But a few lines after he retracts upon the matter the substance of this his confession by mincing it thus To these Men their sinnes were remitted IN A SORT in this World and IN A SORT they were boâ—ght with the Blood of Christ but INCHOATELY only and as they tasted the Word of Life a Mr. I. Ball Covenant of Grace p. 240. Such shifting intricate and winding expressions as these falling from the Pens of Grave and Learned Men are the constant symptomes of a judgement distempered with some error labouring and toyling in the service of it But 1. who ever heard of sinnes remitted in a sort or who is able to notion such an expression what is that remission which is in a sort If by Remission of sins in a sort he meanes Remission of sins to a degree or with some imperfection this contradicts the generally received opinion of Protestant Divines who admit no degrees no magis and minus in Justification still assigning this for one difference between Justification sanctification If by Remission in a sort he meanes a conditionall Remission which seems to be his meaning by an expression used a few lines before I know no other sence can be made of the expression but only this or of this import viz. that God forgiveth some Men their sins upon such terms as to reserve a liberty unto himself of Reversing or Recalling that grant in case of such or such an unworthinesse in them afterwards This I judge to be most Orthodox and true though not in relation to some Men only but with Reference unto all without exception to whom God at any time granteth Remission of sins in this World of which more before the close of this Chapter yet this sence I presume no wayes Befriends the Authors judgement in the controversie depending so that the truth is I know not what sence to make of his Remission of sins upon condition and in a sort Secondly every whit as mysterious and uncoutâ— to me as the former is §. 31. that expression also of these Men being bought with the Blood of Christ in a sort I wish that either some of the publishers of the Discourse or some other Friend either of the Person or Cause or both would explaine it For as for his own explication so intended I suppose in the words following but inchoately only and as they tasted the Word of Life it is to me rather a further Obscuration then Explication Were they bought with the Blood of Christ inchoately only and not perfectly How then can this Author say in the passage next following that by promise he God assured them of Salvation if they did believe and again that if they had unfeignedly believed in him without question they should have been saved Would their believing have altered the Intentions of God concerning them in the Death of Christ or cause them to have been bought by the Blood of Christ though they were not bought before Or did God assure them of such a Salvation which never was nor ever so much as intended to be purchased or procured for them Doubtlesse if so be they should without question have been saved in case they had unfeignedly believed they were bought as perfectly and compleatly with the Blood of Christ as any the Elect themselves their unbelief notwithstanding because their Believing could not have procured or Brought any other Salvation to them but only that which was fully and compleatly purchased and bought for them with the Blood of Christ without any dependance at all upon their Faith Therefore unlesse we suppose that Salvation was compleatly purchased for them by Christ in His Death we cannot say or suppose with truth that in case they had believed they should without question have been saved a See more of this cap. 7. Sect. 2. 3. c. That which is behind and as they tasted of the Word of Life is yet more inaccessible §. 32. to my understanding then any thing that went before For how in what sence or with what congruity to a rationall apprehension can Men be said to have been bought with the Blood of Christ as they tasted of the Word of Life Surely the meaning is not that when or whilest they tasted of the Word of Life they were so bought
making away themselves or destroying their own lives though there be no absolute Decree of God to secure them in this behalf the Naturall desire of self-preservation which God hath planted in them easily over ruling by the Power and Strength of it all motions â—or dispositions towards self-destroying which are wont to arise from such occasions in like manner the strength of that inclination or desire which is or ought to be and very possibly as hath been Proved might be in the Saints to save their Soules and consequently to preserve themselves from apostasie is sufficient without any such Decree in God as was mentioned to secure them both from all danger and from all feare of apostatizing to destruction notwithstanding all weaknesses or infirmities that they are subject unto The truth is that the infirmities and weaknesses of the Saints as such are so far from being any necessary or just ground of fear unto them that they shall fall away that the sence and acknowledgement of them are most cleer pregnant and effectuall Antidotes and Preservatives against falling away For he that is inwardly and truly sensible of his own weaknesse and inability to stand will especially being a Saint or Believer most certainly depend upon him for strength who is both able and willing to supply and furnish him upon such terms 3. And lastly upon the former accompt and for a close of this Chapter §. 36. I answer that if the Doctrine of falling away be so uncomfortable unto the Saints as the objection pretends the truth is as we have in the Premisses of this Chapter made it to appear they are not much relieved at this Point by the Received Doctrine of Perseverance For this Doctrine as hath been shewed scarce suffereth any man to believe upon any Rationall competent or sufficient grounds that he is a true Saint or Believer yea and doth little lesse then tempt him to such things which are exceeding apt and likely to fill him with feares and questionings touching the truth of his Faith And what great comfort can it then be unto him to hear or believe that true Believers cannot fall away or perish whereas the other Doctrine leaveth them a good latitude of competent ground whereon to judge themselves true Saints and true Believers nor doth it deprive them of sufficient ground on which to secure themselves both against the danger and against all feare of the danger of Apostatizing or falling away to Perdition This Doctrine therefore of the two is questionless of the more benevolous aspect and influence upon the Peace and Comforts of the Saints CHAP. X. A Continuation of the former Digression wherein the Texts of Scripture commonly alledged to prove the impossibility of Saints declining unto Death are taken into consideration and discharged from that Service BEing occasioned and after a sort necessitated for the securing of §. 1. some passages of interpretation Cap. 8. being of main concernment to the Principall cause undertaken in this Discourse to ingage home in the Question about Preseverance I should according to ordinary Method and that hitherto observed in the traverse of the maine Doctrine first have argued my Sence and Judgement in the Question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assertively and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. by answering such Objections whether from Scripture or otherwise which are wont to be levied by Men of contrary judgement in opposition thereunto But finding by experience that weaker men through too much fulnesse and aboundance in their own sence in matters of Controversie and this chiefly by meanes of some Texts of Scripture running still and working in their heads which in sound of words and surface of Letter seeme to stand by them in their Sence and Notion are under a very great disadvantage either for minding or understanding such things which are spoken unto them for their information in the Truth I thought it best for their relief in this case to invert that Method in the present Dispute and first to endeavour to take from them those weapons whether of Scripture or argument wherein they trust and afterwards present them with such other Scriptures and grounds which are Able Pregnant and Proper to build them up and establish them in the Truth We shall not tie our selves to any Rule or Prescript of Order in bringing §. 2. those Scriptures upon the theatre of our Discourse which men of differing judgement in the cause in hand are wont to plead in defence thereof themselves as far as I have observed observing none but shall produce them one by one as God shall please to bring them to mind unlesse haply two or more of them by reason of affinity or likenesse in Phrase or import may commodiously enough be handled together Most of the places compelled to serve in this warfare I finde scituate in the New Testament The first that commeth to hand is that of our Saviour unto Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it a Mat. 16. 18 From hence it is argued that those that are once built by Faith upon the Rock Christ or upon the truth of the Gospell are not in danger or in a possibility of being prevailed against viz. to destruction by all the Powers of darkness whatsoever I answer 1. That this promissory assertion of Christ the Gates of Hell shall not prevaile §. 3. c. doth not necessarily respect every individuall and single Person who de praesenti is a Member of his Church so as to secure him of his Salvation against all possible sins or wayes of sinning whereunto he may or can be drawn by Satan but may well be understood of the Church in generall i. e. considered as a body of men separate and distinguished from the world Now the Church in this sence may be said to stand and be secured against all the Power and Attempts of the Devill though not only some but even all the Particular Saints of which this body consists at present should be prevailed against by Satan to destruction Because the ratio formalis or essence of the Church in this sence doth not consist in the Persons of those who do at present believe and so are members of it for then it would follow that in case these should die or when they shall die Christ should have no Church at all upon the Earth in as much as nothing can be without the essence of it but in the successive Generation of those who in their respective times believe whether they be fewer or whether they be more whether they be such and such Persons or whether others As suppose there be not now one drop of that Water in the chanell of the River of Thames as it is like there is not which was in it seven years since yet is it one and the same River which it was then and so put the case there be not one Person now alive in any
of the Companies in London of which they respectively consisted 40. yeares since yet are they the self same Companies which they were then So then the saying of Christ that the Gates of Hell shall not prevaile against His Church may stand clear and firme though many particular members thereof should be overcome Therefore there is nothing in this Scripture to evince that universall Perseverance of all Saints which is commonly taught and received amongst us 2. When our Saviour promiseth that the Gates of Hell shall not prevaile §. 4. against His Church his meaning questionlesse is this that death or the Grave which may very properly be called the Gates of Hell because they that goe or are sent to Hell enter by them thereinto or else that Hell it self shall not prevaile i. e. shall not have a full or finall conquest over those that shall die built upon the Rock he speaks of by Faith as by Reason of their most formidable strength they are like to have over all other Men. According to this interpretation his meaning only is that those that shall continue firmly built upon him by Faith shall in time be rescued and delivered out of the hand of all adverse Powers yea from death and the grave themselves the most formidable of all others This Exposition fully accords with what Chrysostome hath upon the place §. 5. If saith he Paraphrasing the words of Christ they shall not prevaile against it my Church much more shall they not prevaile against me Therefore he not troubled when thou shalt heare that I shall be Betrayed and Crucified a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These words clearly imply that by the prevailing of the Gates of Hell the Author understands the finall prevailing of Death or the Grave and not the prevailing of Satan by subtilty or temptations in one kinde or other Amongst our late Protestant Divines Cameron who comonly strikes as §. 6. happy a stroake in opening the Scriptures which he undertakes as any man doth not only deliver but with an high hand asserts argues and evinceth this Interpretation This then saith he seemes to have been the minde of Christ in this place Let those who believe lie for a time dead let death have dominion over them let death exercise his right or execute his Law upon them hold them fast shut up in the Grave as in a Prison bound with bands or fetters yet shall he not alwayes have his will over them he may or shall doe much against them but shall never have a full conquest over them b Haec ergo Christi hoc in loco mens fuisse videtur Jaceant fideles ad tepus demortui mors in illos dominetur exerceat jus suum in Sepulchro veluti in carcere eos teneat conclusos vinculis quasi constrictâ—s haud tamen usque usque obtinebit valebit quidem certè at non prevalebit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Exposition he confirmes 1. by instancing severall other places of Scripture as Job â—8 17. Psal 9. 13. Psal 107. 18. in all which by the Gates of Hell or of Death is clearly meant the Grave To which he add's Psal 18. 16. Psal 116. 3. as places of affinity with these 2. By shewing that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here translated Hell is never in Scripture except once used to signifie Hell properly so called i e. the place or state of the damned but constantly either the Grave or the state and condition of those that are dead 3. By minding us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Grave and Death are elsewhere termed the enemies of the Church yea the last enemies as 1 Cor. 15. 26. to which he adds the consideration of their being cast into the Lake of Fire Revel 20. 14. 4. and lastly by particular arguments against every other interpretation offered by Expositors Musculus though by the Gates of Hell he understands as well the Policy §. 6. as Power and strength of the Devill yet by the Relative Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it a Mihi videtur certius ut ad Petram â—d est Ecclesiae fundamentum referamus non quod dâ—bitem de Ecclâ—siae soli ditate sed quâ—d ea si ex pâ—tra super quam aedificaâ—a est quae tam est robusta c. he doth not understand the Church but the Rock or Foundation of Doctrine on which the Church is built So that his sence of the place seemes to be this that that Doctrine on which the Church is built is so firme and strong that all the Policy and Power of Satan though joyning together shall never be able to prevaile against it so as either to evict it of falshood or otherwise to destroy and cast it out of the World None of all their interpretations suppose any such thing deducible from the place as this that those who are once Believers or Members of the Church of Christ shall never be seduced by Satan to destruction The place speaks nothing of Satan much lesse of his Subtilty Policy or Power to seduce the Church but supposing the exceeding great and formidable strength of Death and the Grave asserteth the glorious and finall conquest of his Church over them notwithstanding So that this passage of Scripture perfectly sembleth with these and the like He that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die b Ioh. 11. 25 26. And againe And this is the Fathers Will that hath sent Me that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing but should raise it up againe at the last day c Ioh 6. 39. See also Joh. 5. 25. 28 29 c. That which is pleaded by some for such a sence of the place which carries §. 7. the Doctrine of Perseverance in it is weake and value lesse Whatsoever say these opposeth the building of the Church upon the Rock or the constant adhering of it unto Christ is meant by the Gates of Hell prevailing For in these words and the Gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it Christ must needs be supposed to remove whatsoever is contrary to that which he had asserted in those And upon this Rock will I build my Church But the politique and subtile tentation of Satan to seduce Believers are opposite to the building of the Church upon the Rock and to the constant adhering of it unto Christ Therefore by the Gates of Hell not prevailing against the Church must needs be meant the defeature or non-prevailing of the strategems or counsells of Satan against Believers and consequently their persevering unto the end For to this I answer 1. By denying the Major Proposition in the Argument For that which Christ takes away in this clause And the Gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it is not whatsoever opposeth the building of His Church upon the Rock but
neither can sin made use of in both Propositions First by sinneth not may be meant committeth no act of sin sinneth not at all In this sence of the Phrase the Minor is absolutely untrue For he that is borne of God certainely sinneth in a sence i. e. committeth acts yea many acts of sin In many things saith James we offend all b James 3. 2. meaning even the holiest and most regenerate of all Secondly by sinneth not may be meant say some doth not perpetrate or commit sin with delight But this sence I am confident cannot be justified either from the Scripture nor yet upon any competent ground of â—eason Not to sin doth no where in Scripture signifie not to sin with delight I acknowledge that Words and Phrases are sometimes in Scripture used emphatically in which cases over and besides their Proper significations they consignifie some Peculiarity of manner or some speciall circumstance relating to the thing or action expressed But what they signifie in this kinde I mean over and besides their strict and Proper significations is not arbitrary or left for Men to make what they please but is to be estimated by the scope of the place and Nature of the matter in hand I easily grant that the words under debate sinneth not or doth not commit sin are emphaticall in the Scripture before us But that the emphasis lieth in any such modification which should give them this sence sinneth not with delight hath no good accord with reason or with truth For there are many borne of God who do Commit sin with delight yea the delight or pleasure which they take in many sins committed by them is the chiefe if not the only reason why they commit them Yea it is a question whether any man commits any sin whatsoever without delight in one kinde or other Thirdly by sinneth not is meant say others sinneth not deliberately §. 26. or without inward reluctation in the act of sinning But neither hath this sence any better bottome then conjecture and this obnoxious enough to him that will chew and not swallow For 1. What necessity is there that when John saith he that is borne of God doth not commit sin he should mean committeth it not with deliberation or premeditation or without reluctance why may not his meaning as well be doth not commit sin unto Death or customarily as other Men doe or the like 2. Certaine it is that he that is borne of God doth at least sometimes commit Sin with deliberation yea and in the Apostles expression makes provision for the flesh a Rom. 13. 14 i. e. Plots and Projects Means and Opportunities for the committing of it and digests it as it were into method before hand that he may commit it the more artificially as well as wicked men witnesse David in the matter of Bathsheba and Uriah b 2 Sam. 11. witnesse the two Patriarches Simeon and Levi in the matter of the Sichemites c Gen. 34. besides examples in this kinde which every day almost brings forth 3. Neither is it true that every one that is borne of God Sinneth alwayes when he doth Sin with inward reluctancy Doubtlesse David was not divided in himself suffered no inward conflict about the committing of those sins lately intimated considering that according to the generall opinion of our best Protestant Expositors and Divines he remained for about the space of an whole yeere after the committing of these sins without any sence of or remorse for them And if the Lord had not sent his Prophet Nathan unto him to awaken him who knows but that he might have slept in his guilt even unto Death Besides as concerning sins quotidiani incursus or sins of infirmity as they are commonly called which are incident to those that are borne of God as well as unto others the case is yet more evident viz. that these at least many of them are committed by them without any such inward reluctancy as the Exposition now opposed suggesteth and particularly those of which they have no knowledge or sence when they commit them 4. And lastly to this suppose it were granted that Men borne of God doe not Sin but with inward reluctancy yet that this is not the sence wherein the Apostle ascribes a non-Sinning unto them is evident from hence viz. because certaine it is that the non-Sinning here intended by him to be ascribed unto them is such which is appropriate to them and not communicable to wicked or unregenerate Men. But that Men unregenerate sin and that frequently with inward reluctancy is the frequent acknowledgement of these Men themselves and besides is of easie Deduction and Observation from Romans 1. 32. Romans 2. 1. 5. c. Nor is it nor can it reasonably be denied by our Adversaries themselves 4. When the Apostle saith that he that is borne of God doth not commit §. 27. Sin some understand it of committing Sin unto death or with finall impenitency This Exposition indeed if it could be made to stand upright would beare the weight of the controversie depending alone But it argues much weaknesse for a Man in an Exposition of Scripture to determine for his own sence in a controversie or question without giving a very substantiall reason of such his Exposition Now I can meet with no reason at all from the Assertors of this Exposition for the confirmation of it But reasons against it there are these three at hand and many more in comeing 1. The Grammar or Letter of the Phrase breatheth not the least aire of such a sence 2. The Phrase of committing Sin is no where in Scripture found in such a sence I meane to sin with finall impenitency or unto death The Authors of the Exposition have not yet shewed it nor I believe ever will 3. Nor doth the Context or Scope of the place any wayes invite much lesse inforce such an Exposition The intent and drift of the Apostle from ver 3. even to the end of the Chapter as he that doth but run the Context over may read is not to shew or argue whether the Sons of God may possibly in time so degenerate as to live sinfully and die impenitently but to evince this that those who claime the great Honour and Priviledge of being the children of God cannot justifie or make good this claime neither unto others nor to themselves but by an holy and Christian life and conversation Now it is one thing to argue or prove who are the Sons of God at present another whether they who are such at present must of necessity alwayes so continue The former is the Apostles Theme in the Context the latter he is wholly silent unto So then if by not Sinning the Argument which we have now upon answer understands the non-committing of any of these foure kinds of sin or a non-Sinning upon any of the terms explained the minor proposition is denied which saith that whosoever is borne of God
do who deny the necessity of the Saints Perseverance notwithstanding Christs interceding for them For evident it is that the Saints are not preserved by God at least in their sence of preserving from such sins as these unlesse we shall say that murther incest drunkennesse adultery dissembling denying of Christ c. are none of these sins For that the Saints of God did fall into such sins as these is notoriously known from the Scriptures If it be said that though Christ doth not intercede that His Saints should §. 34. simply and absolutely be preserved from such sins yet He intercedes that in case they fall sometimes into them they may not be wholly overcome by them or continue in them so as not to recover themselves any more c. I Answer If so then Christ doth not intercede for the preserving of His Saints from sin simply no nor from the greatest or foulest of sin simply but only so far as they are wholly and absolutely inconsistent with their Salvation Here 1. I would willingly know from what quarter of the Scriptures the least or gentlest aire of such a Doctrine or conceit as this breatheth or where the intercession of Christ for the Saints is thus stated or taught by the Holy Ghost 2. The purport end and intent of the intercession of Christ for the Saints is the same with those of His death for them only the Scripture placeth though not more vertue yet a clearer ground of hope or confidence unto the Saints for their obtaining the same ends and blessings in the Intercession of Christ for them then in His death This is cleer from the place lately cited who is He that condemneth it is Christ that Died yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right Hand of God who also maketh intercession for us b Rom. 8. 34. In which tenor of words He plainly buildeth one and the same hope or consolation to the Saints upon all these foure grounds the Death of Christ His Resurrection His sitting or being at the right Hand of God His making intercession for them only with this difference that he placeth more pregnancy of strength to beare or to exhibit the consolation in every latter of these grounds respectively then in the former Now certaine it is that the adequate end or intent of Christ dying for His Saints as to the matter of Sanctification was not to redeeme or preserve them only from high misdemeanors in sinning and such as are incompatible with their Salvation but from all and all manner of sin whatsoever Who gave Himself for us saith the Apostle that He might redeeme us from all iniquity and purifie to Himself a peculiar People zealous of good works a Tit. 2. 14 See also 1 Pet 1 18. 19. with many other places Thus then we cleerly see that Christs Intercession no wayes mediates in the behalf of the common Doctrine of Perseverance However A sixth Argument for the confirmation of it is this whatsoever true Believers §. 35. aske or pray for unto the Father in Christs Name especially being necessary unto Salvation that they certainly and alwayes obtaine Joh. 16. 23. 1 Ioh. 5. 14. But they daily pray for constancy or perseverance in true Faith as viz. when they pray unto God that He would not lead them into temptation but deliver them from evill b Mat. 6. 13. Therefore certainly they obtaine perseverance of Him I answer 1. This whole Argument might be granted both without any prejudice to the Doctrine which we maintain as also without advantage to that Doctrine which it undertakes to protect For the question is not whether the Perseverance of the Saints be a thing possible or whether it may not be obtained by a diligent use of means such â—s frequent or dayly Prayer unto God in Faith is but whether there be not a possibility that the Saints may neglect the use of such means which are necessary and proper for the obtaining or maintaining of it Therefore 2. When the minor proposition saith that true Believers dayly pray for Perseverance c. it doth in effect assert that which is questionable between the controverters for a proof of it self and so is guilty of that infirmity in arguing which Logicians call Petitio Principii a begging of the quâ—stion For to say that the Saints daily pray in Faith unto God for perseverance c. is being interpreted to say that they will persevere So that this proposition is every whit as doubtfull as the conclusion it self and a substantiall proof of it is desired And though this could be sufficiently proved yet 3. The major proposition it self in those generall terms wherein it is propounded is no proposition of Faith For it is not sufficient for the obtaining of what they aske that the Saints should simply pray in the Name of Christ or in Faith i. e. with a confidence of receiving what they ask but further that they ask or pray according to his Will And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we aske any thing ACCORDING TO HIS WILL he heareth us c 1 Joh. 5. 14. So that the frequent praying of the Saints for Perseverance though in the Name of Christ and in Faith is no competent proof that they shall certainly obtaine it i. e. how wickedly or abominably soever they shall live untill it be first proved that it is according to the Will of God that they should pray for it upon such Terms 4. And lastly if both the propositions were granted yet would the conclusion follow upon none other terms then perfection in this life is proved by this Argument of the Perfectionists Whatsoever true Believers pray for according to the Will of God that they shall certainly obtaine according to the Promises Joh. 16. 23. 1 Ioh. 5. 14. But the Saints according to the Will of God and in order to his glory pray that his Will may be done on Earth as it is in Heaven i. e. perfectly for so it is done in Heaven Therefore His Will is done perfectly on Earth and consequently perfection is actually attained in this life Let the Perseverists answer this Argument of the Perfectionists and they will be able to answer their own A seventh Argument upon the former account is this They who shall §. 36. certainly and faithfully be preserved and kept by Christ unto the end shall never either totally or finally miscarry or fall away But all true Believers are and shall be thus kept by Christ Ergo. The Minor is proved by these Texts of Scripture Ioh. 6. 37. Verse 39. Ioh. 10. 27 28. Joh. 17. 12. Ioh. 13. 1. 1 Cor. 1. 8. Eph. 5. 23. Iude. Ver. 1. 2 Tim. 1. 12. Heb. 12. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 5. I answer 1. That the strength and substance of this Argument hath received answer in full already where we opened at large severall of the principall Texts insisted upon for the proof of the
i. e. the conception of the Person generated in the Womb is secret and unseen and for the manner of it in a great measure unknown unto Men as thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit nor how the bones doe grow in the Wombe of her that is with Child d Eccles 11. 5 So is the manner of Gods dealing with the Heart Soul and Conscience of a Man in and about the act of Regeneration of a very abstruse consideration and remote from the apprehensions and understandings of Men according to that of our Saviour The winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it commeth and whither it goeth so is every one that is borne of the Spirit e Joh. 3. 8. That these Particulars are or may be imported in the Metaphor or Resemblance of the naturall generation may be proved from the Scriptures But that by the impossibility for a Man to passe from that species wherein he was borne into another which attendeth the birth naturall was intended to signifie a correspondent impossibility in the birth spirituall can no more be proved then that this generation or birth consists in a change of essentialls and not of qualities only or that it is a generation of a corporeall substance because both these are found in the naturall generation And who knows not that by straining and stretching similitudes beyond their staple I mean beyond what is intended to be signified by them an endlesse generation of absurd in-coherent and monstrous conceits may be produced But 2. The Scriptures doe not only no where countenance any such deduction §. 57. from the said simile but plainly enough assert the contrary viz. that Men may passe from one spirituall species into another and repasse into the former againe My little children saith Paul to the Galathians of whom I travell in birth againe untill Christ be formed in you a Gal. 4. 19. And againe yee did run well who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth b Gal. 5. 7. yet again Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law yee are fallen from Grace c Verse 4. So when the Apostle affirms it to be impossible to renew those by Repentance who have once been inlightened c. in case they fall away d Heb. 6. 4. 6. He cleerly supposeth 1. That some Men may fall away who may be renewed by Repentance i. e. restored to their former species in Faith and Holinesse from which they had been transformed by sin 2. That others may fall away and be trans-speciated upon such terms that they are uncapable of such restauration But of these passages more hereafter Nor doth that of Paul to the Corinthians Though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ yet have yee not many Fathers for in Christ Iesus I have begotten you through the Gospell e 1 Cor. 4. 15. import the contrary For 1. He doth not say that it was not possible for them to have many Fathers but only that de praesenti they had not many This implies that Paul was the instrument of God for and in their conversion to the Faith at the beginning and withall that they at present persisted in that Faith or species of Believers whereunto or wherein He had begotten them But it no wayes supposeth or implies either that they were unchangeable in that Divine Nature wherein He had begotten them or uncapable of being begotten the second time in case they had been actually changed 2. Our English Divines in their Annotations upon the place by Fathers understand such as were tender over them and free in their Teachings as by Instructors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schoolmasters who are imperious in their Teachings and teach for hire 3. And lastly in saying that they had not many Fathers He doth not necessarily imply that they had no more but one Father but possibly that they had but very few For many is not alwayes nay seldom opposed to one but sometimes and more frequently unto few The next Scripture attempted in favour of the said Argument is that §. 58. wherein the Saints are exhorted to contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered unto the Saints f Jude v. 3. But neither doth this place so much as in face look like Pillar or Prop of the Doctrine we oppose For 1. By Faith is not here meant the Grace of Faith or justifying Faith but by a metonymie either of the efficient for the effect or of the object for the faculty as in twenty places besides the Doctrine or word of Faith Faith say our English Annotators upon the place is not here taken for faithfulnesse nor for credulity nor for confidence nor for Faith of miracles but for the Doctrine of the Gospell which is to be believed So hope is taken for the thing hoped for Rom. 8. 24. Colos 1. 5. This exposition of the word Faith is confirmed by the Apostle Himself affirming it to have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 once delivered not once given to the Saints or rather to holy Men. It it very unproper to say of the grace or habit of Faith that this was delivered but most proper of the Doctrine of Faith This Doctrine is said to have been once delivered to holy Men to imply either that it hath been delivered by God so that He intends never to make any change or alteration of it or addition to it which implies the Perfection of it or else that He intends to reveale or deliver it no more in case the Saints who are and ought to be the guardians and keepers of it should suffer it to be cashiered or wholy extinguished in the World See the aforesaid Aâ—notations upon this clause In saying that it was delivered to holy Men or Saints He intends to lay so much the greater and more effectuall Obligation upon this Generation to contend earnestly for it i. e. for the maintenance and preservâ—tion of it in its purity of being 2. If the place should be understood of the Grace of justifying Faith nothing could be inferenced from it but only that they who are once possessed of such a Faith shall keepe and mâ—ke good this their Possession if they quit themselves like Men and shall strive in good earnest to effect it This is nothing but what is fully consonant with the Doctrine asserted by us Neither hath the last Scripture mentioned any right hand of fellowship to §. 59. give unto the Doctrine now gainsaid For the Holy Ghost pronouncing Blessed and holy is He that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second death hath no Power a Revel 20. 6. doth not by the first Resurrection necessarily meane Regeneration or Renovation by Faith or if this should be granted doth He necessarily suppose that the second death shall have no power on those who have part in Regeneration unlesse
they keepe possession of what they have at present unto the end Some learned and grave Authors by the first Resurrection in this passage understand not a spirituall or metaphoricall but a literall and proper Resurrection which shall take place and be effected by God in the beginning and as it were in the morning of the great day of Judgement as they conceive another far greater then it to follow after it in the close or evening of this day b Mede Comment Apocalyp p. 277. This interpretation of the first Resurrection is marvellously probable from the Context it self For Iohn having Ver. 4. described the happy condition of those who had borne the heat and burthen of the day of Anti-Christ without fainting in this that they sate upon thornes and had judgement i. e. power of judging the World given unto them and that they reigned with Christ a thousand years He adds Ver. 5. This is the first Resurrection where likewise He saith that the rest of the dead lived not againe untill the thousand years were finished Much more might be argued for this Exposition but our present engagement craveth it not 2. Nor doth the sence contended for of the Resurrection any wayes opitulate the cause in distresse For in case it should be said that the second death shall have no Power on those that are Regenerate it must according to the constant Rule formerly delivered c Sect. 9. Sect. 44. of this Chap. Cap. 10. Sect. 43 for the interpretation of such like passages be understood with this Proviso or Explication viz. if they continue Regenerate or be found in the estate of Regeneration at their death Which condition is expressed and insisted upon in severall places and particularly Rev. 2. 11. where ou◠Saviour Himself in His Epistle to the Church of Revel 2. 11. Smyrna promiseth exemption from harme by the second death only upon condition of victory i. e. of such a victory which imports a standing fast and faithfull unto Christ in the Profession of the Gospell against all temptations allurements persecutions and whatsoever should attempt their loyalty and faithfulnesse in this kinde unto the end He that overcommeth shall not be hurt of the second Death The sence now given of these words is fully confirmed by those in the Verse immediately preceding be thou faithfull UNTO DEATH and I will give thee a Crown of life as also by other passages from the same blessed Hand to other Churches And He that overcometh saith He to the Church of Thyatira and keepeth my words UNTO THE END to Him will I give power over the Nations a Revel 2. 26. So to the Church of Sardis Behold I come quickly HOLD that FAST which thou hast that no Man take thy Crown b Revel 3. 11. To which many others of like character might be added from other places but this hath been done already in part and remaines to be done more fully in place more convenient In the meane time we cleerly see that however the received Doctrine of Perseverance saith unto the Scriptures Scriptures Scriptures yet these make no other answer but Depart from us we know you not you are a Doctrine that gather not with us but scatter what we gather CHAP. XII The former Digression yet further prosecuted and a Possibility of Defection in the Saints or true Believers and this unto Death Cleerly Demonstrated from the Scriptures IT is the saying as I remember of Quintilian Many men might have §. 1. Multi ad Sapientiam pervenire potuissent nisi se jam pervenisse putassent been wise had they not prevented themselves with an Opinion of being wise before they came to it Nor is there much Question to be made but that many have miscarried and doe miscarry daily in the great and important affaire of their everlasting Peace out of a presumption or conceit that they are under no danger in no Possibility of any such miscarrying whose most deplorable and irremediable diaster and losse in this kinde might otherwise have been prevented and their Persons Crowned with eternall glory which now are like to suffer the vengeance of eternall Fire Of so dismall a consequence it is to misunderstand pervert or wrest the Scriptures especially in order to the gratifying of the flesh or to the occasioning or incouragement of Men to turne the Grace of God in the Gospell into wantonnesse The truth is that the Scriptures seeme in many Points and matters of question to speak very doubtfully and to deliver such things in severall places and sometimes in the same which Men of contrary judgements may very plausibly interpret into a compliance with them in their respective Opinions though the unquestionable truth be that even in such cases as these they love the one Opinion and hate the other It is no part of our present ingagement to prescribe any perfect or compleat method or rule how to discover which way the Heart of the Scripture leaneth when the Tongue or Mouth of it seems to be cloven or divided between two inconsistent Opinions I shall only by the way make my Reader so far of my counsell in the businesse as to give him to know that when the letter of the Scripture hath for a time left me in a great straite and exigency of thoughts between contrary Opinions a condition that hath more then once befallen me that brief Periphrasis or Description of the Gospell which the Apostle delivers calling it the Truth which is according unto godlinesse a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 1. 1. hath upon serious consideration oft delivered me yea and brought me to such a cleer understanding of the letter it self wherein before I was intangled that I evidently and with the greatest satisfaction I could desire discerned the minde of God therein and that with full consonancy to the ordinary Phrase and Manner of speaking in the Scripture upon a like occasion For having this touchstone by an unerring hand given unto me that the Gospell is a Truth according unto Godlinesse i. e. a Systeme or Body of Truth calculated and framed by God in all the veyns and parts of it for the exaltation of godlinesse in the World I was directed hereby in the case of Doctrines and Opinions incompatible between themselvs to own and cleave unto that as the truth and comporting with the Gospell the face whereof was in the clearest and directest manner set for the Promotion and Advancement of Godliness amongst Men and to refuse that which stood in opposition hereunto Nor did I finde it any matter of much difficulty or doubtfulnesse of dispute within my self especially in such cases and between such Opinions wherein I most desired satisfaction to decide and determine which of the two Opinions competitors for my consent was the greater friend unto Godlinesse That competent knowledge which God had given me of the generall course of the Scriptures together with the experimentall knowledge I had of mine
own Heart the workings reasonings and debates thereof seconded with that long observation which I had made of the Spirits Principles and wayes of Men in the World together with their ebbings and flowings their risings and fallings their advancings and retreats their firstings and lastings in matters of Religion in conjunction with that light of Reason and Understanding which I have in common with other men these together were sufficient to teach me and that to a plenary satisfaction in most cases what Doctrines what Opinions are of the richest and most cordiall Sympathy and compliance with godlinesse and what on the other hand are but faint and loose in their correspondency with her or otherwise secret enemies unto her That that Doctrine which asserteth a Possibility even of a finall defection §. 2. from Faith in true Believers well understood riseth up in the cause of Godliness with a far higher hand then the common Opinion about their Perseverance hath been sufficiently though but in part proved already b Cap. 9. the further demonstration hereof sleepeth not but only awaiteth its season Our present tasque is to argue the letter of the Scripture for confirmation of the said Doctrine and to evince the truth thereof from the Oracles of God This done we shall God willing advance some grounds of reason also built upon the Scriptures for the further countenance and credit hereof And because security upon security will not we suppose be unacceptable in a businesse of such grand concernment and import we shall afterwards produce some examples upon the same account and then conclude our Discussions of this subject with an enterview of some sayings wherein it will appeare that the God of Truth hath drawn a confession and acknowledgement of that Truth of His which we now maintaine from the judgements and consciences of some of the greatest Adversaries thereof or at least so esteemed First for the sence of the Holy Ghost Himself in the Question depending §. 3. we cannot lightly desire any account more satisfactory then that given by Himself in the Old Testament But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked Man doth shall he live All his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespasse that he hath trespassed and in his sin that he hath sinned in them shall he die Yet yee say the way of the Lord is not equall Heare now O House of Israel is not my way equall are not your wayes unequall When a righteous Man turneth away from his righteousness and committeth iniquity and dieth in them for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die a Ezek. 18. 24. 25 c. What more can the understanding Judgement Soul or Conscience of a Man reasonably desire for their establishment in any truth whatsoever then is delivered by God Himself in this passage to evince the possibility of a righteous Mans declining from his righteousnesse and that unto Death The latter words of the passage are conclusive hereof against and above all contradiction When a righteous Man turneth away c. and dieth in them i. e. repenteth not of them forsaketh them not before his Death for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die viz. the second Death or perish everlastingly For that this Death is meant at least included in this latter clause is evident because otherwise we shall both make an unsavoury tautology in the sentence and destroy all congruity of sence besides For without such a supposition the Prophet must be supposed to speak thus when a righteous Man turneth away from his righteousness and committeth iniquity and dieth in them i. e. leaveth his naturall life under the guilt of them and without Repentance for them for the iniquity that he hath done shall He leave his naturall life or have his naturall life taken from him When a Man dieth in or under the guilt of His sin He shall die for His sin or because of the guilt of His sin the same death which He dieth in His sin Who tasteth not a palpable absurdity and incoherence of sence in such a construction as this whereas if by dying in the latter clause we shall understand dying or perishing for ever the sentence will run cleer and in full consonancy with the generall current of the Scriptures the sence rising thus when a righteous Man shall forsake the wayes of righteousness wherein he hath formerly walked and turn aside into wayes of wickedness and not repent of these wayes before His death this Man shal die the death of the impenitent and unbelievers which is the second Death In this sence the sentence perfectly accords for substance of matter with such passages as these Know yee not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God B◠not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers c. shal inherit the Kingdome of God b 1 Cor. 9. 10. And againe For this yee know that no Whore-monger or unclean person or covetous Man which is an Idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdome of Christ and of God Let no Man deceive you with vaine words for because of these things commeth the Wrath of God upon the Children of disobedience c Eph. 5. 5 6. And to omit many others with that of the same Prophet Therefore thou son of Man say unto the Children of thy People The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver Him in the day of His Transgression when I shall say to the righteous that He shall surely live if He trust His own righteousnesse and commit iniquity all His righteousness shall not be remembred but for His iniquity that He hath committed He shall die for it d Ezek. 33. 12 13. If the righteousnesse which an Apostate or back-slider from wayes of righteousnesse hath wrought whilest He was yet righteous shall not deliver Him when He turns aside unto wickednesse what can be imagined should deliver Him Doubtlesse His wickednesse whereunto He hath turned aside from His righteousnesse will not befriend Him with a deliverance Nor can it any whit more reasonably be said that though His former righteousness will not deliver Him from a temporall death yet it may deliver Him from eternall death then in the case of a true Repentance it may be said that though such a Repentance will deliver a Man from a temporall death yet will it not deliver Him from eternall death For as the truest Repentance that is though continued in will not deliver a Man from a temporall or naturall death but will most certainly deliver him from eternall death in like manner though Apostasie and backsliding from wayes of righteousnesse persevered in doe not alwayes expose a Man to a temporall death or bring this death upon Him yet they alwayes render Men obnoxious to eternall death Besides when God threateneth such backsliders as we speak of that when §.
4. they shall commit iniquity c. all the righteousnesse that they have done formerly shall not be mentioned i. e. as Calvin Himself interprets shall not come into any account as to matter of reward a Cum autem satis liqueat non venire justiciam ejus qui defecit in rationem ut quicquam mercedis sperare debeat c. Calv. in Ezek. 18. 24 evident it is that if it shall not come into any account at all as for example to obtaine from God so much as the reward of a temporall deliverance much lesse shall it turne to any such account as to be rewarded with that great recompence of reward Salvation Againe that Death which God here threateneth against that double or two fold iniquity of backsliding is opposed to that life which is promised to Repentance and Perseverance in well doing But this life is confessed by all to be eternall life therefore the death opposite to it must needs be eternall or the second death When the Apostle saith the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Christ Iesus our Lord b Rom. 6. 23. is it not evident from the antithesis or opposition in the sentence between the death and life mentioned in it that by that death which He affirmes to be the wages of sin is meant eternall death How else will the opposition stand Yet againe when God in the Scriptures threatens impenitent Persons with Death for their sins doubtlesse He intends and means eternall Death or that Death which is the wages of sin Otherwise we have no sufficient ground to believe or think that Men dying in their sins without Repentance shall suffer the vengeance of eternall fire but only a temporall or naturall Death which the righteous and truly penitent themselves suffer as well as they Therefore to say that God threatens impenitent Apostates in the place in hand with a temporall Death only when as elsewhere He threatens impenitency under the lightest guilt of all with eternall Death is in effect to represent him as vehement and sore in his disswasives from ordinary and lesser sins but indifferent and remisse in disswading from sins of the greatest Provocation Once more if it be only a temporall Death which God here threatneth against the Sons of Apostasie dying under the guilt of their Apostasie and of all the sins they have committed therein without Repentance then may Men under the guilt of the greatest and foulest abominations remaine in the greatest love and favour of God as just and righteous Men yea and without Repentance not only escape damnation but also inherit eternall life And where then is the God of judgement c Mal. 2 17. Or what will become of that great voyce of the Scriptures which every where calleth Men to Repentance for the forgivenesse of sins That comparative allusion of the Leper under the Law wherewith the §. 5. Synod of Dort it seemes much pleased themselves and others also since of the same judgement with them reacheth not the case nor administers any relief at all to their cause against the Scripture in hand The Leper say they among the Jews was enforced for a time meaning whilest his leprosie was upon Him to want His House but yet He did not in this time lose the right of Title which He had to this House because upon His healing or cleansing He might againe possesse it a Leprosus siquidem apud Judaeos cogebatur pro tempore domo caâ—ere non tamen jus ad domum amisit quia sanatus potuit illam rursus possidere Dr. Prid. Lect. 6. De Persever Sanct. p. 202. This comparison I say squares not with the businesse in hand For 1. The reason why the Person leprously affected did not lose the right He had to His House before He was leprous by His becomming a Leper was because there was no Law by which any Mans right or title to His House was disabled or made voyd by Leprosie whereas in the case of Apostasie there is a plaine Law or rather many Lawes established and declared by the great Law-giver of Heaven by which backsliders from wayes of righteousnesse into wayes of sin and abomination are without Repentance cut off from all right of title or claime to the inheritance of Heaven For this yee know saith the Apostle as we heard lately that no Whore-monger or uncleane Person nor covetous Man who is an Idolater hath any inheritance i. e. any right of inheritance or to inherit for otherwise no righteous Person yet living in the flesh hath any actuall inheritance in the Kingdome of Christ and of God b Eph. 5. 5. To object that this Law or Decree of Heaven holds good against such sinners in every kinde Whoremongers covetous c. who never were righteous not against such who have been righteous though now lapsed into these wayes of abomination is not only to declare a Law without the sence or authority of the Law-maker but against that Declaration which he hath made of it who still declareth those the worst and greatest of sinners who with the lapsed Angells which we call Devils revolt from his service and wayes to walke in wayes that are an abomination to Him Be astonished O yee Heavens at this and be horribly afraid be yee very desolate saith the Lord. Why what is it that causeth the Glorious God to appeare in such an extasie of Passion For my People saith He have committed two evills they have forsaken Me the Fountaine of living Waters and hewed them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water c Jer. 2. 12 13. The Scripture is full of such Declarations from God as this against Apostates So that the Dort comparison palpably faulters in that circumstance which should have rendered it apposite to their Purpose 2. The leprous Person they speak of was cureable before his Death and §. 6. so as they say being healed might re-enter and possesse His House againe But the Revolter from Righteousnesse of whom Ezekiel speaks is supposed as we heard before to die under the guilt of his revolt without healing and consequently to be without all Possibility of cure being dead Therefore as the Leprous Person they speak of though whilest he lived had a right to His House no Law as was said depriving Him of this yet during His leprosie upon Him He had no right to enter take Possession or dwell in His House the Law disabling him hereunto in respect of his leprosie and in case he had been leprous untill his Death he should have had no more Power or Right to Possesse His House then if his title to it had been wholly lost in like manner should it be granted or supposed that the spirituall Leper of whom Ezekiel speaks had a right to the Kingdome of Heaven during his Leprosie yet supposing the cleaving of this Leprosie to him untill death which is the Prophets supposition he could never
there are who being loth to see the cause of their long-magnified §. 10. Doctrine of Perseverance dying by the Hand of the Scripture yet before us and despairing of help for it by any or by all the fore-mentioned applications have thought it not amiss in a case of such imminent and extream danger to try conclusions by administring this Antidote unto it When God threatens say they the righteous man apostatizing that for the iniquity which He committeth He shall dye He speaks neither of the first Death properly so called nor yet of the second Death but of Afflictions Judgments and Calamities oft signified in Scripture by the word Death as Prosperity is by the word Life which God often brings upon truly good and righteouâ— men when they greatly provoke Him by their sins To this I answer 1. That this mist hath been already scattered and dispel'd by the strength of that light which shineth in Sect. 3. of this Chapter by which it clearly appeareth that by the Death threatened by God against a righteous man backsliding and persevering in His backslidings unto death which we there shew to be the case put by God in the Scripture in hand is meant Eternal Death Therefore not any temporal Judgments or Afflictions at least noâ— onely or principally these Yet here we add 2. That it ill becomâ— an Interpreter of Scripture to recede from the plain proper and best known signification of words save onely when necessitated by the exigency either of the Context and scope of the Place in hand or else of the nature and condition of the matter as viz. when the sence which the common signification of the word raiseth and exhibiteth is inconsistent either with the course of the Scriptures or with Principles of Reason Neither of which can be reasonably pretended in this Place 3. The express Tenor of the Context it self riseth up like an armed man against this Interpretation For the execution or infliction of that Death which is here threatened against the righteous man that shall apostatize is not threatened but upon his dying under His Apostacy in which case there is no opportunity for God to inflict any temporal Judgments upon men When a righteous man turneth away from His Righteousness and committeth iniquity and DYETH IN THEM for His iniquity that He hath done shall He dye a Ezek 18 26 4. When God threateneth at any time such and such sins or such and such sinners in one kinde or other with Death it is of very dangerous consequence and tending to allay and break the energy and Power and consequently to hinder the operation of such Threatenings upon the Consciences of men for any Man to put a qualified or mitigating sence upon the word death especially not being authorized by God Himself so to do 5. And lastly the Authors themselves of this Interpretation seeme to be half heartlesse and hopelesse of doing any great matters for their cause by it and in their Explication of themselves about it they distinguish themselves quite besides that which should relieve them The word Death they say in the Prophet doth not IN THE FIRST SENCE of it signifie eternall Death as neither doth the word life in the opposite part of the sentence signifie eternall life But what though the word Death doth not in the controverted Passage signifie eternall Death in the first sence or signification of it yet if it signifieth it in the second third or fourth sence or if it signifieth it at all it is of one and the same consideration for the eviction of what is claimed by us from the place which is that a Man truly righteous may so degenerate and Apostatize that God will inflict eternall Death upon Him I omit to demand of these Interpreters by what Authority or Confidence of genius they undertake thus particularly to range and marshall the severall sences which they say God intended in such and such words giving the Preheminence to such or such a sence and saying to another stand back or come behinde If we had meere ignorance or nescience of the Truth to encounter or satisfie §. 11. though in conjunction with the greatest parts of judgement and understanding on the one hand and with the greatest warinesse and scrupulousnesse of circumspection on the other hand the traversing of the Scripture already insisted upon were sufficient I conceive without any further labour of arguing to gaine credit and fullnesse of consent to that Truth which is now upon the advance But Prejudice and Paâ—tiality are hydropicall and hardly satisfiable and these are our chiefe adversaries in the businesse in hand Therefore to reconcile if Possible the diaffections of these with the truth we shall shew them more visions from Heaven of the same light and truth with the former And first upon this account we shall remember them of a Passage formerly argued and gather up at present onely so much of the substance of the Discussion and that with what brevity may be as we judge serviceable for our present Purpose referring the Reader to a review if he please of the largeâ— examination The tenor of the place is this Then His Lord after He had called Him said unto Him O thou wicked servant I forgave thee all the debt because thou desiredst Me shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant even as I had pity on thee And his Lord was wroth and delivered Him to the Tormentors till He should pay all that was due to Him So likewise shall My Heavenly Father doe also unto you if yee from your Hearts forgive not every one his Brother their Trespasses a Mat. 18. 32 33 c. Evident it is from our Saviours reddition or application of the Parable So likewise shall my Heavenly Father doe also unto you if c. speaking unto His Disciples Ver. 1. and to Peter more particularly Ver. 21. that Persons truly regenerate and justified before God for such were they to whom in speciall manner he addresseth the Parable and the application of it and indeed the whole carriage of the Parable sheweth that it was calculated and formed onely for such may through high misdemeanors in Sinning as for example by unmercifulnesse cruelty oppression c. turne themselves out of the justifying grace and favour of God quench the spirit of Regeneration and come to have their portions with Hypocrites and Unbelievers If Men will make any thing at all of the Parable in a clear and direct way without troubling or obscuring without wresting or straining the carriage scope and pregnant tendency of it such an inference cannot be avoided Further satisfaction herein may be had for the Price only of so much Paines as the Perusall of the 54. and 59. Sections of the 8. Chapter of this Discourse will require Nor doth the reversall of such acts of grace in God as we speak of argue §. 12. the least mutability or shadow of change in Him either in
Possibility of their finall fall by the dim light of some sensuall Principles and Apprehensions and in an overly and superficiall manner as it were at a distance are much troubled at it as if it were a Doctrine of an Anti-evangelicall spirit that would bring them into a Bondage of fear and torment them Which Doctrine notwithstanding would they look upon it narrowly and with an unprejudiced attention and this by the clear light of such considerations which exhibit it like it self unto them they would then soon confesse to be a Doctrine which was set not at all to curse but to blâ—ss them altogether The sole undertaking of this Chapter is to commend the said Doctrine unto §. 2. Argum. 1. the Judgements and Consciences of Men for a Truth by a Proposall of such worthy things which relate to it either by way of causality or affinity in Truth In the first place I pleade the cordiall sympathy it hath with that righteousness of God which the Scripture calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a non-acceptation of Persons thus That Doctrine which rendereth God free from that unrighteousness which the Scripture calls a respecting the Persons of Men is a Doctrine of perfect consistency with the Scriptures and the Truth The Doctrine which teacheth a Possibility of the Saints declining and this unto death is a Doctrine of this import Ergo. The reason of the former Proposition is plaine in as much as the Scriptures frequently assert that Principle of non-respecting Persons most worthy the judge of all the Earth unto God Deut. 10. 17. Gal. 2. 6. 1 Pet. 1. 17. c. The latter Proposition needeth no labouriousnesse of Proof neither Evident it is that the Doctrine here spoken of representeth God as a non-respecter of Persons in as much as it rendreth him a Judge of the same righteous severity against the enormous transgressions of his own Children and Friends which he exerciseth towards his enemies and those that are strangers unto Him upon the like Provocations This Doctrine subjecteth Saints as well as others to this righteous Law of God Neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Effeminate nor abusers of themselves with Mankinde nor Theâ—ves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdome of God a 1 Cor. 6. 9. meaning as is evident from other Scriptures without Repentance Whereas the common Doctrine of Perseverance exempteth all such who have at any time been true Believers or Children of God from the penalty or doome of this Law teaching that though such as these should turne Fornicators Idolaters Adulterers c. and continue never so long in these abominations without Repentance yet they retaine their Right and Title of Inheritance in the Kingdome of God and that they remaine under the greatest love that God can shew or beare towards Men the love of Election and of Children even in the midst of these deep and desperate Provocations And thus it maketh God the greatest accepter of Persons in the World rendring Him implacably severe towards lesser sinners and indulgent above measure to the greater For that such who have or have had the knowledge of God and have believed in Jesus Christ and made Profession of love and service to Him when they turn Fornicators Idolaters Adulterers c. are far greater sinners then Men committing the same sins in ignorance and unbeliefe is I think no Mans doubt or question Certaine I am that the Scripture still representeth God as more severe in punishing where greater means of Righteousnesse and well doing have been vouchsafed You said He to His own People the Children of Israel of old onely have I knowne of all the Families of the Earth Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities b Am. 3. 2. In the Gospell And that servant which knew His Lords will and prepared not himself neither did according to His Will shall be beaten with many stripes But he that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes For unto whom much is given of him shall much be required c Luk. 12. 47 48. c. It cannot be denied and confessed it is by our Adversaries themselves as hath been formerly observed but that true Believers have fallen into the Practise of the foule transgressions mentioned yea and have remained impenitent in them for a long season Therefore if during the time of such Practise and impenitency they should not be in the same or worse condition to God-ward and Salvation-wise then ignorant Persons and such who were alwayes strangers unto God are when they live in the same impieties God must needs be an accepter of Persons in the highest and shew a thousand times more favour to grand and signall Delinquents then to ordinary and lighter Offendors in comparison So that to pretend though true Believers may and oft doe fall into the fore-named sins and continue for a time in them without Repentance yet God alwayes reneweth them by Repentance before their death though this was never yet proved nor ever will be it doth not at all salve the honour of the said Doctrine Because such a supposall notwithstanding the Persons contended about may and doe according to the tenor of the Premises lately Proved suffer a totall eclipse and intercision of the grace and favour of God in the mean season Secondly for a Possibility of the Saints defection either totall finall or §. 3. both I thus argue If the common Doctrine of Perseverance rendereth the Ministry of the Gospell Argum. 2 so far as it concerneth the Perseverance of the Saints vaine impertinent and voyd then is it not a Doctrine of God but of Men and consequently that which opposeth it is the Truth But certaine it is that the said Doctrine is of this un-Christian tendency and import Ergo. The consequence in the Major Proposition is pregnant of truth in as much as the Preservation of the Saints in Faith and Holinesse unto the end is one of the most considerable ends of the Ministry of the Gospell about the effecting whereof it is mainly conversant Therefore if God who hath ordained the Ministry of the Gospell for the advancement of this end should assert any such Doctrine which rendereth it unnecessary and impertinent in Reference to this end He should be divided in Himself and pull down with one hand what He buildeth up with another The Minor Proposition is demonstrable thus That Doctrine which rendreth the labour and faithfulnesse of a Minister in pressing such Exhortations Threatnings and Promises which tend to the Preservation of the Saints in Faith and Holinesse unto the end uselesse rendereth the Ministry of the Gospell as far as it concerns the incouragement or inabling of the Saints to Persevere needless and vaine but guilty of such a tendency as this is the commonly-received Doctrine of Perseverance Ergo. The truth of the Major Proposition here shineth clearly enough with its own light or however
and brimstone which is the second death a Rev. 21. 8. or in saying that no unclean thing shall enter into it the new Jerusalem neither WHATSOEVER worketh abomination b Verse 27. or that without are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murtherers c Verse 15. c. Certainly blood desileth a Person as well as a Nation or Land d Num. 35. 33 when it is unrighteously spilt in it and maketh as well the one as the other unclean until it be attoned And for the sin of Adultery it is sufficiently known that the Holy Ghost presents it almost every where as polluting and defiling So that David during His impenitency aforesaid was cut off from all right of entering into the new Jerusalem both by the general irregularity of uncleanness as also by the particular incapacities of Murther and Adultery 5. If David were a true Beleever during the time of His departure and §. 4. absence from God then may the testimony of former and by-past works of righteousness be accepted by way of proof for the truth and soundness of any mans Faith against the testimony of later and more-present fruits of unrighteousness against it If so then 1. No man that hath approved himself a good Christian formerly ought upon any change whatsoever upon the most Unchristian miscarriages that can be imagined to be judged an Apostate from Christ or consequently be upon any justifiable grounds cast out by the sentence of Excommunication from any Church of Christ whatsoever Which supposed No Church duly and regularly deporting it self in the admission of Members are in any capacity of using the said spiritual Sword in any case or upon any occasion whatsoever For certain it is that no person who either is or ought to be judged by the Church a true Member of Christ ought by this Church to be cut off from his Body or to be delivered unto Satan and as certain it is that no person ought to receive admission into any Church which is not looked upon by this Church as a true Member of Christ 2. The said Position admitted for truth whereas the Apostle James demandeth What doth it profit my Brethren though a man say He hath Faith and HAVE not Works e James 2. 14. He might as well or rather have said and hath not had works For by the Tenor of the said Doctrine though a man wants present works or works of a later edition or performance whereby to shew or manifest the truth of his Faith unto men yea though his later works give never so pregnant or loud a testimony against the truth of his Faith yet if he can but say and make proof that formerly though never so long before he hath been fruitful in well doing this must be looked upon as sufficiently demonstrative of his Faith Which is notoriously contrary to the manifest bent and scope of the Apostles discourse in that place 3. If the case were so that mens former works if good must be heard against their later works though never so bad there is no place or possibility left either for Hypocrisie or Apostacy amongst men especially not for this latter For no man is to be judged an Apostate but He that declines from the Faith of Jesus Christ which sometimes He professed and gave sufficient ground unto men by his works to conceive and judg that He really was possessed of and held So then if such a mans former good works be still to be judged valid in their testimony concerning the goodness of his Faith how evil and vile soever his after-works shall be evident it is that such a man ought not to be esteemed an Apostate but a Perseverer in the Faith though his ways and actions should degenerate into the highest strain of wickedness or ungodliness that can be imagined 4. And lastly for this that Passage from God Himself by His Prophet Ezekiel formerly opened But when the righteous turneth away from His righteousness and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall He live All His righteousness that He hath done shall not be mentioned in His TRESPASS that He hath trespassed and in His SIN that He hath sinned in them shall He dye a Ezek. 18. 24 this passage I say plainly evinceth that the estimate which is to be made of men in point of righteousness and unrighteousness and consequently of Faith and Unbelief is not to be made by the import or rule of their former works but of their latter no not though the former have been many and the latter but few For the Text saith In His Trespass in the singular number that He hath trespassed shall He dye implying that any one sin of that kinde of sins which the Scripture calls abominations whilest unrepented of translateth him from life unto death casteth Him into the state and condition of an Unbeleever 6. And lastly If Davids Repentance after the Perpetration of the foul and horrid sins mentioned was not simply necessary to His Salvation and consequently Himself during His impenitency a man of death Gods sending His Prophet Nathan unto Him to awaken Him and raise Him up by Repentance will be found to have little Grace Love or Mercy in it or at least far less then such a necessity of His Repentance supposed would derive upon it Evident it is from the Tenor of the Message which the Prophet brought from God unto Him that His Repentance did not exempt Him from Temporal Judgments Wherefore hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord to do evil in His sight Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword and hast taken his wife to be thy wife and hast slain Him with the sword of the children of Ammon Now therefore the Sword shall never depart from thine House Thus saith the Lord Behold I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own House and I will take thy Wives before thine eyes and give them unto thy Neighbor and He shall lie with thy Wives in the sight of this Sun For thou didst it secretly but I will do this thing before Israel and before the Sun b 2 Sam. 12 9 10 c. From whence together with the event every ways answering as the process of Davids History makes manifest it is clear that Davids Repentance did not sanctuary Him from troubles in the flesh and outer man no not from such which were very sore and grievous to be suffered Nor can it be said that it did deliver Him from the wrath which is to come in case it be supposed that He was a true Beleever immediately before and at the time of His Repentance because this supposed He was not liable unto this wrath nor in danger of suffering it in which case His Deliverance from it is to be ascribed not to His present Repentance but to His precedent Faith Nor can it be said that Gods sending Nathan unto David upon such §.
and these pregnant and strong Sixthly The truth of this latter Doctrine hath been further ascertained by several instances and examples of persons who by their fallings have caused the said Doctrine to stand impregnable Seventhly This Doctrine hath been countenanced also by the concurrent sence of all Orthodox and Christianly-learned Antiquity Eightly It hath likewise received Testimony from the generality of that Learning and Religion since the times of Reformation which have commended themselves unto the World in the Works and Writings of that Party of men in the Protestant Churches which is commonly known by the Name of Lutheran Ninethly Substantial proof hath been made that the professed Adversaries of the Doctrine we now speak of even the most steady grave and best advised of them have at unawares given large and clear Testimony unto it being not able without the help of the spirit which speaketh in it to manage like themselves their discursive affairs in other cases Yea Tenthly and lastly that the Synod of Dort it self convening with a conscientious if not with a concupiscentious prejudice also for this is the strong suspicion of many against it with its fellows and intending and provoking one another to lay the honor of it in the dust for ever hath at several turns and in divers expressions according to the interpretation and sence of their own most orthodox and learned Friends yea and some of themselves fully comported with it asserting that in clearness and evidence of Principle which they deny with solemnity of protest and with a Religious abhorrency in conclusion We now return to the further prosecution of the business principally intended in this Discourse from which we have made somewhat a large digression upon the occasion formerly specified and to compleat our Demonstration of this great and most important Truth viz. That the ever-blessed Son of God and Saviour of the World the Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself a Ransom in His Death for all and every man without exception of any CHAP. XVI Several other Texts of Scripture besides those formerly produced in ranks and companies argued to the clear eviction of Truth in the same Doctrine viz. That the Redemption purchased by Christ in his Death was intended for all and every man without exception of any HAving in our late Digression largely vindicated some material proofs §. 1. from the Scripture formerly levyed for the defence of that Great and most important cause both of God and men the Universality of Redemption by Christ we now proceed to a further levy upon the same account and shall raise up more Scriptures to plead the same cause Let us begin with the Parable of the marriage-feast as it is reported by Matthew and Luke We shall not need I suppose to transcribe the whole Protasis of the Parable which is very large but onely insist upon some few known passages of it such as I conceive will joyntly if not severally give a light of demonstration to the Truth of that Doctrine the proof and confirmation whereof is the prize contended for in this Discourse However if the Reader desires an entire enter-view of the Parable He may repair Matt. 22. 2 3 c. Luk. 14. 16 17 c. without much trouble to the Evangelists themselves First Expositors generally agree that by those who were the first and second time called or invited to the wedding He sent forth His servants to call them that had been called a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the wedding Mat. 22. 3. are typified or meant the Jews whom God had anciently invited and called by the Ministry of His Prophets and several other ways to partake of that great Blessedness which He intended to confer upon the sons and daughters of men by means of His onely begotten Son Jesus Christ and who were the second yea and the third time also invited hereunto first by Iohn the Baptist and the Lord Christ Himself and afterwards by His Apostles Secondly The Tenor or form of the invitation which the servants sent forth to call those that had been formerly invited were injoyned by the King to use in calling them is this Behold I have prepared my dinner my Oxen and my Fatlings are killed and all things are ready Come unto the marriage b Matth. 22. 4 When he saith to those that are invited I have prepared my dinner my oxen c. doubtless His meaning is not that He had prepared His dinner for others or that His Oxen and Fatlings were killed for the entertainment of others and not for those who were invited by Him Such an intendment as this in His invitation had been meerly delusory and altogether unmeet to represent the intentions of God in calling men to communion and fellowship with His Son Iesus Christ by His Ministers of the Gospel He that should invite a man to a feast and use such an Argument or motive as this to perswade Him to accept of this His invitation and to come accordingly viz. that He had made very liberal preparations for such and such other men but had provided nothing for Him should He not render Himself ridiculous by such a strain of Oratory Thirdly Evident it is that very many of those who were invited to this Marriage-feast by the King and consequently for whom the feast was prepared and for whose sake the Oxen and Fatlings were killed never came to partake of the said Feast but were rejected and excluded from it with great indignation by Him that had so graciously invited them But when the King heard thereof viz. how they had mis-used and murthered His Servants He was wroth and sent forth His Armies and destroyed those Murtherers and burnt up their City c Verse 7 Concerning whom likewise the King said to His Servants that had been sent forth to invite them I say unto you that none of those men that were bidden and refused to come shall taste of my Supper d Luke 14. 24 Fourthly It is no less evident that the true ground or reason why those that were thus excluded from the Feast or suffered this exclusion was not any precedent purpose or intendment in the King to exclude them for had any such intention harbored in Him questionless He would never have invited them no nor yet that subsequent intendment in Him to exclude them when He saw their great unworthiness but this unworthiness of theirs it self Then saith He to His Servants the wedding is ready but they which were bidden were NOT WORTHY Go ye therefore into the high ways e Mat. 22. 8. c. Clearly implying that it was the UNVVORTHINESS of the persons invited which was the true and proper cause of their exclusion Neither the import nor sentence of the Law nor yet the Judg or His just severity in giving sentence according to the Law are so properly the cause of the punishment or death of the Malefactor as the crime committed against the Law by himself It is
in these Dispensations of his towards them to do them any good in a saving way he must needs be conceived to intend their ruine and destruction at least the increase of their ruine and destruction by them it being no ways reasonable to conceive but that he hath higher and more considerable ends propounded to himself in his Providential Administrations about men in reference unto men then about beasts in relation unto them though it is true he hath the same general and ultimate End his Glory in all his Works and Administrations one or other But if the generality or far greatest part of men are bound to beleeve and bound they are to beleeve it if it be a revealed Truth that God in giving them health and peace and prosperity in the world intends nothing but evil to them a fuller cup of the wrath and vengeance which is to come how can the bountifulness and long-sufferance of God be said to lead men to Repentance which yet is the Apostles Doctrine Rom. 2. 4. Neither the goodness nor patience of God towards evil men can be said to lead them to Repentance but by the mediation or supposal of these three Principles 1. That these Dispensations of God I mean of goodness and patience towards such men are proper and sufficient I mean by the help of that operation of the Spirit of God which always accompanieth them to bring men to Repentance And 2. That Gods intent is that they should bring them actually to Repentance or at least that he hath no intention otherwise or to the contrary 3. And lastly That he truly and really intends their Salvation upon their Repentance Wicked men can at no hand of reason no nor yet of common sence be said to be led to Repentance by the goodness or long-sufferance of God towards them unless 1. It be supposed that there is a genuine natural or proper Rhetorique or moving tendency in them to perswade and encourage such men to Repent nothing can be said to lead a man to such or such an action or course but that which is proper to invite or perswade him unto either Nor unless it be supposed 2. That God hath an intent that such men should be actually perswaded and made willing to repent by such Dispensations at least that he should have no intentions to the contrary For how can any man be actually perswaded or made willing by any means motive or encouragement whatsoever to attempt or do any such thing which he hath cause to judg or beleeve that Gods intentions stand against his doing or performance There is no motive or encouragement against the determinate Counsel of God made known Nor 3. and lastly Can the said Dispensations of goodness or patience in God be said to lead any man to Repentance unless it be yet further supposed that his real intent and purpose is to save him upon his Repentance or in case he shall Repent or at least that they may be such For what encouragement can any man have to repent in case he hath sufficient ground to judg that God hath absolutely rejected him and will not save him no not upon his Repentance Therefore certainly God hath no intentions of evil or of condemnation or of encrease of condemnation against the generality of men no nor yet against the worst or wickedest of men in those gracious vouchsafements of life health liberty peace food rayment and other the like temporal mercies and accommodations unto them Again How can men look upon themselves as any ways debtors or obliged §. 5. unto God in thankfulness for good things administred unto them with hard intentions or with a purpose not to bless them but to make their condemnation so much the greater and more heavy upon them If birds and fishes had understanding and should know for what end or with what intentions men lay scraps and baits though made of such things as they love and stand in need of in their way would they thank them for it or should they have any reason so to do Or had Amasa any cause to think the better of Joab for taking Him by the Beard with His right Hand to kiss Him a 2 Sam. 20. 9 Or our Saviour to think the better of Judas for the kiss wherewith He greeted Him b Matth. 26. 49 Besides it being the duty of the Saints to imitate or resemble their Heavenly Father not onely in His outward Expressions but much more in His Intentions and frame of spirit towards men when He doth good unto them causing His Sun to arise and His Rain to fall upon them in case His Intentions towards them in such applications of Himself unto them were bent not upon their Salvation but Destruction would it not follow that when they should perform those Christian services unto them injoyned by our Saviour Himself But I say unto you love your enemies bless them that curse you pray for them that despitefully use you a Mat. 5. 44. c. they were bound to do all these in order unto and with an intent to procure their greater and deeper condemnation and not with any intent to gain them in to the Gospel And if wicked men enemies to the Saints should know or have reasonable ground to judg that when they express themselves outwardly in terms of love and good-will towards them they mean them ruine or increase of Punishment and Torment hereby had they not cause to judg them the vilest Hypocrites and Dissemblers under Heaven Nor do they represent the glorious God Himself any whit better unto the World who affirm and teach that in and under His most pathetical and moving invitations encouragements and promissory offers of Grace Mercy Salvation unto the generality of men whereof the Scriptures are full He intends not the Donation or gift of Grace Mercy or Salvation unto them upon any condition or terms whatsoever but Wrath and Judgment and an opportunity to render them seven-fold more the children of death and condemnation then otherwise they would or could have been Lastly If God intends the increase of guilt and punishment unto wicked men or the generality of men in the comforts and good things of this world providentially disposed and dispensed unto them He must needs desire the bringing or coming of these accordingly upon them No man intends any thing in order to the accomplishment of such or such an end but this end is desired by Him Again certain it is that the increase of guilt and punishment cannot come upon men by means or by occasion of the good things given by God unto them but onely by the intervening of their unthankfulness and abuse of these good things in one kinde or other Further as there is no man but wisheth and desireth the coming to pass of such things which are simply and absolutely necessary for the bringing to pass such things as He desireth so hath no man cause to be offended with any man for the doing
before Calvin Chrysostom had declared for the substance of the Interpretation given That which the Apostle saith saith he upon the place is some such thing as this Thou hast been cleansed thou hast been discharged from matter of crime or accusation against thee thou hast been made a Son if now thou shalt return to thy former vomit dis-inheritance fire and all such like terrible things abide thee for there is not a second Sacrifice for thee b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We shall upon the account of this Chapter produce only one brief passage §. 10. of Scripture more wherein the Gracious Intentions of God towards all men in point of Salvation by the Death of Christ are like Solomons King upon his Throne against whom there is no rising up The intire Verse wherein the words we mind are extâ—nt runneth thus The Lord is not slack concerning his Promise as some men count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance c 2 Pet. 3. 9. Evident it is and Expositors generally consent that the Apostle in these words propounds a further Reason or consideration to satisfie those that being weak were apt to stumble and take offence that the Lord Christ delayed his coming to judg the World and to deliver his Saints so long No man saith the Apostle in effect upon this account hath any reason to be offended or take it amiss at the hand of Christ that he makes no more haste in coming to judg the World seeing that his delay in this kind proceeds not at all from any neglect or backwardness in him to perform his Promise in that behalf though some men count all delay which is contrary to their minds and desires to be no better then neglect or slackness unto action but from his great patience and long-sufferance towards men His will and desire being that no person whatsoever of mankind either in present being in the world or that shall be born hereafter should perish everlastingly but that every man of them should come to Repentance whereunto his patience and long-sufferance inviteth yea and leadeth them d Rom. 2. 4. and by which many are actually led and brought unto it that so they may be saved From the passage thus understood I argue thus If Christ be not willing that any man should perish but that all should come to Repentance then questionless he intendeth the Salvation of all and consequently dyed intentionally for all for unless he intended to dye for them yea and did dye for them it is not possible that he should either will or intend their Salvation in as much as no man can will or intend that which he knows to be unpossible But certain it is that Christ is not willing that any man should perish but that all should come to Repentance the Holy Ghost in the Scripture in hand expresly affirming it Ergo. Against the sence and Interpretation of the words given and so to the invaliditating §. 11. of the Argument built thereon it is pretended by some that the Apostle doth not here assert an unwillingness in Christ that any person whatsoever of mankind should perish but only that any person of the Elect should perish To give colour to this Exposition they circumscribe the particle or pronoune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 us with the limit or line of their Election so carrying the sence thus The Lord is not slack c. but is long-suffering to us-ward viz. who are his Elect and consequently to all others that are partakers of the same Election with us not willing that any viz. of these the Elect of his Father should perish but that all these should come to Repentance not any others This sence of the place is commended by Estius a Popish Expositor but we shall find Calvin leaning with the Truth another way So then Peter saith Estius upon the place saith that the Lord dealeth patiently i. e. delayeth his promised Coming and Judgment for the Elects sake that they might not perish but being converted to Repentance be saved a Sic ergo Petrus dicit Dominum patienter agâ—â—e i. e. adventum promissum judicium suum differre propter Electos ut ne per 〈…〉 â—ed ad poenitentiam conversi salventur c. Estius in 2 Pet. 3. 9. This Exposition he labors in the very fire to make to stand but as one said in another case oportet aliquid intus esse an Exposition that hath not truth in it cannot be made to stand 1. I would demand of this Expositor and of those who sence with him in the Interpretation specified why or by what authority they expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 towards us the Elect rather then towards us Beleevers For if they will needs have the persons here spoken unto to be considered by the Apostle not in their Natures or general capacities viz. as they were men but in some particular or special capacity wherein other men or all men did not partake with them the capacity of Saintship or of Faith was as neer at hand as that of Election For that the persons we speak of were Saints and Beleevers is far less questionable then that they were Elect in their sence of the word Election who thus interpret It is true what Estius alledgeth to credit his Exposition that this Epistle was written to the same persons with the former who are stiled Elect 1 Pet. 1. 2. But 1. Whether his Elect and the Apostles Elect be the same is very questionable unless haply the Apostle puts it out of question that they are not the same by setting forth his Elect in the place cited by such a description which will not agree with Estius his Elect Estius with the Generality of Divines amongst us by his Elect understands as well those that shall repent and beleeve hereafter though they be at present sons of Belial and to every good work Reprobate as the Apostle speaketh as those who actually do beleeve whereas Peter in the place now mentioned estimateth his ELECT by the Sanctification i. e. the actual Sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ according to the fore-knowledg or pre-approbation of God i. e. as God approved and judged it meet and consequently decreed from eternity to regulate his Election of men in time But this only by the way for as to this Scripture with others which treat of Election we shall God favouring speak more fully in due time 2. Though the Epistle was as this Author alledgeth written to the same persons with the former who in the beginning of the said former Epistle are termed Elect yet are these persons in this very Epistle and much neerer to the place in hand described or considered in their capacity of Beleeving Simon Peter an Apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious FAITH with us b 2 Pet. 1. 1.
Such a perfect Knowledg as we speak of of all cases that are before him in all the World with all and every particular circumstance relating to every of them 2. An absoluteness and perfection of Wisdom also 1. To interpret every particular circumstance relating to every particular action and case in the World according to true Principles of Justice and Equity so as to be able to say how much better or how much worse such or such an action is by reason of such or such a circumstance one or more 2. To raise or frame such a sentence and to administer and execute it accordingly which shall be made up as it were of the equitable results of all and every of those circumstances which are to be taken into consideration in every award Now the Wisdom which God maketh use of in both these ways in and about the Government of the World hath so many unfathomable depths in it is so rich above measure so unconceivable incomprehensible in the discerning abilities and estimative worth of it that those judiciary acts and ways which proceed from it and are molded and formed by the spirit and strength of it are greater then all created understanding above all comprehension either by Men or Angels By the light of what hath been now argued it fully appeareth 1. That all such men who turn the Grace of God in those worthy means of Salvation which he vouchsafeth unto them into wantonness and are not in conclusion saved by them but perish so much the more grievously are notwithstanding as much obliged in point of thankfulness unto him for them as they could have been in case they should be saved by them 2. That the vouchsafement and bestowing of such means upon them by God notwithstanding the certainty of his foreknowledg as foreknowledg is attributable unto him that they will not prove saving unto them in the end are yet Arguments and Pledges of as much Grace Love and Mercy unto them as they would or could be in case he had as certainly foreknown that they would be of a saving consequence unto them 3. That God his infinite Wisdom considered and the obligements thereof upon him goeth as far doth as much to render the means of Grace exhibited unto those who perish effectual to their Salvation as is possible for him to do 4. And lastly That that foreknowledg which is in God of the future abuse and miscarrying of the means of Salvation in those to whom they are exhibited or vouchsafed by him doth not precede that act of his by which they are exhibited unto them this being eternal or from Eternity as well as that CHAP. XVII Declaring in what sence the former Passages of Scripture asserting the Vniversality of Redemption by Christ are as to this Point to be understood and consequently in what sence the said Doctrine of Vniversal Redemption is maintained in the present Discourse ALthough an intelligent and observant Reader may from several Passages §. 1. occasionally inserted here and there in the Precedure of this Discourse clearly enough perceive and understand in what sence and with what Explications and Proviso's the said Doctrine of Universal Redemption by Christ is asserted and maintained herein and consequently in what sence the Author understandeth all those Texts of Scripture which hold forth the said Doctrine unto the World many of which have been formerly produced upon the account yet that the Reader may readily without either burthening His Memory or spending time in turning over Leaves know where to finde his minde and sence concerning both fully explained I judged it not amiss to devote one entire Chapter unto his service herein Therefore 1. To express our Meaning in the said Doctrine negatively or rather our non-meaning When with the Scriptures we affirm and teach that Christ dyed for all Men i. e. for the Redemption and Salvation of all men without exception of any for we do not finde in Scripture that He dyed for any for whose Salvation He dyed not we do not mean or suppose either 1. That He dyed sufficiently onely for all Men i. e. onely that there was price or merit enough in his Death for the Redemption of all Men Or 2. That God or Himself did every ways or in every respect as viz. both antecedently and consequently intend the Redemption or Salvation of all Men in or by His Death Nor 3. do we mean or suppose in the said Doctrine that Christ dyed so or upon such terms for all Men that all Men shall in time or at last be actually redeemed from sin and misery or eternally saved by His Death Nor 4. do we suppose that God or Christ as God intends the Salvation of all Men or of any Man or Men by Christs Death with Intentions formally or properly so called or such as are found in Men. Nor 5. do we mean or suppose in the Doctrine avouched that Christ by His Death purchased or procured the infusion or gift either of Faith or Repentance for all Men or indeed for any Man or numbers of Men personally considered Nor 6. and lastly for our Negative that by His said Death He purchased or procured Pardon or Forgiveness of sins for all Men or for any Man or number of Men simply considered or as such and such Men by Name But 1. For our sence and Meaning in the Affirmative We hold and mean in the Doctrine specified that there was a reality of Intention on Gods part in such a sence as reality of Intention is appropriable unto Him which sence we opened at large formerly a Cap. 3. Sect. 17. and shall briefly again declare in this Chapter that as there was a valuable consideration or worth of merit in the Death of Christ fully competent and sufficient for the Ransom or Redemption of all Men so it should be equally and upon the same terms erogable or appliable unto all Men in order to their Redemption without any difference or special contraction or limitation of it unto some more then others 2. We hold and mean in and about the Premisses that God did onely antecedently intend the actual Redemption and Salvation of all Men in and by the Death of Christ but consequently the Redemption and Salvation onely of some viz. those who shall beleeve What it is to will or intend a thing antecedently and what consequently hath been shewed formerly b Cap. 6. Sect. 16. and shall God willing be somewhat further opened in this Chapter 3. When we teach that Christ dyed for all Men we intend and mean that there is a possibility yea a fair and gracious possibility for all Men without exception considered as Men without and before their voluntary obduration by actual sinning to obtain actual Salvation by his Death so that in case any Man perisheth his destruction is altogether from himself there being as much and as much intended in the Death of Christ for and towards the procuring of his Salvation as there is for
procuring the Salvation of any of those who come to be actually saved 4. When with the Scriptures we deliver this for a Doctrine of Truth that Christ dyed for all Men we suppose and mean that God intends the Salvation of all Men by this Death onely so after such a manner or with such a kinde of Intention which is competible to and consistent with His infinite simplicity and Perfection of Being Of this kinde of Intention we argued in our third Chapter where we gave a particular and clear account of it and shall take it the second time into some brief consideration in this Chapter This Particular is of affinity with the first but is not altogether the same 5. When we teach that Christ dyed for all Men we mean not onely that He put all Men without exception into a capability of being saved as viz. by beleeving but also that He wholly dissolved and took off from all Men the guilt and condemnation which was brought upon all Men by Adams Transgression So that now no Man shall perish or be condemned but upon his own personal account and for such sins onely which shall be actually and voluntarily committed by him or for such omissions which was in his power to have prevented 6. When with the Scriptures we affirm that Christ dyed for all Men our sence and meaning is that by His Death He procured this Grace and Favor with God for all Men without exception viz. that they should receive from Him sufficient strength and means or be enabled by Him to Repent and to beleeve yea and to persevere in both unto the end and that in this sence and none other He is or may be said to have by His Death purchased the Grace of Faith and Repentance for Men and this upon equal terms in an antecedent consideration for all Men. 7. And lastly Our sence and meaning in the said Doctrine further is that Christ by His Death purchased this transcendent Grace also and Favor in the sight of God for all Men without exception that upon their Repentance and Beleeving in Him they should be justified and receive forgiveness of all their sins and that upon their Perseverance in both unto the end they should be actually and eternally saved and that in this sence and in this onely He is and may be said to have purchased Justification or Remission of sins Redemption Salvation c. for Men for any Man or any number of Men yea and in this sence for all Men. The imputation from the guilt whereof we desire in special manner to §. 2. wash our hands in innocency by this Explication is that as we hold Universal Redemption so we hold likewise Universal Salvation or that all Men shall be saved by Christ. That such an Opinion as this is no consequent of the Doctrine maintained in this Discourse concerning the Death of Christ for all Men sufficiently appeareth from that ground which we have layd and built upon once and again in the former part of this Discourse viz. That such Intentions and Desires in God and in Christ which are real and cordial may yet very possibly never take place or be fulfilled See what hath been proposed and debated upon this account Cap. 2. Sect. 13. And again Cap. 3. Sect. 7. 11. c. And yet again Cap. 10. Sect. 49. This supposed it may very easily be conceived that God may intend the Salvation of all Men by the Death of Christ and yet all Men not be saved Which Opinion I mean that all Men shall be saved as it hath no communion at all with the Doctrine avouched in this Discourse so hath it every whit as little with the Authors sence or Judgment otherwise who approveth the sentence of the Constantinopolitan Synod assembled under the Emperor Justinian wherein this Opinion held as it seems by Origen with a susplussage of Error joyned with it c Origens Opinion was not onely that all Men but that all the Devils also should at last be saved by Christ was condemned Yea to me it seemeth not a little strange how any man professing subjection of Judgment unto the Scriptures should ever come to a confederacy with such an Opinion For with what frequency and evidence of expression do these rise up against it ever and anon intimating and asserting on the one hand the Paucity of those that will or shall be saved in comparison of those that will perish and on the other hand the Perpetuity or everlastingness of the Perdition and misery of those who do perish Nor do they give the least intimation or hope of release from misery unto those who dye in their sins and perish in their unbelief Enter in at the strait gate saith Christ unto the children of men in His Doctrine upon the Mount for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and MANY there be that go in thereat but we read of none that return or come out thereat Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and FEVV there be that finde it d Matt. 7. 13 14. i. e. that finde it either first or last or ever For that this is His Meaning appears from these and such like sayings Wherefore if thine Hand cause thee to offend cut it off it is better for thee to enter into life maimed then having two hands to go into Hell into the fire that never shall be quenched He doth not say into the fire that is hard to be quenched or which will be long in quenching but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. into that fire which differs from all other kindes of fire in this that whereas they are quenchable no Decree of God interposing to the contrary this by the unchangeable Law of Heaven is made unquenchable for the redoubling of the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath this import which is likewise further confirmed by that which followeth Where their worm dyeth not and the fire is not quenched e Mark 9. 43 44. These expressions dyeth not is not quenched though according to their precise Grammatical import they onely deny the act the one of dying the other of quenching yet according to Scripture-dialect they deny also the very power or possibility of these acts f Negatio actus saepe connotat etia◠negationem potentia For there is nothing more frequent here then by the denyal of the act to deny the power or possibility of a thing Thus Gen. 13. 6. where our Translation readeth And the Land was not ABLE to bear them the Original onely saith And the Land DID not bear them as Mr Ainsworth also translateth the place So Prov. 24. 7. where our last Translation respecting the Original hath it He OPENETH NOT His mouth in the gate our former Translators rather minding the sence and import of the place read it thus He CANNOT OPEN His mouth in the gate to omit many the like So that
the defilement of sin and whatsoever polluteth unto the World In what degree the Nature of a Man abhorreth any thing and apprehendeth a contrariety in it either to its Being or well-being He riseth proportionably in His care and use of means for the prevention of it The Devil it seems had made observation of this Principle in Men when He said Skin for skin or rather skin after skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life h Job 2. 4. Death being as Bildad stileth him the King of Terrors i Iob 18. 14. i. e. a thing which men generally are more afraid of then any thing then all things in the World besides engageth the generality of men proportionably to withstand His approaches and to do the uttermost they are able to deliver themselves out of His Hand Now that which Death is to Men in Point of abhorrency Sin is unto God and therefore it ought not to seem strange unto or offend any man that He should make the strongest and sharpest bridle He could for the restraint of it in the World or consequently that He should impose by Law a Penalty as deep and dreadful as the vengeance of Eternal fire it self upon the Perpetrators of it Any thing beneath this doth not answer the degree or rather the degreeless Infinity of His Hatred and Abhorrency of Sin 3. The severity of that Punishment of sin which is now under consideration will be found the more equitable and just if we consider on the one hand how graciously and bountifully above measure God dealeth with men in order to their escape and deliverance from it and on the other hand how wilfully how desperately and with what senceless irrationality men must go to work and act to bring themselves into the suffering of it 1. God hath discovered unto men as by a Vision of the Noon day the §. 6. great deformity foulness filthiness and most detestable abominableness of Sin The Devil was never presented to any mans sight minde or imagination in any such monstrous uncouth horrid affrighting form or shape as Sin is exhibited to the Judgments and Consciences of men in the Scriptures 2. He hath discovered likewise upon the same terms that most viperous violent that most pernicious and keen antipathy which Sin carryeth in it against the Peace Comfort well-being and soveraign Blessedness of men Poverty Shame Sickness Pains Tortures and Torments in the flesh Death the Grave Putrifaction Rottenness c. are but as the hummings of a gnat or bitings of a flea of light and inconsiderable enmity to the Comfort and Happiness of men in respect of that most enormous execrable devouring and confounding contrariety thereunto which the Word of God informeth the World to be in Sin 3. As concerning those accommodations to the Nature of Man as in Pleasures Profits or Contentments otherwise by the Promise whereof Sin is wont to commend Her self and Her service to the Children of Men and to draw them aside into folly God hath undertaken and engaged Himself partly by Promise partly by Oath to confer the same either formally or eminently upon them in ways of Righteousness and of Honor if they will be perswaded to walk in them 4. In case Men either through ignorance in any degree hard to be overcome and expelled by coming to the knowledg of the Truth or through humane frailty or incogitancy shall be prevented with sin or intangled in any sinful course God hath as it were at the cost and charge of his Son Jesus Christ in most bitter Sorrows and Sufferings reared up a golden Altar I mean that of Repentance for them to flee unto and to take hold of from whence He hath most magnificently promised never to take or pluck any man to destroy him how unrighteous wicked or unworthy soever His ways have been 5. That Law by the observation and keeping whereof Men may and shall be free from sinning and so from guilt contracted hereby is in all the respective branches and parts of it holy and just and good Holy i. e. Honorable to those that keep it it requires nothing no act of obedience from men which is any ways ignoble servile base or reflecting disparagement upon them Just i. e. tempered framed and fitted to such Principles which God hath planted in the Natures of Men so that there is nothing commanded in it which either crosseth or thwarteth any impression disposition or inclination which is natural to them or which God hath planted in them or which requireth any other any further strength to perform it then what God either hath actually conferred upon them or is ready to confer upon such an application of themselves unto Him for the obtaining hereof of which they are very capable Lastly The said Law is in all parts of it good also i. e. commodious and beneficial to the Observers according to that of David In keeping of them there is great reward k Psal 19. 11. So that Sin especially such sin or sins which in the end bring the vengeance of Hell fire upon them if men be not extreamly careless negligent and slothful may very well be prevented 6. God hath plainly forewarned men of that eternal Wrath and Vengeance which He is determined to bring and execute upon all Persons that shall be found finally impenitent whereby He hath taken a very gracious and effectual course not onely to bring sin especially continuance in sin out of credit and request with the hearts of men but to make it as the shadow of death unto them the dread and first-born of abhorrings to their Consciences and Souls 7. Unto all those who shall be found obedient unto His Laws refraining ways of sin and of unrighteousness He hath promised and that upon such terms that men may very well come to be fully satisfied upon clear and evident grounds of the reality and truth of these Promises the most magnificent bountiful and glorious reward of life and immortality and all the desirable and great things of the world to come By this He hath taken a like gracious and effectual course to exalt righteousness and sinlessness of life and conversation in the Hearts and Souls and Consciences of Men. 8. To put Himself into a capacity of making such Promises as these as also of performing and making them good unto Men and so generally of treating with them so graciously as now He doth about the great things of their Peace He hath delivered up unto Death the most bitter and ignominious Death of the Cross His onely begotten Son in whom His Soul greatly delighted Hereby He hath given all possible evidence and assurance unto men with what height and ardency of affection and desire He seeketh their Salvation and eternal Happiness how transcendently great his Love how tender above measure his Compassions are towards them 9. And lastly Over and besides all these gracious Administrations and expressions of himself towards them he vouchsafeth unto
Jesus Christ unto Death for the Condemnation of the World For God sent not his Son saith Christ himself into the World to condemn the World but that the World through him should be saved a Iohn 3. 17. And elsewhere I came not to judg the World but to save the World b Iohn 12. 47 And John the Baptist clearly expresseth the end and intent of Christs Death Joh. 1. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the World c Iohn 1. 29 Men may as well say that the end and intent of the Sacrifices offered up by the Priests under the Law was not to make attonement for men or to purge them but to bring more guilt upon them as say that the intent of Christ in sacrificing himself was not to save but condemn men 2. It is not the manner of God nor is it agreeable either with his Wisdom or his goodness to make things proper and fitting for the bringing to pass of good and gracious ends and then to consign them over to the effecting of ends of a quite contrary nature and import as v. g. to create wholesom and savory meats which are apt and proper to nourish and make the lives of men comfortable to them and to design these being thus created to the destruction or discomfort of the lives of men Indeed when men abuse their Tables and are unthankful to him that spred them for them it is agreeable with his Wisdom and no ways disagreeing with his goodness to make them to become snares unto them And in this sence onely are all those places and expressions in the Scriptures to be understood where any thing penal or that is contrary to the peace and comfort of men is presented as the end of Christs coming into or going out of the World by Death As where he saith that he came not to bring peace but a sword and to put fire on Earth that he came for judgment into the World that he was set as well for the falling as for the rising of many in Israel with the like All such sayings as these import onely the event or secondary Intentions of God in sending Christ into the World not those which were primary and predominant in him or to speak more properly they do not import any Intention at all on Gods part in or about the sending of Christ into the World but onely shew partly how unworthily some men will or possibly may behave themselves towards Christ being come into the World partly what the Intentions of God are concerning those who shall behave themselves thus unworthily towards him See what hath been formerly delivered in upon this account and subscribed by Calvin himself Cap. 5. Sect. 22. If it be yet further said yea but if God had had an intent to save though §. 7. but a smaller number then now he intends to save yet he could not have saved them by a Sacrifice of less value and merit then that by which he now intendeth to save those who shall be saved by Christ and consequently not by a Sacrifice of less value then that which hath in it a great surplussage or redundancy of merit above what was barely necessary or sufficient to save those whose Salvation was intended Therefore this over-plus of merit cannot be said to be lost or to be cast aside by God as unserviceable in as much as it is essential unto and absolutely inseparable from that Sacrifice which was simply necessary for the Salvation of those whom he intended to save As suppose two or three men were in such a straight for meat to eat being ready to perish through extremity of hunger and could make no provision for their lives but onely by slaying of an Ox or a Sheep that came in their way and when they had slain them could not tell what to do with nine parts of ten of them in this case so much of the flesh of this Ox or Sheep as these men knew not how to dispose of to any serviceable end cannot properly therefore be said to be lost or to be cast aside by them as good for nothing because it was a natural part of that beast which they were necessitated to slay for the preservation of their lives To this Objection also we answer 1. By way of concession It is true if God had intended to save but the one half or had it been a far less proportion then so of those persons men and women who now shall be saved he could not have done it in that way of Wisdom and Justice wherein he now intends to save men by any Sacrifice or Attonement of less value then hath now been offered for those who shall be saved and consequently which should not have had an over-plus and redundancy of merit in it sufficient to save many millions of persons besides those who in such a case and under such a supposition should be saved by it But 2. I answer further by way of exception that notwithstanding this if God should have given such a Sacrifice or Attonement for the saving of a few onely which was sufficient to save more yea all without exception and not intended the saving of all those who were capable of Salvation by it he should voluntarily and without any necessity at all nay contrary to the importunate cries of the extream misery of so many thousands in his ears have made frustrate and voyd the far greatest and richest part of that Sacrifice or Attonement As suppose in the instance given of the men that in an exigent were necessitated to slay the Ox or Sheep spoken of for the preservation of their lives it is true they could not be charged with spoyling or making waste of that which remained of the flesh of either besides what was sufficient for themselves simply because they slew the Ox for their own necessity being in a condition of imminent danger of their lives otherwise but suppose there had been many poor Souls hard at hand in as much danger of starving as themselves in case they had refused or neglected to have given unto them of the remaining flesh we speak of and would rather have buried it under ground where they might not finde it or make it any ways unfit for meat and nourishment unto them in this case they might justly be charged with making spoyl and waste of that flesh which remained unto them when themselves had eaten and that upon terms of the greatest unmercifulness and unworthiness In like manner do they who acknowledg the Death of Christ sufficient for all and yet affirm it to be given or intended by God onely to some few charge him and that upon terms of much unworthiness and very dishonorable to him to evacuate or make of no use or effect the far greatest part of this Death there being so many Millions of Souls before him in the utmost extremity of misery to whom it might and that with double and treble honor
him partly from the Promises made unto all Men who shall beleeve on him partly also from the encouragements which are administred by God unto all Men to beleeve in him First it is evident that God commands all Men without exception to beleeve on Christ And the times of this ignorance saith Paul preaching to the Idolatrous Gentiles at Athens God winked at but now He commandeth ALL MEN EVERY WHERE to Repent a Acts 17. 30. if to repent then certainly to beleeve in Christ without which there is no true Repentance The Reader for his further satisfaction in this Point if he be in any degree yet unsatisfied may at leasure peruse and ponder the Scriptures noted in the Margent b 1 John 3. 23. Mat. 16. 5. Rom. 10. 16. 3. Luke 14. 23. Secondly As God commandeth all Men to beleeve on Christ which is indeed sufficient to prove that they are bound to beleeve on Him so doth He severely threaten all those that shall not beleeve on Him But He that beleeveth not shall be damned c Mark 16. 16 The Scriptures likewise abound with Passages of this import a first-fruits whereof are presented in the Margent d John 8. 24 3. 36 Acts 3. 23 Thirdly As God commandeth all Men to beleeve on Christ and threateneth all with Death which shall not beleeve so He promiseth Life and Salvation unto all without exception who shall beleeve on Him This assertion I conceive is no mans question the Scriptures being so particular and express in the frequent delivery of it e John 3. 16 11. 25 26 1 Pet. 2 6 Fourthly and lastly As God commandeth all Men to beleeve on Christ threateneth all with Death who shall not beleeve promiseth Life and Salvation unto all who shall beleeve so doth He encourage all to beleeve on Him my meaning is He tendereth and suggesteth Reasons and Motives of an encouraging and sweetly-perswading nature and import unto men to beleeve For otherwise the Commands and Promises of God made unto those who shall beleeve are grand encouragements in a large acception of the word unto Men to beleeve and his Threatenings are more engaging to the servile tempers and dispositions of Men to beleeve then any encouragements whatsoever But my meaning in the Particular in hand is this that besides Commands and Promises God lays before the Hearts of Men such Considerations which are apt and proper in a sweet and encouraging way to induce Men to beleeve on Christ or on Himself through Christ for Salvation As for example Sometime He presents them with his great Love to them as Joh. 3. 16. Tit. 3. 4 c. sometimes with his Mercy and his Compassions the greatness and tenderness of these as Exod. 34. 6. Luk. 1. 72 c. sometimes with his delight or pleasure-taking in shewing Mercy as Mica 7. 18. Ezek. 33. 11 c. sometimes with his Faithfulness as Hebr. 10. 23. 1 Cor. 10. 13 c. sometimes with his Oath for their greater security in his Promises as Heb. 6. 17 18. Luk. 1. 72 73. otherwhile with his desire of their Salvation as 1 Tim. 2. 4. Ezek. 33. 11. otherwhile again with the grief and trouble of his Soul at their stubborn courses and that because they are and will be destructive unto them as Ezek. 18. 31. Jerem. 44. 4. Sometimes with the abundant provision He hath made for their Salvation and Peace as Mat. 22. 4. Heb. 9. 14. Sometimes likewise to omit many other Particulars in this kinde with the consideration of that special glory which will accrue unto himself and to his Grace by their beleeving and Salvation thereupon Ephes 1. 6 12. and elsewhere Now to think or say that under all these Commands Threatenings Promises and all this great variety of encouragements directed unto all Men to beleeve yet all Men are not bound to beleeve is to me the thought and saying onely of such a man who is resolved to stand by his own thoughts and sayings against any light or evidence of Truth whatsoever A fourth Argument evincing the Death of Christ for all Men is this §. 10. Argum. 4. If God really and unfeignedly intends or desires the Salvation of those who perish then He really intended the Death of Christ for all Men. This Proposition we shall not need to prove but onely by this brief account All Men without exception are either such who are saved or such who perish and that God really intended the Death of Christ for those that are saved is no mans doubt or contest Therefore if He really intended the Salvation of those also who perish in or by the Death of Christ He intended this Death of Christ for all This Proposition then being undenyable I proceed and assume thus But God really unfeignedly intends or desires the salvation of those who perish Therefore he intended the Death of Christ for all Men. This latter Proposition That God really and unfeignedly desires the Salvation of those that perish is clearly proved by this consideration viz. that God so frequently so fervently and pathetically in the Scriptures professeth his desires of the Peace and Salvation of such men yea and an holy regret of Soul in Himself when they will stubbornly run courses destructive to their Salvation contrary to his desires and endevors with them in this kinde Let us give instance in some Passages of such an import as we speak of 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 with their children for ever a Deut. 5. 29 saith the Lord himself concerning the great body of the children of Israel whose carcasses soon after fell in the wilderness through unbelief as the Apostle speaketh So again by David Psal 81. O that my people had harkened unto me and Israel had walked in my ways I should soon have subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries b Psa 81. 13 14 c. Thus the Lord speaks concerning those whom as he had immediately before said He had given up to their own hearts lusts and who walked in their own counsels That expression also of the Lord in Isaiah is of the same character Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way thou shouldst go O that thou hadst harkened unto my Commandments then had thy peace been as a river and thy righteousness as the waves of the Sea c Isai 48. 17 Whereunto this also in the same Prophet may be joyned I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people which walketh in a way that is not good after their own thoughts a people that provoketh me to anger to my face that sacrificeth in gardens d Isai 65. 2 c. By spreading forth the hands saith Calvin Englished upon the place he
own hands if so then the perfect workmanship of his own hands must be the object of his Reprobation and consequently that which is good For God saw every thing that He had made and behold it was very good g Gen. 1. 31 But unpossible it is that that which is good especially very good should be the object of Gods Reprobation Again if that sinfulness wherein it is pretended that God looked upon men when He Reprobated them was any ground or cause of such his Reprobation then was it a ground or cause morally moving him hereunto for other influence or efficiency upon him it could have none If so then 1. The Will of God may have a Cause superior to it and productive of it which is generally taken for an impossibility 2. If the sinfulness of men foreseen moved God morally to conceive or make a Decree of Reprobation against them then was this Decree made by him in a way of Justice and Equity yea upon such terms that had He not made or passed such a Decree upon the grounds and reasons that were before him He had been unjust If so there being the same Reason why He should pass a like Decree against those men also who are now called his Elect in as much as a like sinfulness in them was foreseen likewise by him from Eternity He must be unjust because He hath not passed a like Decree against these The truth is that such a Decree of Reprobation as men commonly notion in God involves so many inextricable difficulties palpable absurdities that I say not intolerable Blasphemies also that my hope is it will shortly mole mali sui ruere fall and sink with the insupportable weight of its own evil in the mindes and judgments of men As for those places of Scripture with the Arguments commonly drawn from them which are counted the Pillars of such a Reprobation we shall in due time the inflexible hand of Death or some other grand diversion not preventing us by the gracious assistance of the Spirit of Truth clearly answer and disengage from that service In the mean time we shall further countenaâ—ce the Doctrine in hand with this Demonstration If Christ dyed not for all Men without exception then is the Sin of Adam §. 39. Argum. 12. more extensive or extensive unto more in a way of Condemnation and Death then the Death of Christ and the Grace given by Him unto the World is in a way of Justification and of Life The Reason of this Consequence is apparant viz. because the Sin of Adam extended unto all Men without exception in a way of Condemnation Therefore I assume But the Sin of Adam is not extensive unto more in a way of Condemnation then the Grace given by Christ is in a way of Justification Ergo. This latter Proposition is clearly enough asserted by the Apostle and this over and over But not as the offence so also is the free gift i. e. the free gift of Grace by Christ unto the World meaning that the offence or sin of Adam did not operate so forcibly or with so high an hand towards or to the Condemnation of Men as the Grace given by Christ operateth towards or to the Justification or Salvation of Men. For thus he explains himself in the words following For if through the offence of one many be dead i. e. obnoxious or liable unto death much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many h Rom. 5. 15 As if he should have said there is great Reason to conceive and judg that the grace of God and the gift of Jesus Christ thereby should be much more effectual to procure the Justification and Salvation of many then the offence of one the Condemnation of many partly because the offence of one wrought onely in its own strength and native tendency in bringing Condemnation and Death upon many having onely the permissive Will of God not his operative or designing Will for or towards the Production of such an effect whereas the operative and projecting or designing Will of God interposed went along with yea and magnified it self in the gracious gift by Jesus Christ in order to the bringing of the Justification of Life upon or unto many partly also because Jesus Christ being the eternal Son of God consecrated and given by the Father for this end and purpose viz. to bring the Justification of Life unto or upon many i. e. to put many into such an estate of Justification wherein continuing they should live or be saved was a far more likely Person to carry on and make good his engagement for the Justification of many then Adam being a weak Creature and of an earthy frame was to bring the Condemnation of Death upon many Now to say that by the offence of one a far greater number of men incomparably more are made dead brought into an estate of Condemnation and Death then by the Grace of God and by the gift of Jesus Christ through this Grace are brought into an estate of Justification is quite to alter the Property of the Apostles arguing in this place and to invert the express tendency of it For whereas his intent clearly is to assert a far more emphatical likelyhood or rationality that the Grace of God in the gift of Jesus Christ should operate and prevail to the Justification of many and that accordingly it doth thus operate and prevail then the Sin of Adam to the Condemnation of many such an assertion as that mentioned makes him to say or at least it self saith that whether there be more likelyhood or rationality or no that the Grace of God by Christ should justifie many then that the Sin of Adam should condemn many yet for matter of fact it is otherwise and that the grace of God by Christ justifies a few onely in comparison whereas the sin of Adam condemns all without exception To affirm for the strengthening of the Faith of Beleevers upon which account questionless the Apostle here speaketh it that there is a far greater probability that many should be justified by Christ then that many should be condemned by Adam and yet to affirm withall that this probability notwithstanding many yea all without exception are condemned by Adam and but a very few comparatively justified by Christ is to blow hot and cold with the same breath and to pull down with the one hand what a man builds up with the other The commensurableness or coextensiveness of the Grace of God in Christ in order to the Justification of Men with the Sin of Adam in respect of the Condemnation of Men is very pregnantly avouched the second and third time also by the same Apostle in these subsequent Passages of the same contexture Therefore as by the offence of one Judgment came upon all men to Condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto
Men. 2. By Nature cannot signifie by natural Birth nor by communion in the humane Nature nor by descent from Adam or the like because then it would follow that all Children whatsoever dying Infants or Children should perish everlastingly at least if by children of wrath be meant in an estate of Condemnation or under the actual displeasure of God because all partake alike of the natural Birth of the Nature of Man are of a like descent from Adam c. 3. Some ancient Expositors interpreted the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Nature prorsus i. e. utterly or altogether Theophylact and Oecumenius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verè seu germane i. e. truly or indeed 4. Chrysostoms Interpretation of the Place is of much affinity with that first mentioned The Apostle saith he saith we have provoked God and made Him wroth that is we were wrath and nothing else For as he that is the childe of a man is by nature a man even so we also were children of wrath even as others that is none was free but we all did things deserving wrath o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. And lastly By children of wrath the Apostle may very probably mean Persons that had been lost and were worthy wrath or deserving death And thus Calvin interprets By children of wrath saith he understand simply such as were lost and worthy of eternal death p Per filios irae simpliciter intellige perditos ac morte aeternâ dignos According to the import of this Interpretation of the phrase children of wrath all Men may truly be said to be by nature i. e. by natural Propagation or by their descent from Adam children of wrath and yet be born in an estate of Justification or in an actual and immediate capacity of Salvation by Christ. As it is with those who having arrived at years of discretion and actually beleeve they carry original defilement still about with them they were in respect of what was derived unto them from Adam in their natural conception and birth wholly lost and are still notwithstanding their Faith in the rigor and strictness of Justice worthy of eternal death and yet by means of their Faith and the gracious Compact and Covenant which God hath made with those that beleeve they are not in an estate of Condemnation or liable to eternal Death In like manner Children may possibly be conceived and so born into the world with original sin and yet not with or under the guilt of it this may be dissolved and taken away by the superabounding Grace of God vouchsafed unto the World by Jesus Christ though the sin it self remaineth So again Children as soon as conceived or born may be and are in strictness of account worthy of eternal Death by Reason of that communion they had in Adams sin being in his loyns when he sinned and yet this worthiness may not be imputed unto them or charged upon them being as we suppose it clear from the Scriptures expiated or attoned by the great Sacrifice of Christ in His Death This Interpretation of the Apostles saying We were by nature children of wrath even as others is I conceive of all the rest least liable to any material exception But we have gone beyond the line of our late intentions in following this chase We retire with a purpose to conclude this Chapter with the addition onely of one Argument more for the confirmation of our main Doctrine Therefore In the thirteenth and last place The Universality of Redemption purchased §. 41. Argum. 13. by Christ I further argue and demonstrate from the consideration of some of the Principal Types under the Law by which the compass and unlimited extent of it was prefigured I shall insist onely upon two the Brazen Serpent and the Feast of Jubilee First Concerning the Brazen Serpent our Saviour himself owneth and asserteth a typical correspondency in the erection and usefulness hereof with himself in respect of that great and gracious Design and Purpose of God in sending Him unto the World And as Moses saith He lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up That whosoever beleeveth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life q Ioh. 3 14 15 A Type being a kinde of Similitude and the property or condition of this not being in the Proverbial expression to run on all four i. e. to answer or hold proportion in all Particulars indeed many times not in more then one onely therefore our Saviour to prevent all misunderstanding in the interpretation or application of the Type mentioned particularizeth that very respect or consideration in himself and his sending into the World which was prefigured and expressed in the Type alledged by him in these words That whosoever beleeveth in Him should not perish c. To understand clearly what there was in the Type answering in a way of pre-signification that consideration in Christs coming or sending into the World which himself here insists upon as presignified hereby we must have recourse to the History concerning the erection of the Brazen Serpent unto which also himself sendeth us in that Particle of comparison or resemblance As As Moses lifted up c. The original of this Brazen Serpent together with the Counsel and Intention of God in his Erection Moses recordeth thus Make thee saith He to Moses a fiery Serpent viz. in similitude or form and set it upon a pole and it shall come to pass that EVERY ONE THAT IS BITTEN when He looketh upon it shall live r Numb 21 8 From which words it is most evident that this fiery Serpent in form as Christ came in the similitude of that sinful flesh whose sting is so mortal to the World was not intended by God as a means of healing or preservation to a certain definite or determinate number of Persons or that such and such by Name and no other should look upon it in order to their healing or that whosoever in the event did look upon it and no other but these should be healed by it but that whosoever would might look upon it for which end also Moses was commanded to set it up on high upon a pole where it might be readily visible unto all and that whosoever should or did look upon it being bitten or stung with any fiery Serpent might be healed thereby Now all Men without exception being as we all know and confess stung and that mortally with the fiery Serpent Sin unless Christ should be lifted up upon the Cross i. e. suffer Death with an Intent on Gods part 1. That every man if he pleased might beleeve in Him And 2. That every man that should beleeve in Him should be saved by Him He should altogether dis-answer that famous Type we speak of and that in that very consideration and respect wherein He pleads a special conformity to it If it be replyed The correspondency between Christ and the Brazen
case He should not be every whit as large free and comprehensive in His Intentions of affording means and opportunity unto men for deliverance from sin and death by Jesus Christ If it be objected It is true the intent of the Jubilee was to invest every man viz. that was a Jew and of the natural seed of Abraham with a right of power to return to his possession or family But not to gratifie every man simply or to indulge the like priviledg unto all the World Therefore this rather proves the confinement of the Intentions of the Grace of God in Iesus Christ unto his Church or Elect onely then the enlargement of them unto all the World especially considering that the whole body of the People and Nation of the Jews were typical and presignified the Church or Churches which were afterwards to be raised up amongst the Gentiles To this I answer 1. Be it granted that the Body or Nation of the Jews did typifie the Church or Churches of the Gentiles yet did not every single person of this Nation typifie a true member of these Churches As for example Achitophâ—l did not typifie a true Saint or a Beleever under the Gospel nor did Corah Dathan and Abiram typifie so many godly or holy men among the Gentiles nor had any unrighteous or wicked Person of this Nation the Honor of typing out any true Nathaniel or Elect Person under the New Testament If ungodly persons among the Jews were Types of any thing it was of such Hypocrites or profane Persons that should be found in the Churches under the Gospel And if so the intent of the Jubilee being as we have proved from the express letter of the Institution of it for the benefit comfort and ease of every man amongst them as well of the wicked and unholy as of the holy and righteous it follows roundly that this typified and taught that the Intentions of God in and about the Salvation afforded and exhibited by Jesus Christ unto the World stood equal and indifferent towards all Men without exception without any distinction of holy and unholy righteous and unrighteous Elect and Reprobate or the like 2. Although the Law of Jubilee as the whole Ceremonial Law in all the parts and branches of it was given particularly UNTO the Jews yet was it not given particularly FOR the Iews i. e. for the sake or benefit of the Iews onely but for the accommodation and benefit of all the World besides And upon this account I suppose the Apostle Paul calleth the Ceremonial Injunctions by Mâ—ses the elements or râ—diments not of the Iews but of the World y Col. 2. 8. 20 viz. because they were given with an intent on Gods part to nurture and breed up the World i. e. all Nations as well as the Iews in such a measure or degree of the knowledg of the Messiah then to come which He judged meet to impart unto the World until His coming So that how soever the Iewish Nation was honored by God above all other Nations in being made by Him Feoffees in trust as it were for the World and had the keeping of the Oracles of Life committed unto them yet had they no right or lawfulness of power to deny any Person under Heaven part or fellowship with them in any of their spiritual Priviledges who should desire it of them in a due and regular way and turn Proselyte Now there was no Person of any Nation that was made by God uncapable of the benefit or blessing of Proselytism and consequently the Joy and Priviledges accruing unto Men by vertue of the Law and Feast of Iubilee did though not in so immediate and direct a way concern all other Nations and Persons as well as the Iews or natural seed of Abraham Even as the Gospel and Sacramental Administrations annexed thereunto in these days are onely possessed and enjoyed in and by the Churches of Christ but yet they are so and upon such terms possessed and enjoyed by them that whosoever from amongst the most Idolatrous and Heathenish Nation under Heaven shall beleeve may and ought to have communion with them in such their Possessions and Enjoyments Either of these Answers is sufficient to loosen the joynts of the loyns of the Objection The Arguments and Grounds layd down and managed in this Chapter together with those Passages and Texts of Scripture which we have heard speaking so distinctly and aloud the same things with them have turned my thoughts and Judgment about the Intentions of God in the Death of Christ upside down and have filled me Minde Heart Soul and Conscience with this Belief that these Intentions of His stand and always stood equally unpartially and uniformly bent for or towards the Salvation of the World without any difference or variation in respect of any man or numbers of men considered simply as men or as having done neither good nor evil Yet are there three things more that have made my Belief in this kinde measure heaped up pressed down and running over The first is that Conjunctio magna that great conjunction of all or far the greatest part of the chief Luminaries in the Firmament of the Christian Church whilest the constitution of it was yet more athletique healthful and sound I mean during the Primitive Times the multiplied rays or beams of whose light concentred in the same Point of Doctrine with us Of this we shall God assisting give some competent account in the fore-part of the Chapter following The second is the frequent Testimony given to this Doctrine by those who are or at least are so esteemed the chief Adversaries and Opposers of it who as appears from their Writings are oft necessitated to assert or own it as a Principle without which they know not in many cases how to make a consistent Discourse or manage the Theam they have before them Somewhat of this also we shall shew in the latter Part of the said Chapter The third and last is the apparant inconcludency and weakness of those arguings and reasonings whether from the Scriptures or other Principles by which the cause of the contrary Opinion is wont by the ablest Patrons it hath as far as men of this engagement are yet known unto me to be pleaded and maintained The Demonstration of this is designed for the subject matter of the second Part of this Work if God shall vouchsafe to make his Sun to shine a birth-day for it CHAP. XIX Wherein the Sence of Antiquity together with the variableness of Judgment in modern Writers touching the Controversie under discussion is truly and unpartially represented FOr their sakes who are afraid to beleeve any thing what pregnancy of §. 1. ground soever there be to evince the truth of it otherwise but onely what they know or at least think that many other men and these some ways honorable in their sight have beleeved before them I have subjoyned this Chapter to those large debates which finished their course
à Deo sed per accidens hominus culpâ sâ—quitur Afterwards If this Redemption be not supposed as A COMMON BENEFIT BESTOWED ON MANKINDE that general and promisâ—uous preaching of the Gospel committed unto the Apostles to be performed amongst all Nations will be found to have no true foundation r Si haec Redemptio tanquaÌ„ coÌ„mune beneficium omnibus hominibus impensuÌ„ non supponatur indifferens promiscua praedicatio Evangelij Apostolis commissa apud omnes gentes obeunda nulluÌ„ veruÌ„ fundamentuÌ„ habebit And again How shall any necessity lie upon me to beleeve that such a benefit belongs unto me which though sufficient for me yet was never truly intended for me s Quomodo enim ex beneficio sufficiente quideÌ„ at mihi non destinato per veraÌ„ intentioneÌ„ deducetur necessitâ—s credendi quod illud ad me pertineat Soon after he saith This Redemption is the payment of a due and valuable Price for us Captives not that we should come out of Captivity after any manner i. e. simply or absolutely but THAT WE MIGHT and ought to come out of it t Haec ipsa Redemptio est solutio precij debiti pro nobis captivis non ut captivitate exiremus quocunque modo sed ut exire possemus deberemus c. Vid. pag. 117. i. e. that we might come out upon our beleeving as Himself immediately explaineth It were easie to produce many other Assertions and Positions from the §. 16. Acts of this Synod of like sence and import with these and which are of a most notorious comportance with the Sence and Opinions of those men about the Death of Christ whose Opinions notwithstanding they stigmatized as Heterodox and Erroneous yea and which stand at utter defiance with their own Doctrine and Sayings in other places For if God seriously willeth the Salvation of all Men if Salvation be a common benefit bestowed by God upon all Men and be truly intended for or unto all Men if God gave His Son a Price of Redemption for the Sins of the whole World all which with much more we have heard and seen delivered and asserted by this Synod how can it be true that Christ dyed ADEQUATELY FOR ALL and onely for THE ELECT that Christ was designed and given by the Father for a Mediator and Head to a CERTAIN NUMBER OF MEN u Christus ex morâ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Patris destinatus datus fuit Mediator caput certo homiâ—um numero c. Act. Syn. Dordr p. 100. that the Father loved ONELY THE ELECT and gave onely these unto His Son to be redeemed by Him x Quia iteÌ„ Pater Electos suos quos solos dilexit quos solos redimendos filio dedit c. Ibid. p. 94. that the application of the benefits of Christ declares for whâ—â— the impetration of them was y Imò quid quibus impetrâ—veriâ— Christus applicatio ipsa demùm patefacit atque obsignat Ibid. that God the Father ordained His Son Jesus Christ to be a Redeemer and Propitiator for our sins out of that Love wherewith He particularly embraced his Elect to eternal life z Deus Pater Filium suum Jesu Christum ordinavit in Redemptorem ac Propitiatorem pro peccatis nostris ex dilectione illâ quâ Electos suos speciatim complexus est ad vitam aeternam Ibid. p. 84. with ten times more alike loudly dissonant for those former Sayings That Notion of theirs which they oft repeâ—t is amongst many others of very sad resentment viz. that though some men be willing or should be willing to beleeve or to partake of Redemption by Christ yet God is not willing they should a Gratiam autem Redemptionis intelligimus non quâ possunt homines redimi si velint c. Ibid. p. 78. Si verò hâc distinctione hoc spectatur infertur Deum per Mortem Christi erga omnes singulos esse placatum vâ—â—e ipsorum salutem modò ipsi velint 〈…〉 vt Pelagianum rejicimus Ibid. p. 103. whereas the Scripture saith expresly that If there be first a willing minde a man is accepted according to that which he hath not according to that which he hath not 2 Cor. 8. 12. that is when a man is truly willing to do that which God requireth of him but wanteth either strength means or opportunity for the doing of it and upon this account onely doth it not God doth not reject him or punish him for not doing the thing but regards and rewards him for the uprightness of his heart and the preparedness and readiness of his Will to do it in case means and opportunity were vouchsafed him So that doubtless if a man be truly willing to be redeemed or saved by Christ no want of strength means or opportunities in one kinde or other for his Salvation shall hinder him from being saved because he is in this case accepted i. e. measured and estimated by God according to the ability vouchsafed unto him which extended onely to the enabling of him to work and bring his Heart to a true willingness of being redeemed and saved by Christ and which He hath with all faithfulness imployed and improved accordingly and not according to any greater or further abilities which haply are given unto others but have been denyed unto him Now if God measures judgeth and esteemeth a man onely according to what he hath i. e. according onely to what power means or opportunities He hath for the performance of what is righteous and just in case any man hath gone as far in or towards the performance hereof as â—uch power means and opportunities do enable him to go He must needs finde grace and favorable acceptance with God yea the same grace and acceptance proportionably which He should or could have found with Him in case with more power means and opportunities He had gone further and done more And besides that God should not be willing that a man should be redeemed and saved by Christ when as the man himself is truly willing in this kinde is a saying of a notorious inconsistency with truth considering that the willingness of any man in this kinde must of necessity proceed from a willingness in God semblable to it For it is God that worketh in men as well to will as to do and doubtless He worketh not in any man to will that which is contrary to His own Will But this by the way How scant and narrow that covering is which the Synod casteth over the nakedness of the pre-mentioned Contradictions to hide it from the eyes of men and likewise how inconsiderable and unworthy men professing the knowledg of God and of the Scriptures those Reasons and Arguments are by which they seek to establish their own Opinion concerning the Death of Christ in opposition to the Judgment of those whom they voted Heterodox and Erroneous we shall God willing shew and prove in
Consideration Explication and Debate in the second Part of this Work THough Christ the Lord reigneth whilest His Enemies are yet unsubdued §. 1. and not put under His Feet yet He reigneth not so like unto himself nor with that peaceableness or desirableness of Government unto His Subjects as He shall and will reign at least in the glorious result of His Mediation when all that which in any degree opposeth Him in His Government shall be wholly taken out of the way and no Enemy left with any strength or power to infest trouble or cause the least disquietment or discontent in all His Kingdom In like manner though the Judgment and Conscience of a man may reign with much contentment and satisfaction in the holding and Profession of many a Truth by the demonstrative evidence and strength of such Arguments and Grounds upon which He clearly seeth it built however He may see it also encompassed and assaulted on every side with such Objections and Difficulties which are not at present subdued under him yet can they not be so well apayd so full of Peace and Joy in this their Kingdom as they may and will when these Objections shall be made to bow down before them and lick the dust at their feeâ— and all Difficulties be perfectly reconciled with that Truth which they hold and profess in this kinde Upon this account having in the Precedure of our Discourse setled this Great Doctrine That Christ gave Himself a Ransom for all Men without exception upon such Pillars of Scripture Reason and Authority that no man that shall duly weigh the Premisses can reasonably question the Truth thereof I judged it necessary nevertheless God not laying my Intentions in the dust by the hand of Death or otherwise to subjoyn the Vindication of the said Doctrine from all such Objections Exceptions or Encumbrances wherewith I finde it on every side oppugned and the course of it much obstructed in the Mindes and Judgments of some that so they who are or shall be perswaded of the truth of it may sit with so much the more ease in their Judgments and reign in the happy Contemplation and Enjoyment of so blessed a Truth with so much the more Peace and Joy In our intended Vindication of the said Doctrine or second Part of this §. 2. Work we shall God graciously continuing His assistance perform these three things First We shall deliver those Texts and Contexts of Scripture which contrary to their mindes and native tendencies and imports respectively are compelled to serve against the said Doctrine these I say we shall in the first place deliver from this hard service by loosing the bands of such Interpretations wherein they are detained upon that account Secondly We shall shew how the supposed Iron and Steel of such Grounds Arguments and Reasonings wherewith the said Doctrine commonly is assaulted are turned into stubble and rotten wood before it Thirdly and lastly We shall give some general and brief Answer to such Passages and Sayings which are usually alledged and cited from the Ancient Writers in way of opposition to this Doctrine Concerning the Scriptures which are commonly pressed to serve in that warfare we speak of the truth is that as notice hath been formerly given there is none of them can be brought to speak any thing at all no not in appearance against the Doctrine we plead but onely by the mediation of some deduction or inference raised and drawn from them by the Reasons of Men. There is no Scripture that hath yet been or indeed can be produced wherein it is either affirmed that Christ dyed onely for the Elect onely for Beleevers or the like or denyed that He dyed for all Men without exception The particular Places which are commonly managed with greatest confidence in the Actors and with most applause in the Spectators against the said Doctrine are these Mat. 20. 28. The Son of Man came not to be ministred unto but to minister and to give His Life a Ransom for many Unto which several others of like phrase and expression are wont to be added as viz. Mat. 26. 28. Rom. 5. 15 19. Heb. 9. 28 c. From these Scriptures with their fellows such an Argument as this is levyed He that gave his Life a Ransom for many shed his Blood for many for the Remission Vid. Acta Synodi Dordrec part 2. p. 97. p. 112 c. of sins made many righteous c. did not give his Life a Ransom for all did not shed his Blood for all for the Remission of sins c. But Christ gave his Life a Ransom for many shed his Blood for many c. Ergo. Joh. 10. 11. I am the good Shepherd The good Shepherd giveth his Life for the Sheep and Vers 15. I lay down my life for the sheep To these also other Vid. Act. Syn. Dordr part 2 p. 101. Et Chamier tom 3. l. 9. c. 13. Sect. 9. Passages of somewhat a like import are frequently joyned As Eph. 5. 25. where Christ is said to have loved his Church and to have given himself for it c. From such Premisses as these this Inference or Conclusion is much sollicited Ergo Christ gave his Life for his sheep i. e. his Elect onely gave himself for his Church onely c. Mat. 1. 21. Thou shalt call his Name Jesus for He shall save his people from their sins This Text likewise is wont to be seconded with some others Vid. Acta Synodi Dordrec part 2. p. 97 as sembling with it as Acts 10. 43. that through his Name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive Remission of sins So also Rom. 3. 25. 10. 4. Heb. 5. 9 c. Upon these and such like foundations this Inference is built Ergo Christ came to save his People onely Beleevers onely sanctified ones only from their sins Joh. 15. 13. Greater Love then this hath no man that a man lay down his life for his Friend This I finde paralleld and strengthened with these words from the same Pen 1 Joh. 3. 16. Hereby perceive we the Love of God because He Vid. Collat. Hagâ—ens adversus secundam the sin Remonstrantium p. 133 layd down his life for us This pair of Scriptures afford unto some the Joy of this Consequence Ergo Christ did not lay down his Life for Reprobates or for those that are damned in Hell because then he should love them with the greatest Love that could be Joh. 17. 9. I pray for them I pray not for the World Upon this Basis this Vid. Acta Synodi Dordrec part 2. p. 100 Chamier Tom. 3. l. 9 c. 13. sect 2 Enthymeme is raised Christ refused to pray for the World i. e. the wicked of the World Ergo certainly he refused to dye for the World Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things From hence the Doctrine
it unto some there is a like possibility unto all and consequently a possibility of the Non-salvation or of the Damnation of all The Minor stands it seems upon this bottom that those whom God the Father hath given unto Christ to be redeemed and saved by Him of necessity must and shall be redeemed and saved by Him and those whom He hath not given unto Him upon such an account which are far the greater part of men must by a like necessity perish or be damned as not being redeemed by Him nor given unto Him to be saved If the Will and Intention of the Father the Obedience and Oblation 10 Reason of the Son and the saving Operation of the Holy Ghost or Effectualness of Calling or Sanctification be of one and the same compass or extent then did not Christ dye for all men But all the three Particulars Acta Synodi Dordt part 2 p. 94 mentioned are of one and the same compass or commensurable Ergo. The Reason of the Consequence is evident viz. because the saving operation of the Holy Ghost or effectualness of calling are not extended unto all Men. The Minor builds upon this Sorites The Father gives only his Elect whom alone He loves to be redeemed by His Son The Son onely redeems those that are thus given unto Him as being those whom alone He loves The Holy Ghost being the Love of the Father and the Son sanctifies onely the Elect of the Father and the Redeemed of the Son If no man wittingly and knowingly payeth a price of Redemption for a Captive §. 5. which he certainly knoweth this miserable man will never be the better for then 11 Reason Christ dyed not for all Men. But no man wittingly and knowingly payeth Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 94 such a price upon such terms Ergo. The Reason of the Sequel in the Major Proposition is because Christ knew cerâ—ainly that the greatest part of men would never receive any benefit by His Deâ—â—h and upon this account it is altogether irrational to suppose that He dyed for them If Christ dyed for all Men without exception then now in Heaven He 12 Reason intercedeth for all Men without exception But He intercedeth not for all Men. Ergo. This latter Proposition fears no contradiction and therefore Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 100. Collat. Hagiens p. 132 stands by its own strength The Reason of the Major seems to be because it is unreasonable to conceive that Christ should do the greater and more difficult thing as viz. dye for those for whom He is unwilling to do the less viz. intercede If God intends and derees the Salvation of all Men by the Death of 13 Reason Christ then it must needs follow either that all Men are saved or that God Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 119 his Intentions and Decrees become frustrate and attain not their end But neither of these are true for 1. Certain it is that all Men are not saved 2. As certain it is that Gods Intentions and Decrees never miscarry or fall short of their ends and to affirm this is absurd yea blasphemous Ergo. If Christ by the Counsel Intention and Decree of the Father dyed 14 Reason for all Men it will follow that there is neither an Election of any certain Persons nor a Reprobation of any But there is both an Election of some Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 119 certain Persons and a Reprobation of some others Ergo. The Reason of the Major because I finde it not expressed seems to be because it is contrary to Reason that God should intend or decree to give His Son to dye for those whom He decreed to Reprobate i. e. to leave in the hand of everlasting Perdition without all possibility of being saved from Eternity And if there be no Reprobation there can be no Election in as much as these do mutuâ— sese ponere auferre The Minor stands upon the Authority of the common Interpretations of such Scriptures which are commonly insisted on to prove such an Election and consequently a Reprobation corresponding with it All which Scriptures at least all such of them which colour best with such an Election we shall God willing fairly examine upon the Point If Christ according to the Intention and Counsel of the Father hath 15 Reason suffered Death for all Men then God should stand equally or indifferently affected towards all Men yea and saving Grace should be universal But Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 119 God doth not stand equally affected towards All Men nor is saving Grace universal Ergo. The Consequence is supposed authentique without Proof The Minor is argued 1. From the gratuitous Election of some 2. From the like gratuitous Vocation of some as of the Israelites Deut. 4. 7. Psal 76. 1. 147. 20. 3. From the Covenant made with Abraham and not with others 4. From the Mystery of the Calling of the Gentiles 5. And lastly From that special Favor Love and Grace wherewith God prosecuteth His Elect. §. 6. If Christ dyed for all Men and all Men be not saved then is God not 16 Reason Omnipotent But certain it is 1. That all Men are not saved and 2. That God is Omnipotent Ergo. The Minor needs no Proof as to either part of Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 120 it The Reason of the Consequence in the Major is because if Christ should dye for all Men it would follow that God should be willing that such a benefit should be impetrated or procured for men which He could not apply unto them If Christ dyed for all Men and all Men come not to be saved then is the 17 Reason Wisdom of God defective or imperfect But certain it is 1. That all Men are not saved 2. That the Wisdom of God is not at all defective but absolutely Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 120 perfect Ergo Christ dyed not for all Men. The Minor here also is presumed as well it may The Consequence stands upon this supposition That to fall short in compassing what a man intends argues a deficiency in point of wisdom If Christ should dye and make Satisfaction for all Men and yet all Men 18 Reason not be saved God should be unjust as viz. in receiving a full Satisfaction Acta Synodi Dordr part 2 p. 120 for men and yet refusing to receive them into favor or to forgive them But certain it is 1. That all Men are not saved and 2. That God is not unjust Ergo Christ dyed not for all Men. If Christ dyed for all Men and all Men not come to be saved then doth 19 Reason that great Love out of which God gave his Son unto Men vanish into an unprofitableness or unusefulness in respect of men For to what purpose or of what use is the Love of God in the gift of His Son unto men if
actions necessitated 319. Natural Causes why ordinarily left to themselves 28 Nazianzen for Vniversal Redemption 534 Necessity free Causes not necessitated by any act of God 53 Nicene Council for General Redempt 544 Notions some of a lighter others of a deeper impression in the Soul 1 Nyssen for Vniversal Redemption 534 O OBedience natural and spiritual how differ 315. Spiritual the more perfect by how many the more motives raised Ibid. Oecumenius for Vniversal Redemption 543 Origen for Vniversal Redemption 535 536 For Falling away 334 Original sin not necessarily supposeth liableness to condemnation 519 P PArable of the Sower opened 291 Patience Gods Patience respecteth chiefly wicked men generally not elect or beleeving 422 Pelicanus for Vniversal Redemption 407 Perfection of life not fixed by God 42 43 Periods of life not fixed by God 8 9 Permissive Gods permissive Decrees not illative 25 26 Perseverance of Saints not promised absolutely 317 318. Such a supposition dishonoreth God Ibid. 319. Common Doctrine of Perseverance a most dangerous snare upon men 322. Reflects weakness upon the Holy Ghost 339. Occasioneth Jealousie amongst Brethren 342. Hath been unduly magnified 343 c. Ancient Doctr of Perseverance how come to be lost in the Reformation 383 384. Of signal necessity in matters of Christian Religion 388 Asserted by Ancient Fathers 378 379 380 c. Both by Councils and Synods 394. 〈…〉 fessions of many Churches Ibid. Piscator sometimes for Falling away 393 Denyeth Christ to have dyed sufficiently for all men 97 Possibility of perishing no ground of Fear that hath torment 474. God hath provided more then a bare possibility of Salvation for all 400 Praying no sign of Regeneration 346 Predestination what consistency with Gods Glory p. 69. Anciently held to be from foreseen Faith or Works 366 Prerogative wherein Gods Prerogative Will consisteth 67 68 Primasius for General Redemption 541 Promises made unto Perseverance made voyd by the common Doctrine of Perseverance 317 c. Promises conditional more engaging unto action 334 Prosper for Vniversal Redemption 539 540 Providence interposeth not out of course for most events Pag. 14 Mr Pryn his undue report of Austins Judgment in the point of Perseverance 383 Punishment what wonderful means God useth to prevent the eternal Punishment of the Creature 444 Purpose Gods Purposes and Executions still parallel 460 R REason some Reasons in general may be assigned of the equitableness of Gods ways not all in particular 349. Grounds of Reason how necessary for confirmation of Doctrines 453 454. No man to act without a ground in Reason 496 Reconciliation how God may be said to reconcile the World 88 89 Redemption Doctrine of general Redemption so necessary that the greatest enemies it hath cannot but build upon it at some turns 405 523. In what sence general Redemption is maintained in this Discourse 433 434 c. General Redemption typified by the brazen Serpent 520 c. by the Feast of Jubilee 521 522 What places of Scripture are commonly argued in opposition to it 563 564. The Arguments ordinarily produced against it 564 565 c. Redemption limited makes the Gospel a lottery 412 dishonorable unto God 413. quencheth hope and endeavor in men 414. frustrateth Christs Death in the main 465. representeth God as hollow-hearted 468. nourisheth Jealousies against God 476. injurious unto God 478. Scriptures commonly pleaded for limited Redemption 563 564 Arguments 564 565 c. Regeneration wherein resembleth the Birth natual 265 266. Repeated no inconvenience 329. It importeth a repetition of a generation or birth but not natural 329 330 Repentance why rather to be ascribed to God then to men themselves though it be their act 511 512 Reprobation 47 not from Eternity 514. not of individuals but species 63. The end of Gods Reprobation is that men should not be Reprobates 479. No Reprobation of men whilest righteous 513. Common Doctr of Reprobation miserably encumbred 514 515 Reward what actions capable of reward 319 341 Mr S. Rutherford his undue censure of general Attonement 73. His mistake about Joh. 17. 2. 116 S SAints capable of sinning out of malice 323 Sealing of the Saints with the Spirit 255 256 Servile what Obedience servile or mercenary 315 Simplicity of God 43 44 Simulation not in God 472 Sinners Pardon for wilful sinners typified in the Feast of Jubilee 521 Sins of infirmity what 323. Sin upon what account eternally punishable 443. What wonderful means God useth to prevent the eternal Punishment of the Creature for sin 444. Shortness of time to sin rather an aggravation then extenuation of sin 446 Spirit to be quenched what 325 T TAste what signifieth in Scripture 285 Tertullian for Falling away 371. For Vniversal Redemption 535 Threatenings against Apostates made voyd by the Common Doctrine of Perseverance 311 312 313. Work not but by the mediation of Fear Ibid. Truth many Truths oft asserted in the Scripture not so much for knowledg or belief as consideration p. 2. Reigneth when Objections are answered 562. Acknowledgment of the Truth proper unto Saints 283 Reigns not until Objections be answered 562 Dr Twiss his Notion about Christs praying for his Crucifiers 245. about Gods permissive Decrees 25 U UNbelief without power to beleeve no cause of wonder or of shame 500 501 c. Unbelievers upon what account unexcuseable 502 503 c. Unchangeable how God is unchangeable 208 Unregenerate no unregenerate person can have any ground of hope that he is or may be according to our Adversaries one of the Elect. 414 494 W WIll of God diversly taken in Scriptture 38. When or in what sence efficacious 473 474. How distinguished into Antecedent and Consequent 448 106 Will of Man not determined by God p. 5. Gods actings upon it how unfrustrable how Physical how Moral 305 306 307 c. Wisdom the more wisdom the less liberty to do unwisely 427. Requires variation in practice 428 429. Wisdom of God infinitely perfect 431 World what it signifieth 76 80 81 Z ZAnchius defines Justifying Faith by assent 400. for universal Redemption 559 A Table or brief Collection of some general Rules for the Interpretation of Scriputres delivered in the foregoing Discourse The Knowledg and Consideration whereof will give much Light into the Controversies there debated 1. IT is frequent in Scripture to express a thing after the manner of an Event or Consequent which shall or will follow upon such or such an occasion or means some ways likely to produce it which yet frequently cometh not to pass nay the contrary whereunto many times follows and comes to pass in stead thereof Pag. 216 221 234 2. Many Promises absolute in form are yet conditionate in matter and meaning 154 209 218 221 225 258 231 307 3. Promises m ade with respect to special qualifications are to be understood with such an Explicarion or Caution wherewith Threatenings against particular sins are to be interpreted 231 4. There is nothing more frquent in Scripture then to ascribe the Effects