and incomparable greatness of his Love would shed his hearts blood for them whose names were never written in his book of life and love Will any man give his dear son to dy for them whose names were never written in the book of his love of whom he never had any thoughts of special love and favour Surely he will not part with his Son nor give him to suffer death for such ARGUMENT IIII. MY fourth Argument against Universal Redemption is grounded upon John 15.13 compared with Rom. 5.8 10. Greater love hath no man then this that a man lay down his life for his friends God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Hence I may thus argue They for whom Christ died or shed his blood to them God hath commended and manifested the greatest love Greater love then this hath no man But now God hath not commended and manifested the greatest love to every man and woman in the world without distinction or exception for how is it possible that the same persons should be both the objects of the greatest divine love and the greatest divine hatred and displeasure If Christ died for every man then he shewed as great love to Cain and Judas as to Peter and Paul And is not this monstrous Will any soul dare to affirm this that hath experience of the love of Christ and hath tasted the sweetness thereof Yet truly I know not how Arminius and his followers can avoid this desparate consequence according to their principles Sure I am the blessed Apostle appropriates Christ's special and peculiar love manifested in his death to his Church Husbands Eph. 5.25 love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it Husbands are to love their wives with a special love to forsake all other relations for them and to cleave to them alone Is it meet that husbands should love other women with that love which peculiarly belongs to their wives Gal. 2 20. The life which I live saith Paul I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me ARGUMENT V. MY fift Argument is taken from Rom. 9.10 11 13. The children being not yet born neither having done good or evil That the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of works but of him that calleth It was said unto her the Elder shall serve the Younger As it is written Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated If God had purposed to hate some before they had done evil as he purposed to love others before they had done good then did not he give his Son to dy for every man and woman in the world How can it enter into our hearts to conceive that the eternal God decreed to give his only begotten Son to dy for them whom he purposed to hate and pass by Psal 11.5 See Psal 5.5 Mal. 1.3 God never hates the Elect Though their state by Nature be a state of Wrath yet their persons are ever beloved See Jer. 31.3 2 Tim. 1.9 Eph. 1.4 Iohn 3.16 and not communicate grace and glory to Now it is very plain that God purposed to hate and pass by Esau and also Pharaoh and not communicate grace and glory to them And this truth will further appear by consulting other Scriptures There are certain men crept in unawares Iude 4. who were before of old ordained to this condemnation Vnto you which believe 1 Pet. 2.7 8. Christ is precious But unto them which be disobedient he is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also they were appointed The Lord hath made all things for himself Prov. 16.4 yea even the wicked for the day of evil But ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep Ioh. 10.26 i. e. because ye are not ordained to life For as many as be ordained to eternal life shall believe Neither let any object here that this decree or purpose of God did not pass upon Esau and Pharaoh till they had sinned and rejected the meanes and offer of grace for certainly if ever God purposed to hate a man it must needs be that this purpose was from eternity for all God's decrees are eternal absolute and unavoydable God himself being unchangeable doth not decree one thing after another I speak now of the decree it selfe not of the execution of the decree nor doth God now will one thing and then another this is sutable to poor weak changeable creatures not to the infinite unchangeable Creator the event proves that the decree of God was from eternity for what comes to pass in time the Lord did before all time decree that it should come to pass Now then can any sober man imagine that God the Father should give his dear son to shed his blood for the redemption and salvation of such as he rejected from eternity and are the objects of his hatred vessells of wrath fitted to destruction whom he hardens according to the absolute soveraignty of his will Rom. 9.18 Besides do not we find that election redemption by Christs blood and remission of sins are so conjoyned Eph. 1.4 5 6 7. and knit together by the Apostle that those who are the objects of the one are also objects of the other those and no more who are capable of the own are also capable of the other ARGUMENT VI. MY sixt Argument is deduced from the nature vertue and efficacy of the sacrifice of Christ and that perfect plenary satisfaction compensation which he hath presented to the Fathers justice in behalf of al those whom he represented in his death and for whom he was crucified The sins of those for whom perfect satisfaction is given and accepted shall not be required of them nor laid to their charge But for whom Christ dyed he hath given perfect and full satisfaction to the Father and it is accepted by the Father for them Eph. 1.6 and in their behalf and therefore God cannot justly require their sins of them and lay them to their charge so as to punish them in hell to eternity How can a debt be justly demanded and required of them for whom it is fully payed and is it not evident that their debt is fully payed for whom perfect and plenary satisfaction is both made and accepted The holy God cannot in Justice require double paiment of the same debt or a double satisfaction for the same sins whether the Redemption of a poor sinner be by way of solution or satisfaction it matters not this is certaine that God cannot justly and therefore wil not demand a double payment or satisfaction for the same debt The Lord laid help on one that was mighty to save a
responsible substantial person that could pay him and hath paid him the utmost farthing Rom. 3.25.26 He hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his Blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that he might be just He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins 1 Iohn 1.9 and to clense us from all unrighteousness Iob 33.24 And now the Lord saith deliver the prisoner from going down to the pit I have found a ransom for him But now as for the Reprobates they go down to hell and suffer everlasting punishment for their sins without any injustice and therefore Christ did not dy and satisfie for their sins and so consequently not for every man and woman in the world These following Scriptures do fully declare the efficacie of Christ's death the vertue of his blood shed and the perfect satisfaction exhibited thereby to God the Father in the behalf of all those for whom the Lord Jesus suffered the death of the Cross He that spared not his own Son Rom. 8.32 34. but delivered him up for us all How shall he not with him also freely give us all things Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed When he had by himself purged our sins Heb. 1.3 he sate down on the right hand of the Majesly on high Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people Dan. 9.24 and upon thy holy City to finish the Transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness When Jesus had received the vinegar Iohn 19.31 he said It is finished In whom we have Redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins Eph. 1 7. according to the riches of his grace God hath not appointed us to wrath 2 Thess 5.9 10. but to obtain salvation by Christ who dyed for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him He hath made him to be sin for us 2 Cor. 5. ult who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him He needed not to offer himself often Heb. 9.25 26. but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself By the which Will we are sanctified Heb. 10.10 14. through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Vnto him that loved us Rev. 1.5 and washed us from our sins in his own blood The blood of Jesus Christ clenseth us from all sin 1 Ioh. 1.7 But God commendeth his love towards us that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Much more then being justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him Rom. 5.8 9 10. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities Isa 53.5 the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed If the blood of Buls Heb. 9.13 14. and of Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh See Lev. 4.20 26. Lev. 17 11. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot or blemish to God Purge your Consciences from dead works Gal. 3.13 14. to serve the living God Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law that the blessing of Abraham might come upon us I beseech thee Reader examine these Scriptures seriously and thou wilt see that the Redemption of every one by Christ's blood and the damnation of thousands are inconsistent and cannot stand together Let the word of the great God by which we must all be judged prevail with you which is all I desire ARGUMENT VII MY seventh Argument or Reason is taken from John 10.14 15. I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and am known of mine I lay down my life for my sheep They for whom Christ laid down life are his sheep But all and every man and woman in the world are not the sheep of Christ and therefore he laid not down his life for all and every man and woman in the world This Scripture if there were no other in the book of God is so plain and clear and full against Vniversal Redemption that he that runs may read it Object Oh but it is not said that he laid down his life for his sheep only Answ 1. Nor is it said that we are justified by faith only that we are compleat and accepted in Christ only that the sulness of the Godhead dwels in Christ only Yet who but Papists will say that we are not justified by faith only in that sense wherein the Apostle speaks of Justification by faith who dares say that we are compleat or that the fulness of the Godhead dwes in any other besides the Lord Jesul Neither is it said Husbands Love your wives only yet surely it is not fit that they should love other women with the same love which particularly belongs to their wives But secondly 2. Is there not a plain and manifest division separation and contradiction throughout the Scripture and this whole chapter between sheep and goats elect and reprobate the two seeds the Church and the world Now all and every man are not elected all and every man are not the sheep of Christ all and every man are not of the Church of Christ The separation of the goats and sheep which will be at the great day of the Lord Mat. 25.31 32 33. will make it manifest that all are not of the sheep of Christ Besides the properties of the sheep of Christ are here described They know his voice and follow him and a stranger they will not follow John 10. verse 4. for they know not the voice of strangers They are such as are known of Christ i. e. beloved of him They go in and out verse 14. and find pasture for their souls to feed upon They are such as are given by the Father to Christ who came to give them spiritual life yea that they might have it more abundantly verse 10. Are these properties and qualifications found in every man and woman in the world Doth every man and woman hear and obey the voice of Christ Is every one known and beloved of Christ How then comes it to pass that he will say to some in the last day Depart from me Mat. 7.23 I know you not Doth Christ give spiritual life Yea doth he give it abundantly to every man and woman Why then doth he say You believe not Iohn 10. verse 36. because ye are not of my sheep Doth every man and woman
hear and obey the voice of Christ Why then is it said Rev. 3.6 Rev. 2.19 He that hath an ear to hear let him hear what the spirit of God speaks intimating that there are not many that have a hearing ear so as to hear spiritually and savingly why doth Christ thank the Father Mat. 11.25 26. because he hath hid these things from the wise and prudent and hath revealed them to babes for so it seemed good in his sight Why is it said that the stone which the Builders refused 1 Per. 2.7 8. is made the head of the corner and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also they were appointed Oh the blindness of the heart of man Is it not plain from this Scripture if men would not shut their eys against the light that Christ so laid down his life for his sheep as that he excludes the goats If he laid down his life for them as sheep surely then that which belongs to them as such belongs only to such If for sheep as sheep then not for goats If for the elect as the elect then not for reprobates Those for whom Christ died he died for them as for their Shepherd as himself saith Iohn 10. verse 11. Now will the shepherd lay down his life for wolves who will ever remain of a wolvish nature and persecute the lambs I lay down my life saith he for my sheep He makes you see a plain division and contradistinction between his sheep and such as are not his sheep Ye believe not verse 26. because ye are not of my sheep as I told you And this is in effect as if he had said I lay down my life for my sheep only These sheep whom he laid down his life for are all his elect whether called or uncalled for there is but one shepherd and one sheepfold Other sheep I have them I must also bring and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one fold and one shepherd The distinction here is not between believers and unbelievers as a great corrupter of Scripture would perswade us but between sheep and goats T. Moor in his Vniversality for they are called sheep who did not then actually believe nor were not actually gathered into Christ's fold verse 16. They are such as the Father gave Christ from eternity who must and shall come to Christ being drawn to him by the cords of his fathers love nor will Christ cast out them that come to him but will give them eternal life Now if these properties and priviledges appropriated to Christ's sheep can with any colour of truth be applyed to those souls that shall be damned to eternity let the godly and sober Reader judge For my own part I must profess that if there were no other Scripture besides this against Universal Redemption it should through the grace of God fortifie me against that error I come now to another Argument ARGUMENT VIII MY eighth Argument against Universal Redemption shall be taken from John 10.27 28 29. compared with John 6.39 the words be these My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand My Father which gave them me is greater then all and no man is able to pluck them out of the Fathers hand And this is the Father's will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again the last day Hence I may further argue thus Those whom the Father gave to the Son and for whom Christ died to them he gives eternal life none shall be able to pluck them out of his hands he must not lose one But now all the posterity of the first Adam every man and woman in the world have not eternal life they have not everlasting union and fellowship with the Son of God they have not eternal glory communicated to them And therefore it is plain that Christ did not by the counsel and appointment of God lay down his life nor give himself a ransome for every man and woman in the world Do but observe the reason why many believe not why is it Iohn 10.26 but because they are not of the number of Christ's sheep Behold here is a higher cause why men believe not to salvation and so have not eternal life then the stubbornness of man's heart though that be the only faulty cause and the only meritorious cause of damnation Deut. 29.3 4. Ye have seen all that the Lord did before your eys in the land of Egypt the signes and the miracles yet hath not the Lord given you a heart to perceive and eys to see and ears to hear unto this day And as many as are ordained unto life and no more shall believe to salvation Acts 13.48 Murmur not among your selves let it not seem strange that so few believe and come to Christ no man can come to me Ioh. 6.43 44 45. except the Father draw him every man that hath learned of the Father cometh unto me ARGUMENT IX ANother Argument or Reason against Vniversal Redemption may be grounded upon Heb. 9.12 Neither by the blood of Goats and Calves but by his own blood he entred once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redemption for us compared with 2 Thes 5.9 10. Those whom Christ hath redeemed and bought by his death and blood shed 1 Thes 1.10 Luke 1.74 75. he hath redeemed and delivered them for ever from the wrath to come That they being delivered out of the hands of their enemies might serve God without fear in righteousness and holiness all the days of their life The servant abideth not in the house for ever but the Son abideth ever Iohn 8.35 36. If Christ make you free you shall be free indeed If he purchase a liberty and freedom for you by his death it is and will be a real spititual and everlasting freedom and we being put into possession of this freedom which Christ hath undertaken to do for all them whom he dyed for shall never be brought into a state of bondage and wrath again Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear Rom. 8.15 but the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba father But now all the men and women in the world are not thus everlastingly redeemed Christ hath not obtained eternal Redemption for every one for out of hell there is no redemption as Cain and Judas and the damned spirits can certainly relate Shall we say that those poor miserable souls are everlastingly redeemed who shall remain in hellish prison and bondage to eternity Oh Object But there be many who will not accept of Redemption by Christ though it be wrought for them Yea Answer but herein Christ