it which is not to be seen by climbing up into heaven to search into Gods secrets but by finding in themselves faith and sanctification they say and those too such as are so and so qualified as may evidence them to be fruits of election and so men must have the effects before and without their proper cause which is love discovered to men Tit. 3.4 5 6. they must have all these Repentance Faith Love to God and men Justification Sanctification yea and perhaps too eternal Glory before they shall see any solid ground or motive to repent believe in him serve and love him or that Christ hath done any thing for them by vertue of which he can justifie and sanctifie them and bring them to glory with him And so they are not lead to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godlily by Gods grace appearing in the Gospel to them but deny ungodliness and live godlily or rather pretend and seem to do so that so grace might appear to them and that they might see the gospel declaration to belong to them The Gospel doctrine is to them but like the law that is a doctrine that consists of duties commanded with promises and threatnings annexed without Gospel motives of Gods love propounded the viewing of which things the Spirit of Love breaths in to lead and to produce the things required and so their endeavours after those works and duties are looked upon as the fruits of grace and goodness yea as the arguments of their Election past and future happiness when they may be as far from both as the Pharisee that denied Gods free Grace to Publicans and sinners and yet judged himself a partaker of Gods Grace by his works of righteousness magnifying grace against free will and thanking God as giving such grace in those things which were but the products of his will neglecting and abiding ignorant of that grace in Christ which would have truly corrected both his Judgment and will such the effect of this limiting restraining doctrine as theirs also was Men are led hereby to bottom the Gospel it self with all arguments of love and goodness therein leading to faith and repentance upon their faith and repentance which they pretend they may have before they know whether they have any solid ground for them or no as if they could winde in themselves into the perception of Gods love by their frames and endeavors and not first be wrought up to them by the love and goodness of God perceived by them and as if men should look to themselves and their endeavors as the glass through which they shall see Gods love as for them and not rather upon God and Christ as declared in the Gospel to love them as the glass in which they may see their obligation to God in Christ and be moved to and strengthened in their seeking after him hoping in him In that their way thou mayst see that God commands thee to repent or change thy minde to Judg him good and to love him and that he threatens thee if thou dost not and promises great things to thee if thou dost but whether thou beest one of them that he intends any good in his promises to or that art in a possibility of attaining them or only hast them propounded to thy hearing without good will towards thee but that thou mightest thereby have the greater destruction that by it thou knowest not for it presents no act of love from him that according to it thou canst say respects thee or takes thee in as the object of it only do all those things first repent believe love serve him and then it shall be true for thee to believe that he hath good will to thee a most preposterous way that doth to men as Pharaoh to the Israelites takes away their straw and bids them get it themselves and yet exacts their number of brick takes away that declaration of Gods love and good will to men that should properly move them to repent believe c. and sets men upon seeking arguments and demonstrations of these to themselves and yet not fail to perform those duties required of them A doctrine it is that presents less love to this or that man then the Law it self did whereas the Apostle magnifies the true Gospel as more excellent and more un vailed for it set some certain demonstrations of Gods goodness to the Israelites before them as his bringing them out of Egypt chusing them in their Fathers to be a peculiar people to him and many typical sacrifices representing Christs death for them upon which they were commanded to love and serve him but for ought this tells thee thou wert hated by him from all eternity yea this suggests to thee that all he doth to thee may be but to bring thee to misery Nay I might safely say Gods dealings with the Gentiles represented more goodness as to their particulars without suggestions of eternal hatred of them then this kind of Gospell-preaching ascertains any one man of as yet unregenerate as truly goodness and out of good will to him in particular And O how injurious is that doctrine to men that withholds the most absolute perfect motive to their duties and way to meet with consolation Whence it comes to pass that first many are led by it into presumption to lean upon themselves and their own works as evidences of that distinguishing love of God that makes them sure of salvation as the Pharisee Luke 18.9 10. and so of their being pure and righteous when as yet they have never believed and through faith received that love of God into their hearts thats preached in the Gospel to wash and purify them yea to bring them out of themselves into Christ that they might be reckoned after him conformed to him to salvation These are of those that justifie themselves and labour to establish a righteousness of their own and are ignorant of and fight against the righteousness of God despising others and hindring them of that Gospel of grace that should be opened to them stumbling as much that the Death of Jesus Christ should be preached to all to ungodly and sinners not so qualified as they as ever did the presumptuous proud Pharisees that Christ should eat and drink with Publicans and sinners and that his Apostles should preach the Gospel to the uncircumcised Gentiles 2. Others again are held in bondage all their dayes and are ever ready to fall into desperation while not having the Love of God and his goodness and grace propounded to them as for them that should beget faith hope fruitfulness c. or being hindered from believing it as so propounded by occasion of this limiting doctrine and yet being pressed on to believe repent be humble and broken that so they may know that God hath good will to them and hath given his Son for them they labor and strive and finde nothing which they can attain to
bring into Canaan all that he brought out of Aegypt and then prove it by shewing that he so intended to all that believed and followed him Or else 2. Those places show not that those things so mentioned were the absolute intentions of God and Christ taken upon themselves to be effected by them without suspending them upon condition in us and if the Minor take not the word intended in that sense it suits not with the Major but contains a quartus terminus and the major not so taken is untrue If it be said the words are I came to save that that 's lost he gave himself that he might purge Vs and suffered for the unjust to bring us to God c. and where things are so spoken of as the ends and aimes of God in acting there though we have not the expressions He intended this and that yet we are to understand that God absolutely intended to accomplish and bring about those things and so that all those that are the object of those acts which were acted to such an end obtained or shall obtain that end Then I deny it and will prove it that in such speeches where two acts are mentioned as end and means and God the agent in the act directed to such an end it is not safe to say that alwayes that act propounded as the end in his acting was absolutely intended to be and answerably is brought about by him in all those upon whom or for whom he acted that act that 's mentioned as the means as to instance Act. 17 26 27. He made of one bloud all the kinde of men to inhabit all the face of the earth and hath determined the times appointed and the bounds of their habitation that they might seek the Lord c. Here is end and means propounded the making all of one bloud bounding their times habitations the means directed to this end that they might seek the Lord. Will any man hence say that God absolutely intended that he would cause all that he made and whose times and habitations he bounded to seek him and who ever seek him not and so call those in Rom. 3.11 were not made by him So John 1.6 7. John was sent to bear witness to the light that all through him might believe Doth it follow that because that was the end propounded therefore God absolutely purposed to make all believe to whom he bare witness and so its true that he bare witness to none else is not that contrary to Mat. 11.16 17 18. and 21.32 So John 5.34 Christ tels the cavilling Jews that he spake those things to them that they might be saved will it follow that it was his absolute intent that they should all be saved hear him or not or to make all hear him and be saved even those that would not come to him that they might live vers 40. Christ came to save that which was lost Doth it follow that he absolutely determined to bring all them to eternal life to whom he came even those also to whom he came and they received him not John 1.11 So Psal 105.33 34. He brought his chosen into Canaan that they might observe his Statutes and keep his Laws Therefore he intended to make them all do so and all that he brought into that land did so contrary to Psal 106.34 35 36. And to say no more God came down to bring Israel out of Aegypt to bring them into Canaan Exod. 3.7 and he brought them out thence that he might bring them into and give them that land Deut. 6.23 Ergo he absolutely purposed it concerning all that came out of Egypt and no more were brought out thence then were brought into Canaan Such his Argument Like to which he hath another taken from the effects of Christs Death Lib. 2. cap. 3. pag. 66. the Minor of which Affrmes that his Death sanctifies and and purges all them for whom he dyed redeems them from Law Curse Death c. none of all which he proves none of all those Scriptures alledged for proof This argument he hath again in lib. 3. cap. 4 where we shall speak further to it having such a clause in it as All for whomsoever he dyed or any thing sounding that way they being but applicative speeches not universal assertions It s such an argument as this The Lord brought us out of Egypt and brought us into this place viz. Canaan Deut. 26.8 9. And the Lord made you to go up out of Egypt and hath brought you into this Land Judg. 2.1 Therefore all that God brought out of Egypt he brought into Canaan Besides he hath for the bottom of this Argument this proposition in p. 4 line 71. and again in page 66. that the things before recounted are the immediate fruits and products of Christs Death namely Reconciliation Justification Sanctification Adoption Glorification which is as true as that the dispossessing the Canaanites and the giving their Land to the Israelites was the immediate fruit and product of their bringing out of Egypt over the red Sea as may be seen by what we sayed to them p. 10. No one of those things as accomplished in men is the immediate fruit and product of his Death Not Reconciliation though that be by the Death of Christ yet not immediately there is requisite to it beside Christs death the word of Reconciliation to declare it and that heard and submitted to as is plain 2 Cor. 5.19 20. We beseech you be ye reconciled to God yea and all these things come between the death of Christ and Reconciliation and are mediums of it Justification is not the immediate fruit and product of his death but mediante fide We are justified by faith Rom. 5.1 thence we have believed that we might be Justified Gal. 2.16 and that presupposes the word and spirit opening the death of Christ and shedding abroad the love of God and sprinkling the bloud of Christ upon the soul as in Tit. 3.5 6 7. He shed on us the Spirit abundantly that being justified by his Grace we might be made heires c so 1 Cor. 6.11 ye are Justified by the Name of the Lord and by the Spirit of our God Sanctification is not the immediate fruit and product of Christs Death but mediante fide too Sanctified by faith that is in Christ Jesus Acts. 26.18 and so there intervenes the being called out of the world and Church't Ephes 5.26 27. Adoption is not the immediate fruit and product of Christs death but hath Faith and Justification intervening John 1.12 To them that received him he gave this priviledge to be the sonnes of God to them that believed on his Name Gal. 3.26 27. Ye are all the Sons of God by faith in Jesus Christ Tit. 3.7 That being Justified by his grace ye might be made heirs c. And I am sure glory and immortality follows all these except we will have the inheritance go before the heirship and right to it
But of this enough and to this Chapter CHAP. II. Animadversions upon some passages in the second and third Chapters of his First Book THe second Chapter being only speculation about the nature of end and means To Chap. 2. and not at all applyed there to the question I shall pass over only noting a mistake in that expression about the nature of Moral means which he hath pag. 6. line 15 16. that in a moral sense when the action and the end are to be considered in reference to a Moral rule or law prescribed to the agent then the means are the Deserving or Meritorious cause of the end Which I conceive to be false looking upon Moral as contradistinct to Physical or natural as there he doth for it would then follow that Faith as a means considered in reference to the Law of Faith should be the Meritorious cause of its end that is Justification and Salvation and so good works which I think All Orthodox and Protestant Divines do utterly disclaim Though Faith be the way to justification and eternall life yet it s no wayes the meritorious cause otherwise we should be justified not only per fidem but propter fidem too not ex gratiâ but ex debito merito and so that distinction of the Apostle in Rom. 4.2 3 4. is quite overthrown but no more to that it being but by the by His third chapter is spent about the consideration of God as the agent in the work of Redemption To his 3. Chap. about which there is no express difference between us as to the main only a few expressions drop by the by that are considerable as That 1 Tim. 4.10 who is the Saviour of all men chiefly of them that believe calls not God a Saviour with reference to his Redeeming us by Christ but his saving and preserving all by his providence A strange conceit in which opponit non opponenda for though its true he sayes Vs by his providence yet that that providence of his is saving to sinners yea so much as in this life without respect had to the mediation of Christ much less that it s so saving specially to believers as that it becomes the motive and ground to them of such trust in God 2 Cor. 4.17 18. and 5.1.13 14. Phil. 3.20 1. as carries them out to suffer and labour in his Gospel as there it s affirmed to be is unreasonable to conceive and it disagrees with what he sayes to this business in other places where he tells us it was eying God as one that had prepared things not seen eternal in the heavens for them and eying Christs death for All that they might live to him and glorifying his love therein to his and his brethrens hearts expecting a saviour from heaven to change their vile bodies that made them despise their lives and liberties preach the Gospel through sufferings reproaches crosses how ever little esteemed as beside themselves Now here to think the Apostle cuts off all that consideration of his saving and only pitches upon him as a providential Saviour in a salvation out of Christ or without the consideration of Christ intervening as the lovely object of Trust and Confidence in all their labor and afflictions is too jejune and erronious but we shall meet with this again in his eighth chapter Again in considering the obligation and Covenant between God and Christ he promises something that will utterly overthrow the Universal Redemption but defers it to another after-place in lib. 3. chap. 1. where we shall meet with it and give it its answer only whereas he tells us p. 16. that the promise in Isa 53.11 is inconsistent with their perswasion who in termes have affirmed That the Death of Christ might have had its full and utmost effect and yet none be saved To that I shall say how I conceive that may be affirmed and how not not standing here upon it that that in Isa 53.11 is a prophesie of but not a promise uttered to Christ 1. It might have been so supposito quod Deus eam aliter ordinasset as it might have been undertaken and indured and as God might have decreed it might have been so 2. To look upon it as it was indured and take it by it self simply as Death though to such and such ends without Resurrection from which it is distinct then also it might have been so had he not risen too all its effect would not have saved any man So the Apostle intimates 1 Cor. 15.14 16 17. 3. It might have had its full effect as only offered to God without application to men and none saved had it been its end intended it had been contrary to that in Isai 53.11 but the effect and end of a thing differs much The Carpenter builds a house the effect of his work is the house it self the end of its building habitation the end of Christs Death is that men might be saved by him the effect of it as a thing simply done by him between God and him is not the salvation of any one without application of it or dispensation of spirit to men through it so that had Christ died and rose too and done no more none had been saved to the utmost except the business of his Priesthood be in vain and a thing that might have been spared ' so that its effect it might have had as a thing endured by him and none saved as they take saving in that high 4. But to say the thing that God aimed at and that was covenanted to be granted to Christ upon or as a reward of his Death might have been effected or performed and yet none saved is indeed cleerly false nor did the speech opposed affirm so much but that 's as much I suppose as upon second thoughts he aimed at est act Whereas he saies pag. 17. That the pleasure of the Lord that was to prosper in the hand of Christ was the bringing of many sons to glory that 's a truth but whether it be all the truth or no he tells us not and so deals not so fully and plainly as he should whether the glorifying of God in the convincing and just and righteous judging of the rest be not the pleasure of the Lord too he saith nothing much less disproves it and yet I think he shall do that and the pleasure of the Lord too in that matter shall prosper in his hand In the same pag. he tells us the request of our Saviour John 17. was neither for more nor less then God had ingaged himself to him for and that was for a full confluence of the love of God and the fruits of that love upon all his Elect in Faith Sanctification and Glory But of that he gives us no proof neither that there he asked no less for as for more I will not question nor that he requested Faith for all his Elect or any of them To the first I propound to him
againe but for whomsoever Christ riseth he rose for their justification Ro. 4. ult and they must be justified But All are not so Ans 1. That his Resurrection is conjoyned is true and so it is intimately in all the other places of 1 Tim. 2.6 Heb. 2 9. and where ever his Death for us is mentioned it s intimately the Death of him that rose againe for had he not risen he could not have been a ransome or propitiation it s not said here he rose again for them but simply He rose againe which indeed he must needs be conceived to have done as an Object to be lived to we cannot live to a dead man 2 That for whomsoever he riseth he riseth for their justification and they must be justified the places of Rom. 4. ult 8.34 say not they being believers onely that there speak applicatively of themselves He dyed for our sins this he did as and while we were ungodly and he rose againe for our justification that we believers as in ver 24. To whom it shall be imputed we believing in him that raised up Jesus he raised him with this intention that we believers might be justified The coupling of two such speeches together do not argue that the objects of the acts mentioned in them are of equall latitude as in Cor. 4.14 He that raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up by Jesus and present us with you It s not a good Inference because they two are put together therefore all that are raised by Jesus shall be presented with the believers And yet 3. If by Justification we mean a right and just giving Sentence of freedom from that Death that was come upon us in Adam as the reward of his disobedience so I grant it in its latitude according to Rom. 5.18 to All men to justification of life or if it be meant justification in the publick person as that that is open for all to partake of upon obedience of Faith and so for our justification be onely that we might be justified in his person and that he being perfected might be fitted to justifie All or any man upon his believing so I grant it too and affirme that he is able and fit to justifie All upon their looking by Faith unto him Otherwise if it signifie that we undoubtedly might have that justification and be presented righteous and acceptable before him then the equall extent of all so justified and all he dyed for is denyed and not at all proved from those places as is said before Justification so not being an immediate fruit or effect of Christs resurection but following upon Faith as is plaine Rom. 5.1 Gal. 2.16 Tit. 3.5 6. 1 Cor. 6.11 whence it s said to be by Faith by the name of the Lord by the Spirit of God c. But inasmuch as he could neither be an Object of Faith to any nor any be discharged from their sins nor presented righteous in him had Death swallowed him up and he never risen 2 Cor. 15.14 15 16 17. therefore he is said to rise for our justification that he might justifie us in believing on him and so us that beleeve on him That justification in the most speciall sense doth come upon many that Christ dyed for is granted and so both meet in many the same persons and such may say they are the Object of both but that thence they have equall Objects in point of number is denyed Those Israelites that intred into Canaan might truly say the Lord judged Pharaoh and the Egyptians to bring us out of Egypt and he led us in the wildernesse to possesse of Canaan and yet all that came out of Egypt or were led in the wildernesse were not possessed of Canaan 2. He says he speaks there of those only who by virtue of Christs death live to him are new creatures to whom the Lord imputeth not their trespasses who become the righteousnesse of God in Christ How God imputed not to the world their trespasses we have shewed before for the rest of the expressions they containe a shamefull way of reasoning Because that was one end of his dying for All that they might live to him therefore he dyed for no more then them that do live to him and fulfill that his end By that way of reasoning I will prove that God made not all because all seek him not from Act. 17.26 27. If Paul had said He dyed for all that live no longer to themselves but unto him it had been to M. Owens purpose but when he sayes no such thing but He dyed for All that they that live should live to him To say that he vouchsafed a mercy to no more then they that fulfill the end of that mercy is exceeding lame reasoning By that Argument John bare witnesse of Christ to no more then them that believed Johns Gospell was written for the use of no more then they that believe it Joh. 20.31 Psa 10◠43 44. God brought no more out of Egypt then them that kept his Statutes John bare witness onely to those that received Christ were made the sons of God received of his fulnesse grace for grace were borne of God saw the glory of Christ as the onely begotten of God For those phrases follow that other expression in Ioh. 1.7 12 13 14 16. Just with as much coherence to it as those phrases that Mr. Owen reckons up follow this we speak to in this Chapter And if we might take that liberty in expounding any verse we please by all the verses that follow it so as to say the subject spoken of in the one is what ever after is spoken of in the other as Mr. Owen doth here and in Heb. 2.9 we should make mad expositions 3. He tells us The Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they all died or were dead evidently restraining that All. Thus He. But what All That all that died That Article is not put to Christ died for All but to All died and therefore were there any such force there in the Article it makes nothing against us for we speak not of restraining the All that died nor indeed is it any other then Relative if one died for All then they All died But that he treats only of believers there is meerly proofless as it hath been shewed By this reason in Rom. 5.19 the making men sinners by Adams fall should be restrained because its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the many or those many were made sinners These are sorry evasions 4. He tells us All those spoken of by the Apostle are proved to be dead because Christ died for them and that in a spiritual death to sin His proof of which latter clause is Vorstius Grotius good proofs to build our Faith on But 2. He says The Text proves that to be the sense But what part of the Text saith it Why he tells us That the intention of the Apostle
that doth thus and thus shall live For ought that they can tell them God hath from Eternity hated them and there is no way to salvation made for them Surely that 's not so much as what he further points to That there is no name under heaven whereby they may be saved but that of Jesus for that intimates that by that Name they may But to this I have spoken sufficiently before To what he says about the not believing Jesus of Nazareth to be the Christ and their need of him that its a soul-condemning infidelity of such obstinate refusers to come in upon the Call of the Gospel and not a refusing to believe that Christ died for every one of them in particular I have answered also before and say here further That each of them are condemning The last because there is not a believing of the Testimony of God that he bears of his Son and so not a receiving the love of the Truth the love that the Truth witnesseth and so not a leaning upon his Mediation nor an approaching to God thereby For how should he come to God by his Mediation that refuseth to believe that he died for him in particular and so that his Mediation for him The Jews sayes he were charged with infidelity for not believing Christ to be their Messiah And truly by Mr. Owens Doctrine he was not so For how was he for them if he was a Mediator for none but the Elect seeing they persisted in unbelief and rebellion Sure mens not believing their need of a Mediator or that Jesus is He proves not that they are not chargeable with not believing Christ to have died for them no more then others not believing themselves to be sinners proves that they are not chargeable with not believing in Christ The object of Faith I trow is not to be measured by mens acts of Faith but their acts ought to come up to that that 's in the object But beyond all these he hath somewhat more to the Minor viz. That they to whom the Gospel is preached are bound to believe with that faith which is required to justification onely I will not stand upon that word onely I am content that he grants They are bound to believe with that Faith but then he assumes That that is not a full perswasion that Christ died for any one in particular Here I except against the word full perswasion as being a Quartus terminus which is not fit for a Disputant to put into a Syllogism Nor is it to the purpose that it is not justifying Faith it s enough to this business if it be necessary to a justifying faith according to the Revelation of the Gospel since his Ascension to believe and be perswaded that Christ died for him in particular though his perswasion be not full Rom. 3.25 and that I say is necessary For to believe to justification is to believe on God through Christ or in the bloud of Christ and that is from that that Christ as Mediator hath done and is further authorized to doe to be perswaded to rest on God for salvation by him Which I deny that any man can rightly come to except he believe that that which God hath done in Christ and that which Christ hath done as Mediator between God and man was done also for him I can Divinely gather no boldness from the bloud or sufferings of Christ to approach the Holies and look to God to save me further then by a Divine Faith that leans upon Gods testimony I am perswaded that those sufferings of Christ concerned me and were for me But let us see how M.O. goes on in this business and that is thus He says there is an order naturall in it self and established by Gods appointment in the things that are to be believed so that till some of them are believed the rest are not required As a man is not commanded nor can be reasonably to get to the top of the Ladder by skipping all the lower rounds But what makes this to prove the business in hand 1. This shews that a mau cannot come to believe with a justifying Faith the thing ex confesso required of them to whom the Gospel is preached except he orderly believe those things that lead unto it of which I contend That this is one to believe that God hath provided him Christ to be his Mediator and that he hath died for him and so that he hath good ground to believe in him and rely on God through him and so it makes for what I say but it proves not that every step in that order are not required of every one to whom the Gospel is preached that so he may come to that that is principally required viz. To justifying Faith His comparison is not worth a Rush to that purpose For though I would not rationally bid a man climb up into a chamber by a ladder and skip all the rounds save the highest yet I may rationally bid him climb up to it and go by all the rounds and so by the highest and I trow his not going up one step will not excuse him for not going all even up the highest too He that commands me to believe with a justifying faith surely commands me therein to go by every step that tends to it and to believe all that 's absolutely requisite for believing with that faith 2. He here speaks against his main Concession viz. That men that hear the Gospel are bound to believe with a justifying faith For here he says in substance That that 's not required till they have first believed the truths that lead to it and so Gods Commands shall be bounded by mans obedience If any man to whom the Gospel is preached shall deny to believe that there is such a one as Christ that man is not required of God to believe in Christ for its irrational to require him to believe in him till he hath first obeyed him in believing the other I suppose any man that understands reason will rather think that Mr. Owen had not the exercise of reason about him when he here talked of irrationality the first proof of his Argument contradicting his Argument For the Argument saith That they to whom the Gospel is preached are bound to believe with a justifying faith and the proof says it is irrational that they should be required to that till they believe that there is an object of faith To say nothing that the believing Christ to have died for a man is not the highest step to that faith as he supposeth But after this he sets down his order viz. 1. That men are to repent and believe the Gospel to be the Word of God to contain his Will and that Jesus Christ therein revealed is the power and wisdom of God to salvation 2. That there is an inseparable connexion between faith and salvation 3. That there be a conviction by the spirit of a necessity of a Redeemer to
gives a good answer by his resurrection that is by it as not only acted in Christ but as discovered to us in the word and as its that medium by which we behold Gods goodness toward us Rom. 3.25 and 5.1 And so the bloud of Christ Justifies us by faith in it as by vertue of the satisfaction made by it Christ presents us righteous being brought into him through the faith of it and so for sanctification it 's by his bloud sprinkled on us and through the power of the spirit working powerfully in us That place in Heb. 9.14 quoted by him p. 64. to prove sanctification to be an immediate product of his death is horribly mistake for it speaks not of his Death simply assuffered or his blood as presented by him to God but as sprinkled upon the conscience and therefore it s brought to answer the type of the red heifer Numb 19. which not by its death and oblation immediately sanctified the people but the ashes of it being reserved and after mixed with clean water and sprinkled on the unclean then Sanctified to the purifying of the flesh and not otherwise so also he hath misapplyed 2 Cor. 5.19 in his first chapter p. 2. bringing it to prove Reconciliation accomplished in the Death of Christ When the Apostle speaks but of it in fieri not in facto its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reconciling to the accomplishment of which in them he exhorts them in ver 20. Be ye reconciled unto God so in pag. 3. he hath to wrong purpose quoted Heb. 9.12 and 1 Pet. 2.24 as speaking of redemption or justification as accomplished upon men when they so far as he quotes them speak but of Christs finding or obtaining it of the father in himself or into his hand nor is it there expressed for whom or for how many he obtained it the words for us being not in the Text. Again he there misquotes Rom. 3.25 rendring it We have all sinned and are justified as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereas it is indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All have sinned being justifyed c. But I pass from these things His drift in all this he afterward in pag. 4. and more plainly chap. 3. lib. 2. discovers to us It s to beat down a spreading perswasion as he calls it of Christs giving himself aransome for all and every one a perswasion which the Teacher of the Gentiles in truth and verity broached in those very expressions 1. Tim. 2.5 6 7. Heb. 2.9 a sad time when men of parts study to oppose his doctrine totidem verbis in the very tearms that he delivered it in But Hic labor hoc opus est To this purpose the aforesaid considerations were laid down to be the foundation and Basis of an argument or two as to that purpose he hath inlarged them also lib. 2 cap. 3. producing more scriptures tending to the same thing to which those above mentioned were produced as That he shall save his people from their sins shall see his seed and carry on the pleasure of the Lord Sanctified himself that they may be Sanctified through the truth gave himself for us that he might deliver us from this present evil world was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him most or all of which we shall after meet with and speak more particularly to from all which he draws this argument That which the Father and Son intend to accomplish in and towards all those for whom Christ died by his death that is most certainly effected But the Father and Son intended by the Death of Christ to redeem purge sanctifie purifie deliver from Death Satan the curse of the Law to quit of all sin to make righteousness in Christ all those for whom he dyed Therefore He dyed for all and only those in and towards whom all those things recounted are effected and so not for All. This is a main pillar of his edifice let us by Gods assistance assay to shake and evert it And first not to speak to the form how the conclusion should have been inferred for the major if taken in this sense What the Father and Son did intend purpose and wholly take upon themselves absolutely to do by his death that was and shall be thereby effected His determinate purpose shall not fail so it s granted But if by intended we understand what he propoundeth as an end intended in which there may be something suspended in the proposition upon some condition in that way I say what ever is propounded as his intent may not be fulfilled and accomplished in All for whom he dyed But I know he intends it in the former sense and therefore 2. I shall deny the Minor and desire his proof for it namely that the Father and Son intended that is absolutely purposed and wholly took upon themselves without condition to redeem purge sanctify c. all for whom Christ died For 1. This is beside the scripture that saith He dyed for all but never that he so intended to purge sanctifie set free and save All. 2. It s against that intimation in Rom. 14.15 and 2 Cor. 8.11 that one for whom Christ dyed may possibly perish and makes a meer scare-Crow of the Apostles reasoning as if he would deter them from evils by propounding impossible consequences of it and suppositions quite contrary to the faith to say nothing that it thwarteth that too in 2 Pet. 2.1 3. None of all the Places quoted prove what is affirmed for either they say not that the object named is all that Christ died for but some specially distinguished from others by the intervention of faith either in the eye of God or in real existence in them as his people 1 Pet. 2.10 them that believe on him the Church that is a people called out of the world Vs who were then actually believers them that were given him out of the World had received his words believed were sent into the world by him to preach the Gospel to say nothing of his begging the question that by sanctifying himself he meanes his dying or setting himself apart to dye in Joh. 17.19 so that that Minor is peccant in that it wants proof none of those Scriptures saying that those things he aymed at in all he dyed for To illustrate the business the proof is like this It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe and he called you by the Gospel to the obtaining of the Glory of the Lord Jesus Ergo All to whom it pleased God that the Gospel should be preached shall be saved and obtain eternal Glory To propound as a truth that God intended to redeem purge and save All for whom Christ dyed and then to prove it by telling us he intended to do so to Vs that believe to his Church and people is as lame a proof as if I should propound for truth that God intended to
his Intercession as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Advocate in this assertion so I believe he will not prove it by Scripture And yet no need of saying he refused to do it for them it will be difficult I suppose for him to prove that the wisdom of God did see it meet to impose that upon him so to intercede for all that he dyed for And if it was not propounded to him though he do it not yet may he not be said either to refuse or omit it It becomes us to believe what God hath declared not to deliver for truths or impositions of God what our fancies conceive he must have imposed where he hath declared no such imposition he hath said Christ dyed for all but where he saith he makes intercession for all or for all he dyed for I leave to Mr. Owen to finde and I would he would remember his own language in the Preface To honor God and Christ in his own language or else be for ever silent and that our inventions be they never so splendid and I add rational too in our eyes yet to him they are abomination God doth not act alwayes according to our rules do the lesser where he hath done the greater but may suspend the lesser upon condition if it so please him as he doth not alway supply with bread and keep from perishing by famine him that he hath given life to though the life be more then food and a man that believes and walks in Gods ways may reason affirmatively as our Saviour instructs us Math. 6.25 but let us view his pretended proofes of it from Scripture The first is Psal 2.8 Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession c. But doth that say That Christ should make intercession for all he died for no such matter nor is there a word about inerceding for any but that they should be given him as his inheritance and possession and if that be his intercession there then it s extended to all elect and others the Nations and the utmost parts of the earth not an elect people onely but even those that he should rule with an iron rod and break in pieces as a Potters vessel I hope Mr. Owen thinks not at least will not prove that God rules his Church Tam duro imperio so as to break them in pieces as a Potters vessel make them unprofitable or that he rules them onely so nor I suppose upon second thoughts will he say that the next place that he quotes viz. Joh. 14.2 I go to prepare a place for you is either a good exposition of that in Psal 2.8 as if his going to prepare a place for his Disciples was asking them for his inheritance to rule them with an iron rod or proves that he went to entercede for all he died for nor doth Heb. 9.7 say any thing to that purpose but that the high Priest went into the second Tabernacle once a year with the blood that he offered for the ignorances of the people nor sayes ver 24. That Christ appears in the presence of God to intercede for All that he died for much less as an Advocate and as the Apostles speak of his intercession with reference to believers The 1 Joh. 2.1 2. which he nextly quotes extends his Propitiation beyond his Advocation and doth not speak of the one as largely as the other Minde the words We have an advocate and he is the propitiation for our sins I hope the Our there is as large as the We of whom he had said We have an advocate that Our being a repetition of and so the same with the former We but now see his Propitiation expresly extended further And not for our sins onely but also for the whole worlds so that that makes more against his Assertion then for it It s true that his Advocation as he saies is founded upon his propitiation and may be found in exercise for the same persons as there is proved We have an Advocate who is the propitiation for our sins but that the Advocation must therefore extend to all the same persons that the propitiation reaches to is a fond inference like this A Prince by his favor with a King and by his own great cost and charge mediating for twenty men condemned forfelony gets a pardon for them all therefore when afterwards ten of them love and honor him yet have their failings and the other ten openly rebell against him still and reject his love he must keep them all still in the Kings special favor if he keep any of them therein The roof of the house and every particular Chamber of it is built upon and upheld by the foundation therefore every Chamber must be every way as large as it so that hitherto this Assertion wants proof of Scripture That of John 17.9 proves it not neither for that saies I pray not for the world but the Scripture saies God was in him reconciling the world and that he came to save the world and indeed good reason for his not praying as there for the world whether the Elect in purpose and fore-knowledg or not for his requests there are onely for things consequent to faith as Union Preservation in Faith Sanctification and Glorification and therefore meet to be put up for none but men called out or viewed as called out of the state and fellowship of the world that in ver 20. though its for persons as then of the world yet as such they are not there the object of his prayer but as supposed in an after-believing state even as when a King grants to the Mayor of a Corporation the honor of having a Sword or the like born before him and saies neither give I this honor to thee onely but to all succeeding Mayors of this Corporation also and to none else the subject of that Grant is a Mayor as a Mayor of that Corporation though in saying such as shall be Mayors its plain the Grant reaches to persons as are then that not so perhaps then not born and yet the expression is true that it s given to none but the Mayor of that Corporation for they that after shall be Mayors and now are not are not the subject of that Grant as now unborn or unfree but as after they come to be made Mayors so here they that are of the world now may come to be such persons as there are prayed for and yet the world as and while the world wholly excluded from being the subject to whom those postulataes are desired to be given And to Mr. Owens saying that the world there is opposite to the Elect except by Elect he mean men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is gathered out of the world as the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie is yet to prove and his Assertion too looses by the bargaine Though yet
thing I know not what is CHAP. II. On the latter part of his third Chapter lib. 2. in which he urges the phrases For many and for the sheep and pretends to answer what T. Moore hath observed about them HE proceeds in the next place to application and to demonstrate this Assertion That Jesus Christ according to the Councel and will of his Father did offer himself on the cross to the procurement of eternal salvation with all the branches and means of it and makes continual Intercession with this intent and purpose that all the good things so procured by his death might be actually and infallibly bestowed on and applyed to All and every one for whom he dyed according to the will and counsel of God A position manifestly false for then we must all be Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers nay have a name above every name c. for these things Christ procured by his death But to pass that He endeavors to make good this by a threefold consideration 1. From Scriptures holding out the intention and counsel of God 2. From Scriptures laying down the actual accomplishment or effect of his oblation 3. From those that point out the persons for whom Christ dyed His prevarications and weakness in the pointing out and arguing from each of which we sufficiently shewed in our answer to the first Chapter of his first Book and therefore here shall add only this That his arguments run but to this purpose Some one subordinate end of Christs death only agrees to some therefore he dyed only for those and with no respect to the supream end dyed for any other and so by consequence God hath no glory brought to him by the death of Jesus Christ but only in and from the Elect and Christ hath got no glory from any other but them he leaving them as he found them and doing nothing in his mediation for them Truly God and Christ are not beholding to Mr. Owen for his arguing So again Believers have had such and such effects in and by the death of Christ believed in by them therefore he dyed only for them like this such as go to a feast are well refreshed by eating it therefore it was made for no more then them that go to it or this Such prisoners being ransomed and following the Prince that ransomed them met with such bounty from him Therefore he ransomed none but them And again Many were ransomed Ergo not All. God made Israel Therefore he made no body else c. but no more to them arguments only there are diverse passages in the latter part of this Chapter from p. 79. that we have not spoken to and therefore shall take them in here As He denies that the death of Christ in any place of Scripture is said to be for all men For Answer to which I desire the Reader to turn to 1 Tim. 2.5 6. Heb. 2.9 Rom. 5.18 I know his objection is elswhere that the word Men is not in the original To which I answer first That by the same reason he may say that in Rom. 5.12 It s not affirmed that All men sinned seeing its but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word Men is not expressed and the like in 1 Cor. 15.22 that All men dyed not in Adam But 2. The word Men is expresly in Rom. 5.18 And 3. The word Men is the substantive clearly to be supplyed because the whole precedent speech was about men All men to be prayed for 1 Tim. 2.1 and expresly verse 4. that God would have All men to be saved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and that demonstrated by this that there is but one God and one Mediator between God and men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for All. For All what must it not needs be men between whom and God he is a Mediator and whom he tels us God would have to be saved All men and so in Heb. 2.9 was not the Apostle admiring Gods goodness to man Lord what is man and the Son of man exalting man above all his works which is now verified in one Man Jesus that dyed for every one What can it be referred to as before spoken about but man or the sons of men But of this we shall have cause to speak further hereafter That there are more ends of the death of Jesus Christ then what is the immediate fruit of it by way of ransome and propitiation before faith in it we have shewed in the conclusion of the first Book and upon his first Chapter of the second Some fruits there are of it from God towards men before faith and while in state of unbelief as the opening the door for entrance and for exhortations to strive to enter a feast prepared in Christ and a way of participating of it made and invitations vouchsafed as in Matth. 22.4 Prov. 9.3 4 5. Luk. 13.24 and those for and to more then enter and eat other fruits there are of it that flow in upon faith as satisfaction justification sanctification the contents of the new Testament c. And he that cannot see these to be distinct fruits and produced for or upon diverse objects and objects diversly considered is blinde and cannot see afar off nor into the things evidently held forth in the Gospel And what the ransome either immediately with God and for men or mediately upon and in men produceth were subordinate ends and aimes that Christ had in his eye upon his death as Mr. Owen himself also implies when he makes the ends of Christs death to be coincident with its effects His following observation objected against that that where the word many is used there are more ends of Christs death mentioned I shall pass it being not material and in some passages at least doubtful But in page 80. To this exception of ours Christs death is not limited to many and to his sheep c. as the ransome and propitiation as if he dyed for them only he tels us 1. That Christ saying he dyed for his sheep and Church and Scripture witnessing that all are not his sheep they conclude and argue by undeniable consequence that he dyed not for those that are not so At which assertion I can but wonder when first I heard of Mr. Owens Book he was so commended to me for a disputant that I could not expect any such lame arguments from him If we must take his saying of a thing to be an infallible proof that it s so then we have done with him but sure no Logick rule or good reason that I have ever met with can prove this assertion Had he said Christ saying he dyed for his sheep and the Scripture saying all are not his sheep it argues that in that saying he extended not the speech there about his Death to All he had spoken reason but to argue that because he mentions no more there as the object of his Death therefore he had no greater
should not serve sin But quorsum haec how doth this prove that all that Christ dyed for are and shall be sanctified by his blood Why he tels us That the fifth verse says That a participation in the death of Christ shall be accompanyed with a conformity to him in his Resurrection But what mean you Sir by a participation in it an having part in it or being a part of the object of it If so which word in ver 5. says so That says He that 's planted into the likeness of it not he that Christ died for Surely if Mr. Owen had dealt fairly he should have kept the same tearms in both branches of his Assertion as the Apostle doth thus Conformity to Christ in his death shall be followed with a conformity to him in his Resurrection Sure if planting into the likeness of him signify conformity to him in the latter branch as it doth it signifies so in the former too it being the very same maner of expression But Mr. Owen hath a little too much art of making quidlibet de quolibet But what follows The words of the later verse yield a reason of the former Assertion Because our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed c. What gathers he from that why this That our sinful corruption and depravation of Nature are by his Death and crucifying meritoriously slain and disabled from such a rule and dominion over us as that we should be servants to them But suppose this was the Apostles sense That Christ merited that such as are planted into the likeness of his Death by Baptism or conformed to him in his Death should have their sins subdued in them will it therefore follow That he says all that he died for shall be so conformed to him or shall have their sins subdued in them Let Reason judg of that Consequence But which word in the Text signifies a Meritorius slaying I suppose he means the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If so I deny it That signifies there a real crucifying in us according to that in Gal 5.24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh c. That is have nailed it upon the Cross that is the Grace and Spirit of God which is cross to it and lusts against it they have given it up to be mortified by the Spirit that so the body of Sin might be destroyed It is not destroyed yet nor doth the Apostle say so as well he might if he had spoken of a meritorious slaying for what concerns the matter of Merit that is already accomplished though the thing merited be not But when was this crucifying I answer when the soul was brought to give up it self to Christ and not before Rom. 6.4 5. when it was Baptized into his Death not in the outward onely but chiefly in the inward spiritual Baptism 1 Pet. 3.21 and so begun to be planted into the likeness of it But perhaps he will say The word is Crucified with Christ and therefore must be referred to what was done in his crucifying I answer no It signifies but a companionship in being crucified as he was or after his similitude not a thing done when he was crucified as Col. 2.12 we are said to be buried with him but when was that He says not in his being buried but in Baptism which is a thing not inwardly accomplished no nor begun before believing And so You that were dead in sins and trespasses hath he quickned with him the quickning men up to hope in God and bringing them from their dead condition in which before believing they lay without hope is said to be with Christ Yea when we suffer for Christ and dye for his Name we are said to suffer and dye with him 2 Tim. 2.11 12. Rom. 8.17 which are not to be referred to the time of his suffering and dying as if we then suffered and died meritoriously with him So that first express saying is pressed too injuriously to speak for Mr. Owen besides its proper intention Again He brings 2 Cor. 1.20 All the Promises of God are in Christ Yea and in him Amen Which says nothing that God hath promised that All that Christ died for should be sanctified and cleansed from all their sins but that in him all the promises are surely to be met with The Covenant we have spoken to before That 's made or rather promised to be made with the House of Israel and the House of Judah of which houshold men are not accounted till brought to Christ to believe as is plain Ephe. 2.12 17 18 19. After Christ hath preached peace to us and given us access to the Father then we are of the houshold of God and fellow Citizens with the Saints The promise of circumcising the heart which he mentions as most famous in the New Covenant follows after obeying the voice of God in listning to his Son Deut. 30.1 2 3 4 5 6. so the Apostle intimates 2 Cor. 3.16 When the heart turns to the Lord the vail shall be taken away which I conceive answers to Circumcising the heart As impertinent to his purpose is that in Heb. 9.23 of purging the heavenly things except he prove that All that Christ died for are heavenly men even before believing and before their calling to God with a heavenly call And that in Col. 1.14 of the believer brought to Christ receiving and having the Redemption in him with which agrees the 1 Cor. 1.30 which says not all that he died for are made wise redeemed righteous c. by him but they that are in him by faith as see Rom. 16 7. have him in the vertue of his blood and by his Spirit for wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption As impertinent is his allegation of Heb. 2.14 To destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil that he might free those that by reason of death or through the fear of death rather were all their life time subject to bondage No more is his Probandum proved by that then that all that Christ spake to are saved can be proved by that in Joh. 5.34 These things speak I to you you that had neither heard the voice of God nor seen his face And who will not come unto me that ye might have life ver 38.40 that ye might be saved Or from this That he brought us into Egypt that he might bring us into Canaan that all that came out of the one entred into the other Nor is there any more consequence from the other places mentioned in Ephes 5.25 26. and Tit. 2.14 He gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie it provided in his death for the perfecting those that should believe in him Ergo All he died for shall be sanctified and saved So that the contrary to his Conclusion is true that he hath in no one place proved what was by him undertaken But to take off this that we say Many
to free Grace but leaves it still as free to some as if the Death of Christ obliged him to bestow such grace upon them Grace bestowed without an obligation to it is as free as grace bestowed upon obligation Nor set we up the power of Free will to the sleighting or undervaluing of Free-grace For we say that its grace that gives men that freedom to good they have and its mens abusing the freedom given by grace and turning grace into wantonness and not improving it but receiving it in vain that brings destruction upon many Therefore we exhort men so to magnifie grace as to believe and receive it and that not in vain and fault men because they will abuse the liberty that God gives them of his goodness and grace chusing their own ways and not his refusing to come to Christ c. And I think in such language the Scripture speaketh Nor do we 4. Contradict the received doctrine of our natural depravedness and inability to good We say that what power men have to good they have it in and by Gods striving with them light manifested in them and grace preventing them and that otherwise they are wholly unable to any thing that is good Nor say we 5. That a natural faculty is able to produce of it self without some spiritual elevation an act purely spiritual no more then the blinde mans natural act of washing was able to produce a supernatural gift of sight to him and so neither are we guilty of contradicting right reason Nor 2. Must we resolve almost the sole cause of our salvation ultimately into our selves as being able to make all that God and Christ do to that end effectuall or ineffectuall This we have before disproved And here say again That we leave it in the Power and Will of God to use what means he pleases to any man and how long and compell whom he will to come in and believe And yet it follows not that either Christ obliged God to do it to this and that man or much less to All for whom he died the thing he should have proved which he further endeavors after these premises by the following Arguments viz. Argu. 1 The death of Jesus Christ purchased holiness and sanctification for us as was proved at large Argument 8. But faith is a part of our sanctification and holiness Ergo he procured faith for us If this Argument should be wholly granted yet his Assertion goes unproved viz. That he hath purchased faith for All for whom he died The word Vs being applicative may be diversly expounded as Vs that are of this Nation Vs that are of this minde Vs that believe c. and so its ambiguous But if by Vs he means All for whom he died then the Major with the eight Argument brought to uphold it is already disproved Beside the Minor is questionable whether Faith be a part of our sanctification VVe are sanctified by Faith its true that 's the instrument that receives it but that no more proves it a part thereof then that the Israelites were healed by looking to the brazen Serpent proves their looking to it a part of their healing The Church Ephes 5.26.27 as a Church are a people called and believing and them he is to sanctifie and will sanctifie but that rather proves Sanctification a consequent of Faith then Faith a part of that sanctification All the fruits of Election are purchased by Christ Argu. 2 But Faith is a fruit of Election c. The Major is proof-less and deficient too for it should have been general as to the object of his Death thus All the fruits of Election were purchased by Christ for All he died for or it concludes not if he mean it so then I deny it as he takes the word purchase and desire his proof for it Nor yet is the Minor without exception Luke 8.17 For faith is scarce a fruit of Election in all that believe except such as believe for a time were elected for a time too His proofs as they reach not that so neither are they all pertinent to what he brings them In Eph. 1.4 the Vs is the Saints and faithful ver 1. if not of a narrower signification as distinct from the persons spoken to as the 12 13. verses seem to import as first speaking of their own experiences and priviledges and then of theirs At furthest the Text extends it but to Saints and faithful in Christ blest with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in him And so it shews that it was according to the eternal purpose and counsel of God that men in Christ should be holy in him and that in chusing Christ before the world was they also were by consequent chosen He chose not either in Adam or in the Law or in mens selves but in * See further about this place in the Epistle to the Reader Christ a holy people for himself which holiness is a consequent of mens faith and being in Christ as was said before and as is proved 1. Cor. 1.30 I question too whether Rom. 8.29 says that unbelievers as so eyed was the object of predestination and not men fore-known as future believers to which in time they are called So that though that Scripture in a manner couples them yet it says not Faith at least in all that believe is the fruit of Predestination or Election Much more is that in 1 Cor. 4.7 impertinent to that it s brought for for as Beza also expounds it and as any man that seriously mindes the Apostles duft in the three foregoing Chapters and in the verse before may see the Apostle is not speaking of men differenced from the world by believing in comparison with the world but of believers differing from one another in gifts and crying up one above another according to that difference or lifting up themselves for that one above another Nor is the difference he speaks of in the act of believing as if one had believed and another not as if he had said Who made thee to receive but in the matter of their receits who had all received something What hast thou that thou hast not received The meaning is Believers are not to lift up themselves or one another one above another for their gifts in that one hath more or better gifts then another and so not to fault and disown them that have less and dote on them that have more But they may fault and disown them that believe not and commend them that do and they have good warrant so to do which they might not if the want of Faith in men was because there was none for them A company of poor beggers receiving alms some six pence some a shilling have no cause to brag one over another and fault one another when the gift was free to each and not out of desert to any more then other yet they may fault other beggers and glory over them that were slothful
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Draw me not with the wicked c. So that as this place is beg'd for his purpose so it s impertinently indeavored to be confirmed That Rev. 5.9 Is the interpretation of that Text Joh. 12.32 the Scripture tells him not that 's beg'd and untrue also For if they were the All who are called the four Beasts and twenty four Elders who and what then were those 144000 mentioned to sing before those Beasts and Elders and said also to be redeemed Rev. 14.2 3 4. which number of 144000. agrees with the number of the sealed Chap. 7. Besides whom were yet an innumerable number out of all Nations Kindreds c. If the first were the All spoken of by Christ who were the other two numbers exceeding that All The following proof of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I conceive impertinent too for Did they take for Tithe the tenth species onely and not rather the tenth individual in Geometrical or Arithmetical proportion of every species And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if Christ cured not every particular disease of the people where he was and that were brought unto him for of them onely he there speaketh So his instance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2.8 That it cannot mean every individual place I Answer It means any individual place where ever men come none that I know excepted And that in opposition to an elected place onely as formerly in Jerusalem And if Mr. Owen will but grant us the same liberty of interpreting the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in verse 4. and 6. We desire no more I know not that the Apostle excepts either heaven or hell when the believers come into them but they may pray in them Paul conversed in heaven and I believe he prayed there too in his there conversing Phil. 3.20 and for Hell Jonas prayed out of the belly of it Jonas 2. And why others may not too that can pray I know not if ever God try them so far as to cast them into it His other Exceptions I pass over the whole Postulatum if granted being not material against us as we shall see I hope in due place He gives us some conclusions about the signification of the word All as 1. That it signifies All believers so as to be restrained to them So he says it is in Rom. 5.18 To all men to justification of life But there he is manifestly out For the Apostle himself subjoyns the Substantive to the word All All men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the word Man is equipollent to the word Believer is another question which I leave for Mr. Owen to prove For for my part I think not that all men are onely believers and none but they men The 1. Cor. 15.22 In Christ all shall be made alive He says is not All men but All believers onely In which he intimately asserts one of these two Propositions either that all men shall not rise or be quickned to life again or that it shall not be in or by Christ for so this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often signifies quoting Epes 4.10 He tell us That he might fill all things signifies That he might onely fill all believers And so that in Psal 33.5 may not be applied to Christ That the earth is full of his goodness Which as I am not bound to believe it because I have but Mr. Owens word for it so neither do I no more then that there is or may be no act of justification in any sense no not in the publike person none to life without faith because that 's the ordinary way to life eternal 2. He says All is used sometimes for some of All sorts it s the same he said before only he backs it with another impertinent proof for Jer. 31.34 says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all of them that is of the house of the Judah and Israel in the latter dayes not of All sorts of men and sure it is all the Israel of God the confessors of his goodness in faith that are taken into the Covenant and shall know God not only some of all sorts of them and whereas the Apostle Paul translates it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All in Heb. 8.11 he supplies the want of the Pronoun Affix in the next phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and I hope All from the least of them to the greatest of them is as plain as All of them he quotes also the 1 Tim. 2.1 2. and tells us he thinks the Apostle by All means All sorts and so he doth but that he means but some of All sorts is void of proof for he saith not some Kings and some peasants but Kings and all in Authority he names but one Genus of men men in authority and he says all of that sort And why not all of all the other sorts as well as that I expect some reason more then I shall meet with before I believe it Why all Merchants all beggars c. may not as well as all in authority be the object of my prayers I know no reason I think I have as good ground to think All of the one shall be saved as All of the other So that these are but impertinent observations to the purpose But then 3. He would have us compare the Generall expressions of the old and New Testament together the Lord affirming in the New to be done what was foretold in the old should be done so that they are answerable to and expository one of another Well I accept the motion but then this comparison must be adidem but so Mr. Owen compares not for he compares prophecies of the conversion of Nations families to the Death of Christ for all and his mediation for them but this is not equal The dying of Christ for a man was not the fulfilling of the prophecy of the conversion of that man and of his coming to Christ Act. 15.9 13 48. Col. 1.6 Those prophecies agree with these speeches God put no difference between them and us after that by faith he had purifyed their hearts and this The Gentiles glorified the Word of the Lord believed so many as were ordained to eternall life and this The Gospel is come to you as in all the world and brings forth fruit as it doth also in you and many the like But that he gave himself a ransome for All and is the propitiation of the sins of the whole world expound these praedictions of the conversion of All Nations I deny for these say not All believe or come to his holy mountain c. that invitation in Isa 45.22 Look to me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth is a call not a propheticall assertion That all the ends of the earth shall look to him and be saved So that this also is but a fruitless inept comparison Whereas he says when God saith he will wipe off
restored made righteous justified by the redemption that is in Christ Jesus the righteousness which is by the faith of Jesus Christ being unto All c. Thus M. Owen relates him upon which he infers What remains then but that All should be saved the Holy Ghost affirming that all those whom he justifies he also glorifies Rom. 8.30 thence runs into that Rhetorick which as we shewed above belongs to his Doctrine Solvite mortales curas Besides which he excepts also against his parenthesis and quotation of Rom. 3.22 to which I shall first Answer and then to his Inference 1 He says he knowes not what he means by secretly invisibly and in some sort inexpressibly sure he supposes not that these things may be made the Objects of our senses I answer He doth here Nodum in scirpo quarrels at what is true without exception for may not both sinne and death be both seen and felt in their power inwardly doth not all the powers of a man feel the paines of Death and the conscience see and feel the guilt of sinne and yet no one of all them condemned in Adam in that day of his sentencing felt them but Adam nor could they not being as yet descended from him and yet all of them were virtually condemned and should have perished in him had not Christ stept in are there not sensus interni as well as externi why else cals the Apostles some men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 4.19 And is not this imputation in some sort inexpressible can any set it out to the full If they can I would I could see them do it 2. He cals him Impostor c. because he quotes but part of Rom. 3.22 the righteousnesse of God by the faith of Jesus Christ unto All c. And is this is such a piece of evill as to make him worthy the name of a wicked Impostor because he stopt there and cited not the following passage and upon all than believe which he apprehends to speak to a further businesse What name deserved M. O. then for gelding the Text in Lu. 2.34 as we noted at the close of the 3d. Chapter Sure he was there the Impostor Alas how many such advantages might I have taken to have given M. O. such Epethites for leaving out adding altering expressions of Scripture more groundlesly That the righteousnesse of God is unto All the Apostle sayes and that was as much as he needed in that passage to make use of but that it comes upon all that believe pertaines to his following consideration and is frequently acknowledged by him and whereas M. Owen says the word Believe pertains to both All 's it s but his conception the Text is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore except he give us some proof for it Mr. Moore and I too may question what he says yea and make use of this part of the verse too to prove That the Righteousness of God according to the Gospel-Declaration is to All without deserving the name of Impostors this very place Rom. 5.18 holding out that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justification is to All men may warrant us to understand that so without danger of heresie or imposture but that it comes upon as many as it extends towards I have no such Scripture proof to warrant me Surely Dr. Preston in his Treatise of Faith about pag. 8. asking whom Gods Righteousness is giving to and answering to All without exception thought it not an Imposture but called it the ground of all comfort or consolation nor made he such a conclusion Ergo it comes upon All and so All shall be saved Solvite mortales curas c. But I shall now pass to his Inference And first I note That Mr. Owon deales fraudulently with T. Moore in relating him for whereas by way of distinction and to prevent mistake he says That this recovery is in Christ so as that in him and by him in that done and wrought in his own body they are again redeemed restored and made righteous and that it might be said as things are looked upon in Christ who was in the room of All that as all in the former respect have sinned c. so all are justified freely by his grace c. This clause In him and as things are looked upon in Christ which was the principal distinguishing clause in this parallel he wholy omits and fals upon the rest as if he had said They are in themselves justified redeemed restored c. and then upon this man of Clouts he falls very fouly as if he beat all to pieces Master Moores comparison in it The leaving out that Clause which was the most special thing in it made way for all the following absurdities that Mr. Owen puts upon him and the keeping that in would Answer them all For a man may be all this in another and yet not the better for it in the issue For I ask Were not we once all righteous holy innocent in the image of God in Adam Did not God make us so there And what now shall we infer holy and righteous and yet condemned dye accursed will God cast his own Image into hell And shall we produce the Scriptures that the righteous shall shine as stars in the Firmament but all were made righteous in Adam Ergo All shall shine as stars in the Firmament but this is untrue and contrary to Scripture Many shall perish Ergo All were not righteous in Adam Who would not hiss out such reasonings Again All were sinners and condemned to death in Adam yet Enoch never died and Elias was taken up into heaven and many shall be glorious with Christ Like this The Kingdom is all at peace and agreed with the King in its body Representative the Parliament therefore none in the Kingdom opposeth him nor shall any ever be condemned by him suppose he come to power for doing any thing against him Auditum admissi risum teneamus Christ the representative person was justified and so all justified and restored in him Therefore all men in their own persons shall be eternally saved He cleared the score for them as Death was come upon them in Adam Therefore though they remain Rebels yet in themselves they must be saved These things being the off-spring of Mr. Owens fraudulency how impertinently is that Scripture quoted by him Rom. 8.30 that speaks of justification as coming upon men by receit of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that he justified he glorified And again How vain is his inference whom he justified he glorified Ergo all that he justified he glorifies too Might we not by the like authority from this foregoing passage whom he called them he justified deny that wisdom called those in Prov. 1.24 That she gave over to destruction and those many that were but some of them chosen Matth. 22.14 or else he must of necessity grant that either
we look upon perfection as provided in himself for them viz. that thereby they are so compleatly furnished with all things needful for them that they need not to turn any whither else for any perfection he being a fountain of living waters for them or if we understand it of his former dealings in all times propounded as an encouragement for our abiding in him he hath for ever perfected his sanctified ones by that one Sacrifice and therefore we may comfortably attend to him in and by that for perfecting us also nothing being able to keep us from that perfection to be had in and by it but our renouncing that that is appointed for our perfection That many do believe for a time and turn away again is affirmed in Scripture as also that that faith was operative in them to make them rejoyce and spring up as the green corn on the stony ground yea to purge them from their former sins to give them to escape the pollutions of the world through lust to make them devote themselves to God c. which I think is that the Apostle calls their sanctification So that except Mr. Owen can produce a Scripture that says That All that are ever sanctified by the bloud of the Covenant shall not nor can perish but shall be eternally saved his instance is not parallel with this in hand That admonitions and warnings of things that in regard of Gods purpose shall never come to pass are not in vain and fruitless we grant it being supposed that such a purpose hath appointed to keep off such an issue by such admonitions those admonitions and warnings being taken and submitted to by them to they are given But that ever God so purposed concerning all that at any time or in any degree are sanctified and that none such ever do or can reject such warnings and fall away is the thing in question and to be proved First before we can grant that so it is here and that that strengthens our conception to the contrary beside what is said above is what the Apostle says ver 25. where he tels us some were in those waies that lead to this back-sliding with reference to whom he admonishes them the more earnestly and backs this warning with these threatnings 3. He tels us that these made profession of all these things and that an open renouncing these deserved such a commination though the Apostates never had any such true interest in the bloud of Christ c But I answer that their professing such things as they had not is both a devise of which the Text speaketh nothing and it comes not up to the case by the Apostle propounded nor suites with the type to which he alludes for he alludes to the people in the wilderness that were really delivered from the Egyptian bondage and had the bloud of the Old Covenant sprinkled upon them as really as others though they made not so good an use of it nor were perswaded to such stedfastnesse in the Covenant by it he speaks of such despising the Law as the Law it self declares Now to match with this such as onely boasted of those things but Christ never did any of them to them and so that had no such reall ingagement to Christ as they had to Moses is unparallel Beside the case propounded is thus what such a one is worthy of that being so sanctified should despise that bloud that sanctified him not what he is worthy of that never having such an engagement to that bloud but onely boasting himself of it should despise it so that that 's impertinent too 4. He saith It was the manner of the Saints and Apostles to speak of all baptized persons as sanctified and so mentions back-sliders as they were esteemed so to be To which I answer as before that that is to make the Apostles not to write in things Dogmaticall and Doctrinall after an infallible Spirit but after a fallible judgement of their own and other mens Besides the Scriptures say not they so judged of any in their writings that were not so But suppose they did so yet after what rule walked they in so doing He says in Chap 1. the rule of charity to which I answer that that might perhaps be ground for so speaking of men while they walked in the Doctrine and Profession of the Church but no ground for so speaking of Apostates as such That 's not charity to suppose that a man that doth so trample under foot the Son of God sin wilfully after the knowledge of the truth c. to have ever been sanctified by the bloud of Christ if they that so do never were or could be so or if those that ever were so could never do as is here supposed 5. He says if the Text be interpreted positively and according to the truth of the thing then these two things follow 1 Faith and Sanctifition are not the fruits of Election Ans That follows not but onely this That then All Faith and Sanctification are not the fruits of such an Election as he speaks of And that 's true enough For I suppose he will say the faith in them that fell away compared to the springing up of seed on stony ground was not the fruit of Election nor yet that goodness of conscience that some put away nor that escaping of pollutions that others fell from all which I look upon as equivalent to this sanctification and indeed to be the very thing here spoken of 2. That believers may fall finally away which I do believe they may such as we have spoken of and I think Christ himself implies it too and all that Mr. Owen can say cannot disprove it 6. He says Nothing in the Text inforces that these persons spoken of must needs be truly justified and regenerated believers much lesse that Christ dyed for them but onely by strained consequences The first part of which is not to our purpose how far they were believers or how regenerated but for the latter of them that Christ dyed for them will inevitably follow both from that it s said There remains no more sacrifice for sin upon such sinning which to me implies that there was one for them till then and also in that such are said to have been sanctified by the bloud of the Covenant except he can shew that ever the bloud of a sacrifice sanctified any for whom and whose sanctification it was never shed Whereas he says The ancients called Baptisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which by a solemn aspersion of the symbole of the bloud of Christ they were externally sanctified set apart c. intimating that the Apostle might mean but that too it s too weak He should tell us how the Apostles use to call things not how other Ancients and particularly that the Apostles ever call the outward Baptisme or the Water in it the bloud of Christ and their Baptisme the being sanctified by that bloud though it was