efficacie in Christs blood for thee to comfort pacifie and save thy soul then for others that are damned That which a flords real comfort and peace is distinguishing grace and love and I pray you what distinguishing grace is there to one more then another according to the doctrine of Universal Grace and Redemption What peace joy comfort What ground of assurance can a poor soul draw from this Doctrine Herein I shall appeal to a wounded spirit a broken heart that will with meekness hearken to good counsel but as for such as go on in a way of pride and carnal presumption as I cannot but pity them so I shall not wonder though they scoff at the Doctrine of special and effectual grace and redemption special grace will not be prized by men that are full of self confidence but by the self denying soul Lastly The vigorous promoting this doctrine of universal redemption in City Country Army is a ready way to reconcile us to Rome oh what an introduction it makes what an inlet it opens to the worst of popish opinions as conditional elections See Eph. 1.4 5 9 11. 2 Tim. 1 9 Rom 9.11 1 Cor 2.14 Eph 2.1 Phil 2.13 Eph 1.18 19 Ioh 5.25 Rom 8.7 Iohn 7.44 45. Ioh 3.6 Rom 5.12 14 Psal 5.5 that somthing in the creature or done by the creature in time is the cause or condition of Gods decree in predestination That the natural man hath free will and power of himself without spiritual grace to believe in Christ to eternal life if the word of faith be morally propounded to him in the external ministry That there is no such thing as original sin and that all infants dying in infancy are saved not only the infants of believers but of Jews Turks Heathens Atheists How inconsistent this is with Antipaedo-baptisme I shall not now dispute but I suppose the most sober and rational of that judgement will easily apprehend that these two cannot hang together namely that all infants are in a covenant of grace and in a state of salvation and yet that the outward visible seale belongs not to them This opinion of universal redemption is accompanyed with that sad black See Rom 8 38 39 Ier 31.3 Ioh 13.1 Heb 8 12 Iohn 10 27 1 Iohn 5 12 1 Ioh 3 9 dismal and uncomfortable doctrine that a man may finally apostatise and fall away from a state of grace and salvation he may be a true believer a member of Christ in a state of grace and justification to day and yet a limbe of Satan and in a state of wrath and condemnation to morrow Oh how sad and uncomfortable is this to a poor soul what sad discouragements an dispondencies of spirit may this expose a broken heart unto Hence also it is that the Scriptures are debased and vilified For if Christ as mediator be savingly revealed in and by the inanimal creatures the Sun Moon Stars and fruitful seasons as one of the ablest and most daring of that way publikely affirmed in a dispute in London Mr John Goodwin in a dispute with Mr Sym now printed Is not this a ready way to render the glorious word of the Gospel contemptible and may it not well harden the Jews Turkes and Heathens and keep them off from hearing the Gospel preached to tell them that Christ dyed for every man and that salvation through Christ is revealed by Sun Moon and Stars though they have not the written words Here is a doctrine indeed that will please the papist well and therefore we need not wonder that the late innovators a As Dr Laud Mountag Cozens Pockling Heyling did contend so furiously for universal redemption freewill apostacy from grace and other points of Arminianisme and that they preserred such as incline thereunto discountenancing the most faithful and Orthodox ministers of the contrary judgement for they knew that these points would be as so many fit expedients to bring us over and reconcile us to the papacy But as this doctrine was promoted and propagated by formall superstitious men who were enemies to the power and spirit and life of godliness and the preachers and professors thereof so it was much opposed and the contrary asserted by the most reverend ministers of Christ * Preston Sibbs Bayne Hooker Twisse Pemble Ames Cotten Who have left behind them a sweet savor many of them being at rest with the Lord and for whom the whole Church of Christ have and will ever have cause to bless his name But if Christ did not dy for every man and woman in the world Object then I have no ground to believe that he dyed for me This is but a meer fiction Answer for first It is no where said in Scripture that Christ dyed for thee by name John Thomas Robert c. there is no such particular personall scripture revelation and therefore that cannot be the ground of thy faith but that which thou art bound to believe and to rest upon is that Christ dyed for all those sinners that shall truly believe on him whether Jews or Gentiles and if thou believe on him and accept him for thy Saviour Husband Lord and King and resigne up thy seif to him thou mayst then conclude to the comfort of thy soule that Christ dyed for thee and that thou shalt be saved The argument lies thus whosoever believeth on Christ shall be saved But I believe in Christ therefore I shall be saved God so loved the world Ioh. 3.16 18. that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life 1 Tim. 1.15 He that believeth on him is not condemned he that hath the Son hath life This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners By him all that believe are justified from all things Acts 13.39 from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses Secondly It belongs to the Will of God's purpose and good pleasure and is a secret voluntas propositi aut beneplaciti whom Christ dyed for in particular neither canst thou comfortably know it as to thy owne soule till thou hast a particular faith of assurance and therefore you are not to fetch the ground of your faith from thence but you are to look to the will of Gods precept commanding and incouraging you to believe they are to obey the command of God to have a respect to the generality of the offer of Grace and to this call and invitation of God in the ministry of the word Come unto me all ye that are weary and I will give you rest Mat. 11.28 Rev. 22.27 Whoever will let him take of the water of life freely This is open and revealed the other is secret and hid nor caâ—t thou have a particular evidence of Christ dying for thee til the spirit of God come work special faith in thy heart and
as for God's command to thee to use the means that thou mayst believe and repent it is not grounded upon Christ's dying for thee in particular but on the connexion and harmony which is between the mean and the end faith and salvation Thirdly there are thousands of precious Saints some alive and some at rest with the Lord who have and had true faith and peace of Conscience and joy in the holy Ghost and yet were meer strangers to the Doctrine of Vntversal Redemption Fourthly I would gladly be resolved in this what more ground of believing to salvation there is from the universality of Redemption then from the universality of the offer of Christ in the minstry of the word unless men will hold an Vniversal Salvation for seeing Christ died for many thousands that shall be damned may not I question whether I be not one of that number and whether Christ died for me so as that I should in the event believe to salvation The Unive salists will not acknowledge that Christ hath merited and procured faith for all them whom he died for This must needs be uncomfortable to a poor soul that finds it impossible to believe from creature strength and ability but blessed be the Lord who puts it out of doubt in his word that Christ hath merited faith for us and that we have faith through him and for his sake 2 Pet. 1.1 To them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Christ To you it is given for Christ's sake Phil. 1.29 Rom. 8.32 not only to believe on him but to suffer for him He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shal he not with him freely give us all things Faith and repentance and a new heart I hope are good things here we have an argument from the greater to the lesser If God hath given Christ which is the great gift for poor sinners he will then freely give to them a spirit of faith and repentance Let me ask our adversaries this question what men are bound to believe for the peace of their Consciences when they take it for granted already that Christ died for them being comprehended in the world of mankinde To conclude this smal Tract which I desire the good Lord to bless to the Reader we declare unto you in our Ministry that Christ died for all for the world for every man and woman that shall believe on him and accept him and close with him upon the terms of the Gospel and is not here incouragement to poor sinners be their sins never so great Thou art not excluded by name why shouldst thou exclude thy self through unbelief Suppose a company of passengers be ready to sink and a rope is let down from the ship will they stand to question whether the rope was let down with a purpose to save them from drowning wil they not rather strive who shal be most forward to take hold of it and come up by it If a pardon be published that whoever will accept of it be his rebellion and treason never so hainous he shall find mercy is not here incouragement to the worst of rebels to come in and accept of pardon and not question the secret intention of the magistrate whether he propound the pardon in general terms only for tryal conviction or for their actual deliverance There is not any one sin except the sin against the holy Ghost which is therefore unpardonable because they that commit it have not grace to repent but some that have been guilty of that sin and have committed it have found mercy Paul Mary Magdalen Peter Manasseh Sampson Solomon Zacheus c. are now glorious Saints in heaven And is not here ground and incouragement for thee to believe If the Lord give thee a heart to believe for it is his gift By grace are ye saved through faith Eph. 2.8 and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Doubtless there are many precious saints that can witness to this Truth tell you by experience that God gives true faith peace of conscience in such a ministry as this breathing by his spirit thereon for the Spirit breaths where it pleaseth as the wind bloweth where it listeth and thou knowest not whence it cometh nor whither it goeth So is every one that is born of the Spirit Now the Lord lead his people into truth and by the light of his Countenance and the brightness of his glorious appearance let error and darkness be dispelled and all Antichristian Doctrines and opinions suppressed certainly as the glorious God hath in a great measure already so he will much more ere it be long vindicate his own spirit his Sons Blood his Truth his Ministry his Ordinances his Saintes his own great and glorious Name and testifie more clearly and convincingly against the mysterie of Antichrist which now worketh in this Nation under another vizard and by other Instruments then formerly it hath wrought but shall have no better success then it formerly had FINIS
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
and strangers from the covenant and promises of grace the Jews being the only political visible church of God under the old Testament administration the Gentiles as opposite to them were counted the world See Exo. 12.19 Deut. 23.2 Lev. 26.33 Pl. 79.1 dogs aliens heathen And indeed the call and conversion of the Gentiles and adding them to the church of Christ was such a great and glorious mysterie a Eph. 3.8 Rom. 11. cap. that many of the Christian Jews yea some of the Apostles themselves b Acts 10 cap. Acts 11. cap. could not at first comprehend it there being in this such a great and manifest alteration in the administrations of the old and new Testament I did also answer the objections which are raised from the generality of the ofter of Christ in the Ministry of the Gospel from the obligation that lies on every man and woman to believe in Christ and to apply his death and lastly from those pathetical expostulations and affectionate invitations in Scripture directed indefinitely to all sinners without exception which passages being spoken after the manner of men and in condescension to our capacity for properly there are no such affections Voluntas signi precepti approhationis passions or workings of spirit in God are to be referred to the signifying preceptive and approving Will of God for so it may be called not so properly as his eternal decree and purpose which shall be accomplished and cannot be resisted for who hath resisted his Will The commands Rom. 9.19 exhortations invitations expostulations which we find in Scripture do not determine for whom Christ dyed in particular by his Fathers appointment nor what shall be the event and shall unavoidably come to pass touching the eternal condition of poor sinners in respect of predestination and redemption Quoad debitum not quoad eventum but they determine man's duty and the rule of his obedience and what God approves as good in it self not what Christ hath done or God will do for us and in us in particular The learned Dr Twiss Mr Ball on the Covenant Mr Rutherford Mr Whitfield Mr Owen Mr How against T. M Universality of Free Grace but what it is our duty to do there being a sweet harmony and connexion between the end and the means It would be too tedious to recite all the particulars which I laid down in answer to these objections and besides they are already more largely and sully answered by divers godly learned men in their elaborate treatises to which I must referr the studious and dilligent reader for in this writing I do affect and intend brevity that so the poore deluded soules in the country whom I pitty with all my heart may have something before them to read and peruse which by God's blessing may undeceive them and settle them in the truth I am perswaded that the Lord in his infinite wisdom suflers this and other erroneous and corrupt opinions to be broched touching the Decrees of God Redemption Reconciliation Justification Vnion with God the new Birth Conversion perseverance the Divinity of Christ the nature operation and evidence of the spirit biprisme and other Church administrations that so we may with more diligence seriousness humllity and selfe denyal search the Scriptures and through the teachings of the spirit of God and the assistance of divine grace a taine to a right and setled and spiritual knowledge of these Gospel mysteries whereof our apprehensions hitherto have been but shallow and wide That which I have said concerning the promises and doubtles others have said far more may helpe to convince you that the doctrine of general redemption as it is comonly held forth is very corrupt and unsound fighting directly against the tenour scope and sense of the word of God rightly understood Let the promoters of this doctrine pretend what they will I am very confident that it will appeare in the great day of Christ to be no better then dross and chasfe and combustible matter which must and shall suffer loss though some that hold that it may be saved so as by fire we shall one day find it to be a doctrine that comes from earth and not from heaven 1 Cor. 3 15. from the flesh and not from the spirit for under the notion and pretence of universal grace it destroyes the efficacy and power of grace under the notion of universall redemption it enervates the verue undermines the benefit that flows from Redemption by Christ's blood And that I may make this evident unto you I shall breifly acquaint you with some sad and dangerous Concomitants and consequences of this opinion which may serve now as so many antidotes against it and preservatives from it And first universal redemption of all and every individual man rises up with a high hand against the glorious attributes of the great and wise and just and holy God and namely against his absolute power soveraignty and wisdom what shall the great and wise God give his Son to dy for the salvation of thousands that shall never be saved as if mans stubbornness could frustrate the designe of God and as if sin and corruption were more powerfull to ruine and destroy the soul then the grace of God and the blood of Christ to save it * Rom. 5.20 21. It makes the powerful and gracious God to suspend the salvation of the creature upon the natural man's ability and the contingency of his Will and not upon his own irresistable decree the efficacy of his sons blood and the powerful and irresistable operation of his spirit in conversion which is directly contrary to the word of Truth * Isa 48.6 Isa 46.10 Psal 33.11 Prov. 21.30 Prov. 19.21 Rom. 9.19 Eph. 1.4 5 6. 1 Cor. 5. ult 1 Ioh. 1.7 Gal. 3.13 14. Again it is an opinion that undermines the glorious wisdom of God Eph. 1.8 1 Cor. 2.7 8. wherein he abounded in the mysterie of our Redemption by the blood of Christ as if the wise God had designed and appointed Christ by his death to put all men into a saveable condition and the end or effect of his death and blood shed may be fully accomplished though in the end there be not one man actually saved and brought to eternal life and glory Doth this suit with the infinite wisdom of God that he should propound to himself in the death of his Son the salvation of every individual man and yet not ordain effectual means for their conversion and for bringing them to salvation And oh how doth this doctrine of general Redemption and reconciliation reflect upon the justice and righteousness of the great God What shall the just God receive full satisfaction in the price of the precious blood of his Son for every man in the world Ps 9.8 Gen. 18.25 Rom. 3.4.25 26 1 Iohn 1.9 and yet thousands perish Now though men be unjust yet let the Judge of the whole earth be
just and righteous let God be true though every man be a lyar And as it reflects upon the justice of God so it impeacheth his highest love shall God so love every man as to give his Sonnor them And Christ so love every man as to lay down his life for them for herein God manifests and commends his love Rom. 5.8 1 Iohn 4.9 10. not that we first loved him but he first loved us and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins and yet withhold from them faith repentance and newness of heart without which they cannot be saved Hath God loved every man so as to give his Son to the death of the Cross for them and hath the Lord Jesus sweat dropps and clodds of blood for their sins treading the wine press of the wrath of God and crying out in the agony of his soul my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Rev. 19.15 Mat. 27.46 and yet shall most of them for whom he suffered so much rot and perish in final unbeleef and impenitency certainly this doth exceedingly derogate from the power of divine love and grace Secondly the doctrine of Universal Redemption puts men upon loose and ungrounded contradistrnctions that they may vindicate and maintain it and what is this else but to take the Lord's name in vain and to dally with his Word and Truth Some say that Christ died not in the stead of all but for the good of all a Non loco vice omnium sed bono tantum Remonst at the Hague confer That Christ impetrated and merited life for all and every individual man but applies it only to Believers whereas the Scriptures which I formerly cited do evince and prove that these two though they ought to be distinguished yet they are inseparable acts of Christ's mediatorship and are extended to the same persons Those for whom he impetrated life shall have it applyed to them Some say * Camero Amerald Teslad that Christ hath obtained by his death remission of all sins against the Covenant of works for every man but pardon of sins against the Gospel or new Covenant only for the elect 1 John 1.7 whereas Christ's blood clensech them from all sin for whom it is shed forasmuch as through Gods grace and the Spirit 's operation the blood of Christ hath an effectual influence upon all their hearts and consciences and conversations to purge and pacifie and clense them And lastly some learned men who are more sober and moderate then those whom I oppose do say but without ground from Scripture as I humbly conceive that Christ dyed for every man and woman in the world in respect of the sufficiency of his merit but not in respect of efficacy That we should extend the sufficiency and merit of Christ's death and bloodshed beyond the purpose decree and intention of the Father and the Son for my part I cannot see any clear ground 't is true the death and bloodshed of Christ may be said to be sufficient for every man in respect of the intrinsecal vertue thereof it being the blood of God Acts 20.28 the blood of that person who is the infinite God But I conceive that it cannot properly be said to be a sufficient ransom for every man and why but because it is not properly a ransom or price paid for every man nor never was so intended So then the sufficiency and efficacy of Christ's death are to be joyntly limitted to them for whom he dyed and payed the price of redemption nor did Christ shed one drop or dram of blood in vain it was by the counsel and appointment of God that Christ should lay down his life only for them whom the Father gave him and none of them that shall be lost I remember the popish Schoolmen have such a distinction of grace sufficient Hales 3. Summ. 9.69 Thom. m. 1 2 9 109. and grace effectual God say they affords grace sufficient to every one but not grace effectual Sufficient grace as they hold is that by which a man may be saved if he will not be wanting to himself effectual grace is that which saves a man indeed But this is groundless 2 Cor. 12.9 Where God tells Paul that his grace is sufficient for him This sufficiency is not to be abstracted and separated from the efficacy of grace Thirdly let me further add that this opinion of Vniversal Redemption renders Christ but half a Saviour an imperfect Saviour and his blood shed ineffectual as if he did only thereby put all men into a saveable condition and man himself must strike the greatest stroke and actually save his own soul It is a doctrine that puts men upon that gress absurdity that Christ died for thousands shed his blood for milliors of souls that never heard the voice of the Gospel which is the word of faith Rom. 10.14 15. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent And will it not introduce that other gross and carnal conceit that in the end all and every one shall be saved the falien Angels as well as reprobate men as if there could be any deliverance out of hell If we hold an Vnive sal Redemption and Reconciliation I can see no reason to the contrary but that an universal salvation may be thence gathered by genuine and necessary consequence Fourthly Vniversal Redemption as it is by many held forth and maintained bolsters up people in a profane course or at the best in a general dead saith or rather a sancie insteed of faith may not a profane wretch reason thus There be those who say that Christ shed his blood for every man in the world well I am a man and therefore Christ shed his blood for me Now the Scripture is clear and full for this namely that Redemption by Christ's blood and remission of sins go together Those whom Christ redeemed by his blood shall not have their sins imputed to them and where there is non-imputation of sin Eph. 1.7 2 Cor. 5.19 Ps 32.2 there is also imputation of Christ's righteousness blessedness and salvation Blessed is the man to whom the Lord doth not impute Iniquity If it be so may this wicked man say I will go on and enjoy my lusts according to this doctrine I shall not perish if Christ dyed for me and if he dyed for every man then he dyed for me And as this opinion may have yea I fear it hath such an operation upon many poor souls so it may be a means to bring others to despair and to make desparate and sad conclusions upon themselves in reference to their eternal estate to hold that thousands shall be damned that Christ dyed for may not Satan easily prevail upon an awakened soul by this temptation suited to the doctrine of the general Ransome that there is no more