the Appellation of God put upon them His Conclusion then that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is nothing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is groundless By that rule 1 Joh. 5.19 and Rom. 3.19 which he forgot should signifie the whole Catholike Church lies in wickedness and is guilty before God c. 2. He says All Flesh All Nations All Men c. are as large as the whole world I Answer In themselves they are but they may be otherwise used This is to fly from the terms not to explain them to tell us what other words signifie not that that 's spoken to and yet in his Instances of the use of those words in the Prophesies there is this disparity which he considers not viz. That the whole world is spoken of as a distinct party from and a party reaching beyond those that are clearly spoken of as believers beyond the we that walk in the light confess our sins that have an Advocate c. But in those Instances That All flesh shall see the salvation of God All the ends of the earth shall remember and to turn to God He will pour out his Spirit upon All flesh c. There is in none of them places such a distinction as speaking of a party at present existing beyond those that are believers To say nothing that those are Prophesies not affirmed of people in all times but onely fully to be fulfilled in the last times in which all flesh good and bad then living shall see God saving his people and every eye shall see Christ the salvation of God coming in the clouds of heaven and all in the last dayes shall remember and turn to the Lord so that the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters shall cover the sea and the Lord shall be one and his name one in all the earth Though I believe all of them shall not be through with Christ and his people for after a thousand years Satan shall deceive many multitudes of them Rev. 20.8 9. Yea then also shall the Spirit be poured upon all flesh the power and breath of God shall in abundance be upon it to abase and confound it not to make all flesh grow and be admired or prophesie and do wonders but then shall the sons and daughters of Sion prophesie It shall be a spirit of Prophesie upon them but he says not so to all flesh upon whom it s poured So that those may be taken in the fullest latitude of those times and of those ages pointed at chiefly without any error I conceive The Spirit of the Lord shall breathe upon all flesh and make it wither as in Isai 40.6 7. And in the children of Sion it shall be a spirit of Prophesie Now whereas it s said that that was fulfilled in the day of Pentecost Acts 2. I answer Prophesies of that nature have a twofold fulfilling 1. In a first-fruits so it was then and since in its measure in the Churches 2. Fully in the full accomplishment of them and then it shall have its latitude and extent Again 2. When it s said This is that spoken of by such a Prophet it s not always meant this is the full accomplishment of that or the thing primely pointed at there but this is of the nature of that as in Matth. 2.17 The weeping of the Bethlemitish mothers for their children kill'd by Herod was as that spoken of by Jeremy Chap. 31. There was then such a weeping as was there spoken of But yet to any Reader its evident that the Prophet Jeremy aimed not primely at that but at the carrying away of the Ephramites descended of Joseph and so of Rachel Thence that promise in the next verse They shall come again from the land of the Enemy So that in Acts 2. was a pouring out of the Spirit to abase the flesh and a giving them to Prophesie as was spoken of in Joel though Joels eye pierced further then that very pouring it out upon those persons in that manner and those present insuing effects That All the Nations shall be believers I grant and then the whole world ye all that believe shall have little difference and so much those places and that of Isai 2.2 will hold forth But that the whole world now or in Johns time were so or that the words whole world distinguished from believers who have Christ a propitiation signifies onely believers I deny the former as evidently false and the latter as a groundless conceit 3. He reasons thus The words whole world signifies sometimes the worser part of the world and why may it not then the better To which I answer that the word world hath reason when distinguished from men called out of the world and opposed to them to signifie the worser part because distinguished from the better But why when distinguished from the better it should signifie the better I know none I ask him why in that case it must not signifie the worse too Now here it s manifestly extended beyond the better part Us that have an Advocate and not for us onely but for the whole world If he could finde me any place where it s distinguished from a bad party as bad as any can be there we might allow it happily so to signifie rather then here After these considerations and from them he mentions some small reasons which are all spoken to in what is said already except the first viz. That he speaks not of Impetration but of Application but none ever said that the Application of the death of Christ is universal To which I answer That what ever it speaks of its Vniversal we must not square the Scripture to our speakings but our speakings to the Scriptures 2. It s not spoken here of the application of Christs Death by Faith but of what Christs death doth with God for All men or rather what Christ is with God for them by vertue of it not what Christ doth in men nor the fruits that follow upon this Propitiation believed in by men as Rom. 3.25 doth This Scripture 1 Joh. 2.2 tells us what Christ is with God for All the world that in Rom. 3.25 tells us how God propounds him to men in the Gospel and what he is to become to them by Faith and what benefit they shall receive There is the mercy Seat here the atoning Sacrifice as here considered he keeps off many a blow from All as there propounded and received by Faith he brings to us remission of all c. His other Reasons and Reasonings being fore-spoken to I pass He is out again about 2 Cor. 5.19 when he tells us That the world that God was reconciling ver 19. was the Us that he reconciled and put the word of Reconciliation into the hearts of ver 18. that is indeed the Apostles and Preachers of the Gospel onely which is so evidently false that it needs no other answer then the noting of it For why doth the Apostle
whomsoever Christ obtained good to them it must be applyed To which I oppose this That Christ procured good things into himself in the humane nature for those that refusing him go without them He received gifts for the rebellious as Psal 68.18 there are favors held forth by God to them and in a sort given them as Christ tels the unbelieving Jews that his Father gave them the true bread but that all they for whom such gifts are received by Christ must also necessarily receive them is as void of proof as that all the unbelieving murmuring Jews received Christ as the bread of life and fed upon him sure the Holy Ghost says Joh. 6.32 Jon. 2.8 Psa 81.13 14. Luk. 19.4 42 c. Isa 55.2 3 Prov. 1.21.22 23 24. That some deprive themselves of their own mercies miss what in oheying they should have had know not and so miss of the things pertaining to their peace Nor is it rational to think or Christian so say that God cals people to Christ that hath received nothing into himself for them and so hath nothing to dispense to them that will do them good is so earnest to draw them to that that cannot satisfie them and condemns them for refusing that that had nothing for them in it as he hath not any thing of what he cals them to as communicable to men but by his sufferings Whereas he saith That the blood of Christ in the vertue of it cannot be looked upon as a Medicine in a Box laid up for all that shall come to have any of it and so applied now to one and then to another That speech so far is false as to the good things pertaining to eternal life and the vertue of that blood for the injoyment of them for it is resembled to the ashes of an heifer laid up in a clean place and from thence to be sprinkled upon men Num. 19.9 Heb. 9.13 14. and so his name is compared to ointment poured forth Cant. 1.3 what 's his name but his love grace vertues and excellencies declared and made known the pouring forth of which intimates that they were all first included in him as ointment in a Box. Now though the declaration of these be as oyntment poured forth yet the things themselves Remission Sanctification Spirit of Joy Glory c. are all contained in him and passe not from him to any soul till it be first brought in to him yea the whole tenor of Scriptures speak of these things as laid up in him for men one and other thence those phrases The salvation that is in Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 2.10 Neither is there Salvation in any other Act. 4.11 12. All fulness in him Col. 1.19 All the fulness of God dwels in him bodily and in him we are compleat Col. 2.9 10. In him we have Redemption Col. 1.14 the life that is given us in the Son 1 John 5.11 12. in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledg Col. 2.3 Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.1 yea this grace is compared to a feast made in a house whitherto men are to come c. Matth. 22.2 3 c. 1 Cor. 1.90 Act. 10.43 Rom 5 1◠Joh. 1.12 Yea thence Christ himself is said to be made to the believer wisdom righteousness c. and we are said in believing to receive remission to receive the atonement c. because in believing we go to and receive him yea we are said to come to the blood of sprinkling Heb. 12.24 Now that this also is laid up in him for all that shall come to have any of it and so applyed now to one and then to another as they come or rather laid up for All that upon his call they might come to him for it is also the tenor of Scripture Doctrine thence Look to me and be ye saved all ye ends of the earth Isa 45.22 Whoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely He says not the Elect or any shall have it given out from him without coming or they only have right to come for it it s only for them but whoever will may thence it is a feast made for all people Isa 25 6. and all are inivted in the Gospel even whomsoever we meet with we may call Matt. 22.8 9. though all obey not the call to come yea and the blood is sprinkled upon and the grace applyed now to one then to another as they come Thence some obtain mercy and grace before others as an example and incouragement to others 1 Tim. 1.15 16. some are in Christ before others as Andronicus and Junia were in Christ before Paul Rom. 16.7 and so have fellowship with God and Christ before them yea before others be called to it or born And this also is given to All comers without difference as is clear in Scriptures to Jew and Gentile bond and free for there is no difference Rom. 3.23 24. Gal. 3.27 28. its open to All and intended no more for one comer then another as to the essentials of it though more to those that come then others that come not Yea though Christ hath purchased All good things into his humane nature and they free for all and prohibited to none till they be wickedly put away yet it s uncertain to any before coming whether it shall be theirs or no and as to Scripture Revelation for them its left indifferent the Scripture expressing them no more then others nor others yet unbelievers more then them His arguments to the contrary touch not to any purpose what hath been said they are these 1. It s against common sense that such a thing should be obtained for one and yet that not be his To which we have given some answer before besides which we say further that it s here inconcludent for it should have been That a thing should be obtained for one and yet he never injoy it not that it should not be his The application answers not to right and title but to injoyment of right Men may have right to that in Christ which they refusing to accept or look after have not the injoyment of so Jon. 2.8 they that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercies its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their own mercy and yet they deprive themselves of it So Esau had a birthright the first portion was his by right and yet he never had it applyed to him he lost it or sold it willingly and so went without it and there are too many prophane as Esau Corn may be treasured up with Joseph for All Egypt yet with this Proviso that men must go to Joseph before they can have it Heb. 12.15 so that any Egyptian hath right to go to him and receive it yea good ground to go to him too and yet if any man refused to go to him and to take it at his hand he might perish for want but as
c. It s the same in meaning with that in Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus that walk not after the flesh but after the spirit He saith not There is no condemnation to any that Christ hath died for nor to all in Christ Jesus for some such may be unfruitful branches and grieve and rebel against the Spirit and so be cut off Joh. 15.4 It s like that too in Col. 1.23 To present you blameless and unreproveable in his sight if ye continue stedfast c. The meaning in a word is this That such is the force of the blood or sufferings of Jesus Christ with God and such Gods wel-pleasedness in that his obedience and such the mutual consent of God and Christ upon his sufferings That whoever receiveth the light that comes from God walks therein as God is in it affording power and strength to him there-through with him God hath fellowship and him God admitteth into communion with himself or such have joynt participation one with another are presented spotless in the sight of God So as that though they have sin in them that hinders them from doing as they would from attaining to walk in that heighth perfection that they desire yet they not yielding to that sin but siding with the light and Spirit of God against it God imputes it not to them All such mens sins being sins of weakness to which they are meerly drawn are so covered that there comes no condemnation upon them for any of them no rebuke from God nor * So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used in Rom. 14.23 Gal. 6.7 self condemnation to burthen the conscience The blood of Jesus Christ believed in presenting the soul spotless to God and speaking peace unto the conscience But now it s neither so with all that Christ died for nor with all that are in Christ Such as walk after the flesh and sow to it though believers do and shall of the flesh reap corruption It s not the agreement between God and Christ that his blood or sufferings should present men in that condition unblameable before him his blood speaks no such protection to sin or to men as walking after sin but such notwithstanding Christs Death for them God rebukes and punishes There are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that come upon them as appeares 1 Cor. 11.29.30 Revel 3.19 It s true those judgments are not to destruction but that they might be brought to see and confess their follies and turn to the Spirit and Light of God again which if they do they shall finde the blood of Christ then effectual for them to remission again as it follows in 1 Joh. 1.9 Otherwise they shall perish also 1 Cor. 8.11 And this is the plain meaning and scope of that place which by what is said appears to be notably misapplied by Mr. Owen And indeed the not discerning of this is the ground of their error whom they call Antinomians who deny that God is angry or punishes any believer or any Elect man though an unbeliever for his sin It s grounded upon and undeniably flows from this very conclusion of Mr. Owens That for whom Christ died all their sins are satisfied for past present and to come and God ought not further to molest or trouble them for them Nor can Mr. Owen Maintain what he says in Chap. 8. against the Socinians viz. That the state of those that Christ died for during their unregeneracy is all one with such as he died not for that they are unacceptable in all their services in bondage to Death yea under the curse and condemning power of the Law obnoxious to judgment and guilty of eternal Death I say these things cannot be true of any of them if Christ hath made for all their sin such satisfaction as that they ought to be discharged of all suits charges and molestations as here he saith they ought How can it be conceived That a man whose debts are all paid that he hath or shall contract is liable to the Law and obnoxious to perpetual imprisonment still for them But we say a man whose debt is paid he discharged may run into a new debt and become obnoxious again to Law And that the case is so here appears as by that intimation before noted 1 Cor. 8.11 So also by many other Scriptures So the Israelites that were pardoned all their rebellions and murmurings from Egypt till they sent Spies to Canaan and that rebellion too that insued Numb 14.19 20. yet were many of them cut off and consumed without pardon for the Rebellion of Korah Dathan and Abiram that soon after hapned Numb 16. Nor would Moses intercede for them in that though he hath for all the rest formerly ver 15. And accordingly those who are said to have had their old sins cleansed yet growing purblinde and Apostatizing for so it s clearly intimated by way of Antithesis that they may fall yea are in the way to it 2 Pet. 1.9 10. yea denying the Lord that bought them and turning his grace into wantonness are said to perish in the gainsayings of Korah no pardon for so high rebellion Jude 11. Again as God is That Creditor to whom as Mr. Owen saith we owe a thousand talents Matth. 18. So our Saviour there tells us That they who receive forgiveness of those talents from him and yet afterward walk not in the Spirit of God in love and Christlike dispositions but forgetting their own purging from their old sins are destitute of Vertue Knowledg Temperance Charity c. God will so deal with them as he that having forgiven his servant a thousand talents afterwards for his cruelty to his fellow-servant threw him into Prison till he should pay the utmost farthing So says our Saviour himself in that very place instanced by Mr. Owen Matth. 18.32 35. So that all Mr. Owens Inferences and Queries in that Chapter built upon the former premise are meer fallacies and amount to just nothing The needs no Oedipus to resolve his Riddles the Spirit of God in the Scriptures hath plainly enough resolved them to any that have understanding CHAP. VIII An Answer to his Arguments from the Word Merits and the Phrases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HIs two following Chapters scil the eigth and ninth being a digression and in some points as is shewed a contradiction to his inferences of Gods being bound to surcease all actions and molestations against those for whom Christ died and not concerning the Question debated but opposing the Socinians I pass them Instan 4. and come to his Chapter of Merit in which he confesses That no word is found in the Scripture that may justly be so translated From which concession I might take advantage to tell him That then he can prove nothing against a plain saying of Scripture by any Argument drawn from this Word which is not found in Scripture but I pass it Now will I