foreknowledge and owning to be made like his Son whom in order of nature he had fore-ordained as their pattern to dye rise and be glorified in all which he ordained his foreknown ones even them that believe in him should be conformed to him and unto which he called them and in that conformity in sufferings justifies and maintains them and as he hath done so yet he doth bring them to glory with him Yea in his calling men we deny not his liberty of pulling in more powerfully preserving from general Apostacies actuall chusing and ordaining in his Son glorified to their hearts whom he pleases and as he pleases but that either any company of men as in themselves as of the world uncaled are ever called or signified by the word Elect much lese that any were chosen to be the object of Christs death and the others left out Election being ever coupled with or respecting mens calling to Christ and right to his priviledges not Christs dying I can no where finde in Scripture Besides that which is more secret and mysterious in his decree or dealings we neither confound with what he hath done in the death of Christ for us and declares in the Gospel to us as the object of our faith or motive to believe and that in which he so calls puls in and saveth according to his good pleasure Nor dare we make them to run cross to the Scriptures that more plainly declare his good will and love to men acknowledging rather our want of capacity to comprehend those more abstruse things then daring to call in question the extent of the truth of his other expressions that are more fitted to our understanding and speak to the more intelligible principles of Christian Religion Nor finde we warrant for making our narrow conceptions of those more abstruse things of God which are ever delivered in Scripture without any opposition to or limitation of the things we treat of to be the measure of and to give limits to them they that so do both contradicting the Scripture expressions in the things we speak to and swarving also from them and their method in propounding and speaking of those things of Election and Reprobation by which they measure them 2. For the Heathens that have not had the Gospel opened to them they put us needlesly upon that to stumble men about the truth of our doctrine for we could content our selves with the Scripture expressions of all and every one and the whole world unlimitedly without running into any nice speculations but when men propound that to us I know not upon what ground we should say Christ died not for them except the Scripture did in some place exclude them from being of that all for which he dyed if any man can finde an exception as to them I shall listen to it but for my part I have not yet met with it And to make exceptions without warrant in the word of God about the matters of the Gospels doctrine I judg very dangerous I know there are many cavils of reason which have some specious colour for it but they all amount to no more then those admirations of its ignorance and enmity in other cases 2 Cor. 10.4 How can this thing be they are but high imaginations and thoughts exalting themselves against obedience to the faith of Jesus Math. 16.24 which are to be captivated to faith not faith to them Reason being a part of that self of ours which he that will be Christs Disciple must deny in what it would stop us from receiving the doctrines he propounds to us So that this is but a trick of Satan to stir up men to cast such stumbling considerations in their own and others way that they might not believe and have the benefit of the truth declared to them to whom its best to say Get thee behinde me Satan to leave disputing and inquiring into things more secret and say either produce me some Scripture that saith he dyed not for them or else be silent It s good in such cases to take what Christ said to Peter curiously inquisitive after John for a satisfactory answer How God deals with them further then the Scripture says what is that to thee they shall be found excuseless when Christ shall Judg them and therefore follow thou Christ in the receit of his word and let not any seeming absurdities to thy reason prevaile to impede thee And so we might say to Mr. Owens Cui bono quaeso about them that perish what good doth the death of Christ to them which reasonings are but of the spawn of the Serpents wisdom pretending to teach our reason the knowledg of good and evil from the beginning Such a question might have been as well made by many Israelites in the wilderness might not reason thus have led them to argue either God absolutely willed to possess us all of Canaan or only some few of us if the first how come so many of us to perish short of it if the latter then I pray Cui bono to what end or what good was in the deliverance of the rest from Egypt seeing they had as good have dyed there as have been consumed in the Wilderness Nay if our corrupt and blinde reason shall be umpire then what Satan and unbelief suggests is righter then what God himself saith for did not the Israelites perish in the Wilderness many of them as their reason and unbelief suggested and did they attain to Canaan though that was the promise set before them but as we said before Let God be true and every man in his best wisdom but a blinde fool and liar We durst not believe our carnal reasonings against Gods word nor exclude inlarge or limit his word by our own hearts dictates but as we see God in other places instruct us to it Not but that we can give reasonable answers to their reasons against Christs dying for the Heathen they being all faln in Adam and the sentence being executable upon them and all men in him in the day that he sinned so that what life and mercies of life with goodness leading to seek after God and to repent they do injoy may well and necessarily be conceived to spring from Christs interposing himself as mediator and ransome But yet if any can shew that Christ died but for all in these latter times or that the Gospel is preached to and shew it by Scripture proofs we will be willing so to interpret those general expressions till when we cannot admit of that interpretation O Object but we must not believe Scriptures as they lye in their litteral expressions for that is dangerous and will introduce transubstantiation and to believe Christ to be a door a vine c. there are in the Scriptures many figurative expressions To which I answer Answ that this is another stumbling block cast in our way much what like to what the Papists used to object against the Scriptures
tears from all faces Esa 25 7.8 it hinders not but the Reprobates may be cast out tò eternity I answer He did in and by his Death wipe off tears from all faces giving himself a ransome for All and being the propitiation for the sins of the whole world he keeps off many a judgment that else would seize upon all and produce many tears and much sadness to them yea and delivers all from many a trouble and sorrow that would else overwhelm them though he doth not wipe off all tears from off all faces as he will do off from some namely such as believe on him and follow him Rev. 7.17 and 21.4 Others abusing his goodness and sinning against those mercies towards them and deliverances of them pull upon themselves tears and sorrows afresh that shall never be wiped off them And besides it s more equal that the Apostolical expressions should expound the prophetical then on the contrary the prophetical to expound them the prophetical expressions being as in a darker manifestation of Christ so more obscure then the Apostolicall who were to unfold the things of God more plainly And to speak in the light what was told them in darkness 6. He bids us observe Consid 6. That the Scripture speaks of persons and things often according to appearance and not to reality as calling men wife just and righteous c. he names no Scripture-instance for them but I hope he knows of righteousness in morall acts and performances and that reall and true in its kind an humane righteousness not only in semblance but in reality though not enough to present a man righteous to God as pertaining to his rule for admittance into his Kingdom and so wisedom after the flesh which is really a fleshly humane wisdom though not the wisdom of God but foolishness with him and yet a real wisdom in its place and kinde for worldly things Luk. 16. but of the Death of Christ there is but one kinde so that it must be really or not at all His instance of Mat. 27.53 that Jerusalem is called the Holy city and yet it was a den of theeves is his mistake to conceive holiness to be inherent frames in the heart which Jerusalem as a place and building was not capable of Holiness as we have noted before in Scripture more frequently signifies the being separated to God for his name and service and so it was really holy not seemingly only Nay rather in appearance it should be unholy but in its reall consecration and separation to God a thing not visible to the eye a holy eye So he instances 2 Chron. 21.23 That the Gods of Damascus smote Ahaz which says he were but stocks and stones and could never help nor smite him but it was God that smote him Sure he hath forgotten that the Gentiles did not only sacrifice to stocks and stones but to Devils also by them idols 1 Cor. 10.20 And I trow the Devills might really smite him or strengthen men to it and yet God suprcamly smite him too God as supreme Judge Sathan as the executioner or hangman using men as instruments as in the case of Job So that this fails too but much more his after-proof of John 5.18 where he brings the Jews imputing to Christ that he brake the Sabbath day in which they spake falsly to interpret Gods sayings by his Apostles by as if he spake so mistakingly too To which he adds That many things proper and peculiar to the children of God are often assigned to them that live in outward communion with them though in truth aliens in respect of inward participation of the grace so assigned But whether things were so assigned to them by the unerring and infallible spirit of God or by the erring and fallible spirit of men he tels us not nor in what Scriptures they assigned things to them as erring men that wrote not by Gods spirit Therefore I can say no more at present to it but that his conclusion That some may be said to be redeemed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are not so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is ungrounded and hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A dangerous suggestion of a rule which men may make use of to any Scriptures as well and subvert the truth of them as is also his next consideration viz. 7. That the Apostles spake many things according to the judgement of charity otherwise in themselves untrue Consid 7. and therefore those things not to be exactly squared and made answerable to verity in respect of them of whom any thing is affirmed This I say in substance is one with the former and both of them are dangerous principles and the very openers of the gap to all the abundance of error brought in by the Antiscripturists they are directly their principles That the Apostles writ as other good men by a judgment of charity and appearance and so what they say may be false we must not square them to verity because they would not then hold out And grant this that the Apostles were not in all things guided by an infallible spirit except where they themselves faithfully tell us so and where shall we stay who shall tell us where that infallible spirit assisted them and where it left them Nay though Paul tels the Thessalonians That he knew their Election and that of God yet Mr. Owen will tell him he might be deceived in that knowledg though 1 Thes 1.4 and 2 Thes 2.13 But I believe Paul durst not have said he knew it if he did but think so out of a charitable perswasion grounded upon a truth fallibly applied to or discerned in them But perhaps the Apostles spake not of Election there as Mr. Owen doth He thought perhaps that it might be made firm or sure and perhaps it might be neglected He perhaps spake of it as Moses of the Election of the Israelites who though he tells them they were chosen to be a special people to God Deut. 7.6 7. and yet freely too yet tells them That if they walk after other Gods and forget Him they should surely perish as the other Nations that he destroyed before them Chap. 8.19 20. I do but propound that to Mr. Owens consideration as also whether he by Election meant not an actual choise of them in pulling them out of the world and bringing them to look after his salvation But however I will by no means yield him That the Apostle spake at random and out of a fallible humane conception of charity and not by the infallible Spirit and so he hath no advantage for his following And why not why not when he says That Christ died for some that might possibly perish 8. He tells us of The infallible connexion according to Gods Will and purpose of Faith and Salvation Consid 8. Which we grant understanding it of Faith rooted in the heart and having singled the heart to God for otherwise there is a degree or
not finding that which they had mistakingly looked for but that he was a dry tree and barren wilderness to them was it not more excusable that they should leave him and take such comforts as the world would afford them and not go on to suffer for him that would not save them he having not dyed for them Whereas he further adds that the Apostle is silent about washing them in the bloud of the Lamb what a sorry shift is that How many places speak of buying men and yet mention not the washing them in the bloud of the Lamb where yet there is no doubt but his bloud was the price that bought them as to instance in Rev. 14.4 1 Cor. 6.20 Again What is it to wash in the bloud of the Lamb I feare there may be some mistake in that Is it any thing else but when the death sufferings or bloud of Christ declared in the Gospel set home by the Spirit do cause the heart for his loves sake that so loved it to renounce its vanities affections lusts c. and removes its fears despairs horrors c. that the guilt of sin before the remedy was known filled it with do we think that this washing the souls in the bloud of Jesus is without application of the bloud to it Was there ever such a washing heard of in which the medium of the washing and the thing washed were not to each other applyed Or do we fancy any bodily or materiall application of the materiall bloud of Christ that issued out of his side Sure it s nothing but through the Spirits revelation of the death and sufferings of Christ for us and the hope therein set before us a cleansing of the heart and conscience from guilt and pollution And is not that intimated here Is not the knowledge of Jesus Christ Lord and Saviour to know him as one that dyed for us and is appointed to be our Mediator and way to God able and ready to save us by vertue of those his sufferings for us could there be lesse in that knowledge of Christ that will give a man escape from the worlds pollutions and when that knowledge doth wash from pollutions is it not the bloud of Christ therein known that washes Was not that it that washed Paul from his former conceits in his Pharisaisme and from all his pollutions Phil. 3.7 8 9. Tit. 3.4 5 6. and that washed the believing Corinths 1 Cor. 6.11 because he names but the knowledge of Jesus Christ and the appearance of Gods love to man the name of Christ and Spirit of God as the way of his and their washings shall we say neither he nor they were washed in the bloud of Christ These are sorry evasions unmeet to shift off the shining truth with 3. But his last evasion is vainer then any of these viz. That he might speak of them only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not according to Truth but according to appearance for which he quotes again that formerly answered place of 2 Chron. 28.23 As if the Apostle writing Dogmatically and laying down Propheticall declarations of things that would be and aggravating the hainousness of their sinne that should deny Christ should conjoyn things according to truth not conjungible If he had spoken of some particular person then in being there had been somewhat more shew for such an evasion and yet in truth not enough to make the Apostle couple as incompatible things together in his expressions as to talk of Christs or his Elects perishing But much lesse colour when he speaks of things in the Theory and Dogmatically not with Designation of this or that person This is but all one as to say Christ or God seemed but to be their Lord and Master and they to be his servants by way of purchase and so they had the more ground of denying him seeing he was not what he seemed to be nor had done what he seemed to do And whereas he addes That its the custome of the Scripture to ascribe all those things to every one that are in fellowship of the Church which are proper to them only that are true spirituall members of it as to be Saints Elect c. Not to examine the truth of that again were it so yet it could not be of force here these in the very formality of them as the subject spoken of being stiled false Teachers Sure though he might write to All in fellowship with the Church that is in Doctrine and Profession as Saints c. as in some sense they were truly yet it s not supposeable that he judged these he looks upon as departed from the Truth and false Teachers to be such or to be bought by Christ if he thought indeed such manner of people were never so bought To be a member of the Church and to be Elect are terms very competible but to be and so to be spoken of as a false Teacher bringing swift destruction on himself and yet in the same view to be looked upon and spoken of as bought by the Lord if no such are indeed bought is componere non componenda to couple words and things together that are we not competible like those that talk of Almighty nothings So that wee see no solidity in his exceptions to this place neither Whereas in his winding up he tels us that this will not conclude Vniversall Redemption and 2. That those who are so redeemed may perish is contrary to expresse Scripture and 3. That this could be no peculiar aggravation of the sin of any if the matter was common to All. These are but prevarications For 1. We conclude not hence the universality of Christs death but onely that it s not so bounded up to the Elect onely as Mr. Owen and his partners bound it 2. That its contrary to expresse Scripture as to Rev. 14.4 That any so redeemed should perish is a speech fallacious and untrue For 1. How knows he that that in Rev. 14.4 is expresse Scripture and speaks according to truth and not only according to appearance more then this might not we by as good Authority say that the Apostle speaks there but according as things seemed to him in a vision but not that all he sayes there is spoken according to truth as he hath to say so of Peter here 2. What means he by So redeemed if only that Christ dyed really for them and not in shew only and that the knowledge hereof and of that salvation that thereby is in him even for them to look after and attainable to them by Faith bought them really off from the world and engaged them to Christ then there is no such passage in Rev. 14.4 as that none such can perish That speaks onely of a certain number redeemed from the earth and men that were virgins and defiled not themselves but followed the Lamb where ever he went But it says not either that All bought by Christ and brought to escape the pollutions of the
neglect the power and liberty therein given them may meet yea are in the way to meet with further operations of the truth to convert and heal them to give life yea divine principles of life hope in God and faith in God to them he having said that such as turn at his reproofs shall have the Spirit poured upon them and his words made known to them and they that listen to him though dead shall live c. and that meerly out of his grace and good will toward them not out of either merits of Congruity or Condignity found in them Though that God passes by many rebellions in such cases and out of more abundant love where he pleases draws more prevailingly even those that have more rebelled many times passes by those that have less may be easily proved And wherein this or any thing in this either contradicteth or jarreth with the Scriptures I as yet see not That men may exercise or use their inatural faculties in the things in which God useth to shine in light to men as well as in others as to hear the word as well as to hear other discourses I see no ground of denying though they cannot hear with such pleasure and delight as they do other things till something there heard doth take them yet hear they may and mens negligence in such things is called slothfulness which stands not in a man 's not doing what he cannot but in not assaying to do according to liberty and might and rebellion when joyned with wilfulness Now whereas it s said that should men do to the utmost what they can by that light and power given yet that their doing would not save them To that I answer that it s not material for first as to the business in hand it s enough that they have power and liberty from God to do more then they do 2. It s granted that no act that God gives any man power to do can save him by its self It s not of him that willeth or of him that runneth Rom. 9.6 but of God that sheweth mercy but is not he that bids them listen to him and gives them light to see and discern such truths and motion to own and follow them able to save them or doth he any where give any intimation that upon their acting forth in these his workings in and with them according to the power and liberty he gives he will refuse to do any thing more for them by which they should be brought nearer to him so as they might be saved If they have then indeed they may well be slothful and say I had as good stay where I am and stifle what I see for yeelding up to it will not save me nor will God do any thing to that purpose further for me and so their slothfulness and rebellion may finde some excuse If not then it appertaines to them to hear his voice and as Caleb said in another case only not to rebel nor be slothful and let God alone with what pertains further to their eternal welfare which if they refuse to do they have no excuse in as much as for ought they know and that God hath said to the contrary nay rather by what he says he would have done for others had they harkened to his voice they might hopefully conceive that he would have revealed greater things to them Psal â—1 14 15. Isa 48.17 18. and put forth greater acts of power about them and so have saved them So that they cannot excuse themselves with pleading as the evil slothful servant and as many teach men to plead that God is a hard Master gathering where he strawed not and reaping where he sowed not they cannot say he refused to give them faith and further grace or knowledg of himself requisite to save them seeing they were unfaithful in that talent he gave them which had they improved as he willed and inabled them they might have had more for ought they or any know given them That such are Gods dealings with men as are above declared many Scriptures intimate as that he manifests his truth in them and they say to him Depart from us c. His goodness leads men to repentance they shut their eyes and close their ears least they should see hear understand and be converted and so God should heal them for which things God also many times in just judgment blindes deafs and hardens them too and seals them up to their destruction but he first strives with men and reproves them bids them turn at his reproofs and he will pour out his spirit upon them and tells them when he gives them up it was because they would none of him would not hear him would not chuse his fear liked not to have the knowledg of him and sayes had they hearkened to him their peace had been as the Rivers and their righteousness as the waves of the sea and he would have done thus and thus for them with many such like expressions but that any Scripture says that as men are naturally dead in sins and trespasses so he manifests no truth to them or gives no power with that truth manifested by which they might grope after him would not did they walk out in what he gives them give any more knowledg of Himself or Son unto them and would not bring them to believe c. We are yet to learn or that ever any did so and were there left by him notwithstanding and were condemned by him These things I say we neither finde plainly expressed in Scripture nor darklier intimated And that this derogates at all from Gods glory or liberty to shew more mercy as and where he pleases I would fain have any man to demonstrate to me Yea I appeale to any equal Judg whether this clears not the equity of Gods way far more and suits not better with the Scripture expressions then to say he gives them no such power or liberty and yet condemns them for not doing what they no waies might have done and doing what was no waies to be avoided by them requiring of men to act out all that strength that in Adam was given and punishing them as they fail in that Surely by the rule Jew and Gentile should both alike be punished they both equally by nature being destitute of that righteousnes and strength and not one more then another according to more or less now vouchsafed to them So that this Objection about free will is a meer rub cast in thy way too no such conclusion being provable by Scripture as that God gives to many men no power or liberty to do any thing that he requiers of them or that did they constantly act forth according to what he gives them yet he would do nothing more to them that would lead them to salvation or that Christ dyed only for such as he gives liberty to so as to bring them in actually and effectually to believe on him and
Whether the salvation of Abraham and Isaac c. was not in the Covenant made between God and Christ if not then some more are saved then were included in that Covenant If yes then I demand what passage in that Prayer requests that they might believe and be sanctified if none then he asked less in that Prayer then God had ingaged himself to him for To the second I desire him to shew in what passage he prayes for the faith of the Elect in all that Prayer not from the sixth to the twentieth for he tells his Father they had it already and I suppose he will not be able to prove that he prayed to his Father there to give them that which they had before that prayer at least in that degree in which they had it nor in ver 20. for them he supposeth as future believers as he makes them the suppositum of his prayer his prayer is not that they might believe but that believing which he supposeth they should they might be one viz in body priviledg and injoyment of the grace of God in Christ except he will say Faith is prayed for in ver 21. and 23. when he saith that the world might believe but first that 's for the world not for the Elect secondly that he himself denies to be the faith of the Elect and so the fruit of that love here said to appertain to the Elect but only a conviction not for any good of the world but onely for the vindication of his people cha 7. pag. 47. therefore I desire him to shew me in what place of that prayer that Faith he here speaks of as a fruit of Gods electing love is prayed for In pag. 19. He tels us That it seems strange to him that Christ should undergo the pains of hell in their stead who lay in the pains of hell before he underwent those pains and shall continue in them to eternity To which I need not say with many of the Antients that he emptied hell by his death Bishop Vsher in his Answer to the Irish Jesuit upon Limbus Patrum c. and descent into those pains as Bishop Vsher relates nor will I put him to prove that any were as then or yet are undergoing those pains before the judgment of the great Day when they shall be sentenced thither which will be somewhat hard for him to do except he take that in Luke 16. to be a Narration or History of things really done and think that the rich man see Lazarus in Abrahams bosome and could call from hell to heaven to him but I say it will not follow from our saying That Christ gave himself a ransom for All that he must undergo those torments for All which were properly inflicted upon men for their abuse of that liberty which he virtually gave them to injoy by his after-death His enduring the sentence of the death he found them under as in Adam was enough to pay for that dispensation of life liberty grace mercy to them which they in their several times injoyed upon the ingagement of his future dying See more to this in cha 3. li. 3. without induring those torments for them to which they stood by the word adjudged for their not receiving him who was the Author of such liberty and mercy to them in those hints of truth and reproofs and counsels in his Spirits strivings despised by them Hence we may fall into an Answer of a Dilemma there propounded to us and again repeated chap. 3. lib. 3. viz. That God imposed his wrath due unto and Christ underwent the pains of hell for either all the sins of all men or all the sins of some men or some sins of all men If the last then all have some sins to answer for and so no man shall be saved if the second then that is it he affirms if the first then all should be saved or why not This may seem at the first view such a three-headed Monster as that there is no conquering it but through Gods assistance we shall grapple with it About his suffering the pains of hell I shall not question with him it s an ambiguous word and variously used And as no Scripture uses his expressions perhaps in his intention so as the Scripture uses the word hell I have no ground from Scripture to deny the expression therefore to the thing it self I may say that in severall respects all those three branches of the Dilemma are true and yet his consequences will not follow As 1. He underwent the wrath of God for some fins of all men 1 Tim. 2.6 Rom. 5.18 else he could not give himself a ransom for them all nor his righteousness come to All men to justification of life nor any favor of God be extended to them except he interposed between God and that sin that in its desert and by Gods sentence of death stopt the passage of all good flowing upon them unless hindred by mediation But then he says All have some sins to answer for Nego consequentiam that follows not for he that bears some sins of all may yet bear also all of some those two are not inconsistent had he said But some sins of any that had excluded All of any but some of All doth not those that may be but some of one mans sins may be All of another as suppose he bare all sins in genere but the sin against the Holy Ghost he then bare all some mens sins Heb. 10.26 for some men are not guilty of that but are kept from it but yet in respect of their sins that run into that he bare but some of their sins not all as so considered 2. He underwent the wrath of God for all the sins of some that is gave such satisfaction to his justice that no sin they have shall be their condemnation namely of those that believe and walk in the light with him as it is 1 John 1.7 Rom. 8.1 otherwise the phrase as he expresses it the Scripture hath not But then that 's it he faith No sure for he says he bare only All the sins of some men and dyed for none else but those some but so neither the Scriptures nor we say He might bear the punishment of all the sins of some men and yet not them only 3. He underwent the wrath of God for all the sins of All men in some sense considered That is as they were sinners in his first stepping in to undertake for men as sin was upon them through the fall of Adam and bound them to curse and death and so they needed a mediator or else they must presently be cut off and perish and so in a consideration and view of them as previous to his steping in to mediate And his bearing all of them was enough to ransome them all from that first condemning sentence and yet neither follows it so that all must then be eternally saved because there are other
give to this or that muchless to all he dyed for effectually to believe in him and to be saved not a word to that purpose So that that piece of doctrine viz. That for whom Christ dyed them he procured faith for is none of those Scripture-truths that will scatter the supposed clouds and mists Nor yet follows it that the whole impetration of Redemption is made unprofitable For 1. God hath ingaged himself so to glorifie his Son that some shall be brought in though he no were say All he dyed for nor that I know of any particular persons so as that this or that individuall must or else he should be unjust 2. He shall have much glory from his good bounteous and merciful dispensations to men through the Death of Christ that yet he compels not to believe on Christ Matt. 22.2 3 4 5. with Rom. 11.36 yea in the just and righteous condemnation of those that sin'd against that mercy and refused to submit to him For that condition upon which he supposes we will say Christ is to bestow salvation viz. so they do not refuse or resist the means of grace It s a mistake we know no such imposition put upon him for men may receive the means and yet rebel against the grace it self that comes in them have a form and deny the power of godliness and for that perish Though that all Pagans and infidels are left destitute of all means leading them to seek after God or that any that have no outward means from Christ nor ever resist Gods workings in them shall be condemned as Mr. Owen would perswade us I leave for him to prove Christ says to the Jews that if he had not come and spoken to them they had not had sin and for ought I know If Christ neither come in Word Joh. 15.22 nor in any spiritual way as he preached to the old world by his Spirit if any such he can finde they may not have sin charged on them to condemnation and destruction Yet if Mr. Owen can shew me otherwise I will believe it For making Christ but a half Mediator its frivolous yet we shall speak to it lib. 3. c. 3. where it occurs again That Christ did not dye for any on condition of their believing I believe nor that he dyed only for the Elect of God that they should believe nor finde I any Scripture calling any man while yet in and of the world an Elect person He dyed for All that being Lord of them and presenting his light to them according to the good pleasure of the Father whosoever believes might not perish but have eternal life And here ends this Second Book and my Answers to it The Third Book His third Book contains Arguments grounded for the most part upon his former premises against the universality of the Death of Christ we shall Favente Deo orderly view them CHAP. I. An answer to his two first Arguments contained in his first Chapter of this Book The first Chapter contains two Arguments Argu. 1 As FRom the nature of the Covenant of Grace established ratified and confirmed in and by the Death of Christ His Argument runs thus The effects of the death of Christ cannot be extended beyond the compass of the new Covenant or Christ died only for those that are within the New Covenant But this Covenant was not made universally with all but particularly onely with some Therefore those alone were intended in the benefits of the death of Christ A very vitious Argument whereof the Conclusion contains a quartus terminus for in stead of any effects the tearm propounded in the Major He says the benefits therein as is clear by what follows in him comprehending the choice benefits of the death of Christ applied The Major also is ambiguous and uncertain For either it is universal as No effect of the death of Christ c. or else particular as Some do not c. If the latter its impertinent and concludes not against the death of Christ for All but onely its having some effects in All which is besides the thing in question if the former as I suppose he intends it then I deny it I deny I say that Christ died for none or that none have any effect of his death extended to them but onely such as with whom the New Testament is made He brings no other proof for it which he perhaps therefore lisped in because he saw himself weak in the proof of it but onely from that title given to his blood that it s called The blood of the New Testament So that his Argument to prove that runs thus It s called the blood of the New Testament Therefore shed onely for them that are heirs of the New Testament Which is like this The Spirit is called the Spirit of Comfort and the Comforter Therefore whoever it works upon it comforts them and so when it convinces the world of sin it s their comforter too and when it kindles the fire of Tophet Isai 30.33 it comforts them that are tormented with it A wilde Argument and yet such is his The truth is As its an office of the Spirit to comfort and he is a Comforter to all that obey him so is it an office of the blood of Christ or rather one end of its shedding to ratifie the new Covenant which it also doth to all that believe in it But as that is not all the work or business of the Spirit to comfort so neither was that all the work or end of the blood of Christ to establish the new Covenant but first of all to ransom from the death that was passed upon men and then to confirm a Covenant to the house of Israel and Judah This blood where ever it s tendered the Covenant is tendred with it Hear and your souls shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you the sure mercies of David and he that obeys this is entred into Covenant by it but not All for whom it was shed are in Covenant by its shedding no more then all for whom the water of Purification was made were therefore purified because it was made for them and called the water of Purification Numb 19 9.20 Mr. Owen also mistakes the parties with whom the Covenant is made For he understands them to be a certain number of persons yet lying in the world and that its one clause of the Covenant to give them faith or make them to believe whereas indeed especially as pertaining to the Gentiles the proper object with whom the Covenant is made is the called of God believers in Christ Jesus into those mens hearts God will put his fear not to bring them to him but to keep them from departing from him which argues their being brought to him before these shall have the Law written in their hearts an allusion to the old Testament written in Tables of Stone not before they were brought out of Egypt but after they
proclaime openly upon the house tops And then Gods chusing weak simple men to be the first Teachers and so by consequence the first understanders of the divine truth doth neither prove that others that were wise and prudent were left destitute of the means of salvation or operation of the Spirit in them or much less that Christ dyed not for them or for All men but only That these wise and prudent would they be saved must stoop to God in embracing the knowledge of his mind by weak and sorry men and that indeed is the Genuine meaning as I conceive of that Scripture Whenas God had he pleased might have opened his mysteries to the Learned Rabbies Scribes and Pharisees to have been divulged by them he pleased to hide them from them putting them beside their way and to reveal them to others poor simple men by whom they were to be preached to them and to All Nations and that meerly out of his good will that no flesh might glory in his presence c. His next alledged place is John 10.15 Scrip. 4. in cap. 3. lib 2. 16 27 28. which we have before considered and shewed the vanity of his inferences from it there is no new thing here to be spoken to that is not there answered except that he tels us of Christ dying as a Shepheard spoken of in that place and Therefore he dyed only for his sheep which indeed is a new fallacious argument Logicians call it fallacia à dicto secundum quid ad dictum simpliciter as if I should argue thus In 1 Pet. 2.21 22. Christ is spoken of as dying as a pattern of patience to believers suffering unjustly from men Ergo he dyed for none but actuall believers so suffering Our question is whether Christ dyed for All or no not whether he dyed for All as a Shepheard though he laid not down his life for All as a Shepheard for sheep to preserve them in a life fore-given them yet he might and did lay down his life for All as a ransome to deliver them out of a Death come upon them for the sin they fell into in Adam and to be a propitiation for their sins c. To Matth. 20.28 a Ransome for Many we have spoken in Chap. 1. Lib. 1. for John 11.52 He dyed for that Nation and not for that Nation only but to gather together the children of God scattered abroad That tels us he dyed for the Nation which were not all Elect people to eternall life there being in it those Scribes and Pharisees whom he cals generation of vipers 2. He saith not For the Children of God much less for the Children of God only but shews that that was one end of his Death reaching further then the Nation namely to gather the scattered Jews or to bring all that should believe into an unity of faith and priviledges by slaying the enmity the Law of ordinances between them this puts no limitation to the Death of Christ nor saith that any were excluded it His next is Rom. Scrip. 5. 8.32 33 34. which indeed is brought as a consolation to believers in affliction assuring them they have God to justify them and he greater then any against them to condemn them and then they have Christ to intercede for them who had also dyed and risen and he would not faile them it being his business to present believers and walkers in the Spirit perfect before him as we noted before he that had given his Son for them would surely supply them with all strength them that were the called of God and believers in him Now whereas Mr. Owen observes that this act of giving Christ to dy for them was the greatest expression of Gods love toward believers I answer That the Apostle couples two acts together there 1. His giving Christ for them that expresly 2. His giving him to them that 's intimated in that repetition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with him for God gave not all things to be crucified with Christ nor did he give Christ to believers or to any in his beating him but delivered him up to Death and judgement and Christ gave up himself to bear the wrath of God but as one dead and risen God gives him with his excellencies to men Yea this is said to be done to the murmuring unbelieving Jews who not receiving him deprived themselves of that life and all those glorious things in and with him But to go on with Mr. Owens observation He infers from that thus If God gave his Son to dy for All then he had as great an act of love and made as great a manifestation of it to them that perish as to them that are saved But this follows not for though in it self it was exceeding great yea compared singly with other acts as to the outward expression the greatest act of love to give Christ to dy for men yet in regard of the heart of God in it and the conjoying that act with others he manifested not nor acted so great love to them that perish as to them that are saved 1. I say in regard of the heart of God for in chap. 8. Mr. Owen tels us Gods love is his velle bonum creaturis his purpose and will of grace which if so then that 's to be accounted the greatest to them to whom he purposed the greatest good by that act which was but the medium of good to men Now in as much as he purposed more grace to some through that gift then to others to the saved then to those that perish though in the medium they all shared yet it cannot be said that he manifested or acted as much love to one as to another To illustrate it take this comparison David put his life in hazzard from the Israelites when he fought with the Philistin in that he laid his life down at the stake as it were 1 Sam. 19.5 and it was the greatest act of love he could have shewed to his friend to lay down his life for him yet in this act he might love his Father with a more intense love then many others of them yet he hazzarded his life for them all and shewed forth that act of love to them all that in expression is highest 2. In respect of other acts Though that act was greater then any other act of love I say suppose that yet not so great as that and other acts also joyned with it He loved believers with that and diverse others as in compelling them in c. 3. Yea suppose all loved alike in that yet if some of them all so alike loved requiting that his same like-love worse then others As Hosea 9.15 are left and he takes their slighing his so great love so ill that he will love them no more And others not so requiting him but accepting it continue in his love as the phrase is Joh. 15.10 and he saves them shall we say he loves not these more then
those his wrastlings have been rejected as is plain to any that minde Psal 81.9 10 11 14. Prov. 1.22 23 24. Matth. 23.37 Luke 19.41 c. Now for these All that the Apostle says God would have to be saved and come to the knowledg of the truth Mr. Owen confesses the 6. verse proves that Christ gave himself a ransom that All being of the same extent with this in verse 4. Therefore he said not right when he denied that the Scripture saith he gave himself a ransom for All men that in ver 4. being expresly All men And also his Conclusion here is wrong viz. That Christ died and gave himself onely for his Elect and such as shall be eternally saved for that 's the sum of his Conclusion His Argument from the word Ransom and so the commutation he speaks of is answered before in lib. 3. cap. 5. Mr. Rutherfords reasons being the same in substance with what we have had before in Mr. Owen I shall not insert any thing of them here nor give them any other answer then what I have given in Mr. Owen to him 2. The next place that he endeavors to bear off the force of is 2 Pet. 3.9 God is patient to us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance To avoid the light of which he corrupts the Text by adding to the words but detracting from the sense he will have it read that he is patient toward us not willing that any of us should perish but all of us should come to Repentance By such liberty he might answer any Argument For he doth like the Papists when we tell them of being justified by Faith and not by Works they can answer with this addition the Works of the Law we are not justified by them but by other works we are Besides who are that Us none of which he would have perish and all of whom he would have come to Repentance He says Those that had pertook of the precious promises chap. 1.4 whom he calls Brethren chap. 3.1 and that he might be sure to make the text speak what he would have it he runs back as far as Math. 24. the Elect intimating that they include some part of the world uncalled But besides that he no where proves that and that it s very far fetcht to find the substantive of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there can that be any reason of his patience Could any of them perish should Christ come the sooner who can in no wise be deceived or drawn away by perverse Doctrines from Christ Or are those that have received the precious promises of eternal salvation and Brethren to the Apostles in danger to perish if Christ should come sooner who are ready to think long for his coming for their deliverance Or are they yet short of Repentance Apage has nugas The plain sense is That God is patient in behalf of us that believe and doth not speedily execute Judgment for us as the like phrase also signifies in Luke 18.7 8. though he be much provoked to come and plead our cause and destroy ungodly men yet he forbears not willing any should perish not being hasty to destroy any as one that would have them perish or as one that delighteth in their destruction but affording all men in general space for repentance of their follies and evils desires and approves of it that they repent his goodness and forbearance leading to that even such as abuse it and treasure up wrath against themselves by it as is affirmed of Jezabel Rev. 2.21 and others Rom. 2.4 5. Now as we desire not to stretch the latter clause to every individual as to Infants while not capable of it so neither can it be limited to the Elect only he willing others also as that fore-quoted Scripture proves to come to Repentance but to the generality of men we do extend it That God hated any from eternity he hath often said but never yet proved it nor hath he shewed that God denies repentance to any before they put away obstinately what would lead them to it He that gives that which leads to Repentance cannot be said to deny it to them to whom he gives that while that is giving to them as he that gives a plaister that will heal if men according to the power they have would apply it cannot be said to deny healing though some refusing to apply the plaister are never healed 3. The next place sought to be eluded is Heb. 2.9 That by the grace of God he might tast Death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for every man Where first he tells us all acknowledg that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every one is put for All by an Enallage of number Which as he but begs so see I no ground for granting him It s as proper a speech to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if not a tittle of the Law shall pass away till all be fulfilled then why should we causlesly let such a change be made of whole words of the Gospel seeing the Gospel is more permanent But then again he tells us That this expression of Every man is commonly used in Scripture to signify men under some restriction That it s so used in speeches about mens actions thoughts knowledg c. and in places where the foregoing speeches to which it hath reference are evidently bounded up to particular Nations Countries Parties I grant it then signifying but any one without restriction that come within the reach or opportunity of such men to act such things towards as are in those speeches spoken of or that appertain to those places or parties as in that of Col. 1.28 but that in speeches in which it s coupled with God or Christ as Mediator acting willing purposing or knowing it signifies but some of those that it refers to I deny cheifly in matters of fundamental concernment as the death of Christ for men is That that he produces from 1 Cor. 12.7 might seem to evert the truth of this The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man But to that I answer 1. That there is not the same word it s not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a Distributive alwaies of some Totum before mentioned which there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about spiritual men the members of Christ to every one of them not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Spirit given and the like is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 1 Cor. 4 5. Then shall every one that is of the Stewards or Embassadors of Christ have praise of God in which I conceive is also a Synecdoche Speciei pro genere praise for judgment or doom But that it fignifies All and Every one here Mr. Owen will not allow for these Reasons 1. Because to tast Death is to drink up the cup due to sinners Which is as
in hand evidently sheweth for he saith not onely As by one offence judgement came untocondemnation so by one righteousness to justification of life but expresly maketh the comparison too in regard of their objects As by one offence to all men to condemnation so by one righteousnesse to All men to justification of life I would faine know of M. Ow. what the Apostle says in the 18. v. distinct from what he said before in the precedent verses taking away his equalizing of the Object So that that speech looks but like an Assertion of one resolved not to own a truth be it never so plainely exprest if it suit not with his own opinion that he maintaineth Again whereas he denies that Heb. 2.9 holds out that Christ stood in the roome of every man and refers us for proof to what he said to that Scripture his saying to it being proved impertinent and vaine already we need not here give him any further Answer Sure he that dyed for every man stood in the roome of every man in that his dying or else M. Owens own Argument from the force of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chap. 10. lib. 3. are meer vanities Whereas he sayes further that no one word of God sayes that all men were given to Christ to redeem I answer nor did T. M. say so but having spoken of the Death of Christ in the roome of all mankind and his Resurrection he added by Parenthesis that they are all given him and shall be brought unto him quoting for proof Phil. 2.8.11 Rom. 14.9 which intimates his meaning to be that they were given into his dispose as upon his resurrection and that all are given to Christ in that sense Psal 2.8 9. fully declares I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for thy possession and thou shalt rule them with an Iron Rod c. But I deny that ever the Scriptures say God gave any man to him that he should dye for him In dying for men he bought them rather and upon that God gave all to him in a generall way to rule over them and he gives him some by his gracious call to be his peculiar charge and to be set free by him from all their inthralments in conscience and from the power of pollution and temptation Whereas he sayes Christ is called the last Adam in respect of the efficacy of his death to the promised seed If he meane in that regard only it s but his meer Assertion and so till it be proved needs no more answering it being the same in substance with what he said before against the extent of the Object of his death contrary to Rom. 5.18 which we have even now answered Against this passage of T.M. that Christ by his death brought all men out of the Death they fell into by Adam he opposes this that the Death men fell into in Adam was a death in sin and the guilt of condemnation thereupon For which he quotes Ephes 2.1 2 3. To which I desire the Reader to remember what I said above about Redemption Chap. 5. lib. 3. that we fell into a twofold death in Adam one as the naturall and proper fruit and consequence of that sinning the deading all our powers to that that was spiritually good 2. The wages and punishment of this sin that is destruction and utter ruine Ioh. 8.31 32. The latter of these Christ bare for us not the former for then he should have had our pollution in him too which is crosse to truth Therefore when we speak of bringing us from the death we fell into in Adam we are to be understood of that Christ endured for us not the other which he brings us out of by his Word and Spirit received into us and not by his dying onely or Resurrection also And therefore M. Owen here prevaricates as in another passage fastned upon M. More he abuses him for he no where tells us as M. Owen charges him that the presenting himself just before the Father was the ultimate thing by Christ intended not a tittle that way He hath also many heavie words against M. More for saying God accepted the Sacrifice of Christ as if all had dyed risen sacrificed satisfied c. which spring from his owne mistake as if Christ in dying for All was said to dye and satisfie for all sins that ever they should or might commit and so procure an acquittance and discharge from them All to be without faile as on his part and what ever failing in any condition happen on their part made over unto all which as its contrary to those intimations that speak of their perishing for whom Christ dyed as a thing possible yea and of some ments pulling swift condemnation upon themselves whom he bought which could not be were that position true so it s also a gap to all carelesness and licentiousness for then let all men take what course they will Either Christ dyed for them or not if not no endeavour can do them good God is their enemy and hated them before they offended him even from all eternity and they must have no better do what they can then what the hatred of an Omnipotent God will produce unto them if he did Then eia agite nothing can pull a dram of wrath upon them their score are all wiped off both what they have run into and what they shall The Apostle never preached such Doctrine but that they that walk in the light as he is in it that walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit that are rooted in the Faith and not moved from the hope of the Gospell shall have this benefit by Christs death that no condemnation shall befall them all their sins are cleansed c. Verily Christ putting himself into the place of Adam in the day that he sinned and in due time bearing that heavie death that else had seised on All and overcoming it and presenting himself to God as a Conqueror over it was far more acceptable to God then if all men in the world had dyed and overcome For we had done it but for our selves and out of love to our selves but he out of obedience to his Father and love to us and the same worke is far more acceptable to God when done out of Charity then when done out of selfe-love and meer necessity Beside the dignity of his Person and neernesse to his Father far above ours but I pass that too Heobjects further against T. M. because he sayes comparing Christ and Adam in respect of the effect and fruit of their works in the publick place that as by the sin of Adam all his posterity were in and by him deprived of that life and righteousnesse they had in him and are fallen under sin and death though secretly invisibly and in some sort inexpressibly so by the efficacy of the obedience of Christ All men without exception are redeemed
do fall we have but discovered a hypocrite and parted with him and discern that Christ never died for him Is this to expound the Scripture or to pervert and elude it But why did he but seem to be a brother Surely hypocrites use-rather to boast themselves of strength and seem to be strong then to appear weak they use not to dissimble and counterfeit the lowest places or least strength as we may see in Jehu But we are brethren onely by Faith That 's untrue In a Church-Fellowship Faith and Confession make brethren with professed agreement in joynt worshiping And such also as have true illuminations and some measure of saith in believing the truth and seeking God therein may and do turn aside as the Scriptures witness As the Galathians did run well not hypocritically but well and yet some of them Paul greatly scared for they were turned away from him that called them And others put away a good conscience making shipwrack of faith 1 Tim. 1.20 Sure a counterfeit profession never makes a good conscience Weak believers not yet setled and rooted nor so far prevailed with as to be brought to commit their souls to Christ nor made one with Christ and his chosen ones in spirit throughness of heart are in danger of falling off by corrupt doctrines and temptations if they take not diligent heed to Christ and his doctrine Thence the Apostles were especially earnest in watching over admonishing such And yet that faith truth confession goodness of way and walking they had might truly denominate theÌ„ brethren And such the Apostle speaks of here as had had some illuminations and their hearts closing with the truth yea the truth so powerful in them as to pull them out of the worlds way and fellowships and made them attend amongst the Church for further knowledg and divine teachings yet being not established and so throughly united to them in Spirit they might be shaken and turned away again by offensive carriages But that the Apostle should mean him thou countest a brother and Christ to have died for or wish him onely to avoid endeavouring his perishing is a meer perverting of the Apostles saying The Apostle uses not to speak things contrary to truth to suit with seeming appearances to men as we noted above As for his making us draw an universal Conclusion from this or the other Scripture viz. That therefore he died for all Reprobates it s none of ours but this Therefore the after perishing of men proves not that Christ died not for them as they use to argue nor did he dye for the Elect onely as they say 3. The third place is 2 Pet. 2.1 Denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction In which he questions every thing As 1. Whether by Lord be meant Christ as Mediator 2. Whether by buying be meant an eternal Redemption by the blood of Christ 3. Whether it be spoken according to Reality or appearance To the first he says It rather signifies God the Father because the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is every where given to him To which I answer 1. Christ calls himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matt. 10.25 alibi 2. Jude in his Epistle which is almost word for word the same with this Chapter tells us speaking of these men that they deny 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the onely Master God and Lord Jesus Christ where a Vnicus articulas omnibus istis epithetis communis omnino declarat Christum esse Herum illum unicum Vid. Bez. in locum Beza strongly contends that all those Epithites are given to Christ there being no pause between them and but one Article prefixed before them All blaming Erasmus much for otherwise rendring it Nay He tells us That one ancient Greek Copy Codex Complutensis reads it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And sure if that b Vide etiam Zâ—nch in Jud 4. Qui Deitatem Christi inde arguens haec habet Petrus verò à quo Judas desumpsitsua docet Jesum Christum esse hunc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quem falsi doctores negant Etiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inquit Petrus qui illos mercatus est abnegantes quis mercatus nos est nisi Christus suo sanguine c. Et Paulò post Confirmat Judas Christum esse hunc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nostrum Deum Illà enim omnia praedicata de uno subjecto Jesu Christo praedicantur cum unus tantùm sit articulus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 communis omnibus ille praedicatis Zanch. de trib Elohim par 1. lib. 6. 5. place that answers this so exactly ascribe that title to him it s not to be denied that this doth it too But he says It s not a proper word for our Saviour in that work of Redemption because its such a Lord and Master as refers to servants and subjection but the end of Christs purchase is always exprest in words of more indearment But this is frivolous for in 2 Cor. 5.15 He died for all that they might live to him expresses subjection and to be as his servants as the end of his death So in 1 Cor. 7.22 23. upon this ground that Christ bought us with a price it s said He that is called being free is the Lords servant and so in Rom. 147 8 9. Thence the Apostles through redeemed by Christ I trow stile themselves the servants of Christ To say nothing that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used to denote as much reference to subjection as this can and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used over all in the house Elect and others See Matth. 15. â—7 27 and 18.25.32 Joh. 15.15 Matth. 20.1.16 2. Was not such a word as argued their duty of a subjection fittest to aggravate their sin of denying subjection Whereas he says God only in the following verses is named and not Christ That 's not so for in ver 20. where he speaks again to this Apostacy of theirs they are said to have escaped the pollutions of the world through the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ But 3. Suppose it be meant of God Is not Christ as Mediator God too And is not God said to purchase his Church with his blood Acts 20.28 Doth he buy any into his Church but by the Death and bloodshed of Jesus Christ He says Yes and that 's the second thing to be spoken to in which he says 2. its uncertain whether this buying was made with the ransom of his blood or by the goodness of God delivering them by the knowledg of the truth from Idolatry To which I answer By both The goodness of God is not extended to faln man but by Christs death The Declaration of which as so testified is the truth that God makes forcible for drawing men to himself from their Idolatry Tit. 3.4 5. 1 Cor. 15.2 3. That there must be a price is evident and
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
seeing Christ preached the Kingdome of God to them it s no sufficient evasion God usually punishing men with deprivation of temporal mercies for neglecting eternall Mat. 22.7 Psal 2.10 11 12. He says Rom. 2.5 speaks of the Gentiles who had the works of God to teach them and the Patience of God to wait upon them yet made bad use of both which is too slender an Answer to the place Could he not finde it in the Text that they led them to repentance and can he shew us any ground of Repentance and change of mind for any man that hath no cause in and from God for it nothing better to be enjoyed by them in and with God then what he sets his mind upon already or that any have any such favours afforded them as lead to Repentance with whom God deals according to the sentence pronounced upon All in Adam and for whom Christ never came to procure any such things for them or that Christ procured such things for any for whom he did not interpose himself between the Sentence of Death and them Sure these things deserve a little more consideration then he affords them Besides that they make against his exposition of 2 Pet. 3.9 where he would tye up Gods willing men to come to Repentance to the Elect only for here he speaks of Gods goodness and patience leading such to Repent as treasure up wrath to themselves by occasion of Gods goodness to them Mat. 6.26 Mark 8.36 Sure he will not tell us they are the Elect onely too He makes little of those expressions in which men are said to lose their own souls but onely as if therein was intimated That they make the losse of them sure to themselves then it seems it was not sure enough to them in Adams sinning and why not Sure Adam lost us All sure enough If Christ did nothing for recovering them they are lost sure enough without any mans doing any more to loose them But perhaps he means that they make it evident to themselves that Christ did nothing for them and so that they remain lost by Adam Sure this is a new way of exposition and before it pass for currant he must prove that to lose or save in Scripture signifies onely to make it evident that a thing was lost or saved before-hand or that we are said to lose by doing this or that that that was lost out of our power before we did that As that if a Corporation have forfeited their Charter and it was taken from them an hundred years ago so that now they have none yet they that are now of it do forfeit and lose it by so doing something that they should not let him shew us that the Scripture speaks in that language and we shall listen to his evasion His after Collection from T. M. is spoken to before it s but his own misunderstanding of him and so are all his Inferences drawne from it For his Argument from Gods expostulations pag. 296. it is to shew that God wils them to be saved and delights not in their destruction which opposes M. Owens Interpretation of 1 Tim. 2.4 and by consequent intimates Christs interposing himself between God and them there being no salvation to be had for any but in him and those expostulations being with others then the Elect about looking and listning to him c. What there is in God we cannot tell but as the only begotten Son hath revealed to us and that is indeed that there is in him no imperfection But that he desires not those salvation that miss of it he hath no where told us that I know of but often the contrary and yet that may be in him without imperfection We are no competent Judges by our narrow conceptions of his perfections There is that in and with him that seems foolishness to our wisdome and weakness in our judgements that yet is wiser and stronger then we can conceive of 1 Cor. 1.22 23 24. It s sauciness in us to prescribe rules to Gods wisdome and perfection and rashnesse to say what is or is not in God but as Christ hath revealed to us Obedience is better then Sacrifice and a simple belief of his words better then our wisest reasonings against them In pag. 298 299. There is some difference about judging All men by the Gospel Indeed it should be said according to the Gospel the difference is grounded on the divers understanding of that phrase Rom. 2.16 They take it that this Truth That all shall be Judged is according to the Gospel We understand it also that Christ in judging shall proceed according to the Gospel Not that we mean that they had heard not the Gospel shall be judged for rejecting or not believing what they heard not but that they shall be judged onely for and by what they had given them and they received or abused but that Christ in judging by and for those things shall not go according to the Law of Creation requiring them to have done according to that that was given them in Adam and so according to the strict rule of that first Obligation but only as in rejecting Light and Truth given them or accepting it they have sinned against Rom. 1.18 19 20 21. or submitted to God dealing with them in and by the Mediator the Word of God by whose interposition of himself between God and them their lives liberties mercies and all the light they had since the Fall was derived to them Joh. 1.9 and so according to the Gospel that relates Christ to have died for them and to be Lord over all thereby And that such shall be his proceeding in Judgment I am the rather perswaded by that of Christ himself in Matth 25.31.46 c. where declaring the maner of his Judging All Nations he tells us his Rewards and punishments shall be given according to mens carriages of themselves towards him in such Mediums as he appeared in to them He Judges men to life as feeding and cloathing Him to death as not doing such and such things to him Which he makes out to be an equal sentence though many shall reply that they never see or knew him as an object to be so or so acted toward by them He mentions nothing there to be charged upon them as acted by Adam or by them but with reference to himself which deserves also some consideration Whereas in page 299. He tells us of Totus mundus ex to to mundo a whole world out of the whole world That he says without book I mean without Gods Book speaking of the world as it now is having borrowed it from Prosper or at highest from Austin But we desire not to prefer the Traditions and Documents of the Elders though they might be in many things worthy men in their times so highly as for them to justle out or by them to Interpret Apostolical Doctrine or by them to teach men their fear towards God as was
their souls in particular whereby they become weary heavy laden and burdened 4. A serious full recumbency and resting the soul upon Christ in the promise of the Gospel as an Alsufficient Saviour able to deliver and save to the utmost them that come to God by him Ready able and willing through the preciousness of his blood and sufficiency of his ransom to save every soul that shall freely give up themselves to him for that end amongst whom he is resolved to be one Now says he in doing all this there is none called on by the Gospel once to inquire after the purpose and intention of God concerning the particular object of the death of Christ every one being fully assured that his Death shall be profitable to them that believe in him and obey him but after all this and not before it lies upon a believer to assure his soul of the good will and eternal love of God to him to send his Son to dye for him in particular I might here return him his own words with admiration Oh what a preposterous course is this and how differing from the right way of the Gospel 1. I would know what is that Gospel that men in the first place are to believe to be true Is it onely that Jesus Christ is the power and wisdom of God to salvation and the connexion of faith and salvation That we have shewed before to be untrue The Word of God it self tells us that the Gospel used to tell men of Christs being sent of God to turn them in particular from their sins and to lay down that as the ground of Repentance and believing on him 1 Tim. 2 4.6 And the Apostlesays expresly that that wâs the Testimony or Gospel that God ordained and sent him to preach ver 7. Acts 3.26 And that God would have all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth for there is one God and one Mediator between God and man the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for All and can a man believe that to be true and not believe that he gave himself a ranson for him Is he no body So that what he says in this first step overthrows him But 2. See the preposterousness of these men that that the Apostle writ about the High-Priesthood of Christ to the believers as peculiarly useful for them to lead them up to perfection in their faith and confidence viz. That Christ hath the office of an unchangeable Priesthood is able to save to the utmost all that come to God by him because he ever liveth to make intercession for them that is here produced as the ground to draw in unbelievers though the intercession there mentioned is not affirmed there for any as while yet unbelievers and on the other hand that which the Apostle tells us was the Testimony whereof God had made him a Minister an Apostle to preach to the Gentiles that were ignorant of God as that before repeated that is not to be preached as true for any ones particular and as so to be believed by him till they are made believers Who would think that wise men should go so preposterous a way but that its the judgement of God for their leaning to their own wisdom and no more then is fore-prophesied that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise c. 3. He impertinently mixes the object of faith with the operations of that object attended to and believed as conviction by the Spirit of their need of a Redeemer and recumbency in him with the truths of God that lead to that convincement and reliance on him The Argument is about the object of faith needful to be believed by all that hear the Gospel that they may believe to justification And he tells us of an order in the operations of God upon mens spirits before they believe as they should do And yet he minds not that the convincement of the great sin of unbelief is not kindly effected till men see they have ground of believing and yet believe not till when the heart rather thinks it is sin and presumption to believe But when it sees that Christ hath done so much for it then it must needs be convinced that it sins greatly in not betrusting it self wholly to him 4. He confounds the object of faith about the Mediation of Christ and the object of his Death with the secret Purpose and Counsel of God about our particular right to and injoyment of eternal salvation 5. He talks of rolling the soul upon Christ in a Promise whenas he cannot prove that any can have him in a Promise to be rolled on further then he is supposed first to have dyed for him the Promises being sealed in his blood and the way of closing with them is believing in his blood which how should men do whâ—le its wholly doubtful to them whether they have any thing to do with his blood or nor Indeed 6. He supposes that a soul is brought to believe in God and to trust in his mercie through Christ before it know of any love in God toward it whereas he uses to draw with the cords of love and testimonies of his goodness It s goodness seen in him leads us to repentance It s not only a letting sinners see a need of a Saviour that there is one able to save them that go to God by him that will suffice to draw in a man that yet cannot see him as a way for him to go to God by as he is not for any otherwise then he hath died for them Heb. 10.19 20. to rowl himself upon God for salvation Never yet could any sinner that indeed was convinced to be so and to be under wrath and that saw Gods Justice and Anger against him hope in and expect help from God by Christ not being first perswaded that Christ had done so much for him that he might have salvation through him Many men may delude themselves and take their own self-actings for acts of Grace as the Pharisee did Luke 18.10 11. and from their endeavors and self reformations seem to commit themselves to God and conclude themselves to be believers that yet never knew what it is rightly to believe The true Gospel-believers believe through Grace 2 Cor. 6.1 as they Acts 18.27 That is by the grace and goodwill of God declared to them in the Gospel The grace of God appearing to them teaches them to live godlily and saves them from their former disobedient condition Tit. 2.11 12. and 3.4 5. They do no per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Pharisee argue Gods grace towards them by their frames towards him that God loved them first because they as they conceive love him but on the contrary they therefore love him because he first loved them and sent his Son for them Believing Gods Testimony of what Christ hath done for them they are helped through the power of God to believe
to pass that I fear he will be put to it again to prove this also by his doctrine seeing many are willing to run to Ordinances and do any thing to have ease and comfort and yet afterward forget that they were purged from their old sins and having escaped the pollutions of the world and walked in the means appointed for a while afterward imbrace the present world and fall off again which their doctrine intimates they must do and will if not elected or else never meet with any thing of God to purpose though they should continue attending the means to the last gasp I fear he will not say Christ had any Free grace for these and yet all weary heavy laden sinners one and other Christ calls to him yea and the fools and scorners too the wicked unrighteous and who not to listen to his Doctrine for salvation So that these are but fair flourishes that being looked into wind up onely in this Though ye be never so much troubled and weary and never so diligent now in the use of means yet forasmuch as your Election is unknown to us we cannot say that there is any thing purchased by Christ for you or that the blood of Christ is sufficient to purge you because we yet know not whether it was shed for you whatever inward worth it hath in it yet it being shed onely for the Elect he may not be able to save you by it nor unless ye be elected will all your use of means profit you if you should continue in them And so all depends yet even its future use of means too upon that hidden purpose and till that be known whether there be any cause for it to rely on Christ and love him and God in him he knoweth not so that all these answers avail him nothing therefore he doth well to leave his answering and fall to querying viz. What that is that according to our perswasion men are bound to believe when they first know that Christ died for them I answer They are to believe that Christ is their lawful Lord and able to save them and that they ought to live to him also that God is good and loving to them which is not a thing known before-hand as he says but in and through the knowing Christ to have died for them as the Cause though it be before the Effect yet in ordins cognoscendi it may be through and in order of nature after the knowledg of the effect which also the Spirit will there through be now glorifying and presenting to the soul they attending the doctrine of Christ and following him therein till it raise them up to full assurance as it did the Apostles Yea upon the knowing of the death of Christ for them it s to believe that God delights not in their death but is ready in and through Christ to save them and will do it they as they herein see good ground and as also they are by the Gospel that declares it obliged to do waiting on him and trusting in him Now whereas he says That they cannot there being no fruits of his Death but what are common to All which may be Damnation as well as Salvation That 's very untrue 1. Damnation is not the fruit of his Death but of mens abusing the mercies they have by his Death and their refusing to listen to him and look to him for salvation 2. The fruits of his Death in them and to them that come to him are washing purging sanctifying giving in remission peace joy spirit and life everlasting So that that is either an ignorant mistake or a wilful slander and yet as its true that some men may so abuse the Doctrine of Christs Death for them or so disserve him that his Death for them may be an aggravation of their punishment and misery so in that sense As the fruit of Gods Presence with the Israelites that led them out of Egypt into the Wilderness was to them that believed as they all had reason to have done protection and guidance into Canaan and possessing them thereof but to others that causlesly rebelled through their own folly destruction So is Christ and the Gospel of Christ a Savour of life to life in them that receive but of death to death in them that reject him So that as he answered impertinently and inconcludently for himself before so he answers untruly and irrationally here for us But I leave that also From this he comes to tell us That there are two things that both perswasions pretend to the exaltation of Gods free Grace and the Merit of Christ To the first of these he plays the Rhetorician more then either Logician or Divine He asks what that free grace is And I answer This That God hath given his Son to die for All and through him tenders salvation freely in the Gospel to All Whoever will let him come he is ready to receive him rejecting or reprobating none from it to destruction but for their rejecting his Truth and goodness made known to them His Queries Whether it stand in Election effectual Vocation Justification Sanctification Redemption in the blood of Christ If by Redemption in Christs blood he means the actuall setting their spirits at liberty from sin and corruption and from the power of Satans delusions to worship and live to God effected by the sprinkling of his blood upon them Heb. 9.13 14 as is there intended Rev. 5.9 miss the cushion Though Free Grace standeth in all these things which we maintain as well as they yet the extent of it we say not standeth in them but in giving his Elect one in whom his Election and purposes all are to the death for All and setting him up as a medium to whom coming any of them may and in coming shall finde Justification Sanctification Redemption and what ever follows which the Gospel holds forth freely to All as ready in him for them and to be dispensed by him to them upon believing which so held forth is the medium also of his effectual calling Whereas he asks If it be not universally a figment of our own brains or a new name for the old Idol Freewill I answer That it is not the first the authority of Gods Word acquits us which we dare not for all the Sophisms he hath brought against it renounce to cleave to that onely Elect which he and the Elders traditions have created and to which they bow the knew of their faith more then to Gods Word And if no device of our own then no new name For that Idol of Freewill which we no more adore if so much as they who substracting the declaration of Gods good Will to men as pertaining to them the medium appointed by him for his power to work in to uninthral men and impower them to believe do yet call upon men to believe and get Christ as if they had power of themselves to get him and to believe on him thundring damnation