the Communication of himself to his Creature is his End either you speak of the Acts of Communication as in God and so it is himself as before expressed Efficiently and not Finally Considered Or else you speak of the form produced by it or as received by the Creature and so it is quid Creatum extra Naturam Divinam and too low to be his End I conclude therefore that man is uncapable of a clear and full conceiving of the Nature of Gods End or Intending But the conception and expression which I judge to be most favoured by Scripture and Reason is That Gods will is the Beginning and End of all things Whatsoever pleased him that did he And when he hath done it the pleasing him is his End And therefore he Rested after the work of Creation and expresseth himself well pleased by and in his Son in the work of Redemption as seeing his work in both to be very good and therefore instituted a day of Rest in Commemoration of both The term Rest expresseth the End and his Well-pleasedness Content or Will is his Rest and so his End And in this sense God himself is his own End and indeed this Pleasing him should be Mans End also 2. But besides this Ultimate End though properly God can have no End but himself yet there are some means so closely conjunct with this End as being the immediate matter of Gods Approbation Delight that they may not unfitly be called Gods secondary or less principal ends themselves especially we may so say in regard of Christs intentions who is Man as well as God And these are 1. The Glory or Image or Perfections of God as appearing in all his works thus his own Power and Wisdom and Goodness there shining forth is that Glory in which he is well-pleased and which he loveth And thus the Glory of God is materially only or objectively his utmost End as that in which his Will doth Rest 2. The Glorifying of the Mediator in his Human Nature and his full satisfaction and content in the fruits of his Redemption 3. The Glory and Happiness of his Elect who are his Body 4. Their Everlasting perfect Praises of God loving him and rejoycing in him 5. And even in this Life the Just Wise Merciful Administrations of the Mediator in his Kingdom and the imperfect Deliverance and Holiness of the Saints and the glory that redounds to God hereby may not unfitly be said to be the Ends of the Redeemer But I will meddle with this Order of Intention no farther as intending God willing to speak more fully and accurately of that Question de ordine decretorum de fine de mediis in a fitter place 2. But let us consider of the Order of these Ends as Executed I mean of the Effects of Christs Death And they are 1. Such as immediatly follow it as it is the Discharge of the Sufferers undertaking being indeed 1. Part of his Work in its Moral Consideration 2. Or else the immediate results of that Discharge These are 1. That Christs Death doth demonstrate Gods justice and hatred of Sin 2. In it an Example is given for the deterring of Offenders 3. And for preserving the Lawgiver and the Law from contempt 4. And a demonstration made of unspeakable Love to Men. 5. And in and by these 1. The Lawgiver satisfied 2. And the chief Ends of the Law are attained though we cannot strictly say that the Law it self is satisfied because its sense and nearest end is not fulfilled Thus satisfaction of Justice is the sum of these most immediate Effects And the whole work together may well be called A Satisfactory Penalty 2. Satisfaction being thus made there are immediately hereupon several Relative Effects resulting from it Whereof some are from the Nature of the Work supposing that which is called The Covenant between the Father and the Son that is Gods Acceptation And some are given as it were by way of Retribution or in Communication to Christ for his satisfaction Of the first sort are these 1. Christ himself is now free from his Voluntary obligation to suffer In the same sense as he was before made Sin he is now Justified and upon his Resurrection declared just He oweth no more nor can any more be required of him 2. The Father therefore doth give him an Acquittance and acknowledgeth the satisfaction proclaiming himself well-pleased in his Son 3. And hereby is Christ become Conquerour over Death and Him who had the Power of Death even the Devil Supposing his Resurrection 2. Satisfaction is so pleasing to God that upon the giving thereof the work becomes Meritorious of Reward to the satisfier 1. Because it was not Due from Him nor Compelled but voluntary 2. Because though God be not capable of receiving good yet it was from his own earnest desire which he was moved to by Compassion to Man and so it was reputative in bonum Dei as being pleasing to him The things given to the Satisfier by way of Retribution are 1. Some directly to himself as necessary to the Ends of Redemption 2. Some for the Sinners in whose stead he suffered To himself is given 1. Something to be received before the End and Delivering up of the Kingdom and something after Before he Received 1. Real the glorifying of his person 2. Relative Fruits Novum jus Dominii a full Propriety in the Creature as his own which he bought And that is 1. Over Mankind whom he Redeemed 2. And all the Creatures as they may be serviceable to his Ends. By his Propriety in Man he hath Power 1. To use what means he seeth meet to perswade them to himself Either 1. External 1. As the Word or 2. Works 2. Or Internal by his Spirit and their Conscience 2. And to succeed the means By his Propriety in other Creatures he hath Power to dispose of 1. Persons both 1. Angels and 2. Enemies as Devils and 2. Things As 1. Creatures 2. Actions and Thoughts so as many serve his Ends of Redemption 2. Beside this Propriety he hath Novum Jus Imperii and is become Rector of the Rational Creature whom he Redeemed This is partly consequential to his Jus Dominii For every Man hath Power to Rule his Own according to its Capacity By this Rectorship Christ hath Power 1. To Determine both 1. What shall be Due from Man 2. And What shall be Due to him Which he doth 1. By making Laws de novo 2. And disposing of the Old at his pleasure And as he hath this power of the Laws So 2. Of their Execution 1. By Sentence 2. And by the Execution of the Sentence Thus much of that which Christ himself was to receive for his satisfaction in this time before the End 2. After the End he was further to receive 1. The continuation or perpetuating of his Personal Glory and Blessedness 2. A full Content in the perfect accomplishment of his work 1. In the just Destruction of his
nisi virtute satisfactionis plenae Deo anteapro nobis presentatae Neque quidquam per nos facit quod ipsemet antea satis perfecte fecit 3. Per Causas secundas Deus non operatur Creationem ex nihilo sed Satisfactio Redemptio eundem locum habent in ordine Gratiae quem Creatio habet in ordine naturae p. 172. Deus aliquando parcit iis quibus non est propriè reconciliatus c. 2. Sadeel is full this way Adversus humanas Satisfactiones p 211. he saith Aut Christus merito mortis suae delet culpam peccatorum venialium ut vocant aut non delet Si dicant non delere Ergo Christus non pro omnibus peccatis mortuus est sed tantum pro mortalibus O blasphemos homines si quidem id dixerint quid est aliud delere ac remittere culpam ejus peccati quod ex ipsorum sententia poenas temporales promeretur quam nullas exigere poenas temporales propter illud peccatum promeritas Nesciunt profectò isti homines quid sit peccati culpa nec advertunt poenam peccati non posse definiri absque mentione culpae So that sin it self may be said so far to be pardoned as the punishment is remitted and therefore he saith it was only the punishment and not the fault that Christ bore p. 215. At quomodo Christus satisfecit Deo pro peccatis nostris An non id factum est quia Christus peccatorum nostrorum non culpam pertulit sed poenam Sic. p. 228. Nam Chrisius ut nostram non nostris sed Augustini verbis explicemus sententiam suscipiendo poenam non suscipiendo culpam culpam delevit poenam 3. So Chamier at large shews that it is only through Christ's Satisfaction that fault or punishment is remitted and that God cannot remit without satisfaction Tom. 3. l. 23. c. 2. § 22. Itaque in genere concedo non posse Deum impunita peccata dimittere id est nisi puniantur vel in peccatore vel in Mediatore of which Voetius in his Thesis is full and § 31. Nihil ergo rectius quam luisse pro nobis Christum poenas num aliquas tantum an vero omnes c. si non luisset omnes neminem liberant ab omnibus So that he takes the argument to be good a liberatione ad solutionem per Christum and § 27. Remissio opponitur exactioni poenarum Now I have proved that God remitteth much punishment to wicked men not Elect yea even in Scripture phrase the remitting of that punishment is called the Remission of their sin as is shewed before and lest any should say it is but a delay of their punishment till the Life to come I answer 1. Is not punishment due to them both in this Life and that to come And therefore to remit one is true remission 2. No Scripture intimateth that God will lay so much the more on them in Hell meerly because he punished them not more on Earth but for their abuse of Mercy on Earth 3. Doth not Christ himself expresly speak of not forgiving sin in this life or that to come 4. Many have so much remission here as tends to the great abatement of their everlasting torments for Christ gives them that freedom from temptations and such means and common Grace as brings them to be almost Christians and almost Saved and such as the man whom he is said to have loved and said to him thou art not far from the Kingdom of God Whereas doubtless the rigorous execution of the Curse of the Law requires that men be wholly forsaken of God as to any such Grace or Mercy and consequently given up to the prevalency of their own Lusts And it is a doubt whether they that make all this Remission and Mercy to the Non-Elect to befal them without the satisfaction of Christ do not wrong Christ somewhat more than the Papists themselves who in their vile Doctrine of Satisfaction and Indulgence do ascribe all to Christ radically and remotely and to man directly saying that for temporal punishments Christ satisfieth in and by man to whom he hath procured that power by his own immediate satisfaction These give Christ some part of the honour but the other none at all And that a conditional remission of the eternal punishment is given in the Gospel to the Non-Elect under Gods hand is so plain that he that knows it not knows not the plain tenour of the Gospel Besides if it be said that all this can be given to the Non-Elect without Christs satisfying for them then it would follow that it may be given to the Elect also without Christs satisfying for them but all our Divines call that Impious and blasphemous in their disputes against Purgatory Indulgences and humane Satisfactions Nay mark well that the same conditional deed of Gift of Christ and his Benefits which is uneffectual to Unbelievers because they perform not the condition is the same that becomes effectual to the Justification and Adoption of Believers and that without any new additional real act of God Lastly Satisfaction for one man will not serve to the remitting of any part of the Debt of another so that I may conclude that Christ satisfied for All seeing all receive the fruits of that satisfaction The effects cannot be without their cause Arg. 19. A comparatione Legis Gratiae cum Lege operum If Christ Died not for all to whom the Gospel comes then the Law of Grace doth contain far harder terms than the Law of Works But the consequent is false therefore so is the Antecedent The Consequence of the Major Proposition I prove thus The Law of Works as given to man in Innocency required nothing that was Impossible for man in that state to do But if Christ satisfied not for all the Law of Grace should require Impossibilities and condemn men for want of them and so should contain much harder terms than the Law of Works Yea the Law of Works as given to fallen man if so it were contained nothing contradictory and so impossible in it self though man through sin was disabled to perform it But the Law of Grace should if this Doctrine opposed were true If the Law of Grace require men to take him for their Redeemer and rest on him as their Redeemer that never redeemed them it should contain a contradiction If according to this Law men must be everlastingly condemned because they did not receive him as their Lord-Redeemer that never paid for them any price of Redemption and because they did not receive and apply to themselves the effects and benefits of a satisfaction which was never made for them and so could not possibly be a cause of such effects and because they did not rest on Christ to Justifie and Save them by his Blood which was never shed for them these are impossibilities and far harder terms than those of the Law of Works Yea if
in an infallible prevalency to his chosen And that none might perish merely on the old score or be judged meerly by the Old Law but all stand or fall according to their improvement or abuse of recovering Mercy And all this God hath hereupon granted to his Son And so he hath satisfaction for his satisfaction though many that he hath satisfied for do perish 6. Besides consider though men be punished for the same sins that Christ suffered for yet as to God the same do become new sins and so men suffer for them as it were as for new sins For 1. The old Obligation was so far made void or disabled that of it self it could never more bind them to punishment by reason of the addition of a remedying grant 2. God did quantum in se as Legislator of the old Law forgive them all the debt except the sins of non-performance of the Gospel conditions which God still excepted and Christ never suffered for for God hath delivered the obligation out of his own hand as standing in that first Relation of Rector secundum Legem Naturae sâ—lum and given it up into the hand of the Redeemer to give Remission to whom he please He hath also made a free Deed of Gift of an Universal Pardon to all that will accept it So that though men be not actually pardoned yet God may conveniently be said to have pardoned them in that he did his part as Rector secundum Leges As he saith to Israel I have healed thee and thou art not healed When a true Believer is actually Pardoned God doth put forth no new act to Pardon him but doth it by the general Grant or Act of Oblivion whereby he Pardoned All men conditionally as well as them The Law saith a man hath done a thing or given a benefit when he hath done his part though the effect follow not and the Work be yet undone For Moral Causes may do all their part and â—et the effect not follow for want of the performance of conditions in the receiver or because con-causes do not their part And therefore if the effect follow not the Law enquires Who it is long of Whose fault was it if of the Patient or Receiver then the Donor or Agent is said to have done the thing though yet it be not done For as to him moraliter vel Civiliter it is done There being no default on his part If any say that God followeth not the Rules of Humane Laws I answer God is the Fountain of all right Laws and Reason and Justice and I speak not of any unjust or mistaking Laws This is an ill pretence for men to judge their Maker by when they will not allow him that reasonable apology nor make that construction of his ways according to common undeniable equity as they will do of the ways of men Right Reason and the Laws made thereby are a beam of Gods perfect Wisdom and Justice If any say that God doth not Totum quod ad se attinet all his part in making a Deed of Gift of Christ and Pardon and Glory to all that will accept it unless he also give Faith which is the acceptance it self I shall now only say this much till we come to the point by it self that God doth Totum quod ad se attinet ut Legislatorem vel Rectorem juxta Leges all that belongs to him as Rector according to Laws though not all that belongs to him as absolute Lord and Disposer of events and all Creatures And it is in that Respect sub 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rectoris that Christ made satisfaction to him and not in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Relation of an Eternal-Elector or Absolute Proprietary and Disposer of all So that you see now that quoad Deum all men are pardoned all their sins except those excepted in the conditions of the Grant though quoad delinquentis Receptionem they are still unpardoned They may have Christ and Pardon if they will And when they are deprived of the Gift meerly because they will not have it no Reason can say God did not give it or Christ did not procure it or that God is unjust in that they are without it So that it is not now meerly the obligation of the first Law as unremedied that binds them over to punishment nor as it is in the Hands of God as Creator or Rector secundum Legem operum but it is the Obligation of the new Law primarily He that believeth not shall not be forgiven nor be saved and consequently of the Old Law as the obligation is in the Redeemers hands to be charged only on the Rejecters of Grace It is not primarily for sin as sin according to this Law Whosoever sinneth shall dye but it is primarily for Rejecting the Remedy and then that sin by necessary consequence remains unpardoned so that it is not directly because they were guilty of Death by the first Law but propter rejectam Remissionem for despising the Remission of that guilt So that quoad Deum it may be called the return of Sin or Guilt Remitted and so to be more properly ex novd obligatione from the New Obligation of the Law of Christ binding all their sins again upon them though as to them and their reception it is both from the New Obligation and the old And therefore Jude calleth such twice dead and pluckt up by the Roots If an hundred Traytors be condemned and the Prince Ransom them all at a Price agreeing in the payment of it that they shall now be all his own and none of them be delivered for all that who will not thankfully own him and acknowledge his favour Here it is just that all the Refusers of Pardon yet perish And their Death is directly for the refusing of the Remedy and secondarily from their old crime because they would not have it remedied So that though Materialiter they lose but one Life yet it may be said that the Life they now lose Civiliter is not the same that before they lost but it is vitam de novo donatam a Life newly given them for they were dead in Law and the King gave them a new Life Moraliter etsi non Naturaliter And it is the rejecting of the Gift by which they lose their former Natural Life and their New-given Mortal Life And will any man be so ill advised in this case as to say that it is injustice in the King or Prince to punish the same persons that were before Ransomed Yea if it were not by Money but by suffering publick shame that the Prince had Ransomed them Having thus Explained the Case and Answered the Argument I will looking at Edification and not the usual form of Disputing go beyond the task of a meer Respondent and give you two or three Arguments to prove that it is no injustice in God to punish those for whom Christ hath satisfied or for whose sins he was a sacrifice
Enemies that rebelled and rejected him 2. And in the Blessedness and Glory of his Saints who are his Body and in the pleasing of God in all Thus much of what Christ was to receive to himself 2. That which Mankind was to receive for whom he satisfied was 1. Immediately in the change of his Condition where is Considerable 1. The Terminus à quo which was A Legal necessity of Destruction or Damnation which consisteth in this that now the Lawgiver God-Creator being satisfied he is no longer necessitated or obliged as we may speak to destroy the Sinner tho' yet the Law is not wholly Abrogate nor its Obligation of the Sinner to Duty or Punishment dissolved but the Sinner is Delivered from that Law as it stands alone without a Remedy seeing a sufficient Remedy is provided and the Law it self is now at the pleasure and dispose of the Redeemer who will Judge no Man by this Law alone or principally So that the Sinner who before was not pardonable but in potentiâ remotiore nor at all quoad Potentiam Dei ordinatam in his former state without this change is now become pardonable in Potentiâ propriore quoad Potentiam Deiordinatam in his present state 2. The Terminus ad quem or state to which he is Delivered is 1. To the Redeemer as Proprietary he being his Own 2. To the Redeemer as Rector to be dealt with on terms of Grace and in order to Recovery from his Misery 3. And in both these to the Redeemer as our grand Benefactor and Saviour whose Office is to lead us to God by the winning demonstration of his Love Mans state having this immediate change of Relation 2. The Benefits Consequential to these which he receiveth are Either 1. From Christ as Rector Or 2. As Dominus absolutus Proprietary 3. And as a free Benefactor doing as he list with his own benefits 1. As Rector Christ is as is said 1. Legislator 2. And seeth to the Execution As Legislator 1. He taketh down the old Law both 1. That of works as it is a proper covenant and means of Life and so freeth man from the necessity of perfect obeying for salvation though yet he destroy not its being or obligation to perfect obedience 2. And he freeth those that were under it from the Mosaical Law of Rites and that by Abrogating it But this was not till the fulness of time but the other was presently upon the beginning of Restauration 2. He 1. Maketh 2. Promulgateth a New Law of Grace containing 1. Essentials 2. Accidentals By the Essentials of the Law 1. He prescribeth to men a sweet and easie Course of Duty and giveth them commands that are not grievious which 1. In some respects he maketh meer Duties and Means 2. And in other respects Conditions of their receiving farther benefits 2. He determineth of what shall be Due to man as by way of Penalty if they Rebel so 1. By conferring farther benefits on men Which are Considerable 1. In themselves 2. In the way of Collation 1. The Benefits given by the new Law or Covenant are 1. Right to relative Benefits or new Relations 2. Or Right to real Benefits The former are 1. Principal and Radical that is Membership of Christ or Union with him 2. Or Consequential Which are 1. The fruits of satisfaction properly as satisfaction that is The Restoring us from the misery we fell into by freeing us from Guilt or Obligation to punishment by pardoning our Sin and Justifying us so far 2. Those that are Consequential to satisfaction not meerly as satisfaction but as a Price Purchasing or Meriting farther good and so are consequents of his Meritorious Works also And that is his bringing us to a higher and better state of Relation than that which was lost which is in 1. Adoption to Sonship 2. Membership of the Church of the Redeemed and Called 2. The real Benefits which the Covenant giveth us right to are 1. Such as are to be received in this Life As 1. The Spirit to be 1. Our further Sanctifier 2. And Comforter 2. And all other things to work for our good and promote our Recovery and Happiness 2. Or such as are to be received in the Life to come Either at the Entrance as 1. Felicity of the Soul first and then Resurrection from the Dead 2. And Justification by sentence and adjudication of Eternal Glory 2. Or in the state thereof which is our Perfect Blessedness in Enjoying God and being perfectly acceptable to him in our Persons and Praises We speak not now of these real benefits as Conferred in themselves but in the Right we have to them before hand All which Right is given by the New Law or Covenant as Gods Instrument 2. And as the benefits given so the manner of the Laws giving must needs be observed Which is 1. By imperfect Collation not ipso facto presently making the thing our own which is 1. When the gift is conditional suspended on some Condition And only thus doth the Law or Covenant give Pardon Justification Adoption with all that Right to real Mercy before mentioned to all men Elect or not Elect before they believe 2. Or when the thing is given only in Diem And so Right to a Resurrection is given to all 2. Or else the Law makes a perfect Collation and that is 1. When it gives the Benefit absolutely and presently So that Christ freed men from the Law of Works and Ceremonies so far as is before expressed 2. Or when it actually confers that Benefit after the performance of the Condition which before was but Conditionally Given For it was the will of the Legislator that the actual Gift should be suspended on that Condition and therefore though the Nature of the Law change not upon that performance of the Condition yet it then begins Moraliter Efficariter agere which it did not before And thus the Law of Grace gives actual Pardon Adoption and Right to glory to men as soon as they sincerely believe And here begin the Effects of Christs death in Law sence to be peculiar to some when they perform the conditions which others do not which condition Christ giveth not as Legislator All that we have spoke till now was common to Non-elect Thus we have shewed what the Law gives by its Essentials 2. By the Integrals or Accidentals which you will call them of this new Law for Laws use to have Preambles Narratives c. to inform men of the ground occasion and end of them Christ doth 1. Give all men that hear it information or objective discovery of whatsoever is necessary to be known for attaining the foresaid benefits As of God Christ his Nature Office Works c. 2. He giveth them potent Reasons Motives Perswasions Exhortations Threatnings c. to work upon their Wills And both these are Grace and sufficient in suo genere Having shewed what Christ giveth as Legislator it followeth 2. That we shew what he giveth
in Execution of these Laws And that is 1. In this Life as was promised 2. After 1. At Death and by Resurrection 2. By Judgment 1. By Sentence where as Judge 1. He Justifieth all Believers 2. Adjudgeth to them Everlasting Glory as he Condemneth their Enemies to Everlasting Fire Both Wickedmen as Rebels and Devils as hostes open Foes 2. In Execution of this Sentence he perfecteth them in Glory So far of Christs Benefits which we receive from him as Rector 2. Next we are to view those which Christ gives as free Benefactor and Dominus absolutus meerly though yet with respect to the Ends of Government And so 1. He disposes of the Means 2. Of the Success 1. He giveth Means differently as he please to some more to some less And they are 1. Outward Means 2. Inward The outward are 1. The Works of God 2. The Ordinances or Justified Means The works which are means to teach and win men are 1. The Creatures themselves as discovering Gods Wisdom Power Goodness and much Mercy to man so much as opened to all Nations that hope of pardon which was their Encouragement to all that Sacrificing Prayers and other Religiousness which they generally in some measure used and would never have used it had it not been for this hope which was grounded in a discovery of Gods Mercifulness to them though Sinners 2. And Providential disposal of Events much furthers this 1. In seasonable Afflicting and Punishing 2. In giving the Mercies of Prosperity 2. The Ordinances or instituted means are 1. His Ordinances strictly so called as 1. His Laws Covenants Doctrine 2. And his Sacraments 1. Baptism 2. And the Lords Supper 2. And the concomitant means 1. For the divulging of his Word by 1. Men appointed thereto 1. Ordinary as 1. Ministers in their places and 2. Other Christians in theirs 2. Extraordinary as Apostles and Prophets 2. And by Artificial means 1. To the Ear by Speaking in Teaching and Perswading by the foresaid men 2. To the Eye by Writing Printing 2. And as he giveth these means for the divulging his word so for the inforcing of it and the success that men may Understand Believe and Obey it he giveth means 1. Extraordinary as the Holy Ghost to work Miracles 2. Ordinary 1. By fellowship with one another in ordinary community whether 1. With private Christians 2. Or Ministers either of which help us 1. Either by Example 2. Or Instruction either 1. By Conference 2. Or solemn Teaching 1. By Voice 2. Or Writing being gifted 1. Meanly 2. Or Eminently 1. By Nature 2. Art Learning Grace as God is pleased to dispose 2. Or else these Ordinary helps are from and in Association and that 1. In lesser bodies as Families 2. In greater as 1. Ecclesiastical Churchches Where we have the benefit 1. Of the Persons 1. Officers 2. Members Common 2. Of the order and ordinances discipline c. 2. Or Civil Societies where we have all civil helps to further our Religious Ends. So much for the Outward Means Only observe that I am not now speaking of these as commanded and made due for so they are not given by Christ as Legislator but as bestowed and disposed of eventually which is by Christ as a free benefactor proprietary or Dominus absolutus so far as he doth it without pre-obligation and differently 2. Next the Inward Means which Christ giveth thus are 1. The disposal and ordering of the temper of the Humours and parts of the Body so as may be more or less fit to receive or retain Impressions 2. The advantitious helps are 1. The service of good Angels 2. Above all the Holy Ghost to work in that season manner and measure as to his Wisdom seems meet So much of the Benefits which Christ giveth as free Benefactor and as Dominus by way of Means 2. Lastly He also succeedeth these means variously as he please 1. To some for the Endowing them only with Common Gifts 1. Extraordinary as working Miracles 2. Ordinary as 1. Intellectual in the knowledge 1. Of Arts and Sciences 2. Or of more Divine Truth 2. Or Moral either 1. In Civility and common Honesty toward Men with excellent quallifications as Meekness Patience c. 2. Or Religiousness or Piety toward God which is of divers degrees some having less and some more even a taste of Gods word and the powers of the World to come with some real Faith Love Joy Cleansing from former filthiness and Sanctification by the Blood of the Covenant which yet are not saying 2. To others he giveth his Spitit to work in such seasons manner and measure accompanied with congruous providential occurrences and removal of temptations and hindrances as shall infallibly prevail 1. For to bring them to Faith and 2. To further Sanctification and Perseverance In a word he useth such means with all his Elect as shall infallibly succeed to bring them to Faith and Perseverance and so much with all the World as shall leave them all without excuse In all this you may see that those benefits which Christ gives as free benefactor and as Dominus absolutus are neither for all men alike nor for all the Elect alike nor for ought we can know for any two persons alike in degree and therefore if Christ may not be said to Die for any man except he give him all that he gives to others without the accusation of being an imperfect Saviour then he could not be said to Die for most of the Elect. Also you may see in this Scheme how far Christ Died for all men and how far not and that the main inequality is not in the Mercies which he gives as Legislator till their own Faith or Unbelief make the difference but in the Mercies which he gives as absolute Lord which flow from his secret Decree de rerum Eventu And lest you should think that all this Power and Operation ascribed to the Mediator is derogatory to the Father understand that as the Father and Son are one so the Mediators Power being but the Supream Derived Power and not the Supream Primitive Power it still supposeth the Primitive Power and Operation of the God-head And therefore both the obtaining and conveying of these benefits to us is still expressed to be as from Christ indeed but in dependance on and by derivation from God And so 1. As they are at first procured by Christs satisfaction they are said to be by Purchase or Redemption 2. And as they are continued or daily given out from the continued Moral Vertue of that satisfaction in Gods acceptation they are said to he procured by Christs intercessions which being but the said continued force of his satisfaction and purchase in producing the remote effects I need not speak of it any further Thus I have given you a Scheme of the Nature Order and Difference of the Effects of Christs Death in the best manner that at present I can learn from the Word And though in this you
when man is already condemned the Law of Grace say that he shall undergo a far sorer punishment and it shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment than him except he will do these impossibilities this is still harder It is not all the believing in the World supposing it were performed that would make Christs Death which is past to be suffered for those that it was not suffered for This makes Christ to come into the World to condemn the World and that to a far sorer punishment than the Law of Works did oblige them to without procuring them any possibility of escaping For there 's no possibility of that mans escape for whom no price of Redemption is paid Nay it lays an absolute necessity ab extra and unavoidable on men of perishing under this double damnation For he that before I am born makes a Law that I shall dye except I have part in a payment that was made 1000 years ago and that only for others and not at all for me he doth necessitate my Death by that Law For it is impossible that I should ever have part in it if it were not paid for me Now I know our Divines speak of Gods necessitating mans Damnation by Foreknowledge and Decree which they call only Necessitas Antecedentis non Causae But who ever affirmed that Christ in giving the New Law He that believeth shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned did necessitate and that Causally and that Antecedenter ad Culpam the far greater damnation of miserable wretches that were condemned already And that the Gospel is not so much harder than the Law I prove Mat. 11. 27 28 30. My Yoak is easie and my Burden is light Heb. 8. 6. Jesus is the Mediator of a better Covenant stablished on better promises Heb. 7. 22. And the Author of a better Testament Rom. 5. 14 15 20. Where sin abounded Grace much more abounded John 3. 16. God so loved the World that he gave c. Eph. 3. 19 20. Heb. 11. 40. His service is a reasonable service His Commandments are not grievous His tender mercy is over all his Works He is kind to the unthankful and unjust His mercies lead men to Repentance He delighteth not in the death of him that dyeth but rather that he Repent and Live He calleth all men every where to repent and seek after God All the day long doth he stretch out his hand to a froward and gain-saying generation He dealeth not with us after our sins He inviteth the Non Elect to the Wedding Feast and telleth them that all things are ready and some of them he compelleth to come in as he did him that had not on the Wedding Garment he chargeth his Messengers to beseech men in his stead to be reconciled unto God He would gather under his Wings even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens those that Will not be gathered All these with a multitude the like are the Scripture expressions of Gods gentle and merciful dealing with men under the Law of Grace And so much of the execution as we see is answerable He offers mercy to all in the Church and confers much Mercy on every man in the World He dealeth with no man according to the strict rigour of the unremedied Curse of the Law of Works Abuse of the Talents of undeserved Mercy is the thing that men must be condemned and perish for No one sinner on Earth is excepted or excluded by him out of his Offer and Promise of Mercy so be it they will themselves consent whoever Will may have the Living Waters freely without Money and without Price and if their sins be as red as Scarlet he offers to make them as white as Snow and to cast them all behind his back and bury them in the depths of the Sea He calls to them return why will ye dye How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and ye scorners delight in scorning and fools hate knowledge Turn you at my reproof behold I will pour out my spirit unto you I will make known my words unto you Prov. 1. 22 23. He hath received Gifts for men even for the Rebellious that the Lord may dwell among them God hath sent his Son Jesus to you saith the Apostle Act. 3. last to bless you in turning every one of you from his iniquities And when men will not hear he saith O that my People had hearkened unto me and Israel had walked in my mays Psal 81. 13. O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always that it might be well with them and their Children for ever Deut. 5. 29. Can any man then believe that the tenour of the new Law or Covenant is so much harder than ever was the Law of Works as is before expressed As for them that say the New Covenant is no Law and Wicked men or the Non-Elect are not under it they manifest so great ignorance and go against so full light of express Scripture that I think them not worthy a confutation Only I would have the Lutheran Divines remember that near to the Apostles times it was not only an unquestioned truth but also was part of the Christian Creed Christum predicasse Novam legem novam promissionem Regni Caelorum Tertullian de Prescription cap. Arg. 20. A Legis Mosaicae Abrogatione If all men that were any way under it are freed by the blood of Christ from the Bondage of the Mosaical Law of Ceremonies then Christ died for All such and consequently not only for the Elect But the Antecedent is certain Ergo c. Some Divines say that All the World were thus far subject to the Jewish Law that they could not be saved without knowing it and submitting to it in obedience because God had then no other Church nor stablished way of Worship If this be true then all the World hath a deliverance in the Abrogation of that Law Others say that it obliged only the Jews and Proselites and that others at the remotest distance should not have been obliged by that Law if they had known it If that be so then it was only the Jews and Proselytes such as had opportunity to incorporate with them or joyn to them that had this deliverence However it is evident it was to all the Jews and so to more than the Elect and then almost all the Arguments against Universal Satisfaction are hereby overthrown for they are built on this that Christ died only for the Elect. Here I must prove 1. That Moses Ceremonial Law is abrogate 2. That it was done by the shedding of Christ's Blood for those that were under it 3. That it is abrogated to All. 1. And for the first it is so generally acknowledged and the Scripture so express in it specially Act. 15. and all the Epistle to the Galatians that I may spare that labour only some doubt whether