Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself
Object. 2. Judgment of charity is no ground of our prayers. We have no charity to believe all, and everyone shall be saved, nor have we any faith or certainty in these prayers.
Answ. I may have judgment of charity touching this or that man, to pray for him; but this judgment is a motive to my affection, not a foundation to my faith. My faith is bottomed on a word of precept, to pray for the salvation of all, conditionally, but not for the salvation of any, but for my own only, absolutely.
Object. 3. God will have as many to be saved, as he will have to come to the knowledge of the truth; But he will have all to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Answ. The argument is strong for us; the Apostle speaketh of the Gospel-truth ; but he will not have the Gospel preached to Samaritans, Mat. 10. to Bithinians, and thousands others. 2. He will not open the hearts of housands that hear the Gospel, because he will, Mat. 11.28. Rom. 9.17. and many he blindeth, and judicially hardeneth. Math. 13.14. Joh. 1 • .37, 38. Isaiah 6.9, 10. Acts 28.24, 25, 26, 27.
Object. 4. Its uncertain whether ye pray for Magistrates as such, or for vulgar men as such, and uncertain, whether ye pray for this or that rank.
Answ. It is certain we are to pray for Kings, Subjects, Men, Women, Jews, Gentiles, reserving the Lord's decrees to his own Sovereign liberty.
Object. If we are to pray but for some, because God willeth the salvation of some, he should have said, we are to pray for no man, for the far largest part of the world are lost.
Answ. This is to censure the Holy Ghosts speaking, not us. Upon the same ground, a Physician in a City cannot be called the healer of all diseased; nor a Professor, a teacher of Philosophy to all in the City, because many in the City die of the Pest, and the twentieth person remain ignorant of Philosophy; if God will have all to be saved, that he predestinate to life, he is rightly said to will all men to be saved, and in that sense, we are to pray that all may be saved. 2. God, by his consequent will, desireth the far greatest part of the world to be damned. Ergo, By the Arminian way, he should say, God willeth not any man to be saved, nor any to come to the knowledge of the truth, but that all may be damned: and because they say, there is in the Almighty an Antecedent natural affection and desire, that justice may be satifyed in Men and Angels, which affection is in order of nature prior, and before God's full, peremptory, and deliberate will of damning all, that are finally obstinate; as there is a natural antecedent will in God, to call, invite to repentance, offer Christ to all, and will the salvation of all and everyone, which is afore and precedent to his peremptory, complete, and irrevocable decree of electing to glory, all that God foreseeth shall die in the faith of Christ. Upon the same ground, it may well be said, GOD willeth the damnation of all, and everyone of mankind, and the salvation and repentance of none at all, and that Christ died upon no intention natural to redeem, or save any, but upon a conditional and natural desire, that justice might be declared in the just destruction of all; for sure all God's natural affections and desires of justice, are as natural and essential to him, and so as universally extended toward the creature, as his desires and antecedent natural affections of mercy.
Object. 5. The sense of the word All, appears to be of Adam, and all that come by propagation of him. 1. The word Men is used for Adam, and all his Sons, Hebr. 9.27. (2.) Often in the fullest sense, not regenerated, nor wholly reprobated, are called Men, Job 11.11, 12. Psal. 12.1. and 4.2. and 53.2. (3) Believers are called Men, Acts 1.11. 1 Cor. 3.21, 22. In regard of passions, Acts 14.15. Of carnal walking, 1 Cor. 3.3. Yet they are called something more, Sons of God. Joh. 1.12. 1 Joh. 3.1. Saints, 1 Cor. 1.1. Brethren, faithful, Ephes. 1.1. Christians, Acts 11.26. Some who have hardened their heart, are called Men, but something more, reprobate, Jer. 6.28, 30. Seed of the Serpent, Gen. 3.15. Children of Belial, Deut. 1.3. Of the Devil, Joh. 8.4 • . and with an Emphasis, the wicked, Psal. 9.17.
Answ. In these Grammattications M. Moor showeth how weak his cause is, and how dubious from the word men, and all ; for Heb. 9.27. Its said, its appointed for all men to die, and the Holy Ghost insinuateth clearly, that Christ died for all men that die, in the very next words, v. 28. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many ; he saith not all men : Observe the change of words. 2. We deny not but all men in Scripture signifieth all descended of the first Adam by propagation. Ergo, It signifieth so here? This is to be proved. 3. What M r . Moor meaneth by some not wholly reprobated, I know not, except he make in God answerable thereunto a whole and complete decree of Reprobation, and so of Election, and a half, and incomplete decree of both, as Arminians do. Which Scripture knoweth not, and removeth all certainty of salvation, of perseverance, joy, comfort, earnest of the Spirit, seal of Spirit. 4. We contend not that by all men here must be meant believers and regenerated persons only, and so he fighteth with his own shadow. 5. He granteth believers are called men, and I hope to prove that the elect and believers, are called all, and all flesh, and us all, &c. though it be true, believers are called men, because of their human passions and carnal walking, and some more, to wit, Sons of God, Saints, faithful Christians ; it followeth not, that here they should be called Sons of God, Saints, because Christ dieth not for them as Saints, but as men, and sinners chosen to life: Else Paul should not say, Ephes. 2.1. God hath quickened you who were dead in sins, &c. for those whom God quickeneth are something more then dead in sin ; sure they are chosen Saints, new creatures, &c. after they are converted.
Object. 6. All men here 1 Tim. 2.6. intentionally, expressly, principally and especially is meant of the first sort, for natural men, sons of Adam, sinners, unbelievers. 1. Because this sense includeth all, at first all men, having some in which they are such, and neither better nor worse then such before they be borne of God, Eph. 2.1, 2, 3. Tit. 3.3. Rom. 3.9.20.
Answ. We deny not but all men includeth unregenerate men, but Master Moor proveth idem per idem, the same thing by the same thing. All men must be meant of all Adams sons, Why? because all includeth all, at first, all men ; That is, all includeth all, but not all men distributively, all and everyone without exception. 2. Its denied that all men includeth all as unregenerate, or under that reduplication, it is meant of all men unregenerate as fallen under the good will of GOD'S Election of Grace, and as stated in his eye as objects of special favor and grace. Nor doth the Lord quicken men as dead in sins, Ephes. 2.1. as foolish and disobedient, Tit. 3.3. as under sin, Rom. 3.9. for then he should quicken all dead in sin, all foolish and disobedient, all under sin, and this will prove the conversion and salvation of all and every Son of Adam, the Lord quickeneth dead sinners, as they lie under his free choice of election to glory.
Object. 7. Because Christ died to make a propitiation for them, as they are sinners.
Answ. That is denied, he died for them as they were sinners, but as within the pale and under the covering of the fair and sweet shadow of eternally choosing love, otherwise, if Christ died for sinners as sinners; he died for all sinners; and for those that are finally obstinate, for these with the first come under the reduplication of sinners as sinners.
Object. 8. It is nowhere said Christ died for good men, for righteous for believers, neither when they were such, nor as they were such; but for the unjust, ungodly, his enemies, Rom. 5, 6, 8. 1 Pet. 3.18. Gal. 1.14.
Answ. Christ neither died for sinners as sinners, nor for sinners as righteous, as Jacob neither served for his wife as a wife, nor for his wif • as a sinful woman, datur tertium. This is an imperfect enumeration, Christ died for the ungodly, the unjust, his enemi • s; as free • lie chosen to be made righteous, and the friends of Christ; as Jacob served for a wife, that is, for Rachel, whom he freely chos • d before Leah, • hat he might make her his wife; neither when she was his wife, nor as she was his wife; and as the Scripture saith, Christ died for the ungodly, the unjust, his enemies so also f • r his friends, Joh. 15.13. his sheep, Joh. 10.11. his beloved Church and Spouse, Ephes. 5.25, 26. And the places cit • d, Rom. 5. Gal. 1.4. 1 Pet. • . • 8. are all restrictive of these for whom Christ died, as Rom. 5. he died for us who are justified by faith, have peace with God, access by faith, who glory in tribulation, rejoice in hope, Gal. 1.4. He gave himself for us. The Churches of Galatia, to whom Paul prayeth, Grace and peace. 1 Pet. 3.18. for those that he was to br • ng to God, and in no place of Scripture, nor yet 1 Tim. 1.15. Is it said, Christ died for sinners, as sinners, but only for those that were sinners, which can never prove the Arminian conclusion, That he died for all sinners.
Object. 8. He saith not, pray for some of all sorts, but for all men, and nameth but one sort.
Answ. His naming one sort, inferreth, we should exclude no sort out of our prayers; seeing this one sort were persecutors, that may seem farthest from our prayers.
Moor. We are not to pray for such as are known to sin against the Holy Ghost, because they cast aside the sacrifice and ransom of Christ's blood, and there is no more sacrifice for them, and so they are blotted out of the hopeful book of life, and separated from all men of which they were once, being now reprobated of God, Jer. 16.5. 1 John. 5.16.
Answ. But either Christ did bear on his body on the tree, that sin of casting aside the sacrifice of Christ, or not; if the first be said, Christ died for them, and we are to pray for them, and further such as sin against the Holy Ghost, as such must come under the reduplication of God's enemies, the ungodly sinners, disobedient, dead in sins and trespasses, in the highest degree, and so Christ must have died for them under that sin; or then there is a sin of some of the sons of Adam, that Christ did no more bear on his body on the tree, then the sin of Devils which should render that sin intrinsically unpardonable, even in relation to Christ's blood, which Arminians cannot bear. 2. A blotting out of the book of life, and time-reprobation here asserted by M r . Moor, is the highest indignity done to the unchangeable love and grace of God, and gross Arminianism.
Object. 9. Praying for their brethren could not be doubted of, but the doubt was to pray for opposers and persecutors; The Apostle saith, th • s to pray for all men was good according to Matth. 5.44.48.
Answ. To pray for all ranks of men, Nero and others was the doubt; but Matth. 5. Which saith, we must pray for, and bless our enemies, with submission to God's decree, and in imitation of God, who causeth the Sun to shine on the unjust, cannot infer that we are to pray for all and everyone, absolutely, as Arminians dream, That Christ died for all absolutely.
Object. 10. The motives to pray for all men are from only God's good will to man, and what Christ hath done to ransom us, like Matth. 5.44.45. Motives to pray for believers are sweeter, as their uprightness with God, faith in Christ, love in the Saints, fellowship to the Gospel.
Answ. The thing in question is not concluded; we say not we are to pray for the salvation of none but believers only, and that Christ died for none but those that already believed: We are to pray for all ranks, believers or unbelievers, as Christ died for thousands of both, but ever in order to faith, and election to glory. 2. Its a • lasphemous comparison to say the gracious good will of God to choose men to glory, and the highest and most matchless love of Christ, John. 3.16. and 15.13. Ephes. 5.25, 26, 27. Acts 20.28. Tit. 3.3, 4. is but a common motive to induce us to pray for all men, and such belly-blessings as a shining Sun, and raining clouds, which God bestoweth on blasphemers, apostates, and cru • ifyers of the Lord Jesus, Psal. 73.1, 2, &c. Ier. 12.1, 2. Job 21.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Yea, the giving of Christ to die for sinners, is an argument to prove that far more Christ will give us all other things, Rom. 8.32. even righteousness, faith, love, and all graces, and therefore there can be no sweeter motive to move us to pray for all men conditionally, then because for anything our charity is to deem on the contrary; they may even though persecutors, be within the circumference and sweet lists of God's free love, and greatest good will, and affection of Election and Redemption, Rom. 9.11, 12, 13. Ephes. 1.9 John. 15.13. and 3.16. Gal. 2.20. and we are to pray for them under this reduplication and notion, as freely loved of God, and redeemed of his rich grace, and in no other consideration, which is the far sweeter motive then any inherent uprightness, faith, or love that can be in us.
Object. 11. We are to pray without wrath, ver. 8. which is incident, when we pray for those that cross and persecute us, not when we pray for believers.
Answ. Non concluditur negatum; Ergo, We are to pray for all, and every man, because we can hardly pray without wrath and grudging for such as Nero. 2. If believers injure us (as they often do nowadays) he knows not his own heart, who is not tempted to wrath in praying for them. 3. Vers. 8. All prayers in general must be without wrath, and with pure hands, and not prayers only for persecutors.
Ob. 12. The thing prayed for, is that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, that so the Gospel might run and be glorified. 2 Thes. • .1. Joh. 17.22, 23. But things to be prayed for to the believers are higher, as increase of love, sincerity, filling with the fruits of Righteousness, Phil. 1.9, &c.
Answ. All these prove this place will prove only, we are to pray for Magistrates under whom we have peace, and the Gospel, nor for believers, and so not for all Adams sons; as the next words, Pag. 59. prove.
Object. 13. Here is a ground to preach the Gospel to all men, to every Creature, Matth. 28.20. Mark. 16.15. And how far to all men, Joh. 16.12. 1 Cor. 3.12. Hebr. 5.12. even though they hate and persecute us.
Answ. If every creature be no Senechdoche, it must warrant us to preach to Devils. 2. Its evident by the story of the Acts that the Apostles, obeyed not this command, in the letter, • s Master Moore presseth it; there be many Nations, and thousands of people, to whom the Apostles never preached the Gospel, neither to fathers, nor sons. 3. God's decree is no warrant to the to preach the Gospel, except God confer miraculously the gift of tongus, and this strongly proveth the contrary; the Lord never yet sent the means of the knowledge of the truth to all and every Son of Adam, then he cannot will all, and every Son of Adam to be saved, and Christ died not for all and every creature, then he commanded not to preach the Gospel to all & every creature, but only to every creature, that is, to all Nations, Jews, and Gentiles: now when the partition wall is broken down.
Object. 14. He showeth the will of God touching the Mediator to save and ransom all. 2. To bring all to the knowledge of the truth. 3. By this knowledge sin is removed, death abolished, enmity slain, peace obtained, so far for all men, that God hath given all over to the dispose of Christ, and made him Lord and Judge of all. 4. The other part of God's will, Jesus Christ performeth, to wit, to preach the Gospel to all, and will perform it in due time. 5. The Gospel may be preached to all, verse. 7. 6. Prayers made for all, v. 1, 2, 3, 4, and here is no more then Christ doth to all men.
Answ. Here be fair Positions, but not a word to prove that this is God's will concerning all and every son of Adam. He supposeth all this as granted, because he saith, not because the Text saith it, and therefore we deny what he proveth not.
Master Moore alledgeth, that Joh. 1.29. Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.
Answ. The word World, is the Nations and Gentiles, and believers are elect of both Jews and Gentiles, Joh. 3, 16. God so loved the world. Rom. 11.12. If the fall of them be the riches of the world; if the casting away of them be the reconcilement of the world; of the Gentiles, and especially of Jews and Gentiles. Math. 24.14. And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness to all Nations; that is, Jews and Gentiles. A personal witness to every single man it cannot be, except every single man heard it. Rom. 10.14. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? Joh. 15.22. Rom. 2.12. So is the world all Nations, taken, Mar. 14.9, 10. and the word World, Mark. 16.15. (2) Taking away of sin is the actual free complete pardoning of sin; so as Judas sin is sought, and not found, Jer, 50.20. As 2 Sam. 24.10. David having numbered the people, prayeth, O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant ; any Arminian in conscience answer, Did David pray for no more, then is due to Judas, Cain, and all mankind, of whom many never, in faith, can pray, as David here doth? Or doth he not seek the effectual pardon of his numbering the people? Job 7.21. And why doest thou not pardon mine iniquity, and take away my transgression? Isaiah 27.9. This is all the fruit, to take away his sin: this cannot be the potential, and ineffectual removing of sin, common to all the world, but proper to the Church, and brought to pass by particular afflictions on the Church. Rom. 11.27. This is my covenant with them, when I shall take away their sins. These words are not fulfilled, till all Israel be saved, both elect Jews and Gentiles, and the Jews converted. But Arminians say, Though the Jews were never converted, and not a man of Israel saved, yet the Lamb of God taketh away the sins of the world ; So Isaiah 6.7. Thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged; this is no half pardon, such as Isaiah had before the Lord touched his lips. 1 Joh. 3.5. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins. John speaketh of the taking away of the sins of us, John and the Saints, who were loved, Vers. 1. with a wonderful love to be called the Sons of God, us whom the World knoweth not, verse. 2. us who shall be like Christ, when he appeareth. Arminians are obliged to give us parallel places, where the redemption of all, and every man, and Christ's naked power and desire to be friends with all men, and to make any covenant, of grace, or works, as he pleaseth, is called the taking away the sins of the world ; and yet the whole world may possibly die in their sins, and not a man be saved; the taking away of the worlds sins to us, is the complete pardoning of them. Remission of sins in his blood, Ephes. 1.7. Col. 1.14. Blotting out of transgressions, Isaiah 4 • .25. as a thick cloud, Isaiah 44.23. a not remembering of sins, Isai 43.25. Ier. 31. • 4. Such a taking away of sins, as is promised in the covenant of grace to the house of Judah, to the Church under the Messiah, that heareth the Gospel, Ier. 31.34, Hebr. 8.8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Rom. 11.26, 27. Isaiah 59.20. This is the taking away of the sins of the world, a new world, in whose inner parts the Lord writeth his Law, and with whom the Lord maketh an everlasting covenant, never to turn away from them, Jer. 31.33, 34, 5, 36, 37. in whom the Lord putteth his Spirit, and in whose mouth, he puteth his Word, and in the mouth of their seed, and their seeds seed, Isaiah 59.20, 21. The Arminian taking away of sins is of all, and everyone of Adams seed, of such as never heard of a Covenant, of a Word, of a Spirit, of a Seed, a holy Seed, of a new heart. Finally the taking away of the sins of the world, is the removing of them as far from us, as the East is from the West, Psal. 103.12. bestowed on these that fear the Lord, verse. 11. and are pitied of the Lord, as the Father pitieth the Son ; and the subduing of our iniquities, and the casting of our sins in the depths of the Sea, Mich. 7.19. • 0. a mercy bestowed only on the remnant of the Lord's inheritance. The Arminian taking away of sins, is a broad pardon of sins to all the world: let them show Scripture for theirs, as we do for ours, and carry it with them.
Object. 15. Though Reconciliation be purchased to all and everyone, yet it is not necessary that it be preached to all, and everyone: but only it is required that God be willing, it be preached to all; now it is free to God before he be willing to make offer of the purchased reconciliation to all; to require afore hand, such acts of obedience▪ and duties, which being performed, he may publish the Gospel to them; or being not performed, he may be unwilling to publish the Gospel to them. Yea, though reconciliation be purchased to all, yet its free to God, to communicate the benefits of his death, upon what terms, he thinketh good: And Christ died (saith Master Moore) to obtain a lordship over all, and a power to save believers, and destroy such as will not have him to reign over them, as we heard before.
Answ. 1. We have in this Doctrine that Argument yielded. God commanded to preach to all and everyone: Ergo, Christ died for all, and everyone. For 1. The consequence is true absolutely, by the Arminians doctrine, Christ absolutely died for all, and everyone, without prescribing any condition to those for whom he dies; he saith not, my son dieth to purchase reconciliation to all, upon condition all believe, or perform some other duty ; but believe they, or believe they not, the 〈◊〉 is paid, and salvation purchased for all, without exception: but the antecedent is not true, but upon condition. God is not willing the Gospel be preached to all, but to such as perform such conditions.
2. If they perform not the condition, Christ should have said, preach not the Gospel to all nations, nor to every creature; but only to such as ye find fit hearers of the Gospel, and have performed such acts of obedience, as I require ; for conditional threatenings are set down in the Gospel, as well as conditional promises: he that believeth shall be saved, he that believeth not shall be damned. But in Old or New Testament, Arminians never show us where the preaching of the word of Grace is referred to our free will: Do this, O Ammonits, O Indians, and the glad tyding shall come to you; if ye do not this, ye shall never hear the Gospel. Arminians say, God sendeth his Grace and Gospel, both genti minus dignae, & indigniori negat, to the unworthy Nation, and denieth both to the worthier.
3. Arminians say, in Script. Synod. Dordr. pag. 6. Lex non lata, aut non intellecta, cum intelligi non possit, non obligat▪ a law not made, or not understood, when it cannot be understood, doth not oblige, then God cannot deny a salvation, and the benefit of a preached Gospel to Indians ; though both were purchased in Christ, if they never heard (as hundreds of Nations could by no rumor, hear, or dream of Christ and the Gospel ) of Christ.
4. How can God with the same natural, and half-will; equally will that all be saved; when he absolutely, without merit, or condition, willeth the means of salvation to some, and denieth the means of salvation, to the far largest part of mankind, for want of a condition unpossible; because it neither was, nor could be known to them.
5. By the Arminian way, sin original, is no sin, it bringeth wrath and condemnation on no man. God beginneth upon a new score, and the reckoning of the covenant of Grace, to count with all men : and God is so reconciled to all mortal men, and transacteth with them, in such a way of free grace; that he will punish no man, for any new breach, except committed actually by such as are come to age, as have the use of reason; and are obliged to believe in Christ. pag. 285, 286, 287. Dordr. scrip. Synod. Yet hath God decreed never to reveal any such gracious transactions, to millions of men, that better deserve to hear these secrets of grace, then thousands, to whom they are proclaimed in their ears; ere they can discern the right hand, by the left: This Arminians say was God's dispensation, Matth. 11. with Capernaum, and Tyrus, and Sidon. But it will be found, that Arminians deny the prescience, and foreknowledge of God.
6. Most abominable, and comfortless, must the doctrine of the death of our Lord Jesus be; if Christ died only to be a Lord, and such a Lord, as he might have power; without impeachment of revenging justice, to save men upon a new transaction, either of grace or works; and to destroy his enemies that would not accept of that new transaction, yet so as when Christ hath died, and taken away the sins of all, and is made Lord and King of dead and quick; all mankind may freely reject all covenants Christ maketh, or can make, and be eternally lost, and perish.
For 1. Christ's Princedom and Dominion, that he hath acquired by death, is not a free-will-power or possibility, by which, he may, upon such and such conditions, kill, or save, though all may eternally perish. But Christ is made Lord of quick and dead, by dying, Rom. 14.9. that he might be judge of all; but so, that we should live and die to ourselves, but that whether we live or die we should be Christ's ; though we change conditions, yet not Masters in both, we should be the Lord's, v. 7.8. as Christ lived again after death, that he might be the husband of his own wife, the Church, that he died of love for.
2. Upon what terms Christ was by death, made a Lord, and acquired a Princedom, upon these terms he was made a Prince over his Church; for Lord, and Prince, and King, are all one. But the Lord maketh David, that is Jesus the Son of David, Prince over his people, not with power to save or destroy his redeemed slocke, and so as all the slock may eternally perish. Ezech. 34.22. Therefore will I save my slocke, and they shall no more be a prey. —Vers. 23. And I will set one Shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, and my servant David he shall feed them, and he shall be their Shepherd. Vers. 24. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a Prince among them, I the Lord have spoken it. Vers. 25. And I will make with them a covenant of peace. Now was Christ by the blood of the eternal covenant, brought back from the death, and made a Shepherd of souls, to the end he might have power to destroy all the slock? Ezekiel saith, to feed them, the Apostle, to make the Saints perfect in every good work, working in them (actually and efficaciously) that which is well-pleasing in his sight, Heb. 13.20, 21. Its true, Christ obtaineth by his death a mediatory power to crush as a Potters clay vessel, with a rod of iron, all his rebellious enemies. But 1. this is not a power to crush any enemies, but such as have heard of the Gospel, and will not have Christ to reign over them, in his Gospel-government; but not to crush all his enemies, that never heard of the Gospel, and so are not Evangelically guilty in sinning against the Lord Jesus, as Mediator, for they cannot be guilty of any such sin. Rom. 10.14. Joh. 15.22. He had, and hath power as God, equal with the Father, to judge and punish all such as have sinned without the Law. 2. Its not merit, or acquired by way of merit of Christ's death, that a Crown is given to Jesus Christ, for this end, to destroy such enemies as are not capable of sinning against his Mediatorie Crown, especially, when as God, he had power to destroy them, as his enemies, though he had never been Mediator.
Yea, Act. 5.31. Its said, him (whom ye slew, and hanged on a tree) hath God exalted, with his right hand, to be a Prince and Savior, (not to destroy all his subjects, upon foreseen condition of rebellion, to which they were, through corruption of nature, inclinable) but that he might by his Spirit, subdue corruption of nature, and give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
3. By what title Christ is made a King and Lord, by the same he is made head of the body the Church. For Ephes. 1.20.21, 22, 23. By raising him from the dead, God conferred a headship upon him. Now he was not made head of the body, that he might destroy all the members, or most of them, as Arminians must say; but his headship is for this end, that the whole body, by his spirit fitly joined together might grow up in love, Ephes. 4.16. and that the members might receive life and Spirit from him.
4. By the same title he is made Lord, by which he is made King, Governor, and Leader of the people; for power of Dominion and Lordship is nothing but Royal power, now he was made King, not on such terms, as he might destroy all his subjects, (for all mankind are his subjects to Arminians. ) But he is made King, Psal. 72.11. That all Nations may serve him ; that he should deliver the poor, needy, and helpless; and redeem their souls from violence, and esteem their death precious, and he reigneth and prospereth as a King, that in his days Judah may be saved, and Israel dwell safely, Jer. 23.7.8. and God raiseth the horn of David, Luk. 1. And so setteth Christ on the throne to perform his mercy promised to our Fathers, and remember his holy covenant. Ver. 69.7. That we might serve him in holiness and righteousness. Now by the Arminian way, he is set upon the throne of David to execute vengeance on all his Subjects and that he may utterly destroy all, if all rebel, and not to save one of Judah and Israel ; for he may be a King without any subject; suppose all his Subjects were cast in hell; yea, he groweth out of the root of Jesse, a Royal branch of King David's house ; not that these Wars may be perpetuated between God and all the children of men: but that the Wolf should dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard lie down with the Kid, and the Calf, and the young Lyon together, and a little Child should lead them, and the earth should be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the Sea, Isai 11.1, 2. — 6.7, 8, 9. And Christ is given for a guide and leader of the people ; Sure, for the good of the slock, and that he may carry the lambes in his bosom. Isaiah 40.11. That they should not hunger nor thirst, that neither the heat nor the Sun should smite them: because he that hath mercy on them, doth lead them, and by the springs of water doth he guide them, Isaiah 49.10. Salvation is engraven on the Crown of Christ: by office, Christ must be a destroyer, and a Lord crusher of his people, as a Jesus, and a Savior, by this conceit.
5. And what more contrary to the intrinsical end of Christ's death, then that he should obtain no other end, by dying, but a placability, a possible salvation, a softening only of God's mind, whereby justice should only stand by, and a door be opened, by which God might be willing, if he pleased, to confer salvation, by this or that Law, a covenant of grace, or of works, or a mixed way, or by exacting faith in an Angel, or an holy man, and this possible salvation, this virtual, or half reconciliation doth consist with the eternal damnation of all the world, whereas the genuine con-natural end of Christ's death is, Joh. 10.10. That his sheep may have life, and have it more abundantly ; he suffered, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, 1 Pet. 3.18. and in the very act of suffering (to speak so) or in that he was stripped and died. The chastisement of our peace was on him, Isaiah 53.5. This cannot be such a possible heaven, a fowl sleeing in the air, a ( may be ) as far off as a ( never may be ) which may consist with an inevitable hell. So as Christ died not, but on a poor hopeless venture, and a forlorn contingency, that might as soon fill Hell, with the damned souls of all the world, as grace Paradise with redeemed ones.
6. His coming in the world hath no such Arminian end, that we read of, as a possible saving, or an obtained salvation, that thousands, yea not one in the world may ever enjoy; but he came to seek, and actually, and intentionaly, to save that which was lost, Luk. 19.10. to save sinners, 1 Tim. 1.15. and Paul the first of sinners ; and not for wrath, but that we might obtain salvation, by our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thes. 5.9.
7. Nor did he so die, that we should not live to ourselves, but unto Righteousness, but that we might be 1 Pet. 2.24. redeemed from this present evil world. Gal. 1.4. from our vain conversation ; 1 Peter 1.18. That he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works, Titus 2.14. That we should glorify God in our bodies and Spirits, which are God's, 1 Cor. 6.20. That he might present to himself, a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing: but that it should be holy and without blemish, Ephes. 5.27. Now Christ may obtain the native and intrinsical end of his death; though all the Redeemed ones (say the Arminians) Live to themselves, and never be redeemed from the present evil world, nor from their vain conversation, and live and die to themselves, and walking in their lusts.
8. And upon what ground Christ is made Lord, he is made also a husband to the Church ; for the husband as an husband is made head of the wife. Now the intrinsical end, and so the specific acts of this husband, who is joined to us, by the marriage-covenant of free grace, must be free love to his Spouse; as Paul expoundeth it, Ephes. 5.25. and the native fruit, and end of Marriage, is that the Spouse might have interest in the righteousness, glory, spirit, wisdom, and sanctification, the kingdom and throne of the Husband and Lord, not that he might condemn and destroy his Spouse.
9. It is a reasonless conceit, that after Christ died, he hath a freedom to transact for our actual saving and glorifying in what terms he will, Law, or Gospel, Grace or Works; because he died the surety of the covenant of grace, Hebr. 7.2. and made his Testament, and last will, and confirmed it by his death as our friend, and bequeathed to his poor friends the promise of an eternal inheritance, Heb. 9.15. and so he died as the Mediator of the New Testament, and sealed the Covenant with his blood, which is therefore called the blood of the eternal covenant, Heb. 13.20. Zach. 9.11. And therefore neither the first Testament was dedicated without blood, Heb. 9.18, 19, 20, 21. and Christ by his blood entered into heaven, as a Priest to intercede for us, v. 23, 24. And this Arminian way over-turneth the whole Gospel, which is a bargain of blood, between the Father and the son Christ, and Christ dying and justifying, pardoning the iniquities of his people, making them heirs of the same Covenant and Kingdom with himself, is in this Indenture of free Grace, the chief man: Now unpossible it is that this can be an effect of Christ's death, that he may set up a covenant of grace, and a Gospel-way to Heaven, or set up another way; when as by the Gospel-covenant only God gave Christ a body, indented with him to do the work, to make his soul an offering for sin; and God promised to him if he would die, a seed; and that the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand, that his soul should be satisfied, that he should justify many, intercede for many, Isai. 53.10, 11, 12, 13. Now if all might eternally perish, notwithstanding that Christ died for them, and it were free to Christ to make such a Covenant after his death, in which not one man possibly may be saved. Christ then should do his work, and yet not have his wages, nor have a seed, nor justify his people, nor have a willing people to serve him ; yea, then should Christ offer the sacrifice of his body, as our Priest on earth, in shedding his blood, and yet not enter into Heaven, and the Holy of Holiest to intercede for us, as our High Priest there also.
10. All the offices and relations of Christ and comfortable promises of the Gospel shall be overturned, for it is in the free will of man, that Christ be King, or no King; Head, or no Head of the Church; a Husband or no Husband: Clear it is, Christ is a Gospel King ; now if his death might stand and attain its intrinsical end and effect, which is a mere possible reconciliation, and a salvation to his people standing only in ( a may be ) or a ( may never be ); then Christ is a Gospel-King, without a Kingdom of Grace, the fruits whereof are righteousness, joy of the Holy Ghost, and peace, Rom. 14.17. He is a King, but Judah shall never be saved in his days ; there shall be no righteousness, no peace, no joy in his Kingdom, he is a Redeemer and a Savior; but his people all are eternally lost, and die in bondage and misery, and in their sins; he is a Savior, but saves not his people from their sins, he is the chief corner stone, but no other living stones are built on him ; he is a head, but hath not a living body quickened by his Spirit ; nor a body that is, the fullness of Christ ; he is a Husband, but the essence of his maritall and husbandly power standeth in that he hath power to destroy his Spouse eternally, That he hateth his own flesh, he is a Shepherd, and a good Shepherd, and layeth down his life for his Sheep; but the roaring Lyon devoureth all his Flock, he carrieth not the Lambes in his bosom, he feedeth them not in the strength of the Lord, he causeth them not lie down safely, he leadeth them not to the living waters, they hunger and starve eternally ; he is the vine-tree, but no man bringeth forth fruit in him. He is an eternal Priest, but the sins of all he offereth for remain in heaven before the Lord forever, he is the promised seed, and by death, triumpheth over Devils and Principalities and powers; but the Serpents head is not bruised, Satan is not cast out, Satan reigneth and ruleth in all mankind: He hath much in Christ, all the world of Elect and Reprobate; all Adams Sons live and die in sin, and are tormented with the Devil and his Angels eternally, such a thing as life eternal and the Kingdom of heaven is for no use offered or purchased to the redeemed, who stand before the Throne, and sing praises to the Lamb. He is the Lord and builder of his house, the Church ; but he hath no Church, but that which cannot be called a Church : I know no Article of the Gospel, that this new and wicked Religion of universal atonement doth not contradict.
11. To believe in Christ is to believe that omnipotency can save Judas, Pharaoh and all, every mortal man, so they believe in Christ; But Christ hath purchased sufficient grace to no mortal man, because in the obtaining of eternal life to all the world, as Arminians say, neither faith, repentance or grace to believe and repent hath any place. God might after Christ's death have required nothing for our actual salvation, but abstain from eating the fruit of such a tree, and ye have life eternal in Christ.
12. How can Christ's satisfaction be imputed to any man, seeing it is a mere possible salvation, or a power to save, that may, and doth stand, with the damnation of millions that Christ died for?
13. Christ's dying had in his eye the Sanctification, the giving of the Spirit, the raising to life, the eternal glory of not one man more then another, not of Peter, of Moses, more then of Cain, or Judas ; though he said, Joh. 17.19. For their sakes sanctify I myself. And v. 24. Father I will that those whom thou hast given me, should be where I am, that they may behold the glory that thou hast given me. 9. I pray not for the world, but for them that thou hast given me.
14. Christ hath died, yet he must by the Arminian way, make no Testament, appoint no certain heirs, but win the dead man's Legacy by free will, and have it who will.
15. Christ obtained by his death that the Gospel should no more be preached then the Law, or faith in an Angel, that men may be saved.
Use All the doctrine contrary to universal atonement, doth highly advance Christ, for by it the Lord Jesus as Mediator, and our High Priest must be essentially grace, and essentially an Ambassador of Grace. It is kindly to Christ to save, salvation belongeth to Christ as Christ; enjoy him as a Savior, and ye cannot perish; be joined to him as a Husband, and he cannot but love and save his Spouse; submit to him as a King, and ye must share with him in his Throne, his Kings royal Crown was never ordained for another end, but that the luster of the precious stones in that Crown, should shine on the face and souls of his Redemed ones; Christ came not to destroy but to seek and to save the lost, get in union with Christ by faith and the Spirit of the Lord Jesus, and he will save you (to speak so) whether you will or no; ye complain of corruption, he is a King over the body of sin, he is a Priest to sacrifice lusts; to preach Christ a dying Redeemer of all and everyone of mankind, when millions redeemed do eternally perish, is to steal away Christ from the people, as thieves in Jeremiah's days did steal the word of the Lord ; it is to make the Lord Jesus as weak and powerless a Priest, as ever any son of Aaron, for his blood no more can take away their sins, then the blood of Bullocks or Goats could do it, its to enthrone free will, and dethrone the grace of Christ, and to put shame on the Lord Jesus and his blood; and though these enemies of the cross of Christ, now crowd in, in England, under the Name of the Godly party ; yet it was a good Observation of that Learned and gracious servant of Christ Doctor Ames who conversed with Arminans, that he could never see a proof of the grace of Christ, in the conversation of such men, as in doctrine, were declared enemies of the grace of Christ.
Now for the world, All, and the World, and all Nations, it may be demonstrate from Christ's will in the Scriptures, that if universal atonement and Redemption of all and everyone, can be proved from these Grammattications: Then with the like strength I can prove, 1. The conversion of all and every mortal man to saving Faith. 2. The eternal salvation of all and every man. 3. The eternal perishing of all and everyone, which must be infinitely absurd and blasphemous: And if the good will of God cannot be extended to the end, and the efficacious and only saving means tending to this end, which are salvation and saving faith; with no color of reason can it be extended to one means of redeeming all and everyone, rather then to another.
1.There is an universal conversion, and saving illumination, which is called in the Text, A drawing of all. And I, when I am lifted up, on the cross, will draw all men to me. Here is a drawing of all men, and so an effectual conversion, but not of all and every man, as Mr Den saith, 1. Because v. 33. This drawing is by the power of Christ, lifted up on the Cross, and by the Holy Spirit given by Christ, Joh. 7.39. and 14.16, 7. and 15.26, • 7. and 16.7, 1 • , 14. Now it can be no Gospel-truth that Christ draweth by the lifting of himself on the Cross, and by his death, all and every man to himself, even thousands and millions of the sons of Adam, that never heard one letter or the least sound of the Gospel, or of his lifting up on the Cross; for sure, Christ's death-drawing must be by proposing the beauty and loveliness of Christ crucified, which thousands never heard of. 2. This drawing must be all one with the drawing which effectually produceth running Cant. 1.4. after Christ. And which is John. 6.44. Now when Christ saith, No man can come, except he be drawn: He clearly showeth that the drawing of the Father is a peculiar privilege of some, and not common to all, as the other two expressions beside of being taught of God, and hearing and learning of the Father. 3. Because all the drawn are raised up, by Christ their life and head at the last day, v. 44.4. The Adversary cannot show any drawing of Christ, or to Christ, that is common to all, and everyone of mankind.
So, All Israel shall know the Lord, as its Heb. 8.10. for this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel (saith the Lord) I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. verse. 11. And they shall not teach everyone his neighbor, and every man his brother, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . They shall all know me from the least of them, even to th • greatest: When was this covenant made? under the Mesiah, when both the Jews to whom this Apostle wrote, and the Gentiles came in. After those days, Arminians cannot deny, but the putting of the law in the mind, and writing it in their hearts; and this knowing of the Lord, not by the ministry of man; but by the inward teaching of the Spirit, must be saving conversion and there is no more reason to expound Israel, all Israel, both Jews and Gentiles, of all of every kind, and some few (except they flee to our universality of the elect) in the matter of conversion, then in the matter of redemption by Christ, when it is said, Christ gave himself a ransom for all. 1 Tim. 2. B • cause it is their constant doctrine to make all and everyone of Adams Sons, as many as Christ died for, to be the parties with whom the covenant is made: so in the same covenant, it is said, John. 6. 45. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . They shall be all taught of God as Jeremiah saith Chap. 31.34. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. Because they shall all know me, for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more : except they admit an universality of the redeemed of God, then as they contend for an universal redemption, and all and everyone of mankind, in Christ to be taken in, within the covenant of grace (for they expound all those of the visible Church) there is as good reason, that we prove from the Grammar of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 All. An universal Regeneration, and an universal justification of all, as they can prove an universal redemption: so is the same promise Isai. 54.11. and clearly Rom. 11.26. All Israel shall be saved. He meaneth Jews and Gentiles, when the fullness of the Gentiles shall come in, here is universal salvation of all.
So by John Baptists ministry, all and everyone of his hearers must be converted, why? As Arminians expound many that Christ died for, Matth. 20.28. To be all and every man without exception. 1 Tim. 2 6. Heb. • .9. 1 John. 2.1. so they are debtors to us for the same liberty. Mal. 4. He shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, Luke 1.16. Many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God : these we must expound by the Arminian Grammar of the conversion of all and everyone ▪ that heard • ohn preach contrary to Luke 7.29.30. for Pharisees and Lawyers were not converted. Yea, it is said Isai. 40. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh sh • ll see it together. Matth 3. expoundeth it of the preaching of repentance, and the coming of the kingdom of God, by the ministry of John: so doth Mark 2.3. and John 1.2. And the filling of vall • yes, and making straight crooked things; is sure the humbling of the proud, and the exalting of the humble, and the conversion of the disobedient: But who can say that all and every mountain was made low? and by John's ministry, or Christ either: Was the Gospel preached to all and every man? or the heart of every son, converted to the father, or did all flesh see, or enjoy the salvation of God? Then they must flee to our exposition: yea, the seeing of the salvation of God is no less the saving of all, which Arminians cannot say. Mr. Den saith, That the seeing of God, is in that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, Rom. 1.21. And they liked not to retain God in their knowledge, as that is, they have both seen and hated both me and my Father, and Mat. 13.1 • . And seeing, they see not, but (saith he) it is not to be understood of saving knowledge.
Answ. 1. This is contrary to the scope of the Prophet Isaiah and of the Evangelists, who aim at holding forth the fruits of the Gospel in John the Baptist his Ministry, which was the conversion of souls, as Malachi saith, and the bringing down the proud and in tu • ning many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God ; and in going before C • ri • t in the Spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, and to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, Luke 1.16, 17. Which is a clear Exposition of laying every proud Mountain level to Christ, and of fitting souls for the Messiah. Which no man can say, by teaching such a knowledge of Christ, as Idolatrous Heathen had of God as Creator, or blind and obstinate Pharisees had of Christ and his Father, whom they both saw and hated, Joh. 15. Rom. 21. That seeing of the salvation of God, is neither conversion, nor preparation of a people for Christ. 2. The phrase of seeing God, and the salvation of God, being set down as a powerful fruit of the Gospel, hath never in Scripture so low a meaning as is not wanting to natural men, and Atheists, and Pharisees: But is meant of an eff • ctuall knowledge of God, and the enjoying of God, as Job 19.25. I shall see God. Psal. 106.5. That I may see, that is enjoy, the good of thy chosen, Isai. 33.17 Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty. Isai. 52.10. The ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Matth. 5.8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Joh. 3.3. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Acts 22.14. Then Ananias said to Saul the God of our Fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that just one Heb. 12.14. Follow holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. But if Mr. Den and others will contend that this seeing of the salvation of God, is the revelation of the literal knowledge of Christ, that saving thing which is bestowed on the Nations by the Ministry of John and the coming of the Messiah, they must with us confess a large Synecdoche and figure in this, when it is said, All flesh shall see the salvation of God, because there are thousands that live and die in the region and shadow of death, to whom the least taste of literal knowledge of Christ, or of his Name n • ver came. Psal. • 9.9. In his Temple shall everyone speak of his glory, not everyone, but converts only can utter the glory of God savingly, in the Temple of the Lord, otherwise many speak and do in his Temple, to his dishonor, Jer. 7.4.10▪ 11. Ezech. 23.38, 39. Acts 2.4. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost. 17. And it shall come to pass in the last days (saith GOD) I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. Now it is clear, This is a prophesying of all flesh within the Church: Your sons and your daughters shall prophecy, your young men shall dream dreams, &c. Now all flesh did never prophecy, nor was the Holy Ghost on Ananias and Sapphira. Rom. 4. Abraham is called the father of us all. A spiritual father by faith, he is to those that are of the faith of Abraham : Now Arminians will not suffer us to expound us all in the matter of Redemption of us all, the elect of God, and believers ; but of all and everyone within the visible Church, Joh. 1.16. And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. There is as good ground for saving grace given to all in Christ, as for Universal Redemption, except the words be restricted. For Arminians have ground from the words to allege, All we among whom Christ dwelt have received grace, all we who saw his glory, as the only begotten Son of God, v. 14. which sight is the sight of saving faith, not given to all and every Son of Adam. 14. And he dwelt personally in the flesh and nature of all Adams Sons. So is it said, 1 Cor. 12.13. For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink unto one Spirit 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . How can Arminians decourt from a spiritual communion, in both Sacraments; all Jews and Gentiles in the visible body of Christ, except they restrict all 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as we do? And 2 Cor. 3.18. But we all with open face 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Now Paul speaketh of all under the Gospel, and under the glorious ministration of the Spirit, opposite to the condition of the children of Israel, who were under the Law, which was the ministration of death, v. 6, 7, 8. Whose minds are blinded, through the veil that was, and yet is over the hearts of that stiffnecked people in reading of the Old Testament, whereas this veil is taken away in Christ, and we all under the Gospel have the Spirit and are free, and see the glory of the Lord, and are changed into the same glory, being in the Suburbs of Heaven; all of us having our faces shining with the rays and beams of the glory of the Gospel, in the face of God, in a more glorious manner then the face of Moses did shine when he came down from the Mount, with a glory that was to be done away, whereas this is eternal, v. 9, 10, 11, 12. compared with v. 17, 18. Now let Arminians speak, if they think all, and everyone that heareth the Gospel are partakers of this vision of God in the Kingdom of Grace? And Ephes 4. Christ ascending on high gifted his Church with a Ministry, v. 13. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God into a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. When we to decline the absolute universality of the redemption of all and everyone, do say, We all, and he tasted death for all men, and Christ gave himself a ransom for all. All must be restricted according to the Scope, the antecedent and consequent of the Text, we cannot be heard. Master Moore saith, we make the Holy Ghost to speak untruth, because we expound, all men, to be few men, yet must they either use the same restriction, and acknowledge an universality of converted and saved men, and so expound, All, to be few, as we do, or they can no more decline the universal salvation of all, and everyone, then we can decline the Catholic redemption of all, and everyone. So they must say, that the number of the perfected Saints, that attain to the fullness of grace and glory, and to a perfect man in Christ, is equal to that visible body, the Church, gifted with Apostles, Evangelists, Prophets, and Pastors, and Teachers. For all the like places Arminians expound of the body, of the whole body of the visible Church, externally called; now this is most absurd, that all and everyone should be saved, to whom Apostles, and Pastors were sent to preach the Gospel, then need force All must be restricted to the chosen flock only. So Luk. 16.16. The kingdom of God is preached, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and every man presseth violently to it. The meaning is not, as Master Den saith, that everyone is pressed by command, and Gospel-exhortation to repent. For 1. from John Baptists time, all and everyone heareth not the Gospel, Matth. 10.5. (2) Matth. 11. ver. 2. is clearly expounded by an Active verb, these that take heaven violenly, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , take it by force ; but do all, and every Son of Adam, take heaven by force? No, then there must be an All, and a Catholic company of converted and saved persons, by this conceit. And 1 Thess. 5.5. Yea, are all 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the children of light, and the children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of the darkness ; these All that are called the children of the day, are opposed in the foregoing Verses, to the children of darkness, on whom the last day cometh suddenly, as child-birth pains on a woman. 2. All these are the children of light, who are exhorted to be sober, not to sleep, Vers. 6, 7, 8. And whom God hath not appointed for wrath, but for salvation, by the means of our Lord Jesus. But these be all the visible Church of Thessalonica; Ergo, there were no children of darkness among them, which is absurd; and will be denied by Arminians. When Christ speaketh to the multitude, he saith, Matth. 25.8. All ye are brethren : they must be brethren, by the new birth. Vers. 8. Call no man your Father on earth, &c. Philip. 1.7 Ye are all partakers of my grace. Now he speaketh of these in whom Christ had begun the good work, and would perfect it into the day of Christ, Vers. 6. Such the Arminians do say, were all the visible Saints at Philippi. Then by this, all and everyone of them were converted, 1 Cor. 11.4. The head 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , of every man is Christ, of every man without exception? No, these of whom Christ is h • ad, these are his body, the Church, that have life from him, and are knit to him by the Spirit, and among themselves by spiritual ligatures, Ephes. 1.22.23. and Christ's fullness, Ephes. 4 • 6. Col. 1.18. Gen. 21.6. All that hears shall laugh with me; Sarah meaneth the laughter of faith; then must all that hear of Sarah's bearing o • Isaac in her old age, believe in Christ, as Sarah did? Psalm. 65.2. O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come; a figure there must be in the word fl • sh ; and if there be no figure in the particle, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 then must all flesh, and all Adams Sons put up prayers to God, contrary to experience, and to Scripture, Psalm. 14.4. Psal. 53.4. Jer. 10.25. So Psal. 72.12. All Nations, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 shall serve him, its meant of Christ, and in the letter cannot be true, if many refuse him to be their King, Psalm. 2.9.2.3. L • k. 19 14. Psal. 110.1. So is it said, Psal. 22.27. All the ends of the world shall remember, and turn to the Lord: and all the kindreds of • he Nations shall worship before thee. Now that he meaneth of spiritual turning to God, and of Repentance is clear. Vers. 18. For the Kingdom is the Lord's, and he is the Governor among the Nations. Vers. • 3. A seed shall serve him, it shall be counted to the Lord for a Generation. Except there be a restriction of this ( All ) how will Arminians eschew this, that all, and every man of the heathen, shall repent, and be a holy seed devoted to the Lord, as his Righteous ones? For sure the same expression of all Nations, Isaiah 40.16. are taken for all and everyone of mankind. Psalm. 66 9. All Nations, whom thou hast made, shall come and worship before thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy name. Isaiah. 66.23. And it shall come to pass, that from one new Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come • o worship before me, saith the Lord. Let Arminians speak, if all flesh, that cometh before God, from Sabbath to Sabbath, under the New Testament to worship, be as large and comprehensive as the same expression, Isaiah 40.6. All flesh is grass. Sure the latter comprehendeth all Adams Sons, without exception, even including infants; the former cannot bear so wide a sense. So Gen. 12.3. In thee shall all the Families of the earth be blessed. Gen. 22.18. If the meaning be that, without any figure or exception, all and every family be blessed in Christ, then shall I infer that, all the families of the earth, without exception, are justified by faith in Christ, Gal. 3.10, 11, 12, 13.14. And that the Nations of the earth, without exception, are heirs of the promise, have right to strong consolation, are fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope laid before them, and have anchored th • ir hope up within the veilo, whither the fore-runner Christ hath entered ; for of these Nations the Apostle expoundeth the promise, Hebr. 6.13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. So Isaiah 27.6. Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit ; then shall there be none on earth, but the blossoming I • rael of God? Rom. 11.26. And so all Israel shall be saved, as it is written, there shall come out of Zion a deliverer, &c. These that Paul calleth all Israel, Isaiah 69.20, 21. calleth Jaakob and the seed, and the seeds seed. Isaiah 59.19. So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the West, and his glory from the rising of the Sun. Mal. 1.11. For from the rising of the Sun, even to the going down of the same, any name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place, incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of Hosts ; If from the East to the West, and in all places of the Gentiles, men fear the name of the Lord ; then sure, the whole inhabitants of the earth, between the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same, must be converted to Christ, and offer prayers, praises, spiritual service to Christ, except some restriction be made, the most part from the East to the West are enemies to the Gospel; And how would Arminians triumph, if so much were said for universal Redemption, as here is said for universal Regeneration and Conversion of all, except we say there must be a figure, a Senechdoche, of All, for many? Or Christ's all, and universality of converted ones must be here meant? Joh. 1.9. That was the true light that enlighteneth everyone that cometh into the world. What? Even infants who come into the world? and all, and everyone of Adams Sons ; it cannot be true, in any sense; except it be meant of the light of the Gospel, that yet never came to the half part of the world; For Vers. 10. The world knew him not, and Vers. 6. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John ver. 7. the same came for a witness, to bear w • tnesse of the light, that all men through him might believe. Can any divinity teach that God intended, that all and every mortal man should believe by him, that is, by the Ministry of John ; the morning star which was to fall, and disappear, and shine no more at the rising of Christ, the Sun of righteousness? 1 Joh. 2.27. Ye need not that any teach you, but the anointing that ye have received teacheth you all things. Why should then fewer have the Spirit of holy unction in them, then the world for whom Christ is a propitiation, and all the visible Saints that John writeth unto? 1 Joh. 1, 2. & 2.1.2. & 4.9. God sent his only begotten Son to the world, that we through him might live ; nor need we flee to that exposition ever and anon, that Christ died for all, that is, all ranks of men. For All, is put in Scripture ordinarily for many; as Deut. 1.21. Psal. 71.18. Ier. 15.10. and 19.9. and 20.7. and 23.30. and 49.17. Ezech. 16.27. Exod. 33.10. Col. 1.28. Isai. 61.9. Gen. 41.57. Mark 14.4. Joh. 3.26. Acts 17.31. and 10.38. Mark. 1.37. 2 Cor. • .2. Luke 24.47. and 4.15. Isai 2.2, 3. Otherwise I could say Christ died for no man, because the Scripture ascribeth an universality to the wicked, Jer. 6.28. c. 9.2. Mic. 1.7. 1 John 2.15, 16. and 1 John 5.19.
And surely that election and redemption, move both in the same sphere, and or be of the free love of God, is clear to me; from that place John. 3.16. on which Arminians confide much, for God's love to save mankind, by the death of Christ is the very love of election to glory, of such certain persons, as the Lord therefore gives grace to believe; because they are ordained to life eternal: so that the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as many, and the number of believers, and of the chosen to life are equal. Acts 13.48. John. 10.26. Rom. 8.29.30.
1. That love cannot be a general, confused, antecedent, conditional love, offered to all the world, on condition they believe; for that the Scripture freeth thousands of the sin of unbelief of that love, if Christ come not to them, and speak not, John. 15.22. and Paul saith Rom. 1.14. How shall they believe in him, of whom they have not heard? Now the loved world, John. 3.16. is obliged to believe.
2. That love that is the cause of Christ's death, is John. 15.13. the greatest love that is; it is such a giving love, whereby Christ gives his Son, that with him he cannot but give his Holy Spirit, faith and salvation, yea, and all things, Rom. 8.32. But the conditional general love is not the greatest love, for the Lord beareth not the greatest love to all and every man, nor gives he faith and salvation to all and every man; yea, the known and believed love of God in sending his Son to die for us is proper to the believer, 1 John. 4.16.9, 10. We have known and believed the love God hath to us, God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, (its a noble Princely palace to lodge in) dwelleth in God, and God in him. This cannot be said of the love that God beareth to the Reprobate, yea, and to the fallen Angels; for Arminians say that God loved them with such a love; but that love to Devils, is now dried up long ago, and so that to Pharaoh, Judas, Cain, now in hell, but this love is gone; so dream they, that love in God is like summer brooks that go dry in time of drought; but the truth is, God's general love to Arminians, is a faint desire, and a wish that all and everyone, men and Angels be saved, and a bestowing on them means, 1. Which the Lord knows shall plunge them deeper in hell, and make their everlasting chains heavier and more fiery; better he love them not. 2. Such means as can be demonstrated free will without God, or any determination or bowing to one hand, rather then to another, can, and may absolutely master and over-master equally to conversion, or obstinacy, or to final rebellion, to salvation, or damnation, to make themselves free Princes and Lord's of the book of life, and the writing pen of eternal Election, and Artists, causes, and masters of the decrees of Election, or Reprobation. For, 1. Let God do what he can, or omnipotency, or sweetness of free grace, all that is possible, free will hath the free and absolute casting of the balance to will, receive Christ, open to the King of glory, and be converted, or to the contrary. 2. In Election and Reprobation from eternity, (as Arminians in their last Apology go no higher then time, coepta est in temporo electio, contra quam creditum est, &c.) God doth no more in his general decree for choosing of Jacob or Peter, then of Pharaoh, Esau or Judas ; but chooseth all indefinitely who shall believe. But for the Assumption that Peter, John, Pharaoh, Judas, Esau, believe, or not believe, the eternal decree of God does nothing, his means, Gospel, his inward grace (such grace as they can grant) do no more, nor can do anymore to determine the will to either side, to believing, or not believing; then he can work contradictions, or make free will, and free ob • dience to be no free will, and no obedience, for its repugnant (say they) to the nature of free-will that it should be determined by God; And 〈…〉 , such as is required of us now who are under comm ••• ements, threatenings, promises, were no obedience at all, for if the Lord should determine the will (say they) and therefore God's last decree of choosing those to life, whom he foresees shall expire in faith, and persevere to the end, and of rejecting such, as he foresees shall go on, in final obstinacy against the Gospel, is not any Scriptural decree of Election or Reprobation, nor hath God any liberty in this, to choose this man, not this man, but all men choose God, and are foreseen finally to believe, or not believe, before, and without any free decree of God; so that the number of chosen Angels or men is in the power of the creatures free will; not in the liberty of the former of all things ; so as we choose God, but God chooseth not us. But 2. So none are within the compass of Election or Reprobation, but such as hear the Gospel; and so all the Heathen are saved or damned by chance, or without any will or decree of God, or they must be neither capable of salvation, nor damnat • on, contrary to Scripture and experience, for terrible judgments temporal, and great external favors befall Indians, Americans, and such as never heard of Christ, and not without the counsel of God's will, if there be a provid • nce that rules the world. 2. God doth nothing in the Election of Peter, more then of Judas ; nor can grace and mercy have place in the choosing of the one, rather then the other; but as free will is foreseen to play the game ill, or well, so go the eternal decrees of Election and Reprobation, and there can be no such thing as that grace and the free pleasure of God, who hath mercy on whom he will, or because he will, and hardens whom he will, can have any place here.
4. The Scripture nowhere speaks of any love of God in Christ to man, but such as is efficacious in saving; any other love is lip-love, not real; and so to allege this one place, without authority of the Word, is petitio principii, a begging of the question; for the love Ez • ch. 16.8. Called the time of loves, was such as saved, all that were to b • saved, amongst the people of God; and cannot be understood of such a love as God did bear to the Heathen, and the Cannanits, for it separates them from all the world: so Deut. 7.7. Psal. 146.19.20 Isai. 51.1, 2, 3. Isai. 52.3, 4. Psal. 132.1 • . Psal. 1 • 5.4. Zech. 3.2. 1 King. 1.13. 2 Chron. 6.6. Isai. 4 • .8, 9. Deut. 14.2. Isai. 43 20. Dan. 1 • . 15. 1 Chron. 16.13. Ezech. 20.5. Act. 13.17. Ye shall not find that the love of God in Christ can consist with Reprobation, or Damnation, in all the Scripture; but by the contrary, it is a love that Christ hath to his wife, in giving himself for her; sanctifying, washing and presenting her, without spot or wrinkle before 〈…〉 a husband-love, Ephes. 5.25, 26. a love saving, b • the washing of Regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost • i • us 3.4, 5, 6. a great love, quickening us together with Christ, saving us by grace, raising us up, and making us • it together with Jesus Christ, in heavenly places. Ephes. 2.4.5. a love causing washing of us, and advancing us to be Kings and Priests to God, Revel. 1.5, 6. a love to Paul in particular, and working life in Paul, Gal. 2.20. I live no more, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh; I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. It is the love of God our Father, who hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace. 2 Thes. 2.16. an everlasting love. Jer. 31.3. a love before the foundation of the world, Ephes. 1.3, 4, before we do good or evil, Rom. 9.11. Not a love that falls to nothing; by a consequent act of hatred, nor a love to which the hatred of reprobation may succeed every hour, and out of which we may be decourted; a love that puts the honor of sons on us, 1 John. 3.1. It is a saving and a pitying love Isai. 63.9. a love which the Lord rests in, Zeph. 3.17. a love continuing to the end, John. 13.1. a love that makes us more then conquerors. R • m. 8.37. It is a separating love that differenceth the loved of God, from all others, Psal. 87.2. Psal. 1.6.8. otherwise all the world, should in regard of this general, and antecedent, and conditional love of God, be so the beloved of God; as Christ in the song of Solomon, esteemeth the Spouse his love, his well-beloved: Its a love better then life, Psal. 6 • .3. and the dowry Christ bestoweth on his spouse, Hos. 2.19. now the Scripture nowhere speaketh of that conditional love, which the Lord beareth to Heathens, Reprobates, and to all Men and Angels.
5. Such as the Lord so loved, as he hath redeemed them from perishing, he hath redeemed them from sin and Gentilism ; to wit, from this present evil world, Gal. 1.4. yea, the blood of the Lamb, unspoted, and undefiled, hath bought them from their vain conversation, received by tradition, from their fathers, 1 Pet. 1.18. yea, from fornication, that they should be members of Christ, temples of the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. 6.20. yea, Christ bare their sins in his own body on the tree, that they should live to righteousness. Now all and everyone of mankind, Heathen and Turks, are not thus bought with a price, and deliv ••• d from idolatry, blasphemy, killing of child ••• to th • ir god, from the world of Gentilism. 1. Th • y liv • in these sins, as serving God in them; the Gospel nev •• forbade th • m any such si • n • s, in regard th • y never heard the Gospel. 2 They cannot sin on a n • w score, or a new reckoning; these being to them, no sins against the Gospel; but against the law written in their heart. 3. There is a p • ice then given: for all the reprobate vice reproborum, it is 〈…〉 as they had paid the price to redeem them from sin, and unbelief; yea, from final impenitence against the Gospel: If this be a sin, as it is the sin of sins, Christ must bear it on the tree, 1 Pet. 1.24. The lamb of God must take it away. John. 1.29. Except it were possible final unbelief were pardonable without shedding of blood. Heb. 10. Now here the ransom paid, but the captive is never delivered, for the reprobate die in their sins John. 8.21. There be some say, there is a ransom given for these Gospel-sins of the reprobate, conditionally, so they believe.
An • w. That is, they are freed from final impenitence, so they be freed from final impenitence: is this a wife bargain? 2. Where is there is all the Word, a warrant that Christ laid down his life for his sheep conditionally; so he foresaw they would be his sheep; so they would believe and repent? Now this he could not do: for Christ out of deliberation, and his Fathers eternal counsel, absolutely, gratis, freely di • d for these; he died not for those, that he foresaw would never fulfill the condition, nunquam positâ conditione, nunquam ponitur conditionatum.
6. Christ bought by his blood of the eternal Covenant, all the Jewels of the Covenant, all things that belong to life and go • linesse, and all spiritual blessings, 2 Pet. 1.3. Ephes. 1.3. A new heart and a new Spirit, Ezech. 36.26. Jer. 31.33, 34, 35, 36. Ezek. 11, 19, 20. He bought all that God giveth to us, then he must have purchased faith, Phil. 1.29. Joh. 6.29. and if he was made a Prince to give repentance and remission, then to give faith, for it is a grace above nature, and out of this fountain, we have grace for grace, John. 1.14. Now this is not given to all men.
7. All these graces are particular, 1. Election to glory is particular, Few are chosen, Mat. 22.14. Joh. 10.26.29. Ephes. 1.4. Rom. 9.11. The promise is particular to the sons of the promise, Rom. 9.8, 9. made to Christ, and his seed only, Gal. 3.16, 17, 18. Gal. 4.22, 23, &c. the calling particular, Isai. 55.1, 2. Matth. 11.27, 28. Acts 2.39. the Covenant particular, and takes in only the House of Judah, the elect and such as cannot fall away, Ier. 31.34, 35, &c. and 32.39, 40. Isai. 54.10. and 59.19, 20. The surety of the Covenant, Christ, Heb. 7.22. promised to be King over the House of David, over his people only; the intention of God particular to a foreknown people only, Rom. 11.1. The circumference and extent of Grace then cannot be so wide, as to take in all, nor can Redemption be universal, because conditional. For 1. Arminians make Election conditional, but they deny it in words to be universal; further glorification is conditional, justification conditional, upon condition of Faith, but because the condition never is, all men have not fa • th ; therefore glorification and justification is particular, and redemption on the same ground must be particular; none are actually redeemed but the believers, so as glorification actual (the decree of glorifying is another thing, and absolute) and Election to glory are commensurable, the one not larger then the other, Rom. 8.29, 30. how can Redemption, which is a mid-link between both, be of a wider Sphere to take in all? for 1 Thes. 5.9. God's counsel set us on Christ as Redeemer, and gives us to Christ.
8. These two (Christ redeemeth all) and (Christ intendeth to redeem all) are most different: Now God's intention to redeem all if they believe, suspendeth either redemption, or the intention of God to redeem: If the former be said, redemption of all, is no Redemption, except all believe, but all do not believe: If the latter, God must wave and hang by his intention in millions of souls, and cannot fixe his foot to be peremptory in his intentions except they believe, and he seeth they shall never believe, for he knoweth what is in man, and beholdeth the thoughts a far off.
Yea, as I said elsewhere, if we speak properly in reference to God, the very promises of the Gospel are not conditional; because both the condition, and the thing that falls under the condition, depend on his own absolute will, and free gift; if a father promise to his child an inheritance upon condition the child pay him ten thousand crowns, and the Father only do give, and can give the child these ten thousand crowns; we cannot say, this is a bargain between the father and the son, that leans upon conditions, especially if we suppose, as the case is between God and the creature, that this father can and doth indeclinably determine the will of his son to consent, and to give back again to his father this sum of money, and to consent to the bargain; there is here no condition relating to the father, but he does all freely. Believing is a condition, and life eternal is conditionatum, a thing that falleth under promise, but both d • pend upon the absolute, free and irresistible will of the Lord; as there is no condition here properly so called, either laid upon the will, or limiting the external action of God.
9. Hence the promises of the Gospel are indefinite, not universal, and in the Lord's purpose and intention made with the Elect only, not with the Reprobate at all, for when God saith, if Judas, Cain, Pharaoh, believe they shall be saved, the Lord's purpose being • o deny to them the grace of believing, without which it is unpossible they can believe, the promise in God's purpose is not made with them: He that so willeth what he promiseth upon a condition, which he that so willeth, only can do and work, and yet will not do or work the condition; he doth indeed not will to the party, what is so promised, if John send Peter to work in his garden upon condition, that if he work, he shall give him a talent a day, and in the mean while John only can give to Peter strength of legs, and arms, and body to work, can determine his consent to the work, and yet refuse to give strength, and to win his consent to the work; Sure he never wi • led either to give him a talent for his work, nor intended he should work at all. Hence I ar • ue, it is against the wisdom of God to intend and will that the Reprobate be redeemed, pardoned, saved, upon a condition, which he himself only can work by his grace, and absolutely and irresistibly will not work. Now in Scripture such a thing is argued not to be done, because the Scripture must be fulfill •• ; and the decree of God and his will full •• lled, as Christ's bones upon this ground, could not be broken, and such a thing is done that the Scripture, and so the will and decree of God might be fulfilled, so that which is never done, is simply God's will it shall never be done; that which is done is simply God's will it must be; I mean either his permissive or approving will; and the will of God revealing, what is the duty of Reprobates though it never be done, argu • s it was not simply the will of God; hence that voluntas signi, in which God reveals what is our duty, and what we ought to do; not what is his decree, or what he either will, or ought to do, is not God's will properly, but by a figure only, for commands, and promises, and threatenings revealed, argue not the will and purpose, decree or intention of God, which are properly his will.
10. It is against the wisdom of God to intend the actual Redemption and salvation of all, and everyone, and not to will, nor work such conditions, which only he himself can work, and are in his power only, and without the which the creature cannot be redeemed and saved, but he neither will, nor doth work faith in all; then he never intended the actual redemption and salvation of all and everyone.
Hence what ever wanton and lascivious reason can object against absolute Reprobation, the absolute Redemption of some few, a particular atton • meant of some few, equally fighteth with the opinion of adversaries, as against ours, they say;
1. God intends the eternal destruction of the innocent sinless and greatest part of mankind.
2. Mercy, bowels of compassion, by your particular, absolute Redemption is extended to few; and all the rest of the lost world, left to sink eternally, notwithstanding of the infinite and boundless love and man-kindness of God. Its answered, these fall with equal strength of wanton reason, upon conditional and universal Redemption, or God's conditional and universal will to save all, and everyone; for say that a father did foresee, if he beget twenty sons, that eighteen of them shall be cast in a river of fire, to be burnt quick, where they shall be tormented ten thousand years, ever dying, and not able to find death, to end their miseries, and that they may be Kings in great riches and honor, upon a condition of such and such a carriage of them in their education, and young years, which this father can easily work with one word; yet he willingly begets these children, he can work such a condition in them, as they may all be kings, yet deliberately this he will not do, but acts so upon the will of these children, as he knows indeclinably the greatest part of them all sh • ll be tormented for ten thousand years in this extreme fire. Who can say, 1. that this father, quantum in se, as far as he can, hath redeemed all, and everyone of his children from ten thousand years pain? Who can say, this father intended and willed the life and honor of these eighteen children, when as he might with no pain to himself, most easily have wrought the condition in them, which he wrought in others, and would not? Hence, if there must be a mystery in the Gospel, and the Lord's ways and thoughts must be above ours, as far as the heaven is above the earth, if the Lord did foresee the greatest part of mankind, and many legions of Angels should be cast in chains of darkness, and in a lake of fire and brimstone forever and ever. 1. Vain reason would say, why did he create them? if he fore-saw their misery would be so deplorable; and how can he earnestly and ardently, with prayers, obtestations, wishes, threatenings, precepts, promises, desire their eternal salvation? 2. If he could have hindered them to sin (as no question he could) without hurting Adams freewill, and without strangling the nature of free obedience, in reference to threatening of ill, and promising of good, and life, as we see all Angels, being equally under one law, he kept some from sin, of free grace, and permitted others to fall in eternal misery; if he could have hindered them to sin, how created he them, and gave them a law, which he saw, they would violate, and make themselves eternally miserable? 3. When the same Gospel was preached to some, yea, and to a huge multitude within the visible Church, if the Lord willed all and everyone to be saved, and gave his Son to redeem all and everyone; was there not an eternal and absolute will most unlike and disparous to some, beside others, when as he took a way of working with the Gospel, preached on some, which he saw would eternally, indeclinably, and inevitably save them, and a contrary way of working with others, which he foresaw would be fruitless, ineffectual, and null, and tend to their sadder condemnation; now can he will both the redemption and salvation of these that he moveth ineffectually to obey, and also efficaciously to obey? Corvinus saith in this, He willeth all, ex aequo, equally to be saved, in regard of his affection, and will to all; but he willeth not all equally to be saved, ex parte boni voliti, in regard of the thing willed; for he willeth the Gospel to be preached to some, and of these that hear the Gospel he gives more grace; yea more grace actu secundo, efficaciously effectual, and denies both to other Nations and people, and with this distinction, he willeth, and willeth not; equally, ex aequo, the salvation of all. But this is Petitio principii, the disparity of favors bestowed on persons and Nations, do argue in Scripture disparity of good-wills in the Lord; as because God sent his Law and Testimonies to Israel and Jaakob, and dealt not so with every nation, Psal. 147.19, 20. Every Page almost in the Old Testament, and the Lord's Spirit, and all Divines argue, that the Lord chose Israel, and loved them and saved them, and with a higher and more peculiar love, as his chosen people, then he loved all the Nations, Deut. 7.7. Psal. 132.12.13.14. Psal. 135.3, 4. Because he bestowed on them the means of salvation; his Law and his Testimonies which he denied to the Nations, then the Nations were not his beloved and chosen ones.
10. That will of God, called voluntas signi, the revealed will of God, that precepts, promises, and threatenings hold forth, do not express to us the decree, intention and purpose of God, that he willeth the thing commanded to be, but only that he approves of the thing commanded, as just and good, whether it be, or be not, what ever the event be: then God's revealed will is no more formally, but his approbation of the moral goodness and obedience, of elect and reprobate, whether they obey, or not.
11. These that Christ offered his body for, as a Priest, for these as a Priest he intercedes and prays; for these two cannot be separated; but he prays not for all, not for the world, Joh. 17.9. I pray for them, I pray not for the world.
12. These for whom Christ is a Priest to offer his body, for them, he is a King to make them Kings, and to save th • m, and a Prophet to teach them; but he is not King and Prophet to any but to his people, kingdom, conquest, disciples, seed, children, subjects.
13. These that Christ died for cannot be condemned, Rom, 8.33, 34. but are chosen, and cannot be impeached; but the reprobate can be condemned and impeached.
14. Those whom God wills to save, and whom he redeemed, to these he willed the means of salvation; but he wills not the means, nor that the Gospel be preached to the Gentiles, Matth. 10.5. Nor to Asia, nor Bithynia, Acts 16.6, 7.
15. All that Christ died for, are justified and reconciled by his death, and shall much more be saved by his life, Rom. 5.9. 1 Joh. 1.7. And God requireth not one debt twice; if Christ sustained the person of all the el • cted, as he died for his friends, Joh. 15.13. for his Sheep, Joh. 10.11. For his Church, Ephes. 5.25. For many, Mat. 20.28. For his enemies, Rom. 5.10. For the ungodly, and unjust, 1 Pet. 3.18. For his brethren, Hebr. 2. 1 Joh. 3.16. and not for their good only, so as they might all and everyone have perished eternally, that Christ died for; then cannot they die eternally, for then Christ should first have paid their debt, and they must pay for that debt over again, eternally in hell; then might Christ be a Redeemer, a King, a Priest, a Husband, a Savior, and head, and have no ransomed ones, no subjects, no Israel that he interceds for, and offers his soul, no Spouse, no saved people, no memhers, no Church.
Artic. 4. Places of Scripture seeming to favor universal atonement, vindicated.
For the fourth particular, and the clearing of places alleged; We are 1. to consider if the place John 3.16. prove anything against us. 2. If all men, and all the world that are said to be redeemed, be concludent against us. 3. There be some particular places to be considered.
1. The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , World, must be a figurative speech, the whole for the part, otherwise in its latitude it comprehends the Angels, Acts 17.24. Rom. 3.6. 1 Cor. 6.2. Rom. 1.20. Joh. 17.5. Now its certain, God hath not so loved Angels, good and bad, that he hath given his only begotten Son for them, Hebr. 2.16. therefore it must sometime signify, a great part of the world; as John 12.19. The world goes after him. 1 John. 5.19. Yhe whole world lies in evil ; The Adversary yieldeth, that the ( world ) here, is not all, and everyone of mankind, without exception. I deny not but it signifieth so, Rom. 3.13. That all the world may become guilty before God. But the Arminians take on them a hard task, duram proviciam ; to prove that it is so taken here. For 1. the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , God so loved the world, is the highest love that ever was, above God's love to the Angels, Heb. 2.16. So God must carry the most superlative love; that is, then which there is none greater, John 15.13. Such a love as is manifested to us, to the beloved John the Apostle, and all the Saints, 1 John. 49. to Cain, Judas, and all the heathen; and God love giving his Son, differenceth men from Angels, but not one man from another; the contrary of which Paul saith, Gal. 2.20 and must Paul say no more? Who loved me, and gave himself for me, then Judas, Pharaoh, all the lost heathen, who never heard of Christ, can, and may say? believe it who will, it sounds not like Christ's love.
2. They have two sorts of love in Christ's dying for men, to make out two Redemptions, one general, one potential, or half a Redemption; where life is purchased, never applied, standing with the eternal destruction of the greatest part of mankind; another special, in which men are Redeemed from sin, preached to few, applied to far fewer.
3. Two Reconciliations; two non-imputations of sin; one 2 Cor 5. another Rom. 4. and so two justifications; one Rom 5. and two blessednesses, and two salvations, or deliveries from wrath, and the curse of the Law.
4. This giving love, with which God must give all other things, faith, the Gospel, Rom. 8.32. must be bestowed on heathen that never heard such a thing.
5. God by this must intend life eternal, as an end to all the heathen; Faith as a mean, which are clearly intended to this loved world; and yet God forbids Paul and his Apostles to preach the word of faith to them, Acts 16.6, 7. Math. 10.5. and contrives businesses so, that the hearing of the word of faith, and of this highest love, and rarest gift, and given Redeemer, shall be simply unpossible to them.
6. Therefore better by the ( World ) understand the elect of Jews and Gentiles, opposed everywhere in the New Testament, to the narrow Church of Judea ; the Gospel-world, the Messiahs-world, larger then the little world of Moses ; yea, all Nations, Math. 28.19. Every creature, that is most of all the Nations, Mark. 16.15. all the world, the hearing world, almost all the Nations Colloss. 1.6. sure not every individual person; as they would have this loved world to include.
Ob. But 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that everyone that believes &c. these words, limit, and draw narrow the world, and so divides it in believers, and not believers, and by your exposition, some of the elect world believes, and are saved; some believes not, and perishes, which is absurd; therefore the (world) must be comprehensive of all, elect, and reprobate.
An • w. 1. I shall deny that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 whosoever, is here a distributive or dividing particle: If he had said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as Gal. 5.4. 1 Cor. 11.27. There had been some color for this; but I deny that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 all must be restrictive here, more then. 2 Thess. 2.11.12. God gave them over to the efficacy of error to believe a lie, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that all those might be damned, that believe not the truth; but have pleasure in unrighteousness. It follows not that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here, that all or whoever believe not the truth ; should be fewer in number then those that are given over to the efficacy of error: yea, the number of the one and the other is equal, so John. 5.22. Th • Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son. verse. 23. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that all men should honor the Son, as they honor the Father who sent him. I see no ground to say, that some may honor the Father, and be raised from the dead and quickened, as ver. 21. who do not honor the Son. And therefore it ought not to be translated, God so loved the world, &c. That whosoever believes should not perish; but far more agreeably to the original, God so loved the world, that everyone believing should not perish : as in multitude of places it is translated, unusquisque, non quicunque ; and therefore faith is not set down here so much ad modum conditionis, as ad modum medi • , as a condition, as a means to bring this loved world to glory: as if ye would say, he so loveth letters, as all learned are dear to him; so God so loved his chosen world, that he gave his Son to die for them, (now this love is eternal) that all these believing in their own time, might never be lost, but have eternal life. Nor can Arminians take the world ( world ) for all and everyone of mankind, for they exclude all infants dying so, as uncapable of faith; and they say these words contain God's special decree of election, and reprobation; to wit, John. 3.16. God decreed to save all that believe, and God decreed all that believe not should perish. Now from Election, and Reprobation, they exclude all the Heathen, and all their infants, and all infants whatsoever, and such as never heard the Gospel : so I fear they make as narrow a world here; as we do, let them see to it: Whereas Arminians say that the word world, never signifieth in Scripture the elect only ; what then? Let me answer. 1. Their world of elect and reprobate, excluding the best part of mankind, all infants, all that never heard the Gospel; sure is not in the Scripture, nor speaks it of such a world. 2. This is a begging of the question, for John. 1.29. The world whose sins the Lamb of God takes away; the Reconciled world to whom the Lord imputes no sin 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , its the same word that is ascribed to Abraham's believing, Rom. 4.3. verse. 4.5. And that David speaks of Psal. 32.2. Rom. 4.6. The imputing of righteousness, and of Faith to righteousness ; that in which blessedness coming through Christ consisteth, Rom. 4.8, 9, 10, 11. This world is the only believing elect world, the loved world Joh. 3.16. the world saved, verse. 17. the world of which Christ is Savior, John. 4.42. the world that Christ giveth his life unto, John. 6.33. and for whose life, he giveth his life, v. 55. the world of which Abraham ; but much more, Christ is heir, Rom. 4.13. The reconciled world, occasioned by the Jews falling off Christ, Rom. 11.15. all these are the elect believing, and Redeemed world, this they can never disprove.
The other ground of our answer to all the places on the contrary, is that the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; Christ died for all : doth never signify all and everyone of mankind, by neither Scripture, nor the doctrine of adversaries: But is as all Divines say, to be expounded according to the subject in hand, secundum materiam substratam.
Hence our 1. Rule, All ; often signifieth, the most part, Mark 1.64. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 they all condemned him to be guilty of death 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the whole counsel, Matth. 26.59. yet Joseph of Arimathea, consented not to his death, Luke 23.51. and the flood destroyed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 them all Luke 17.27. yet eight persons were saved; so all Judah, Jer. 13.19. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 was carried into captivity, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 All is often the same with many, all the sheep of Kedar shall be gathered to thee, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is many, and Gen. 41. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and all the land came to Egypt, when the matter bears a clear exception, and other Scriptures expound it; then sure Christ's dying for all, must be expounded for his giving himself a ransom for many. Matth. 20.28. compared with 1. Tim. 2.6. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is here, and there 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , So the Law saith all do that which the most part do; men's will doth not limit what God speaks, but let the text it self be diligently considered, Exod. 9.6. All the castle of Egypt died, that was in the field. Christ gave himself a ransom for all, capable of a ransom; Arminians say that the finally obdured, those that sin against the Holy Ghost, and infants of Heathen, or any dying infants, cannot be ransomed by Christ, Exod. 32.26. All the sons of Levi came to Moses ; not all without exception. Many adhered to Aaron in his idolatry, v. 29. Deut. 33.9. so Matt. 3.5. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the country near to Jordan. Now this signification being applied to our use, Christ giving himself a ransom for all men, his dying for all, can be no larger then the saving of all, the believing of all flesh, and the blessing of all nations in Christ; but Gen. 18.18. all in him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 all the nations of the earth shall be blessed Gen. 22.18. In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, the whole world that John saith Christ is a propitiation for, 1 Joh. 2.1. cannot be larger then this; now this cannot carry any tolerable sense, that all and every man of the Nations are actually blessed in Christ, more then all and everyone are redeemed, reconciled, received in favor, within the Covenant of Grace: And therefore Arminians have as good reason from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , all that are said to be ransomed, are all actually saved; and hell shall be empty and to no purpose, as to contend for a universal Redemption. As a wicked pamphlet printed of late faith, all the Creation of God, Men, and Angels are redeemed, and shall at length be saved in Christ. Now we can undeniably prove, that all and every Nation, and all and every man descended of Abraham, are not blessed in Christ. (1.) Rom. 9.7. Because they that are the seed of Abraham, they are not all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. v. 8. They which are the children of the flesh, are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. Now Christ hath a spiritual seed of a more narrow compass, then all the Nations of the earth. Isaiah 53.10. He shall see his seed. Christ marrieth not with the cursed seed, and many Nations such as for many Generations never heard of Christ, are under the Law and under a curse; but the Nations are blessed, and all Nations (say they) quantum ad Deum, in God's intention, in the Covenant of Grace that God made with all the Nations, if they would embrace and receive Christ, but that they are not actually blessed, fully redeemed, and saved in Christ is their fault.
Ans. The Scripture expounds Scripture better then Arminians, and the Apostle Hebr. 6. resolveth us that All the Nations of the earth, v. 17. are the heirs of promise, those who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them, who have anchored their souls by hope within the veil, and hath Jesus for their forerunner, v. 17, 18, 19, 20. 2. He expounds the blessing of Abraham and of his seed, not of any conditional and far-off intention of God, but of God's actual blessing of Abraham and his spiritual seed whom the Lord multiplied, v. 14. Nor was it ever fulfilled in all the Nations of the earth, they were never heirs of the promise; our Exposition is made good, and by it the promise and oath of God fulfilled, and his Covenant accomplished; not by the Arminian gloss. 3. Paul expoundeth Abraham's seed, Gal. 3.16. to be Christ and his seed, Rom. 11.26. So all Israel shall be saved. This was the Israel to whom the Covenant by oath and promise was made. For the Redeemer shall come out of Zion, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. 27. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. Acts 4.33. Great grace was on them all, yet not on Ananias and Sapphira who were of that visible number, Isai. 40.5. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it, Psal. 86.9. All Nations whom thou hast made, shall come and worship before thee, and shall glorify thy Name, O Lord: That is expounded, Isa. 2.1. All Nations shall flow to the mountain of the Lord's house. What? All nations without exception? No, v. 2. Many people shall say, Come ye, and let us go to the mountain of the Lord's House, Hag. 2.7. And the desire of all Nations shall come ; did all Nations quantum in se, so far as lay in them desire Christ? no such thing.
2. All skilled in the Mother languages, and all Divines say that the Particle Ali is taken pro singulis generum, vel pro generibus singulorum ; all and everyone of kinds, and for the kinds of all, though not absolutely excluding any kind.
1. The word All is, in materià necessarià, in a necessary matter, taken for all, and everyone. God made all Nations of one blood, Acts 17.26. He knows the hearts of all men, Acts 1.24. Rom. 3.12. All have sinned, Rom. 5.12. 2 Cor. 5.10. 1 Tim. 4.10. Jam. 1.5. Phil. 2.10, 11.
2. All without exclusion of particular men, in a contingent matter is sometime so taken, Matth. 26.33. Though all be offended, Luke 6.26. Rev. 4.26.
3. When all is spoken of God's works for men, or in men, especially works of mere grace opposite to men's works: All men, then is not taken in the largest sense, as M. Moor imagines: So our Text; I when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to me, cannot be meant of all men without exception. 1. Because its a clear restriction of calling of multitudes, under the Messiahs Kingdom after his death, and cannot but speak against an universal drawing in the times of the Old Testament. 2. Christ draws not all to himself by the Gospel, because thousands hear not of him; not virtually, for we read of no calling or drawing of Christ, lifted up on the Cross, and crucified by the works of Nature: So God blesseth all Nations, not all and everyone; God saveth all Israel, and turneth away iniquity from Jacob, and forgiveth the sins of Israel ; and God only saveth, and only pardoneth believers. But will M r . Moor say, God saveth and pardoneth all, and every man in Israel?
Rule 3. There is hence a third Rule, that many is placed for all the elect, as Matth. 10.28. He gave himself a ransom for many. Mark. 14.14. This is my blood of the New Testament, that is shed for many, as Rom. 5.15. Through the offense of one, many were dead, that is, all were dead: So the sheep of Christ, Joh. 10.11. the scattered sons of God, Joh. 11.52. His people, Matth. 1.21. His brethren, Hebr. 2. That he died, for, must be exclusive of those that are not his sheep, not his brethren, not his people, not the Sons of God. When there is mention of a singular privilege bestowed on friends, whom Christ is to make friends, John. 15.13. though it be bestowed on them in regard of their present ill deserving, when they are enemies, Rom. 5.10. sinners, 1 Tim. 1.15. unjust, 1 Pet. 3.18. lost, Luke 19.10. As the necessity of the prerogative of redemption and ransom of free grace cleareth; As, In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed. Paul expoundeth it exclusively in thy seed only, Gal. 3.16. So Deut. 10.20. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him. Christ expoundeth it, Luke 4.8. exclusively, Thou shalt serve only the Lord, because its the prerogative of God, to be worshipped, as its a prerogative of grace, to be the ransomed and redeemed of God, Deut. 21.8. and 7.8. Exod▪ 15.15. Luke 1.68. Gal. 3.13. 1 Pet, 1.18. Revel. 5.9. and Revel. 14.4. Isai. 1.24. and 44.23. and 35.10. and 51.10. Jer. 31.1 • . and the manner of Christ's dying in regard of application is exclusive by confession of party, and as is clear, Luke 2.11. and 1.68, 69, 70. Luke 2.30, 31. Heb. 2.17. Rom. 8.34. Revel. 5.9.
Rule 4. In the matter of our Redemption, especially in the New Testament, and prophecies of the Old of the same subject, Christ died for all pro generibus singulorum, for men of all Nations, some of all kinds. 1. Because God speaks so of our salvation, as Io • l▪ 3.28. which was fulfilled, Acts 2.17. And it shall come to pass in the last days, (saith God) I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh ; that is, people of all Nations, as v. 9. Parthians, and Medes and Elamites▪ and the dwellers in Mesopotamia▪ and Judea, Cappado • ia, &c. And of all Sexes, v. 17. Sons and daughters. Of all ages, • ong and old ▪ All conditions, servants and handmaids. Verse 5. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every Nation under heaven ; nor will this include all and every Nation without exception. Erasmus would ask of those that will not admit an Hyperbole in Scripture, if there were English and Scots there. Ye tithe every herb, that is, Herbs of all kinds. Luke 11.42. Christ cured every disease, Matth. 4. 23. Ye shall eat of every tree of the garden, Gen. 2.16. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 all his masters goods are in his hand 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Gen. 24.10. Now thus God will have all to be saved, and Christ is the Mediator of all men, 1 Tim. 2. which is not to be understood of all and every man, but of Kings and low men, and all conditions of men; the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; is thrice used in the Text. 1. We are nowhere, but in this place only commanded to pray for all men, but if for the eternal salvation of all and everyone without exception, is the doubt. You shall not find a warrant in the Word to pray that all mankind may be saved absolutely, for God hath revealed in his Word, that he hath decrees of Election and Reprobation of men. 2. And hath expressly forbidden to pray for their salvation, that sin to death, 1 John 5.16. And what Faith have we to pray for such; for the salvation of Magistrates in that notion only we may pray; for the peace of Babylon, and for peace of Heathen Princes, the Church being under them. 3. God will have all men to be saved, no other ways then he will have all to come to the knowledge of the truth, that is, of the Gospel. Now how he will have all men without exception to come to the knowledge of the Gospel, since this natural Antecedent and conditional will to save all was in God toward the fallen Angels and the Gentiles in the time of the Old Testament, when the Law of God and his will touching salvation, through the Messiah to come was only revealed to the Jews, Deut. 7.7. Psal. 1 47.19, 20. Let Arminians see, for sure the Gospel is not, and hath never been preached to all and every rational creature, and to all men, yet he wills all men (by Arminians grounds) to come to the knowledge of the Gospel. Now we know not how God who hath this natural will eternally in him, as they say, willeth the heathens to come • o the knowledge of the Gospel, except he send Apostles with the miraculous gift of tongues, to them to preach in their language. 4. He instances in a specie of the all he spoke of v. 1. in Magistrates though Heathen. Thanksgiving here for all and every man must also be commanded as well as prayer, even for Julian and the greatest scourges and bloody Scorpions, that lay heaviest stripes on the back of the Church; Sure we have no faith to believe this in reference to their salvation.
5. Paul must here speak of the Lord's effectual will, whom he saveth, and will have to be saved, and to hear the Gospel, they must be saved. So the Apostle, 2 Pet. 3.9. (8.) The Lord is longsuffering, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to us, willing none (of us to whom he is longsuffering) to perish, but will have all us, to whom he extendeth this longsuffering, to come to repentance. For he gives a reason why the day of judgment comes not so quickly, but is so delayed, that lustful men scoffs at it; because God waits till all the elect be gathered in; they should perish, and should not come to the knowledge of the truth, if the Lord should hasten that day, as Matth. 24. For the Elects sake, the ill days are shortened, not for the reprobate. So to this ransom, Paul verse. 7. is appointed a Preacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth ; this must be the Gentiles that believe and come to the knowledge of the truth ; nor did Paul bear this testimony to all, and everyone of the Gentiles, yet Arminians say, God will have all and everyone of Jews and Gentiles saved and ransomed; as also he restricts the peaceable and godly life to the Church, taking in himself, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , &c. that we may lead, &c.
6. His reason; There is one God ; so much as of all orders in the Christian Church, there is one God: the King and Magistrate, as touching his office hath not one God, and the poor another God, the Jews have not one God, and these I preach to, the Gentiles verse. 7. another; the husband hath not one God, and the wife another: for these three orders. Magistrates, and these that are under them, Jews, Gentiles, Husband, Wives, are in the Text; and if that poor argument of Master Moors had blood or nerves, because there is one God ; and because he names 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Men, therefore God will save all, and the Ransom must be as wide and spacious as the reason, God is God to all, and everyone, and all and every man is a man ; it may prove that these that blaspheme and sin to death; these of Bythinia, and Samaria, and all the Gentiles, that the Lord winked at, and did not invite to repentance, Act. 14.17. they left off to be men; and God was not a God in relation to them, as to the work of his hands; for sure God is not in covenant with all and everyone of mankind, for thousands that are men, are without the covenant. I demand of this universal will of God, to save all and everyone, and the ransom for all and everyone, was it ever heard off, in one letter in the Old Testament, except, by prophesying what was to be under the New? Never. Now was there not one God, and one Mediator, in the Old, as in the New? And natural and universal desires and wills in God, to save men as men, and that God should save men as one God, do not rise and fall in God; but sure his will called his command, and revealed in the Gospel is larger under the Gospel, nor it was before the Messiahs time; otherwise God no otherwise willed all men to be saved, amongst the Jews, as their God, in covenant with them, then he willed all the Gentiles, and every man of the heathen to be saved, which contradicts Old and New Testament broadly; for in the time of the Old Testament, God willed not, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, Sidon, Philistines, Egyptians, to come to the knowledge of the truth, and Gospel, 2 Sam. 7.23. Deut. 4.34. Psalm. 147.19.
7. God no more wills all, and every man to be saved, and come to believe; so they will all, and everyone believe; then he wills all and everyone to be damned; so they believe not and refuse the Gospel: the one will is as universal as the other.
8. It is no justice, that the ransom should be paid for all, and everyone, and the captives remain in prison eternally; its against the law, Exod. 21. • 0. Exod. 30.12, 15. Ye the Lord's Ransomed, Isaiah. 35.9, 10. Must obtain everlasting joy in Zion. Isaiah. 51.10, 11. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and mourning shall fly away ; And Hos. 13.14. 1 Cor. 15.54. They are ransomed from the grave. Let them find in all the Old or New Testament, any ransomed of the Lord, and ransomed from the grave, cast in outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth ; they are redeemed from all iniquity, purified as a peculiar people, Tit. 2.14. 1 Pet. 1.18. Gal. 1.4. 1 Pet. 2.24.
9. This ransom is to be testified in due time, or as 1 Pet. 1.20, 21. was manifest in these last last times, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; For you (the elect of God) that believe by him.
Rule 5. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , is undeniably expounded of all that are saved only, and is restrictive; such a Physician cured all the City; that is, no man is cured but by him. Ex. 28. • 4 Jethro saith to Moses, What is this that thou doest? thou sittest alone. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and all the people stand by thee, from morning till evening, (for judgment:) the scope of Jethro is to condemn Moses, in wearing out his Spirit, and taking the burden of judging all the people himself alone, Num 11.13. and his words bear not, that all the people without exception came for judgment, that had been unpossible; but because there was then no other Judge, but Moses ; the sense is clear, all that were to be judged, they were to be judged by no other, but by Moses only. Revel. 13.8. And all that dwell in the earth worshipped the beast, that is, all seduced to Popish Idolatry, were seduced by the beastly Vicar of Christ, and his limbs. Joh. 11.48. If we let him alone, all will believe in him ; that is, none will believe in us, nor follow us; and all seduced men, shall be seduced by him. Joh. 3.26. Johns disciples a little emulous, that Christ drew all the water from their Masters Mill; say, Behold he baptizeth, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , all men come to him ; that is, there be now no comers, nor followers of men, but such as follow this Jesus. That Christ in this sense should be the Savior of all men, that he should have a negative voice in the salvation of all, that all the ransomed ones should come through his hands, is no other thing then Peter saith, Act. 4.11. That there is no other Name under heaven, by which men may be saved, and none comes to the Father, but by him, Joh. 14.6. then all that come to God, come by him only. Christ is the heir of blessings, and in him all the kindreds of the earth are blessed, Act. 3.25. but it follows as well all, and every mortal man, are glorified, as redeemed, by this Logic; Out of his fullness, we All, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , all that receive, do receive from him, Joh. 1.16.
Upon this is grounded the common nature of all that Christ assumed, that no man should be saved, but by a man. Hence (say Arminians) Look how far the nature of man extendes the ransom extendeth as far: But (saith Master Moore) the nature is common to Adams Sons, all, and everyone, as Men contra-distinguished from Angels, Hebr. 29, 16. But there is a wide difference between the fitness and aptitude that man should die for man, not an Angel for a man, and the intention and good will of God, that Christ should either take on him the nature of man to die for mankind, rather then for Angel-kind, Heb. 2.16. And why he should die for this man, Peter, or John, not that man Pharaoh or Judas ; the reason of the former was the infinite wisdom of God, seeing a cong • uity of justice in it, that the nature that sins should suffer for sin. Whether Christ having a soul of a spiritual nature as Angels, might have fitly been a suffering Savior for them, (which may be thought possible) is another question. But the reason of the other is only the grace of God, who could give a hire, or a price to Christ, to move him to die for you, and effectually, and savingly, by gifting you with faith, and not for another? All the Jesuits, Arminians, Papists, Socinians, for their selves if provoked, shall not answer, except there be a Fountain-will, that solveth all, touching Men and Angels, He hath mercy on whom he will, and hardens whom he will: and who hath give • n to him first, and it shall be recompensed? And with as good reason; Because Christ is glorified at the right hand of God, in man's nature, common to all Adams sons, may they infer, that all, and every man, is risen again from the dead with Christ. As Col. 3.1, 2. and all, and every man, is set with Christ in heavenly places, Ephes. 2.6. and so all and every man must be glorified with Christ. For as Christ died, in a nature common to all men; so in a nature common to all, he rose again, ascended to heaven, is glorified at the right hand of God. But the truth is, Christ assumed that nature that is common to all men, but not as common to all men, but as the seed of Abraham, Hebr. 2.16. as the flesh and blood of the children, verse. 14. of his brethren, not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, that are, or were to be borne again.
And it is true, Jesus. Hebr. 2.9. is made a little lower then the Angels. I hope the comparison is not with all and everyone of the Angels: he was never made a little lower then all Angels, even evil Angels. Nor ( • .) hath he tasted of death for every man ; that is, for all and every son of Adam. 1. We know no grace as common to all and everyone of Adams sons, as nature. 2. Because the Scripture makes nature, wrath, sin, death, common to all. Rom. 5.14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. Rom. 3.9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Job 14.4. Psal. 51.5. Ephes. 2.1, 2, 3. Hebr. 9.27. But for grace, the word of the covenant, a covenant of grace, Reconciliation into grace and favor with God ; justification, we know no such things common to all, and everyone of Adams sons; for then all must be borne, the covenanted, justified, reconciled, beloved with the greatest love that is, Joh. 15.13. ransomed, redeemed, in Christ's blood, a people, near in the beloved, chosen as peculiar to God, as well as heirs of wrath. (2) That some sins against the first covenant are taken away in Christ, and not all, as 1 Joh. 1.8. or some half-redeemed in Christ's blood, not wholly, we know not. (3) That Christ should taste death for all, it being as good, as if all in person had not only sipped, but drunken death out to the bottom, and yet that the greatest part must drink death to the bottom again, is no Gospel-truth. (4) Nor is the Apostles argument of weight, to exalt Christ, as he intendeth, Hebr. 2. to say, Christ so tasted death for all ; as all and everyone, notwithstanding many never have, either saving faith, or fruit of his death, but eternally perish: whereas clear it is, that these 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , all that he died for are the many sons he actually brings to glory, verse. 10. these who are one with him, as the Sanctifier Christ, and the Sanctified, verse. 11. His brethren, whom he is not ashamed to own, verse. 11. the Church, verse. 12. the children that God hath given him, verse. 13. the children partakers of flesh and blood. verse. 14. these for whom he through death, which he tasted for all, and for whom he destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil ; if the devil reign in the sons of disobedience, Ephes. 2.2. If they be borne of the devil, Joh. 8.44. Taken captives at his will, 2 Tim. 2.26. Let Arminians see how Christ by tasting death for them, as they phancie, Hebr. 2.9. hath for them by death, Destroyed the Devil. verse. 14. Loosed his works, 1 John. 3.8. Triumphed over devils, Col. 2.15. Iudged and cast out the devil, John. 12.31. John. 14.30. Yea, these all, these are delivered from bondage of death, Heb. 2.15. The seed of Abraham, verse. 16. His brethren that he is made like to in all things, except sin. Hebr. 2.17. His people, verse. 17. The tempted that Christ succoreth, verse. 18. I defy any Divine to make sense of that Chapter, as Arminians expound, tasting of death for all men.
And the second Adam must come short of the first Adam, Rom. 5. by the Arminian exposition; and the comparison must be as the legs of a cripple, both here, and 1 Cor. 15. for by the first Adam many be dead. What be these many? All and everyone of mankind, that are the natural heirs coming forth of the loins of the first Adam: Then who be the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , many to whom the grace of God hath abounded? verse. 15. sure the second Adam is no dry tree, no Eunuch ; the Scripture saith, He hath a seed, Isai. 53.10. many sons, Heb. 2.10. children that God hath given him, that are for signs and wonders, Isai. 8.18. Heb. 2.13. a seed in covenant with God, David's spiritual seed, who shall never fall away, Psal. 89.28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37. Then as all the first Adams sons, and heirs were through his offense dead; so all Christ's spiritual seed, and heirs, have grace communicated to them, ver. 15. this is far from grace, abounding to all and everyone of the heirs of the first Adam ; then as the first Adam killed none but heirs naturally descended of him: so the second Adam derives grace, and the gift of life to none, but to his spiritual heirs; make an union by birth, between the first Adam and all his, and between the second Adam and all his; and stretch the comparison no farther then Paul, and let Arminians enjoy their gain by this Argument.
2. Vers. 16. Sin and judgment to condemnation not intended only; but real and efficacious came on all by the first Adam, for all that live, incur sin, and actual condemnation by the first Adam; but the free gift is of many unto justification: then justification not intended only, which may never fall out, but real, not virtual, or potential, or conditional, if their forefathers have not rejected the covenant; but efficacious and actual, came upon all the heirs, and seed, of the second Adam.
3. Paul compareth ver. 15. the offense 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of one, the first sin of Adam that came on all, with the justification 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , from many offenses. The justification spoken of here, which we have in the second Adam, is not a pardon of sin original, and of a breach of the first covenant; so as we begin to sin, and God reckons with us on a new score, but the justification here is from many offenses, and the blood of Jesus, purges us from all sins. 1 Joh. 1.8. This justification runs not up from the womb, as the offense of Adam doth. For, 1. Where are there two justifications in Christ's blood? 2. Where is there in Scripture a righteousness of all and every one, a justification in Christ's blood, by nature or from the belly, and that of Turks, Indians, Americans, and their seed, and of all infants, in all the Scripture?
4. Vers. 17. By one man's offense there was a cruel King, Death the King of terrors, who hath a black scepter, set over all and every man without exception. Here we grant an universal King the first and second death; As when a Conqueror subdues a Land, he setteth over them a little King, a Lieutenant in his place: now the other part of the similitude, and the antitype is so much more, they that receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness shall reign, shall be Kings in life (eternal) through one Jesus Christ. ver. 17. See the heirs and sons of the second Adam, are not all and everyone of the mortal stock of Adam, redeemed, reconciled, saved; but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , these that receive abundance of Grace, and of the gift of righteousness ; only I appeal to the conscience of Arminians, if Turks, Jews, Tartarians, Americans, Indians, all Heathen, and all infants come in as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and as these that for the present, are under the fat drops of the second Adam, and receive abundance of grace and righteousness. For their universal righteousness is poor and thin, and may be augmented. 2. If they receive it conditionally, so they believe, then its not universal. 3. Then they are not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , all are not believers by nature, all are not by this, within the new covenant actually: They have but a far off venture, and a cast off abundance of grace. Farther, Paul by this makes glory as well as grace universal, and all and everyone must be borne heirs of Heaven; for Paul saith of the heirs of the second Adam 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : Here be Kings for a King; there was one Catholic Tyrant Death, set over all men; But there be here heirs of the second Adam, made Kings of life and glory through Jesus Christ. ver. 18. If it be said, its life conditionally, if they believe; consider then, if the second Adam be not weaker then the first; the first indeclinably, really, without a miss transmitted death to all his; the second Adam cannot transmit life to the thousand part of his; but as he misseth in the far greatest part of his heirs (if all mortal men be his heirs) he may miss in all, if free will so think good. Arminius saith, constare potuit integer fructus mortis, &c. The fruit of the second Adams death might stand entire, through all and everyone of mankind were damned ; If this be a potential justification: its good, its not Paul's justification, Rom. 8. Whom he justified, them he also glorified, nor speaketh the Scripture of any such justification, but of such as makes the party justified, blessed, Rom. 4.6, 7. as hath faith joined with it, Rom. 3.26. Rom. 5.1. as cleanseth us from all our sins. 1 John 1.8. (5.) The Reconciled shall much more be saved, Rom. 5.10. they are friends, not enemies, (enemies and reconciled are opposed in the text) and then they cannot be strangers, nor far off; but built upon the foundation of the Prophets, and Apostles, who of enemies are reconciled, Ephes. 2. Col. 1.19.20. And so shall far more be saved, by the life of Christ ; but all and everyone of mankind, shall not much more be saved by the life of Christ, 6. There is an ( all men ) under condemnation, and an ( all men ) justified: Let any of common sense judge, if ye ought not in equity, to compare the Heirs, Sons, Seed, of the first and second Adam together, and then let the two Alls run on equal wheels, and see what Arminians gain by this; for if ye compare all in the loins of the first Adam on the one side, with all in the loins of the second, and yet never in the second Adam ; but as great strangers to Christ, as those that are out of Christ, enemies, sons of the bondwoman, strangers to Christ, without God and Christ in the world ; on the other side, the sides are unequal, and beside the holy Ghosts mind; except ye show us a second birth, a communion supernatural of justification, of free grace, of son-ship, of redemption of mercy, between Jesus Christ, and all and everyone of mankind, Heathens, Jews, Gentiles ; This I fear must send all the Arminians in Europe to their Book, to seek what cannot be found.
And its as easy to answer, 1 Cor. 15. for as many in number as die in Adam, are not by that Text, made alive in the second Adam ; for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 all noteth not equality of number. But as the heirs of the first Adam have death in heritage by him, so the heirs of the second Adam have life by him, and all in each, noteth all of each quality, not of each number, for the all quickened by Christ, 1. Are the fallen asleep in Christ, that are not perished, verse 18. 2. The all, whose faith is not in vain, and are not in their sins, v. 17. 3. The all that have not hope in this life only, but in the life to come, verse 19. 4. Such as are the first fruits, of the same kind of dead with Christ ; for Christ and all his, are as one corn-field of wheat gathered into one barn, v. 23. 5. They are quickened with the same Spirit, that Christ was quickened withal, but in their own order, life cometh to the head first; and if Paul's mind be that Christ as Head and Redeemer raiseth all the Elect and Reprobate by this Text, then sure the Reprobate must be a part of the field whereof Christ is the first sheaf, else the Text shall not run; but for Paul's purpose it was enough to prove the resurrection of believers principally.
The place 1 John 2.1. the world and the whole world, is the world that hath an Advocate established in heaven, for if we sin, we have an advocate, who is a propitiation not for us Jews only to whom I write, but for the sins of the whole world both of Jews and Gentiles, for the propitiation and the Advocation are of the same circumference, and sphere; else the Argument should be null; but the Advo • ation of our High Priest in the holy of holiest at the right hand of God is for the people of God, only Hebr. 9.24. for us, as the High Priest carried only the iniquity of the people of Israel, and their names engraven on his breast, for those for whom he hath purchased an eternal Redemption, with the sprinkling of blood to purge the conscience from dead works to serve the living God, v. 12, 13, 14. For those to whom he left peace in his Testament, and the promise of eternal inheritance, v. 15, 16, 17. And for those that look for Christ's second appearing to salvation, and for those for whose faith he prays, Luke 22.31, 32, 33. and for whom he prayeth the Father, that he may send the holy Spirit, Joh. 14.16, 17. and 16.7. For all these Christ doth as our High Priest Hebr. 9.10. intercede.
2. It is clear the persons cannot be so changed, if we sin we have a propitiation ; if we confess, the blood of Jesus shall cleanse us from all sins : And by the sins of the whole world, he understands all that did, or should believe, of Jew or Gentile, Rom. 11.15. 2 Cor. 5.19. Joh. 1.29. and • .16. the whole world, loved, pardoned, reconciled, to whom sins are not impu • ed, and so blessed and justified, Psal. 32.1, 2, 3, 4. and wh ••• as the Apostle ascendeth, and not for our sins only, &c. it is not to extend propitiation, further then advocation, confession, knowing that we know him ; that is, petitio principii, for John doth not conclude a comfort of Christ's advocation, which is undeniably peculiar and proper only to those that have fellowship with the Father and Son, and have believed in the Word of life, are purged from all their sins, from a general propitiation common to those that are eternally damned, and which may have its full and entire fruit, though all the world were eternally damned: It were a poor comfort to weak ones, who sin daily, and are liars, if they should say they have no sin, that there is no better salve in heaven for their sin, then such a one, as they may no less perish eternally having it, then Pharaoh, Cain, Judas, it were better for them to want it, as have it.
2 Pet. 2.1. Some false Teachers deny the Lord that bought them, which is not so to be taken, as if Christ had redeemed those from their vain conversation, 1 Pet. 1.18. and from the present evil world, Gal, 1.4. for then he should have redeemed them from Apostasy, and the power of damnable heresies, which he did not, but in their profession they were bought, and so the Apostle more sharply convinceth them, for they were teachers in profession, but really wolves that devoured the flock, but professed themselves to be Shepherds sent to seek the lost. 2. They were Heretical Teachers, and brought in damnable Heresies, and therefore Christians and professed Christ to be their Lord; for if they had been without and open enemies, they could not bring in Heresies. 3. They did it covertly and privily, teaching and doing one thing, and professing another; they professed the Lord to be their Redeemer who bought them, but that they were Hypocrites is clear, verse 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 they shall bring in heresies in the by, at a side, privily. 2. By reason of them the way of truth shall be blasphemed ; enemies shall speak ill of the Gospel, because these men profess the Redeemer who bought them, but yet they are covetous men, v. 3. (3.) They buy and sell you 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 with decked up and well kammed fair words. O our Redeemer that bought us, our Savior! O free grace! O free Redemption! as Libertines now do, and yet they that deny sanctification, deny Christ who in their profession bought them; and its ordinary for Scripture to affirm things of men as they speak and profess; as the Scripture calleth wolves, Prophets, Jer. 23. because they so profess themselves; Christ called Judas friend, but he was but a face friend, and a real enemy, so Pharisees are styled by the Holy Ghost, Matth. 9.12, 13. whole and righteous, just persons that need no repentance, Luke 15.7. such as need not the Physician, Mark 2.17. because they are such only in their own conceit and vain opinion, not really; if any man say Christ bought these, in regard that by his death, he purchaseth a dominion over Elect and Reprobate, that all knees should bow to him, Men and Angels, Rom. 14.8, 9, &c. Isai. 45.2 • . Phil. 2.9, 10, 11. Joh. 5.27. Acts 17.31. So that there is a difference between buying as conquerors, and buying from our vain conversation; I think it hath truth in it, Christ by his death hath acquired a dominion; but I much doubt, if in that sense Scripture say, Christ hath bought the Reprobate by his blood; for so by his blood he hath bought Angels, Devils, all things, and all knees in heaven and earth, and under the earth, for by his death and resurrection he hath acquired this dominion, Rom. 14. God is the Savior of all men, 1 Tim. 4.10. Its not spoken of Christ as Mediator, but of the living God the Savior of all men, Psal. 106.8.10. Matth. 8.25. Nehem. 9, 27. Psal. 36.6. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is here, and the living God is given indefinitely to God as one with all the three, but God in Christ is specially the Savior of believers. Other places for Universal grace, and the Apostasy of the Saints, I pass here.
Article 5.
The fifth Particular is touching the Faith required of the Elect, and of the Reprobate, within the visible Church: which ere I enter in, let this one necessary doctrine clearing that point much, be observed; That if Christ draw all men to him.
Doct. He must have a singular and special good will and liking to save sinners, in that strongly and seriously, he draweth all sorts of men to himself.
1. The promises and goodwill of Christ are not concluded or locked up, as touching the revealed damnation of any sort of persons; Christ is no ingrosser, and never loved to make a Monopoly of Grace; he sets down his will in positive comfortable positions, John. 6.39. This is the Fathers will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should loose nothing, but raise it up at the last day. Joh. 5.24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he hath heareth my word and believeth in him that hath sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall never come to condemnation.
2. Christ had so good mind to save, That 1. He did not send only, but the King came in person, 1 Tim. 1.15. Luke 19.10. The Son of man came to seek and to save, &c. 2. He cried not afar off, but came near hand to draw, he came so near as within the reach of his arm to save us. 3. When a rope is cast down to prisoners in a pit, if it come not within the compass of their reach, and if it be too far for a short arm, it can do no good for the help of the prisoner; therefore he came below us, and under all our infirmities, to put his shoulders under the lost sheep, Luke 15.5. Love must sweet, and stoop low to save.
3. Christ's good will is held forth in as large terms, saving the Lord's liberty of Election and Reprobation, as can be; and that in six wide expressions, that no man should complain, Oh, I am a dry tree, because we are inclined to forge forced quarrels against the Lamb of God, as if he loved not us; and its an answer to those that naturally complain of absolute Election; As 1. The weakest are readiest to move doubts.
Object. 1. I am sinful, and sinfully sick, and I have jealousies of the Physician.
Ans. The Physician came to force himself on the sick, Mat. 9.12, 13. sick of body, are often sick of mind, and passions of the soul rise with humors of the body; the sick are soon angry and jealous. Christ saith, he hath a tender soul for a sick sinner.
Object. 2. But I have little grace or goodness?
Ans. I, can ye have less (saith Christ) then a reed? its far below a Tree and a Cedar; and I will not break a reed, but a broken reed is out of hope, it cannot do anymore good, a reed is weak, but a broken reed, sure, can never grow: yea, but he cannot break the bruised reed, but pours in oil at the root of the broken reed, and makes it green and causeth it to blossom. So the fire or light in flax must be less then the fire in timber or wood; but he will not throw water on flax that hath fire, yea, nor on smoking flax that seems to have fire, and hath but smoke.
Object. 3. A broken bone in a living man may be splinted and cured; but the heart is, ultimum moriens, the last thing of life; if it be broken, the man is gone; he dies, when the last seat of life the heart is broken. Yea but saith Christ, I can bind u • the broken in heart, Isaiah. 61.1. Psal. 147.3.
Object. 4. If the man be dead and buried, then farewell he, there is an end, no more of him. Yea, but Christ 2 Cor. 1.9. John. 5.25. raiseth the dead, and giveth life to dry bones, Ezech. • 7.
2. Some fear they have nothing but an empty profession.
Answ. Then the Scripture holdeth forth the promises to visible Saints, 2 Cor. 7.1. Can ye come in among the crowd of visible Saints? this is preached to all within the wide Gospel-Nett, and Christ's visible court; Whosoever believeth, shall be saved, Joh. • .16. Rom. 10.9. John. 5.24.
3. Say thou canst not come so near as visible Professors, but thou art nothing but a Publican and a sinner, and that may be thought to be without Christ's line of mercy. Yet 1. Tim. 1.15. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save Sinners. Be what thou wilt, as unbelief estrangeth a sinner far enough from Christ, thou mayest claim blood and kin to a sinner; then Christ came to call sinners, and to save sinners, canst thou deny thyself to be a sinner.
4. Canst thou crowd in amongst the ( We ) that are the godly party; there is h • re room for thee, not to cast off Christ, but that thou mayest let out a warm look, and half an hope thou mayest be one of his; the Gospel-grammar, is fair and sweet; art not thou amongst an ( Vs ) that there may be hope. 1 John. 4.9. In this was the love of God toward us, because God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
5. The Scripture casts out a longer rope yet, that thou mayest reach to Christ ; art thou not a Man ; if thou be not a sinner, nor a visible Saint, nor a bruised Reed; thou art one of mankind; see the Gospel will not have thee to despair, or to foment and harbor strange, and far-off thoughts of Christ, Tit. 3.4. But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior, to man appeared—he saved us. 1 Tim. 2.3. God our Savior will have 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , all men to be saved.
6. The farthest from Christ, must be creatures that are nothing, but bits of the world; now the name World, is a [unspec 6] frameder and a farther-off word, then the name of Man, or Sinners, its the farest off-word; for fallen Angels are members and citizens of the World, therefore the Gospel is preached to the World, Christ is brought in in the Gospel, as a World-lover ; as if he were a whole World-Savior, he takes away the sins of the world, John. 1.29. He so loves the world, Joh. 3.16. He giveth his flesh for the life of the world, Joh. 6.51.
In this Grammar of the Holy Ghost, observe we, by the way, for resoluton, the wisdom of God, in framing the words of the Gospel. It cannot be said that God loved all the world in Christ, his beloved, and all, and every sinner, and all the race of mankind. Yet laying down this ground, that God keepeth up in his mind, the secrets of Election and Reprobation, till he, in his own time, be pleased to reveal them, the Lord hath framed the Gospel-offer of Christ in such indefinite words, and so general (yet without all double dealing, lying, or equivocating, for his own good pleasure is a rule both of his doings and speeches, ) As 1. seldom doth the Lord open Election and Reprobation to men, till they, by grace, or in the order of his justice, open both the one and the other, in their own ways; and therefore he holdeth out the offer of Christ, so as none may cavell at the Gospel, or begin a plea with Christ. 2. Seldom doth the Gospel speak, who they be that are Elect, who Reprobate; yet doth the Gospel offer no ground of presuming on the one hand, or of despairing on the other. For if thou be not a believer, nor a weak reed, nor a Saint, yet thou ar • a sinner, if not that, thou art a man, if not that, thou art one of the world; and though the Affirmative conclude not; I am a sinner, I am a man, I am one of the world, but it followeth not, therefore I am elected to glory, or, Ergo, I am ransomed of the Lord. Yet the Negative, touching Reprobation, holdeth. I am a Sinner, I am of the World, I am a man ; hence it followeth not, therefore I am a reprobate, and therefore I have warrant to refuse the promise, and Christ offered in the Gospel. It followeth well therefore, I must be humbled for sin, and believe in Christ, there is room left for all the Elect, that they have no ground of standing aloof from Christ, (and the rest never come, and most willingly refuse to come) nor have the Reprobate ground to quarrel at the decrees of God, though they be not chosen, yet they are called, as if they were chosen, and they have no cause to quarrel at conjectures, they have as fair a revealed warrant to believe, as the Elect have; they are men, sinners of the world, to whom Christ is offered, why refuse they him upon an unrevealed warrant?
4. The fourth ground of Christ's good will to draw all men, is that Christ goeth as far in the dispensation of free grace, as sinners, as the chief of sinners; Grace journeys all along, and can go no further then Hell and Damnation, Luk. 19.10. The Son of man came to seek, and to save that which is lost ; as if Christ would say, is any man a sinner; (and who are not) and a lost sinner; see and behold, I am a Savior for that man. Christ went as low down to Hell, in the freedom of grace, to save, as Zacchaeus, in evil doing, to destroy: Mary Magdalene, went as far on toward Hell, as seven Devils. Grace in Christ went as far on, as to redeem from seven Devils. Manasseh, as if he had intended to make sure work of Hell, runs on to empawnd soul and salvation, and gives himself to witchcraft; observing of times; to cause the streets of Jerusalem, run with blood, to all abominable idolatry: mercy in the Lord went as near hell to save him. Paul goeth so far on the mouth of the furnace, as to waste the Church of God, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Act. 8.3. to make heaps of dead men in the Church; and there came nothing out of his nostrils for breathing and respiration, Act. 9.1. but threatenings, that is ripe purposes of blood; yea, murthering of the Saints came out of his mouth; with every word he spoke, but Christ's free grace pursues him hard, and out-runs him. Christ's grace came as it were a step below Paul and saved him. 1 Tim. 1.14. And the grace of our Lord (saith he) was more, or over-abundant in me through faith and love. Jer. 3.1. And thou hast played the harlot with many companions, or lovers, yet return to m ••• saith the Lord. Its here, as if Christ's rich grace; and our extreme wickedness should strive, who should descend to the lowest room in Hell, the latter to destroy, the former to save; and here Christ defies the sinner, to be more wicked, then he can be gracious.
5. Christ in the Gospel, as a great Conqueror, sends out Writs signed under his Excellencies hand, come and meet me, who will, and be saved, as far as graced will can go, as far goeth the good will of the conquering Prince, R • vel. 22.17. Its much worthy of observation, how that sweet Evangelicke invitation is conceived, Isaiah. 55.1. Ho, everyone that thirsts, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is alas, or ah, everyone that thirsts, come to the waters, and he that hath no silver, come buy, and eat: as if the Lord were grieved, and said, woe is me, alas that thirsty souls should die in their thirst, and will not come to the water of life, Christ, and drink gratis, freely, and live. For the Interjection, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Ho, is a mark of sorrowing; as Ah, or woe ; everyone that thirsts, Isaiah. 1.4. Ah sinful nation, or woe, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to the sinful nation. Vers. 24. Ah, I will ease me, or alas, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 I will ease me of my adversaries, Jer. 22.18. They shall not say of Jehojachim, ho, or alas, or woe to my brother, ah, Sister ; It expresseth two things, 1. A vehemency, and a serious and unfamed ardencie of desire, that we do what is our duty, and the concatenation of these two, extremely desired of God, our coming to Christ, and our salvation: this moral connection between faith and salvation, is desired of God with his will of approbation, complacency, and moral liking, without all dissimulation, most unfeignedly; and whereas Arminians say, we make counterfeit, feigned, and hypocritical desires in God, they calumniate and cavil egregiously, as their custom is. 2. The other thing expressed in these invitations, is a sort of dislike, grief, or sorrow; (its a speech borrowed from man, for there is no disapointing of the Lord's will, nor sorrow in him for the not fulfilling of it) or an earn • st nilling and hating dislike, that these two should not go along, as approved efficatiously by us, to wit, the creatures obedience of Faith, and life eternal. God loveth, approveth the believing of Jerusalem, and of her children, as a moral duty, as the hen doth love to warm and nourish her chickens; and he hateth, with an exceeding and unfeigned dislike of improbation and hatred, their rebellious disobedience, and refusing to be gathered: but there is no purpose, intention, or decree of God holden forth in these invitations called his revealed will, by which he saith, he intendeth and willeth that all he maketh the offer unto, shall obey and be saved. But its to be observed, that the revealed will of God, holden forth to all, called voluntas signi, doth not hold forth formally, that God intendeth, decreeth, or purposeth in his eternal counsel, that any man shall actually obey, either elect or reprobate; it formally is the expression only of the good liking of that moral and duty-conjunction between the obedience of the creature, and the reward, but holdeth forth not any intention or decree of God, that any shall obey, or that all shall obey, or that none at all shall obey; and what Arminians say of Christ's intention to die for all, and everyone; and of the Lord's intention and Catholic good will, to save all and everyone ; to wit, that these desires may be in God, though not any be saved at all, but all eternally perish, which maketh the Lord's desires irrational, unwise, and frustraneous, that we say with good reason of God's good will, called voluntas signi, it might have its complete and entire end and effect, though not any one of men or Angel obey, if there were not going along with this will of God, another will, and eternal decree and purpose in God, of working by free grace in some chosen ones, what the Lord willeth in his approving will; and another decree in the which the Lord purposeth to deny his saving grace, upon his absolute liberty to others, that being left to the hardness of their own hearts, they may freely disobey, and be the sole Authors of their own damnation. Now because Arminians deny any such two decrees in God, but assert only such as depend wholly in their fulfilling, on the free will of Men and Angels, and all the decrees of God may be frustrated and disappointed by Men and Angels ; as if the poor short-sighted creature, not the Sovereign Creator were carver, and Lord of the decrees, and Master of work in fulfilling of these counsels. We reject their Catholic intentions and decrees, to save and redeem all and everyone, which they vainly fancy to be in God, as repugnant to his will, which is irrisistible, and cannot miss its end. 2. To his immutability, which cannot be compelled to take a second port, whereas he cannot sails the first. 3. To his Omnipotencie, who cannot be resisted, 4. To his happiness, who cannot come short of what his soul desires. 5. To his wisdom, who cannot aim at an end, and desire it with his soul, and go about it, by such means, as he seeth shall be utterly ineffectual, and never produce his end, and not use these means, which he knoweth may, and infallibly doth, produce the same end in others. Now this desire of approbation is an abundantly sufficient closing of the mouth, of such as stumble at the Gospel, being appointed thereunto, and an expression of Christ's good liking to save sinners. Expressed in his borrowed wishes, Deut. 5.29. O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep my commandments. Psal. 81.13. O that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel walked in my ways. Which wish, as relating to disobeying Israel, is a Figure, or Metaphor borrowed from men, but otherwise showeth how acceptable the duty is to God, how obligatory to the creature. 2. By the Lord's expostulations, Ezek. 18.31 Why will ye die, O house of Israel. Verse 32. For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dies. 3. In the Lord's crying to sinners. Prov. 1.20. Wisdom cries, she uttereth her voice in the streets. The Word is to cry with strong shouting, either for joy, Psalm. 81.2. or sorrow, Lament. 2.19. which expresseth Christ's desire to save sinners.
6. For the ground and warrant of Christ's willingness to [unspec 6] save and draw sinners, do but consider. 1. The words of the text, I will draw all men to me ; It is as if he would say, I will baulk no Nation, nor any man, upon a national respect; the first covenant to the Jews, suffered a mighty exception. What is God, the God of the Jews only? Have all the Nations of the earth done with their part of Heaven, and salvation; but only the narrow trinket, and bit of the earth, in po • rel ••• le Judea ? This made the Gospel despised, and liable, to sad and heavy calumnies. Christ must have narrow bowels, and must be ebb, short, and thin, in free grace; if the matter be so. Nay but, Christ hath mercy for all men; I will draw all men, that is, multitudes of Jews and Gentiles : for that Christ draweth all and everyone without exception, and that by his death, is against Scripture, and experience; but he hath an all that he draws, Tit. 2.11. The grace of God hath appeared to all men 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 what grace? the teaching grace of God, that teacheth us to wait for the blessed hope, and the appearance of the glory, and of our Savior Jesus Christ : sure, this must be the preached Gospel ; now the Gospel by Scripture experience, consent of Arminians never appeared, in the least sound, to all and every son of Adam ; then Christ must have another all, a fair and numerous multitude, whom he saves and draws, and this saith he, had a good will to save all, and that his elect ones believe, Revel. 5.11. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many Angels round about the Throne, and the beasts, and the Elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, v. 12. Saying worthy is the Lamb. Revel. 7.9. After this, I beheld, and loc, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the Throne, and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palms in their hands.