Containing Three Other Arguments

If Jesus Christ died for all men; that is, purchased and procured for them, according to the mind and will of God, all those things which we recounted, and the Scripture setteth forth to be the effects and fruits of his death, which may be summed up in this one phrase, eternal redemption: then he did this, and that according to the purpose of God, either absolutely, or upon some condition by them to be fulfilled.. If absolutely; then ought all and every one, absolutely and infallibly, to be made actual partakers of that eternal redemption so purchased: for what, I pray, should hinder:the enjoyment of that to any, which God absolutely intended, and Christ absolutely purchased for them. If upon condition; then he did either procure this condition for them, or he did not? If he did procure this condition for them; that is, that it should be bestowed on them, and wrought within them: then he did it either absolutely again, or upon a condition. If absolutely, then are we as we were before: for to procure any thing for another, to be conferred on him upon such a condition, and withal, to procure that condition absolutely to. be bestowed on them, is equivalent to the absolute procuring of the thing itself. For so we affirm in this very business: Christ procured salvation for us, to be bestowed conditionally, if we do believe; but faith itself, that he hath absolutely procured, without a prescribing of any condition. Whence we affirm, that the purchasing of salvation for us, is equivalent to what it would have been, if it had been so purchased, as to have been absolutely bestowed, in respect of the event and issue: so that thus also, must all be absolutely saved. But if this condition be procured upon condition, let that be assigned; and we. will renew our query concerning the procuring of that, whether it were absolute or conditional’; and so never rest, until they come to fix somewhere, or still run into a circle.

130 “rgumentsagainst Book III.

But on the other side: is not this condition procured by him, on whose performance all the good things purshased by him are to be actually enjoyed? Then first, this condition must be made known to all, as Arg. 2. Sec- — ondly; all men are able of themselves to perform this condition, or they are not. If they are: then, seeing that condition is faith in the promises, as is on all sides confessed, all men are of themselves, by the power of their own free will, able to believe: which is contrary to the Scriptures; as by the Lord’s assistance shall be declared. If they cannot; but that this faith must be bestowed on them and wrought within them, by the free grace of God: then, when God gave his Son to die for them, to procure eternal redemption for them all upon condition that they did believe; he either purposed to work faith in them all - by his grace, that they might believe, or he did not? If he did; why doth he not actually perform it: seeing he — is of one mind, and who can turn him? why do not all believe? why have not all men faith? or doth he fail of his: purpose? If he did not purpose to bestow faith on them all, or (which is all one) if he purposed not to bestow faith on all, (for the will of God doth not consist in a pure negation of any thing, what he doth not will that it should be, he wills that it should not be:) then the sum of it comes to this: that God gave Christ to die for all men; but upon this condition, that they perform that which of themselves without him they. cannot perform, and purposed that for his part he would not accomplish it in them.

Now, if this be not extreme madness, to assign a will unto God of doing that which himself knows and orders that it shall never be done, of granting a thing upon a condition which without his help cannot be fulfilled, and which help he purposed not to grant; let all judge. Is this any thing, but to delude poor creatures? is it possible that any good at all should arise to any, by such a purpose as this, such a giving of a Redeemer? Is it agreeable to the goodness of God, to intend so great a good as is the redemption purchased by Christ; and to pretend that he would have it profitable for them: when he knows that they can no more fulfil the condition.which he requires, that it may be by them enjoyed, than Lazarus could, of himself, come out of the grave? Doth it beseem the wisdom of God, to purpose that which he knows shall never be fulfilled? If a man should promise to give a 1000 pounds toa blind man, upon condition that he would open his eyes and see, which he knows well enough he cannot do: were that promise to be supposed to come from an heart-pitying of his poverty, and not rather from a mind to illude and mock at his misery? If the King should promise to pay a ransom for the captives at Algiers, upon condition that they would conquer their tyrants, and come away, which he knows full well they cannot do: were this a kingly: act’? Or if a man should pay a price to redeem captives, but not. that their chains may be taken away, without which they cannot come out of prison; or promise dead men great rewards, upon condition they live again of themselves: are not these to as much end, as the obtaining of salvation for men upon condition that they’ do believe: without obtaining that condition for them? Were not that the assigning such a will and purpose as: this to Jesus Christ: ‘‘I will obtain eternal life, to be bestowed on men and become theirs by the application of the benefits of my death, but upon this condition that they do believe; but as I will not reveal my mind and will in this business, nor this condition itself, to innumerable of them, so concerning the rest, I know they are no ways - able of themselves, (no more than Lazarus was to rise, or a blind man is.to see) to. perform the. condition that I do require, and without which none of the good things intended for them can ever become theirs; neither will I procure that condition ever to be fulfilled in them: that is, I do will that that shall be done, which I do not only know. shall never be done, but that it cannot be done, because I will not: do that, without which it can never be accomplished.” Now whether such a will and purpose as this, beseems the wisdom and goodness of our Saviour, let the reader judge. 3 coun In brief, an intention of doing good unto any one, upom the performance of such a condition as the intender knows is absolutely above the strength of him of whom it is required, (especially if he know that it can no way be done. but: by his concurrence, and he is resolved not to yield that

192 Arguments against Book LUT.

assistance which is necessary to the actual accomplishment of it;) is a vain fruitless:flourish. That Christ then should obtain of his Father eternal redemption, and the Lord should through his Son intend it for them who shall never be made partakers of it, because they cannot perform, and God and Christ have purposed not to bestow, the condition on which alone it is to be made actually theirs, is unworthy of Christ, and unprofitable to them for whom it is obtained; which that any thing that Christ obtained for the sons of men, should be so unto them, is a hard saying indeed. Again, if God through Christ purpose to save all if they do believe, because he died for all; and this faith be not purchased by Christ, nor are men able ‘of themselves to believe: how comes it to pass, that any are saved?

If it be answered; God bestows faith on some, not on others: I reply; is this distinguishing grace purchased for those some, comparatively, in respect of those that are passed by without it? If it be, then did not Christ die equally for all, for he died that some might have faith, not others: yea, in comparison, he cannot “be said to die for those other some at all; not dying that they might have faith without which he oes that all the rest would be unprofitable and fruitless. But, is it not purchased for them by Christ? then have those that be saved no more to thank Christ for, than those that are damned; which were strange, and contrary to Rev. i. 5, 6. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood; and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, &e.

For my part, I do conceive that Christ hath obtained salvation for men; not upon condition if they would receive it, but so fully and perfectly, that certainly they should receive it: he purchased salvation, to be bestowed on them that do believe; but, withal faith, that they might believe. Neither can it Ke objected, that, according to our doctrine, God requires any thing of men:that they cannot do; yea, faith to believe in Christ: for, 1. Commands do not signify what

- is God’s intention should be done but what is our duty to do; which may be made known to us, whether we be able to perform it or not: it signifieth no intention or purpose of God. 2. For the promises, which are proposed Aogether with the command to believe; (1.) they do not ‘Chap. I. Universal Redemption. 133

hold out the intent and purpose of God, that Christ should die for us if we do believe, which is absurd, that the act should be the constituter of its own object, which must be before it; and is presupposed to be, before we are desired to believe it: nor, (2.) the purpose of God, that the death of Christ should be profitable to us if we do believe; which we before confuted: but, (3.) only that faith is the way to salvation, which God hath appointed; so that all that do believe, shall undoubtedly be saved; these two things, faith and salvation, being inseparably linked together, as shall be declared.

ARGUMENT IV. “Sa

TIfall mankind be, in and by the eternal purpose of God, distinguished into two sorts and conditions, severally and distinctly described and set forth in the Scripture; and Christ be peculiarly affirmed to die for one of these sorts, and no where for them of the other: then did he not die for all: for of the one sort he dies for all and every one, and of the other for no one at all. But,

* Ist, There is such a discriminating distinguishment

among men by the eternal purpose of God, as those whom he loves and those whom he hates, Rom: ix. 13. Those whom he knoweth, and whom he knoweth not, JoAn x. 14. I know my sheep: 2 7%m. ii. 19. The Lord knoweth them that are his: Hom. viii.29. Whom he did foreknow: fom. xi. 2, His people which he foreknew: Matth. xxv.12, I know you not: so John xiii. 18. I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen.. Those that are appointed to life and glory, and those that are appointed to and fitted for destruction: elect and reprobate: those that were ordained to eternal life, and those who before were of old ordained to condemnation: as Eph. i. 4. He hath chosen us in him: Acts xiii. 48. ordained to eternal life: Rom. viii. 30. Whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and

whom he called, them he also justisfied; and whom he justified, them he also glorified. So on the other side; 1 Zhes. y. 9, God hath not appointed to wrath, but to obtain salvation; appointed to wrath: Mom. ix. 18, 19, 20, 21. He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy; and whom he

134 Arguments against Book Ill.

will he hardeneth; thou wilt say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault? for who hath resisted his will? nay, but O man, who art thou that respliest against God? shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? hath not the potter power over the clay, of

the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and another

unto dishonour? Jade iv. Ordained to this condemnation: 2 Pet. ii. 12. Made to be taken and destroyed. J/atth. xxv. 32. Sheep and goats. Join x. passim. Those that are his peculiar people and ‘children according to promise, that are not of the world, his church; and those that in opposition to them are the world, not prayed for, not his people; as 7%. ii. 14. Gal. iv. 28. John xv. 19. and xvii. 9, 10. Col. i. 24. John xi. 52. Heb. ii.- 10. 12, 13. Which distinction of men is every where ascribed to the purpose, will, and good pleasure of God: Prov. xvi. 4. The Lord hath made all things for himself, even the wicked for the day of evil: Math. xi. 25, 26. I thank thee, O Father, because thou hast hid these things: from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes; even so Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight: Rom. ix. 11, 12. The children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might

stand, not of works, but of him that calleth: it was said

unto her, The elder shall serve the younger: ver. 16, 17. So then it isnotof him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy; for the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth: fom. viii. 28, 29, 30. Who are called according to his purpose; for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first born among many brethren: moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. So that the first part of the proposition is clear from the Scripture. Now,

2dly, Christ is said expressly and punctually, to die for them on the one side; for his people, Matth. i. 21. his sheep, John x. 11, 12, 14. his church, cfs xx, 28. Eph.

ee a v. 25. as distinguished from the world, Rom. v. 8,9. John xi, 51, 52. his-elect, Rom. vill. 32, 33, 34. his children, Heb. ii. 18. as before more at large. Whence we may surely conclude, that Christ died not for all and every one, to wit; not for those he never knew, whom he hateth, whom bie hardeneth, on whom he will not show mercy, who were before of ‘old ordained to condemnation; in a word, for the reprobates, for the world, for which he would not pray. That which some except, that though Christ be said to die for his sheep, for his elect, his chosen; yet he is not said to die for them only, that term 1s no where expressed, is of no value: for is it not without any forced interpretation, in common sense and according to the usual course of speaking, to distinguish men into two such opposite conditions, as elect and reprobate, sheep and goats; and then affirming that he died for his elect; to be equivalent to this, he died for his elect only? Is not the sense as clearly restrained, as if that restrictive term had been added? or is that term always.added im the Scripture, in every indefinite assertion; which yet must of necessity be limited and restrained, as if it were expressly added? As where our Saviour saith, Iam the way, and the life, and the resurrection, John xiv. 6. and xi. 25. He doth not say, that he.only is so; and yet of necessity it must be so understood. As also in that, Col. 1,19. It pleased the Father, that in him should all fulness dwell; he doth not express the limitation only: and yet it were no less than blasphemy, to suppose a possibility of extending the affirmation to any other. So that this argument, notwithstanding this exception, is, as far as I can see, unanswerable: which also might be further urged, by amore large explication of God’s purpose of election and reprobation; showing how the death of Christ was a means set apart and appointed for the saving of his elect, and not at all undergone and suffered for those, which in his eternal counsel he did determine should perish for their sins, and so never be made partakers of the benefits thereof. But of this more must be spoken; if the Lord preserve us, and give assistance for the other part of this centrore Cont cerning the cause of sending Christ. By is

ARGUMENT V.

That is not to be asserted and affirmed, which the Scripture doth not any way go before us in; but the Scripture no where saith, Christ died for all se much less for

all and every man, ‘(between which two, there is a wide

difference, as shall be declared:) therefore this is not to be asserted. It is true, Christ is said to give his life a ransom for all, but no where for all men. And because if is affirmed expressly in other places, that he died for many, for his church, for them that believe, for the children that God gave nen for us; some of all sorts, though not expressly, yet clearly in terms equivalent, Pew VoD

must be clearly proved, that where all is mentioned, it cannot be taken for all believers, all his elect, his whole

church, all the children that God gave him, some of -all sorts; before an universal affirmative can be thence concluded: and if men will but consider the particular places, and contain themselves until they have done. what is required, we shall be at quiet, I am per sualiad, in this business.