Chapter 7 of 9

All Men

All Men

All Men

I will draw all men. The parties drawn to Christ, is the third article in the doctrine of Christ's drawing; and they are here called [Gr. pántes,] all men. It is a great question between us, and such as are for universal atonement, and grace universal, as many Anabaptists in England now are; what is meant by all men: is which these are to be observed,

1. The state of the question.

2. The mind of the adversaries.

3. Our mind.

4. The clearing of places alledged by the adversaries.

5. The answering of that principal doubt, what faith is required of all within the visible church.

6. The uses of the doctrine.

Of all these shortly.

The state of the question

The question toucheth, 1. God's intention and purpose to save man. 2. In chusing some to salvation, not others. 3. God's purpose in sending Christ to die for some, not for others.

The first article is called universal grace; the second conditional, or, which to me is all one, universal election to glory, and so no election; the third is, the question touching the universality of Christ's death, or a fancied universal atonement made by Christ for all. I cannot particularly handle all the three.

For the first: God engageth all men as Christ's debtors thus far, that it is mercy that they live, or have any opportunity of seeking God, whatever be the means natural or supernatural; whereas, for the sin of Adam, God might by a like justice have destroyed the world and all mankind, vanity is penally inflicted on all the servants, for treason of the master against the King of heaven and earth: but in Christ there be two mitigations; 1. One is, that the servants are not destroyed for the sin of the master. 2. That as the forfeited Lord is restored, so the sick servants groaning under vanity shall be delivered from that bondage they come under for the sin of man, Rom. 8:20, 21, 22. Hence it is, tho' we be out-laws by nature, that now, by a privilege of grace from the Mediator, the tenants receive and lodge the master, because Christ hath taken off the statute and act of forfeiture. 2. No man living on earth, but he is beholding to Christ (tho' many know him not) for common helps of providence; and experiences do teach him some more of God by nature. 3. The sound of Christ, God revealed in the gospel, in the apostles' ministry is declared, and is gone to the ends of the earth, and to the nations, Psal. 19:4; Rom. 10:18. But some say, "These words, have they not heard, have relation to v. 14 the hearing of the gospel, or the publishing of the glad tidings of the gospel to all and every one of mankind; and must be meant of that same hearing."

Answ. It relates to hearing of God revealing himself in the means of salvation, say the adversaries. But then the question is, whether these means be the preaching of the gospel, or of the same God revealed as Creator, by the sun, moon, and stars, who is revealed in the gospel, and salvation by him? Now, the sun, and stars, and heaven declare the glory of God, and sound forth his praises and salvation through Christ, by this sense, to all and every nation, and to every single person without exception; not only when Paul wrote this to the Romans, but when David penned the 19 Psalm. What difference then between the Jews, to whom God revealed his testimonies, and the Gentiles, to whom God made no such revelation? Psal. 147:19, 20; Deut. 4:33, 34, &c. Deut. 5:25, 26; Psal. 78:1, 2, &c. Psal. 81:4, 5 and this sound, if it be the gospel preached to as many as see the sun, and ever when they see the sun; then at that time, and to this day, the sun and moon must be sent apostles and preachers, by whole words and ministry, all and every man that seeth the sun, then and now, and to Christ's second coming, are obliged to pray to God in Christ, and to believe, and faith comes by hearing: the sun, stars, night and day, preach Christ; for sure the same hearing of the gospel, v. 18 must be understood, which is spoken, v. 14, 15 for if the one be an hearing of the gospel by the apostles, which produceth faith and salvation, and the other a hearing of the sun and stars in the book of the creation, this produceth not faith and salvation by the confession of adversaries. 2. The apostle shall not answer his own objection. v. 18. If all both Jew and Gentile have not beard the gospel, it is impossible they can believe; for faith cometh by hearing the gospel, from their mouth who are sent of God; and if they hear not, they must be excused, because they believe not in Christ, of whom they never heard. The apostle must answer, yea, but they have heard the gospel. Why? They heard the sun, and the stars preach Christ, and salvation by him, to the farthest ends of the earth: for, sure, David, in the literal and native sense of that 19 Psalm, speaketh of such dumb preachers. Now, this is no answer at all, for sun and stars are not sent of God to preach salvation by Christ. 2. Faith comes not by hearing the creatures preach Christ. 3. The prophets and apostles, not the dumb and lifeless creatures, have pleasant feet on the mountains to preach peace, as it is v. 14, 15, 16 cited from Isa. 52:7; Nah. 1:15. But the native sense of the words, v. 18 is but a mere allusion, in scripture-phrase, to David's words, Psal. 19. It is neither citation nor exposition of them, but an using of scripture-language in comparing the gospel to the sun, the sound of the gospel preached, to the sound of the glory of the Creator in the works of heaven and earth, to show how ample the preaching of the gospel under the New Testament is: to wit, that it is not preached to one nation of the Jews only, as of old; but to all nations, to the Jews, and to the foolish people, by whom the Lord provokes the Jews to jealousy, as is clear, v. 19, 20 and that voice [Gr. ho phthongos autòn] their voice is gone to the ends of the earth, is the voice of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, who preached the gospel to nations of all kinds, to Jews and Gentiles: 'tis not the voice of the creatures, the heaven and earth, but a mere allusion to that voice, Psal. 19 for the words have no sense otherwise; for the apostle avoucheth the gospel is preached, the promise of salvation published to all that call on the Lord's name, v. 12 be they Jews or Grecians, that is, Gentiles; and believe they must, or else they cannot pray; and needs they must hear, or then they cannot believe; and hear they cannot, except God send preachers. But God hath sent preachers with pleasant feet, to both Jews and Gentiles, as the prophets Isaiah and Nahum foretold, v. 13, 14, 15 and they have not all obeyed, v. 16, 17, 18. But it may be said, they have not all heard the gospel preached: This must certainly excuse the Gentiles, it they believe not; having never heard of Christ, how can they believe? as it is, v. 14. It is a rational excuse, I cannot sin in not believing the gospel, saith the Gentile; yea, and Christ frees them from the sin of unbelief also, John 15:22. If I had not come, and spoken unto them (and so, if they had not had a Lord-speaker from heaven) they had not had sin, that is, they should have been free of the gospel-sin of unbelief; but now they have no cloke for their sin. Now, they cannot say, Lord, we cannot believe a gospel, never spoken to us by any, not heard of by us. But sure, the Jews heard these creatures and works of God, that preached his glory, Psal. 19:6. And, if they preach Christ objectively, as Amyrald, and other Arminians fancy; then the not hearing, and not obeying the gospel thus preached, had been their sin, tho' Christ or his apostles had never spoken the gospel; which is contrary to Christ's word, John 15:22 and contrary to Paul, how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard, by preaching of a sent minister, who subjectively and vocally must preach the gospel.

But to return to the state of the question. 4. So much of God is revealed to all, even to those who never heard of Christ, as serves to make all unexcusable, for that knowing willingly, and knowingly, they glorify not God as God, Rom. 1:19, 20, 21. 5. All within the visible church have means sufficent in their kind, in genere mediorum externorum, to save them.

6. As none can be saved by the light of nature, nor ever any used, or could use it so far forth, as to improve it for their sufficent preparation, to receive the tidings of the gospel, either from men, or angels sent to preach to them; or by any inspiration, bringing the sense, or things signified in the gospel: so saved they cannot be, by any name under heaven, but by the name of Christ; that is, Christ named, preached, and revealed in the gospel, Acts 4:10, 11, 12; John 14:6; Heb. 11:6; John 5:40 and 1 John 5:12. He that hath the Son, hath life: and be that hath not the Son, hath not life.

7. The questions is, whether or no God so far forth willeth, desireth, intendeth, that all and every one, within, and without the visible church. Tartarians, and Indians (who never, by any rumour, heard of Christ) not excepted, that he giveth them sufficient means and helps of a common and universal grace; which if they would use well, the Lord should so reward, promove, or increase, whether out of decency, or a congruous disposition of goodness, or of equity, or of free promise, or any obligation, so far as to send the gospel to them, and bestow on them a larger measure of saving and internal grace; by which they should, if they so would, be converted to the faith of Christ, and saved? We deny, Arminians affirm.

2. Whether the Lord from eternity (late Arminians are for time election) hath absolutely, without any provision in, or prescience, or fore-knowledge of good works, faith, perseverance in both, or of condition, reason, cause, merit, qualification in some certain and definite persons, rather than others, predestinated and chosen them to glory and life eternal, and all the means conducing to this end, and that of meer free-grace, because he so willeth; or if the Lord pass no definite, complete, peremptory, and irrevocable decree, to save some certain persons, while he foresees them expiring, and dying in faith and holy conversation? Arminians hold, That the Lord's decree of election of men to glory, is general, conditional, imcomplete, changeable, while he foresees they have ended their course in the faith; and then peremptorily, and irrevocably, he passeth a fixed decree to save such, and not others: we deny any such loose decrees in the Almighty, and believe that of free-grace. He chuseth some absolutely, without conditions in them, or respect to any good foreseen to be in them, rather than in others, because He hath mercy on whom he will, and hardens whom he will, Rom. 9:17, 18.

3. Upon this general, indefinite, revocable, and conditional good-will and intention of God, to save all, and every one; whether or no did the Father give his Son, and the Son die for all, and every one, intending absolutely to impetrate and obtain to all, and every one of mankind, remission of sins, and especially, expiation of sin original, and all sins against the covenant of works; and salvation to them all, both within and without the visible church, and the opening of the gates of heaven; so as God hath laid aside his anger for all these sins, hath made all saveable, reconcileable, that notwithstanding of Divine justice's plea against men, all and every one may, according to the intention of God, be saved in his blood, so they would, as they may, and can believe in Christ? We deny, Arminians here affirm.

2. The mind of Arminians. Arminians run upon six universalities.

1. They say, God beareth to all, and every man, of what kind soever, an equal, universal, and catholic good-will; yea, to Esau, Pharaoh, Judas, as to Jacob, Moses, and Peter, to save them all; so as this love is not stinted to any certain persons, precisely, and absolutely, loved and chosen to salvation.

2. That there is a catholic price, an universal ransom, given by Christ dying on the cross, for all, and every one; an atonement made, and a redemption purchased in Christ's blood; by which, all and every one, Pharaoh, Judas, Cain, all the Heathens, Tartarians, Americans, Virginians, that never heard of Christ, are made saveable, and reconcileable, and God made placable and exorable to them; so as tho' they be lost in the first Adam, yet have they a new venture of heaven; and in Christ's death, the Lord hath a general, antecedent, and primary intention to save all without exception; yet no more to save Moses and Peter, than Judas and Pharaoh: yea, that the fruit of Christ's death, and the effect of it, may stand, tho' all, and every one of mankind, were eternally lost, and not one person saved.

3. As there was a catholic forfeiture of all, so there is a second covenant of free-grace made with all, and every one of Adam's sons, with promises of free-grace, a new heart, righteousness, and eternal life, to all and every one, upon fair conditions, if their free-will play the game of salvation and damnation handsomely; as if Christ were not free-will's choicest tutor.

4. All, and every man, are received into this covenant, in the new state of reconciliation, grace, and favour, and justification from any breach of the law, or the first covenant; all are once fairly delivered, both young and old, from damnation and wrath: all the heathen are reconciled and justified by Christ, in his blood; and all sins, now, are against the first covenant of grace; Christ and all mankind, now, begin to reckon on a new score. 2. Tho' the ship be broken, and all mankind sent to sea to die there, yet so are they cast overboard, as Christ, the surety of a better covenant, is made the great vessel, that ship-broken men may, if it seem good to lord free-will, swim unto, and so come safe the second time to land. 3. So as there be two redemptions in Christ, two justifications by grace. 4. Yet neither the tidings of this new covenant made with all men, nor this state of reconciliation, or justification, are ever revealed to the thousandth part of mankind and tho' all and every one be under this law of faith, and covenant of grace; yet is this obliging and supernatural law never promulgate to millions of mankind, whom it obligeth to obedience, so far forth as by the good industry, and improving of common gifts of nature, or rather the hire and merit of men out of Christ, to make a conquest of the preached gospel and Christ, free-will doing its best.

5. All and every mother's son, and children of Adam, are called and invited; yea, and Christ, by our text, draweth all and every man, tho' they will not be drawn; say they, the sole cause of election, reprobation, of salvation, damnation, lying on man's free-will.

6. All and every one are furnished with all external means of salvation, with sufficient grace, and absolute indifferency and power of free-will to say ay, or no, to the drawing of Christ; and purchase, by industrious improvement, and careful husbanding of the common gifts or relicts of nature, and their new sufficient grace, (if they could give it a name to us) a farther degree of grace, while they conquess the preaching of the gospel, and the grace of conversion. Yet so are they, (let Christ do his best) as all may be converted, or not any one at all, but all lost; and all may persevere in grace, and be saved, as not one man shall be damned; and all may so totally finally fall away from grace, as not one man may persevere, but all be eternally lost, if free-will use his own liberty, notwithstanding of the Lord's eternal decrees of election or reprobation, or of Christ's death, the strength of free-grace, the inercession of Christ at the right hand of God, the unchangeable love of God; for all these can do nothing to marr the absolute and independent free-will of men, to work as it listeth, for either ways.

Propos. 1. Election is the decree of free-grace, setting apart certain, definite, individual, and particular men to glory.

1. The men chosen and drawn, are by head designed. Jacob, not Esau, before the children had done good or evil; tho' Esau be elder, Jacob must be the son of the promise: father and mother were free-grace, rather than the seed of Abraham and Sarah, now passed nature's date; not Ishmael: Peter and John, not Judas the son of perdition: Abraham, and his house, worshipping idols beyond the river, is singled out, not any other: the Lord sets his love on the Jews, because he loved them, Deut. 7:7 when their Father was an Amorite, and their mother an Hittite, and they dying in their blood, Ezek. 16:3, 4, 5, 6, 7 not any one of the rest of the Canaanites. The tribe of Judah is the kingly tribe, not any of the rest of the families: low Jephthah's family, not any of the rest of the sons of that family: none of the seven sons, but the despised shepherd, the ruddy boy singing after the ewes, David forgotten by all, as none of the number.

2. They are pointed out with the finger, with pronouns, Psal. 87:5. And of Zion it is said, This man, [Heb. isch veisch] man and man shall be born in Zion. Isa. 49:1. The Lord hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. Thou art (head, or member, or of which the prophet spake, it is all one) in the mouth of God, by name from eternity, John, Anna, &c. Isa. 43:1. O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. So, the Lord points them out with the finger, Isa. 49:12. [Heb. hinnehelleh] Behold these shall come from far, and behold these from the north, (North-land men) and from the sea, (Islanders) or from the west, (West-land men) so it may be read, and these from the land of Shimin, Ezek. 36:20. These are the people of the Lord. Heb. 11:13. All these [Gr. ôutoì pántes] died in the faith; they are named and told by the head, Rev. 14:4. [Gr. ôutoì] These are thrice in one verse. These are they that are not defiled with women, —— These are they that follow the Lamb, whithersoever he goeth; these were redeemed from amongst men.

3. They are defined by their country, Isa. 19:18. Five cities of the land of Egypt shall speak the language of Canaan. Verse 24. In that day Israel shall be the third part with Egypt and Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land; verse 25. Whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hand. Zephan. 3:10. From beyond the river of Ethiopia, my suppliants, even the daughters of my dispersed shall come.

4. Their names are particularly inrolled in the Lamb's book of life, Luke 10:20; Rev. 13:8; Rev. 20:15. As citizens of some famous incorporation, or senators that govern a city, are written in the book of records of the king or city; so these that are to follow the Lamb, clothed in white, are booked in the public register of heaven, in the mind of God, to be members of the heavenly society.

5. It was no blind bargain that Christ made; he knew what he gave, he knew what he got. Christ told down a definite and certain ransom, as a told sum of money, every penny reckoned and laid; and he knew who was his own, and whom, and how many, by the head and name, he bought: there is no hazard that one come in, in the lieu and room of another. John 10:14. I am the good Shepherd. How is that made good? He hath particular care of all the flock; by the head he knows how many, and who are his; if any be not his, if any be sick, or lost or wandred away, that proves a good Shepherd, I know my sheep, and I am known of mine. I know them, and they know me. Sure it is relative to that, 2 Tim. 2:19. Nevertheless, the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. Sure, the sheep that Christ dieth for, John 10 are the sheep that he giveth his life for, v. 12 and dies for; and these, (1.) v. 10. That have life in abundance. 2. The sheep known in the Lord's eternal predestination, and known by Christ in time. (3.) Such as he minds to call in, that there may be one Shepherd, and one sheep-fold, v. 16. (4.) Such as are his own sheep, as he goeth before, and they follow him, and know his voice, v. 4 and will not follow a stranger, v. 5. (5.) Such as hear not a stranger, v. 5 but, v. 2 hear and know the voice of Christ, are known of him, and follow Christ. (6.) Such sheep as are gifted with life eternal, shall never perish; and cannot fall away, no more than there can be a greater than the Father, that can pluck them out of the hands of Christ; for, ver. 28, 29 the standing of these that shall not be plucked out of the Father's hand, depends on the greatness and power of Christ's Father. None can pluck them out of my hand, (saith Christ) Why? The Father that gave them me is greater than all. Then he must be greater than Christ's Father, who plucks one of the sheep of Christ out of his hand; and where dwells he who is greater than the Father? Neither in heaven, nor hell. And for such Christ died.

6. He died for such sheep, as infallibly believe; because he saith, v. 26. Ye believe not. Why? Because ye are not of my sheep; then certainly they should believe, if they were of such sheep as Christ died for. I shall never believe that this reply can stand. David saith, and Job saith, Thou, Lord, formedst me in the womb; and the church, Isa. 64. Thou art the potter, and we the clay: but it will never follow, therefore God hath created none but David, Job, and his chosen church; so it follows not here. Christ died for his sheep therefore he died for no other but his sheep.

1. Because dying for sinners is a work of mere grace, bestowed only on some; as all the texts that ever Papists, Jesuits, Arminians, alledge, restrict ever these that Christ died for, to some certain persons, to believers, the sheep of Christ, these for whom Christ is an advocate at the right hand of God, &c. And there is not a text in scripture, in Old or New Testament, in which we may not limit the persons, on whom grace universal, and redemption in Christ's blood, are pretended to be bestowed, to the elect and believers only; these places I except, in which some are said to be redeemed in possession only, as may be demonstratted; and therefore this answer of Arminians is petitio principii, and a begging of what they cannot prove. And v. 2 upon the same reason, because God created man on the earth, and died for men, and for the world (as the scripture saith) they might infer, as God created not men only, but angels, beasts, birds, fishes, trees, sun, moon, so Christ died not for men only, but for angels, devils, beasts, birds, fishes, trees; yea, for worms, creeping things, and all, and every creature: for if we regard the free decree of God, devils are as capable of redemption by Christ as men, if so God had proposed from eternity; and in regard of the same decree, the reprobate can no more be saved, and believe of their own strength, than stones of themselves can be sons of Abraham, except God elevate them above their nature, and omnipotency effectuate the same.

2. There be some certain men oppignorated, and laid in pledge in Christ's hand, 2 Tim. 2:12. Now all are not so, but certain definite persons only.

3. These whom the Lord hath chosen to life, are given of the Father to Christ, John 10:26; John 6:37; John 17:2, 6, 8, 9, 12, 24. And also such are raised up at the last day and saved, John 6:37, 39 and Christ cannot lose one of them, John 17:9 yea, he can lose nothing of them, neither soul nor body, neither a leg nor a piece of an ear of his sheep, as he speaks, Amos 3 so Christ speaketh, John 6:39; 1 Cor. 15:23. Every man shall be raised in his own order. Verse 24. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to the Father: he presents his conquessed ones; not one lad, or the most despised girl, fall by, or are miscounted in the telling. We have often groundless jealousies touching Christ. O he hath forgotten me; but that is to say, Christ is not faithful in his charge, and the Father gave so many thousands to his keeping, but he losed the largest half of them. Now, to be given of the Father to Christ, must note Christ's accepting of the receipt of them, by dying for those so given of the Father to him; for another way of giving, but either in election from eternity, or of fitting them in time for actual believing, no man knows: but either ways all given, are raised up at the last day, John 6:39 and so all redeemed must either be chosen from eternity, or then in time believe, and so be raised at the last day; then there can be none redeemed, but such as are chosen and saved. Mr. Moor's Universal Atonement, pag. 4, 5 tells us of a twofold reconciliation or redemption; one which Christ effected in his own body with God for men. This is perfect and accomplished fully, so as the Father is well pleased with his Son, Mat. 3:17 and this is done by shedding of blood. There is a reconciliation, redemption, and salvation, which Christ effecteth, by the Spirit, in men to God; and this is by washing and blood-sprinkling. His proofs after shall be heard. Thus the Belgick Arminians explain the matter. They say,* "The former redemption, and reconciliation, is the pacifying of the offended party; or such an action, or passion, by which satisfaction, so far forth is made to the offended party, that he is willing to return in favour, and grace, with the offender; and the effect of this reconciliation, is the obtaining of the favour of God, that is, the restoring of men to such a state, in which God, without impeachment of revenging justice, according to the tender affection of his mercy, of new, may, and will bestow his benefits; and transact with man touching his salvation, and the conditions thereof, after the way and manner, seemeth good to God (whether by a covenant of works, or of grace, or of commanding faith in God, or faith in an angel, if so it seem good to him.) And by his law, the affection of saving man, which is in God from a natural instinct of mercy, doth break forth, as it were, in a full and compleat purpose of God's will to save: now, when the impediment is removed, by satisfaction given to justice;" And when Christ hath compleatly performed the former redemption, and by his death hath obtained this redemption; yet it may fall out, that not one man be saved. But as we deny not this distinction of salvation purchased, or the purchased redemption, and the applied redemption, as our divines acknowledge Christ to be a Saviour by merit and efficacy; so that the members of the distinction are different, but that they are separated, we deny: yea, the distinction, in the Arminian sense, we deny,

1. Because Christ Redeemer, is a relative person; there is a full redemption in Christ, but not for Christ: but that he might make over that redemption to his poor brethren, there is a purchased salvation in Christ, not to lie by him like a treasure of silver, rousted through not using; but they were so many heavens and salvations, and so much grace and gracious redemptions to be made away, as now purchased, and all these Christ disbursed; he was not a treasurer who kept from sinners the pensions of grace and glory, that the Father and King of the church allowed on his people. What Christ bought with his blood, that he gave out; and so much the places alledged by Mr. Moor the Arminian, proveth just contrary to himself, John 4:42. He is the Saviour, not of himself, to save God and justice, and the law; but the Saviour of the world, of poor sinners, not of the Jews only, but of the Samaritans and Gentiles, as Isa. 49:6. I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayst be my salvation to the ends of the earth. This is the mystery hidden from the beginning of the world, That Christ should be preached among the Gentiles, Eph. 3:8, 9. Now this is not a magazine and treasure of redemption to remain within the corners of Christ's heart and his bowels, but it is the mystery of the new covenant to be made out to the world of Gentiles, heirs of the same promise. This heritage Christ never purchased to keep to himself. And whereas Mr. Moor will have Christ to be, 1 John 2. A propitiation for the sins of the whole world, by obtaining reconciliation of God to men; he is far wide, for that place clearly speaketh of reconciliation of this whole world; the New Testament world, if I may so speak; or Christ's new conquest of the world of Gentiles; so is Christ the Saviour and Redeemer of the world of Gentiles, in opposition to Moses, the judges, who were saviours and redeemers of the people of Israel, who were but a spot, and a poor fragment of the world, in comparison of Christ's large world: God redeemed Israel by the hand of Moses, but never the world. So is Christ a propitiation for the sins of the whole world, in opposition to the propitiatory sacrifices of Aaron and the Levitical priests, (for to these he alludeth) which were propitiations only for the sins of a bit of the world; but sure, as the Levitical sacrifices were offered only in faith for the true Israel of God, otherwise they were no better than the cutting off a dog's neck, in a sacrifice, which was abomination; so were they types of that sacrifice, which was to be offered for the elect world, which is a whole world of Jews and Gentiles, in comparison of little Judea. And by what scripture is a propitiation for the sins of the world, which is only an acquiring of a new power to Christ to transact with men, on what terms he thinketh best to pardon sins; this or that way, for faith or good works, a redemption of men? Or, how is it a taking away the sins of the world, an everlasting redemption, a suffering all that men should have suffered, a bearing of our sins on the tree, an answering as surety for the debts of broken men?

Object. "But if Christ purchased no salvation for me, how can I sin in not resting on Christ for a shadow? For a salvation, not purchased to me, is no salvation at all, but a very nothing."

Ans. If you were to believe first a salvation purchassed to you by name, this objection were strong; but you are at first and immediately to believe no such thing, but only that Christ is able to save to the utmost all that come, that is, that believe, and you, if ye believe. 2. A salvation purchased by Christ, without an efficacious intention in God to apply it to all, and every one, is no less a shadow, and a very nothing, than the salvation purchased to all and every one; and this maketh as much against Arminians, as against us. Now, sure salvation is purchased with an efficacious intention in God, to apply it to those only who shall be saved, and the smallest part of mankind. 3. This way sendeth me at first to believe God's secret and efficacious good-will to save me by name, before ever I believe the gospel, That Jesus Christ came to save all believers, which is no gospel-order of believing; and raiseth in my mind jealousies against Christ, that he out of his love died for me, but putteth me on a ground of doubting, if he will apply his death to me, except I begin first to love him, and with free-will apply Christ: so Christ first extendeth raw wishes to save me, but I must extend to him real deeds of applying by faith, his wishing and half love to me; and the most real kindness begins at me, not at Christ.

But say I, by what scripture is a naked power to justify, pardon, wash, sprinkle sinners; and such a power, which may consist with the eternal perishing of all men (saith Moor, p. 5. with the Arminians) an eternal perfect redemption, a perfect satisfaction of justice and the law of God? Are not so the sins of the world taken away, and yet they remain? Doth not Christ bear the sins of all the world; yet it may fall out, that all the world bear their own sins, and not one man be saved; yea, as it is, the greatest part of mankind bear their own iniquities, die in these same sins that were imputed to Christ, suffer the curses of the law, which Christ suffered for them?

Yea, Mr. Moor saith, God's reconciling of the world, and his not imputing their sins to them, is the reconciling of all Adam's sons in Christ's body before God; yet Paul and David both say, Blessed are they to whom the Lord imputes no sin. Moor saith, A whole world, to whom the Lord imputeth no sin, may be under the curse of the second death. 2. To put reconciling of the world to God, as Paul doth, 2 Cor. 5 for the reconciling of Christ in his own body with God, as Mr. Moor doth, is strange divinity; for it is reconciling of God to man, instead of a reconciling of man to God, Heb. 9:14 and cannot be meant of any reconciling of God in Christ's body, or of obtaining only of redemption without application. 1. Because the blood of Christ is compared with the blood of bulls and goats, which was offered for the reconciling of men to God, not of God to men. 2. Because that blood is said to sanctify and purge the conscience from dead works, to serve the living God; which cannot be said of God, but clearly holdeth forth, that Christ having offered himself without spot to God, through the eternal Spirit, those for whom he offereth himself, cannot eternally perish, as Mr. Moor saith, p. 5. but that their consciences, by this blood, are purged from dead works, to serve the living God.

And the place, 1 Pet. 2:24 doth not prove that Christ bare the sins of many, on the tree, who are not actually saved by his death. 1. The place saith the contrary, and no such thing, as that the Lord laid on Christ the iniquities of all, and every one of mankind. 1. Peter restrains it to believers, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctification of the Spirit —— begotten again unto a lively hope —— who are kept through the power of God by faith unto salvation, 1 Pet. 1:2, 3, 4, 5. And there is no colour that Peter speaketh of all Adam's sons, of all the heathen, because he saith, Christ bare our sins. Which be these? The sins of these that be called to patient suffering for well-doing, who are to follow Christ, who left us an example of patient suffering; who when he was, verse 23 reviled, reviled not again. Now, what? Is this the Indians and Tartarians patient suffering, after Christ's example; to whose ears the name of Christ and his suffering, never came, by a dream, or imagination? 2. The sins of these, which Christ bare on his own body, on the tree, are these that are healed with Christ's stripes, and these that are returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of their souls; and are to live to righteousness, being dead to sin by the death of Christ, who bare their sins, v. 24, 25. Now these are the all that Isaiah speaketh of, chap. 53 when he saith, 53:6. The Lord laid on him the iniquities of us all. That is (if we believe Arminians) of all Moab, Ammon, Egypt, Philistines, Caldeans, Ethiopians, and all Adam's children, who never heard of Christ: for the thousandth part of Adam's sons never heard of Christ: then are they not obliged to believe in him of whom they never heard, nor is it their sin, that they believe not, Rom. 10:14; John 15:22. Ergo, they are not obliged to live to righteousness, being dead to sin through Christ's death; because they never heard of Christ's death. Far less are all Adam's sons healed with Christ's stripes, and returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of souls: nor was the chastisement of all the heathen's peace upon Christ. And Isaiah expoundeth who be these all [Heb. col] whose iniquities were laid upon Christ. v. 8. For the transgressions of my people was he stricken. And v. 12. He bare the sins of many, as Mat. 20:28 and 26:28. The blood which is shed for many, and he made intercession for sinners. What? Doth he bear stripes for all the heathen? And is he entred as High Priest for all Adam's sons into the holy of holiest, and plead and advocate for such, as Cicero, Regulus, Scipio, Cato, such as Pharaoh, Cain, Judas, Julian? If he bare their iniquities, he must bear their apostasy, and final infidelity. Or, doth he intercede, for all and every one of mankind? 1 John 1:2 compared with 1 John 1:6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and Heb. 9. He appeareth for us, v. 24 for those that are sprinkled, v. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and look for him the second time, v. 28. He maketh intercession for them that come to God through him, Heb. 7:25. Who have a High Priest over the house of God, Heb. 10:20, 21, 22. All these and many other places shew the contrary. And the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, Rom. 3:24 is not a redemption which might have been confined within Christ to reconcile God to himself, and which might consist with the final, total and utter perishing of all mankind. 1. We are justified through this redemption, and not by the works of the law. 2. v. 25. God set forth Christ this Redeemer to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. 3. That Christ might appear the justifier of the ungodly, v. 26 and exclude boasting, by the law of faith, v. 27 and be the God of Jews and Gentiles, ver. 30, 31 so that it was never God's mind to imprison a reconciliation within the Father and the Son, and leave our heaven at such a dead and cold venture, as the discretion of indifferent free-will; so as it might fall out, if men pleased, that the surety Christ should die, and all his poor broken friends die eternally, and suffer the second death also. Arminians turn the gospel in the saddest and bloodiest bargain that ever was, and yet the new English Arminians, worse than their fathers, say, they preach not the gospel of grace, nor Christ, who preach not their universal atonement, in a grosser way than ever Arminians did: for, 1. Arminians durst not say, Christ died vice, & loco omnium & singulorum, sed tantum in bonum eorum; he died not in the person, place, and room of all mankind, but only for their good, as Socinus taught them; but master Moor saith this right-down, pag. 3. 2. Arminians durst not say, Christ died and rose again, and pleadeth as High Priest and advocate for all, but only for believers. Master Moor saith, that for all he rose, and acquitteth us of all our sins, p. 4.

The place, 2 Cor. 5:14, 15 doth not prove a reconciliation of all, within God, as master Moor dreameth.

1. The all that Christ died for, (if one died for all, then were all dead) by no reason must be in number equivalent to all that died in the first Adam. Nor is there any reason in the text, to make all those that are actually made alive in Christ, and live not to themselves, but to Christ, equal in number to all that died in Adam. 1. God gave not Christ to die for heathens, who were never to hear of Christ, that they might live to Christ. 2. These words, Henceforth know we no man, not Christ after the flesh, nor for the outward priviledge of Jewish dignity, circumcision, or a temporal kingdom; which fleshly dignity, the apostles sometime knew Christ for, and expected in him: but now this is taken away, and Christ hath died for all, that is, for Jews and Gentiles, without respect of any such differency; for Christ gave his life for the Gentiles, as well as for the Jews. 3. The Greek word, huper, for all, is a word of efficacy, and holds forth the Lord's effectual intention; but if master Moor's gloss stand, there is no effectual intention in Christ to save all and every one.

Nor doth the place, 1 Tim. 2:4, 6 signify any reconciliation, not applied to persons; for his being given a ransom for all, noteth clearly an interest and propriety in these, for whom he gave himself a ransom, as Luke 22:20 for many, Mat. 20:28; Mat. 26:28. So [Gr. hupèr perì antì] doth in all Greek authors insinuate, John 6:51; John 10:11; Rom. 5:8 such an interest.

Mr Moor's objections removed

Object. 1. "But the reason were frivolous; we are to pray for all, except we know that God willeth salvation to all: how can we with the certainty of faith pray for all? It must be a doubting faith, and so no faith at all."

Answ. But seeing God will not have Nero, persecutors, apostates, rebellious unbelievers, men obstinate against the gospel, such as Paul was before his conversion, to be excluded out of our prayers; what certainty of faith have Arminians to pray for all? Or for the twentieth or hundredth part of all mankind? This therefore is denied; 'Christ gave himself for as many, as we are to pray for, but we are to pray for all without exception.' The proposition and the assumption both are false, nor doth our prayers for men, depend on the certitude of God's decree of election of men to glory, which is God's secret will, not known to us, to whom the Lamb's book of life is not opened; but on the revealed will of God, commanding us to pray for all, that sin not to death; but conditionally, and with a special reserve of the Lord's decrees of election and reprobation: and this, in effect, is to pray for the elect only; nor am I warranted, by the word of God, the rule of my prayers, to pray for any others. Nor is there promise, precept, or practice in scripture, to pray for all, and every one of mankind: therefore I retort the argument thus; we are to think God willeth so many to be saved, and his Son to give himself a ransom for so many, as we are warranted to pray for, that they may be saved; but we are not warranted to pray for all, and every one that they may be saved, but only for the elect. Ergo, God will have them only to be saved, and his Son to give himself a ransom for them only.

Object. 2. "Judgment of charity is no ground of our prayers. We have no charity to believe all and every one 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 Bithynians, and thousands others. 2. He will not open the hearts of thousands that hear the gospel, because he will, Mat. 11:28; Rom. 9:17 and many he blindeth, and judicially hardneth, Mat. 13:14; John 12:37, 38; Isa. 6:9, 10; Acts 28:24, 25, 26, 27.

Object. 4. "It is 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 Ghost's 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 of the city die of the pest, and the twentieth person remain ignorant of philosophy; if God will have all to be saved, that he predestinates 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 satisfied 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 every one, which is afore and precedent to his peremptory, compleat, 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 every one 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.

Mr. Moor's Universal Atonement, c. xi. p. 55, 56. 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, Heb. 9:27. (2.) Often in the fullest sense; not regenerated, or wholly reprobated, are called men, Job 11:11, 12; Psal. 12:1 & 4:2 & 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, John 1:12; 1 John 3:1. Saints, 1 Cor. 1:1. Brethren, faithful, Eph. 1:1. Christians, Acts 11:26. Some, who have hardned 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, John 8:44 and with an emphasis, the wicked, Psal. 9:7."

Answ. In these grammatications, Mr. Moor sheweth how weak his cause is, and how dubious from the word men, and all; for Heb. 9:27 it is said, It is 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 faith 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 Mr. 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 preservance, 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, Eph. 2:1. God hath quickned you who were dead in sins, &c. for those whom God quickneth, are something more than dead in sin; sure they are chosen saints, new creatures, &c. after they are converted.

Mr. Moor ib. Object. 6. "All men, here, 2 Tim. 2:6 intentionally, expresly, 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 than such, before they be born 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 Mr. Moor proveth idem per idem, the same thing by the same thing; all men must be meant of all Adam's sons, why? Because all includeth all, at first, all men; that is, all includeth all, but not all men distributively, all and every one without exception. 2. 'Tis 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 favour and grace. Nor doth the Lord quicken men as dead in sins, Eph. 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 quickneth 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 chusing 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 wife as a sinful woman, datur tertium. This is an imperfect enumeration. Christ died for the ungodly, the unjust, his enemies; as freely chosen to be made righteous, and the friends of Christ: as Jacob served for a wife, that is, for Rachel, whom he freely chused before Leah, that he might make her his wife; neither when she was his wife, nor as she was his wife: and as the scripture faith, Christ died for the ungodly, the unjust, his enemies; so also for his friends, John 15:13 his sheep, John 10:11 his beloved church and spouse, Eph. 5:25, 26. And the places cited, Rom. 5; Gal. 1:4; 1 Pet. 3:18 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 bring 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.

Moor, p. 57.

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 hear on his body on the tree, than 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 Mr. Moor, is the highest indignity done to the unchangeable love and grace of God, and gross Arminianism.

Pag. 58. Object. 9. "Praying for their brethren could not be doubted of, but the doubt was to pray for opposers and persecutors; the apostle saith, thus to pray for all men was good, according to Mat. 5:44, 48."

Answ. To pray for all ranks of men, Nero and others, was the doubt: but Mat. 5 which faith, 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 every one 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 Mat. 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. It is a blasphemous comparison to say, the gracious good-will of God to chuse men to glory, and the highest and most matchless love of Christ, John 3:16 & 15:13; Eph. 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 crucifiers of the Lord Jesus, Psal. 73:1, 2; Jer. 12:1; 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, than because for any thing 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; Eph. 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 than any inherent uprightness, faith, or love that can be in us.

Object. 11. "We are to pray without wrath, v. 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 now a-days) he knows not his own heart, who is not tempted to wrath in praying for them. 3. Verse 8. All prayers in general must be without wrath, and with pure hands, and not prayers only for persecutors.

Object. 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. 3:1; John 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, not for believers, and so not for all Adam's sons; as the next words, page 59 prove.

Moor, p. 59. Object. 13. "Here is a ground to preach the gospel to all men, and to every creature, Mat. 28:20; Mark 16:15. And how far to all men, John 16:12; 1 Cor. 3:12; Heb. 5:12 even tho' they hate and persecute us.

Answ. If every creature be no synecdoche, it must warrant us to preach to devils. 2. It is evident by the story of the Acts, that the apostles obeyed not this command, in the letter, as Mr. Moor 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 them to preach the gospel, except God confer miraculously the gift of tongues; 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 and 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 sheweth 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, v. 7. 6. Prayers made for all, v. 1, 2, 3, 4 and here is no more than 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.

Mr. Moor alledgeth that, John 1:29. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.

Answ. The word world is the nations and Gentiles, and believers are elect of both Jews and Gentiles, John 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. Mat. 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? John 15:22; Rom. 2:12. So is the word all nations, taken, Mark 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 Judah's sin is sought, and not found, Jer. 50:20. As 2 Sam. 24:10. David having numbred the people, prayeth, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy servant. Any Arminian in conscience, answer, Did David pray for no more, than 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 numbring the people? Job 7:21. And why dost thou not pardon mine iniquity, and take away my transgression? Isa. 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, tho' 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 Isa. 6:7. Thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged: this is no halt pardon, such as Isaiah had before the Lord touched his lips. 1 John 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, v. 1 with a wonderful love to be called the sons of God; us, whom the world knoweth not; v. 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 world's sins, to us, is the complete pardoning of them, remission of sins in his blood, Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14. Blotting out of transgressions, Isa. 43:25 as a thick cloud, Isa. 44:22. A not remembring their sins, Isa. 43:25; Jer. 31:24. 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, Jer. 31:34; Heb. 8:8, 9, 10, 11, 12; Rom. 11:26, 27; Isa. 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, 35, 36, 37 in whom the Lord putteth his Spirit, and in whose mouth he putteth his word, and in the mouth of their seed, and their seed's seed, Isa. 59:20, 21. The Arminians taking away of sins, is of all, and every one of Adam's 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, v. 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 deeps of the sea, Mic. 7:19, 20 a mercy bestowed only on the remnant of the Lord's inheritance. The Arminian taking away of sin, is a broad pardon of sins to all the world: let them shew scripture for theirs, as we do for ours, and carry it with them.

Object. 15. "Tho' reconciliation be purchased to all and every one, yet it is not necessary that it be preached to all, and every one; 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 it is free to God, to communicate the benefits of his death, upon what terms he thinketh good: and Christ died (saith Mr. Moor) 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 every one; Ergo, Christ died for all, and every one. For, 1. The consequence is true absolutely, by the Arminians doctrine, Christ absolutely died for all, and every one, 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 price 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 threatnings 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 shew us where the preaching of the word of grace is referred to our free-will: "Do this, O Ammonites, O Indians, and the glad tiding 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 dignæ et indigniori negat, to the unworthy nation, and denieth both to the worthier.

3. Arminians say, in Script. Synod. Dordr. p. 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, tho' 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 greatest 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. Page 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, than 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, Mat. 11 with Capernaum, and Tyrus, and Sidon. But, it will be found, that Arminians deny the prescience and fore-knowledge 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 possiblity, by which he may, upon such and such conditions kill, or save, tho' 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 not live and die to ourselves, but that, whether we live or die, we should be Christ's; tho' 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 flock, and so as all the flock may eternally perish. Ezek. 34:22. Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey. —— v. 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. v. 24. And I the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it. v. 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 flock? Ezekiel saith, to seed 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. It is true, Christ obtaineth, by his death, a mediatory power to crush, as a potter's 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; John 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. It is 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 Mediatory-crown; especially, when, as God, he had power to destroy them, as his enemies, tho' he had never been Mediator.

Yea, Acts 5:31. 'tis said, him (whom ye slew, and hanged on a tree) hath God exalted with his right-hand, to be a Prince and Saviour (not to destroy all his subjects, upon foreseen condition of rebellion, to which they were, thro' 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, Eph. 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, Eph. 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 born of David, Luke. 1 and so setteth Christ on the throne, to perform his mercy promised to our fathers, and remember his holy covenant. Ver. 69, 70. 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 ly down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion 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, Isa. 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 flock, and that he may carry the lambs in his bosom, Isa. 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, Isa. 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 Saviour, by this conceit.

5. And what more contrary to the intrinsical end of Christ's death, than that he should obtain no other end by dying, but a placability, a possible salvation, a softning only of God's mind, by which justice should only stand by, and a door be opened, whereby God might be willing, if he pleased, to confer salvation, by this or that law, a covenant of grace, or of works, or a mix'd 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, John 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, Isa. 53:5. This cannot be such a possible heaven, a fowl flying 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 intentionally, to save that which was lost, Luke 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 Thess. 5:9.

7. Nor did he die so 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 Pet. 1:18. That be might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works, Tit. 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 nor wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish, Eph. 5:27. Now, Christ may obtain the native and intrinsical end of his death; tho' 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, that 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, Eph. 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 had 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, Heb. 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; Zech. 9:11. And therefore neither the first testament was dedicated without blood, Heb. 9:18, 19, 20, 21 and Christ by his blood entred into heaven, as a priest to intercede for us, v. 23, 24. And this Arminian way overturneth 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, impossible 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, Isa. 53:9, 10, 11, 12. 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 meer 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 Saviour, but his people are all eternally lost, and die in bondage and misery, and in their sins; he is a Saviour, 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 quickned by his Spirit, nor a body that is the fulness of Christ; he is a Husband, but the essence of his marital 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 lion devoureth all his flock; he carrieth not the lambs 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 for ever; he is the promised seed, and by death triumpheth over devils and principalities and powers, but the serpent's 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 Adam's 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 hit 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 meer possible salvation, or a power to save, that may, and doth stand, with the damnation of millions that Christ died for?

13. Christ, dying, had in his eye the sanctification, the giving of the Spirit, the raising to life, the eternal glory of not one man more than another, not of Peter, of Moses, more than of Cain or Judas; though he said, John 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. 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 than 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 Saviour, 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 King's-royal crown was never ordained for another end, but that the lustre of the precious stones in that crown should shine on the face and souls of his redeemed ones; Christ came not to destroy, but to seek and save the lost. Get an 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 every one 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, than the blood of bullocks or goats could do it: it is 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 croud 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 the Arminians, 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 word, 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 every one, can be proved from these grammatications: 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 every one, 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 colour of reason can it be extendeded to one means of redeeming all and every one, rather than 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 (Drag net, p. 80.) 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, John 7:39 and 14:16, 17 and 15:26, 27 and 16:7, 13, 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 sheweth, 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 every one of mankind.

So, All Israel shall know the Lord, as it is 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 minds, and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. v. 11. And they shall not teach every one his neighbour, and every man his brother, [Gr. hotì pantes eidesousi me.] They shall all know me, from the least of them, even to the greatest: when was this covenant made? Under the Messiah, 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 men, 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, than in the matter of redemption by Christ, when it is said, Christ gave himself a ransom for all, 1 Tim. 2. Because it is their constant doctrine, to make all and every one of Adam's 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. [Gr. Kai esontai pantas] They shall be all taught of God, as Jeremiah saith, chap. 31:34. [Heb. ki culam] &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 every one 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 [Heb. col.] and [Gr. pantes] all, an universal regeneration, and an universal justification of all, as they can prove an universal redemption; so is the same promise, Isa. 54:11 and clearly, Rom. 11:26. All Israel shall be saved. He meaneth Jews and Gentiles, when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in; here is universal salvation of all.

So, by John Baptist's ministry, all and every one of his hearers must be converted, why? As Arminians expound many that Christ died for, Mat. 20:28. To be all and every man without exception. 1 Tim. 2:6; Heb. 2:9; 1 John 2:1 to 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 Isreal shall he turn to the Lord their God: these we must expound, by the Arminian grammar, of the conversion of all and every one, that heard John preach; contrary to Luke 7:29, 30 for Pharisees and lawyers were not converted. Yea, it is said, Isa. 40. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and rough places plain, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. Mat. 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 1:23. And the filling of valleys, 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? by John's ministry, or Christ's 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. Denne 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. 13:13. 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 Baptist his ministry, which was the conversion of souls, as Malachi saith, and the bringing down the proud, and in turning many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God; and in going before Christ 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 reaching such a knowledge of Christ, as idolatrous heathens had of God as Creator, or blind and obstinate Pharisees had of Christ and his Father, whom they both saw, and hated, John 15; Rom. 1:21. 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 effectual 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. Isa 33:17. Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty. Isa. 52:10. The ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Mat. 5:8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. John 3:3. Except a man be born again, be cannot see the kingdom of God. Acts 22:14. Then Ananias said to Saul, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldst know his will, and see that just One. Heb. 12:14. Follow holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. But if Mr. Denne 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, never came, Psal. 29:9. In his temple shall everyone speak of his glory; not every one, 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 dishonour, Jer. 7:4, 10, 11; Ezek. 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 prophecying of all flesh within the church: your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall dream dreams, &c. Now, all flesh did never prophesy, 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 every one within the visible church, John 1:16. And of his fulness 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 alledge, 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 Adam's sons. So it is 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 [Gr. he meis pantes.] 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 [Gr. pantes,] as we do? And 2 Cor. 3:18. But we all with open face [Gr. he meis de pantes,] 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 vail that was, and yet is over the hearts of that stiff-necked people, in reading of the Old Testament: whereas this vail 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 than 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 every one that heareth the gospel are partakers of this vision of God in the kingdom of grace? And, Eph. 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 fulness of Christ. When we (to decline the absolute universality of the redemption of all and every one) 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. Mr. Moor 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 every one, than we can decline the catholic redemption of all and every one. So, they must say, That the number of the perfected saints, that attain to the fulness 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 every one 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, Luke 16:16. The kingdom of God is preached, [Gr. kaì pâseis auten biazetai] and every man presseth violently to it. The meaning is not as Mr. Denne (Denne Dragnete p. 96.) faith, that every one is pressed by command, and gospel-exhortation to repent: for, (1.) From John Baptist's time, all and every one heareth not the gospel, Mat. 10:5. (2.) Mat. 11 v. 12 is clearly expounded by an active verb, these that take heaven violently, [Gr. árpázou sin autèn,] 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 Thes. 5:5. Ye are all Gr. pántes humeîs] 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 fore-going 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, v. 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 faith, Mat. 25:8. All ye are brethren: they must be brethren, by the new birth. v. 8. Call no man your father on earth, &c. Phil. 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 unto the day of Christ, v. 6. Such, the Arminians do say, were all the visible saints at Philippi. Then, by this, all and every one of them were converted, 1 Cor. 11:4. The head [Gr. pantòs andròs] of every man is Christ, of every man without exception? No, these of whom Christ is head, 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, Eph. 1:22, 23 and Christ's fulness, Eph. 4:16; Col. 1:18; Gen. 21:6. All that hear shall laugh with me; Sarah meaneth the laughter of faith: then, must all that hear of Sarah's bearing of Isaac in her old age, believe in Christ, as Sarah did? Psal. 65:2. O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh comes: A figure there must be in the word flesh; and if there be no figure in the particle [Heb. col] then must all flesh, and all Adam's sons put up prayers to God, contrary to experience, and to scripture, Psal. 14:4; Psal. 53:4; Jer. 10:25. So Psal. 72:12. All nations [Heb. col gojim] shall serve him; it is meant of Christ, and in the letter cannot be true, if many refuse him to be their king, Psal. 2:3; Luke 19:14; Psal. 110:1. So it is said, Psal. 22:27. All the ends of the world shall remember, and turn to the Lord; and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. Now, that he meaneth of spiritual turning to God, and of repentance, is clear, v. 18. For the kingdom is the Lord's, and he is the governor among the nations, v. 13. 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, Isa. 40:16 are taken for all and every one of mankind. Psal. 66:9. All nations, [Heb. col gojim] whom thou hast made, shall come and worship before thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy name, Isa. 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 to worship before me, faith the Lord. Let Arminians speak, it 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, Isa. 40:6. All flesh [Heb. col baser] is grass. Sure, the latter comprehendeth all Adam's 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 their hope up within the vail, whither the Fore-runner Christ hath entred; for of these nations the apostle expoundeth the promise, Heb. 6:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. So Isa. 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 Israel 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, Isa. 59:20, 21. calleth Jacob and the seed, and the seed's seed. Isa. 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, my 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, faith 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 is said for universal regeneration and conversion of all, except we say there must be a figure, a synecdoche, of all or many? Or Christ's all, and universality of converted ones, must be here meant? John 1:9. That was the true light, that inlightneth every one that cometh into the world. What? even infants who come into the world, and all and every one of Adam's 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, v. 10. The world knew him not; and v. 6. There was a man sent from God whose name was John, v. 7. The same came for a witness, to bear witness 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 John 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 than the world, for whom Christ is a propitiation, and all the visible saints that John writeth unto? 1 John. 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. 18:17; Jer. 15:10 and 19:9 and 20:7 and 23:30 and 49:17; Ezek. 16:27; Exod. 33:10; Col. 1:28; Isa. 61:9; Gen. 41:57; Mark. 14:4; John 3:26; Acts 17:31 and 10:38; Mark. 1:37; 2 Cor. 3:2; Luke 24:47 and 4:15; Isa. 2:2, 3. Otherwise, I could say, Christ died for no man, because the scripture ascribeth an universality to the wicked, Jer. 6:28 & 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 orb 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 eternal life: so, that the [Gr. hosoi] 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 never 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 God 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 4:6, 9, 10. We have known and believed the love God hath to us; God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, (it is 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 saint desire, and a wish that all and every one, men and angels, be saved: and 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 than 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 lords 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 than time, cœpta est in tempore electio, contra quam creditum est, &c.) God doth no more in his general decree for chusing of Jacob or Peter, than of Pharaoh, Esau or Judas; but chuseth 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 any more to determine the will to either side, to believing or not believing, than he can work contradictions, or make free-will, and free obedience to be no free-will, and no obedience: for it is repugnant (say they) to the nature of free-will, that it should be determined by God; and obedience, such as is required of us now who are under commandments, threatnings, promises, were no obedience at all; for if the Lord should determine the will (say they) and therefore God's last decree of chusing 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 chuse this man, not this man, but all men chuse 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 chuse God, but God chuseth 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 damnation; contrary to scripture and experience; for terrible judgments temporal, and great external favours befal Indians, Americans, and such as never heard of Christ, and not without the counsel of God's will, if there be a providence that rules the world. 3. God doth nothing in the election of Peter, more than of Judas; nor can grace and mercy have place in the chusing of the one, rather than 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 alledge this one place, without authority of the word, is petitio principii, a begging of the question: for the love, Ezek. 16:8 called the time of loves, was such as saved, all that were to be saved, amongst the people of God; and cannot be understood of such a love as God did bear to the heathen, and the Canaanites; for it separates them from all the world: so Deut. 7:7; Psal. 146:9, 10; Isa. 51:1, 2, 3; Isa. 52:3, 4; Psal. 136:13; Psal. 135:4; Zech. 3:2; 1 Kings 11:13; 2 Chron. 6:6; Isa. 4:4, 5; Deut. 14:2; Isa. 43:20; Dan. 11:15; 1 Chr. 16:13; Ezek. 20:5; Acts 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 God; and a husband love, Eph. 5:25, 26 a love saving, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, Titus 3:4, 5, 6 a great love, quickning us together with Christ, saving us by grace, raising us up, and making us sit together with Christ, in heavenly places, Eph. 2:4, 5 a love causing washing of us, and advancing us to be kings and priests to God, Rev. 1:5, 6 a love to Paul in particular, and working life is 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, Eph. 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 honour of sons on us, 1 John 3:1. It is a saving and a pitying love, Isa. 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 than conquerors, Rom. 8:37. It is a separating love, that differenceth the loved of God, from all others, Psal. 87:2; Psal. 146:8 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. 'Tis a love better than life, Psal. 63:3 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, unspotted, 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 every one of mankind, heathens and Turks, are not thus bought with a price, and delivered from idolatry, blasphemy, killing of children to their God, from the world of Gentilism. 1. They live in these sins, as serving God in them; the gospel never forbade them any such sins, in regard they never heard the gospel. 2. They cannot sin on a new 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 price then given for all the reprobate vice reproborum, it is as good as they had paid the price to redeem them from sin and unbelief; yea, from final impenitency 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."

Answ. That is, they are freed from final impenitency, so they be freed from final impenitency: is this a wise bargain? 2. Where is there, in all the world, 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 Father's eternal counsel, absolutely gratis, freely died for these; he died not for those, that he foresaw would never fulfil the condition, nunquam posita 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 godliness, and all spiritual blessings, 2 Pet. 1:3; Eph. 1:3. A new heart, and a new spirit, Ezek. 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; John 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 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; John 10:26, 29; Eph. 1:4; Rom. 9:11. The promise is particular to the sons if 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, Isa. 55:1, 2; Mat. 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, Jer. 31:34, 35, &c. and 32:39, 40; Isa. 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 faith; 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 than 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 Thess. 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 fix 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 afar 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 do only 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 depend 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 faith, If Judas, Cain, Pharaoh, believe, they shall be saved, the Lord's purpose being to 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 willed either to give him a talent for his work, nor intended he should work at all. Hence I argue, 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 fulfilled, and the decree of God and his will fulfilled; 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, tho' it never be done, argues 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 threatnings 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 every one; 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 every one.

Hence, whatever wanton and lascivious reason can object against absolute reprobation, the absolute redemption of some few, a particular atonement 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." 'Tis 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 every one: for, say that the 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 honour, 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 shall 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 every one of his children, from ten thousand years pain? Who can say, this father intended and willed the life and honour 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 for ever and ever; 1. Vain reason would say, why did he create them, if he foresaw their misery would be so deplorable? And how can he earnestly and ardently, with prayers, obtestations, wishes, threatnings, precepts, promises, desire their eternal salvation? 2. If he could have hindred them to sin (as no question he could) without hurting Adam's free-will, and without strangling the nature of free obedience, in reference to threatning 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 every one to be saved, and gave his Son to redeem all and every one; 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, 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 æquo, 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 æquo, the salvation of all." But this is petitio principii; the disparity of favours 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 Jacob, 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 and saved them, and with a higher and more peculiar love, as his chosen people, than 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 threatnings 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, whatever 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, John 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 them, 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 preached to the Gentiles, Mat. 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 John 1:7 and God required not one debt twice. If Christ sustained the person of all the elected, as he died for his friends, John 15:13 for his sheep, John 10:11 for his church, Eph. 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, Heb. 2:1; John 3:16 and not for their good only, so as they might all and every one have perished eternally, that Christ died for; then cannot they die eternally, for then Christ should first have paid their debt, and they must pray for that debt over again, eternally in hell; then might Christ be a Redeemer, a King, a Priest, a Husband, a Saviour, and Head, and have no ransomed ones, no subjects, no Israel that he interceeds for, and offers his soul, no spouse, no saved people, no members, no church.

Artic. 4. Places of scripture seeming to favour universal atonement vindicated

For the fourth particular, and the clearing of Places alledged; we are, 1. To consider if the place, John 3:16 prove any thing 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 Greek word (Kosmos) 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; John 17:5 certain, God hath not so loved angels good and that he hath given his only begotten Son for them, Heb. 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. The whole world lies in evil. The adversary yieldeth, that the world here, is not all, and every one 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 Greek word houto, 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, than 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 4:9 to Cain, Judas, and all the heathen; and God's 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, than 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 heathens, 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; Mat. 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 every where in the New Testament, to the narrow church of Judea; the gospel world, the Messiah's world, larger than the little world of Moses; yea, all nations, Mat. 28:19. Every creature, that is, most of all the nations, Mark 16:15 all the world, the hearing world, almost all the nations, Col. 1:6 sure not every individual person; as they would have this loved world to include.

Object. "But [Gr. pas] that every one that believes &c. These words, limit, and draw narrow the world, and so divide 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."

Answ. 1. I shall deny that [Gr. pas] whosoever, is here a distributive or dividing particle: if he had said [Gr. hostis or hoste] as Gal. 5:4; 1 Cor. 11:27 there had been some colour for this; but I deny that [Gr. pâs or pántes] all must be restrictive here, more than 2 Thess. 2:11, 12. God gave them over to the efficacy of error to believe a lie that [Gr. hinà pántes] all those might be damned, that believe not the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness. It follows not, that [Gr. pantes here,] that all, or whoever believe not the truth, should be fewer in number than 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. The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son. Ver. 23. [Gr. hina pantes] That men should honour the Son, as they honour the Father who sent him. I see no ground to say, that some may honour the Father, and be raised from the dead and quickened, as ver. 21 who do not honour 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 agreeable to the original, God so loved the world, that every one 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 medii, 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 word (world) for all and every one 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 [Gr. me logizômenos autiôs ta poraptô nata autôn] 'tis the same word that is ascribed to Abraham's believing, Rom. 4:3, 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, John 3:16 the world saved, v. 17 the world of which Christ is Saviour, 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 Heb. word col, and Gr. word pantes, Christ died for all, doth never signify all and every one 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 substratum.

Hence our 1st rule, all, often signifieth, the most part, Mark 14:64. [Gr. pantes] They all condemned him to be guilty of death; [Gr. holon] the whole council, Mat. 26:59 yet Joseph of Arimathea consented not to his death, Luke 23:51 and the flood destroyed [Gr. hapantes] them all, Luke 17:27 yet eight persons were saved; so all Judah, Jer. 13:19. [Heb. cullah] was carried unto captivity. [Heb. col] All is often the same with many, all the sheep of Kedar shall be gathered to thee, [Heb. col] that is, many: and Gen. 41. [Heb. vecol] 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. Mat. 20:28 compared with 1 Tim. 2:6. [Gr. antilútron hupér panton] is here, and there [Gr. lutron antipollon,] so the law saith, all do that which the most part do; men's will do not limit what God speaks; but let the text itself be diligently considered, Exod. 9:6. All the cattle 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, ver. 29. Deut. 33:9. So Mat. 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 than the saving of all, the believing of all flesh, and the blessing of all nations in Christ: but, Gen. 18:18 all, In him [Heb. col gojei] all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Gen. 22:18. In thy seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. The whole world, that John saith Christ is a propitiation for, 1 John 2:1 cannot be larger than this; now, this cannot carry any tolerable sense, that all and every man of the nations are actually blessed in Christ, more than all and every one are redeemed, reconciled, received in favour within the covenant of grace: and therefore Arminians have as good reason from coland pantes, all that are said to be ransomed, are actually saved, and hell shall be empty and to no purpose; as to contend for an universal redemption. As a wicked pamphlet printed of late saith, 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 than all the nations of the earth. Isa. 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.

Answ. The scripture expounds scripture better than Arminians, and the apostle, Heb. 6 resolveth us, that all the nations of the earth, v. 17 are the heirs of the 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 vail, and have Jesus for their Forer-unner, 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 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. Isa. 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 all is taken pro singulis generum, vei pro generibus singulorum; all and every one of kinds, and for the kinds of all, tho' not absolutely excluding any kind.

1. The word all is, in materia necessaria, in a necessary matter, taken for all, and every one, God made all nations of one blood, Acts 17:26. He knows the heaven 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. 1:10, 11.

2. All, without exclusion of particular men, in a contingent matter sometime so taken, Mat. 26:33. Though all be offended, Luke 6:26; Revel. 4:11.

3. When all is spoken of God's works for men, or in men, especially works of mere grace, opposite to sense, as Mr. 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 'tis a clear restriction of calling of multitudes, under the Messiah's 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 our 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 every one; God saveth all Israel, and turneth iniquity away from Jacob, and forgiveth the sins of Israel; and God only saveth, and only pardoneth believers. But will Mr. 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 Mat. 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 offence of one, many were dead, that is, all were dead: so the sheep of Christ, John 10:11 the scattered sons of God, John 11:52. His people, Mat. 1:21. His brethren, Heb. 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 tho' it be bestowed on them in regard of their present ill-deserving, when they are enemies, Rom. 5:18 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 'tis the prerogative of God, to be worshipped, as 'tis the 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; Rev. 5:9 and Rev. 14:4; Isa. 1:24 and 44:23 and 35:10 and 51:10; Jer. 31:11. And the manner of Christ's dying, in regard of application, is exclusive, by confession of party, as is clear, Luke 2:11 and 1:68, 69, 70; Luke 2:30, 31; Heb. 2:17; Rom. 8:34; Rev. 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 Joel 3:18 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, Cappadocia, &c. And of all sexes, v. 17. Sons and daughters. Of all ages, young 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, Mat. 4:23. Ye shall eat of every tree of the garden, Gen. 2:16. [Heb. micol] all his master's goods are in his hand [Heb. vecol-tob] 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 [Gr. pantes] 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 every one without exception, is the doubt. You shall not find a warrant in the world 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 expresly 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 otherwise than 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. 147:19, 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 to 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, tho' 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 long-suffering, [Gr. eis hemàs mê bouloménos tinàs is apolesthai allà pantàs] to us, willing none (of us, to whom he is long-suffering) to perish, but will have all us, to whom he extendeth this long-suffering, 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 scoff 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 Mat. 24. For the elect's sake, the ill days are shortned; not for the reprobate. So, for this reason, Paul, v. 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 every one of the Gentiles; yet Arminians say, God will have all and every one of Jews and Gentiles saved and ransomed: as also, he restricts the peaceable and godly life to the church, taking in himself, [Gr. hia diagomen,] &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, v. 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 Mr. Moor's had blood or nerves, because there is one God; and because he names [Gr. Anthropoûs] men, therefore God will save all; and the ransom must be as wide and spacious as the reason, God is God to all and every one, 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, Acts 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 every one of mankind; for thousands, that are men, are without the covenant. I demand of this universal will of God, to save all and every one, and the ransom for all and every one, was it ever heard of, 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 Messiah's time; otherwise, God no otherwise willed all men to be saved, amongst the Jews, as their God, in covenant with them, than 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; Psal. 147:19.

7. God no more wills all and every man to be saved, and come to believe, so they will all and every one believe; than he wills all and every one 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 every one, and the captives remain in prison eternally: it is against the law, Exod. 21:30; Exod. 30:12, 15. Yea, the Lord's ransomed, Isa. 35:9, 10 must obtain everlasting joy in Zion. Isa. 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 utter 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 times, [Gr. di hemâs tous de autu piste uóntas] for you (the elect of God) that believe by him.

Rule 5. [Heb. col] or [Gr. pantes] his 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. Exod. 28:14. Jethro saith to Moses, what is this that thou doest? thou sittest alone, [Heb. vecol-hagnam nitzab] 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, Numb. 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. Rev. 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. John. 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. John. 3:26. John's disciples, a little emulous, that Christ drew all the water from their master's mill; say, behold he baptizeth, and [Gr. pantes] 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 Saviour 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 than Peter saith, Acts 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, John 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, Acts 3:24 but it follows, as well all and every mortal man are glorified, as redeemed, by this logic; out of his fulness, we all, [Gr. pantes] all that receive, do receive from him, John 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 extends, the ransom extendeth as far: but (saith Mr. Moor) the nature is common to Adam's sons, all and every one, as men contradistinguished from angels," Heb. 2:9, 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 than 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 congruity 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 Saviour 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 themselves, if provoked, shall not answer, except there be a fountain-well, that solveth all, touching men and angels; he hath mercy on whom he will, and hardens whom he will; and who hath given 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 Adam's 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, Eph. 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, Heb. 2:16 as the flesh and blood of the children, v. 14 of his brethren, not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, that are, or were to be born again.

And it is true, Jesus, Heb. 2:9 is made a little lower than the angels. I hope, the comparison is not with all and every one of the angels; he was never made a little lower than all the angels, even evil angels. Nor (2.) 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 every one of Adam's 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. 15:5; Eph. 2:1, 2, 3; Heb. 9:27. But for grace, the word of the covenant, a covenant of grace, reconciliation with grace and favour with God, justification; we know no such things common to all and every one of Adam's sons; for then all must be born, the covenanted, justified, reconciled, beloved with the greatest love that is, John 15:13 ransomed and 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 John 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 apostle's argument of weight to exalt Christ, as he intendeth, Heb. 2 to say, Christ so tasted death for all, as all and every one, notwithstanding many never have, either saving faith, or fruit of his death, but eternally perish; whereas, clear it is, that these [Gr. pantes] all that be died for, are the many sons he actually brings to glory, v. 10 these who are one with him, as the sanctifier Christ, and the sanctified, v. 11. His brethren, whom he is not ashamed to own, v. 11. The church, v. 12. The children that God hath given him, v. 13. The children partakers of flesh and blood, v. 14. These for whom he, through death, which he tasted for all, destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; if the devil reign in the sons of disobedience, Eph. 2:2. If they be born of the devil, John 8:44. Taken captives at his will, 2 Tim. 2:26. Let Arminians see how Christ, by tasting death for them, as they fancy, Heb. 2:9 hath for them, by death, Destroyed the devil, v. 14. Loosed his works, 1 John 3:8. Triumphed over devils, Col. 2:15. Judged 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, v. 16. His brethren, that he is made like to in all things, except sin. Heb. 2:17. His people, v. 17. The tempted, that Christ succoureth, v. 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 every one of mankind, that are the natural heirs coming forth of the loins of the first Adam: then, who be the [Gr. polloi] many to whom the grace of God hath abounded? v. 15:15. Sure the second Adam is no dry tree, no eunuch; the scripture saith, He hath a seed, Isa. 53:10 many sons, Heb. 2:10. Children that God hath given him, that are for signs and wonders, Isa. 7:18; 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 Adam's sons and heirs were through his offence dead; so all Christ's spiritual seed and heirs have grace communicated to them, v. 15. This is far from grace abounding to all and every one 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 than Paul, and let Arminians enjoy their gain by this argument.

2. Verse 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 v. 15 the offence [Gr. tû henos] of one, the first sin of Adam that came on all, with the justification [Gr. ekpollônparaptomàton] from many offences. 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 offences, and the blood of Jesus purges us from all sins, 1 John 1:8. This justification runs not up from the womb, as the offence 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. Verse 17. By one man's offence, there was a cruel king, death the king of terrors, who hath a black sceptre, 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, v. 17. See, the heirs and sons of the second Adam are, not all and every one of the mortal stock of Adam, redeemed, reconciled, saved, but [Gr. hoi lámbanóntes tèn perisseian tès cháritos] 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 [Gr. lambanóntes] 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 it is not universal. 3. Then they are not [Gr. lambanóntes] 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 of abundance of grace. Farther, Paul, by this, makes glory as well as grace universal, and all and every one must be born heirs of heaven; for Paul saith of the heirs of the second Adam [Gr. basileúsousin en zoê:] 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. v. 18. If it be said, It is life conditionally, if they believe; consider then, if the second Adam be not weaker than the first: the first indeclinably, really, without a miss, transmitted death to all his: the second Adam cannot transmit life to the thousandth 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 (Antiperkins) saith, "Constare potuit intiger fructus mortis, &c. The fruit of the second Adam's death might stand entire, though all and every one of mankind were damned." If this be a potential justification, it is good, it is 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, Eph. 2; Col. 1:19, 20 and so shall far more be saved by the life of Christ: but all and every one of mankind shall not much more be saved by the life of Christ. 6. There is all (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 bond-woman, strangers to Christ, without God and Christ in the world, on the other side; the sides are unequal, and beside the Holy Ghost's mind; except ye shew 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 every one 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 it is 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 [Gr. pantes] 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, v. 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, v. 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 quickned with the same Spirit, that Christ was quickned 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 Jews and Gentiles: for the propitiation and advocation are of the same circumference, and sphere; else the argument should be null: but the advocation of our High Priest, in the holy of holiest, at the right-hand of God, is for the people of God only, Heb. 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, John 14:16, 17 and 16:7. For all these, Christ doth as our High Priest (Heb. 9:10) interceed.

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. 11:13; 2 Cor. 5:19; John 1:29 and 3:16 the whole world, loved, pardoned, reconciled, to whom sins are not imputed, and so blessed and justified, Psal. 32:1, 2, 3, 4. And whereas the apostle ascendeth, and not for our sins only, &c. it is not to extend propitiation, further than 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, tho' 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, than such an one, as they may no less perish eternally having it, than 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. 1:13. 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 nominal christians and professed Christ to be their Lord; for if they had been without, and open enemies, they could not bring in he resies. 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, ver. 1. [Gr. parisaxousi hairéseis] 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. They buy and sell you [Gr. plastoîs lógios] with decked-up and well-combed fair words, O our Redeemer that bought us, our Saviour! 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 'tis 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, Mat. 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. Isa. 45:23; Phil. 3:9, 10, 11. John 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 death 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 Saviour of all men, 1 Tim. 4:10. 'Tis not spoken of Christ as Mediator, but of the living God the Saviour of all men, Psal. 106:8, 10; Mat. 8:25; Neh. 9:27. Psal. 34:6. [Heb. jaschang] is here; and the living God is given indefinitely to God as One with all the Three, but God in Christ is especially the Saviour of believers. Other places for universal grace, and the apostasy of the saints, I pass here.

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