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CHAPTER 2
CONTAINING
THREE OTHER ARGUMENTS.
Arg.
3. If Jesus Christ died for all men, — that is,
purchased and procured for them, according to the mind and will
of God, all those things which we recounted, and the Scripture
setteth forth, to be the effects and fruits of his death, which
may be summed up in this one phrase, “eternal
redemption,” then he did this, and that according to the
purpose of God, either absolutely or upon some condition by them
to be fulfilled. If absolutely, then ought all and every one,
absolutely and infallibly, to be made actual partakers of that
eternal redemption so purchased; for what, I pray, should hinder
the enjoyment of that to any which God absolutely intended, and
Christ absolutely purchased for them? If upon condition, then he
did either procure this condition for them, or he did not? If he
did procure this condition for them, — that is, that it
should be bestowed on them and wrought within them, — then
be did it either absolutely again, or upon a condition. If
absolutely, then are we as we were before; for to procure any
thing for another, to be conferred on him upon such a condition,
and withal to procure that condition absolutely to be bestowed on
him, is equivalent to the absolute procuring of the thing itself.
For so we affirm, in this very business: Christ procured
salvation for us, to be bestowed conditionally, if we do believe;
but faith itself, that he hath absolutely procured, without
prescribing of any condition. Whence we affirm, that the
purchasing of salvation for us is equivalent to what it would
have been if it had been so purchased as to have been absolutely
bestowed, in respect of the event and issue. So that thus also
must all be absolutely saved. But if this condition be procured
upon condition, let that be assigned, and we will renew our
quaere concerning the procuring of that, whether it were absolute
or conditional, and so never rest until they come to fix
somewhere, or still run into a circle.
But,
on the other side, is not this condition procured by him on whose
performance all the good things purchased by him are to be
actually enjoyed? Then, first, This condition must be made known
to all, as Arg. 2. Secondly, All men are able of themselves to
perform this condition, or they are not. If they are, then,
seeing that condition is faith in the promises, as is on all
sides confessed, are, all men of themselves, by the power of
their own free-will, able to believe; which is contrary to the
Scriptures, as, by the Lord’s assistance, shall be declared.
If they cannot, but that this faith must be bestowed on them and
wrought within them by the free grace of God, then when God gave
his Son to die for them, to procure eternal redemption for them
all, upon condition that they did believe, be either purposed to
work faith in them all by his grace, that they might believe, or
he did not? If he did, why doth not he actually perform it,
seeing “he is of one mind, and who can turn him?” why
do not all believe? why have not all men faith? Or doth he fail
of his purpose? If he did not purpose to bestow faith on them
all, or (which is all one) if he purposed not to bestow faith on
all (for the will of God doth not consist in a pure negation of
any thing, — what he doth not will that it should be, he
wills that it should not be), then the sum of it comes to this:
— That God gave Christ to die for all men, but upon this
condition, that they perform that which of themselves without him
they cannot perform, and purposed that, for his part, he would
not accomplish it in them.
Now,
if this be not extreme madness, to assign a will unto God of
doing that which himself knows and orders that it shall never be
done, of granting a thing upon a condition which without his help
cannot be fulfilled, and which help he purposed not to grant, let
all judge. Is this anything but to delude poor creatures? Is it
possible that any good at all should arise to any by such a
purpose as this, such a giving of a Redeemer? Is it agreeable to
the goodness of God to intend so great a good as is the
redemption purchased by Christ, and to pretend that he would have
it profitable for them, when he knows that they can no more
fulfill the condition which he requires, that it may be by them
enjoyed, than Lazarus could of himself come out of the grave?
Doth it beseem the wisdom of God, to purpose that which he knows
shall never be fulfilled? If a man should promise to give a
thousand pounds to a blind man upon condition that he will open
his eyes and see, — which he knows well enough he cannot do,
— were that promise to be supposed to come from a
heart-pitying of his poverty, and not rather from a mind to
illude and mock at his misery? If the king should promise to pay
a ransom for the captives at Algiers, upon condition that they
would conquer their tyrants and come away, — which he knows
full well they cannot do, — were this a kingly act? Or, as
if a man should pay a price to redeem captives, but not that
their chains may be taken away, without which they cannot come
out of prison; or promise dead men great rewards upon condition
they live again of themselves; — are not these to as much
end as the obtaining of salvation for men upon condition that
they do believe, without obtaining that condition for them? Were
not this the assigning such a will and purpose as this to Jesus
Christ: “I will obtain eternal life to be bestowed on men,
and become theirs, by the application of the benefits of my
death; but upon this condition, that they do believe. But as I
will not reveal my mind and will in this business, nor this
condition itself, to innumerable of them, so concerning the rest
I know they are no ways able of themselves, — no more than
Lazarus was to rise, or a blind man is to see, — to perform
the condition that I do require, and without which none of the
good things intended for them can ever become theirs; neither
will I procure that condition ever to be fulfilled in them. That
is, I do will that that shall be done which I do not only know
shall never be done, but that it cannot be done, because I will
not do that without which it can never be accomplished”?
Now, whether such a will and purpose as this beseem the wisdom
and goodness of our Savior, let the reader judge. In brief; an
intention of doing good unto any one upon the performance of such
a condition as the intender knows is absolutely above the
strength of him of whom it is required, — especially if he
know that it can no way be done but by his concurrence, and he is
resolved not to yield that assistance — which is necessary
to the actual accomplishment of it, — is a vain fruitless
flourish. That Christ, then, should obtain of his Father eternal
redemption, and the Lord should through his Son intend it for
them who shall never be made partakers of it, because they cannot
perform, and God and Christ have purposed not to bestow, the
condition on which alone it is to be made actually theirs, is
unworthy of Christ, and unprofitable to them for whom it is
obtained; which that anything that Christ obtained for the sons
of men should be unto them, is a hard saying indeed. Again; if
God through Christ purpose to save all if they do believe,
because he died for all, and this faith be not purchased by
Christ, nor are men able of themselves to believe, how comes it
to pass that any are saved?
[If
it be answered], “God bestows faith on some, not on
others,” I reply, Is this distinguishing grace purchased for
those some comparatively, in respect of those that are passed by
without it? If it be, then did not Christ die equally for all,
for he died that some might have faith, not others; yea, in
comparison, he cannot be said to die for those other some at all,
not dying that they might have faith, without which he knew that
all the rest would be unprofitable and fruitless. But is it? not
purchased for them by Christ? Then have those that be saved no
more to thank Christ for than those that are damned; which were
strange, and contrary to Revelation 1:5, 6,
“Unto
him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father,”
etc.
For
my part, I do conceive that Christ hath obtained salvation for
men, not upon condition if they would receive it, but so fully
and perfectly that certainly they should receive it. He purchased
salvation, to be bestowed on them that do believe; but withal
faith, that they might believe. Neither can it be objected, that,
according to our doctrine, God requires any thing of men that
they cannot do, yea, faith to believe in Christ: for, —
First, Commands do not signify what is God’s intention
should be done, but what is our duty to do; which may be made
known to us whether we be able to perform it or not: it
signifieth no intention or purpose of God.
Secondly,
For the promises which are proposed together with the command to
believe: — First, they do not hold out the intent and
purpose of God, that Christ should die for us if we do believe;
which is absurd, — that the act should be the constituter of
its own object, which must be before it, and is presupposed to be
before we are desired to believe it: nor, secondly, the purpose
of God that the death of Christ should be profitable to as if we
do believe; which we before confuted: but, thirdly, only that
faith is the way to salvation which God hath appointed; so that
all that do believe shall undoubtedly be saved, these two things,
faith and salvation, being inseparably linked together, as shall
be declared.
Arg.
4. If all mankind be, in and by the eternal purpose of God,
distinguished into two sorts and conditions, severally and
distinctly described and set forth in the Scripture, and Christ
be peculiarly affirmed to die for one of these sorts, and nowhere
for them of the other, then did he not die for all; for of the
one sort he dies for all and every one, and of the other for no
one at all. But, — First, There is such a discriminating
distinguishment among men, by the eternal purpose of God, as
those whom he “loves” and those whom he
“hates,” Romans 9:13; whom he “knoweth,” and
whom he “knoweth not :” John 10:14, “I know my
sheep;” 2 Timothy 2:19, “The Lord knoweth them that are
his;” Romans 8:29, “Whom he did foreknow;” Romans
11:2, “His people which he foreknew;” “I know you
not,” Matthew 25:12: so John 13:18, “I Speak not of you
all; I know whom I have chosen.” Those that are appointed to
life and glory, and those that are appointed to and fitted for
destruction, — “elect” and “reprobate;”
those that were “ordained to eternal life,” and those
who “before were of old ordained to condemnation:” as
Ephesians 1:4 , “He hath chosen us in him;” Acts 13:48,
“Ordained to eternal life;” Romans 8:30,
“Whom
he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called,
them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also
glorified.”
So
on the other side, 1 Thessalonians 5:9,
“God
hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation;”
Romans
9:18-21,
“He
hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he
hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find
fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art
thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him
that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter
power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel to
honor, and another to dishonor?”
Jude
4, “Ordained to this condemnation 2 Peter 2:12, “Made
to be taken and destroyed;” “Sheep and goats,”
Matthew 25:32; John 10 passim. Those on whom he hath
“mercy,” and those whom he “hardeneth,”
Romans 9:18. Those that are his “peculiar people” and “the
children of promise,” that are “not of the world,”
his “church;” and those that, in opposition to them,
are “the world,” “not prayed for,” “not
his people:” as Titus 2:14; Galatians 4:28; John 15:19,
17:9; Colossians 1:24; John 9:52; Hebrews 2:10, 12, 13. Which
distinction of men is everywhere ascribed to the purpose, will,
and good pleasure of God: Proverbs 16:4,
“The
Lord hath made all things for himself, even the wicked for the
day of evil.”
Matthew
9:25, 26,
“I
thank thee, O Father, because thou hast hid these things from the
wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so,
Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.”
Romans
9:11, 12,
“The
children being not yet born, neither having done any good or
evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand,
not of works, but of him that calleth; it was said unto her, The
elder shall serve the younger.”
Romans
9:16, 17,
“So
then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but
of God that showeth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh,
Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might
show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared
throughout all the earth.”
chap.
8:28-30,
“Who
are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren.
Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom
he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified them he
also glorified.”
So
that the first part of the proposition is clear from the
Scripture.
Now, Christ is said expressly and punctually to die for them on the one side: for his “people,” Matthew 1:21; his “sheep,” John 10:11, 14; his “church,” Acts 20:28, Ephesians 5:25, as distinguished from the world, Romans 5:8, 9, John 11:51, 52; his “elect,” Romans 8:32- 34; his “children,” Hebrews 2:12, 13; — as before more at large. Whence we may surely conclude that Christ died not for all and every one, — to wit, not for those he “never knew,” whom he “hateth,” whom he “hardeneth,” on whom he “will not show mercy,” who “were before of old ordained to condemnation;” in a word, for a reprobate, for the world, for which he would not pray. That which some except, that though Christ be said to die for his “sheep,” for his “elect,” his “chosen,” yet he is not said to die for them only, — that term is nowhere expressed, is of no value; for is it not without any forced interpretation, in common sense, and according to the usual course of speaking, to distinguish men into two such opposite conditions as elect and reprobate, sheep and goats, and then affirm that he died for his elect, [is it not] equivalent to this, he died for his elect only? Is not the sense as clearly restrained as if that restrictive term had been added? Or is that term always added in the Scripture in every indefinite assertion, which yet must of necessity be limited and restrained as if it were expressly added? as where our Savior saith, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” John 14:6, — he doth not say that he only is so, and yet of necessity it must be so understood. As also in that, Colossians 1:19, “It pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell;” — he doth not express the limitation “only,” and yet it were no less than blasphemy to suppose a possibility of extending the affirmation to any other. So that this exception, notwithstanding this argument, is, as far as I can see, unanswerable; which also might be farther urged by a more large explication of God’s purpose of election and reprobation, showing how the death of Christ was a means set apart and appointed for the saving of his elect, and not at all undergone and suffered for those which, in his eternal counsel, he did determine should perish for their sins, and so never be made partakers of the benefits thereof. But of this more must be spoken, if the Lord preserve us, and give assistance for the other part of this controversy, concerning the cause of sending Christ.
Arg.
5. That is not to be asserted and affirmed which the
Scripture doth not anywhere go before us in; but the Scripture
nowhere saith Christ died for all men, much less for all and
every man (between which two there is a wide difference, as shall
be declared): therefore, this is not to be asserted. It is true,
Christ is said to give his life “a ransom for all,” but
nowhere for all men. And because it is affirmed expressly in
other places that he died for many, for his church, for them that
believe, for the children that God gave him, for us, some of all
sorts, though not expressly, yet clearly in terms equivalent,
Revelation 5:9, 10, it must be clearly proved that where all is
mentioned, it cannot be taken for all believers, all his elect,
his whole church, all the children that God gave him, some of all
sorts, before a universal affirmative can be thence concluded.
And if men will but consider the particular places, and contain
themselves until they have done what is required, we shall be at
quiet, I am persuaded, in this business.