of that assertion, "For the scripture saith, every one that believeth in him shall not be ashamed, for there is no distinction of Jew nor Gentile; for the same Lord of all is rich unto all that call upon him: for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." ~ Now is not this God the Lord of all men in particular? When therefore it is said, that he is rich to all that call upon him,' doth not this suppose that all who have the knowledge of him may thus call upon him; and that upon their doing And then must he not have

so, they may be saved through Christ? died for their salvation? Moreover the apostle saith not, there is no distinction in this matter betwixt THE ELECT of Jews or Gentiles, but betwixt JEW AND GENTILE in general. Now limit this to A SMALL REMNANT both of Jews and Gentiles, who only are in a capacity of being justified by faith in Christ, and calling upon him so as to be saved, whilst all the residue of Jews and Gentiles, to whom the same remission of sins is preached, are left incapable of this justification and salvation by that Jesus who never died for them;-is there not a deplorable distinction made betwixt them, as to their eternal interests, even by him who is the same Lord of all, as can be well imagined? I conclude therefore with Ecumenius, that "the apostle here, ò mãoi noivòv tãs χάριτος ἀνακηρύττει, 'declares this is grace common to all."

CHAP. V.

Contains an answer to the pretended arguments from scripture, against the doctrine of universal redemption.

THE arguments against this doctrine of universal redemption rightly stated, founded upon pretence of scripture, are scarce any, not one place being offered, (against those many which in express terms assert it,) saying either expressly, or by plain and immediate consequence, that" Christ DIED NOT for all." Those texts which have the fairest show of an argument have been both fully answered

Verses 11, 12, 13.

and retorted; and for the rest even a short answer is more than they deserve, they being rather a begging of the question than proving it from scripture.

OBJECTION FIRST. "They for whom Christ died may say, "Who shall condemn us?" (Rom. viii. 34.) But all men cannot say this; Ergo, Christ died not for all." Now,

ANSWER FIRST. Is it not evident that this argument supposeth that Christ died for none who shall hereafter be condemned? And must it not hence follow, that none of the unbelieving Jews, among whom Christ preached, shall be condemned for not believing in him, since they can never be obliged to do so for whom he never died, and so will never be the better for believing in him? Now (1.) is not this contrary to the whole tenor of the Gospel, especially to the gospel of St. John, wherein Christ tells them, that "God having sent his Son into the world that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life?" He adds, 'he that believeth not the Son, is condemned already, because he believeth not in the only-begotten Son of God. (2.) Will it not hence follow, that none of the unbelieving world, to whom the apostles preached, shall be condemned for not believing in him? For seeing they preached remission of sins to be obtained through his name, how can they justly be condemned for not believing in him to this end for whom he never died? And why then did our Lord say to his disciples, when he sent them through the world to preach the gospel to every creature, He that believeth not, shall be damned;' or that his Spirit should convince the world of sin, because they believed not in him?"

ANSWER SECOND. There is no such proposition in the scripture as this, that "all for whom Christ died may say, Who shall condemn them?" But only that" the persons there spoken of might say this:" Now they were the sons of God,' (verse 14.) who had received the spirit of adoption, (verses 15, 16.) were heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ, (verse 17.) who had received 'the first-fruits of the Spirit,' (verse 23.) who actually loved God, (verse 28.) and were 'justified' by him. (verse 33.) These elect of God, saith the apostle, may say, 'Who shall condemn us?” (to lie

* John iй. 18,

still under the power of death by virtue of that law which threateneth death to the sinner?) It is Christ that died, (to redeem us from death, and from the condemnation of the law,) so that there is no condemnation to them who are (thus) in Christ Jesus, that is, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.' (verses 1.2.) In a word, all for whom Christ died may say so, upon that faith and repentance which interests them in Christ Jesus; but none for whom Christ died, not the elect themselves, can say so, till they have believed and repented.

II. OBJECTION SECOND. From the thirty second verse of the same chapter they argue thus, "To all those for whom God delivered up his Son, he together with him will freely give all things.' But there are many thousands in the world to whom God will not give all things: Ergo, for none of these didGod deliver up his Son."

ANSWER FIRST. Here it is observable again, that the major proposition is a direct assertion that "Christ died only for those who shall be saved," or the elect only, because to them alone he will give all things; and so it is liable to all the absurdities mentioned in answer to the first objection, and also to these following, viz.

b

FIRST. That God could not equitably require all men every where to repent,' or send his apostles to call the Jews in general "to repent and be baptized, in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins, or that their sins might be blotted out," or to preach to all the Gentiles 'repentance and remission of sins through his name. For what good could this repentance do them? What remission of sins could it procure for all those for whom Christ died not? Yea, hence it follows, that no impenitent person can justly be condemned for dying in his impenitent estate: For, on this supposition, he may fairly plead that Christ not dying for him, his repentance, had he been ever so careful to perform it, must have been in vain, since it could not procure the remission of his sins. If here you say "It is an impossible supposition, that any one, for whom Christ died not, should repent," you only strengthen this his plea, enabling him to say he is condemned and perisheth for want of that repentance which, from his birth to his dying day, it was impossible for him to perform.

SECONDLY. Hence it must follow that God could not equitably require of them for whom Christ died not, obedience to the laws of Christ; since that obedience, could they be ever so willing or so industrious to perform it, could not avail for the remission of their sins, it being only an interest in the blood of Christ which cleanseth even the righteous from all sin: They therefore cannot be condemned for loving darkness more than light,' that is, than Christ the true light, seeing he never could be truly offered to them who never died for them: Nor can that rationally be said to be despised by auy, or postponed to any other thing, which never was proposed to them as their option, and which it never was in their power to chuse or to embrace; they therefore cannot reasonably be damned for not receiving the truth in the love of it, that they might be saved, who never had a Saviour dying for them, and therefore never were in a capacity of receiving the truth, so as that they might be saved by it.

ANSWER SECOND. There is no such proposition in scripture as this," to all those for whom God delivered up his Son, he will give all things;" the scripture cited respects only 'us,' that is, those who are the adopted sons of God,' who have the Spirit dwelling in them, and who truly love God; to such God will give all things, that is, all the blessings of the new covenant, because they have performed the conditions of that covenant.

III. OBJECTION THIRD. "They who by the death of Christ are reconciled to God, shall be saved by his life.' (Rom. v. 9.) If therefore all men are reconciled to God by the death of Christ, all must be saved by his life. But all will not be saved by him:

Ergo."

ANSWER FIRST. This objection doth again suppose, that "Christ died to reconcile no man to God who shall not be saved;" whence it must follow, (1.) that no man can be condemned at the last day for neglecting the great salvation tendered to or purchased for him, Christ having neither purchased for nor offered to them any salvation, unless he offered to them that salvation which he never died to purchase for them. (2.) Hence it must follow, that all who are not saved never had any Saviour or Redeemer, since he who died not for them could be no Saviour or Redeemer to them, and so they never were in a capacity to sin against a Saviour; nor can their sins be aggravated by this consideration,

that they are committed against redeeming love! Both which are palpable absurdities, confuted by the whole tenor of the gospel, and almost by every sermon that we preach.

ANSWER SECOND. The conclusion of this argument, "all that are reconciled to Christ shall be saved," may be true; but it is not true that all for whom Christ died are reconciled to God, but only that Christ died for them when sinners, unjust, ungodly, that he might bring them to God, and to engage and to encourage them to believe in him that they might be justified. Hence the apostle speaks first of 'Christ's dying for the ungodly,' when they were yet without strength, and for sinners not yet justified; and then adds, that if God were so kind as to send his Son, to die for us in this state, much more being justified (by faith, verse 1.) in his blood, we shall be saved by him from the wrath of God, ei vap ¿×açà òvres, for if being before AT ENMITY with God, we have been reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more shall we be saved by his life. By the death of his Son,' that is, by that faith in it by which we being justified have peace with God, and so have access by faith in him to the grace and favour of God. And this exposition is certain from this consideration, that God never justifies any but through faith in Christ; nor is he ever reconciled to any whom he did not justify. It is therefore certain, that he never sent his Son to purchase actual reconciliation for any; but conditionally,-if and when they believed, he that believeth not in him is condemned already, because he believeth not in the Son of God:' It is therefore certain he died for the unbeliever, and yet he is not actually reconciled to God or justified, because it is only by faith that we are justified, and being justified, have peace with God.

с

IV. OBJECTION FOURTH." Those for whom Christ died he loved with the greatest love, this being a testimony of the greatest love: But thus he loved not all, for he applies not the salutary effects of his death to all: Ergo, he died not for all."

ANSWER FIRST. Here again it is plainly supposed, that Christ died for none who shall not actually enjoy the salutary fruits of his death, that is, who shall not actually be saved; whence it must follow, that only the elect are or can be guilty of sinning against the love of God in Christ Jesus.

c John xv. 13.