Defense of the Synod of Dort, Chapter 2 · Defense 4 – Adversary 5
DEFENCE.
FIrst, I here acknowledge, that the death of Christ (beingAct. 20. 2…. Rom. 5. 10. God) is in it selfe sufficient for all, and every person in the world; and so might hauehave been an effectuall price for all, if it had pleased the Father, and him so to hauehave ordained. But that it was the Fathers purpose in giving his Son, or his in giving himself to the death, to pay the price of the sins of the whole world, and of every particular person therin, and to satisfy Gods justice for the same, we deny, and they in vaine go about to prov. That Christ dyed for sinners, and the ungodly, and such as were dead, Rom. 5. 6. 8, we grant, as being the Apostles assertion; but that he dyed for all such, is their bold addition; and (which is worse) plainly against the drift of the place. The Apostle having before treated at large of justification by faith, shews in this chapter the singular benefit acrewing therby to the faithfull, as peace with God, accesse into grace, rejoycing in hope of the glory of God, and that also in tribulation: that their tribulation working patience, their patience experience of Gods power, and grace in sustaining them; that experience, hope that they should never be confounded, as having such assurance of the louelove of God in their hearts by the Holy Ghost given of God unto them. The ground of all which hee layeth, v. 6. 8, for that Christ dyed for them being ungodly and sinners: and thereby appropriates this dying of Christ unto these sinners, who are in their time thus justified by faith, hauehave peace with God, &c. which limitation the Apostle most plainely makes, where he sai…h; For when we were yet without strength, Ver. 6. 8.God commendeth his louelove towards us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us. He speaks of them, and them alone in this plaee, as dyed for by Christ, who were justified by him. And let me here turn into the very bowels of these mens errour, the sword of the spirit, which the Apostle, in this place, puts into mine hand; and proue briefly, but evidently, that Christ dyed not for all and every person, as is said; but onelyonly for them, and for all them who in the end are saved, and obtain eternall life by him. These men (and rightly) in this very place, make it all one, for Christ to die for sinners, and toPag. 45. be their reconciliation: as the Apostle makes them all one who are justified by faith, and for whom Christ dyed. Shall we then make doubt to conclude with the Apostle, that they which are justified by Christ bloud (which are the sinners for whom hee dyed, v. 9,) shall be saved from wrath through him, v. 9, or that they which are reconciled to God by the death of his Son (that is, say they, for whom he dyed) shall much more be saved by his life? For which purpose also hee after enters into comparison of the first, and second Adam, shewing, that as by the offence of one all were dead: so by the righteousnesse of one, the gift Ver. 15. 16. 17.of grace should abound to many, or to all: by which gift afterwards he shews himselfe to mean both justification, and reigning in life. He puts the two Adams as two common roots, the former as a naturall root, and the latter as a spirituall; and affirms, that all that were, and are, in the former, and naturally growing of him dyed by his sin: and proportionably, that all in the latter, liue by his righteousnes. I say, that were in the first Adam; for Eve, though she were of mankind, yet dyed not by Adams sin, because she was not in him, when he sinned; neither yet Christ, as man, not coming of him by naturall generation, but by miraculous operation of the Holy Ghost. So on the contrary, they (and onelyonly they) who by faith are planted in Christ, and justified by his bloud, shall be saved Vers 9. Vers. 17.from wrath through him, and receiving of the gift of righteousness, shall raign in life by him.
The Apostles meaning therefore is not, that Christ died for all particulars, but that all for whom he dyed, shall be saved by him: which seeing all are not; it followeth that he dyed not for all, as they mean.
For the right interpretation of 2. Cor. 5. 14. 15. For the louelove of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one dyed for all, then were all dead; and that he dyed for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselues, but unto him which dyed for them, and r…se again: and of many the like places, the common and true rule must hauehave place; that note of universalitie, as all whatsoever, and the like, must be restrained to the matterIoh. 14, 13. 1 Ioh. 5. 14 Math. 23. 3 Act. 2. 4…. in hand: as, Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that I will doe: that is, whatsoever according to my will. So, whatsoever they (the Pharisees) bid you doe, that doe: to wit, accord…ng to Moses. So, they that beleeved, had all things common that is, all things lawfull, and for nec…ssitie. Likewise, Luk. 4. 1. All the world should be taxed, that is, a…l under Caesar: which a great part of the world was not. So All things are lawful for me, and I become all to all: that is, not all absolutely, but all things in themselves indifferent, and of that kinde, of which the Apostle speakes. I then answer, that by all in this place, he means all of that sort, of whom he speakes: all, whom the louelove of Christ constrained: all, that so judge of Christs death: all, that were dead; that is, were dead, but are aliue by grace, and so should not henceforth live to themselues, but unto him which died for them: Christ that one Mediator, died for all them.
To 1. Tim. 2. 6. Christ gave himselfe a ransom for all. We answer, that by all is not meant all particulars in the world, but all sorts of people, as well Kings (which many Christians, considering their cruell hatred of Christ, and other enormities, thought rather to be prayed against, then for) as others. The Apostle here informes them better, and that Christ dyed for all, and would hauehave all, that is, men of all sorts saved, even Kings as well as others. It is not possible for any Christian to pray for every particular person in the world: norLuk. 13. 23. 24. 1. Ioh. 1. 15 Math. 7. 6. 2. Tim. 4. 14. lawfull to pray that God would saue all in generall: seeing we know by the Scriptures, that all shall not be saved, and are also forbidden to pray for some in particular.
The Apostle 1 Tim. 4. 10. speaks not of Christs dying for all men, but of Gods saving of all men, specially them that beleev, If he speak of salvation by Christs death, God should save unbeleevers so living and dying: for he sayth not that God would be, but that God is the saviour of all men. He speaks apparantly of Gods providence over all, preserving good and bad; yea saving man and beast; specially them who suffer reproch, Psal. 36. 7.because they trust in the living God. To conclude, Those for whom Christ died, he died alike for: and therefore not specially for any, aboue others, but alike for all, for whom he dyed.
To 1. Ioh. 2. 2. I answer, that he speakes not onelyonly of Christ, as dying for us, but also as he is our Advocate in heaven Vers. 1. 3.with the Father, propitiating, or pacifying his anger towards us in procuring actually the forgivenesse of our sinnes, and acceptance with him. By the whole world therefore he understands such as confess their sins, such as whose sins God forgivs, Chap. 1. 9.cleansing them from all unrighteousness, such as have Christ their Advocate with the father, for whose sins he is a propitiation, &c. which are onelyonly the faithfull, and that not onelyonly of the Iewes intended in these words, and not for ours onelyonly, but of the Gentiles also, as the whole world, here and els where by Christ and the Apostles opposed to the Iewes. Mark. 16. 15. Iohn 3. 16. specially Rom. 11. 12. where (as here) by the world, is meant the beleeving Gentiles obtaining salvation, opposed to the Iewes. And this our limitation in just proportion, the very next place cited by our adversari…s, confirmeth: The whole world lyeth in wickednesse, 1. Ioh. 5. 19. that is, all such Iewes and Gentiles as are not born of God, v. 20. not Iohn, or other beleevers, one or other.
The Apostle Peter, 2. Epist. 3. 9. speaks not at all of Christs death, but of Gods patience, that none might perish, but all repent. By which all he means all the elect which were in their time to repent, and so to be saved: for whose sakes, and not in slackness, as the mockers accounted, he deferred his judgments. Reve. 6. 11. we hauehave this poynt notably exemplified. And it was sayd unto them▪ that they should rest yet for a little season, untill their fellow servants also, and their brethren that should be killed, as they were should be fu…filled. For which purpose it must be minded, that Peter sayth, The Lord is long suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish, opposing us as the elect, to the reprobate Scoffers at God, both in his word and works.
The last place being 2. Chron. 36. 16. is impertinent, as neither meant of Christs death (of which the question is) nor of mans salvation by it; but of a bodily and visible judgement: in which kind of works God tieth himself to no certain form of proceeding.
Against their error of universall redemption by Christs death, I thus argue: Them whom God and Christ love (to wit,Ioh. 13, 1. with that speciall louelove of mercy) they love unto the end; andIoh. 3. 16. therefore never come to hate them as they do the wicked and damned. But, for whomsoever Christ dyed, God in giving his Rom. 5. 6.Sonne, and he in giving himselfe to the death for them, love with the most speciall love of mercy that can be: Therefore they for whom Christ died, never perish, but in time hauehave wrought in them faith and repentance, and are kept in the same, by the power of God to life. Christ therefore dyed effectually, and in his, and his fathers intention of love, for them onelyonly that are saved, and perish not. This is also more manifest Ioh. 17. whence may be drawn many arguments to prove that all for whom Christ died, are saved, seeing all that are given to Christ of the Father, keep the word of God, and hauehave eternall life given them by him, Now it cannot be denyed, but that all for whom Christ dyed, are given him of the Father, that he might redeem and save them by his death. Furthermore, the death and bloodshed of Christ is every where called the price of our redemption, and a ransome for sinners. VponUpon this holy foundation most clearly layd in the Scriptures, these men, and1 Cor. 6. 20▪ 1 Tim. 2. 6. Mat. 20▪ 25▪ Ephes. 1. 7. others would build a more hatefull Babell then that of old in the East: by which they would, as it were, scale heaven, and depriue God of divers his most glorious Attributes; by name, his Wisdom, his Power, and his Iustice. His wisdom they …mpeach in affirming, that he would buy with so rich & precious a price as the bloud and death of his onelyonly begotten Son, that, and them whom he certainly knew before, he should never possesse by it, for that end, for which he bought them, their justification, sanctification, and salvation. Secondly it impeacheth Gods power, and makes him unable, doe he what he can, to save any more then he doth save, though he desire it never so much. For look, for whom he would do the greatest thing that possibly he could, which was the giving of his onelyonly begotten and beloved Sonne to the cursed death of the crosse, for them and their salvation (without all doubt) hee he will doe whatseever other good (as lesse) that possibly he can. Whereupon it should follow that God cannot possibly give the Gospell to more then he doth, and by it convert and confirm them to and in his grace, which are lesse things then the former; it being the foundation, they, but the building upon it: it being the meritorious, and deserving cause… and they effects thereof. Thirdly, this conceit makes God unjust, in taking a full price and ransom for mens sins, at the hands of their surety Christ (as was his death and obedience) and yet not resting satisfied with it, but exacting the debt of their sinnes at their hands, by eternall punishment; which is the condition of many thousands in the world.
ADVERSARIES.
OTher things follow, tending to prove Gods purpose to save Pag. 45.all, even such as slew Christ, blasphemed and resisted the spirit of God, to their condemnation, &c. Act. 3. 25. 26. & 5. 30. 31. & 7. 51. & 13. 46. & 15. 6.