Universal Redemption of Mankind, Chapter 7 · Argument 1
Argum. I.
If all men have a Conditional Pardon, Juſtification, Adoption and Right to Glory, given to them by the New Teſtament, then Chriſt ſuffered and ſatisfied for all. But the Antecedent is true, therefore ſo is the conſequent. I add by way of Explication, that the Condition is no Natural impoſſibility, or unreaſonable thing; but Faith in Chriſt, or the accepting of the good that is beſtowed and offered them; which is ſuch a condition that many Learned Divines (who incline to the Antinomian way) ſay it is no condition, but it is equivalent to an abſolute gift; and that it is ſo Naturally neceſſary that in the moſt abſolute gift, acceptance is ſtill ſuppoſed; and that it is all one to ſay [I will give thee this benefit] and [I will give it thee if thou wilt take it.] I am not of their mind, as to the caſe in hand; but hereby it may appear how reaſonable Gods condition is, when Learned Men do take his gift to be abſolute or equivalent.
The Antecedent is proved by multitudes of expreſs Texts of Scripture, John 3. 16. God ſo loved the World that he gave, &c. That whoſoever believeth, &c. 1 John 5. 10, 11. He that believeth not God hath made him a Lyar, becauſe he believeth not the reccord that God gave of his Son. And this is the record; that God hath given to us Eternal Life, and this Life is in his Son: He that hath the Son hath Life, and he that hath not the Son hath not Life. Mark 16. 15, 16. Go ye into all the World and Preach the Goſpel to every Creature: He that Beeth and is Baptized ſhall be ſaved, but he that believeth not ſhall be damned. John 7. 37, 38. If any man thirſt let him come to me and Drink: He that believeth on me, &c. Acts 13. 39. By him all that believe are Justified, &c. Acts 16. 31. Believe on the Lord Jeſus and thou ſhalt be ſaved. Rom. 3. 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. Whom God hath ſet forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his Blood, to declare, &c. That he might be the Juſtifier of him that believeth in Jeſus. Rom 4. 24. To whom it ſhall be imputed if we believe, &c. Rom. 10. 6, 7, 8, 9. But the Righteouſneſs which is of Faith ſpeaketh on this wi…e, &c. That if thou ſhalt confeſs with thy mouth the Lord Jeſus, and ſhalt believe in thy Heart that God raiſed him from the Dead, thou ſhalt be ſaved. Rev. 22. 17. Whoſoever will, let him take the Water of Life freely, Act. 10. 43. 1 Pet. 2. 6. John 5. 24. and 6. 35. 40, 47. and 7. 38. with many the like.
Where note that theſe are in ſeveral reſpects called a Gift, a Promiſe, and an Offer. They are Chriſts Teſtament, and ſo properly his Deed of Gift, and do confer Right to the mentioned Benefits, conditionally firſt, and actual, and abſolute when the condition is performed. And this is the principal conſideration of them, that they are the Premiant act of the New Law, and the Teſtament of Chriſt, and his Deed of Gift. They are an Offer of Chriſt and theſe benefits, when they are applyed by promulgation to particular Sinners: And this Application or Offer is either by the mee… terms of the Written Deed of Gift in Scripture; or elſe by the further proclamation by Chriſts Miniſters and Officers. In the former ſence, the Gift and the Offer are materially the ſame; but formally it is firſt Gods Conveyance or Deed of Gift, and then afterward in order of Nature, it is his Offer. It is Gods Written Inſtrument conſtituting a Conditional Right to Chriſt and his Benefits; but ſuch an inſtrument is a proper Conveyance or Deed of Gift. And the conditional Right muſt be conſtituted before it can be offered: Or elſe the Offer ſhould be an act without its Object. But in regard of Actual Abſolute Right, the offer is antecedent, and ſuppoſeth the thing offered not to be his to whom it is offered; but that the Condition of Acceptance muſt firſt be performed. Yea every man that is the owner himſelf who doth ſeriouſly offer a benefit to any man, without any meritorious or retaliating condition, but meerly to be accepted, doth Eodem actu, convey or give Right to that Benefit on the ſaid condition. Now God doth offer his Son, 1. By his Written Inſtrument or Word, which muſt needs be his own act, and conſequently his Gift as well as offer. 2. By his Meſſengers, whoſe act is morally his own act, in that he hath bid them ſay what they ſay, and commanded them to proclaim it to every Creature. It is called a Promiſe, not in reſpect to the Conditional Right but the Abſolute, becauſe it promiſeth them that if they will accept Chriſt he ſhall be theirs with his benefits. And it doth not Promiſe that God will perform any other Natural Act for Conveiance of the benefit; but that by that ſame promiſing Inſtrument the Right ſhall be conveyed.
2. It is undeniable that this gift, offer or promiſe [If thou wilt believe thou ſhalt be ſaved] or [Whoſoever will, let him take, &c.] is, made to unbelievers, as the Subject. We may not ſay to a Believer [If thou wilt believe thou ſhalt be ſaved] Except we ſpeak of the continuance or renewal of Faith. It is properly to Unbelievers that God offers or gives Chriſt, ſo be it they will accept his gift. Now if it be to unbelievers, then it muſt needs be to all, Elect, and Non-elect: For the Promiſe makes no difference, nor the Miniſter knows no difference: God ſaith not [Thou Elect perſon ſhalt be ſaved if thou believe] For then no Man could apply the promiſe, nor know whether he have warrant to believe, as not knowing whether he be Elect: But he ſaith to any Man [If thou wilt believe thou ſhalt be ſaved.]
3. Either Chriſt and his benefits are given conditionally (on condition of believing) to all or to none. To the Non-elect, or not to the Elect. But rhey are given to ſome, even to the Elect: Therefore to all. The Major is evident in the tenour of the promiſe. 1. It is Univerſal, [Whoſoever will] [Whoſoeve believeth] It is no where limited to the Elect. 2. If it were limited to the Elect, it were uſeleſs, becauſe none could know before believing whether he be Elect. Indeed the thing promiſed is proper to the Elect, and ſo is the Effectual, Actual, Donation, or Conveyance of Right by the promiſe: But that is not (as to the Senſe of the promiſe) as they are Elect but as believers, or performers of the condition: And in this Sence only Believers are Heirs of the promiſe, that is, its effectual conveying act, and ſo to the thing promiſed.
But the Great doubt is of the Minor with ſome. For they deny that Chriſt is given conditionally to any Unbeliever Elect or not Elect; but only is decreed for the Elect before time, and given to Believers in time. The Sence is; that there is no conditional promiſe or deed of Gift, but all abſolute. For if it be made only to Men that do believe, their firſt believing cannot be the condition; and if it be made on condtion of Firſt believing, it is made to Men that do not yet believe. But the main Scope of the Goſpel proves the Minor, by proving the conditional Gift, or promiſe: As the Texts even now cited, among others. Where note (to put it out of doubt) 1. That the time of Gods enacting this Law, or making this Teſtament, Gift or promiſe, was before we were born and therefore before we believed. 2. that in its nature, it firſt ſpeaks to unbelievers as its Subject. For who will offer a gift to us to be accepted that it may be ours, if we have accepted it already? Nay how can it be accepted before it is offered? And how can we conſent to have Chriſt and ſo be united to him, except he firſt give himſelf to us on condition that we will conſent? 3. Note, that the promiſe is made in moſt proper conditional terms [If thou confeſs with thy Mouth and believe in thy heart, Rom. 10.] That whoſoever believeth ſhould not periſh, &c. 4. And alſo note that faith hath here the Definition of a condition agreeing to it, i. e. It is an Arbitrary act on which the free Donour hath ſuſpended the efficacy of his Teſtament or Deed of Gift. (It is Arbitrary conditions that we have here to ſpeak of, which ſome call Poteſtative: And not caſual, or mixt.) So to ſuſpend the effect of the Inſtrument, that hoc poſito efficiet, & donec ponatur non efficiet, that upon the doing or not doing, the Effect ſhall follow or not follow, and this by the Poſitive ordination of the Donor is the very eſſence of a Condition in Law-ſence. And ſuch …s Faith. And what Divine, except Antinomians, doth deny Faith to be the Condition? And if it be ſo, then the Promiſe or Conditional Gift, muſt needs be made to Unbelievers (that it may become effectual when they believe:) For it can be no condition in this proper ſence, if it be paſt already. And therefore it muſt needs be made to all Unbelievers ſeeing Scripture limitteth it not to any, but ſpeaketh; univerſally. Inded it is a very hard queſtionhow far the promulgation may be ſaid to be Univerſal, and how far not: But that is nothing againſt the Univerſality of the Tenor of the Law or Gift. And the command to the Promulgators is, [Go into all the World and Preach the Goſpel to every Creature.
Next let us prove the conſequence of the Major Propoſition; and that thus. The thing conditionally given is Pardon purchaſed by Chriſts Blood, ſhed for the Sinner to whom it is Given: Therefore the gift preſuppoſeth the ſhedding of his Blood for that Sinner.
The Antecedent hath two branches to be proved. 1. That the Pardon conditionally given to all, is a pardon purchaſed by Chriſts Blood. 2. That it is by Chriſts blood as ſhed for him to whom that pardon is given. For the firſt, there is no Pardon given any other way but by Chriſts blood ſhed, therefore this is from his Bloodſhed.
1. If there be Remiſſion which is not purchaſed by Chriſts blood ſhed, then there are two diſtinct ways of Remiſſion; one by his blood, and another without. But the conſequent is falſe. Ergo, &c.
2. If there be a remiſſion without Chriſts bloodſhed, then all remiſſion might have been without it. But the conſequent is falſe, elſe Chriſt Dyed needleſly.
3. Heb. 9. 22. Without ſhedding of Blood there is no Remiſſion.
4. Heb. 9. 16. [For where a Teſtament is, there muſt alſo of neceſſity be the Death of the Teſtator.] But this conditional Gift is Chriſts Teſtament: So ver. 15. [For this cauſe he is the Mediator of the new Teſtament, that by means of Death for the Redemption of the Tranſgreſſions that were under the firſt Teſtament, they which are called might receive the promiſe of Eternal Inheritants;] viz. all that are external…y called receive the conditional Promiſe, and Believers the thing promiſed.
5. Luke 24. 46, 47. [It behoved Chriſt to …uffer and Riſe from the Dead the third day, and …hat Repentance and Remiſſion of Sins ſhould be reached in his name among all Nations, &c.] …o that even Remiſſion Preached, that is, offered …n condition of repentance, (and Faith) preſuppoſeth Chriſts Death as the Cauſe.
6. In the Inſtitution of his Supper, he calleth …e Cup, the New Teſtament in his Blood, that this ſignifieth my Blood which procureth the …ew Teſtament. Now none ſure dare ſay that the …omiſe of Pardon and Life on condition of Be…ving is not the New Teſtament either whole or …t.
7. And therefore it is called the Blood of the …venant (even to them that tread it under …t) Heb. 10. 29. and 13. 20. Zech. 9. 11.
8. Juſtification is by Chriſts Blood, Rom. 5. 9. [Being Juſtified by his Blood.] But Juſtification is the Effect of this Conditional Covenant or Gift, (when the Condition is performed;) therefore the effect of this Covenant is from Chriſts blood, and conſequently the Covenant it ſelf which is an intermediate cauſe. Though there be other ſorts of Juſtification, yet that this is one, and the firſt, is undenyable.
9. Actual Remiſſion to Believers is from Chriſts Blood; Eph. 1. 7. In whom we have Redemption through his Blood the remiſſion of Sins, Col. 1. 14.) therefore conditional remiſſion to unbelievers is from his Blood. The reaſon of the conſequence is, that Chriſt procureth the Effect of Juſtification or Remiſſion not immediately by his Blood as ſhed, but by procuring the Covenant or Promiſe as the immediate Cauſe, and the effect by that Cauſe; and it is the ſame Gift o… Covenant which conditionally Juſtifieth all, and actually Juſtifieth Believers; and that without any other …tervening act of God: When the condition is performed (whoſe Nature is to ſuſpend the Effect) then the effect reſulteth from tha… ſame Promiſe, which before did not effect. Indeed Chriſt giveth his Spirit to cauſé his Own t… perform the condition; but ſtill the juſtifying a… is by the conditional Covenant. If therefore i… be the ſame promiſe which effectually juſtifie… the Elect, and only conditionally juſtifieth othe… and Chriſts Blood cauſeth that promiſe which e… fectually juſtifieth the Elect, then his Blo… cauſed that promiſe which conditionally juſtifie… all. John 3. 16. God ſo loved the World, that he g… his only begotten Son (1. For men on the Cr… 2. To men by the promiſe,) that whoſoever believe. &c. So that this conditional grant of Life comes from the giving of Chriſt to Death.
And for the ſecond part of the Antecedent, viz. That it is from Chriſts Blood as ſhed for him to whom the Promiſe is made. And 1. Ab …nefficacia, Chriſts Dying for one man, cannot procure theſe great benefits to another. It cannot have cauſality as to ſuch an effect. God doth not forgive Thomas becauſe Chriſt Dyed for Peter▪ 2. A non neceſſitate. There was a neceſſity of Chriſts Death (as is before proved) to the procuring of this pardon. But there was no neceſſity for procuring pardon to one man, that Chriſt ſhould Die for another; therefore the neceſſity was that he Dyed for the perſon himſelf. 3. If Chriſts Death were not neceſſary to the conditional pardoning of the Non-elect, (but that God doth it without Chriſts Dying for them; then it was not neceſſary for the conditional pardoning of the Elect, but God might have done it without Chriſts Dying for them: But the Conſequent is …alſe, therefore ſo is the Antecedent. The Major is plain in that there is the ſame reaſon both as to their Sin and Caſe, and Remiſſion.
1. The Sins of the Elect did not differ from …hoſe of the Non-elect, ſo as that they more …eeded a ſatisfactory Expiation.
2 They were both under the ſame Law, …urſe and Wrath of God.
3. The Deed of Gift, or Promiſe which re…itteth one, is the ſame with that which remitteth the other. The Minor is plain, for if any …ould ſay, that without Chriſts Death, God …ight conditionally have pardoned all Elect and Non-elect; but not Actually. I Anſwer. 1. Then Chriſt ſhould Die only to purchaſe Faith: (which is falſe.) For God doth perform no new act to make the conditional Gift become actual, but only the giving of Grace to believe and ſo perform the condition. 2. Then God might have made this new Law and Covenant of Grace, [Believe and be pardoned and ſaved] or [Whoſoever will let him take the Water of Life freely] without any expiatory Sacrifice or Satisfaction by Chriſt; which, 1. So contradicteth it ſelf, (ſeeing the thing given is a Dead revived Saviour with his Benefits; and therefore it cannot be given which is not.) 2. And ſo ſubverteth Chriſtianity it ſelf, that I think I need not ſpend more words on it.
Only I add this (which is of conſiderable moment,) that on the contrary, the great neceſſity and ends of Chriſts Death are in reſpect to God as Rector per leges, and not as Dominus abſolutus, or benefactor merè arbitrarius: God received no addition of Love, or Goodwill, nor of Wiſdom, or Natural Power by Chriſts Death: But he received a Reparation of his honour as Legiſlator, and a Moral Power (conſiſting in Convenient… rei efficiendae) to pardon ſin by making a general act of pardon to all that will accept the Redeemer and his Benefits. So that the proper uſe of Chriſts Death was to be an Expiatory Sacrifice for Sin, offered to God as the offended Rector. And therefore the New Law or Covenant of Grace which followeth hereupon (giving Chriſt and Pardon to all that will Receive him) muſt needs be the proper effect of Chriſts Death. Whereas Faith is given rather by God as Dominus Abſolutu… arbitrarily doing good to his Creature, then as Legiſlator; and is ſaid to be purchaſed by Chriſts Death but in a more remote ſenſe (as ſhall anon be ſhewed.): ſo that to deny this Conditional Gift, Covenant or Promiſe to be the fruit of Chriſts ſatisfaction, is to deny a very great part of the fruit of it; and tantum non to make Chriſt to dye in vain.
The Conſequence needs no proof, Therefore I paſs to the next.