Universal Redemption of Mankind, Chapter 7 · Argument 29
Arg. 29th. A natura Poenae infernalis Privativae.
If Chriſt died not for all (but only for the Elect) then the puniſhment of the damned ſhould not at all conſiſt in a Privation of the But Fruits of Chriſts Sacrifice (or ſatisfaction.) the puniſhment of the damned (at leaſt many, if not all) will conſiſt in a privation of the Fruits of Chriſts ſatisfaction, Ergo, &c.
For the better underſtanding of the force of this Argument you muſt know, 1. That there may be a Privation of that which we are but in a poſſibility or probability of enjoying, much more if we have a certainty on ſome eaſie, and reaſonable condition; ſpecially if the condition be but the accepting of a free gift; as well as there may be a Privation of what is actually enjoyed. 2. Though ſome that underſtand not the nature of the New Covenant or Law do deny that it hath any peculiar penalty, yet it is a clear truth beyond doubt. For 1. It is an entire law, and therefore doth promiſe and threaten, and conſequently doth premiare & punire reward and puniſh. 2. It is that Law by which we ſhall be judged at the Redeemers bar, and therefore it doth reward and puniſh, that is, conſtitute the dueneſs of rewards and puniſhments: elſe it could not poſſibly be Norma judicii in Abſolution, and condemnation. 3. It is ſaid expreſly, Heb. 10. 22. Of how much ſorer puniſhment ſhall they be thought worthy that tread under Foot the Son of God, &c. And therefore the puniſhment of unbelievers in the New Teſtament is expreſſed to be in unquenchable Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels, whereas the puniſhment of the old Law was expreſſed but by the name of Death, or at leaſt not ſo hideouſly as the other. Not that I am any whit of their opinion that think, there was no actual everlaſting pain threatned by the old Law, but only annihilation: Nor will I conteſt againſt any Man that ſaith, it is only a puniſhment gradually different (as to the poſitive part, and much of the privative) from that of the firſt Law which is threatned by the ſecond: For a gradual natural difference may conſtitute a moral ſpecifical difference: It is but in degree of pain that a prick with a pin differs from Caeſars ſtabs in the Senate Houſe, or from the pulling of a Mans Fleſh of his Back with Nails or hot Pincers. Yet ſome of the privative, and objective of the poſitive torments of the two Laws do differ in ſpecie. For as to the poſitive, the conſciences of the damned ſhall torment them for rejecting a Redeemer, and pardon, Adoption, and Glory with him: But according to the firſt Law, conſcience ſhould only torment Men for caſting away that Life that Adam did enjoy (or if more were promiſed, for not obeying perfectly that they might attain it.) 4. And it is undeniable that this New Law hath a puniſhment privative ſpecifically diſtinct in Natura rei from that of the old Law. That is, the privation of Chriſt as their Head, and of pardon, juſtification by him, Adoption by him, and Salvation from deſerved miſery, beſide, the loſs of a greater promiſed glory, yea and a ſecond loſs of their firſt happineſs. If any therefore ſhall ſay, that becauſe Men are condemned already and the Goſpel doth only Non-liberare not ſave unbelievers; therefore it is a meer promiſe, and not a Law, and ſo hath no proper penalty of its own; I anſwer. 1. I have ſhewed it hath a ſorer puniſhment as its poſitive penalty. 2. The denial of a greater glory, which Chriſt giveth by the New Law, above what the old Law gave, is a proper and grievous puniſhment. 3. The denial of thoſe bleſſed Relations of [a Member of Chriſt and in him an adopted Son of God, and Heir of Heaven, &c.] is a ſore and proper puniſhment. 4. The Privation even of that Life which was given by the firſt Law, is a proper penalty of the ſecond, becauſe the New Law, doth reſtore to all Men their loſt right to Life, on an eaſy condition, and therefore as the Privation of Life is firſt given or promiſed in the firſt Law, was the penalty of that Law, ſo the Privation of the ſame Life as redeemed and reſtored by the Mediator, is the penalty of the new Law: So that it is a recovered happineſs that they this way loſe, and ſo are twice dead, as Jude ſpeaks. 5. The very Non-Liberation of the new Law, in denial of Remiſſion and Salvation, is a great and proper penalty: As the Non-continuation of Adams happineſs in paradiſe was a penalty of that Law (and the not-giving of a greater, if that Law did promiſe a greater.) If a Prince make an Act of pardon and oblivion for a company of impriſoned condemned Malefactors in theſe terms, that if they will repent and thankfully accept his favour, they ſhall all be pardoned, and alſo dignified to be Princes and his Favourites: If they will not, none of them ſhall be pardoned, but all ſhall die by a more cruel Death. Here this Law of Grace hath as its peculiar penalty. 1. Their Non-liberation, and ſo their firſt deſerved Death, not as firſt deſerved, but as confirmed, and peremptorily adjudged to them for their ingratitude; and ſo. 2. The loſs of Life, as it was conditionally reſtored, and was in Law, as it were, a new Life. 3. And the loſs of the promiſed offered dignities. 4. And the ſorer kind of death, ſo is it in the caſe in Hand.
For the confirmation of the Minor, I need not to ſay much more, ſeeing for ought I know it is generally granted. I never met yet with any, that durſt ſay that all the Non-Elect do undergo none of the fore deſcribed penalties of the new Law; but only the meer penalties of the firſt Law: Doubtleſs God is offended ſpecially at their unbelief, and will deſtroy them as Chriſts Enemies becauſe they would not that he ſhould Reign over them, Luke 21. 27. and Chriſt will come in flaming fire rendring vengeance to them for not knowing God, and not obeying the Goſpel of our Lord Jeſus 2. Theſ. 1. 7. 8. 9. and he will damn them all that obeyed not the Truth (of the Goſpel) but had pleaſure in unrighteouſneſs, 1 Theſ. 2. 10. 11. 12. And this is the condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love darkneſs rather then light becauſe their deeds were evil: And becauſe when Chriſt came to his own, his own received him not, Joh. 1. 10. 21, 11. For it ſhall come to paſs that every Soul that heareth not the voice of this Prophet ſhall be deſtroyed, Acts 3. 23.
And they that believe not Jeſus is the Chriſt ſhall dye in their ſins; And except men repent, they ſhall all periſh, Luk. 13. 3, 5. yea whoever believeth not ſhall be damned, Mar. 16. 16. For he is the Author of Eternal Salvation to them (only) that obey him, Heb. 5. 9. So that as men ſuffer for ſin againſt the new, ſo alſo from the obligation of that Law binding them over to Judgment: and therefore they are judged by that Law, Mat. 25. yea I doubt not but all the World ſhall be judged by the Redeemer, for miſimploying his Talents of Grace (thoſe that periſh) and not only for not perfect fulfilling the Law of Works: none is condemned meerly for that. And if it be ſo, then the ſame Law of Chriſt muſt needs conſtitute the penalty to be executed. Nor did I ever meet with any that durſt ſay that it was no puniſhment to Unbelievers, to be denied Pardon and Juſtification and Salvation from their deſerved damnation, which were all offered to them in the Goſpel, and which Believers do receive: much leſs ſhould any ſay, that the additional torments of ſuch, and the loſs of the greater promiſed glory are no puniſhments. Yea even in this life the non-elect receive of the puniſhments proper to the new Law, viz. non remiſſion and non reconciliation, and the forſaking of God, when he caſts them off, and gives them up to themſelves becauſe they would none of him, Pſal. 81. 11, 12. and leaves them deſolate becauſe when Chriſt would have gathered them to him in tender mercy, they would not, Mat. 23. 37, 38. and gives them over to believe lyes becauſe they received not the love of the Truth that they might be ſaved, 2 Theſ. 2. 10, 11. and takes his holy Spirit from them, becauſe they grieved and quenched it.
And all this will be out of doubt if we conſider the definition of Puniſhment, which is a natural evil inflicted becauſe of a Moral: or the hurt of our perſons inflicted for ſin. Now there is no doubt but all theſe forementioned are evils to us, or hurtful to mens perſons; and no doubt but they are inflicted for ſin: and then as to the ſpecies; They are inflicted for ſins againſt the Law of Chriſt, by force of the obligation of the commination of that Law, and the ſentence paſt by Chriſt as Redeemer and Author of that Law. Yea what if I ſaid that ſtrictly and directly men ſuffer not at all the penalty of the Law of Works? For all are delivered from that penalty on condition they Repent and Believe, and ſo the obligation of that Law is ſuſpended to all, (though not ſtrictly abrogated) and transferred, and as it were ſequeſtred into the hands of Chriſt to be diſpoſed of by him, (inflicting or not inflicting it) as men deal with him according to his terms of Grace, ſo that now, the penalty is immediately and ſtrictly the penalty of the Law of Chriſt, as it doth both non-liberare and peremptorily bind men over to it; and it is properly the loſs of a Life recovered by Chriſts blood, which is the puniſhment; though remotely it be alſo from the obligation of the firſt Law, which being but ſuſpended by Chriſt, and conditionally diſſolved, remaineth in force upon the non-performance of the condition, as ſoon as the time of performance is expired. So that it is undeniable that the damned ſuffer the privation of the fruits of Chriſts death and ſatisfaction: yea and of his ſatisfaction for them in perticular. For as it is certain that there is no remiſſion without blood, and no Juſtification or Salvation without Chriſts ſatisfaction; ſo it is as much beyond doubt with all ſober men, that Chriſts ſatisfaction for one man will not procure Pardon and Salvation for another. So that the Minor is fully clear.
And for the Major propoſition it is as clear. For there can be no effects without a cauſe: As no man can receive the effects of Chriſts Death, but thoſe for whom he died; ſo no man can loſe or be deprived of thoſe effects, but thoſe for whom he died; for the cauſe is preſuppoſed. A Negation is no Puniſhment. It is not a puniſhment to a Stone that it is not a Man, that it is mute, liveleſs, &c. nor to a Beaſt, not to be ſaved, nor to an Angel not to be Redeemed, nor to the Devils, not to be partakers of Chriſt, and of Pardon and Salvation by him. Now its true, the Pardon of the Damned, and their Salvation was not actually effected, but the meritorious cauſe was full and perfect in Chriſts ſatisfaction (and moral cauſes go long before the effects ſometimes, and may do all their part, and yet the effect not follow through the defect of ſome other,) and the effects were conditionally given or produced by the New Covenant, and thereby become not only poſſible and probable, but certain if the condition were performed: So that here is a proper privation, and not a bare Negation. Nor is it the meer matter of ſuch effects that men are deprived of, but formally as they were effects conditionally granted, and were to have been effects actually of the death of Chriſt. They ſhould have been ſuch effects, if they had done their part to procure them by performing the condition as Chriſt did in the Cauſe; for he required not them to effect it as concauſes, but only ſuſpended the effects of his own full ſufficient (but Moral) cauſe, on their condition, which all Lawyers, and all that know what a Moral Cauſe is, or what a proper condition is, know to be moſt uſual. Now if you ſuppoſe that Chriſt died not, and ſatisfied not for theſe men, then the loſs of Pardon, Adoption, Memberſhip of Chriſt, final Abſolution, Salvation, beſides all the greater Glory, and all the Spirits Graces and Workings in this life, cannot poſſibly be puniſhments to them, for they cannot be Privations. For there was never any cauſe to procure them, and therefore they were never poſſible, much leſs due: and Mans Faith was not required by God to be the meritorious cauſe, or to ſatisfie Gods Juſtice, nor yet to procure Chriſt or any other to ſatisfie it, nor yet to make that ſatisfaction to be now for us, which was made for others and not for us: to none of theſe ends was Faith required, but only to be the condition of our enjoying Chriſt, and the fruits of his ſatisfaction; on performance whereof the Moral Cauſe which was long before in full being, ſhould produce its effect, or elſe not (as to us) ſo that ſatisfaction as the Cauſe is neceſſarily ſuppoſed to Faith as the condition, ſeeing the office of the condition is, that on it the effect of the cauſe be ſuſpended, till that condition be performed: And therefore there can be no condition where there is not firſt the Moral Cauſe: I mean there can neither be condition conſtituted by Law, Teſtament, Deed of Gift, or Covenant, nor yet condition performed, for it cannot have the form of a condition. Or if that be diſputable as to any other caſe, I am ſure it is not in the caſe in hand; No man will ſay that the non-remiſſion, non-ſalvation of the Devils by the Blood of Chriſt, is a Puniſhment to them.
Object. That is becauſe it was never offered or conditionally given them by Covenant, as it was to the Unbelievers.
Anſw. Nor could it have been given ſo to Unbelievers, if Chriſt had not died for them. Could God give them Chriſt as a Satisfier and Redeemer, who never had ſatisfied for them or redeemed? Or could he make over to them effects which had no Cauſe, viz. the effects of his dying for them, when he did not dye for them? Would the New Covenant ſerve to pardon men without Chriſts Sacrifice and Satisfaction? Nay is it not beyond all doubt that this which I call the New Covenant or Teſtament, He that believeth ſhall be ſaved, &c. is the Redeemers Law and Teſtament, and preſuppoſeth his Death and Satisfaction, in eſſe Morali at leaſt: It is the New Teſtament in his Blood, he firſt buyeth men to be his own by ſatisfaction, and then dealeth with them as his own by Promiſe and Legiſlation: Only the Promiſe of God to give Chriſt for a Redeemer to the World, and his Propheſies of him therein, are in order of nature before the Moral being of Chriſts death, but ſo is not the Law of Grace. I know nothing that hath any great ſhew of Reaſon that can be ſaid againſt this Argument, which ſo clearly evinceth the truth of Univerſal Redemption, and for vain objections, I will not trouble my ſelf and the Reader with them.