Universal Redemption of Mankind, Chapter 8 · Argument 3
Argument 3. Against Univerſal Satisfaction.
Chriſt dyed not for thoſe who were in Hell at the time of his Death, therefore he dyed not for all.
Anſw. I cannot diſcern any ſtrong appearance of proof that can be brought for the Antecedent, however it take with very many, as I confeſs in the time of my ignorance it did with me.
1. Jeſus Chriſt ſatisfied God's Juſtice.
1. Morally, at his firſt undertaking, interpoſing, or engagement (according to our apprehenſion) preſently upon mans fall.
2. By that Natural Suffering which he had before undertaken, and this was in the fulneſs of time.
It is uſual for moral effects to go before the natural part of the Cauſe, but the Cauſe is in eſſe morali, in moral being. Many a man upon his word to pay ſo much money ſuch a day, or upon earneſt given, hath the thing bought delivered to him, tho' he pay not the price till long after: So may a man redeem Slaves by ſuch an undertaking. So did Chriſt undertake to bear the puniſhment due to the Sins of all; and this undertaking ſatisfied God, not without his suffering, but by its reſpect to his future ſuffering, giving it a moral Being before hand; ſo that when Chriſts ſatisfaction was in its firſt moral being, no man (of this World) was in Heaven, or in Hell.
2. It was neceſſary, for Chriſt having undertaken to ſuffer the puniſhment due to their ſins, before they were Condemned to perform his undertaking after they are Condemned.
If you give earneſt for the buying of Beaſts, or Slaves, and take them into your poſſeſſion, and promiſe ſuch a day to make payment, though they dye the while, you muſt pay the price.
3. Chriſt had as much of his ends obtained in thoſe that periſhed by Rejecting Grace, before his death, as he hath for thoſe that periſh for the ſame cauſe ſince.
4. The Wicked that periſhed before Chriſt's death, had the ſame benefits by it, as thoſe that periſh after his death, (allowing the difference that the clear diſcovery of the myſtery of Salvation now doth cauſe;) they had mercy offered them, and Remiſſion and Salvation given them on Condition of repenting and believing, and ſufficient grace to have brought them nearer God than they were, which if they had obeyed, they had a high probability of having more added.
5. All this preſuppoſeth Chriſt then a ſufficient Object for their Faith; that is, Chriſt who had ſatisfied for them, as to his Undertaking, and muſt and would do it afterwards in performance, was then the Object propounded for them to believe in; and therefore their Unbelief was Conſequential, and not Antecedent to Chriſt's moral ſatisfaction, and ſuffering for them; even as the Faith of the Godly alſo was.
6. It is as good arguing, to ſay, ſome were in Heaven when Chriſt dyed, therefore he dyed not for them, as to ſay, ſome were in Hell, therefore he dyed not for them. For it may as wiſely be ſaid, thoſe in Heaven were paſt all need of ſatisfaction, as that thoſe in Hell were paſt all hope and remedy.
The time was, when they had hope from that ſatisfaction ſet before them, and when it was a ſufficient remedy for them, and wanted nothing but their own conſent to make it fully effectual: As the time was when thoſe now in Heaven had need of it, and did accept it offered them.
Abraham ſaw Chriſt's day and rejoyced, and Moſes counted the reproaches of Chriſt greater Riches than the Treaſures of Egypt: But the impenitent then refuſed Chriſt, and his Government, and therefore were juſtly denied his further Mercies.
7. Only this much may be concluded by this arguing; that Chriſt at the time of his dying, did not intend the Saving of thoſe that were then in Hell; and ſo it is as true, that Chriſt at his death did not intend for the future to give Regeneration, the firſt Reconciliation, Pardon, Adoption, Union with him, or Glory to thoſe in Heaven; for they had received them all long before, as the Damned had loſt them all before by their Rejection.
But it follows not hence, that therefore Chriſt bore not the puniſhment of all mens ſins, according to his firſt undertaking.
I know great diſſimilitudes are pretended between the Caſes of the Saved and the Damned when Chriſt dyed, as to this Argument, but they are but pretended, and none is ſhewed; and I think it needleſs to ſtrive againſt meer words.
But a fore-mentioned Diſputer undertaketh to ſhew, that the Anſwer drawn from the ſtate of them that were Saved when Chriſt dyed, will not hold, and why?
1. He ſaith. [Thoſe that were ſaved, were ſaved on this ground, that Chriſt ſhould certainly ſuffer for them in due time, which ſuffering was as effectual in the purpoſe and promiſe as in the execution and accompliſhment, &c.
Anſw. 1. And thoſe that were Damned, had Pardon and Salvation given them freely, if they would have accepted them on God's terms; and this was on the ſame conſideration, of Chriſt's future dying for them.
2. And conſequently they who were then Damned for unbelief, were Damned for rejecting a Chriſt that had undertaken to dye for them, and the mercy purchaſed by his undertaken death.
2. This Author produceth ſuch a Simile as I mentioned even now, [of one that undertaketh the ranſom of Priſoners, and ſendeth to them thereupon to come forth, for he that detaineth them taketh his word: Now if ſome come forth, and the reſt refuſe, and be dead in Priſon, and others hear not of that, and that according to his appointment, and were dead long ſince; when the Ranſomer comes to pay the Debt or Ranſom, doth he intend it for them that dyed obſtinately in Priſon? or only for thoſe that came forth? doubtleſs only for theſe laſt.]
Anſw. 1. (To anſwer as confidently) doubtleſs it is the Debt and Ranſom undertaken for all, and paid according to the undertaking.
2. Bring home the Similitude nearer the caſe, from payment of money, to ſuffering of the puniſhment which they ſhould have ſuffered, or ſome other ad fines Rectoris equivalent, and doubtleſs then he ſuffered Loco omnium; inſtead even of thoſe that are dead in Priſon, or elſe he is not a man of his word, if his action anſwer not his undertaking: But he did not at his actual ſuffering intend it for the further good of the dead, not in bonum ulterius omnium, ſuppoſing what good they had before received by it, and might have received a full deliverance if they would; (And to make them willing and reaſonable might belong to him in another reſpect to do if he pleaſed, but it did not belong to him either as Ranſomer or Ruler of them.
Nor did he at the time of his payment intend to them that were before gone out of Priſon at his command, any further good by his Ranſom than what be gave to the obſtinate that dyed, ſo be it they would accept it.
3. The ſaid Author argued thus; (If Chriſt dyed inſtead of all men, and made ſatisfaction for their ſins, then he did it for all their ſins, or for ſome only. If for ſome only, who then can be ſaved, &c?
Anſw. 1. He dyed for all the ſins not excepted by himſelf in his conditional grant of pardon and life; [If thou believe and repent thou ſhalt be juſtified and ſaved.] That is, for all, except final impenitency, infidelity, or rejecting Chriſt.
And yet for all this, all true Believers ſhall be ſaved; For he is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him, Heb. 5. 9. He is able to ſave to the utmoſt all that come to God by him, Heb. 7. 25.] He dyed for temporary unbelief, that it may be done away by conſequent Faith; but we may ſay more of this in a fitter place.