Universal Redemption of Mankind, Title page – To the reader
Univerſal Redemption OF Mankind, BY THE Lord Jeſus Chriſt:
Stated and Cleared by the late Learned Mr. Richard Baxter.
Whereunto is added a ſhort Account of Special Redemption, by the ſame Author.
2 Cor. 5. 14, 15.
For the love 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 themſelves, but unto him which dyed for them, and …oſe again.
Mors Chriſti in Sacra Scriptur… proponitur ut Univerſale remedium omnibus & ſingulis hominibus exordinatione Dei & naturà rei ad ſalutem applicabile. Davenant de morte Chriſti.
LONDON. Printed for John Salusbury at the Riſing-Sun in Cornhill, 1694.
THE Epiſtle Dedicatory. To the Honoured Thomas Foley, Paul Foley, Phillip Foley, and William Jolliff, Eſquires.
Worthy Sirs,
MY particular Relation to your Honoured Father, my Worthy Patron and Benefactor, as alſo to Mr. Baxter, the Author of theſe enſuing Diſputations, (whom I cannot but own as a Spiritual Father to me, and the beſt Friend I had in the World) gives me occaſion to prefix your Names to this Book: Not to flatter you (though I truly honour you for your Faithfulneſs, Courage, and Conſtancy in aſſerting the Rights of Religion and Property in oppoſition to the prophane and mercenary deſigns of ſuch as appeared againſt them) but that by their Example I may invite you to go on in filling up the meaſure of your Fathers Vertues, and in following the Counſels of ſuch a Miniſter of Chriſt, whoſe gifts and graces gave him the preeminence amongſt his Suffering Brethren, and made him more than a Biſhop even of the firſt Magnitude to the Inferiour Clergy. Your Father is dead long ſince, and Mr. Baxter is dead alſo; But the Memory of the Juſt is bleſſed, whereas the name of the Wicked ſhall rot. The Righteous ſhall be in everlaſting remembrance. We cannot eaſily forget ſuch Perſons whoſe good works and great labours for publick good, have left them a Name better than of Sons and Daughters. A numerous Poſterity is a great Bleſſing, a Holy Seed much greater, that the Bleſſing upon both accounts may be entailed upon you and yours to many Generations, is the hearty deſire of
Yours in the Service of Chriſt JOSEPH READ.
READER. June 27. 1694.
HAving been aſſured from Mr. Baxter himſelf, both by word and writeing, that he had given this his Treatiſe in Manuſcript of Univerſal Redemption, &c. to Mr. Joſeph Read the now Publiſher thereof; and having ſeen ſome of the Manuſcript it ſelf whilſt it was printing off, and knowing it to be Mr. Baxter's own hand writing; I do (at Mr. Read's requeſt) aſſure thee that this is the Treatiſe upon that Subject, which hath been ſo long deſired and expected by the World from the Author thereof, Mr. R. B. And I cannot doubt but that an Impartial and obſervant Reading thereof will quickly diſcover that acumen of judgment which will evince it to be his. Thine in the beſt of Bonds and Services,
MAT. SYLVESTER
To the READER.
IT is neceſſary that I give ſome Account how theſe Diſputations (with many others) came to my hands, and of their Publication. Being ſent to Cambridge by Mr. Baxter, be was pleaſed at my return from thence, to receive me into his Family, and to make uſe of me as his Aſſiſtant at my firſt entrance into the Miniſtry, Anno, 1657. in Kidderminſter the place of my Birth: Some of the firſt work he put me upon was to tranſcribe theſe Papers of Redemption, which he deſigned for the Preſs. The Miniſters of Worceſterſhire and Neighbourhood thereabouts who uſually attended on his Thurſday Lecture, and heard theſe Diſputations at their Monthly Meeting, were generally deſirous to have them Printed. Mr. B. had long ſince raiſed their expectation thereof, by declaring his intention of it in Print. At laſt (though long firſt) viz. July 17. 1691. he gave them to me, ſignifying his willingneſs to have them Printed.
If any Perſon queſtion whether he wrote and fitted theſe Sheets for the Preſs, I ſhall readily ſatisfie him by producing the Original of his own hand writing, as well as the Copy thereof wrote by me at leaſt 38 years ſince. If theſe Diſputations of Redemption find acceptance (which I ſee no cauſe to doubt of) I ſhall be thereby incouraged to Print the reſt, or ſuch of them as may be thought moſt uſeful.
It was a great word of Biſhop Wilkins, that Mr. Baxter had cultivated every Subject he handled, (read this Subject of Redemption, and judge whether there be not cauſe to ſay ſo of it) if he had lived in the Primitive times, he had been one of the Fathers of the Church. And again. It was enough, ſaith he, for one Age to produce ſuch a Perſon as Mr. Baxter: But his works praiſe him much more than the Tongues or Pens of the greateſt Doctors or beſt of Men can do. There is therefore no need of Letters of Recommendation to ſet forth the excellence of this Work▪ or the Praiſes of the Author thereof. Let it ſuffice to aſſure the Reader that this Diſputation of Univerſal Redemption was compoſed by him in the ſtrength of his day, about the 40th year of his Age, when the oppoſition of the Learned of differing Opinions had ſharpen'd his Pen, and made him critically exact in conſidering what he intended for the Preſs. That which I earneſtly deſire is, that young Miniſters, and eſpecially all Candidates for the Miniſtry would put on humbleneſs of mind, and ſet themſelves at the feet of this Great Man as Learners, and then through the Divine Bleſſing, I doubt not but their profiting will appear unto all men: And let thoſe of different Judgment from him, but remember, that Mr. Baxter now dead is as much above their clamorous cenſures, as while living he was their Superiour in his Gifts and Graces: Had the one or the other but known Mr. Baxter, as well as others of his familiar Friends, his Works would be highly valued by them; or at leaſt his unſpotted Holineſs, and great Charity would ſo far have conciliated their minds, and engaged their affections as to love and honour his memory, and imitate his Life, which we impatiently wait for an account of from another band, being now ready for the Preſs. May every Miniſter but have that Book when Printed, and lay aſide prejudice ſo far, at leaſt as calmly to read it, and then I may with confidence expect, not only, that humble Learners, but the greateſt Scholars will be as deſirous of acquaintance with his Works as ever Uſher, Gataker, Vines, and many others of the beſt of men were admirers of his Perſonal worth, and deſirous of his Converſe and Company.
If any ſhall be ſo far diſſatisfied with the Title and Subject of the Book as to throw it aſide, I only deſire they would ſeriouſly think of thoſe words, p. 286. [When God ſaith ſo expreſly that Chriſt dyed for all, and taſted death for every man, and is the Ranſom for all, and the propitiation for the ſins of the whole World, it beſeems every Chriſtian rather to explain in what ſenſe Chriſt dyed for all men, than flatly to deny it.] And let me add thoſe words of Biſhop Uſher;
Diſtinguiſh between the ſatisfaction of Chriſt abſolutely conſidered, and the application of the ſame unto every one in particular: The former was once done for all, the other is ſtill in doing; the one brings with it ſufficiency abundant to diſcharge the whole debt, the other adds unto it efficacy. The Univerſality of the ſatisfaction derogates nothing from the ſpecial grace; neither the ſpeciality of the one, abateth the generality of the other.
The Lord give us a right underſtanding of his mind and will, and bleſs this work of the Author, both to Miniſters and their People, that the common Salvation may not be narrowed or leſſen'd, that Coming Souls may not be diſcouraged, and that the Goſpel of Salvation which we Preach may be Tydings of Joy to all People, and then I ſhall not repent my part in the Publication thereof.
June 18. 1694. JOSEPH READ.