Vindication of the Doctrine of Gods Absolute Decree, Part 2
AN ANSVVER TO THE OBJECTIONS That are brought againſt the DOCTRINE OF Particular Redemption.
AGainſt the Doctrine of Particular or Special Redemption Mr. P. thus objects.Cap. 3. page 84.
Object. Ʋniverſal redemption is exhibited to us in Scripture by all expreſsions of Ʋniverſality; by Ʋniverſal Collective Chriſt is ſaid to be the Savior of all men, 1 Tim. 4.10. By Ʋniverſal Diſtributive, he taſted death for every man, Heb. 2.9. By Ʋniverſal Indefinite, he is the Savior of the world, John 4.42. Ʋniverſal Objective, he made propitiation for the ſins of the whole world, 1 John 2.2. Ʋniverſal Negative, not willing that any ſhould periſh, 2 Pet. 3.9. by an univerſal Command to all to believe. Now if theſe places be not taken in the proper ſignification of the words, then the plaineſt places will be made moſt obſcure: then how ſhall we be able out of Scripture to prove the Sunday Sabbath, Baptiſm, yea or the Trinity of perſons, for which there cannot be brought ſo many direct Affirmations of Scripture, as may be brought for Ʋniverſal Redemption.
Anſw. 1. It is a very weak way of arguing, to argue from the ſignification of words, eſpecially ſuch words as have various ſignifications (as theſe have which are brought to expreſs the Univerſality of Redemption) as all men, every man, world, whole world, and the reſt, which are oft-times uſed, not to ſignifie every particular man and woman living in the world, but a part of them onelyonly; as when it is ſaid that all fleſh ſhall be ſaved, Joel 2.28. Luke 3.6. That Jeruſalem and all Judea, and all the region about Jordan were baptized of John, Mat. 3.5, 6. That all that were in the ſynagogue were filled with wrath againſt Chriſt, Luke 4.28. That if he were let alone, all men would believe in him, John 11.48. That if he were lift up from the earth, he would draw all men unto him, John 12.32. That all that came before him were thieves and robbers, Cap. 10.8. That every one ſaith, I am of Paul, I am of Apollos, 1 Cor. 3.4. That every man ſhall have praiſe of God, 1 Cor. 4, 5. That all the world wondred after the beaſt, Rev. 13.5. That the devil deceived the whole World, cap. 12.9. That the whole world lyes in wickedneſs, 1 Joh. 5.19. to which many other might be added that ſound in the ſame maner, and yet ſignifie no Univerſality.
2. Scripture muſt be interpreted by Scripture, and though we are not to recede from the literal ſenſe when it will agree with other Scriptures, and with the Analogy of Faith, yet when it is defective both theſe ways, we are not bound to adhere to the letter. Now for thoſe Scriptures that carry with them a ſound of Univerſality and Generally, we are enforced (if we will underſtand them aright) to take them in a limited and reſtrained ſenſe, becauſe elſe they will claſh with other Scriptures which tell us that Chriſt laid down his life for his ſheep, John 10.11. That he died to gather in one the ſons of God that were ſcattered, cap. 11.53. That he gave himſelf for his Church, Eph. 5.25. That he will not pray for the world, but for thoſe whom the Father had given him out of the world, John 17.9. That for their ſakes he ſanctified himſelf, verſe 19. That he hath redeemed us out of every people, kinred, and nation, Rev. 5.9. That there are ſome to whom he will ſay at the laſt day, he never knew them, Mat. 7.23. Now all are not Chriſts ſheep, all are not the ſons of God, all Nations in the world are not his Church, he will not pray for all, and therefore did not die for all: (for Redemption and Interceſſion are of equal extent) if he hath redeemed us out of every people and nation, then he hath not redeemed all people and nations: If there be ſome to whom he will ſay that he never knew them, then he never died for them, for he did more then know thoſe for whom he died; he loved them, and that with a peculiar love, 1 John 3.16. therefore we muſt take thoſe Scriptures which ſpeak in a general way, in a reſtrained ſenſe, elſe they will not agree with theſe, neither will they agree with the Analogy of Faith; For if Chriſt hath died for all, then he hath paid a perfect price for all; if he hath paid a perfect price for all, then he hath made perfect ſatisfaction for all; if he hath made perfect ſatisfaction, then perfect juſtice requires it ſhould be accepted; if perfect ſatisfaction be made and accepted, then perfect juſtice cannot require a double payment of the ſame debt: therefore by this Doctrine all Sinners ſhould be diſcharged, and no man ſhould ſuffer in hell for his own ſin, for his debt is paid by that perfect ſatisfaction which is both made and accepted.
Beſides, it cannot ſtand with Chriſts wiſdom and the infinite worth of his precious blood, that he ſhould die in vain, and ſuffer that blood to be ſpilt to no purpoſe; for when he gave himſelf to death, he certainly knew that thouſands and ten thouſands to whom he ſhould be offered, would reject him, and perſevere to the end in doing ſo, and therefore that his death would do them no good.
But if the former Scriptures be taken in a limited ſenſe, they will very well agree both with other Scriptures, and with the grounds of Faith; as,
1. When it is ſaid that God is the Savior of all men, there is no neceſſity that word (foreign Savior) ſhould be underſtood of eternal ſalvation, but rather of temporal preſervation: and the foregoing words ſhew that it ſhould be ſo, which ſpeak not of Chriſt as Mediat…r, but of God in general; therefore we labor and ſuffer reproach, becauſe we truſt in the living God, who is the Savior or Preſerver of all, eſpecially of thoſe that believe, 1 Tim. 4.10. and this well agrees with that, the Lord preſerveth both man and beaſt, Pſal. 36.6.
2. When it is ſaid that Chriſt gave himſelf a ranſom for all, the former words ſhew of whom this is to be underſtood, namely, of all ſorts, of all ranks, degrees and orders of men, high and low, rich and poor, 1 Tim. 2.6. compared with verſe 2. Kings and princes were then the greateſt perſecutors, and therefore Chriſtians might doubt whether they ſhould be prayed for or not; this gave occaſion to the Apoſtle to bid them to pray for kings and princes, and all that are in Authority, becauſe, &c.
3. When it is ſaid that Chriſt taſted death for every man, the following words ſhew of whom this every man is to be underſtood, namely, of every one of the ſons of God, Heb. 2.9. compared with verſe 10.
4. When it is ſaid that he is the propitiation for the ſins of the whole world, it hath been ſhewed before of what world this is meant, namely, the world both of Jews and Gentiles, the whole ſaved world that conſiſted of both theſe. In what ſenſe all men are commanded to believe, ſhall be ſhewed by and by.
5. When it is ſaid that God would have none to periſh, 2 Pet. 3.9. the former words ſhew hovv it is to be underſtood, vvhere the Apoſtle ſaith that the Lord is long-ſuffering towards us, ſpeaking of himſelf and thoſe elect ones to vvhom he vvrites, that had obtained like precious faith vvith himſelf, cap. 1. verſe 1. vvhom he oppoſeth to thoſe ſcoffers mentioned, verſe 3. and ſays that though there ſhall be a day of deſtruction of ungodly men, ver. 7. yet the Lord is long-ſuffering toward us; for it is ſo long before ſome of Gods ovvn elect come to repentance, that they have need he ſhould exerciſe much patience and long-ſuffering over them: and of theſe he ſpeaks vvhen he vvould have them account the long-ſuffering of the Lord to be ſalvation, verſe 15. a means to bring them to ſalvation.
Here now (if we were furniſhed with Mr. P. his faculty in rhetoricating) we might retort his reaſon upon himſelf, and by the ſame maner of Argumentation we might tell him, that if every particular man and woman in the world be not ſaved, if every man and woman in Judea and the coaſts round about were not baptized of John Baptiſt, if every man in the world be not drawn to Chriſt, if every man in the world hath not praiſe from God, if every man in the world be not deceived by the devil, if every man in the world lyes not in wickedneſs, Cap. 3. Pag. 86. 87, 88.then we ſhall make the plaineſt Scriptures moſt obſcure, and teach that God doth not ſpeak in his word as he means, and ſo teach the people to misbelieve him: becauſe theſe things are ſet forth by all expreſſions of univerſality, as all men, every man, world, yea whole world, and the like; ſo that we ſee this ſwelling Argument is but a bladder full of winde, which being a little pricked, it preſently puffs out and vaniſheth to nothing.
Object. 2. All men are commanded to believe in Chriſt, but they are not commanded to believe a lye, therefore it is true that Chriſt died for all.
Anſw. 1. All men are not commanded to believe, but thoſe onelyonly to whom the Goſpel is preached, which is the leaſt part of the world.
2. The work of believing is opus complexum, ſuch a work, as to the right performance whereof many acts are required; as 1 to believe that we are loſt ſinners, and muſt periſh for ever without we have a Savior 2. That there is no ſavlation to be had, but onelyonly in Jeſus Chriſt the Son of God that became man. 3. That it is our duty to deny our ſelves, and to reſt on Jeſus Chriſt as our onelyonly Savior, and reſign up our ſelves to him as our onelyonly Lord. 4. To believe that he died for our ſins, and ſhall be our Savior.
Now though the Goſpel requires the doing of all theſe things, it requires they ſhould be done certo ordine, in a certain order. It doth not require we ſhould do the laſt without the firſt, yea if we do the laſt before we have done all the former, our believing would be a falſe believing; for if we will truly believe in Chriſt, we muſt ſo believe in him as the Goſpel holds him forth to us, otherwiſe we have no ſure ground for our faith, the Goſpel no where bids us believe that Chriſt died for all men.
But Chriſt is held forth in the Goſpel onelyonly to repenting ſinners, to l…ſt ſinners, to ſick ſinners, to humbled ſinners: when Chriſt calls thoſe onelyonly to come to him who labor and are heavy laden, who are wearied with the burthen of their ſins, and are willing to take his yoke on them, and to them onelyonly he promiſeth reſt: if an hardhearted rebellious ſinner, ſuch an one as is reſolved to walk after his luſts, and go on in his wicked ways, ſhould ſtrongly perſwade himſelf that Chriſt died for him; his ſtrong perſwaſion were no better then a ſtrong preſumption, the Goſpel yielding no ground at all for ſuch perſwaſion, but rather the contrary, telling us that Chriſt is the Anthor of eternal Salvation onelyonly to thoſe that obey him, Heb. 5.9. and that he will render vengeance to all thoſe that obey not the Goſpel, 2 Theſſ. 1.8. Hence John the Baptiſt (Chriſts Fore-runner) and Chriſt himſelf when they began to preach, call upon men to repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, Mat. 3.2.4.17. to repent and believe the Goſpel, Mark 1.16. ſo that ſome acts of repentance are to go before believing that Chriſt died for us, which is the laſt and higheſt act of faith: Beſides, our Savior tells us that this is the condemnation of the world, that men hate the light that is come into the world, becauſe their deeds are evil, John 3.19. there is no unrepenting ſinner, but in ſome degree hates the light: ſo far as he loves his evil deeds, ſo far he hates the light (which is contrary to them) and this is the ground of his condemnation.
Object. 3. But Mr. P. objects with much confidence that of the Apoſtle, Cap. 4. page 28.2 Cor. 5.14, 15. where (as he ſaith) the Apoſtle thus argues, If one died for all, then were all dead, but one died for all, therefore all were dead.
Here the Apoſtle doth not onelyonly plainly aſſert that Chriſt died for all, but brings this as a medium to prove that all were dead.
Anſw. 1. The ſcope of the Apoſtle here is not to ſhew for how many Chriſt died, but what is the duty of thoſe for whom he died, namely, to live to him, becauſe they were in the ſtate of death when he died for them.
2. We willingly grant that Chriſt died for all, if this word all be taken in the ſame ſenſe the Apoſtle takes it, as he takes it in the former verſe, namely, thoſe whom Chriſts love conſtrained to duty. The love of Chriſt (ſaith he) conſtraineth us, and therefore we thus judge, that if Chriſt died for all of us, then all of us were in the ſtate of death as well as others, and he died for us, that we which live ſhould no longer live to our ſelves, but to him. But it follows not hence that Chriſt died for all men, for all men are not ſo affected with the ſenſe of Chriſts love, as thereby to be conſtrained and carried on with a holy violence as it were, to the performance of duty.
3. The Apoſtle here ſpeaks of ſuch for whom Chriſt not onelyonly died, but alſo roſe again; now it is no where ſaid in Scripture that Chriſt roſe again for all: beſides, if he died and roſe again for all, then all ſhall certainly be juſtified. It is God that juſtifieth, who ſhall condemn? it is Chriſt that died, or rather that is riſen again, Romans 8.33, 34.
Object. 4. It is further objected, That all men in the world receive benefit by Chriſt, therefore he died for all.
Anſw. 1. It doth not follow that Chriſt died for wicked men who periſh in the end, becauſe they receive many benefits by his death: for all creatures in the world are ſome way or other the better for Chriſts death. We may well think that the whole Creation had long ſince been turned into a Chaos and confuſion, if Chriſt by his death had not made an atonement for ſome of mankinde. The Apoſtle ſaith, that the whole Creation grones under the burthen of mans ſin, and that there is an earneſt expectation in the creature, waiting when it ſhall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, to the glorious liberty of the ſons of God, Rom. 8.21, 22. This glorious liberty of the ſons of God is a benefit which Chriſt hath purchaſed, and this all the creatures ſhall fare the better for, which makes them to have ſuch an earneſt expectation after it, yet none can hence infer that Chriſt died for all the creatures.
2. The devils themſelves have ſome benefit by Chriſts death, for if he had never come into the world, it is likely that they had been confined to the great deep, and not been ſuffered to range up and down in the world, as now they do. And when he was in the world, he was pleaſed at their entreaty to ſuffer them to enter into the herd of ſwine, and not to ſend them into the great deep, which was ſome benefit to them; yet who will ſay that Chriſt died for devils?
3. It was the act of greateſt love for Chriſt to lay down his life: Greater love then this hath no man, to lay down his life, John 15.13. and can we think that Chriſt will ſhew as great love to thoſe that are damned, as to thoſe that are ſaved; to the reprobate, as to the elect; to ſtrangers and ſuch as he never knew; yea to his enemies, and ſuch as will not ſuffer him to reign over them, as to his friends and faithful ſubjects, yea to his fellow brethren and the members of his own body? for there can be no greater love then the greateſt, and the greateſt is the laying down his life, which he hath done for all alike according to this Doctrine.
4. What ever comes from Love works for good; but all things in the end work together for hurt unto wicked men that have no part in Chriſt; Their table ſhall be a ſnare, and that which ſhould have been for their proſperity, ſhall be a trap, Pſal. 69.22. Their riches are reſerved for their hurt, Eccleſ. 5.9. The goodneſs of God hardens their hearts, and ſo fits them for wrath, Rom. 2.4, 5.
5. For whom Chriſt hath purchaſed a right to the things they enjoy, he hath alſo purchaſed a Grace that fits them for the right uſe of them; for in and through him all things are given to us that pertain to Life and Godlineſs, 2 Pet. 1.3.
Object. 5. But we may ſay to any man, even the worſt that lives, if thou wilt believe, thou ſhalt be ſaved, which we could not ſay truly, if Chriſt did not die for all.
Anſw. 1. The ſcope of ſuch conditional promiſes and propoſitions, is to ſhew the inſeparable joyning together of the means and the end of Faith and Salvation, of Repentance and Pardon of Sin; and the truth of them lies not in the truth of the parts, but in the neceſſary and ſtrong connexion and joyning of them together. As when I ſay, if a man be a lion, then he hath four feet; if he be a bird, then he can flie in the air; here though the parts be falſe, yet the propoſitions are true, becauſe of the neceſſity of the conſequence: ſo when I ſay to any man, believe and thou ſhalt be ſaved, here this propoſition is true, though the man never believes, nor never be ſaved; for let this Hypothetical be turned into a Categorical, and it is no more but this (Every Believer ſhall be ſaved) which is true, though Chriſt never died for all, and though all men never be ſaved; for it ſhews onelyonly the abſolute and neceſſary connexion betwixt Faith and Salvation, as that all Believers, and they onelyonly ſhall be ſaved, and not that all men ſhall be Believers, or that all men ſhall be ſaved, or that Chriſt died for all; and it doth no more imply that there is a will in God of ſaving all, then when on the other ſide it is ſaid that he who believeth not, ſhall be damned, it doth imply that there is a will in him of damning all.
2. The weakneſs of this way of arguing may appear from inſtances of other like propoſitions in Scripture: when the yong man came to our Savior Chriſt, and asked him what he ſhould do that he might have eternal life? he anſwers him, If thou wilt have life, keep the commandments, Matthew 19.15. did not Chriſt here ſpeak truly? yet it was not true that either he could keep the commands, or ever ſhould have life by keeping them. Did not the Apoſtle ſpeak truly when he ſaid, If there be no reſurrection, then Chriſt is not riſen: and if there be hope onelyonly in this life, then we are of all men moſt miſerable, 1 Cor. 15.18, 19. yet in both theſe propoſitions the parts are falſe, for both Chriſt is riſen, and there ſhall certainly be a reſurrection: and the Saints have better hopes then in this life, neither are they of all men the moſt miſerable. So this propoſition, If a man believe he ſhall be ſaved, is true, though God hath never determined his ſalvation, nor Chriſt died to purchaſe it, for ſalvation is here faſtened onelyonly to believing, and neither believing nor ſalvation to the man.
Object. 6. Rom. 5.18. As by the offence of one man judgement came upon all to condemnation, ſo by the righteonſneſs of one, &c. Here Chriſts righteouſneſs is made of equal extent to Adams ſin, namely, ſuch as reacheth to all.
Anſw. 1. The Apoſtle doth here parallel Adams ſin and Chriſts righteouſneſs, not in regard of their equal extent to all men in the world, but to all their poſterity. As Adam by his ſin conveyed ſin and death to all his poſterity, ſo Chriſt by his Sufferings and Obedience conveys Righteouſneſs and Life to all his poſterity, to all the faithful, to all true believers, who are called his ſeed, Iſa. 59.21. and his children, Heb 2.13. If there had been another generation of men that had not ariſen out of Adams root, they had not been involved in the guilt of Adams ſin; ſo there being a generation of men that never ſprung out of Chriſts root, that were never branches of that bleſſed Vine, they ſhall never have part in thoſe peculiar benefits, which he hath purchaſed for his children, for his ſeed and poſterity, for the members of his own body, of whom onelyonly he is the Savior, Eph. 5.23.
2. By this Argument all men ſhould have Righteouſneſs and Life, and ſo all men in the end ſhould certainly be ſaved, for the Apoſtle ſaith expreſly in this place, that as by one mans ſin condemnation is come upon all, ſo by the righteouſneſs of one, the free gift came upon all to the juſtification of life.
Object. 7. The covenant of grace is univerſal, made with all mankinde, therefore Chriſt died for all, for he is the foundation of this covenant.
Anſw. 1. That the covenant of grace is univerſal, can never be proved; for how can Pagans and Infidels who never heard of Chriſt or covenant, be ſaid to be in covenant, of whom the Apoſtle ſaith, that they are without God in the world, and are ſtrangers from the covenant, Eph. 2.12.
2. In the firſt promiſe wherein the covenant of grace is held forth, there is a direct diſtinction (as hath been ſhewed) betwixt the ſeed of the woman and the ſeed of the ſerpent, the promiſe being made onelyonly to the ſeed of the woman, namely to Chriſt, and thoſe that ſhould be born of him, Heb. 2.13.
3. The Apoſtle ſaith that the promiſe (wherein the covenant was comprehended) was made to Abraham and his ſeed, not to ſeeds, as ſpeaking of many, but to thy ſeed, as of one, that is Chriſt, Gal. 3.16. Now if the covenant be made onelyonly with Chriſt myſtical, head and members (as here it muſt be underſtood, becauſe the promiſe is made not onelyonly to Chriſt, but to Abraham) it is not made with all men; all men are not Abrahams ſeed, all men are not members of Chriſts myſtical body, but onelyonly believers both of Jews and Gentiles, theſe onelyonly make that one ſeed.
4. In the covenant of grace the Lord promiſeth all thoſe with whom he makes this covenant, that he will give them a new heart and a new ſpirit, that he will put his laws into their inward parts, and write them in their hearts, and this promiſe is made abſolutely and without condition, and therefore ſhall certainly be fulfilled to all thoſe to whom it is made: but all men have not new hearts and ſpirits given unto them; therefore all are not within covenant, neither is the covenant made with all.
Object. All that are viſible members of the Church, that have received the Seal of the Covenant, and do ſtill own it, are in covenant; but many of theſe are ignorant, or prophane and wicked, therefore all that are in covenant have not new hearts and ſpirits given unto them, neither is the law of God written in their hearts.
Anſw. The covenant of grace may be conſidered two ways, either in regard of the outward diſpenſation and outward priviledges attending it, or in regard of thoſe inward graces which are the proper effects of it. In regard of the outward diſpenſation, and outward priviledges belonging to it, all viſible members of the Church may be ſaid to be in covenant, but in regard of the inward graces, which are the proper effects and priviledges he longing to the covenant of grace, thoſe cannot be ſaid to be in covenant, who alway remain deſtitute of them. As Abraham had a carnal ſeed who received circumciſion (which was the Seal of the covenant) and did partake of other outward priviledges belonging to the people of God, and a ſpiritual ſeed, namely ſuch as were of the faith of Abraham, ſo he hath ſtill. No man can be ſaid to be in covenant further then he knows it, and profeſſeth conformity to the conditions of it: wicked men may have the covenant made known to them, and make outward profeſſion of conformity to it, and ſo have communion with the people of God in all outward ordinances, and enjoy all outward priviledges together with them, but they cannot properly be ſaid to be in covenant, not partaking of the moſt eſſential parts of it, of thoſe great graces of Juſtification, Sanctification, and of Salvation in the end.
Object. 8. The Apoſtle Peter ſpeaks of ſuch as denied the Lord that bought them, 2 Pet. 2.2. therefore Chriſt hath died for wicked men that periſh in the end.
Anſw. The Scripture ſometimes ſpeaks of things not onelyonly as they are, but as they ſeem and appear to be, as they are in the judgements and opinions of men. Thus our Savior having ſaid in one place, that to him that hath, ſhall be given, and from him that hath not, ſhall be taken away even that which he hath, Mat. 13.12. in another place ſhews his meaning, ſaying, That ſhall be taken away which he ſeemed to have, Luke 8.18. and in this ſenſe he ſpeaks when he ſaith, that the whole have no need of the Phyſitian, but the ſick, and that he came not to call the righteous, but ſinners to repentance. And thus it is ſaid of king Ahaz, that he ſacrificed to the gods of Damaſcus that ſmote him, 2 Chr. 28.23. they did not ſo indeed, but he thought they did ſo, they ſeemed to him to do ſo, and therefore the Scripture ſpeaks of it accordingly: and ſo it is ſpoken in this place; theſe men had the knowledge of Chriſt, and made outward profeſſion of him and his Religion, and therefore ſeemed to be ſuch as were bought and redeemed by him, but they were not ſo indeed.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Whitfield, Vindication of the Doctrine of Gods Absolute Decree (1657)