A Scotch Antidote Against the English Infection of Arminianism, Article 2
Second article ſtated.
IN the ſecond Article of Redemption they Second Article ſtated.teach that Chriſt by his death intended the univerſall Redemption of all men without diſtinction of Elect and Reprobate, that hee by his death did actually impetrate to all the favour and grace of God, that the application of the graces impetrated depends alone on the freewill of man, ſome according to their Liberty making uſe of that purchaſed gift, Others to whom that grace and ſalvation was alike purchaſed and intended on Gods part by their own neglect and contempt, according to the ſame liberty of their will rejecting it.
We teach that Chriſt did give his life and bloud alone for thoſe who get good by it, only for the faithfull, even the Elect his own members.
Horrible abſurdities follow on the Arminian Tenet, Abſurdities conſequent to the Arminian tenet.ſome whereof they acknowledge, and others are bound on their back by inevitable conſequences, to wit, that the fruit of Chriſts death depends abſolutely upon the contingent aſſent of mans free will, that notwithſtanding his death it was poſsible and very contingent, that all men had periſhed, that no ſoul had bin freed from hell by his bloud, that God ſhould never have had any Church at all, that now by the vertue of his death, true grace is given to all, that all Pagans as well under the Law as Goſpell, who never heard of Scripture, are truly reconciled to God by his death, that all Infants even of Pagans are ſaved by Chriſt, who die before the years of diſcretion, That in no man is any original ſinne, but every one when hee is born is put in the ſtate of innocency, that Baptiſme is not neceſſay, for no ſin is therein remitted becauſe there is none then to be remitted.
But how ever ſee how our doctrine is grounded on Scripture, Our firſt argument that Chriſt died only for the Elect from Iohn 17.9.Iohn 17.9. I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for thoſe thou haſt given me out of the world, for they are thine: Chriſt had no intention to give his life for them for whom hee avows, hee would not pray, at that ſame time when hee was going to die; ſhall he give his life for thoſe for whom hee would not open his mouth to pray; for his own only, for his Fathers proper ones, who are given over and recommended to him, for theſe only and not the World hee avows, hee does then pray.
Another, Epheſ. 5.24. Our ſecond argument fromChriſt is the head of the Church, Epheſ 5.24.and a Saviour of the body. Chriſt alſo hath loved his Church, and gave himſelf for it, that he might ſanctifie and cleanſe it, and preſent it to himſelfe a glorious Church: Chriſt here gives himſelfe to death, not for all but for the Church only, he is a Saviour only of the body of theſe whom hee loves as his ſpouſe, whom he ſanctifies and preſents to God one day glorious without ſpot; ſuch are not the world of the damned.
A third Scripture, Our third argument from John 10.14.Iohn 10.14. I am the good ſhepheard and know the ſheep, and am knowne of mine, and lay downe my life for my ſheep: for whom hath Chriſt laid downe his life? Only for his ſheep, for thoſe that are his, for thoſe that know him as their ſhepheard, of whom he taketh notice as of his ſheep, but for the Goates of the world whom he knows not, over whom hee never bare rule, who never were in his fold, hee layes not downe his life.
A fourth Scripture, Our fourth from Ioh. 15.13Iohn 15.23. Greater love than this, hath no man, that a man ſhould lay downe his life for his friend: Chriſt lays downe his life for his friends, not for thoſe who live and die ſtrangers & enemies to him; for whom hee dies, to them hee ſhews the higheſt degree of love, but to numbers of the Reprobates, hee never ſends his Word, much leſſe his ſaving grace; how then have they the fruit of his greateſt affection, even to die for them.
See alſo that of the 53 of Iſaiah: Our fift argument from Eſay 53. &c.By his ſtripes are we healed, and that of the Apoſtle, He was made ſin for us, that wee might be made the righteouſneſſe of God in him; thoſe for whom Chriſt was ſlain, are healed by his ſtripes, are made righteous and abſolved from ſin by his bloud, which hee as their pledge ſhed for them: It is the juſtice of God, that for whoſe ſin he hath received an infinite ſatisfaction, To theſe ſhould not be imputed their ſins for a ſecond ſatisfaction in their own eternall torments, but ſo it is, that numbers of people are never freed from their ſin, never healed but periſh.
Againſt all this their prime Objection, The Arminian objection anſwered.in theſe Scriptures wherein Chriſt is ſaid to have died for all, the Anſwer is eaſie, that no man can deny but divers Scriptures which are conceived in univerſall terms, muſt bee expounded with reſtrictions, for example Chriſt is all in all, when I am riſen I will draw all men to mee, I will poure my ſpirit on all fleſh, they ſhall be all taught of God, will any man have theſe univerſall Scriptures abſolute and illimited; So doth Auguſtine anſwer and beat off the Pelagians when they preſs theſe Scriptures of Chriſts dying for all & every one; his words I paſſe for the time; when the Semipelagians reſted not content with his Anſwers to them he replyes, de Correp. & Gratia, c. 14. in theſe words well worthy the reciting, Omnes homines, omne hominum genus intelligimus per quaſcunque differentias distributum, Reges privatos, nobiles ignobiles, ſublimes humiles, doctos indoctos, integri corporis debiles, ingenioſos tardicordes fatuos, divites, pauperes, mediocres, mares, foeminas, infantes, pueros, adoleſcentes, Juvenes, ſeniores, ſenes, in linguis omnibus, in moribus omnibus, in artibus omnibus, in profeſſionibus omnibus, in voluntatum & conſciont tarum innumerabili varietate conſtitutos, & ſi quid aliud differentiarum eſt in hominibus.[By all men we underſtand all kindes of men, divided by whatſoever diſtinctions, Kings or private perſons, noble or ignoble, high or low, learned or unlearned, whole or ſick, wiſe, ſimple, fooliſh, rich, poore, indifferent, men, women, babes, children, youths, old men, of all languages, of al diſpoſitions, of al trades, of all profeſsions, and according to their divers inclinations, innumerable ways diverſified.]