Of the Death of Christ, Title page – Dedication
OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST, The PRICE he paid, and the PURCHASE he made. OR, The Satisfaction, and Merit of the Death of CHRIST cleered, the Univerſality of Redemption thereby oppugned: And The Doctrine Concerning theſe things formerly delivered in a Treatiſe againſt Univerſal REDEMPTION Vindicated from the Exceptions, and Objections of MR BAXTER.
By J. OWEN, Miniſter of the Goſpel.
LONDON: Printed by Peter Cole, at the ſign of the Printing-Preſs in Cornhil, near the Royal Exchange, 1650.
TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, OLIVER CROMWEL, Eſq Lord Lievtenant of IRELAND, &c.
TO excuſe the Dedication of a Book, which ſeems not to be like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver, in a Time of ſo much Preparation for War, this is my Apologie: The brief Diſcourſe following, being Compoſed in Ireland, where through the Preſence of God with You, in Your great Employment, I enjoyed Peace and Quietneſs for a ſeaſon in the ſervice of my Maſter, and now ſtepping into the [⁂] World, by Providence, upon Your return into this Nation, it ſeems to crave the Signature of Your Name at the Entrance: Beſides, being almoſt wholly Polemical (for men of Learning alſo, have their Polemicks, and thoſe, as in the mannagement of ſome, as pernitious to the Nations profeſſing the Name of Chriſt, as the Conteſt of the Sword) it layes a Second Claim therunto, from its Proportion to the preſent Work whereunto You are called forth.
Perhaps the Differences, about which the Conteſt here mannaged, is, may appear to ſome, not to be of ſo great Weight and Importance, as to deſerve that ſerious and publick Agitation, which is now given to them: eſpecially in theſe dayes, wherein things of neerer Concernment to the Foundation of Faith, do come continually under Debate. But beſides that no one Title, of the Faith once delivered unto the Saints, is to be yeelded unto gain-ſayers, the Way wherby Oppoſition is made unto any Truth, is ſeriouſly to be conſidered. It was ſaid of Caeſar, That ſolus acceſſit ſobrius ad perdendam rempublicam, he alone (amongſt many other undertakers) attempted ſoberly to deſtroy the Cōmon-wealth, and therefore was the moſt earneſtly to be reſiſted. In the Broaching of many Opinions, abhorrent from the Truth of the Goſpel in theſe dayes, very few have gone ſoberly to Work. For the moſt part, a perverſe Spirit of Giddineſs hath been mingled with their undertakings, wherby, though they have made a great Noiſe in the World, and overthrown the Faith of ſome, yet their beloved ſelf-Conceptions being full of ſelf-Contradictions, aſſerted with much Paſſion and Confidence, little Reaſon or Judgment, having no determinate End affixed to them, I no way doubt, but that in due Time they will eaſily ſink of themſelves.
He, with whom, in ſome part of this Treatiſe, I have to do, hath been ſerious in his undertaking, and being not deſtitute of Abilities for the carrying on of his Intendment, it is requiſite the Truth by him miſtaken, ſhould receive a ſerious Vindication, which I hope alſo is performed, ſo far as Occaſion, was by his Writing, to me adminiſtred.
Neither will the things here Diſcuſſed I am perſwaded ſeem light unto you, who have learned to value every Truth of God, at the Rate, whereunto it is ſtamped from above: eſpecially thoſe which ſo neerly Concern him, whom Your Soul loveth, as theſe following wil be found to do.
For my own part, having no kind of Intereſt in the things now a doing, neither one way, nor other, but only ſo far, as the great Intereſt of Chriſt and the Goſpel is concerned, nor any deſign in my Thoughts, but only to lay hold of every orderly Advantage to Preach the Lord Jeſus, and him Crucified, even him alone; and withal, to give Teſtimony to the whole Counſel [⁂] of God, as revealed in his Word, in Oppoſition to the many fooliſh Deluſions, which through the Craft of Satan, and the Vanity of mens darkned minds, have got entrance into the World, continually lamenting the ſad miſtake of many Miniſters of the Goſpel immixing themſelves ſo far in Civil Conteſts, as to make them oftentimes the ſubject of their publick pains in Preaching and Writing, I hope there is no need of an Apologie, for my labouring in this kind.
As to this Preſentation of theſe few Sheets to You, beſides what is above mentioned, my Aſſurance of Your faithful adherence to the forme of wholſome Words, and pattern of ſound Doctrine, that cannot be gain-ſaid, gave Encouragement unto,
June 1. Your Excellencies moſt humble and obliged Servant, in our deareſt Lord, J. OWEN.