The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, Book 4 · Chapter 1

The Death of Death in the Death of Christ · Book 4 · Chapter 1

CHAP. I.

Things previously to be considered to the solution of objections.

THere being sundry places in holy Scripture, wherein § I the ransome and propitation made by the bloud of Some generall principles laid downe as,Christ is set forth in generall, and in definite expressions; as also a fruitlesnesse or want of successe in respect of some through their own default, for whom he dyed seemingly, intimated; with generall profers, promises and exhortations made for the embracing of the fruits of the death of Christ, even to them who doe never actually performe it; whence some have taken occasion to maintaine an universallity of redemption, equally respecting all and every one; and that with great confidence, affirming, that the contrary opinion cannot possibly be reconciled with those places of Scripture, wherein the former things are proposed, these three heads being the onelyonly fountaines from whence are drawne (but with violence) all the arguments that are opposed to the peculiar effectuall redemption of the elect onelyonly; I shall (before I come to the answering of objections, arising from a wrested interpretation of particular places) lay down some such fundamentall principles, as are agreeable to the word, & largly held forth in it, and no way disagreeable to our judgement in this particular, which doe and have given occasion to those generall and indefinite affirmations as they are laid downe in the word, and upon which they are founded; having their truth in them, and not in an universall ransome for all and every one, with some distinctions conducing to the further clearing of the thing in question, and waving of many false imputations of things and consequences erroneously or malitiously imposed on § II us.

The first thing that we shall lay downe is concerning aa1 Of the dignity and innate sufficiency of the death of Christ, with,the dignity, worth, pretiousnesse and infinite value of the bloud and death of Jesus Christ. The maintaining and declaring of this, is doubtlesse especially to be considered: and every opinion that doth p. 173but seemingly clash against it, is exceedingly prejudiced, at least deservedly suspected, yea presently to be rejected by christians, if upon search it be found to doe so really and indeed, as that which is injurious & derogatory to the merit and honour of Jesus Christ. The Scripture also to this purpose is exceeding full and frequent in setting forth the excellency and dignity of his death and sacrifice, calling his bloud, by reason of the unity of his person, Gods owne bloud, Act. 20. 28 Exalting it infinitely above all other sacrifices, as having for its principle the eternall Spirit, and being it selfe without spot, Heb. 9. 14. Transcendently more pretious than silver or gold or corruptable things, 1 Pet. 1. 18. Able to give justification from all things, from which by the Law men could not be justified, Act. 13. 28. Now such as was the sacrifice and offering of Christ in it self, such was it intended by his Father it should be: it was then the purpose and intention of God that his Sonne should offer a sacrifice of infinite worth, value, and dignity, sufficient in it selfe for the redeeming of all and every man, if it had pleased the Lord to imploy it to that purpose; yea and of other worlds also, if the Lord should freely make them, and would redeem them. Sufficient we say then was the sacrifice of Christ for the redemption of the whole world, and for the expiation of all the sinnes of all and every man in the world, bbThe severall causes of it, as 1 The dignity of his person. 2 The greatnesse of his sufferings.This sufficiency of his sacrifice hath a twofold rise. First, The dignity of the person that did offer and was offered. Secondly, The greatnesse of the paine he endured, by which he was able to beare, and did undergoe, the whole curse of the Law and wrath of God due to sinne: and this sets out the innate reall true worth and value of the bloudsheding of Jesus Christ: This is its owne true internall perfection and sufficiency: that it should be applyed unto any, made a price for them, and become beneficiall to them, according to the worth that is in it, is externall to it, doth not arise from it, but meerely depends upon the intention and will of God. It was in it selfe of infinite value and sufficiency to have been made a price, to have bought and purchased all and every man in the world. That it did formally become a price, for any, is solely to be ascribed to the purpose of God, intending their purchase and redemption by it; The intention of the offerer and accepter that it should be for such, some, or any, is that which gives the formality of a price unto it, this is externall: but the value, and fitnesse of it to be made a price, ariseth p. 174from its owne internall sufficiency. Hency may appeare what c All laid out in an old distinction, which is,is to be thought of that old distinction of the Schoolemen, imbraced and used by divers Protestant Divines, though by others againe rejected: viz. that Christ died for all in respect of the sufficiency of the ransome he paid; but not in respect of the efficacy of its application; d 1 Examinedor, the bloud of Christ was a sufficient price for the sins of all the world; which last expression is corrected by some, and thus asserted, ee2 Cleared.That the bloud of Christ was sufficient to have beene made a price for all, which is most true, as was before declared: for its being a price for all, or some, doth not arise from its owne sufficiency, worth, or dignity, but from the intention of God and Christ, using it to that purpose, as was declared; and therefore it is denyed that the bloud of Christ was a sufficient price and ransome for all, and every one, not because it was not sufficient, but because it was not a ransome. And so it easily appears what is to be owned in the distinction it selfe before exprest; if it intend no more, but that the bloud of our Saviour was of sufficient value for the redemption of all and every one, & that Christ intended to lay down a price which should be sufficient for their redemption, it is acknowledged as most true, but the truth is, that expression (to dye for them) holds out the intentiō of our Saviour in the laying down of the price to have been their redemption; which we deny, & affirm that then it could not be, but that they must be made actuall partakers of the eternall redemption purchased for them, unlesse God failed in his designe, through the defect of the ransome paid by Christ, his justice refusing to give a dismission upon the delivery of the ransome.

Now the infinite value and worth which we assert to be in the death of Christ, we conceive to be exceedingly undervalued by the assertors of universall redemption, for that it should be extended to this or that object, fewer or more, we shewed before to bee extrinsecall to it, but its true worth consists in the immediate effects, products and issues of it, with what in its owne nature it is fit and able to doe, which they openly and apparently undervalue, yea, almost annihilate. ^f Hence those expressions concerning it,

First, that by it a doore of grace was opened for sinners, where (I suppose) they know not; but that any were effectually carried in at the doore by it, that they deny. Secondly, That God might, if hee would, & upon what condition he pleased, save those for whom Christ died: p. 175that a right of salvation was by him purchased for any, they deny; hence they grant, that after the death of Christ, First, God might have dealt with man upon a legall condition againe; Secondly, that all and every man might have beene damned, and yet the death of Christ have had its full effect: as also moreover, that faith and sanctification are not purchased by his death; yea, no more for any (as before) than what he may goe to hell withall; and divers other wayes doe they expresse their low thoughts & slight imaginations concerning the innate value and sufficiency of the death & bloud-shedding of Jesus Christ. ggAsserted & maintained, with consequences thence inferred, which areTo the honor then of Jesus Christ our mediator, God and man, our allsufficient Redeemer, we affirm, such & so great was the dignity and worth of his death & bloud-shedding, of so precious a value, of such an infinite fulnesse and sufficiency was this oblation of himselfe, that it was every way able, and perfectly sufficient to redeeme, justifie and reconcile and save all the sinners in the world, and to satisfie the justice of God for all the sinnes of all mankind, and to bring them every one to everlasting glory. Now this fulnesse and sufficiency of the merit of the death of Christ is a foundation unto two things.

First, the generall publishing of the Gospell unto all nations hh1. The indefinite preaching of the word to all.with the right that it hath to be preached to every creature, Matth. § IV 28. 27. Mark. 16. 16. Because the way of salvation which it declares is wide enough for all to walk in: There is enough in the remedy it brings to light, to heale all their diseases, to deliver them from all their evils: if there were a 1000. words, the Gospel of Christ might, upon this ground be preached to them all, there being enough in Christ for the salvation of them all, if so be they will derive vertue from him by touching him in faith, the onelyonly way to draw refreshment from this fountaine of salvation. It is then altogether in vaine which some object, that the preaching of the Gospell to all, is altogether needlesse, and uselesse, if Christ dyed not for all: yea, that it is to make God call upon men to believe that which is not true, viz. That Christ dyed for them; For first, besides that amongst those nations, whither the Gospell is sent, there are some to be saved, (I have much people) which they cannot be, in the way that God hath appointed to doe it, unlesse the Gospel be preached to others, as well as themselves: and besides, Secondly, that the oeconomy and dispensation of the new Covenant, by which all externall differences and priviledges of people, tongues and nations being abolished, and taken away, the word p. 176of grace was to be preached without distinction, and all men called every where to repent: and Thirdly, That when God calleth upon men to believe, he doth not in the first place call upon them to believe that Christ dyed for them, but that there is no name under heaven given unto men, whereby they might be saved but onelyonly of Jesus Christ; Through whom salvation is preached; I say besides those certaine truths, fully taking off that objection, this one thing, of which we speake, is a sufficient basis and ground for all those generall precepts of preaching the Gospell unto all men, even that sufficiency which we have described.

Secondly, That the ii2. The pressing of all to believe.Preachers of the Gospell in their particular congregations, being utterly unacquainted with the purpose and secret counsell of God, being also forbidden to pry or search into it, Deut. 29. May from hence, justifiably call upon every man to believe, with assurance of salvation to every one in particular upon his so doing, knowing and being fully perswaded of this, that there is enough in the death of Christ, to save every one that shall so doe; leaving the purpose and counsell of God, on whom he will bestow faith, and for whom in particular Christ dyed, (even as they are commanded) to himselfe.

And this is one principle thing, which, being well observed, will crush many of the vaine flourishes of our adversaryes, as will in particular hereafter appeare.

A second thing to be considered, is the kk2. The nature of the Administration of the new Covenant: with theoeconomy or administration of the New-Covenant, in the times of the Gospel; with the amplitude § V and enlargement of the Kingdome and dominion of Christ, after his appearance in the flesh; whereby all externall differences being taken away, the name of Gentiles removed, the partition Wall broken downe, the promise to Abraham, that he should be heire of the world, as he was father of the faithfull, was now fully to be accomplished: now this administration is so opposite to that dispensation, which was restrained to one people and family who were Gods peculiar, and all the rest of the world excluded, that it gives occasion to many generall expressions in the scripture, which are far enough from comprehending an universality of all individualls, but denote onelyonly a removall of all such restraining exceptions, as were before in force: so llScripturall expressions occasioned thereby:that a consideration of the end whereunto these generall expressions are used, and at what is aimed by them, will clearely manifest their nature, and how p. 177they are to be understood, with who they are, that are intended by them, and comprehended in them. For it being onelyonly this enlargement, of the visible Kingdome of Christ to all nations in respect of right, and to many in respect of fact (God having elect in all those nations to be brought forth, in the severall generations wherein the meanes of grace are in those places employed) that is intended, it is evident, that they import only a distribution of men through all differences whatsoever, and not an universall collection of all and every one, the thing intended by them, requiring the one, and not the other: Hence those objections which are made against the particularity of the ransome of Christ, and the restraining of it onelyonly to the elect, from the termes of all, all men, all nations, the world, the whole world, and the like, are all of them exceeding weake and invalid, as wresting the generall expressions of the Scripture beyond their aime and intent, they being used by the holy Ghost onelyonly to evidence the removall of all personall & nationall distinction, the breaking up of all the narrow bounds of the old Testament, the enlarging the Kingdome of Christ beyond the bounds of Jury and Salem, abolishing all old restrictions and opening a way for the elect amongst all people called the fulnesse of the Gentiles to come in, there being now neither Greeke, Jew, circumcision, nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond or free, but Christ is all and in all, Col. 3. 11. Hence the Lord promimiseth to poure out his spirit upon all flesh, Joel. 2. 28. Which Peter interpreteth to be accomplished by the filling of the Apostles with the gifts of the spirit, that they might be enabled to preach to severall nations, Act. 2. 17. Having received grace and Apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations, Rom. 1. 5. Not the Jewes only, but some among all nations, the Gospell being the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, the Jew and also the Greek, v. 16. Intending onelyonly as to salvation, the peculiar bought by Christ which he redeemed out of every kindred, tongue, and people, and nation, Rev. 5. 9. Where ye have an evident distribution of that, which in other places is generally set downe; the Gospel being commanded to be preached to all these nations, Matth. 28. 19. That those bought and redeemed ones amongst them all might be brought home to God, John. 11. 52. And this is that which the Apostle so largely sets forth, Ephes. 2. 14. 15. 16. 17. Now in this sense which we have explained and no other, p. 178are those many places to be taken, which are usually urged for universall grace and redemption as shall afterwards be declared in particular.

Thirdly, we must exactly distinguish between mmThe distinction betweene mans duty and Gods purpose.mans duty and Gods purpose, there being no connexion between them. The § VI purpose and decree of God is not the rule of our duty, neither is the performance of our duty in doing what we are commanded, any declaration of what is Gods purpose to do, or his decree that it should be done: especially is this to be seene and considered in the duty of the Ministers of the Gospell, in the dispensing of the Word, in exhortations, invitations, precepts, and threatnings, committed unto them; all which are perpetuall declaratives of our duty, and doe manifest the approbation of the thing exhorted and invited to, with the truth of the connexion between one thing and another, but not of the counsell and purpose of God in respect of individuall persons in the Ministery of the Word: a Minister is not to make enquiry after, nor to trouble himselfe about those secrets of the eternall minde of God, viz. whom he purposeth to save, and whom he hath sent Christ to dye for in particular: it is enough for them to search his revealed wil, and thence take their directions; from whence they have their Commissions: Wherefore there is no sequell between the universall precepts from the word concerning the things, unto Gods purpose in himselfe concerning Persons: they command and invite all to repent and believe, but they know not in particular on whom God will bestow repentance unto salvation, nor in whom he will effect the worke of faith with power: and when they make proffers and tenders in the name of God to all, they doe not say to all, it is the purpose and intention of God, that ye should believe: Who gave them any such power? but that it is his command, which makes it their duty, to doe what is required of them; and doe not declare his minde what himselfe in particular will doe: the externall offer is such, as from which every man may conclude his own duty: none, Gods purpose, which yet may bee knowne upon performance of his duty. Their objection then is vaine, who affirme that God hath given Christ for all to whom hee offers Christ in the preaching of the Gospell: for his offer in the preaching of the Gospell is not declarative to any in particular, neither of what God hath done, nor of what he will doe in p. 179reference to him, but of what he ought to doe, if hee would bee approved of God, and obtain the good things promised; whence it will follow,

First, that God alwayes intends to save some among them to whom he sends the Gospell in its power: and the Ministers of it being, first, unacquainted with his particular purpose; Secondly, bound to seek the good of all and every one as much as in them lyes; Thirdly, to hope and judge well of all, even as it is meete for them; they may make a proffer of Jesus Christ with life and salvation in him, notwithstanding that the Lord hath given his Sonne onelyonly to his elect.

Secondly, that this offer is neither vaine nor fruitlesse, being declarative of their duty, and of what is acceptable to God, if it be performed as it ought to be, even as it is required: and if any aske, what it is of the mind and will of God that is declared and made knowne, when men are commanded to believe for whom Christ did not dye? I answer first, what they ought to doe, if they will doe that which is acceptable to God. Secondly, the sufficiency of salvation that is in Jesus Christ to all that believe on him. Thirdly, the certaine, infallible, inviolable connexion that is betweene faith and salvation; so that whosoever performes the one shall surely enjoy the other; for whoever come to Christ, hee will in no wise cast out of which more afterwards.

Fourthly, The engraffed erroneous perswasion of the nnThe common error of the Iewish nation to whom the Gospell was first preached.Jewes, which for a while had a strong influence upon the Apostles themselves, § VII restraining salvation and deliverance by the Messias, or promised seed, to themselves alone, who were the off-spring of Abraham according to the flesh, must bee considered as the ground of many generall expressions and enlargements of the objects of Redemption, which yet being so occasioned, give no colour of any unlimited universality: That the oo1 Proved.Jewes were generally infected with this proud opinion; that all the promises belonged onelyonly to them, and theirs, towards whom they had an universality, exclusive of all others, whom they called Dogs, uncircumcised, and poured out curses on them, is most apparent; Hence, when they saw the multitude of the Gentiles comming to the Preaching of Paul, they were filled with Envy, contradicting, blaspheming, and stirring up Persecution against them, Acts 13. 45, 50. p. 180which the Apostle againe relates of them, 1 Thes. 2. 15, 16. They please not God, saith he, and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speake to the Gentiles that they might be saved: being not with any thing more enraged in the preaching of our Saviour, than his Prediction of letting out his Vineyard to others: that the Apostles themselves also had deeply drunke in this opinion, learned by Tradition from their Fathers, appeareth, not onelyonly in their questioning about the Restauration of the Kingdome unto Israel, Acts 1. 6. but also most evidently in this, that after they had received Commission to teach and baptize all Nations, Matth. 28. 20. or every creature, Marke 16. and were endued with power from above so to doe, according to promise, Acts 1. 8. yet they seeme to have understood their commission to have extended onelyonly to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; for they went about and preached onelyonly to the Jewes, Acts 11. 19. And when the contrary was evidenced and demonstrated to them, they glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance to life! Acts 11. 18. admiring at it as a thing which before they were not acquainted with: and no wonder that men were not easily, nor soone perswaded to this, it being the great mystery that was made knowne in former ages, as it was then revealed to Gods holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit, viz. That the Gentiles should bee fellow heires of the same body, and partakers of his promises in Christ by the Gospell, Ephes. 3. 5, 6. But now, this being so made knowne unto them by the Spirit, and that the time was come, wherein the little Sister was to be considered, the Prodigall brought home, and Japhet perswaded to dwell in the Tents of Shem, they laboured by all meanes to root it out of the mindes of their brethren, according to the flesh, of whom they had a speciall care, as also to leave no scruple in the minde of the Eunuch, that hee was a drye tree, or of the Gentile, that hee was cut off from the people of God: To which end they use divers general expressions, carrying a direct opposition to that former errour, which was absolutely destructive to the Kingdome of Jesus Christ; hence are those termes of the world, all men, all nations, every creature, and the like, used in the businesse of Redemption, and preaching of the Gospel, these things being not restrained, according as they supposed, to one certaine nation and family, but extended to the universality of Gods people scattered abroad in every Region under Heaven, especially p. 181are these expressions used by John: who living to see the first comming of the Lord, in that fearefull judgement, and vengeance which hee executed upon the Jewish Nation some forty yeares after his death, is very frequent in the asserting of the benefit of the World by Christ, in opposition, as I said before to the Jewish Nation: giving us a rule how to understand such phrases and locutions, John 11. 51, 52. Hee signified that Jesus should dye for that Nation; and not for that Nation onelyonly, but that also hee should gather together in one the children of God, that were scattered abroad: conformable whereunto he tells the believing Jewes that Christ is not a Propitiation for them onelyonly, but for the sinnes of the whole World, 1 Job. 2. 2. or the people of God scattered throughout the whole world, not tyed to any one Nation, as they sometime vainely imagined. pp2 Applyed to the businesse in hand.And this may and doth give much light, into the sence and meaning of those places, where the words world and all are used, in the businesse of Redemption; they doe not hold out a collective universality, but a generall distribution into men of all sorts, in opposition to the before recounted erronious perswasion.

Fiftly, the qqThe proper signifification of divers generall termes in the scripture: as,extent, nature, and signification of those generall termes which we have frequently used indefinitely in the Scripture, § VIII to set out the object of the Redemption by Christ, must Argu: 5 seriously be weighed: upon these expressions hangs the whole weight of the opposite cause, the chiefe, it not onelyonly Argument for the universality of Redemption, being taken from words which seeme to bee of a latitude in their signification, equall to such an Assertion; as the world, the whole world, all, and the like: which termes when they have once fastened upon, they run with, Io, triumphe, as though the victory were surely theirs: The world, the whole world, all, all men, who can oppose it? call them to the context, in the severall places, where the words are, appeale to rules of Interpretation, minde them of the circumstances and scope of the place, the sense of the same words in other places, with other fore-named helpes and assistances, which the Lord hath acquainted us with, for the discovery of his minde and will in his word; they presently cry out, the bare word, the letter is theirs, away with the glosse and interpretation, give us leave to believe what the Word expressely saith: little (as I hope) imagining, being deluded with the love of their owne darling, that if this p. 182Assertion bee generall, and they will not allow us the gift of Interpretation agreeable to the proportion of faith, that at one clappe they confirme the cursed madnesse of the Anthropomorphites, assigning a humane body, forme and shape unto GOD, who hath none; and the alike cursed figment of Transubstantiation, overthrowing the body of CHRIST, who hath one; with divers other most pernicious errours: Let them then, as long as they please, continue such empty Clamours, fit to terrifie and shake weake and unstable men, for the Truths sake we will not be silent, and I hope wee shall very easily make it appeare, that the generall termes, that are used in this businesse, will indeed give no colour to any Argument for universall Redemption, whether absolute or conditionate.

Two words there are that are mightily stuck upon, or stumbled § IX at; First, the World; Secondly, All: the particular places rrFirst the word World, which in the scripture is of various significations.wherein they are, and from which the Arguments of our Adversaries are urged, we shall afterwards consider, and for the present onelyonly shew that the words themselves, according to the Scripture use, doe not necessarily hold out any collective universality of those, concerning whom they are affirmed: but, being words of various significations, must be interpreted according to the scope of the place where they are used, and the subject matter of which the Scripture treateth in those places.

First then for the word World, which in the New-Testament is called foreign, (for there is another word sometime translated World, viz. foreign, that belongs not to this matter, noting rather the duration of time, than the thing in that space continuing) hee that doth not acknowledge it to bee foreign, need say no more to manifest his unacquaintednesse in the Book of God: I shall briefely give you so many various significations of it, as shall make it apparent, that from the bare usage of a word, so exceedingly equivocall, no Argument can bee taken, untill it bee distinguished, and the meaning thereof in that particular place evinced, from whence the Argument is taken.

p. 183Mundus sumitur.

1 Subjective.

1 foreign.

2 foreign.

pro

1 Coelo aspectabili.

2 Terra habitabili.

2 Adjunctive ratione

1 Incolorum id{que}

1 Collective.

foreign.

1 Quibusvis.

2 Multis.

2 Destributive pro

3 Signantur pro

1 Bonis seu electis.

2 Malis seu reprobis. Communiter.

4 foreign seu

2 Accidentium.

5 Restrictive. foreign pro

1 Praecipuis.

2 Romanis.

1 Corruptionis unde sumit pro

1 Ipsa corruptione.

2 Sede corruptionis.

3 Terrena conditione.

2 Maledictionis.

All these Distinctions of the use of the word are made out in the following Observations.

The word ssManifested by sundry instances: andWorld in the Scripture is in generall taken foure wayes. First, pro mundo continente, and that first generally, foreign § X for the whole fabricke of heaven and earth, with all things in them contained, which in the beginning were created of God, so Job 34. 13. Acts 17. 24. Ephesians 1. 4. and in very many other places.. Secondly, distinctly, first, for the heavens, and all things belonging to them distinguished from the earth, Psalme 90. 2. Secondly, the habitable earth, and this very frequently, as Psalme 24. 1. Psalme 98. 7. Matthew 13. 38. John 1. 9. John 3. 17. 19. John 6. 14. John 17. 11. 1 Tim. 1. 15. 1 Tim. 6. 7.

Secondly, for the world contained, especially men in the world, and that either first universally for all and every one, Rom. 3. 6. & 3. 19. & 5. 12. Secondly, indefinitely for men without restriction or enlargements, John 7. 4. Isa. 13. 11. Thirdly, exegetically for many, which is the most usuall acceptation of the word, Mat. 18. 7. John 4. 42. John 12. 19. John 16. 8. Iohn 17. 21 1 Corinth. 4. 9. Rev. 13. 3 Fourthly, comparatively for a great part of the world, Rom. 1. 8. Matth. 24. 14. & 26. 13. Romans 10. 18. Fiftly,, restrictively for the Inhabitants of the Roman Empire. Luke 2. 1. Sixtly, for men distinguished in their severall qualifications, as first, for the good, Gods people either in designation or possession, Psalme 22. 27. Iohn 3. 16. Iohn 6. 36. 51. p. 184Romans 4. 13. & 11. 12. 15. 2 Cor. 5. 19. Col. 1. 6. 1 Iohn 2. 2. Secondly, for the evill, wicked, rejected men of the World, Isay 13. 11. Iohn 7. 7. Iohn 14. 17. 22. Iohn 15. 19. Iohn 17. 25. 1 Corinth. 6. 2. 1 Corinth. 11. 32. Hebr. 9. 11. Hebr. 11. 38. 2 Pet. 2. 5. 1 Iohn 5. 19. Rev. 13. 3.

Thirdly, for the world corrupted, or that universall corruption which is in all things in it; as Galat. 1. 4. & 4. 1. 4. & 6. 14. Ephesians 2. 2. Iames 1. 27. James 4. 4. 1 Iohn 2. 15, 16, 17. 1 Corinth. 7. 31, 33. Col. 2. 8. 2 Tim. 4. 10. Rom. 12. 2. 1 Corinth. 1. 20. 21. 1 Cor. 3. 18. 19.

Fourthly, for a terrene worldly estate or condition of men or things, Psalme 73. 12. Luke 16. 8. Iohn 18. 36. 1 Iohn 4. 5. and very many other places.

Fiftly, for the world accursed as under the power of Sathan, Ioh. 7. 7. Iohn 14. 30. Iohn 16. 11. 33. 1 Cor 2. 12. 2 Cor. 4. 4. Ephes. 6. 12. and divers other significations hath this word in holy Writ, which are needlesse to recount: These I have rehearsed to shew the vanity of that clamour, wherewith some men fill their mouthes, and frighten unstable soules with the Scripture mentioning-world, so often in the businesse of Redemption, as though some strength might be taken thence for the upholding of the generall ransome: Parvus habet spes Troja, si tales habet; if their greatest strength be but sophisticall craft, taken from the ambiguity of an equivocall word, their whole endeavour is like to prove fruitlesse▪ Now as I have declared that it hath divers other acceptations in the Scripture; so when I come to a consideration of their Objections, that use the word for this purpose, I hope by Gods assistance to shew, that in no one place, wherein it is used in this businesse of Redemption, that it is or can bee taken for all and every man in the World, as indeed it is in very few places besides: so that forasmuch as concerning this word our way will be cleare, if to what hath been said yee adde these observations.

First, That ^t as in other words so in there, this is in the Scripture § XI usually an foreign Whereby the same word is ingeminated in a different sense and acceptation, so Matth. 8. 22. Let the Argu. 1 Applyed in sundry observarions, the 1.dead bury their dead; dead in the first place denoting them that are spiritually dead in sinne, in the next, those that are naturally dead, by a dissolution of soule and body, so John. 1. 11. He came p. 185foreign To his owne, even all things that he had made foreign His owne, that is the greatest part of the people received him not, so againe Joh. 3. 6. That which is borne of the spirit is spirit; Spirit in the the first place is the Almighty spirit of God, in the latter a spirituall life of grace received from him. Now in such places as these to argue that such is the signification of the word in one place therefore in the other, were violently to pervert the minde of the holy Ghost: Thus also is the word world usually changed in the meaning thereof, so John. 1. 10. He was in the world, and the world was made by him and the world knew him not, he that should force the same signification upon the word in that triple mention of it, would be an egregious glosser, for in the first, it plainely signifieth some part of the habitable earth, and is taken subjective foreign in the second, the whole frame of heaven and earth, and is taken subjective foreign, and in the third for some men living in the earth, viz. unbelievers, who may be said to be the world adjunctive: so againe, Joh. 3. 17. God sent not his Sonne into the world to condemne the world, but that the world through him might be saved, where by the world in the first, is necessarily to be understood that part of the habitable world, wherein our Saviour conversed, in the second, all men in the world, as some suppose, so also there is a truth in it, for our Saviour came, not to condemne all men in the world: for first, condemnation of any, was not the prime aime of his coming; Secondly, He came to save his owne people, and so not to condemne all: in the third, Gods elect or believers living in the world in their severall generations, who were they, whom he intended to save, and none else, or he faileth of his purpose; and the endeavour of Christ is insufficient for the accomplishment of that whereunto it is designed.

Secondly, That no argument can be taken from a phrase of § XII speech in the Scripture in any particular place, if in other places Arg. 2 thereof, where it is used, the signification pressed from that place is evidently denyed, unlesse the scope of the place, or subject matter doe enforce it, For instance God is said to love the world, and send his Sonne, to be in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe, and Christ to be a propitiation for the sins of the whole world; if the scope of the places where these assertions are, or the subject matter of which they treat, will inforce an universallity of all persons to be meant by the word world, so let it be p. 186without controll: but if not, if there be no inforcement of any such interpretation from the places themselves, why should the world there more signifie all and every one, then in Iohn 1. 10. The world knew him not, which if it be meant of all, without exception then no one did believe in Christ, which is contrary to verse 12. Or in Luke. 2. 1. That all the world should be taxed, when none but the chief inhabitants of the Romane Empire can be understood: or in John 8. 26. I speake to the world those things which I have heard of him, understanding the Jews to whom he spake, who then lived in the world, and not every one to whom he was not sent: or in John 12. 19. Perceive yee not that the world is gone after him? Which world was nothing but a great multitude of one small nation: or in 1 John 5. 19. The whole world lyeth in wickednesse, from which notwithstanding all believers are to be understood as exempted: or in Rev. 13. 3, All the world wandred after the heast; which whether it be affirmed of the whole universality of individualls, in the world, let all judge. That all nations, an expression of equall extent with that of the world, is in like manner to be understood, is apparent. Rom. 1. 5. Rev. 18. 3. 23. Psal. 118. 10. 1 Chron. 14. 17 Jer. 27. 7. It being evident that the words, world, all the world, the whole world, doe, where taken adjunctively for men in the world, usually and almost alwayes denote only some, or many men in the world, distinguished into good or bad believers or unbelievers, elect or reprobate: by what is immediately in the severall places affirmed of them, I see no reason in the world why they should be wrested to any other meaning or sence in the places that are in controversy between us and our opponents. The particular places we shall afterwards consider.

Now as we have said of the word World, so wee may of the word nn2. Of the word all, whose use is,All, wherein much strength is placed, and many causelesse boastings are raised from it: That it is no where affirmed § XIII in the Scripture that Christ dyed for all men, or gave himselfe a ransome for all men, much lesse for all and every man, wee have before declared: That hee gave himselfe a ransome for all is expressely affirmed, 2 Tim. 2. 6. But now, who this All should bee, whether all Believers, or all the Elect, or some of all sorts, or all of every sort, is in debate. Our Adversaries affirme the last, and the maine reason they bring to assert their interpretation is from the importance of the word it selfe; for, that the p. 185circumstances of the place, the analogy of faith, and other helps for exposition, doe not at all favour their glosse, wee shall shew when wee come to the particular places urged. For the present let us look upon the word in its usuall acceptation in the Scripture, and search whether it alwayes necessarily requires such an interpretation.

xx1 Declared.That the word All, being spoken of among all sorts of men, speaking writing, any way expressing themselves, but especially in holy Writ, is to bee taken either Collectively for all in generall without exception, or distributively for some of all sorts, excluding none, is more apparent than that it can require any illustration. That it is sometimes taken in the first sense, for all collectively, is granted, and I need not prove it; they whom wee oppose affirming that this is the onelyonly sense of the word, though I dare boldly say it is not once in ten times so to be understood in the usage of it through the whole Booke of God; but that it is commonly, and indeed properly used in the latter sense, for some of all sorts, concerning whatsoever it is affirmed, a few instances for many that might be urged, will make it cleare: thus then yee have it, Iohn 12. 32. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all unto mee: that we translate it all men, as in other places (for though I know the sense may be the same, yet the word men being not in the originall but onelyonly foreign) I cannot approve. But who (I pray) are these all? are they all and every one? then are all and every one drawne to Christ, made beleevers, and truly converted, and shall be certainely saved; for those that come unto him by his, and his Fathers drawing, bee will in no wise cast out, John 6. 37. All then, can here be no other than many, some of all sorts, no sort excluded, according as the word is interpreted in Revelations 5. 9. Thou hast redeemed us out of every kindred, tongue, and people, and nation; these are the All he drawes to him: which exposition of this phrase is with mee of more value and esteeme, than a thousand glosses of the sonnes of men: So also Luke 11. 42. where our Translators have made the word to signifie immediately and properly (for Translators are to keep close to the propriety and native signification of every word) what we assert to bee the right Interpretation of it: for they render foreign, which foreign is every herbe, all manner of herbes, taking the word p. 186(as it must bee) distributively for herbes of all sorts, and not for any individuall herb, which the Pharisees did not, could not tythe: and in the very same sense is the word used againe, Luke 18. 12, I give tythe of all that I have, where it cannot signifie every individuall thing as is apparent: Most evident also is this restrained signification of the word Acts 2. 17. I will poure out of my spirit foreign. which whether it comprizeth every man or no, let every man judge; and not rather men of severall and sundry sorts: the same course of Interpretation as formerly, is follow… by our Translators, Acts 10. 12. rendring foreign literally all Beasts or foure footed creatures, all manner of beasts or, beasts of sundry severall sorts: in the same sense also must it bee understood, Rom. 14. 2. One believeth that hee may eate all things, that is, what he pleaseth, of things to be eaten of: see moreover 1 Cor. 1. 5. Yea in that very Chapter where men so eagarly contend that the word All is to bee taken for all and every one (though fruitlessely and falsely, as shall be demonstrated) viz. 1 Tim. 2. 4. where it is said, that God would have all men to bee saved, in that very Chapter (confessedly) the word is to bee expounded according to the sense wee give, viz. v. 8. I will therefore that men pray foreign, which that it cannot signifie every individuall place in Heaven, Earth and Hell is of all confessed, and needeth no proof. No more than when our Saviour is said to cure foreign, as Matth. 8. 35. there, is to prove that hee did not cure every disease of every man, but onelyonly all sorts of diseases. Sundry other instances might be given, to manifest that this is the most usuall and frequent signification of the word All in holy Scripture, and therefore from the bare word nothing can be inferred to inforce an absolute unlimitted universality of all individualls to be intimated thereby. The particular places insisted on, wee shall afterwards consider. I shall conclude all concerning these generall expressions that are used in the Scripture about this businesse in these observations.

First, the word xx2 Applied.All, is certainly and unquestionably sometimes § XIV restrained, and to bee restrained to all of some sorts, although the qualification be not expressed, which is the bond of the limitation, so for all beleevers, 1 Cor. 15. 22. Ephes. 4. 10. Rom. 5. 18. The free gift came upon all men to the justification of life: which p. 187all men, that are so actually justified, are no more nor lesse than those that are Christs, that is beleevers, for certainly justification is not without faith.

Secondly, the word all is sometime used for some of all sorts, Ier. 31. 34. the word foreign is by Paul rendred foreign, Heb. 8. 11. So Iohn 12. 32. 1 Tim. 2. 1. 2, 3. which is made apparent by the mention of Kings, as one sort of people there intended: and I make no doubt but it will appeare to all that the word must be taken in one of these senses in every place where it is used in the businesse of Redemption, as shall bee proved.

Thirdly, let a diligent comparison bee made between the generall expressions of the new, with the predictions of the old Testament, and they will be found to be answerable to, and expositary of one another. The Lord affirming in the New, that, that was done, which in the old he fore-told should be done: Now in the Predictions and Prophesies of the Old Testament (that all Nations, all flesh, all people, all the ends, families, or Kindreds of the earth, the world, the whole earth, the Isles, shall be converted, look up to Christ, come to the mountaine of the Lord and the like) none doubts but that the elect of God in all Nations, are onelyonly signified, knowing that in them alone those predictions have the truth of their accomplishments: and why should the same expressions used in the Gospel, and many of them aiming directly to declare the fulfilling of the other, be Wire-drawne to a larger extent, so contrary to the minde of the Holy Ghost? In fine, as when the Lord is said to wipe teares from all faces, it hinders not but the Reprobates shall be cast out to eternity, where there is weeping and wailing, &c. So when Christ is said to dye for all, it hinders not, but those Reprobates may perish to eternity for their sinnes, without any effectuall remedy intended for them, though occasionally proposed to some of them.

Sixtly, observe that the Scripture often speaketh of things and § XV persons according to the appearance they have, and the account The affirmation of things in Scripture according to their appearancethat is of them amotgst men, or that esteeme, that they have of them, to whom it speaketh, frequently speaking of men, and unto men as in the condition wherein they are, according to outward appearance, upon which humane judgement must proceed, and not what they are indeed: thus, many are called, and said to be wise, just, and righteous according as they are so esteemed, p. 188though the Lord know them to be foolish sinners: so Jerusalem is called the holy City, Matth. 27. 53. because it was so in esteem and appearance, when indeed it was a very den of theeves: and 2 Chron. 28. 23. it is said of Ahaz, that wicked King of Judah, that hee sacrificed to the Gods of Damascus that smote him: it was the Lord alone that smote him, and those idols to whom he sacrificed were but stocks and stones the work of mens hands, which could no way help themselves, much lesse smite their enemies; yet the holy Ghost useth an expression answering his idolatrous perswasion, and saith, they smote him: Nay is it not said of Christ, Iom 5. 18 That he had broken the Sabboth, which yet he onelyonly did in the corrupt opinion of the blinded Pharesi…s? adde moreover to what hath been said, that which is of no lesse an undeniable truth, viz. that many things which are proper and peculiar to the children of God, are out and frequently assigned to them, who live in the same outward communion with them, and are partakers of the same externall priviledges, though in leed aliens in respect of the participation of the grace of the promise: put, I say these two things, which are most evident, together, and it will easily appeare that those places, which seeme to expresse a possibility of perishing and eternal destruction to them, who are said to be redeemed by the bloud of Christ, are no wayes advantageous to the adversaryes of the effectuall redemption of Gods elect by the bloud of Christ▪ because such may be said to be redeemed foreign no… foreign …t foreign in respect of appearance, not reality, as is the use of the Scripture in diverse other things.

Seventhly, That zzExpressions suited to the judgment of Charity.which is spoken according to the judgement of charity, on our parts, must not alwayes be exactly squared and § XVI made answearable to verity in respect of them, of whom any thing is affirmed; for the rectitude of our judgment it sufficeth, that wee proceed according to the rules of judging, that are given us: for what is out of our cognizance, whither that answers to our judgments or no, belongs not to us: Thus oftentimes, the Apostles in the Scriptures write unto men, and terme them holy, Saints, yea elected, but from thence positively to conclude that they were so all indeed, we have no warrant. So Peter 1. Pet. 1. 2. calls all the strangers to whom he wrot, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Capadocia, Asia, and Bythinia elect according to the fore-knowledge of p. 189God the Father, &c. and yet that I have any warrant to conclude de fide, that all were such, none dare affirme: So Paul tells the Thessalonians, the whole Church to whom he wrot, that he knew their election of God, 1 Thes. 1. 4. and 2 Thes. 2. 13. He blesseth God who had chosen them to Salvation: Now did not Paul make this judgment of them by the rule of charity? according as he affirmes in another place, it is meet for me to think so of you al, Ph. 1. 3. And can it, ought it, hence to be infallibly cōcluded, that they were al elected? if some of these should be found to fall away from the Gospell & to have perished, would an argument from thence be valid, that the elect might perish? would we not presently answer that they were said to be elected according to the judgment of charity, not that they were so indeed? and why is not this answer as sufficient and satisfying, when it is given to the objection, taken from the perishing of some, who were said to be redeemed meerely in the judgment of charity, as they were said to be elected?

Eightly, The aaThe connexion of faith and salvation.infallible connexion according to Gods purpose § XVII and will of faith and salvation, which is frequently the thing intended in Gospell proposalls, must be considered; the Lord hath in his counsell established it, and revealed in his word, that there is an indissoluble bond, between these two things, so that whosoever believeth shall be saved, Marke. 16 16. Which indeed is the substance of the Gospel in the outward promulgation thereof; this is the Testimony of God that eternall life is in his Sonne, which whoso believeth, he sets to his seale that God is true, he who believes not, doing what in him lyeth to make God a lyar, 1 John 5. 9. 10. 11. Now this connexion of the meanes and the end, faith and life, is the onelyonly thing which is signified and held out to innumerable, to whom the Gospell is preached; all the commands, profers, and promises that are made to them, intimating no more than this will of God, that believers shall certainly be saved, which is an unquestionable Divine verity, and a sufficient object for supernaturall faith to rest upon; and which, being not closed with, is a sufficient cause of damnation, Joh. 8. 24. If you believe not that I am he (that is the way, the truth and the life) yee shall dye in your sinnes: it is a vaine imagination of some, that when the command and promise of believing are made out to any man, that though he be of the number of them that shall certainely perish, yet the Lord hath a conditionall will of his salvation, p. 190and intends that he shall be saved, on condition that he will believe, when the condition lyeth not at all in the will of God, which is alwayes absolute, but is onelyonly between the things to them proposed, as was before declared: And those poor deluded things, who will be standing upon their owne leggs, before they are well able to crawle, and might justly be perswaded to hold by men of more strength, doe exceedingly betray their owne conceited ignorance, when with great pomp they hold out the broken peices of an old Arminian sophisme, with acclamations of grace, to this new discovery (for so they thinke of all that's new to them) viz. that, as is Gods profer so is his intention; but he calls to all to believe and be saved, therefore he intends it to all: for first, God doth not profer life to all upon the condition of faith, passing by a great part of mankinde without any such profer made at them at all: Secondly, If by Gods profer, they understand his command and promise; who told them that these things were declarative of his will and purpose, or intention? he commands Pharoah to let his people go, but did he intend he should so doe according to his command? had he not fore told, that he would so order things, that he should not let them go? I thought alwayes that Gods commands and promises had revealed our duty, and not his purpose; what God would have us to doe, and not what hee will doe. His promises indeed, as particularly applyed, hold out his minde to the persons to whom they are applyed; but as indefinitely proposed, they reveale no other intentions of God, but what we before discovered, which concernes things not persons, even his determinate purpose infallibly to connect faith and salvation. Thirdly, If the profer be (as they say) universall, and the intention of God be answerable thereunto, that is he intends the salvation of them, to whom the tender of it upon faith is made, or may be so; then first, what becomes of election and reprobation? neither of them certainely can consist with this universall purpose of saving of all. Secondly, If he intends it, why is it then not accomplished, doth he faile of his purpose? dum vitant vitium stulti—is not this certaine Scilla worse than the other feared Charybdis? But they say, he intended it onelyonly upon condition, and the condition being not fulfilled, he fails not in his purpose, though the thing be not conferred: but did the Lord foreknow whither the condition would be fulfilled by them, to whom the proposall p. 191was made or not? if not, where is his praescience, his omniscience? if he did, how can he be said to intend salvation to them, of whom he certainely knew, that they would never fulfill the condition, on which it was to be attained; and moreover knew it with this circumstance, that the condition was not to be attained without his bestowing; and that he had determined not to bestow it? would they ascribe such a will and purpose to a wise man, as they doe ignorantly and presumptuously to the onelyonly wise God? viz. that he should intend to have a thing done, upon the performance of such a condition, as he knew full well, without him, could never be performed, and he had fully resolved not to effect it? for instance, to give his daughter in marriage to such a one, upon condition he would give unto him such a jewell as he hath not, nor can have unlesse he bestow it upon him, which he is resolved never to doe? Oh whither will blindnesse and ignorance, esteemed light and knowledge, carry poore deluded soules? this then is the maine thing demonstrated and held out in the promulgation of the Gospell, especially for what concernes unbelievers, even the strict connexion between the duty of faith assigned, and the benefit of life promised, which hath a truth of universall extent, grounded upon the plenary sufficiency of the death of Christ towards all that shall believe: and I see no reason why this should be termed part of the mistery of the universalists (though the lowest part) (as it is by M. S. pag. 202.) that the Gospell could not be preached to all, unlesse Christ dyed for all; which with what is mentioned before concerning another and higher part of it, is an old rotten, carnall and long since-confuted sophisme, arising out of the ignorance of the word and right reason, which are no way contrary.

Ninthly, the bb9. The mixture of the Elect and Reprobats: with the consequences thereof the,mixt distribution of the Elect and Reprobates, § XVIII Believers and Unbelievers, according to the purpose and minde of God throughout the whole world, and in the several places thereof, in all or most of the single Congregations, is another ground of holding out a tender of the bloud of Jesus Christ, to them for whom it was never shed, as is apparent in the event by the ineffectualnesse of its proposalls: The Ministers of the Gospel, who are Stewards of the mysteries of Christ,, and to whom the word of Reconciliation is committed, being acquainted onelyonly with revealed things, (the Lord lodging his purposes and intentions towards p. 192particular persons in the secret Arke of his owne bosome, not to be pryed into) are bound to admonish all, and warne all men, to whom they are sent, giving the same commands, proposing the same promises, making tenders of Jesus Christ in the same manner to all, that the Elect whom they know not but by the event, may obtaine, while the rest are hardened: Now these things being thus ordered by him who hath the supream disposall of all (viz. first, that there should be such a mixture of Elect & Reprobate, of tares & wheat, to the end of the world; and secondly, that Christ, and reconciliation through him, should bee preached by men ignorant of his eternall discriminating purposes) there is an absolute necessity of two other things, First, that the promises must have a kinde of unrestrained Generality, to be suitable to this dispensation before recounted. Secondly, that they must bee proposed to them, towards whom the Lord never intended the good things of the promises, they having a share in this proposall by their mixture in this world with the elect of God. So that from the generall proposition of Christ in the promises, nothing can be concluded concerning his death for all, to whom it is proposed, as having another rise and occasion. The summe is, the word of reconciliation being committed to men unacquainted with Gods distinguishing counsells, to bee preached to men of a various mixt condition in respect of his purpose, and the way whereby he hath determined to bring his owne home to himselfe, being by exhortations, intreaties, promises, and the like meanes accommodated to the reasonable nature, whereof all are partakers to whom the word is sent, which are suited also to the accomplishment of other ends, towards the rest, as conviction, restraint, hardening, inexcusablenesse, it cannot bee, but the proposall and offer must necessarily bee made to some upon condition, who intentionally and in respect of the purpose of God, have no right unto it, in the just aime and intendment thereof. OnelyOnly for a close observe these two things; First, that the proffer it selfe neither is, nor ever was absolutely universall to all, but onelyonly indefinite, without respect to outward differences. Secondly, that Christ being not to bee received without faith, and God giving faith to whom hee pleaseth, it is manifest that hee never intendeth Christ to them, on whom he will not bestow faith.

p. 193Tenthly, the faith which is enjoyned and commanded in the § XIX Gospell hath divers severall acts, and different degrees; in the exercise 10. The severall acts and degrees of faith: the,whereof it proceedeth orderly according to the naturall method of the proposall of the objects to bee believed: the consideration whereof is of much use in the businesse in hand, our adversaries pretending that if Christ dyed not for all, then in vaine are they exhorted to believe, there being indeed no proper object for the faith of innumerable, because Christ did not dye for them: as though the Gospell did hold out this Doctrine, in the very entrance of all, that Christ dyed for every one, Elect and Reprobate; or as though that the first thing which any one living under the meanes of grace is exhorted to believe, were, that Christ dyed for him in particular; both which are notoriously false, as I hope in the close of our undertaking will bee made manifest to all. For the present I shall onelyonly intimate something of what I said before, concerning the order of exercising the severall acts of faith, whereby it will appeare, that no one in the world is commanded or invited to believe, but that he hath a sufficient object to fixe the act of faith on, of truth enough for its foundation, and latitude enough for its utmost exercise, which is enjoyned him.

First then, the first thing which the Gospell enjoyneth sinners, and which it perswades and commands them to believe, is, that salvation is not to be had in themselves, in as much as all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, nor by the workes of the Law, by which no flesh living can be justified: here is a saving Gospell truth for sinners to believe, which the Apostle dwells upon wholly, Rom. Chapt. 1. 2. 3. to prepare a way for justification by Christ. Now what numberlesse numbers are they to whom the Gospell is preached, who never come so farre as to believe so much as this? amongst whom you may reckon almost the whole nation of the Jewes,, as is apparent Rom 9. 10. 3. 4. Now not to goe one step further with any proposall, a contempt of this object of faith is the sinne of infidelity.

Secondly, the Gospell requires faith to this, that there is salvation to be had in the promised seed, in him who was before ordained to bee a Captaine of salvation to them that doe believe: and here also at this tryall, some Millions of the great Army of men outwardly called, drop off, and doe never believe with true p. 194divine faith that God hath provided a way for the saving of sinners.

Thirdly, that Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified by the Jewes, was this Saviour, promised before: and that there is no name under heaven given whereby they may be saved, besides his: And this was the maine point upon which the Jewes broke off, refusing to accept of Christ as the Saviour of men, but rather prosecuted him as an enemy of God, & are thereupon so oft charged with infidelity & damnable unbeliefe; the question was not betweene Christ, and them, whether hee dyed for them all or no; but whether he was that Messias promised, which they denyed, and perished in their unbeliefe. Now, before these three acts of faith bee performed, in vaine is the soule exhorted, further to climbe uppermost steppes, and misse all the bottome foundaon ones.

Fourthly, the Gospell requires a resting upon this Christ so discovered, and beleeved on to be the promised Redeemer, as an all-sufficient Saviour, with whom is plenteous Redemption, and who is able to save to the utmost them that come to God by him, and to beare the burthen of all weary labouring soules, that come by faith to him: in which proposall, there is a certaine infallible truth grounded upon the superabundant sufficiency of the Oblation of Christ in it selfe for whomsoever (fewer or more) it bee intended. Now much selfe-knowledge, much conviction, much sense of sinne, God's justice, and free grace is required to the exercise of this act of faith. Good Lord! how many thousand poore soules within the pale of the Church, can never be brought unto it? The truth is, without the helpe of Gods spirit none of those three before, much lesse this last, can be performed, which worketh freely, when, how and in whom it pleaseth.

Fiftly, these things being firmely seated in the soule (and not before, we are every one called in particular to believe the efficacy of the Redemption, that is in the bloud of Jesus toward our own soules in particular, which every one may assuredly doe, in whom the free grace of God hath wrought the former acts of faith, and doth worke this also, without either doubt, or feare of want of a right object to believe, if they should so doe; for certainly Christ dyed for every one, in whose hearts the Lord by his Almighty power works effectually faith, to lay hold on him, & assent unto him, according to that orderly proposall that is held forth in the p. 195Gospell. Now according to this order (as by some it is observed) are the Articles of our faith disposed in the Apostles Creed; (that ancient summary of Christian Religion commonly so called) the remission of our sinnes and life eternall being in the last place proposed to be believed; for before wee attaine so farre, the rest must be firmely rooted: So that it is a sencelesse vanity to cry out of the nullity of the object to bee believed, if Christ dyed not for all, there being an absolute truth in every thing which any is called to assent unto according to the order of the Gospell.

And so I have proposed the generall foundations of those Answers, which we shall give to the ensuing Objections, whereunto to make particular Application of them will be an easie taske, as I hope will be made apparent unto all.