is not well confiftent with this extent of our Lord's falutary paffion, that they do manifeftly establish it. Thus when St. Peter faith, to Chrift give all the prophets witness, that through his name whofoever believeth in him shall receive remiffion of fins; is not this a teftimony of a promise of remiffion of fins unto every one to whom the gofpel is preached on the condition of faith in Chrift? Is then this a promise made upon a condition poffible to all to whom the gospel is revealed or not? If it be made on a condition poffible to them all, then all to whom the gospel is revealed may receive remiffion of fins through faith in Chrift; and fo Chrift must have died for them all. If only upon an impoffible condition, then is it in the mouth. of all God's prophets, a pretence of the kindness to the most he never intended they fliould have; for then he would not have fufpended it on an impoffible condition. Yea then, is it a promife only in name and fhew, but in reality none at all? For the Civillians tell us, with the highest reason, that an impoffible condition is as none at all. And here observe, that it is the fame thing as to the future ftate of all men; whether the condition be naturally impoffible, or through lapsed nature; whether it be fimply impoffible, or to corrupted nature; for feeing God, by whofe benediction we all come into the world, hath given us no other nature; feeing our parents, from whom our nature is derived, have imparted to us no other nature, it is naturally impoffible we fhould come into the world with any other nature than what is lapfed and corrupted; and fo it is evidently the fame as to the future ftate of all men thus corrupted, to promife any good thing to them upon a condition fimply impoffible, and to promise it on a condition impoffible to lapfed and corrupted nature. Moreover, we learn from St. Paul, that this (f) word of falvation was fent to the whole nation of the Jews, to all them who were Children of thofe fathers to whom the promife of the Meffiah was first made; that to all them this remiffion of fins, by him was proffered, and therefore he muft die for the fins of that whole nation, of which thofe that obtained juftification by him were only a fmall remnant, the reft continuing in their unbelief, and perishing, faith the apoftle, for their unbelief, Ver. 41. Now could they perifh for not believing that remiffion of fins which was preached by the apoftles to them through him, if he never died to procure it for them? Surely upon this fuppofition it must rather follow, that the apoftles in this declaration were falfe witneffes concerning him, and that they who perifhed for not believing this, muft perish for not believing an untruth.

(S) Acts xiii. 26, 32, 38,

In the third chapter of the epiftle to the Romans, the apof tle faith, (t) we have before proved, Ιεδαίες τε καὶ Ἑλλήνας Tavras, that all the Jews and Gentiles were under (the guilt of) fin. Now here I fuppofe it will not be denied that every fingle perfon of them were finners; when therefore he proceeds to fay that, dixaloon be, the righteoufnefs, or juftifi cation, which is of God, through faith in Jefus, is upon all, and to all that believe, & yap isi diasoan, for there is no diftinction, muft he not intend that this juftification of God through faith in Jefus Chrift, was offered to, and intended for all that were finners, whether Jews or Gentiles? Why elfe doth he add, that (u) all were finners, and had fallen fhort of the glory of God, and fo were (to be) juftified freely by his grace through the redemption that was in Jefus?

In the tenth chapter having told us that (w) Chrift is the end of the law for righteoufnefs to every one that believes, he adds this proof of that affertion; (x) for the fcripture faith, every one that believeth in him shall not be afhamed, for there is no diftinction of Jew nor Gentile; for the fame Lord of all is rich unto all that call upon him; for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord fhall be faved. Now is not this God the Lord of all men in particular? When therefore it is faid, that he is rich to all that call upon him, doth not this fuppofe that all who have the knowledge of him may thus call upon him; and that upon their doing fo, they may be saved through Chrift? And then muft he not have died for their falvation? Moreover the apoftle faith not, there is no diftinction in this matter betwixt the elect of Jews or Gentiles, but betwixt Jew and Gentile in general; now limit this to a small remnant both of Jews and Gentiles, who only are in a capacity of being juftified by faith in Chrift, and calling upon him fo as to be faved, whilft all the refidue of Jews and Gentiles, to whom the fame remiffion of fins is preached, are left incapable of this juftification and falvation by that Jefus who never died for them; is there not as deplorable a diftinction made betwixt them as to their eternal interefts, even by him who is the fame Lord of all, as can be well imagined? I conclude therefore with Oecumenius, that the apostle here, tỏ đãσι κοινὸν τῆς χάριτος ανακηρύττει; declares this is grace common to all.

(t) Rom. iii. 9.-(u) Ver. 23, 24, 15.— (a) Ver. 4.—(x) Ver. 11, 12, 13.

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CHAPTER V.

Contains an Anfwer to the pretended Arguments from Scripture, against the Doctrine of Univerfal Redemp

tion.

THE arguments againft this doctrine of Univerfal Redemp

tion rightly ftated, founded upon pretence of fcripture, are fcarce any, not one place being offered against those many which in exprefs terms affert it; faying either exprefsly, or by plain and immediate confequence, that Chrift died not for all. Thole texts which have the fairest fhew of an argument have been both fully anfwered and retorted; and for the rest even a fhort answer is more than they deferve, they being rath. er a begging of the queftion, than proving it from fcripture.

SECTION 1-Objection 1. They for whom Chrift died may fay, who fhall condemn us? Rom. viii. 34. but all men cannot fay this; ergo, Chrift died not for all. Now,

Anfwer 1. Is it not evident that this argument fuppofeth that Chrift died for none who fhall hereafter be condemned ? And must it not hence follow, that none of the unbelieving Jews, among whom Chrift preached, fhall be condemned for not believing in him, fince they can never be obliged to do fo for whom he never died, and fo will never be the better for believing in him? Now is not this contrary to the whole tenor of the gospel efpecially to the gospel of St. John, wherein Chrift tells them, that God having fent his Son into the world that whofoever believeth in him fhould not perish, but have everlasting life; he adds, (a) he that believeth not the Sonis condemned already, because he believeth not in the only begotten Son of God. 2dly. Will it not hence follow, that none of the unbelieving world, to whom the apostles preached, fhall be condemned for not believing in him? For feeing they preached remiffion of fins, to be obtained through his name, how can they justly be condemned for not believing in him to this end for whom he never died? And why then did our Lord fay to his difciples, when he sent them through the world

(a) John iii. 18.

to preach the gofpel to every creature, he that believeth not Shall be damned; or that his fpirit fhould convince the world of fin, becaufe they believed not in him?

Anfwer 2. There is no fuch propofition in the fcripture as this, that all for whom Chrift died may fay, who shall condemn them? But only that the perfons there spoken of might fay this. Now they were the Sons of God, Ver. 14. who had received the fpirit of adoption, Ver. 15, 16. were heirs of God, joint heirs with Chrift, Ver. 17. who had received the first fruits of the fpirit, Ver. 23. who actually loved God, Ver. 28. and were juftified by him, Ver. 33. Thefe elect of God, faith the apostle, may fay, who fhall condemn us? (to lie ftill under the power of death by virtue of that law which threateneth death to the finner) it is Chrift that died (to redeem us from death, and from the condemnation of the law) fo that there is no condemnation to them who are (thus) in Chrift Fefus, i. e. who walked not after the flesh but after the fpirit, Ver. 1, 2. In a word, all for whom Chrift died may fay fo upon that faith and repentance which interefts them in Chrift Telus; but none for whom Chrift died, not the elect themselves, can fay fo, till they have believed and repented.

SECTION II.-Objection 2.-2dly. From the 32d verfe of the fame chapter they argue thus, to all those for whom God delivereth up his Son, he together with him will freely give all things; but there are many thoufands in the world to whom God will not give all things; ergo, for none of thefe did God deliver up his Son.

Anfwer ft. Here it is obfervable again, that the major propofition is a direct affertion that Chrift died only for thofe who fhall be faved, or the elect only, because to them alone he will give all things; and fo it is liable to all the abfurdities mentioned in answer to the first objection, and also to these following, viz.

1. That God could not equitably require all men every where to repent, or fend his apostles to call the Jews in general (b) to repent and be baptifed, in the name of Jefus for the remiffion of fins, or that their fins might be blotted out, or to preach to all the Gentiles (c) repentance and remiffion of fins through his name for what good could this repentance do them? What remiffion of fins could it procure for all those for whom Chrift died not? Yea, hence it follows, that no impenitent perfon can juftly be condemned for dying in his im penitent eftate; for on this fuppofition he may fairly plead that Chrift not dying for him, his repentance, had he been ever fo careful to perform it, muft have been in vain, since it

(b) Acts ii, 38.(c) Luke xxiv. 47.

could not procure the remiffion of his fins.

If here you fay

it is an impoffible fuppofition, that any one for whom Chrift died not fhould repent, you only ftrengthen this his plea, enabling him to fay he is condemned and perifheth for want of that repentance, which from his birth to his dying day it was impoffible for him to perform.

2dly. Hence it must follow, that God could not equitably require of them for whom Chrift died not, obedience to the laws of Chrift, fince that obedience, could they be never fo willing, or fo induftrious to perform it, could not avail for the remiffion of their fins, it being only an interest in the blood of Chrift, which cleanfeth even the righteous from all fin; they therefore cannot be condemned for loving darkness more than light, i. e. than Chrift the true light,. feeing he never could be truly affered to them who never died for them; nor can that rationally be faid to be despised by any, or postponed to any other thing, which never was propofed to them as their option, and which it never was in their power to choose, or to embrace; they therefore cannot reasonably be damned for not receiving the truth in the love of it, that they might be faved, who never had a Savior dying for them; and therefore never were in a capacity of receiving the truth, fo as that they might be faved by it.

Anfwer 2.-2dly. There is no fuch propofition in fcripture as this, to all thofe for whom God delivered up his Son, he will give all things the fcripture cited refpects only us; i. e. thofe who are the adopted Sons of God, who have the fpirit dwelling in them, and who truly love God; to fuch God will give all things, .e. all the bleffings of the new covenant, because they have performed the conditions of that covenant.

SECTION IIIObjection 3. They who by the death of Chrift are reconciled to God, fhall be faved by his life, Rom. v. 9. If therefore all men are reconciled to God by the death of Chrift, all must be saved by his life; but all will not be faved by him. Ergo,

Anfwer 1. This objection doth again fuppofe, that Chrift died to reconcile no man to God who shall not be faved: whence it must follow, that no man can be condemned at the laft day for neglecting the great falvation tendered to, or purchafed for him, Chrift having neither purchafed for, or offered to them any falvation, unless he offered to them that falvation which he never died to purchafe for them. 2dly. Hence it muft follow, that all who are not faved, never had any Sav ior or Redeemer, fince he who died not for them could be no Savior or Redeemer to them, and so they never were in a capacity to fin against a Savior; nor can their fins be aggravated by this confideration, that they are committed again ft redeem