with them, because nothing more is given to them than what is common to them with others; if by an affistance, which is peculiar to them, and cannot be refifted by them, then are not any others to be charged with guilt for not repenting and believing, because it is impoffible that they fhould do fo without that fpecial and irrefiftible affiftance which God will not vouchfafe unto them; and fo they do not believe and repent, not because they will not do what they could do, but because they cannot do it were they never fo willing. Since then,upon this fuppofition it is impoffible they fhould believe and repent, for whom Chrift never purchafed faith and repentance, it cannot be their crime that they did not what it was impoffible for them to do. In a word, faith being an affent to a divine teftimony upon fufficient evidence, without which evidence we cannot affent to it; and when we have it, we cannot but affent; to fay this faith requires on God's part a fpecial, divine, and irrefiftible affiftance proper to the elect, is to excufe all others from believing, as having no fufficient evidence to do fo, although the gospel is as well revealed to them as it is to the elect.

CHAPTER I.

SECTION I-NOW this affertion, thus explained, hath this great advantage above the contrary doctrine, which reftrains the intended benefit of our Savior's paffion to the elect; that whereas there is not one word in the Jcripture declaring that our Lord died only for a few, or intimating that he died for the elect only, the fcriptures are very many, clear and exprefs, which teach, that (f) God would have all men to be faved; and that he is (g) the favior of all men; being (h) long fuffering towards them; because he is not willing any fhould perish, but that all should come unto repentance, and by repentance to falvation; that (i) the faving grace of God hath appeared to all men; teaching them, denying all un(g) 1 Tim. iv. 19.—(b) 2 Pet, iii, 10,- (i)

(f) 1 Tim. ii. 4. I Tit. ii. 12, 14.

godlinefs and worldly lufts, to live righteously, foberly, ana godly in this prefent world; expecting the bleffed hope and glorious appearing of the great God, and our Savior Jesus Chrift, who gave himself for us; that (k) as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation, Jo by the righteoufnels of one, the free gift came upon all men to justification of life that (1) if he died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they who lived might not live to themfelves, but to him that died for them; that (m) he gave himfelf a ranfom for all, and (n) by the grace of God tafted death for every man; in all which words this doctrine is contained in exprefs terms. Now it is the doctrine of all Proteftants, that the fcriptures are clear and eafy to be underflood in all things neceffary to be believed; and yet if all thefe places do not confirm this doctrine, there is no reason fo to fay, or think; there being not many articles of chriflian faith that are more clearly or exprefsly taught in fcripture.

Moreover, according to that limitation which, fome men put upon these words, viz. God will have all men to be faved: Chrift died for all, becaufe Chrift died for fome of all ranks and nations; and God is willing fome of all kindred and people thould be faved; it may more truly and properly be faid, ift. That God would have all men to be damned; becaufe, according to their doctrine, he hath already paffed an act of preterition, on the greatest part of men, which rendereth their damnation unavoidable. And 2dly. That Chrift died for none, fince they for whom he died, according to their doctrine, are none, comparitively to that greater number for whom they fay he died not. At least it might be reafonably expected that it fhould have been fomewhere faid by way of caution, or once affirmed to prevent mistakes in matters of this moment, that Chrift died not for all; whereas the Holy Ghoft neither in terms nor fubftance hath ever ufed any expreffion of this import in the holy feripture; and therefore, we may rationally prefume, that he approved not the doctrine which makes them proper and almoft neceffary to be used.

Obj. It is faid indeed that Chrift (0) gave his life a ranfom for many; that he fhed his blood for many, for the remiffion of fins. (p) That as by the difobedience of one man many were made finners; fo by the obedience of one fhall many be made righteous. (q) And that Chrift was once offered to take away the fins of many.

Anfw. But that there is no inconfiftence betwixt dying for many and for all, is evident from this confideration, that even

-(1) 2 Cor. v. 15.

(k) Rom. v. 16, 17. (n) Heb. ii. 9.-(0) Matth. xx. 28. xxvi. 28.-(9) Heb. ix. 28.

-(m) 1 Tim. ii. 6.
-(p) Rom. v.

19.

in the fame chapter, the apostle faith, That by one fin of Adam
And all died, Ver. 12. Many were
And all finned, Ver. 12.

many died, Rom. v. 15.
made finners, Ver. 19.
And that
by the obedience of one fhall many be made righteous, Sinaison-
GOVTaι, fhall be juftified, Ver. 19. And that by the righteouf
nefs of one, the free gift came upon all men to juftification of
life, Ver. 18. That in the fame epiftle, in which it is faid,
(r) Chrift bore the fins of many; it is exprefsly faid, he taft-
ed death for every man. That the fame Jcripture which
faith, Chrift gave his life a ransom for many; fays also,
that (t) he gave himself a ransom for all. And lastly, that
he who faid, (u) this is my blood fhed for many, for the re-
miffion of fins faid alfo, for that very reafon, () drink ye
all of it; for it was fhed (w) for you for the remiffion of fins.
Since therefore all men certainly are many, though many are
not neceffarily all, fince what is in fome few places faid of
many, is not only in more, but in the fame places faid of all;
it is certain that Chrift cannot be said to "die for
many exclu-
fively of all, which only is to fay he died for many in oppo-
fition to our affertion, but only that he died for many in a
fenfe confiftent with his dying for all men, and therefore in a
fenfe agreeable to our affertion. And as the words of the
Prophet Daniel, that many fhall arife from the dead, do not
contradict the truth of thofe manifold affertions of the New
Teftament, that all men fhall arife; and the words of the apofile,
that in Adam many died, and many were made finners; do
not thwart the words of the fame apostle, faying in the fame
place, that in Adam all men died and were made finners; so
neither can those words, Chrift died for many, contradict the
truth of thofe more numerous expreffions, that he died for
all..

2dly. I anfwer that, as when the kindness defigned by Chrift's death to all upon the conditions of the gofpel is expreffed, it is faid, Chrift died for all; fo when the effect and benefit of it is expreffed, the word many is moft proper; for his blood fhed procures remiffion of fins only to penitent believers, and in this fenfe Chrift gave his life a random only for many, even for as many as would believe and obey his gofpel. Objection 2. Chrift is faid to lay down his life for his sheep, John x. 15. for his friends, who do his commandments, John XV. 13, 14 for his church, Eph. ii. 26. But all are not his Sheep, all are not of his church, all do not fhew themselves his friends by their obedience; therefore he died not for all.

(r) Heb. ix. 28, 29.- -() Matth. xx. 28. -(t) 1 Tim. ii. 6. () Matth. xxvi. 27, 28.—(~) Mark xiv. 23, 24- (w) Luke Xxii. 23-1 Cor. xi. 25. N

Anfwer 1. In none of thefe places is it faid that Chrift died only for his fheep, for his friends, or for his church; and therefore none of them fay any thing in contradiction to our affertion. I therefore thus retort the argument, he that died f his friends and for his enemies died for all; but Chrift died for his friends, and for his enemies, (w) for when we were enemies Chrift died for us ergo, he died for all. Again, he that died for the church of God, and for the unrighteous that he might bring them to the church of God, he died for all; but Chrift died for the church of God, and for the unrightcous that he might bring them to the church; (x) for the just died for the unjust that he might bring us to God; ergo, he died for all. Laftly, He that died for his fheep that heard his voice, and for the loft fheep that did not hearken to his voice, died for all; but Chrift died for his fheep that beard his voice, and for his loft fheep; for he came (y) to feek and to fave that which was loft, even the sheep fraying from him; ergo,

he died for all.

Anfwer 2. Though it be certain that Chrift died intentionally for all, i. e. defigning the benefits of his falutary paffion for them, upon their performance of the conditions of the new covenant, eltablished in his blood; yet is it alfo true that he eventually is the Savior of his body, and died only for his fheep and friends, becaufe they only do perform the conditions of the new covenant; and therefore to them only can this righteous judge at laft affign the bleffings promised in that

Covenant.

SECTION II. But to omit the farther profecution of this general confideration, by viewing all thefe texts apart, it will be eafy to difcern in them many circumftances which plainly thew that they cannot truly be interpreted in that reftrained fenfe which others put upon them. For,

1. When St. Paul declares, (z) that as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation, fo by the righteoufnefs of one, the free gift came upon all men to jufification, it feems apparent that the apostle is comparing the condemnation which was procured by the fin of Adam, with the free gift of juftification procured by the fecond Adam, as to the extent of perfons concerned in both; for as by the one, faith he, many died, and many were made finners; fo by the other, many were made righteous, and grace abounded unto many: As by the one condemnation came upon all; fo by the other juftification of life was procured for, and offered els avTas Tas dvoρwnes, to all men, and fo God was in and through

(w) Rom. v. 8. -(x) 1 Pet. iii. 18.- (y) Mat. xviii, 11, 12,~minion (2) Kom. v. 18,

Chrift reconciling the whole world to himself. Now to affert that many in the first claufe, refpecting the fruit of Adam's fin, fignifies truly many; and in the fecond, refpecting the fruit of Chrift's righteoufnefs, but a few; that all men in the firft claufe is to be taken in the utmoft latitude, as of necessity it must be, all men whatfoever lying under condemnation by reafon of the fin of Adam; but the fame word in the latter claufe of the fame verfe, doth only fignify all the elect, which are comparatively but a few, feems neither agreeable to reafon, nor to the fcope of the apoftle; who before had faid, (a) that all men had finned, and fallen fhort of the glory of God, being juftified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jefus Chrift. And hence arifeth a fecond obfervation for confirmation of the fenfe we plead for, viz. that the apofile is here comparing the effects of fin as to condemnation, with the effect of the grace of God as to our juftification, or to our freedom from condemnation, faying (b) that as by fin the judgment came upon all men to condemnation; fo by the rightconfness of one, the grace of God came upon all men to juflification of life; that as fin reigned unto death, fo grace might reign by juftification to eternal life through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Now the grace of this comparifon is wholly loft, if fin reigned over all men without exception to death and con, demnation, but grace reigned only over a few to procure for them the means of juftification to life through Jefus Chrift; but if the comparison be of things equal as to extent, Chrif muft have died for the juftification of all men.

SECTION III.-edly. When the apofile farther adds (c) the love of Chrift conftrains us (thus to perfuade men to believe in Chrift, and live to him) because we thus judge, that if (or (d) fince) one died for all, then were all dead; the words all were dead, muft certainly be taken in their greateft latitude; wherefore the words preceding, if or fance Chrift died for all, from which they are an inference, ought alfo to be taken in the fame extent. When he goes on to fay, he died for all, that they who live might not henceforth live to themfelves, but to him that died for them; this fure must be the duty of all chriftians in particular (unlefs there be any chriftians not o bliged to live to Chrift, but rather at liberty to live to themfelves) and fo that death which is the motive to it, must be intended for them all. To fay here that Chrift died for fome only of all nations, Jews and Gentiles, is to exempt all others

(a) Rom. iii. 23, 24---- -(b) Rom. v. 18, 25.- -fs) 2 Cor. v. 15. -(d) This Hebrew DW is tranflated fince, Jer. xxiii. 38. Ezek. xxxv. 6. and the Greek & probably fo fignifies Acts iv. 9. Rom. viii. 31. and here; for from a fuppofition of that which is not, no fuch inference can be made.

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