Page images
PDF
EPUB

text, terming them sheep, that is in designation, though not as yet called; ver. 9. And who are the called; the Jews? True, they were then outwardly called, yet many of them were not sheep; ver. 26. Now truly such evasions from the force of truth as this, by so foul corrupting of the word of God, is no small provocation of the eye of his glory. But he adds,

'Besides, there is in Scripture, great difference between sheep, and sheep of his flock and pasture, of which he here speaketh; ver. 4, 5. 11. 15, 16.'

Rep. First, This unrighteous distinction well explained must needs, no doubt (if any know how), give a great deal of light to the business in hand. 2. If there be a distance to be allowed, it can be nothing but that the sheep who are simply so called, are those who are only so to Christ, from the donation of his Father; and the sheep of his pasture, those who by the effectual working of the Spirit are actually brought home to Christ, and then of both sorts we have mention in this chapter; ver. 16. 27. both making up the number of those sheep for whom he gave his life, to whom he giveth life. But he proceeds;

Besides sheep, ver. 4, 5. 11. 15. are not mentioned, as all those for whom he died, but as those who by his ministration are brought in to believe, and enjoy the benefit of his death, and to whom he ministereth and communicateth spirit.'

Rep. 1. The substance of this and other exceptions is, that by sheep is meant believers; which is contrary to ver. 9. 16. calling them sheep who are not as yet gathered to his fold. 2. That his sheep are not mentioned as those for whom he died, is in terms contradictory to ver. 15. 'I lay down my life for my sheep.' 3. Between those for whom he died, and those whom he brings in by the ministration of his Spirit, there is no more difference, than is between Peter, James, and John, and the three apostles that were in the mount with our Saviour at his transfiguration. This is childish sophistry to beg the thing in question, and thrust in the opinion controverted into the room of an answer. 4. That bringing in, which is here mentioned, to believe and enjoy the benefit of the death of Christ, is a most special fruit and benefit of that death, certainly to be conferred on all them for

[blocks in formation]

whom he died, or else most certainly his death will do them no good at all. Once more, and we have done.

'Besides, here are more ends of his death mentioned, than ransom or propitiation only; and yet it is not said only for his sheep, and when the ransom or propitiation only is mentioned, it is said for all men. So that this reason appears

weak, fraudulent, ungodly, and erroneous.'

Rep. 1. Here are no word mentioned nor intimated of the death of Christ, but only that which was accomplished by his being a propitiation, and making his death a ransom for us, with the fruits which certainly and infallibly spring therefrom. 2. If more ends than one of the death of Christ are here mentioned, and such as belong not unto all, why do you deny that he speaks here of his sheep only? Take heed or you will see the truth. 3. Where it is said of all men, I know not, but this I am sure that Christ is said to give his life a ransom, and that only mentioned where it is not said for all, as Matt. xx. 28. x. 45. And so from those brief annotations I hope any indifferent reader will be able to judge, whether the reason opposed, or the exceptions against it devised, be to be accounted weak, fraudulent, ungodly, and er

roneous.

Although I fear that in the particular I have already intrenched upon the reader's patience, yet I cannot let pass the discourse immediately following in the same author, to those exceptions which we last removed, laid by him against the arguments we had in hand, without an obilist; as also an observation of his great abilities, to cast down a man of clouds, which himself had set up to manifest his skill in its direction. To the preceding discourse he adds another exception, which he imposeth on those that oppose universal redemption, as though it were laid by them against the understanding of the general expressions in the Scripture, in that way and sense wherein he conceives them; and it is, that those words were fitted for the time of Christ and his apostles, having another meaning in them than they seem to import. Now having thus gaily trimmed and set up this man of straw, to whose framing I dare boldly say, not one of his adversaries did ever contribute a penful of ink; to shew his rare skill, he chargeth it with I know not how many errors, blasphemies, lies, set on with exclamations, and vehe

ment outcries, until it tumble to the ground; had he not sometimes answered an argument, he would have been thought a most unhappy disputant. Now to make sure that once he would do it, I believe he was very careful that the objection of his own framing, should not be too strong for his own defacing. In the mean time how blind are they who admire him for a combatant, who is skilful only at fencing with his own shadow; and yet with such empty janglings as these, proving what none denies, answering what none objects, is the greatest part of Mr. More's book stuffed,

CHAP. IV.

Of the distinction of impetration and application; the use and abuse thereof; with the opinion of the adversaries upon the whole matter in controversy unfolded; and the question on both sides stated.

THE farther reasons whereby the precedent discourse may be confirmed, I defer until I come to oppose some argument to the general ransom: for the present I shall only take away that general answer, which is usually given to the places of Scripture, produced to wave the sense of them, which is pápuakov návσopov to our adversaries, and serves them as they suppose, to bear up all the weight wherewith in this case they are urged. They say then, that in the oblation of Christ, and concerning the good things by him procured, two things are to be considered. First, The impetration, or obtaining of them; and, secondly, The application of them to particular persons. The first, say they, is general, in respect of all; Christ obtained and procured all good things by his death, of his Father; reconciliation, redemption, forgiveness of sins, for all and every man in the world, if they will believe and lay hold upon him; but in respect of appli cation, they are actually bestowed and conferred but on a few, because but a few believe, which is the condition on which they are bestowed; and in this latter sense are the texts of Scripture, which we have argued, all of them to be understood; so that they do no whit impeach the universality of merit which they assert, but only the universality of application, which they also deny. Now this answer is commonly set forth by them in various terms and divers dresses,

according as it seems best to them that use it, and most subservient to their several opinions; for,

First, Some of them say, that Christ by his death and passion, did absolutely, according to the intention of God, purchase for all and every man, dying for them, remission of sins, and reconciliation with God, or a restitution into a state of grace and favour, all which shall be actually beneficial to them, provided that they do believe. So the Arminians.

Secondly, Some again, that Christ died for all indeed, but conditionally for some if they do believe, or will so do (which he knows they cannot of themselves); and absolutely for his own, even them on whom he purposeth to bestow faith and grace, so actually to be made possessors of the good things by him purchased. So Camero, and the divines of France, which follow a new method by him devised.

Thirdly, Some' distinguish of a twofold reconciliation and redemption; one wrought by Christ with God for man, which, say they, is general for all and every man. Secondly, A reconciliation wrought by Christ in man unto God, bringing them actually into peace with him.

And sundry other ways there are, whereby men express their conceptions in this business, the sum of all comes to this, and the weight of all lies upon that distinction, which we before recounted, viz. that, in respect of impetration, Christ obtained redemption and reconciliation for all; in respect of application it is bestowed only on them who do believe, and continue therein their arguments whereby they prove the generality of the ransom and universality of the reconciliation, must afterward be considered: for the present we handle only the distinction itself, the meaning and misapplication whereof I shall briefly declare, which will appear if we consider,

First, The true nature and meaning of this distinction, and the true use thereof: for we do acknowledge that it may be used in a sound sense and right meaning, which way soever you express it, either by impetration and application, or by procuring reconciliation with God and a working of reconcilation in us. For by impetration, we mean the meri

Camero, Testardus, Amiraldus.

b More, with some others of late.

torious purchase of all good things made by Christ for us, with and of his Father; and by application, the actual enjoyment of those good things upon our believing; as if a man pay a price for the redeeming of captives, the paying of the price supplieth the room of the impetration of which we speak, and the freeing of the captives, is as the application of it. Yet then we must observe,

First, That this distinction hath no place in the intention and purpose of Christ, but only in respect of the things procured by him; for in his purpose they are both united, his full end and aim being to deliver us from all evil, and procure all good actually to be bestowed upon us; but in respect of the things themselves, they may be considered either as procured by Christ, or as bestowed on us.

Secondly, That the will of God is not at all conditional in this business, as though he gave Christ to obtain peace, reconciliation, and forgiveness of sins upon condition that we do believe. There is a condition in the things, but none in the will of God; that is absolute, that such things should be procured and bestowed.

Thirdly, That all the things which Christ obtained for us, are not bestowed upon condition, but some of them absolutely: and as for those that are bestowed upon condition, the condition on which they are bestowed, is actually purchased and procured for us, upon no condition, but only by virtue of the purchase. For instance: Christ hath purchased remission of sins, and eternal life for us, to be enjoyed on our believing, upon the condition of faith; but faith itself which is the condition of them, on whose performance they are bestowed, that he hath procured for us absolutely, on no condition at all; for, what condition soever can be proposed, on which the Lord should bestow faith, I shall afterward shew it vain, and to run into a circle.

Fourthly, That both these, impetration and application, have for their objects, the same individual persons; that look for whomsoever Christ obtained any good thing by his death, unto them it shall certainly be applied, upon them it shall actually be bestowed; so that it cannot be said, that he obtained any thing for any one, which that one shall not, or doth not, in due time enjoy. For whomsoever he wrought reconciliation with God, in them doth he work reconciliation

« PreviousContinue »