PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Works of John Owen — Volume 10
John Owen · 353,616 words · 352 reading sections
Section 121
Fourthly, " But," says he, " the reason is deceitful and erroneous, for the Scripture doth nowhere say, — 2. "^Those many he died for are his sheep (much less his elect, as the reason intends it). As for the place, John x. 15, usually instanced to this end, it is therein much abused : for our Sa\dour, John x., did not …
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Fourthly, ^ First, It is nothing to the business before us what privileges our Saviour here expresseth; our question is, for whom he says he would give his life? and that only. Secondly, This frequent repetition of that useless so and so serves for nothing but to puzzle the jDoor ignorant reader. Thirdly, We deny that …
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Rep. 1. Here is no word mentioned nor intimated of the death of Christ, but only that which was accomplished by his being a pro- pitiation, 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 …
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Thirdly, Some^ distinguish of a twofold reconciliation and redemp- » Camei'o, Testaidus, Aniyraklus. 2 More, ■with some others of late. THE PROPER END OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST ASSERTED. 223 tion ; — one wrought by Christ with God for man, which, say they, is general for all and every man; secondly, a reconciliation wro…
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Secondly, If that which is obtained by any do, by virtue of that action whereby it is obtained, become his in right for whom it is obtained, then for whomsoever any thing is by Christ obtained, it is to them applied; for that must be made theirs in fact which is theirs THE PROPER END OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST ASSERTED. 2…
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THE PEOPER END OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST ASSERTED, 227 the whole niiud of them that use it m a few assertions, that it may be clearly seen what we do oppose. First, " God," say they, " considering all mankind as fallen from that grace and favour in Adam wherein they were created, and ex- cluded utterly from the attainme…
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Ohs. 2. That such a possibility of salvation, or, at the utmost, a velleity or willing of it, upon an uncertain condition, to be by us ful- filled, should be the full, proper, and only immediate end of the death of Christ, will yet scarcely down with tender spirits. Ohs. o. The expression, of procuring to hrniseM ahil…
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Some say that God sent Christ to die for all men, but only con- ditionally, if they did and would believe ; — as though, if they believed, Christ died for them; if not, he died not; and so make the act the cause of its own object: other some, that he died absolutely for all, to procure all good things for them, which y…
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232 THE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK 11. null and abolished ; of which covenant Jesus Christ is the first and chief promise, as he that was to procure for them all other good things promised therein, as shall be proved. Fourthly, The things 2'>urcliased or procured for those persons, — which are the proper effects of the de…
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Thirdly, [It is contrary to reason] that a ransom should be paid for captives, upon compact for their deliverance, and yet upon the payment those captives not be made free and set at liberty. The death of Christ is a ransom. Matt. xx. 28, paid by compact for the deliverance of captives for whom it was a ransom; and the…
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Fourthly, This whole assertion tends to make Christ but a half mediator, that should procure the end, but not the means conducing thereunto. So that, notwithstanding this exception and new dis- tinction, our assertion stands firm, — That the fruits of the death of Christ, in respect of impetration of good and applicati…
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But thus, as is apparent, it is not with all ; for " all men have not faith," — it is " of the elect of God :" therefore, it is not made with all, nor is the compass thereof to be extended beyond the remnant that are according to election. Yea, every blessing of the new covenant being certainly common, and to be commun…
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Now, it is most clear, from the Scripture and experience of all ages, both under the old dispensation of the covenant and the new, that in- numerable men, whole nations, for a long season, are passed by in the declaration of this mystery. The Lord doth not procure that it shall, by any means, in the least measure be ma…
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Now, if this be not extreme madness, to assign a will unto God of doing that whicli himself knows and orders that it shall never be done, of granting a thing upon a condition which without his help cannot be fulfilled, and which help he purposed not to grant, let all judge. Is this any thing but to delude poor creature…
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Arg. IV. If all mankind be, in and by the eternal purpose of God, distinguished into two sorts and conditions, severally and distinctly described and set forth in the Scripture, and Christ be peculiarly affirmed to die for one of these sorts, and nowhere for them of the other, then did he not die for all; for of the on…
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Arg. V. That is not to be asserted and affirmed which the Scrip- ture doth not anywhere go before us in; but the Scripture nowhere saith Christ died for all men, much less for all and every man (be- tween which two there is a wide difference, as shall be declared) : therefore, this is not to be asserted. It is true, Ch…
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Secondly, Christ, by undergoing death for us, as our surety, satisfied for no more than he intended so to do. So great a thing as satisfaction for the sins of men could not accidentally happen besides his intention, will, and purpose ; especially considering that his intention and good-will, sanctifying himself to be a…
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Arg. VII. For whom Christ died, for them he is a mediator: which is apparent; for the oblation or offering of Christ, which he made of himself unto God, in the shedding of his blood, was one of the chiefest acts of his mediation. But he is not a mediator for all and every one ; which also is no less evident, because as…
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The same apostle also tells us, 2 Cor. i. 20, that " all the ]3ro- mises of God are in him yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us." " Yea, and Amen," — confirmed, ratified, unchangeably established, and irrevocably made over to us. Now, this was done " in him," — that is, in his death and blood-shedding for …
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ARGUMENTS AGAINST UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION. 253 Considering that none of these latter had been,hadnot the ransom been paid, they are no less the effect of that ransom than his own delivery. In our delivery from the bondage of sin, it is true, there are other things, in other kinds, Avhich do concur besides the death of Ch…
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ARGUMENTS AGAINST UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION. 255 can assign a condition, on our part required, of faith, that is not faith itself. Can they do it? Let us hear it, then, and we will renew our in- quiry concerning that condition, whether it be procured by Christ or no. If not, then is the cause of faith still resolved into o…
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3. All the blessings of the new covenant are procured and pur- chased by him in whom the promises thereof are ratified, and to whom they are made ; for all the good things thereof are contained in and exhibited by those promises, through the working of the Spirit of God. Now, concerning the promises of the covenant, an…
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CIIAPTEU V. Being a continuance of arguments from the nature and description of the thing in hand; and first, of redemption. Aeg. XI. That doctrine which will not by any means suit with nor be made conformable to the thing signified by it, and the expression, literal and deductive, whereby in Scripture it is held out…
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In these and some few other circumstances is our spiritual redemp- tion diversified from civil ; but for the main it answers the word in the projjriety thereof, according to the use that it hath amongst men. Now, there is a twofold way whereby this is in the Scripture ex- pressed : for sometimes our Saviour is said to …
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As, then, i\\Q: folly of Socinus and his sectaries is remarkable, who would have the reconciliation mentioned in the Scripture to bo nothing but our conversion to God, without the appeasing of liis anger and turning away his wrath from us, — which is a reconciliation hopping on one leg, — so that distinction of some be…
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AEGUMENTS AGAINST UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION. 265 CHAPTER VII. Of the nature of the satisfaction of Christ, with arguments from thence. Arg. XIII. A third way whereby the death of Christ for sinners is expressed is SATISFACTION, — namely, that by his death he made satisfaction to the justice of God for their sins for whom…
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Moreover, in the New Testament there be divers Avords and ex- pressions concerning the death of our Saviour, holding out that thing ARGUMENTS AGAINST UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION. 2G7 which by satisfaction we do intend ; as when, first, it is termed '?rpoff(popd' Eph. V. 2, Uapsdojzsv saurov 'xpoffcpopav xai ^uslav, — an obl…
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Secondly, The satisfaction of Christ, by the payment of the same thing that was required in the obligation, is no way prejudicial to that free, gracious condonation of sin so often mentioned. God's gracious pardoning of sin.compiiseth the whole dispensation of grace towards us in Christ, wheKeof there are two parts: — …
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1, That God accepteth of the punishment of Christ as a creditor accepteth of his due debt, when he spares not the debtor, but re- quires the uttennost farthing. It is true of puni.shment, as punish- ment, there is no creditor properly; for, " Dclicta puniri publico in- terest." But this punishment being considered also…
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2. The second thing eminent in it is, an act of supreme sovereignty and dominion, rec^uiring the punishment of Christ, for the full, com- plete answering of the obligation and fulfilling of the law, Rom. viii. 3, X. 4. Now, these things being thus at large unfolded, we may see, in brief, some natural consequences foll…
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OF THE SATISFACTION AND MERIT OF CHRIST. 275 briefly declare and confirm the whole truth in this business, so far as occasion was given by the exercise and debate before mentioned, beginning with the first part of it, concerning the eternal love of God to his elect, with the state and condition they are placed in ther…
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1. If the sinner want nothing to acceptation and peace but a manifestation of God's eternal love, then evangelical justification is nothing but an apprehension of God's eternal decree and purpose. OF THE SATISFACTION AND MERIT OF CHRIST. 277 But this cannot be made out from the Scripture, — namely, that God's justify…
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But now some men think to wipe away all that hath been said m a word, and tell us that all this is so but only in their OAvn appre- hension ; not that those things are so indeed and in themselves. But if these things be so to them only in their apjirehension, why are they otherwise to the rest of the whole world? The S…
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Now, this also our Saviour himself maketh apparent, !^^att. xx. 28. He came dovvai rrjv -^uy^rni aiiTov X'jrpov avri rroXXuv, — " to give him- self a ransom for many." The word dvrl always supposeth a com- mutation, and change of one person or thing instead of another, as * Aufert, sustulit, tulit. OF THE SATISFACTION…
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IV. That wherein the exercise of the priestly ofiice of Jesus Christ whilst he was on earth doth consist, cannot be rejected nor denied without damnable error; but the exercise of the priestly ofiice of Jesus Christ whilst he was upon the earth consisted in this, to bear the punishment due to our sins, to make atonemen…
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Let me now ask any of those poor souls who ever have been wandering and tossed with the fear of the wrath to come, whether ever they found a resting-place until they came to this : — God spared not his only Son, but gave him up to death for us all ; that he made him to be sin for us; that he put all the sins of all the…
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286 THE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK III. him;" that is, he was chastised or punished that we might have peace, that we might go free, our sins being the cause of his wound- ing, and our iniquities of his being bruised, all our sins meetincr upon him, as verse 6 ; that is, he " bare our sins," in Peter's interpre- tation. He…
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Christ then, by his death, did merit and purchase, for all those for whom he died, all those things which in the Scripture are assigned to be the fruits and effects of his death. These are the things pur- chased and merited by his blood-shedding and death ; which may be referred unto two heads: — First, Such as are pri…
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290 THE DEATH OF DEATH. [bOOIv III. death were under the power of the second death, never to be deli- vered? Secondly, Whether it Le justice that those, or any of them, in whose stead Christ died, hearing their iniquities, should tliem- selves also die and bear their ov/n sins to eternity? Thirdly, What rule of equity…
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292 THE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK III. never knew you?'" What can be answered to this plea, upon the gi'anting of the general ransom, I know not. 3. Matt. xi. 25, 26, " I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even s…
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6. Eph. i. 7, " In whom we have redemption." If his blood was 294 THE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK IV. slied for all, then all must have a share in those things that are to be had in his blood. Now, amongst these is that redemption that consists in the forgiveness of sins; which certainly all have not, for they that have ar…
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296 THE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK IV. the sins of all and every man in the world. This sufficiency of his sacrifice hath a twofold rise : — First, The dignity of the person that did offer and was offered. Secondly, The greatness of the pain he endured, by which he was able to bear, and did undergo, the whole curse of the …
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First, The general publishing of the gospel unto "all nations," with the right that it hath to be preached to " every creature," Matt, xxviii. 19; Mark xvi. 15; 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 heal all their diseases, …
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S. We must exactly distinguish between man's duty and God's purpose, there being no connection between them. The purpose and decree of God is not the rule of our duty ; neither is the perform- SOO THE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK IV. ance of our duty in doing Avliat we are commanded any declara- tion of what is God's purpos…
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That the apostles themselves, also, had deeply drunk in this opi- nion, learned by tradition from their fathers, appeareth, not only in their questioning about the restoration of the kingdom unto Israel, Acts i. 6, but also most evidently in this, that after they had received commission to teach and baptize all nations…
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Two words there are that are mightily stuck upon or stumbled at; — first, The ivorld; secondly, All. The particular places wherein they are, and from which the arguments of our adversaries are urged, we shall afterward consider, and for the present only show that the words themselves, according to the Scripture use, do…
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These I have rehearsed to show the vanity of that clamour where- with some men fill their mouths, and frighten unstable souls with the Scripture mentioning world so often in the business of redemp- tion, as though some strength might be taken thence for the uphold- ing of the general ransom. "Parvas habet spes Troja, s…
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Now, as we have said of the word woidd, so we may of the word all, wherein much strength is placed, and many causeless boastings are raised from it. That it is nowhere affirmed in the Scripture that Christ died for all men, or gave himself a ransom for all men, much less for all and every man, we have before declared. …
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ANSWERS TO ARGUMENTS FOR UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION. 809 Sundry other instances might be given to manifest that this is the most usual and frequent signification of the word all in the holy- Scripture ; and, therefore, from the bare word nothing can be inferred to enforce an absolute unlimited universality of all individual…
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7. That which is spoken according to the judgment of charity on our parts must not always be exactly squared and made answerable to verity in respect of them of whom any thing is affirmed. For the rectitude of our judgment, it sufficeth that we proceed according to the rules of judging that are given us; for what is ou…
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Thirdly, If the proffer be (as they say) universal, and the inten- tion of God be answerable thereunto, — that is, he intends the salva- tion 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, certainly, can consist with this un…
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10. The faith which is enjoined and commanded in the gospel hath divers several acts and different degrees, in the exercise where- of it proceedeth orderly, according to the natural method of the proposal of the objects to be believed: the consideration whereof is of much use in the business in hand, our adversaries pr…
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316 THE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK IV. disposed in the apostles' creed (that ancient summary of Christian rehgion commonly so called), the remission of our sins and life eter- nal being in the last place proposed to be believed; for before we attain so far the rest must be firmly rooted. So that it is a senseless vanity to…
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The whole world contains all and every man in the world; Christ died for the whole ivorld: therefore, etc. Ans. Here are manifestly four terms in this syllogism, arising from the ambiguity of the word "world," and so no true medium on which the weight of the conclusion should hang; the world, in the first propositi…
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This place, I say, the Universalists exceedingly boast in ; for which we are persuaded they have so little cause, that we doubt not but, with the Lord's assistance, to demonstrate that it is destructive to their whole defence : to which end I will give you, in brief, a double paraphrase of the words, the first containi…
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The first difference in the interpretation of this place is about the cause of sending Christ ; called here love. The second, about the object of this love ; called here the world. Thirdly, Concerning the intention of God in sending his Son ; said to be that believers might be saved. For the First, By "love" in this p…
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Fii^st, The love here intimated is absolutely the most eminent and transcendent love that ever God showed or bare towards any miserable creature; yea, the intention of our Saviour is so to set it forth, as is apparent by the emphatical expression of it used in this place. The particles " so,"' " that," declare no less,…
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OBJECTIONS AND TEXTS OF SCEIPTURE CONSIDERED. 325 Therefore, if the love there mentioned be the cause of sending Christ, as it is, it must also cause all other things to he given with him, and so can be towards none but those who have those things bestowed on them ; which are only the elect, only believers. Who else h…
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First, Our first reason is taken from what was before proved con- cerning the nature of that love which is here said to have the world for its object, which cannot be extended to all and every one in the world, as will be confessed by all. Noav, such is the Avorld, here, as is beloved with that love which we have here …
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Fifthly, Unless ye will grant, — first. Some to be beloved and hated also from eternity; secondly. The love of God towards innumerable to be fruitless and vain; thirdly. The Son of God to be given to them who, first, never hear word of him ; secondly, have no power granted to believe in him ; fourthly. That God is muta…
982 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition (1850–1870); OCR text from Internet Archive. OCR may contain scanning/transcription errors. Verify quotations against page images when precision matters.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.