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the new covenant, this bottom of all gospel dispensations, this fruitful womb of all eternally distinguishing mercies, the purpose of God according to election, must be opposed, slighted, blasphemed, that the figment of the sons of men may not appear to be " truncus ficulnus, inutile lignum," — an unprofitable stock ; and all the thoughts of the Most High, differencing between man and man, must be made to take " occa- sion," say some, to be " caused," say others, by their holy, self-spiritual endeavours. " Gratmn opus agricolis," — a savoury sacrifice to the Roman Belus, a sacred orgie to the long-bewailed manes of St Pelagius.
And here, secondly, free-will, " amor et delicise humani generis," corrupted na- ture's deformed darhng, the Pallas or beloved self-conception of darkened minds, finds open hearts and arms for its adulterous embraces; yea, the die being cast, and Rubicon passed over, " eo devenere fata ecclesic-e," that having opposed the free distinguishing grace of God as the sole sworn enemy thereof, it advanceth itself, or an inbred native ability in every one to embrace a portion of generally exposed mercy, under the name of free grace. "Tantane nos tenuit generis fiducia vestri?" This, this is Universalists' free grace, which in the Scripture phrase is cursed, cor- rupted nature. Neither can it otherwise be. A general ransom without free-will is but " phantasire inutile pondus," — " a burdensome fancy;"' the merit of the death of Christ being to them as an ointment in a box, that hath neither virtue nor power to act or reach out its own application unto particulars, being only set out in the gospel to the view of all, that those who will, by their ovm. strength, lay hold on it and apply it to themselves may be healed. Hence the dear esteem and high valua- tion which this old idol free-will hath attained in these days, being so useful to the general ransom that it cannot live a day without it. Should it pass for true what the Scripture affirms, namely, that we are by nature " dead in trespasses and sins," etc., there would not be left of the general ransom a shred to take fire from the hearth. Like the wood of the vine, it would not yield a pin to hang a garment upon : all which you shall find fully declared in the ensuing treatise. But here, as though all the undertakings and Babylonish attempts of the old Pelagians, with their varnished offspring, the late Arminians, were slight and easy, I shall show you greater abominations than these, and farther discoveries of the imagery of the hearts of the sons of men. In pursuance of this persuasion of universal redemption, not a few have arrived (whither it naturally leads them) to deny the satisfaction and
merit of Christ. Witness P H , who, not being able to untie, ventured
boldly to cut this Gordian knot, but so as to make both ends of the chain useless. To the question, Whether Christ died for all men or no ? he answers, " That he died neither for all nor any, so as to purchase life and salvation for them." ''il ray iroTo)) ffi 'i'jro; ifivyn ifxoi olivruv -, Shall cursed Sociniauism be worded into a glorious discovery of free grace? Ask now for proofs of this assertion, as you might justly expect Achillean arguments from those who delight aKivnTcx. xivi'v, and throw do\vn such foundations (as shall put all the righteous in the world to a loss thereby)^ " Projicit ampullas et scsquipedalia verba," vvifeyKa ftarcciormro;, great swelling words of vanity, drummy expressions, a noise from emptiness, the usual language of men who know not what they speak, nor whereof they do affirm, is all that is produced. Such contemptible products have our tympanous mountains! Poor creatures, whose souls are merchandised by the painted faces of novelty and vanity, whilst these Joabs salute you with the kisses of free grace, you see not the sword that is in their hands, whereby they smite you under the fifth rib, in the very heart- blood of faith and all Christian consolation. It seems our blessed Redeemer's deep humiliation, in bearing the chastisement of our peace and the punisbment of our transgressions, being made a curse and sin, deserted imder wrath and the power of death, procuring redemption and the remission of sins through the efVusion of his blood, offering himself up a sacrifice to God, to make reconciliation and purchase an atonement, his pursuing tliis undertaking with continued intercession in the
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holy of holies, with all the benefits of his mediatorship, do no way procure either life and salvation or remission of sins, but only serve to declare that we are not indeed what his word affirms we are, — namely, cursed, guilty, defiled, and only not actually cast into hell. " Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss ? " See this at large confuted, lib. iii. Now, this last assertion, thoroughly fancied, hath opened a door and given an inlet to all those pretended heights and new-named glorious attainments which have metamorphosed the person and mediation of Christ into an imaginary diffused goodness and love, communicated from the Creator unto the new creation ; than which famiMstical fables Cerdon's two prin- ciples were not more absurd; the Platonic numbers nor the Valentinian ^ones,' flowing from the teeming wombs of nxvptu/^x, Alav, Tikuos, Bv^o;, 'S.iyri, and the rest, vented for high glorious attainments in Christian religion, near fifteen hundred years ago, were not less intelligible. Neither did the corroding of Scriptures by that Pontic vermin Marcion equalize the contempt and scorn cast upon them by these impotent impostors, exempting their whispered discoveries from their trial, and exalting their revelations above their authority. Neither do some stay here ; but " his gradibus itur in coelum," heaven itself is broke open for all. From universal redemption, through universal justification, in a general covenant, they have ar- rived (" baud ignota loquor") at universal salvation; neither can any forfeiture be made of the purchased inheritance.