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 Christ, as the operation of the Spirit and the grace of God ; but these being in one kind, and that in another, these also being no less the fruit and effect of the death of Christ than our deliverance wrought by them, it is most apparent that that is the only main cause of the whole. Secondly, To take off utterly this exception, with all of the like kind, we affirm that faith itself is a proper immediate fruit and procure- ment of the death of Christ in all them for whom he died; which (because, if it be true, it utterly overthrows the general ransom, or universal redemption ; and if it be not true, I will ver}^ willingly lay down this whole controversy, and be very indifferent which way it be determined, for go it which way it will, free-will must be established), I will prove apart by itself in the next argument.
Arg. IX. Before I come to press the argument intended, I must premise some few things; as, —
1. Whatever is freely bestowed upon us, in and through Christ, that is all wholly the procurement and merit of the death of Christ. Nothinof is bestowed throusjh him on those that are his which he hath not purchased ; the price whereby he made his purchase being
•his own blood, 1 Pet. i. 18, 19; for the covenant between his Father and him, of making out all spiritual blessings to them that were given unto him, was expressly founded on this condition, " That he should make his soul an offering for sin," Isa. liii. 10.
2. That confessedly, on all sides, faith is, in men of understanding, of such absolute indispensable necessity unto salvation, — there being no sacrifice to be admitted for the want of it under the new cove- nant,— that, whatever God hath done in his love, sending his Son, and whatever Christ hath done or doth, in his oblation and intercession for all or some, without this in us, is, in regard of the event, of no value, worth, or profit unto us, but serveth only to increase and aggravate condemnation; for, whatsoever is accomplished besides, that is most certainly true, " He that believeth not shall be damned," Mark xvi. 1 6. (So that if there is in ourselves a power of believing, and the act of it do proceed from that power, and is our own also, then certainly and undeniably it is in our power to make the love of God and death of Christ effectual towards us or not, and that by believing we actually do the one by an act of our own; which is so evident that the most ingenious and perspicacious of our adversaries have in terms confessed it, as I have declared elsewhere).^ Such being, then, the absolute necessity of faith, it seems to me that the cause of that must needs be the prime and principal cause of salva-
^ Display of Arminianism.
254 THE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK III.
tion, as being the cause of that without which the whole would not be, and by which the Avhole is, and is effectual.
S. I shall give those that to us in this arc contrary-minded their choice and option, so that they will answer directly, categorically, and withoutuncouth, insignificant, cloudy distinctions, whether our Saviour, by his death and intercession (which we proved to be conjoined), did merit or procure faith for us, or no? or, which is all one, whether faith be a fruit and effect of the death of Christ, or no? And ac- cording to their answer I will proceed.
First, If they answer affirmatively, that it is, or that Christ did pro- cure it b}^ his death (provided always that they do not wilfully equivo- cate, and when I speak of faith as it is a grace in a particular person, taking it subjectively, they understand faith as it is the doctrine of faith, or the way of salvation declared in the gospel, taking it objec- tively, which is another thing, and beside the present question; al- though, by the way, I must tell them that we deny tlie granting of that new way of salvation, in bringing life and immortality to light by the gospel in Christ, to be procured for us by Christ, himself being the chiefest part of this way, yea, the way itself : and that he should him- self be procured by his own death and oblation is a very strange, con- tradictory assertion, beseeming them who have used it (More, p. 35.) It is true, indeed, a full and plenary carrying of his elect to life and glory by that way we ascribe to him, and maintam it against all ; but the granting of that way was of the same free grace and unprocured love which was also the cause of granting himself unto us, Gen. iii. 1 5.) ; — if, I say, they answer thus affirmatively, then I demand whether Christ procured faith for all for whom he died absolutely, or upon some condi- tion on their part to be fulfilled ? If absolutely, then surely, if he died for all, they must all absolutely believe ; for that which is absolutely procured for any is absolutely lus, no doubt. He that hath absolutely procured an inheritance, by what means soever, who can hinder, that it should not be his? But this is contrary to that of the apostle, " All men have not faith," 2 Thess. iii. 2; and, " Faith is of the elect of God," Tit. i. 1. If they say that he procured it for them, that is, to be be- stowed on them conditionally y I desire that they would answer bona fide, and roundly, in terms without equivocation or blind distinctions, assign that condition, that we may know what it is, seemg it is a thing of so infinite concernment to all our souls. Let me know this condition which ye will maintain, and en herbam amici!^ the cause is yours. Is it, as some say, if they do not resist the grace of God? Now, what is it not to resist the grace of God? is it not to obey it? And what is it to obey the grace of God? is it not to believe? So the condi- tion of faith is faith itself Christ jwocured that they shoidd believe, upon condition that they do believe ! Are these things so? But they ' " I own myself conquered," Facciolati. — Ed.