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 between the recon- ciliation of God to man, making tliat to be universal towards all, and
' Aristotle is sjioaking of soldiers who " hartcr tlieir life for small pains." The quotation is cxccciiiiigly apt aud felicitous when the refercuce is uuderstood. — Ed.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION. 263
the reconciliation of man to God, making that to Le only of a small number of those to whom God is reconciled, is a no less monstrous fitifment. Mutual alienation must have mutual reconciliation, seeinoj they are correlata. The state between God and man, before the recon- ciliation made by Christ, was a state of enmity. Man was at enmity with God; we were his " enemies," Col. i. 21 ; Rom. v. 10; hating him and opposing ourselves to him, in the highest rebellion, to the utmost of our power. God also was thus far an enemy to us, that his " wrath" was on us, Eph. ii. 3 ; which remaineth on us imtil Ave do believe, John iii. 36. To make perfect reconciliation (which Christ is said in many places to do), it is required, first, That the wrath of God be turned away, his anger removed, and all the effects of enmity on his part towards us; secondly. That we be turned aAvay from our opposi- tion to him, and brought into voluntary obedience. Until both these be effected, reconciliation is not perfected. Now, both these are in the Scripture assigned to our Saviour, as the effects of his death and sacrifice.
1. He turned away the wrath of God from us, and so appeased him towards us; that was the reconciling of God by his death: for " when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son," Rom. v. 10. That here is meant the reconciling of God, as that part of reconciliation which consisteth in turning away his wrath from us, is most apparent, it being that whereby God chiefly com- mendeth his love to us, which certainly is in the forgiveness of sin, by the aversion of his anger due to it; as also being opposed to our being saved from the wrath to come, in the latter end of the verse, which compriseth our conversion and whole reconciliation to God. Besides, verse 11, we are said to receive rriii xaraXXayr-v, this "reconciliation" (which, I know not by what means, we have translated " atone- ment") ; which cannot be meant of our reconciliation to God, or con- version, which we cannot properly be said to accept or receive, but of him to us, which we receive when it is apprehended by faith.
2. He turneth us away from our enmity towards God, redeeming and reconciling us to God by " the blood of his cross," Col. i. 20; — to wit, then meritoriously, satisfactoril}', by the way of acquisition and purchase ; accomplishing it in due time actually and efficiently by his Spirit. Both these ye have jointly mentioned, 2 Cor. v. 18-20; where we may see, first, God being reconciled to us in Christ, which consisteth in a non-im2:)utation of iniquities, and is the subject-matter of the ministry, verses 18, 19; secondly, the reconciling of us to God, by accepting the pardon of our sins, which is the end of the ministry, verse 20; — as the same is also at large declared, Eph. ii. 13-15. The actual, then, and effectual accomplishment of both these, " simul et semel," in respect of procurement, by continuance, and in process of time, in the ordinances of the gospel, in respect of final accomplish-
2G-1- THE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK III.
mont on the part of men, do make up that reconciliation which is the effect of the death of Christ ; for so it is in many places assigned to be: " We are reconciled to God by the death of his Son," Rom. V. 10; "And you, that were sometime alienated, hath he reconciled in the body af his flesh through death," Col. i. 21, 22: which is in sundry places so evident in the Scripture, that none can possibly deny reconciliation to be the immediate effect and product of the death of Christ.
Now, how this reconciliation can possibly be reconciled with uni- versal redemption, I am no way able to discern ; for if reconciliation be the proper effect of the death of Christ, as is confessed by all, then if he died for all, I ask how cometh it to pass, — First, That God is not reconciled to all? as he is not, for his wrath abideth on some, John iii. 36, and reconciliation is the aversion of wrath. Secondly, That all are not reconciled to God? as they are not, for " by nature all are the children of wrath," Eph. ii. .3 ; and some all their lives do nothing but " treasure up wrath against the day of wrath," Rom. ii. 5. Thirdly, How, then, can it be that reconciliation should be wrought between God and all men, and yet neither God reconciled to all nor all reconciled to God? Foiu'thly, If God be reconciled to all, when doth he begin to be unreconciled towards them that perish? by Avhat alteration is it? in his will or nature? Fifthly, If all be reconciled by the death of Christ, when do they begin to be unreconciled who perish, being born children of wrath? Sixthly, Seeing that recon- ciliation on the part of God consists in the turning away of his wrath and not imputing of iniquity, 2 Cor. v. 18, 19, which is justification, rendering us blessed, Rom. iv. 6-8, why, if God be reconciled to all, are not all justified and made blessed through a non-imputation of their sin? They who have found out a redemption where none are redeemed, and a reconciliation where none are reconciled, can easily answer these and such other questions; which to do I leave them to their leisure, and in the meantime conclude this part of our argu- ment. That reconciliation which is the renewing of lost friendship^ the slaying of enmity, the making up of peace, tlie appeasing of God, and turning away of his wrath, attended with a non- imputation of iniquities; and, on our part, conversion to God by faith and repent- ance;— this, I say, being that reconciliation which is the effect of the death and blood of Christ, it cannot be asserted in reference to any, nor Christ said to die for any other, but only those concerning whom all the jiropertic^s of it, alid acts wherein it doth consist, may be truly affirmed ; which, whether they may be of all men or not, let all men judge.