V. " That which God will one day cause every man confess to the
OBJECTIONS AND TEXTS OF SCRIPTUEE CONSIDERED. 377
glory of God is cerCainly a truth, for God will own no lie for his glory, John iii. 83 ; Kom. iii. 3, 4 j
" But God will one day cause every man to confess Jesus (by virtue of his death and ransom given) to be the Lord, even to the glory of God, Phil. ii. 7-11; Isa. xlv. 22, 23; Rom. xiv. 9, 11, 12; Ps. Ixxxvi. 9:
" Therefore, it is certainly a truth that Jesus Christ hath given himself a ransom for all men, and hath thereby the right of lordship over them; and if any will not believe and come into this govern- ment, yet he abideth faithful, and cannot deny himself, but will one day bring them before him, and cause them to confess him Lord, to the glory of God; when they shall be denied by him, for denying him in the days of his patience, 2 Tim. ii. 12-14; Matt. x. 32, 33; 2 Con V. 10."
Ans. The conclusion of this argument ought to be thus, and no otherwise, if you intend it should receive any strength from the pre- mises: "Therefore, that Jesus Christ is the Lord, and to be confessed to the glory of God, is certainly a truth." This, I say, is all the con- clusion that this argument ought to have had, unless, instead of a syllogism, you intend three independent propositions, every one standing upon its own strength. That which is inserted concern ing his giving himself a ransom for all, and that which follows of the conviction and condemnation of them who believe not nor obey the gospel, confirmed from 2 Cor. v. 10, 2 Tim. ii. 12-14, is altogether hete- rogeneous to the business in hand. Now, this being the conclusion in- tended, if our author suppose tbat the deniers of universal redemption do question the truth of it, I wonder not at all why he left all other employment to fall a- writing controversies, having such apparent ad- vantages against his adversaries as such small mistakes as this are able to furnish his conceit withal. But it may be an act of charity to part him and his own shadow, — so terribly at variance as here and in other places; wherefore, I beseech him to hear a word in his heat, and to take notice, — [First,] That though we do not ascribe a fruitless, ineffec- tual redemption to Jesus Christ, nor say that he loved any with that entire love Avhich moved him to lay down his life, but his own church, and that all his elect are effectually redeemed by him, yet we deny not but that he shall also judge the reprobates, — namely, even all them that know not, that deny, that disobey and corrupt the truth of his gos- pel,— and that all shall be convinced that he is Lord of all at the last day : so that he may spare his pains of proving such unquestionable things. Something else is extremely desirous to follow, but indigna- tion must be bridled. Secondly, For that cause in the second pro- position, " By virtue of his death and ransom given," we deny that it is anywhere in the Scripture once intimated that the ransom paid by Christ in his death for us was the cause of his exaltation to be Lord
378 THE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK IV.
of all : it was his obedience to his Father in his death, and not his satisfaction for us, that is proposed as the antecedent of this exalta- tion ; as is apparent, Phil. iL 7—1 1 .
VI. " That which may be proved in and by the Scripture, both by plain sentences therein and necessary consequences imported thereby, without wresting, wrangling, adding to, taking from, or altering the sentences and words of Scripture, is a truth to be believed. Matt, xxii. 29, 32; Rom. xi. 2, 5, 6;
" But that Jesus Christ gave himself a ransom for all men, and by the grace of God tasted death for every man, may be proved in and by the Scripture, both by plain sentences therein and necessary consequences imported thereby, without wresting, wrangling, adding, or taking away, or altering the words and sentences, as is already showed, chap.vii., xiii., which will be now ordered into several proofs:
" Therefore, that Jesus Christ gave himself for all men, and by the grace of God tasted death for every man, is a truth to be believed, Mark i. 15, xvi. 15, 18; 1 John iv. 14."
Ans. First, The meaning of this argument is, that universal redemp- tion may be proved by the Scripture ; which, being the very thing in question, and the thesis undertaken to be proved, there is no reason why itself should make an argument, but only to make up a number: and, for my part, they should pass without any other answer, namely, that they are a number, but that those who are the mimher are to be considered.
Secondly, Concerning the argument itself (seeing it must go for one), we say, — First, To the first proposition, that laying aside the un- necessary expressions, the meaning of it I take to be this: "That which is affimied in the Scripture, or may be deduced from thence by just consequence, following such ways of interpretation, of affirmation, and consequences, as by which the Spirit of God leadeth us into the know- ledge of the truth, is certainly to be believed ; " which is granted of all, though not proved by the places he quoteth, Matt. xxii. 29, 32, Rom. xi. 2, 5, 6, and is the only foundation of that article of faith which you seek to oppose. Secondly, To the second, that Christ gave him- self a ransom l-xip rrdvruv, for all, and tasted death vrrip rravrog, for all, is the very word of Scripture, and was never denied by any. The making of all to be all men and every man, in both the places aimed at, is your addition, and not the Scripture's assertion. If you intend, then, to prove that Christ gave himself a ransom for all, and tasted death for all, you may save your labours; it is confessed on all hands, none ever denied it. But if you intend to prove those all to be all and every man, of all ages and kinds, elect and reprobate, and not all his children, all his elect, all his sheep, all his people, all the children given him of God, — some of all sorts, nations, tongues, and languages only, I will, by the Lord's assistance, willingly join issue with you, or