Proof 6. "■ The very words and phrases used by the Holy Ghost in Scripture, speaking of the death of Christ, and the ransom and propitiation, to whom it belongs, and who may seek it, and in be- lieving find life, implies no less than all men. As to instance: "All nations," Matt, xxviii. 19, 20; "the ends of the earth," Isa. xlv. 22, xlix. G; " eveiy creature," Mark xvi. 15; "all," 2 Cor. v. 14, 15,
1 Tim. ii. G; "every man," Heb. ii. 9; "the world," John iii. 16, 17,
2 Cor. V. 19; "the Avhole world," 1 John ii. 2; "that which was lost," Luke xix. 10; " sinners," Matt. ix. 18; "unjust," 1 Pet. iii. 18; "ungodly," Rom. v. G; and that whosoever of these repent andl)e- lieve in Christ shall receive his grace, John iii. IG, 18, Acts x. 43. Now, all these so often and indifferently used, were it not pride and error to devise glosses to restrain the sense the Scripture holdeth forth, so full and large for all men?"
Ans. First, This argument, taken from the words and phrases whereby tlie object of the death of Christ is in the Scripture ex- pressed, is that which filletli up both pages of this book, being re- peated, and most of the places here cited urged, a hundred times over; and yet it is so far from Ijeing any pressing argiiment, as that indeed it is nothing but a bare naked repetition of the thing in de- bate, concluding according to his own persuasion ;. for die main qiuere
OBJECTIONS AND TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE CONSIDERED. 389
between us is, whether the words all and the luorld he to be taken universally ? He saith so, and he saith so ; which is all the proof Ave have, repeating over the thing to be proved instead of a proof. Secondly, For those places which affirm Christ to die for "sinners," "ungodly," "that which was lost," etc., — as Luke xix. 10; Matt. ix. 13; 1 Pet. iii. 1 8 ; Rom. v. 6, — I have before declared how exceedingly unserviceable they are to universal redemption. Thirdly, For those places where the words " all," " every man," " the Avorld," " the Avhole world," are used, Ave have had them over and over; and they likeAvise have been considered. Fourthly, For those expressions of " all nations," Matt, xxviii. 19, 20, "every creature," Mark xvi. 15, used concerning them to Avhom the gospel is preached, I say, — First, That they do not comprise all individuals, nay, not all nations at all times, much less all singular persons of all nations if we look upon the accomplishment and fulfilling of that command; neither, de facto, was the gospel ever so preached to all, although there be a fitness and a suitableness in the dispensation thereof to be so preached to all, as was declared. Secondly, The command of preaching the gospel to all doth not in the least manner prove that Christ died with an intention to redeem all ; but it hath other groimds and other ends, as hath been manifested. Thirdly, That the ransom belongs to all to whom it is proposed Ave deny; there be other ends of that proposal; and Christ will say to some of them that he never kncAV them: therefore, certainly, he did not lay doAvn his life for them. Fourthly, " The ends of the earth," Isa. xlv. 22, are those that look up to God from all parts, and are saved ; which surely are not all and every one. And Christ being given to be a "salvation unto the end of the earth," chap. xlix. 6, is to do no more among the Gentiles than God promiseth in the same place that he shall do for his OAvn people, — even " gather the preserved of Israel ;" so shall he bear forth the salvation of God, and gather the preserved remnant of his elect to the ends of the earth.
And now, I hope, I need not mind the intelligent reader that the author of these collections could not have invented a more ready Avay for the ruin of the thesis which he seeks to maintain than by producing those places of Scripture last recounted for the confirmation of it, granting that all and the world are no more than "all the ends of the earth," mentioned in Isa. xlv. 22, xlix. 6; it being evident beyond denial that by these expressions, in both these places, only the elect of God and believers are clearly intimated : so that, interpreting the one by the other, in those places Avhere all and the ivorld are spoken of, those only are intended. " If pride and error" had not taken full possession of the minds of men, they could not so far deny their OAvn sense and reason as to contradict themselves and the plain texts of Scripture for the maintenance of theii" false and corrupt opinions.
390 THE DEATH OP DEATH. [BOOK IV.
Proof *J. "That whereas there are certain high and peculiar pri- vileges of the Spirit contained in the New Testament, sealed by the blood of Christ, which belong not to all men, but only to the saints, the called and chosen of the Lord, and Avlien they are alone distinctly mentioned, they are even so spoken of as belonging to them only, Matt. xiii. 11; John xiv. 17, 21-23, xvi. 13-15, xvii. 19, 20; Acts ii. 38, 39; 1 Cor. ii. 9, 14; Heb. ix. 15, viii.; 1 Pet. ii. 3, 9; yet many of these peculiar privileges are so spoken of as joined to- gether with the ransom and propitiation, which belongs to all. Then are they not spoken of in such a restraining and exclusive manner, or with such appropriating words, but so, and with such words, as room is left to apply the ransom to all men, in speech ; and withal, so hold out the privileges to them that believe that are proper to them, that they may both have their comfort and especial hope, and also hold forth the ransom and keep open the door for others, in belief and receipt of the propitiation, to come in and partake with them. And so it is said for his "sheep," and for "many ;" but nowhere but only for his sheep, or but only for many : which is a strong proof of the ransom for all men, as is shown, chap. iii. x."