A. John iii. 16, 17, vi. 33, iv. 42; 1 John iv. 14; John xii. 46, 47; Mark xvi. 15, 16; Col. i. 23, 28; 1 Tim. ii. 1-4; 2 Pet. iii. 9; 2 Cor. v. 19; 1 John ii. 1, 2.
1. That God is good to all men, and bountiful, being a wise, power- ful, liberal provider for the works of his hands, in and by innumer- able dispensations and various communications of his goodness to them, and may in that regard be said to have a universal love for them all, is granted ; but that God loveth all and every man alike, with that eternal love which is the fountain of his giving Chr^istfor them and to them, and all good things with him, is not in the least intimated by any of those places of Scripture where they are ex- jDressed for whom Christ died, as elsewhere hath been abundantly manifested,
2. It IS confessed that " this is a point of the greatest importance" (that is, of very great), "without the knowledge and behef whereof we cannot have any true and solid ground of coming unto God," — namely, of the love of God in Christ; but that to know the univer- sality of his love is of such importance cannot be proved, unless that can be numbered which is wanting, and that weighed in the balance which is not.
3. We say not that " God from all eternity intended good only to a few," etc. He intended much good to all and every man in the world, and accordingly, in abundance of variety, accomplisheth that his intention towards them, — to some in a greater, to some in a lesser measure, according as seems good to his infinite wisdom and plea- sure, for which all things were created and made, Rev. iv. 11. And for that particular eminent good of salvation by Jesus Christ, for the-jpiraise of his glorious grace, we do not say that he intended
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that from eternity for a few, absolutely considered, for these will appear in tlie issue to be " a great multitude, which no man can number," Rev. vii. 9 ; but that in comparison of them who shall ever- lastingly come short of his glory, we say that they are but a " little flock," yea, " few they are that are chosen," as our Saviour expressly affirms, whatever Mr B. be pleased to tell us to the contrary.
4. That the granting that they are hx\t few that are chosen (though many be called), and that "before the foundation of the world" some are chosen to be holy and unblamable in love through Christ, havino' their " names written in the book of life," is a discourage- ment to any to come to God, Mr B. shall persuade us when he can evince that the secret and eternal purpose of God's discriminating between persons as to their eternal conditions is the great ground and bottom of our approach unto God, and not the truth and faith- fulness of the promises which he hath given, with his holy and right- eoi>s commands. The issue that lies before them who are com- manded to draw nigh to God is, not whether they are elected or no, but whether they will believe or no, God having given them eternal and unchangeable rules: "He that believeth shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned." Though no man's name be written in the Scripture, he that believes hath the faith of God's veracity to assure him that he shall be saved. It is a most vain sur- misal, that as to that obedience which God requires of us, there is any obstruction laid by this consideration, that they are but few which are chosen. -^ ' ■* • '• /
5. This is indeed the only true and solid ground of coming unto God by Christ, that God hath infallibly conjoined faith and salva- tion, so that whosoever believes shall be saved ; neither doth the granting of the pretended universality of God's love afford any other ground whatever; and this is not in the least shaken or impaired by the effectual love and purpose of God for the salvation of some. And if Mr B. hath any other true and solid ground of encouraging men to come to God by Christ besides and beyond this, which may not, on one account or other, be educed from it or resolved into it (I mean of God's command and promise), I do here beg of him to acquaint me with it, and I shall give him more thanks for it, if I live to see it done, than as yet I can persuade myself to do on the account of all his other labours which I have seen.
6. We say, though God hath chosen some only to salvation by Christ, — yet the names of those some are not expressed in Scrip- ture, the doing whereof would have been destructive to the main end of the word, the nature of faith, and all the ordinances of the gospel, — yet God having declared that whosoever believeth shall be saved, there is sufficient ground for all and every man in the world to whom the gospel is preached to come to God by Christ, and other