02.02.05. Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5 Contains Answers to the Argument taken from those Places where it said CHRIST died for those who perish A Fourth Argument is, Christ is said to die for some that perish, and therefore he died not, for the Elect only. 1st. Thus in Romans 14:15. and 2dly, in 1 Corinthians 8:11.f42
Answ. To perish sometimes imports a sinking into nothing, thus in there Words: They go to nothing, and perish (Job 6:18.). Sometimes it intends suffering eternal Punishment, so in this Text: And perished in the Gainsaying of Core (Jude 1:11.). In other Places, it designs Loss of spiritual Joy and Comfort, and the Weakness of the Graces of the Saints, as in there Words: Unless thy Law had been my Delights, I had perished in mine Affliction (Psalms 119:92.). Now the Question is, in which of these Senses, the Phrase is to be understood, where it is supposed that such may perish, for whom Christ died. Not in the first Sense, the Arminians will allow, anti that very rightly; but this is not to be collected, and prov’d from those particular Places; but from other Texts and the Analogy of Faith, which will not admit of this Sense. And we reject the second Signification, because it is contrary to other Places of Scripture, as may be seen above, and to the whole Analogy of Faith. To establish this Sense, it must be proved, that some for whom Christ died, are not of the Number of his Sheep, for whom he laid down his Life: Or that his Sheep, may eternally perish, and that there are some of his Sheep, to whom, he doth not give eternal Life, that some of his Sheep, may be plucked out of his Hand, and out of the Father’s Hand. But it will be a very difficult Matter to prove, that Christ delivered a Sense, directly contrary to that, which his Words undeniably express. We therefore justly conclude, that tho’ his Sheep for whom he laid down his Life, may dwindle in their Comforts, and decay in the Exercise of Grace, they shall not be eternally miserable, any more than they will cease to be, and that the Apostle intends perishing, in the third Sense, in these Places; which gives no Countenance, to the Opinion, of the universal Extent of Christ’s Death, or of the Possibility, of such suffering endless Punishment, for whom our Saviour died. The third Scripture produced to serve, this Purpose is; Of how much sorer Punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under Foot the Son of God, and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy Thing, and hath done Despite unto the Spirit of Grace (Hebrews 10:29.)?
Answ. The Words suggest no such Sense, as is suppos’d and taken for granted: The Sanctification of the Person committing the Sin, of which the Apostle speaks, is not intended; but the Sanctification of Christ. His letting himself apart to suffer, and his actually suffering, and thereby becoming to Sinners, the only Way of Life and Hope, which contribute nothing to the Support of the Opinion of the unlimited Extent of his Death, or that any of those for whom he died, may eternally perish. The fourth Scripture which is urged to this End is: Denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift Destruction (2 Peter 2:1.).
Answ. 1. It must be confessed, that there Words (at least) do not afford a clear Proof, that any of those perish eternally for whom Christ died: Because it is not to be proved that Christ is here intended, or that the Price of his Blood, is treated of and referred to: Hence It appears, that but very little at most:, can be inferred from them, in Favour of the Opinion we militate against; indeed not any thing with Certainty. For
(1) It cannot be proved, that Christ is the Person, who is said to have bought these Men, and if that is not capable of evident Proof, it must be allowed, that this Text affords not any clear Evidence, of Christ’s buying these Persons: For ought we could have known, it might be God the Father, who is intended, if nothing in the Words themselves, had directed us to understand them of him, which Despothv translated Lord imports, for that is a Name, which is never given to Christ in the New-Testament.
(2). Buying may intend, as it doth, in some other Places, providential Mercies, thus in these Words: Is he not thy Father, that has bought thee (Deuteronomy 32:6.)?
(3). God the Father may be, and is denied by wicked Men, who introduce into the Church damnable Heresies, to his Dishonour and the Disturbance of his People.
(4). They bring on themselves swift Destruction, by acting such a Part. We have many weighty Reasons for interpreting the Text in this Sense, rather than in the other, for which the Arminians contend.
[1.] These Persons were not the Objects of divine Favour, because they were not drawn with Loving Kindness: As all those are whom God has loved with an everlasting Love (Jeremiah 31:3.).
[2.] They were appointed to Condemnation and Wrath, or were made to be taken, and destroyed (James 5:12. Jude 1:4.) which cannot consist with a Design of saving them by Jesus Christ.
[3.] If God ever intended to save them; I would ask why he changed his Purpose, and what was the Occasion of that Change, and how this can consist with his Immutability? To say that the Change is not in God; but in them, is no proper Answer to the Enquiry: For then it will be farther ask’d, whether God always knew, what Manner of Men, they would be? To affirm he did not know, and so he once really designed their eternal Happiness, until they proved other Sort of Men, than he expected, Is a plain Denial of divine Prescience. If he always knew, what Kind of Persons they would be, and yet once intended their Salvation, he could not ever appoint them to Wrath, and punish them for Sin, without a Change in himself, and that for no Reason possible to be assign’d.
[4.] If Christ died for them, they are either destroy’d for those of their Sins, for which he suffered, or for other Sins, for which he atoned not: If for those Sins, for which the Redeemer suffered, then Punishment is twice inflicted for those Sins, once on Christ, and also on them, which cannot consist with Justice. If for other Sins, then, they perish, because of a Defect, in the Satisfaction of Christf43: Which is not by any Means to be allow’d.