Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .O8 1721

ARMINIANI'SM. 47 eternity ? No doubtlefs ; Chrift giveth life to every one, for whom he gave his life: he lofeth not odeof them, whom he purchafedwith his blood. The firnt part of his controverfy may be handledunder thefe two queftions. t. Whether God giving his fon, and Chrift makinghis foul a ranfom for fin, intend- ed thereby to redeem all and every one from their fins, that all and every one alike, from the beginnidg oftheworld, to the left day, lhouid all equally be partakers of the fruits ofhis deathand paffion; which purpofeof theirs is in the moil fruftrate? 2. Whether God loathnot a certain infallible intention, ofgathering unto himfelf a chofen people, ofcolleAg a church of firftborn, of laving his little flock, ofbringing fome certainly to happinefs, by the death of his fon, which in the event he Both accompiifh? The fccondpartall. may be red» ced to thefe twoheads. I. Whether Chrift did not makefull fatisfafüion for all their fins, for whom he died and merited glory, or everlafting happinefs, to be bellowed on them, upon the per- formance-ofchoreconditio:s God fhould require ? z: Which is the proper controverfy I fhall chiefly infilt upon. Whether Chrift did not procure for his own people, a power to become the funsof God, merit and deferve at thehands of God for them, grace, faith, righteoalhefs, and fanftification, where- by they may be`enahled iufillibly to perform the conditions ofthenew covenant, upon thewhich they (hall be admitted to glory ? To the firfi quefiiou, of the firnt part of the controverfy, the Arminian, anfwer affirmatively, to wit, that Chrift died for all alike, the benefit of his palfion belongs equally to all the polarity of Adam: And to the ficoud negatively, that God hadno filch intention ofbringing many chofen foes unto falvation, by the death of Chrift; but determined ofgrace and glory, no more pearlfely to one, than to another, to john than Yuba, Abraham than Pharaoh both winch, as the learned Moulinobferved, (a) feem to be invented to make chriftiauity ridiculous, and expofe our religion to the derifion ofall knowing men. For T. Who can polfìbly conceive that one by the appointment of God fhould die for another ; and yet that other, by the fame jufiice he allotted unto death himfel , when one's death only wasdue ? That thrift bath madea full fatisfattion for their fins, who (hall everlaftingly feel the weight of them, themfelves; that he fhould merit and obtain reconciliation with God for them, who live and die his enemies ? Grace and glory for them, who ate gracelefs in this life, and damned in that which is tocome ?' That he fhould get-remiffìon of fins for the*); whole finis were never pardoned? In brief, ifthis fentence be true, either Chrift by his deathdid not reconcileas unto God, make fatisfaftion to his jufiice for our iniquities, redeem as from our fins, purchafea kingdom, and everlafting inheritance' for us, which, 1 hope no chriftian will fay, or elfe all .the former abfurdities muff neceffarilÿ follow, which no rational man will ever admit. Neither may we be charged, as ftraitners of the merit of Chrift: for we advance the true value and worth thereof, as hereafter will appear far beyond all that the Arminian, afcribe unto ie: we confers that, that blood of God, Alts xx. 28. Ofthe lambwithout fpee orblem fb, t Pet. i. 19. Was fo exceedingly precious, ofthat infinite worth and value, that it might have faved a thoufand believing worlds, 7 hn iii. i6. Rom. iii. zz. His death was of fufficient dignity to have been made a ranfom, for all the fins of every one in the world: and on this- internal fufciencÿ ofhis death and gallon, is grounded. the univerfality of evangelical promifes, which have no fuck reftriftion in their own nature, as that they fhouldnot be made to all, and every one, thoughthe promulgation and knowledge of them is tied only to the good pleafureof God's fpecial providence, Matth: xvi. 17. As alto that oeconomy, and difpeitfation of thenew covenant, whereby the partitionwall being broken down, there remains no more difference between °em andGentile, theutmoft borders ofthe earth being given in for Chrift's inheritance. So that in fome fenfe, Chrift maybe find to die for all, and thewhole world : FirfE, in as much os the worth and value ofhis death, was very fufficient tohave been made a price for all their fins : Secondly in as much as this' word all, is taken for fome of all forts, not for every ore, of every fort, as it is frequently ufedin the holy fcripture, fo Chrift bei g lifted up.drew all unto him, John xii. 3z. That is, believers out ofall forts amen : the apoftles dared' all difeafes, or fome ofall forts, (a) Malinraffrsg. adSynod. Deirdre: they

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