God, redemption from our sins, freedom from the curse, deliverance from the wrath of God, and power of hell: though we be not actual partakers of these things to the pacification of our own consciences, without the intervening operation of the Holy Spirit, and faith by him wrought in us.

e

But if this be not, pray what is obtained by the death of Christ? Why a potential, conditionate reconciliation, not actual and absolute,' saith Corvinus. But yet this potential reconciliation, being a new expression, never intimated in the Scripture, and scarce of itself intelligible, we want a farther explanation of their mind, to know what it is that directly they assign to the merits of Christ: wherefore, they tell us, that the fruit of his death, was such an impetration, or obtaining of reconciliation with God, and redemption for us that God thereby hath a power, his justice being satisfied, and so not compelling him to the contrary, to grant remission of sins, to sinful men, on what condition he would :' or as another speaketh it, 'There was by the effusion of Christ's blood, a right obtained unto, and settled in God, of reconciling the world, and of opening unto all, a gate of repentance, and faith in Christ.' But now, whereas the Scripture every where affirmeth, that Christ died for our good, to obtain blessings for us, to purchase our peace, to acquire and merit for us the good things contained in the promise of the covenant; this opinion seems to restrain the end and fruit thereof, to the obtaining of a power and liberty unto God, of prescribing us a condition whereby we may be saved: but yet it may be, thus much at least Christ obtained of God in our behalf, that he should assign faith in him, to be this condition, and to bestow it upon us also. No, neither the one nor the other,f'after all this, had it so seemed good unto his wisdom, God might have chosen the Jews, and others,

Reconciliatio potentialis et conditionata non actualis et absoluta, per mortem Christi impetratur. Corvin ad Molin. cap. 28. sect. 11.

d Remissionis, justificationis, et redemptionis, apud Deum impetratio, qua factum est, ut Deus jam possit, utpote justitia cui satisfactum est non obstante hominibus peccatoribus peccata remittere. Armin. ubi sup.

Autoris mens non est alia, quam effuso sanguine Christi reconciliandi mundum Deo jus impetratum fuisse, et inito novo fædere et gratioso cum hominibus, Deum gratiæ ostium, omnibus denuo pœnitentiæ ac veræ in Christum fidei, lege adaperuisse. Epis tol. ad Walac. pag. 93.

Potuisset Deus, si ita sapientiæ suæ visum fuisset, operarios, Judæos, vel alios etiam præter fideles eligere, quia potuit aliam salutis conditionem, quam fidem in Christum exigere. Grevinch. ad Ames. p. 415.

following the righteousness of the law, as well as believers, because he might have assigned any other condition of salvation besides faith in Christ,' saith Grevinchovius. Notwithstanding then the death of Christ for us, we might have been held to the old rule, Do this and live:' but if this be true, I cannot perceive how it may be said, that Christ died to redeem us from our sins, to save our souls, and bring us unto glory; neither, perhaps, do they think this to be any great inconvenience, for the same author affirmeth, that Christ cannot be said properly to die, to save any one.' And a little after he more fully declares himself," "That after Christ had obtained all that he did obtain by his death, the right remained wholly in God, to apply it, or not to apply it, as it should seem good unto him: the application of grace and glory to any man, was not the end for which Christ obtained them, but to get a right and power unto God, of bestowing those things on what sort of men he would:' which argues no redemption of us from our sins, but a vindication of God from such a condition, wherein he had not power to forgive them; not an obtaining of salvation for us, but of a liberty unto God of saving us, on some condition or other.

But now, after God hath got this power by the death of Christ, and out of his gracious good pleasure, assigned faith to be the means for us to attain those blessings, he hath procured himself a liberty to bestow. Did Christ obtain this faith for us of him; if it be a thing not in our own power? No 'faith is not obtained by the death of Christ,' saith Corvinus : : so that there is no good thing, no spiritual blessing, into which any man in the world hath any interest by the death of Christ: which is not so great an absurdity, but that they are most ready to grant it. Arnoldus confesseth, that he believes, that the death of Christ might have enjoyed its end, or his merit its full force, although, never any had believed:' and again,'' the death and satisfaction of Christ being

Christus non est proprie mortuus ad aliquem salvandum. idem, ibid. pag. 8. Postquam impetratio præstita ac peracta esset, Deo jus suum integrum mansit, pro arbitrio suo, eam applicare, vel non applicare, nec applicatio finis impetrationis propriæ fuit, sed jus, et potestas applicandi, quibus et qualibus vellet. pag. 9.

Fides non est impetrata merito Christi. &c. Cor. ad Mol. cap. 28. pag. 419. Se omnino credere, futurum fuisse, ut finis mortis Christi constaret, etiamsi neme credidisset. Idem. cap. 27. sect. 3, 4.

Posita et præstita Christi morte et satisfactione, fieri potest, ut nemine, novi fæderis conditionem, præstante, nemo salvaretur. Idem. Grevinch. ad Ames. pag. 9.

accomplished, it might come to pass, that, none fulfilling the condition of the new covenant, none should be saved;' so also saith Grevinchovius. Oh Christ! that any pretending to profess thy holy name, should thus slight the precious work of thy death and passion! Surely, never any before, who counted it their glory to be called Christians, did ever thus extenuate (their friends the Socinians only excepted), the dignity of his merit and satisfaction. Take but a short view of what benefit they allow to redound to us, by the effusion of his precious blood, and you may see what a pestilent heresy, these men have laboured to bring into the church: neither faith nor salvation, grace nor glory, hath he purchased for us, not any spiritual blessing, that by our interest in his death we can claim to be ours: it is not such a reconciliation with God, as that he thereupon, should be contented again to be called our God, it is not justification, nor righteousness, nor actual redemption from our sins, it did not make satisfaction for our iniquities, and deliver us from the curse : 'only it was a means of obtaining such a possibility of salvation, as that God, without wronging of his justice, might save us if he would one way or other.' So that when Christ had done all that he could, there was not one man in the world immediately the better for it: notwithstanding the utmost of his endeavour, every one might have been damned with Judas to the pit of hell :" for 'he died as well for Simon Magus and Judas, as he did for Peter and Paul,' say the Arminians. Now, if no more good redound to us by the death of Christ than to Simon Magus, we are not much obliged to him for our salvation. Nay, he may be rather said to have redeemed God, than us, for he procured for him, immediately a power to redeem us if he would; for us, only by virtue of that power, a possibility to be redeemed: which leaves nothing of the nature of merit annexed to his death for that deserveth that something be done, not only that it may be done the workman deserveth that his wages be given him, and not that it may be given him. And then what becomes of all the comfort and consolation that is proposed to us in Impetratio salutis pro omnibus, est acquisitio possibilitatis, ut nimirum Deus illæsa sua justitia hominem peccatorem possit recipere in gratiam. Rem. Coll. Hag. p. 172.

נת

Pro Juda ac Petro mortuus est Christus, et pro Simone Mago et Juda tam pro Paulo et Petro. Rem. Synod, p. 320.

the death of Christ? But it is time to see how this stubble is burned and consumed by the word of God, and that established which they thought to overthrow.

First, It is clear that Christ died to procure for us an actual reconciliation with God; and not only a power for us to be reconciled unto him: for when we' were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son;' Rom. v. 10. We enjoy an actual reconciliation unto God by his death; he is content to be called our God, when we are enemies, without the intervening of any condition on our part required, though the sweetness, comfort, and knowledge of this reconciliation do not compass our souls before we believe in him. Again, we have remission of sins by his blood and justification from them, not a sole vindication into such an estate, wherein, if it please God and ourselves, our sins are pardonable; for we are justified through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins;' Rom. iii. 24, 25. Yea, he obtained for us by his death, righteousness and holiness. He gave himself for his church that he might sanctify and cleanse it;' Eph. v. 26. that he might present it unto himself a glorious church without spot or wrinkle ; that we should be holy and without blemish;' ver. 27. Where, first, we have whom Christ died or gave himself for, even his church secondly, what he obtained for it, holiness and righteousness, a freedom from the spots and blemishes of sin, that is, the grace of justification and sanctity; 'He made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in him;' 2 Cor. v. 21. And, lastly, he died to purchase for us an everlasting inheritance; Heb. ix. 15. So that both grace and glory are bestowed on them for whom he died, as the immediate fruits of his death and passion.

Secondly, See what the Scripture pηrwç, 'expressly' assigneth as the proper end and immediate effect (according to the purpose of God, and his own intention) of the effusion of the blood of Jesus Christ, and you shall find that he intended by it, to take away the sins of many, to make his soul an offering for sin; that he might see his seed, that the counsel of God might prosper in his hand;' Isa. liii. to be

a ransom for many;' Matt. xx. 28. to bear the sins of many;' Heb. ix. 28. he bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we should live unto righteousness;' 1 Pet. ii. 24. ' that we might become the righteousness of God in him ;' 2 Cor. v. 21. thereby reconciling us unto God;' ver. 19. he died, 'to reconcile us unto God, in the body of his flesh, through death, that we might be holy and unblamable;' Col. i. 21, 22. to purge our sins;' Heb. i. 3. ' to obtain an everlasting redemption for us; Heb. ix. 12. So that if Christ by his death obtained what he did intend, he hath purchased for us, not only a possibility of salvation, but holiness, righteousness, reconciliation with God, justification, freedom from the guilt and condemning power of sin, everlasting redemption, eternal life, and glory in heaven.

Thirdly, I appeal unto the consciences of all Christians. First, Whether they do not suppose the very foundation of all their consolation, to be stricken at when they shall find those places of Scripture," that affirm Christ to have died. 'to take away our sins, to reconcile us unto God, to put away or abolish our transgressions, to wash and regenerate us, perfectly to save us, and purchase for us an everlasting redemption, whereby he is become unto us, righteousness, and redemption, and sanctification, the Lord our righteousness, and we become the righteousness of God in him ;' to be so wrested, as if he should be said only to have done something, which these things might happily follow.

Secondly, Whether they think it not a ready way to impair their love and to weaken their faith in Christ, when they shall be taught that Christ hath done no more for them than for those that are damned in hell; that be their assurance never so great that Christ died for them, yet there is enough to be laid to their charge to condemn them; that though God is said to have reconciled them unto himself in Christ, Col. i. 19, 20. yet indeed he is as angry with them as with any reprobate in the world; that God loveth us not first, but so long as we continue in a state of enmity against him before our conversion, he continues our enemy also; so that the first act of friendship or love, must be performed on our part, notwithstanding that the Scripture saith, we were reconciled unto God being enemies; Rom. v. 10,

Heb. yii. 12. 15. 24. jx. 14. 28. Isa. liii. 11. 1 John ii. 2, &