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others had, 'tis moft reasonable to conclude, he never died for them; for to what purpose fhould he or could he die for them that were already damned? As to the cafe of Judas, tho' fingle, it must be an exception to Chrift's dying for every individual mân; tho' I think the cafes of Cain, the Sodomites, Pharaoh, fuch who have finned the fin against the Holy Ghoft, Antichrift, the man of fin, &c. are much alike exceptions to it. What grace Judas had communicated to him on the account of Chrift's death, a little after to be endured, by which he might have abftain'd from the fin of betraying him, I don't understand, when his betraying of him was to be the means of his death: and as for his repentance, this writer himself that God juftly depriv'd him of the power of repenting, and fo the death of Christ was of no advantage to him.

owns,

IX. Another argument against universal Redemption, ftands thus: "If they can perish, and fome of them do perish for whom Chrift died, then their fins are twice punished; once in Chrift, who died for them, and again, in themfelves undergoing the punishment of everlasting fire:" which is contrary to the juftice of God, which will never inflict punishment and require fatisfaction twice for the fame offence, and muft greatly reflect upon the fatisfaction and

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atonement of Chrift, as infufficient. The answer to this is, "That Chrift was not properly punish'd for men, nor did he properly tranflate the punishment of fin from finners to himself, that their fins might be punish'd in him." But, furely, if Chrift did not tranflate to himself and bear the punishment of our fins, how could he be faid to be made fin and a curfe for us, to have the chaftifement of our peace upon him, to be wounded, bruifed, and die for our fins, to be fricken and cut off in a judicial way for the tranfgreffions of his people?? And if he was, and underwent all this for all mankind, their fins must have been punish'd in him; and therefore it would not be confiftent with the juftice of God, to fend any of them into everlasting fire, when Chrift bore what was equivalent to it in their room and stead.

X." If Chrift died for all men, then also for infants dying in their infancy; but this the Remonftrants do not believe, fince they affirm, that infants are born without original fin, and are not guilty of eternal condemnation; and therefore, according to them, need no Redeemer:" and, indeed,

Limborch, p. 329.

P 2 Cor. v. 21. Gal. iii, 13. Ifa. liii. 5, 6, 1 Cor. xv. 3; Ifa. 53. 8.

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if they have neither original nor actual fin, and fo not liable to condemnation and death, what should they be redeemed from? The answer is, "not from fin, but from an hereditary death they derived from Adam." But how comes death to be hereditary to them, or how come they to derive it from Adam, if they are not involved in his fin and guilt? Befides, they are not redeemed by Chrift from this hereditary corporal death; Death reigned from Adam to Mofes, and so it has ever fince, even over them that had not finned after the fimilitude of Adam's tranfgreffion. Should it be faid, they'll be redeemed from it in the refurrection morn, fo will all the wicked who will have no fhare in eternal life, and fo no proof of their redemption by Chrift; fhould it be urg'd, that they will not only be redeem'd from this death, but also tranflated into the poffeffion of eternal life, thro' the death of Chrift, this must be in confequence of their Redemption from fin the cause of this death, and by virtue of Chrift's righteousness wrought out for them, which juftifies from fin, and gives a title to eternal life. The cafe is this, either infants dying in infancy are finners, or they are not; if they are, they must be so by virtue and in confequence of original fin, which the Arminians deny; if they are not

Limborch, p. 330.

Rom. v. 14.

finners,

finners, they ftand in no need of a Saviour, they are not the objects of Redemption, Chrift died not for them; and if not for them, then not for all mankind.

XI. The last argument is, "If Chrift died for all men, even for them that can and do perith, then no confolation nor certainty of falvation can be had from the death of Chrift, even by those that believe he died for them, feeing, notwithstanding he has died for them, they may perish but this is abfurd, and contrary to Rom. viii. 34. where believers conclude from the death of Chrift, that they cannot come into condemnation.". The confequence of this argument is denied'. But how is it poffible, that there should be any folid comfort or real certainty of falvation from the death of Chrift, when, notwithstanding compleat Redemption is obtain'd by it, the benefit of it enjoy'd, fin really forgiven in Christ, and the remiffion of it truly applied, yet perfons may fall from the enjoyment of thefe bene fits thro' fin and unbelief, and eternally perish? So that the benefit of Christ's death and continuance in the enjoyment of it, depend on the will of man, and certain conditions to be performed by him; whence if any comfort or affurance of falvation arise,

f Limborch, p. 330.
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which must be very low and precarious, they must arise, not from the death of Chrift, but from the performances of men: whereas, on the other hand, the doctrine of particular Redemption fecures grace here, and glory hereafter, to all the subjects of it; fo that those who believe in Chrift, may take folid comfort from his death, that they shall never enter into condemnation, but fhall be for ever with him; and may be ftrongly affur'd of this, that, maugre all the oppofition of fin, fatan, and the world, they fhall be faved with an everlasting falvation by him.

CHA P. IV.

Of EFFICACIOUS GRACE.

D

R. Whitby, in the fecond chapter of his difcourfe of fufficient and effectual, common and efficacious grace, propofes arguments to overthrow the doctrine of irrefiftible or unfruftrable grace, as neceffary in the converfion of a finner; and begins with fome general confiderations, which he thinks fuffi

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* Whitby, p. 231, 232, 233. Ed. 2. 226, 227.

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