Читать книгу Redemption Redeemed - John Goodwin - Страница 9

WE shall not need, I conceive, to insist upon a particular examination of these Scriptures, one by one, (the method observed by us in handling the two former parts) because they are more apparently uniform and consenting in their respective importances than the previous passages examined. In which respect, a clear and thorough discussion of any one of them, or a diligent poising of the common tendency and import of them all, will be sufficient to evince their respective compliances with the cause in hand. The prospect of these texts is this. “And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.” John vi. 37; “He that believeth on me, shall never thirst.” ver. 35; “He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved.” Mark xvi. 16; “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish…” &c. John iii. 16; “That through his name, whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins.” Acts x. 43; “Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all, and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned…” &c. Rom. iii. 22, 23; to omit very many others of like tenor and import.

In all these Scriptures, with their fellows, evident it is that salvation is held forth and promised by God unto all, without exception, that shall believe; yea, that it is offered and promised unto all men, upon the condition of believing, whether they believe or no. So that, upon such declarations of the gracious and good pleasure of God towards the universality of men as these, the ministers of the gospel, or any other men, may with truth, and ought of duty upon occasion, say to every particular soul of man under heaven, “If thou believest thou shalt be saved,” even as Paul saith that he preached Christ, “warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” Colos. i. 28. Yea, this apostle, saith, that God “now commandeth all men every where to repent,” Acts xvii. 30. Now if the gospel, or God in the gospel, offereth salvation unto all men, without exception, and insureth it accordingly upon their believing, certainly he hath it to bestow upon them, in case they do believe. Otherwise he should offer or promise that unto them which he hath not for them, nor is able to confer upon them, though they should believe.

If he hath salvation for them, or to bestow upon them upon their believing, he must have it in Christ: because he hath no other treasury or storehouse of salvation, but only Christ.1 “Neither is there salvation in any other,” &c. Acts iv. 12. If God hath salvation in Christ for all men, Christ must needs have bought and purchased it for them with his blood, inasmuch as there is no salvation, no not in Christ himself, without or otherwise than by remission of sins; nor any remission of sins in or by him, without shedding of blood. Therefore all those Scriptures, wherein God promiseth and ascertaineth salvation unto all men, without exception, upon their believing, are pregnant with this truth, that Christ laid down his life for the salvation of all and every man.

If it be here replied and said, but though God in the gospel offers salvation unto all men, and promiseth salvation unto all men upon condition of their believing respectively, yet knowing certainly beforehand that none will believe, but only such and such by name, as viz. those for whom there is salvation purchased by Christ, he may upon a sufficient ground, and with security enough, promise salvation unto all men upon condition they will believe, I answer,

Though God, by means of the certainty of such his knowledge, may, without danger of failing in point of promise-keeping, or of being taken at his word to his dishonour, promise salvation unto all men, without exception, upon the terms specified, though it should be supposed that Christ hath not purchased salvation for all men; yet upon such a supposition as this, he cannot, either with honour or otherwise, or within truth make any such offer or promise. Not with honour; because for a man generally and certainly known to be worth but only one thousand pounds in estate, to offer or promise a hundred thousand pounds to any man that shall be willing to serve him, or to do such or such a courtesy for him, though he knew certainly that no man would accept his offer in either of these kinds, yet would such an offer or promise be a disparagement to him in the sight of wise and understanding men, yea, render him little other than ridiculous?

In like manner, it being supposed by our antagonists in the cause now under plea, that God hath declared it unto all the world in his gospel, that Christ hath died but for a few men, in comparison, and, consequently, that himself hath salvation only for a few, in case he should promise salvation unto all men without exception, upon what account, service, or condition soever, must needs turn to dishonour in the highest unto him, and represent him unto his creature extremely unlike to himself. Suppose the devil had certainly known, as very possibly he might, that the Lord Christ would not have fallen down and worshipped him, upon any terms or conditions whatsoever. Would this have excused him from vanity, in promising him all the kingdoms of the world upon such a condition, when, as all the world knew, that not one of these kingdoms were at his disposal?

Again, neither can God, nor any minister of the gospel, say with truth to every particular man, if thou believest thou shalt be saved, unless it be supposed that there is salvation purchased or in being for them all. Because the truth of such an assertion cannot be salved by this, that all men or every particular man will not believe. The truth of a connex, or hypothetical proposition, of which kind this is, if thou Peter, or thou John believest, thou shalt be saved, doth not depend upon anything that is contingent, no, nor yet upon anything that is extra-essential to the terms of the proposition itself, (such as is, as well the non-believing as the believing of particular men) but upon the essential and necessary connexion between the two parts of the proposition, the antecedent and consequent. If this connexion be contingent, loose, or false, the proposition itself is false, though in every other respect it should be accommodated to the best. As, for example, in this proposition: If Isaac were Abraham’s son, then was he truly godly; both the parts considered apart, are true; for true it is, 1. That Isaac was Abraham’s son: and 2. That he was truly godly; yet the proposition is absolutely false; because there is no necessary or essential connexion between being Abraham’s son and true godliness: therefore the one cannot be truly inferred or concluded from the other. In like manner, when I shall say thus unto a man, If thou believest thou shalt be saved, it is neither his non-believing, nor the certainty of my knowledge that he will not believe, that either maketh or evinceth such a proposition to be true. Because neither of these relates to the connexion of the parts thereof, nor contains the least reason or ground why the latter should follow upon the former. The man’s not believing is no reason at all why, upon his believing, he should certainly be saved: no more is my knowledge, how certain soever it be, that he will not believe. But to verify such a proposition or saying, there must be a certain and indissolvable connexion between such a man’s salvation and believing, in case he should believe.

Such a connexion as this there cannot be, unless there were salvation for him, which he might have and enjoy in case he should believe. Now certain it is, that if Christ died not for him, there is no more salvation for him in case he should believe, than there would be in case he should not believe: there being no salvation for any man, upon any terms or condition whatsoever, unless Christ hath purchased it for him by his death. Nor doth Christ’s purchasing salvation for any man, depend upon such a man’s believing; no more doth his non-purchasing salvation for him upon his not believing. So that, unless it be supposed that Christ hath purchased salvation for a man, whilst he remains yet an unbeliever, and though he should always remain an unbeliever, it cannot be supposed that Christ purchased salvation for him, though he should believe. And consequently, there can be no truth in this proposition or assertion, spoken to a man who should not believe: If thou believest thou shalt be saved; it being certain, upon the aforesaid supposition of Christ’s non-dying for him, that he should not, could not be saved, no not though he should believe.

If it be replied, Yea, but the truth of this saying to any man whatsoever, “If thou believest thou shalt be saved,” is sufficiently salved upon this account, that Christ died sufficiently for all men, though not intentionally so that in case any man whatsoever shall or should believe, there is salvation ready for him in Christ.

I answer, that the vanity, or mere nullity rather in respect of the coincidence of the members of this distinction, wherein Christ is affirmed to have died sufficiently for all men, but denied to have died intentionally for all men, hath been demonstratively and at large evinced formerly. I here only add, that if there be salvation ready in Christ for all and every man in case they should believe, then must this salvation be found in him, either naturally and in respect of his mere person, or by way of purchase and procurement, i. e. by means of his death. No man, I presume will affirm the former, as, viz. that there is salvation in Christ for any man, in respect of his mere nature or person; or howsoever, himself plainly denies it: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” John xii. 24. If there be no salvation in him for men but by purchase, and this with his blood, then hath he no more salvation in him than what he thus purchased; no man hath anything more by purchase than what he hath bought or purchased. Therefore, if Christ hath salvation in him for all men without exception, he must have purchased or bought it for them with his blood. If so, he must either purchase more than he intended, or else intended to purchase salvation for all and every man. And what is this, without any parable, but to die intentionally for all men? Therefore the distinction of Christ dying sufficiently for all men, but not intentionally, is ridiculous, and unworthy from first to last of any intelligent or considering man.

Nor is that distinction, because it relates to the subject-matter of our present chapter, so emphatically insisted upon by Mr. Rutherford, of much better import. “That eternal life,” saith he, “should be offered unto all and every individual man, upon condition of faith; and that life should be offered unto all and every individual man, out of an intent on God’s part to give life unto them in case they believe, are two sayings widely different.”2 For, doubtless, the latter hath every whit as much truth in it, yea, every whit as much clear and pregnant truth in it as the former, yea, hath in effect one and the same truth. For when God offers eternal life unto all and every individual man, upon condition of faith, is it not his intention that they should have eternal life upon their faith, or in case they should believe? If not, then in such an offer he should offer and promise that which he intends not to give or perform, no not according to the tenor of his promise. If it be said, in favour of the distinction: Though God intends to give eternal life to all and every individual man, upon condition they believe, this being the express tenor of his offer or promise, yet it follows not that such an intention in him should be his reason or ground of tendering such an offer or promise unto them.

Unto this I answer, that if this were the intent of the author, I mean to differentiate the latter proposition from the former in point of error or falsehood, upon this account, because the latter supposeth such an intention, as that mentioned, in God, to be the adequate reason or motive why he tenders such an offer or promise unto them, I should not much gainsay, because, I suppose, that God hath indeed other reasons, and these of greater weight, why he makes a tender of salvation unto all men upon condition of faith, than his intention of giving salvation unto them in case they shall believe. Yea, I do not conceive that either God or men do anything which they intend, simply out of their intentions thereof, or because they intend it, but out of a desire to effect, or to procure the effecting of it, or because they desire it.

But that the author’s meaning in pleading the said latter proposition of error was far differing from this, appears sufficiently by the account which himself gives hereof in the sequel of his discourse. From this account it clearly appears, that in framing the said latter proposition, he useth those words, “ex Dei intentione,” for “cum Dei intentione,” and placeth the error of the proposition in this, viz. that it supposeth an intention to be in God of giving life unto all men upon their faith, when he makes the offer mentioned unto them. To prove this to be an error, he argues to this effect, from John xvii. 2: “God the Father gave power unto the Son to give eternal life to those only who were given unto him by the Father. But reprobates,” saith he, “are not given unto the Son by the Father; therefore the Father gave no power unto the Son to give eternal life unto reprobates. Consequently the Son cannot, either according to his own, or to his Father’s intention, offer remission of sins or eternal life unto reprobates.” To this I answer, that the whole proceed of the argument ariseth from a mistaken ground, or a plain misunderstanding of the Scripture upon which it is built. For by a “power given unto the Son to give eternal life,” &c. is not meant a power of dying for men, one or other, but a power of an actual and real investing men with eternal life, or a power to confer eternal life actually upon men, as appears from the former clause of the verse: “As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life,” &c. From whence it is evident, that the power here spoken of as given unto the Son to give eternal life, &c., is a consequent branch or effect of that power or sovereignty which the Father hath given him over all mankind, as, viz. to dispose of them, especially in respect of their eternal estates and conditions, according to such rules of righteousness and equity as the Father, with the Son, have judged meet and accordingly agreed upon, for the regulating of such high and important dispensations.

Now, a power of conferring eternal life upon men, may very well be conceived to be a branch or part of that sovereignty or larger power, which the Father hath given unto the Son over all flesh. But an injunction or command, or a free leave or liberty, notion it how you please, given unto Him to die for a few men, cannot reasonably be looked upon as any part or branch, especially as any such considerable or high-importing branch as this here expressed must needs be conceived to be, of that most transcendent and majestic power. Or,

By eternal life may very well be meant, not eternal life properly and formally so called, as, viz. the blessedness and glory of the world to come, but such a discovery or manifestation of God and His counsels, which is an effectual means to bring men in time to the possession and enjoyment of this life. It is a frequent dialect of Scripture to call the means and cause, yea, and sometimes an opportunity only, which are proper and effectual for the compassing, effecting, or obtaining a thing, by the name of the thing itself; which is to be, or may be, procured or effected by them. Thus Numb. xxii. 7, the wages or rewards by which time elders of Moab sent from Balak the king, to Balaam the wizard, expected to procure divinations, or some imprecatory and devilish practices against the people of God from him, are termed divinations. “And the elders of Moab,” saith the text, “and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand,” &c. Thus, good tidings is put for the reward which good tidings usually procure unto them who bring them, 2 Sam. iv. 10. In this phrase of speech, the Scriptures, or the saving knowledge of God therein revealed, are, according to the general sense of our best interpreters, termed salvation, John iv. 22. So again, Heb. ii. 2,3. Thus wisdom is called a man’s life, “Keep her, for she is thy life,” Prov. iv. 13, because she is the means of life, i.e. of peace and well-being unto men. In this sense also, to forbear further instances which are in great numbers at hand, the gospel, and sometimes the preaching or ministry of it, is frequently termed the kingdom of heaven.

According to this manner of speaking, so familiar in the Scriptures, by eternal life, which the Son had power given him over all flesh, that he might give to as many as the Father had given him, may well be meant the words of eternal life, as Peter calls them, John vi. 68; or that manifestation of the name of God, as himself speaketh soon after, John xvii. 6, by which they might be effectually brought to the fruition and enjoyment of eternal life. And that this indeed is the very meaning of our Saviour, is abundantly evident by the sequel of the context all along, for several verses together. For having said that the Father had given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as he had given him, xvii. 2, he immediately declares, verse 3, what he means by eternal life, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” This notion he still carrieth on, saying, verse 6. “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me,” &c. So again, directly still to the same point, verse 8, “For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me,” &c.; yet again, upon the same account, verse 14, “I have given them thy word,” &c. That which, verse 2, he had called eternal life, here he calls his Father’s word, as before, the declaration or manifestation of his name, as we heard.

From the carriage of the context, that further is abundantly evident, that by those words, verse 2, “As many as thou hast given him,” are not meant the elect, or the entire number of the elect, or of those for whom Christ died, (in Mr. Rutherford’s sense) but precisely and particularly his apostles, of whom alone he speaks, and for whom alone, and apart from the rest of the elect, he prayeth all along the chapter, until verse 20, when he enlargeth his prayer thus, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.” From this passage, it is as clear as the sun at noon-day, that from the beginning of the chapter until now, he had managed his prayer and heavenly conference with the Father, with particular reference to his apostles, and had not mentioned anything about the residue of the elect. That he speaks of the apostles only verse 2, under those words, “As many as thou hast given me,” is most apparent from verse 6, “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word.” First, Christ had not yet manifested his Father’s name to all the elect, meaning all the elect at this time in being in the world. Second, neither could he say to his Father concerning all the elect, that they had kept his word, many of them having not as yet received it.

Again, to pass by several things by the way making out the same truth, verse 12, thus, “While I was with them in the world,” (meaning those of whom he had spoken from the beginning of the chapter) “I kept them in thy name,” i.e. I preserved them from the exorbitances of the world by the knowledge of thy name, which still I have been communicating unto them; “Those that thou gavest me I have kept; and none of them is lost but the son of perdition,” &c. Evident it is, that this son of perdition was one of that number of men which the Father had given him out of the world, and which he had kept entirely without the miscarriage of any one, this son of perdition only excepted. I presume, that neither Mr. Rutherford, nor any of his judgment will say that this “son of perdition” was one of the number of the elect; but certain it is, that he was one of that number of men which the Father had given unto Christ out of the world. The words are too express to bear a denial of this, “Those that thou gavest me I have kept; and none of them is lost but the son of perdition,” &c. Therefore, by as many as the Father had given unto him, with an intent that he should give eternal life unto them, verse 2, are meant the apostles, and these only.

These may be said to have been given unto Christ by the Father, not because they were the Father’s by election from eternity, for doubtless the son of perdition, as hath been said, was none of His in such a relation. Nor was it simply because they were by any peremptory designation appointed and set out by him from amongst other men, to make apostles for his Son, as if Christ had been necessitated to take these, and had no liberty or right of power to have taken any others into that relation. For how could then Christ say unto them that he had chosen them, viz. to the office and dignity of apostles, John vi. 70; xiii. 18; xv. 16–19 but because God the Father by a work appropriable unto him, of which I conceive we shall have occasion to speak more at large hereafter, had qualified, fitted and prepared them for Christ’s hand and nurture, and so to make apostles of them in time; in respect of which work of God the Father, in and upon them, Christ, out of that wisdom wherein he excelled, and that knowledge which he had of the several frames and tempers of the hearts of men, made a prudent and deliberate choice of them from amongst other men for that service.

“Thine they were, and thou gavest them unto me.” They are said to have been the Father’s i.e. as it were, the Father’s disciples, or persons “taught by the Father,” John vi. 45, and so, after a sort, appropriable unto the Father, (as those that believe and are taught of Christ are said to be Christ’s, or to belong to Christ) before they became Christ’s apostles, or were chosen by him upon this account; and are said to have been given unto him out of the world by the Father, because they were peculiarly qualified, and as it were, characterized and marked out by the Father to be formed into apostles by his Son.

The word “give” is frequently found in such a signification as this in the Scriptures, and to import the preparing, furnishing, or fitting, whether of things or persons, for such and such ends and purposes, in reference to the accommodations of men. In this sense Christ is said to have “given some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for time work of the ministry,” &c.; i. e. to have every ways prepared, qualified, endowed, fitted, furnished persons for all these offices and services in his church, for the benefit of the saints, &c. Thus Acts xiii. 20, “he gave unto them judges,” &c.; i. e. he qualified and furnished men amongst them from time to time, with public spirits and with gifts fit for government, &c. So Neh. ix. 27, “Thou gavest them saviours;” i. e. thou furnishedst men with hearts, and courage and wisdom, &c., to save them. See Eph. i. 22, God “gave him (Christ) to be the head over all things to the church;” i.e. he furnished him with sovereignty of power, wisdom, majesty, and with all manner of endowments otherwise requisite for such a head. Thus Psal. xliv. 11, “Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat,” &c; i. e. by withdrawing thy presence, help, and protection from us, thou hast prepared and fitted us to become a prey and spoil to our enemies. In this sense also God saith to Jeremiah (i. 5), that he had given him (for so it is in the original) “a prophet unto the nations;” i. e. that he had furnished him, and meant to furnish him yet further, with prophetical gifts and endowments for the benefit of nations, if they would hearken to him. So Psal. xxi. 6, “Thou hast given him to be blessings,” (so it is in the original, and in your marginal translation;) i. e. thou hast so furnished, qualified, and disposed of him, (meaning Christ,) that whosoever will apply themselves unto him, may be made happy and blessed by him. See also Ezek. xi. 15; Isa. xliii. 28, in the original, with other like. Our Saviour himself useth the word in the sense now instanced from the Scriptures, when he expresseth himself thus: “All that the Father giveth me, shall,” or rather, will “come unto me,” &c., John vi. 37; of which place more in due time.

Nor ought it to seem any hard, uncouth, or unpleasant expression unto us, wherein that which is prepared or any ways made fit for us, and withal so disposed of or set in our way that we may readily and lawfully serve ourselves with it, is said to be given unto us by him or them who thus prepare and dispose of it. He that shall prepare wholesome and savoury meat, such as a man loveth, and shall set it before him, and give him free leave to take it or eat of it, may in sufficient propriety of speech be said to give this meat unto him, yea, whether he takes or eats of it upon such terms or no. So God the Father, having wrought and fitted the men whom Christ chose for apostles, to serve and honour him in this capacity, and withal disposed of them in their times, residences, and conditions in the world, so that Christ might both readily and lawfully call them to his service, he may very well in these respects be said to have given them unto him.

Thus, by a diligent and narrow inquiry into Mr. Rutherford’s Scripture, it evidently appears that there is nec vola muec vestigium, not the least mutter or peep, of any such notion in it as he imagineth, viz. that if Christ should offer eternal life unto any more than only unto the elect, (so called by him,) he must needs do it besides his own and his Father’s intention. Here is not the least word, syllable, letter or apex concerning either the Father’s or the Son’s intentions about the offer of salvation unto men.

By the brief discussions of this chapter, it fully appears that all those texts of Scripture which offer either forgiveness of sins or salvation unto all men without exception, and which promise either or both these unto all men upon, or upon condition of, their believing, which are very frequently numerous, do with the clearest light and evidence of truth hold forth the universality of redemption by Christ. It therefore follows, in regular and due process of reason and discourse, that all they “make God a liar” in such Scriptures, who restrain the salvation or redemption purchased by Christ to any lesser number of men than all.

1. See more of this, Chap. IV

2. Sam. Rhetorfortis. Exercit. Apolog. p. 309.