Archive for April 19th, 2013
1) First, that he died for all, I shall prove it by Scripture, and then show you how; to prove this truth that Christ died for every man, I shall not prove it from these Scriptures, John 3:16, chap. 6:33, 2 Cor. 5:19, 1 John 2:2, 1 John 4:14, and my reason for it is, those Scriptures though they speak out the word [all] and the word [world] yet there is no safety to make positive conclusions upon doubtful expressions, I mean as to the nature and measure of the word [all] and [world] for sometimes the word [world] includes the whole, as Job 34:18, Psalm 24:1, Psalm 50:12, 98:7, or Her. 10:12, Acts 17:24.
Secondly, the world [world] is taken for a part as well as the whole, as in these Scriptures, John 13:1, chap. 14:17, chap. 15:18, 19, chap. 17:6, 9, Acts 17:6, Acts 19:27, Rev. 13:3.
Thirdly, as the world [world] does include sometimes a part, so sometimes of that part, it does intend properly the wicked of the world, as in Acts, 17:31, Rom. 12:2, 1 Cor. 3:19, chapt. 4:9, chap. 6:2, Hebr. 11:7, 2 Peter 2:5, 1 John 5:19. Again in other places is does also properly intend only the professors or believers in Christ, as in these Scriptures, John 12:19, Rom. 11:12, 15, John 17:21, 23. Now all that can be said or declared from these fore-mentioned Scriptures where the word [world] or [all] is expressed where the death of Christ is declared, or reconciliation by him is to you very doubtful, whether it be to every one, or only believers, and therefore seeing that a doubtful supposition is no foundation for infallibly conclusions, nor to the end any controversy in discourse, because supposition is as strong in the one as the other, and convinces none, but produces disputes in all, and therefore I shall in my Answer not positively conclude from, but set them aside in this discourse, and draw as my proof as I told you before, either from Scripture or reason that does arise no other way than from absolute necessity.
So now to my Affirmation, which is, that Christ died for every man, but not for all alike.
First, that he died for every man, for the proof of that see 1 Tim. 4: 10, he is the savior of every man, but especially, so there is a common salvation by Christ. This truth is also made good in 2 Pet. 2: 1, where he declares some men to be men of destruction, and tells them that they had denied the Lord that bought them; so that wicked men and men of destruction were comprehended in the purchase of Christ, further see Heb. 2: 9.