Makemie:

And such as tread the middle path, hold an absolute redemption of God’s elect, and only a conditional salvation of the reprobate; they hold (1) A twofold manner of redemption on, which we have no ground for in the Scriptures all that are redeemed, being redeemed alike.

2. If so, the greatest part of mankind are left in as bad a state, as if they were not redeemed at all.

If we consider the merit of Christ’s crucifixion and death, materially in regard of its sufficiency, dignity, worth, and merit by reflecting on the person who suffered and died, and of the manner how he accomplished it, with faithfulness, and that most willingly and cheerfully, that it was no less price than the death of him, who was God, equal with God the Father, infinite value, and worth, merit, and dignity, and so not only a complete and sufficient satisfaction for the sins of the whole world, but was in itself a complete ransom, for the offenses of a thousand worlds. And so if we consider the sufficiency of his price and ransom, he died for all, he offered a sacrifice, and gave an atonement, that was enough for all, and he gave himself a ransom for all, and tasted death for every man. Further, we assert, and believe that all nations, kingdoms, tongues, and people were redeemed by Jesus Christ, so according to the school distinction, he died, for, generibus singulorum, for, all kinds of men, not singulis generum, nor for, every individual man and woman according to the John’s vision, Rev., 5:9, “For thou wast slain, and has redeemed, us to God, by the blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation,” so that all and every one that is or shall be redeemed, are redeemed by Jesus Christ, who is the only Savior, and “no name given under heaven whereby we can be saved, but by the name Jesus,” so he be the Savior of all. And this we dare most boldly and warrantably affirm, that Christ’s death is efficacious for the salvation of all, whom he died for, and not one these predestined to eternal life, shall perish, but be brought infallibly to glory, Rom. 8:30, “Whom he did predestinate them he also called, then he also glorified.” From which Scripture, none can be ignorant, unless they willfully stop, and blind the eyes of their understanding, what an inseparable connection is between the means, and the end, and all flowing from the everlasting purpose, and immutable predestination of God, and as many as Christ died for, shall be infallibly saved, and to whomsoever he has purchased salvation, to as many he has purchased the means and conditions of salvation, as faith, repentance, and all the holy graces of the Spirit of God, for says the Holy Spirit of God, as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed; neither dare we believe such and ineffectual redemption, as Quakers hand in hand with Arminians, and Pelagians do hold, which only leaves man in a possibility of salvation, if the sinner will, but may be, the most of Christ’s redeemed ones, go to hell notwithstanding, while Christ says in John 17, speaks of his redeemed and ransomed ones, “as those select ones, whom the Father had given him out of the world, for whom that is the world, He would not so much as pray, for less die. And Keith himself owns in his malicious and uncharitable book, against New-England ministers, that there are those for whom it may be said, Christ died not. And so this must be the gentleman’s position, Christ died for all, and died not for all, which is a plain contradiction, and farewell Keith’s universal redemption, which if it had not vanished in contradiction, as uncomfortable, and ineffectual to the greatest number of redeemed ones.

Francis Makemia, An Answer to George Keith’s Libel (Boson:  Printed, by Benjamin Harris, at the sign of the Bible, over-against the Blew-Anchor, 1694), 48-50.

[Credit to Michael Lynch for the find.]

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