Reason 2. Because there is not one scripture from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelation, that denies it, either negatively, by saying that the did not die for all; or affirmatively, by saying that he died but for some.

Reason 3. Because he himself commanded, that the gospel should be preached to every

creature.

Reason 4. Because he calleth all men, every where to repent.

Reason 5. Because those who perish are damned for not believing in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Therefore he must have died for them. Else they would be damned for not believing a lie.

Reason 6. Because they which are damned might have been saved. For thus saith the word of God, 2 Thess. ii. 10, They received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Therefore God shall send them strong delusions, to believe a lie, that they may be damned.'

Reason 7. Because some deny the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. But they could not deny the Lord that bought them, if he had not bought them at all.

24. I shall now briefly show the dreadful apsurdities that follow from saying Christ died only for the elect.

1. If Christ died not for all, then unbelief is no sin in them that finally perish; seeing there is not any thing for those men to believe unto salvation, for whom Christ died not.

2. If Christ died not for all, then it would be a sin in the greatest part of mankind to believe he died for them; seeing it would be to believe a lie.

3. If Christ died not for those that are damned, then they are not damned for unbelief.Otherwise, you say that they are damned for not believing a lie.

4. If Christ died not for all, then those who obey Christ, by going and preaching the gospel to every creature, as glad tidings of grace and peace, of great joy to all people, do sin thereby, in that they go to most people with a lie in their mouth.

5. If Christ died not for all men, then God is not in earnest, in calling all men every where to repent; for what good could repentance do those, for whom Christ died not?

6. If Christ died not for all, then why does he say he is not willing any should perish? Surely he is willing, yea, resolved that most men should perish; else he would have died for them also.

7. How shall God judge the world by the man Christ Jesus, if Christ did not die for the world? Or how shall he judge them according to the gospel, when there was never any gospel or mercy for them?

25. But say some," If Christ died for all, why are not all saved?"

I answer, Because they believe not in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Because God called and they refused to answer; he stretched out his hand, and they regarded not;

he counselled them, but they would none of his counsels; he reproved them, but they set at nought all his reproofs; they followed after lying vanities, and forsook their own mercies: they denied the Lord that bought them, and so brought upon themselves swift destruction; and because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved; therefore (if you would know wherefore) God gave them up to believe a lie, and to be damned. How often, saith our Lord, would I have gathered you together, and ye would not. Ye would not.Here is the plain reason why all men are not saved. For God promiseth no man salvation, whether he will or no; but leaveth them to everlasting destruction, who will not believe and obey the gospel.

26. "O then you are an Arminian! You are a free-willer. You hold free-will in man!"

I hold nothing but what the scripture saith; and that you should give me leave to hold. I do not hold that any man has any will or power of himself to do any thing that is good; but by the grace of God we may do all things. I have already shown, he hath given Christ for all men. And he who spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things? And what man knoweth not, that if he make use of all the will and power God hath given him, God will double his talent and give him more? If any, therefore, desire to have more, let him faithfully improve what he has. Likewise what man is he, who doth not know that he is not condemned for not doing what he could not do, but for leaving un

done what he could have done if he would.Let any man deny it if he can.

27. "What then, may all men be saved if they will?"

Before I answer this question directly, I shall show that those who ask it are themselves compelled to grant as much freedom of will, as we desire to plead for.

For, 1. The Assembly of Divines, in their Confession of Faith, c. 9. do expressly say, "God hath endowed the will of man with that natural liberty, that it is neither forced, nor by any absolute necessity determined to do good or evil." 2. Mr. Baxter, in the preface of his call to the unconverted, says, "That Calvin, as well as Arminius, held free-will, and that no man of brains denieth, that man hath a will that is naturally free; it is free from violence, it is a selfdetermining principle." Sure, here is as much said for free-will, as any man need to say, and perhaps more. For,

The difference between us is this. They say, "Man hath a will which is naturally free." We say, 66 Man hath this freedom of will, not naturally, but by grace."

We believe, that in the moment Adam fell, he had no freedom of will left; but that God, when of his own free grace he gave the promise of a Saviour to him and his posterity, graciously restored to mankind a liberty and power to accept of proffered salvation. And in all this, man's boasting is excluded: the whole of that which is good in him, even from the first moment of his fall, being of grace and not of nature. And

now we come directly to the question, Whether all men may be saved if they will?

28. To those who have considered what has been premised; I answer, I. What should hinder them, if they be willing? For, 2. God is not willing that any should perish; yea, 3. He is willing that all men should be saved. And Christ is willing; for he came not to judge the world, but to save the world.' And how did he weep over Jerusalem? How often would he have gathered them together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but they would not. And now what hinders men's salvation but that same, They would not?

29. They would not; they will not come at Christ's call, and hearken to his reproof, and wait for his counsels, and receive power from on high to live to him who died for them, walking in all his commandments and ordinances blameless, and following him whithersoever be goeth. This way is so narrow that few care to walk therein; and therefore they are not saved, even because they reject the counsel of God against themselves. They choose death; therefore they perish ever. lastingly.