Of the Death of Christ

Of the death of Christ, the price he paid, and the purchase he made, or, the satisfaction, and merit of the death of Christ cleared, the universality of redemption thereby oppugned: and the doctrine concerning these things formerly delivered in a treatise against universal redemption vindicated from the exceptions, and objections of Mr. Baxter.

By J. Owen, Minister of the Gospel.

London: Printed by Peter Cole, at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil, near the Royal Exchange, 1650.

To excuse the Dedication of a Book, which seems not to be like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver, in a Time of so much Preparation for War, this is my Apologie: The brief Discourse following, being Composed in Ireland, where through the Presence of God with You, in Your great Employment, I enjoyed Peace and Quietness for a season in the service of my Master, and now stepping into the World, by Providence, upon Your return into this Nation, it seems to crave the Signature of Your Name at the Entrance: Besides, being almost wholly Polemical (for men of Learning also, have their Polemics, and those, as in the management of some, as pernicious to the Nations professing the Name of Christ, as the Contest of the Sword) it lays a Second Claim therunto, from its Proportion to the present Work whereunto You are called forth.

Perhaps the Differences, about which the Contest here managed, is, may appear to some, not to be of so great Weight and Importance, as to deserve that serious and public Agitation, which is now given to them: especially in these days, wherein things of nearer Concernment to the Foundation of Faith, do come continually under Debate. But besides that no one Title, of the Faith once delivered to the Saints, is to be yielded to gain-sayers, the Way whereby Opposition is made to any Truth, is seriously to be considered. It was said of Caesar, That solus accessit sobrius ad perdendam rempublicam, he alone (among many other undertakers) attempted soberly to destroy the Common-wealth, and therefore was the most earnestly to be resisted. In the Broaching of many Opinions, abhorrent from the Truth of the Gospel in these days, very few have gone soberly to Work. For the most part, a perverse Spirit of Giddiness has been mingled with their undertakings, whereby, though they have made a great Noise in the World, and overthrown the Faith of some, yet their beloved self-Conceptions being full of self-Contradictions, asserted with much Passion and Confidence, little Reason or Judgment, having no determinate End affixed to them, I no way doubt, but that in due Time they will easily sink of themselves.

He, with whom, in some part of this Treatise, I have to do, has been serious in his undertaking, and being not destitute of Abilities for the carrying on of his Intendment, it is requisite the Truth by him mistaken, should receive a serious Vindication, which I hope also is performed, so far as Occasion, was by his Writing, to me administred.

Neither will the things here Discussed I am persuaded seem light to you, who have learned to value every Truth of God, at the Rate, whereunto it is stamped from above: especially those which so nearly Concern him, whom Your Soul loveth, as these following will be found to do.

For my own part, having no kind of Interest in the things now a doing, neither one way, nor other, but only so far, as the great Interest of Christ and the Gospel is concerned, nor any design in my Thoughts, but only to lay hold of every orderly Advantage to Preach the Lord Jesus, and him Crucified, even him alone; and withal, to give Testimony to the whole Counsel of God, as revealed in his Word, in Opposition to the many foolish Delusions, which through the Craft of Satan, and the Vanity of men's darkened minds, have got entrance into the World, continually lamenting the sad mistake of many Ministers of the Gospel immixing themselves so far in Civil Contests, as to make them oftentimes the subject of their public pains in Preaching and Writing, I hope there is no need of an Apologie, for my labouring in this kind.

As to this Presentation of these few Sheets to You, besides what is above mentioned, my Assurance of Your faithful adherence to the form of wholesome Words, and pattern of sound Doctrine, that cannot be gain-said, gave Encouragement to,

June 1. Your Excellencies most humble and obliged Servant, in our dearest Lord, J. OWEN.

Of all the controversies wherewith the disciples of Christ, through the craft of Satan, and their own knowing but in part, have in several ages been exercised; there have been none of so great weight and importance upon all considerations whatever, as those which immediately concern the person and grace of him, by whose name they are called.

As his person was almost the sole subject of contest, (of any moment) for the space of many ages succeeding his converse in the flesh with the sons of men; so in these latter days, through the darkness of their own spirits, and the seducements of the spirit of darkness, many in an especial manner do draw forth variety of uncouth thoughts concerning his grace, and the dispensation of the love of God towards mankind in him.

Yet have not these things been so distinctly managed, but that as they of old with their oppositions to his person, did also labor to decry and disannul the work of his grace, so many of those who of latter days have been led away into dangerous misapprehensions of his grace, both as to the foundation and efficacy of it, have also wrested the things concerning his person to their own destruction.

Of those that have entangled the spirits of the men of this generation, turning aside many from the simplicity of the Gospel, and the truth as it is in Jesus, none have been obtruded upon the saints of God, with greater confidence, nor carried out to a more unhappy issue, than such, as assisting corrupted nature to unbend itself from under the sovereignty of God, and loosening the thoughts of men's hearts from their captivity to the obedience of the Gospel, do suit the mystery of God in Christ reconciling sinners to himself, to the fleshly wisdom and reasonings of a man. It was in our hopes and expectation, not many years ago, that the Lord would graciously have turned back all those bitter streams, which issuing from the pride, unthankfulness, and wisdom of the carnal mind, had many ways attempted to overflow the doctrine of the grace of God, that brings salvation. But finding now by experience, that the day of the Church's rest from persecution, is the day of Satan's main work, for seducing and temptation, and that not a few are attempting once more, to renew the contest of sinful, guilty, defiled, nature, against the sovereignty, distinguishing love, and effectual grace of God, it cannot but be convenient, yes necessary, that the faith once delivered to the saints, be contended for, and asserted from the Word of Truth, in the like public way, wherein it is opposed.

It has been the constant practice of all persons in all ages, who have made it their design to beget and propagate a belief of any doctrine contrary to the form of wholesome words, to begin with, and insist mainly upon those parts of their beloved conception and offspring, which seem to be most beautiful and taking, for the turning aside of poor weak unlearned and unstable souls. Knowing full well, that their judgements and assertions being once engaged, such is the frame of men's spirits under delusion, that they will choose rather to swallow down all that follows, than to discharge themselves of what they have already received.

Upon this account, those who of late days have themselves drunk large draughts of the very dregs of Pelagianism, do hold out at first, only a desire to be pledged in a taste of the universality of the merit of Christ, for the redemption (or rather something else, well I know not what) of all and every man; finding this rendered plausible from some general expressions in the Word, seeming to cast an eye of favor that way in the light wherein they stand, as also to be a fit subject for them to varnish over, and deck up, with loose, ambiguous, rhetorical expressions, they attempt with all their might to get entertainment for it, knowing that those who shall receive it, may well call it Gad, being sent before, only to take up quarters for the troop that follows.

To obviate this evil, which being thus planted, and watered through other subtleties and advantages, has received no small increase, I have once and again cast in my mite into the treasury of that rich provision, which the Lord has enabled many men of eminent learning and piety, to draw forth from the inexhaustible storehouse of divine truth, and to prepare it for the use of the saints.

In one of those treatises, having at large handled the several concernments of the death of Christ, as to the satisfaction and merit thereof, in their nature and tendency, as well as their object and extent, and finding some opposition made to sundry truths therein delivered, I have attempted through the assistance of grace, to vindicate them, from that opposition, in this ensuing discourse, as also taken occasion to hold forth sundry other things of weight and importance, of all which you have an account given, in the first chapters thereof, whither I remit the reader.

For the present there are some few things, which (Christian reader) I desire to acquaint you withal in particular, which something nearly concern the business we have in hand.

Since, not only the complete finishing of this treatise under my hand, which is now about 5 months ago, but also the printing of some part of it, the two dissertations of Doctor Davenant, of the death of Christ, and of predestination and reprobation were set forth: in both which, especially the former, there are sundry assertions, positions, and theses, differing from what is delivered in the ensuing treatise, and as I suppose repugnant to truth itself. The whole of that persuasion, I confess, which he endeavors in them to maintain, is suited to the expressions of sundry learned men, as Austine, Hillary, Fulgentius, Prosper, who in their generations deserved exceeding well of the Church of God. But that it is free from opposition to the Scripture, or indeed self-contradiction, is not so apparent. Yes, through the patience and goodness of God, I undertake to demonstrate, that the main foundation of his whole dissertation about the death of Christ, with many inferences from there, are neither found in, nor founded on the Word, but that the several parts thereof, are mutually conflicting and destructive of each other, to the great prejudice of the truth therein contained.

It is a thing of the saddest consideration possible, that wise and learned men, should once suppose, by tempering the truths of God, so that they may be suited to the self-indulgency of unsubdued carnal affections, to give any lustre to them, or in the least to remove that scandal and offence, which the f[illegible]eshlie minded does take continually at those ways of God, which are far above out of its sight. That this is the grand design of such undertakings, as that of the learned Bishop now mentioned, even to force the mysteries of the Gospel, to a condescention and sutableness to the unpurged relicks of the wisdom of nature, when all our thoughts ought to be captivated to the obedience thereof, is to me most apparent. From where else should it proceed, that so many unscriptural distinctions, of the various intentions of God in the business of redemption, with the holding out for the confirmation of one part of their opinion, namely, that Christ died for all, and every one, in such a sense, those very arguments, which the most that own the truth of their inferences, do imploy meerly against the latter part of their opinion, namely, in some sense he died only for the elect, with sundry inextricable intanglements, should fill up both the pages of their discourses.

It is no way cleer to me, what glory redoundeth to the grace of God, what exaltation is given to the death of Christ, what encouragement to sinners in the things of God, by maintaining, that our Savior in the intention, and from the designment of his Father, died for the redemption of millions, for whom he purchased not one dram of saving grace, and concerning whom, it was the purpose of God from eternity, not to make out to them effectually, any of those means for a participation in the fruits of his death, without which it is impossible but it should be useless and unprofitable to them: and yet this is the main design of that dissertation concerning the death of Christ. What in that, and the ensuing discourse, is argued and contended for, according to the mind of God, we thankfully accept: and had it not been condited with the unsavory salt of human wisdom, it had been exceeding acceptable, especially at this time.

2, That there are some more than ordinary endeavors for the supportment and re-inforcing of the almost conclamated cause of Arminianism, ready to be handed to public view, is commonly reported and believed: concerning which also many swelling words (of which there lies great abundance on every side) are daily vented, as of some unparalleled product of truth and industry, as though, Nil oriturum alias, nil ortum tale, for the most part, by such as are utterly ignorant, how far these controversies have been sifted, and to what issue they have been driven long ago.

For my part, as I have not as yet of late, heard or read any thing of this kind, either from public disputes, or in printed sheets, but only long since exploded sophisms, inconsequent consequencies, weak objections, fully, soundly answered many a day since, nor by the taste which I have already received, have I any reason to expect from the great endeavours which are entring the city of God with Io Triumphs any thing beyond fruitless attempts to varnish over with plausible appearances, formerly decried invectives and reasonings, whose deformity and nakedness have been often discovered to the lothing of them by the saints of God; so I no way doubt, but that the Lord, whose truth is precious to him, will continue to pour out, from the rich provision which he has made for the use of his church, and laid it up in the Lord Jesus, suitable gifts and abilities, against all opposition whereunto by the craft of Satan it is exposed. I shall say no more, though occasion be administred to deplore that success, which the spirit of seduction that is gone out in this hour of temptation, has had in prevailing upon them that live in the earth, to turn away their minds from sound doctrine and the form of wholesome words. Only I desire to commend the reader to those two apostolical cautions, one (1 Timothy 1:18, 19), the other (1 Timothy 6:20), and to commit him to the grace of God.

May 15th. J. O.