The Online Library of Liberty

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• Introduction
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• The Divine Feudal Law Represented
• §1.
• §2.
• §3
• §4
• §5
• §6
• §7
• §8
• §9
• §10
• §11
• §12
• §13
• §14.
• §15
• §16
• §17
• §18
• §19
• §20
• §21
• §22
• §23
• §24.
• §25
• §26
• §27
• §28
• §29
• §30
• §31
• §32
• §33
• §34
• §35
• §36
• §37
• §38
• §39.
• §40
• §41
• §42
• §43
• §44
• §45
• §46
• §47
• §48
• §49
• §50
• §51
• §52
• §53
• §54
• §55
• §56
• §57
• §58
• §59
• §60
• §61
• §62
• §63
• §64
• §65
• §66
• §67
• §68
• §69
• §70
• §71
• §72
• §73
• §74
• §75
• §76
• §77
• §78
• §79
• §80
• §81
• §82
• §83
• §84
• §85
• §86
• §87
• §88
• §89
• §90
• §91
• §92
• §93
• §94

§79

The second Argument of Jurieu. The second Argument by which Jurieu opposes the universal Redemption by Christ is such as this. The designing from all Eternity, or that Will which God had before the Creation of the World of Redeeming Men by the Death of Christ, is the same with that Will which God had in that moment of time in which Christ died, and did according to the Divine Counsel, accomplish the Redemption of Mankind. The Reason brought for this Connexion is, Because whatever things are done in time by the Will of God, they are done by that same Will which Will’d them before all time; for God is not mutable, God has not one Will when he Decrees, and another when he Works and Executes. (p. 79.) But the Will of God in that moment when Christ died, could not be general for the Redemption of Mankind, that is of all, and every one of Men: The Reason given is, Because God hath from Eternity fram’d Decrees concerning the eternal Disposal of every Man: And therefore when God at the time of Christ’s Death had already from all Eternity Decreed to Damn Peter and James for their foreseen Impenitence, there could not be a Will in God of Redeeming and Expiating the Sins of Peter and James by the Death of Christ, unless we will fain in God two Wills contradictory to, and mutually destroying one another. But the Decrees which according to the Measure of our weak Reason, are conceiv’d to be in God, must not be oppos’d to one another, but be reckon’d Subordinate; nor is it to be thought that what is set in the former place is altogether compleat, and that which is set later is superadded to the former. But all things are to be conceiv’d of as comprehended and dispos’d together. Whence the universal Decree of Mercy, and the Death of Christ does not exhaust all the Counsel of God concerning our Salvation, but the Acceptation, or Rejection on the part of Men comes also into Consideration. That Will of God remains immutable before the Execution, and after it, because in God there is not any such Succession of Time as in created things. Nor does the Will of God which was at the time of the Passion, differ from that which was from Eternity. For the Efficacy of the Death of Christ began to exert it self immediately after the Fall, so that it was from the beginning of the World, set forth for the Salvation of all who should neglect to embrace it. And since that Death must be of infinite value, there could be nothing taken from it at what time soever it happened, as might be done to those Ransoms, the Price or value of which might be divided into Parts. So that this Similitude which Jurieu says he is so mightily mov’d with, (p. 80.) is greatly a Dissimilitude. And he who has a serious Will to bestow any Good upon another, under the Condition of his Acceptation of it, he has in no wise upon that account two Wills.