freely acknowledged that the sufficiencie of Christs death and greatnesse of the price was such, that God might salva justitia, not only invite all man-kind to come unto Christ, but also bring them unto faith and salvation by him, if it had seemed good unto him in his infinite wisdome: and the efficiencie of it so great, that God doth seriously invite many that live in the visible Church to come unto Christ and bestow many spirituall gifts and graces upon them, by their own fault unavaleable, to whom he doth not give grace to repent and believe unfainedly. But exhortations and threatnings argue not that generall purchase in question. For the obstinate and rebellious, they whose eyes are closed and hearts hardened, least seeing they should see, or hearing they should heare, and be converted; even they are exhorted to repent, and threatned for their impenitencie: but I have not found, that the purchase was made absolutely for all such as such. For some rebellious, I can beleeve that Christ hath purchased not salvabilitie alone, but faith, regeneration, pardon and salvation, because it is written of Christ, That he is ascended on high, and hath led captivity captive,Psal. 68.18. and hath received gifts for men, yea for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them: or as PiscatorAtque etiam rebelles, captivos duxisti, ut habitent eum, Iah Deo. renders it, thou hast led captive the rebellious, that they might dwell with the Lord God. But the maintainers of universall redemption have not undertaken as yet to proove generall purchase for all and every obstinate, rebellious and treacherous revolter from the Lord. In this place the objection is more vaine: for the Apostle might well speake of the application and possession of the fruits of Christs death, when he exhorteth them that had heard and received the word of truth, to retaine and keepe that which they had heard. Exhortations and threatnings both are usefull to them who have not received the truth: for God is pleased by such means to worke what he doth exhort men unto: and to them who have received the truth, and doe possesse the benefits of Christs death, that they might continue and persevere. And may we not argue more probably, that seeing they are exhorted to take heed to the things they had heard, therefore salvation had been preached unto them, and in some sort received by them. God so loved the worldJohn. 3.16,17. (as we reade in the Evangelist) that he gave his only begotten sonne, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Sonne in-to
