Universal redemption of mankind, by the Lord Jesus Christ stated and cleared by the…

Answ. I am indifferent how this is answered, seeing we are agreed in the sense, that God never will condemn his Elect: But by [the Covenant between the Father and Son] either they mean, somewhat from eternity, or before the Fall; and this is but Gods Decree; and is no more a Covenant indeed, than any other ⟨p. 411⟩Decree of God is: Doth God make Covenants with himself?

2. Or else they mean the Prophecies and Promises in the Old Testament (or Scriptures before Christs Incarnation) made to or of Christ as God-man to be Incarnate: and these are more properly Predictions de suturo, as other Prophecies are, (which God cannot but fulfil because he is immutable and infallible) than the Divine Obligations, (which God must fulfil because he is Just:) or if any will say, that they are strictly obligations (about which I will not contend) yet the Elect are not named or individuals mentioned in them: Or suppose that the Individuals names be implied, yet this is nothing to the time before such promises were made▪ Or if they had been made in the beginning, still this is nothing to the point in question. If God were obliged to Christ to save all the Elect, yet he was never obliged to them, till they believed; (I speak of Obligation in such an imperfect sense as it may be applied to God.) Much less did he ever oblige himself to save all that Christ died for.

2. And that Christs actual suffering gives no man right, appears from what was said on the former Proposition, It was not man himself, that sinned who was the sufferer or satisfier, either in sensu Naturali or Civili. And therefore he cannot have the benefit till it be made over to him by some further conveyance.