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

Secondly, This way crosseth themselves also, for the Gentiles consist of Elect and non-Elect, and therefore according to their Doctrine it should only run thus [God so loved part of the World] if the Gentiles be the World, or else they must say, that by [the World] is meant the Elect part of the Gentiles. But I shall prove further that this is false, by proving that it includeth the Non-Elect also. By [the World] it is evident is not meant the containing World, the Air, Earth, &c. Nor Angels, or unknown Superior Creatures, nor yet brute Beasts, but the Men living on Earth. It is granted that the usual obvious sense of words is not to be denied without evident cause, and when there is cause of denying that sense, we must go but to ⟨p. 291⟩the next obvious and usual sense, and not to a remote unusual improbable one. Now it is known that the word [World] used for Men, doth most directly and obviously signify Mankind in general, without excluding any. Next to that it signifieth the greater part or common sort of the World. Next that it signifieth the generality or greater part of some Country where the speaker then is; not to speak of more remote significations. If therefore we be forced to forsake the first signification, it must be proved that we are also forced from the second before we must take the third, and both second and third must be disproved, before we can take the World for the Elect only.

Secondly, This way crosseth themselves also, for the Gentiles consist of Elect and non-Elect, and therefore according to their Doctrine it should only run thus [God so loved part of the World] if the Gentiles be the World, or else they must say, that by [the World] is meant the Elect part of the Gentiles. But I shall prove further that this is false, by proving that it includeth the Non-Elect also. By [the World] it is evident is not meant the containing World, the Air, Earth, &c. Nor Angels, or unknown Superiour Creatures, nor yet brute Beasts, but the Men living on Earth. It is granted that the usual obvious sense of words is not to be denied without evident cause, and when there is cause of denying that sense, we must go but to ⟨p. 291⟩the next obvious and usual sense, and not to a remote unusual improbable one. Now it is known that the word [World] used for Men, doth most directly and obviously signifie Mankind in general, without excluding any. Next to that it signifieth the greater part or common sort of the World. Next that it signifieth the generality or greater part of some Country where the speaker then is; not to speak of more remote significations. If therefore we be forced to forsake the first signification, it must be proved that we are also forced from the second before we must take the third, and both second and third must be disproved, before we can take the World for the Elect only.