Double Jeopardy by Owen

One popular argument was first articulated (that I know of) by John Owen, the famous puritan. He is one of the most difficult people to read but it is worth the exercise. The argument is labled by some as Double Jeopardy and can be found in The Death of Death in the Death of Christ. Here is the argument.

The Father imposed His wrath due unto, and the Son underwent punishment
for,
either:

1) All the sins of all men.
2) All the sins of some
men, or
3) Some of the sins of all men.

In which case it may be
said:

1) That if the last be true, all men have some sins to answer for,
and so, none are saved.
2) That if the second be true, then Christ, in their stead suffered for all the sins of all the elect in the whole world,
and this is the truth.
3) But if the first be the case, why are not all men free from
the punishment due unto their sins?

You answer,
"Because of unbelief."

I ask,

Is this unbelief a sin, or is it not? If it
be, then Christ suffered the punishment due unto it, or He did not. If He did, why must that hinder them more than their other sins for which He died? If He did not, He did not die for all their sins!"

There are some counter-arguments to this argument and I may post those in my next entry. However, for the time being, this will serve as an introduction to A) Particular Atonement and B) John Owen.

In Christ alone,

mike