Perkins' version of Hypothetical Universalism
"The exhibiting of the Mediatour is that, whereby the Son of God being borne man in the fulness of time, doth pay the price of redemption to God for the sins of men. The virtue and efficacy of this price being paid, in respect of merit and operation is infinite; but yet it must be distinguished, for it is either potential or actual. The potential efficacy is, whereby the price is in itselfe sufficient to redeeme every one without exception from his sins, albeit there were a thousand worlds of men. But if we consider that actual efficacy, the price is paid in the counsel of God, and as touching the event, only for those which are elected and predestinated. For the Son doth not sacrifice for those, for whom he doth not pray because to make intercession and to sacrifice are conjoined. But he prayeth only for the elect and for believers, Joh: 17. 9. and by praying he offereth himselfe to his Father, vers. 19. For (as Illyricus hath well observed) this whole prayer in the [17th] chapter is indeede (as he speaketh (an oblatory expiatory prayer, or (as the Papists call that blasphemous forme) a Canon or rule of sacrifice, by which Christ hath offered himselfe a sacrifice to the Father for the sins of the world. Therefore the price is appointed and limited to the elect alone by the Fathers decree, and the Sons intercession and oblation.
Secondly, Christ bare their person, and stood in their roome upon the cross, for whom he is a Mediatour. And consequently, whatsoever Christ did as a Redeemer, the same did all those in him, and with him which are redeemed: Christ dying, rising againe, ascending, sitting at the right hand of the Father, they also die with him, rise againe, ascend, and sit at the right hand of God. Now that all these things can be truly said of the elect only, and of such as believe, I prove it thus. To say that any one of the wicked, which are to perish for ever, is raised up in Christ rising again, is flat against the truth; because the raising up of Christ is (that I may so speake) his actual absolution from their sins, for whom he died; for even as the Father by delivering Christ to death, did in very deede condemne their sins imputed unto Christ, for whom he died; so by raising him up from death, even ipso facto he did absolve Christ from their sins, and did withal absolve them in Christ; but being absolved from their sins, they shall not perish, but be saved.
Therefore that wicked man which perisheth for his sin cannot be said to have risen againe with Christ; and therefore Christ did not beare his person upon the cross. Thirdly, the expiatory sacrifice sanctifieth those, for whom it is a sacrifice, as the holy Ghost plainly and absolutely avoucheth, Hebr. 9.13, 14. The sacrifice and sanctification appertaine to the same persons: and Christ is their perfect Saviour, whom he saveth, not only by meriting their salvation, but also by working it effectually. But Christ doth sanctify only the elect and such as believe, therefore he was a sacrifice only for them" (William Perkins, Predestination; underlining and paragraphing mine).
The take away here is to consider how convoluted and deceptive Perkins is with his hypothetical universalism (that I have underlined above) and his less-than-forthright preaching documented HERE.
