Righteousness of Christ which meriteth our Impunity quoad damnum sensum which Meriteth our Right to the Gift of life both sub ratione doni as a Gift sub ratione Condonations as a forgiveness of the forfeiture of the poena damni And then addeth That so there is here no room for the conceite that Christ's Death was only to purchase pardon His Righteousness to merite life Ans. We have said before that we need not be so curious here in distinguishing if both be granted to make up a Compleat Righteousness to purchase both we have all we desire and from what hath been said formerly it is manifest that both are requisite Mr. Baxtor granted as much before as we see in the foregoing paragraph Note 6. Nor saith Mr. Baxter any thing here to invalidate what we have said Sure not to have this Gift was no punishment to Adam before he sinned what-ever it might be said to be after his sin Nor is forfeiture of that properly which a Man never had neither in Right nor in possession And therefore Adam could not be said properly nor we in him to have forfeited glory but only that blessedness and felicity wherein he was created and that Righteousness that was concreated So that beside the taking away of this forfeiture there will be a Righteousness of Obedience requisite according to that Constitution do this live in order to the obtaining of a Right for us unto the life of Glory And to this he assenteth in end when he saith That the same Merites of Christ's Active Passive Habitual Righteousness do causo our Glory For we do not separat them Nor need we curiously enquire whether Christ's Suffering were first Satisfactory then Meritorious His Obedience first Meritorious and then Satisfactory as he speaketh it being sufficient to us that both made up a compleat Righteousness performed for us by Him as our Surety coming in our Law-place whereby justice was satisfied and life merited Nor need I say as he supposeth n. 135. too many hold That heaven is our Reward for our perfection of Holiness and Obedience in and Christ more than that pardon is our Reward for our Satisfaction in by Christ. Yet as Christ satisfied as a Sponsor in the stead room of sinners as he confessed so it may be said that Christ obeyed as a Sponsor in their room stead that as the one was requisite for purchase of pardon so the other was requisite for purchase of Glory and that as we must be Interessed in the one imputed to us received by faith to the end we may be pardoned so we must be Interessed in the other imputed to us and received by faith both being Integral parts of one compleat Surety-righteousness to the end we may have a Right to Glory Nor can I say with him Ibid. That eternal life is ours by Christ's free Gift as a Reward to Christ for His own Merites for then we could not say that Christ suffered properly in the roome of any as their Sponsor and this would take away that fundamental relation betwixt Christ the Chosen ones that were given to Him of the Father and for whose sake He sanctified Himself was made a Curse made under the Law and became the Father's Servant and was made a Surety Blessings came through Christ as the appointed Mediator not from Him as the principal Donor speaking of Him as Mediator The blessing of Abraham cometh on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ Gal. 3 14. The God Father of our Lord Iesus Christ blesseth us with all spiritual blessings in Christ according as He hath chosen us in Him hath predestinat us unto the Adoption of Children by Iesus Christ hath made us accepted in the Beloved Ephes. 1 3 4 5 6. It is God who saveth us according to His mercy by the washing of Regeneration the renewing of the Holy Ghost which He shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by His grace we should be made heirs according to the hop of eternal life Tit. 3 5 6 7. Christ is the way to the Father Ioh. 14 6. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself 2 Cor. 5 19. Yet it is true that Christ is now exalted as King and Prince and giveth the Crown of life Revel 2 10. as the great Administrator and Executor of His own Testament yet not as if He had purchased all these things firstly or primarily to Himself and were now become the Sole or Principal Donor for this doth overturn the tenor forme of the Covenant of Redemption He tels us n. 141. That Christ's Righteousness is made ours as our sinnes were made his Which is all that we desire We grant that Christ never had the Reatum culpae in it self he saith that sin was Imputed to Him as to the punishment deserved that is He assumed the Reatum poenae But sure the Reatus poenae being a dueness of punishment because of sin He could not come under this Obligation unless the Reatus culpae had been Imputed to Him not in it self physically but juridically in ordine ad poenam And accordingly we must have the Righteousness of Christ in order to its Effects and this is more than to have the meer Effects themselves as he saith we shall grant to him that we have it not in the relation of a Meritorious cause to all uses if he will grant to us that we have it in the relation of a meritorious Cause to those uses which God accepted it for hath assigned to it in the Gospel as he seemeth to grant ibid. Though we do not assert such an Imputation as he calleth the rigide sense thereof n. 142. whereby God is supposed to repute us to have done that in by Christ which we never did by Him yet we see no reason why we may not say that God judged Christ to be the publick legal person yea himself in the appendix to his Premonition yeeldeth that Christ may be called our Vicarius poenae or Substitute And when we say He is a Publick legal person we say not that He is as many persons as there be redeemed sinners in the world as Mr. Baxter speaketh but that He was such a publick legal person as did represent in Law all that were given to Him as their publick Head Surety And what he saith n. 143. of the various sorts of Sureties some of which are very Impertinent as the 3â— for no man calleth an Agent a Surety the 5. for no man calleth a pay-master who is the debtors Instrument servant or delegat a Surety doth not much help him seing there are no such Sureties among Men nor no manner of Suretyship that can quadrat with Christ's Suretiship in all things and therefore it is to no purpose to say Christ is not such a Surety as is among men in this or that or in the
of God Gal. 2 20. Yet faith receiveth him as God manifest in the flesh 1. Tim. 3 16. as the word made flesh Ioh. 1 14. as the Christ the Son of the living God Matt. 16 16. Ioh. 6 63. as the Immanuel God with us Esai 7 15. Mat. 1 23. Luk 1 31. 2. Faith taketh him wholly as to his Offices as a Prophet as a Priest as a King Faith embraceth him as that great Prophet Act. 3 22. as the Word of God that came out of the bosome of the Father to reveal his mind counsel for our Salvation Ioh. 1 17 18. Faith receiveth him also as Priest offering up himself to God a sacrifice for sins and making Satisfaction to the justice of God as Interceeding with the Father Ephes. 5 2. Heb. 2 17. 7 25. 9 14 28. Hence we hear of Faith in his blood Rom. 3 25. And Christ crucified is proposed to Faith to receive feed upon And in order to Justification Pardon faith as we shall hear hath a special eye unto the Surety Righteousness of Christ. Faith also receiveth him as a King to subdue their souls to himself to make them Subjects to swey his scepter in their souls to subdue all their spiritual Enemies to Support Rule Guide Defend them by his Spirit Esai 33 22. Act. 5 31. Psal. 110. through out 3. Faith receiveth him wholly as to the Relations he hath taken on in reference to his people to wit as an Husband Ephes. 5 30 31 32. as an Head Ephes. 5 23. 1 22. Col. 1 18. as the Chief-Corner stone Ephes. 2 20. 1. Pet. 2 4 5 6 7. as a Vine Ioh. 15 1 2 5. As a Witness Leader Commander Esai 55 4. as a Light Esai 42. 6. 49 9. Faith receiveth him under whatsoever Title Denomination he is held forth for the comfort of his People 4. Faith receiveth him wholly as to the Work imported Ends designed by these Offices Relations Denominations which he took upon him under which he holdeth forth himself 5. Faith receiveth him wholly as to the Furniture Qualifications whereby he was fitted for the discharge of the duties belonging to the Offices which he did execute both in his Estate of Humiliation Exaltation for throughing perfecting of the work which he undertook to do so that Faith receiveth him as the Anointed of the Lord as having the Spirit of the Lord upon him as having all Fulness all Power Authority even the Spirit without measure Esai 61 1. Luk. 4 18. Ioh. 3 34. 1 14 16. Col. 1 19. 2 3 9 10. Mat. 28 18. 6. Faith receiveth him wholly as to all the sinners Necessities Cases Wants Straits Difficulties which they either are or may be into from first to last All the Vessels must hang on Him as the nail that it fastened in a sure place Esai 22 24 25. Faith eyeth Him Him alone seeketh the upmaking of all in Him alone as knowing that in Him only sinners can be compleet Col. 2 10. out of his fulness must they receive grace for grace Ioh. 1 16. Therefore is he held forth as fournished with all richly that we stand in need of as a Store house Treasurie of all necessaries as having Eye salve Gold Rayment what we need Revel 3 18. 7. Faith receiveth Him with all the Sufferings Crosses Inconveniences that can follow Faith taketh up the Crosse followeth Christ. Mat. 10 37 38. Mark 8 34. Mat. 16 24. Luk 9 23. Next I say That Christ as revealed held forth offered in the Gospel is the object of Saving Justifying faith And so 1. He is received as the result to speak so of the wonderful Contrivance Designe of free Grace Love Goodness Mercy Wisdom concerning the glorifying of God in the Salvation of the chosen ones in through Him faith here observeth closeth chearfully with that gracious Covenant of Redemption betwixt Jehovah or God Father Son and Holy Ghost and the Son in order to the Salvation of poor man through the Sones becoming Mediator God-man becoming Cautioner for such as were given unto Him and coming in their Law-place and suffering for them and their debt c. Faith closeth with and embraceth this foundamental Ground of Salvation in all its Parts Ends Meanes and so receiveth Christ as standing in such a place and as engageing to through such a designe of Love free Grace so far as the Beleever cometh to know understand the same to be revealed We may consider to this end Esai 53. through out Ephes. 1 3. forward Rom. 3 21-27 and other places there see how Christ is held forth 2. He is received as the great Gift of God Ioh. 4 10. as the Soveraigne Mean through which all the great designe of Grace is brought about in a glorious manner as the authorized Ambassadour of God and messenger of the Covenant Mal. 3 1. as the grand Effect of Love Grace Goodwill Tu. 3 4. Ioh. 3 16. as fore-ordained and set forth to be a Propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3 25. and as made of God unto us wisdom Righteousness Sanctification Redemption 1. Cor. 1 30. He is received as the Power of God and as the Wisdom of God 1. Cor. 1 24. as He in whom God was reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them 2. Cor. 5 19. and as made sin though he knew no sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him 2. Cor. 5 21. that is as the Lord our Righteousness Ier. 23 6. Thus faith in receiving Christ as thus held forth in the Gospel eyeth God the Giver the Sender the Maker of Christ to be sin and eyeth God as the Justifier of the ungodly in him Rom. 4 5. and as the Reconciler of us to himself by Christ 2. Cor. 5 18. as forgiving sins and granting Redemption through Christ's blood according to the riches of his Grace wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom prudence Ephes. 1 7 8. Here is the incomprehensible riches of the Mercy Grace of God Father Son Holy Ghost eyed as the Object according to their peculiar methode order of working in this grand affaire 3. He is received as offered held forth in the Promises Thus was he embraced of old as the promised Messiah and as the substance of all the Promises which the Fathers of old saw a far off Heb. 11 13. Ioh. 8 56. That promise made to Abraham that in him all Nations should be blessed was the Gospel Gal. 3 8. and contained a bunddle of promises vers 16. And the faith of this was that faith by which Abraham was justified Rom. 4 16-22 Hence all the promises are made good in and through him and they are all yea amen in him 2. Cor. 1 20. And he is
the Substance of them all for they either hold forth his Person or his Work or some thing of Him or some thing from Him according to the Various Exigencies Necessities of his people 4. He is received as the grand meane of declaring setting forth the glorious Attributes of God which the Lord will have manifested in and by this noble designe of the Gospel for Faith sweetly acquiesceth in this designe of God's to preach forth his Excellencies Vertues in this manner and therefore receiveth Christ as offered held forth in the Gospel for such a glorious End so receiveth him as the great Gift of Love Ioh. 3 16. as the mean whereby the Righteousness of God is declared Rom. 3 25. and his Grace Ephes. 1 5 6. and as the Power of God and the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1 24 Ephes. 3 10. Thus Faith seeth the glory of God shining with a peculiar splendour in the face of Jesus Christ 2. Cor. 4 6. 5. So is he received as the grand only Meane to bring about all the great Ends designed of God and desired by them so that in the receiving of him all these ends are closed with and expected such as Remission of sins Justification Acceptation Adoption Sanctification Peace of Conscience Joy in the Holy Ghost yea life and Immortality full Redemption Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. Act. 26 18. Rom. 3 25. 4 6 7 8. Ephes. 1 11 12 13 14. Rom. 5 1 2 3. 1. Pet. 1 3 4. So that Faith eyeth here by way of end all that Grace Glory they would have and can desire to make them up 6. And in a word He is received as the grand meane to Interest them in God Father Son Holy Ghost as theirs to bring them nigh unto God and in Covenant with Him and to enjoy the several Effects Benefites of their Workings They come to God through Him as the only way to the Father Ioh. 14 6. They close with the Father as their God and Father through Him and with the Holy Ghost as their Sanctifier and comforter through Him who sendeth the Spirit from the Father Ioh. 15 26. 14 26. All these several things belong unto the adequate full Object of that faith whereby beleevers become Justified Adopted Sanctified shall be at length finally Saved for they shall receive the end of their faith the Salvation of their souls 1. Pet. 1 9. Yet to prevent mistakes we would adde some few considerations 1. By all this we do not meane that all these Objects or Various parts or Considerations of the one adequate compleet Object are expresly and distinctly conceived laid hold on by every Beleever when they act faith on Christ or come unto God through him according to the Gospel-command But that these things belong to the full Object of Saving faith and are implied therein so that whoever beleeveth savingly beleeveth these several truthes according to the measure of the Revelation of God and of their Capacity Information So that a more full explicite beleefe of these particulars is now required under the Gospel than was required under the Old Testament when â—his Revelation was not so full and plaine as now and more is required of such who have had clear information of Gospel truthes than of others who have wanted that Advantage and more also is required of such as have large Capacities Understandings than of others who are more Rude of a narrower Reach 2. Wherever any of these truthes are rightly beleeved and heartily closed with all the rest are implicitly also received for they cannot be separated the whole contrivance is such a noble piece af divine art of infinite wisdom that all the several pieces are indissolubly knit together Hence what ever piece it be that the beleever first doth directly explicitly close with or under whatsoever notion Christ at first be embraced according us the beleever cometh to more distinct apprehensions of other pieces or parts of this contrivance so his heart complyeth with and he cordially embraceth the same 3. We may be hereby helped to understand the several and various expressions used in Scripture to pointe forth faith acting on its object for however these be not alwayes one and the same but different yet the same whole object is implicitly understood and these particulars expresly mentioned must not be considered abstractly or alone but according to their several place in the grand designe and with respect thereto as when the object of faith is said to be He who justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4 5. and to be Him who raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead vers 24. and in that same Chap. the object of Abraham's faith whereby he was justified is the Promise that God would make him a Father of many Nations c. vers 17 18. c. all these must be considered with respect unto Christ the grand medium who was appointed to be a Saviour to all Nations and was to die rise againe after satisfaction made to Justice and in and through whom alone God will Justifie the poor sinner that is ungodly in himself With reference here unto must we understand the Publicans saying God be merciful to me a sinner and the saints under the Old Testam their so frequent fleeing to the Grace Mercy Bounty of God for all this was with respect to the only Soveraigne way that the Lord had condescended upon whereby to shew forth and manifest his Mercy Goodness Grace to sinners In the New Test. we finde more express mention made of Christ as the object of faith as Iesus of Nazareth the true Messiah who was promised Ioh. 20 31. 1. Ioh. 5 9 10 20. Ioh. 1 45. Act. 13 38. or as Lord God Ioh. 20 28. as the Son of David Mat. 15 21. 9 27 20 30. 21 42. As the Son of God Ioh. 9 35. as the Christ the Son of God Ioh. 11 27. Act. 8 37. as come forth from God Ioh. 16 30 27. as the Lord Iesus Act. 16. 31. as raised by God from the dead Rom. 10 9 as one that died rose againe 1. Thes. 1 14. as sent of God Ioh. 17 8. that Iesus is the Christ. 1. Ioh. 5 1. So that under all these and the like one and the same thing for substance is pointed forth though some particular in that grand designe of grace is more expresly immediatly pointed at yet that particular is to be understood with reference to the whole and the whole is to be included So also when God is mentioned as the object of faith either absolutely 1. Pet. 1 2. Tit. 3 8. Heb. 5 1. 1. Thes. 1 8. or in Reference to Christ whom he sent Ioh. 5 24. or through whom he is beleeved in 1. Pet. 1 21. or the like the matter must be thus understood 4. Hereby also may the Various Explications of this object of faith given
by men be some way understood reconciled when some say the Mercy of God is it others say the Promises some Remission of sins and the like some God the Father Son Holy Ghost for such as seem to restrict it most may be understood as not speaking exclusively of what else the Scripture mentioneth as belonging thereunto 5. All this notwithstanding faith may have hath a special respect to Christ as Priest and making Satisfaction to justice and laying down the Ransome-money and paying the debt according to his undertaking as Surety in order to the particular benefite of Justification and of Pardon of sins as was in part cleared above and may be more spoken to afterward in the following Chapters CHAP. XXXIII The Righteousness of Christ is the special Object of Faith in Justification COnsidering what hath been said at some length above concerning the imputation of the Surety-Righteousness of Christ in order to Justification we needed not insist on this here Seing if what is said touching that fundamental point hold this will not endure much debate Yet because Mr. Baxter in his Apologie against Mr. Blake § 11. is pleased to tell us that Faith which is the Iustifying condition is not terminated on the Righteousness of Christ And that it is a meer fancy delusion to speak of the receiving a Righteousness that we may be justified constitutive thereby in such a sense as if the Righteousness were first to be made ours in order of nature before our Iustification then justification follow because we are Righteous But sure this eyeing of laying hold on and leaning to the Righteousness of Christ holdeth clear correspondence with the experience of the Children of God not only at their first Conversion when delivered from under the Convictions of sin and the terrours of the Law but even afterward when exercised with new assaults of Satan objecting unto them their Unworthiness Filthiness and hence inferring their exclusion from the face of God for then their maine quieting refuge is the Righteousness of Christ wherein they seek only to be found acknowledging that in themselves they are but sinners and so rejecting their own worth holiness as too ragged to cover the shame of their nakedness wherein they have the Apostle Paul going before them Phil. 3 8 9. which may also serve for a scriptural proof and ground of the truth in hand He rejected all these things wherein sometime he gloried and he did now even long after his Conversion while a prisoner at Rome after all his great Labour Paines in spreading the Gospel count all things nothing is here excepted but loss saith he for the excestency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things do count them but dung that I may win Christ be found in him not having mine own Righteousness it is nor good that Mr. Baxter should carp at Writters Preachers for speaking teaching after this manner as he doth Cath. Theol. Mor. Works § 176. which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by faith This saith â—early that in order to Justification before God faith laith hold on a Righteousness which is of God and which is had by the Faith of Christ. And this Surety-Righteousness of Christ is that which can only prove sutable unto the case of a wakened sinner pressed with the guilt of sin and seeing justice armed against him stopping his way to life because of his Un-righteousness What can be more welcome unto such a sinner than the newes of a Righteousness and of having Christ to become the Lord his Righteousness as made of God Righteousness And what can his faith grippe to more earnestly than to this Righteousness that he may be covered therewith and think with joy of appearing before God How else shall he think to be justified by God who is just even when the justifier of a beleeving sinner He knoweth that God is Righteous and will not acquit the guilty and therefore he must have a Righteousness that he may be in case to stand before the Righteous God So that he can have no peace till by faith he have interest in the Surety-Righteousness of Jesus Christ for he knoweth that he hath none of his owne and that there is none any where else to be had And further this way doth exceedingly serve to demonstrate upon the one hand the Righteousness of God who will not Justifie without a Righteousness or one that hath no Righteousness and upon the other hand it commendeth the riches of the free Grace Mercy of God when the sinner seeth how free Love hath provided such an alsufficient Remedie a Righteousness against which no exception can be made and a Righteousness under the wings of which he may saifly hide shelter himself being covered with which he may rest confidente of acceptance and so may with full peace of mind rest here and relye upon it As also it serveth exceedingly to abase man in his own eyes and to make him for ever keep a low saile and walk humblie before this God and give Him the Glory of all Hence this Righteousness is called the Righteousness of Faith or of Christ beleeved in and laid hold on Rom. 4 13. the Righteousness of God which is by faith of Iesus Christ Rom. 3 22. Phil. 3 9. a Righteousness through the faith of Christ ibid. All which the like expressions do manifestly say that faith laith hold on a Righteousness even on the Righteousness of God And this Righteousness is said to be unto all upon all them that beleeve Rom. 3. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And imputed or reckoned upon their score Rom 4 24. Mr. Baxter in the forecited book Cath. Theol. § 131. saith that the meaning of this Rom. 4 24. is no more but that God reputeth or judgeth us Righteous But how can he repute us Righteous unless we have a Righteousness either of our own or from some other of ourselves we have not a Righteousness unless he account beleeving all our Righteousness against which we have said enough above and the very words of the text will not admit of this glosse as was also shown above If it be the Righteousness of Christ who was delivered for our Offences and was raised againe for our Justification vers 25. then it is fit object for faith to lay hold on it being Christ's Surety-Righteousness or the Righteousness which he performed wrought out when he was delivered for our offences and which was publickly declared to be accepted when he was raised againe for our Justification And whatever Mr. Baxter think this is and must be so far made our owne through the gracious Imputation of God that the Righteous God whose judgment is to according to truth may pronunce us Righteous and accept of us as such But saith he Imputing
to act faith upon him sutablâ—e with hope confidence Therefore as he is a King to subdue Enemies the faith of his people is to act upon him as such when they would have their spiritual Enemies subdued as He is a Prophet to teach the faith of his people must act upon him as such when they would have Light Counsel Direction so as He is a Priest to Die Satisfie make Atonement Reconciliation Peace their Faith is to act upon him as such when they would have Guilt removed Peace made up betwixt God their souls Sixtly The end designe of asserting Christ as King to be as specially the Object of Faith in Justification as is Christ as Priest may sufficiently render it suspicious for it is as we touched above to bring-in our Obedience as distinct from Faith or as included in it to be the Condition of Justification the same manner of way that Faith is though as was cleared above the consequence will not be fouâ—d good The reall question here as is well observed by others is not whether any thing of Christ â— to be excluded from being the Object of Justifying Faith But what in and of our selves under the name of Receiving Christ as King is to be admitted to share with Faith in its place and interest in our Justification Seventhly To say that faith acteth in order to justification in as special a manner on Christ as a King as on Christ as a Priest is to alter the Nature Use Ends of Faith in this work to give it the Place Power of a proper potestative condition as it is a vertue work of ours not to look upon it as bringing all sutable supplies in a distinct manner from Christ as was shown above and this is but sutable to that alteration of the Nature of the New Covenant that is made by the asserters of this whereby it is of the same specifick nature with the Old Covenant of Works as if it were no more but a new Edition thereof with some alterations as to the Conditions Let us now see what Mr. Baxter saith to the contrary in his Catholick Theol. p. 2. of moral works Sect. 7. p. 55. c. He tels us n. 105. That to be justified by faith in Paul's sence is all one as to be justified by becoming Christians Ans. We grant with him that to be a Believer a Disciple and a Christian are all one in the Gospel sense that by the same Faith by which one is justified he is a Christian also but this proveth not that Faith in order to justification acteth not in a special manner on Christ as a Priest and we have found how Paul both in his Doctrine and in his own Practice explaineth the acting of Faith in Justification This may serve for an answere also to what he saith n. 106. to wit that the faith by which we are justified is essentially a beleeving fiducial consent to our Covenant relation to God the Father Son Holy Ghost for we grant that it is but one the same Faith which doth all this but yet this Faith may be conceived as acting in a peculiar manner in order to justification We grant also that it is the same faith by which we have Right to the benefites of the Covenant by which we are justified Yet we say that in order to Justification that same Faith which receiveth whole Christ and thereby a Right to the benefites of the Covenant acteth in a peculiar manner on Christ as Priest in order to Justification He tels us next n. 108. That the faith by which we are justified hath God the Father for its object as essentially as Christ the Saviour Ans. And we do not deny God the Father to be the Object of that Faith by which we are justified And will he say that Faith in God without Christ will justifie a sinner or that there is any beleeving in God the Father now without beleeving also in Christ The places he citeth Ioh. 17 3. 13 1. shew the contrary Adam's Faith indeed was such before the fall but our Faith now must be of another kinde It is to as little purpose for him to say n. 109. That it is as essential to this faith to beleeve in Christ as the Purchaser of Holiness heaven as to beleeve in him as the purchaser of pardon For he purchased all as a Priest not as a Prophet or King when faith acteth on him as a purchaser it acteth on him as a Priest But he addeth And to beleeve in him as the Teacher Ruler of the Church as to beleeve in him as the justifier of beleevers True because beleeving in him as a Ruler beleeving in him as the justifier of beleevers are both to beleeve in him as a King And this is not the thing that is denied Beleeving in Christ as the justifier of beleevers is not the same with beleeving in him as a Priest in order to justification which is the thing he should have said here if he would have spoken to the purpose What he saith n. 110. concerning Faith's being the act of the whole soul having for its object God the Father Son Holy Ghost in Christ all that is essential to him as a Saviour was granted asserted also by us formerly but it maketh nothing to our present question He tels us n. 111. That to say that some one only of these parts of Christ's office as they are conceptus inadaequati of a Saviour is the only object of justifying faith or that by beleeving in Christ as our Teacher Ruler as well as Priest as a Iustifying judge as well as a justifying Sacrifice and as a fulfiller of the Law is to â—xpect justification by works as Paul denyeth it This is a vaine distinguishing a falsifying the doctrine of Faith Iustification a departing from the Scripture simplicity by corrupting seeming subtility one of those humane Inventions which have wronged the Church Ans. These are but angry words carry with them no force of reason And who is most guilty of vaine distinguishing of falsifying the doctrine of Faith Justification c. he or such as he opposeth in this matter indifferent persons are at freedom to judge And whether his new Doctrine or the old which he so violently in all his writtings oppugneth hath more of seeming subtility in it to the wronging of the Church in its peace quiet every one may judge by the effects But as to the matter in hand he may know 1 that there is a difference betwixt saying that some one only part of Christ's office is the only object of justifying Faith as he here speak saâ—ing that faith whose adaequate object is confessed to be as large as he himself doth make it in order to a souls justification acteth in special manner on Christ as a Priest not excluding Christ as a King or
that Iames standeth for that he accounteth undeniable by any thing but prejudice Ignorance siding peevishness So that it must be unquestionable that Iames speaketh of all those particulars that he speaketh of justification by works in no other sense the contrary whereof we have seen already Yet let us see what these particular respects are wherein as he saith works are not excluded from being Conditions of our justification or the matter of it 1. Saith he That faith itself which is our act an act of obedience to God is the fiducial accepting beleefe in God the Father Son Holy Ghost for the benefites of the Covenant is the Condition of our first Cevenant-Right to these benefites Ans. To speak of Saving Faith in its full latitude or of that faith whereby the Covenant is fiâ—st made up as such is not to the present purpose but of faith only or of its acting in order to justification and as to this himself lately told us that Paul by the word Faith doth especially direct our thoughts to Christ beleeved in so that faith in this matter is not considered as our work or as an act of obedience in us as our personal Righteousness but as the Mean Hand or Instrument laying hold on Christ his Righteousness And if this be the meaning of Iames when he saith we are justified by works that we are justified by faith we shall not contend as to the thing though we conceive Iames handleth another purpose as is said 2. Saith he That this faith is not actual obedience to Christ as Christ at first but only to God as God But it is the souls subjection to Christ as Christ which is our Covenant-consent to our future obedience virtually though not actually containeth our future obedience in it Ans. This upon the matter is but the same with the former needeth no furder answere as to our present question concerning the meaning of Iames when he saith we are justified by works for if this faith be not actual obedience Iames doth not mean actual obedience by the word works but only that Faith which is a consent to future obedience But what the Faith is whereby we are justified what is its peculiar acting in order to justification we have shown elsewhere And to distinguish betwixt obedience to Christ as Christ and to God as God is to be unnecessarily critical by Mr. Baxeer we see that all the after obedience of beleevers is obedience to God as God though their first Faith be said to be a fiducial accepting beleefe in God the Father Son Holy Ghost and this be said virtually to containe after obedience which therefore must be obedience to God Father Son Holy Ghost And their first Faith is no obedience to Christ as Christ though Christ as Christ call invite yea command sinners to come unto him beleeve in him 3. He saith That there is somewhat of Love Consent or willingness of Desire of Hop of Repentance which goeth to make up this Moral work of Faith as it is the Condition even our first Christianity itself Ans. All this somewhat of Love Consent c. which necessarily attendeth Faith for that they make up this moral work of Faith as integral parts thereof I see no ground to assert only shew the true nature genius of that Faith whereby we are justified for it is no where said that we are justified by Love Hop or Repentance as for Consent or willingness desire they are included in Faith But all this yet saith nothing for the Interest of Works as it is pleaded in our justification And if Iames mean no other thing by works he shall give little ground to any to assert justification by works as is done this day by too many 4. He saith That at the making of a Covenant is for the performing of it subjection is for obedience Marriag for conjugal duties so our said first Covenanting-faith is for our future faith Hop Comfort grateful obedience Holiness And these are the secondary parts of the Condition of Salvation And so are the secondary parts of our justifications Condition as continued or not lost consummat For to justifie us is to justifie our Right to Impunity Glory Ans. How different Faith as justifying or in its acting in order to justification is from this Covenant making Subjection Marriage as explained applied to this purpose by Mr. Baxter is elsewhere showne 2 That these graces are required in order to Salvation we grant shall not stand to call them secondary parts of the Condition of Salvation as to its possession But 3 we are here speaking of justification and not of Salvation which two differ as we conceive much more being required to the one in case persons live after their first Faith than to the other 4 We have shown elsewhere that justification as continued hath the same Conditions that justification as begun hath of loseing of justification we read not in the Scriptures nor yet consummat justification these are Mr. Baxters new Notions with which we are not satisfied 5 Our Right to Impunity Glory is had by Christ alone when we are possessed of his Surety-Righteousness through Faith and thus are justified by Faith And how justification is a justification of that Right Mr. Baxter would do well to explaine In the last place he saith That our own performance of the Condition of the free Gift of Impunity Glory by the New Covenant purchased by Christ's Righteousness is the thing to be tried judged in God's judgment And therefore we must so far be then justified from the charge of not performing that Condition of being Infidels unsanctified Impenitent hypocrites Apostats so of having no part in Christ the free gift even by our personal Evangelical Faith Holiness Repentance Sincerity Perseverance Ans. Then it seemeth Iames speaketh only of works in order to final Salvation or our justification at the day of judgment and not in order to our justification here when first brought out of nature into the State of Grace And if so what ground can any hence have to inferre our present justification to be by works unless they think that whatever is required antecedent unto our Final Salvation is required also antecedent to our first justification which I know Mr. Baxter will not say And if this be all that Iames saith why did not Mr. Baxter give this as a ground of reconciling Iames with Paul that Iames speaks of works in order to Final Salvation but Paul excludeth them in reference to justification This would have had greater agreement with what the Orthodox say than to tell us of works being the secondary parts of the Condition of our Justification and that Iames includeth them as such when he saith we are justified by works and not by Faith only CHAP. IX John Forbes his Arguments against the Imputation of Christ's
his owne he died to prevent their falling into and to keep them from this sin for he died to bring them unto God that they might have the Adoption of sons that they might be sanctified and live unto Righteousness be made Righteous yea the Righteousness of God as is clear 1. Pet. 2 24. Heb. 10 10. 2. Cor. 5 21. 1. Pet. 3 18. Rom. 5 19. what then will they say to this Final unbeleef is certainly a sin and Christ either died for it or not if he died for it than it can be laid to no mans charge or Christ's death is of no value If he died not for it he died not for all the sinnes of all men but at most for some sinnes of all men and if that was all no man could thereby be saved for one sin is enough to procure damnation Moreover 10. we finde the Persons for whom this price of blood was laid down designed more particularly and the Object of this Redemption restricted and so it could not be for all every one It is said to be for Many Esai 53 11. Matth. 20 28. 26 28. Mark 10 45. Heb. 9 28. and what these many are is abundantly declared in other Scriptures where they are called Christ's Sheep Ioh. 10 15. Christ's People Mat. 1 21. His People whom according to the predictions of the Prophets which have been since the world began he should save from their enemies and from the hand of all that hate them to performe the mercy promised to the Fathers and to remember his holy Covenant the oath which he swore to Father Abraham that he would grant unto them that being delivered out of the hand of their enemies they might serve him without fear in holiness Righteousness before him all the dayes of their lifo Luk. 1 68 70 71 72 73 74 75. His Church Ephes. 5 25. Act. 20 28. His Body Ephes. 5 22. The Children of God that were scattered abroad Ioh. 11 52. Sones Sanctified Brethren the Children that God gave him that Seed of Abraham Heb. 2 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17. They are the Sheep that shall infallibly beleeve because sheep Ioh. 10 26. and Whom Christ knoweth and of whom he is known vers 14. and such as shall heare his voice vers 16. follow him vers 27. to whom he will give eternal life so that they shall never perish who are given to him of his Father vers 28 29. the Elect 2. Tim. 2 10. He is bread giving life unto the World of them that the Father hath given him and shall come to him Ioh. 6 33 39. They are these concerning whom the Fathers will was as being given of him that he should lose nothing but raise it up againe at the last day ver 38 39 47. The Redeemed ones that are numbered by God 144000. are the first fruites unto God and the Lamb. Revel 14 3 4 5. They are such as are the Lords whom the Lord knoweth for his 2. Tim. 2 19. are enrolled in the Lambs book Revel 13 8. 20 15. So are they designed to be these for whom God is and who shall have unquestionably all things the Elect who shall be justified who shall not be separated from the Love of Christ are in all things more then Conquerours Rom. 8 31 32 33 34 37 38 39. These with whom the Covenant shall be confirmed Dan. 9 27. The redeemed out of every Kinred Tongue People Nation and made Kings Priests Revel 5 9 10. Further 11. if Christ died for the sinnes of all persons how cometh it that they are not all actually pardoned It cannot be said that Christ's death was not a satisfactory price nor that the Father did not accept of it If then he shed his blood for the remission of sins Mat. 26 28. are not all these sins pardoned virtually fundamently or shall they not all actually be pardoned in due time If it be said they shall be pardoned upon Condition of their faith But if the sinnes of all be equally payed for and equally in a virtual manner discharged in Christ's being actually discharged from that debt in the day of his Resurrection and the actually discharge depending upon the uncertain Condition of mans Will man who willingly performeth the Condition shall praise himself for the actually pardon and none else for Christ did no more for him as to the Actual Pardon than for others who never shall be blessed with actual forgiveness and yet forgiveness is held forth as a special act of free grace forgivenesse of sinnes is according to the riches of his grace Ephes. 1 7. Moreover as to that Condition whether did Christ purchase it or not If he did not purchase it than man is not beholden to Christ for the Condition be it faith or what ye will it is no purchased mercy but man is beholden to his good Lord Free Will for it and so he may sacrifice to his own net and sing glory to himself for making himself to differ and for obtaining to himself Actual Remission of all his sinnes and consequently blessedness Rom. 4 6 7 8. for had not his owne well disposed Lord Free Will performed that Condition all that Christ did had never more advantaged him than it did others that perish If it be said that grace to performe the condition though it be not purchased by the blood of Christ yet it is freely given by God to whom he will I Answer Not to insist here on the proof of faith's being purchased by Christ because we shall cleare it afterward there is nothing else assigned for the condition I would enquire whether Christ knew to whom this grace would be given or not if not then we must deny him to be God if he knew why shall we suppose that he would lay down his life equally for all when he knew before hand that many should never get grace to performe the condition upon which his death should redound to their actual pardon justification what Ends or what Advantages can we imagine of such an Universal Redemption 12. If the Condition upon which actual pardon justification is granted in the blood of Christ be purchased by Christ then either all shall certainly be Pardoned Justified or Christ hath not purchased an Equal Common Possible Redemption to all and every man But the former is true it is not true that all shall certainly be pardoned actually justified for then all should be glorified That the condition to wit Faith Repentance is purchased by Christ who can deny seing he is expresly called the Author of Faith Heb. 12 2. and a Prince exalted to give Repentance forgiveness of sins Act. 5 31 So that as forgiveness of sins is founded upon his death as the Meritorious cause so must Repentance be and Christ as an exalted Prince Saviour hath this power to dispose of his owne purchased legacy which he hath
THE LIFE OF JUSTIFICATION OPENED Or A Treatise grounded upon Gal. 2. 11. Wherein the Orthodox Doctrine of Justification by Faith Imputation of Christ's Righteousness is clearly expounded solidly confirmed learnedly vindicated from the various Objections of its Adversaries Whereunto are subjoined some Arguments against Universal Redemption By that Faithful and Learned Servant of Iesus Christ Mr. JOHN BROUN sometimes Minister of the Gospel at Wamfrey in Scotland JER 23. 6. In His dayes JUDAH shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is His name whereby He shall be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS Iustificatio est Articulus stantis cadentis Ecclesiae LUTH Printed in the Year M.DC.XCV THE PREFACE TO THE READER IT is the true wisdome of a Christian to understand aright and with a spiritual eye to discern the great difference between the Law and the Gospel the Covenant of Works and that of Grace the Legal and Euangelical Justification the ignorance whereof is the great Cause of most errours this day among professed Christians When our blessed Saviour came into the world he found flowing out of this bad fountain a multitude of Heresies in the Jewish Church deceived by the Pharisees blind Leaders of a blind People erecting establishing their our Righteousness before the throne of God And it is certain that our Lord Jesus Christ was rejected of the Jews because they could not believe their own unrighteousness miserie condemnation by the Law nor be made to seek in the Messiah his Sufferings Satisfaction the true expiation of sins and a compleat Righteousness sufficient to eternal happiness Certainly they understood not the promises of the Prophets especially that of Isaiah Chap. LIII neither looked they to the end of the Ceremonial oeconomie Law which was to be abolished 2 Cor. 3. 13. Of this Judaical errour we have a clear example in the Apostle Paul before his conversion a Pharisee by his great Masters well instructed in the letter of the Law For he looking upon himself and not understanding the nature of the Law in its Spiritual meaning was in his own eyes no sinner but a just man living and having a right to pretend a sentence of Justification before God upon the account of his works according to the Law But when it pleased God to reveal his Son to his soul he could count all things but lâ—ss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ and desire only to be found in him not having his own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith Phil. 3. 8 9. And so became a great example of all true Converts Believers his Conversion a Demonstration of this Euangelical Doctrine that no man is Justified by his works but by the Righteousness of Christ imputed by Faith received applyed No doubt Christian Reader but this doctrine is the whole scope of the same Apostle in his Epistles to the Romans Galatians For having proved both Jews and Gentiles to be all under sin supposing consequently that by the works of the Law no flesh shall be justified in the sight of God he sheweth that all elected sinners coming short of the glorie of God must be justified freely by his grace through the Redemption which is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be our Propitiation through faith in his blood so that all boasting may be excluded which cannot be if a man could be justified by his works Yea the Apostle Chap. 4. gives a Demonstration of this doctrine out of the examples of Abraham David to whom after conversion Righteousness is imputed sin pardoned by faith in the promise In his Epistle to the Galatians he likewise presseth this Doctrine against the heresie of judaizing Ministers who would have mingled the Law with the Gospel and rejects their sentence as another Gospel worthy to be Anathematized with every one who teacheth it though even an Angel from Heaven since he saith upon the matter that Christ is dead in vain as we see Chap. 1. 8 11. Chap. 11. 21. How happy were the Church in these dayes if the Doctrine of Gospel-Justification did continue pure could be propagated transmitted to the following ages But it is too manifest that the Christian Church by Heathenish Jewish errours upon the one hand by Pelagian infusions on the other hath lost a great deal of her primitive sinceritie puritie Certainly the Roman Superstitions tending only to the establishing of humane Righteousness in Gods sight are clear demonstrations of a corrupted doctrine yea of that Apostacie of the latter times so oft soretold by the Apostle Paul For we see that Popery is wholly erected upon a Judaical Pelagian Righteousness proceeding from the bitter root of the Heathenish Free-will whereby the corruption of Nature is denyed sin excused the faculties of Nature as sufficient to all good works asserted especially when they are sustained by a sufficient grace given to all men for obtaining eternal happiness But this great errour worthy of the Apostles Anathema was abominable in the eyes of our Protestant Fathers and therefore the Doctrine of a contrary Gospel-Justification was the greatest reason of separation especially when they heard the trumpet from Heaven sounding and crying come out of Babel my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues And herein we must admire the wonderful providence of God that the Protestants did aggree in this point of Justification even when their minds were distracted about the Doctrine of the Lord's Supper and it is known how careful the Lutherians are even to this day in following the Doctrine of their Master in this great Article But alas it is a sad lamentable thing that Arminians being fomented by the Kings of France Spain as the immediate way to introduce Popery saith Wilson in his Historie of Great Britain pag. 119. when they adopted the Pelagian grounds did forsake the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ because they could not join this great mystery of the Gospel with the opinions of Universal Grace Redemption as appears in the writings of Episcopius Curcellaeus Limburgh and others filled not only with Arminian but also with wicked Socinian errours against the Divinity Satisfaction of our Saviour Jesus Christ. And how could it be thought that those books should have been accepted approved by Reformed Divines Churches as we see they are in our neighbouring Kingdom of England O what errours in that Nation are observed complained of before by Honorius Reggius in his book de Statu Ecclesiae Britannicae errours tending even to the ruine of the Protestant Cause And what shall we say of the latter books written by Bull Parker Sherlock and others against the principles of Reformation expressed hitherto with great agreement in all the Confessions of Reformed Churches Yea
receive the Adoption of Sones and the blessing of Abraham Gal. 3 13 14. 4 4 5. As it is one thing to finish the Transgression to make an end of sin to make Reconciliation for iniquity another thing to bring-in Everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9 24. Yea the redemption from the Law and from its curse is mentioned as preceeding the other as the finishing of transgression is also mentioned before the bringing-in of Righteousness in the passages cited And thus as these Effects are distinguished though inseparable so is the Cause By the Imputation of Christs Satisfaction we have pardon of sin being redeemed from the curse of the Law by His being made a curse for us by the Imputation of His Rigteousness and obedience we are looked upon as Righteous so have a right to the promise and Inheritance Though we need not thus distinctly consider both save only to demonstrat the necessity of the Imputation of both for Christ by His death did also purchase the Inheritance for us and by His obedience made Satisfaction for sin it being a piece of His Humiliation So that both in the deep wisdom of God make up one cause of that one Effect which comprehendeth all Blessedness that is both pardon of sinnes and Right to the Inheritance c. By the Imputation of both or of this compleat Surety-righteousness of Christ including both beleevers are pardoned and adjudged unto life Hence our pardon and justification are often ascribed unto Christs death not as distinctly considered or as excluding His Righteousness obedience but among other reasons because that was the compleating Act of His obedience and to which all the rest preceeding had a respect as to that which should compleat the whole Meritorious part of His Mediation And hereby His obedience can no more be excluded than His foregoing soul-sufferings Nay His death did presuppose and include His obedience for it was the death of one who had perfectly obeyed the Law which death obedience being His Mediatory work in the state of His Humiliation was a compleat Righteousness for the blessedness advantage of all those for whom He appeared whose debt He undertook to pay 5. That the obedience of Christ must also be imputed to sinners is manifest from this That otherwise they should have no Righteousness at all imputed to them that properly can be called a Righteousness for if nothing but that which is commonly called Christs passive obedience or His Sufferings be imputed there can no Righteousness be said to be imputed for dying and suffering the penalty as such are no righteousness being no obedience to the commands of the Law in conformity to which consisteth proper Righteousness as when one dieth for his crime of Murther he cannot be said to be thereby a righteous man or to have obeyed the Law forbidding Murther nor can we be said properly to have obeyed the Law when Christ in our room did suffer the penalty of death due to us for the breach of it They who are in hell suffering the vengeance of eternal fire cannot be said to be obeying the Law It is true Christ in dying did obey a command Imposed upon Him by the Father but that was no command of the Moral Law prescribed unto man thereafter in dying Suffering He gave no obedience to that Law under the obligation to which we were standing no more than He can be said to have Suffered the penalty while He was obeying the Law these two being so manifestly different So that it is clear that if Christs obedience be not imputed to us no proper Righteousness is or can be said to be imputed to us Yea 6 If Christs obedience be not imputed to us that Law which saith do this and live is not fulfilled but rather abrogated quite abolished and it must be said that not withstanding of that constitution of Gods we live though we neither do this nor is our Cautioners doing of it imputed to us And so we have a right to the Reward get it at lenght without the Righteousness required in order thereunto Let us therefore admire the harmonious perfection of this Effect Work of infinite wisdom I know several things are objected against this Truth as there are many other grounds Reasons adduced for the same but these I shall speak to at more length afterward 7. This is also a mysterie here to be noticed That a Righteousness that is not ours inherently but Christs should be made ours made over to us reckoned upon our score or we become clothed therewith there upon justified as Righteous as really effectually as if we had wrought it our selves and it had been properly inherent in us Socinians Papists Arminians others who will not subject their reason unto this mystery and give credite to Revelation will acknowledge no such imputation of Righteousness but at most do grant but an improper imputation that is an imputation as to Effects so that with them Christ neither Suffered nor obeyed in our stead room but only for our good advantage that too conditionally only in case we beleeve and performe the Gospel-condition But this imputation as to Effects only is no imputation at all there being no thing thereby Imputed not the Righteousness of Christ it self for this they expresly deny nor yet the Effects themselves for we no where read of Imputed Justification Adoption Pardon c. which are the Effects Yea it is not enough to them to deny this Imputed Righteousness but in contempt scorne they call that which we name an Imputed Righteousness a putative Righteousness as if it were a meer imaginary thing But whatever such in decision think or say the Gospel holdeth forth to us a Righteousness imputed or the Righteousness of Christ graciously bestowed upon made over to belevers or freely given unto them so that they are dealt with by God as Righteous Juridically legally or as possessours of such a compleat perfect Righteousness that as really to all Effects as if it had been their own inherently performed by them so had been theirs without any such Imputation And because this as the cause is imputed to them made theirs therefore all the Effects thereof shall really certainely be bestowed upon them in God's appointed time methode This is the Truth which the Gospel holdeth forth to the solide peace joy comfort of Beleevers the full clearing vindicating of which would require a just Treatise I shall therefore here propose but a few clear manifest Grounds of this refreshful comfortable truth leaving the further prosecution vindication of them of other arguments that are used in this matter with the examination of what is objected on the contrary till afterward First therefore we say as Christ who knew no sin was made sin that is had the sinnes of His people laid upon Him imputed to Him so
Law of Innocency which we dishonoured broke by sin is perfectly fulfilled honoured by Him as a Mediator to repaire the injurie done by our breaking it Ans. The Law which the Devils dishonoured broke by sin was perfectly honoured fulfilled by the Angels who stood is therefore their Righteousness to be called the devils But he will say They obeyed not as Mediator True But then the ground of Christ Righteousness becomning ours must be some other thing than His honouring that Law by fulfilling it which we dishonoured by breaking But he saith Christ repaired the injurie done by our breaking it True yet 〈◊〉 there be no more that will not make His Righteousness ours because as is obvious ere this be we must have an Interest therein this obedience must be performed by Him a our Mediator Surety undertaking Satisfying the demands of the Law for us in our stead 2. In that saith he He suffered to satisfie justice for our sin Ans. Neither is suffering as such Righteousness Nor could He satisfie justice for our sin in by suffering if He had not done it in our stead as one Person with us in Law If Titius steal from Sempronius a 1000. Pound Maevius givius Sempronius a 1000. Pound upon some distinct account Sempronius receiveth no satisfaction for what Titius stole from him but if he come give it for Titius he be satisfied there-with then there is a Law Union oneness betwixt Titius Maevius whereby the Satisfaction given by Maevius becometh the satisfaction of Titius 3. He saith in that hereby He hath merited of God the Father all that Righteousness which we are truely the Subjects of whether it be Relative or qualitative or Active that is our right to Christ in union to the Spirit to Impunity to glory 2. the grace of the Spirit by which we are made holy fulfill the conditions of the Law of grace we are the Subjects of these he is the Meriter the Meritorius Cause of out life is well called our Righteousness by many the material Cause as our own perfect obedience would have been because it is the matter of that merite Ans. That Righteousness which he saith here Christ hath merited is not that Righteousness unto justification of life as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 5 18. And which we have by the Obedience of Christ made ours by Imputation vers 19. whereof we are here speaking in respect of which Christ is said to be our Righteousness 2. Our right to Christ is not our Righteousness in order to justification nor is our Right to Impunity Glory that Righteousness but a consequent thereof 3. In respect of the Graces of the Spirit which follow justification do not preceed it Christ is called our Sanctification Mr. Baxter knoweth there is a difference betwixt Righteousness Holiness 4. The Meritorius Cause of our life is well called our Righteousness when it is Imputed to us put upon our score as the Ground of our justification Absolution upon this account only is it by many called the Material Cause 4. And also saith he Christ's jntercession with the Father still procureth all this as the fruit of His Merites Ans. Of Christ's procuring our holiness we make no Doubt but that upon this account He is called our Righteousness is denied for this is not His Obedience Righteousness whereby we become Righteous unto justification of life 5. And we are related saith he as His members though not parts of His person as such to Him that thus merited for us Ans. if we be related to Him as members in order to our partaking of His Righteousness Meritâ—s we must be parts of His legal Persons though not of His Physical Personâ— for by Members here I suppose he meaneth Members of His Mystical body or members of His Ransomed Redeemed body And head Members here make one Political body become one Political Person or one in Law-sense 6. And saith he we have the Spirit from Him as our Head Ans This is but what what was said before in the 3. place And this Spirit is given for holiness but Christ is our Righteousness as well as our Sanctification it is of His being Righteousness that we are speaking 7. And he is our Advocat saith he will justifie us as our judge Ans. His being our Advocat is the same with His Intercession spoken of in the 4. place 2. The Father will judge us justifie us by Him therefore God the Father shall be our Righteousness as well as Christ consequently shall have merited all for us by His blood Sufferings that in a more principal manner according to this Reason 8. And all this saith he is God's Righteousness designed for us thus far given us by Him Ans. But all this is not that Righteousness which God hath designed for us in through Christ in order to our justification nor that Righteousness by which we become formally Righteous in Law-sense thereupon are justified pronounced Righteous in the sight of God for this is Christ's Surety-Righteousness imputed to us none else can be it Lastly saith he And the Perfect justice holiness of God is thus glorified in us through Christ. And are not all these set together enough to prove that we justly owne all asserted by these Texts Ans. It remaineth to be cleared how the Perfect justice holiness of God can be said to be glorified in us through Christ if Christ's Righteousness Satisfaction be not imputed to us accounted ours Christ we be not looked upon as one Person in Law for all that is wrought in us is far from being answerable to the Perfect justice holiness of God because of its Imperfection And because Mr. Baxter doth not grant the Imputing of Christ's Surety-righteousness which is only answerable to the Perfect justice holiness of God unto us in all that he hath here said he cannot be said to owne all that is asserted by these Texts The 3. object is If Christ's Righteousness be ours then we are righteous by it as ours so God reputeth it but as it is But it is ours 1. by our Union with him 2. by his gift so consequently by God's Imputation To this he answereth 1. That he hath told before in what sense it is ours in what sense not Shortly here he giveth us his mind againe saying It is truely Imputed to us or reputed reckoned as ours but not in their sense that claim a strick Propriety in the same Numerical Habites Acts Sufferings Merites Satisfaction which was in Christ or done by Him as if they did become subjects of the same Accidents or as if they did by an Instrumental second cause But it is ours as being done by a Mediator in stead of what we should have done as the Meritorious Cause of all our Righteousness
nobis communicat suam justitiam inter Patris judicium nostram injustitiam interponito sub ea veluti sub umbone clypeo a divina quam commeruimus ira nos abscondit tuetur ac protegit imo tandem nobis impertit nostram facit qua tecti ornatique audacter secure jam divino nos sistamus tribunali judicio justique non solum appareamus sed etiam simus i. e. In him that is Christ therefore are we justified before God not in ourselves not by our own but by his Righteousness which is imputed to us when now we communicat with him Being void of a Righteousness of our own he teacheth us to seek a Righteousness without ourselves in him when he saith he made him sin for us who knew no sin that is he made him a sacrifice for sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him By what Law By that of friendship which maketh a community of all things among friends according to the old well known proverb Being insert into Christ glued united unto him he maketh what is his to be ours he communicateth unto us his riches he interposeth his Righteousness betwixt the Fathers judgment our unrighteousness and under it as under a shield he hideth defendeth protecteth us from God's wrath which we had deserved Yea at length giveth it to us maketh it ours with which being covered adorned we may boldly saifly sist ourselves before the Tribunal of God and we not only appear Righteous but also are Righteous Ruardus Tapperus Tom. 2. Art 8. p. 36. Sicut Christo nostra scelera a Patre ob spontaneam eorum assumptionem corporis mystici intimam unionem imputantur ita ejus justitia quasi capitis nobis ejus membris ad justitiam viaâ—m aeternam imputatur i. e. As our iniquities were imputed by God unto Christ because of his voluntary assuming of them of the neer union of the mystical body so his Righteousness as head to us his members is imputed unto us unto Righteousness life eternal Yea Bellarm. granteth lib. 2. de justif C. 10. That Christ may be called our Righteousness because he satisfied the Father for us did so give communicat that Satisfaction to us when he justifieth us that it may be called our Satisfaction Righteousness And againe this way it were not absurd to say that Christ's Righteousness merites were imputed to us when they are given applied to us as if we ourselves had satisfied God So in Resp. ad 3. Arg. We are said to be the Righteousness of God not in ourselves but in Christ because he is our head what agreeth to thâ— head agreeth to the members not as they are distinct from the head but as they are one with it So c. 11. in Resp. ad Arg. 2. The similitude of putting on agarment may be saifly accommodat unto imputed Righteousness if one say we must put on Christ's merits some way be covered with them seek pardon of sins cap. 7. Arg. 4. he saith Christ's merits are imputed to us because gifted to us we may offer them to the Father for our sins because Christ took upon him the burden of satisfying for us of reconciling us to God the Father Thus he After Cardinal Bellarmin we may mention Cardinal Contarenus who is more orthodox here than any of them speaketh as plaine truth as any of the orthodox themselves can do for so doth he in Tract de Iustif. state the question Quoniam ad duplicem justitiam pervenimus per fidem justitiam inharentem nobis charitatem ac gratiam qua efficimur consortes divina naturae justitiam Christi nobis donatam imputatam quoniam inserti sumus Christi induimus Christum Praetat inquirere Utra-nam debeamus niti existimare nos justificari coram Deo id est justos Sanctos haberi i. e. Because by faith we obtaine a twofold Righteousness one inherent in us love grace whereby we are made partakers of the divine nature the other the Righteousness of Christ given imputed to us because inâ—ert into Christ because we have put on Christ It is fittest to Enquire unto which of these we ought to leane ourselves account ourselves justified before God that is looked upon as Righteous holy The question thus proposed he thus determineth Ego prorsus existimo piâ— Christianâ—egrave diâ—i quod debeamus niti niti inquimus tanquam rei stabili quae certâ—nos sustentet justitia Christinobis donota non autem justitia sanctitate nobis inhaerente hâ—c enim nostra justitia est inchâ—ata imperfecta quae impedirenon potest quin assidue peâ—cemus idcirco in conspectu Dei possumus eb hanc justitiam haberi justi boni quemadmedum deceret filios Dei esse bonos Sanctos Sed justitia Christi est vera perfecta justitia quae omnino placet oculis Dei in qua nihil est quod Deum offendat quod Deo non summopere placeat hâ—ac ergo sola re certa stabili nobis nitendum est ob eam solam credere nos justificari coram Deo id est haberi justos dioi justos Hic est pretiosus Thesaurus quem qui invenit vendit omnia quae habet emit illum i. e. I verily think that it is piously christianly said that we ought to lean I say lean as to a stable thing that shall certainly hold us up unto Christ's Righteousness given unto us but not unto the Righteousness holiness that is inherent in us for this Righteousness of ours is inchoate imperfect that cannot hinder us from ssinning dayly therefore we cannot for this Righteousness in the sigt of God be accounted just good as would become the Sones of God to be but the Righteousness of Christ is true perfect Righteousness which every way pleaseth God's eyes in which is nothing that can displease God doth not highly please him Therefore we must only leane to this certaine stable thing and beleeve that for it alone we are justified before God that is accounted Righteous and so called This is the Precious Treasure which who findeth he selleth all he hath buyeth it Yea this he confirmeth afterward by Experience saying Inde est quod pro experimento videmus viros Sanctos qui quanto magis in veritato proficiunt tanto minus sibi placent ac propterea tanto magis intelligunt se indigere Christo justitia Christi sibi donata ideoque se relinquunt soli Christo incumbunt â—â—c non obeam accidit causam quod facti sanctiores minus videant quam prius neque quia facti sunt animo dimissiori vel viliori imo quanto magis in sanctitate proficiunt tanto majore sunt animo tanto sunt perspicaciores i. e. Hence it is that by experience we see
he knew before hand that these would not performe the new Condition how can he then be supposed to die for them not withstanding Thus we see what difference is among men that hold Universal Redemption about the Proper Immediat End Aime of the purpose of God in sending Christ to die and of Christ in comeing to died and how for the most part it cometh all to little or nothing for it was saith Arminius That God might save sinners what way it pleased Him his Iustice which stood in the way being satisfied or as Corvinus That God might will to save sinners That Christ intended by his death to make such satisfaction to justice as that he might obtainâ— to himself power of saving upon what Condition the Father pleased And thus Christ is said to have obtained Reconciliation Redemption to all not that they should actually be partakers thereof but that God his justice now being satisfied might prescribe a Condition which when they had performed he might would actually make them partakers thereof Some say that all men are put into a new Covenant in which Adam was a common person as well as in the old by vertue whereof none shall be damned that do not sin actually against the Condition fall thereby from that new state whereunto they are borne And this opinion differeth not much from that of Iacobus Andreae at the conference at Mompelgard which afterward Huberus maintained as Kimedoncius sheweth in his refutation of the same which was this in short That Christ suffered died for all none excepted Effectually and obtained for all a Reconciliation without any respect to Faith or Unbeleefe so that all who receive this Reconciliation continue in it shall be saved but as to those who refuse it by unbeleef it is made null and they perish Others say That Christ by his satisfaction removed Original sin in all so that all Infants dying in infancy are undoubtedly saved Others that he died for all sinnes alike but conditionally Some say that after the price was payed it was absolutely undetermined what condition should be prescribed so as God might have re-established the Covenant of works Others that the procuring of a new way was part of the fruit of Christ's death As for this condition some say that man can performe it with the help of such meanes as God affordeth to all and thus establish the Diana of Freewill But others assert the necessity of grace flowing from election hereunto and so destroy Universal Redemption which yet they assert So that some say Christ died for all Conditionally if they beleeve making the Act the cause of its own object for Faith with them is a beleeving that Christ died for them Some say that he died for all Absolutely Yet so as they partake not of the benefire until they performe the Condition which was to be prescribed and thus they affirme that Christ did no more sustaine the persons of the Elect than of the Reprobat but of all alike If we enquire therefore what was the Immediat Result Product of the death of Christ they agree not to tell us whether it was a Power or a Will or a Right to God to save any he pleased However all the Arminians Camero with them agree in this That Christ did not purchase faith for any and that as to all say some or as to the most part say others Christ hath only procured a Possibility of Salvation And what is this Possibility Some call it an Exemption from that necessity of perishing under which they came by the violation of the former Covenant if a satisfaction had not interveened and by this Exemption they say it cometh to passe that Christ if he will justice being now satisfied may bring all to life And hereby also say they all may be saved if they will But what is this else then a meer Possibility What efficacy hath it seing notwithstanding thereof all may perish againe They say it is really Efficacious as to this Possibility which was not before Justice was satisfied But yet notwithstanding of this Efficacious Possibility it might come to passe that not one should have been saved for how can salvation be possible without faith So that if faith be not hereby purchased it would seem that Salvation is not possible And further it doth hereby appear that all which is procured is but some power to God to Christ But what is mans advantage They say That a way to life is opened unto man that so he may now come to God by Faith Repentance But how can he come who hath no power to Beleeve or Repent without grace Or is it in corrupt mans power to Beleeve or Repent What that truth is which we stand for is plainly fully enough set downe in several places of Our Confession of Faith as Chap. 3. § 6. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory so hath he by the Eternal and most free purpose of his Will fore ordained all the meanes thereunto Wherefore they who are Elected being fallen in Adam are redeemed by Christ are effectually called unto faith in Christ by his Spirit working in due season are Justified Adopted Sanctified Keeped by his power through faith unto salvation Neither are other Redeemed by Christ effectually Called Iustified Adopted Sanctified Saved but the Elect only So Chap. 8. § 1. It pleased God in his eternal purpose to chose ordaine the Lord Iesus his only begotten Son so be the mediator between God man â—Unto whom he did from all eternity give a people to be his seed and to be by him in time Redeemed Called Iustified Sanctified Glorified And ibid. § 5. The Lord Iesus by his perfect obedience sacrifice of himself which he through the eternal Spirit once offered up unto God hath fully satisfied the Iustice of his Father purchased not only Reconciliation but an Everlasting inheritance in the Kingdom of heaven for all those whom the Father hath given unto him So ibid. § last To all those for whom Christ hath purchased Redemption he doth certanely and effectually apply communicate the same making intercession for them revealing unto them in by the word the mysteries of salvation effectually perswading them by his Spirit to beleeve obey and governing their hearts by his word Spirit overcoming all their enemies by his Almighty power wisdom in such manner wayes as are most cansonant to his wonderful unsearchable dispensations Our judgment is this in short That Christ according to the good pleasure of his Father laid downe his life a Ransome for the Elect only who were given to him to save from Wrath and Destruction and by that price purchased Salvation all the Meanes necessary thereunto for them only to whom in due time after the method which he thinketh best doth effectually apply the same unto them actually save them Though grounds sufficient considering the
price is considerable Now that the Scripture mentioneth some given to Christ that in distinction from others is clear Ioh. 17 2. that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him So vers 12. Those that thou gavest we I have keept and none of them are lost c. So Ioh. 6 37. All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me vers 40. And this is the Fathers will that hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing Joh. 17 9. I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine 10. And all thine are mine mine are thine and I am glorified in them 11. Father keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am c. Whence we see that Christ had no charge of the rest was under no tye to save them nor would be so much as pray for them but as for the given ones Joh. 10. called his sheep for these he laid downe his life prayed and for these was â—e to give an account nay which is more these had a special Interest in God's heart affection were thereupon given to Christ. They were the Father's given of the Father to the Son and so fully discriminated from all the rest and both Father Son stand engadged to carry these thorow unto salvation all which considered it is most plaine that the Redemption was Particular Actual conforme to the Undertaking Transaction Nay 4. If we will consider the fountaine love from whence the sending of Christ came we will see how unreasonable it is to imagine an Universal meer Possible Redemption as the proper end effect of Christ's death merites It is said Ioh. 3 16. A place which our Universalists look upon as most favourable for them that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that all beleevers in him might have eternal life This love is held forth as unparallelable a love greater than which cannot be conceived a love demonstrated by the greatest effect imaginable sending giving his only begotten to give his life a ransome to die for sinners and it must be contrary to all reason to imagine that all this was to procure a Redemption by which it was possible that not one man should be Actually Redeemed Christ himself saith Joh. 15 13. greater love hath no man thaâ— this that a man lay down his life for his friends See also Rom. 5 8. And shall we think that the effect of all this Non-such Love both of the Father of the Son was only a Possible Salvation and Redemption and that all this love should be outed and possibly not one man saved Either the Lord knew that some would get good by this fruite of wonderful love or not then he was not omniscient and then the Father gave his Son the Son came both were the effect of the greatest love imaginable yet neither of them knew that any one soul should be saved for all that If he knew that they would get good by it either by themselves alone without his Grace or not If the first why would he send his Son to die why would Christ come to die for such as they saw would never have a will to be saved by his death If the last be said then seing the greatest expression of of love was to send his Son in the Son to come die how can we think that that was for all when the grace to improve that death profite by it was not designed for all Sayeth not Paul Rom. 8 32. He that spared not his owne Son but delivered him up for us all how shall not with him also freely give us all things Importing that that was Impossible Shall we imagine that that is the greatest love which is common to all is not able to effectuate the salvation of those upon whom it is set and how can this be that the greatest effect of this greatest love shall be common to all smaller effects not common also See also 1. Ioh. 4 9 10 11. where this speciall love by which Christ was sent is made peculiar unto beleevers for Iohn is speaking of none else So is this love peculiarly terminated on Christ's Wife Church Ephes. 5 26 26. hath gracious saving effects Gal. 2 20. Tit. 3 4 5 6 7. Ephes. 2 4 5 6. Rom. 8 36 37. 2. Thes. 2 16 17. Revel 1 5 6. Beside that this love is mentioned as an Old Everlasting Unchangable Love Ier. 31 3. Ephes. 1 3 4. Rom. 9 11. Ioh. 13 1. Zeph. 3 17. And is all this nothing but a General Common thing that cannot save one soul if Lord Freewil do not consent of his own accord Moreover 5. if we consider the ends assigned to the Death of Christ mentioned in Scripture we shall see that it was some other thing than a meer Possible Delivery Redemption common to all mankinde Mat. 8 11. He came to save that which was lost and not to make their salvation meerly possible for if that were all Christs argument should have had no strength So 1. Tim. 1 15. Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinner if it were a meer possibility that might never take effect how should this faithful saying be worthy of all acception So Luk. 19 10 where the matter is exemplified in Zaccheus Mat. 1 21. the reason of the name Iesus given to the Redeemer is because he shall save his people from their sinnes that is Actually Really and not Potentially or Possibly only and this cannot be meaned of all for he saveth not the Reprobat from their sins at least not from the sin of unbeleef by the confession of Adversaries But here no sin is excepted and therefore is his death restricted to his people whom he saveth from all their sinnes Heb. 2 14 15. there is another end of his death mentioned viz. that he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage This was no meer Possible Deliverance but Actual Effectual and it was not common to all for it is restricted to his Brethren vers 11 12 17. and to sones 13. to the children which God gave him vers 13 14. to the Seed of Abraham vers 16. and againe vers 17. wherefore in all things it behoved him to be make like unto his brithren that he might be a Merciful Faithfull High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the people Behoved Christ to be a Merciful Faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God only to make a Possible Reconciliation whereby it might be that not
did know then sure this death was more particularly designedly intended for them than for the rest and upon what account to what end should Christ lay down his life a Ransome for such as he knew certainly should never be the better thereof And why would the Father send him to die for such 3. This Condition is either in mans sole power without the help of the Grace of God to performe or not If it be in mans power from what Scripture shall this Pelagianisme be confirmed How shall then the new Covenant of Grace be distinguished in specie from the Covenant of Works made with Adam If this Condition be not in mans power but the Grace of God must work it Then either God will work it in all or not If not why would God purchase good things to people upon a Condition which they could not performe which he alone could work in them resolved not to worke in them If he will worke it in all then all shall certainly be saved Againe if this Condition be the free gift of God then either God will give it Absolutely to all and so all shall certainly be saved or Absolutely to some then none but they shall be saved and why should Christ die for the rest Or Conditionally to all And if so the doubt will recurre concerning that Condition which either must be Absolutely given so we are where we were or Conditionally and so still the doubt recurreth 4. This condition is either purchased by Christ or it is not If not then we owe no thanks to Christ for it nor for what is obtained upon that Condition more then others who performe not the Condition so obtaine nothing but to ourselves only who make ourselves to differ and so may we sing praises to ourselve put the crown upon our owne heads and give no song of praise to the Redeemer but what such as go to hell are bound to give contrary to all Christian Religion If Christ hath purchased this Condition then it is done either Absolutly of Conditionally If Absolutely than all shall Absolutely have it if Conditionally we enquire what is the Condition And whatever it be we may move the same questions concerning it 5. By this meanes the act should creatits owne object for Faith in the death of Christ is ordinarily given as the Condition and this faith maketh the death of Christ valide which otherwayes would not be 6. This maketh all the vertue of Christs death to depend upon mans act so that if man will all shall be saved if not no man shall be saved notwithstanding that Christ died for them 7. This makes Christ but at most a half Mediator doing one part of the work and man coming in to compleete it must be the other half mediator and so at least must have the halfe of the Praise 8. where saith the Scripture that if we beleeve Christ died for us or that Christ died for all or for any Conditionally It is true some of the effects of Christ's death are bestowed Conditionally taking the word conditionally not properly as if the performance of that Condition did in proper Law sense procure a right to these mercies for through the merites of Christ's blood have we a right properly to all but improperly as denoteing nothing but the Methode way of God's bestowing the blessings purchased first this and then upon the souls acting of that another as for example first faith then upon the souls acting of Faith Justification then Sanctification c. and upon the souls acting of Sanctification Glorification but the death of Christ cannot therefore be called Conditional more than the will or purpose of God can be called conditional because some of the things willed may depend upon other as upon a condition 9. Then by performing the Condition man should procure to himself a Legal Right and Title not only to the death of Christ but to Justification Adoption Sanctification yea to Glorification yea and that a more near effectual Title Right than what was had by Christ's death for the Title had by Christ's death if it can be called a Title was far Remore Common to such as shall never have any profite by it but the other is Certain Particular Proxime giveth possession â—us in re 10. Then Christ's blood as shed upon the crosse was but a Poâ—â—ntial thing having no power or vertue in it self to redeem any it was but a poor Potential price and all its vertue of actual purchasing procureing is from mans performing the Condition this and this only giveth it Power Efficacy and so Christ is beholden to man for giving vertue unto his Blood and making it effectual which before was a deadineffectual thing Then let any judge who should have the greatest share of the Glory of Redemption Man or Christ. 11. was Christ's death Absolute in no respect or was it as to some things I mean belonging to Grace Glory Absolute if in nothing then Man must certanely have a great share of the glory if it was Absolute as to any thing what was that and why was it more Absolute as to that than as to other things And why should it then be simply without limitation said that Christ died for all Conditionally For Further confirmation of our 19. Argument confutation of our Adversaries position we adde 21. That Christ Jesus is heard of the Father in all that he asketh Psal. 2 8. Ioh. 11 41 42. and as an High Priest he entred into heaven Heb. 9 11 12. now to appear in the presence of God for us vers 24. to prepare a place Ioh. 14 2. to act the part of an Advocat interceding with the Father in the behalfe of all such for whom he died 1. Ioh. 2 1 2. If then Christ whom his Father heareth alwayes intercedeth in the behalfe all these for whom he died either he did not die for all or all must certainly be saved That Christ's Intercession Death are for the same persons will be and must be denyed by our Adversaries But to us it is most manifest from these grounds 1. To Intercede pray are as Essential Necessary Acts of the Priestly office as to offer sacrifice and the Apostle Heb. 9. cleareth up how Christ did in truth what the High Priest among the Jewes did in the type for as the High Priest alone went once every yeer into the second tabernacle or holy of holies not without blood which he offered for himself and the errours of the people vers 7. So Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle by his owne blood he entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redemption vers 12. Hence he is said to Live for ever to make Intercession for us Heb. 7 25. and he is an Advocat with the Father 1. Ioh. 2 1. Hence then it is
manifest that Christ must Intercede for such as he did Offer up himself for or he shall not be a Perfect Compleet High Priest or not faithfull to performe all the Offices of the High Priest neither of which can be said 2. The ground of his Intercession is held forth to be his Oblation as the High Priest went into the holy of holies with the blood of the sacrifices which he had offered so Christ entered into the holy place having first obtained by the sacrifice of himself an Eternal Redemption Heb. 9 12. So he is an Advocate with the Father being first a Propitiation for sinnes 1. Ioh. 2 1 2. 3. Both his Death Intercession make up one Compleet Medium are intended designed as one Medium for the end designed viz. the bringing of many sones unto glory saving to the uttermost all that come to God through him c. 4. How unreasonable is it to think that Christ would refuise to Pray for such whom he loved so dearly as to lay down his life for yet he saith expresly that he prayeth not for the world but for others distinguished from the world Ioh. 17 9. 5. As His Death was for such as the Father had given him is we saw above so his Intercession Prayer is restricted to such Ioh. 17 9. I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine 6. Christ's end in coming into the world was to save his people Hence he gote that name Iesus but he should not be able to save them Perfectly Compleetly to the Utermost if he did not joyne his Intercession with his Oblation Yea upon this account he continueth ever a Priest having an unchangable Priesthood Heb. 2 24 25. But this man because he continueth ever hath an unchangable Priesthood wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seing he ever liveth to make intercession for them 7. The Apostle so joyneth them together Rom. 8 34. that they must do manifest violence to the Apostles reasoning who would pull them asunder separate the one from the other It is sais he Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us 8. Yea they are so joyned together here that his death alone considered could not yeeld that ground of triumph boasting nor security from Accusations Yea rather that is risen againe c. 9. So that the separating taking of these asunder is greatly prejudicial to the consolation of his people for though they should attaine to some apprehensions of Christ's dying for them as an Advocate with the Father upon new sinnes 1. Ioh. 2 1 2. Though Christ died yet they might be condemned for he must also Interceed and if he do not Intercede for them their Hopes Comforts are gone And so there should be no force in that who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dieâ—â— Rom. 8 34. And a poor soul might be hal saved but not to the uttermust contrare to Heb. 2 25. 10. And that place Rom. 8 33. restricteth both equally unto the Elect who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect 11. When Christ laid down his life a Ransome for sinners he could not but know that by that Ransome none should be actually saved without his Intercession it being accorded betwixt Father Son that the mediator should mediate both by Price by Prayer And he could not but know for whom he purposed intended to Interceed how shall we then suppose that he would lay down his life for those for whom he was purposed not to Pray Or that he would do the most for them For whom he would not do the least 12. Christ's intercession is really a presenting unto God the Oblation made Therefore sayes the Apostle Heb. 9 24. that Christ is entered into heaven it self to appear in the presence of God for us And so by appearing he Interceedeth his appearing is in his owne blood whereby he obtained Eternal Redemption Heb. 9 12. so his Intercession must be for all for whom the Oblation was the eternal Redemption was obtained 13. Yea both these are so joyned together by Esaias Chap. 53 12. as that they are made one ground procureing cause of God's divideing him a portion with the great of Christs own divideing the spoile with the strong Because he hath poured out his soul unto death and he bare the sin of many and made â—ntercession for the transgressours 14. This is further clear from the reasons we gave to confirme that fast connexion betwixt Christ's Impetration Application in the foregoing paragraph for the Actual Application of the benefite fruit of his oblation is attributed to his Intercession 15. Nay that whole Chapter Ioh. 17. confirmeth this for there Christ is both Offering himself or sanctifying himself thereunto vers 19. and Interceding and these are so lincked together both in themselves as to the persons for whom that it must argue at least much incogitancy to imagine a divulsion separation of these two acts of his Priesthood 16. If Christ Intercede not for the same persons for whom he died we ask for whom he Intercedeth Is it for actuall beleevers Then we ask a Scripture ground for this restriction And then it is manifest hence that Christ Intercedeth not for the working of faith in any And yet Esaias tels us that he maketh Intercession for transgressours And we see Ioh. 17 20. that he prayeth not only for those who were already beleevers but for such also as were not yet beleevers He told us Himself also that he would pray the Father for the Spirit Ioh. 14 vers 16. And among other things this is one work of the Spirit to cause a sinner beleeve 2. Cor. 4 13. Ephes. 1 17 18 19. The point we are upon will be further cleare if we consider 22. That Christ's death was a Redemption we are said to be Redeemed thereby Gal. 4 5. 3 13. Rom. 3 24. Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. â— Pet. 1 8. Revel 5 9. Tit. 2 14. And therefore all such as he laid down this Redemption or Redemptionmoney for must of necessity be redeemed saved consequently he died not for all seing all are not redeemed saved His Ransome or Price of Redemption which he laid down viz. his blood which he shed is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransome Mat. 20 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 2 6. That all such for whom this Redemption-money was payed this Ransome was given must be saved is cleare for 1. Other wayes it were no Redemption a Ransome given for Captives doth say that these Captives in Law Justice ought to be set at liberty 2. This Redemption is the same with as to the effect or hath attending it forgiveness of sins Col. 1 14. Ephes.