in what He Suffered in His state of Humiliation for to us a Childe was born and to us a Son was given He was made under the law for us that he might redeem such as â—ere under the law that they might receive the Adoption of Sones Esai 9 5. Gal. 4 4 5. 2. This active obedience of Christ saith he was serviceable to that same great End whereunto our righteousness and obedience are subservient viz. the glory of God the advancement of His Kingdom Ioh. 8 49. 7 18. Ans. And was not His death Sufferings also subservient unto this great end Will it therefore follow that He died not to make Satisfaction to justice for the sinnes of His people And if this cannot follow what ever Socinians imagine how shall it or can it hence follow that His obedience was not to satisfie the demands of the law and to procure the reward to His people Is there any Inconsistency betwixt His fulfilling the law as Mediator and Surety in the room of His people His doing it for the glory of God the advancement of His Kingdom 3. Another enâ— saith he is the exemplariness of it Ans. This is but another arrow taken out of the quiver of the Socinians is of no force to weaken our argument seing a subordinat less principal end doth not destroy a more principal end Was He not exemplary to us in His death Sufferings shall we therefore say That there was no satisfaction for sins intended thereby And what is there here peculiar unto Christ as Lord Mediator seing the lives of other Saints are also exemplary 4. It had saith he an excellent Importance to draw to Imitation Ans. This is the same with the preceeding and deserveth no further answere 5. It was saith he a meanes of continueing His person in the love and complacâ—ncy of His Father which was a thing of absolute necessity for the carrying on of the great work of Redemption for if He had once miscarried who should have mediated for Him Ioh. 15 10. 8 29. Ans. As to His Person He was God equal with the Father in power and Glory It were therefore blasphemy once to suppose that His person stood in need of this for any such end or to suppose that He could have failed as to any act of obedience thereby have displeased God Wherefore His obedience being the obedience of one who was is God over all blessed for ever it could not be necessary to Himself unto any such end Therefore it behoved to be wholly for us for whom He was made under the law as He was given to us and borne for us 6. It was saith he of absolute necessity to qualify fit the Sacrifice for the Altar and render Him a person meet by His death and Sacrifice of Himself to make attonement for the world and to purge and take away the sin of it Ans. Shall we think that He who was God was not a fit enoug Sacrifice for the world but that He must be made fit and prepared by acts of obedience And as for His Humane Nature which was no person but did subsist in the Divine Nature being assumed into the subsistence thereof was it not sufficiently fitted to be a Sacrifice by its personal union with the Godhead was it not thereby Holy Harmless undefiled separat from sinners which is all that the Apostle requireth Heb. 7 26 Was not the Humane Nature personally united unto the Godhead from the very first moment of conception The holiness then that consisteth in Acts of Actual obedience was not required unto this Union and after this Union it was not possible that He could sinne as it is not possible that the glorified now in Heaven can break the Lawes that we break here while on earth and yet it will not follow that they are under the same particular obligations to particular acts of commanded duties that we stand under So nor was Christ as to Himself under the obligation of the pâ—rticular duties of the law to which He willingly submitted Himself gave obedience but all this was for us Nor was this necessarily required to make His Sacrifice Holy for His Humane Nature being once united to the Divine could not otherwayes be but holy and without sin and so a sinless and holy Sacrifice And withall we would take notice that the Actions of the Mediator were the Actions of the person and not of either of the Natures alone therefore must not be looked upon as the Actions of a meer man So that His acts of obedience were the acts of obedience of God man or of that person that was God He needeth not then tell us that the Absolute holiness and Righteousness of the humanity it self was of necessary concurrence unto His obedience for we grant it and this flowed from the hypostatical union but that which we deny is That there was an Holiness and Righteousness in acts of outward obedience to the law requisite thereunto as if the humane Nature by vertue of the hypostatical union had not been holy and harmless untecedently unto those outward acts of obedience and so had not been a sinless and holy Sacrifice if He had been offered up in His Infancy or before He was in capacity to do any commanded acts He needeth not say as he doth pag. 204. that we conceive that Christ-man might have been righteous without doing the works of Righteousness which is all one as to say that He might have been Righteous though He had transgressed for not to keep the law in those to whom the law is given is nothing else but to transgress For we neither do nor need assert any such thing for by vertue of the hypostatical union He was Righteous and could not transgress or do any thing contrary to what was imposed upon Him but we say that by vertue of this union as to Himself the Humane Nature was not under the law as we are but He was under the law that He might fulfill it for others not to fit and qualifie Him to be a meet Sacrifice as if for this His Humane Nature had not been meet enough before To this he saith pag. 205. Let this Supposition be admitted that Christ had suffered in the womb and that this Suffering of His had been fully Satisfactory yet had He been as perfectly righteous in this case and consequently had kept the law perfectly as now He hath done for the law requireth of Infants during their Infancy nothing but holiness of Nature I Ans. 1. This is enoug to confirme what we say viz. That all His after actual obedience was not necessary to this end 2 And beside though this holiness of Nature was conforme to the law upon the matter yet it was not a formal obedience unto the law if we speak of Him in reference to Himself for the Humane Nature had this Holiness by vertue of the Hypostatical union and Christ when
otherwise than by the Imputation of it then must it needs be imputed to us in our justification But the former is true Ergo. c. He excepteth p. 225. The Righteousness of Christ concurreth toward justification by qualifying His person for that Sacrifice of himself by which justification hath been purchased for all those that beleeve Ans. The Argum. is to be understood of His whole Surety-righteousness and not of His active obedience only 2 Even as to this it was answered above that it was not requisite unto this end His humane nature being sufficiently hereunto qualified by the personal union by which His bloud became the bloud of God and all He did and Suffered was the deed Suffering of Him who was God Arg. 11. If we may truely be said to be dead crucified with Christ to be quickened have risen againe with Him c. then may we truely be said to have fulfilled the law with Christ consequently that should be imputed to us But the former is true Ergo c. These expressions pointe forth the closs union that is betwixt Christ and Beleevers thereupon their Interest in what He did and suffered as Mediator Surety publick person to the end they may have right to and possession of the great benefites purchased and procured by Him So they hold forth Christs suffering dying riseing c. as a publick person in their room in their stead as their Representative so that it is râ—ckoned for them and upon their score and they are so interessed therein as that they are to be dealt with as if all these things had been done suffered by themselves And though in these expressions mentioned there be no express mention made of Christs fulfilling the law yet they sufficiently hold forth that which by parity of reason will enforce this as well as the other for they pointe forth Beleevers their union communion with Christ as to His Mediatory work to which His fulfilling of the law did belong Against the consequence he saith These expressions have no such Inference for if we could be said to have fulfilled the law with Christ our own fulfilling it in Him should rather be said to be imputed to us than His fulfilling it for us Ans. 1 This will say as much against the Imputation of Christs sufferings for we are said to be dead with Christ therefore not Christs death but our own death in Him should be said to be imputed to us But the Scripture knoweth no such thing 2 The meaning of the expression is we say but to denote emphatically the imputation of what Christ did suffered unto us for our own fulfilling of the law in Him is but His fulfilling of it for us the same imputed to us so as we are dealt with no otherwayes than if we had done it our selves as our being dead buried with Christ is but His dying in our place stead or our having such an Interest in His death burial as that we are dealt with as if in a manner we had died our selves But he supposeth there is a difference as to this betwixt Christs dying His fulfilling the law saying When the Scripture saith we are dead c. with Christ the meaning is not that God looked upon us as if we had laid down our Natural lives by death when he laid down His as if this laying down our lives were a satisfaction to His justice for then we might be said to have satisfied for redeemed our selves But these expressions import either a profession of such a death in us which holds proportion with or hath a likeness to the death of Christ or else this death it self really wrought in us by that death of Christ. Ans. We do not asserte the meaning of these expressions to be That God looketh upon us as if we had laid down our Natural lives c. But that beleevers have such an Interest in Christs death as being the death of their Surety Redeemer Head Husband and publick person that they receive the benefites advantagâ—â— thereof no less really effectually than if they themselves in their own persons had dyed satisfied the same being now imputed unto them laid hold on by faith 2 Though these expressions at least some of them in some places of Scripture as Rom. 6. may do import what is here expressed yet the full import of these Expressions is not hereby exhausted as the scope circumstances of the places may cleare as particularly that expression Gal. 2 20. I am crucified with Christ these Ephes. 2 5. 6. He addeth against this That Gal. 2 20. The expression is taken in the latter sense importing that the natural death of Christ for Paul others had wrought upon him in a way of assimilation to it self had made him a dead man to the world Ans. Paul is rather clearing confirming how he was become dead to the law and alive unto God vers 19. in through the vertue of Christs death crucifixion in which he had such an Interest that he accounted him self as it were hinging-on the cross in with Christ did so rest upon that by faith owne that Sacrifice alone that he Christ as it were were become one person he owed his being dead unto the law onely thereunto had it as really flowing therefrom following thereupon as if he himself had hung upon the cross as a satisfactory Sacrifice To that Ephes. 2 5 6. he saith The meaning is not that God looks upon them as quickened from a natural or corporal death as Christs quickening riseing againe was Ans. Nor do we say that this is the meaning nor need we either think or say so but this we say that the expression holdeth this forth that Christ dyed rose againe as a publick person Surety that Beleevers have so neer an Interest in His Mediatory work so closs an union with the Mediator that they are as one person in law so that they are really made partakers of some of the fruites of what Christ did suffered already shall as really partake of what is yet to be communicated as if they themselves had laid down that purchasing price Let us hear what he giveth for the meaning The meaning saith he is either to signifie the profession that is made by us of that newness of life which in way of a Spiritual Analogy answers that life whereunto Christ was quickened and rose againe or else the new life it self wrought in us Ans. That the Apostle is not here speaking of a meer profession is manifest nor is he speaking only of a new life wrought in them for he addeth and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Iesus Nor doth that which he saith invalidate the meaning which we give for that effect or inwrough quickening is spoken of as flowing from Christs
third yea multiplied Regeneration whereof the Scripture is silent nay it clearly depones the contrary 10. And if it be enquired how it cometh to passe that after sins may not at least gradually impaire the State of Justification as sins do impaire and weaken Sanctification I answere and this may further help to clear the business under hand The reason is manifest from the difference that is betwixt these two blessing and benefites Iustification is an act of God changing the Relative-state of a man and so is done and perfected in a moment Sanctification is a progressive work of God making a real physical change in the man whence sin may tetard this or put it back but cannot do so with the other which is but one single act once done and never recalled the gifts and calling of God being without repentance Rom. 11 29. In justification we are meerly passive it being a sentence of God pronunced in our Favours in Sanctification as we are in some respect patients so are we also Agents and Actors and thus sin may retard us in our motion and as it evidenceth our weakness for acting so it produceth more weakness Moreover Sin and Holiness are opposite to other as light and darkness therefore as the one prevaileth the other must go under and as the one increaseth the other must decress But there is no such Opposition betwixt sin pardon which is granted in Justification And whereas it may be said that sin expelleth also grace Meritoriously yet that prejudgeth not the truth in hand for it can expell grace meritoriously no further than the free constitution of God hath limited and so though it can and oft doth expell many degrees of Sanctification yet it cannot expell make null the grace of Regeneration or the Seed of God so no more can it expell or annul Justification because the good pleasure of God hath secured the one the other made them both unalterable By these particulars we see how the first doubt is removed out of the way we shall next speak to the Second which is concerning afflictions Punishments which are the fruits and deserts of sin and seem to be part of the curse or penalty threatned in the first Covenant To which we need not say much to show that notwithstanding hereof the State of Justification remains firme and unaltered These few things will suffice to cleare the truth 1. Though all affliction and suffering be the fruite consequent of the breach of the Covenant by Adam the head of mankind for if he had stood and the Covenant had not been violated there had been no Misery affliction Death or Suffering and though in all who are afflicted in this world there is sin to be found And though it cannot be instanced that God ever brought an afflicting or destroying stroke upon a Land or Nation but for the provocations of the People yet the Lord may some rimes afflict outwardly or inwardly or both a particular Person in some particular manner though not as provoled thereunto by that persons sin or without a special reference to their sin as the procuring Cause thereof as we see in Iob and as Christ's answer concerning the blinde man Ioh. 9 3. Neither hath this man sinned nor his parents that he was born blinde but that the works of God should be made manifest in him giveth ground to think 2. Though it doth oftner fall out that God doth afflict Punish and Châ—sten his people even because of their sinnes as well as other wicked persons yet the difference betwixt the two is great though the outward Camitie may be materially the same To the godly they flow from Love are designed for good are sanctified and made to do good they are covenanted mercies but nothing so to the wicked They are mercies to the one but curses to the other They speak out love to the one but hatred to the other They are blessed to the one but blasted cursed to the other They work together for good to the one but for evil to the other and all this notwithstanding that the outward affliction calamity that is on the godly may be double or treeble to that which is upon the wicked Yea there is mercy and love in the afflictions of the Godly when the prosperity of the wicked is cursed Whence we see that all these afflictions cannot endanger or dammage their Justified state 3. Though the Lord may be wroth smite in anger his own people chasten punish them in displeasure yet this wrath anger is but the wrath and anger of a Father and is consistent with fatherly Affection in God and therefore cannot be repugnant to a state of Sonshipe in them Prov. 3 11 12. Heb. 12 5-8 Psal. 89 30 33 34. Revel 3 19. 4. In all these afflictions that seem to smell most of the Curse and of the death threatned and are most inevitable such as death c. there is nothing of pure vinâ—ictive justice to be found in them when Justified persons are exercised with them for Christ did bear all that being made a curse for them and as to this the Lord caused all their iniquities to meet together upon him He drunk out the cup of Vindictive anger and left not one drop of the liquor of the Curse of the Law for any of his own to drink He alone did bear the weight of revenging justice and there is nothing of this in all that doth come upon beleevers So that the very sting of death is taken away the sting of all these Afflictions is sucked out and now they are changed into Mercies Blessings 1 Cor. 3 21 22. Therefore we must not think that they contribute the least mite unto that Satisfaction which justice required for sins Christ payed down to the full justice was fully satisfied with what he paid down nor must we think that God will exact a new satisfaction for sins or any part thereof of the hands of beleevers after he hath received a full satisfaction from the Mediator Christ did rest satisfied therewith The afflictions and Punishments then that the godly meet with being no parts of the Curse nor of that Satisfaction that justice requireth for sin nor flowing from vindictive justice but being rather fatherly chastisments mercies meanes of God can do no hurt unto their state of justification nor can any thing be hence inferred to the prejudice of that glorious state 5. But it is said Pardon and Justification is one thing and a man is no more Justified than he is Pardoned and Pardon is but the taking off of the obligation to punishment and consequently of punishment it self and seing punishment is not wholly taken off but there remaineth some part of the curse or of the evil threatned for sin and will remaine untill the resurrection it is cleare that pardon is not fully compleet not consequently Justification so long as we live But
not expresly say so and yet this he will not say seing he granteth that his obedience was an essential requisite absolutly necessary to the constitution of him our Priest and his Sacrifice propitiatory But we read of his being made under the Law to redeem these that were under the Law Gal. 4 4 5. and of his Righteousness obedience as necessary to our Righteousness justification and as having a no less direct influence into the same than Adam's offence disobedience had unto our death damnation Rom. 5 17 18 19. CHAP. II. Christ underwent the Curse of the Law MR. Goodwine tels us in his 14. Conclusion That the sentence or Curse of the Law was not properly executed upon Christ in his death But this death of Christ was a ground or consideration to God where upon to dispense with his Law to let fall or suspend the execution of the penalty or curse therein threatned Ans. 1 This is directly contrary to what the Apostle saith Gal. 3 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us for it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree It was the Curse of the Law that we were under were to be delivered from and this Christ hath delivered us from by coming in our stead bearing it for us yea bearing it so that he is said to have been made it being made a Curse for us which is a most emphatick expression to hold forth Christ's bearing the very penalty threatned in the Law which cursed every one that continued not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them vers 10. Deut. 27 26. If Christ underwent the Curse of the Law he sure did suffer the very sentence or punishment threatned in the Law for the Curse of the Law can import no other thing 2 If Christ did not bear the sentence or Curse of the Law how could he be said to have died or suffered in our place room or stead No man is said to suffer in the place stead of another who doth not suffer that same particular kind of punishment that the other is obnoxious to and is obliged to suffer 3 Why was Christ said to be made sin for us 2. Cor. 5 21. to bear our iniquities Esai 53 6. 1. Pet. 2 24. If he did not undergoe the very punishment that was due to us because of sin 4 This is to give away the cause in a great measure unto the Socinians who will not yeeld that Christ's death was any satisfaction to the justice or payment of our criminal debt or a suffering the punishment of sin due to us for if Christ did not suffer the curse sentence of the Law he did not suffer the punishment which the Law threatned and justice required he did not suffer any punishment at all if he suffered not our punishment or that which was due to us he did not stand in our Law-place to answere all the demands of justice according to what we were liable unto by the Law nor did he bear our sins in his own body on the cross 5 If Christ's death was a ground or consideration to God whereupon to dispense with his Law then it is apparent that the consideration of Christ's death was anterior to the dispensing with the Law whereas the contrary is rather true to wit that the Lord's dispensing with the Law was anteriour to his sending of Christ because the Law properly knowing no mediator and requiring none to suffer the penalty for another must first in order of nature be considered as dispensed with before Christ be substituted in the room of sinners to undergo what they deserved 6 If it was only a ground to God whereupon to let fall or suspend the execution of the penalty then it seemeth Christ's death was no full payment or Satisfaction for a full Satisfaction requireth more than a suspension of the execution of the punishment even a full delivery there-from Let us heare his reason Because saith he the threatning Curse of the Law was not at all bent or intended against the innocent or Righteous but against transgressours only Therefore God in inflicting death upon Christ being innocent and Righteous did not follow the purport or intent of the Lawâ—but in sparing forbearing the transgressours who according to the 〈◊〉 of the Law should have bin punished manifestly dispenseth with the Law and doth not execute it Ans. All this being granted yet it will not follow that the sentence Curse of the Law was not executed upon Christ in his death for notwithstanding of this dispensing with the Law as to the persons Yet was there no Relaxation of the Law as to the punishment threatned Though the Law did not require that the innocent should suffer Yet the Supream Lord Ruler dispensing with his own Law so far as to substitute an innocent person in the room place of sinners the Law required that that innocent person taking on that penalty and thereby making himself nocent as to the penalty should suffer the same that was threatned consequently bear the Curse threatned in the Law As saith he further for explication when Zaleucus the Locrian Law-giver caused one of his own eyes to be put out that one of his son's eyes might be spared who according both to the letter intent of the Law should have lost both he did not precisely execute the Law but gave a sufficient account or consideration why it should for that time be dispensed with Ans. This speaks not home to our case wherein we pay not the half nor no part of the penalty But Christ payeth the whole as substitute in our room If Zaleucus had substituted himself in the room of his son suffered both his own eyes to be put out though the Law had been dispensed with as to the persons yet the penalty of the loss of both eyes had been payed the same punishment which the Law required had been exacted And so it is in our case as is manifest Yet he granteth that in some sense Christ may be said to have suffered the penalty or Curse of the Law as 1. It was the Curse or penalty of the Law saith he as now hanging over the head of the world ready to be executed upon all men for sin that occasioned his sufferings Ans. If this were all all the beasts senseless creatures may be as well said to have suffered the penalty Curse of the Law consequently to have suffered for man to have born mans sin in order to his Redemption as Christ for the sin penalty of sin whereunto man was liable did occasion their suffering or being subjected to vanity Rom. 8 20 21. Thus our whole Redemption is subverted the cause yeelded unto the wicked Socinians for if this be so Christ had not our sins laid upon him he did not beare our sins
in his body on the tree he was not wounded for our transgressions the chastisement of our peace was not on him He was not made sin for us He was not our Cautioner High Priest He died not in our room stead Againe 2. saith he some what more properly Christ may be said to have suffered the Curse of the Law because the things which he suffered were of the same nature kinde at least in part with these things which God intended by the Curse of the Law Ans. Though this seemeth to come nigher to the truth than the former Yet it cannot give full satisfaction untill it be explained what that part is in respect of which only Christ's sufferings were of the same Nature kinde with what the Law threatned Let us hear therefore what followeth see if thence satisfaction can come But if by the Curse saith he of the Law we understand either that entire systeme historical body as it were of penalties evils which the Law itself intends in the terme or else include take-in the intent of the Law as touching the quality of the persons upon whom is was to be executed in neither of these senses did Christ suffer the Curse of the Law Ans. 1 This doth not explaine to us what that part is in which Christ sufferings are of the same Nature kind with what was intended by the Curse of the Law 2 There is need of explication here to make us understand what is that entire Systeme historical body of penalties evils which the Law itself intends in the terme Curse or death for this is but to explaine one dark thing by what is more dark so can give no Satisfaction 3 But if the alternative added be explicative so the two particulars here mentioned be one the same then we deny that that doth properly belong to the essence of the penalty as threatned in the Law that is every thing that necessarily attended the punishment as inflicted on man did not directly essentially belong thereunto as threatned by the Law such as the everlastingness of death despaire the like necessarily accompanying this punishment inflicted on sinners so that notwithstanding Christ did not neither could endure these accidental consequential evils Yet he both did might be said to suffer the Curse death threatned by the Law which is to be abstracted from what floweth not from the Law itself but meerly from the Nature of the subject or Condition of the sinner punished But it may be these words of his the intent of the Law as touching the quality of the persons upon whom it was to be executed have some other import that he meaneth hereby no more but this that the intent of the Law was that the sinner should suffer And indeed if so it was impossible that Christ's sufferings could answere the intent of the Law But we have said above that as to this the Law was dispensed with yet notwithstanding Christ the substitute Sufferer did suffer the same kinde of punishment that the Law threatned under the termes of Death Curse What he addeth Further can give no Satisfaction So that God saith he required the death sufferings of Christ not that the Law properly either in the letter or intention of it might be executed but on the contrary that it might not be executed I meane upon those who being otherwise ohnoxious unto it should beleeve Ans. Though it be true that God required the death sufferings of Christ not that the Law either in the letter or intention of it might be executed as to that wherein it was dispensed with Yet God required the death sufferings of Christ that the letter intent of the Law might be executed as to that wherein it was not dispensed with that is as to the punishment therein threatned And unless the Law as to this had been executed no man obnoxious to it should have escaped and that because of the Veracity of God yea because of his justice which he had determined to have Satisfied ere sinfull man should escape the punishment In the next place he tels us that God did not require the death sufferings of Christ as a valuable consideration where on to dispence with his Law towards those that beleeve more if so much in a way of Satisfaction to his justice than to his wisdom Ans. This savoureth rankly of Socinianisme It is not for us to make such comparisons as if God's Wisdom justice were not at full agreement and were not one The Scripture tels us that God set forth Iesus Christ t s be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his Righteousness for the remission of sins that are past To declare I say at this time his Righteousness that he might be just the justifier of him which beleeveth in Iesus Rom. 3 25 26. And so it is manifest that Satisfaction to justice was hereby intended And this is enough to us who know also that in the whole contrivance of the business the Infinite Wisdom of God is eminently relucent And Love not to make any such comparisons only we think that a Propitiation and Satisfaction the like termes used in Scripture in the expressing of this matter have a direct aspect bear a manifest relation unto justice and correspond diâ—ectly there with yea clearly enough inferre the same though there were no other mention made expresly of the justice of God in this matter What saith he next to prove this for doubtless God might saith he with as much justice as wisdom if not much more have passed by the er ansgression of his Law without consideration of satisfaction Ans. What God might have done by his absolute Soveraignity antecedent to his designe purpose as to the punishment or the reatus poenae which must not be extended to the reatus culpae is not to the question But now the Lord having declared his determination purpose to rule governe the world thus to have the glory of his relative justice manifested in the Salvation of lost man could not according to justice passe by transgressions without a satisfaction He adds No man will say that in case a man hath bin injured wronged that therefore he is absolutly bound in justice to seek satisfaction though he be never so eminent in the grace practice of justice but in many cases of injuries sustained a man may be bound in point of wisdom discretion to seek satisfaction in one kind or other Ans. This is the Socinian way of argueing nothing to the pointe for we are to look upon the Lord in this matter not as a private man who may dispense with injuries done him but as a Righteous Governour who is resolved to demonstrate his justice equitie and who therefore cannot suffer sin to go unpunished without a due satisfaction had for the violation of his Lawes
holy men how farther they advance in the truth please themselves the less therefore do more understand that they have need of Christ of his Righteousness given unto them wherefore they relinquish themselves and leane upon Christ alone This cometh not to passe because they become of a more base Law spirit Yea the further they advance in holiness they are of greater spirits see more clearly FINIS Arguments against Universal Redemption AS concerning the point of Universal Redemption we finde various sentiments or various explications of the matter given to us by Adversaries for they do not all agree in their apprehensions of the thing Some explaine the matter thus God sent his only begotten Son to be a Redeemer and Propitiator for Adam and all his Posterity who by his death did pacific an angry God and restore Mankinde to their lost inheritance so as all who are now condemned are not condemned for their former sins and guilt for Christ hath abundantly satisfied for these but for their Unbeleef for not beleeving in the Redeemer of the world and for rejecting the Reconciliation made the grace of God declared in the word And thus they must say that Christ hath died for all sinnes but Unbeleefe and that salvation doth not certainly follow upon this Reconciliation and so that it is rather a Reconciliableness than a Reconciliation and they must necessarily maintaine that this matter is revealed unto all and every son of Adam who otherwise cannot be guilty of Rejecting this reconciliation other wayes it shall be of no advantage to them unless they say that the want of the Revelation putteth them out of a capacity of being guilty of Unbeleefe and so they must necessarily be saved and thus their condition shall be undoubtedly better than is the condition of such as hear the Gospel and then the revelation of the Gospel shall be no Favour but a Prejudice rather And in reference to this they devise an Universal Antecedanious Love whereby God out of his Infinite Goodness was inclined to desire the happiness and salvation of every mothers son and therefore to send his Son to die for as if God had such Natural Necessary Inclinations and as if all his Love to Mankinde and every appointment of his concerning us were not the free act of his good pleasure and as if there were any such Antecedent Conditional will in God that could or might have no issue or accomplishment but as Lord Freewil would and as if the Love that sent Christ were only such a Poor Conditional Inclination towards all Mankinde which the Scripture holdeth forth as the greatest of Loves as the ground or all the Effects Grants which mans full Salvation calleth for But why could not this Love effectuat the good of all Therefore they tell us that Justice being injured by sin unless it were satisfied that Love of God whereby he wisheth well to all sinners could effectuat nothing as to the recovery of any upon this ground they imagine Christ was sent to make an Universal Atonement so Justice being satisfied might not obstruct the salvation of any whose Freewill would consent unto termes of new to be proposed Others hold forth the matter thus Christ according to the eternal Counsel of God did properly die for this end and by his propitiatory sacrifice obtaine that all and every man who beleeve in Him should for his sake actually obtaine Remission of sins Life Eternal but others in case they would Repent Beleeve might obtaine it But thus we hear no word of Christs obtaining any thing to any in particular no word of his obtaining Faith Repentance and what Counsel of God can this be to send Christ to die for persons upon that condition which he knew they would not could not performe And what by this meanes hath Christs Propitiatory Sacrifice obtained more than a meer possibility of salvation to either one or other Shall we imagine that God designeth good to persons who shall never enjoy it Or that God hath Conditional Intentions Designes By this means Christs death was designed and no person designed thereby to be saved yea Christ should be designed to die and that for no certain end unless to procure a meer possibility by stopping the mouth of justice that it should not stand in the way but then we can not say that God sent Christ to die for any man much less for all Others express the matter thus Christ out of the gracious Decree Purpose of God did undergoe death that he might procure obtaine Reconciliation with God for all sinners whatsomever without any difference before that God would open againe the door of salvation enter into a new Covenant of Grace with sinners But this Reconciliation hath no more force or import but that God might enter againe into a Covenant with sinners and so there is no Actual Reconciliation of sinners unto God And all that is obtained is for God nothing for man save a Possibility of Salvation by a new Covenant nor are we told whether Christ hath satisfied for the breach of the First Covenant so that that sin is fully pardoned unto all or not untill the condition of the second Covenant be performed nor are we told upon what account the sins against the second Covenant are pardoned Or if they be unpardonable Others explaine the matter thus Christ died for all and every man not only that God might without any violation of Justice enter into a new Covenant with sinners upon what condition he pleased but that it should be upon this Condition that man should be united with Christ the Cautioner and not only that Redemption Salvation should be possible to all but that really most certainly Salvation should be bestowed on such as Christ thought good But seing Christ knew that his death would profite none but these few whom he had designed to what purpose should he have laid downe his life for the rest And how can his death be a price of Redemption for the rest How can Christ be said to satisfie for the rest Did he purchase Faith to these few and would he not purchase Faith to the rest yet lay downe the great price for them What was the end obtained for the rest was it only a Possible Call of all Justice bein satisfied But of what import could that Possible Call be if Salvation was not also possible unto them And whereunto is that Call They will not say it is unto Salvation but to Faith But did not Christ know that this call would not be obeyed by them Did he procure Grace unto them to obey it then he procured Faith and if he procured Faith than he procured Salvation Againe if Justice be satisfied for these others why are they not liberat If they say the new Condition is not fulfilled Then it cannot be simply said that Christ satisfied Justice on their behalfe for
1. Cor. 15 3. Christ died for our sinnes 1. Pet. 2 24. who his owne self bear our sinnes in his own body on the tree by whose stripes we are healed How can we then imagine that all this was a meer may be seing he was so bruised for our iniquities so died for our sins so bear our sinnes in his own body as that thereby all in whose room he stood are healed by his stripes The Apostle doth moreover fully clear this matter Rom. 5 6. Christ died for the ungodly was this for all Or was it to have an uncertaine End effect No vers 9. much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him The ungodly and the sinners for whom he died are such as become justified by his blood shall at length be fully saved from wrath And againe vers 10. for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Upon his death followeth Reconciliation with God then Salvation and his death is for no more than his life is for By him also they receive an atonement vers 11. As the consequences effects of Adam's sin did Certainly and not by a may be redownd to all that he represented engadged for so the fruites effects of Christ's death do as certainly come unto such as are his as the Apostle cleareth in the following verses laying the advantage on the side of Christ his vers 15. much more the Grace of God and the gift by grace by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded unto many vers 16. but the free gift is of many offences unto justification vers 17. much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the Gift of Righteousness shall reigne in life by one Iesus Christ vers 18. even so by the Righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life vers 19. so by the obedience of one shall many be made Righteous vers 21. so might grace reigne through Righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord. Is all this a Common thing and a meer may be or Possibility Ioh. 10 11. he giveth his life for his sheep vers 15. But may they for all that perish No in no wise vers 28. and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish He came that they might have life and might have it more abundantly vers 10. To the same purpose he saith Ioh. 6 33. that he giveth life unto the world not such a life sure as may never quicken any Upon Christ's death doth the Apostle inferre Rom. 8 32. that the Elect shall have all things vers 33 34 35. that they are free from all Accusations or any Hazard therefrom being justified and having Christs Death Resurrection and Intercession to secure them at all hands thereupon they have assurance that nothing shall separate them from the love of God Act. 20 28. Christ hath purchased a Church with his own blood The whole world is not this Church nor is this purchase an uncertane may be And all this Real Certaine Effect of Christ's death was foretold by Daniel Chap. 9 24 to finish the transgresion and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting Righteousness c. And who can imagine that this is Universal or Uncertane If we will 7. Consider some other Ends of the death of Christ which the Scripture pointeth forth which are not to be found among Heathens or any except the few Chosen ones Ordained to life we shall see how unreasonable the Adversaries are Gal. 4 5. Christ died to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sones Was this end fruit left at an Uncertanty Shall we thinks that Christ might have died yet one man receive this Adoption Was this Adoption purchased upon an uncertain Condition Or was this purchased equally for all Then such as received it might have thanked their owne well natured Freewill upon that account But let us consider some other fruits Gal. 1 4. who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world So 1. Pet. 2 24. He bear our sins in his own body on the tree but for what end That we being dead to sin should live unto Righteousness Chap. 3 18. Christ suffered for sins the just for the unjust To what end and purpose To bring us to God Heb. 10 10. by the which will we are sanctified How came this to passe Through the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all So he suffered without the gate that he might sanctify the people Chap. 13 12. Revel 1 5 6. he loved us and washed us from our sins in his owne blood But was this all No it is added And hath made us Kings Priests unto God and his Father So Ch. 5 9 10. thou was â—tain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood and what more And hast made us unto our God Kings Priests c. So 2. Cor. 5 15. He died for all But for what end and purpose That they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose againe See Col. 1 22. These the like passages do clearly pointe forth a special end of Christ's Death which was designed both by the Father that sent him by himself and shall we suppose that this great chiefe designe was made to hang upon the lubrick uncertain will of man Shall Christ be beholden to mans good will for the purchase he made at so dear a rate If not why are not all these ends attained in all for whom he died Did Christ fail in laying down the Ransome Or doth not the Father keep condition Who can say either of these Then surely there can be no reason to say that Christ made an uncertain bargain purchased only a Possibility of these fruites which he knew not if ever he should attaine in any one Nor to say that he died for all Let us further 8. take notice That for whom Christ died he died to take away their sins And that so as they may be fully Pardoned never brought on reckoning againe that is that they be Remitted Pardoned and that the poor sinner may not suffer therefore This sure must be the import of that prayer forgive us our trespasses If then Christ by his death hath taken away sin and purged it away making satisfaction to justice therefore how can we think that justice can punish the sinner in hell fire for these same sinnes But let us see what the Scripture saith 1. Ioh. 3 5. he was manifested to take away our sins Ephes. 1 7. we have redemption in his blood what Redemption forgiveness of sins according to the riches of
also considerable 14. That no where in Scripture we finde it expresly said affirmed That Christ died for all men Far less finde we it said that Christ died for all and every man Why then is all this trouble made But they say as much as all that is said by consequence And this we deny if they will rationally presse this matter they should evince that such expressions as they make so much work about can be no otherwise understood than they suppose in the places where they stand and this they shall never be able to do Though it be said that Christ gave his life a Ransome for all yet no reason can evince that that is necessarily to be understood of all every man so nor can they conclude any thing rationally from the word world They may as well inferre from these words all and the world that Christ died for devils beasts sensless creatures as that he died for all every man for they are comprehended under these terms as well as Men And if they will restrict these termes to men because of other Scriptures why may not we restrick them also to the Elect because of the correspondence of other passages of Scripture They cannot deny us the liberty they take to themselves If they say that there is a vast difference betwixt Devils an Men in reference to such favours We deny it not but shall adde that in reference to spiritual favours amongst which we cannot but reckon with the good leave of our Adversaries the death of Christ being the fruit expression of the greatest Love of God to Man we finde also a great difference in Scripture Some are Loved some Hated Rom. 9 11 12. Some whom he Knoweth some whom he Knoweth not Ioh. 10 14. 13 18. Mat. 7 23. 2. Tim. 2 19. Some Chosen Ordained to life others not but to Wrath Act. 13 48. Rom. 8 30. 9 18. c. Ephes. 1 4. 1. Thes. 5 9. Some Sheep others Goats Mat. 25 32. Some on whom God hath Mercy others whom he Hardeneth Rom. 9. Some his Church others not Act. 20 28. Ephes. 5 25. Some of the World others not Ioh. 17 9 10. Some his Brethren others not Heb. 2 10 12 13. And as plainly read we that Christ died for his People Mas. 1 21. his Sheep Ioh. 10 11 12 14. his Church Act. 20 28. Ephes. 5 25. his Elect Rom. 8 32 34. and his Children Heb. 2 12 13. If we would consider aright 15. What Christ did undergoe suffer while he was made sin or was making satisfaction for sin we should hardly think it probable that Christ Jesus God-man who was the brightness of tho Fathers glory and the express image of his person Heb. 1 3. and thought it no robbery to be counted equal with God Phil. 2 6. Should have undergone what he did undergoe and that the Father should have laid all that upon him which he did lay upon him and that to purchase only a meer Possible Redemption from sin wrath whereby not one person should be saved or pardoned if so it had seemed good to captaine Free will Not to mention his condescending to be Born of a woman to be made under the Law Gal. 4 4. nor his being in the forme of a servant Phil. 2 7. nor his Poverty mean Condition in the world 2. Cor. 8 9. nor his Conflicting with the indignities of the world Psal. 22 6. Heb. 12 2 3. with the temptations of Satan Math. 4 1-12 Luk. 4 15. and his being under the infirmities common to the nature of man being in all things like us except sin Heb. 2 17. 4 15. Esai 52 13 14. Nay nor his sufferings in his Body Name Honour at death when he was betrayed by Iudas Mat. 27 4. forsaken by his disciples Math. 26 56. Scorned Reviled by the world Esai 53 2â— 3. Condemned as a malefactor by Pilat Tormented by his persecutors Mat. 27 26-50 Ioh. 19 34. Endured the Painful Shameful Cursed death of the crosse Phil. 2 8. Heb. 12 2. all which the like being endured by Him who was the Son of God could be no mean suffering nor undergone for an uncertain end or for the procureing of a meer Possible Uncertain good But that which we would most take notice of here is his Soul sufferings being persued by divine justice when that Zach. 13 7. was accomplished awake O sword against my shepheard against the Man that is my follow saith the Lord of hostes smite the shepheard and the sheep shall be scattered Mat. 26 31. and the Lord did bruise him and put him to griese Esai 53 5 10. and he began to be sorrowful even unto death Mat. 26 37 38. and was sore amazed and very heavy Mark. 14 34. and was put to offer up prayers and supplications with strong cryes and teares to him that was able to save him Heb. 5 7. when notwithstanding that an angel appeared unto him from heaven strengthening him yet being in an agony he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground Luk. 22 43 44. and at length was made to cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Psal. 22 1. Mat. 27 46. Mark 15 34. This was no mean business when the Rayes Irradiations of Divine Love were drawn-in withheld from him who had such a sharp sense of the happiness in the enjoying of God's favour because of the Personal union with the Godhead But that which is most of all to be considered is his being made a Curse Gal. 3 13. and so made to wrestle with the Justice and Wrath of a sin revenging God This was the gall and the worm wood that made him cry Ioh. 12 27. Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this hour Shall we suppose that all this was about an Uncertane Bargane Shall we think that he died the cursed death of the crosse and bore the weight of God's wrath Luk. 22 41. Mat. 27 46. and so became a sacrifice to satisfie divine justice Heb. 9 14 18 all to purchase a meer Possibility or a meer Possible Redemption Shall we think that the Second person of the Trinity should do suffer all these things for to redeem man when possibly if Freewill should be so ill natured not one man should reap any advantage thereby Me thinks the asserting of this should be a great temptation to cause people turne Socinians and deny all these soul sufferings of Christ his bearing the wrath of God making any satisfaction to justice Adde to this 16. That the Scriptures speak of Christ's Death Sufferings as being not for himself but for others and that not only for the good advantage of others and doubtless the advantage of all this should be but little if it were nothing else but a meer Possible Redemption which
such expressions in this matter that we finde no mention made of two fold Righteousness of a twofold Justification the one subordinat the other Principal in the Scriptures but all expressions in this matter framed designedly to abase man make all appear to be of free grace that he who glorieth may glory in the Lord. And as Self will be ready in this to make that which is called a Subordinat Righteousness a Prinpal Righteousness so it will have this faire plausible ground to do so to wit That upon our own Righteousness we are Immediatly accepted of God as Righteous especially when the Merits of Christ are made subservient unto our personal Righteousness as procuring the New covenant that therein our Personal Righteousness shall be accepted accounted perfect compleet though it be not so in it self we thereupon immediatly justified accepted of God as Righteous as they love to speak who assert these things 12. Though faith be indeed the mean of our justification that is the onely thing required of us in order to our Interest in Christ actual participation of the benefites of His Redemption of justification in the first place according to the Gospel methode Yet it is too favourable to proud Self to call it such a Condition as hath a far more dangerous Import That is 1. To call it a Condition withall deny that it is an instrumental Cause or that it is to be considered in the matter of justification as it laith hold on Christ His Righteousness 2. To say that the very act of faith or the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere is imputed for Righteousness that Paul is to be so understood Rom. 4. as speaking properly not metonymically 3. To say that this is the Righteousness which is imputed to us in order to justification not the Righteousness of Christ except as to its Effects in respect of some whereof Yea the chiefe only immediat it is equally Imputed to all Reprobat as well as Elect. 4. To say that this faith is our Gospel-Righteousness because a Righteousness is perfect adequate to the Rule of the New Covenant 5. To say that this faith hath the same place consideration consequently the same force efficacy in the New Covenant that perfect obedience had in the Old Covenant with Adam 6. To say that Christ hath purchased the New Covenant that this shall be the condition of persons partaking of the benefites thereo◠withall 7 To say that Christ hath died for all by his death made Satisfaction to justice for the breach of the Law so purchased freedom from the Curse of the Law to all equally at least conditionally whereby it is apparent that all are put in statu quo prius in the state they were once in that equally now have new conditions proposed unto them which if they performe they are righteous upon that performance are freed from the Curse made heirs of Glory and thus the New Covenant is of the same Nature kinde with the Old only its Conditions are a little altered made more easie their Performance of the condition must-have a 〈◊〉 with it at least ex pacto though not ex condigno as neither Adam's Perfect obedience could have had And the performers of this condition in this case may reflect upon their own deed lay their weight on it it being their Righteousness may plead upon it as their immediat ground of right before God unto justification Acceptance Let any man now consider these things see whether or not the asserting of faiths being such a condition as this be not a plaine gratification of proud Self the laing down a ground for vaine man to boast of glorying though not-before God yet before others And whether this be not an ascribing more to faith than is done by such as yeelding it to be a condition of the mean appointed of God required of us in order to justification say with all that it is to be considered not in it self nor as an act of our obedience but as an Instrument or mean laying hold upon the Righteousness of Christ without us that it may be ours our onely Righteousness where upon we may expert according to the Gospel justification absolution c. 13. It tendeth too much to blow up proud Self to say That if works of Obedience be not the Condition of our first justification yet they may be called the Condition of our Second justification or of the Continuance of our justification for as the Scripture speaketh nothing of a Second justification so to assert our works to be the Condition thereof is to crosse the argueings of the Apostle manifestly to lay a foundation of glorying for Man for if even Abraham had been justified by works a considerable time after he was first justified and first a beleever he should have had whereof to glory though not before God as saith the Apostle Rom. 4 2. And vers 3. he proveth that he was justified by faith that after he had been a beleever for that passage Abraham beleeved God it was imputed to him for righteousness was not spoken of at his first beleeving so cannot be properly meaned of his First justification onely but some yeers there after therefore must be true of his Second justification if there were any such Yea the just liveth by faith a passage that the Apostle useth as wee have seen to prove justification by faith both here in our Text Rom. 1 17. all alongs both first last so that the beginning continuance of this life of justification is by faith not by works 14. It is also dangerous to say That the work of the Law convining of sin with the Effects Consequences thereof Sorrow griefe Anxiety Legal Repentance c. are either Dispositions Preparations or Conditions of justification or Meritorious thereof by way of Congruity as if there were a certaine constituted connexion betwixt these the blessing of justification made by any Law or promise of God as if none could be justified that had not these sensible affecting Effects going before Sure the asserting of this cannot but contribute much to stirre up foster pride in Man give occasion to think that man himself hath done or suffered something that calleth for procureth in congruity at least meriteth justification CHAP. IV. Justification is so contrived in the Gospel as man may be abased have no ground of boasting THirdly we come to speak to the third thing mentioned above to wit That justification is so contrived begun carried on that man hath no real or apparent ground of glorying before men or of boasting in himself A few particulars will sufficiently cleare this I. The Lord 's ordinary usual Method in bringing His Chosen ones into a justified State is
them nor all of them do fully unfold the mystery And in it there is ground enough to suppose Christ to be a publick person a Representative as also for asserting of this Imputation because Beleevers being thus united unto Christ are made partakers of His righteousness of what He as Head Husband did suffered in their room place they thereupon are blessed with all the fruits effects thereof Fourthly His being called a Surety Heb. 7 22. doth also give ground confirmation unto this Imputation for as He who becometh Surety for another undertaketh to do or suffer what he for whom he is Surety was obliged to do or suffer As when Paul became Surety for Onesimus bound himself as such unto Philemon he would have Philemon requiring all that Onesimus was due to him at his hand reckoned upon his score he undertook to satisfie him for this debt or for what he could crave of Onesimus as we see Philem. vers 18 19. If he hath wronged thee or oweth thee ought put that upon mine account I Paul have written it with mine own hand I will repay it So what the cautioner doth or suffereth as such or according to his undertaking is reckoned upon the score of the Principul debtor as Paul's paying of what Onesimus imputed to was endue te Philemon was to be reckoned on the score of Onesimus him that he thereby might be freed from all pursuite of Law or action against him at the Instance of Philemon Wherefore as Christ becoming Surety for His Children saying to the Father Lo I come in the volumne of they book it is written of me I delight to do thy will ô God Psal. 40 7 8. Heb. 10. 7. did take upon Himself the debt of sinners engaged to pay all that is both to give perfect Obedience to the Law fulfill all Righteousness Mat. 3 15. as also to pay the penalty to make Satisfaction to Justice by becoming a Curse suffering Griefs Sorrowes Bruisings Mockings the cursed death of the Cross for all this He did willingly cheerfully I have said He a baptisme to be baptized with meaning His death how am I straitened or pained untill it be accomplished Luk. 12 50. He laid down His life that He might take it againe no man took His life from Him against His will but He laid it down of His own accord Ioh. 10 17 18. And as Christ did really actually performe all that He did undertake so that He said upon the Cross it is finished It must of necessity follow that all they for whom He became Surety undertook to do suffer what was laid upon Him must have that Imputed made over unto them they must be clothed with that rob of Righteousness which He did make for them must appear before the throne of justice clothed therewith Fiftly Christ's making proper full Satisfaction to the Father in the Name room of His people saith also That there is an Imputation of Christ's Righteousness unto them for whom He performed that Righteousness as His Satifaction must be for them So that if Imputation be denied Satisfaction also must be denied Hence the Socinians wickedly deny both indeed who ever deny the one must also deny the other or not speak consequentially for when one laith down a satisfactory price for another it must be reckoned upon the score of imputed to that other to the end he may be dealt with as if he had laid it down himself thereby be freed from what otherwayes he must have undergone if upon the account of that Satisfaction he be not so freed it cannot be called a Satisfaction for him When Christ laith dwon his life for His sheep His sheep must not dye perish for if they perish He did not die for them if they perish not because of His dying for them His death must be imputed to them upon the account of it they must be saved So that Christ's dying for His own is dying in their Room Person place Stead as the particle for manifestly importeth 2 Sam. 18 33. Gen. 44 33. Numb 3 12. Rom. 5 6 7. Hence His Ransome is expresly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2 6. Many moe arguments might be here adduced for confirmation of this Truth but I shall satisfy my self at present with these few plaine ones so proceed 8. This Mystery is also considerable here That both the justice of God the Mercy free Grace of God take place in this matter Socinians cry up the Mercy free Grace of God in the matter if justification but it is to this end that they may with more desperat confidence shut out the Justice of God so as it may have no place there therefore they deny all Satisfaction Redemption Atonement c. except what is meerly metaphorical because they cannot see how justice mercy both can with joint hands concurre to our justification But the Apostle better taught than they better acquainted with the mind of Christ in this Mystery than they are seeth no Inconsistency But rather declareth the sweet perfect harmony concurrence of these in this mystery telling us Rom. 3 24 25 26. That we are justified freely by His grace yet addeth through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His bloud to declare His righteonsness c. And againe to declare His righteousness that He might be just the justifier of him which beleeveth in Iesus Here is a free grace triumphing yet Justifice declared and manifested God declared to be just and His righteousness manifested yet sinners and beleevers justified freely by grace So Eph. 1 7 8. There is a Redemption through the price of bloud yet a free pardon of sinnes according to the riches of Gods grace wherein He hath abounded towards us in all wisdome prudence But if it be enquired wherein appeare to this mercy and freedom of grace in our justification seing there was a Satisfaction made to justice for all the sinnes of His peaple I answer 1 was it not an Act of wonderful free grace mercy that when the Lord might have executed the sentence of the Law upon us according to that threatning that day thou eats thou shalt die and so have made us sinners who transgressed the Law to die and suffer yet He would accept of a Satisfaction at the hands of a Surety Cautioner 2 Was it not Act of grace mercy to us that He himself would provide a Surety and put His name in our obligation so make Him sin for us who know no sin lay all our iniquities upon Him that He might bear the punishment due to us for the same See Ioh. 3 16. 3 Was it no Act of Soveraigne grace mercy that God should both provide
which we were lying under Except 4. Many sound able expositors are for this sense understanding nothing by this but our justification or righteous making by Him some placeing this justification in Remission of sins some ascribing it to the Sufferings of Christ. Ans. We â—ould also cite sound able expositors for our sense bring-in beside the general Verdict of such as write against Socinians Papists others also but this is not our present work 2. Justification Righteous-making are not one the same If we be made righteous by Him it must be by His Righteousness anâ— if we made righteous by His Righteousness it must be imputed to us 3 That justifiâ—ation is nothing but Remission of sins is not yet proved 4. We have heaâ—d Paul say That by the obedience of one i e Christ in opposition to the disobedience of Adam whereby all his posterity were made sinners many are made righteous Rom. 5 19. Ninthly 2 Cor. 5 21. For he hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him This is added as a confirmation and further explication of what was said vers 18 19. Concerning the reconciliation of a sinâ—ul world unto God in through Christ and of Gods imputing their Trespasses unto them As if he had said all our Salvation all the way how it is brought about is of God who in and through Christ reconcileth the sinfull world of His own chosen ones to Himself and Pardoneth their sinnes by laying them all on Christ making Him bear the guilt and punishment of all that the chosen ones might be made partakers of that Righteousness and have it imputed unto them as their sinnes were imputed unto Christ and so become the Righteousness of God in Him or by being in Him and united to Him This place is pregnant and full of proof so that the whole matter cannot be more clearly emphatically expressed than it is here hold forth Yet Mr. Goodwine laboureth to darken it with his Exceptions pag. 164. c. let us hear him Except 1. Here is nothing said touching any Imputation of our sins to Christ consequently here can be nothing to build a reciprocal Imputation of His righteousness unto us upon Ans. If that Expression of Gods making Christ to be sin who knew no sin that for us will not enforce an imputation of our sinnes to Christ it must be so only with such as will hold fast their opinion let Scripture speak what it will to the contrary for when it is said that Christ who knew no sin i. e. was guilty of no sin by committing of it in thought word or deed was yet made sin by God that for us what words can be imagined that shall more emphatically express this Imputation And the Greek commentators whom our adversary doth oft cite when he findeth it any thing to his advantage give the meaning to be That he was made a great sinner was handled as if he had been the worst of sinners even very wickedness it self And Esaias tels us Chap. 53 6. That the Lord laid all our iniquities on Him or caused them to meet in one upon Him And nothing can be alleiged against this except it be said the meaning is He was made an offering or Sacrifice for sin But this is so far from weakening the truth concerning the Imputation of our sinnes to Christ that it aboundantly confirmeth it for there was a real imputation of the guilt of the sinner upon the Sacrifie as is expresly said Lev. 16 21 22. And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat and confess over him all this iniquities of the Children of Israel all their trespasses in all their sinnes putting them upon the head of goat and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited And the people were to lay their hands on the head of the Sacrifice to signifie their rolling of their guilt over upon the expiatory Sacrifie Levit. 1 4. 3 2 8 13. 4 4 15 24 29 33. So that if Christ was made sin that is a Sacrifice for sin though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no where in the New Test. so taken it must needs be granted that guilt was transferred upon Him in order to His becoming a Sacrifice for sin justice could not exact upon Him if it had not been so He having been free of all sin and guilt in His own person Except 2. Some of the most judicious learned assistants of the way of this Imputation absolutely reject this equality or reciprocation of Imputation between the sinnes of beleevers unto Christ and the Righteousness of Christ unto them There is not the same force and power of our unrighteousness to make Christ unrighteous which is of His Righteousness to make beleevers righteous Therefore we are not made formally righteous by such an Imputation Ans. We willingly grant several differences beside what is mentioned yet this agreement correspondency which is all we seek is manifest That as Christ who knew no sin as to Himself was made sin or had the guilt of sin laid upon Him and was handled by justice as a sinner legally so we who have no righteousness of our owne have Christs Righteousness imputed to us and bestowed upon us and upon the account thereof are dealt with as legally righteous We do not speak of Christs obedience only but assert the Imputation of His Sufferings too Nor do we say that we are hereby made formally Righteous if the terme formally import inherently but that by the Imputation thereof to us we are accounted looked upon by God as Righteous formally in a legal sense and as such are accepted of God justified Except 3. There is not so much as the face or appearance in this place of any comparison between Christs being made sin for us our being made the Righteousness of God in Him but only the latter is affirmed as the end consequent or effect of the former Ans. Though the latter be a consequent of the former yet every word holdeth forth a comparison or correspondence Christ made sin we become Righteous Christ made sin or a sinner for us and we made Righteousness or Righteous in Him Christ knew no sin and yet was made sin we who were sinners land rebels standing in need of reconciliation as the preceeding words evidence as is undeniable are made Righteous Except 4. That the weight of that particle in Him should be by the Imputation of His active obedience unto us hath neither Instance or parellel expression in Scripture nor rule in Grammar nor figure in Rhetorick to make probable in the lowest or lightest degree Ans. We plead not solely for the Imputation of Christs active obedience as is said but for the Imputation of His whole Surety-righteousness And though these words in Him
may deny all the Satisfaction of Christ. Obj. 15. pag. 168. If the Righteousness of Christ be imputed to us then are we justified at least in part by the ceremonial Law because part of that Righteousness which Christ wrought stood in obedience to the ceremonial Law But this is not true Ergo c. Ans. We are not said to be justified either by the Moral or by the Ceremonial Law But by the righteousness of Christ which consisted in yeelding perfect obedience to the Law of God in answering all the demands of the Law in the behalf of His owne And so though the Law doth not justifie us because we are sinners yet neither can the Law now condemne us because Christ our Surety hath perfectly fulfilled it given full Satisfaction to the Law given for our violation thereof And in this matter the Ceremonial Law is not to be separated from the Moral it being but a branch or an Appendix thereof enjoined thereby for the Moral Law saith that God must be worshipped only that way which Himself hath prescribed that Ceremonial worship being the then Instituted worship of God whosoever knowing this did not worship God after that manner did violat the Second of the Moral Law which became not Him to do who came to fulfill all righteousness And thus the righteousness of obedience that is Imputed is Moral or righteousness consisting in obedience to the Moral Law And this is wholly imputed to all beleevers whether of Jewes or of Gentiles in reference to their own Redemption or delivery The objection which he frameth against himself viz. That the Moral Righteousness is Sufficient the other needeth not be imputed is none of ours as appeareth by what is said for we do not exclude the Ceremonial But reduce it to the Moral obedience to that being enjoined by this Obj. 16. Chap. 19. If the Righteousness of Christ be imputed to us then are our sinnes imputed to Christ the same manner But this is not so Ergo. The Minor he proveth thus If the sinnes of Men be imputed to Christ then God looks upon Him reputes Him in His Sufferings as one that truly really had provoked Him sinned against Him Ans. This consequence is denied for no such Reputation or Estimation followeth upon the Imputation which we assert as hath been already cleared only this will follow that Christ being through His own willing consent in our Law-place as our Surety having undertaken to pay our debt He was exacted upon dealt with by Justice as if He had been the true sinner though He knew no sin as Beleevers having Christ's righteousness imputed to them are dealt with as if they had kept the Law made Satisfaction by themselves But as God doth not look upon them nor esteem nor consider them nor repute them as having really fulfilled the Law in their own Physical persons so nor doth He look upon esteem consider or repute Christ to have been truely really a Transgressour of the Law in His person Hence we see that his proof that God did not look upon Christ so is impertinent for we do not say so knowing that to look upon Christ as one that had truely sinned were to look upon Him as deserving in Himself what was inflicted upon Him that God's judgment is alwayes according to truth that Christ knew no sin in Himself but was made sin as having the guilt of our sinnes imputed to Him when He put Himself in our room Law-place so He died Suffered for us in our stead became a Sacrifice for sin having the guilt thereof laid on Him Obj. 17. pag. 173. If the Righteousness of Christ be imputed unto us in our justification then God doth look upon us as worthy of that justification But this is an unclean saying Ergo. The Major he thus proveth If God reputes me to have kept the Law as perfectly as Christ did He must conceive of me as worthy of my justification for as the fulfilling of the Law deserving justification are the same Rom. 4 4. So the reputing of a man to have done the one is the reputing of him to have deserved the other The Minor he thus confirmeth Because then God should show us no grace or favour in our justification Rom. 4 4. with Rom. 11 6 But if any favour be shewed it is only in this that He reputeth us worthy to be justified or puts a worthiness upon us for justification whereas the Scripture expresly affirmeth that God justifieth the ungodly that is the unworthy Rom. 4 5. Ans. Unto all this I say 1. We say not that God imputeth to us the righteousness of Christ in justification But that He doth it in order to justification 2. Though Christ's Righteousness be imputed to us Yet it will not follow that God looketh upon us as worthy of our justification viz in ourselves it may be yeelded that He looketh on us when clothed with Christ's righteousness a worthy of justification viz in Christ our Surety 〈◊〉 with whose righteousness we are now covered when it is imputed unto us But then the conclusion will make nothing against us 3. If the meaning be that therefore God looketh upon us as worthy of justification in our selves the consequence is false the Reason adduced for confirmation is invalide for the Text Rom. 4 4. speaketh of him that worketh so hath the ground of the merite in himself he indeed that fulfilleth the Law in himself deserveth to be justified And let our Adversaries see to this who will have no Righteousness imputed but our own faith which is in us is our own is in their account as good as the fulfilling of the Law is accepted for that end for Sure such as have this faith which is in them reputed for their righteousness upon the account of which they are justified must have the reward reckoned to them not of grace but of debt so must merite deserve their justification in full proper sense 4. It is not to be admitted as a truth without the forementioned distinction to say that the reputing of a man to have done the one is the reputing of him to have deserved the other for to repute a man to have done the one in his own person is indeed a reputing of him to have deserved the other But we assert no such Reputation in God for His judgment is according to truth But only assert an Imputation which taketh away this Reputation these two being inconsistent from this Imputation can no such thing be inferred 5. It is true if we deserved justification justification should be no act grace but we deserve no such thing being in our selves as to ourselves indeed ungodly yet when justified we are looked upon as clothed with the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us received by faith so though our justification be merited by Christ be an Act
or Delegate The 4. is but a consequent of this and consequently saith he to repute a double formal Righteousness to result from the said habites acts passions one to Christ as the Natural Subject Agent another to us as the Moral Political or reputed Subject agent so His formal Righteousnese not to be imputed to us in it self as ours but another to result from the same matter This is too Philosophical for me to owne or follow The 5 is or else that we are reputed both the agents Subjects of the matter of His Righteousness morally also of the formal Righteousness of Christ himself All these are but the effuvia of a braine floteing swimeing in ill digested Philosophical Notions School dregs contribute nothing to the clearing of Gospel-Truth which hath little or rather no affinity with aery Philosophical Notions but tende manifestly to the darkening of the same But now when all these Philosophical Notions Relations are at an end we can proceed no further where is that Imputation which is legal plaine to every ordinary Man viz whereby the Satisfaction made to a judge Governour for a crime committed by the delinquen'ts friend or that payment Satisfaction made to the creditor for the debtor by a friend Interposing is in Law-sense accounted the delinquent's debtor's he as really effectually delivevered out of prison therefore as if he had made Satisfaction in his own proper person or had paid the summe out if his own Substance If any Philosopher after Mr. Baxter's manner here should with such Philosophical Whimseyes I call them so for they are no other in this case laboure to disprove any such Imputation say it must be in one of those five senses c. would not any countrey man smille at this But now let us see Mr. Baxter's sixt sense wherein he granteth the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness Or else saith he by Imputation is meant here that Christ being truely reputed to have taken on the Nature of sinful Man become an Head for all true Beleevers in that undertaken Nature office in the person of a Mediator to have fulfilled all the Law imposed upon him by perfect Holiness obedience offering himself on the cross a sacrifice for our sins voluntarily suffering in our stead as if He had been a sinner guilty of all our sins as soon as we beleeve we are pardoned Iustified Adopted for the sake Merites of this Holiness obedience Penal Satisfaction of Christ with as full demonstration of divine Iustice at least more full Demonstration of His wisdom Mercy than if we had suffered our selves what our sinnes deserved that is been damned or had never sinned And so Righteousness is imputed to us that is we are accounted or reputed Righteous not in relation to the Precept that is innocent or sinless but in relation to the Retribution that is such as have right to impunity Life because Christ's foresaid perfect Holiness Obedience Satisfaction meritedour pardon Adoption and the Spirit or merited the New Covenant by which as an Instrument Pardon justification Adoption are given to Beleevers and the Spirit to be given to Sanctifie them and when we beleeve we are justly reputed such as have right to all these purchased gifts As to this I shall only note a few things 1. Christ's fulfilling of the Law imposed on Him doth not hinder but that He paid our debt so came in our Law-place substitute Himself in our room to do what we should have done to suffer what we should have suffered according to the Law in all the essentials Substantials of that punishment for had He not done this He could not be said to have suffered in our stead for he only suffereth in the room stead of another who suffereth what that other should have suffered If one be condemned to suffer death another that suffereth only Imprisonment for his delivery cannot be said to suffer in this stead but onely for his cause good as the Socinians say Christ suffered for us 2. Christ not only suffered in our stead as if he had been a sinner guilty but as sinner legally juridically guilty having sins imputed to Him though He was most free of all sin inherently and knew it not the reason is manifest for otherwayes Divine justice should not have shined forth in His sufferings it being no Demonstration of justice to punish one who neither inherently nor Imputatively legally is or can be accounted reputed a sinner 3. Wee cannot with right be reputed Righteous except we be either inherently righteous or righteous by Imputation so legally juridically in Law-sense righteous by vertue of the Imputation of the Surety-righteousness of Christ our Sponsor 4. Righteousness must properly respect the Commands Prohibitions of the Law but secondarily the Retribution if not most Improperly as unrighteousness is in reference to the Law as commanding or forbidding very improperly attributed to any in reference to the punishment threatned And therefore if we be accounted Righteousness it must be in relation to the precept at least in the first place Nor can we be accounted Righteous in reference to the Retribution that is have a Right to Impunity life in the sight of God who judgeth reputeth according to equity right unless we be first accounted Righteous in reference to the precept for this is the only just legal foundation of the other 5. Upon this it doth not follow that we are Innocent or sinless inherently far less that we never transgressed but on the contrary it clearly saith that we were sinners but now are legally or juridically innocent sinless by the Imputation of the side jussorie Righteousness of Christ therefore are not obnoxious to the penalty or to punishment but have right to Impunity life 6. When he speaketh of what Christ merited he expresseth himself dubiously not being positively clear whether Christ merited our pardon c. or the New Covenant the disjunctive particle Or saith He did not merite both in his judgment but before we heard him plainly affirming that Christ merited the New Covenant consequently He did not purchase pardon Adoption the Spirit to any immediatly but only mediatly in purchasing the Covenant which promiseth these to such as performe the Conditions thereof 7. By this way Beleevers are repute such as have right to all these purchased gifts not immediatly by vertue of Christ's Merites righteousness imputed to them bestowed upon them but by vertue of their being inherently Righteous with that Gospel-righteousness faith which is the potestative Condition of the Covenant is now imputed to them accounted their Righteousness according to his judgment Speaking afterward pag. 55. of Christ as an Head Root he tels us that He was no Natural Root or Head which is undeniable Yet He
to be Ans. Christ could not be made a Sacrific for sin till He had the guilt of sin laid upon Him by Imputation as the Sacrifices of old had typically His being reputed such handled as such by man is of no consideration here And by God He could not be used as a sinner or as sinners are deserve to be unless our sins had been first caused to meet upon Him imputed to Him to the end He might properly be said to Suffer become a Sacrifice for sin We say with him n. 23. that God did not suppose or repute Christ to have committed all or any of the sins which we all committed Nor to have had all the wickedness in His Nature which was in ours nor to have deserved what we did deserve nor did in this proper sense impute our sins to Christ. For indeed this had not been in a prope sense to impute our sins to Him but plainly to confound His Physical person with ours to speak thus I should account to be horrid blasphemy Yet it may be must be said that Christ being made sin for us made to suffer for sin in the room of sinners had their sins laid upon Him so was a sinner not Inherently but legally by Imputation that is had the guilt of our sins in order to punishment imputed to Him He put to suffer for that guilt or because a sinner by Imputation And when the Scripture saith that God made Christ sin for us 2 Cor. 5 21. Laid on Him the iniquity of us all Esai 55 6. It is as emphatick to me more as to say God did impute our sin to Christ which he some-way excepteth against n. 23. pag. 57. He addeth n. 26. pag. 58. Though Christ suffered in our stead and in a large sence to certaine uses and in some respects as the Representer or in the persons of Sinners yet did He not so far represent their persons in His habitual Holiness and actual obedience no not in the obedience of His Suffering as He did in the Suffering it self He obeyed not in the person of a sinner much less of millions of sinners which were to say in the person of sinners he never sinned He suffered to save us from suffering but He obeyed not to save us from obeying but to bring us to obedience yet His perfection of obedience had this end that perfect obedience might not be necessary in us to our justification and Salvation Ans. Seing Christ was appointed Mediator Sponsor to take on mans debt and come in his Law-place what reason can be given why He should not as well be said to represent them in the paying of the one part of that debt as in the paying of the other We were under the Law and obliged to performe perfect obedience in order to the obtaining of the reward promised and because of sin we were under the Curse Now when the Surety come to pay our whole debt He did as much and as well represent us in paying of and in performing obedience as in Suffering And why may we not say that He obeyed in the juridical and Law person of a sinner as well as that He suffered Though I should not use such improper and unusual expressions as Mr. Baxter here doth yet I must tell him That Christ's obeying in the person of a sinner saith no more than that He being the person representing sinners His obeying was and is repute in Law-sense their obeying He Suffered it is true to save us from suffering of the Curse of the Law But Mr. Baxter will not say that He suffered to save us from all Suffering He obeyed it is true to bring us to obedience as He died also for that end that we might haue the Sanctifying Spirit bestowed upon us yet notwithstanding He obeyed to save us from obeying viz. after that manner that we were obliged to obey under the old Covenant that is to obey perfectly or never enjoy the crown and to obey for that end that we might enjoy the crown as the legal reward of and due debt for our labour And seing Mr. Baxter granteth in the following words that Christ's perfect obedience had this end that perfect obedience might not be necessary in us to our justification why may he not say that to certaine uses and in some respects Christ obeyed to save us from obeying Or why will he not say that He obeyed for us that we who could not obey of our selves might be repute to have obeyed perfectly in Him This is all we desire He saith next n. 27. It was not we our selves who did perfectly obey or were perfectly holy or suffered for sin in the person of Christ or by Him nor did me naturally or morally merite our own Salvation by obeying in Christ nor did we satisfie God's justice for our sins nor purchase pardon or Salvation to ourselves by our suffering in and by Christ. Ans. However Christ doing all this for us as our Sponsor and Surety we are so taken-in in a Law-sense that the same is imputed unto us and we enjoy the fruits thereof pardon and Salvation no less than if we had done and suffered all in our own physical persons As to what he saith n. 29 30. it is nothing to the purpose and therefore I shall not set down his words for we are not here speaking of Relations and Accidents physically or metaphysicall rather considered which cannot pass from one Subject to another nor do we speak of Christ while speaking of the Imputation of His Righteousness physically considered but politically legally as a Sponsor and Surety some way representing us I assent to him that the meaning of this Imputation is not That we ourselves in person truely had the habites which Christ had and did all that Christ did and suffered all that he suffered as by an Instrument or legal Representer of our persons in all this meaning that we in our physical persons should have done all this by Him as our physical Instrument But why He addeth here or legal Representer unless he meane thereby that which elsewhere he hath expressed to be as our delegat or Servant I know not And however it seemeth not to me appositely here annexed if ingenuous and plaine dealing be designed But there is another sense in which he will yeeld to Imputation he thinks there cannot be a third Let us hear what this other sense is That Christ's Satisfaction saith he Righteousness and the Habites Acts Sufferings in which it lay are imputed to us made ours not rigidly in the very thing it self but in the effects and benefites Ans. But if he shall yeeld to no other Imputation than this he shall grant no Imputation for that Imputation as to effects is no Imputation at all unless the meritorious cause be imputed in order to the receiving of these Effects there is nothing imputed for they Effects are never said to be imputed There
the Surety debtor are but one party in Law therefore say the Iurists fidejussor proprie dicitur debitor Christ by His Suretyship did not only take out Natures upon Him but He took our condition upon Him He put His name in our Bond that the Law migt reach Him for our debt 4. It imports a Communion betwixt the debtor the Cautioner whereby as the debt of the Principal debtor becometh the debt of the Surety affecteth him so also the Satisfaction Payment of the Surety his Discharge Reliefe becometh the Satisfaction Discharge Reliefe of the principal Debtor Christ's Suretiship imports not only an Union of Parties Conjunction of interests Condition with His People but also a Communion with Debtful broken Man resulting from His Bond of Suretiship whereby as upon the one part our Debt becometh His intirely as the jurists say of all Sureties Singuli in solidum tenenter so upon the other part His Satisfaction Discharge become ours 2. Cor. 5. last Gal. 3 13. 5. It imports a Commutation Surrogation or Substituting of one in the room of another soo Christ was substitute in our stead room as Iudah was in Benjamin's 1. Pet. 2 21. Rom. 4. last 5 8. Gen. 44 33. So pag. 381. His Assert 5. is Christ the Surety broken man the Debtor are one in Law but not intrinsecally one Esai 1. They are legally one or in the Lawes sense one because by a legal Substitution surrogation Christ having put His name in the Beleevers Bond by the Law He is in his place the beleever is put in Christ's law-place so that by a legal act the Surety 〈◊〉 the broken man therefore Christ being made Surety saith I am the broken man all my friends debts be upon me my life for their life my soul for their souls Gal. 4 4 5. Ioh. 1â— 8. Gen. 44 v. 3. Asserts Neither the creditor nor the Law can exact Satisfaction from both the Surety the Debtor but the Surety having paid all Satisfied the broken debtor can say I have paid all I am free he may plead my friend Surety hath done all for me that is as good in fore in the court of justice as if I had paid all in mine own Person Gal. 3 13. Rom. 4 last 1. Pet. 2 24. The debt that Christ paid is our very debt the beleever can say when Christ my Surety was judged Crucified for my sins then was I judged what would you have more of a man than his life Esai 53 6 7 8. So thereafter pag. 422. he saith Among men usually Sureties Debtors enter into one the same Bond with the Creditor but here Christ's single bond lyeth for all Psal. 89 19. here Christ our Surety hath changed Bonds obligations with us putteth out our name putteth in His own in the bloudy Bond of the Law that the Debt Satisfaction Curse may be upon Him alone Gal. 3 13. Esai 53 5. â— Among men the Creditor hath it in his choice which of the two he will seize upon the Surety or the debtor as he seeth it best for his Satisfaction but it is not so here for the Lord the Creditor hath declared that He will take Him to Christ for all hath Determined that all the Satisfaction shall be made by Him and Christ the Surety is content that it shall be so and that the poor broken Creature shall go free and no execution of the bloudy Bond of the Law shall passe against him he being a bankrupt creature which hath obtained a liberation as where there is cessio bonorum Psal 89 19. Heb. 10 7. Rom. 8 1. Esai 53 6. 3. Among men usually the Principal Debtor is first conveened for the debt before the Surety be pursued But it is not so here the curse of the Law and the execution of the bond thereof doth not first strick upon us and then afterward upon Christ to seek from Him what it cannot finde in us But the Lord the Creditor having astricked Himself to the Cautioner the Law stricks first upon Him and can never come to strike against the Beleever unless it should not finde compleet Satisfaction in our Surety which is Impossible Esai 53 8. Gal. 3 13. 4. Among men the debtor is the Principal Bondsman and his obligation and Bond is the Principal obligation the Sureties obligation is but an accession to it for strengthening the Security but here the Surety is the Principal debtor and by His Bond of Suretiship He hath changed the Nature of the Beleevers Bond and Obligation and put His own name in it so as He is become the Principal Debtor His Suretiship hath swallowed up the Debtor's Obligation to satisfie justice the Surety being the Head and Husband of the poor broken Debtor Rom. 7 4. and having changed the Bond of Satisfaction and put out our Name and put in His own whereby He hath transferred the debt upon Himself as Principal Debtor Heb. 10 7. 9. Among men usually the broken Debtor's Name stands still in the Bond even after the responsal Surety hath interveened But here Jesus the Surety of the New Covenant when He put in His own name He puts out our names that the Law might reach Him and might not at all reach us He wrote Himself the sinner legally and wrote us Righteous persons 2 Cor. 5 21. Ier. 50 20. CHAP. XV. Mr. Baxter's Answers to some of our Argum. for Imputation examined MR. Baxter in his book against D. Tully proposeth some Objections that he may make answere unto them according to his own Grounds Though some things here repeated in his answers have been already considered by us yet we shall examine briefly his answers as here given His answere to the first Objection hath been examined in the foregoing Chapt. The 2. is this Christ is called tht Lord our Righteousness He is made Righteousness to us we are made the Righteousness of God in Him 2 Cor. 5 21. by the Obedience of one many are made Righteous He answereth to this 〈◊〉 And are we not all agreed of all this But can His Righteousness be ours no way but by the foresaid personating Râ—presentation Ans And will not Socinians who overturn all the foundations or Christianity and ought not be called or accounted Christians say the same as to the Scripture-expressions are we therefore agreed with them in judgment or is there no difference betwixt us His not agreement in the words but in the sense of Scripture that maketh a true agreement 2. Christ's Righteousness may be and is Ours another way than by that Personating and Representating which he stated as the butt of his arguments another way also than he proposeth as his own judgment as we saw He rels us next how Christ is our Righteousness how His obedience maketh us Righteous in his judgement in 8 or 9 particulars 1. Because the very
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
for his Right to Impunity and life it is no Righteousness beside I hope he will not say that that is given before justification of a Righteousness preceeding in order of Nature at least justification we are speaking enquireing after it What he answereth to this Objection in the first place because it only concerneth Papistes their Misapprehensions in the matter I passe But 2. he saith If any of them do as you say no wonder if they you contend If one say we are Innocent or sinless in reality the other we are so by Imputation when we are so no way at all but sinners really so reputed Ans. If by Innocent or sinless he mean such as never sinned never Man Protestant or Papist dreamed of such a thing If by these termes he meane such are now not guilty legally of the charge brought in against them this we acknowledge and must acknowledge or we know not how any shall ever be justified for God will not pronounce sinners as such really and legally to be righteous His judgment being according to truth therefore because we have no righteousness within us whereupon we can be pronounced not guilty we must have a Righteousness imputed to us even the Surety-righteousness of Christ. But Mr. Baxter it seemeth will not understand what this legal non-guiltiness is yet in matters among men it is very clear and manifest If Paul had fully Satisfied according as he undertook Philemon for the wrongs and injuries done him by Onesimus If Onesimus had been convented before a judge for these same crimes and Injuries had produced the Satisfaction made by his Surety Paul accepted by the creditor Philemon would not the judge have had ground in Law equity to pronounce Onesimus not guilty therefore not to be punished according as was libelled against him And yet though Onesimus had been pronounced Innocent that is not-guilty as to Crimes and Injuries alleiged against him in this case in a legal sense it would not follow that he had never committed these wrongs nor had the evincing of that been necessary to his Absolution and justification His Legal Innocency or Righteousness by vertue of the Satisfaction made by his Surety now judicially accounted reputed his being Sufficient These things are plaine to such as will but open their eyes but all the world cannot make them plaine to such as will understand nothing but what is cast into Aristotelian Metaphysical Mould Were it not lost laboure for any to enquire what is the Matter Forme of this legal Righteousness of Onesimus Whereof is it constitute How came Paul's righteousness to be his and so one accident to go from subject to subject whether was Paul's satisfaction the Efficient or Constitutive cause of Onesimus his Innocency or non-guiltiness and the like The 5. Object is How can God accept him as just who is really reputedly a sinner This dishonoureth His Holiness and Justice To this he saith Not so cannot God pardon sin upon a valuable Merite Satisfaction of a Mediator though He judge us not perfect now accept us not as such Yet 1. Now he judgeth us holy 2. And the members of a perfect Saviour 3. And will make us perfect and spotless and then so judge us having washed us from our sins in the bloud of the Lamb. Ans. All this giveth no satisfaction to the objection for the objection speaketh of acceptance in Justification consequently of that acceptation that preceedeth Sanctification 2. It is true God can doth pardon sins but meer pardon of sins is not justification the person must be accepted as righteous and yet by Mr. Baxter's way the man hath no righteousness to ground such a judgment and acceptation and God's judgment being alwayes according to truth the justified man must be righteous that he may be accounted accepted as Righteous in Justification Therefore either Mr. Baxter must grant that he is Righteous through the Imputed Righteousness of Christ or that he is Righteous inherently by his faith or by his fulfilling of the Conditions of the New Covenant for there is not a third or that he is prononnced Righteous without a Righteousness The 6. object Thus you make the Reatus culpae not pardoned at all but only the Reatus poenae To this he saith 1. If by Reatus culprae be meaned the Relation of a sinner as he is revera peccator so to be reus is to be revera ipse qui peccavit then we must consider what you meane by Pardon for if you mean the nullifying of such a guilt or Reality it is impossible because necessitate existentiae he that hath once sinned will be still the person that sinned while he is a person the relation of one that sinned will cleave to him It will eternally be a true proposition Peter Paul did sin But if by pardon you mean the pardoning of all the penalty which for that sin is due damni vel sensus so it is pardoned this is indeed the Reatus poenae not only the penalty but the dueness of that penalty or the obligation to it is remitted and nullified Ans. The nullifying of the Reatus culpa physically or metaphysically is indeed Impossible for it will be alwayes true that such such persons did sinne but this Reatus culpae may and must be nullified legally and juridically otherwise never shall man be justified for in justification this Reatus culpae is declared to be taken away for the man is declared non reus accepted as not-guilty or Righteous not physically or Metaphyâ—ically but legally a man must be legally Righteous before he be justified according to equity he cannot be legally Righteous as long as the Reatus culpae doth legally remaine for a man legally guilty is not legally Righteous Now Mr. Baxter must yeeld to this or he shall destroy his own ground and take away all pardon as well as justification for as it will be eternally true that Peter Paul did sinne so were rei culpae so it will be eternally true that punishment was due unto them that is they were rei poenae therefore if because it will be eternally true that Peter Paul sinned therefore the Reatus culpae cannot be annulled so because it will be eternally true that Peter Paul were obnoxious liable to punishment therefore also the Reatus poenae cannot be annulled But the truth lyeth here that though neither the Reatus culpae nor poenae can be annulled physically or metaphysically that is so taken away as if they never had been yet both are taken away legally juridically and a pardoned man is legally and juridically non puniendus thus the Reatus poenae is taken away and a justified man is legally and juridically not-guilty of the offence charged against him thus the Reatus culpae is taken away As it is inconsistent with pardon to say that
for us according to any obligation that ever fell upon our persons How proveth he this For 1. saith he we were never personally bound to perfect personal perpetual Obedience as the Condition of life for that Covenant as to the promise condition ceased before any man was born Ans. That Covenant I grant ceased to be the way to life as it was to Adam at first because it became a thing impossible yet as Adam fell under the Curse of that broken Covenant so did all his posterity fall with him in him hence when his posterity come to be existent persons they are Children of wrath are under the Curse of that Covenant and all their Actions afterward committed are further sins violations of that Covenant for we may not think that Adam after his first sin was not in case to violat that Covenant any more And though before any man was born the new Covenant or Gospel was promulgat yet notwithstanding thereof all men were born under the Curse of the first Covenant and were never delivered from under that untill they closed with the termes of the second Covenant or Covenant of Grace But he saith 2. All the duty in the world which we are bound unto is to be done for Euangelical ends for recovery grace unto gratitude Ans. And was not Adam before the fall also bound unto gratitude But he possibly meaneth gratitude for Redemption yet he hath proved that all the world Heathens I meane such as never heard of the Gospel are obliged to Gratitude upon the account of Redemption or that all that is required of them is to be done for Gospel ends But in all this I am little concerned who see no necessity of restricking Christ's obedience so 8. He saith That we see not that our own answere implieth the truth of what he and others assert and is the same which they give but our cause is uncapable of What then saith he his We say saith he that Christ did indeed most perfectly obey the Law of Innocency so far for us in our stead though not in our persons as doing that which we should have done did not hath merited for us a better Covenant which obligeth us not at all to obey for the ends of the first Covenant viz. that our perfection might be our Righteousness or the Condition of life but only to obey for the ends of the New Covenant for the obtaining improving of recovering grace Salvation by Christ freely given us which we ourselves must do or perish Ans. 1 If Christ obeyed for us and in our stead I see not why he may not be said to do it as our Surety and so in our Law-person seing according to our Common discourse the Surety Principal debtor are one person in Law But about ambiguous termes we need not debate It is of greater moment to differ as to this that he thinketh the us comprâ—hendeth all persons Elect Reprobat 2 That Christ did merite the New Covenant is no where said in Scripturâ— yet this is all that Mr. Baxter here mentioneth as merited by Him 3 I think he is as much concerned as we are to loose his own difficulties formerly proposed for 1. How can He be said to have fulfilled all the Law for us that did not fulfill it to all due ends 2. Can the Law require more than absolute perfection 3. Was not absolute perfection in Christ's holy Obedience 4. Is not gratitude an end required in the Law of Innocency 5. If Christ fulfilled only the Law of Innocency did he not fulfill the Law for Adam Eve only or for us as in them c. Let him answere these himself and he shall help us Next n. 190. he bringeth some in saying That we may as wel say that man must not die because Christ died for us as not obey because Christ obeyed for us then tels us that we strangely use their reason against ourselves know it not But what if this be his mistake Let us hear his reason For we say saith he that we must die because we did not perfectly either obey the Law or suffer all its penalty by Christ as our legal person but he suffered only to satisfie justico in tantum to this end that man himself suffering death temporal afflictions obeying the Law of grace might be saved from all the rest of the punishment But if we had so fulfilled the Law as afore said by doing or suffering we could not have died or suffered the least affliction as a penalty for all punishment in the essence of the relation is for sin Ans. Though I had rather say That Christ Suffered Obeyed for His own in their stead as their Surety willingly undertaking the debt that they were under than that we Suffered Obeyed in Him yet it may be they who speak so are far from that meaning that Mr. Baxter putteth on their words when they call Christ our legal person they mean no more than that he was a Surety or a publick Person 2 Though he suffered not to deliver His own from temporal death yeth he did bear the Curse satisfied Vindictive justice and left nothing of that for them to suffer what chastisements they meet with yea death it self is made to work together for their good He bringeth them in againe n. 190. saying It is more Inconvenient to say that Christ was perfect in our person than that He satisfied in our peâ—son we by Him And here possibly the same mistake is but continued But as he taketh it up he thinketh that hereby the Gospel is subverted Ans. The whole dependeth upon the Explication of these words in our person Mr. Baxter thinketh that these words in our person in a Law sense import that we payed all in Christ as a man payeth a Summe of Money by his servant whom he sendeth to carry it or some such thing And if this be not their meaning who use this expression all this outcry is to no purpose and is only a fighting against his own imagination a meer striving about words yet he granteth that we may fitly say that Christ suffered in the person of a sinner but he bids us mark the sense saying 1. Suffering as penal belongeth to a sinner as such but Satisfaction is an effect of Christ's Suffering which resulteth not from the meer suffering nor from the person of a sinner but from the will Covenant of God made to that excellent person who was God perfect man Well what next 2. Note 2. saith he that it is not any other mans person that we mean that Christ suffered in but His own Ans. And no man ever dreamed that He either did or could suffer in any other man's physical person But seing He was made sin for us so died in our room stead why may He not be said to have died in our Law-person If a
his sin to us 3 Thus we see by asserting the cause viz. our relation to Christ he taketh away the effect viz. the Imputation of His Righteousness as being no distinct thing as if one should say we are related to Adam a sinful Head who broke the Law for us this is called Adam's sin imputed to us as being thus far reputed ours But yet Christ's fulfilling all Righteousness for us if that for us were understood in the Scripture sense and not according to the Socinian or Arminian gloss would abundantly ground the Imputation we plead for and that as a fruit of our Relation to Christ. Passing what he saith 8 as not worth the noticeing We come to see what he saith 9. lastly Proposing this objection to himself if Christ's person be given us then His personal Righteousness is given us with it He replieth thus Yes as His person is He is not given us as proprietors Lords to become our own at our dispose nor is his person made one Person with each or any of us His person is not turned into ours nor ours into his Ans. This is all to no purpose for no man in his wits either said so or dreamed so at any time As the husband saith he is not the person of the wife nor the King of each Subject but as one that hath a Great wise learned Bountiful Holy King or Husband hath also his Greatness c. as they have him that is as his perfections for their good as far as his relation bindes him but not as if his enduements were removed from him to them or falsely reputed to be in them or his person to be their persons so here as we have a Christ so we have a perfect Righteous Christ given us to be our federal head when we beleeve and the Righteousness which is not in us but in Him is ours so far as to be for our good as far as His office Covenant do oblige Him Ans. This savoureth of making Christ's dying for us to be nothing else than His dying for our good as Socinians say and if it import more as it doth in truth he cannot but see that his simile here hath nothing of a similitude in it for the objection speaketh of Christ's person given to us not as a great wise c. King is given to his Subjects but as the Surety is given to the debtor i.e. as one whose payment of the debt must be reckoned on the score of the debtor in order to his liberation out of prison He addeth So that a Righteous Christ and therefore the Righteousness of Christ are ours relatively themselves quoad jus beneficii so as that we have right to these benefites by them which we shall possess and for the merites of His Righteousness we are conditionally justified and saved before we beleeve and actually after Ans. All this jus beneficii is but remote for in the foregoing pag. he told us as we heard that this right doth not flow immediatly from what Christ did and suffered but from his Covenant of Grace and I think he should have said rather from their performance of the condition for the Covenant conveyeth no title but conditionally he knoweth and therefore can give no title or Right untill the condition be performed upon the performance of which the conditional Title becometh actual And further there is no more here said than what a Socinian will say and particularly Sclightingius pro Socino cont Meisnerum pag. 250. whose words we cited above towards the beginning of our XIII Chapter CHAP. XVII Reasons enforcing the practice of the Truth hithertill Vindicated WE have now at some length as the Lord was pleased to help essayed to vindicat this noble fundamental Truth of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness in order to the obtaining of this life of justification and ere we proceed I judge it will not be amiss to press the practice of this Truth the hearty practical embracing thereof by several Arguments Considerations for it will not be enough for us to know the Theory and to be orthodox in our judgments as to these Necessary soul-concerning truthes but we must also practise them that it may appear we do beleev them in very deed and that we beleeve them with the heart this will be the best way to be kept orthodox and stedfast in the truth I shall therefore propose a few Considerations moving to the practice of this so necessary concerning a Truth As 1. This way of justification through the Imputed Righteousness of Christ the Mediator Surety is a way thath hath the testimony of both Law Prophets confirming it is now more clearly revealed manifest under the Gospel dispensation than it was formerly Rom. 3 21 22. But now the Righteousness of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law the Prophets even the Righteousness of God which is by faith of Christ unto all upon all them that beleeve And the same Apostle tels us Rom. 1 16 17. That he was not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the Power of God unto Salvation to every one that beleeveth c. And what is the ground reason of this for therein saith he is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written the just shall live by â—aith This then must be a very sure saife way being thus attested witnessed by all that are worthy of credite in this matter a way that is one the same as to its substance both before the Law under the Law now under the Gospel though it be now more clearly unfolded explained since the coming exaltation of the blessed Mediator than it was before His coming when it was darkly revealed shadowed under the Mosaical Ceremonies Observances None need to feare a Miscarrying or a disappointment in following of this way which even the Law it self or the Mosaical observances did point forth in the daily yeerly Sacrifices pointing forth the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world on which the offerers were to lay their hands before they were to be offered up in token of their devolving laying their sin guilt upon the same as the the type of that one only acceptable Sacrifice that was to come in the fuluess of time was to satisfie justice for their sinnes to shew forth declare their faith relying thereon expecting acceptance there through as we see Levit. 1 4 3 2. 16 21. And a way which also the Prophets or the Spirit of Christ which was in them did testifie and bear witness to when it testified before hand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow 1 Pet. 1 10. c. So Peter in his Sermon to Cornelius told him Act. 10 43. that to Him i.e. to Christ gave all Prophets witness that through His Name
Ordinance both as leading thereunto as receiving strength thereby for what ever real beginnings the Lord may work so they have this effect to commend the word more unto these persons in special the publick Administration thereof by his Authorized Ambassadours so that whatever saving work be wrought as it is not altogether without the word some way or other made known so it tendeth to the further usmaking of the word publickly administred where it may be had as Saul when under that terrible work of God Act. 9. was directed to go to Ananias in Damascus to understand what he should do Cornelius was ordered Act. 10. to send for Peter to get instruction in the wayes of God And whatever work of Light Conviction or Terrour be wrought upon any occasion that is attended with a contrary effect is to be suspected as not of God nor saving How dreadful then their Condition is who have not the word but are without the pale of the Church where this word is preached their condition also who though living within the Church have this word as a sealed book needeth not be said 5. The condition of soul unto which the Man is brought by the Spirit accompanying the Administration of the word in order to his actual beleeving is considerable here for thereby we will be helped to understand better the Nature and Actings of Faith whereby only as a mean reliefe is brought unto the soul and to know what that reliefe is and wherein it lyeth that the distessed man is pursueing after seeking with earnesness In order to which we would know 1 That the Spirit by the Word beareth home Convictions of Sin and Misery discovereth to the man how he standeth guilty of the breach of the Law of God so chargeth sin home upon him both Original and Actual thereby fixeth guilt upon the Conscience shewing how he hath forfeited all Right to blessedness life how moreover he is under the Curse threatned to the breakers of the Law and hath the wrath malediction of God hanging over him He is made to see the sins he never saw before both of Omission Commission the sad Consequences thereof to wit how he is obnoxious to the penalty the insupporrable wrath of the living God Thus the Spirit convinceth of sin Ioh. 16 8 9. thus he openeth their eyes turneth them from darkness to light in so far Act. 26 18. thus the secrets of the heart are made manifest 1. Cor. 14 24 25. and they become lost in themselves like a lost sheep the lost piece of mency the lost son Luk. 15 6 9 24. and like one of those whom Christ came to seek to save Mat. 18 11. Luk. 19 10. These are the sinners mentioned Mal. 9 13. that is such as are now brought by the work of the Spirit to see feel their sinful condition to know that they are sinners and that they are in a lost condition 2 There is a discovery made of their Inability to relieve help themselves out of this woful condition of sin miserie They are made to see that nothing in them or in any other creature can make satisfaction unto the justice of God thereby redeem them from the Curse of the Law and from the wrath of God that is lying upon them the sense apprehension whereof doth now presse pinch them sore Which maketh them cry out with these pricked in their hearts Act. 2 37 16 30. What shall we do to be saved They see they cannot keep the Law though they could it would not availe as a Compensation Satisfaction to the Justice of God for the by gone innumerable Transgressions whereof they stand guilty Whereby we see that the troubled wakened soul in this case is brought to a desparing in himself He is under the sentence and he seeth nothing under heaven that can command Peace to his soul nothing within him nor without him beside God that can bring him out of this Prison relieve him from this dreadful sentence under which he is lying as a condemned Malefactor And we see what is properly the reliefe that he would be at and that he only desireth to wit To be freed delivered from the sentence of the Law and from the curse of God to be brought into a state of Favour Reconciliation with God that his sins may be pardoned he may be accepted of God as Righteous so brought into a State of Peace Salvation This is the plaister that his soul is longing for this is the only remedie that can relieve him this is the only good that he can be satisfied with all the Pleasures Honours Rihes of the world will bring no reliefe or ease to his distressed soul And when he findeth thaâ— this is not to be found in himself nor in any other Creature he must look for it elsewhere And thefore 3 When the Spirit of the Lord is carrying on this work he by the preaching of the Gospel convinceth the man of the reality truth thereof discovereth the Suitablness Fulness Satisfactoriness Glory Excellency of the remedie that is hold forth in that Gospel that hath brought life immortality to Light even in the Gospel of the grace of God wherein is revealed what Christ God-man hath done suffered to satisfie the justice of God therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith There he seeth that the Father is well pleased with him with the Sacrifie which he offered up for sins Whence the poor wakened sinner seeth that his case is not utterly desperate that there is hope for him through Jesus or at least that it is possible he may be saved from the wrath to come a may be of reliefe is a great reliefe And he seeth that if that Righteousness Satisfaction of Christ were made over to him or he interessed therein he were well for that would sufficiently guarde him from the wrath of God and secure him as to future blessedness Thus the Spirit by the word revealeth the Gospel of Salvation to the end the wakened sinner may see his reliefe there betake himself to the only reliefe that is held forth there 6. Hence we see that while the wakened sinner is in this condition his maine only work will be how he may be interessed in that al sufficient Redemption Purchase of Christ to the end he may be partaker of the Benâ—fites that flow there from and so be freed from the state of Sin Wrath Enmity wherein he is now â— plunged And when the Gospel calleth for Faith in order to this he findeth that it is not in his power to Beleeve but that it is the pure gift of God who must give the new heart the heart of flesh must regenerat beget him of new so create a new Principle of grace in his soul to
the end he may be brought to act Faith on the offered mediator Mediation accept thereof as his only Cure Remedie 7. So that when the Spirit worketh up the soul to beleeve he causeth him sweetly acquiesce in the way of Redemption revealed in the Gospel and to count it a faithful saying and worthie of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners 1. Tim. 1 15. and to comply sweetly with the designe thereof in all points and for that end to close with Christ and to accept of him upon his offer and particularly to rest upon him and his Righteousness revealed in the Gospel as the only ground of their hope peace This being the thing that their soul longeth after to wit how they shall get guilt taken away they be clothed with a Righteousness wherein they may with confidence appeare before God the Spirit of God when working the soul up to a compliance with the remedie held forth in the Gospel causeth them accept of Christ as made of God unto them Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification Redemption and every such soul to say In the Lord our Righteousness have I Righteousness In him alone will I look for Pardon Acceptance Reconciliation life on him alone will I roll my debt there will I rest in hope 8. Therefore this Faith though it bring the soul unto Christ as the only Redeemer and is the mans clasping his armes about him embraceing him as all his Salvation rolling all his weight upon him yet it looketh to in a special manner eyeth the Satisfaction Merites Righteousness of Christ for that is it which the man mainly now standeth in need of Justice must be satisfied saith he my sins must be pardoned I must be accepted in favour with God I must have a Righteousness where with my sins may be covered and the month of justice of the Law of my challenging conscience may be stopped whereby I may have Right to life and this being held forth in the Gospel Faith bringeth the soul to a resting on this Righteousness of Christ that he may be found in Christ 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 9. This is to beleeve on Christ Ioh. 3 16 36. Act. 16 31. faith in his blood Rom. 3 25. Thus the soul refugeth it self from the storme of wrath under the wings of Christ and hideth itself as it were in him from the avenger of bloud the wrath of an angry God purseing for a broken Law And here the Man abideth hid in Christ and eleaveth to him as being glued to him and utterly unwilling to be separat from him or to appear without his garment of Righteoâ—sness which faith fasteneth on the soul and the man by faith trusteth to this way and resteth upon it with full confidence nothing doubting of his saiftie thereby 9. By this we see how the way of justification by Gospel-faith serveth both for setting forth the Glory of God the Riches of Free Grace and for abaseing of Man as also for secureing of Life unto the Beleever for 1 Hereby the Man is convinced of his guilt declareth himself to be guilty for he his guilty before God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3 19. he is made speachless knowing nothing to speak in his own defence nor no apologie to give in his mouth is stopped and he can say nothing but cry out guilty I am a childe of death the Lord is Righteous should he damne me for ever I must justifie him when he speaketh and cleare him when he judgeth Psal. 51 4. 2 Hereby the Man pronunceth sweareth himself poor bare he forsaketh all and renunceth all that formerly he had any eye upon or confidence in counting them losse dung as Paul did Phil. 3. He proclameth himself Empty Lost Naked and declareth he hath nothing that he can leane to within himself He accounteth all his former Righteousness to be nothing but rotten rags and filthy rags and Professeth that he knoweth nothing within himself wherefore or whereupon he can expect Reconciliation with the Lord and to be Accepted of him 3 Thus all ground or occasion of boasting or of glorying before men is taken away from the beleever Rom. 3 27. 4 1. 4 Thus the glorious beauty of free Grace shineth forth Therefore it is of faith that it might be of grace Rom. 4 16. Grace here appeareth in its own glory when free grace without us contrare to our demerites doth all provideth the Sacrifie accepteth of the same in their behalfe for whom it was offered up bringeth them to the actual participation of the fruites and effects thereof by working up their hearts to a satisfaction in it to a resting upon it all this freely out of free Love It is corruptly said by the fore mentioned Author of that discourse of the two Covenants pag. 42. that Grace appeareth in the Lord 's making Faith the condition of the promise in that great things are promised upon such a possible practicable easie condition as faith is considering the meanes and assistance promised by God to work it for this spoileth Grace of its Glory when Man is looked upon said to be the principal author of saith as he is upon the matter said to be when all that God doth is but called assistance and at least the man may challenge as his owne no small share of the Glory of acting Faith and of going so great a length in the way to Faith without any more assistence than he hath need of to eate his meat when hungry and of going on his own feet to the very place where God stood ready to lend him a hand to help him forward Not to mentione how this altereth the whole Nature of the Covenant of Grace making it nothing but a new edition of the old Covenant of works 5 It is of faith to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed Rom. 4 16. When all the business is wrought as it were to our hand and nothing more requisite to interesse us in the noble Effects of all than our consent this also is wrought by the Spirit of God conforme to the Covenant of Redemption can a more ensureing way be imagined Alas what ground of Confidence or of Certainty can the Arminian Socinian way followed by the formentioned Author give to a poor soul When all is made to hang upon the tottering inconstant will of man who hath no more from God but some common assistances standing ready to attend him if he advance so far his alone without them when he hath gotten them to day may run back undo all againe to morrow Apostatize for ever for this also is a part of that Gospel that this man will teach us pag. 135. if we
under many Obligations Promises Vowes Engagements explicite virtually to carry as devouted unto God in all obedience but we are speaking here of a person not yet out of the state of nature but being under the terrours of the Lord and Convictions of guilt misery is seeking after a Reliete unto his present case to wit how he may be freed from the Curse of the Law and put in a Justified state in Favoure with God 3. Hence it is much to be doubted however it be put beyond all doubt or disput with Mr. Baxter whether Faith Saving Justifying include essentially any such formal Engagement Resolution unto Obedience seing the person of whom we are speaking fleeth to Christ for reliefe as one that is throughly convinced of his own Impotency Inability to do any thing less or more for his own help or for pleasing of God This Resolution unto new obedience is rather included in Repentance which is distinct from Faith as we saw above so it is mentioned in the description of Repentance given in our shorter Catechisme 4. But it will be said How then is Christ received by faith as a King I Ans. Not to debate that here which is to be spoke to afterward to wit whether justifying faith while it is acting in order to Justification doth receive Christ as a King or rather for this is more properly the question whether a person under the Conviction of sin wrath seeking for Pardon Acceptance in through Christ doth six the eye of his soul upon Christ as King or as Priest Or whether there is that in Christ considered as a King or considered as a Priest that is more sutable unto the present case of the convinced sinner Or whether or not the Person in the Condition mentioned seeketh reliefe rather from Christ as a Priest offering up himself as a Sacrifice giving his bloud for a Ransome to Satisfie the justice of God for sins or as a King endued with Authority to subdue sin And if the question thus were proposed unto the experienced Christians or unto the persons in such a Condition it would I suppose receive a very quick answere Unto the question now proposed I say That though it were granted that Faith in order to the mans Justification did act as well on Christ as a King as on Christ as a Priest which yet cannot be granted as is already hinted and shall be cleared afterward yet it would not follow that this Faith did essentially include a Resolution and Engagment to future obedience for it is not here as in Subjects receiving a person for their King as was said already whose Persons or Subjects have power ability their will as to these things in their own hand may therefore promise obedience according as the Relation made up formally engageth unto yet Mr. Baxter ag Ludiomaeus Colvin § 15. saith That this is but to consent to the Relation or to his Soveraignity that they may obey him and Love honour obedience come after But if we should suppose a company of men lying bound in chaines in dungeâ—ns under the feet of cruel Tyrants Enemies in that case receiving one for their King would their receiving of him for their King firstly primarily import a formal engagement on their part to obey him I suppose it would import some other thing anteriour to that to wit their ready consent thâ—t he by all the power might he can make shall loose their bands and set them at liberty put them in the case condition of free Subjects Now the case is so here with us with advantage for not only are we in bands and lying in prison and so unable to performe any Obedience but naturally till a change be made we are utterly unwilling averse from performing any acts of Obedience though it were in our power so that before we be in case to yeeld obedience the whole man must be renewed Judgment Will Affections when therefore we in such a case receive Christ as our King it is firstly chiefly that he may make us willing in the day of his power that he may make us his Subjects willing obedient ready to do his will that he may loose our bands deliver us from the bondage slavery of sin bring us out of captivity from under the power of Satan worke in us both to will to do according to his good pleasure These are Acts of Christ's kingly power these are Benefites that answere the present necessity of wakened souls these therefore must be the good things their souls must seek after for these things must they goe to him as King in reference to these must they lay hold on Him So that this is mainly implyed in their receiving of Christ as King In like manner when they receive him as a Prophet they do not come unto him as other Scholers do to their Masters bringing a Capacitie a Faculty an Ingine with them for learning without which all the Masters paines in giving Instructions theirs in studying hard will be in vaine but they come unto him in the through conviction of their Blindness Incapacitie to learne want of Understanding to perceive the things of God and to take up the mysteries of the Kingdom that he may teach them as never man taught by giving them an hearing eare and an understanding Heart by opening their eyes to see the mysteries of God of Christ that he may so teach as to write his lawes in their heart cause their hearâ—â— to come to wisdome cause them to know the way wherein they should walk It is true the receiving of Christ as King includeth also their obligation to owne him as such by receiving his Lawes subjecting unto his Dispensations c. And the receiving of him as Prophet includeth their obligation to acknowledge him for their only Teacher and to depend on him for their Instruction But yet I say as this speaketh out no formal promise or engagment to actual Obedience actual learning but rather an Engagement Resolution to be willing that he may act the part of a Prophet of a King towards them and so cause them carry look like Scholers Subjects so the thing that is firstly mainely in their eye in their coming to Christ is that which suiteth their present case and answereth their present felt necessity is an help to their present pinch What Engagements may be laid upon them by these Relations or what Resolutions they may have after they are renewed in the Spirit of their mindes and united unto Christ unto actual obedience in the power and strength of the Lord is not to the present purpose while we are speaking of what the Soul doth in order to Justification 5. Hence we see how groundless it is to say that a Resolution to actual obedience is a Condition of justification This we
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
Christ the ground meritorious cause thereof is a far other thing And when he saith Apologie ag Mr. Eyre § 4. that he is well content to call Christ's Righteousness of Satisfaction the matter of ours and that the imputation of Christ's Righteousness taken for Donation is the forme of Constitutive Iustification that sentential adjudication of Christ's Righteousness to us is the forme of our sentential Iustification That Faith in order to Justification doth in a special manner eye the Righteousness of Christ is clear from Esai 45 24 25 Surely shall one say in the Lord have I Righteousness then followeth In the Lord shall alâ— the seed of Israel be justified This truth is also clearly held forth when faith in the matter of Justification is called faith in Christ's blood Rom. 3 25. for when faith laith hold on the bloud of Christ it cannot but lay hold on his Surety-Righteousness whom God set forth to be a Propitiation and in through whom there was a Redemption wrought vers 24. for this hlood was the Redemption-money the price payed in order to Redemption 1. Pet. 1 18 19. And the blessedness of Justification is through the Imputation of Righteousness without our works Rom. 4 6. and therefore faith in order to the obtaining of this blessedness must eye and relye upon this Righteousness which is the Righteousness of him who was delivered for our offences and was raised againe for our Justification vers 25. where we may also observe a manifest difference betwixt this Righteousness which consisteth in his being delivered for our offences and our Justification the one being the Cause as was said the other the Effect Moreover this same truth is clear from Râ—m 5 17. where we read of the receiving of the gift of righteousness which is by faith and that in order to a reigning in life by one Jesus Christ where also we see a difference put betwixt this gift of Righteousness Reigning in life which is also more cleare in the following vers 18. Even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto Iustification of life this righteousness of one to wit one Jesus Christ is the Cause and the Iustification of life is the Effect And further this difference is againe held forth vers 19 20 21. Our being made Righteous is different from the obedience of one Christ Jesus and by the Imputation of this Obedience to us do we become Righteous as our being made sinners is different from Adam's act of Disobedience and we are made sinners by the Imputation of it to us And as sin death are different when it is said that sin hath reigned unto death so Eternal life is different from Righteousness when it is said so might grace reigne through righteousness unto eternal life We need say no more of this seing it clearly followeth from what was formerly at length confirmed to wit That justification is by the Righteousness of Christ imputed CHAP. XXXIV Faith in Justification respecteth not in a special manner Christ as a King but as a Priest MR. Baxter did long ago in his Aphorismes tell us That the Accpting of Christ for Lord is as essential a part of Iustifying Faith as the accepting of him for our Saviour that is as he explained himself That faith as it accepteth Christ for Lord King doth justifie And this was asserted by him to the end he might cleare confirme how Sincere Obedience cometh in with Affiance to make up the Condition of Justification for his Thesis LXXII did run thus As the accepting of Christ for Lord which is the hearts Subjection is as essential a part of Justifying Faith as the accepting of him for our Saviour So consequently sincere obedience which is the effect of the former hath at much to do in justifying us before God as Affiance which is the fruit of the later Hence the question arose and was by some proposed thus Whether faith in Christ qua Lord be the justifying act or whether the Acceptation of Christ as a Lord and not only as a Priest doth justifie And Mr. Baxter in his Confess p. 35. § 13. saith that it is not only without any ground in God's word but fully against it to say that faith justifieth only as it apprehendeth Christ as a Ransome or Satisfier of justice or Meriter of our Iustification or his Righteousness as ours not as it receiveth him as King or as a Saviour from the staine tyranny of sin I have shewed before that the moving of this question is of little use in reference to that end for which it seemeth it was first intended to wit to prove that Sincere Obedience hath as much to do in Justification as faith or Affiance hath where I did shew the inconsequence of that consequence That because Justifying Faith receiveth Christ as King Therefore Obedience is a part of the Condition of Justification yea or therefore a Purpose or a promise of Obedience is a part of the Condition of Justification So that in order to the disproving of that Assertion that maketh obedience or a Purpose or a promise of obedience an essential part of the Condition of Justification we need not trouble ourselves with this question Yet in regaird that the speaking to this may contribute to the clearing of the way of Justification by faith which is our great designe we shall speak our judgment there anent And in order thereunto several things must be premitted As 1. The question is not whether Christ as a King belongeth to the compleet adequate object of that faith which is the true justifying faith for this is granted as was shown above this faith being the same faith whether it be called True Faith or Saving Faith or Uniting Covenanting faith or Justifying faith it must have one the same adequate Object 2. Nor is the Question whether Faith in order to Justification doth so act on Christ as a Priest as to exclude either virtually or expresly the consideration of any other of his offices or of Christ under any other of his offices for under whatever office Christ be considered when faith acteth upon him whole Christ is received and nothing in Christ is or can be excludeth So that there is no virtual exclusion nor can there be any express exclusion of any of his offices when he under any other of his offices is looked to a right received for such an exclusion would be an open rejection of Christ and no receiving of him 3. When we speak here of receiving of Christ as a Priest or in respect of his Sacerdotal Office it is all one as if we named his Sacerdotal work or what he did in the discharge of that office offering up himself a Satisfactory Sacrifice and giving his blood and life for that end and suffering inwardly outwardly what was laid upon him by the Father in order to the making of full Satisfaction to justice
sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him The way how Reconciliation was brought about is here set down to the end the ministrie of Reconciliation mentioned vers 18. and whereby persons are beseeched to be Reconciled vers 20. may be understood and such as are called upon may know in special what to do in order to be reconciled to wit close with him and be in him and be united to him who was made sin for sinners that they might be clothed with a sufficient Righteousness in him so that this points out Faith 's eyeing Christ as such a Cautioner having the debt of sinners imputed to him and becoming a Sacrifice for sin 6. Gal. 2 16 20. We have beleeved in Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ. And what he did when he thus beleeved in Christ that he might he jâ—stified he plainly tels us vers 20. saying I am crucified with Christ thus he wan to the life of justification by eyeing Christ on the crosse making satisfaction unto justice and assenting unto that way acquieseing in it resting relying upon it And in the same vers he tels us that his faith by which he lived was on the Son of God who have himself for him that is unto death 7. Gal. 3 11 13. The just shall live by faith This is the Text we are upon and we have cleared how this life here mentioned is the life of justification But what is the speciall object of this faith in order to justification That is clearly enough pointed to vers 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us It is Christ Christ as Redeeming from the Curse of the Law that by being made a curse for us which only looks to his Priestly office 8. Phel 3 9 10 11. Paul was desireous to be found in Christ to be partaker of his Righteousness alone which was by faith But what was it in Christ that the eye of his Faith was mainly fixed upon He sheweth that vers 10 11. That I may know him the power of his resurrection the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his death c. Christ's Sufferings Death Resurrection were most in his eye 9. Ioh. 3 14 15. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have eternal life The special object of faith here is Christ as lifted up that is as Crucified Ioh. 12 32 33. It will not be sufficient for weakening of these reasons to say That none of these conclude that faith in order to Justification eyeth Christ as a Priest only for 1 They sufficiently prove that faith in this matter of Justification goeth to Christ as a Priest and eyeth his Sacrifice Bloud Redemption through his death and we are called to prove no more because it lyeth upon those who are of another judgment to shew us from Scripture that Faith in order to the obtaining of justification acteth on Christ's Kingly office receiveth him as Lord. 2 We know what outcryes Papists make against the like Arguments of Protestants for justification by faith because it is not said we are justified by faith alone 3 Though the Scriptures do not as plainly say that faith in justification doth not in an especiall manner eye Christ as King Prophet as it saith we are not justified by works Yet we are bound to follow the light of the word and to regulate our conceptions by what we finde there expressed if we finde not any mention made of faith in Christ's command or Government or the like relating to his Kingly office as we heare of Faith in his Blood the like relating to his Priestly office we may saifly judge that the one being so clearly mentioned so frequently is a denying of the other that is never mentioned Secondly The very case condition wherein such are who are desireous justification may cleare this for they are now awakened made to see their natural state of death wherein they are under the sentence of the Law under the Curse Malediction of God And therefore the thing which their soul now seeketh after is a sutable Reliefe something that may answere this case and may prove a fit Reliefe to them thus imprisoned in chaines because of their Debt Transgressions And therefore as all Reason requireth so experience proveth that these wakened sinners seek after the Satisfaction through the Death Merites of Christ that they may have an Interest therein and the benefite thereof to the quieting of their souls They lay hold on the Sufferings of Christ that they may be hid in his wounds as it were that so they may be healed by his stripes and have a Righteousness under which they may with confidence stand and appear before God They become crucified with Christ sweetly acquiesceing in resting satisfied with contentedly accepting of and confidently resting relying upon his Merites his Death his Payment Sntisfaction 〈◊〉 justice Seing then that this as experience proveth is the way that pursued souls take to refuge themselves under a Crucified Christ to flee to his Death Merites this or Christ as a Priest dying paying the debt must be the special Object of the Faith of an hunted soul panting after justification or freedom from Condemnation Thirdly Christ's other Offices as his Kingly or Prophetical office do not hold him forth as immediatly sutable unto souls under this pressure nor is there any thing properly belonging to these offices that promiseth immediat Reliefe unto a Soul in this case seeking after Reconciliation with God Pardon of sinners which is only had by Christ's Death Bloud Rom. 5 9 10. 3 25. Ephes. 1 7. Col. 1 14. Christ by his Kingly or Prophetical office doth not act towards God in the behalfe of sinners but by his Priestsly office he doth Heb. 5 1 5 6 7. And it is after this that poor sinners pursued with the sense of wrath do seek this can only give present futable Reliefe Fourthly The Faith of Beleevers under the sense of sin guilt under the Law was thus led to act on the promised Messiah when he was typified unto them by their Sacrifices they were to put their hands on the head of the Sacrifice thereby rolling their sin guilt upon the Sacrifice or on Him rather who was the true Sacrifice represented by these outward Sacrifices thereby professing their Faith in Him as the only Satisfying Sacrifice that could make Atonement Pacifie an angrie God deliver them from wrath Fiftly Christ is held forth as having taken an these different offices and as to shew his being a full compleet mediator able to answere all our necessities and â—s authorized to give forth sutable reliefe so to instruct us how 〈…〉
be true lively is the sole Condition of Pardon 8. As at first so alwayes that holdeth true which Peter saith Act. 10 43. To him i. e. to Jesus give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive Remission of sins As the stung Israelit was alwayes in order to his cure to look to the brazen serpent so is the Beleever that would be cured of the guilt of new transgressions to have his recourse by Faith unto the Mediator crucified lifted up Ioh. 3 14 15. Obj. 1. It is said that Repentance is necessary both as commanded and as a meane appointed for attaining Remission of sins And therefore must be the Condition of Remission Ans. The consequence is not good for this same may be said of Prayer and other Duties which yet cannot be called proper Conditions of Pardon That prayer is a commanded duty none will deny That a praying sinner may be said to be using the meanes to attaine unto Pardon and to be in the way of obtaining of it will also be granted and so in that respect prayer may be accounted a meane and yet it cannot be called the Condition for then every one that prayeth should have pardon though he act not faith And if it be said that it must be prayer in faith Iam. 5 15. I Ans. True but then the Condition is not Prayer but Faith exerting itself and acting in through Prayer And the same we say of Repentance and so keep it in its due place and presse it in the Gospel way methode Obj. 2. It is said That there is a kind of congruity sutablness in this order by subjoining the promise of pardon to it for it is more sutable that a penitent sinner should have Pardon than an impenitent Ans. So this same may be said of Prayer for it is also more sutable that a praying sinner be pardoned than a sinner that nevâ— once asketh pardon And this tendeth more also to the exalting of free grace But the truth is in pardon there is not only a declaration exalting of Grace Mercy but also of divine Justice Rom. 3 25 26. and unto this Faith is singularly fitted because it layyeth hold on the Propitiation and on bloud for the declaration of God's Righteousness for Remission of sins and hereby is the Lord declared to be just when he is the Justifier Pardoner of the beleever So that neither prayer nor Repentance nor Self-searching c. can be properly called the Condition but Faith acting in by these Obj. 3. It is said that Repentance qualifieth the sinner in reference to the promise of pardon or putteth him within the reach of the promise so that he may take hold of the promise of pardon And it disposeth him to accept the offered Salvation freely and to rest upon Christ alone for that end Ans. 1 What disposeth to accept of Salvation c. cannot for that cause be called the Condition of Pardon unless we speak improperly as felt poverty in a beggar though it disposeth him to receive an offered almes thankfully Yet it is not the proper Condition No more self conviction in our case a Condition of Pardon 2 If it qualifieth for the receiving of the offered Salvation then it qualifieth immediatly for Faith but mediatly remotly for Pardon 3 The promise of Pardon is not made to the penitent properly as such but to the Penitent beleever that is to faith acting exerting itself in by Repentance Obj. 4. Esai 1 15 16. put away the evil of your doings cease to do evil c. this is Repentance then vers 18. full pardon is promised though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow c. Ans. Yet with all he bids them wash make cleane which could only be by the blood of the Messiah for that only cleanseth 1. Ioh. 1 7. and this they had neglected in going about their Sacrifices which therefore were abominable in the eyes of the Lord vers 11 12 13. because not accompanied with Faith that purifieth the heart Act. 15 9. Obj. 5. 2. Chron. 7 14. the Lord promiseth to forgive sin if his people would turne from their wicked wayes Ans. But with all it is required there that they seek the face of God that was in through the Messiah typified by the Temple to which their prayers were to be directed as we see Chap. 6 20 24 26 29 31 34 38. Obj. 6. Prov. 28 13. He that confesseth his sin forsaketh it shall finde mercy Ans. True because none will do that a right but the beleever who laith hold on the Merites of Christ. And so this the like places are not exclusively to be taken but principally to be understood of Faith so acting and evidencing itself to be true lively and of the right stamp by its acting so FINIS CHAP. I. Imputation both of Christs Active and Passive Obedience necessary MR. Iohn Goodwine in his Treatise of justification part 2. Ch. 2. laith down several conclusions whereby he might overturne this Truth what he saith must be examined His 1. Conclusion in this He for whose sins a plenary satisfaction hath been made either by himself or another for him hath been accepted by him against whom the transgression was committed is as just righteous as he that never sinned but had done all things that were requisite meet for him to do Ans. If by just righteous be meaned one who only hath not deserved the punishment threatned then his Conclusion is true but if by just righteous be meaned one who not only hath not deserved the punishment but hath also deserved the reward promised then his Conclusion is false for the Satisfaction if it respect only the transgression committed can only put the man for whom it is given accepted in the state of one that is under no obligation to be punished but it cannot put him in the state of one who not only is not to be punished but is also to be rewarded He addeth This is evident because there is as much justice righteousness in repairing the the wrongs injuries done to any as there is in abstaining from doing wrong Ans. True in reference to the wrong done and therefore such an one is rightly justly delivered from the obligation to punishment but is not made so righteous as to challenge the reward till a more compleet satisfaction be made to wit such as may comprehend also perfect conformitie unto the Law in all points to the end he for whom this is done may be looked upon as a fulfiller of the Law therefore to have right to the reward as he would have had if he had in his own person perfectly keeped it He that simply repaireth the wrong done doth not that which deserveth the reward The simile he annexeth confirmeth this and demonstrateth how far out he is
the life of glory which was promised upon his compleeting his work of obedience He addeth Notwithstanding the Scriptures of the New Test. seem to place the immediat right or capacity which beleevers have to the Kingdom of heaven eternal glory rather in the grace of Adoption than in any Righteousness whatsoever even Remission of sins itself not excepted Ans. I have spoken to this elsewhere and shall only say here That hereby he hath destroyed his Conclusion for hereby we see that in order to the attaining of right to life more is requisite than meer Remission for he cannot say that Remission of sins Adoption is all one having clearly hinted the contrary here having also denied Righteousness to be the ground of Adoption while as before he made Righteousness Remission of sins all one He shall never prove that Adoption is without the Imputation of Righteousness Let us heare his reason The reason whereof may haply be this because the life blessedness which come by Iesus Christ are of far higher nature excellency and worth than that which was Covenanted to Adam by way of wages for his work or obedience to the Law therefore require an higher fuller richer capacity or title in the creature to interesse him therein than that did work faithfully performed is enough to entitle a man to his wages but the gift of an inheritance requirtth a special grace or favour Ans. As this is but dubiously asserted so it is to no purpose for though some difference may be granted betwixt the glory now had by the Gospel that promised to Adam in several respects Yet it was a life of glory that was promised to Adam our Adoption is not without the imputation of a Righteousness Nor was Adam's obedience such a work as in strick justice called for wages without a Covenant The Imputation of Righteousness is indeed a special grace Favoure therefore fit enough to found Adoption His 6. Conclusion is this That Satisfaction which Christ made to the justice of God for sin whereby he procured Remission of sins or perfect Righteousness reconciliation with God for those that beleeve consists only in that obedience of his which he performed to that peculiar special Law of Mediation which God imposed upon him which we commonly though perhaps not altogether so properly call his passive obedience not at all in that obedience or subjection which he exhibited to that common Law of nature which we call moral Ans. Though if we should speak strickly of satisfaction as distinguished from obedience as relating to the punishment for sin the substance of this Conclusion might be granted Yet taking Satisfaction more largly as relative to our whole debt it must necessarily include his obedience to the Law moral 2 Though for explications sake we may speak of Christ's Active of his Passive obedience distinctly Yet there was suffering satisfaction in all his Active obedience as it is commenly called there was action meriting in all his Passive Obedience as it is commonly called His supposing Remission of sins Perfect Righteousness is already discovered to be a mistake 4 The special Law of Mediation required of Christ both obedience suffering he speaketh without ground when he restricteth it to his passive obedience as it is commonly called only His reason is Because nothing can be satisfactory to divine justice for sin but that which is penal Heb. 9 22. for doubtless where there is Satisfaction there is may be remission Ans. This confirmeth only what we granted of satisfaction taken strickly But cannot prove that Satisfaction largely taken may not or cannot yea or must not include obedience this being part of our debt to the Law and to the Lawgiver nor will it prove that there was nothing of Satisfaction in Christ's obedience which he performed in his state of humiliation It is true where there is Satisfaction there is may be Remission but Remission is not all that we stand in need of But he will have that obedience which Christ exhibited to the moral Law no way penal And his reason is because it was required of man in his innocency imposed by God upon Adam before his fall Yea still lyeth shall lye to the dayes of eternity upon men Angels Ans. Yet for all this it might be was penal unto Christ who was not meer man but God man in one person And for Him who was God above all Law that man cometh under to subject him self to that Law which was imposed upon man as a Viator must needs be penal it being a part of his subjection as made under the Law a piece of his humiliation for thus in part he took upon him the forme of a servant was made in the likeness of men being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself became obedient unto death Phil. 2 7 8. Gal. 4 4. What they do who are in glory is not to the purpose for here we are speaking of the obedience subjection of such as are Viators not Comprehensors And Adam while innocent was a Viator and Christ to pay that debt which was required of us all as Viators did humble himself to performe the obedience of a Viator in our place in our stead that so he might give full satisfaction pay our whole debt From hence there is no ground for his Inference to wit that Therefore man was punished that by order appointment of God before his fall that now the glorified Saints Angels yea Iesus Christ himself are now punished in heaven For 1 it might be was penal to him who was God which was duty unto man in innocency as is cleared 2 The Obedience of Saints Angels now in glory far less that of Jesus Christ himself if it can properly be called obedience is not the duty of Viators therefore utterly impertinent to our purpose We do not say that Adam's obedience was penal it being his duty but Christ's was seing no Law required such obedience of him who was God nor was it necessary even to his humane Nature in order to life for himself for the hypostatical union fully removed that necessity either made him as to himself in respect of his humane nature a comprehensor or in the nearest capacity to it even when he was subjecting himself to the obedience of a Viator for us and as standing in our room But he saith the Scriptures themselves no where ascribe this satisfaction to Christ's Active obedience but still to his passive And here he citeth many passages of Scripture to no purpose seing none of these give any hint of the exclusion of his active obedience but rather do include it or else he may as well say that all Christ's active obedience was no way necessary or requisite unto the work of Redemption because these passages do
Nor is it to the point to tell us that some hold that God if it had pleased him might have pardoned Adam's transgression without the Atonement made by the death of Christ for they speak not of what God may now do having determined to manifest the glory of his justice but what he might have done in signorationis ante decretum And as for that word Heb. 2 11. It became him c. it will as well respect the justice of God as his wisdom seing it became him upon the account of justice which he would have glorified Mr. Baxter in his Confess Chap. IX Sect. 5. pag. 289. thinketh that to say that Christ paid the same thing that the Law required of us not only satisfied for our not payment is to subvert the substance of Religion But this is only in his apprehension as he taketh up their meaning who say so And others possibly may have no lower thoughts of some who hold that Christ only gave such a sacrifice to God as might be a valuable consideration on which he might grant us the benefites on such conditions as are most sutable to his ends honour that he did not suffer the same which the Law threatned The screwing up of differences to such an hight as to make either the one or the other subversive of the substance of Religion had need to be upon clear undeniable grounds and not founded on meer sandy and loose consequences such as those seem to me by which Mr. Baxter maketh out this Charge For he tels us The Idem is the perfect obedience or the full punishment that the Law requires It is supplicium ipsius delinquentis Ans. But now seing such as say that Christ paid the Idem will say as well as he that when Christ suffered that which they call the Idem the person himself that sinned did not suffer And I would enquire at Mr. Baxter whether paid Christ the Idem as to all other respects beside that is whether Christ suffered all that penalty which the Law did threaten to transgressours only this excepted which must be excepted that he did it in another person that he was not the person himself that sinned or not If he say Not then the difference goeth deeper but why doth he not then to make out this heavy charge Instance some particulars threatned in the Law which Christ did not undergo And why doth he insist only on this one that he was not ipse delinquens but another person If he grant that in all other respects Christ paid the Idem no man sure can see such difference here as shall make the one side subvert the Substance of Religion for it is a meer sâ—â—ife about a word it cometh all to this whether when one man layeth down his life to save another condemned to death after all satisfaction in money lands rents service or what else hath been rejected he can be said to pay the Idem which the Law required or not Some Lawyers would possibly say he did pay or suffer the Idem Mr. Baxter would say not because he was not ipsa persona delinquens was not the very person that was condemned but another And yet death unto which the other man was condemned was inflicted upon him and no less would be accepted as satisfaction at his hands which would make some say that all that debate whether it was the same or the equivalent were a meer needless contest about a word And if it be but just so here in our present debate every one will judge it very hard to call that a subversion of Religion which after examination trial is found to be but a strife about a word Now how will Mr. Baxter prove that the suffering of the Idem is only when it is supplicium ipsius delinquentis And not also when the same punishment in all its essential ingredients is undergone suffered by another When the Law imposeth the penalty of death or of such a great summe of money on a person transgressing such a Law common discourse would say I suppose the Law give allowance thereto that when another came payed the same penalty for him without the least abatement he payed the same penalty which he Law impofed and not another and not meerly a valuable consideration It is true the Law threatened only the transgressour obliged him to suffer but notwithstanding another might pay the very same thing which the Law threatned requireth He saith next p. 290. the Law never threatned a Surety nor granteth any liberty of substitution that was an act of God above the Law If therefore the thing due were payed it was we ourselves morally or legally that suffered Ans. Sure some Lawes of men will threaten Sureties grant liberty of substitution too But if he speak here only of the Law of God we grant that it threatned only the transgressour that it was an act of God above the Law dispensing therewith that granted a substitution Yet notwithstanding of this it is not proved that that Substitute did not or could not suffer the same punishment which the Law threatned And if Mr. Baxter think that the lawes not threatning a Surety nor granting liberty of a substitution will prove it it is denied Next His other consequence is as uncleare viz. That if the thing due were payed it was we ourselves that suffered personally all these consequences run upon the first false ground that no man can pay the Idem but the very transgressour What he meaneth by we ourselves morally he would do well to explicate And as for legally we ourselves may be said to do legally what our Surety undertaker doth for us And if this be all he meaneth viz. that if the thing due to wit by Law as threatned there be payed either we in our own persons or our Surety for us in our room Law place payed it it is true but subversive of his hypothesis It must then be some other thing that he meaneth by morally or legally it must be the same with or equivalent to personally or the like but his next words cleare his meaning for he addeth And it would not be ourselves legally because it was not ourselves naturally And what lawyer I pray will yeeld to this reason I suppose they will tell us that we are said to do that legally which our Cautioner or Surety doth for us But if he think otherwayes here also that nothing can be accounted to be done by us legally but what is done by our selves Naturally which is a word of many significations might occasion much discourse that is personally Yet it will not follow that no other can suffer the Idem that was threatned but the delinquent himself At length he tels us That if it had been ourselves legally then the strickest justice could not have denied us a present perfect deliverance ipso facto seing no justice can
the torment of an accusing conscience for rejecting offending God for casting away our own felicity running into hell c. the sense of God's hatred of us as real sinners Ans. All this is granted but these belonged only to the punishment as inflicted on the sinner transgressour himself but did not belong to its essence substance abstractly confidered so could not accompany the same as inflicted upon one who was in himself wholly free of all sin And this is yet more manifest in that which he mentioneth 5. Saying much less the Desertions of the Spirit of holiness to be left without goodness in a state of sin to hate God for his justice holiness which will be the damneds case for these did not belong to the essence substance of the punishment threatned in the Law but were only consequents thereof as inflicted on sinners inherently We do not say that Christ suffered what the damned do suffer or that he was in the damneds case Thus though we make them not of the same kind with all that the damned do suffer Yet without any blind zeal as he is pleased to censure we may say that Christ suffered the same curse death that was threatned in the Law properly as a punishments as to substance and yet no way be guilty of intollerable blaspheming of our Saviour The same answer may serve to that which he saith n. 50. Nor could Christ's sufferings be equal in degree intensively extensivly to all that was deserved by the world as is easily discernable by perusing what is now said seing our deserved suffering lay in things of such a nature as to be left in sin itself destitute of God's image love communion under his hatred tormented in conscience besides the ever-lasting torments in hell which are more than these upon all the millions of sinners which were redeemed This is already answered it is not demonstrated that all these consequents concomitants of the punishment as inflicted on such as were sinners inherently did properly belong to the essence substance of the punishment threatned in itself considered And of this we only speak for as to this we only say that Christ suffered the same If two men be condemned to pay each a thousand pounds which none of them are well able to do a rich man undertaketh to pay the summe for one of the two that rich man may well be said to have payed the same summe that the poor man was obliged to pay though his paying of that summe be not attended with such consequents circumstances as it would have been if the poor man himself had been put to pay it or as the other poor man findeth it who is made to pay it in the poor man it is necessarily attended with poverty to himself all his family possibly he all his must be sold for slaves to make up the summe but the rich man can pay it without any such concomitants or consequents yet be said to have payed the same summe It is to be observed that Papists some others use all these same arguments to prove that Christ did not suffer any thing of the penalty of sin in his soul as may be particularly seen in Parker de descensu lib. 3. But Mr. Baxter granteth n. 51. that Christ did suffer more in soul than in body And yet what answers are made by Parker other reformed divines in this matter against Papist's may also serve our turn against Mr. Baxter others Socinians also as may be seen in Smalciâ— Refut lib. de Satisf Christ Chap. 6. 7. upon these same grounds deny that Christ's sufferings were a proper satisfaction he thereby not paying the Idem the same that man should have suffered And Socinus Prael Theol. Cap. 18. fol. 205. saith in plaine termes That Christ did no way satishe the justice of God by his sufferings unless it be said that he suffered the same things which we should have suffered because of our sins Therefore there is a necessity to hold that Christ suffered the same for substance that the Elect were liable to suffer that it may the more clearly appear that his sufferings were indeed a Satisfaction But Mr. Baxter tels us in the same book n. 149. that Solution of the debt satisfaction strickly taken thus differ that Satisfaction is solutio tantidem vel aequivalentis alias indebiti And if Christ be said to have paid the very same duty punishment which the Law required he is denied to have satisfied for our non-payment for a Law that is fully performed can require no more nor the Law-giver neither And therefore both Satisfaction Pardon are shut out Ans. Thus we seem to be hardly straitned for if we say that Christ paid the Idem the Same Mr. Baxter thinketh we destroy thereby all Satisfiction all Pardon and so yeeld the cause to the Socinians If upon the other hand we say that Christ did not suffer the Idem we yeeld the cause unto the Socinians and deny all Satisfaction in tâ—er judgment and their consequence seemeth to be as rational as Mr. Baxter's But truth may be affirmed without all hazard And to make such a difference betwixt Solution Satisfaction is to play needlesly upon words at length will but recurre unto this Sialius solvit aliud solvitur and so by saying that Christ's Satisfaction was also a solutio ejusdem we shall deny both Satisfaction Pardon or by calling it so But as was said above it is not fit to lay so much weight upon the simple use of a terme or word and sure it is most unfit for Mr. Baxter to do so who on all occasions venteth his displeasure so much against others who lay so much weight on meet termes of art or words But as to the thing sure the creditor will think himself satisfied when the same summe which was oweing by one is payed by another for the debitor that in the same species of Silver or of Gold And if that hold that sialius solvit aliud solvitur Mr. Baxter may see that if another pay his payment may become a Satisfaction because it is so far aliud another thing though really upon the matter it be the same And here lieth the truth that we assert Christ paid the very same suffering that we were obliged to pay but he being another and not the persons guilty themselves his sufferings were not only a solutio debiti a payment of our debt but also as being performed by him they were a Satisfaction to justice and so much the rather a compleet Satisfaction that they were the same sufferings we were liable to not strickly equivalent And this appeareth to me the more clear from what Mr. Baxter said before n. 5â— 53. where he hath these words The true reason of the Satisfactorieness of Christ's suffering was that they were a most apt meanes for the
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
places of Scriptures annexed in the margine of the Confession confirming all are clearly hinted laid downe in these passages cited yet I shall with what brevity is possible point forth our grounds in plaine termes And 1. The Scripture is full plaine in holding forth 2 Covenant betwixt â—ehova and the Mediator a transaction concerning man or the purposes of God concerning the Salvation of Man in way of a mutual Compact both for our better understaâ—ding of that solide ground of our Peace Hope for the confirming of our staggering weak Faith And though the full explication confirmation hereof would I judge fully undermine destroy the rotten grounds of Socinians Arminians and of all who are for the Diana of Freewill and enemies to the Grace of God yet I cannot digresse thereunto here and shall only referre such as would see the same confirmed unto Mr. Dicksons Therapeutica sacra Mr. Rutherfords book upon the Covenant Taking it therefore for granted till what is by these Worthies said anent it be confuted and finding that Arminius himself in his Orat. de Sacerdotio Christi saith there was a Covenant betwixt the Lord Christ I shall but shortly inferre therefrom That it is repugnant to reason to say that the result of that Eternal Transaction and the whole intended by it was only to procure a meer Possibility of Salvation and that such a Possibility as that though it was equally for all yet it might so fall out that not one person should be saved among all the sones of Adam How unreasonable is it to imagine such a bargane betwixt the Father and the Son as among men considering what they are doing can have no place If Christ was to see his seed by vertue of this Contract then certainly God had a special eye and respect unto that seed and that feed must be distinguished from all the rest for it cannot be all else all should be saved and so Christ did not undertake to buy all nor did the Father give him all for his feed and in reference to that feed the Redemption purchased must be an Actual not a meer Potential or Possible Redemption and the Lord must have full Power Dominion over the Will of that Seed whereby he may determine their hearts unto a following of the Method which he was to prescribe and all these meanes whereby this actual Closeing with the Conditions was to be effectually wrought must have been secured for a transaction betwixt persons infinite in Wisdom must of necessity be in all things contrived in deep Wisdom So then if by vertue of this Covenant a feed was ensured to Christ it was these concerning whom the transaction was made for what interest could others have in this or advantage by it And so the Rademption was neither Universal nor yet meerly Possible no more Againe 2. The Scripture every where pointeth out the end of Christs coming dying to have been to Procure Obtaine some good to man it were endless to cite the Scriptures speaking this out plainely But if it had been only to have procured a Possibility then the proper immediat end of his dying had been only to have procured something to God viz. a Power to Him that he might without hurt to his Justice prescribe a possible way of salvation Now not to discusse that question agitated among Orthodox Divines viz. whether it was impossible for God to have pardoned the sins of man without a satisfaction made by his Son or not meaning antecedently to a decree determineing this way of manifestation of the Justice of God only I must say that as yet I can see nothing from Scripture determineing the egresses of the Relative Justice of God to be more essential to God less subject to the free determinations of his good will and pleasure than are the egresses of his Mercy nor do I see any necessity for asserting this against the Socinians seing our ground walking upon a decree is proof against all their Assaults far less see I any necessity of founding our whole debate with the Socinians upon that ground yea I cannot but judge it the result of great imprudence so to do seing the Socinians may reply that the sole ground of that Opposition to them is not only questioned but plainly denyed by such as we account Orthodox learned and may hence gather that we have no other solide ground whereupon to debate with them but such as the learned of our owne side overthrow The depths of God's Counsel are beyond our fathoming and it is hard for us to say hithertil the omnipotent can come but not one ince further I dar not be wise above what is written and I would gladly see one passage of Scripture declareing this to have been in itself utterly impossible inconsistent with God Bâ— whatever may be said of this what Scripture tels us that Christ was sen to die that he might obtain this Power unto God And further what was this power Was it a meer Power Liberty that should never have any Effect If it was to have an Effect what was that Was it only to make a new Transaction with man in order to his salvation If that was all notwithstanding of all this Power Ability not one man might have been saved Was it certanely to save some Then the Redemption cannot be called Universal nor yet meerly Possible Nay if by the death of Christ a Right Power only was obtained to God God was at full liberty to have exerced that Right Power or not as he pleased and so notwithstanding thereof man might have remained in the same Condition whereinto he was and never so much as have had one offer of life upon any termes whatever or only upon the old termes of the Covenant of works and what then should the advantage of this have been The whole Scripture speaking of the death of Christ mentioneth far other Ends respecting man If we 3. Consider how the Scripture mentioneth â— number given of the Father to Christ to be Redeemed Saved we shall see that there is neither an Universal nor yet a meer Possible Redemption for this gift is utterly repugnant to destructive of both for if conforme to the Covenant betwixt the Father and the Son there were some given to Christ to save redeem these he must actually save redeem and for these only was Christ ordained designed of the Father to be a Redeemer and upon the account of these only did he undertake the work lay down the ransome-money for it is not rational to suppose that the designe of Father Son being to save actually these gifted ones Christ would shed his blood for others who were noâ— given to him who should receive no salvation by his blood for cui bono what could be the designe of Father Son in this The matter goeth not so in humane transactions where the
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.