of the Threatning of the Law Determ 12. When he calls Sin an occasion of Christ's Death he there calls it also a remote meritorious Cause Determ 5. And as for a proper meritorious Cause as when Children are punished for their Parents Sins Determ 5. His Safaction yielded to our most just Rector a sufficient ground on which to forgive penitent Believers spiritual and eternal Punishments Disâ— 2. Nay he sees not supposing the Law of Works how God could forgive our Sins without the Penal Satisfaction of Christ Disp. 2. Determ 15. It were endless to produce the Instances demonstrating the Orthodoxness of this great Man as to the Satisfaction of Christ against Socinianism And by the way such as say Christ's penal Satisfaction was not necessary to the forgiveness of our Sins do a thousand times more favour Socinianism than Mr. Baxter's Notions or Words can be wrested to Perhaps others who follow Episcopius and some other Arminians when all must acquit him of Socinianism may surmise he favoureth their Notion of Christ's Death as if it were a Satisfaction only to the Will of God and not a full Satisfaction to the Iustice of God To this I answer Mr. B. distinguisheth Satisfaction into that which is the fulfilling the Will of a Person and that which is the Payment of what was owing by an Equivalent otherwise not due And he affirms that Christ's Satisfaction was not a mere fulfilling the Will of God tho it supposeth his Consent but it was a full Equivalent to what Punishments we deserved in that it better answered the Ends of Divine Government than the Sinner's Punishment would have done it more fully demonstrated the vindictive Justice of God than if the Sinner had been damned and it was a full Satisfaction to governing Justice and the End of the Law Vbi supra Determ 10 11 12 15. I thought this account necessary not only for the forementioned End but also that our Agreement in opposition to Socinianism might not exclude Mr. B. and such as approve of his Scheme which would add strength to that Heresy and be injurious to many worthy Persons nor ought a few words so fully explained be pressed to brand them with that odious Title who could more plausibly fix the same Character on Persons from things plainly asserted in the Socinian sense and subserving their Hypothesis As Christ's Death was not necessary to the remission of Sin the Promise of Forgiveness is no Effect of Christ's Death Repentance under the Gospel is an Effect of justifying Faith in Christ. The preaching of Reconciliation to Sinners is only to publish to them that God is already reconciled to them and to call them to be reconciled to God Many others might be instanced but I think it were unjust even upon such grounds to call any of these Socinians CHAP. VII An Enquiry into what Difference seems to remain concerning the Satisfaction of Christ and Iustification of a Sinner And this Difference reduced below any Cause of Discord I Think both sides are acquitted from all dangerous Errors concerning the Satisfaction of Christ and Justification of a Sinner nor can I doubt but the impartial Reader must apprehend the remaining Difference doth not lie in Opinions about these Doctrines themselves but in accommodating some words in opposition to other Errors which either Side have more especially applied their Minds to confute unless he should also ascribe it to a Zeal for sundry received Phrases on the one part and an apprehension in the other part that more accuracy is become needful since those Phrases were received 1. In both these Doctrines the visible Spring of what Difference remains is a different Notion of Christ's Suretiship For by this the word Imputation as used in both these Doctrines is governed viz. how our Sins were imputed to Christ when he satisfied and how Christ's Righteousness is imputed to us when we are justified both which depend upon the various Conceptions of the Suretiship of Christ and the manner of his representing us which I will begin with One Side thinks him a mediating Surety and distinguishing both as to the matter engaged and Instrument wherein he voluntarily engaged himself as also the respect he had to us therein 1. In the Covenant of Redemption they consider Christ agreeing with his Father the Terms of Satisfaction to Justice and Impetration of Life for Sinners and obliging himself to assume our Nature and therein perfectly to obey the Law die an accursed Death with whatever was equivalent to what by the Covenant of Works our Sins deserved Here they think Christ did not covenant strictly in our stead or as our Proxy tho he covenanted to die in our stead even strictly so He transacted as a free Interposer tho for our Salvation we were no federating Party tho we were the Persons whose Salvation was his promised Reward And therefore we have more reason since we are become his Members to say we intercede in Christ now than to say that we covenanted in Christ then Finally they account his Act of engaging so peculiar to himself that his non-performance of what he engaged which was impossible had not made us more guilty tho it would have left us miserable for our own Sins there being no other way to redeem us 2. They find Christ called a Surety in the Gospel-Covenant made with fallen Man Heb. 7. 22. and no where else This Covenant supposeth the former yea supposeth Christ's having executed his Engagements by the Covenant of Redemption to make Satisfaction to Justice i. e. it was at first accepted as if executed for this Covenant with Man doth not adjust the terms of Redemption but the way of conveying the Effects of that Redemption and is called the Testament of our Lord Jesus whereby he bequeaths the Blessings he acquired by his atoning Death In this Covenant Christ is such a Surety as not only assures us all will be performed which is promised to us on God's part but that undertakes to bring in the Elect and for the Perseverance of Believers unto eternal Life by his exerting that Power and Authority he hath received But here also they apprehend Christ a distinct federating Party A Mediator treating and obliging himself to make the Covenant stand sure and effect the Ends it was designed for but he binds not himself to believe repent or persevere for us but that we shall repent believe and persevere nor doth his Engagement that we should do so prevent our personal Engagement by Covenant to do it our selves tho in his Strength Now our Act of engaging is not his engaging Act but an Effect of it nor is our repenting his repenting Act but the Effect of his engaged Assistance nor is that Assistance of his reckoned to be legally our assisting our selves nor can we say that we covenanted in Christ to bring in the Elect or that Believers shall persevere By which with other Reasons we are induced to think that in covenanting he
signs of Regeneration And he adds such Power to the Testimony of Conscience for the Truth and In-being of these Graces as begets in the Soul a joyful sense of its reconciled State and some comfortable freedom from those Fears which accompany a doubting Christian and according to the Evidence of these Graces Assurance is ordinarily strong or weak Error Assurance is not attained by the Evidence of Scripture-Marks of Signs of Grace or by the Spirit 's discovering to us that he hath wrought in our Hearts any holy Qualifications But Assurance comes only by an inward Voice of the Spirit saying Thy Sins are forgiven thee and our believing thereupon that our Sins are forgiven Truth 16. The Sins of Believers have the loathsomness of Sin adhering to them which God seeth and accounteth the Committers guilty thereby and they ought to charge themselves therewith so as to stir up themselves to Repentance and renew their Actings of Faith on Christ for Forgiveness Nevertheless they ought not thereby to fear their being out of a justified State further than their Falls give them just cause of suspecting that Sin hath Dominion over them and that their first believing on Christ was not sincere Error God seeth no Sin in Believers tho he see the Fact neither doth He charge them with any Sin nor ought they to charge themselves with any Sin nor be at all sad for them nor confess repent or do any thing as a Means of their Pardon no nor in order to assuring themselves of Pardon even when they commit Murder Adultery or the grossest Wickedness Truth 17. It 's true of Believers that if Sin should have Dominion over them they would thereby be subject to Condemnation And tho the Grace of God will prevent the Dominion of Sin in every elect Believer and so keep them from eternal Death yet true Believers may by Sin bring great hurt upon themselves in Soul and Body which they ought to fear and they may expect a share in National Judgments according as they have contributed to common Guilt Error The grossest Sins that Believers can commit cannot do them the least harm neither ought they to fear the least hurt by their own Sins nor by National Sins yea tho themselves have had a hand therein Truth 18. Tho God is not so angry with his People for their Sins as to cast them out of his Covenant-favour yet by their Sins he is so displeased as for them to correct his Children tho he speaks Instructions by his Rebukes Error None of the Afflictions of Believers have in them the least of God's Displeasure against their Persons for their Sins Truth 19. Tho the present sincere Holiness of Believers be not perfect according to the Precepts of the Word nor valuable by the Sanction of the Law of Innocency nor any Atonement for our Defects and we still need Forgiveness and the Merits of Christ for Acceptance thereof yet as far as it prevails it's lovely in it self and pleasing to God and is not Dung or Filth Error The greatest Holiness in Believers tho wrought in them by the Holy Ghost is meer Dung Rottenness and Filthiness as in them Truth 20. Gospel-preaching is when the Messengers of Christ do publish to fallen Sinners the good News of Salvation by Christ to be obtained in the way which he hath appointed in his Word freely offering Salvation on his Terms earnestly perswading and commanding Men in the Name of Christ to comply with those Terms as ever they would escape the Misery they are under and possess the Benefits he hath purchased directing all to look to him for Strength and acknowledg him as the only Mediator and his Obedience and Sufferings as the sole Atonement for Sin and meriting Cause of all Blessings instructing them in all revealed Truth and by Gospel-Motives urging them to obey the whole Will of God as a Rule of Duty but especially to be sincere and upright pressing after Perfection Error Gospel-Preaching is to teach Men they were as much pardoned and as acceptable to God always as when they are regenerate and while they were ungodly they had the same Interest in God and Christ as when they believe neither can Sin any way hinder their Salvation or their Peace nor have they any thing to do to further either of them Christ having done all for them and given himself to them before any holy Qualification or Endeavour Truth 21. Legal Preaching is to preach the Law as a Covenant of Innocency or Works or to preach the Mosaick or Jewish Covenant of Peculiarity But it is not Legal Preaching to require and perswade to Faith Holiness or Duties by Promises and Threatnings according to the Grace of the Gospel and direct Men to fear and hope accordingly Error Legal Preaching is to call People to act any Grace or do any Duty as a required Means of Salvation or inward Peace or to threaten them with Death or any Affliction to cause Fear if they commit the grossest Sins and backslide and fall away or to promise them any Blessing upon their Obedience to the Commandments of Christ or urge the Threatnings to perswade Sinners to believe and repent CHAP. II. A Renunciation of sundry Errors Anno 1696. A Paper called The second Paper 1696. A Proposal made by us 1697. ALtho we hoped the Caution used in the foresaid State of Truth and Error would prevent the Imputation of Socinianism and other hurtful Errors yet finding our Brethren dissatisfied we subscribed with them Anno 1692. about seven Months after the State of Truth was published certain Doctrinal Propositions collected out of the Assembly's Confession which we printed Anno 1693. with this Title An Agreement in Doctrinals c. but that being too long to be here inserted we shall confine our selves to the more material Parts of what further Account we have given of our Judgment concerning the Doctrines of Satisfaction and Iustification which may be seen at large in our Answer to the Report p. 3 11 27 33 c. Anno 1694. In a Paper sent to our Congregational Brethren it 's thus declared We the united Ministers in and about London do renounce and testify against these following Opinions 1. That there is no definite number of Persons elected from all Eternity whom God will by his appointed Means certainly save and bring to Eternal Life leaving the rest who fall under a just Condemnation for their Original and Actual Sins especially for their Neglect and Contempt of the Means of Salvation 2. That Christ died equally for all Men not intending the final Salvation of some more than others 3. That Men have in their own Power by the use of the natural Faculties of their Reason and Will unassisted by the special Light and Grace of the Holy Ghost to perform all that is necessary to Salvation or that his special efficacious Light and Grace is not necessary to their Conversion Perseverance and final Salvation 4. That any of them whom God hath
the Righteousenss of Christ and only that It 's another matter whom our Judg in his justifying Act accounts and adjudgeth in conformity to the Gospel-Offer to be the Persons who he therein promised should be actually reconciled pardoned and entitled to Glory in the alone meriting virtue of what appeased his Anger made amends for Sin and was the Price of Glory Now this Person is the penitent Believer and he is accounted to be such from his having Gospel-Faith in Christ with true Repentance and as such is adjudged to be under the Favour of the foresaid Gospel Promise of Reconciliation Pardon and Glory yet procured and merited not by his Faith but by Christ's alone Righteousness as before accounted for and obtained in his Right who as well had these promised to him for Believers in the Covenant of Redemption as they are promised by God in Christ in the Gospel to Believers themselves for a personal Title to possess them and to plead the Merits of Christ for the enjoyment of them Having testified our Concord with our Brethren and and added this further account of what we esteem Truth and Error in the Doctrines of Satisfaction and Justification we must express our Thankfulness to God that our Brethren in the foresaid Declaration have testified against ignorant and scandalous Persons intruding themselves into the Ministry And tho the Vindication of our selves in this matter be needless when our Principles and Practice are so well known and it 's so notorious that of the great number of unqualified Men who are of late turned Preachers those very few who broke out of any of our Congregations in this City receiv'd no Approbation or Countenance from us and to avoid Restraint and Discouragement they renounced the Name of Presbyterians yea preach'd against us yet to support what we can this present Testimony of our Congregational Brethren we 'll publish one of the Articles agreed to by all of us for strengthening our Vnion after our said Brethrens Recess which is as follows 6. That no Ministers of the Union shall admit or consent that any Person shall preach in their Congregations unless they have been solemnly admitted to the Ministry by Ordination or approved by some of the United Brethren or produce a Testimony that they have been under proper and preparatory Studies to qualify them for that sacred Function CHAP. VI. Some further Examination what is Socinianism as to the Doctrine of Christ's Satisfaction and what is not so with a brief account of several Phrases used by Socinians and by the Orthodox in a very contrary sense A Strict Observation in how uncertain a sense Terms and Phrases are made use of must convince one that Errors may be easily concealed from the Ignorant and the Orthodox as easily impeached without ground by sagacious Persons who design imposing on the Vulgar I shall give an instance in the Controversy before me which makes it evident that Mens Explications and main Hypothesis must be regarded above words otherwise their sense will be mistaken 1. I find the Socinians admit and make use of the words which some Orthodox Divines esteemed most distinguishingly expressive of their own sense as Commutation of Persons as well as things for Persons Substitution and Surrogation of Christ's Person in our room Dying in our stead Christ was an Expiatory Sacrifice His Sufferings were Punishments Our Sins were an impulsive Cause of Christ's Death God was moved by Christ's Death to give us Forgiveness Yea it was a Satisfaction Christ was made a Sinner yea the chief Sinner And many more such I could mention But this evidenceth that these very Phrases are capable of a very ill sense as well as a good one Ruarus admits Christ did in a sense impetrate our Pardon by his Death Epist. 64. So doth Crellius Resp. ad Got. cap. 9. part 3. 2. The last Chapter gave us such a Summary of their Assertions as demonstrates they use these Expressions in no good sense but if you consult the places last cited and in Chap. 5. you 'll find them wrested to consist with the fore-mentioned Errors but because it will be tedious to particularize I shall enumerate the Causes and Ends they plainly and truly ascribe the Death of Christ to 1. They assign Christ's Death to God's meer Dominion over him as his entire Creature whom he would reward for it tho not as merited 2. It was an Example of Patience 3. It was a Preparation of his Sacrifice to be offered to God in Heaven for our Sins 4. It shew'd how much he desired our Salvation tho such great Sinners and how faithful he would be in expiating our Sins in Heaven when he endured such dreadful things for our sakes which God would have chiefly considered in our High-Priest 5. His Death impressed a tender Affection and Pity towards us that so he would succour us who were to be so extreamly afflicted God would not have put Mankind in his hands unless he first suffered Death for Sinners And that God might render us more assured that if we obeyed we should have eternal Life Christ should be so fashioned that in a sense it should appear Christ had more Tenderness for us than God himself or otherwise it had been as to us alike that God had saved us immediately as to have saved us by Christ. Or 6. To establish the new Covenant and Promises 7. To confirm his Doctrine 8. To come pursuant to God's Decree to be crowned with Glory and Honour and invested with Authority and Power to convert protect forgive and give us eternal Life 9. That there might be greater Rewards promised to induce us to repent than there were before 10. To take away those greater Sins which the legal Sacrifices were not appointed for 11. Beget in us a firm hope of Life tho we should die as terrible a Death 12. That we might not fear Death or the Curse which we see conquered by him 13. That we might be induced to leave our Sin when he died that we might be reclaimed from it by such hope of Pardon upon leaving of it 14. To make known how highly kind and pacified God was to us I pass by a compliance with Pagan Customs 3. As they limit Christ's Death in this manner exclusively of and in opposition to other Causes and Ends which the proper Satisfaction of Christ more directly supposeth as you see in the fifth Chapter So I could easily shew how they dilute their own seeming Concessions as well as reduce plain Scripture-Expressions to that Insignificancy that no Man can hope by their method to apprehend any kind of words with certainty as to their meaning one while an as if a quasi is all they intend by their large Grants as if a redeeming Price c. God is as it were moved and as it were obliged by Christ to pardon us another while all is figurative