words in the Scripture the nature of the thing it self concerning which they are used the uncontrolled use of that Expression in all sorts of Writers in expressing the same thing which the instances and examples of its meaning and intention among the Nations of the World is to deny that he dyed for us at all Neither will his dying for our Good or advantage only in what way or sense soever answer or make good or true the Assertion of his dying for us and our sins And this is evident in the Death of the Apostles and Martyrs they all dyed for our Good our advantage and benefit was one end of their sufferings in the will and appointment of God And yet it cannot be said that they dyed for us or our sins And if Christ dyed only for our Good though in a more effectual manner than they did yet this altereth not the kind of his dying for us nor can he thence be said properly according to the only due sense of that expression so to do I shall in this brief and hasty discourse add only one consideration more about the death of Christ to confirm the Truth pleaded for And that is that he is said in dying for sinners to bear their sins Isa. 53. 11. He shall bear their iniquities v. 12. He bare the sins of many explained v. 5. He was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the Chastisement of our peace was upon him 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the Tree c. This expression is purely Sacred It occurreth not directly in other Authors though the sense of it in other words do frequently They call it luere peccata that is delictorum supplicium ferre to bear the punishment of sins The meaning therefore of this phrase of speech is to be taken from the Scripture alone and principally from the Old Testament where it is originally used and from whence it is tranferred into the New Testament in the same sense and no other Let us consider some of the places Isa. 53. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used vers 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And our griefs he hath born them The word signifies properly to bear a Weight or a Burden as a man bears it on his shoulders bajulo porto And it is never used with respect unto sin but openly and plainly it signifies the undergoing of the punishment due unto it so it occurrs directly to our purpose Lam. 5. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our Fathers have sinned and are not and we have born their iniquities The punishment due to their sins And why a new sense should be forged for these words when they are spoken concerning Christ who can give a just reason Again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used to the same purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 12. And he bear the sin of many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often used with respect unto sin sometimes with reference unto Gods actings about it and sometimes with reference unto mens concerns in it In the first way or when it denotes an act of God it signifies to lift up to take away or pardon sin and leaves the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where with it is joyned under its first signification of iniquity or the gâ—ilt of sin with respect unto punishment ensuing as its consequent For God pardoning the guilt of sin the removal of the punishment doth necessarily ensue Guilt containing an Obligation unto punishment In the latter way as it respects men or sinners it constantly denotes the bearing of the punishment of sin and gives that sense unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with respect unto the guilt of sin as its cause And hence ariseth the ambiguity of those words of Cain Gen. 14. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes an act of God if the words be spoken with reference in the first place to any acting of his towards Cain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 retains the sense of iniquity and the words are rightly rendered My sin is greater than to be fogiven If it respect Cain himself firstly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assumes the signification of Punishment and the words are to be rendred My punishment is greater than I can bear or is to be born by me This I say is the constant sense of this expression nor can any Instance to the contrary be produced Some may be mentioned in the confirmation of it Numb 14. 33. Your children shall wander in the Wilderness forty years 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shall bear your Whoredoms v. 34. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye shâ—ll bear your in quities forty years that is the punishment due to your whoredoms and iniquities according to Gods Provideneial dâ—aling with them at that time Lev. 19. 8. He that eateth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall bear his iniquities How 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sâ—ul shall be cut off To bâ— cut off for sin by the punishment of it and for its guilt is to bear in quity So Chap. â—0 16 17 18. for a man to bear his iniquity and to be killed slain or put to death for it are the same Ezek. 18. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the soul that sinneth it shall dye the Son shall not bear the sin of the Father To bear sin and to dye for sin are the same More Instances might be added all uniformity speaking the same sense of the words And as this sense is sufficiently indeed invincibly established by the invariable use of that Expression in the Scripture so the manner whereby it is affirmed that the Lord Christ bare our iniquities sets it absolutely free from all danger by Opposition For he bare our iniquities when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord made to meet on him or laid on him the iniquity of us all Isa. 53. 6. which words the LXX render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord gave him up or delivered him unto our sins That is to be punished for them for other sense the words can have none He made him sin for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. so he bore our sins Isa. 53. 11. How in his own Body on the tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. that when he was and in his being stricken smitten afflicted wounded bruised slain so was the chastisement of our Peace upon him Wherefore to deny that the Lord Christ in his death and suffering for us underwent the punishment due to our sins what we had deserved that we might be delivered as it everts the great foundation of the Gospel so by an open perverting of the plain words of the Scripture because not suited in their sense and importance to the vain imaginations of men it gives no small countenance to Infidelity and Atheism FINIS
the Personal Union The Divine and humane nature in Christ have but one personal subsistence and so are but one Christ one distinct personal principle of all Operations of all that he did or doth as Mediator And this undeniably follows from what is declared in the Testimonies mentioned For the Word could not be made flesh nor could he take on him the seed of Abraham nor could the mighty God be a Child born and given unto us nor could God shed his blood for his Church but that the two natures so directly expressed must be united in one Person for otherwise as they are two natures still they would be two Persons also 2. Each nature thus united in Christ is entire and preserves unto it self its own natural properties For he is no less perfect God for being made Man nor no less a true perfect Man consisting of soul and body with all their essential parts by that natures being taken into subsistence with the Son of God His Divine nature still continues Immense Omniscient Omnipotent infinite in Holiness c. his bumane nature finite limited and before its Glorification subject to all infirmities of life and death that the same nature in others absolutely considered is obnoxious unto 3. In each of these natures he acts suitably unto the essential properties and principles of that nature As God he made all things upholds all things by the word of his Power fills Heaven and Earth c. As man he lived hungred suffered dyed rose ascended into Heaven Yet by reason of the Union of both these natures in the same Person not only his own Person is said to do all these things but the Person expressed by the name which he hath on the account of one nature is said to do that which he did only in the other So God is said to redeem his Church with his own blood and to lay down his life for us and the Son of Man to be in Heaven when he was in the Earth All because of the unity of his Person as was declared And these things do all of them directly and undeniably flow from what is revealed concerning his Person as before is declared Of the Satisfaction of CHRIST THE last thing to be enquired into upon occasion of the late opposition to the great fundamental Truths of the Gospel is the satisfaction of Christ. And the Doctrine hereof is such as I eonceive needs rather to be explained than vindicated For it being the Center wherein most if not all the Lines of Gospel Promises and Precepts do meet and the great medium of all our Communion with God in Faith and Obedience the great distinction between the Religion of Christians and that of all others in the world it will easily on a due proposal be assented unto by all who would be esteemed Disciples of Jesus Christ. And whether a parcel of insipid Cavils may be thought sufficient to obliterate the Revelation of it men of sober minds will judge and discern For the term of Satisfaction we contend not about it It doth indeed properly express and connote that great Effâ—ct of the Death of Christ which in the cause before us we plead for But yet because it belongs rather to the Explanation of the Truth contended for then is used expresly in the Revelation of it and because the right understanding of the Word it self depends on some notions of Law that as yet we need not take into consideration I shall not in this entrance of our discourse insist precisely upon it but leave it as the natural conclusion of what we shall find expresly declared in the Scripture Neither do I say this as though I did decline the Word or the right use of it or what is properly signified by it but do only cast it into its proper place answerable unto our method and design in the whole of this brieâ— discourse I know some have taken a new way of expressing and declaring the Doctrine concerning the Mediation of Christ with the causes and ends of his death which they think more rational than that usually insisted on But as what I have yet heard of or seen in that kind hath been not only unscriptural but also very irrational and most remote from that accuracy whereunto they pretend who make use of it so if they shall publish their conceptions it is not improbable but that they may meet with a Scholastical Examination by some hand or other Our present work as hath been often declared is for the establishment of the Faith of them who may be attempted if not brought into danger to be seduced by the slights of some who lye in wait to deceive and the clamours of others who openly drive the same design What therefore the Scripture plainly and clearly reveals in this matter is the subject of our present enquiry And either in so doing as occasion shall be offered we shall obviate or in the close of it remove those Sophisms that the Sacred Truth now proposed to consideration hath been attempted withal The summ of what the Scripture reveals about this great truth commonly called the satisfaction of Christ may be reduced unto these ensuing heads 1. That Adam being made upright sinned against God and all mankind all his posterity in him Gen. 1. 27. So God created man in hit own Image in the Image of God created he him Male and Female created he them Gen. 3. 11. And he said who told thee that thou wast naked Hast thou eaten of the Tree whreof I commandeded thee that then shouldst not eat Eccles. 7. 29. Lo this only have I found that God made man upright but he hath sought out many inventions Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Ver. 18. Therefore by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation Ver. 19. By one mans disobedience many were made sinners 2. That by this Sin of our first Parents all men are brought into an Estate of Sin and Apostacy from God and of an enmity unto him Gen. 6. 5. God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the Earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually Psal. 51. 5. Behold I was sâ—â—â—pen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me Rom. 3. 23. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 8. 7. The carnal mind is enmity against God fâ—r it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Ephes. 4. 18. Having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart Chap. 2. 1. Col. 2. 13. Thirdly That in this state all men continue in sin against God nor of themselves can do otherwise Rom. 3. 10 11 12. There is none righteous no not one there is none
that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God they are all gone out of the way they are together become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Fourthly That the Justice and Holiness of God as he is the Supream Governour and Judge of all the world require that sin be punished Exod. 34. 7. That will by no means clear the guilty Josh. 24. 19. He is an holy God he is a jealous God he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins Psalm 5. 4 5 6. For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with thee the foolish shall not stand in thy sight thou hatest all workers of iniquity thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing Hab. 1. 13. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look upon iniquity Isa. 33. 14. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Rom. 1. 32. Who knowing the judgement of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death Rom. 3. 5 6. Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance I speak as a man God forbid for then how shall God judge the world 2 Thes. 1. 6. It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you Heb. 12. 29. For our God is a consuming fire From Deut. 4. 24. Fifthly That God hath also engaged his veracity and faithfulness in the Sanction of the Law not to leave sin unpunished Gen. 2. 17. In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Deut. 27. 26. Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them In this state and condition all mankind had they been left without divine aid and help must have perished Eternally Sixthly That God out of his infinite Goodness Grace and Love to mankind sent his only Son to save and deliver them out of this condition Matth. 1. 21. Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his People from their sins John 3. 16 17. God so loved the world that be gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life for God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved Rom. 5. 8. God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yeâ— sinners Christ dyed for us 1 John 4. 9. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him v. 10. Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins 1. Thes. 1. 10. Even Jesus which delivereth us from the wrath to come Seventhly That this Love was the same in Father and Son acted distinctly in the manner that shall be afterwards declared so vain are the pretences of men who from the Love of the Father in this matter would argue against the Love of the Son or on the contrary Eightly That the way in general whereby the Son of God being Incarnate was to save lost sinners was by a substitution of himself according to the design and appointment of God in the room of those whom he was so save 2 Cor. 5. 21. He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of God in him Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Rom. 5. 7 8. For scarcely for a Righteous Man will one dye yet peradventure for a good man some will even dare to dye but God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed us Rom. 8. 3. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the Tree Chap. 3. 18. For Christ also hath once suffered for us the Just for the unjust that he might bring us unto God All these expressions undeniably evince a substitution of Christ as to suffering in the stead of them whom he was to save which in general is all that we intend by his satisfaction namely that he was made sin for us a curse for us dyed for us that is in our stead that we might be saved from the wrath to come And all these Expressions as to their true genuine importance shall be vindicated as occasion shall require Ninthly This way of his saving sinners is in particular several wayes expressed in the Scripture As 1. That he offered himself a Sacrifice to God to make attonement for our sins and that in his death and sufferings Isa. 53. 10. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin John 1. 29. Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the World Eph. 5. 2. Christ hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Heb. 2. 17. Was a merciful high Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the Sins of the People Heb. 9. 11 12 13 14. But Christ being come an high Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this building neither by the blood of Goats and Calves but by his own blood he entred in once into the Holy place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us For if the blood of Bulls c. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead works 2. That he Redeemed us by paying a price a ransome for our Redemption Mark 10. 45. The Son of Man came to give his life a ransome for many 1 Cor. 6. 20. For ye are bought with a price 7. 23. 1 Tim. 2. 6. Who gave himself a ransome for all to be testified in due time Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might Redeem us from all iniquity 1 Pet. 1. 18. For we were not Redeemed with Silver and Gold and corruptible things 19. But with the pretious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot 3. That he bare our sins or the punishment due unto them Isa. 53. 5. He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes are we healed All we like Sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all 11. For he shall bear their iniquities 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own self bare our sins in
his own Body on the Tree 4. That he answered the Law and the penalty of it Rom. 8. 3. God sent forth his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath Redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Chap. 4. 4 5. God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law to Redeem them that were under the Law 5. That he dyed for sin and sinners to expiate the one and in the stead of the other Rom. 4. 25. He was delivered for our offences Rom. 5. 10. When we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son 1 Cor. 15. 3. Christ dyed for our sins according to the Scriptures 2 Cor. 5. 14. For the Love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one dyed for all then were all dead 1 Thes. 5. 9 10. 6. Hence on the part of God it is affirmed that he spared him not but delivered him up for us all Rom. 8. 32. And caused all our iniquities to meet upon him Isa. 53. 7. 7. The Effect hereof was 1. That the Righteousness of God was glorified Rom. 3. 25 26. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood to declare his Righteousness for the remission of sins 2. The Law fulfilled and satisfied as in the places before quoted Rom. 8. 3. Gal. 3. 13 14. Gal. 4. 5. 3. God reconciled 2 Cor. 5. 18 19. God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them Heb. 2. 17. He made reconciliation for the sins of the People 4. Attonement was made for sin Rom. 5. 11. By whom we have now received the Attonement and peace was made with God Eph. 2. 14. For he is our peace who hath made both one that he might reconcile both unto God in one Body by the Cross having slain the emnity thereby 〈◊〉 Made an end of sin Dan. 9. 24. To finish transgression to make an end of sins to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting Righteousness The glory of God in all these things being exalted himself well pleased Righteousness and everlasting Redemption or Salvation purchased for Sinners Heb. 9. 14. In that the chastisement of our peace was upon him and that by his stripes we are healed he being punished that we might go free himself became a Captain of Salvation unto all that do obey him I have fixed on these particulars to give every Ordinary Reader an instance how fully and plainly what he is to believe in this matter is revealed in the Scripture And should I produce all the Testimonies which expresly give witness unto these positions it is known how great a part of the Bible must be transcribed And these are the things which are indispensibly required of us to believe that we may be able 〈◊〉 and regulate our obedience according to the mind and will of God In the Explanation of this Doctrine unto further Edification sundry things are usually insisted on which necessarily and infallibly ensue upon the propositions of Scripture before laid down and serve to beget in the minds of Believers a due apprehension and right understanding of them As 1. That God in this matter is to be considered as the chief supream absolute Rector and Governour of all as the Lord of the Law and of sinners but yet so as an offended Ruler Not as an offended Person but as an offended Ruler who hath right to exact punishment upon Transgressors and whose Righteousness of Rule requires that he should so do 2. That because he is Righteous and Holy as he is the supream Judge of all the World it is necessary that he do right in the punishing of sin without which the order of the Creation cannot be preserved For sin being the Creatures deduction of it self from the order of its dependance upon and obedience unto the Creator and supream Lord of all without a reduction of it by punishment confusion would be brought into the whole Creation 3. That whereas the Law and the Sanction of it is the moral or declarative cause of the punishment of sin and it directly obligeth the sinner himself unto punishment God as the supream Ruler dispenseth not with the act of the Law but the immediate object and substitutes another sufferer in the room of them who are principally lyable unto the sentence of it and are now to be acquitted or freed that so the Law may be satisfied requiring the punishment of sin Justice exalted whereof the Law is an effect and yet the sinner saved 4. That the Person thus substituted was the Son of God incarnate who had power so to dispose of himself with will and readiness for it and was upon the account of the dignity of his Person able to answer the penalty which all others had incurred and deserved 5. That God upon his voluntary susception of this Office and condescention to this work did so lay our sins in and by the sentence of the Law upon him that he made therein full satisfaction for whatever legally could be charged on them for whom he dyed or suffered 6. That the special way terms and conditions whereby and whereon sinners may be interested in this satisâ—action made by Christ are determined by the Will of God and declared in the Scripture These and the like things are usually insisted on in the Explication or declaration of this head of our confession And there is not any of them but may be sufficiently confirmed by Divine Testimonies It may also be farther evinced that there is nothing asserted in them but what is excellently suited unto the common notions which mankind hath of God and his Righteousness and that in their practice they answer the light of nature and common reason exemplified in sundry Instances among the Nations of the World I shall therefore take one Argument from some of the testimonies before produced in the confirmation of this Sacred Truth and proceed to remove the objections that are commonly banded against it If the Lord Christ according to the Will of the Father and by his own counsel and choice was substituted and did substitute himself as the Mediatour of the Covenant in the room and in the stead of sinners that they might be saved and therein bare their sins or the punishment due unto their sins by undergoing the curse and penalty of the Law and therein also according to the Will of God offered up himself for a propitiatory expiatory Sacrifice to make Attonement for sin and Reconciliation for sinners that the Justice of God being appeased and the Law fulfilled they might go free or be delivered from the wrath to come and if therein also he paid a real satisfactory price for their Redemption then he made satisfaction to God for sin For these are the things that
suppose that this is the first time that this Doctrine fell under this imputation nor could it possibly be lyable unto this charge from any who did either understand it or the grounds on which it is commonly opposed For there is no end of the Life or death of Christ which the Socinians themselves admit of but it is also allowed and asserted in the Doctrine now called in Question Do they say that he taught the Truth or revealed the whole mind and will of God concerning his Worship and our obedience We say the same Dâ— they say that by his death he hare testimony unto and confirmed the truth which he had taught it is also owned by us Do they say that in what he did and suâ—fered he set us an Example that we should labour after conformity unto it is what we acknowledge and teach Only we say that all these things belong principally to his Prophetical Office But we moreover affirm and believe that as a Priest or in the discharge of his Sacerdotal Office he did in his death and sufferings offer himself a Sacrifice to God to make Attonement for our sins which they deny and that he dyed for us or in our stead that we might go free without the faith and acknowledgement whereof no part of the Gospel can be rightly understood All the ends then which they themselves assign of the Life and death of Christ are by us granted and the principal one which gives life and efficacy to the rest is by them denyed Neither 2. doth it fall under any possible imagination that the praise due unto God should be Ecclipsed hereby The Love and Kindness of God towards us is in the Scripture fixed principally and fundamentally on his sending of his only begotten Son to dye for us And certainly the greater the work was that he had to do the greater ought our acknowledgement of his Love and kindness to be but it is said 5. That it represents the Son more kind and compassionate than the Father whereas if both be the same God then either the Father is as loving as the Son or the Son as angry as the Father Answ. 1. The Scripture referreth the Love of the Father unto two heads 1. The sending of his Son to dye for us John 3. 16. Rom. 5. 8. 1 John 4. 8. 2. In choosing sinners unto a participation of the fruits of his love Ephes. 1. 3 4 5 6. The Love of the Son is fixed signally on his actual giving himself to dye for us Gal. 2. 20. Ephes. 5. 25. Rev. 1. 5. What ballances these Persons have got to weigh these Loves in and to conclude which is the greatest or most weighty I know not 2. Although only the actual discharge of his Office be directly assigned to the Love of Christ yet his condâ—scention in taking our nature upon him expressed by his mind Ephes 6. 7. and the readiness of his Will Psalm 40. 8. doth eminently comprise Love in it also Thirdly The Love of the Father in sending of the Son was an act of his will which being a natural and essential property of God it was so far the act of the Son also as he is partaker of the same nature though eminently and in respect of order it was peculiarly the act of the Father 4. The anger of â—od against sin is an effect of his essential Righteousness and Holiness which belong to him as God which yet hinders not but that both Father and Son and Spirit acted Love towards sinners They say again 6. It robs God of the gift of his Son for our redemption which the Scriptures attribute to the unmerited Love he had for the World in affirming the Son purchased that redemption from the Father by the gift of himself to God as our compleat satisfaction Answ. 1. It were endless to consider the improper and absurd expressions which are made use of in these exceptions as here the last words have no tolerable sence in them according to any principles whatever 2. If the Son 's purchasing Redemption for us procuring obtaining it do rob God of the gift of his Son for our redemption the Holy Ghost must answer for it For having obtained for us or procured or purchased eternal redemption is the word used by himself Heb. 9. 14. And to deny that he hath laid down his Life a ransome for us and to have bought us with a price is openly to deny the Gospel 2. In a word the great gift of God consisted in giving his Son to obtain Redemption for us 3. Herein he offered himself unto God and gave himself for us and if these Persons are offended herewithal what are we that we should withstand God They say 7. Since Christ could not pay what was not his own it follows that in the payment of his own the case still remains equally grievous Since the debt is not hereby absolved or forgiven but transferred only and by consequence we are no better provided for salvation than before owing that now to the Son which was once owing to the Father Answ. The looseness and dubiousness of the expressions here used makes an appearance that there is something in them when indeed there is not There is an Allusion in them to a debt and a payment which is the most improper expression that is used in this matter and the interpretation thereof is to be regulated by other proper expressions of the same thing But to keep to the Allusion 1. Christ paid his own but not for himself Dan. 9. 26. 2. Paying it for us the debt is discharged and our actual discharge is to be given out according to the wayes and means and upon the conditions appointed and constituted by the Father and Son 3. When a debt is so transferred as that one is accepted in the room and obliged to payment in the stead of another and that payment is made and accepted accordingly all Law and Reason require that the original Debtor be discharged 4. What on this account we owe to the Son is praise thankfulness and obedience and not the debt which he took upon himself and discharged for us when we were non-solvent by his love So that this matter is plain enough and not to be involved by such cloudy expressions and incoherent discourse following the Metaphor of a debt For if God be considered as the Creditor we all as Debtors and being insolvent Christ undertook out of his Love to pay the debt for us and did so accordingly which was accepted with God it follows that we are to be discharged upon Gods terms and under a new obligation unto his Love who hath made this satisfaction for us which we shall eternally acknowledge It is said 8. It no way renders Men beholding or in the least obliged to God since by their Doctrine he would not have abated us nor did he Christ the least farthing so that the acknowledgements are peculiarly the Sons which destroyes the whole current of
to be the case as to the sufferings of Christ is as far as I can understand to subvert the whole Gospel Moreover as was said this harh been variously exemplified among the Nations of the world whose actings in such cases because they excellently shadow out the general notion of the death of Christ for others for sinners and are appealed unto directly by the Apostle to this purpose Rom. 5. 7 8. I shall in a few Instances reflect upon Not to insist on the voluntary surrogations of private Persons one into the Room of another mutually to undergo dangers and death for one another as before mentioned I shall only remember some publick Transactions in reference unto communities in Nations Cities or Armies Nothing is more celebrated amongst the Ancients than this that when they supposed themselves in Danger from the Anger and displeasure of their Gods by reason of any guilt or crimes among them some one person should either devote himself or be devoted by the people to dye for them and therein to be made as it were an expiatory Sacrifice For where sin is the cause and God is the object respected the making of satisfaction by undergoing punishment and expiating of sin by a propitiatory Sacrifice are but various expressions of the same thing Now those whoso devoted themselves as was said to dye in the stead of others or to expiate their sins and turn away the Anger of the God they feared by their death designed two things in what they did First That the Evils which were impendent on the people and feared might fall on themselves so that the people might go free Secondly That all good things which themselves desired might be conferred on the People which things have a notable shaddow in them of the great expiatory Sacrifice concerning which we treat and expound the Expressions wherein it is declared The Instance of the Decii is known of whom the Poet Plebeiae Deciorum animae plebeia fuerunt Nomina pro totis legionibuâ— hitamâ—n pro Omnibus auxiliis atque omni plehe Latins Sufficiunt Diis infernis The two Decii Father and Son in imminent dangers of the people devoted themselves at several times unto Death and Destruction And saith he sufficiunt Diis infernis they satisfied for the whole people adding the Reason whence so it might be Pluris enim Decii quam qui servantur ab illis They were more to be valued than all that were saved by them And the great Historian doth excellently describe both the Actions and Expectations of the one and the other in what they did The Father when the Roman Army commanded by himself and Titus Mâ—nlius was near a total ruine by the Latines called for the publick Priest and caused him with the usual solemn Ceremonies to devote him to death for the deliverance and safety of the Army after which making his requests to his Gods dii quorum est potestas nostrorum hostiumque the gods that had power over them and their Adversaries as he supposed he cast himself into death by the swords of the Enemy Conspectus ab utraque acie aliquanto augustior humano visu sicut coelo missus piaculum omnis Deorum irae qui pestem ab suis aversam in hostes ferret He was looked on by both Armies as one more August than a man as one sent from Heaven to be a piacular Sacrifice to appease the Anger of the gods and to transferre destruction from their own Army to the Enemies Liv. Hist. 8. His Son in like manner in a great and dangerous battel against the Galls and Samnites wherein he commanded in Chief devoting himself as his Father had done added unto the former solemn deprecations prae se agere sese formidinem ac fugam caedemque ac cruorem coel stium infernorum iras lib. 11. That he carryed away before him from those for whom he devoted himself fear and flight slaughter and blood the anger of the Coelestial and Infernal gods And as they did in this devoting of themselves design averuncare malum deûm iras lustrare pâ—pulum aut exercitum piaculum fieri or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expiare crimina scelus reatum or to remove all evil from others by taking it on themselves in their stead so also they thought they might and intended in what did to covenant and contract for the good things they desired So did these Decii and so is Menaeceus reported to have done when he devoted himself for the City of Thebes in danger to be destroyed by the Argives So Papinius introduceth him treating his gods Armorum superi tuque ô quifunere tanto Indulges mihi Phoebe mori date gaudia Thebis Quae pepegi toto quae sanguine prodi gus emi He reckoned that he had not only repelled all death and danger from Thebes by his own but that he had purchased joy in peace and liberty for the people And where there was none in publick calamities that did voluntarily devote themselves the people were wont to take some obnoxious person to make him exercraâ—le and to lay on him according to their superstition all the wrath of their Gods and so give him up to Destruction Such the Apostle alludes unto Rom. 9. 3. 1 Cor. 4. 9 13. So the Massilians were wont to explate their City by taking a Person devoted imprecating on his head all the evil that the City was obnoxious unto casting him into the Sea with thâ—se words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be thou our expiatory Sacrifice To which purpose were the solemn words that many used in their expiatory Sacrifices as Herodotus testâ—fieth of the Aegyptians bringing their Offerings saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they laid these imprecations on their heads that if any Evil were happening towards the Sacrificer or all Egypt let it be all turned and laid on this devoted head And the persons whom they thus dealt withall and made execrate were commonly of the vilest of the people or such as had rendred themselves detestable by their own crimes whence was the complaint of the Mother of Mâ—naeceus upon her Sons devoting himself Lustralemne feris ego te puer inclyte Thebis Dâ—votumque caput vilis seu mater alebam I have recounted these Instances to evince the common intention sense and understanding of that expression of one dying for another and to manifest by Examples what is the sense of mankind about any ones being devoted and substituted in the Room of others to deliver them from death and danger the consideration whereof added to the constant use of the words mentioned in the Scripture is sufficient to fâ—â—nd and confirm this conclusion That whereas it is frâ—quently affirmed in the Scripture thâ—ir Christ dyed for us and for our sins c. to deny that he dyed and suffered in our stead undergoing the death whereunto we were obnoxious and the punishment due to our sins is if we respect in what we say or believe the constant use of those
himself unto payment ceaseth ipso facto But in things criminal the guilty person himself being firstly immediately and intentionally under the Obligation unto punishment when there is introduced by compact a vicarious solution in the fubstitution of another to suffer though he suffer the same absolutely which those should have done for whom he suffers yet because of the Acceptation of his person to suffer which might have been refused and could not be admitted without some Relaxation of the Law Deliverance of the guilty persons cannot ensue ipso facto but by the intervention of the Terms fixed on in the Covenant or Agreement for an admittance of the substitution It appears from what hath been spoken that in this matter of Satisfaction God is not considered as a Creditor and sin as a debt and the Law as an obligation to the payment of that Debt and the Lord Christ as paying it though these notions may have been used by some for the Illustration of the whole matter and that not without countenance from sundry expressions in the Scripture to the same purpose But God is considered as the infinitely holy and righteous Author of the Law and Supream Governour of all mankind according to the Tenor and Sanction of it Man is considered as a sinner a transgressor of that Law and thereby obnoxious and liable to the punishment constituted in it and by it answerably unto the Justice and Holiness of its Author The Substitution of Christ was meerly Voluntary on the part of God and of himself undertaking to be a Sponsor to answer for the sins of men by undergoing the punishment due unto them That to this End there was a Relaxation of the Law as to the persons that were to suffer though not as to what was to be suffered Without the former the Substitution mentioned could not have been admitted And on supposition of the latter the suffering of Christ could not have had the nature of punishment properly so called For punishment relates to the Justice and Righteousness in Government of him that exacts it and inflicts it And this the Justice of God doth not but by the Law Nor could the Law be any way satisfied or fulfilled by the suffering of Christ if antecedently thereunto its obligation or power of obliging unto the penalty constituted in its Sanction unto sin was relaxed dissolved or dispensed withall Nor was it agreeable to Justice nor would the nature of the things themselves admit of it that another punishment should be inflicted on Christ than what we had deserved nor could our sin be the impulsive cause of his death nor could we have had any benefit thereby And this may suffice to be added unto what was spoken before as to the nature of satisfaction so far as the brevity of the discourse whereunto we are confined will bear or the use whereunto it is designed doth require Secondly The Nature of the Doctrine contended for being declared and cleared we may in one or two instances manifest how evidently it is revealed and how fully it may be confirmed or vindicated It is then in the Scripture declared that Christ dyed for us that he dyed for our sins and that we are thereby delivered This is the foundation of Christian Religion as such Without the faith and acknowledgement of it we are not Christians Neither is it in these general terms at all denyed by the Socinians It remains therefore that we consider 1. How this is revealed and affirmed in the Scripture and 2. What is the true meaning of the Expressions and Propositions wherein it is revealed and affirmed for in them as in sundry others we affirm that the satisfaction pleaded for is contained 1. Christ is said to dye to give himself to be delivered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. for us for his sheep for the life of the world for sinners John 6. 51. Chap. 10. 15. Rom. 5. 6. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Gal. 2. 20. Heb. 2. 9. Moreover he is said to dye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for sins 1 Cor. 15. 3. Gal. 1. 4. The End whereof every where expressed in the Gospel is that we might be freed delivered and saved These things as was said are agreed unto and acknowleded 2. The meaning and importance we say of these Exprâ—ssions is that Christ dyed in our Room Place or Stead undergoing the Death or Punishment which we should have undergone in the way and manner before declared And this is the satisfaction we plead for It remains therefore that from the Scripture the nature of the things treated of the proper signification and constant use of the. Expressions mentioned the Exemplification of them in the Customs and Usages of the Nations of the World we do evince and manifest that what we have laid down is the true and proper sense of the words wherein this Revelation of Christs dying for us is expressed so that they who deny Christ to have dyed for us in this sense do indeed deny that he properly dyed for us at all what ever benefits they grant that by his death we may obtain First We may consider the Use of this Expression in the Scripture either indefinitely or in particular Instances Only we must take this along with us that dying for sins and Transgressions being added unto dying for sinners or persons maketh the substitution of one in the room and stead of another more evident than when the dying of one for another only is mentioned For whereas all Predicates are regulated by their subjects and it is ridiculous to say that one dyeth in the stead of sins the meaning can be no other but the bearing or answering of the sins of the sinner in whose stead any one dyeth And this is in the Scripture declared to be the sense of that Expression as we shall see afterwards Let us therefore consider some Instances John 11. 50. The words of Caiaphas Counsel are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is expedient for us that one man should dye for the people and that the whole Nation perish not which is expressed again Chap. 18. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perish for the people Caiaphas feared that if Christ were spared the people would be destroyed by the Romans The way to free them he thought was by the destruction of Christ him therefore he devoted to death in lieu of the People As He Vnum pro multis dabitur Caput One head shall be given for many Not unlike the Speech of Otho the Emperour in Xiphilin when he slew himself to preserve his Army For when they would have perswaded him to renew the war after the defeat of some of his Forces and offered to lay down their lives to secure him he replyed that he would not adding this Reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is far better and more just that one should perish or dye for all than that many should perish for one that is One in the stead of many that they may go free
or as another speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. Let one be given up to dye in the stead of all Joh. 13. 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are the words of St. Peter unto Christ I will lay down my life for thee To free thee I will expose my own head to danger my life to death that thou maist live and I dye It is plain that he intended the same thing with the celebrated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of old who exposed their own lives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for one another such were Damon and Pythias Orestes Pylades Nisur Eurialus Whence is that saying of Seneca Succurram perituro sed ut ipse nâ—n peream nisi si futurus ero magni hominis aut magnae rei merces I will relieve or succour one that is ready to perish yet so as that I perish not my self unless thereby I be taken in lieu of some great man or great matter For a great man a man of great worth and usefulness I could perish or dye in his stead that he might live and go free We have a great Example also of the importance of this Expression in those words of David concerning Absolom 2 Sam. 18. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who will grant me to dye I for thee or in thy stead My Son Absolom It was never doubted but that David wished that he had dyed in the stead of his Son and to have undergone the death which he did to have preserved him alive As to the same purpose though in another sense Mâ—zentius in Virgil expresseth himself when his Son Lausus interposing bâ—tween him and danger in Battel was slain by Aeneas Tantane me tenuit vivendi nate voluptas Vt pro me hostili paterer succedere dextrae Quem genui tuane haec genitor per vulnera servor Morte tuâ vivam Hast thou O Son fallen under the Enemies hand in my stead am I saved by thy wounds do I live by thy death And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by David doth signifie when applyed unto persons either a succession or a substitution still the coming of one into the Place and Room of another When one succeeded to another in Government it is expressed by that word 2 Sam. 10. 1. 1 Kings 7. 7. Chap. 19. 16. In other cases it denotes a substitution So Jehu tells his Gurad that if any one of them let any of Baals Priests escape 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Kings 10. 24. his life should go in the stead of the life that he had suffered to escape And this answereth unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek which is also used in this matter and ever denotes either equality contrariety or substitution The two former senses can here have no place the latter alone hath So it is said that Archelaus reigned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 2. 1 2. In the room or stead of Herod his Father So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 5. 38. is an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth And this word also is used in expressing the death of Christ for us He came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 20. 28. To give his life a ransome for many that is in their stead to dye So the words are used again Mark 10. 45. And both these notes of a succedaneous substitution are joined together 1 Tim. 2. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to buy any thing to purchase or procure any thing with the price of ones life So Tigranes in Xenophon when Cyrus askt him what he would give or do for the liberty of his Wife whom he had taken prisoner answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will purchase her liberty with my life or the price of my soul. Whereon the Woman being freed affirmed afterwards that she considered none in the company but him who said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he would purchase my liberty with his own life And these things are added on the occasion of the Instances mentioned in the Scripture whence it appears that this expression of dying for another hath no other sense or meaning but only dying instead of another undergoing the death that he should undergo that he might go free And in this matter of Christs dying for us add that he so dyed for us as that he also dyed for our sins that is either to bear their punishment or to expiate their guilt for other sense the words cannot admit and he that pretends to give any other sense of them than that contended for which implyes the whole of what lyes in the Doctrine of Satisfaction erit mihi magnus Apollo even he who was the Author of all ambiguous Oracles of old And this is the common sense of mori pro alio and pati pro alio or pro alio discrimen capitis subire a substitution is still denoted by that expression which sufficeth us in this whole cause for we know both into whose room he came and what they were to suffâ—r Thus Entellus killing and sacrificing an Ox to Eryx in the stead of Dares whom he was ready to have slain when he was taken from him expresseth himself Hanc tibi Eryx meliorem animam pro morte Daretis Persolvo He offered the Ox a better Sacrifice in the stead of Dares taken from him So Fratrem Pollux alternà morte redemit And they speak so not only with respect unto death but where ever any thing of Durance or suffering is intended So the Angry Master in the Comoedian Verberibus Caesum te Dave in pistrinum dedam usque ad necem Eâ lege atque omine ut si inde te exemerim ego pro te molam He threatned his Servant to cast him into Prison to be macerated to death with labour and that with this engagement that if he ever let him out he would grind for him that is in his stead Wherefore without offering Violence to the common means of Understanding things amongst men another sense cannot be affixed to these words The Nature of the thing it self will admit of no other Exposition than that given unto it and it hath been manifoldly exemplified among the Nations of the world For suppose a man guilty of any crime and on the account thereof to be exposed unto Danger from God or man in a way of Justice Wrath or Vengeance and when he is ready to be given up unto suffering according unto his demerit another should tender himself to dye for him that he might be freed let an appeal be made to the common Reason and Understandings of all men whether the intention of this his dying for another be not that he substitutes himself in his stead to undergo what he should have done however the translation of punishment from one to another may be brought about and asserted For at present we treat not of the Right but of the fact or the thing it self And to deny this