their first Attempts on Orthodox phrases that they may the more effectually Introduce their Errour in like manner it has been the care of them who are sound in the Faith to keep up those Banks or Barriers and to Defend these phrases as the Boundaries of the Truth When Gregorius Pauli and many others of the Socinian Faction struggled for the Disuse of all phrases not expresly delivered in Scripture and Sarnicius with Divers others so earnestly contended for their Use as they did most clearly express the Truth and distinguish it from Errour that Gregories party found it most Prudent to admit of their Use And the Orthodox in all Ages would by no means part with these phrases 5. In Imitation of our Fore-fathers and according to the constant Practice of the Church before and since the Reformation the Reverend Brethren who sent the first Paper unto the Congregational Observing the Charge to be that the Doctrine of Christ's Satisfaction was corrupted did in the said Paper single out and pitch'd upon those Terms Expressions and Phrases which have been Used by Protestants to Explain this Doctrine Such as a Change of Persons between Christ and Us Christs taking on him our Person and coming into our 〈◊〉 and Stead to answer for us the Obligatioâ— of the Vâ—â—â—â—red Law of Works the laying the 〈…〉 our iniquities on Christ and that Christ 〈…〉 as our Surety did feel and 〈…〉 sure of God and the Weight of his Wrath 〈…〉 as men found in the Faith they 〈…〉 matter of Offence to their 〈◊〉 Brethren But 6. How 〈…〉 these phrases are how apt to explain the Truth and how Necessary soever to distinguish it from Errour it cannot be admitted by others for the 〈◊〉 and secret Influences of that very man who 〈…〉 quished the commonly Received Doctrine of Protestants in this Instance are so powerful that these phrases must be rejected and what cannot but astonish our Brethren in the Country the Orthodox in the Church of England Scotland and the Reformed abroad they are rejected as phrases that cannot be safely retain'd that can't bear a sound sense but are liable to be Interpreted to a sense of Malignity to the whole of the Gospel which is such a bold stroke so deep a wound given the Doctrine commonly passing in regard to Christs Satisfaction as hath not been given it by any but by such as Episcopius Socinus and their Admirers and it 's carried on with so High a Hand that whoever dares Appear to Detect their Attempt tho' with the greatest softness of Expression must be cried down as a Fire-brand and a Disturber of our Peace and the very Man who once Pleaded for the Faith is turn'd with much severity against his Orthodox Brethren and as if this had been the time to follow the Blow and strike at all it is Inserted as a Term of Peace in the Paper sent from Little St. Hellens that there must be 7. No Contending about Logical or Philosophical Terms or meerly humane Forms of Speech tho' about Matters of the greatest Importance as appears by their removing from this Place the limitation which in the first Paper was in matters of Lesser Weight That I may in this place discharge my Conscience with the greatest Impartiality I do declare 1. That I Charge not the Brethren at Little St. Hellens as a Body for I am Perswaded the greatest Part of them are not aware of the Design or Tendency of this Alteration and that the Chief Contriver doth gaudere sinu to Observe how he imposes on them and how he has Tooled my Rebuker who I would hope has his Heart as yet untainted with the Errours delivered in his Rebuke However 2. It is most evident to me that as they will Answer it in the great Day of the Lord they are under the strongest Bonds of doing their utermost to put a Check to those Invasions made on the Truth by the Methods used by the Contriver of the third Paper I speak of them who are convinced of the truth of the Commonly received Doctrine of Protestants for by Countenancing this Paper they in Fact Renounce what they Believe to be True and by approving of this Alteration which will by no means allow of our contending about Logical or Philosophical Phrases tho' in Matters of greatest Weight they open a gap for the letting in all manner of errour For 8. They by Assenting to this Paper have put in a Bar against their contending for any Logical Phrases and when the Socinians shall expose to Contempt and Ridicule some Phrases which express what is Essential to the Principles of Natural as well as of Revealed Religion they must break their Promise or be silent suffering the very Deist to carry all before him To clear thus much 't will be sufficient to mention what Biddle says on this Topick I 'le give you his own Words Examine therefore the Expressions of God's being Infinite and Incomprehensible of his being a simple Act of his subsisting in three Persons of a Divine Circumincession of an eternal Generation of an eternal Procession of an Incarnation of an Hypostatical Vnion of Original Sin of Christs making satisfaction to God for our Sins both past present and to come of Christs fulfilling the Law for us of Christs being punished of God for us of Christs merits his meritorious Obedience both Active and Passive of Christs enduring the wrath of God for us of Apprehending and Applying Christs Righteousness to our selves by Faith of Christs being a Surety of Christs paying our Debts of our Sins imputed unto Christ of Christs dying to appease the wrath of God of infused Grace of irresistible workings of the Spirit in bringing men to believe of spiritual Desertions c. And thou shalt find that as these Forms of Speech are not owned by the Scripture so neither the things contained in them So far Biddle in his Preface to his Catechism That the things contained in these Forms of Speech are most plainly and expresly revealed in Scripture and that God is Infinite and Incomprehensible made known by the Light of Nature is certain But that the Phrases themselves are not Literally in the Scriptures must be acknowledged and if we must not contend about the above-mentioned Phrases will not the Followers of Biddle and the English Vnitarians Triumph over us And should this Paper pass as the Sense of the Dissenters would they not provoke unto it to the great grief of many sound and godly Divines in the Church of England as well as of our Country Brethren But I will say it again for I believe it to be true that there are not five of the Brethren who meet at Little St. Hellens who are aware of this and that on a review they will never bring themselves under the Obligation of not contending for the above-mentioned Phrases tho' but humane Forms of Speech suited to explain the necessary Articles of Religion so far is my Brother from the Truth when he saith
Mr Ws doth grant that Christ by his Righteousness did not only purchase a Conditional Grant of those Effects which he had merited by his Righteousness But besides these Effects made ours the very Righteousness of Christ is imputed to true Believers Gospel Truth Stated p. 39. However if we compare this passage with what is more lately and fully explain'd in his Man made Righteous p. 77 c. you will soon unravel the whole Mystery and see that whilst he is labouring to hide himself for a while in a Cloud of Words be means nothing at all by this Grant For he is most explicite in affirming That the Righteousness of Christ as it was the Performance of the Conditions of our Salvation is mediately imputed to the Believer Christs very Performance of the Conditions is saith he Imputed mediately in this manner If one give me my Liberty which he voluntarily purchased for me at a dear rate he mediately gives me what he paid for my Ransom tho' immediately I receive my Liberty and a Right thereto Now what is this more than an imputation of Christs Righteousness in the Effects Because the Effects of Christs death such as a Right to Pardon c. is given to the True Believer therefore it may be said that Christs Righteousness the procuring Cause is imputed unto him As the money which one gives for anothers Liberty may be said to be given to that other to whom Liberty is given which is only in the effects of that Money so Christs Righteousness is imputed in that the effects of it are given unto us that is to say Christs Righteousness is imputed to us mediately It is imputed to us mediante effectu or in its effects If he can make any thing more of it let him Besides so long as he against the Common Sentiment of Protestants denies a Commutation or Change of Persons between Christ and us or that Christ sustained the Person of sinners or as our Surety came under the Bond and Obligations of the violated Law of works to answer those Obligations for us it is impossible there should be on his Principles any other imputation of Christs Righteousness but what is in its effects which Mr. Humphrey clearly understanding does honestly Assert and that he must do the same or relinquish his Principles may be more distinctly proved at any time that he will tho' let him be but sincere and confess it I shall be most willing with my Reverend Brethren to consider how far we are to extend our Communion or Charity towards such wherein he will find me Charitable enough 6. The Breach being on this account begun it is now widened by a Rejecting the Assertion of a Necessity of a Commutation of Persons between Christ and us for the due explaining and defending the Doctrine of Christs satisfaction and our Justification together with a Laying by the Vse of the Phrases of Christs sustaining the Person of Sinners of a Change of Persons between Christ and us of Christs being our Surety to answer for us the Obligations of the Violated Law of Works and the like And made more dangerous since these Phrases have been so very much Ridiculed by this Brother But there being so much wonder made at an insisting on the Vse of these Phrases I will for the sake of those Brethren who either by disuse have forgotten or by reason of a too early and constant Application unto practical Preaching never throughly understood this necessary Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction I will I say show how useful these Phrases are to explain this glorious and blessed Truth There are in the Holy Scriptures several Texts which discover and prove the Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction About the Genuine Sense of these Texts the chief Controversie between the Reformed on the one hand and the Arminian and Socinian on the other doth Lye The Controverted Texts are such as speak of Christs dying for our sins and for us of his being our Surety and a Sacrifice for us and the like that relate to these Matters The different Senses which the Orthdox and their Adversaries have of these Texts I will distinctly Propose 1. When it 's said in Scripture that Christ was wounded and bruised for our Transgressions suffered and dyed for our Sins Socinus and his Followers affirm that the Expression for our sins signifies only a Final Cause as if no more was meant than that Christ dyed for our good The Orthodox expresly Asserts that For our sins in these Texts imports an impulsive meritorious Cause and Grotius proves against Socinus that these words Christ suffered for our sins cannot be understood of a Final but of Meritorious Cause And if our sins be the Meritorious Cause of Christs Sufferings it necessarily follows that Christs sufferings were a Proper Punishment for them and must be satisfactory to Gods Justice which Grotius and the Right Reverend Bishop of Worcester have unanswerably Proved 2. When in Scripture it is affirmed that Christ suffered and dyed For us the Socinians who Labour to reduce all to his suffering for our good only are positive that the signification of the Proposition For â—s that Christ dyed nostro bono for our good He suffered for our sins that is say they he suffered for our good He dyed for us that is say they he dyed only for our good On the contrary the Orthodox aver that the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For when it 's said Christ dyed for us signifies a Commutation or Change of persons between Christ and us which is aptly expressed by that other Phrase in our Place and Stead that is Christ suffered not only for our good but that God might be glorified in our Redemption Christ suffered in our Place and Stead Christ in his sufferings did sustinere vicem seu Persunam nostram He was put into our Place State and Condition that having the Guilt of our sins laid upon him he might according to the Rule of Justice suffer a Proper Punishment for our sins and so make Satisfaction to Gods Justice for us When it 's said Christ came into our Place State and Condition the meaning is he came under the Bonds and Obligations of the violated Law of Works lay under the Guilt and Punishment of sin on our behalfs that we by laying hold on Christ by Faith might be delivered The Phrases then of a Change of Persons between Christ and us of Christs taking on him the Person of Sinners suffering in their Person Rooms and Stead are most apt to convey unto our Vnderstandings the true the Orthodox and Genuine Sense of these Texts Christ dyed for our sins and for us in opposition to the Socinian Interpretation that is to bring all to Christs suffering for our good only which they do that they may the better subvert the Doctrine of a Real Proper and full Satisfaction to Gods Justice 3. The Term Surety when spoken of Christ in Scripture relates to us as we are Sinners endebted to the
Cause of our Justification and as to what pertains to the thing it self not one Protestant Divine has either spoke or written otherwise Praelect de Justit hab c. 22. This Over-bold Rash and Untrue Assertion of the Jocular Defendant ran in my Mind as soon as I entred on the Examination of what the Rebuker here says not only because He has as little reason for what he says but upon another account For 2. Do we in good earnest press for what hath not the countenance so much as of One Confession of Faith This would really be hard and Provocation sufficient to stir up his Angeâ— against the offended Brethren To whom in Answer I do declare that if I had not found these phrases in some Publick Confessions nay if I had not met with them in the Holy Scriptures I would have been silent and never have put Pen to Paper on this occasion Mistake me not my meaning is that the things signified by these Terms and Phrases are expresly in our Confessions and in the Holy Scriptures too and perhaps it may appear that the phrase most exposed by him will be found to be literally in one or other Confession 3. That I may set what I now declare in the clearest light I must observe unto you 1. That the phrases of a Commutation or Change of Persons between Christ and us of Christs sustaining our Person of his being Substituted into our room and his Suffering in our Place and Stead are so nearly Allied to each other that they are as Hypocrates his Twins they Live and Dye together Grant one and all necessarily come in with it oppose but any one of 'em in the genuine meaning and you oppose all of 'em The Phrase of Christs Dying in our Place and Stead as it imports somewhat more than for our good implies a Substitution of Christ into our Place which cannot be without a change of Persons between Christ and Us or without Christs sustaining our Person If then any one of these phrases be found in any one Confession there is an owning all the rest 2. Those Scriptures which speak of Christs Dying for us of his being a Sacrifice and of his being our Surety to satisfie the Law for us do all import Christs Suffering in our stead his being Substituted in our Place a change of Persons between him and us and his sustaining our Person in suffering What I here assert is so clear that there is no doubt of it amongst the Orthodox who throughly understand this Controversie Yea further 3. These controverted phrases do express what is essential unto a Real Proper and Plenary satisfaction to Gods Justice for our sins and upon this account in what confession soever such a satisfaction is asserted there these phrases are owned If then I can direct to the Confession where either a Proper Satisfaction is asserted or where 't is declared that Christ as our Surety suffered for us or that Christ suffered in our Place and Stead or stood in our Person when He Died I hope it may satisfie any unprejudiced person that the phrases Contended for are in our Confessions and if I shew that all these last mentioned are in some publick Confessions or Catechisms why may it not be enough to remove my Brother from his Fastnesses and oblige him to conclude that they who plead for their use are not so singular as he has Insinuated These things Praemised our first Enquiry must be 1. In what Confession is a proper Satisfaction owned Go to the Assemblies cap. 8. sect 8. and there you may read That the Lord Jesus by his Perfect Obedience and Sacrifice of himself hath fully satisfied the Justice of his Father And cap. 11. sect 3. Christ by his Death and Obedience did make a Proper Real and Full Satisfaction to his Fathers Justice on their behalf The same is repeated in the larger Catechism in answer to the Question What is Justification and to that which follows it If my Brother can't see in the assertion of a Proper Real and Full Satisfaction made for us by Christ to the Justice of God the Phrase of a Change of Persons between Christ and Us it is not because it 's not there For in a Proper Satisfaction whatever is essential thereunto as a Commutation or Change of Persons between Christ and Us is is contained and whoever understands the true nature of a proper Satisfaction cannot but see it However for the sake of the less studied I will by a very plain instance Illustrate thus much affirming that all sound Believers are Discharged from that Obligation to Punishment they lay under for their past sins that the Obligation unto Punishment is in their case dissolv'd that this is the Doctrine embraced by the Reformed Now if my Brother demands of me in what Confession of Faith is this phrase of Dissolving the Obligation to Punishment to be found In answer I 'll refer him to the Assemblies Confession cap. 11. sect 1. Those whom God Effectually calleth he also Freely Justifieth by Pardoning their Sins If he saith he can't in this place see the phrase of Dissolving the Obligation to Punishment I 'll tell him it is there tho' he can't see it for in the Pardon of sin it is it being Essential unto Pardon that the Obligation unto Punishment be dissolv'd to talk of the Pardon of a sinner whilst he continues to lye under the Obligation unto Punishment is to Trifle and to say that the dissolving the Obligation to Punishment cannot be read where the Pardon of sin is expressed is to talk after such a manner as Modesty wont give me leave to call by its most proper name The same is true of Christs Satisfaction and a Commutation of Persons between Christ and Us for a Commutation of Persons between Christ and Us is as essential unto a proper Satisfaction as the dissolving the Obligation to Punishment is unto Pardon of sin 2. The phrase of Christs suffering in our place and stead as it imports somewhat more than for our good implies a Commutation of Persons between Christ and Vs and signifieth the same with Christs suffering in our Person as our Surety That it is thus understood by the Orthodox I have already cleared and to what hath been said I will add the Judgment of the Palatinate Divines which they delivered into the Synod of Dort which was That one Errour amongst the many embraced by the Remonstrants was the same which my Brother has in his Rebuke viz. That to Die for sinners must not be understood as if Christ died Loco aut vice ipsorum in their Place and Stead sed bono tantum but only for their good This Errour these Divines in what they have said on the second of the five Articles did confute asserting in opposition unto them that Christ our Surety according to the Scriptures died Loco Peccatorum in the place of sinners which in their Orthodox Antithesis they thus explain partim Loco
Orthodox Divines at Westminster Well but tho' I had leisure to look into all the Confessions at home or search the whole Body of Confessions of the Reformed Churches from Helvetia to Transylvania thence to America can I find in any one of them the least Countenance given to these Terms Phrases or Expressions Or is it possible to Observe in any one of them so much as a smile on that Phrase of Christs suffering in our Person I answer 1. What tho' I can't Is it not enough that I have shown that the Controverted Phrases are included in the Acknowledgment of Christs making a proper Satisfaction to Gods Iustice for us And that they are all virtually owned which in sundry Confessions and Synods which have openly Received the Phrase of Christs suffering in our Stead as it signifyeth more than for our good and is of the same Import with Christs suffering in our Person but the owning that Christ as our Surety felt and bore the weight of Gods Wrath should methinks be sufficient However 2. That my Brother may see that without going so far as Helvetia Transylvania or America we may find enough nearer home to convince him that he has very little or no Reason for his assuming way of Writing I will only take a turn into Scotland where we shall find this very Phrase of Christs dying in our Person inserted in their Confession of Faith It became the Messiah and Redeemer to be True God and True Man because he was to suffer the Punishments due for our sins and to appear quasi in Persona nostrâ coram Judicio Patris pro nostrâ transgressione in obedientiâ pati morte mortis authorem superare in our Person before the Judgment Seat of the Father to suffer for our Transgressions and by death to destroy him that had power over Death Vid. Carp Confes Ed. an 1612. pag. 142. Here you see that the Church of Scotland above a hundred years ago used this very Phrase which my Brother assured us could not be found in any one Confession and which he says doth make a Blasphemous Representation of Gods Love in the Redemption of falen Man but I hope when he shall be so far recovered as to be able to entertain some free Thoughts on this Subject he will do his part to repair the Breaches he has by his Rebuke made on one of the Chief Articles of our Holy Religion and do what in him lyeth to clear the Orthodox from those unjust Reproaches he has covered them with by making them to hold and defend Blasphemous Opinions in their use and defence of the Controverted Phrases And that it may be thus it shall be my Prayer and I desire it may be also the Prayer of all them who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity There is one thing more needful to be spoken unto before I close my Reply It is the Third and Last general Head I have proposed to be considered III. The Charge of Antinomianism 1. MY Brother that he may put the fairer Gloss upon the New Notions he has undertaken the Defence of applyeth himself to the same Artifices by which the Socinianâ— of old used to Propagate their Heresies which was to expose the Refâ—râ—â—ed as Men of Antinomian Principles Men of a very bad Character and ill Designs 2. That he has without any provocation given him thus Aspersed his Congregational Brethren in the Bulk without a Salvo to the Reputation of any one of them I will particularly evince 1. The Charge of Antinomianism He layes in thus The True Reason of their the Congregational Brethrens severe displeasure conceived against the Third Paper is that it has so clearly and fully born its Testimony against the Antinomians in the Fundamental Article of Justification Reb. p. 56. A little before this ' I wish saith he you could inform me Whether they viz. the Congregational have received any New Revelations or made any New Discoveries of these great Secrets and Indiâ—pensible Necessity of these New Notions that is if the Terms Phrases and Doctrines long ago openly embraced by the Reformed ' Whether they the Congregational still are become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Adepts in the Rosacrucian Mysteries or have found out the Philosophers Stone to turn all Antinomianism into pure Gold pag. 50. I will here only tell you that these Rosacrucians are a People who hold that by the help of a Spirit which Penetrates the Universe they are adorn'd with such Angelical Wisdom as excels the Knowledge convey'd to us by the Holy Scriptures by which they may understand whatever is done or can be known in the World They are a sort of Chimists who in their Laboratories desired Instruction either from the Stars or after the manner of Enthusiasts expect secret Inspirations and Revelations as also Converses and Conferences with Spirits and great Assistances from them whereupon many have been strangely deluded by the Devil who transforms himself into an Angel of Light These are the Rosacrucians my Brother speaks of and as one in doubt wishes to be informed whether the Congregational are not Adepts great Proficients in their Hellish Mysteries 2. The Character he further gives of them is That they are Pettyfoggers whose work it is to sow the Seeds of Strife pag. 31. whose desultory Humours or giddy Brains can no more be fixed than Proteus can be bound pag. 33. who are no longer of an Opinion than till the next Crotchet comes into their Heads to invent another pag. 33. Great Intreaguers p. 29. Vnreasonable Men Malitious Slanderers Guilty of a more heinous Sin in that they Usurp the Priviledge of God to Judge the Heart p. 34. whose Grief to observe how much the Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction is in danger may remember you of what you Read in some Naturalists That the Crocodile weeps over his Preâ— and then devours it whose Tears are all Mockery p. 54. who lye Mr. Ws. to the Stake to be Baited by their Party that is by the English Molossi or Mastiff-Dogs and every Whaffing Welp that could bark tho' not bite Vnreasonably Cruel putting such Terms upon Mr. Williams as are not so Merciful as those put upon the Men of Jabesh Gilead by Nahash 1 Sam. 11.2 who would only thrust out their Right Eyes but these viz The Congregational would cut off his Right Hand too p. 58. whose Terms favour too much of Empire over Souls and Dominion over the Consciences and Faith of Men. p. 59 Who when they promise not to make further Publick Contests yet will then be for Private Whisperings Evil Surmises Insinuated Slanders and Clandestine Reproaches whilst Mr. W. is alive and 't is to be feared will feed upon his Carcass and Survive his Dust and Ashes That these Bigots will never forgive them who have join'd with the Brethren of a more Benign Temper in the Third Paper p. 60. This is the way he takes to Treat a whole Party of Brethren in this City who are known to be Men