Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	bear_v	send_v	witness_n	1,658	5	8.3133	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B22921	Justification onely upon a satisfaction, or, The necessity and verity of the satisfaction of Christ as the alone ground of remission of sin asserted & opened against the Socinians together with an appendix in vindication of a sermon preached on Heb. 2, 10, from the exceptions of H.W., in a pamphlet called The freeness of Gods grace in the forgiveness of sins by Jesus Christ / by Robert Ferguson.	Ferguson, Robert, d. 1714.	1668 (1668)	Wing F743; ESTC R37344	97,537	320

which were the ends of it as he was King and Prophet 2. We would have it observed that there were some more primary and principal ends of Christ's death and others that were less princip● and only secondary The more primary and principal end of his death was that he might give himself a ransome for sinners 1 Tim. 2. 6. be a propitiation for our offences 1 Joh. 2. 2. and become a sacrifice for sin Heb. 9. 26. and 10. 12. The secondary and less principal were that he might ratifie the truth of his doctrine and leave us an example of patience in suffering Now the adversaries insist only upon the subordinate and secondary ends of his death and altogether shut out the more principal and chief 3. We would distinguish betwixt the proper end of his death and those things which are the fruits and consequences of it through his having obtained that end The proper end of the death of Christ was the satisfying of God's justice and the vindicating his Law and Government Rom. 3. 25. and 4. 25. but the fruits and consequences of it through his having compassed that end are our deliverance from the curse and condemnation of the law Gal. 3. 13. Rom. 8. 34. The remission of our sins Col. 1. 14. justification at the Bar of God Rom. 5. 9. and a right and title to life 1 Pet. 3. 18. Rom. 5. 18. Having now premised these things we come to prove that the confirmation of the doctrine of the Gospel could not be the only not yet the principal end of the death of Christ 1. Because the truth of his doctrine was otherwise sufficiently established for being demonstrated to be from God there needed no further evidence of the truth of it and that it was from God was abundantly proved 1. By those motives of credibility and inbred evidence which it carried in it if we consider the Purity Majesty Plainness Fullness Method and Manner in which delivered it is not possible but that without further means of conviction we may be ascertained that God is the Author of it 2. God himself by the Testimony and Attestation of Miracles gave irrefragable evidence that it was true and from himself Heb. 2. 4. God bearing witness with signs and wonders and divers miracles c. Act. 2. 22. Jesus a man approved of God amongst you by miracles wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you c. and it was to these that Christ so often appealed for the truth of his doctrine Joh. 5. 36. I have a greater witness than that of John for the works which the Father hath given me to finish the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me Joh. 10. 25. The works that I do in my Fathers Name they bear witness of me So Joh 15. 24. and alibi And it was upon the conviction and evidence of these that the world received his doctrine Joh. 2. 23. Many believed in his Name when they saw the miracles which he did Joh. 3. 2. We know that ●hou art a Teacher come from God for no man can do these miracles ●hat thou dost except God be with ●im Joh. 7. 31. And many of the ●eople believed on him and said ●hen Christ cometh will he do more ●iracles then these which this man ●ath done So that there was no ●ecessity for Christ to have dyed in ●eference to this end his doctrine ●eing by other mediums suffici●ntly confirmed had there never been any such thing as the death of Christ yet there wanted not sufficient grounds by which a Divine Revelation might be known Those that lived before the incarnation of Christ were not without sufficient evidence of the truth and divinity of the doctrine of Moses and the Prophets yet they had not this argument to establish and confirm them in the belief of it 3. The needlesseness of Christs dying in relation to the ascertaining the truth of his doctrine appears hence in that the highest argument and motive the Holy Ghost instanceth in in reference to the confirming any declaration o● God is God's Oath Heb. 6. 17 18. So that if this had been the supream end of the death of Christ I do not see how it was any wise necessary that Christ should hav● dyed there having been other way● and me●ns every way sufficient fo● the attaining of that end yea ●annot understand how it is con●istent with the wisdome good●ess and righteousness of God ●o have put an innocent person ●nd one so dear to him as his own Son to death when he might ●ave spared him and yet arrived ●t all he propounded by his suf●erings 2. If the confirming the truth of the Scripture had been the ●upream end of all the sufferings of Christ and if it be upon that ●ccount that he is so often said to ●ave dyed for us this is no more ●han what men are capable of do●ng yea than what the Martyrs ●ave actually done for they by sufferings blood and death have ●ealed and confirmed the truth of the Gospel and yet they are never said to have dyed for us or to have reconciled us to God by their blood yea instead of this it is expresly denied that they ever did or could dye for us in that sense and to that purpose tha● Christ did 1 Cor. 1. 13. Act. 4. 12. and by consequence there behoved to be other and greate● causes of the death and suffering● of Christ then the sealing o● confirming the truth of his doctrine 3. It may from hence be further demonstrated that it was no● the supreame end of Christ's dying only to encourage us to believe the certainty of God's promise in reference to the free remission of sin because the Scripture every where assigns other ends namely that he might bea● our sins Rom. 4. 25. destroy th●e mity betwixt God and us Eph. 2. 16. save us from perishing an● give us a right to life Joh. 3. 16. So that the first Plea of the Sociniars remains confuted and overthrown 2. The second end instanced in and pleaded for as the impulsive cause of the sufferings and death of Christ is that he might give us an example of suffering with patience It is not denied but that the death of Christ is of singular import to these purposes 1 Pet. 2. 21. and 4. 1. Heb. 12. 2 3. but yet these were not the principal ends of his sufferings and death neither were they indispensably needful upon that score 1. Because the Old Testament Saints were patiently carried through suffering who though they lived in the faith of the death of Christ yet had not the lively example of the quality of his sufferings nor of his patience under them 2. Because upon these terms Christ should not be properly our Saviour but the act of saving us should be our own Christ should only chalk us the way to salvation whereas we should go in it and consequently the act of saving us should

will not think me nor any other obliged to rejoin but if they shall think fit to do it methodically and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall be attended to though the doctrine would not be the less true should I fail in the defence of it 6. The occasion of the Sermon which hath proved the rise of thi● debate was meerly a regard to th● honour of our Lord Jesus Christ and the faith delivered to the Saints which as I was informed begun both clandestinely and openly to be undermined and assaulted and I find now that I was not mistaken in my information The way of managing it on my part I hope both first and last hath been such as becomes a Preacher of the Gospel If any think it a trespass that I preached I must leave it to them who have power to act as they see good 7. If any should be offended at my asserting the absolute necessity of a satisfaction on supposition of God's saving sinners I must tell them but without reflecting upon those who refound a satisfaction upon the alone pleasure and wisdome of God that those who have managed this truth most advantagiously have taken the same ●ethod Scholars may consult Essenius Voetius Hoornbeck Amy●aldus Dr. Owen and of late Tur●etinus 8. I know not whether the Ad●ersaries will vouchsafe to read ●ver what I have written but if ●hey do that yet I know the nature of the men too well and their pre●ossessions to expect that they ●hould be the better the confessi●n of Socinus bars me from all be●ief of reclaiming men of that ●idney For thus he writes speak●ng of satisfaction Ego quidem ●tia●si non semel sed saepe id in ●acris monimentis scriptum extaret ●on idcirco tamen ita rem prorsus ●e habere crederem ut vos opinami●i de Servat l. 3. c. 6. But I ●ope I may desire of others that ●hey would seriously peruse what ●s here tendred do not look upon ●hese things as things at a distance wherein you are not concerned and be sure to improve the belief of these doctrines to a Gospel strictness otherwise your being orthodox sets you never the more out of eternal danger but if you will be faithful in this I then refer you to John 7. 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self That the Lord would give the much of the anointing and thereby lead the into and establish the in the truth is the prayer of him who desires according to his trust and gift to approve himself The Servant of Christ to thy advantage R. F. CHAP. I. In what sense to justifie and just●fication are to be taken and understood in this affair TO justifie is either I will not insist on the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jus ju●i●●ia justific●re taken in a moral sense or in a judicial for the working a change in a mans person or ●he making a change in his estate By the first he is made a new crea●ure By the second he is absolv●d at the Bar of Justice The Pa●ists contend wholly for the first ●nse namely that justification ●ught to be taken for the infu●on of holiness and the Reformed ●r the second viz. the discharg●●g and absolving one in Law Now that this and not the former must be the meaning and sense of the Holy Ghost in this affair appears 1. Because otherwise we should Voces quibus utitur Sp. S. null●bi in to●a Scripturâ in●usâ iustitiâ justū face●e notant nec apud proba●os latinitatis Authores hoc sensu usurpan●ur confound justification and sanctification which the Scripture every where distinguisheth 1 Cor. 6. 11. But ye are sanctified but ye are justified Rom. 8. 29 39. whom he called namely to a conformity to the image of his Son them he also justified 1. In sanctification the change is absolute and inherent in justification relative and juridical 2. Sanctification is gradual and successive justification is instantaneous and compleat at once 3. By the first we are made like God by the second we are taken into the favour of God 4. Sanctification is the subduing the dominion and power of sin in us Justification is the removing the obnoxiousness to the curse which was against us Though these two ●n the case we speak of beever un●●ed yet they are not to be confounded They differ as to the praedicate though they be not separate as to the subject though where the one is there the other be also yet the one is not formally the other In many other cases they are separable one may be morally just and yet not juridically justified as Christ who though he was every way Innocent Pilate himself being Judge Joh. 18. 38. Joh. 19. 4. 6. yet he was condemned and on the other hand one may be morally unjust and yet judicially acquitted daily experience bearing witness however in all cases they are distinct But to say the truth the Papists acknowledge no pardon of sin distinct from sanctification for though they speak of remission yet they always understand it by renovation which is a stumbling at the very threshold and an argument of their little insight into this mystery of God 2. Because the Apostle who so often useth the word never useth it for the Infusion of holiness but for a judicial absolution and therefore opposeth it not to pollution and defilement but to accusation and condemnation Rom. 5. 18. As by the offence of one judgment came upon all to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the freegift came upon all men unto justification of life Rom. 8. 33 34. It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth And accordingly he describeth it by remession of sin not by renovation of nature Rom. 4. 7. and by Imputation of righteousness without us to us not by an Infusion of holiness or working of grace in us Rom. 4. 6. 3. Because the question betwixt the Jews and the Apostle was not whether we were renewed in our souls by the works of the Law or by Faith but by which of them we were acquitted at the Ba● of God This is clear throughout the whole dispute The word then is to be taken in a judicial legal sense and so is opposed to condemn now in this sense it is used two ways in Scripture 1. For the declaring of one Ju●um judicare vid. Mat. 11. 19. Mat. 12. 37. Luc 7. 29 16. 15. just 1 Tim. 3. 16. justified in the spirit the Son of God having assumed our nature being made of a woman Gal. 4. 4. taking flesh and bloud Heb. 2. 14. and manifesting himself in the flesh he was judged by the world not onely to be a meer man but condemned as an Impostor and Malefactor now he was justified in the spirit that is in and by the spirit He was not only vindicated and proclaimed innocent from all

it clearly follows that the obligation of th● believer to them as they have respect to such an end dissolves an● ceaseth That which is God's intent by them being obtained without them the execution of them without the least derogation to th● This is that which Au●hors call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum paena adhibetur ani●o ulcis● endi Hoc interest inter castigationem ●oe●am poena vindictae rationem habei castigatio ve●ò habei rationem ●mendationis Gamet truth of God or impeachment of h● other properties may be suspen●ed But legal threatnings being ● another nature and having anoth● end namely the vindication ● God 's holiness and justice upon pr●soners and rebels they are no wi● dissolvable but must necessari● be inflicted that the perfectio● and government of God may vindicated and sin may be ● venged All sin is a contemp● God's authority and governme● and casts dirt upon his glory a● punishment is the vindicating God's honour in the revenging ● evil which is committed On● let this be noted that in case of Though I use these words in stead of better yet I would not be understood as if there were any mutatio abrogatio dispensati● ●ut rel●xatio legis ni hil tale hic locum h●bere cre do tantum per additionem legis fidei ad leg●m operum divini juris lat● legis exhibetur interpreta●io such a proportionable satisfaction by which the honour and equity of his law is vindicated his justice holiness and hatred of sin demonstrated the ends of government attained he may relax and dispense with his threatnings as to the party offending which is the case here for by executing the threatning upon Christ and receiving a valuable consideration and satisfaction from him he hath given as eminent demonstration of his righteousness purity and hatred of sin and as fully vindicated his law from contempt as ●f the offenders themselves had suffered and therefore by an admirable mixture of grace with ●is justice hath released us I do ●ot say he hath released his law ●or I think that is only interpreted ●ow interpretation doth not take off the obligation of the law only declares that in such a case it was not intended to oblige Having now premised these things I reassume the argument namely that the truth of God's threatning would not allow him to pardon sin and save sinners but upon the consideration of a satisfaction 1. God having denounced death and the curse against sin Gen. 2. 17. Deut. 27. 26. The veracity and faithfulness of his nature obliged him to see it inflicted Never any intertained a notion of God but they included in it that he spake truth could ever any threatning of God be of awe upon the conscience of a sinner should the first and great threatning be made so easily void should it be granted that notwithstanding God's solemn denunciation of wrath in case of sin that yet he hath taken the offendor into favour and pardoned the offence without any satisfaction or consideration at all what would creatures imagine but that God either intended his threatnings for mea● scarcrows or that he were subject to mutability which apprehensions being once recieved what boldness would men assume in sin believing that the comminations of the Gospel would be no more executed than those of the law But let God be true and every man a liar Rom. 3. 4. 2. To suppose that God hath abrogated his threatning is at once to overthrow the whole Scripture for that expresly tells us That not one jot of the Law was to perish Mat. 5. 18. That every disobedience received a just recom●ence of reward Heb. 2. 2. see Heb. 8. 28. Heb. 9. 22 23. That with●ut blood there was to be no remission 3. If the threatning annexed to the law be released it is either by virtue of the law it self or by virtue of the Gospel It is not by virrue of the law for that was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat inutilem otiosum inanem reddere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e ●●are facimus firmam effic●c●m redd●mu● h●no ●m ei suum defendimus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat abel●r● aebrogare factis vel dictis legem oppugnare q●d coelum terroe miscebitur potius quam ut id fiat wholly inexorable requiring either perfect and constant obedience or denouncing unmixed and unallay'd wrath Gal. 3. 10. Not is it released by the Gospel this the Holy Ghost clearly informs us Rom. 3. 31. Do we then make void the law through faith God forbid yea we establish the law Beza his Paraphrase here is very good Christi satisfactio quid aliud quam legis minas ostendit minimè irritas esse quam illas luere Christum opportuerit Christi justitia quid aliud est quam legis praestatio See also Mat. 5. 17 18. Think not saith Christ that I come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fullfil For verily I say unto you till heaven and earth pass away one jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled As all the predictions of the Prophets were fulfilled by him and in him so was the whole law in his keeping the precepts of it and teaching others to do the like and in his bearing the penalty of it and his fulfilling and answering the types of it The Gospel is so far from repealing the penalty of the law that the very Gospel is founded in Christ's undertaking to bear the penalty of it Heb. 9. 15 16. There could have been no Testament but in and through the death of the Testator There could have been no such thing as a Gospel or tender of glad tydings and mercy to us but through Christ's undertaking as our surety to bear the curse of the law Gal. 3. 13. And so much for the first argument from the truth of God's threatning 2. It was not possible for God upon the Plea of meer mercy without any consideration or satisfaction to forgive sin and release the sinner because the justice holiness and righteousness of his nature would not allow it The necessity of a satisfaction is Mirum quantum pe●ile●tissime Socino gratificentur qui aliter sentiuns Amyr Thes Salm de neces satisf See this Text vindicated in the Appendix not only founded in the wisdome and soveraignty of God God thought it convenient and would have it so but it is founded in t●e holiness justice and righteousness of God His nature would not otherwise admit him to forgive sin and save sinners Heb. 2. 10. It became God this refers to God's nature not his meer will This will the better appear 1. If we consider the nature of sin which in it self abstracting from any constitution of God about it deserves to be punished I do not speak universally of all sins for there are somethings indifferent and become evil only by virtue of the Divine