JVSTIFICATION 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 â—sa 53. 6 The Lord said on him the iniquity of us all Hâ—b He made the iniquity of us all to meet on him â—7 He was â—pâ—râ—ssed and he was afflicted Hâ—b It was exacted and he answâ—red 2 Cor. 5. 21 He hath made him to be siâ— for 〈…〉 no sin that we might he made the righâ—oâ—sness of God â—n him Gal. 3 13. Christ hath redeemed us from 〈◊〉 curse of the Law being made a curse for us LONDON Printed for D. Newman at the Châ—◠〈…〉 geoâ—s Arms â—ea â—â— â— sp◠〈…〉 l in Little Britain 16â—8 To every Christian judicious Reader who is tender of the Honour of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Faith delivered to the Saints REader There are several things which I desire to bespeak thee which â—it is not fit both in respect of thy self and the Truth that thou shouldst be ignorant of 1. The Doctrine here asserted is one of the most important in the whole Gospel for though all in the Scripâ—ture be true yet every thinâ— is not alike weighty nor aâ— like necessary either to bâ— known or believed Therâ— are some Truths which wâ— are bound onely to believeâ— in case we know them to bâ— revealed there are otherâ— necessary to be believed and known in order to our being saved The first depend onely upon Gods veracity that he cannot deceive us in any thing he makes known â— The second upon the necessary connexion which God hath established betwixt such a Doctrine and such anâ— End so that happiness is not to be arrived at but through â—he knowledg and belief of â—uch a Truth so that there pure ignorance or nescience is damning whereas it is at most but damnable to err in â—he other in case there have â—een sufficient means and opportunities of conviction â—ome Errors do only scratch â—he face others stab the very â—eart of the Christian Reliâ—ion some do onely deface â—he Building others overâ—hrow the foundation There â—re some mistakes of well meaning men Rom. 15. 1. â—nd every error is not inconâ—istent with salvation 1 Cor. â— 12. neither are we upon all differences to renounce mutual communion Phil. 4. 15. But then there are also Doctrines of Devils 1 Tim. 4. 1. Which whosoever continues to profess are to be rejected Tit. 3. 10. Neither are we to bid such God speed 2 Joh. v. 10. Now if there be any Doctrines in the world of this quality that here disputed against with some others of the like complexion held by the Socinians are 2. The Truth here established is a Doctrine which the Churches of God have been in all ages in the possession of not but that some men have gainsaid but they have been still upon so doing disclaimed for Hereticks The rise of this abomination of denying the satisfaction of Christ is charged upon the Pelagians which being afterwards cherished by one Abailardus was at last fully ripened by Servetus and Socinus c. men whose names have been justly accounted hateful by all to whom the glory of Jesus Christ hath been dear 3. The denial of the satisfaction of Jesus Christ is but one part of the Gentlemens Divinity the denial of the Deity of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Ghost with several Opinions of the like tincture make up their Creed That Socinianism is but a kind of Turcism is proved by several see Hotâ—ing Hist Orient lib. 3. c. 3. And that they are not Christians however they mistile themselves so is demonstrated by others see Hoornb apparat ad Controvers Socin p. 73. c. 4. This is not the first attempt they have made in this City and Nation to overthrow the Faith of the Saints one Biddle went before them some years ago in the same undertaking how much soever by some those times are branded for heretical wilde and licentious yet it is well known what entertainment the persons who then governed gave both the man and his doctrine for besides the burning of his book and the imprisoning of himself they appointed a learned person to refute him whose labours in that affair have been admirably useful What countenance or success they have of late had and to what number they are encreased is fitter to bewail than to recount However I cannot but say that I was greatly surprised to hear that such a Pamphlet should be Licensed Mistake me not Reader as if I were positive in it for I should rather think that supposing some of the Chaplains were not under the restraint of their conscience yet that they should consult more the favour and credit of their Masters than dare to do such a thing but I leave this to be inspected and debated by others onely I must say that he behoves to have first renounced the 39. Articles and the Doctrine of the Church of England whoever either in this or in any other point befriends the Socinians and I am ready to believe that should any of them arise to the support of that abomination if others should be silent yet the learned Dr. Gunning would take notice of them having so worthily the last Commencement declared himself in opposition to the whole body of the Socinians 5. It is fit thou shouldest know that they boast of giving a speedy Answer and several have been named as ready for that undertaking we have had a taste of the strength of one of them already in his whole Christ a meer creature and seeing he abides still in that perswasion he may do well to vindicate it from the confutation of Mr. Eaton If his friends do not belye him he is about publishing a Commentary on the 53. Chap of Isaiah to discharge Christ from being meant or intendâ—d in all or any part of that Chapter I suppose it will hardly receive the favour though it be in a certain persons hand to that purpose to come abroad cum permissu but when or however it comes there will not be those wanting to refute it They talk high of a Forraigner who is lately come over but if he find himself par negotio he had best attempt the vindication of his Father either his book de uno Deo from Plaecaeus or his book de satisfactione from Essenius I do not carve them out work elsewhere to avoid being fallen upon my self but to show that what they bring fresh upon the stage hath been again and again refuted without the least attempt of a reply I confess at the rate they confuted my Sermon they may soon answer the present book and a hundred more of this nature and if they take that course the world
93. to 107. 2. I affirm that these words which the Adversary seeks relief to his cause from do utterly disserve it For if he that condemneth the just be an abomination to the Lord how will they salve the righteousness of God in condemning Christ who was an innocent person to pain and death which is the punishment of the nocent who as he had no sin of his own so according to them he stood charged with no sin of ours Death being constituted the penalty of sin could noâ— without unrighteousness have been inflicted upon Christ forasmuch as he had become answerable for ours see this proved pag. 124. to 127. And therefore our adversaries by denying the last and not daring to assâ—rt the first â—re the only men who fasten that â—pon God which the Text stiles â—bominable and now we hope â—hat we have not only wrested â—hese weapons out of the enemies â—and but also wounded himself â—y them SECT II. â—t guilty of any of the three faults â— inexcusable in a Preacher The doctrine momentous Heb. 2. 10. opened and the necessity of a satisfaction justified to be the truth of that Scripture â—HE three faults proposed as inexcusable in a Preacher â— too confessedly so to be apoâ—gized for but whatever other â—aknesses I may have been guilâ— of yet that I am innocent from the whole of that chargâ— comes now to be justified 1. That the Doctrine I discoursâ— is of the highest import and thaâ— to mistake in it is to erre in a matteâ— of the greatest concernment readily acknowledge and do fuâ—ther add that it is of such weigâ— in the matter of a Christians bâ—lief that not to be sound there â— to erre in a main fundamental aâ— consequently to be unavoidabâ— obnoxious to damnation Wheâ— as their are some truths whiâ— we are only bound to believâ— in case we know them to be â—vealed this is a truth we â— bound to know and believe â— be revealed in order to beâ— saved If there be any funâ—mentals of faith at all these â—ctrines wherein we and the Sâ—nians differ are maximes of tâ— nature As to that exceptioâ— have heard of a certain persâ— whose name out of respect I â— â—eaâ— that they cannot be fundamentals because controverted by learned men if it concludes any â—hing it concludes that there is â—o fundamental at all there being â—o one truth so evident which â—ome have not denied yea it will not be a fundamental that â—here is God forasmuch as there â—ave been some and still are who â—are gainsay it The matter then â—herein my Adversary and I differ â—eing of this moment I would â—eset it to the Reader to arbitrate â—n whose side the truth lies wheâ—er with them who can demonâ—rate their Opinion to have been â—e belief of all the faithful down â—om the Apostles to the present â—ge not one dissenting who hath â—ot been by all the Churches of Christ branded for a Heretick or â—ith those who in some whole â—ges can instance none of the same â—ntiments with them and those â—hom in other times they produce are such as the Catholick Church hath from time to time voted unworthy the name oâ— Christians 2. Whether the Doctrine I theâ— insistâ—d on be the truth of any Scripture the former tract hath accounted for where I hope it is noâ— only made evident to be a truth but one of the most considerablâ— truths of the Gospel the very bâ—siâ— of our Religion the foundatioâ— of our present comforts and futuâ— hopâ—â— 3. The third and at present maâ— particular and that which â—aâ— now under consideration is whethâ— it be the truth of that Text froâ— which in my Sermon I deduced iâ— And here I must complain of tâ— unworthiness and disingenuity â— my Adversaries that when I hâ— endeavoured at some length â— prove that the point then insistâ— on arose not only naturally froâ— the place but was one of â— main doctrines intended in the words they have been so far from refuting what was alledged to that purpose that they have not mentioned one word of what was offered in that matter Was ever such tergiversation known as publickly to reproach a person for a conclusion without examining either the premises whence it is drawn or the method of inferring â—t The least I could have expectâ—d was either the overthrowing â—he principles upon which I raised â—t or else the evidencing some misâ—ake in the way of deduction At â—his rate of procedure there is no â—ruth deducible from any Text of â—he Bible but by saying it is not â—ightly drawn they may with the â—ame facility refute The Reader â—ad been spared this labour if my â—dversaries had been but so just â—s in common honesty they ought â—amely if when they declaimed â—gainst my doctrine they had taken notice of the foundations upon which I raised it but seeing they have put me upon this task the speediest way to bring it to anâ— issue will be to open the Text I then discoursed on viz. Heb. 2. 10. For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons unto glory to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings The Apostle in the preceding Chapteâ— having largely treated of Christ as supream Prophet and having advanced him above all other ministerial revealers of God's will so far as a Son is preferable to a servant after some improvemenâ— made in the beginning of thiâ— Chapter of what he had delivereâ— to that purpose in the foregoing by an admirable thread and line oâ— wisdom he slides from the Propheâ—tical office of Christ to his Sacerâ—dotal and having affirmed thaâ— Christ through the benignity anâ— grace of God was given to taste and suffer death for men he here assigns the impulsive reason or procuring cause of Christ's suffering It became God c. i. e. if God would save sinners his essential justice and righteousness could not allow that it should be otherways That this is the intendment of the words a little further opening of them will confirm We have first then a design of God towards fallen rebellious mankind and that is the bringing many of them as sons to glory The making a company of enemies who lay obnoxious to hell and wrath to be God's Sons and the bringing them to life 2ly We have the method and means pitched on for the compassing of that design and that is the dedicating and consecrating Christ by suffering to be a Captain of salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we render it to make perfect and that sense sometimes it hath but it signifieth here to consecrate or dedicate unto an office and in this sense the Septuagint use it Exod. 29. 35. and Lev. 21. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the same Apostle several times in this Epistle see Chap. 5. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consecratus Bez. being consecrate or set apart he became the author of eternal salvation c. And chap. 7. 28. 〈◊〉
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 thiâ— debate was meerly a regard to thâ— 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 â—ethod Scholars may consult Essenius Voetius Hoornbeck Amyâ—aldus Dr. Owen and of late Turâ—etinus 8. I know not whether the Adâ—ersaries will vouchsafe to read â—ver what I have written but if â—hey do that yet I know the nature of the men too well and their preâ—ossessions to expect that they â—hould be the better the confessiâ—n of Socinus bars me from all beâ—ief of reclaiming men of that â—idney For thus he writes speakâ—ng of satisfaction Ego quidem â—tiaâ—si non semel sed saepe id in â—acris monimentis scriptum extaret â—on idcirco tamen ita rem prorsus â—e habere crederem ut vos opinamiâ—i de Servat l. 3. c. 6. But I â—ope I may desire of others that â—hey would seriously peruse what â—s here tendred do not look upon â—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 justâ—fication are to be taken and understood in this affair TO justifie is either I will not insist on the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jus juâ—iâ—â—ia justificâ—re taken in a moral sense or in a judicial for the working a change in a mans person or â—he making a change in his estate By the first he is made a new creaâ—ure By the second he is absolvâ—d at the Bar of Justice The Paâ—ists contend wholly for the first â—nse namely that justification â—ught to be taken for the infuâ—on of holiness and the Reformed â—r the second viz. the dischargâ—â—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. nullâ—bi in toâ—a Scripturâ inâ—usâ iustitiâ justuÌ„ faceâ—e notant nec apud probaâ—os latinitatis Authores hoc sensu usurpanâ—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 â—n the case we speak of beever unâ—â—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 Baâ— 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 Juâ—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
that remission and Salvation are of Grace we readily acknowledge and affirm but thaâ— therefore Christ hath not satisfied is a meer non-sequitur There is not the least contrariety betwixt satisfaction and grace but they are the one subordinate to the other The fullest and freest grace in the giving Christ to satisfie in the accepting that satisfaction in our stead and applying the merit of it to our souls and yet still the holiness and justice of Gods nature was such as that he could not pardon sin without a satisfaction the consistency of these two is largely treated and opened before and we referr the Reader thither to avoid repetition here But saith the adversary there is nothing more contrary to grace than to give nothing but what is paid for Answ It is true if the payment had been taken of us to whom the favour is shewn or if the satisfaction had been of our contriving and procuring but nothing being paid by us nor the least influence of ours into the affair It was meer grace that was the impulsive cause of Gods giving Christ Joh. 3. 16. 1 Joh. 4. 9 10. Rom. 5. 8. It was meer grace that gave him for such a number Joh 17. 19. to sanctifie there is to separate and set himself apart to dye as Joh. 10. 36. Heb. 10. 29. But there is one text that the Gentleman seems to reckon on more than the rest it is Jam. 2. 13. and mercy rejoyceth against judgement where he saith mercy is opposed to satisfaction Answ 1. It is not certain whether by mercy we are to understand Gods mercy or mans many Interpreters understand the last 2. Granting him his principle that it is to be understood of Gods mercy yet I deny his inference that therefore there is no satisfaction in order to the better understanding of these I say that as justice is an attribute of God he hath no less of that than of mercy â—he is as just as he is gracious that is he is infinitely both but â—f we take mercy for the effects of his mercy then in this life God is more ready to shew effects of mercy than of â—ustice hence the Lord is now â—aid to be slow to anger and the present time is called the time of long-sufferance whereas the day of Judgement is called the day of wrath God is infinite as well as merciful but the meaning of the Text is that in this life he is more in the discoveries of his mercy than his justice but this is so far from excluding a satisfaction that it supposeth it There is one Scripture I made use of in my Sermon viz. Exod. 34. 7. and that will by no means clear the guilty Which the adversary would wrest out of my hand but without giving the least reason to prove that it iâ— otherwayes applicable than â— applyed it As mercy is a property of Gods nature so iâ— justice sin is contrary to God and his nature inclines him to punish it It is remarkable thaâ— Socinus himself acknowledgeth that where the sinneâ— is obstinate God cannoâ— but punish him now obstinacy in reference to its own nature is not punishable â— for obstinacy in good being nothing but constancy is laudable and therefore obstinacy is not punished for it self but only in reference to evil and consequently it is evil which is punishable and which God cannot but punish and obstinacy is only punishable in respect of sin to which it is joyned And thus we have seen that to pardon sin upon a satisfaction is neither contrary to it self nor to other Scriptures SECT IV. Arguments for the necessity of a satisfaction vindicated that from the truth of Gods threatning justified Likewise those from the holiness and justice of God the nature of sin and Gods being Governour vindicated from the adversaries exceptions HAving seen the impertinency of the Gentleman 's own Arguments and how insufficient they are to establish what â—he intended by them let us see next how happy he will prove in the answering as he stiles them my Argumentations Though I must tell the Reader that he hath abused both the World and me in calling a few notes imperfectly taken and that by a professed Enemy my Sermon and imposing upon his Readers only the shreds of Arguments for the summ of what I produced sure the man had either an itch to be in Print or was in an humour of quarrelling But if he took these for my Reasons he had both lost his own Reason and his Conscience and he that takes his Replyes for Answers either never suspected the controversie or else hath a mind to be deceived But this being a confident age and those I have to do with being a sort of men who suppose their dreams should pass for demonstrations every thing they say however inconsiderable must be attended to 1. Whereas I argued from the P. 10. truth of Gods threatning against the pardonableness of sin without a satisfaction he desires to know where the threatning alloweth a surety Answ The Texts I produced namely Gen. 2. 17. not 1. 17. as the adversary misciteth it and Deut. 27. 26. hold clearly forth Gods judicial denunciation of punishment against sin â—ut the purpose of God for the execution of it upon the sinner â—s not there exprest and that â—his was not the intendment of â—t in reference to all the event â—emonstrates in that it is not â—xecuted upon the Elect and â—et it behoved to be executed â—gainst sin otherwise the truth â—nd justice of God should have â—ailed and therefore the Adâ—ersary must either deny salvaâ—ion to the Elect or truth in â—od It being then obtained that the threatning abides firm God himself is the best interpreter of his own meaning in it and this he hath done in the Gospel both in reference to the stability of the Law it self Rom. 3. 31. and also in reference to the execution of it upon Christ 1 Cor. 5. 21. Gal. 3. 13. 1 Pet. 3. 18. To render this clearer I desire the Reader to observe that threatnings do primarily signifie only the dueness of punishment not that God will alwayes execute it upon the offender God might altogether release his threatnings were he not restrained by his holiness wisdom righteousness and honour and it being against none of all these to release the personal offender seeing by punishing sin though iâ— another than the personal offenders he both secures hiâ— honour and at once gives evidence of the purity of his nature in the hatred of sin and of the wisdom and righteousness of his Government in the execution of his Law But he adds that the Scripture P. 10. saith The soul that sinneth shall dye Ezek. 18. 4. and therefore that it is against truth it self to affirm that another dies in his room Answ The intendment of that place cannot be that never any was or should or might be made suffer for anothers sin for the Scripture furnisheth us with an express threatning Exod.