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dience and perfect bolineß, and bis fatifaction, is so imputed to us, as the proprietaries, as if we our felves bad done it, and (uffered it: not by an after donation in the effects, bus by this ftriči imputation in it felt.

Contr. The contrary Truth is at large opened before, and in my confeffion.

Chrifts fat sfaction, and the merit of his whole obedience, is as effe&ual for our pardon, juftification and falvation, as if Believers th mfelves had performed it; and it is imputed to them, in that it was done for their fakes, and fuffered in their ftead, and the fruits of it by a free Covenant or donation given them. But 1. God is not mistaken, to judge that we obeyed or fuffered when we did not. 2. God is no lyar, to fay, we did it, when he knoweth that we did it not. 3. It we were not the adors and fufferers, it is not poffible that we should be made the natural fubjects of the Accidents of anothers body, by any putation, eftimation or mif judging what fuever; no nor by any donation neither. It is a contradiction, and therefre an impoffibility that the fame individual Actions and Paffions, of which Chrifts humane nature was the agent and fubject to many hundred years ago, and have themselves now no existence, should in themselves, I say, in themselves, be made yours now, and you be the fubject of the fame accidents. 4. Therefore they can no otherwife be given to us, but 1. By a true estimation of the reasons why Chrift underwent them, viz. for our fakes as aforefaid. 2. And by a donation of the effects or fruits of them,viz. pardoning, and justifying, and saving us by them (on the terms chofen by the Donor himself, and put into his Teftament or Covenant) as certainly (but not in the fame manner) as if we had done and fuffered them our felves. 5. If Chrift had fuffered in our perfon reputatively in all refpects, his fuff.rings would not have redeemed us: Bccaufe we are finite worms, and our fuffering for fo short a time, would not have been accepted infead of Hell fufferings. Bat the perfon of the Mediator made them valuable. 6. God never made any fuch Covenant with us that he will justifie us, and ufc us just as he would have done, if we had our felves perfectly obeyed and fatisfied.] They that take on them to thew fuch a Promife, muft fee that no wife man examine it.

7. God hath both by his Covenant, and his Works, ever fince confuted that opinion; and hath not dealt with me as he would have done, if we had been the reputed doers and sufferers of it all our felves. For he hath made conveyance of the Benefits, by a pardoning and juftifying Law, or Promife; and he giveth us additional pardon of renewed fins as we act them, and he addeth threatnings in his Law or Covenant; and he inA&teth penalties; yea fome that are very grievous, even the with-holding of much of his Spirits help and grace; all which are inconfiftent with that conceit; nor would he so have used us, if we had been perfe&ly innocent, and had fully satisfied for our fins our felves. 8. All men would have had prefent Pe Fion of Glory, if God had fo reputed us the perfect meriters of it. For his Juftice would no more have delayed our reward, than denyedit. 9. All that are faved would have equal degrees of boliness and bappiness, as well as of righteousness, becaufe all would equally be reputed the perfect fulfill.rs of the Law. And as no penalty could ever be justly inflicted on them here; fono degree of glory could be deayed them hereafter for their fin, or for want of perfect righteousness. 10. The opinion of this kind of imputation, is a most evident contradiction in it felf. For he that is imputatively a fatisfier for all bis own fin, is therein fuppofed to be a finner: And he thit is imputatively a perfect innocent fulfiter of the Law, is thereby supposed to need no fatisfaction to Juftice for his fia, as being imputatively no fianer. 11. By this all Chrifts facrifice and fatisfaction is made a work of needlefs fupererrogation; yea unjalt, or rather impoffible. For if we perfectly obeyed in him, he could not fuffer for our disobedience. 12. Hereby pardon of fin is utterly denyed: for he that is reputatively no finner, hath no fin to pardon,

If they fay that God did firft impute the fatisfaction for fin, then there was no room after for the imputation of perfect obedience. We cannot feign God to receive all the debt, or infli& all the penalty, and then to fay, now I will eftcem thes one that never didft deferve it.

If they fay that he doth neither impute the obedience or the foffering to us fimply, and to all effects, but in tantum ad boe, or fecundum quid only: fo that we shall be pardoned for his

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fuffering, and then judged worthy of Heaven for his obedience: this is but to come up towards the truth before you are aware, and to confefs that neither of them is given us in it felf, but in the effects, as being it self paid to God to procure those effects.

But withall, the matter muft be vindicated from their unfound inventions, and it must be faid, that Chrift dyed not only for our fins of commiffion, but of omiffion alfo, and that he that is pardoned both his fins of commiffion and omiffion, is free from the punishment both of fenfe and lofs; yea and is reputed as one that never culpably omitted any duty; and confequently fell fhort of no reward by fuch omiffion : fo that. there remaineth no more neceffity of Righteoufaefs in order to a reward where the pardon is perfe&, fave only (N. B. ) to procure us that degree of reward which must be fuperadded to what we forfeited by our fin; and which we never by any culpable omiffion deferved to be denyed. And thus much we do not deny that fomewhat (even Adoption) which is more than meer Pardon and Juftification must confer on us. But withal, as we hold not that the Sun muft bring light, and fomewhat else muft firft banish darkness; that one thing muft cure death, and another caufe life, that fatisfaction must procure the pardon of fins of omiffion and commiffion, as to the pana damni & fenfus, and make us efteemed and used as na finners, and then imputed obedience must give us right to that seward, which the pana damni, deprived us of; fo(N. B.) we maintain that Chrifts fufferings have merited our eternal falvation, and our Juftification and Adoption; and that his obedience hath merited our forgiveness offin: And that both go together, the merit of the one and of the other, to procure all that we receive, and that the effects are not parcelled out as they have devised: Though yet we believe that Chrifts fufferings were paid to God, as for our fins, to fatisfic Justice, and that in the Paffive Obedience, it is first fatisfactory, and then and therefore meruorious, and in the active it is meerly meriBorions.

13. And the maintainers of the contrary opinion, befides all the forementioned evils, could never agree how much of Chrifts Righteousness must be in their fenfe imputed: fome

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holding only the paffive; a fecond fort the active and paffive; a third fort, the habitual, active and pallive; a fourth fort, the divine, the habitual, the active and the paffive.

But of all these things there is so much written againk them, by Cargius, Urfinus, Olevian, Pifcator, Paraus, Scultetus, Altedius, Wendeline, Camero, Bradshaw, Gataker, and many more, that I need not to add any more for confutation.

Errour 3. That no one shall suffer whose sins lay on Chrift, and were fuffered for by him.

Contr. Many fuck shall suffer the forer punishment, for finning against the Lord that bought them, and treading under foot the blood of the Covenant, wherewith they were so far fanctified, as to be a people by their own Covenant separated to God, Heb. 10.25, 26Heb. 6. 4,5,6. 2 Pet. 2.2. Heb.4.1. & 2. 3. & 12. 29.

Errour 4. That no godly man (fay fome (or Eleet perfon, though ungodly (fay others) ever punished by God, because Chrift fuffered all their punishment himself.

Contr. Every godly man is chaftened of God, and all chaftifement is a fatherly correcting punishment: And many justified. perfons are punished to their final lof, by the denyal of forfeited degrees of grace, and confequently of glory, Heb. 12. 7, 8, 9.10. 1 Cor. 11. 32. 1 Thef. 5. 19. Ephef. 4. 30. But fad experience is too full a proof. See my Confeffion.

Errour 5. That God were unjust if he laid any degree of punishment on those that Chrift died for; or (fay others) on the jufts fied; because he should punish one fin twice.

Contr. It is certain, that God punisheth the Juftified in fome degree (much more the Elect before converfion) and it is certain that God is not unjust. Therefore it is certain that the ground. of this accufation is falfe; for it was not our deservedpunishment: it felf, or the fame which was due in the true fenfe of the Law which Chrift endured: but it was the punishment of a voluntary fponfor, which was the equivalens, and not the idem that was due; and did anfwer the ends of the Law, but not fulfil the meaning of the threatnings which threatned the finnes himself, and not another for him: fecing then it was a fatif faction, or facrifice for fin, which God received for an attone ment and propitiation, and not a felution or fuffering of the finner himselfin the fenfe of the Law, the charge of injustice on God is groundless.

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And no man can have more right to Chrifts fufferings or benefits, than he himself is willing to give: And it is not his own will (into whofe hands all power and judgement is committed) that we should be subject to no punishment because he fuffered for us.

Errour 6. That the Ele are justified from eternity (fay fome) or from Chrifts death before they were born (say others) or before they believed (fay others.)

Against this I have faid enough in many Volumes heretofore.

Errour 7. That Faith juftifieth only in the Court of our own Confciences, by making us to know that we were justified before.

Against this alfo I have faid enough elsewhere.

Errour 8. That fins to come, not yet committed, are pardoned in our first Juftification.

Contr. Sins to come are no fins: and no fins have no aŭval pardon: but only the certain remedy is provided, which will pardon their fins as foon as they are capable.

Errour 9. Juftification is not a making us just, but a sentence pronouncing m juft.

Contr. Juftification is a word of fo many fignifications, that be that doth not firft tell what be meaneth by it, will not be capable of giving or receiving fatúfaltion.

And here once for all, I muft intreat the Reader that loveth not confufion and errour, to diftinguish of these feveral forts of Juftification, as the chief which we are to note.

Juftification is either publick by a Governour, or frivate by an equal or meer Difcerner: Juftification is by God, or by Man. Juftification by God is either as he is Law giver, and above Laws, or as he is Judge according to his Laws: In the first way God maketh us juft; by bis A of Oblivion, or pardoning Law, or Covenant of Grace. In the fecond refpe& God doth two waies juftife and forgive: 1. As a determining Judge: 2. As the Executioner of his Judgement. In the former refpe&t God doth two waies juftific us: 1. By eftreming us juft. 2 By publick fintencing us puft. As Executioner, he userb us as just, and as to judged.

Ipafs by here purposely all Chrifts Jukification of us by way

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