Defense of a Treatise Touching the Suffering and Victory of Christ, Part 1 · Summation
A brief Collection containing the whole effect of our Doctrine before delivered: brought into 4. Aſſertions.
God himſelfe in his Iuſtice properly puniſhed Chriſt for our ſinnes. See pag. 8. 9. 75. 82.
Chriſt (even as other men) conſiſted of a perfit Humane immortall Spirit, and a mortall living Body: and ſo was by nature capable of ſuffering ſorrows for ſinne from Gods hand aſwell in his Spirit peculiarly and properly, as alſo in his Soule and Body togeather: ſith other men do thus ſuffer for ſinne. pag. 8. 48 52. 61. 74.
Gods exact and immutable Iuſtice ſpared his Sonne in nothing: but did puniſh him in all ſeverity as he puniſheth ſinners. I meane, Hee puniſhed him in All his partes of nature apt to ſuffer: that is, in his Spirit peculiarly and properly, and in his Soule and Body togeather alſo. Againe God puniſhed him with all the Whole Generall Curſe not with all the particular Curſes and puniſhments: with the Generall Curſe in all the whole Nature and ſubſtance of it, not with all the Circumſtances: with all the meere Paine and Sorrow thereof, not with the ſinfull Adherents and concomitants in it. pag. 8 13 74 86.
Gods exact & immutable Iuſtice ſpared not Chriſte in theſe Circumſtances of Puniſhment wt he ſuffered not. For either in exact Iuſtice he could not, or neceſſarily hee needed not to puniſh him ſo. In exact Iuſtice he could not puniſh Chriſt in ſuch reſpects as were ſimply and abſolutly impoſſible. It was ſimply impoſſible that any touch of Sinne ſhould once come neere his perſon, or Eternall ſuffering, or all the Particular puniſhments in the world: All which come not to any one man (though Damned,) neither can come. Finally that Chriſt ſhould neceſſarily have ſuffered after this life, or locally in Hell, there was no cauſe: ſeeing theſe are but meer… Circumſtances of Gods Iuſt Puniſhmēt of ſinne, whether now, or then, whether heere or there. Theſe alter not ye nature of Gods wrath, which is the ſtrength of Hell. The whole ſubſtance & nature of that Puniſhment he might feele in this life aſwell as any parte: God is able to inflict it aſwel heere, as heereafter. The rather ſeeing Chriſt came and was ſent of God Extraordinarily of purpoſe to ſuffer for ſin all that he might ſuffer. Thus then only in this life Chriſt might, and did ſuffer all. For ſo was Gods ordinance and will, as it is plainly expreſſed vntounto vsus in his word. Therefore ſo we profeſſe, and ſo we believe by the certaine rule of Gods word and the proportion of faith: Chriſt ſhunned for our ſake nothing (which the Damned ſuffer) except only Circumſtances and Accidents, impoſſible or vnneceſſary, not any Subſtantiall point of Gods Puniſhment decreed againſt ſinue. pag 13. 14. 16. 43. 66. 75. 87. 134. 135.