Vindication of the Faithful Rebuke to a False Report, Letter 1
LETTER I. Of a Commutation of Persons, between Christ and Sinners.
WOrthy Sir, You assign me a difficult Province; and I fear, 'tis not A single Paper that will absolve this Business: But that I may set you Right in this Matter, which the Report and Defence have so wretchedly perplex'd and imbarrassed, give me leave to proceed in my own Method.
§. 1. I have readily granted, That there is a Change of Christ's Person for sinners: That God the Father graciously admitted a Mediator to undertake the desperate Cause and Case of Sinners, to suffer and die in their room and stead: That our Lord Jesus Christ readily accepted of, and consented to this Overture; and accordingly in due time, did actually offer up himself a Sacrifice to God, by which he made a proper, full and perfect Satisfaction to the Divine Iustice: Now as this is freely owned by all that wear and deserve the Name of Protestants, so it fully, tho briefly, expresses The Doctrine of Satisfaction.
To this the Defence says, That the Rebuke knows not what to make of it: which you are to look upon as one of his Insolent Huffs; to which contemptuous and opprobrious Language I am now so habituated, that I am almost hardned against it: But is it so hard to know What to make of a change of Christ's Person in our stead? Then 1. How shall we know what to make of the Doctrine of Sacrifices under the Law? which will teach us, that where God allow'd the Sacrifice to die, he permitted the Offender to escape; and if Christ was admitted to suffer for our Sins, and in our stead, then we shall not suffer for our own. 2. But if it be so difficult to make any thing of a change of Christ's Person for us: how shall we make any thing of A change of Persons between Christ and us? seeing that a single change must be presuppos'd to a double one. And this was all that Grotius knew to make of it, De satisf. p. 71. Actus Dei de quo agimus, est Punitio unius; ad impunitatem alteri consequendam: Thus Christ suffer'd that we might not suffer, and Divine Justice punisht him that he might spare us: Thus much Grotius made of it, and let our Author make as much more of it as he can.
§. 2. This Phrase, A Commutation of Persons between Christ and Sinners, is a Phrase of no necessity at all: There are others of try'd and approved signification, which have been examined by critical Heads, and scanned upon curious Hands; such as have passed Currant in all our sound Confessions of Faith. Now, why we should venture upon un-common Terms, when the World is wide enough, and our own Language copious enough, I can see no Reason to oblige us: But if they who inforce it, have any secret Reasons to themselves, to contend so passionately for a Phrase never delivered; it's enough for us to contend zealously for the Faith once delivered to the Saints; and let them fight for a Phrase who have need on't.
§. 3. This Phrase has been miserably abus'd by the Antinomians; and I think it prudence to keep a jealous Eye upon't, when we see it not only contended for by them, but imposed upon us too, with such desperate Fierceness, as if all Religion must stand or fall with one sorry Phrase. Let me Sir, once more re-mind of Dr. C's. Acceptation: Here is a direct change! Christ takes our Person and Condition, and stands in our stead; we take Christ's Person and Condition, and stand in Christ's stead; so that if you reckon well, you must always reckon your selves in anothers Person, and that other in yours: This is a Commutation of Persons with a witness! 1. We stand in Christ's Person and Condition, that is, we suffered in Christ's Sufferings; not only Christ suffered for us, and in our stead, but we also suffered in him, satisfied in him. And then 2. From that Moment in which Christ suffered for us, and we suffered in him, we must in strict Justice be discharged; for since we stood in his person, as well as he in ours, what should hinder our Actual Discharge? And at this Door all the Antinomian Speculations rush like a Deluge in upon us.
§. 4. This Phrase admits of a Socinian Sence too, Report p. 9. Socinus and Crellius granted there was a Metaphorical, or rather, an improper Change of Persons: but this is more fully evidenced from the Rt. Rd. Bp. of Worcester in his Letter to Mr. W. p. 57. Such a change of Persons as implies, that one is appointed and allowed to act on behalf of others, and for th ir advantage, the Socinians never denied. It's not therefore the use of the Words, but the Sence of them that is to be inquired into: Some may affirm a Change of Persons, and yet be Socinians, and others may deny a Change, and yet be far enough from Socinianism. Seeing then this Phrase has been Press'd, taken the Press-Money and Cloathing, and Serv'd on both sides: Seeing it has been true to no side; seeing it's capable of being interpreted to a twofold evil sense, and can have but one good sense, and that when we force a good sense upon't, it sits uneasie under it, and is scarce able to support it, we may reasonably demand, That it be bound to its Good Behaviour; and that we be not compelled to swallow a Phrase without Chewing, which may possibly stick in our Throats, and choak us.
§. 5. Nor can we yet find, after all our search, no, nor the Defender, after all his more curious Inquiry, That this Phrase has appear'd in any Confession of Faith of any Church of whatever Denomination. We have those extant of Episcopal, Presbyterian and Congregational Perswasion, of England, Scotland, France, Ireland and Holland, Compiled by Persons, Learned, Godly and Wise, and if they knew this Phrase, and judged it either necessary to confirm, or useful to explain the great Doctrine of Satisfaction, wherein they were so express, clear and full, they would not, they could not have omitted it.
§. 6. And among those Articles which were pitcht upon as the Test, and Standard of Orthodoxy, and upon which the Brethren did Unite, did this Phrase never appear; nor was the Rejection of it numbred among the Objections brought in against Mr. Williams's Book; and its more than probable, had this Expression been insisted on in the previous Debates among the Brethren, in order to their Coalition, it had prevented their Union; and we now find it has been made an Engine to widen the Breach among them that were once, and might have again been United, had not this, and some other odd Terms of Art, been skilfully managed to keep it open.
§. 7. Nor can I understand how this Phrase of a Commutation of Persons between Christ and sinners, is either serviceable to the explaining or confirming the Doctrine of Christ's satisfaction, that is, his suffering and dying in our Stead, to expiate our Sins, or satisfie Gods Iustice. 1. Not to the explaining it: Because wise Men always endeavour Non fumum ex fulgore sed ex fumo dare Lucem. they explain a Thing less known, by that which is better known, and think it absur'd to Comment on the Twylight by the Beams of Midnight. Nor, 2. To the confirming or proving it: For seeing the best that can be made of this Phrase is, that its equivalent to that of Christs suffering and dying in our Stead; if it be so, it will be hard to prove a Thing by it self: For this is but the Learned Argument, Christ suffered in our Stead, because he suffered in our Room; and he suffered in our Room, because he suffered in our Place: But of this kind of Argumentation we shall find the Defence fruitful to a Miracle.
§. 8. And this Phrase when all is said, and done, is but a Phrase, and never yet had its Signification Authentically fixt and stated by a competent Authority; The Trumpet gives an uncertain Sound; so that if we subscribe it, it must be by an Implicite Faith in its own good Meaning.
§. 9. Much less can we submit to its being imposed upon our Faith, to be believed upon the Pains and Peril of Heresie. And we know that by this Method, the most abominable Heresies in the World, were Canonized for the greatest Truths: That Monster of Transubstantion was at first in its Infancy, a meer Opinion that floated up and down in the Brains of Private Persons; it became in a while to be tossed upon the Tongues of Scholastick Wits, till at last it got firm footing in the Lateran Council; and in process of Time became setled in the Conventicle of Trent, and has since been the Neck-verse to many thousand poor Protestants: Thus we fear, that this Notion which now they play withal, should in Time become the Test of the Faith of sound Protestants, and all shall be damned that cannot subscribe the Antinomian Creed.
There was a Time, when the Presbyterians were blamed as too Rigid in imposing their Sentiments, and the Congregational magnified themselves, as Persons of a better Temper, and more Christian Moderation: But we have now gotten a small number of Antinomian Independents, who are far more Imperious, Bigotted, and Tyrannical than ever the Presbyterians could be justly charged to be: I will give you one Passage from the Preface to the Declaration of the Faith of the Brethren at the Savoy. Such a Transaction (the compiling of their Articles) is to be look'd upon, but as a meet, or fit Medium or Means, whereby to express their common Faith; and no ways to be made use of, as an Imposition upon any: Whatever is of force or constraint in Matters of this Nature, causeth them to degenerate from the Name and Nature of Confessions, and turns them from being Confessions of Faith, into Exactions and Impositions of Faith.
§. 10. Whereas there is such an exact Harmony between all the Confessions of the Reformed Churches, in the Articles of Satisfaction, and Iustification; that he that believes one believes all; yet we see they are drawn in great Variety of Expressions and Phrases, and Penned Diverso stylo, non diversâ fide; a strict Conformity there is in the Sense, no Uniformity in the Words: Now what a Confusion would it make in Mens Consciences, to suppose a Christian sound in the Faith, that believes according to the Confession of the Church of Scotland, and yet Heterodox again, assoon as he sets his Foot over the Tweed, because he has not yet formed his Thoughts according to the Words of the Church of England? Or that a Professor should have been sound in the Faith at Westminster, and yet by that Time he could walk as far as the Savoy, he should be unsound again: Truth is Truth all over the World: Whereas Phrases are of no farther use, than to express our Conceptions properly to others, and that they be adapted to signifie the Orthodoxy of our Minds.
§. 11. I must insist upon it still, that this Phrase, A Commutation of Persons between Christ and Sinners, does really carry a Mutual and Reciprocal Sense: If Grammar may have leave to judge; thus it sounds to English Ears, let 'em be of what Bore they will: 'Tis not long that this Phrase was common amongst us: There is a Commutation of Prisoners between France and England: And not one Man, no, not an Antinomian, but understood it, that the English Prisoners were exchanged for French, and the French for English, mutually and reciprocally; and that the Transport Ships passed mutually, and reciprocally, between Plymouth, and St. Malo's; St. Malo's and Plymouth: And I doubt not but our Lawyers will stand by us: If Articles of Agreement be drawn, that there shall be an Exchange or Commutation of certain Lands, between A. and B. they will Construe it, That A. shall exchange Blackacre with B. for White-acre, and that B. shall exchange mutually White-acre with A. for Black-acre: And if we should walk the Exchange of London, where a Bargain is driven thorough, between C. and D. of certain Goods, Wares, Commodities, and Merchandises to be exchanged between them. Its supposed, that if C. Exchanges his Mault for Hops: D. does Exchange his Hops for Mault: And the Story is famous in Homer, of an Exchange of Armour between Glaucus and Diomedes, where the former Commuted his Armour of Gold, for the latters of Brass, and was sufficiently laught at for his Fools Bargain; foreign. But let us seriously apply our Thoughts to the Phrase: A Commutation of Persons between Christ and Sinners: Here are Two Persons expresly in the Phrase; here is a Commutation between these Two Persons. That which is Commuted is their Persons, for here's mention of nothing else: If therefore the Commutation be not mutual, what Necessity is there that the Phrase should import Christs being exchanged for Sinners, and not that Sinners were exchanged for Christ.
Against this, the Defence rouzes up all his Zeal: Where is the Man (says he) that ever gave such a Sense? Be patient Sir. He shew you the Man, no worse a Man I assure you, than Dr. Crisp, the Man of your Counsel; who makes the Sense mutual: We must reckon our selves in Christs Person, and Christ in ours: Where the Dr. speaks like an honest, plain-hearted Man; the Sense of whose Words is conformable to his Phrase; whereas our fine Sparks have couched a Sense under a Phrase that will not bear it: Now tho' I can be Content that every one should abound in his own Sense, yet if I could help it, no Man should abound in his own Non-sense.
Ay, but (says the Defence) The Learned Witsius is persuaded that no Man in his Wits, did ever Dream of such a Sense (pray Mark the elegant Quibble, Witsius and Wits) To which I say, 'tis not my fault that Men run out of their Wits; but this makes my Argument so much the stronger. If no Man in's Wits will say it, why should any Man not out of his Wits say that which inferrs it? All will say, Christ suffered in our stead, none will say we suffered in Christs stead, pray then invent a Phrase that will express Christs suffering in our stead, and not ours in his; but then you must resign all your Right, Title and Interest in a Commutation of Persons between Christ and Sinners; for that signifies either both or neither.
We might therefore justly wonder, but that we must wonder at nothing in such a Writer, that he should take this for a good Answer: I affirm, that if there be a Commutation of Persons between Christ and Sinners, this must according to Grammar be Construed mutual and reciprocal; O but says he, none ever affirmed the Consequent; why then do you affirm the Antecedent from which by just Consequence, the Consequent follows? If an Argument be brought, which by clear Consequence brings the Respondent into a gross absurdity, impossibility or blasphemy; He that brings it, shall not be responsible for the absurdity, or blasphemy which follows, but he that asserts that which, if true, would infer it.
I can easily from hence Retort upon himself that Charge of Blasphemy, which he would fasten upon me, p. 33. The Blasphemy is his own, not mine. 'Tis not the Result of my Assertion, but of his own Phrase. Thus my Argument proceeds, if there be a Commutation of Persons between Christ and Sinners, that Commutation according to the Letter of the Phrase must be mutual: If it be mutual, then as Christ suffered and died in our stead, Sinners must be supposed to suffer in Christs stead: O but the Consequent is Blasphemy! Is it so? Then thank your own Self, and your Antecedent that inferred it: For if there was a Commutation of Persons between A. and B. then A. was commuted for B. and B. for A. and other Grammar, of this Phrase, nor he, nor you, nor I, nor any Man else can make.
12. Lastly, And yet after all this, as we have told him, so we tell him now again: If a proper Orthodox Sense, which shall express neither more nor less, than that Christ died in our place or stead, to make Satisfaction to Divine Justice, can be setled, and entail'd upon this Phrase; and that the Truth be not betrayed either to a Socinian or Antinomian Construction, I could be Content to admit the use of it, though otherwise I would chuse one of a more determinate Sense, and obvious Meaning: And this I would do not for the sake of the Phrase, which I look upon as improper, but for the sound Meaning, which may be (if it can be) setled upon it.
As suppose my Subscription was demanded to this Sentence, in the Polaski; Acciam croc solerouch Alla Moustaph gidelum a manahem varakini onssere Carbutath. Of this now do not I understand one Word, more or less; but our Learned Divine, who is well skilled, I perceive in the Lingua: Assures me upon his Honour it signifies no other than this: If Riches encrease, set not thy Heart upon them, for he that loveth Silver shall not be satisfied with Silver, nor he that loveth Riches with increase: Perhaps I might subscribe: And just thus would I deal with this Phrase; I look upon't as very ill turn'd; as oddly exprest, as that which has been abused to an ill Sense, yet upon the Credit of one I can trust, that it intends what is Orthodox, and that the Mercury is Corrected and Dulcified, so far it may be tolerable.
But I have detain'd you Sir too long; Excuse if you please,
Your Servant, &c.