Catholic Theology Plain Pure Peaceable, Section 3
SECT. III. Of Christ's Incarnation and our Redemption.
36. In the fulneſs of time God ſent his Son made of a Woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law. Rom. 4. 4. But not them only; for God ſo loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him ſhould not periſh, but have everlasting life. Joh. 3. 16. He was made ſin for us, who knew no ſin, that we might be made the righteouſneſs of God in him. He redeemed us from the Curſe of the Law, being made a Curſe for us. For he is the Saviour of the world, and the Lamb of God that taketh away the ſins of the world. He is the Propitiation for our ſins, and not for ours only, but for the ſins of the whole world: 1 Joh. 2. 2. For he taſted Death for every man, Heb. 2. being the Saviour of all men, but eſpecially of thoſe that believe, 1 Tim. 4. 10. For if one dyed for all, then were all dead; And he dyed for all, that they which live ſhould not henceforth live unto themſelves, but unto him that dyed for them and roſe again, 2 Cor. 5. 14, 15.
37. As the eternal Word and Wiſdom of the Father in his Divine nature only, was the interpoſing Redeemer by undertaking, before his Incarnation, and governed the faln world by the fore-deſcribed Law of Grace; ſo upon his Incarnation initially, and upon his performance plenarily all things are delivered into his hands; even all the world ſo far as it was defiled and curſed by Man's ſin; Man as the Redeemed, the Creatures as his utenſils, and goods, (and Devils as his and our Enemies:) All Power in Heaven and Earth was given him, Matth. 26. 19. Joh. 13. 1, 3. and 17. 2, 3. All judgment was committed to him; and the Father judgeth no man (but by him): But hath given him to have life in himſelf, and to raiſe the dead, Joh. 5. 22, 23, 24, 25. For he hath made him Head over all things to his Church, Eph. 1. 22, 23. And for this end he dyed, roſe and revived that he might be the Lord of the dead and the living, Rom. 14. 9, 10. For God hath exalted him and given him a name above every name, that in the name of Jeſus every knee ſhould …ow, Phil. 2. 7, 8. And as in Adam all die, even ſo in Chriſt ſhall all be made alive, 1 Cor. 15. 22.
38. Chriſt upon his Incarnation performed but what God had Decreed, before the foundations of the world, and had obſcurely and generally promiſed after the fall, at the firſt making of the Covenant of Grace. Which Decree of God, is after the manner of men called by ſome a Covenant between the Father and the Son; eſpecially becauſe the Prophets have ſometimes (as Iſa. 53.) deſcribed it by way of prediction as a Covenant between the Father and Chriſt incarnate. If we conceive of it properly under the notion of a Decree firſt, and a Promiſe after unto the world, ſo the Will and Mercy of God the Father and Son (with the Holy Spirit) are the cauſe of mans Redemption, Pardon and Salvation, even the fundamental Principal total Cauſe: And the Promiſe was man's ſecurity; and Chriſt as promiſed was the primary great mean…, which was to procure us the reſt, by doing that, upon the fore-ſight and fore-decree whereof, God did before-hand pardon and ſave Sinners. But if you had rather mention it as in the form of a Covenant, (which before the Incarnation, muſt be improperly taken, being only of God to himſelf, or a promiſe of and to Chriſt as to be incarnate) then the undertaking of the Father, and the Son herein muſt be carefully diſtinguiſhed and deſcribed. The Father giveth up to Chriſt as Redeemer the whole lapſed curſed reparable world, (the ſeveral parts to ſeveral uſes) and eſpecially his choſen to be eventually and infallibly ſaved, and promiſeth to accept his Sacrifice and performance, and to make him Head over all things to his Church, and by him to eſtabliſh the Law of Grace (in its perfect Edition) and to give him the Government reſpectively of the Church and world, and to Glorifie him for this work with himſelf for ever. And the ſecond perſon undertaketh to aſſume man's Nature, to do and ſuffer all that he did, in perfect obedience to his Fathers Will, and Law of Redemption, to fulfill all Righteouſneſs, conquer Satan and the world, to ſuffer in the fleſh, and be a Sacrifice for ſin, and to conquer Death, and teach, and rule, and purifie, and raiſe, and juſtifie and glorifie all true believers.
39. Before the Incarnation, Chriſt's future death and obedience being *Eadem ſuit ſides in antiquis patribus & modernis qui alio modo credebant in ſpecialia & alia credibilia quam nos. Immo aliquid eredebant quod nunc eſt ſalſum. Alliaco in 3. q. 1.not exiſtent, were no real exiſtent Cauſes in themſelves of men's Juſtification: But that Wiſdom which foreſaw them, and that Will of God which Decreed them, as ſuch (and not they without that fore-ſight and Decree as exiſtent) were the cauſe.
40. Nor were they either before or after the performance a proper Cauſe of Gods Will which pardoned us; For Gods Will in it ſelf can have no cauſe. But they were Cauſes, 1. Of the Thing willed, and 2. Alſo of the extrinſecal denomination of Gods Will from the object and effect (of which anon).
41. Chriſt did not take upon him ſtrictly and properly, the Natural or Civil perſon of any Sinner, much leſs of all the Elect, or all Sinners: But the perſon of a Mediator between God and Sinners: (Of which more afterwards).
42. Chriſt was not our Delegate, Deputy, Miniſter or Inſtrument to do what he did in our names, by repreſenting our perſons; as a man's Servant payeth his Maſters debt by his command, or doth ſome work which he was to do by himſelf or by another. Nor did God or his own conſent put him into any ſuch Inſtrumental Relation, in our Civil perſons.
43. Yet did he in the perſon of a Mediator, not only merit and ſuffer …ro nobis & noſtro bono, but alſo voluntarily as part of his Mediato…ial work, ſuffer the penalty, noſtro loco, in our ſtead: Not by a full …epreſentation of our perſons; nor as if we could hence truly ſay, that we …id (in ſenſu Legis vel Civili). Suffer in Chriſt, or ſatisfie Gods Juſtice our ſelves by Chriſt, nor that God or the Redeemer do reckon it to us, or ever will, to be a thing done by us in our own Civil perſon, though …y Chriſts Natural perſon; nor will ever give us all the fruits of it, on that reaſon and account, as ſuppoſing us ſo by Chriſt to have ſatisfyed for, or Redeemed our ſelves. But he ſuffered in the ſtead and place of Sinners, to ſatisfie Gods Wiſdom, Truth, and Juſtice, and to procure pardon and life for Sinners, to be given out by himſelf, on his terms, and in his way.
44. Much leſs did Chriſt in our perſons, and we in and by him, in a civil ſence, become habitually holy, and perfectly fulfill all righteouſneſs: Nor doth God ever repute us to have our ſelves in our own civil perſons, thus fulfilled the Law, and been holy in and by Chriſt, or will juſtifie us on ſuch a ſuppoſition.
45. Chriſt is ſaid to be made ſin for us, in that he was made a Sacrifice for ſin: But never was a Sinner indeed, or in Gods eſteem: For God judgeth not falſly: Nor did he ever take to himſelf the Guilt of fact, or fault in it ſelf, but the puniſhment and the guilt only in relation to puniſhment; the Reatum poenae, non culpae qua talis. But if any will call the Reatum poenae by the name of Reatum eulpae quoad poenam tantum, becauſe of the relation and connotation, I ſtrive not againſt the Name, ſo we agree of the thing: But ſafeſt words are beſt; eſpecially ſeeing that obligatio ad poenam is it that is moſt uſually and eminently called guilt: But Chriſt never undertook to be reputed of God one that was truly and formally wicked or a ſinner; but only one that was a ſponſor who conſented to ſuffer for Sinners, that they might be delivered. And they are ill words of them that ſay, Chriſt was by imputation the moſt wicked man, the greateſt Thief, Adulterer, Murderer, or Sinner in the world; Though ſuch men may mean well, it were better ſpeak in the Scripture phraſe, and not ſo far overgoe it.
Had God imputed our ſins ſo to him as to have eſteemed him a Sinner or guilty of our habitual and actual ſin as ſin (even our hatred of God, and all our wickedneſs) God muſt neceſſarily from the perfection of his Nature, have hated him as a wicked enemy; yea, more than he hated any other man, as being guilty of a world of wickedneſs. Whereas God was ſtill well pleaſed with him, and never hated him.
46. The ſatisfaction which Chriſt made to the juſtice of God was full and perfect; and ſo was his merit by his perfect Righteouſneſs.
47. The perfection of Chriſt's ſatisfaction conſiſteth not in its being in ſtead of All the ſufferings due to all for whom be dyed, ſo that none ſhould therefore be ever due to the perſons themſelves. For death, afflictions, and the want of Grace, and withholding of the Spirits further help, &c. muſt be ſuffered even by the Elect: But it conſiſteth in its full ſufficiency to thoſe Ends for which it was deſigned by the Father and the Son.
48. The very Nature and Reaſon of the ſatisfactorineſs of Chriſt's … ferings, was not in Being the very ſame either in Kind or in Degree, which were due to all for whom he ſuffered: For they were not ſuch: Of which more afterwards.
49. They could not be the ſame which was due by the Law: For the Law made it due to the Sinner himſelf. And anothers ſuffering for him▪ fulfilleth not the Law (which never ſaid, Either thou or another for the ſhalt dye) But only ſatisfied the Law-giver as he is above his own Law, and could diſpenſe with it, his Juſtice being ſatisfied and ſaved. D… alius ſolvit, aliud ſolvitur. 2. And ſin it ſelf (though not as ſin) as … before opened, was the greateſt part of the Sinners puniſhment (To … alienated from God, and not to love him and delight in him, but to be corrupted and deluded and tormented by concupiſcence). 3. And the immediate unavoidable conſequents reſulting from ſin it ſelf, we… puniſhments which Chriſt did never undergo. (As to be Hateful or … pleaſing to God, as contrary to his Holy nature; to be related as Criminal, to loſe all Right to Gods favour and Kingdom, &c.) 4. And no… of the further puniſhments which ſuppoſed real faultineſs could fall … Chriſt; as the torment of an accuſing Conſcience for rejecting and offending God, for caſting away our own felicity, and running into hell, &c. the ſenſe of Gods hatred of us as real Sinners. 5. Much leſs the de… tions of the Spirit of Holineſs, to be left without goodneſs, in a ſtate of ſin, and to hate God for his juſtice and holineſs, which will be the damneds caſe. The blind zeal of them that think they wrong the ſufferings of Chriſt, if they make them not thus of the ſ…me ki… with all that we deſerved, doth lead them to the intollerable Blaſph… ming of our Saviour; which if underſtood, they would themſelves abhor.
50. Nor could Chriſt's ſufferings be equal in Degree, intenſively and extenſively, to all that was deſerved by the world: As is eaſily diſ… nible by peruſing what is now ſaid, ſeeing our deſerved ſuffering lay i… things of ſuch a Nature, as to be left in ſin it ſelf, deſtitute of God… Image, and Love and Communion, under his hatred, tormented in C… ſcience; beſides the everlaſting torments of hell, which are more th… theſe, upon all the millions of Sinners which were redeemed.
51. Yet did Chriſt ſuffer more in Soul than in Body, being at the preſent deprived of that kind of ſenſe of Gods Love, and Joy therein, which was no part of his holineſs or perfection, (but no other) and having o… If in any of theſe points men of leſs accurateneſs uſe not the ſame words, take not therefore the old way of proclaiming them Hereticks, till you have tryed how far they erre indeed. Moſt of our lower Divines of all parties would be made Hereticks for want of Skill in the denominations allowable or not allowable by the Communication of idioms, if the Schoolmens accurateneſs muſt be the teſt. e. g. If the queſtion were whether the Humanity be part of Chriſt, or Chriſt be compounded of a Divine Nature and Humane, &c. … would affirm it, that mean well. But ſaith Alliac. Camerar. 3. q. [Neque perſona neque natura divina eſt compoſita; nec … eſt compoſitus ex duabus na…is, divina ſcilicet & humana; ſive ex tribus rebus, Corpore ſcilicet, anima & divinitate: ſed … ex duabus, ſecundum humanitatem, ſcilicet corpore & anima eſſentialiter, & ex infinitis partibus quantitativis integraliter. … non eſt concedendum quod humanitas ſit Pars Chriſt…. Nam ficut homo non eſt compoſitus ex albidine, & ſubſtantia, … eſt Compoſitus ex humanitate & perſona divina. How many have gone for Hereticks for want of the Language of … and the Schoolmen?his Soul the deep ſenſe of Gods diſpleaſure with Sinners and of his … of ſin, though no ſence of Gods hatred to himſelf. For it is conceiveable how Chriſt being the Lover and ſurety or Sponſor for Sinners, and undertaking to ſuffer as a Sacrifice for their ſins, and in their ſtead, might have on his own Soul the ſorrowful ſenſe of Gods hatred of ſin and wrath againſt Sinners, though not properly terminated on himſelf; and ſo he bore the ſorrow of our tranſgreſſions, and was ſo far forſaken of God for that time, and not further.
52. The true Reaſon of the ſatisfactorineſs of Chriſt's ſufferings was that they were a moſt apt means for the demonſtration of the Governing Juſtice, Holineſs, Wiſdom and Mercy of God, by which God could attain the ends of the Law and Government, better than by executing the Law on the world in its deſtruction, (as in general was before intimated.)
53. The meaſure of the ſatisfaction made by Chriſt was, that it was a full ſalvo to Gods Juſtice, and demonſtration of it, that he might give Pardon and Life to Sinners, upon the new terms of the Covenant of Grace, and give what he after gave.
54. The matter of Chriſt's meritorious Righteouſneſs, was his perfect fulfilling the Law given him as Mediator, or the performance of the Conditions of his mediatorial Covenant: From which reſulted the Merit, ſo the Dueneſs of all the Benefits which God had promiſed in that Covenant as to Chriſt, though moſtly for men. This was the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt for man, and hence aroſe his Merit for us.
55. The matter of his Law of Redemption required of him was threefold, 1. That he ſhould by habitual and actual perfect Holineſs fulfil the firſt Law of Nature or Innocency which Adam broke; not juſt as it obliged Adam, in every point, but as it was common to man, and belonged to Chriſt as Man. 2. That he ſhould fulfil all the Law of Moſes given only to the Jews. 3. That he ſhould perform the great things peculiar to himſelf as Mediator; which were to be a Sacrifice for Sin, to do his Miracles, to teach the Church as its Head: to Rule it, and to appoint Orders and Officers for it, to riſe again, to conquer Satan, Death and Sin, &c.
56. That Chriſt did not fulfil all the Law in our perſons, ſo as that we did it in and by himſelf, and are thereby juſtified, is further evident, in that he did not all the Duties which the Law bound us to perform, and for not doing of which we are truly Sinners. He did not do any of the proper Offices of a Husband to a Wife, or of a Wife to a Husband; of a Father to Children; of a Servant, or a hired day-labourer to a Maſter; of a Magiſtrate (King, Judge, &c.) to Subjects: of a Captain to Souldiers, or Souldiers to their Captain; of a Landlord to Tenants; of ſuch as have great riches towards the poor: of the ſick, the impriſoned, and abundance ſuch like. Beſides the perſonal Laws given to Adam in the Garden, to Noah, to Abraham, to David, … …olomon, the Prophets, and ſuch others. Chriſt did not theſe ſame … for us; nor we fulfilled not theſe particular Laws in him.
57. The Diſputes whether it be Chriſt's Divine, his habitual, his active, or his paſſive Righteouſneſs, that is made ours to our Juſtification, ſeemeth to be but the Off-ſpring of the error of the undue ſenſe of Chriſt's perſonating or repreſenting us in his Righteouſneſs: And the parcelling out the uſes and effects, (that one is imputed to us inſtead of habitual Righteouſneſs, another inſtead of actual, and the third pardoneth our Sins,) is from the ſame falſe ſuppoſition. (It's well that they ſuppoſe not that his Divine Righteouſneſs is imputed to our deification.) But the caſe is plain, 1. That Chriſt's whole Humane Righteouſneſs, habitual, active and paſſive, are meritorious for us, (not as being the very ſame things, all which we ſhould have done, and ſuffered, and had; as if we had, did and ſuffered them our ſelves by one that had, did and ſuffered them in our perſons (in a Law-ſenſe.) But as being the parts of that one Righteouſneſs of Chriſt as Mediator, which conſiſteth in the full performance of the Law of Redemption, or of his own Covenant with his Father, undertaken for our ſakes. Having been, and done, and ſuffered what he promiſed, he is Righteous.
2. And his Divine Righteouſneſs, by virtue of the hypoſtatical Union, dignifieth his Humane to its meritorious value.
58. By his Satisfaction or Sacrifice, and this Merit, Chriſt did procure all that Pardon, Life and Benefits, whatſoever that conſequently are given us of God: And ſo is the true meritorious cauſe of all.
59. That Sacrifice and Obedience, Righteouſneſs and Merit, which was directly given to God, for man, by performance of Chriſt's undertaking, may yet be conſequently ſaid to be given unto man; In that it was given to God for man, and in that the Benefits merited are given to man; and ſo relatively as to thoſe Benefits, the Sacrifice, Obedience, Righteouſneſs and Merit, may be ſaid to be given us. As the Ranſom is given to the Captive which is given for him, becauſe the liberty purchaſed by it is given him. (Of which more after.)