The Life of Justification Opened, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV.
How Christ is our Surety, and what Mr. Baxter saith, as to this, is examined.
OUr Lord Jesus being called a Surety in the Scriptures, may give us much satisfaction and clear light, anent the Doctrine of the Imputation of His Righteousness, if prejudice and Love to our own particular hypothesis do not blinde us. The Apostle tels us Heb. 7: 22. that Iesus was made a Surety of a better Testament (or Covenant, rather) and though the greek word foreign, rendered Surety, be only in this place found in the N. Testam. yet that can give no colourable ground of Exception against the true & Native import of the word, and the truth, thereby hold forth, seing one sentence of divine Revelation should captivat our faith & judgment, as well as Twenty, otherwise all divine Revelation, though never sooft reiterated, will hereby at length come to be questioned. And beside, the word properly signifieth a Surety, Cautioner, Praes, Sponsor, fide jussor: foreign, is sponsio, expromissio, fidejussio: hence foreign sub fide sponsionis trade, as it were, to deliver into hands, foreign spondeo, foreign fidejussio, Vadimonium, foreign fidejussor, vas, sponsor: and whether the word come from foreign prope, or from foreign appropinquo, or from foreign in manibus, the same import and signification is hold forth; and the conjunction and neerness betwixt the Sponsor, or Surety, and the person for whom He is sponsor, with the ends, for which he engageth himself, who is a Sponsor, is manifestly hold forth; for the word Importeth one, who of his own accord engageth for another, taking upon him, the Cause and Condition of that other, & promising to do or pay what the other was obliged unto, or to see it done, and, thus engaging and promising, becometh the just & legal debtor for what he hath engaged, and obliged unto the performance. And this sense is both obvious and generally received by all men; which should Satisfie us, as to the acceptation of the word here, untill it be demonstrat, that of necessity it must be taken in a peculiar & distinct sense, in this place; which yet the scope and circumstances of the place will not admit; but rather confirme the usuall and generally received signification & Import of the word.
This is also confirmed by the Hebrew foreign which hath many significations, all, or most, of which, as some think, may be reduced to two general heads: one is of mixing things together, or agreeing things or persons together, by compacts, Merchandice, pledges, or Caution. Hence it signifieth to become Surety Gen. 43: 9. & 44: 22. Prov. 11: 15. & 6. 1. & 17: 18. & 22: 26. Psal. 119: 122. as also to oppignorat, or give in pledge Neh. 5: 3. 2. King. 18: 23. Esai. 36.8. Iob. 17: 3. Hence foreign, arrabon, a pleage Gen. 38: 17:20. & foreign fidejussion, sponsio, pignus, suretiship, & a pledge. 1. Sam. 17: 18. 2 King. 14: 14. This word then denoteth the Conjunction & Mixture, that is between a Surety, & him for whom he is Surety; for the word signifieth to mix or mingle together, so that they become hereby one person in Law; & an engaging. Ier. 30: 21. to shew, that the Surety standeth engaged to performe what he hath promised, & become Surety for, having … stricken hands, as it is rendered Prov. 22: 26. Whence we see that there is a neer and closs Union betwixt Christ and Beleevers; so as they (to speak so) become one person in Law; for a Sponsor, as such, standeth engaged with and for the debtor, as if they were both but one; for the Surety maketh himself the debtor; & the Creditor may pursue either of them for payment, and when payment is made by the one, both are free of the obligation: so that if the Surety pay the debt, the creditor cannot reach the Principal debtor. These things are clear and universally known and received. And hereby, we see how Christ, being a Surety, and Beleevers become one person, in Law-sense; so that as He did voluntarily engage for them, and put Himself in their Law place; so His payment and Satisfaction is accounted theirs, and justice cannot reach them, for that, which He, as their Surety, hath paid.
But Mr. Baxter, in his book ag. Doct. Tully. pag. 108. in answere to the first objection, which he there moveth, tels us, That when Christ is thus called the fidejussor of a better Covenant, it seemeth plaine, that it is God's Covenant, as such; and so God's sponsor, that is meant. And for this he citeth Grotius & D. Hammond, in their Annot. Ans. This is the very same answere, that Socinians give, with whom both Grotius & Hammand do too well agree: and it is not much for Mr. Baxter's honour, nor for the credite of his cause, that he will forsake all the Orthodox, and embrace rather the Socinians, & such, as joine with them, than abandon what he thinketh contributive to his Hypothesis. Whether Christ was at all a Surety, upon God's part, or not, needeth not here be discussed; some Orthodox being of the judgment, that He was, as we see in Mr. Gillespie's late Piece Chap. 21. others thinking, that He was not, as may be seen in D. Owen's book of the Doctrine of justification by faith. It is Sufficient against Mr. Baxter & the Socinians, to prove, that He was a Surety and Sponsor for man to God; & this is aboundantly made good by what both these forementioned Authors have said, in the books mentioned, that more needeth not be added. But what doth Mr. Baxter mean by God's Covenant? He can meane nothing here, but God's part of the Covenant; & so make Christ only a Surety for that part. But what ground is there for this in the Text, or context? The Apostle is proving, that Christ's Priesthood (which respecteth not God towards man, but man towards God; for every Priest is ordained for men in things to God, that he may offer both gifts and Sacrifices for sin Hob. 5: 1.) is more excellent than the levitica, He being made a Priest by oath, & a Surety of a better Covenant, foreign & therefore his suretiship & His Priesthood must both respectmen, & the things of men to God; or the one should not be a fit Medium to prove the other; nor should there be any Coherence in the words; Vnless, with the Socinians, we should pervert the Nature of Christ's Priestly office, & make it to be for God, in things pertaining to Men, contrary to Heb. 5: 1. and all the use of Priests from the beginning; as they do, when they make Christ's Priesthood to consist, in His making effectual to us the promises of God; or in his effectual Communicating to us the good things, promised to us of God; from which Mr. Lawson doth not much differ, when he saith (as Mr. Baxter citeth his words) That a Priest doth undertake to procure from God both the confirmation and performence of the Promises to the people; & to that end mediats between both.
He saith next, That Calvin seemeth to Intimate that, which he thinketh is the truth, viz. that Christ is called foreign of God's Covenant, from the Sacerdotal appropinquation, mentioned vers 19. But no such thing appeareth in Calvin's Comment. And that appropinquation, mentioned vers 19. is the people their privilege now under the New Testam. He tels us further, that Marlorat and others by Sponsor mean a Mediator. And it is true, that the Sponsor here is a Mediator: But that the word Sponsor here shall denote nothing else, than what the word Mediator signifieth, I shall not readily beleeve, without clearer grounds, than any I see yet adduced; for I cannot think, that the Apostle would make use of a word, which no where else he useth, & which is no where to be found in the N. Test. but here, in a sense, that it is never found to have, neither in Scripture, nor in the common use of men. And how-ever; Yet it must be granted, that He is such a Mediator, as is a Priest, & so must offer Sacrifices to God for men, & therefore must as well be a Mediator and Sponser on mans part, as on God's. He saith, that Pareus on the place, calleth Christ a Sponsor of the Covenant, quia novum foedus sanguine & morte sua obsignavit. But for answer, he may read the same author on Chap. 8: 1. saying, est & Sponsor foeder is spondens Deo populi nomine fidem & obedientiam, non verbis modo sed & victimis. And thus he distinguisheth a Sponsor from a Mediator.
Mr. Baxter granteth (pag. 109.) that a Mediator is not of one, but doth some what on the behalf of both parties: but addeth. That as Mediator, He is, Hath, Doth, Suffereth, Meriteth, Satisfieth, so as the Representer or Person of such a Beleever, as that every such person is supposed in Law, to have Been, Done, Suffered, Merited, thus in and by the Mediator, is neither signified by this, or any other Text. Ans. Though this cannot be said of a Mediator, who is only a Mediator, strickly so taken, & no more; yet it may be said of him, who not only is a Mediator, but also a Sponsor and Surety, as we have several times explained it. He addeth 2. They that distinguish of a Natural & Political Person, do but darken the case, by an ill expressed distinction, which indeed is not of two sorts of persons, but between Reality & Acceptation, taking person properly for a Natural person: It is one thing to be such a person; and another thingh to have the Act, Passion, Merite &c. accepted for that other person: And this latter signifieth either, 1. That it was done by the other person raediatly, as being a chiefe cause acting by his Instrument. 2. Or that it was done for that other Person by another; the first is our denied sence, & the second our affirmed sence. Ans. And I think (such is the discordance of Mens apprehensions) that his explication darkeneth what is clear enough by the distinction given. His Reality & Acceptation, is, in our case, as darkning a distinction, as the others, if not more, and is against the Common sense of the Law, & the plaine Common sense and understanding of men, when speaking of Law-matters. Who doth not understand how the Suretys payment is really, in the sense of the Law, the payment of the debtor, & not meerly accepted for him? If the payment were purely accepted, neither could it be said, that the Surety was anteriourly obliged, nor that the Creditor might not refuse that payment, neither of which can be affirmed. As for the first sense of his Acceptation, we owne it not, more than he: & the second is true, but not full & plaine, being only general; nor is it, as thus generally expressed, any sense of his Acceptation: for when two persons are obliged for a summe conjunctly & severally, & the Creditor may distress either for the whole; when one payeth the whole, he may be said to pay for the other; & yet Common sense will not Suffer us to say, that his payment was only accepted for the other.
He tels us afterward, that Sponsors & Sureties with us, are of several Sorts, & that they, who lay all upon the very name of a Surety, as if the word had but one signification, & all Sureties properly represented the Person of the Principal obliged person, do deal very deceitfully. Ans. But there is no remedie against some Mens censures. Some will possibly think, that his dealing is not faire, to speak, in the Answere, of Sureties representing the principal debtors, when the Objection, as himself set it down, speaketh only of their being one person in Law sense; & these two are not every way the same; every one that representeth another, is not his Surety, or Sponsor; nor doth the Surety, in every case, represent the Principal debtor; neither is he said so to do. But, sure, it is plaine dealing to take the word Surety, or Sponsor, in that sense wherein it is alwayes taken by Men that use it, untill he demonstrat, that of necessity it must have a peculiar sense, in this matter, & in this place; and it is not faire, to object deceitful dealing to us, in this, untill he hath first discovered the deceit. He reckoneth up, three or foure various things, in which persons may become Sureties, as Debt, Punishment, Duty, & the like; But to what purpose, I know not. Doth he think, that we make Christ such a Surety, as agreeth in all things with every Surety, among men? We know, there never was, nor never will be such a Surety, as our Lord Jesus is: A Surety, notwithstanding, we acknowledge Him to be; because He is so called; & in what respects He is a Surety, we know from the Scriptures, where that is aboundantly declared, & not from the simple name of a Surety: The name tels us, that that must be said of Christ, which agreeth to all Sureties, or is commonly acknowledged to agree unto them; & that is, that they, in so far as they are obliged, or have obliged themselves, whether before or after the Principal Debtor stood obliged (for this maketh no difference as to the obligation Instit. fidejus. & ff.eod. l. & II.) are one person in Law-sense with the principal Debtor; so that their payment & Satisfaction is acknowledged in Law, as the payment & Satisfaction of the Principal Debtors. His Novices, that look into Calv. Lex. Iurid. for Fidejussor & Sponsor, will finde nothing contrary to this; Yea they will finde, that fidejussor dicitur, qui pro alio fidem suam obligat, & fide sua, id est, periculo suo esse jubet, quod alius debet; & that, fidejussor proprie decitur debitor; & that even fidejussor conditional is nomine debitoris continetur; & fidejussorem proprie esse debitorem fere omnes tradunt, quia jura eum plerumque appellant debitorem. The same is to be seen in Spigelius. As for that, which Mr. Baxter addeth, that fide juffor non est conveniendus, nisi prius principali debitore Convento, it neither altereth the case, nor was it universally so, but only in some certaine cases, as he migt have read in the same place. So that it still holdeth true, that the Sponsor & the Debitor are one person in Law; & that so, that if the Debitor pay, the Sponsor is free; & if the Sponsor pay the Debitor is free. See Instit. lib. 3. Tit. 30. quibus modis tollitur obligatio & l. 13. § si. fide jussor; D. de Acceptil. Where it is said, that the debitor is liberat, if the Sponsor give only that, which is called, solutio imaginatia.
There must be (saith he) some what more than the bare foreign, once used of Christ, as Mediator of Gods Covenant; or the name of a Surety as now used among men, that must go to prove, that the Mediator & the several sinners are the same legal Persons in Gods account. Ans. What he meaneth by God's covenant, he would do well to explaine. That the name foreign is used of Christ, as Mediator, if he take this as reduplicatively, he should prove. When he saith, the Mediator & the several sinners are the same Legal Persons, it is ambiguously uttered, & no clear Declaration of our minde. But as to the thing, we would faine know a reason, why we may not take this word, in its common acceptation among men, seing there is nothing in Scripture to the contrary? yea, though this greek word be but here only found; yet, as we saw, we have an hebrew word of the same Import, several times used in the old Test; & the whole matter, that we seek after, clearly held forth thereby, if the places be but lookt into
To put a close to this, we would call to mind that five fold Law-identity & sameness, that is betwixt Christ the Surety & Sinners, for whom He satisfied, mentioned by worthy Mr. Rutherfoord, in his Treatise of the Covenant part 2 pag. 251. which are these.
1. Though Physically the Surety & the Debtor be two different Men; yet in Law they are one & the same Person, & one & the same legal party, & the same object of justice, who so in Law pursueth the Surety, doth also pursue the Debtor.
2. The Debt & Summe is one; not two Debts, not two Ransomes, nor two Punishments; nor two Lives to lose, but one.
3. It is one & the same Solution, & Satisfaction; there cannot in Law-justice come another Reckoning, Dying, & payment asking, after the Surety hath payed.
4. There is one & the same Acceptation, upon the creditor's Part; if he accept of Satisfaction in the payment made by the Surety, he cannot but legally accept of the Debtor, & cannot pursue him in Law, but must look upon him, as no debtor &c.
5. It is one & the same legal effect. Christ crucified in the Spirit & risen againe 1. Tim. 3: 16. & we in Him, as in the Meritorious Cause, are legally justified.
Mr. Gillespy in his late piece Chap. 21. hath several things, which will both cleare up & confirme what is said; we shall mention only a few, pag. 373, 374. He tels us, [that 3. Suretiship imports not only a voluntary obligation for another person, but also union of parties, & Assumption of the Condition of that person, in the lawes sense; so that the Surety & debtor are but one party in Law: therefore say the Iurists, fidejussor proprie dicitur debitor. Christ, by His Suretyship did not only take out Natures upon Him, but He took our condition upon Him. He put His name in our Bond, that the Law migt reach Him for our debt. 4. It imports a Communion betwixt the debtor & the Cautioner, whereby as the debt of the Principal debtor, becometh the debt of the Surety & affecteth him; so also the Satisfaction & Payment of the Surety & his Discharge & Reliefe, becometh the Satisfaction, Discharge & Reliefe of the principal Debtor, Christ's Suretiship imports not only an Union of Parties & Conjunction of interests & Condition with His People; but also a Communion with Debtful broken Man, resulting from His Bond of Suretiship; whereby as upon the one part our Debt becometh His intirely, as the jurists say of all Sureties, Singuli, in solidum tenenter; so upon the other part His Satisfaction & Discharge become ours 2. Cor. 5. last Gal. 3: 13. 5. It imports a Commutation, Surrogation, or Substituting of one in the room of another; & soo Christ was substitute in our stead & room, as Iudah was in Benjamin's. 1. Pet. 2: 21. Rom. 4. last & 5: 8. Gen. 44: 33.] So pag. 381. His Assert. 5. is [Christ the Surety & broken man the Debtor are one in Law, but not intrinsecally one Esai. 1. They are legally one or in the Lawes sense one; because by a legal Substitution & surrogation, Christ having put His name in the Beleevers Bond, by the Law▪ He is in his place, & the beleever is put in Christ's law-place; so that by a legal act, the Surety … the broken man: therefore Christ, being made Surety, saith, I am the broken man, all my friends debts be upon me, my life for their life, my soul for their souls Gal. 4: 4, 5. Ioh. 1…: 8. Gen. 44: v. 3. Asserts Neither the creditor, nor the Law can exact Satisfaction from both the Surety & the Debtor; but the Surety having paid all & Satisfied, the broken debtor can say, I have paid all, I am free; he may plead, my friend & Surety hath done all for me, & that is as good in fore, in the court of justice, as if I had paid all in mine own Person. Gal. 3: 13. Rom. 4: last, 1. Pet. 2: 24. The debt, that Christ paid, is our very debt, & the beleever can say, when Christ my Surety was judged & Crucified for my sins, then was I judged; & what would you have more of a man, than his life? Esai. 53: 6, 7, 8.] So thereafter pag. 422. he saith [Among men usually, Sureties & Debtors enter into one & the same Bond with the Creditor; but here Christ's single bond lyeth for all Psal. 89: 19. here Christ our Surety hath changed Bonds & obligations with us, & putteth out our name, & putteth in His own, in the bloudy Bond of the Law, that the Debt, Satisfaction & Curse may be upon Him alone Gal. 3: 13. Esai. 53: 5. … Among men, the Creditor hath it in his choice, which of the two he will seize upon, the Surety, or the debtor, as he seeth it best for his Satisfaction: but it is not so here, for the Lord, the Creditor hath declared, that He will take Him to Christ for all; & hath Determined, that all the Satisfaction shall be made by Him: and Christ the Surety is content that it shall be so, and that the poor broken Creature shall go free, and no execution of the bloudy Bond of the Law shall passe against him, he being a bankrupt creature, which hath obtained a liberation, as where there is cessio bonorum Psal, 89: 19. Heb. 10: 7. Rom. 8: 1. Esai. 53: 6. 3. Among men, usually the Principal Debtor is first conveened for the debt, before the Surety be pursued: But it is not so here, the curse of the Law, and the execution of the bond thereof doth not first strick upon us, and then afterward upon Christ, to seek from Him what it cannot finde in us: But the Lord, the Creditor, having astricked Himself to the Cautioner, the Law stricks first upon Him, and can never come to strike against the Beleever, unless it should not finde compleet Satisfaction in our Surety, which is Impossible Esai. 53: 8. Gal. 3: 13. 4. Among men the debtor is the Principal Bondsman, and his obligation and Bond is the Principal obligation; & the Sureties obligation is but an accession to it, for strengthening the Security: but here the Surety is the Principal debtor; and by His Bond of Suretiship, He hath changed the Nature of the Beleevers Bond and Obligation, and put His own name in it, so as He is become the Principal Debtor. His Suretiship hath swallowed up the Debtor's Obligation to satisfie justice, the Surety being the Head and Husband of the poor broken Debtor Rom. 7: 4. and having changed the Bond of Satisfaction. and put out our Name, and put in His own, whereby He hath transferred the debt upon Himself, as Principal Debtor Heb. 10: 7.—9. Among men, usually the broken Debtor's Name stands still in the Bond, even after the responsal Surety hath interveened: But here Jesus, the Surety of the New Covenant, when He put in His own name, He puts out our names, that the Law might reach Him, and might not at all reach us. He wrote Himself the sinner legally, and wrote us Righteous persons. 2 Cor. 5: 21. Ier. 50: 20.]