Neonomianism Unmasked, Part 2 · Debate 5
DEBATE V. Of the Time when our Sins were laid on Chriſt, and continued there.
Neonom.
LET us now diſcourſe about the Time of God's laying our Sins on Jeſus Chriſt. I take Mr. Antinomian to be unſound in this Point. For he ſaith,
That the Time when our Sins were laid actually on Chriſt was, when he was nailed to the Croſs, and God actually forſook him, and they continued on him till the Reſurrection. D. W. p. 28.
Antinom.
My Words were theſe, Now there was a pitch'd Time wherein God did ſerve Execution actually upon him, and that was, when God did forſake this Son of his, when he called him forth, and ſerved Sin upon him as the Deſert of Tranſgreſſion, when he ſaid, My God, my God, &c.— Now was the time of Payment and Satisfying God. Dr. C. p. 356.
I do not ſay that this was the firſt time of his bearing Sin, he bore them in the Garden, and was there ſorrowful unto Death, and lay under Soul-ſufferings; but upon the Croſs he finiſhed his greateſt Sufferings, made payment in full; and therefore the Apoſtle Peter aſcribes his bearing of Sin moſtly to that time when he was upon the Croſs, and under Complaint of the Puniſhment of Loſs, God's forſaking of him. Beſides, I diſtinguiſh between the charging Sin on Chriſt as our Debt, and the Payment of the Debt; and ſay, this was the time of Execution and Payment; though I know you confound bearing Sin as a Debt, and making Payment: So that you will have Payment made when nothing is due upon any account. D. W. p. 28.
Neonom.
But you ſay, look upon the Execution, or rather the ſerving the Execution, i. e. the actual laying of Iniquity on Chriſt: This Iniquity was laid upon him at that inſtant when he was upon the Croſs, and God nailed the Sins of Men to the Croſs of Chriſt, and from that time there was not one Sin to be reckoned, &c. Dr. Cr. p. 357.
Antinom.
You ſhould have rehearſed a little more: You are only for expoſing me as much as may be, and therefore will not rehearſe my whole Sence.
I ſaid, From that time there was not one Sin to be reckoned to Believers, who are the Members of Chriſt, or to Chriſt himſelf, he having then made Satisfaction, and upon it given out to the World, It is finiſhed. What was finiſhed? It was the Payment of the Price ſo long looked for, the utmoſt Farthing laid down. It is proper to ſay, Payment is made, when it is finiſhed. Dr. Cr. p. 357.
Calvin.
Pray, Sir, from what Time do you date the laying of Sins on Chriſt?
Neonom.
The Obligation of Sufferings for our Sins was upon Chriſt, upon his Ʋndertaking the Office of a Mediator, to the Moment wherein he finiſhed his Satisfactory Atonement; the Puniſhment of our Sins lay upon Chriſt, from the firſt moment to the laſt of his Humiliation. D. W. c. V. p. 28.
Antinom.
Firſt then you grant his bearing Sin by way of Obligation from Eternity, D. W. p. 3. It was a little while ago you charged this for an Error upon me, that our Iniquities were laid upon Chriſt by way of Obligation from all Eternity, tho' you call it ſuffering for our Sins; but we ſay, Sin charged upon him unto Suffering. And you own Obligation from the firſt Undertaking his Mediator's Office, and I take that was from Eternity, and that he was indebted from thence to the Moment when he finiſhed his Satisfactory Atonement. I think there's no great Difference between us in theſe things, provided you do but grant this Obligation was from the Demerit of our Sins, which neceſſarily inferrs the charging our Sins upon him as a Fidejuſſor or Sponſor, that takes upon him another's Debt; and you ſay alſo, Satisfactory Atonement; wherefore God was ſatisfyed with the Payment made. Now why muſt I be dealt ſo hardly with, as to be cenſured for Erroneous, for ſaying, He was under Obligation to pay our Debt from Eternity, and ſtood obliged till he made full Payment by way of Execution upon the Croſs.
Calvin.
As to the laſt part of your Aſſertion, that the Puniſhment of our ſin lay upon Chriſt from the firſt moment to the laſt of his Humiliation, it is falſe; for tho he was the Lamb of God, in our Nature yet he bore not ſin actually, till he was offered up in Sacrifice, then he was made Sin as a Sacrifice, and not before.