An Antidote Against Heresy, Chapter 9 – Chapter 10
CHAP. IX. The Death of Christ.
Truth.THe Office of Chriſt, as Mediatour, conſiſts of three parts, whereof his Prieſthood is principal; and of his Prieſthood, that oblation he made of himſelf upon the Croſs, whereby as the only Sacrifice for ſin, he pacified the wrath of God, and redeeming our ſouls from eternal death, purchaſed for us the favou… of God, and life everlaſting.
Errours.Adverſaries to this truth, are, 1. Arrians and Socinians, who affirm, Th… Chriſt by his death did not ſatisfie for our ſins. 2. Papists, who ſay, That Chriſt by his death indeed ſatisfied for our ſins, and for the eternal puniſhment due unto us for them; but for the temporal puniſhment we muſt ſatisfie out ſelves, either in this life, or elſe hereafter in purgatory. 3. Arminians affirm, That Chriſt dyed for all men, as well thoſe that periſh, as thoſe that are ſaved; for Cain and Judas, as well as Abell and Peter: From whence 4. Another riſeth, That a man whom Chriſt dyed for may periſh.
The death of Chriſt being the conſummation and total ſum, as it were,Antidote of all his ſufferings, from his cradle to his grave, is therefore commonly taken for the whole ſatisfaction that he made unto God for our ſins. To the Adverſaries we ſay,
Firſt, That Chriſt by his death did ſatisfie for our ſins. Iſai. 53.5, 8, 10. His ſoul was made an offering for ſin, &c. Mat. 20.28. —A ranſom for many. 1 Cor. 5.7. A Sacrifice for us. Rom. 4.25. He was delivered to death for our ſins. And 5.10. We were reconciled by his death. 1 Pet. 2.24. He bare our ſins in his own body on the tree.
Object. But Micah 7.18. God forgives iniquity, becauſe he delights in mercy: If Chriſt ſatisfie for ſin, how is it mercy?
Sol. Chriſts merits, and Gods mercy, ſtand and agree together very wel. Chriſt hath ſatisfied, and yet we are freely forgiven, becauſe God exacts nothing of us but of Chriſt: It is free to us, we payed nothing; and though Chriſt made ſatisfaction, yet ſtill our ſins are freely forgiven us, becauſe Chriſt himſelf, for whoſe ſake our ſins are forgiven us, was freely given us.
Secondly, Chriſt ſatisfied, not only for eternal, but temporal puniſhment aſo: For otherwiſe, 1. It could not ſtand with Chriſts all-ſufficient Sacrifice, (who trod the wine-preſs of his Fathers wrath alone, and none helped him, Iſai. 63.3.) if we muſt ſatisfie for ſome part our ſelves. 2. It cannot ſtand with Gods mercy, who forgives us freely for Chriſts ſake. 3. It cannot ſtand with his Juſtice, when the fault is forgiven in exact any puniſhment; but they confeſs Chriſt hath ſatisfied for the fault fully therefore in Juſtice there can be no puniſhment left for us to undergo.
Thirdly, Chriſt dyed not for all, but only for the elect. Mat 1.21. He ſhall ſave his people. John 10.15. I lay down my life for the ſheep. And 17.9. I pray for them, I pray not for the world, &c.
Fourthly, A man that Chriſt hath dyed for can never periſh. John 10.15. And I give them eternal life, and they ſhall never periſh, &c. 1 Pet. 1.5. They are kept the Power of God unto ſalvation; and what is able to controll that power?
Object. But Chriſt is a ranſom for all. 1 Tim. 2.6. Dyed for every man. Heb. 2.9. For the whole world. 1 John 2.2.
Sol. By world, is meant the world of Gods Elect: ſo it is taken, John 6.33. and John 17.9. for the reprobate only. By [all] underſtand, all ſorts and degrees of men, all Countries and Nations; not the whole multitude of mankind, but the amplitude of grace only. August. Tract. 45. in Joan. He ſpared not his own Son, but delivered him for us all. Rom. 8.32. For all, whom? for the elect; as it follows, v. 33. Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? …ld. Cont. Donat. God was in Chriſt reconciling the world unto himself; and the ſon of man came not to judg the world, but to ſave it; but the world is not reconciled unto God, nor ſaved, unleſs by world ye underſtand the Church, which is both reconciled and ſaved.
Id. Epist. 48. Tom. 2. The whole world lyeth in wickedneſs, (i.) the tares that grow all the world over: And again, Chriſt is a propitiation for the ſins of the whole world, (i.) for the wheat that likewiſe grows all world over.
CHAP. X. Reſurrection of Chriſt.
Truth.CHRIST did truly riſe again from death, and took his body, fleſh and bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of mans nature; wherewith he aſcended into Heaven, and there fitteth at Gods right hand, until he return again to judgment at the end of the world.
Errours.David George, the Father of the Family, affirmed, That Chriſts body was diſſolved into aſhes, and ſo roſe no more as of old Apelles ſaid, It was reſolved into the four Elements, whereof it was at firſt compounded. 2. The Swenkfeldians affirm, That it is quite layed aſide. 3. The Ʋbiquitaries, That it is every where, even as his Godhead is every where. 4. There be at this day, who affirm, That it is in the Sun; an old hereſie of the Manichees and Seleucians, who affirmed, That Chriſt in his aſcenſion left his body in the Sun, taking their ground for it from Pſal. 19.5. He ſet his tabernacle in the Sun, (as they read.)
It is no great matter to beleeve that Chriſt dyed, this the Jews, Heathen,Antidote and all wicked men beleeve: but the faith of Chriſtians is the Reſurrection of Chriſt, Auguſt. in Pſal. 120. This one point is the very lock and key of all Chriſtian Religion: For 1 Cor. 15.14. If Chriſt be not riſen, then is our preaching vain, our faith is alſo vain, we are ſtill in our ſins. But Mark 16.6. —He is not here, he is riſen. 1 Cor. 15.4. He was ſeen of Cephas, then of the twelve, then of five hundred brethren at once. Acts 2.31. Neither did his fleſh ſee corruption. Mark. 16.19. He was received into Heaven, and ſate at the right hand of God. Acts 3.21. Whom the heavens muſt receive until the time of reſtoring all things. 1 Cor. 11.25. The Communion is a remembrance of his death, till his coming again.
Object. Our Saviour himſelf ſays, Behold I am with you always, even to the end of the world.
Sol. That is, according to his Godhead, grace and Spirit; for according to his manhood he is altogether abſent from us, and locally in heaven. So our Saviour ſays again, Me ye have not always, Mat. 26.11.