Confession of His Faith, Chapter 9 · Section 5
SECT. V.
AND thus I have shewed you somewhat of the face of these Doctrines of the Antinomians. 1. That we are Justified from Eternity. 2. That we are Justified, Absolved, or Pardoned at the time of Christs death, and so before our being. 3. Or at least before our Conversion and believing. 4. That we our selves did in Gods esteem, or in Law-sense, perfectly obey, or suffer and satisfie in Christ: and so that Christ paid the same thing that the Law required of us, and not only satisfied for our not payment, by giving such a sacrifice to God as might be a valuable consideration, on which he might grant us the benefits, on such Conditions as are most sutable to his ends and honor: For though some have said, that it is not tantidem, a matter worth the contending about, whether Christs satisfaction were the Idem or Tantundum, yet I take it to be of no less moment then all these haynous Consequents beforementioned do declare, and even to subvert the substance of Religion. The Idem is the perfect Obedience, or the full Punishment of man himself; and in case of personal Disobedience, it is personal punishment that the Law requires. It is Supplicium ipsius Delinquentis. The Law never threatned a Surety: Nor granteth any liberty of substitution: that was an Act of God as Above the Law. If therefore the thing due were paid, it was we our selves Morally or Legally that suffered: and it could not be our selves Legally, because it was not our selves Naturally. But if it had been our selves Legally, then the strictest Justice could not have denyed us a present and perfect Dliverance ipso facto, seeing no Justice can demand more then the Idem quod d…bitur, the whole debt of Obedience or Punishment.
And that all may take heed of this unhappy model of Theologie that these men have framed, I would earnestly commend to their Consideration this following advice.
1. Still keep in your minds a clear Distinction between Gods Rectoral or Legislative Will determining de D…, offici…, premii, & poenae: and his Will de rerum ex stenti… & Eventu as such, determining de facto what shall be, and what not; Or between Gods Decrees and his Laws. And take heed of confounding these in any point of Theologie; much more in the whole frame. For ought I see, Gods Eternal Decree is the beginning, middle and end of the Antinomians Theologie; It is almost their All.
2. Distinguish carefully between that Decree, Law or Covenant, call it which you will, whereby the Father did, as it were, appoint unto his Son both his work and Reward; and that Law, or Covenant by which both Father and Son do Govern the Church, and make over to us the parts of our salvation. Confounding these hath lost the Antinomians in their Theologie: so that so much of Gods Covenants as they do take notice of, is little more then the Promise of the Father to the Son, and the Absolute discovery of▪ his Decree. They reduce almost all the Covenants to this, and denominate all from this.
And the very nature of the Thing, as well as the plain Scripture, proclaimeth to us this great Truth, which once more I intreat all men that read this well to consider of.
That, As it was not the sinner himself, nor any Servant or Delegate of his, but Christ the Mediator upon Gods Mission and his voluntary Sponsion, who bore the Penalty, and made satisfaction to God; so it was meet that the fruits of this satisfaction should not be delivered by God immediately to the sinner, but sinners and all into the hands of the Redeemer; That all they shall receive might come to them through his hands, and come from him, as it was purchased by him. And that as dearly as God loved mankind, he did more dearly love his own righteousness and glory, and therefore did all this more principally for it, then for us▪ and therefore in his way of Conveyance, would do all on terms most beseeming his honor: And being still to continue the Gov…rnment of the world, he thought meet to make the same person Governor and Benefactor, King and Saviour; that so he might Reign with saving, and save with Reigning, and give out his mercies, not by meer Absolute gifts, but by Laws and Grants Conditional, which might hold men to duty: That so as there is a blessed conjunction of Benefactor and Rector, Saviour and King in the Head▪ there might also be an answerable conjunction in the Members, of love and loyalty, thankfulness and Obedience▪ Read Rom. 14. 9. Joh. 13. 3. Math. 28. 18, 19 20, 21. Joh. 5. 22. and 1 Joh. 5. 11, 12. with recital of which one Text I will conclude this matter. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: He that believeth not God, hath made him a Lyar, because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son. And this is the Record; that God hath given to us eternal Life, and this Life is in his Son: He that hath the Son, hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not Life.
Here is in order of Nature. 1. Gods Record of his Son. 2. Some mens believing it, and others not believing it. 3. The sinfulness of their not believing. 4. The different Consequents of Believing and not Believing. 1. The Record is in these two propositions. 1. That God hath given us eternal Life. This Life is Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification. By us must needs be meant mankind in general, and not only the Elect: For some make God a Lyar in not believing it: which cannot be in not believing a thing as concerning others meerly▪ and not themselves. By giving therefore must needs be meant Radically and Causally, and not formally every benefit: which appears in the second part of the Record, which is, that This life is in his Son: so that God hath not immediately given life into our hands, but to Christ for us, to give out unto us as he seeth meet. Now Remission, and Justification, as ours, cannot be formally in Christ, nor Right to heaven, but causally and potentially. God hath given us over actually to Christ, and given him Power and Right to give us life, viz. of Justification, Adoption, Sanctification, and glory. So that all is in Christs hands, and not ours, till we have him. 2. The success of this Record is, that some believe, and some do not. 3. The sin of those that believe not is aggravated, in that they make God a Lyar. 4. The different Consequents are, that He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life. Where note, 1. That it is plainly implyed, that the Believers have the Son, and the unbelivers have not: and therefore the former are said to have the witness in themselves, and the latter to make God a Lyar. As Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son (or obeyeth him not, or is not perswaded by him) shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. And v. 18. He is condemned already. 2. Note that upon our believing, first we have the Son, viz. In Covenant Right as our Head and Husband, and acknowledged King and Saviour, and then we have life with him. 3. Note, that all they that have not by Faith received the Son, have not life, though they may be Elect thereto. That is, They are yet under both Guilt and Power of sin and death: They have not the Life of Remission or Absolution, nor the Life of Holyness, nor Right to the Life of Glory: For it is the word received that is able to save our souls, and to give us an Inheritance among the sanctified. And we are then made meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light. When God hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have Redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. That is, by the Merit of his blood-shed, when we are so translated into the Kingdom of Christ. For as on the shedding of his blood, Christ receiveth Authority to forgive us: so upon our belief in his blood, we are actually forgiven: And therefore it is more then the shedding of his blood, (even the Application also) which the Saints shall glorifie him for in eternity, even Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the Kings of the Earth: Ʋnto him that hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father, to him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever, Amen. Rev. 1. 5, 6.