Animadversions on William Dells Book, Section 4
SECT. IV. I am Crucified with Chriſt, &c.
I Am crucified with Chriſt, who through this new Law, was dead to the old. For Chriſt our brother, of the ſame fleſh and bloud with us, having the living word, and law of God within him, (A) he owed nothing to the law of Moſes by way of debt, neither was he juſtified by the works of the Law, but by the righteouſneſſe of the eternal Son or Word of God that dwelt and wrought in him, and he again in it. (B) And this living Word and Spirit of God, that dwelt in the fleſh of Chriſt, was the true crucifying of his fleſh; and in this crucifying of Chriſts fleſh, all his Saints partake with him, as Paul here ſaith. I am crucified with Christ.
(C) Now this cannot be underſtood of Chriſts outward crucifying upon the material Croſs; for thus, Paul was not crucified with him, neither are all the Saints. But this is to be underſtood of Chriſts inward and ſpiritual crucifying, through the Word of righteouſneſs and life that dwelt in him: and according to this, all the faithful, through all ages, are crucified with him indeed▪
And now here it wil be needful to ſpeak ſomething more fully, both touching Chriſts own crucifying, and the crucifying of all his Saints with him, on the ſame croſſe. And the rather, becauſe as men generally in the outward Church, have a carnal underſtanding of all the things of Christ, ſo alſo of his Croſſe and Death. And not the Papists only, but many among our ſelves, who greatly adore the outward croſs, and crucifying of Christ, are yetignorant of the true croſs and crucifying of Christ and his Chriſtians with him, whereby they are truly crucified and dead to themſelves, to ſin, to the world, (D) and to whatever is not God himſelf: And ſo under the open profeſſion of the outward croſſe and death of Chriſt, do live in all manner of ſin and wickedneſſe, equally with the very heathen, amongſt whom the Name of Chriſt hath not been named. Wherefore to remove this groſs ignorance from all that love the light, I ſhall ſpeak ſomething firſt of Christs own crucifying, and then of our crucifying together with Chriſt.
ANIMADVERSION 4.
(A) VVHat? did not Chriſt owe ſomething to the Law ſo much as for us? How then was he made under the Law, Gal. 4.4. Did not his ſubmitting of himſelf to Circumciſion, make him a debter to do the whole Law? Gal. 5.3. Did not our Lord Chriſt by ſubmitting himſelf to the ſtate of a ſervant, in relation to his Father, become obliged to fulfil all his righteous commands? It ſeems to me that thoſe two Scriptures joyned together, prove ſo much, Eſay 42.1. Mat. 3.15. Again, did not we owe to God perfect obedience to his Law, and full ſatisfaction for our diſobedience againſt his Law? And did not our Saviour as our ſurety, transfer and take upon himſelf our whole debt? It would be ill with us if he had not done ſo: me thinks Dr. Ʋſhers words in his Sermon of the Incarnation, hath much light and ſtrength in them, namely, Our Mediator took upon him the part of an advocate, to plead full ſatiſfaction made by himſelf, as our ſurety, unto all the debt wherewith we any way ſtood chargeable. Now the ſatisfaction which our ſurety bound himſelf to perform in our behalf, was of a double debt, the principal, and the acceſſary. The principal debt is obedience to Gods moſt holy Law: if this ſtand true, as I believe it will, then Chriſt did owe the debt of obedience to the Law at leaſt in our ſtead.
(B) Where doth the Scripture ſpeak this language? Doth not that Scripture ſpeak otherwiſe? 1 Pet. 3.18. which aſcribeth not the crucifying, but quickning of Chriſt to the ſpirit.
(C) Why may not the Apoſtle when he wrote that he was crucified with Chriſt, be underſtood of Chriſts outward crucifying on his material croſſe? Is not the vertue of Chriſts outward crucifying applyed to all believing Saints? is not the fleſh in the Saints crucified through the power of that redemption which our Saviour finiſhed on his material croſſe, and by participation of that redemption finiſhed on the Croſſe, are not all believers crucified and dead with him? what elſe do thoſe Scriptures teach, Rom. 6.5,6,7,8,9,10,11. 1 Pet. 2.24. and 4.1,2. Tit. 2.14. It is very ſtrange to me, that Mr Dell ſhould here ſo peremptorily deny, that Pauls crucifying with Chriſt, could be underſtood in relation to his outward crucifying, ſince in Sect. 5. (K) he confeſſeth very truly that there was an infinite worth, excellency, and efficacy in our Saviours outward crucifying, which unqueſtionably is imparted to thoſe who believe, and was imparted to the Apoſtle Paul, who might therefore truly write, as he did, that he was crucified with Chriſt in reference to Chriſts outward crucifying on his material croſſe.
(D) Are Chriſtians dead to the Scriptures, both to the Law and Goſpel, and to all Gods outward ordinances, of none of which it can be affirmed that they are God himſelf? I hope Mr Dell hath ſome limitations in ſtore, to make this ſtrange aſſertion of his, that believers are dead to whatſoever is not God himſelf, paſſable, or elſe—.