The Sufferings of Christ, Title page – Table of contents
A DISCUSSION of that Great Point in DIVINITY, THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST; And the QUESTIONS about his Righteouſneſſe
Active,
Paſſive:
and the Imputation thereof.
Being an ANSWER to a DIALOGUE INTITULED The Meritorious Price of our Redemption, Juſtification, &c.
By JOHN NORTON Teacher of the Church at Ipſwich in New-England.
Who was appointed to draw up this Anſwer by the Generall Court.
Rom. 3.26. To declare I ſay, at this time his righteouſneſs, that he might be juſt, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jeſus.
London, Printed by A.M. for Geo. Calvert at the Sign of the half Moon, and Joſeph Nevill at the Sign of the Plough in the new Buildings in Pauls Church-yard, 1653.
The STATIONER to the READER.
FOr the better underſtanding of the following Treatiſe, the Reader is deſired to take notice,
1. That the three Fundamental Truths therein aſſerted, confirmed and cleared are theſe,
1. The Imputation of the diſobedience of the Elect unto Chriſt.
2. That Chriſt as God-man Mediator and our Surety fulfilled the Law by his Original conformity, and active and paſſive obedience thereunto for the Elect.
3. The Imputation of that Obedience unto the Believer for Juſtification.
2. That the three oppoſite Tenets of the Dialogue as they are held forth therein, are proved and concluded to be Hereſies; Hereſie being taken for a Fundamental Error, that is, ſuch as he that knowingly liveth and dieth therein cannot be ſaved.
To the much Honoured GENERAL COURT OF THE MASACHUSETS Colonie Now ſitting at Boſton in New-England.
Right Worſhipfull, Worſhipfull, and much Honoured in our Lord Jeſus,
THat this weak Treatiſe cometh forth under your Name cannot ſeem ſtrange to him who remembers Natures Off-ſpring by inſtinct ſheltring it ſelf under thoſe wings from whence it received life and breath.
Reluctances from perſonall unfitneſſe to undertake this Service, Religion forbad me to hearken after, whileſt I conſidered the call of the Court thereunto to be the call of God; and how unworthy it would be for any of Aarons Sons ſo far as lieth in them to fail Moſes leading on and calling to follow in a Cauſe immediately concerning the Lord Jeſus, eſpecially at ſuch a time when to be ſilent were not only to deny a joynt-witneſſing with you to the truth; but in appearance tacitely to ſtrengthen the adverſary in bearing falſe witneſſe againſt the power of the Chriſtian Magiſtrate concerning the Defence of the Truth: Seeing Donatus now crieth aloud again,Quid imperatori cum Eccleſiis? What hath the Emperor to do with the Churches? Notwithſtanding that poſition concerning the Magiſtrates power in matters of Religion be atteſted to by Civill-Law, Common-Law, Nature, Scripture, Reaſon and Teſtimony both old and new.
The lawfull Adminiſtrations by the Kings of Judah touching the cuſtody of the firſt Table they did not as Types of Chriſt but as Servants of Chriſt, otherwiſe what was done by the Type muſt be fullfilled by the Anti-type, but Chriſt never exerciſed any act of Civil Government. Again, the coming of the Anti-type is the aboliſhing of the Type, conſequently then it ſhould be unlawfull for Civil power now to aſſiſt the Cauſe of Religion. The reaſon given of ſuch adminiſtrations was not typicall but morall, viZ. to put away evil from Iſrael; the moral reaſon is of like force now as then; the reaſon of the Law and the Law live and die together.
1 King. 20.42. 2 Chron. …3.11.Ahab King over an Apoſtate Church dieth for not putting Benhadad to death for Blaſphemy.
When Jehojada put the Crown upon Joaſh his head, he gave the Teſtimony into his hand.
The King of Nineveh proclaimeth a Faſt.Jon. 3.7. Dan. 3.29 Nebuchadnezzar makes a Decree againſt Blaſphemy.Ezra 1. Cyrus giveth out a Proclamation for the Buiiding of the Temple.Dan. 6.29 Darius the Mede makes a Decree for the acknowledgement of the true God:Ezra 7.13 The like doth Artaxerxes for the beautifying of the Houſe of the Lord. Theſe being Heathen Princes could not be Types of Chriſt, as Kings of Judah.
In the times of the Goſpel,Act. 21.28 23.29.24.5.6.25.8. & 19.20.26.3. Paul in a matter of Religion appealeth unto Caeſar, which neither Lyſias, Felix, Festus, nor Agrippa decline the audience of.
As Religion was the cauſe of the Warre purpoſed between the nine Tribes and a half, and thoſe on the other ſide of Jordan; So Religion ſhall be the cauſe of the War both purpoſed and performed by the ten Kings againſt the Man of Sinne,Rev. 17.… which ſuppoſeth Civil Authority acting therein.Iſa. 49.23 The Prophets ſpeaking of the times of the Goſpel, aſſure the godly that Kings ſhall be their Nurſing Fathers, and Queens their Nurſing Mothers, and that falſe Prophets ſhall be thruſt through with a Sword.Zec. 13.3. This power then of the Magiſtrate expires not together with the Legall diſpenſation of the Covenant. From the premiſes appears the vanity as well as ignorance of their evaſion who acknowledge the power of the Magiſtrate in the time of the Old, yet deny it in the time of the New Teſtament.
The adaequate end of the Magiſtrate is to procure that the people may live a peaceable life in all godlines and honeſty.1 Tim. 2.2 Magiſtrates are called Gods, ſtrange Gods who take no care of godlineſſe. 'Tis a carnal and unworthy poſition that limits the Magiſtrate to the Corporall, and reſtrains him from the care of the ſpirituall good of the Subject, thereby ſpoiling this Olive of its choiceſt fatneſſe wherewith it rejoyceth both God and man.
That licentious and peſtilent Propoſition, The care of the matters of Religion belongs not to the Magiſtrate, is a Stratagem of the Old Serpent and Father of lies, to make free paſſage for the doctrine of devils; an invention not unlike Sauls Oath, the trouble of Iſrael and eſcape of the Enemy; a ſad errour that foſters all errour; a Satanicall device tending to undermine the policy of God; attempting to charm that Sword with a fallacy, whoſe dexterous and vigorous uſe inſtrumentally puts away evill from Iſrael, and turneth every way in its manner to keep the path of the Tree of life. The ruſting of this Sword of divine execution in the Scabbard, hath been more deſtructive unto truth then the drawing of the Sword of Perſecution. Perſecution hath ſlain Thouſands, but the deadly Sea of falſe doctrine hath ſlain ten Thouſands.See Mr Cottons Anſwer to Mr W. ch. 33. Might this Impoſture prevail, then rejoyce ye Heretiques, Idolaters, Seducers, Ranters, &c. but wo be to the Sheep of the ſlaughter, whoſe Poſſeſſours may ſlay them, and pleade themſelves Not-guilty at the civil Barre.
Both Swords make up a compleat Medium of all our good and remedy of all evil, and are of ſpeciall uſe each to other mutually, as well as of neceſſary uſe unto the people joyntly. The Magiſtrates need the Miniſtery to fix them in the Conſciences of men, and the Miniſters need the Magiſtracy to preſerve them from men that have no Conſcience, or worſe. Saul feels the worth of Samuels Countenance: Joaſh ſoon wants Jehojada, nor doth Jehoaſh forbear to honour Eliſha with the compellation of My Father, My Father. Again, the Levites ſtand in need of Nehemiah; and Hezekiah calling them Sons, intimates their Orphan like condition without his aſſiſtance.O mi Imperator, tu me gladio defende ego te verbis & ſcriptis defendam. My Emperour (ſaith Occam to Ledovick) you ſhall defend me with your Sword, and I will defend you with my Pen.
The counſell of peace ſhall be between them both. As the ſacred power is likened to Heaven, ſo is the civil power compared to Earth: Man cannot continue without either: Both policies acted according to the Word with Chriſts Spirit in reſpect of the external means of our welfare, hold forth a happy Analogy with the concreated Image of God, and aſſiſting grace (together with what ſuperiority then became) in the ſtate of innocency, and are a reſemblance of what the renewed image of God and immediate aſſiſtance of Chriſt ſhall be in the ſtate of glory. They are that unto the People of God throughout the Metaphoricall Sea and Wilderneſſe of this Life, which that man of God and Saint of the Lord were unto Iſrael throughout that naturall Sea and Wilderneſs unto the Land of Canaan. This is that Moſes and Aaron.
Both Powers are Gods way to mans well-being and all good, the polity of heaven. The violation of them is Satans method to mans wo and all evil; the treachery of Hell. Whereby is legible the conſtant Antipathy between Dogmatiſts and Order; together with the reaſon of the preſent inſurrection by the Spirit of Errour againſt both Policies;Contemptus Diſciplinae comes haereſeon. Danaeus de h…ereſibus Prolegom. cap. 1. Ataxie (as of old) being ſtill found a neceſſary companion of Hereſie, and all experience having proved that the latter cannot be long-lived without the former.
How formidable then is that worſe then Ammonitiſh Luſt (too much adhered unto by many not only in but of Iſrael, in this hour of the Goſpels Paſſion) which endeavoureth together with the putting out of the right eye of Magiſtracy, that neither the name of Councels in Jeruſalem, nor of Office-rule in Churches may be had any more in remembrance. Luther ſometimes wrote to the Senate of Mulhayſen to beware of the wolf Muncer.
I appeal to any competently judicious and ſober-minded man, if the deniall of rule in the Presbytery, of a deciſive voice in the Synod, and of the power of the Magiſtrate in matters of Religion, doth not in this point tranſlate the Pap…ll power unto the Brotherhood of every Congregation. Thou that abhorreſt Epiſcopacy doſt thou commit Popery? Alas, alas! Is there no medium between Boniface and Morellius, between Papacy and Anarchy, Babylon and Babel? If there be a myſtery of iniquity in the one, is there not a Univerſity of iniquity in the other? Confuſion is not far from every evil work, and though not myſticall in it ſelf, yet myſticall in this that the way to ſo manifeſt confuſion and ruine ſhould not be manifeſt. The Hiſtorians indignation that the Eaſt was overcome by a drunken Commander with a drunken Army,Curtius. is now become (I ſpeak the words of truth and ſoberneſſe) a matter of aſtoniſhment, when ſo drunken a Tenet in an Age of ſuch learning, piety, action, ſuffering, and ſucceſſe, ſhould threaten the hopes of ſo glorious a Reformation come unto the very birth.Ingemuit orbis Chriſtianus & miratus eſt factum ſe eſſe Arianum. The Chriſtian world long ſince ſighed and wondred at it ſelf, that after ſuch ſore travell and bringing forth of a man-childe, it was in point of doctrine become an Arian: the Lord Jeſus grant that there may not be cauſe for ſo conſiderable a part of the world of the Reformed to ſigh deeply and wonder, that after its preſent like pangs and birth it ſhould (to ſay nothing more grievous) in point of diſcipline become a Morellian.
Of ſo great moment is the Doctrine of theſe holy Tacticks of the Civil Sword, as that the neglect hath been contemporary and acceſſory to the efficacy of errour, the effectuall exerciſe thereof ſignall to the times of Zions mercy.
At que hinc profecta eſt totâ, &c. Zanch. in praecept. 4.The difuſe of the Civil Sword as concerning matters of Religion gave opportunity to the riſe of the man of Sin; the abuſe of it maintained him; the good uſe thereof ſhall help to ruine him.
Scultet. in Iſa. 49.23.It went well with thoſe Churches when that good Old Duke hearkened to Melancthon citing thoſe words; Kings ſhall be thy Nurſing Fathers, and Queens thy Nurſing Mothers;Act. 18.17 but it fared ill with Soſthenes when Gallio cared for none of thoſe matters.
That the care of Religion is the duty of the Magiſtrate, is evident; yet when and how far to bear,Scripſit Conſtantinus ſui eſſe officii, ante omnia id officere, ut in Eccleſiâ ſit unae fides Euſeb. l. 3. de vitâ ejus in caſe of errour concerning matters of Religion, is a great Quaery of theſe times. Unity injudgement is to be endeavoured as much as is poſſible, becauſe truth is one and indiviſible, yet ſome difference touching the truth muſt be endured, becauſe of the weakneſſe of men. To tolerate every thing, and to tolerate nothing, are both intolerable.
Zeno's Union, Anastaſius Act of Oblivion,Zenonis foreign, Anaſtaſii foreign, Oſiand. Cent. 6. l. 1. c. 5. id. cent. 16. l. 2. c. 68. Caſſand. de officio pij viri, & alibi. Charles his interim, Caſsander's advice, were humane policies that ſought peace with the loſſe of truth. Schiſmatical rigour prejudiceth truth with the breach of Peace. Deſervedly abhorred amongſt all Chriſtians is the Spirit of that Giant who made all he took even with his Bed, by ſtretching out them that were ſhorter, and cutting ſhort ſuch as were longer.
A Toleration is not an approbation. Thoſe diſtinctions between mixtures in Religion, and errours in thoſe that profeſſe the ſame Religion, between Fundamentals and not Fundamentals, between errours held forth by an erroneous conſcience and a contumacious will; between perſons peaceable in Iſrael and diſturbers of the State; between points that are clear or orderly decided with due time for conviction, and ſuch as are diſputable and of depending diſquiſition; being prudently applied, may be of ſpeciall uſe hereunto. Zanchy commends two Rules for this purpoſe, the Rule of Faith, and the Rule of Love: The Rule of Faith whereby we may not be wanting to the Truth, and the Rule of Love whereby we may not be wanting to our Brother.Junius cont. 5. l. 2. c. 19, 22. Phi. 3.15, 16. Junius treating of this Subject, betakes himſelf from diſputation unto praier; yet ſo, as commending to his Reader the counſell of that great Caſuiſt, Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded; and if in any thing ye be otherwiſe minded, God ſhall reveal even this unto you: Nevertheleſſe whereunto we have already attained, let us*foreign eſt verbum militare, tum enim milites dicuntur foreign, cum perſiſtentes in ſuâ quâque ſtatione, ordine procedunt, &c. Zanch. in loc. walk by the ſame rule, let us minde the ſame things.
The ſum whereof is, that thoſe who conſent in Fundamentals, notwithſtanding they diſſent in points of an inferiour nature, are not only to be tolerated but are to be looked upon (by Gods bleſſing thereby in the uſe of means) as likely to be gained, provided they walk regularly and orderly.
Such hitherto have been the ſuitable proceedings of this Court unto the premiſes, tempered with that zeal againſt the errour and tenderneſs towards the Author of this Dialogue, as that they that hear thereof have cauſe to bleſſe you, as the eyes that ſaw gave wineſſe to you.
Upon which occaſion, having (after the example of Leo to Theodoſius) rendred hereby unto you ſolemn thanks, I accounted it my duty that whereſoever this poor Script ſhould come, not only that this ſhould be told as a memoriall of you, but alſo
That you have now above twenty years ruled in this place, during all which ſpace you have not been aſhamed to take upon you the protection of your exiled Brethren, fled for conſcience ſake from the face of the late Prelacy to worſhip God in this vaſt Wilderneſſe,
That you have given proof by ſo long experience unto the world, that Civil Government and the Congregational way may conſiſt together,
That you have been amongſt the firſt of Magiſtracies which have approved and practiſed that Congregational way; no ſmall favour from God, nor honour to your ſelves with the generations to come, when that ſhall appear to be the way of Chriſt.
I have no more to adde, but that poor New-Englands ſuperadding hereunto the concurring Teſtimony of the Synod, Court, and Churches reſpectively, to what ſhall be found to be the Truth concerning Doctrine and Diſciplihe (according as you were lately ſtirred up) ſhall thereby doubtleſſe witneſſe a good confeſſion, a ſervice of a high nature, which God will not forget, and poſterity will reremember, gain to it ſelf not the leaſt name among the two Witneſſes: Such work was worthy of Chriſt, and both the work and worth of thoſe that during the Reign of Antichriſt were and are deſigned to propheſie in Sack-cloth.
And laſtly, help to prepare that choice weapon of bearing witneſſe to the Truth, an Engine fitter to do execution then Goliath's Sword; which together with the reſt of like nature held forth in the Ages of the Patience of Saints, the true David hath promiſed to make uſe of and proſper unto victory, not only in the lighter skirmiſhes of the Lord, but in the great day of Battle of God Almighty at the Fall of Babylon, in the place of Armageddon: For even then it ſhall be ſaid, They overcame by the Bloud of the Lamb, and by the Word of their Teſtimony; Though the Witneſſes die, their Teſtimony lives; This ſhall be when they are not, Higgajon Selah.
The Lord lift up your hearts in his Name, alwaies inſpiring you with that divine diſcerning of the Seaſons, that through his Grace you may quit your ſelves as becometh his exiles in ſuch a cauſe, and at ſuch a time. So prayeth and ceaſeth not to pray
To your Worſhips and worthy Perſonages reſpectively, Sincerely addicted and devoted, JOHN NORTON.
THE CONTENTS.
PART. I.
THe Introduction. Ch. 1 Pag. 1
The ſtating of the Controverſie. Ch. 2 Pag. 13
The Vindication of Gen. 2.17. Ch. 3 Pag. 20
The Vindication of Iſa. 53.4, 5. Ch. 4 Pag. 35
The Vindication of Iſa. 53.6. Ch. 5 Pag. 32
The Vindication of Exo. 20.10. Lev. 1.4. and 4.29. Lev. 8.14. and 16.20, 21. Ch. 6 Pag. 48
The Vindication of 2 Cor. 5.21. Ch. 7 Pag. 53
The Vindication of Matth. 26.37. Mar. 14.33. Luk. 22.43. Ch. 8 Pag. 56
The Vindication of Heb. 5.7. Ch. 9 Pag. 70
The Vindication of Pſa. 22.1. Ch. 10 Pag. 77
The Vindication of Gal. 3.13. Ch. 11 Pag. 90
Chriſt redeemed us not from the curſe of the Law by his Soul-ſufferings onelyonly; And of the meaning of Haides. Ch. 12 Pag. 105
Of the Dialogues Arguments taken from the deſcription of the torments of hell, and from the place of ſuffering the torments of the damned. Ch. 13 Pag. 110
PART. II.
SECT. I.
Of the nature of Mediatorly Obedience, both according to the Dialogue, and according to the Orthodox. Ch. 1 Pag. 135
Of the divers waies of Redemption. Ch. 2 Pag. 141
Of that wherein the true meritorious efficacy of the Bloud of Christ lieth. Ch. 3 Pag. 147
Whether the Jews and Romans put Christ to death. Ch. 4 Pag. 156
Of the Dialogues diſtinction of Chriſts dying as a Mediatour and as a Malefactor. Ch. 5 Pag. 164
PART. II. SECT. II.
Of the Morall Law. Ch. 1 Pag. 176
The Dialogues Arguments againſt the Imputation of Chriſts Obedience unto Iuſtification, Anſwered. Ch. 2 Pag. 185
Of the Dialogues diſtinction between Legall and Mediatoriall obedience. Ch. 3 Pag. 195
Of the Dialogues further Reaſoning against the influence of Chriſts obedience unto juſtification by way of Imputation. Ch. 4 Pag. 207
Whether the Iuſtice and Righteouſneſſe of a ſinner doth lie only in Gods mercifull atonement, pardon, and forgiveneſſe. Ch. 5 Pag. 216
How Abrahams Faith was imputed to him for Righteouſneſſe. Ch. 6 Pag. 224
Of the Enumeration of the cauſes of Juſtification, according to the Dialogue, and according to the Orthodox. Ch. 7 Pag. 233
Of the Dialogues examination of certain Arguments propounded by M. Forbes for the proving of Iuſtification by the imputation of the paſſive obedience of Chriſt in his death and ſatisfaction. Ch. 8 Pag. 244
Of Atonement or Reconciliation. Ch. 9 Pag. 246
AN ANSWER TO A DIALOGUE INTITULED The Meritorious Price of Mans Redemption, Reconciliation, Juſtification, &c.
And pretending to Prove
I. That Christ did not ſuffer for us thoſe unutterable Torments of Gods Wrath which commonly are called Hell torments, to Redeem our Souls from them.
II. That Chriſt did not bear our Sins by Gods Imputation, and therefore he did not bear the Curſe of the Law for them.