Redemption from the Curse, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Uſe 1. Confutation of Papists and Socinians.
1. THis main Goſpel-truth may afford us ſome help towards the Confutation of the damnable Doctrine of two grand Enemies of the croſs of Chriſt, and of this great and glorious work of Redemption, by his becoming a curſe for us.
1. Papiſts, who not being content with this way of Chriſt, have deviſed other means, and put into the hands of ſinners ſomething elſe to make up the price of their Redemption. They preſent us with ſeveral parcels to this purpoſe; as,
Bellar. De poenitentia. lib. 4. cap. 2, 3, 6, & 7.1. That a man may redeem himſelf from the temporal puniſhment of his ſins, by ſome notable and extraordinary good works, while he lives, as by faſting, pilgrimages, almeſdeeds, building, and endowing of Churches, hoſpitalls, and the like. They grant, that Chriſt by his ſufferings hath made ſatisfaction immediately, for the guilt of eternal death; but then, when the ſin is remitted, there remains ſtill on the ſinners, an obligation to temporal puniſhment, for which we muſt make ſatisfaction our ſelves, one way, or other; and ſo in part redeem our ſelves.
But oh, where ſhall we find that man, (except Jeſus Chriſt,) that can ſhew us ſuch a good work? Verily, the beſt, choiceſt, the eminenteſt works of any meer man, that ever the Sun ſaw, or ſhall ſee, are poor, weak, blemiſhed things, like a menſtruous cloth, infinitely ſhort of the puritie of God's Law, and therefore no way equivalent to the injurie done to him by ſin.
2. That there is a Purgatory-fire, wherein all thoſe muſt be purged,Bellar. de purgatorio. which die in the guilt of Venial ſin, who yet may redeem themſelves at length by their own ſufferings there, or they may be ranſomed before, by the prayers, and offerings of the living.
But the Scripture holds forth nothing to us concerning this; nay it affords us many ſtrong arguments againſt it, if it were worth the while, to produce them. They ſay, this fire, is every whit as hot, as hell-fire; but I am confident, it never burnt any body, nor do I know, to what uſe it ſerves, but onelyonly, to warme the kitchin of that Man of ſin.
3. That there is a certain Treaſury in the Church,Idem. De Indulgent…s. Vide Ameſ. wherein are laid up the remainder of the ſuperabundant ſatisfaction of Chriſt, and thoſe ſufferings of the virgin Mary, and other Saints, which were more, and greater, than they needed, for themſelves: and the keyes of this cheſt, are committed to the Pope of Rome, that he may upon juſt, and reaſonable cauſe diſpence Indulgencies, either by himſelf, or by his Delegates, unto them that need, and deſire them, to make ſatisfaction for the temporal puniſhment oftheir ſins.
But this is no better than the former. For beſides that Chriſt's ſatisfaction (although in it ſelf infinite) hath nothing more in it than needs, as to the application of it to thoſe, for whom God did intend it; where ſhall we finde the man, that hath done, or ſuffered more then he ought to have done, or deſerved to ſuffer? In truth theſe are but as Babies for children to play with, or as when a mother promiſes her child an apple to till it on to ſome good action,Bell. E… de Indulg cap 6. which yet ſhe doth not give it, as ſome Papiſts do confeſs: O rely becauſe they come off at good round rates, they ſerve to fill the coffers of the great merchant of Rome.
In a word, all theſe are meer fancies, yea, lying vanities, which cannot ſtand with this Truth. For if Chriſt was made a curſe for us, and thereby hath wrought our Redemption; then either there is no other way to effect it in whole, or in part, or elſe it will follow, that Chriſt's work is imperfect, which who dares once imagine? As for us we may aſcribe to the Pſalmiſts Reſolve, Pſa. 49.7, 8, 9. No man can redeem his brother: If not from temporal death, how much leſs from eternal? we ſhall leave theſe offals to the dogs of Rome, for we have enough in Chriſt.
2. Socinus, and his followers, who teach, that Chriſts becoming a Curſe for us, and the whole courſe of his humiliation in doing, and ſuffering was not at all for ſatisfaction, but onelyonly to ſet forth himſelf to us an example for our imitation, and in his own perſon both by doing, and ſuffering, to ſhew us the way to heaven.
This Hereſie was firſt hatched by Pelagius, about the time of S. Auguſtine, and about 700 years after, revived by Abailardus, in the time of holy Bernard, (as it ſeems by his writing againſt him,Vide Gr…tii d…f…nſ. cap. 1. & V…ſcii reſponſ. cap. 3. ex Socino & aliis.) and now of late, ſtarted again by Socinus, with an advantage of more livelineſs, as it is uſual with hereſies, when they come to a ſecond, and third reſurrection: For thus they deliver themſelves more particularly:
Jeſus Chriſt came into the world on this errand, both to declare unto ſinners the way to eternal life, and to beſtow it on them, in caſe they will follow his counſel. And for this purpoſe, he was content to ſuffer death, that thereby he might,
1. Seal, confirm, and put out of queſtion, the truth and certaintie of his doctrine.
2. Purchaſe to himſelf the right of beſtowing eternal life upon them.
3. Perſwade them to that, which is neceſſary for the obtaining of it, to wit, faith to believe his word, and promiſe, and ſure hope to wait for the accompliſhment of it.
4. Hold forth himſelf before them a remarkeable, matchleſs example of patience and obedience.
And whereas the Scripture doth frequently aſcribe remiſſion, and ſalvation to the death of Chriſt, that (ſay they) is a figurative ſpeech. They are the proper effects of his reſurrection, and the glorie which followed; and are attributed to his death, onelyonly becauſe he muſt neceſſarily die, before he could riſe again.
But now, that Chriſt was ſo made a curſe for us, as to ſuffer the puniſhment due to our ſins, in way of a ſatisfaction to divine juſtice, and thereby to redeem us from the curſe, this they will flatly denie, and condemn it,Se…tentia va…d. p…n …. D…na… … …la…phemis as an opinion, that is deceitfull, erroneous, and very pernicious; yea falſe, abſurd, and horribly blaſphemous. and it is obſervable, that when they make uſe of any Scripture, either for the ſtrengthening of their own Tenents, or the anſwering of Objections brought againſt them, they do generally turn aſide from the uſuall, and received ſignification of the words, and offer violence to the Text, to make it ſpeak what they pleaſe. For to touch a little on the 4 ends before-mentioned.
To the firſt; Where doth the Scripture make the confirmation… of his Doctrine the profeſſed adequate end of his ſufferings. He ſaith indeed, that he came into the world, that he might bear witneſs to the truth; but this moſt properly belongs to his prophetical office;Jo. 18.…7. whereas his death belongs to his prieſthood: and beſides, his miracles ſerved more peculiarly for the confirmation of his doctrine.
To the ſecond; Chriſt had power to forgive ſinnes, even while he lived on earth, Mat. 9.6. and exerciſed that power frequently. There was therefore, no abſolute neceſſity of his death, for the purchaſing of a priviledge, which he had in poſſeſſion already: although it was neceſſary for the ſatisfying of Juſtice,J…h. 10.28. & 17.2. He died, to purchaſe for ſinners a right to rec…iv; …ot for himſelf a power to give them eternal life. that merciemercy might have a free courſe to give out pardons, which otherwiſe could not be.
To the Third; It is credible, that the death of Chriſt, and ſuch a death as it was, in all the circumſtances of it, ſhould be able to perſwade ſinners to that faith, and hope, nay rather, it ſhould be the ready way to diſwade, and knock them off. Luke 21.21.
To the Fourth; it is granted, as a ſecondary ſubordinate end, 1 Pet. 2.21.Nec humil…tatis exempla, nec charitatis inſignia, praeter Redemptionis ſacramentum ſ…nt aliquid Bern. but doth not take away the other, which is the chiefe and principal. Theſe two accord well [hee dyed to ſatisfie for our ſins] and [he dyed to to leave us an example of patience and obedience.] Great is the example of his humility, and of his charity, but they have no foundation to reſt upon, if there be no redemption.
But to go no further than the Text. There be three expreſſions, which they wreſt for the ſupporting, and maintenance of their Errour.
1 He was made a curſe: True, ſay they, as he was made ſinne, 2 Cor. 5.21. that is, hee was judged by men to be a ſinner, and he was uſed accordingly; ſo he was accounted a curſed man, and therefore was ſentenced to ſuffer a bodily death on the Croſs, which was a death proper to an accurſed perſon. But this falls ſhort, for God (ſaith the Apoſtle) made him to be ſin, and conſequently a curſe for us. Man was no more but an inſtrument, ſinfully acting what God had holily purpoſed, and Chriſts voluntarily undertaken. Beſides, the Text which is here cited from Moſes, Deut. 21.23. runs thus [He that is hanged, is the curſe of God, or a curſe unto God] which being applied to Chriſt, can import no leſs than this, that God laid upon him our ſin, and the puniſhment due unto it by the doom of his righteous Law, that the pleaſure of the Lord, might be executed upon him, for anſwering whatſoever the Law could exact.
Noſtra cauſa noſtro bono. Ut a peccatis retrahamur. Noſtra v…ce noſtro loco.2 He was made a curſe for us, yea ſay they [for us] that is, for our cauſe, on our behalf, for our good, and ſo he gave himſelf, he dyed for our ſins, that is, our ſins were the occaſion of his death, and he died, that we might be drawn back from ſin. We yeeld all this, but is there no more? Yes aſſuredly. We ſay [for us] that is, in our room and ſtead, who ſhould elſe have born the curſe in our own perſons, and [for our ſins] to wit, as the foregoing meriting cauſe thereof; and that ſatisfaction being made to juſtice, the curſe might not fall on our heads. The Greek word which is moſt frequently uſed in this argument,foreign. and is rendred [for] although ſometimes it be put to note no more,So Rom. 5.7. but the good or profit of another, yet it ſignifies alſo in anothers ſtead; and in ſome places cannot be fitly taken otherwiſe, as 2 Cor. 5.14. If one dyed for all, then were all dead, which implies plainly, that the death of that One, was in ſtead of the death of All. And when the Apoſtle ſaith,1 Cor. 13. Was Paul crucified for you? Thereby denying it, he muſt mean that he was not crucified in their ſtead; for he profeſſeth elſewhere, that he ſuffered for the Church, and for the Elects ſake, that is, for their ſpiritual benefit, as Col. 1.24. 2 Tim. 2.10. But to put all out of doubt,foreign. the Scripture ſometimes makes uſe of another word, which ſignifies commutation, or exchange, or being in the place or room of another, and muſt neceſſarily be ſo taken, when its applied to this buſineſs, as Matth. 20.28. 1 Tim. 2.6. He bare the curſe, and gave himſelf a ranſome in our ſtead.
3 Hereby he hath redeemed us from the curſe. Being made a curſe for us, he brought us out of the hands of the curſe, ſo that God was moved hereby to ſet us free from the guilt and puniſhment of our ſin. Here they bring two things to darken the clear truth.
1 That the terme of Redemption,Apud Grot. in defenſ. c. 8. muſt be taken improperly for a deliverance without price, or ſatisfaction, ſuch as that of the Children of Iſrael from Egypt, whom God redeemed by the hand of Moſes, yet he paid no price, nor gave in conſideration, either by death, or otherwiſe for the compaſſing of it.
To this we ſay, when the Scripture makes Redemption the effect of Chriſts bearing the curſe, of his ſuffering death, of the ſhedding of his blood, &c. it can ſignifie no leſs, than redemption in propriety of ſpeech, that is, the freeing of poor ſinners from the ſtroak of juſtice by giving due ſatisfaction. This high extraordinary cauſe ſhould in all reaſon produce a nobler effect, than ſuch a looſe and frozen gloſs gives to it. Yea how doth this derogate from the worth of that glorious benefit, to ſay it comes at ſo cheap a rate? As for the redeeming of Iſrael by Moſes, although it was a type of our redemption by Chriſt, yet wee know, that the type, and thing typified, do not anſwer one another in all things. Chriſt and Moſes are compared as Redeemers, but with a vaſt difference, both as to the nature of the thing, and the ſpecial means by which it was effected. That of Moſes was onelyonly corporal, from the ſervitude of the body; This of Chriſt, is chiefly ſpiritual from the bondage of eternal death. Therefore there was no need that Moſes ſhould dye for them; and if he had, as it could have been no way effectual to their ſpiritual deliverance; ſo it might (probably) have been rather deſtructive to their temporal freedome. But Chriſt our Redeemer muſt neceſſarily dye for us, elſe no poſſibility of our redemption at all.
Laſtly, We finde that Chriſt is called our Ranſome, which is never ſpoken of Moſes; and that is enough to ſhew, that there is an huge diſtance betwixt them even in this buſineſs of Redemption.
Apud eundem ubi ſupra.2 That this Redemption is aſcribed to Chriſts ſuffering an accurſed death, not in reſpect of God, but of us; that is, not that God was moved hereby, as by a valuable conſideration to ſet ſinners at liberty, but onelyonly that they might thereby be brought effectually to the enjoyment of it, by faith, and obedience.
To this we anſwer, that the bringing of ſinners to enjoyment of this benefit, is not the next, and immediate effect of Chriſts death; that belongs to the application, which ſuppoſeth Redemption in being; for the thing muſt be, before it can be applied.
Now the Scripture doth every where make Chriſts accurſed death the next, and immediate cauſe of the benefit of Redemption, but to the application, and perſonal poſſeſſion of this benefit its onelyonly a remote cauſe. There be ſundry others nearer, even in reſpect of the Redeemer himſelf, as his Reſurrection, Aſcenſion, Interceſſion, the publication of it by the Miniſtry of the Goſpel, the ſending of the Spirit to make it effectual. So that, our redemption is aſcribed to Chriſts accurſed death primarily in reference to God, the Lord and Law-giver, that his juſtice might be ſatisfied, and but ſecondarily, and at a further diſtance in reference to us, that we might reach to the enjoyment of it.
Much more might be added, but I ſhall refer you to thoſe godly learned men, which have purpoſely confuted them. I have no delight to rake in this dunghill, nor would I have inſiſted thus much upon it, but for theſe two reaſons, becauſe,
1 I conceive it to be a fundamental falſehood, undermining the very being of the Goſpel, and pulling down the chiefeſt pillar of our ſalvation by Chriſt.
2 Yet this ſoul-killing plague having broken out, is dangerouſly ſpread abroad in this wanton licentious age, and too many of all ranks are infected with it.
Yea, there is a ſtrange generation of hereticks, called Quakers, lately ſprung up, which have borrowed their abominable opinions, and wilde practiſes from other ſects, and patched them up unhandſomely like a beggars coat. Among other errors, they broach us this down right Socinianiſme,See the perfect Phariſee Poſ. 5. That Chriſt in the fleſh, with all that he did, and ſuffered therein, was but a figure, and nothing but an example, whereby both Maſters and Scholars, do with one blow deſtroy the ſatisfaction, and merit of Chriſt, and conſequently the whole work of our Redemption.
Let us abhor this damnable doctrine, and cleave to the truth of Scripture, which is delivered in ſuch plain and familiar expreſſions, as cannot without too much impudence, and palpable wreſting be eluded. Truly, beſides many pregnant Texts in the New Teſtament, almoſt the whole fifty third Chapter of Iſaiah may ſerve for a ſufficient confutation of it. They might with a little diſhonour to Jeſus Chriſt ſpeak out, and ſay flatly, that he died not at all, as ſay, that he dyed to a ſmall purpoſe. But it is no marvel, if they that have robbed him of the truth of his God-head, do diſpoile him alſo of the principal office of Prieſthood, and the efficacy of his ſatisfaction with the choiſeſt benefits purchaſed thereby for the ſalvation of loſt ſinners.