The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, Appendix
An Appendix upon occasion of a late Booke published by Master Ioshua Sprigge, containing erroneous Doctrine.
READER,
I Doe earnestly entreat thy serious perusall of this short Appendix: The totall finishing, and Printing; not onelyonly of the body of the Discourse, but also the Preface, before occasion was given to those thoughts which I now desire to communicate, is the rise of this Ataxie. This being irrecoverable, will admit of no further Apology. In the third division of this Treatise, there are sundry Chapters, viz. 7, 8, 9, &c. about the satisfaction of Christ; in which the Doctrine is cleared and vindicated from the Objections of some. The first aime I had therein was to shew the inconsistency of that, with the generall ransome, principally now opposed. In handling of it, my eye was chiefely on the Socinians, the noted knowne opposers of the person, grace, and merit of Christ; the most wretched prevaricators in Christian Religion, which any age ever yet produced. In the manner of asserting it, I looked not besides the scripturall proposall of it, nor turned to any controversalls, but onelyonly for the remarking some foreign and (I feare willfull) failings and mistakes of Grotius, in stating this businesse: his Lib. de satisfac. Christi. Vos. def. Grot alii.wretched Apostacy into the very dregs of the error by himself (in the judgment of some) strongly opposed, sufficiently authoriseth any to lay open his treacherous dealing, in his first undertaking; if any doubt of this, let him but compare the Exposition of sundry Texts of Scripture in that Booke against Socinus, with those which the same person hath since given in his so much admired (indeed in very many things so much to be abhorred) Annotations on the Bible, and by their inconsistency, he will quickly perceive the stedfastnesse of that man to his first Principles: Great as he was, he was not bigge enough, to contend with truth. Moreover, I had it in my thoughts to endeavour the removall of (as I then thought) a scruple from the mindes of some well-meaning persons, who weakly apprehend, that the eternall love of God to his elect, was inconsistent with the satisfaction of Christ, and therefore began to apprehend, and instantly to divulge abroad (for that is the manner of our dayes for every one to cast upon others the crudities of their owne stomack; and scatter abroad undigested conceptions, waiting for some to lick their deformed issues, and to see what other capricious braines can make of that which themselves know not how to improve) that Christ came onelyonly to declare the love of the Father, and to make it manifest to us, that we in the apprehension thereof might bee drawne to him: so that as for satisfaction and merit they are but empty names, obscuring the Gospell, which holds out no such things. Now concerning this I know:
1. That this new named Free-grace, this glorious height and attainement, this varnished Deity, was at first in its originall truncus ficulnus, an old, rotten, overworne Arminian objection raised out of the obs. and sols. of the old Schoole-men, to oppose the Doctrine of effectuall Redemption by Christ, or else to ooverthrow the Doctrine of eternall Election, for they framed it to look both wayes, (either we are not so chosen, or not so redeemed) not caring which part of their worke it did, so it were in any measure usefull. This was the birth and rise of this glorious discovery.
2. That of its owne accord it tends to the very bottome of Socinian folly, yea indeed, is the very same opinion for substance, with that whereby they have so long vexed the Churches of God, and are themselves deservedly by them all esteemed accursed, for preaching another Gospel. Doth not the summe of this discovery come hither, that there is no vindicative justice in God, no wrath or anger against sinne, nothing requiring satisfaction for it, that Christ came to declare this, and to make knowne the way of going to the Father? And is not this that very Helena for which the Socinians have with so much fraud and subtilty, with so many Synonian Arts, so long contended.
3. That it is extreamely to the dishonour of Jesus Christ, destructive to the Gospel faith, and all solid consolation, and forced men either to a familisticall contempt, or sophisticall corrupting of the word of God in its defence.
Upon these and the like considerations and apprehensions, I deemed it might not be in vaine, to disprove the maine Assertion, as also to manifest the miserable inconsequence, from the asserting of Gods eternall love, to the denyall of satisfaction, which in what manner the Lord enabled me to performe, you must know, Reader in the place above mentioned; at that time I had only had one conference with one about it, and for Books I had onelyonly seen some few, and those so exceedingly inconsiderable, and so fully Familisticall, forced with so much contempt of the Word, that I was not willing to cast away the least moment on them.
But now some few dayes agoe, (to come to the occasion of this Appendix, there came to my hands a Booke writien by Mr Sprigge, who both in his Preface to the Reader, and in divers passages in the Treatise it selfe, labours to commend to the world this glorious discovery, that Christ did not purchase, but onelyonly preach peace unto us; that he came onelyonly to reveale and declare the love of God, not to procure it: that we onelyonly are reconciled to God by him; which he proves from Rom. 5. 11. That no reconciliation with God is procured; that this discovery and the like are that which we have prayed for all this while. Pref. to the Read. So also in many places of the Treatise it selfe, pag. 65. pag. 101. Indeed every where it is his main scope: He bids us not think the heart of God was set upon the having a little bloud, (see Ephes. 5. 2.) For the sinnes of his people, pag. 59. These things are but pleasant tales and childish things to allure us withall, pag. 46. In short, one maine aime of the booke, is to make the whole ministration of Christ to be the discovery of a mystery, no where revealed in the word.
It is not my purpose here to view the whole, or to separate the chaffe from the wheate in it, to distinguish betweene the spirituall truths, and smoaky vapours that are interwoven in it, but only to cautionate the Reader a little about that one thing I before intimated, with some briefe expostulations about it.
OnelyOnly let me informe thee a little also, that my motive hereunto is not onelyonly from the Booke it selfe, but also from the pretended Imprimatur annexed to it: the truth it selfe, in opposition to this dangerous notion, (with a discovery of the whole falacy) thou wilt finde sufficiently confirmed from the Scripture, in the foregoing Treatise, and Christians will not easily I hope be shaken from the truth of the word, by any pretended Revelations whatsoever. OnelyOnly whereas *The reverend Licenser being informed of this book of M. Sprigges, disclaimeth the licensing of any more thereof than that Serm. on Cant. 1. 1.tantum nomen (as is that of the Reverend and Learned Licenser) is (I know not whether duely) affixed to the Treatise I speake of, untill he shall have vindicated himselfe, lest it should insinuate it selfe by the help of his name into others, (as upon that score without further view, it was left with commendation by my selfe in the hand wherein I first saw it) I desire to give thee these few observations, here as a fore-taste, reserving thee for full satisfaction, unto what is held out from the word herein, in the fore-going Treatise.
First, then observe, that that absurd consequence, deduced from this position, that Christ is not the cause, but the effect of love, viz. ergo he did not purchase life, peace, and salvation for us, flowes meerely from ignorance of the love of God, and confounding those things which ought to be distinguished. Some looke upon love in God as an unchangeable affection: when the truth is, as an affection or passion it hath no place in God at all: all agree, that love in spirits, yea partly in men is in appetitu intellectivo, in the will, the intellectuall appetite, and there defined to be foreign: to will good to any one: certainely, then in God his love is but a pure act of his will: that love which was the cause of sending his Son, is (I say) an act of his will: his good pleasure: not a naturall affection to the creature: no such affection is there in God, as I have abundantly proved in this Treatise. Now this love, this act of Gods will, was not purchased, not procured by Christ. Very true, who ever was so mad as to affirme it? can a temporall thing be the cause of that which is eternall? this is not at all the sense of them who affirm that Christ procured the love of his Father for us: No, but the effects of this purpose, the fruits of this love, commonly called in the Scripture love; as affections are ascribed to God in respect of their effects. Now that Christ purchased these for us, see afterwards: this eternall act of Gods will, this love which was the rise of sending Jesus Christ, tended to his glory in these two Acts; first, the removing of Wrath, Death, Curse, Guilt, from them for whom hee was sent, by satisfaction to his vindicative justice; secondly, the actuall procuring of grace and glory for them by merit and impetration: these things though they are not the love of God, which is imminent in himselfe, yet they are those alone whereby wee enjoy his love, and are purchased by Christ, which here I must not prove, lest I should actum agere.
Secondly, an eternall act of Gods will immanent in himselfe, puts no change of condition into the Creature; see what the Scripture sayes of the Elect notwithstanding this, Ephesians 2. 3. Joh. 3. 36. Let not the Word be despised, nor corrupted: be not wise above what is written: if an Angell, &c. Gal. 1. 8. untill he draws us, the fruit of his death, is kept for us in the justice and fidelity of God.
Thirdly, these things being premised, to cleare the truth in this point, I desire a faire and candid answer to these Quaeries.
First, what is the meaning of that phrase, Hebrewes 2. 17. foreign, to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people, and this being done as a Priest towards God, Hebr. 5. 1. Whether the meaning of it bee declared love from God to man?
Secondly, Is not the end of sundry typical Sacrifices to make an attonement with God on their behalfe for whom they were Sacrifices? Exod. 29. 33. 36. Exo. 30. 10, 15, 16. Lev. 6. 7. Num. 16. 46. and very many other places And whether this were to turne away the wrath of God, or to reconcile men to him?
Thirdly, is not the death of Christ a proper Sacrifice? Ephes. 5. 2. Hebr. 9. 25. 28. John 1. 29. The antytipe of all sacrifices? in which they have their accomplishment? and did it not really effect, what they carnally and typically figured? Hebr. 9. 11, 12, 13 14, &c. Hebr. 10. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, &c, And was it not offered to God?
Fourthly, was not Jesus Christ a Priest for his people in their behalfe to deale with God; Hebr. 2. 17. Hebr. 5, 1, 2. Hebr. 7. 26, 27, 28. as well as a Prophet to deale with them in the behalfe of God? and whether the acts of his Priestly office doe not all of them immediately tend towards God, for the procuring good things for those in whose behalfe he is a Priest?
Fiftly, whether Christ by his Intercession doth appeare before God to declare the love of God to his? or whether it bee to procure further fruits of love for his? Rom. 8. 34. Hebr. 7. 25. Hebr. 9. 24.
Sixtly, did not Christ by and in the oblation of himself through the eternall Spirit, pay a ransome or valuable price of Redemption into the hand of his Father, for the sinnes of the people? Matth. 28. 28. Mark 10. 46. 1 Timothy 2. 6. Ephes. 5. 2. Job 33. 24. And whether a ransome be a price of deliverance arguing a commutation, Exod. 21. 30. chap. 30. 12. Or whether Christ payed a ransome to his Father, for the soules and sinnes of his people, thereby to declare to his people, that there was no need of any such thing? And what thinke you of the old saying of Tertullian, omnia in imagines vertunt, imagenari ipsi Christiani?
Seventhly, Did not Christ in his death beare our sinnes? Iohn 1. 29. 1 Pet. 2. 24. Isa. 53. 6, 11. 2 Cor. 5. 21. And whether to beare sinne in the Scripture, be not to beare the punishment due to sin? Lev 5. 1. &c. And is not to undergoe the punishment due to sin, to make satisfaction for sin?
Eighthly, did not Christ as our surety, undergoe all that is any where threatned against sinne, and by the Justice of God is due unto it? Heb. 7. 22. Heb. 4. 14▪ Gal. 3. 13. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Hebr. 5. 7. Luke 22. 44. &c.
Ninthly, is there not a purchase and procurement of good things assigned to the death of Christ? Isaiah 53. 5. Hebrewes 9. 12, Acts 20. 28. 1 Thess. 5. 9. Luke 1. 74. Romans 5. 10. Eph. 2. 16. &c.
Tenthly, seeing that place of Rom. 5. 11. by whom we have now received the attonement, is urged to disprove the purchase of peace and reconciliation with God for us, whether by the attonement there be meant our reconciliation to God? and whether it be proper to say we have received or accepted of our conversion or reconciliation?
Eleventhly, whether to affirme that all that was done in and by Christ, was but a signe and representation, of what is done spiritually in us, be not to overthrow the first promise, Genesis 3. 15. yea the whole Gospell; and to make it, as it is called, a childish thing.
Twelfthly, whether it be faire and allowable for men professing the name of Christ, in the triall of truth to decline the Word of God? And whether such declension bee not an invincible demonstration of a guilt of falsehood, Deut. 4. 2. Chapt. 12. 32. Josh. 1. 7. Psalme 19. 7. Proverbs 30. 5, 6. Isa. 8. 19, 20, Luke 16. 29. Luke 1. 4. John 5. 39. John 20. 30, 31. Gal. 1. 8, 9. 2 Thes. 2. 2. 1 Tim. 6. 20. 2 Timothy 3. 16, 17. 2 Peter 1. 19. &c.
Thus much, courteous Reader, I thought good to promise unto thee, though something out of order, upon the discovery of a new opposition made to a precious truth of God, which thou wilt finde explained and asserted in the following Treatise: and this liberty I hope I have assumed without the offence of any: it is not about trifles, that I contend, (I abhorre such ways) but for the faith once delivered to the Saints: Now peace bee to the Brethren, and love with faith from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace bee with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
Coggeshall. April 25. 1648.