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Chapter 26
Christ did not procure by his death the New Covenant
or
the terms thereof
We
heard what the author of the Discourse of the Two Covenants, and what
John Goodwine said of this New Covenant. As the foundation of their assertion of
the imputation of faith, properly taken, they tell us, that the New Covenant
wherein this righteousness is required, as the condition thereof, is founded
wholly in the blood of Christ, so that whatever is required of man by way of
condition of his acceptation with God, becomes accepted to that end, upon
account of Christ’s suffering, Mr. Allen, page 16, 53, 54, says, Nor doth
this, that faith accompanied with obedience is imputed for righteousness, at
all derogate from the obedience and sufferings of Christ, in reference to the
ends, for which they serve. Because the whole covenant, and all the parts and
terms of it, both the promises of benefits, and the condition on which they are
promised, are all founded in Christ’s undertaking for us; and all the benefits
of it accrue to us upon our believing and obeying, upon his account and for his
sake. Mr. Baxter also tells us, in his book against D. Tully, page 66, that
that which Christ did by his merits, was to
procure the New Covenant. And elsewhere, page 181, that they were the
meritorious cause of the forgiving covenants, and the like he says
elsewhere frequently. The Arminians ground the imputation of faith upon the
merits and obedience of Christ, Apol. s.
113. And Arminius himself, disp.
19. thes. 7. that
justification is attributed to faith, not because it is the very
righteousness, which may be proposed to God’s rigid and severe judgment,
howbeit acceptable to God; but because, by the judgment of mercy triumphing
over judgment, it obtains pardon for sins, and is graciously imputed unto
righteousness, the cause of which is both God righteous and merciful, and
Christ by his obedience, oblation and intercession. And
in his epistle ad Hyppolet. he tells us that the word imputing
signifies that faith is not the righteousness itself, but that it is graciously
accounted for righteousness, whereby all worth is taken away from faith,
except, that which is by God’s gracious estimation and that gracious estimation
of God is not without Christ, but in respect of Christ, in Christ, and for
Christ. Christ by his obedience is the impetrating cause, or meritorious, why
God
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imputes faith to us unto righteousness. And again in his Artic.
perpend. de
justif. What fault is it to say, that faith by free and gracious acceptation is
accounted for righteousness, because of Christ’s obedience.
But
with this assertion, we are not satisfied, for these reasons:
1. The
Arminians, who maintain this so confidently, make it the whole of what Christ
merited by his death and satisfaction, saying that Christ by his death did so
satisfy the offended party, as he would be favorable to the offender; and so
say, that he acquired to the Father a jus and a will to enter into a New
Covenant with men. See their confession c. 8. § 9. collat.
cum. Apolog. c. 8. § 9. and as the learned Voetius infers,
Select dispp. p. 2, 233, 234, it follows hence
that Christ was not in very deed our Cautioner; that he died not in our room
and stead; that he did properly obtain and acquire nothing to us; and that he
did not sustain the person of the elect, while he suffered on the cross.
2. That
Christ procured no more, but a power or liberty unto God of prescribing new
conditions; and some go so far as to say that this liberty was such only, as
the Lord might, if he had pleased, have appointed the old way of works again,
for the condition. So said Grevinchovius ag. Amesius.
But it is true, they yield more, who grant that he purchased the New Covenant.
Yet by this purchase they cannot say that Christ died to redeem us from our
sins, from the wrath of God, from a vain conversation, and to save us: And
indeed the same person last named, says expressly that Christ died not properly
to save any one. And what else can be said by such as make this the whole of
what Christ purchased? And how rational is that man’s consequence, when he says
that it may just have well been that Christ had achieved his purpose in dying,
without anyone fulfilling the New Covenant and being saved; for they will not
grant that Christ did purchase faith.
3.
Hence we see, that such as say that this was all which Christ procured by his
death and merits, do manifestly spoil us of all the rich benefits which Christ
hath purchased, as being no immediate fruits of his death; such as faith,
justification, adoption, sanctification, grace, and glory, and thus empty the
whole virtue of the death of Christ. And Mr. Allen’s words import this very
thing when he says, page 53, that all the benefits of the covenant accrue to
us upon our believing and obeying, upon his account and for his sake: and
so they do not accrue to us upon his account and for his sake immediately; but
immediately upon the account and for the sake of our believing and obeying; only
the relation is made for Christ’s sake.
4.
Whoever asserts that Christ hath purchased the framing and constitution of this
covenant, in its terms and conditions, ought to confirm their assertion out of
Scripture. Till this be done, we are at liberty to
deny it, how ever confidently it may be affirmed. It is certain, that such a
principal point and ground article of our religion would not be darkly
expressed in the Scriptures, far less, wholly passed over in silence, as for
anything that yet is made to appear, it is. As for I Corinthians 1: 30 and
Jeremiah 23: 6, which Mr. Allen cites, anyone may see how impertinent they are,
and so we say no more.
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5. If
so, then we must say with Papists, that Christ hath procured a worth to our
faith and obedience, to merit ex pacto, the good things promised unto
such as are believers and obedient: Yea hereby there would be more of merit in
our faith, than in Christ’s obedience.
6. We
must say, that Christ hath purchased that we might be justified by an imperfect
righteousness; For it is sure that our faith and obedience are not perfect even
when sincere, they labor of many imperfections, and have dross and faultiness
admixed: As also that he hath purchased that an imperfect righteousness should
be accounted and esteemed a perfect righteousness; and consequently that the
judgment of God should not be according to truth: which were blasphemous and
iniquous to imagine.
7. Thus
in effect, Christ should be made the minister of sin, by changing the
conditions of the old law, which were perfect and complete obedience, into an
obedience far short of that, and thus he must have come either to dissolve the
obligation of the law, that it should not exact now what it did of old; or to
loose us from the obligation thereof; that we should in part be lawless; neither
of which can be asserted; and yet this position makes clear way for either or
both.
8. Then
we must say, that Christ hath purchased such a way of justification, as leaves
ground for men to glory and boast though not before God, yet before men; for
hereby he is made to purchase the renewing of the Old Covenant of Works, with
some mitigation, as to the terms, though with little mitigation, as to the
persons; unless we say with these Arminians that man is as able to believe and
obey sincerely, if he will, as Adam was to obey perfectly: But it is sure that Christ
came for a far different end than to leave man any ground of boasting, or of
glorying in himself for his justification and salvation, as having made himself
to differ.
9. Then
Christ hath purchased a way whereby man might hold his pardon, justification,
adoption, &c. more of himself, than of Christ. For by this way, Christ
cannot be said to have purchased our pardon, justification, &c. but only
that we should have these favors upon our faith: or have such and such a reward
of our faith and obedience; as he, who procures that a person shall have such a
benefit upon condition he perform such a service, cannot be said to have
procured that reward; for notwithstanding of this procurement (if it may be so
called, which is at best, but a conditional uncertain thing) the person might never have the reward.
10.
Then the making of the New Covenant, and the making of it on these terms,
should be an act of mere justice, in God, and not an act of his free grace,
love, good pleasure, will and kindness: for it is justice and righteousness in
God, to do that, which Christ hath purchased and procured to be done; though it
is true, it may thus be accounted a mere favor, that it was of God’s free will
to enter into such terms of agreement with the Mediator, and to yield to the
making of such a condition, upon Christ’s purchase. But the Apostle tells us,
Ephesians 1: 9, that God made known unto us the mystery of his will,
according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in himself. Which mystery
of his will is the New Covenant and dispensation of
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grace in the Gospel; and it is ascribed not to the merits
of Christ; but to God’s good pleasure, and to the purpose, which he purposed in
himself. So the saving of such as believe, flows from the love of God, as well
as, and no less than the sending of Christ. John 3: 16, God so loved the
world, that he sent his only begotten Son, that every believer in him should
not perish, but have everlasting life. So Ephesians 3: 9, 10, 11, the
fellowship of the mystery was hid in God; and the manifold wisdom of God (which
shines forth in the New Covenant) was according to the eternal purpose; which
he had purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is ascribed to God’s love John
3: 16, and will John 6:40.
11. I
grant, it may be said, that as Christ hath purchased to his own pardon,
justification, adoption, and salvation; so, as a consequence of this, he hath
purposed the means, or rather the application of the means, thereunto, so that
the good things purchased may be actually conferred, according to the manner
and method condescended upon by Jehovah and the Mediator in the Covenant of
Redemption; for He hath chosen us, in himself, having predestined us unto
the adoption of children, by Jesus Christ, unto himself, according to the good pleasure
of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us
accepted, in the beloved, in whom we have redemption, through his blood, the
forgiveness of sins, &c. Ephesians 1: 4, 5, 6, 7. The chosen ones are
predestined both to the end, and to the means leading to the end. But this
matter is not consistent with their assertion, who say, that Christ by his
death hath purchased faith and new obedience to be the condition of the
covenant, because by their universal redemption they leave all at an
uncertainty, especially when also they will not grant, that Christ hath purchased
faith itself to any person.
12. It
must be said that Christ purchased the terms of the new Covenant and purchased
that God should abolish the Law quite, and not require a conformity thereunto,
as our righteousness, by virtue of the new covenant, nor exact full obedience
to the law, from any, in our name; and consequently it must be said, that Christ
hath purchased, that the Lawgiver should wholly pass from that established
constitution, do and live, without any real accomplishment thereof, or
requiring the real accomplishment thereof from any, on their behalf, to the
end, the Lord might be just, when he is the justifier of him that believes in
Jesus.
13.
This assertion also strikes against Christ’s being the Surety of the New
Covenant: for it is not the work of a Surety, as such, to purchase the making
and constitution of a covenant; but to confirm and ratify the same, and to
engage for the party, for whom he is a Surety, that he shall perform the
conditions, accorded to in the Covenant; and so to establish the covenant or
contract, already agreed unto and constituted.
14.
Thus it should be said that Christ died rather for graces, than for persons, to
wit. That faith and new obedience may be elevated beyond their ordinary sphere,
and exalted to be the condition of the new covenant. But all of Scripture
speaks otherwise of Christ’s death.
15. If
this were the thing that Christ procured, he could not be said
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to have redeemed any, nor to have died in the room and
stead of any, but only for our good, as the Socinians say. To purchase a New
Covenant, is not to be a propitiation, to bear our sins, or to reconcile any
unto God.
16. Mr.
Baxter himself against Mr. Cartwright, p 91, hath these words, And therefore
the performer and the accepter did themselves choose, on what terms it
(i.e. Christ’s righteousness) should be applied to us, or be made ours,
quoad fructus: and the terms resolved on were the New Covenant conditions,
which are now required of us to our participation hereof. These words
import some other rise unto this covenant, than the purchase of Christ.