210 some Arg, vindicated from Mr. Baxter's excerions. C H A P. I rally , or to have obeyed in d7 by Him. Anf. We fay only ( and we Peek no mo- re) that Chrift was our Federal Head ; and our perlons Federally ( not phy- fcally ) were in Chrift , when He obeyed : we are reputed to be in Him not Naturally, but Foederally , and fo to have obeyed in &by Him. He faith c. If Cbrifî d? we are reputed one perfon either He obeyed in our per- fon , or we in His , or both; if Heebeyed , as reputed firmer , in the perfon of each finner, His obedience could not be Meritorious , according to the Law of Innocen. cy, which required fin /e fe per feíïïion; d He being fuppofed to have broken the Law in our perfon , could not fo be fuppofeel to keep u. If we obeyed in His perfon we obeyed as Mediators , or Chrift's. Anf. Ariftotle's Notions , to which Mr. Baxter, contrary to all fenfe & reafon , will have this whole matter refirick- ed , in its explication , ate the caufe of all this ridiculous Confufion. But for anfwere , I fay , Chrift & we are reputed one perfon , not phyfically, but in Law-fenfe & federally ; & therefore both he obeyed as taking on our Law-place , & coming in to our Law-condition : and to fay , that the- refore obedience could not be Meritorious , is ridiculous : as if forfooth His coming into our Law-place , would make Him to befuppofed, to have broken the Law , in His phyffcal perfon, as if one would fay. The Surety cannot pay the debtor's debt , becaufe by coming in to his Law-place , he becometh a bankrupt. Himfelf faith , that Chrift Suffered in our Read; & this cannot be in our Phyfical flead , but in our Law-flead ; now will it not as well hence follow , that He fuffered as a finner ; & then , how could He who fuffered, as being fuppofed to have broken the Law, make Satisfaction for us ; or how could His death be Meritorious ? Thus indeed good fervice shall be done to the Socinians , but bad fervice to the Truth. Finally we o- beyed , as Federally in Him, & yet were no Mediators , or Chrift's, but redeemed Saints ; as the debtor fatisfied the Creditor, in Law - fenfe, when his Surety did it ; and yet became no Surety thereby. He faith 6. But as is oft Paid, Chrift our Mediator undertook in a middle per- fon to reconcile God and Man (not by bringing God to judge erroneou fly that He, or we were, what we were not , or did what we did not , but) by being , doing and fufering for us that , in His own perfon , which should butter anfwere Gods Ends 15 Honour , than if we had done and fuffered in our perfon: , that hereby hemight merite a free gift of pardoto d7 life (with him felf ) to be given by a Law of Grace, to beleeving penitent Accepters. Anf. I doubt there be one word here la(d , to which a Socinìan will not fubfcribe. But for anfwer, I fay, Chrift our Me- diator fo undertook , in a middle phyfìcai perfon , to reconcile God & man, that He became our Surety , & came in our flead & Law -place , to do and luffer what we were obliged unto by the Law : and when God judged Him to be , and to do thus, He judged not erroneoufly, but truely , according to His own gracious Appointment, and Ordination, making Him aPu- blick perfon , reprefenting all fuch, as He gave Him to fave. We have shown elfewhere , that Chrift merited fomething elfe, than a Law of Gra- ce , to Convey a free gift of pardon & life upon New Conditions , other - wife His death could not be called a Ranfome , a Redemption , or a price; nor could He be faid to have died in the had of any perfon , or to have bornt their
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