C H A P. 16. Mr. Baxter'sfurther oppofitien to Isnput. examined. zq. tneerly arbitrary ; nay , nor could it be fo called , though it were Paid to be folely founded upon this federal relation , more than when it is faid to be grounded upon the Natural relation. Though in another fenfe , it might be fo called as well , when faid to be founded on the Natural , as when laid to be founded on the federal Relation , God being the free Author & Con - ftitutor of both. 3. He addeth. So Cbrifl is , though not the Natural , yet the federal Adam & loot of Beleevers : When he fatis fled e merited , we were not its Him , either as in Adam feminally, as in a Natural Generator , nor as exiflent perfons; nor did God falfly fo repute us to be. But He was then the Caufe ( materially ) or Ltd that virtus effettiva , which would jufli fie do Sanfifte d7 Glorifie u; in due time. Anf. Chritl, it is true , is no Natural ; but a federal Root ; & fò keepeth Correfpondence with the firfl Adam , a federal Root. (z) It is true allo , we were not in Chri[t, when He fatisfied , as in Adam , feminally, as in a Na- tural Generator : but yet the Elea were in Him in a more noble & fuper- natural manner , as given of God to Him , & as undertaken for by Him , when He did fubiliture Himfelf in their Law -place , & became their Surety. (3) l f Chrift had only been the material caufe, as having that virtuseffiliiva, how could He be called their federal Head ? or how could they be faid to be chafen in Hi in , before the foundation of the world ? It was the nature offine hers ( faith he) though not a finful Nature , which He a fttmed : But that Na- ture . which He undertook, was exiiient in His Individual perfon , d? no other in- divid al perfon was exijlent in His exiflent perfonal Nature. What then ? So that ( he addeth ) when we fay ft was the common Nature of Man , we mean only fpecificè, that Nature which is of the fame fpecies with all other mens , but not that which ex ;fled individually, in any , but himfel f Anf. Notwithilanding of all this, Chrift was a federal Head , & a Publick Perlon, undertaking for , and therein reprefenting all thofe , that were given to Him to fave,- and this his following words confirme , when he with. But it was indivi- dual perfon: , in whole (lead , or place Chrifl fu fired, d7 whom He undertook to ju flsfie , f anFltfy d7 lave , ¿7 gather into an holy Society to that end ; ¿ to that end, He undertook& performed His office , d7 merited all this by His perfeíi R.jghteouf. nefs ; fo that hereby He made Fl sm felf a federal Head ¿ Rgot ofan holy fociety (Hi; Church) d7 when ever any perfon doth beleeve, d7 is united federally to Him , he then receiveth the effeEfs of that, which was before in Chri/l, as a virtus effettiva. Anf. But Chrift, being a federal Head to His own , whom in -due time, He was to bring in to an holy Society , beleevers receive the effeas of that, which was in Chrifl , as fuch a federal Head ; which is more, than as a vir- tur effeliiva, & Importeth His Obligation, as a Surety, to work thefe ef- feas , & fpeaketh out His reprefenting of them , as a publick Perlon , and payingtheir debt , according to His Undertaking, in the Covenant of Re- demption. Thereafter (peg. 78.) from this, That the Law made to Adam did not afgne Chrift to this office, nor oblige Him to fuffer for (inners, according' to it , & that therefore He fuffered not by that obligation which bound us to fuffer, but by the obligation of His own confent, he inferreth, that the Gg Latas
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