Ot the death of Chrifi. 5 Though this may appear to be a diftinct exprellionof my anfwer, yet becaufe it feems to me, that the very flrength of it as laid down, is omitted ; I (hall delire the reader to perufe it as it is there propofed, and it will give him force light into the thing in hand. Iapply myfelf to what is here exprelfed, and anfwer r. To the objeftion propofed from Grotius as above, Ì gave a threefold anfwer: (t.) That gracious condonation of fin, which I- conceive to be the Cum of the glad tidings of the Gofpel, feemeth to comprize thole two alts before re- counted ; both which I there prove to be free, becaufe the very merit and fa-. tisfacìion of Chrill .himfeif was founded an a free,compaft and covenant, or conflitution. Now I had three reafons (among others) that prevailed with me to make gracious condonation of folarge extent, which I Ihalt esprefs, and leave them to the thoughts of every judicious reader, whether they are enforcing thereunto, or no ; being exceedingly indifferent what his determination is i for the weight of my anfwer dependsnot on it at all. And they arethefe: [t.] Becaufe that (Ingle a8 of remiflión of fins to particular perfons (which is nothing but a diffolutton of the obligationof the law, as unto them, where- by they are bound over to punifhment) as it is commonly reftrained, is af- firmed by them whom Gestiu{ in that book oppofed (into whole tents he was afterwards a renegado) to be inconfiffent with any fatisfaftion at all; yea, that which Grotius maintains per tamundem. But now if you extend that Gofpel phrafe to the compafs I have mentioned, theyhave not the leaf} colour fo to do. [2.] Whereas the .Scripture mentioneth, That through. Chrf is preached the frgivenefg offin, Aft. 13. 38. I do fuppofe that pheafe to be comprehenfiveof the whole manifeftatieonof God in the covenantof grace. [g.] God exprelly faith, That this is his covenant, That he will be mawfultó Our unreghteofnefs, Heb. 8. 22. By the way I cannot daft with Mr. B. that this place to the Ilebrews, and the other of Jeremiab, 3t, 32, 33. do comprize but part of the covenant, not the whole. God faying exprefly, This is my Covenant. To fay it is not, is not to interpret the word, but to deny it. It is true, it is not faid that is thewhole Govenanr; no more is it that Chrillis the way, the truth, and the lifi only. As the want of that term of rellriftion, doth not enlarge in that, no more Both the want of the note of univerfalityrennin in this. To fay thus, becaufe here is no condition @xpreffed, is ueunchiluo eh 2c4gor. If you mean fuch a condition as God requireth of us, and yet worketh in us, it is there punctuallyexprefféd, with reference to the nature of the covenant, whereof it is a condition, which is to effeft all the conditions thereof, in the covenanters. This by the way, having refolvedly tied up myfelf from a debate of thofe pofitions which Mr. B. dog- matizeth ; though a large field, and eafyy to be walked in, lies open on every hand, for the, fcattering of many magiQtrial diftates, which with confidence enough are crudely Alerted. This is (to return) my firft anfwer, to the forementioned objection, with the reafons of it, whereunto Mr. B: cxcepteth, as followeth. r. Pardon implieth Chrift's death as a caufe ; but Iwould he had fhewed the Strip` tare that makes pardon fo large a thing, as to comprize the arbole dfpenfation of ¡rice ; or that maketh Chit", death to be apart of it, or comprized in it. ' 2. Iffach a amrdwere in the Scripture, will he not confefs it to be figurative, and nur proper, and fo not fit for this difpute. 3. Elfe when he faith, That Chrl's death procured our pardon, he rneaneth that it procured it fell. So he. To all which I fay, t. Thedeath of Chrift, as it is a caufe of pardon, is not once mentioned in any of my anfwers : there is a wide difference (in conñderation) between God's imputation of fin to Chrift ; and the death- of Chrilt, as the meritorious caufe of pardon. So that this is pura ignoratio elenchi. 2. Take pardon in the large fenfe I intimated, and fo the death of Chrifi is not the meritorious caufe of the whole, but only of that particular in it, where- in it is commonly fuppofed folely to confift, of which before. But
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