5° DISPLAY of Now becaufe they are things of a twofold denomination, about which we contend before theking of heaven, eachpart producing their evidence ; the firß:fpringing from the favour ofGod towards us : the fecondfrom the workingof his grace, a&ually with- in us ; I lhall handle them feverally, and apart ; efpecially becaufe to things of this latter fort, gifts, as we call them, enabling us to fulfill the condition required for the attaining ofglory, we lay a double claimon God's behalf: Firft, as thedeath ofChrift is the meritoriouscaufe procuring them ofhim. Secondly, as hisfree grace istheir effi- cientcaufe working them inus ; they altoproducing a double title, wherebythey would invert their beloved darling, witha foiepropriety incuffing thefe effefis. mrft, in re- gard that they are our own a&s performed inus, and by us : geeendly, as they are parts ofour duty, whichweare enjoyned to do ; fo that thequarrel is dire&ly betweenChíift's merits and our ownfree-will,-aboutprocuring the favour of God, and obtaining grace and- righteoulliefs..: Let usfee what they fay to the firft. They affirm (a) that the immediate and roper effe&, or end, of the death and f pa on ofChrift, is not an aftual ablation of fin from men, not an aftual remitfion of iniquities, juftification and redemption ofany foul : that is, Chrift hisdeath is not the meritoriouscaufe of the remif8onofour fins, ofredemption, and juftification: the me- ritorious caufe, I fay, for oflbme of them, as of juftification, asit is terminated in us, we confers thereare caufes ofother kinds, as faith is the inftrument, and the holy fpirit the efficient thereof. But for the role meritorious procuring caufe of thefe fpiritual blelings, we always took it to be the righteoufnefss, and death of Chrift believing plainly, that the end why Chrift died, andthe fruit of his fufferings, wasour reconci liation with God, redemption from our fns; freedomfrom the curie, deliverance from the wrathofGod, and powerofhell s thoughwe be nota&ualpartakers 6f thefe things to thepacification ofourown confciences, without the intervening operation oftheholy fpirit, and.faithby him wrought in us. . But ifthis be not, pray what is obtained by thedeath ofChrift ? Why (b ) apotential, conditionatereeoxiiliation, not altual and dbfolute, faith Covina, But yet this potential reconciliation, being a new exprelfon,_never intimated in the fcriptui-e, and farce of it felfintelligible, we want a further explanationof theirmind, toknowwhat it is that direly they .aligntothe meths ofChrift : wherefore; they tell us, that the fruitof his death, wasfah(c) an impetration, or obtaining of reconciliationwith God, and redempti- on farut: that Cod thereby bathapower, his jaflieebeingfatisfied, and fonotcompelling him to the contrary, togrant remifon offins, ti finful men, on what copdatien hewould: or as another fpeaketh it (d) Therewas by the eff on ofChrif 'sblood, a right obtained unto, andfettled its god, of reconciling the world, and afopening unto all a gate of repentance, and faith inChrß. But now whereas theferipture every where affirmeth, that Chrift died for our good, to obtain blefffngsfor us, to purchafe ourpeace, to acquire and merit for us the good things contained in thepromife ofthe covenant; thisopinion Teems to refirain the :end and fruit thereof, to theobtaining ofa power, and liberty unto God, of prefcribing us a conditionwhereby we may bePaved : but yetit may be, thus muchat leaf} Chrift ob- tained ofGodin our behalf, that he Ihould align faith in him, to be this conditiod, and tobeftowit upon .usalto. No, neither the one, nor the other, (e) after alt-thin, had it fo feasted unto his wifdom, God might have chfen the yews,and others, followingthe r'ghteoufnefs of the laro, as ad! as believers, besaufe. hemight have ajgned any other condition of falvatienbefdesfaith inChrift, faithGrevinchovius. Notwithflanding then thedeathof Chrift for us, we might have beenheld to theold rule, Do this and live ` but if this be true, I cannot perceive how it may be raid, that Chrift died to redeem as from out fins, to faveourfouls, and tobring us untoglory : neither perhaps do they think this to beany great inconvenience, for the fame Author Affirmed, (f) that Chrift cannot befaid (a) Immediata mortisChrifti effeftìe, acpalonis, ilia eh non a(tualis peccatorum ab his out ills A- lain, non aftualis remiffio, nonjullificatio, nonaftualis horum ant illorum redemptia, Armin. Aníipork. p. 76. ( b ) Reconciliatio potentialis & conditionata, non aftuális & abfoluta, per mortem Chrilli in. petratur, Corvin. ad Malin. cap. n8. fee. r . (o) Remifiionis,, jufiificationis, & redemptioois, opal Deum impetratio, quafaflum ell, ut Deus rjam poffrt, utpote jufiitia cui fatisfftum ell nonabbots, hominibuspeccatoribus peccata remitters, Armin. ubi fug. (d) Autoris mens non eft alfa, quameû fido fanguineChrifli reconciliandi mundumDea ns impetratum faiffe, & intonova f iere & grariofja m nominibus, Deum.grade odium, omnibus demo prenitentie ac vere in Chrifum filer, Iegead- aperuiffe, Epifal. ad tV 1. fol. q .- (e) Potaiffet Deus, fr ifa fapientire fue vilun fuilfeg opperarios Judnos, vel alios etiam prefer fideles elgere, quia paint aliam falntis conditionem, quam &km In Chrifium esigere, Grevincb. adAwl. p. sAg. (f) ,Chriítus nonefi proprie, mo¡nms ad aliggem fah vandum idem, ibid.fol. 8. ._ properly
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