Owen, A Vindication... File 9
(... continued from File 8)
I yet suppose that he observed not the
inconsistencies of this discourse, and therefore shall a
little mind him of them, although I am no way concerned
in it or them. For, first, He tells us, that "a mediator
is one who interposeth between two differing parties, to
accommodate the difference;" and then gives us an
instance in Moses, who is called a mediator in receiving
the law, but did therein no way interpose himself between
differing parties, to reconcile them. Secondly, From the
nature of the mediation of Moses, he would describe the
nature of the mediation of Christ; which Socinian fiction
I could direct him to a sufficient confutation of, but
that, thirdly, He rejects it himself in his next words, -
that Christ as a mediator was to die as a sacrifice and
propitiation for the sins of the world; which renders his
mediation utterly of another kind and nature than that of
Moses. The mistake of this discourse is, that he
supposeth that men do argue from the general nature of
the office of a mediator the work of mediation in this
matter; when that which they do intend hence to prove,
and what he intends to oppose, is the special nature of
the mediatory office and work of Christ; which is
peculiar, and has sundry things essential]ly belonging
unto it, that belong not unto any other kind of mediation
whatever; whereof himself gives one signal instance.
In his ensuing pages he wonderfully perplexeth
himself in gathering up sayings, backward and forward in
my discourse, to make some advantage to his purpose, and
hopes that he is arrived at no less success than a
discovery of I know not what contradictions in what I
have asserted. As I said before, so I say again, that I
refer the determination and judgement of this whole
matter unto any one who will but once read over the
discourse excepted against. But for his part, I greatly
pity him, as really supposing him at a loss in the sense
of what is yet plainly delivered; and I had rather
continue to think so, than to be relieved by supposing
him guilty of such gross prevarications as he must be if
he understands what he treats about. Plainly, I have
showed that there was an especial law of mediation, which
Christ was subject unto, at the commandment of the
Father: that he should be incarnate; that he should be
the king, priest, and prophet of his church; that he
should bear our iniquities, make his soul an offering for
sin, and give his life a ransom for many, were the
principal parts of this law. The whole of it I have
lately explained, in my exercitations unto the second
part of the Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews;
whereon, if he please, he may exercise and try his skill
in a way of opposition. This law our Lord Jesus Christ
did not yield obedience to in our stead, as though we had
been obliged originally unto the duties of it, which we
neither were nor could be; although what he suffered
penally in any of them was in our stead; without which
consideration he could not have righteously suffered in
any kind. And the following trivial exception of this
author, about the obligation on us to lay down our lives
for the brethren, is meet for him to put in, seeing we
are not obliged so to die for any one as Christ died for
us. Was Paul crucified for you? But, secondly, Christ our
mediator, and as mediator, was obliged unto all that
obedience unto the moral, and all other laws of God, that
the church was obliged unto; and that which I have
asserted hereon is, that the effects of the former
obedience of Christ are communicated unto us, but the
latter obedience itself is imputed unto us; and [I] have
proved it by those arguments which this man does not
touch upon. All this is more fully, clearly, and plainly
declared in the discourse itself; and I have only
represented so much of it here again, that it might be
evident unto all how frivolous are his exceptions. It is
therefore to no purpose for me to transcribe again the
quotations out of my book which he fills up his pages
with, seeing it is but little in them which he excepteth
against; and whoever pleaseth, may consult them at large
in the places from whence they are taken; or, because it
is not easy to find them out singly, they are so picked
up and down, backwards and forwards, curtailed and added
to at pleasure, any one may, in a very little space of
time, read over the whole unto his full satisfaction. I
shall, therefore, only consider his exceptions, and haste
unto an end of this fruitless trouble, wherein I am most
unwillingly engaged by this man's unsuspected
disingenuity and ignorance.
After the citation of some passages, he adds, p.
301, "This, methinks, is very strange, that what he did
as mediator is not imputed unto us; but what he did, not
as our mediator, but as a man subject to the law, that is
imputed to us, and reckoned as if we had done it, by
reason of his being our mediator. And it is as strange to
the full, that Christ should do whatever was required of
us by virtue of any law, when he was neither husband, nor
wife, nor father, merchant nor tradesman, seaman nor
soldier, captain nor lieutenant, much less a temporal
prince and monarch. And how he should discharge the
duties of these relations for us, which are required of
us by certain laws, when he never was in any of these
relations, and could not possibly be in all, is an
argument which may exercise the subtilty of school men,
and to them I leave it."
It were greatly to be desired that he would be a
little more heedful, and with attention read the writings
of other men, that he might understand them before he
comes to make such a bluster in his opposition to them:
for I had told him plainly, that though there was a
peculiar law of mediation, whose acts and duties we had
no obligation unto, yet the Lord Christ, even as
mediator, was obliged unto, and did personally perform,
all the duties of obedience unto the law of God whereunto
we were subject and obliged, p. 181,' sec. 14. And it is
strange to apprehend how he came to imagine that I said
he did it not as our mediator, but as a private man. That
which, possibly, might cast his thoughts into this
disorder was, that he knew not that Christ was made a
private man as mediator; which yet the Scripture is
sufficiently express in. [As] for the following
objections, that the Lord Christ was neither "husband nor
wife, father nor tradesman," etc. (wherein yet possibly
he is out in his account), I have frequently smiled at it
when I have met with it in the Socinians, who are perking
with it at every turn; but here it ought to be admired.
But yet, without troubling those bugbears the school men,
he may be pleased to take notice, that the grace of duty
and obedience in all relations is the same, - the
relations administering only an external occasion unto
its peculiar exercise; and what our Lord Jesus Christ did
in the fulfilling of all righteousness in the
circumstances and relations wherein he stood, may be
imputed to us for our righteousness in all our relations,
every act of duty and sin in them respecting the same law
and principle. And hereon all his following exceptions
for sundry pages, wherein he seems much to have pleased
himself, do fall to nothing, as being resolved into his
own mistakes, if he does not prevaricate against his
science and conscience; for the sum of them all he gives
us in these words, p. 204, "That Christ did those things
as mediator which did not belong to the laws of his
mediation;" which, in what sense he did so, is fully
explained in my discourse. And I am apt to guess, that
either he is deceived or does design to deceive, in
expressing it by the "laws of his mediation;" which may
comprise all the laws which as mediator he was subject
unto. And so it is most true, that he did nothing as
mediator but what belonged unto the laws of his
mediation; but most false, that I have affirmed that he
did: for I did distinguish between that peculiar law
which required the public acts of his mediation, and
those other laws which, as mediator, he was made subject
unto. And if he neither does nor will understand these
things when he is told them, and they are proved unto him
beyond what he can contradict, I know no reason why I
should trouble myself with one that contends with his own
mormos, though he never so lewdly or loudly call my name
upon them. And whereas I know myself sufficiently subject
unto mistakes and slips, so when I actually fall into
them, as I shall not desire this man's forgiveness, but
leave him to exercise the utmost of his severity, so I
despise his ridiculous attempts to represent
contradictions in my discourse, p 306; all pretences
whereunto are taken from his own ignorance, or feigned in
his imagination. Of the like nature are all his ensuing
cavils. I desire no more of any reader, but to peruse the
places in my discourse which he carps at, and if he be a
person of ordinary understanding in these things, I
declare that I will stand to his censure and judgement,
without giving him the least farther intimation of the
sense and intendment of what I have written, or
vindication of its truth. Thus, whereas I had plainly
declared that the way whereby the Lord Christ, in his own
person, became obnoxious and subject unto the law of
creation, was by his own voluntary antecedent choice,
otherwise than it is with those who are inevitably
subject unto it by natural generation under it; as also,
that the hypostatical union, in the first instant whereof
the human nature was fitted for glory, might have
exempted him from the obligation of any outward law
whatever, - whence it appears that his consequential
obedience, though necessary to himself, when he had
submitted himself unto the law (as, "Lo, I come to do thy
will, O God"), was designedly for us; - he miserably
perplexeth himself to abuse his credulous readers with an
apprehension that I had talked, like himself, at such a
rate of nonsense as any one in his wits must needs
despise. The meaning and sum of my discourse he would
have to be this, p. 308, "That Christ had not been bound
to live like a man, had he not been a man," with I know
not what futilous cavils of the like nature; when all
that I insisted on was the reason why Christ would be a
man, and live like a man; which was, that we might
receive the benefit and profit of his obedience, as he
was our mediator. So in the close of the same wise
harangue, from my saying, "That the Lord Christ, by
virtue of the hypostatical union, might be exempted, as
it were, and lifted above the law, which yet he willingly
submitted unto, and in the same instant wherein he was
made of a woman, was made also under the law, whence
obedience unto it became necessary unto him," - the man
feigns I know not what contradictions in his fancy,
whereof there is not the least appearance in the words
unto any one who understands the matter expressed in
them. And that the assumption of the human nature into
union with the Son of God, with submission unto the law
thereon to be performed in that nature, are distinct
parts of the humiliation of Christ, I shall prove when
more serious occasion is administered unto me.
In like manner he proceeds to put in his exceptions
unto what I discoursed about the laws that an innocent
man is liable unto. For I said, that God never gave any
other law to an innocent person, but only the law of his
creation, with such symbolical precepts as might be
instances of his obedience thereunto. Something he would
find fault with, but knows not well what; and therefore
turmoils himself to give countenance unto a putid cavil.
He tells us, "That it is a great favour that I
acknowledge, p. 310, that God might add what symbols he
pleased unto the law of creation." But the childishness
of these impertinencies is shameful. To whom, I pray, is
it a favour, or what does the man intend by such a
senseless scoff? Is there any word in my whole discourse
intimating that God might not in a state of innocence
give what positive laws he pleased unto innocent persons,
as means and ways to express that obedience which they
owed into the law of creation? The task wherein I am
engaged is so fruitless, so barren of any good use, in
contending with such impertinent effects of malice and
ignorance, that I am weary of every word I am forced to
add in the pursuit of it; but he will yet have it, that
"an innocent person, such as Christ was absolutely, may
be obliged for his own sake to the observation of such
laws and institutions as were introduced by the occasion
of sin, and respected all of them the personal sins of
them that were obliged by them;" which if he can believe,
he is at liberty, for me, to persuade as many as he can
to be of his mind, whilst I may be left unto my own
liberty and choice, yea, to the necessity of my mind, in
not believing contradictions. And for what he adds, that
I "know those who conceit themselves above all forms of
external worship," I must say to him that at present
personally I know none that do so, but fear that some
such there are; as also others who, despising not only
the ways of external worship appointed by God himself,
but also the laws of internal faith and grace, do satisfy
themselves in a customary observance of forms of worship
of their own devising.
In his next attempt he had been singular, and had
spoken something which had looked like an answer to an
argument, had he well laid the foundation of his
procedure: for that position which he designeth the
confutation of is thus laid down by him as mine, "There
can be no reason assigned of Christ's obedience unto the
law, but only this, that he did it in our stead;" whereas
my words are, "That the end of the active obedience of
Christ cannot be assigned to be that he might be fit for
his death and oblation." And hereon what is afterward
said against this particular end, he interprets as spoken
against all other ends whatever, instancing in such as
are every way consistent with the imputation of his
obedience unto us; which could not be, had the only end
of it been for himself, to fit him for his death and
oblation. And this wilful mistake is sufficient to give
occasion to combat his own imaginations for two or three
pages together. P. 314, he pretends unto the recital of
an argument of mine for the imputation of the
righteousness of Christ, with the like pretence of
attempting an answer unto it; but his design is not to
manage any controversy with me, or against me, but, as he
phraseth it, to expose my mistakes. I cannot, therefore,
justly expect from him so much as common honesty will
require, in case the real handling of a controversy in
religion had been intended. But his way of procedure, so
far as I know and understand, may be best suited unto his
design. In this place, he does neither fairly nor truly
report my words, nor take the least notice of the
confirmation of my argument by the removal of objections
whereunto it seemed liable, nor of the reasons and
testimonies whereby it is farther proved; but, taking out
of my discourse what expressions he pleaseth, putting
them together with the same rule, he thinks he has
sufficiently exposed my mistakes, - the thing he aimed
at. I have no more concernment in this matter but to
refer both him and the reader to the places in my
discourse reflected on; - him, truly to report and answer
my arguments, if he be able; and the reader, to judge as
he pleaseth between us. And I would for this once desire
of him, that if he indeed be concerned in these things,
he would peruse my discourse here raved at, and determine
in his own mind whether I confidently affirm what is in
dispute, (that is, what I had then in dispute; for who
could divine so long ago what a doughty disputant this
author would by this time sprout up into?) and that this
goes for an argument, or that he impudently affirms me so
to do, contrary unto his science and conscience, if he
had not quite "pored out his eyes" before he came to the
end of a page or two in my book. And for the state of the
question here proposed by him, let none expect that upon
so slight an occasion I shall divert unto the discussion
of it. When this author, or any of his consorts in
design, shall soberly and candidly, without scoffing or
railing, in a way of argument or reasoning, becoming
divines and men of learning, answer any of those many
writings which are extant against that Socinian
justification which he here approves and contends for, or
those written by the divines of the church of England on
the same subject, in the proof of what he denies, and
confutation of what he affirms, they may deserve to be
taken notice of in the same rank and order with those
with whom they associate themselves. And yet I will not
say but that these cavilling exceptions, giving a
sufficient intimation of what some men would be at, if
ability and opportunity did occur, may give occasion also
unto a renewed vindication of the truths opposed by them,
in a way suited unto the use and edification of the
church, in due time and season.
From p. 185 of my book he retires, upon his new
triumph, unto p. 176, as hoping to hook something from
thence that might contribute unto the furtherance of his
ingenious design, although my discourse in that place
have no concernment in what he treateth about. But let
him be heard to what purpose he pleaseth. Thus,
therefore, he proceeds, p. 315, "The doctor makes a great
flourish with some Scripture phrases, that there is
almost nothing that Christ has done but what we are said
to do it with him; we are crucified with him, we are dead
with him, buried with him, quickened together with him.
In the acting of Christ there is, by virtue of the
compact between him, as mediator, and the Father, such an
assured foundation laid, that by communication of the
fruit of these acting unto those in whose stead he
performed them, they are said, in the participation of
these fruits, to have done the same things with him. But
he is quite out in the reason of these expressions, which
is not that we are accounted to do the same things which
Christ did, - for the things here mentioned belong to the
peculiar office of his mediation, which he told us before
were not reckoned as done by us, - but because we do some
things like them. Our dying to sin is a conformity to the
death of Christ; and our walking in newness of life is
our conformity to his resurrection: and the consideration
of the death and resurrection of Christ is very powerful
to engage us to die to sin, and to rise unto a new life.
And this is the true reason of these phrases."
Any man may perceive, from what he is pleased here
himself to report of my words, that I was not treating
about the imputation of the righteousness of Christ,
which he is now inveighing against; and it will be much
more evident unto every one that shall cast an eye on
that discourse. But the design of this confused rambling
I have been forced now frequently to give an account of,
and shall, if it be possible, trouble the reader with it
no more. The present difference between us, which he was
ambitious to represent, is only this, that whereas it
seems he will allow that those expressions of our being
"crucified with Christ, dead with him, buried with him,
quickened with him," do intend nothing but only our doing
of something like unto that which Christ did; I do add,
moreover, that we do those things by the virtue and
efficacy of the grace which is communicated unto us from
what the Lord Christ so did and acted for us, as the
mediator of the new covenant, whereby alone we partake of
their power, communicate in their virtue, and are
conformed unto him as our head; wherein I know I have, as
the testimony of the Scripture, so the judgement of the
catholic church of Christ on my side, and am very little
concerned in the censure of this person, that I am "quite
out in the reason of these expressions."
For what remains of his discourse, so far as I am
concerned in it, it is made up of such expositions of
some texts of Scripture as issue, for the most part, in a
direct contradiction to the text itself, or some express
passages of the context. So does that of Gal. 4: 4, 5,
which he first undertakes to speak unto, giving us
nothing but what was first invented by Crellius, in his
book against Grotius, and is almost translated verbatim
out of the comment of Schlichtingius upon the place; the
remainder of them corruptly Socinianizing against the
sense of the church of God. Hereunto are added such
pitiful mistakes, with reflections on me for
distinguishing between obeying and suffering (which
conceit he most profoundly disproves by showing that one
may obey in suffering, and that Christ did so, against
him who has written more about the obedience of Christ in
dying, or laying down his life for us, than he seems to
have read on the same subject, as also concerning the
ends and uses of his death; which I challenge him and all
his companions to answer and disprove, if they can), as I
cannot satisfy myself in the farther consideration of;
no, not with that speed and haste of writing now used:
which nothing could give countenance unto but the
meanness of the occasion, and unprofitableness of the
argument in hand. Wherefore, this being the manner of the
man, I am not able to give an account unto myself or the
reader of the misspense of more time in the review of
such impertinencies. I shall add a few things, and
conclude.
First. I desire to know whether this author will
abide by what he asserts, as his own judgement, in
opposition unto what he puts in his exception against in
my discourse: - P. 320, "All the influence which the
sacrifice of Christ's death, and the righteousness of his
life have, that I can find in the Scripture, is, that to
this we owe the covenant of grace;" that is, as he
afterward explains himself, "That God would for the sake
of Christ enter into a new covenant with mankind, wherein
he promiseth pardon of sin and eternal life to them that
believe and obey the gospel." I leave him herein to his
second thoughts; for as he has now expressed himself,
there is no reconciliation of his assertion to common
sense, or the fundamental principles of Christian
religion. That God entered into the new covenant
originally only for the sake of those things whereby that
covenant was ratified and confirmed, and that Christ was
so the mediator of the new covenant, that he died not for
the redemption of transgressions under the first
covenant, whereby the whole consideration of his
satisfaction and of redemption, properly so called, is
excluded; that there is no consideration to be had of his
purchase of the inheritance of grace and glory, with many
other things of the same importance; and that the gospel,
or the doctrine of the gospel, is the new covenant (which
is only a perspicuous declaration of it), are things that
may become these new sons of the church of England, which
the elder church would not have borne withal.
Secondly. The reader may take notice, that in some
other discourses of mine now published, which were all of
them finished before I had the advantage to peruse the
friendly and judicious animadversions of this author, he
will find most of the matters which he excepts against
both cleared, proved, and vindicated, and that those
principles which he directs his opposition against are so
established, as that I neither expect nor fear any such
assault upon them, from this sort of men, as becometh a
serious debate on things of this nature.
Thirdly. That I have confined myself, in the
consideration of this author's discourse, unto what I was
personally concerned in, without looking at or accepting
of the advantages which offered themselves of reflecting
upon him, either as unto the matter of his discourse, or
unto the manner of expressing himself in its delivery.
For, besides that I have no mind, and that for many
reasons, to enter voluntarily into any contest with this
man, the mistakes which he has apparently been led into
by ignorance or prejudice, his fulsome errors against the
Scripture, the doctrine of the ancient church, and the
church of England, are so multiplied and scattered
throughout the whole, that a discovery and confutation of
them will scarce deserve the expense of time that must be
wasted therein, until a more plausible countenance or
strenuous defence be given unto them. And as for what he
aimeth at, I know well enough where to find the whole of
it, handled with more civility and appearance of reason;
and therefore, when I am free, or resolved to treat
concerning them, I shall do so in the consideration of
what is taught by his authors and masters, and not of
what he has borrowed from them.
Fourthly. I shall assure the reader, that as a
thousand of such trifling cavillers or revilers, as I
have had some to deal withal, shall neither discourage
nor hinder me in the remaining service which I may have
yet to fulfil, in the patience of God, for the church of
Christ and truth of the gospel; nor, it may be, occasion
me any more to divert in the least unto the consideration
of what they whisper or glamour, unless they are able to
retake themselves unto a more sober and Christian way of
handling things in controversy: so if they will not, or
dare not, forego this supposed advantage of reproaching
the doctrine of nonconformists (under which pretence they
openly, and as yet securely, scorn and deride them, when
they are all of them the avowed doctrines of all the
reformed churches, and of this of England in particular);
and if they think it not meet to oppose themselves and
endeavours unto those writings which have been composed
and published professedly in the declaration and defence
of the truth scoffed at and impugned by them, but choose
rather to exercise their skill and anger on passages rent
out of practical discourses, accommodated in the manner
of their delivery unto the capacity of the community of
believers, as it is fit they should be; I do suppose
that, at one time or other, from one hand or another,
they may meet with some such discourse, concerning
justification and the imputation of the righteousness of
Christ, as may give them occasion to be quiet, or to
exercise the best of their skill and industry in an
opposition unto it, - as many such there are already
extant, which they wisely take no notice of, but only
rave against occasional passages in discourses of another
nature, - unless they resolve on no occasion to forego
the shelter they have betaken themselves unto.
End.
Owen, A Vindication...
(...concluded)
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