2. If all this were done by the persons themselves, or any one in their stead procured and appointed by themselves, then were there some difficulty in these questions ; but this being otherwise, there is none at all, as hath been declared.
3. How the payment made by Christ was of grace, yet in respect of the obliga- tion of the law needed no favour, nor was refusable by justice, supposing its free constitution, shall be afterward declared. To me the author seems not to have his wonted clearness in this whole section, which might administer occasion of farther inquiry and exceptions, but I forbear.
And thus much be spoken for the clearing and vindicating my ans^^•er to the arguments of Grotius against Christ's paying the idem of the obligation. The next shall farther confirm the truth.
CIIArTER IV.
Farther of the matter of the satisfaction of Christ ; wherein is proved that it was the same tliat was in
the obligation.
It being supposed not to be sufficient to have showed the weakness of my endea- vour to assert and vindicate from opposition what I had undertaken, Mr Baxter
THE MATTER OF THE SATISFACTION OF CHRIST, 447
addeth that I give up the cause about which I contend, as having indeed not un- derstood him whom I undertook to oppose, in these words: — " Mr Owen giveth up the cause at last, and saith as Grotius, having not understood Grotius' meaning, as appeareth, pp. 141, 143" [268, 270].
Whether I understand Grotius or no will by-and-by appear. Whether Mr B. understandeth me, or the controversy by me handled, you shall have now a trial.
The assertion which alone I seek to maintain is this: —
" That the punishment which our Saviour underwent was the same that the law required of us, God relaxing his law as to the person suffering, but not as to the penalty suffered."
Now, if from this I draw back in any of the concessions following, collected from pp. 141, 143 [268, 270], I deprecate not the censure of giving up the cause I contended for. If otherwise, there is a great mistake in somebody of the whole business.
Of the things, then, observe, according to Mr B.'s order, I shall take a brief account: —
1. " He acknowledgeth," salth he, " that the payment is not made by the party to whom remission is granted; and so saith every man that is a Christian."
This is a part of the position itself I maintain, and so no going back from it ; so that as to this I may pass as a " Christian."
2. " He saith," adds he, " ' it was a full, valuable compensation ;' therefore not of the same."
First, This inference would trouble Mr B. to prove.
Secondly, Therefore not made by the same, nor by any of the debtor's appoint- ment, will follow, perhaps, but no more.
3. " That by reason of the obligation upon us, we ourselves were bound to un- dergo the pvmishment. Therefore, Christ's punishment was not in the obligation, but only ours ; and so the law was not fully executed, but relaxed."
First, This is my thesis fully : The law was executed as to its penalty, relaxed as to the person suffering.
Secondly, The punishment that Christ underwent was in the obligation, though threatened to us.
4. " He saith, he meaneth not that Christ bore the same punishment due to us in all accidents of duration, and the like, but the same in weight and measure ; therefore, not the same in the obligation, because not fully the same act."
The accidents I mention follow and attend the person suffering, and not the penalty itself. All evils in any suffering, as far as they are sinful, attend the con- dition of the parties that suffer. Every thing usually recounted by those Avho make this and the like exceptions, as far as they are purely penal, were on Christ.
5. " He saith God had power so far to relax his own law as to have the name of a surety put into the obligation, which before was not there, and then to require the whole debt of that sui'ety. And what saith Grotius more than this? If the same things in the obligation be paid, then the law is executed ; and if executed, then not relaxed. Here he confesseth that the surety's name was not in the obli- gation, and that God relaxed the law to put it in. Now, the main business that Grotius drives at there is, to prove this relaxation of the law, and the non-execu- tion of it on the offenders threatened." Thus far Mr Baxter.
First, All this proves not at all the things intended, neither doth any concession here mentioned in the least take off from the main assertion I maintain, as is ap- parent to any at first view. Secondly, Grotius is so far from saying more than 1 do, that he says not so much. Thirdly, This paralogism, " If the law be executed, then not relaxed," and on the contrary, ariseth merely from a non-consideration of the nature of contradictories. The opposition fancied here is not -rpos to aura, xaTx TO aiiTo, uaoLuroii xa.) U tu tcvTai xf^^V' *s is required of contradictions. Fourthly,
448 OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST.