6. Did Christ by his death show us a way whereby we might come to be reconciled to God or convert ourselves? What was that way ? Is it that God lays punishment, and affliction, and death, on them who are no way liable thereunto? What else can we learn from the death of Christ, according to these men? The truth is, they mention not his death, because they know not how to make their ends hang together.
' " Quid vCTO de hac reconciliatione sontis ? — Christum Jcsum nobis, qui propter peccata nostnx Dei ininiiei cramus ct ab co abalicnati, viam ostendissc, qucmadmodum nos ad Deum couvcrti, atijue ad cum modum ci rcconcilian oporteat."
542 VINDICI^ EVANGELIC^
This is the sum of what they say : "We are reconciled to God, that is, we convert ourselves, by the death of Christ; that is, not by his death, but according to the doctrine he teach eth. And this is the sum of the doctrine of reconcihation : Christ teacheth us a way how we should convert ourselves to God." And so much for reconciliation.
CHAPTER XXX.
The satisfaction of Christ on the consideration of his death being a punishment farther evinced, and vindicated from tlie exceptions of Smalcius.
III. The third consideration of the death of Christ was of it as it was 'penal, as therein he underwent ininishnent for us, or that pu- nishment which for sin was due to us. Thence directly is it said to be SATISFACTORY. About the word itself we do not contend, nor do our adversaries except against it. If the thing itself be proved that is intended by that expression, this controversy is at end. Farther to open the nature of satisfaction, then, by what is said before about bearing of sins, etc., I see no reason ; our aim in that word is known to all, and the sense of it obvious. This is made by some the gene- ral head of the whole business. I have placed it on the peculiar consideration of Christ's bearing our sins and undergoing punish- ment for us. What our catechists say to the whole I shall briefly consider.
Having assigned some causes and effects of the death of Christ, partly true in their own place, partly false, they ask, question 12, —
Ques. 7s there no other cause of the death of Christ ?
Ans. None at all. As for that which Christians commonly think, that Christ by his death merited salvation for us, and satisfied fully for our sins, that opinion is false (or deceitful), erroneous, and very pernicious.*
That the men of this persuasion are bold men we are not now to learn; only, this assertion, that there is no other cause of the death of Christ but what they have mentioned, is a new experiment thereof.
If we must believe that these men know all things and the whole mind of God, so that all is "false and pernicious" that lies beyond their road and understanding, there may be some colour for this confidence ; but the account we have already taken of them will not allow us to grant them this plea.
Of the merit of Christ I have spoken briefly before. His satis- faction is the thing opposed chiefly. What they have to say against it shall now be considered ; as also, how this imputation or charge on
' " Non est etiam aliqua alia mortis Christi causa ? — Nulla prorsus. Etsi nunc vulgo Christian! scntiunt, Christum morte sua nobis salutem meruisse, et pro peccatis nos- tris plenarie satisfecisse, quaj sententia fallax est et erronea, et admodum perniciosa." . — Cat. Eac. de raoi-. Clu-is. cap. viii. q. 12,
OF THE SATISFACTION OF CHRIST. 543
the common faith of Christians, about the satisfaction of Christ to be " false, erroneous, and pernicious," will be managed.
Q. How is it false (or deceitful) ?
A. That it is false (or deceitful) and erroneous is hence evident, that not only there is nothing of it extant in the Scripture, but also that it is repugnant to the Scriptures and sound reason.'
For the truth of this suggestion, that it is not extant in Scripture, I refer the reader to what hath been discoursed from the Scripture about it already. When they, or any for them, shall answer or evade the testimonies that have been produced, or may yet be so (for I have yet mentioned none of those which immediately express the dying of Christ for us, and his being our mediator and surety in his death), they shall have liberty, for me, to boast in this manner. In the meantime, we are not concerned in their wretched confidence. But let us see how they make good their assertion by instances: —
Q. Show that in order ?
A. That it is not in the Scripture this is an argument, that the assertors of that opinion do never bring evident scriptures for the proof of it, but knit certain consequences by which they endeavour to make good what they assert; which as it is meet to admit when they are necessarily deduced from Scripture, so it is cer- tain they have no force when they are repugnant to the Scripture.^
But what is it that we do not prove by express Scripture, and that in abundance? That " our iniquity was laid upon Christ;" that " he was bruised, grieved, wounded, killed for us;" that " he bare our iniquities," and that " in his own body on the tree ; " that " he was made sin for us," and "a curse;" that we deserved death, and "he died for us; " that " he made his soul an offering for sin, laid down his life a price and ransom for us," or in our stead; that we are thereby " redeemed and reconciled to God;" that our " iniquities being laid on him," and he "bearing them" (that is, the punishment due to them), " we have deliverance;" God being atoned, and his wrath removed, — we prove not by consequence, but by multitudes of express testimonies. If they mean that the word " satisfaction " is not found in Scripture in the business treated of, we tell them that 0?;'? is; and Xvrpov, dvT/Xvrpov, and Xvrpuffig, diro'Kvrpugig, xaraXkay^ (all words of a cognate significancy thereto, and of the same im- portance as to the doctrine under consideration), are frequently used. It is, indeed, a hard task to find the word satisfaction in the Hebrew of the Old Testament or the Greek of the New; but the