The Scripture Gospel defended, and Christ, grace, and free justification vindicated against the libertines…

But what a Sponsor Christ is, is all the doubt which I a little opened, and you pass by. It is not agreed by expositors what the word [Greek or Hebrew] meaneth in that one only place of Scripture where it is used. Very learned expositors think that as Moses was called Gods Mediator or Sponsor to the people as being his Spokesman and in his name assuring them that this was Gods Covenant which he would perform, and returning the peoples answer to God, and praying for them but not undertaking for them, and personating them; so Christ is here likened to him, and called the Mediator and Sponsor of the new and better Covenant, not as he personateth or undertaketh for Covenanting Subjects, but only as he representeth God the Father to man, and is his Sponsor to us.

But what a Sponsor Christ is, is all the doubt which I a little opened, and you pass by. It is not agreed by expositors what the word 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 meaneth in that one only place of Scripture where it is used. Very learned expositors think that as Moses was called Gods Mediator or Sponsor to the people as being his Spokesman and in his name assuring them that this was Gods Covenant which he would perform, and returning the peoples answer to God, and praying for them but not undertaking for them, and personating them; so Christ is here likened to him, and called the Mediator and Sponsor of the new and better Covenant, not as he personateth or undertaketh for Covenanting Subjects, but only as he representeth God the Father to man, and is his Sponsor to us.

But as Paul saith he is not a Mediator of one, so I see not but (though chiefly he be Gods Sponsor to man) yet withal he be there called a Sponsor also as well as a Mediator for man to God: But all the doubt is what a Sponsor for man he is.

And first we must enquire what Covenant he is a Sponsor of? No doubt but Gods Covenant with the Mediator as such, is one, and Gods and the Mediators Covenant with man solemnized in baptism is another: And yet no doubt but these two have such relation as that in some sort or respect they may be called one. He that saith they are not two is plainly confuted by the constitutive defining parts, the Divers Parties, Matter, Terms and Ends.