How could we believe in, or receive Christ as our Redeemer, who never Redeemed us? Or trust to his Blood for Justification, which was never shed for us? And therefore would not have been sufficient to save us, had it been possible for us to have believed in it, or had we actually believed? Moreover believing to Justification, is but the accepting or receiving Christ as an offered Saviour and Head, or as conditionally given us, viz. if we will receive him (this is commonly confessed:) now how can there be a receiving or accepting without a giving? Is there any contradiction more palpable? We therefore to whom Christ was not given could not receive him: and if he were not given for us, he could not be given to us: seeing the latter doth presuppose the former. 3. Repentance to Life presupposeth some hope of Life given (I mean, spem possibilitatis, & probabilitatis, & si non spem certitudinis.) But there is no hope given to any, but in and by the blood of Jesus Christ shed for them: for there is no other name by which they can be saved; without this hope we might have an Infernal despairing tormenting Repentance, but could not possibly have a Repentance ⟨p. 248⟩unto Life, or such as could be to us any means of our recovery (as all Gospel Repentance is.) And it was not in our power to give hope to our selves by causing Christs blood to be shed for us, had we been never so willing. 4. How could we love God as merciful in Redeeming us, or love Christ as our Redeemer when we knew him not to be our Redeemer; and it now appears he never was our Redeemer. 5. How could we love the Brethren as our members of the same body, and our fellow-redeemed ones (which is the new commandment) when they were none of our Brethren in that sense, nor could we prove that they should be so? 6. Why should we be thankful to Christ for Redeeming us, when he did not at all redeem us, Should we be thankful for nothing? 7. How could we obey Christ as our Lord-redeemer, who was not our Lord-redeemer? How could we hear him as such, and call on him as such, or trust him as such,? If his offices are all of equal extent, and it be certain that he was no Priest to us, as not offering himself a sacrifice for us at all; then he could be no King or Prophet to us. And why then should we obey a King that is not our King? Or, Why then should we hear that Prophet who was no Prophet to us?
How could we believe in, or receive Christ as our Redeemer, who never Redeemed us? Or trust to his Blood for Justification, which was never shed for us? And therefore would not have been sufficient to save us, had it been possible for us to have believed in it, or had we actually believed? Moreover believing to Justification, is but the accepting or receiving Christ as an offered Saviour and Head, or as conditionally given us, viz. if we will receive him (this is commonly confest:) now how can there be a receiving or accepting without a giving? Is there any contradiction more palpable? We therefore to whom Christ was not given could not receive him: and if he were not given for us, he could not be given to us: seeing the latter doth presuppose the former. 3. Repentance to Life presupposeth some hope of Life given (I mean, spem possibilitatis, & probabilitatis, & si non spem certitudinis.) But there is no hope given to any, but in and by the blood of Jesus Christ shed for them: for there is no other name by which they can be saved; without this hope we might have an Infernal despairing tormenting Repentance, but could not possibly have a Repentance ⟨p. 248⟩unto Life, or such as could be to us any means of our recovery (as all Gospel Repentance is.) And it was not in our power to give hope to our selves by causing Christs blood to be shed for us, had we been never so willing. 4. How could we love God as merciful in Redeeming us, or love Christ as our Redeemer when we knew him not to be our Redeemer; and it now appears he never was our Redeemer. 5. How could we love the Brethren as our members of the same body, and our fellow-redeemed ones (which is the new commandment) when they were none of our Brethren in that sense, nor could we prove that they should be so? 6. Why should we be thankful to Christ for Redeeming us, when he did not at all redeem us, Should we be thankful for nothing? 7. How could we obey Christ as our Lord-redeemer, who was not our Lord-redeemer? How could we hear him as such, and call on him as such, or trust him as such,? If his offices are all of equal extent, and it be certain that he was no Priest to us, as not offering himself a sacrifice for us at all; then he could be no King or Prophet to us. And why then should we obey a King that is not our King? Or, Why then should we hear that Prophet who was no Prophet to us?
