The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

6. It is the Priesthood of Christ that the Apostle treats of in this place, and that alone. Wherefore he is a surety as he is a Priest, and in the discharge of that Office, and therefore is so with God on our behalf. This Schlictingius observes, and is aware what will ensue against his pretensions, which he endeavours to obviate. Mirum (saith he) porro alicui videri posset cur Divinus Author de Christi sacerdotio in superioribus & in sequentibus agens, derepente eum sponsorem foederis ⟨p. 262⟩non vero sacerdotem vocet? Cur non dixerit tanto praestantioris foederis factus est sacerdos Jesus? hoc enim plane requirere videtur totus orationis contextus. Credibile est in voce sponsionis sacerdotium quoque Christi intelligi. Sponsoris enim non est alieno nomine quippiam promittere, & fidem suam pro alio interponere; sed etiam, si ita res ferat, alterius nomine id quod spopondit praestare. In rebus quidem humanis, si id non praestet is pro quo sponsor fidejussit; hic vero propter contrariam causam (nam prior hic locum habere non potest) nempe quatenus ille pro quo spopondit Christus per ipsum Christum promissa sua nobis exhibet; qua in re praecipue Christi sacerdotium continetur.

Ans. (1) It may indeed seem strange unto any one who imagineth Christ to be such a surety as he doth, why the Apostle should so call him, and so introduce him in the Description of his Priestly Office, as that which belongeth thereunto. But grant what is the proper Work and Duty of a surety, and who the Lord Jesus was a surety for, and it is evident that nothing more proper or pertinent could be mentioned by him, when he was in the Declaration of that office. (2) He confesseth that by his Exposition of this suretyship of Christ, as making him a surety for God, he contradicteth the nature and only notion of a surety among men. For such a one he acknowledgeth doth nothing but in the defect and unability of them for whom he is engaged, and doth undertake. He is to pay that which they owe, and to do what is to be done by them, which they cannot perform. And if this be not the notion of a surety in this place, the Apostle makes use of a word no where else used in the whole Scripture, to teach us that which it doth never signify among men, which is improbable and absurd. For the sole Reason why he did make use of it was, that from the nature and notion of it amongst men in others cases, we may understand the signification of it; what he intends by it, and what under that name he ascribes unto the Lord Jesus. (3) He hath no