Of Communion with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

4. That, had not the Obedience of Christ been for us, (in §. 17 what sense we shall see instantly) it might in his life have been required of him, to yield obedience to the Law of Nature, the alone Law which he could be liable to as a man; for an innocent man in a Covenant of Works, as he was, needs no other Law; nor did God ever give any other Law to any such person; (the Law of Creation is all that an innocent creature is liable to, with what Symbols of that Law God is pleased to add.) And yet to this Law also was his subjection voluntary; & that not only consequentially, because he was borne upon his own choice, not by any natural course, but also because as Mediator God and Man, he was not by the institution of that Law obliged unto it, being as it were exempted, and lifted above that Law by the Hypostatical Union: yet when I say his subjection hereunto was voluntary, I do not intend that it was merely arbitrary and at choice, whither he would yield obedience unto it or no; but on supposition of his undertaking to be a Mediator, ¹it was necessary it should be so: but that he voluntarily and willingly submitted unto, and so became really subject to the commands of it. But now moreover Jesus Christ yielded perfect obedience to all those Laws, which came upon us by the occasion of sin; as the Ceremonial Law: yea those very institutions that signified the washing away of sin, and Repentance from sin, as the Baptism of John, which He had no need of himself. This therefore must needs be for us.

4. That, had not the Obedience of Christ been for us, (in §. 17 what sense we shall see instantly) it might in his life have been required of him, to yeeld obedience to the Law of Nature, the alone Law which he could be liable to as a man; for an innocent man in a Covenant of Works, as he was, needs no other Law; nor did God ever give any other Law to any such person; (the Law of Creation is all that an innocent creature is liable to, with what Symbols of that Law God is pleased to adde.) And yet to this Law also was his subjection voluntary; & that not only consequentially, because he was borne upon his own choyse, not by any naturall course, but also because as Mediator God and Man, he was not by the institution of that Law obliged unto it, being as it were exempted, and lifted above that Law by the Hypostaticall Union: yet when I say his subjection hereunto was voluntary, I do not intend that it was meerely arbitrary and at choyse, whither he would yeeld obedience unto it or no; but on supposition of his undertaking to be a Mediator,