Ans. Some read the word thus, and shun the Question, The God of peace who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep: Understanding, [Greek or Hebrew], being the great shepherd or feeder, by the blood of the everlasting Covenant. So Beza, who makes these words, [Greek or Hebrew], to be referred to [Greek or Hebrew]: So as Christs right to be Pastor is in, and by his blood and suffering. And▪ the words, [Greek or Hebrew], so is not to be constructed with the particle, [Greek or Hebrew]: But Beza confesseth, that he changed the situation of the words. But if Christ be made a Pastor and feeder of the sheep by the blood of the eternal Covenant: then is he called to be a Pastor by Covenant. And what influence hath his death in his Pastoral Office?1 Is it by way of merit? Or did Christ merit to himself? Hardly, if not curiously, can we say that, though I nothing doubt but Christ gave perfect obedience as man to the Covenant of Works, and he did merit as man, jure operum, life eternal, the way that Adam should have merited life eternal, so he had never fallen. But the words naturally bear this sense, as Deodati expounds them, that Christ is risen by virtue of his death: As it is well said, the just surety hath right and Law to come out of prison, by paying the sum, and neither Justice nor Creditor can keep him in prison: solutus aere est solutus carcere. Christ having satisfied our debt, and payed the ransom of his blood to the death, and being dead, and under the dominion of death by justice,2 is freed from either remaining in death, or dying any more; he is now justified, not in his person, for Christ in person was habitually righteous, and from the womb, Luk. 1.35. [Greek or Hebrew], That holy thing Jesus was sinless, and so never condemned, but justified in his cause and in his condition by Law for us, and so appeareth, [Greek or Hebrew], the second time without sin unto salvation; the second time without sin, hath relation to the first time, without sin, that is, he shall appear the second time no less without sin, and so justified in regard of his condition in Law, then he was, when he was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and so that ⟨p. 321⟩eminently holy thing born of the Virgin Mary, Luk. 1.35. that is, as justified as if he had never been made sin, and never had been under the Law-burden of our sins, as Isai. 53.6.
Ans. Some read the word thus, and shun the Question, The God of peace who brought again from the dead the great sheepherd of the sheep: Understanding, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, being the great sheepherd or feeder, by the blood of the everlasting Covenant. So Beza, who maks these words, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, to be referred to 〈non-Latin alphabet〉: So as Christs right to be Pastor is in, and by his blood and suffering. And▪ the words, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, so is not to be constructed with the particle, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉: But Beza confesseth, that he changed the situation of the words. But if Christ be made a Pastor and feeder of the sheep by the blood of the eternall Covenant: then is he called to be a Pastor by Covenant. And what influence hath his death in his Pastoral Office?1 Is it by way of merit? Or did Christ merit to himself? Hardly, if not curiously, can we say that, though I nothing doubt but Christ gave perfect obedience as man to the Covenant of Works, and he did merit as man, jure operum, life eternall, the way that Adam should have merited life eternal, so he had never fallen. But the words naturally bear this sense, as Deodati expounds them, that Christ is risen by vertue of his death: As it is well said, the just surety hath right and Law to come out of prison, by paying the summe, and neither Justice nor Creditor can keep him in prison: solutus aere est solutus carcere. Christ having satisfied our debt, and payed the ransome of his blood to the death, and being dead, and under the dominion of death by justice,2 is freed from either remaining in death, or dying any more; he is now justified, not in his person, for Christ in person was habitually righteous, and from the womb, Luk. 1.35. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, That holy thing Jesus was sinlesse, and so never condemned, but justified in his cause and in his condition by Law for us, and so appeareth, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, the second time without sin unto salvation; the second time without sin, hath relation to the first time, without sin, that is, he shall appear the second time no lesse without sin, and so justified in regard of his condition in Law, then he was, when he was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and so that
- 1Beza, in Amitaque ut hoc planius fieret, non dubitavi verborum collocationem mutare
- 2Christ justified in his cause comes out of the prison of the grave, by paying of the ransom of blood. Heb. 9.28.Christ justified in his cause coms out of the prison of the grave, by paying of the ransome of blood. Heb. 9.28.
