A89732:578
A discussion of that great point in divinity, the sufferings of Christ; and the…
A discussion of that great point in divinity, the sufferings of Christ; and the question about his righteousness active, passive : and the imputation thereof. Being an answer to a dialogue entitled The meritorious price of redemption, justification, &c. / By John Norton teacher of the church at Ipswich in New-England. Who was appointed to draw up this answer by the general court.A discussion of that great point in divinity, the sufferings of Christ; and the question about his righteousnesse active, passive : and the imputation thereof. Being an answer to a dialogue intituled The meritorious price of redemption, justification, &c. / By John Norton teacher of the church at Ipswich in New-England. Who was appointed to draw up this answer by the generall court.
London: printed by A.M. for Geo. Calvert, 1653
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Answ. Except the Dialogue had laid a better foundation for the disproving of Christs suffering the penal wrath of God flowing from the curse as such, without any consideration of the condition of the Patient, that is the essential punishment, then such a description as disproveth only his suffering of the circumstantial part of the punishment, these vain and reasonless interrogatories, as so many triumphs before the victory might well have been spared.
Answ. Except the Dialogue had laid a better foundation for the disproving of Christs suffering the paenal wrath of God flowing from the curse as such, without any consideration of the condition of the Patient, that is the essentiall punishment, then such a description as disproveth only his suffering of the circumstantiall part of the punishment, these vain and reasonlesse interrogatories, as so many triumphs before the victory might well have been spared.
There are that deny that the damned sin, whom though I see not why to consent unto therein, yet it concerned such a Questionist (though that being done, his work had still been to do) to have satisfied their objections by the way. The sinful qualities ⟨p. 118⟩of the damned proceed not from hell-torments as an effect from the cause;1 the torments of hell are an effect and execution of justice, whereof God is the Author; sinful qualities are a defect not an effect; therefore have a deficient not an efficient cause, therefore of them God cannot be the Author: to to say the contrary, were to say, God is the Author of sin, which is high blasphemy: Sinful qualities are of the circumstantial not of the substantial part of punishment, which is manifest. 1. Because God is the Author of punishment essentially, but he is not the author of sin. 2. Christ suffered the essential punishment, but was without sin. 3. The Elect sin, yet suffer not the punishment due to sin, otherwise they should be both elected and not elected, and in the conclusion both saved and damned.