A89732:733
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.
We must needs look at that as a piece of the mystery of darkness which hath no other strength but in imagination, and that only whilst it is not understood, but when understood becomes just nothing. The Father of Popery proveth a known Impostor, ⟨p. 156⟩if men once speak in the mother tongue; Popery liveth no longer then it speaks Latin to plain people.
We must needs look at that as a piece of the mystery of darknesse which hath no other strength but in imagination, and that only whilest it is not understood, but when understood becomes just nothing. The Father of Popery proveth a known Impostor, ⟨p. 156⟩if men once speak in the mother tongue; Popery liveth no longer then it speaks Latine to plain people.
Dialogu. So then I may well conclude that the death of Christ was a Mediatorial sacrifice of atonement, because it was the act of the Mediator in both his natures, in his humane nature he was the Lamb of God without spot, and in his Divine nature he was the Priest to offer up his humane nature to God as a Mediatorial sacrifice of atonement for the full Redemption of all the Elect.
Dialogu. So then I may well conclude that the death of Christ was a Mediatorial sacrifice of atonement, because it was the act of the Mediatour in both his natures, in his humane nature he was the Lamb of God without spot, and in his Divine nature he was the Priest to offer up his humane nature to God as a Mediatorial sacrifice of atonement for the full Redemption of all the Elect.
Answ. It is an inviolable rule in disputation, that the conclusion should run in the formal terms of the question. The question therefore being whether the natural death of Christ without his suffering the wrath of God was a sufficient Mediatorly sacrifice of atonement (other inferior acts done by him as God-man included) the Conclusion should have proceeded thus: The natural death of Christ without his suffering of the wrath of God, was a sufficient Mediatorly sacrifice of atonement. The weakness and fallaciousness of which conclusion deduced from the annexed reason, viz. because it was the act of the Mediator in both natures, immediately discovereth it self unto him who seeth herein the Dialogues usual fallacy of putting that which is not a cause for a cause, since not only the eminency of the Person, but also the kind of obedience and acceptation of God are required as essential to Mediatorly obedience.