Testament (or Covenant), which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matt. xxvi. 28.) "In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace." (Eph. i. 7.)

In which deduction or series of truths, we may easily perceive that the forgiveness of sins which is promised unto us, which we upon that promise do believe, containeth in it a reconciliation of an offended God, and a satisfaction unto a just God it containeth a reconciliation, as without which God cannot be conceived to remit; it comprehendeth a satisfaction, as without which God was resolved not to be reconciled.

For the first of these, we may be assured of forgiveness of sins, because Christ by his death hath reconciled God unto us, who was offended by our sins; and that he hath done so, we are assured, because he which before was angry with us, upon the consideration of Christ's death, becomes propitious unto us, and did ordain Christ's death to be a propitiation for us. For we are "justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood." (Rom. iii. 24, 25.) “We have an advocate with the Father, and he is the propitiation for our sins." (1 John ii. 1.) For God "loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins." (Ibid. iv. 10.) It is evident therefore that Christ did render God propitious unto us by his blood (that is, his sufferings unto death), who before was offended with us for our sins. And this propitiation amounted to a reconciliation, that is, a kindness after wrath. We must conceive that God was angry with mankind before he determined to give our Saviour; we cannot imagine that God who is essentially just, should not abominate iniquity. The first affection we can conceive in him upon the lapse of man, is wrath and indignation. God therefore was most certainly offended before he gave a Redeemer; and though it be most true, that he "so loved the world that he gave his onlybegotten Son" (John iii. 16.) yet there is no incongruity in this, that a father should be offended with that son which he loveth, and at that time offended with him when he loveth him. Notwithstanding therefore that God loved men whom he created, yet he was offended with them when they sinned, and gave his Son to suffer for them, that through that Son's obedience he might be reconciled to them.

This reconciliation is clearly delivered in the Scriptures as wrought by Christ; for "all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ;" (2 Cor. v. 18.) and that by virtue of his death, for "when we were enemies, we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son," (Rom. v. 10.) "making peace through the blood of his cross, and by him reconciling all things unto himself." (Col. i. 20.) In vain it is objected that the Scripture saith our Saviour reconciled men

to God, but no where teacheth that he reconciled God to man; for in the language of Scripture, to reconcile a man to God, is in our vulgar language to reconcile God to man, that is, to cause him who before was angry and offended with him to be gracious and propitious to him. As the princes of the Philistines spake of David, "Wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men ?" (1 Sam. xxix. 4.)* Wherewith shall he reconcile Saul who is so highly offended with him, wherewith shall he render him gracious and favourable, but by betraying these men unto him? As our Saviour adviseth, "If thou bring thy gift before the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother," (Matt. v. 23, 24.)+ that is, reconcile thy brother to thyself, whom thou hast injured, render him by thy submission favourable unto thee, who hath something against thee, and is offended at thee. As the apostle adviseth the wife that "departeth from her husband, to remain unmarried, or to be reconciled to her husband," (1 Cor. vii. 11.) that is, to appease and get the favour of her husband. In the like manner we are said to be reconciled unto God, when God is reconciled, appeased, and become gracious and favourable unto us; and Christ is said to reconcile us unto God, when he hath moved, and obtained of God to be reconciled unto us, when he hath appeased him and restored us unto his favour. Thus "when we were enemies we were reconciled to God," that is, notwithstanding he was offended with us for our sins, we were restored unto his favour" by the death of his Son." (Rom. v. 10.)

Whence appeareth the weakness of the Socinian exception, that in the Scriptures we are said to be reconciled unto God; but God is never said to be reconciled unto us. For by that very expression, it is to be understood, that he which is reconciled in the language of the Scriptures, is restored unto the favour of him who was formerly offended with that person which is now said to be reconciled. As when David was to be reconciled unto Saul, it was not that David should lay down his enmity against Saul, but that Saul should become propitious and favourable unto David: and therefore where the

* Εν τίνι διαλλαγήσεται οὗτος τῷ κυρίω αὐτοῦ ; οὐχὶ ἐν ταῖς κεφαλαῖς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκεί ; acceptum se reddet, ita se geret, ut Saul eum in gratiam recipere velit. + Πρῶτον διαλλάγηθι τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου.

Ad hæc vero quod nos Deo reconciliarit, quid affers? Primum, nusquam Scripturam asserere, Deum nobis a Christo reconciliatum, verum id tantum quod nos per Christum aut mortem ejus simus reconciliati, vel Deo reconciliati; ut ex omnibus locis, quæ de reconcilia

tione agunt, videre est.' Catech. Rac. c. 8. To this may be added the observation of Socinus: Ita communem ferre loquendi consuetudinem, ut scilicet is reconciliatus fuisse dicatur, per quem stabat, ne amicitia aut denuo exsisteret, aut conservaretur.' De Christo Servatore, p. 1. c. 8 Which observation is most false, as appeareth in the case of Saul and David, and in the person mentioned in the Gospel, who is commanded to be reconciled unto him whom he had offended, and who had something against him

'

language is, that David should be reconciled unto Saul, the sense is, that Saul, who was exasperated and angry, should be appeased and so reconciled unto David.

Nor is it any wonder God should be thus reconciled to sinners by the death of Christ, who "while we were yet sinners died for us," (Rom. v. 8.) because the punishment which Christ, who was our surety, endured, was a full satisfaction to the will and justice of God. "The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Matt. xx. 28.)* Now a ransom is a price given to redeem such as are in any way in captivity; any thing laid down by way of compensation to take off a bond or obligation, whereby he which before was bound becometh free. All sinners were obliged to undergo such punishments as are proportionate to their sins, and were by that obligation captivated and in bonds, and Christ did give his life a ransom for them, and that a proper ransom, if that his life were of any price, and given as such. For a ransom is properly nothing else but something of price given by way of redemption,t to buy or purchase that which is detained, or given for the releasing of that which is enthralled. But it is most evident that the life of Christ was laid down as a price; neither is it more certain that he died, than that he bought us: "Ye are bought with a price," saith the apostle, (1 Cor. vi. 20. vii. 23.) and it is the "Lord who bought us," (2 Pet. ii. 1.) and the price which he paid was his blood; for "we are not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ." (I Pet. i. 18, 19.)

Δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν. What is the true notion of λύτρον will easily appear, because both the origination and use of the word are sufficiently known. The origination is from λύειν solvere, to loose, λύτρον quasi λυτήριον. Etymol. Θρέτρα τὰ θρεπτήρια, ὥσπερ λύτρα τὰ λυτήρια. Εustath. Λέγει δὲ Θρέπτρα (ita leg.) τὰ τροφεῖα ἐκ τοῦ θρεπτήρια κατὰ συγκοπήν· ὡς λυτήρια λύτρα, σωτήρια σῶστρα. Iliad. A. 478. Aúrgo igitur quicquid datur ut quis solvatur. Ἐπὶ αἰχμαλώτων έξωνέσεως οἰκεῖον τὸ λύεσθαι· ὅθεν καὶ λύτρα τὰ δώρα λέγονται τὰ εἰς τοῦτο διδόμενα Eusta thius upon that of Homer, II. A. 13. Avσόμενός τε θύγατρα. It is properly spoken of such things as are given to redeem a captive, or recover a man into a free condition. Hesych. Πάντα τὰ διδόμενα εἰς ἀνάκτησιν ἀνθρώπων (so I read it, not ἀνάκλησιν). So that whatsoever is given for such a purpose, is Aurgo, and whatsoever is not given for such an end, deserveth not the name in Greek. As the city Antandrus was so called, because it was given in exchange for a man who was a captive. *Οτι Ασκάνιος αἰχμάλωτος ἐγένετο ὑπὸ Πε·

Now as it was the blood of

λασγῶν καὶ ἀντ ̓ αὐτοῦ τὴν πόλιν δέδωκε λύτρα, mal ámedúðn. Etym. So that there can be nothing more proper in the Greek language than the words of our Saviour, Δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν Δοῦναι λύτρων, for λύτρον ἐς τὸ διδόμενον, and ἀντὶ πολλῶν, for it is given ἀντὶ ἀνθρώπων, as that city was called, "Αντανδρος ήγουν árri árdgòg dedouin. And therefore, 1 Tim. ii. 6. it is said, Ὁ δοὺς ἑαυτὸν ἀντίλυτρον ὑπὲρ πάντων.

t Hesychius: Λύτρων, τίμημα.

This is sufficiently expressed by two words, each of them fully significative of a price: the first simple, which is ȧygáZe, the second in composition, igayoga(7. That the word ayat in the New Testament signifieth properly to buy, appeareth generally in the evangelists, and particularly in that place of the Revelations xiii. 17. ἵνα μή τις δύνηται ἀγοράσαι ἡ πωλῆσαι. In the same signification it is attributed undoubtedly unto Christ in respect of us, whom he is often said to have bought, as 2 Pet ii. 1. Tov dyegásarra αὐτοὺς δεσπότην ἀρνούμενο and this buying is expressed to be by a price, 1 Cor. vi

Christ, so it was a price given by way of compensation: and as that blood was precious, so was it a full and perfect satisfaction. For as the gravity of the offence and iniquity of the sin is augmented, and increaseth, according to the dignity of the person offended and injured by it; so the value, price, and dignity of that which is given by way of compensation, is raised according to the dignity of the person making the satisfaction. God is of infinite majesty, against whom we have sinned; and Christ is of the same Divinity, who gave his life a ransom for sinners: for God "hath purchased his Church with his own blood." (Acts xx. 28.) Although therefore God be, said to remit our sins by which we were captivated, yet he is never said to remit the price without which we had never been redeemed:* neither can he be said to have remitted it, because he did require it and receive it.

If then we consider together, on our side the nature and obligation of sin, in Christ the satisfaction made and reconciliation wrought, we shall easily perceive how God forgiveth sins, and in what remission of them consisteth. Man being in all conditions under some law of God, who hath sovereign power and dominion over him, and therefore owing absolute obedience to that law, whensoever any way he transgresseth that law, or deviateth from that rule, he becomes thereby a sinner, and contracteth a guilt which is an obligation to endure a punishment proportionable to his offence; and God who is the Lawgiver and Sovereign, becoming now the party wronged and offended, hath a most just right to punish man as an offender. But Christ taking upon him the nature of man, and offering himself a sacrifice for sin, giveth that unto God for and instead of the eternal death of man, which is more valuable and acceptable to God than that death could be, and so maketh a sufficient compensation and full satisfaction for the sins of man: which God accepting, becometh reconciled unto us, and, for the punishment which Christ endured, taketh off our obligation to eternal punishment.

19, 20. οὐκ ἐστὶ ἑαυτῶν, ἡγοράσθητε γὰρ τις μs, Vulg. non estis vestri, empti enim estis pretio magno: and 1 Cor. vii. 23. Tune Αγοράσθητε, μὴ γίνεσθε δοῦλοι ἀνθρώπων. What this price was is also evident, for the τιμὴ was the τίμιον αἷμα the precious blood of Christ, or the blood given by way of price, Rev. v. 9. öтi iopáyng, xaì nyópaσας τῷ Θεῷ ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου. Which will appear more fully by the compound ποτά ἐξαγοράζω, Gal. iii. 13. Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξηγόρασεν ἐκ τῆς κατάρας τοῦ νόμου, γενόμενος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατάρα" and Gal. iv. 4, 5. γενόμενον ὑπὸ νόμον, ἵνα τοὺς ὑπὸ νόμον ἐξαγοράσῃ. Now this itayopasμic is proper redemption, or λúrporis, upon a proper price, though not silver or gold, yet as proper as silver and gold, and far beyond them

both : Οὐ φθαρτοῖς, ἀργυρίῳ ἢ χρυσίῳ, ἐλυτρώθητε ἐκ τῆς ματαίας ὑμῶν ἀναστροφῆς παρ τροπαραδότου, ἀλλὰ τιμίῳ αἵματι ὡς ἀμνοῦ ἀμώμου καὶ ἀσπίλου, Χριστοῦ. 1 Pet. i. 18,19.

* As λύτρον is a certain price given or promised for liberty, so ἀφιέναι λύτρον is to remit the price set upon the head of a man, or promised for him; as we read in the Testament of Lycon the philosopher: Δημητρίῳ μὲν ἐλευθέρω πάλαι ὄντι ἀφίημι τὰ Aurga. Demetrius had been his servant, and he had set him free upon a certain price which he had engaged himself to pay for that liberty; the sum which Demetrius was thus bound to pay, Lycon at his death remits, as also to Criton: Kpi τωνι δὲ Καρχηδονίῳ, καὶ τούτῳ τὰ λύτρα ἀφίσ nu. Diog. Laert. in Vit. ad fin.

Thus man who violated, by sinning, the law of God, and by that violation offended God, and was thereby obliged to undergo the punishment due unto the sin, and to be inflicted by the wrath of God, is, by the price of the most precious blood of Christ, given and accepted in full compensation and satisfaction for the punishment which was due, restored unto the favour of God, who being thus satisfied, and upon such satisfaction reconciled, is faithful and just to take off all obligation unto punishment from the sinner; and in this act of God consisteth the forgiveness of sins, which is sufficient for the first part of the explication of this Article, as being designed for nothing else but to declare what is the true notion of remission of sins, in what that action doth consist.

The second part of the explication, taking notice not only of the substance, but also of the order of the Article, observing the immediate connexion of it with the holy Church, and the relation which in the opinion of the ancients it hath unto it, will endeavour to instruct us how this great privilege of forgiveness of sins is propounded in the Church, how it may be procured and obtained by the members of the Church.

At the same time when our Saviour sent the apostles to gather a Church unto him, he foretold that "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem;" (Luke xxiv. 47.) and when the Church was first constituted, they thus exhorted those whom they desired to come into it, "Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out;" (Acts iii. 19.) and, "Be it known unto you that through this man is preached unto you forgiveness of sins." (Acts xiii. 38.) From whence it appeareth, that the Jews and Gentiles were invited to the Church of Christ, that they might therein.receive remission of sins; that the doctrine of remission of all sins propounded and preached to all men, was proper and peculiar to the Gospel, which teacheth us that by Christ "all that believe are justified from all things, from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Ibid. 39.) Therefore John the Baptist, who went "before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, gave knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins." (Luke i. 76, 77.)

This, as it was preached by the apostles at the first gathering of the Church of Christ, I call proper and peculiar to the Gospel, because the same doctrine was not so propounded by the Law. For if we consider the Law itself strictly and under the bare notion of a law, it promised life only upon perfect, absolute, and uninterrupted obedience; the voice thereof was only this, 'Do this and live.' Some of the greater sins nominated and specified in the Law, had annexed unto them the sentence of death, and that sentence irreversible; nor was there any other way or means left in the Law of Moses, by which