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

Ἐν τίνι διαλλαγήσεται οὗτος τῷ κυρίω αὐτοῦ; οὐχὶ ἐν ταῖς κεφαλαῖς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκεί. v; 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,† 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." (1 Pet. i. 18, 19.)‡

Δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὑτοῦ 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. Θρέπτρα τὰ θρεπτήρια, ὥσπερ λύτρα τὰ λυτήρια. Eustath. Λέγει δὲ Θρέπτρα (ita leg.) τὰ τροφεῖα ἐκ τοῦ θρεπτήρια κατὰ συγκοπήν· ὡς λυτήρια λύτρα, σωτήρια σῶστρα. Iliad. A. 478. Aúrgov igitur quicquid datur ut quis solvatur. Ἐπὶ αἰχμαλώτων ἐξωνέσεως οἰκεῖον τὸ λύεσθαι· ὅθεν καὶ λύτρα τὰ δῶρα λέγονται τὰ εἰς τοῦτο διδόμενα Eusta thius upon that of Homer, Il. A. 13. Auσόμενός 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 Aurgov, 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, καὶ ἀπελύθη. Εtym. 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 λύτρον, for λύτρον is τὸ διδόμενον, and ἀντὶ πολλῶν, for it is given ἀντὶ ἀνθρώπων, as that city was called, "Αντανδρος· ήγουν ἀντὶ ἀνδρὸς δεδομένη. And therefore, 1 Tim. ii. 6. it is said, 'O Soùs aurov ävtíkutpov ὑπὲρ πάντων.

f Hesychius: Λύτρων, τίμημα.

This is sufficiently expressed by two words, each of them fully significative of a price the first simple, which is dygá(v, the second in composition, itay(v. That the word ayegá?ew 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. Tòv ȧyogásavra αὐτοὺς δεσπότην ἀρνούμενος 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 ἐστὲ ἑαυτῶν, ἀγοράσθητε γὰρ τι ne, Vulg. non estis vestri, empti enim estis pretio magno: and 1 Cor. vii. 23. T 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. öri kopáync, xai 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 gayopasμis is proper redemption, or λurpis, upon a proper price, though not silver or gold, yet as proper as silver and gold, and far beyond them

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

As λúrgov 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 Aúrga. 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: Kpiτῶνι δὲ Καρχηδονίῳ, καὶ τούτῳ τὰ λύτρα ἀφίσ n. 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

that punishment might be taken off. As for other less and more ordinary sins, there were sacrifices appointed for them; and when those sacrifices were offered and accepted, God was appeased, and the offences were released. Whatsoever else we read of sins forgiven under the Law, was of some special divine indulgence, more than was promised by Moses, though not more than was promulgated unto the people, in the name and of the nature of God, so far as something of the Gospel was mingled with the Law.

As

Now as to the atonement made by the sacrifices, it clearly had relation to the death of the Messias; and whatsoever virtue was in them did operate through his death alone. he was the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," (Rev. xiii. 8.) so all atonements which were ever made, were only effectual by his blood. But though no sin was ever forgiven, but by virtue of that satisfaction; though God was never reconciled unto any sinner but by intuition of that propitiation; yet the general doctrine of remission of sins was never clearly revealed,* and publicly preached to all nations, till the coming of the Saviour of the world, whose name was therefore called Jesus, because he was to save his people from their sins." (Matt. i. 21.)

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Being therefore we are assured that the preaching remission of sins belongeth not only certainly, but in some sense peculiarly, to the Church of Christ, it will be next considerable how this remission is conferred upon any person in the Church.

For a full satisfaction in this particular, two things are very observable; one relating to the initiation, the other concerning the continuation, of a Christian. For the first of these, it is the most general and irrefragable assertion of all, to whom we have reason to give credit, that all sins whatsoever any person is guilty of, are remitted in the baptism of the same person. For the second, it is as certain that all sins committed by any person after baptism are remissible; and the person committing those sins shall receive forgiveness upon true repentance, at any time, according to the Gospel.

First, It is certain, that forgiveness of sins was promised to all who were baptized in the name of Christ; and it cannot be doubted but all persons who did perform all things necessary to the receiving the ordinance of baptism, did also receive the benefit of that ordinance, which is remission of sins. "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." (Mark i. 4.) And St. Peter made this the exhortation of his first sermon, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." (Acts ii. 38.) In vain doth doubting and

Lex peccatorum nescit remissionem ; lex mysterium non habet quo occulta purgantur: et ideo quod in lege minus est, consummatur in Evangelio.' S. Ambros. in Lucam, 1. vi. c. 7.