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of the
CHRIST and his CHURCH by James Relly
1759 For as the Body is
one, and hath many Members, and all the Members of that one Body being many, are
one Body: So also is Christ. I Cor. xii. 12. London, Printed. Providence:
Re-printed and Sold by John Carter, at the Post-Office, near the State-House.
1782.
I would now
consider the objections generally made unto the grace of Union, and endeavour to
give them satisfactory answers.
The old trite objection of its tending unto licentiousness leads the way, saying, if Union with Christ is the ground of our acceptance with God, and our security in his favour, then the doctrine of rewards and punishments is overthrown, and man hath nothing left to stimulate him to virtue.
But the obedience
of fear is diametrically opposite unto the obedience of faith: The former has
its rite and maintenance from a lie, from that habit and principle which makes
God a liar, by not believing the record which he hath given of his Son; but the
latter springs from a belief of the truth, from a full persuasion of the love of
God, and of his being reconciled in Christ Jesus.
The former is doing evil, that good may come: For where the fear of
punishment is judged necessary to obedience, unbelief is established, and
authority given to crucify the Son of God afresh, and to put him to open shame,
to trample his blood under foot, and count it an unholy thing; for all this
is tacitly taught, in the fear of punishment as necessary unto obedience; and
yet this manifest antichristian policy is generally taught by those conscience
directors, who seek themselves, and not Christ Jesus the Lord: They very well
know that ignorance, unbelief and fear, are the nerves of implicit obedience
unto their doctrines and traditions.
But that such an obedience is far from being compsensate for the despite
done thereby to the spirit of grace, and dishonor to the crucified one, they
shall sooner or later know, when all their works shall be burnt up, and they
shall suffer loss. But the
obedience of faith is genuine, free from artifice, without fear, dependent on
the perfect amity of God; yea consists in a constant persuasion of and rejoicing
in this truth, that Jesus Christ the Son of God died upon a cross, and rose
again from the dead, having thereby justified us from every charge once brought
against us, and sanctified us us from all out pollutions: To submit unto this,
to have the conscience purified through the view and belief of this, yea to have
every thought brought in captivity unto this, is the true obedience of faith.
And this is so far from being urged by fear, that fear would annihilate
it . And so far from having and eye
to the reward, that it answers unto that charity which seeketh not its own; but
says, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee; or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
&c. Therefore that the grace
of Union with Christ, and salvation in him, overturneth the doctrine of rewards
and punishments, as that which influenceth our lives, it is a truth; but then it
only overturns what the scriptures explode, and what reason confesseth mean and
selfish, and not the generous disinterested service of love which it declares
worthy of the divine Being, and becoming the dignity of man.
Object. But doth not the Scriptures rather establish the doctrine of
rewards and punishments, as that which excites to choose the good, and refuse
the evil? Is not this their express
language, say ye to the righteous it shall be well with him, for they shall
eat the fruit of their doings; woe unto the wicked, it shall be ill with him,
for the reward of his hands shall be given him? (Isaiah III. 10, 11) With
many other texts of like import.
Answ. Unto the right understanding of the Scriptures, it is
necessary to know that they consist of two parts, letter and spirit, or law and
gospel; now the letter (or the law) killeth, saith the Apostle — but the spirit
(or the gospel) giveth life. And as
this is needful to be known, so it is also that we should be able to distinguish
one from the other; else how doth it appear that we rightly divine the word of
life? If the gospel be considered
as God's good sayings, or glad tidings to mankind, we need only consider briefly
that state and condition of man, and then what may with any propriety be called
glad tidings unto one thus circumstanced, will easily appear.
Man is a fallen creature, who breaking the law of his God, incurred the
penalty of eternal death; and is so far from having ability to extricate
himself, that all the imaginations and thoughts of his heart are continually
evil, without wisdom, without strength, there being none righteous, no not one;
all being shut up and concluded under sin, they have neither power to will nor
to do. Now what can be called glad
tidings unto a creature in this condition?
Surely nothing short of that which tells him all is given, and that
freely, without condition on his part, because he can perform none; without
money and without price, because he hath naught wherewith to purchase; and that
the grace which redresseth all his grievances, and replenished him with all
good, is given him in Christ Jesus, who hath brought this life and all
immortality to light by the gospel, by his birth, life, sufferings, death and
resurrection; confirming all his blessing and glory unto his Church by the grace
of Union: This appears to be the gospel of glad tidings, and is a doctrine with
which the scriptures abound.
The law is
considered as the very opposite of this; consisting of commands to fulfil its
precepts on pain of damnation, of threatenings and curses against all who offend
it though but in one point, and never makes any promises of happiness unto
mankind but upon the condition of perfect obedience, which is always implied
(though not expressed) in every requisite, yea even the most minute, entitling
to the inheritance of the promise. The doctrine of rewards and punishments is indeed contained
in the law, but then it rewards none but such who fulfil every jot and tittle
thereof; and curseth every one who cotninueth not to do all that is written in
the book thereof.
The gospel gives
us all, without requiring ought of us. But the law, giving us nothing, requires all of us.
And this distinguishing them in our scriptures, we appeal from the law
unto the gospel: Our authority for so doing is founded on what follows —
whatsoever the law saith, it saith unto them that are under it; but Jesus was
made of a woman, made under the law, therefore the law speaks unto him, and
commands him to perfect obedience.
But the law can only curse the sinner; God sent his Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, he was made sin for us, Christ hath delivered us from the curse of
the law, being made a curse for us: The equity of which proceeding appears from
the Union subsisting between Christ and his Church, of which I have sufficiently
spoken. And thus, considering the whole law fulfilled in Jesus, its
precepts obeyed, its penalties endured, he now inherits the promise; and
apprehending ourselves to him, united unto him through all his doings and
sufferings, his condition and state is ours.
And thus standing in him, we can indeed read the law, or the doctrine of
rewards and punishments, without fear, becauase the punishment, yea all the
threatenings in the book of God, have been executed upon us (as sinners and
law-breakers) in him. Hence it is
we dare not read the demans of the law unto ourselves, as distinct or separate
from the view of our Union and our oneness with him, because we cannot answer
them; it being only designed as a ministration of death to slay us to ourselves,
and to make us dependent on him.
Nor dare we read any one threatening in the scriptures against the sinner and
ungodly unto ourselves out of him, because we cannot endure it.
And to imagine from any worthiness in ourselves, that we come not under
those characters which the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against, and
which are so dreadfully threatened in the word, is to be most wretchedly
ignorant of the spirituality of God's law, and consequently of the condition of
human nature for where the holiness of law is known, it will appear that there
is not one obnoxious character in the scriptures which (according to the purity
of the law) doth not belong to all makind:
Nor can the most upright amongst men in justice deny its belonging unto
them. Therefore our exemption from such characters, and from the
punishment due unto then, is only by Union with Christ, where his character is
upon us before the Father. And
according to the consciousness we have of our salvation state standing here, we
are free from the fear of present or future punishment; having seen the end of
it in Christ Jesus, and therefore are no longer to be influenced thereby.
And as to the promised reward, the promises were made unto Abraham, and
to his seed; which seed (according to the Apostle) is Christ.
It is also to be observed, that previous unto inheriting the promise,
there must be a fulfilling of the law, to make it appear that the promises of
God are not against the law. Where
the promises in general speak unto man, it is unto him as willing, obedient,
repentant, fearing the Lord, believing, &c.
every which characterism amounts unto what the law demands of man, viz.
satisfaction for its dishonor, received by sin that is past, and perfect
obedience unto its precepts for the future.
And although those requisites are not expressly mentioned in every
promise, they are nevertheless implied, otherwise the promises of God would be
against the law, which God forbids.
Now if the promise only rewards the man whom the law approves of as holy, just
and true, it is easy to perceive that Jesus only is the man: For all the
promises of God in him are yea, and in him amen.
(2 Cor. i. 20.) Therefore the rewards are his; he as the head is crowned
with glory, honor, and immortality; whilst every member, by Union with the head,
partakes of his honors: Whereas to expect reward for the work of our own hands,
would be to set up for ourselves, to act independent of our head, and to refuse
him the pre-eminence in all things:
But when we give him this, we are neither influenced by the fear of punishment
or hope of reward, but by our head, Christ alone, our hearts are in his hand,
and committing ourselves with all our concerns unto him, we permit him to guide
us, and are passive with him. And
certain it is, the more we are delivered from that religion which consists in
self-seeking, the less injurious we are in this present world.
Object.
Doth not your description of the peson unto whom the promises belong, make
salvation conditional, by asserting that the promise rewards none, but such whom
the law approves of? This
contradicts the Apostles doctrine, by grace ye are saved.
Answ. That God is soverign I grant; but that he saves mankind from
meer sovereignty, or arbitrary grace, without having respect unto his law as a
transcript of his own perfections, I think I ought to deny: Because he hath
pledged his faithfulness and truth unto his law, that the transgressor should be
punished; and that it should be established rather than made void, by the faith
of the gospel: Whereas the law would be against such promises, as hath no
respect unto its justice and purity.
But the Lord is well pleased for his righteousness sake, he will
magnify the law, and make it honorable (Isaiah xlii. 21.)
Again, grace without truth, or salvation without respecting the purity
and justice of the law, would be to pour contempt upon the death and blood of
Jesus Christ our Lord, as not necessary unto salvation; and to make it either
meerly accidental, from the rage of his enemies, or at farthest exemplary only,
which supposition would overturn and invalidate the testimony of the scriptures
concerning his fulfilling all righteousness, enduring the curse of the law, and
washing us from our sins by his own blood.
Again, to suppose that makind are saved by any new law, consisting of
repentance, faith and new obedience, substituting sincerity in the stead of
perfection; I say, to suppose this, would be to make God changeable; first
giving a law as a rule of righteousness, and a standard whereby to know good and
evil, and in process of time giving another upon easier terms, which could not
be without a change in his perfections: His nature and perfections being the
original of every law given by him to mankind.
But I would not multiply words, to confute what hath not the least shadow
of reason or foundation in the scriptures: For Jesus says, think not that I
am come to destroy the law or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to
fulfil: For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one
tittle shall in no wise pass till all be fulfilled. (Mat. v. 17, 18.)
It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law
to fail. (Luke xvi. 17.) It is
evident that our Saviour means by this law, that which was given upon Sinai; nor
did he give any new commandment which was not included in that law, as appears
from his testimony elsewhere. But
when I assert that the promises are only fulfilled on such whom the law approves
of, and that Jesus only was the man thus approved of God, I consider him under
the capacity of the second Adam, including the people in himself, who by Union
with him inherit the blessing. And
though they can upon this consideration claim the forgiveness of sin as an act
of justice in God, yet are they saved by grace: Their election in Christ, their
Union with him, their eternal life, with all the blessings thereof, was God's
purpose and grace given them in Christ Jesus before the world began, according
to which grace they are saved.
Again, as it was grace that was founded, so was it grace that executed this plan
of salvation; we being passive in the hand of grace: When he washed us from our
sins in his own blood, when he created us anew, and presented us unto himself a
glorious church, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; we as in him being
in passivity, inactive and incapable of merit, makes that to be meer grace unto
as as individuals, which unto him, as including makind, was conditional.
Obect. The doctrine of Union with Christ (before faith) and the
salvation in him, tends to make faith or believing void; because, if I am united
unto Christ, justified, forgiven, and accepted in him before I believe, where is
the necessity of believing at all?
Answ. To build without a foundation, is to labor in vain.
How shall they believe, except they hear?
Saith the Apostle: And what shall they hear, if the truth to be believed
hath no existence until it be believed?
but having spoken unto this under the articel of Union before faith, I
wave it here.
I would only ask,
is it from the belief of our Union with Christ, and salvation in him, or from
the disbelief thereof, that occasion is taken to live in unbelief, and believing
counted unnecessary? Not the latter
according to the objection, because to disbelieve a falsehood is negative
orthodoxy; and to say it is from the former is the most palpable contradiction,
because whosoever believeth that, believeth what the gospel proposes to be
believed, therefore the objection of course falls unto the ground.
Every man
proposing a system unto his fellow creatures, doth it with a view that they
should believe it, be it true or false; so also, when Union with Christ, and
salvation in him before they apprehend him, is taught the people, is it not with
a view that they should believe it, and believing rejoice with joy unspeakable
and full of glory? It certainly is;
and therefore is not designed to keep them in unbelief.
Again, it is the word of God whereby faith comes; the declaration, even
unto unbelievers, of their warfare accomplished, and their iniquities pardoned,
as well attested in the scriptures, hath certainly a more genuine tendency to
produce faith and confidence in God, than to tell them if they will believe &c.
they shall be justified, their sins be expiated and forgiven.
However smoothly and artfully this may be worded, it is impossible to
free it from the idea of condition, and what is yet worse, such a condition as
man hath neither wisdom, will nor power to fulfil, yea it is still in effect to
preach the law. Believe and thou
shall be saved, is certainly familiar unto do this and live; Man
himself being as capable of doing one as the other.
When mankind are taught that their eternal salvation depends upon
believing (and what is yet more strange, believing a matter which is not fact
until believed) it is natural for every man, whose conscience is alarmed to
attempt it; but the more he endeavours the farther he is off, like rowing
against a violent stream: the dread of coming short through unbelief, and his
weakness and utter incapacity to believe, rushes upon him like a torrent, bears
him back with violence, until discouraged and enervated he sinks overwhelmed
with fear and bondage. Indeed where
believing is only respected as a bare assent unto a proposition, mankind may
with some shadow of reason talk of their abilities, and of the easiness of their
condition, pretending that it is an instance of the richest, freest grace, where
salvation is promised upon believing.
But it is not always practicable with a mind that is in earnest, to
assent unto a human proposition without demonstration; much less respecting
divine things, because the difficulty in believing increases in proportion to
the magnitude and concernment of the matter believed, which difficulty is owing
unto the propensity of human nature, to an evil heart of unbelief, unto the
remoteness of heavenly things from our natural ideas, and their contrariety unto
our senses. Believe and thou shalt
be saved (equal to any other law-precept) when enforced upon the mind of man,
generating with his weakness, begets unbelief and fear, but never produceth
faith: That comes only by the word of life, that word which bringeth salvation,
which preaches peace by Jesus Christ, declaring him as made of God unto us,
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption, that whosoever glorieth
should glory in the Lord. The
belief of the truth cometh by hearing of its perfection, reality and
immutability, of our being saved in him with an everlasting salvation, of his
being such an high-priest as becometh us; in brief, our oneness with him, and
indisputable right from thence to consider ourselves according unto him, as our
head and husband. This whilst men
are not put upon believing, in order to save themselves, but are taught calmly
to hear the word that bringeth salvation, they, according to the power of the
Holy Ghost, either instantaneously or gradually credit the report, and
consequently enter into the belief of the truth, without their once attempting
to believe, or troubling or perplexing themselves about it.
Whilst such who are more concerned about their believing than the truth
of Christ, are distressed under the difficulty, yea the impossibility of their
performing it, when they have exerted themselves to the ustmost. Therefore as the doctrine of Union with Christ (before faith)
and salvation in him, appear in this light, viz. the word by which faith
cometh, nothing is more notorious than the unreasonableness of the objection
that it makes void faith.
Object. But doth not such an Union with Christ destroy his
pre-eminence, tending to exaly man, to the degrading of Christ?
Answ.
By no means, it rather establisheth his pre-eminence; where the people as the
members, by Union with him the head, are chosen, beloved, called, saved and
accepted of God. They receive no
honor, grace or blessing, but by him; and being apprised of this, he is all
their hope and salvation. They look
unto the Father by him, nor dare they at any time approach him, but in him.
He hath done all, suffered all, and obtained all.
But the glory which he hath received he freely gives unto them; whilst
they confess him their head and Saviour, and as such they honor him, and
eternally give him praise. Christ
in his office capacity answers unto the idea of the human body, which being one,
is composed of many members: The church being his body, is composed of many
people, of which he himself is a member, viz., the head, the pre-eminent
and most highly exalted, upon whom all the members are dependent for honor — the
head only wearing the crown; for unction, the head only was anointed; for all
blessings, the head only receives them immediately from God, being always the
medium between him and the body, and appointed to guide, influence and nourish
it. Every member brings its tribute
whilst the head is not ashamed to call them brethren.
The more highly they perceive themselves exalted, the more glorious end
eminent the head appears before them; forasmuch as through all exaltations, in
time and eternity, a just and proportionable distinction is kept up and
maintained between the head and members, in dignity, beauty and glory, and this
all the members must know, when influenced by their head, therefore the doctrine
of Union with Christ doth not destroy his pre-eminence, nor exalt mankind unto
his dishonor.
Object.
But doth not the doctrine of Union, which supposes Christ to suffer under the
character of the sinner, contradict the Apostle?
who saith, Christ also hath once suffered for sin, the just for the
unjust . (1 Pet. iii. 18.)
Answ. To intimate that Jesus was a sinner, in thought, word, or
deed, is what I never intended, but would abhor the thought as highly
blasphemous; nay the prince of this world, when he came, having nothing in him,
was therefore constrained to appear in visible form, and tempt him by his
outward senses. He was holy,
harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, made higher than the heavens;
this was his proper, personal, individual character, and in this sense the
Apostle is to be understood speaking, when he saith the just died for the
unjust. But then we are told by
another Apostle, that he (viz. God) hath made him sin for us,
who knew not sin; (2 Cor. v. 21.)
from which it appears that he, who in his individual character was
sinless, was yet notwithstanding as the head and representative of the Church
made sin, yea made a curse for us; and under that character to man's offence.
And this accounting of him as a sinner, in the eye of justice, as it was
equitable, so it was not from any personal guile, for he knew no sin; but from
his Union unto the sinful people, which rendered the punishment of their sin
upon him an act of divine and strict justice.
Thus it appears that the doctrine of Union, which represents Jesus
suffering under the character of the sinner, doth not suppose him such in his
own particular person; nay strongly witnesseth the contrary, and respects him
only thus by such an imputation as (considered on the article on Union) is just
and true, with God and man.
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UNION
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