REMARKS ON A PAPER Sent by some Eminent Presbyterians TO THE CONGREGATIONAL, As an Expedient for PEACE.  
LONDON: Printed for Nath. Hiller at the princes Arms in Leaden-Hall-Street, over against St. Mary Axe, 1697.   

REMARKS on the Expedient for PEACE.  
THAT the Paper sent by some of the most Eminent Presbyterian Brethren unto the Congregational, as an Expedient for the Healing the Breach amongst us, and with much Gladness embraced by them, is Published, doth greatly refresh us: I will therefore Insert this Healing Paper, and make my Remarks on it.  

The Healing Paper.  
WHereas some unhappy Differences have arisen amongst us principally about the Doctrine of Justification, occasioned by a Book, Written by Mr. Williams, entitled, Gospel Truth Stated and Vindicated, to which some of our Names were prefixed, and against which several Exceptions were made by Mr. Griffith, Mr. coal, Mr. madder, Mr. Chauncey, Mr. trail, and Mr. Richard tailor, which if continued amongst the Ministers of Christ, may be much to the Dishonour of God, and Danger to the Souls of Men.  
For the Composing whereof, as we formerly expressed our Approbation of the Doctrinal Articles of the Church of England, or the Confession of Faith, Compiled by the Assembly at Westminster, or that at the Savoy, as agreeable to the Word of God, unto that Approbation we still adhere: Declaring further, That if any of us shall at any Time hereafter be apprehended to have expressed himself disagreeing thereunto; we will with Brotherly Candour and Kindness, mutually endeavour to give, and receive just Satisfaction herein: Bearing with one anothers Infirmities, and different Sentiments about Logical, or Philosophical Terms, or merely human Forms of Speech, in Matters of lesser Weight: Not thinking it reasonable or just to Charge upon any Brother such Consequences of any Expression, or Opinion of his, which he himself shall Disown.  
And We do further Declare, with respect to the special Matters in Difference amongst us; that, Altho Regeneration, Repentance towards God, Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and Holy Conversation, are by God's express Word manifestly necessary to the Salvation of a Sinner; yet, that none of these, or any Work done by Men, or wrought by the Spirit of God in them, is under the Notion of Subordination, or under any Denomination whatsoever, any Part of that Righteousness for the sake, or on the account whereof God doth Pardon, justify, or accept Sinners, or entitle them to Eternal Life; that being only the Righteousness of Jesus Christ without them, Imputed unto them, and Received by Faith alone.  
And whereas, in the above mentioned Book it is said, [ There is no Change of Person betwixt Christ and Behevers]( page. 37, 40, 41.) which the Learned H. Grotius, and the Reverend Dr. Stillingfleet, now Bishop of Worcester, do not only Assert, but Irrefragably Prove, in Concurrence with the Common Sentiment of Protestants; in as much as we conceive the Doctrine of Justification, and of Christ's Satisfaction, on which it depends, cannot be duly Explained and Defended, consistently with the Denial of any Commutation of Persons between Christ and Believers.  
We do therefore Declare our Disallowance of that Proposition in the general Sense thereof, giving our Sense thus. That as it is Apparent, this cannot be a Physical Change, by which Christ and Believers do in Substance become one another: Nor again a Moral Change, whereby Christ should become inherently sinful, and Believers become immediately thereby Innocent, and Sinless: So, we doubt not, there is a Commutation of Persons in a Legal Sense, Christ by Consent between the Father, and Him, Putting on the Person, and coming into the Room, and Stead of Sinners; not to Repent, or Believe for them, which the Gospel requires( tho He hath undertaken the Elect shall in due time be enabled hereunto) but to Answer for them the Obligations of the violated Law of Works, being made Sin for them, tho He knew no Sin, that they might be made the Righteousness of God in Him, 2 Cor. 5.21. And what is contrary hereunto, we Judge Erroneous and False.  
And as there is a Change of Persons betwixt Christ and Believers, so the guilt of our Iniquities being laid upon Christ, the Father was displeased with him. Not that He was ever moved to any Passion against Him, which in the General, the Perfection of the Divine Nature admits not, on any account whatsoever; nor that he was in any Sense offended with him, much less abhorred him, considered as He was in himself, for so he was most perfectly sinless; but considered in Relation to us, as our Surety, bearing our Sins in his own Body; so, if by Displeasure, or Wrath, be only meant[ a Dispassionate Will to Punish] the Lord Christ did Feel, and Bear the Displeasure of God, and the weight of his Wrath, in the Punishment of our Sins, transferred upon Him; for it pleased the Father to bruise Him, having laid upon Him the Iniquities of us all. And we do further Declare, That whosoever shall be found to express themselves in their Preachings or Writings agreeably hereto, and the mentioned Articles, and Confessions, we shall esteem them to deliver the Sincere Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And it shall be remote from us to oppose, or reflect upon: But we shall to our utmost encourage and give Countenance to one anothers Ministry herein.  
If therefore Mr. Williams shall concur with us in what we have declared touching the Doctrine of Justification, and in the Sense we have given of a change of Persons between Christ and Believers, and of Christ's enduring the displeasure of the Father for our sins; and shall give satisfaction about any thing else that any Brother excepts against in the rest of his Writings, agreeably to the abovesaid Articles and Confessions, We shall so far acquiesce therein, as not to make them the matter of further public Contest or Alteration amongst ourselves.   

The REMARKS.  
§. I. We can now fully clear our London-Brethren from the Reproach cast on them, by the Author of the Reasonableness of Christianity, Pag. 303. a Socinian Writer.  
This Gentleman, in his Attempts to Reduce the indispensible and Necessary Articles of our Holy Religion unto the Faith of Hobbes and Mahomet, which is to Believe only, That Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, represents the other Articles, at least a great part of 'em, to be made up of such Speculations, Niceties, Obscure Terms, and Abstract Notions, as amaze the greatest part of Mankind: And that he might the more colourably Insinuate thus much, he directs his Readers to the Dissenters, Who( he saith) are supposed by their Teaches, to be more Accurately Instructed in Matters of Faith, and better to understand the Christian Religion, than the Vulgar Conformists— But I ask them, Whether One in Ten of those, who come to their Meetings in the country, if they had time to Study them, do, or can understand the Controversies at this time so warmly managed amongst them about Justification.— I have talked with some of their Teachers, who Confess themselves not to understand the Differences in Debate between them. And yet the Points they stand on, are reckoned of so great Weight, so Material, so Fundamental, that they divide Communion, and Separate upon them.  
This Character given of us, is not entertained only by the Gentleman's own Admirers, but by others, who are more sound in the Faith; whence it is, that we are considered as Men of so much Humour, and so little Knowledge, as to wrangle about we know not what, and make Divisions for Divisions sake. But this Charge being as False, as it is Injurious, 'tis now detected, the Points in controversy made manifest, and the Temper and Spirit of our Brethren evinced to be Benign and Peaceable, disposed to Accommodation upon a Generous and Christian Bottom, as appears by the Proposal, and Closure with this Orthodox and Healing Expedient. To which I add,  
§. II. That now, as we know what the controversy hath been about, so we see it is not about Trifles, or Matters of lesser Weight. It is about a Commutation of Persons between Christ, and Believers: A Point of so great Importance, that in the Improvement and Application of it, no small part of the Life, and Exercise of Faith doth consist. For, saith a Learned Doctor, Christ was made our Sin, and the Righteousness which God requireth by the Law is fulfilled in us, not by our doing it, but by His.— This is that blessed Change and Commutation, wherein alone the Soul of a Convinced Sinner can find Rest and Peace. 'twas the Belief of this Doctrine that filled Justin Martyr with so much Joy, when he said, God gave his Son a Ransom for us, the Holy for Transgressors, the Just for the Unjust. For what else could hid, or Cover our Sins, but his Righteousness: {αβγδ}. O sweet PERMUTATION, or CHANGE! O unsearchable Work, or Curious Operation! That the Iniquity of many should be hide in One Just One; and the Righteousness of One should justify many Transgressors. Dr. O. of Justifi. P. 40, 41, &c.  
This is that Doctrine the Lutherans, in Conjunction with the Calvinists, so earnestly pled for. This is what the Learned Doctors of the Church of England, in Defence of their Doctrinal Articles, writ for. This is what the Reverend Bishop of Worcester hath Defended, to the Confounding and Silencing the Socinians: This is what the Renowned Grotius, how much soever in other Instances Arminian; and his Abetter Vossius stuck to: This is what the Fathers Believed, the Apostles Preached, and what our Lord Christ himself Delivered, when He said, This is my Blood of the New Testament which is  shed For many; where the Particle [ For] signifieth a Commutation, or Change of Persons between Christ and us.  
In a word, this Commutation, or Change of Persons, is the Corner ston of the Doctrine of Christ's Satisfaction, the Belief of which is so necessary to Salvation. If no Change of Persons, there can be no Imputing our Sin, there can be no Transferring our Guilt to Christ, nor could Christ justly bear the proper Punishment due for our Sins, for which Reason the Socinianizing Arminians will not admit of a Change of Persons, except it be in Conjunction with a Change of the Sufferings from penal, to merely Afflictive. And to be consistent with themselves, they do hold, That our Sins were not the Meritorious, but Pro causa Meritoria of Christ's Sufferings; and that Christ's Sufferings were not properly penal, but only Improperly and Analogically a Punishment, being but 'vice Poenae, in the place and room of a proper Punishment, whence its impossible for Christ to make Satisfaction unto Punitive Justice.  
But, on the other hand, as the Learned Doctor Edwards hath very lately, in his Preservative against Socinianism, Part III. p. 80, 81. well observed. If there be a Permutation of Persons, then Christ must Suffer what otherwise would have lighted is on us, which was Death, and that Death was the Punishment of Sin. His Blood was  shed instead of ours; his Life went in Exchange for our Lives; And why was all this done, but to satisfy the Law, which threatened and required Punishment? and that Punishment He underwent in our stead, who were thereby freed from the Obligation to it. I am ashamed to use so many Words in so plain a case. And yet for all this the Arminians, who said, That Christ Suffered in our stead, deny Christ's Sufferings to be a proper Punishment.  
This Point of Commutation, or Change of Persons is, you see, of that Moment, that as we regard our Souls, and the great Design of God in Christ's Death, we must be Zealous in Contending for it. It is on this Doctrine the designing Arminians make the first Breach, to the end the Socinian Bands may enter, and carry all before' em. Who then can blame these Brethren, who strive so strenuously for its Establishment? Or, who can forbear rendering Thanks to those Worthies, who in the Paper they sent unto the Congregational, have so expressly Asserted the necessity of it to be such, that consistently with the denial of any Change of Persons, the Doctrine of Christ's Satisfaction can be neither duly Explained, nor Defended.  
§. III. The Publishing this Paper clears the Congregational from the Charge of Antinomianism.  
It hath been the care of some to represent these Brethren as Antinomian; and, such as are tight Presbyterians, because they adhere to the Old Doctrines, delivered unto us from God's Holy Word by the First Reformers, cannot escape the Name of Antinomian-Independents, nor the Censure of Designing the Subversion of Presbyterian Principles about Church-Discipline.  
This Artifice hath so far obtained, that, not only many amongst the Vulgar take it for granted, that the controversy is between the Presbyterian and Congregational about Ecclesiastical Points; but some Ministers sound in the Faith, have been so very much moved by these Methods, that they have been the less Vigorous in Opposing the Suspected Errors, whilst others have been frighted into Opinions of an Arminian Aspect.  
This is not, I confess, a New Method, it being the same which the Arminians took, when they first attempted to instill and Propagate their Notions in this Kingdom: For, as a worthy Gentleman of the Church of England, in a MSS. at this time in my Hands observes, The most Unjust and Uncharitable Course which the Arminians took, and whereby they prevailed more than by all the rest, was their seeking to draw the Persons of those that Dissent from them into dislike— as if they were Puritans, and Disciplinarians; or, at least that way affencted; whereas, the Questions in Debate are such as no way touch upon Puritanism. I have also seen a MS. of Bishop Over all, Transcribed, as I have reason to believe, by Bishop Mountague's own Hand, in which this very practise is most manifest: For, saith he, Quinque sunt Articuli, &c. There are Five Articles Controverted in Holland, about which the Remonstrants, or Arminians, and the Contra-Remonstrants, or Puritans, defend contrary Opinions: whereby the Bishop Insinuates, That the Opposers of Arminian-Tenents were Puritans, a Name of Reproach at that time amongst the rising Clergy, as now the Word [ Congregational,] since the starting this unhappy controversy is become odious amongst them, by whom the Unstudied are taken off from attending unto the Solid Reasonings, even of Orthodox Presbyterians, by the Fastening on 'em the Scandalous Name of Antinomian-Independents.  
But the Publishing this Paper doth demonstrate( 1.) That the Questions in debate don no way touch upon the Nature, Constitution, or Government of Churches, either off, or on; they being wholly about Doctrinals.( 2.) That the Congregational in and about London, who are chiefly, if not solely concerned in the Dispute, I mean the Pastors of Churches, who have expressed their Approbation of the Doctrines contained in this Paper( as I hear all of 'em have done) are far from being tainted with the Antinomian poison. For therein they declare,  
1. That they do still adhere unto their Approbation of the Doctrinal Articles of the Church of England, or the Confession of Faith Compiled by the Assembly at Westminster, or that at the Savoy, as agreeable to the Word of God.  
2. That Regeneration, Repentance towards God, Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and Holy Conversation, are by God's Word manifestly necessary to the Salvation of a Sinner.  
3. That God doth not Pardon, justify, or Accept a Sinner, or Entitle him to Eternal Life, before the Imputed Righteousness of Christ is Applied and Received by Faith.  
4. That though Christ hath undertaken to Enable the Elect in due time to Believe and Repent; yet He did not Believe and Repent for them, to exempt them from the Obligation of doing it themselves.  
5. That touching a Change of Persons between Christ and Believers, there is no Physical change, whereby Christ and Believers do in Substance become one another; nor a Moral Change, whereby Christ should become Inherently sinful, and Believers thereby immediately Innocent and Sinless; but the Change is only in a Legal Sense, which Importeth the same with a proper Surrogation.  
6. That the Father was never moved to any Passion against his Son on any Account whatsoever; nor was in any Sense offended with Him, much less abhorred Him, considered as He was in Himself; but in Concurrence with general Sentiments of Protestants, and particularly with the Assembly at Westminster, they affirm, That Christ, considered in relation to us, as our Surety, did feel and bear the Weight of God's Wrath.  
What can be more fully said to clear a People from the Charge of Antinomianism, than what is done in this Paper? We are therefore very glad 'tis come to light; that such as have been Imposed upon, may see how injuriously the Congregational have been Burdened with the Reproach of being Antinomian.  
§. IV. By the appearing of this Paper abroad, the Presbyterians are Vindicated from the Socinian Slander of their being Arminians.  
Mr. Gaylard, in his Writings against the Socinians, charging the Arminians for Socinianizing, the Socinian, in his Reply tells bim, That he hath thereby made the Socinians a very Formidable Party, because( saith he) Almost all the Church of England, a Moiety of the Presbyterians, and Nine Parts in Ten of the Quakers are Arminians. Thus much in the Apology for the Parliament, Let. 2.  
That there are Socinianizing-Arminians cannot be denied, it being sufficiently proved by the Learned Dr. Edwards of Oxford, and others; who as they do in the first place show much Tenderness to their Socinian Brethren, by yielding, that the Belief of Christ's Divinity and Satisfaction, is not necessary to Salvation; in like manner they do more fully discover themselves, by corrupting the Doctrine of a Change of Persons between Christ and us, which they do by pretending to go a middle way, between the Socinian and Calvinian extremes, as may be seen in Limborch. Theol. Christ. Lib. 3. Cap 20, 21, 22. where he very liberally owns, That Christ suffered most grievous Torments, both in Body and Mind, in our place and stead; declaring also for a sort of Commutation, or Change of Persons, as intended by the Particle[ {αβγδ}, For,] For us. But in Explaining what they mean by a Change of Persons; what by Suffering in our stead, and room, they pervert the Doctrine; positively denying, either that Christ Suffered in the Person of Sinners; or that our Sins were the meritorious Cause of Christ's Suffering; or that Christ's Sufferings were the proper Punishment due to us for Sin.  
These things are for the most part observed by Dr. Edwards,( ubi supra) who saith, That though the Remonstrants tell us, That Christ Suffered, not only upon our account, or for our benefit, as the Socinians express it, but likewise in our stead, that his Death was a proper Sacrifice, that He was made a Curse by undergoing an accursed death for us; which clearly demonstrates a Permutation, or Change of Persons: We Sinned, and deserved Punishment, and He underwent that Death which we had deserved. None of which can be true, if the Death and Sufferings of Christ were not properly a Punishment.— And yet, for all this, Christ must not( say these Arminians) be said to be Punished for us, but to undergo that which was 'vice Poenae. If so, then( adds the Doctor) Christ was not truly a Sacrifice, but 'vice Sacrificii, He served instead of one, and was not Substituted properly in our place; but in the place and stead of a Sacrifice. So far the Learned Dr. Edwards, who hath very Impartially Stated the Notion of the Socinianizing-Arminians, which he wisely judged necessary, to make his Preservative against Socinianism the more Effectual.  
This then being the way of these Arminians, it cannot be denied but we must be very Cautious, that in a Day, wherein the Socinians are so bold, we give them no Advantage, Countenance, or Reputation, either by a shyness to testify against their corrupting the Doctrine of a Change of Persons; or by yielding, that to say, Christ suffered in our stead, is sufficient to make it manifest, That they hold a Change of Persons in a sound Sense, and do not Arminianize in this Particular: However, nothing can be more obvious and plain, Than that the Approvers of this Paper are most remote from these daubing( or any other sorts of) Arminians; For they do declare;  
1. That neither Regeneration, Repentance towards God, Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Conversation, nor any Works done by Men, or wrought by the Spirit of God in them, is under the Notion of Subordination, or under any other denomination whatsoever, any part of that Righteousness for the sake, or upon the account whereof, God doth Pardon, justify, or accept Sinners, or Entitle them to Eternal Life.  
Here you see the Arminian's {αβγδ} credere, the Act of Believing is entirely shut out from being any Parts of our Justifying Righteousness.  
2. A proper Permutation, or Change of Persons in a Legal Sense is Asserted, even such a Change as that, where Christ putting on the Person of Sinners, comes into their room, and stead, to Answer for them the OBLIGATIONS of the Violated Law of Works.  
It must be here remarked, that although Christ might answer for the Violations of the Law of Works without making satisfaction to Punitive Justice, as the Socinians, as well as Arminians will have it; yet, seeing the Violated Law of Works obliged the Transgressor to lye under a Proper Punishment, Christ could not Answer this Obligation and otherwise than by enduring a Proper Punishment, even to the Satisfaction of Gods Justice. So that the Account given of a change of Persons in this Paper is most expressive of the Orthodox Sense and most opposite to the Arminian, as will further appear, if we observe what they add.  
3. That as there is a Change of Persons between Christ and us, so the Guilt of our Iniquities being laid on Christ, He, considered in Relation to us, as our Surety, did feel and bear the Displeasure of God, and the Weight of his Wrath in the Punishment of our Sins transferred upon him.  
This Paper being, as any one may perceive, so Plainly, and Diametrically Opposite unto Arminianism; and the Generality of the Presbyterians, in, and about this City, more especially the most eminent amongst them, having expressed their Approbation of the Doctrines contained in it; they cannot, now its Published, without the greatest Injustice, by branded for being Arminians, once more.  
§. 5. The Publishing this Paper hath given us so much Light into the Present controversy; that now we see, it hath been about what is Essential to the Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction; and that by the Blessing of God on the Industry of the Pacificators, 'tis come to this Issue, viz. Whether the Paper sent by some of the most Eminent Presbyterians unto the Congregational, as an Expedient for Peace, and most cheerfully entertained by them? Whether I say, this Paper, in which the Necessity of a Change of Persons is Asserted; and the Doctrine itself most Orthodoxly Explained, shall be Received? Or whether another Paper, in which a Change of Persons is neither affirmed as necessary, nor duly Explained, but some Important Terms and Phrases,[ such as Christ's being our Surety; His Putting on the Person of Sinners; His Answering for them the Obligations of the Violated Law of Works] are left out, shall be pitched upon as the Expedient to close our Breaches, and Heal those Wounds that have almost broken the Hearts of the most Godly and Judicious amongst us? This is now the controversy that remains.  
If this Paper, on which I have made these Remarks, give Satisfaction to the Few, who have not as yet expressed their Approbation, 'twill soon appear that we are all Unanimous in Preaching the same Gospel; and we may Unite our Strength in contending for the Truth, in opposition to the many Socinians and Deists, whose Pamphlets are scattered throughout this Nation. That this Blessing may be attained, is my Prayer and the Design of these Remarks.  
FINIS.