These assertions are gathered up from several places in my
discourse, though p. 182 Pages 162, 163 of this volume. is cited for
them all. And if any one find himself concerned in these things, I may
demand of him the labour of their perusal in my book itself; and for those
who shall refuse a compliance with so reasonable a request, I do not esteem
myself obliged to tender them any farther satisfaction. However, I say
again, that the Lord Christ fulfilled all righteousness as mediator; and
that what he did as mediator, he did it for them whose mediator he was, or
in whose stead and for whose good he executed the office of a mediator
before God. He says, “It is well said, if it were as well proved.” I say,
it is all proved in the places where it is asserted, and that with such
testimonies and arguments as he dares not touch upon. And although he
pretends to examine the reasons that I allege to prove that Christ
fulfilled all righteousness, as he was mediator, in their stead whose
mediator he was, yet indeed he doth not do so. For, first, I say no such
thing as he here feigns me to say, — namely, that “Christ as mediator
fulfilled all righteousness in our stead;” but only, that “Christ being the
mediator, in our stead fulfilled all righteousness:” which is another
thing, though perhaps he understands not the difference. Nor doth he so
much as take notice of that testimony which is immediately subjoined unto
the words he cites in the confirmation of them; but he will disprove this
assertion or at least manifest that it cannot be proved. And this he
enters upon, p. 297, “As for the first, we have some reason to require good
proof of this, since the notion of a mediator includes no such thing. A
mediator is one who interposeth between two differing parties, to
accommodate the difference; but it was never heard of yet, that it was the
office of a mediator to perform the terms and conditions himself. Moses
was the mediator of the first covenant, Gal. iii.
19; and his office was to receive the law from God, to deliver
it to the people, to command them to observe those rites, and sacrifices,
and expiations which God had ordained: but he was not to fulfil the
righteousness of the law for the whole congregation. Thus Christ is now
the mediator of a better covenant; and his office required that he should
preach the gospel, which contains the terms of peace and reconciliation
between God and men; and since God would not enter into covenant with
sinners without the intervention of a sacrifice, he dies too, as a
sacrifice and propitiation for the sins of the world.”