Church and under the externall Covenant are called the chosen of God and the people of God But though they had been all of them believers yet as the Lord delivered it to them it would have done them no more hurt than it did them that were Nom. But Sir was the same covenant of works made with them that was made with Adam Evan. For the generall substance of the duty the Law delivered on mount Sinai and formerly engraven in mans heart was one and the same so that at mount Sinai the Lord delivered no new thing only it came more gently to Adam before his fall but after his fall came thunder with it Nom. I but Sir as your self said the ten Commandements as they were written in Adams heart were but the matter of the covenant of works and not the covenant it self till the form was annexed to them that is to say till God and man were thereupon agreed now we do not find that God and these people did agree upon any such terms at mount Sinai Evan. No say you so do you not remember that the people consented Exod. 19.8 saying All that the Lord hath spoken we will do And do you not remember that the Lord consented Levit. 18.5 saying Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgements which if a man do he shall live in them And in Deut. 27.26 saying Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them And doth not the Apostle Paul give evidenee than these words were the form of the covenant of works when he saith Rom. 10.5 Moses describeth the righteousnesse which is of the law that the man that doth these things shall live in them when he saith Gal. 3.10 For it is writen Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them And in Deut. 4.13 Moses doth in expresse tearmes call it a Covenant saying And he declared unto you his Covenant which he commanded you to perform even ten Commandamennts and hee wrote them upon tables of stone Now this was not the Covenant of grace for Moses afterwards Deut. 5.3 speaking of this Covenant saith God made not this Covenant with your Fathers but with you And by Fathers all the Patriarkes unto Adam may be meant saith Mr. Aynsworth who had the promise of the Covenant of Christ therefore if it had been the Covenant of grace he would have said God did make this covenant with them rather then that he did not Nom. And do any of our godly and moderne witers agree with you in this point Evan. Yea indeed Polanus saith the Covenant of workes is that in which God promiseth everlasting life unto a man that in all respects performeth perfect obedience to the Law of workes adding thereunto threatnings of eternall death if hee shall not performe perfect obedience thereunto God made this Covenant in the beginning with the first man Adam whilst hee was in the first estate of integrity the same Covenant God did repeat and make againe by Moses with the people of Israel And Dr. Preston saith the Covenant of workes runs in these termes Do this and thou shalt live and I will be thy God This was the Covenant which was made with Adam and the Covenant that is expressed by Mâ—ses in the Morall law And Mr. Walker saith that the first part of the covenant which God made with Israel at Horeb was nothing else but a renewing of the old covenant of works which God made with Adam in paradise And it is generally laid down by our Divines that we are by Christ delivered from the Law as it is a Covenant Nom. But Sir were the children of Israel at this time better able to perform the condition of the covenant of works than either Adam or any of the old Patriarks that God renewed it now with them rather then before Evan. No indeed God did not renew it with them now and not before because they were better able to keep it but because they had more need to be made acquainted what the covenant of works is then those before for though 't is true the Ten Commandements which were at first perfectly written in Adams heart were much obliterated by his fall yet some impressions and reliques thereof still remained and Adam himself was very sensible of his fall and the rest of the fathers were holpen by traditions And saith Cameron God did speak to the Patriarchs from heaven yea and he spake unto them by his Angels But now by this time sin had almost obliterated and defaced the impressions of the Law written in their hearts and by their being so long in Egypt they were so corrupted that the instructions and ordinances of their fathers were almost all worne out of mind and their fall in Adam was almost forgotten as the Apostle testifieth saying Before the time of the Law sin was in the world yet did they not impute it to themselves because there was no Law Nay in that long course of time betwixt Adam and Moses men had forgotten what was sin so that although God had made a promise of blessing to Abraham and to all his seed that would plead interest in it yet these people at this time were proud and secure and heedlesse of their estate and though sin was in them and death raigned over them yet they being without a law to evidence this sin and death unto their consciences they did not impute it unto themselves they would not own it nor charge themselves with it and so by consequence found no need of pleading the promise made to Abraham Therefore the Law entred that Adams offence and their own actuall transgression might abound So that now the Lord saw it needfull that there should be a new edition and publication of the covenant of works the sooner to compell the elect unbeleevers to come to Christ the promised seed that the grace of God in Christ to the elect beleevers might appeare the more exceeding gracious so that you see the Lords intention therein was that they by looking upon this Covenant might be put in mind what was their dutie of old when they were in Adams loines yea and what was their dutie still if they would stand to that covenant and so go the old and naturall way to work yea and hereby they were also to see what was their present infirmitie in not doing their duty that so they seeing an impossibilitie of obtaining life by that way of workes first appointed in Paradise they might be humbled and more heedfully minde the promise made to their father Abraham and hasten to lay hold on the Messiah or promised seed Nom. Then Sir it seemeth that the Lord did not renew the Covenant of workes with them to the intent that they should obtaine eternall life by their yeelding obedience to it Evan. No indeed God never made the
now heare of his performance of it Evan. Touching this point the Scripture testifieth that God according to his purpose before time and his promise in time Did in the fulnesse of time send forth his Sonne made of a woman made under the Law to redeeme them that were under the Law c. That is to say looke how mankinde by nature are under the Law as it is the Covenant of works so was Christ as mans suretie contented to bee so that now according to that Eternall and mutuall agreement that was betwixt God the Father and him he put himself in the roome and place of all the Faithfull and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all Then came the Law as it is the Covenant of Workes and said I finde him a sinner yea such a one as hath taken upon him the sinnes of all men therefore let him die upon the Crosse. Then said Christ Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldest not but a bodie hast thou prepared mee In burnt offerings and sacrifice for sinne thou hast no pleasure Then said I loe I come to doe thy will O God And so the law proceeding in full scope against him set upon him and killed him and by this meanes was the justice of God fully satisfied his wrath appeased and all true beleevers acquitted from all their sinnes both past present and to come so that the Law as it is the Covenant of workes hath not any thing to say to any true beleever for indeed they are dead to it and it is dead to them Nom. But Sir How could the sufferings of Christ which in respect of time were but finite make full satisfaction to the Justice of God which is infinite Eva. Though the sufferings of Christ in respect of time were but finite yet in respect of the person that suffered his sufferings came to be of infinite value for Christ was God and Man in one person and therefore his sufferings were a sufficient and full ransome for mans soule being of more value then the death and destruction of all creatures Nom. But Sir you know that the Covenant of workes requires mans owne obedience or punishment when it saith Hee that doth these things shall live in them and cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them how then could beleevers be acquitted from their sins by the death of Christ Evan. For answer hereunto I pray you consider that though the covenant of workes requires mans owne obedience or punishment yet it no where disalloweth or excludeth that which is done or suffered by another in his behalfe neither is it repugnant to the Justice of God for so there bee a satisfaction performed by man through a sufficient punishment for the disobedience of man the Law is satisfied and the justice of God permitteth that the offending partie be received into favour and acknowledge God after such satisfaction made as a just man and no transgressor of the Law and though the satisfaction be made by a surety yet when it is done the principall is by the Law acquitted But yet for the further proofe and confirmation of this poynt wee are to consider that as JESUS CHRIST the second Adam entered into the same Covenant that the first Adam did so by him was done whatsoever the first Adam had undone so then the case stands thus that like as whatsoever the first Adam did or befell him was reckoned as done by all mankinde and to have befallen them even so whatsoever CHRIST did or befell him is to bee reckoned as to have been done by all believers and to have befallen them so that as sinne commeth from Adam alone to all mankinde as he in whom all have sinned so from Jesus Christ alone commeth righteousnesse unto all that are in him as hee in whom they all have satisfied the justice of God for as by being in Adam and one with him all did in him and with him transgresse the Commandement of God even so in respect of faith whereby believers are ingrafted into Christ and spiritually made one with him they did all in him and with him satisfie the justice of God in his death and sufferings and whosoever reckons thus reckons according to Scripture for in Rom. 5.12 all are sayd to have sinned in Adams sinne In whom all have sinned sayth the Text namely in Adam as in a publike person all mens acts were included in his because their persons were included in his so likewise in the same Chapter it is sayd that death passed upon all men namely for this that Adams sinne was reckoned as theirs even so Rom. 6. the Apostle speaking of Christ sayth In that he dyed he dyed unto sinne once but in that hee liveth hee liveth unto God so likewise sayth he in the next verse Reckon ye your selves to be dead unto sinne but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And so as touching the resurrection of Christ the Apostle argues that all believers must and shall arise because Christ is risen and is become the first fruitâ— of them that sleepe CHRIST as the first fruits ariseth and that in the name and stead of all believers and so they rise in him and with him for CHRIST did not rise as a private person but hee arose as the publike head of his Church so that in his arising all believers did virtually arise and as CHRIST at his resurrection was justified and acquitted from all the sinnes of all believers by God his Father as having now fully satisfied for them wherefore the obedience of Christ being imputed unto believers by God for their righteousnesse it doth put them into the same estate and case touching righteousnesse unto life before God wherein they should have been if they had perfectly performed the perfect obedience of the covenant of works Doe this and thou shalt live Nom. But Sir are all believers dead to the Law and the Law dead to them Evan. Believe it man as the Law is the Covenant of works all true believers are dead unto it and it is dead to them for they being incorporated into Christ what the Law or Covenant of works did to him it did the same to them so that when CHRIST hanged on the Crosse believers after a sort hanged there with him and therefore the Apostle Paul having sayd I through the Law am dead to the Law addes in the next verse I am crucified with CHRIST which words the Apostle brings as an argument to prove that hee was dead to the Law for the Law had crucified him with CHRIST upon which Text Luther sayth I likewise am crucified and dead to the Law Forasmuch as I am crucified and dead with CHRIST and againe I believing in CHRIST am also crucified with CHRIST In like manner the Apostle sayth to the believing Romanes So yee my brethren are dead also to the Law
justified by faith it is a very needless thing for him to endevour to keep the law and to do good works Evan. I remember Luther sayth that in his time there were some that did reason after the like manner if faith say they do accomplish all things and if faith be onely and alone sufficient unto righteousnesse to what end then are wee commanded to doe good deeds we may go play us then and work no working at all to whom hee makes an answer saying not so ye ungodly not so And there were others that said If the law do not justifie then is it in vaine and of none effect yet is it not therefore true saith he for like as this consequence is nothing worth money doth not justifie or make a man righteous therefore it is unprofitable the eyes doe not justifie therefore they must be plucked out the hands make not a man righteous therefore they must be cut off so is this nought also the law doth not justifie therefore it is unprofitable we do not therefore destroy and condemne the law because wee say it doth not justifie but we say with Paul the law is good if a man do rightly use it and that this is a faithfull saying That they which have believed in God might be carefull to mayntaine good works these things are good and profitable unto men Neo. Truly Sir for mine own part I do much marvell that this my friend Antinomista should be so confident of his faith in Christ and yet so little regard holinesse of life and keeping of Christs commandements as it seemes hee doth for I give the Lord thanks I doe now in some small measure believe that I am by Christ freely and fully justified and acquitted from all my sins and therefore have no need eyther to eschew evill or do good for feare of punishment or hope of reward and yet me thinks I finde my heart more willing and desirous to doe what the Lord commands and to avoid what hee forbids then ever it was before I did thus believe surely Sir I doe perceive that faith in Christ is no hinderance to holinesse of life as I once thought it was Evan. Neighbour Neophytus if our friend Antinomista do content himself with a meere Gospell knowledge in a notionary way and have run out to fetch in notions from Christ and yet is not fetcht in by the power of Christ let us pitty him pray for him and in the mean time I pray you know that true faith in Christ is so far from being a hinderance from holinesse of life and good works that it is the onely furtherance for onely by faith in Christ a man is enabled to exercise all Christian graces a-right and to performe all Christian duties a-right which before he could not As for example before a man believe Gods love to him in Christ though he may have a kind of love to God as he is his creatour and preserver and gives him many good things for this present life yet if God do but open his eyes to see what condition his soul is in that is if he do but let him see that relation that is betwixt God and him according to the tenour of the conant of works then he conceives of him as an angry Judge armed with justice against him and must be pacified by the works of the law whereunto he finds his nature opposite and contrary and therefore hee hates both God and his law and doth secretly wish and desire there were neyther God nor law and though God should now give unto him never so many temporall blessings yet could hee not love him for what malefactour could love that Judge or his law from whom he expects the sentence of condemnation though he should feast him at his table with never so many dainties But after that the kindnesse and love of God his Saviour hath appeared not by works of righteousnesse that he hath done but according to his mercy hee saved him that is when as by the eye of faith he sees himselfe to stand in relation to God according to the tenour of the covenant of grace then he conceives of God as a most mercifull and loving Father to him in Christ that hath freely pardoned â—nd forgiven him all his sins and quite released him from the covenant of works and by this means the love of God is shed abroad in his hart through the Holy Ghost which is given to him and then he loves God because he first loved him for as a man seeth and feeleth by faith the love and favour of God towards him in Christ his Son so doth he love again both God and his law and indeed it is impossible for any man to love God till by faith hee know himself loved of God Secondly though a man before he believe Gods love to him in Christ may have a great measure of legall humiliation compunction sorrow and griefe and be brought down as it were to the very gate of hell and feele the very flashings of hell fire in his conscience for his sins yet is it not because hee hath thereby offended God but rather because he hath thereby offended himself that is because hee hath thereby brought himselfe into the danger of eternal death and condemnation but when once he believes the love of God to him in Christ in pardoning his iniquity and passing by his transgression then he sorrows grieves for the offence of God by the sin reasoning thus with himselfe and is it so indeed hath the Lord given his own Sonne to death for me who hath been such a vile sinfull wretch and hath Christ borne all my sins and was hee wounded for my transgressions ô then the working of his bowels the stirring of his affections the melting and relenting of his repenting heart then he remembers his own evill ways and his doings that were not good and loaths himselfe in his own eyes for all his abominations and looking upon Christ whom he hath pierced he mournes bitterly for him as one mourneth for his onely sonne thus when faith hath bathed a mans heart in the bloud of Christ it is so mollified that it quickly dissolues into the teares of godly sorrow so that if Christ doe but turn and look upon him ô then with Peter hee goes out and weeps bitterly and this is true gospel mourning and this is right evangelicall repenting Thirdly Though before a man doe truly believe in Christ he may so reforme his life and amend his ways that as touching the righteousnesse which is of the Law he may be with the Apostle blamelesse yet being under the covenant of works all the obedience that he yields to the Law all his leaving of sin and performance of duties all his avoyding of what the law forbids and all his doing of what the law commands is begotten by the law of works of Hagar the bond-woman by the force of self-love
and so indeed they are the fruit and works of a bond-servant that is moved and constrained to doe all that heâ— doth for fear of punishment and hope of reward For saith Luther The Law given on mount Sinai which the Arabians call Agar begeteth none but servants and so indeed all that such a man doth is but hypocrisie for he pretends the serving of God whereas indeed hee intends the serving of himselfe and how can hee doe otherwise for whilst he wants faith he wants all things He is an empty vine and therefore must needs bring forth fruit unto himselfe till a man bee served himselfe he will not serve the Lord Christ nay whilst he wants faith he wants the love of Christ and therefore he lives not to Christ but to himselfe because he loved himselfe And hence surely we may conceive it is that Doctor Preston saith all that a man doth and not out of love is out of hypocrisie wheresoever love is not there is nothing but hypocrisie in such a mans heart But when a man through the hearing of faith receives the Spirit of Christ that spirit according to the measure of faith writes the lively law of love in his heart as Tindall sweetly sayth whereby hee is inabled to work freely and of his own accord without the coaction or compulsion of the Law for that love wherewith Christ or God in Christ hath loved him and which by faith is apprehended of him will constrain him to doe so according to that of the Apostle the love of Christ constraineth us that is it will make him to doe so whether he will or no hee cannot choose but doe it I tell you truly answerably as the love of Christ is shed abroad in the heart of any man it is such a strong impulsion that it carries him on to serve and please the Lord in all things according to the saying of an evangelicall man The will and affection of a believer according to the measure of faith and the spirit received sweetly quickens and bends to choose affect and delight in what ever was good and acceptable to God or man the Spirit freely and cheerfully moving and inclining him to keepe the law without feare of hell or hope of heaven for a christian man saith sweet Tindall worketh onely because it is the will of his Father for after that he is overcome with love and kindnesse he seeks to doe the will of God which indeed is a christian mans nature and what he doth hee doth it freely after the example of Christ as a naturall sonne aske him why he doth such a thing why sayth he It is the will of my Father and I doe it that I may please him for indeed love desireth no wages it is wages enough to it selfe it hath sweetnesse enough in it selfe it desires no addition it pays his own vvages and therefore it is the true childe like obedience being begoten by faith of Saraah the free-woman by the force of Gods love and so it is indeed the onely true and syncere obedience for sayth Doctor Preston to doe a thing in love is to doe it in syncerity and indeed there is no other defâ—inition of syncerity that is the best way to know it by Evan. But stay Sir I pray you would you not have believers to eschew evill and doe good for feare of hell or hope of heaven Evan. No indeed I would not have any believer to doe either the one or the other for so far forth as they doe so their obedience is but slavish and therefore though when they were first awaked convinced of their misery and set foot forward to goe on in the way of life they with the prodigall would be hired servants yet when by the eye of faith they see the mercie and indulgence of their heavenly Father in Christ running to meete them and embrace them I would have them with him to talke no more of being hired servants I would have them so to wrastle against doubting and so to exercise their faith as to believe that they are by Christ delivered from the hands of all their â—nemies both the Law sin wrath death â—he devill and hell that they may serve the Lord without feare in holinesse and righteâ—usnesse all the dayes of their lives I would â—ave them so to believe Gods love to them â— Christ as that thereby they may be conâ—trained to obedience Nom. But Sir you know that our Saâ—iour sayth Feare him that is able to destroy â—oth soule and body in hell And the Apostle â—yth We shall receive of the Lord the reward 〈◊〉 the inheritance is it not sayd that Moses â—ad respect unto the recompence of reward Evan. Surely the intent of our blessed â—aviour in that first Scripture is to teach all â—elievers that when God commands one 〈◊〉 and man another they should obey â—od and not man rather then to exhort â—â—em to eschew evill for feare of Hell And as for those other Scriptures by you alâ—â—aged if you mean reward and the means 〈◊〉 obtayn that reward in the Scripture sense 〈◊〉 it is another matter but I had thought 〈◊〉 had meant in our common sense and not 〈◊〉 the Scripture sense Nom. Why Sir I pray you what diffeâ—â—nce is there betwixt reward and the means to obteyn the reward in our common sense and in the Scripture sence Evan. Why reward in our common sence is that which is conceived to come from God or to be given by God which is a fancying of Heaven under carnall notions beholding it as a place where there is freedome from all misery and fulnesse of all pleasures and happinesse and to be obteyned by our own works and doings But reward in the Scripture sence is not so much that which comes from God or is given by God as that which lyes in God even the full fruition of God himselfe in Christ. I am sayth God to Abraham thy shield and thy exceeding great reward And whom have I in heaven but thee sayth David And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee and I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse And the means to obteyne this reward is not by doing but by believing even by drawing neere with a true heart in the full assurance of faith and so indeed it is given freely And therefore you are not to conceive of that reward which the Scripture speaks of as if it were the wages of a servant but as it is the inheritance of sons and when the Scripture seemeth to induce believers to obedience by promising this reward you are to conceive that the Lord speaketh to believers as a father doth to his young son doe this or that and then I will love thee whereas we know that the father loveth the sonne first and so doth God and therefore this is the voice of believers Wee love him because
thou do it not thou shalt die the death In which Covenant there was first contained 〈◊〉 precept Do this Secondly a promise joyned unto it If thou do it thou shalt live Thirdly a like threatning If thou do it not thou shalt die the death Imagine saith Musculus that God had said to Adam Lo to the intent that thou maist live I have given thee liberty to eat and have given thee abundantly to eat let all the fruits of Paradise be in thy power one tree except which see thou touch not for that I keep it to mine own authority the same is the tree of knowledge of good and evill If thou touch it the meat thereof shall not be life but death Nom. But Sir you said that the Law of the Ten Commandements or Morall Law may be said to be the matter of the Law of works and you have also said that the Law of works is as much to say as the Covenant of works whereby it seems to me you hold that the Law of the Ten Commandements was the matter of the Covenant of works which God made with all mankind in Adam before his fall Evan. That 's a truth agreed upon by all Authors and Interpreters that I know And indeed the Law of works as a learned Author saith signifies the Morall law and the Morall law strictly and properly taken signifies the Covenant of works Nom. But Sir what is the reason you call it but the matter of the covenant of works Evan. The reason why I rather chuse to call the Law of the Ten Commandements the matter of the Covenant of works then the Covenant it self is because I conceive that the matter of it cannot properly be called the covenant of works except the form be put upon it that is to say except the Lord require and man undertake to yield perfect obedience thereunto upon condition of eternall life and death And therefore till then it was not a covenant of works betwixt God and all mankinde in Adam As for example you know that although a servant have an ability to do a masters work and though a master have wages to bestow upon him for it yet is there not a covenant betwixt them till they have thereupon agreed Even so though man at the first had power to yield perfect and perpetuall obedience to all the Ten Commandements and God had an eternall life to bestow upon him yet was there not a covenant betwixt them till they were thereupon agreed Nom. But Sir you know there is no mention made in the book of Genesis of this covenant of works which you say was made with man at first Evan. Though we read not the word Covenant betwixt God and man yet have we there recorded what may amount to as much for God provided and promised to Adam eternall happinesse and called for perfect obedience which appears from Gods threatning Gen. 2.17 For if man must die if he disobeyed it implies strongly that Gods covenant was with him for life if he obeyed Nom. But Sir you know the word Covenant signifies a mutuall promise bargain and obligation betwixt two parties Now though it is implied that God promised man to give him life if he obeyed yet we read not that man promised to be obedient Evan. I pray take notice that God doth not alwayes tie man to verball expressions but doth often contract the Covenant in reall impressions in the heart and frame of the creature And this was the manner of covenanting with man at the first for God had furnished his soule with an understanding mind whereby he might discern good from evill and right from wrong and not only so but also in his will was most great uprightnesse and his instrumentall parts were orderly framed to obedience the truth is God did ingrave in mans soule wisdom and knowledge of his will and works and integrity in the whole soule and such a fitnesse in all the powers thereof that neither the mind did conceive nor the heart desire nor the body put in execution any thing but that which was acceptable to God so that man endowed with these qualities was able to serve God perfectly Nom. But Sir how could the Law of the Ten Commandements be the matter of this Covenant of works when they were not written as you know till the time of Moses Evan. Though they were not written in tables of stone untill the time of Moses yet were they written in the tables of mans heart in the time of Adam for we read that man was created in the image or likenesse of God Gen. 1.27 And the ten Commandements are a doctrine agreeing with the eternall wisdome and justice that is in God wherein he hath so painted out his own nature that it doth in a manner expresse the very image of God And doth not the Apostle say that the image of God consists in knowledge righteousnesse and true holinesse and is not knowledge righteousnes true holines the perfections of both the tables of the law And indeed saith M. Rollock it could not wel stand with the justice of God to make a Covenant with man under the condition of holy good works perfect obedience to his Law except he had first created man holy pure and ingraven his law in his hart whence those good works should proceed Nom. But yet I cannot but marvell that God in making the covenant with man did make mention of no other commandement then that of the forbidden fruit Evan. Do not marvell at it for by that one species of sin the whole genus or kind is shewn as the same Law being more clearly unfolded Deut. 27.26 Gal. 3.10 doth expresse And indeed in that one Commandement the whole worship of God did consist as obedience honour love confidence and religious feare together with the outward abstinence from sin and reverent respect to the voice of God Yea herein also consisted his love and so his whole duty to his neighbour so that as a learned writer saith Adam heard as much in the garden as Israel did at Sinai but only in fewer words and without thunder Nom. But sir ought not man to have yielded perfect obedience to God though this Covenant had not been made betwixt them Evan. Yea indeed perfect and perpetuall obedience was due from man unto God though God had made no promise to man for when God created man at first he put forth an excellencie from himself into him and therefore it was the bond and tie that lay upon man to return that again unto God so that man being Gods creature by the law of creation he owed all obedience and subjection to God his creator Nom. Why then was it needfull that the Lord should make a covenant with him by promising him life and threatning him with death Evan. For answer hereunto in the first place I pray you understand that man was a reasonable creature
small measure of the spirit Nom. But Sir was not the matter of that Covenant and this all one Evan. Yea indeed the Ten Commandements were the matter of both Covenants only they differed in the forms Ant. Tâ—â—n Sir it seems that the promises and threatnings contained in the old Testament were but temporary and terrestiall only concerning the good and evill things of this life Evan. This we are to know that like as the Lord by his Prophets gave the people in the old Testament many exhortations to be obedient to his Commandements and many dehortations from disobedience thereunto even so did he back them with many promises and threatnings concerning things temporall as these and the like Scripâ—uâ—â—s do witnesse Isa. 1.10 Heare the word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodom give eare unto the law of our God ye people of Gomorrah Iâ— ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good things of the land but if ye refuse and rebell ye shall be devoured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it And Jer. 7 3 Amend your wayes and your doings and I will cause you to dwell in this place But ye steal murder commit adultery and sweare falsly by my name therefore thus saith the Lord God behold mine anger and my fury shall be powred out upon this place And surely there be two reasons why the Lord did so First because as all men are born under the covenant of workâ— they are naturally prone to conceive that the favour of God and all good things do depend and follow upon their obedience to the Law and that the wrath of God and all evill things do depend upon and follow their disobedience to it And that mans chief happinesse is to be had and found in terrestriall paradise even in the good things of this life So the people of the Old Testament being neerest to Adams Covenant and Paradise were most prone to such conceits And secondly because the Covenant of Grace and Celestiall paradise were but little mentioned in the Old Testament they for the most part had but a glimmering knowledge of them and so could not yield obedience freely as sonnes therefore the Lord saw it meet to move them to yield obedience to his lawes by their own motives and as servants or children under age Ant. And were both believers and unbelievers that is such as were under the Covenant of Grace and such as were under the Covenant of Works equally and alike subjâ—ct as well to have the calamities of this life inflicted upon them for their disobedience as the blessings of this life conferred upon them for their obedience Evan. Surely the words of the Preacher do take place here when he saith All things come alike to all there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked Were not Moses and Aaron for their disobedience hindered from entring into the land of Canaan as well as others And was not Josiah for his disobedience to Gods command slâ—in in the valley of Megiddo Therefore assure your selfe that when believers in the Old Testament did transgresse Gods commandements Gods temporall wrath went out against them and was manifest in temporall calamities that befell them as well as others only here was the difference The believers temporall calamities had no eternall calamities included in them nor following of them and their temporall blessings had eternall blessings included in them and following of them And the unbelievers temporall blessings had no eternall blessings included in them nor following of them and their temporall calamities had eternall calamities included in them and following of them Ant. Then Sir it seemeth that all obedience that any of the Jewes did yield to Gods commandements was for feare of tempoâ—â—ll punishment and in hope of temporall reward Evan. Surely the Scâ—ipâ—ure seemes to holâ— forth that there were three several sorts of people who endeavoured to keep the law of God and they did all of them differ in their ends The first sort of them were true believers who according to the measure of their faith did believe the resurrection of their bodies after death and eternall life in glory and that it was to be obtained not by thâ—â—orkes of the Law but by faith in the Mâ—ssiâ—h oâ— promised seed And answerably as they believed this answerably they yielded obedience to the Law freely without fear of punishment or hope of reward but alas the spirit of faith was very weak in the most of them and the spirit of bondage very strong and therefore they stood in need to be induced and constrained to obedience for feare of punishment and hope of reward The second sort of them were the Sadduces and their Sect and these did not believe that there was any Resurrection nor any life but the life of this world and yet they endeavoured to keep the Law that God might blesse them here and that it might go well with them in this present life The third sort and indeed the greatest number of them in the future ages after Moses were the Scribes and Pharisees and their Sects and they held and maintained that there was a Resurrection to be looked for and an eternall life after death and therefore they endeavoured to keep the Law not onely to obtaine temporall happinesse but eternall also for though it had pleased the Lord to make known unto his people by the ministrie of Moses that the Law was given not to retaine men in the confidence of their own workes but to drive them out of themselves and lead them to Christ the promised seed yet after that time the Priests and the Levites who were the expounders of the Law and whom the Scribes and Pharisees did succeed did so conceive and teach of Gods intention in giving the Law as though it had been that they by their obedience to it should obtaine righteousnesse and eternall life and this opinion was so confidently maintained and so generally imbraced amongst them that in their book Mechilta they say and affirme that there is no other Covenant but the Law and so in very deed they conceived that there was no other way to Eternall life then the Covenant of workes Ant. Surely then it seemes they did not understand and consider that the Law as it is the Covenant of workes doth not onely binde the outward man but also the inward man even the soule and spirit and requires all holy thoughts motions and dispositions of the heart and soule Evan. Oh no they neither taught it nor understood it so spiritually neither could they be perswaded that the Law doth require so much at mans hands for they first laid this downe for a certaine truth that God gave the Law for man to be Justified and saved by his obedience to it and that therefore there must needs be a power in man to doe all that it requireth or else God would never have required it
by the body of CHRIST Now by the body of CHRIST is ment the passion of CHRIST upon the Crosse or which is all one the suffering of CHRIST in his humane nature and therefore certainely wee may conclude with godly Tindall that all such are dead concerning the Law as are by faith crucified with Christ. Nom. But I pray you Sir how doe you prove that the Law is dead to a believer Evan. Why as I conceive the Apostle affirmes it Romams 7.1 6. Nom. Surely Sir you doe mistake for I remember the words of the first verse are how that tbe Law hath dominion over a man as long as hee liveth and the words of the sixth verse are But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein wee were holden c. Evan. I know right well that in our last Translation the words are so rendred but godly and learned Tindall renders it thus Remember yee not brethren that the Law hath dominion over a man as long as it endureth and B. Hall paraphraseth upon it thus Know yee not brethren that the Mosaicall Law hath dominion over a man that is subject unto it so long as the said Law is in force So likewise Origen Ambrose and Erasmus doe all agree that by these words while Hee or it liveth wee are to understand as long as the Law remayneth And Peter Martyr is of opinion that these wordes while Hee or it liveth or indifferently referred eyther to the law are to the man for sayth hee The man is said to bee dead Verse the fourth and the law is said to bee dead Verse the sixth even so because the word He or it mentioned Verse the first doth signifie both sexes in the Greek Chrysostome thinketh that the death both of the law and the man is insinuated And Theophylact Erasmus Bucer and Calvin doe all understand the sixth Verse of the law being dead And as the death of a believer to the law was accomplished by the death of Christ even so also was the laws death to him Even as M. Fox in his Sermon of Christ crucified testifieth saying Here have wee upon one Crosse two Crucifixes two the most excellent Potentates that ever were the Sonne of God and the Law of God wrastling together about mans salvation both cast downe and both slaine upon one Crosse howbeit not after a like sort first the Sonne of God was cast downe and took the fall not for any weaknesse in himselfe but was content to take it for our victory by this fall the law of God in casting him downe was caught in his one trip and so was fast nayled hand and foot to the Crosse according as we read in S. Pauls words 1 Col. 2.14 And so Luther speaking to the same point sayth this was a wonderfull combate where the law being a creature giveth such an assault to his Creatour in practizing his whole tyranny upon the Sonne of God now therefore because the law did so horribly and cursedly sinne against his God it is cursed and arraigned and as a thiefe and cursed murderer of the Son of God looseth all his right and deserveth to be condemned the law therefore is bound dead and crucified to mee it is not only overcome condemned and slaine unto Christ but also to mee believing in him unto whom hee hath freely given this victory now then although according to the Apostles intimation Romans the seventh at the beginning though the Covenant of workes and man by nature bee mutually engaged each to other so long as they both live yet if when the wife bee dead the husband bee free then much more when he is dead also Nom. But I pray Sir what are wee to understand by this double death or wherein doth this freedome from the law consist Evan. Death is nothing else but a dissolution or an untying of a compound or a separation between matter and forme and therefore when the soule and body of man is separated wee say hee is dead so that by this double death wee are to understand nothing else but that the bargaine or covenant which was made betweene GOD and man at first is dissolved or untyed or that the matter and forme of the Covenant of works is separated to a believer so that the Law of the ten Commandements doth neyther promise eternall life nor threaten eternall death to a believer upon condition of his obedience or disobedience to it neyther doth a believer as hee is a believer eyther hope for eternall life or feare eternall death upon any such termes no wee may assure our selves that whatsoever the Law sayth on any such tearmes it sayth to them who are under the Law But believers are not under the Law but under Grace and so have escaped eternall death and obtained eternall life onely by faith in Jesus Christ For by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses For God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And this is that Covenant of Grace which as I told you was made with the Fathers by way of promise and so but darkly but now the fulnesse of time being come it was more fully opened and promulgated Ant. Well Sir now I doe perceive there was little difference betwixt the Jews Covenant of Grace and ours Evan. Truly the opposition betwixt the Jews Covenant of Grace and ours was chiefly of their owne making they should have been driven to Christ by the Law but they expected life in obedience to it and this was their great errour and mistake Ant. And truly Sir it is no great marvell though they in this point did so much erre and mistake who had the Covenant of Grace made known to them so darkly when many amongst us who have it more cleerly manifest do the like Evan. And truly it is no marvell though all men naturally do so for man naturally doth apprehend God to be the great master of heaven and himselfe to be his servant and that therefore he must do his work before hee can have his wages and the more work he doth the better wages he shall have And hence it it was that when Aristotle came to speak of blessednes to pitch upon the next means to that end he said it was operation working with whom also agreeth Pythagoras when he saith It is mans felicity to be like unto God as how by becoming righteous and holy and let us not marvell that these men did so erre who never heard of Christ nor of the Covenant of grace when those to whom it was made known by the Apostles of Christ did the like witnesse those to whom the Apostle Paul wrote his Epistles and especially the Galathians for although hee had by his preaching when he was present with them made
behalfe of all his chosen perfectly fulfilled the Law as it is the covenant of works divine justice delivered that bond in to Christ who utterly cancelled that hand-writing so that none of his chosen were to have any more to doe with it nor it with them and now you by your believing in Christ having manifested that you are one that was chosen in him before the foundation of the world his fulfilling of that covenant and cancelling of it is imputed to you and so you are acquitted and absolved from all your transgressions against that covenant either past present or to come and so you are justified as the Apostle saith Freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Ant. I pray you Sir give mee leave to speake a word by the way was not he justified before this time Evan. If he did not believe in Christ before this time as I conceive hee did not then certainly he was not justified before this time Ant. But Sir you know as the Apostle saith It is God that justifieth and God is eternall and as you have shewed Christ may be said to have fulfilled the covenant of works from all eternity and if he bee Christs now then was he Christs from all eternity and therefore as I conceive hee was justified from all eternity Evan. Indeed God is from all eternity and in respect of Gods accepting of Christs undertaking to fulfill the covenant of works he fulfilled it from all eternity and in respect of Gods electing of him he was Christs from all eternity and therefore it is true in respect of Gods decree hee was justified from all eternity and hee was justified meritoriously in the death and resurrection of Christ but yet he was not justified actually till he did actually believe in Christ for saith the Apostle By him all that believe are justified so that in the act of justifying faith and Christ must have a mutuall relation and must always concur and meet together faith as the action which apprehendeth and Christ as the object which is apprehended for neither doth Christ justifie without faith neither doth faith except it bee in Christ. Ant. Truly Sir you have indifferently well satisfied me in this point and surely I like it marvellous well that you conclude no faith justifieth but that whose object is Christ. Eva. The very truth is thuogh a man believe that God is mercifull and true of his promise and that he hath his elect number from the beginning and that he himselfe is one of that number yet if this faith doe not eye Christ if it be not in God as he is in Christ it will not serve turn for God cannot be comfortably thought upon out of Christ our mediator for if we finde not God in Christ saith Calvin salvation cannot bee known wherefore neighbour Neophytus I will say unto you as sweet Master Bradford said unto a gentlewoman in your case Thus then if you would be quiet and certain in conscience then let your faith burst forth through all things not onely that you have within you but also whatsoever is in heaven earth and hell and never rest untill it come to Christ crucified and the eternall sweete mercie and goodnesse of God in â—hrist Neo. But Sir I am not yet satisfied concerning the point you touched before and therefore I pray you proceed to shew me how far forth I am delivered from the Law as it is the covenant of works Evan. Truly as it is the covenant of works you are wholy and altogether delivered and set free from it you are dead to it and it is dead to you and if it be dead to you then it can doe you neither good nor hurt and if you be dead to it you can expect neither good nor hurt from it consider man I pray you that as I said before you are now under another covenant to wit the covenant of grace and you cannot bee under two covenants at once neither wholy nor partly and therefore as before you believed you were wholy under the covenant of works as Adam left both you and all his posterity after his fall so now since you have believed you are wholy under the covenant of grace Assure your selfe then that no Minister or Preacher of Gods Word hath any warrant to say unto you hereafter either doe this and this dutie contained in the law and avoid this and this sin forbidden in the Law and God will justifie thee and save thy soule or doe it not and Hee will condemne thee and damne thee no no you are now set free both from the commanding and condemning power of the covenant of works so that I will say unto you as the Apostle saith unto the believing Hebrews You are not come to Mount Sinai that might not be touched and that burned with fire nor unto blacknesse and darknesse and tempests but you are come unto Mount Sion the City of the living God and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant so that to speak with holy reverence God cannot by vertue of the covenant of wotks either require of you any obedience or punish you for any disobedience no he cannot by vertue of that covenant so much as threaten you or give you an angry word or shew you an angry look for indeed he can see no sin in you as a transgression of that covenant for saith the Apostle Where there is no Law there is no transgression And therfore though hereafter you doe through frailty transgresse any or all the ten Commandements yet doe you not thereby transgresse the covenant of works there is no such covenant now betwixt God and you and therefore though you shall hereafter heare such a voice as this if thou wilt be saved keep the commandements or cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are writen in the book of the Law to doe them nay though you heare the voice of thunder and a fearfull noyse nay though you see blacknesse and darknesse and feel a great tempest that is to say though you heare us that are Preachers according to our commission Lift up our voice like a trumpet in threatning hell and damnation to sinners and transgressors of the Law though these be the words of God yet are you not to thinke that they are spoken to you no no the Apostle assures you â—hat there is no condemnation to them that â—â—re in Christ Jesus believe it man God never threatens eternall death after he hath once given to a man eternall life nay the truth is God never speaks to a believer out of Christ and in Christ hee speaks not a word in the terms of the covenant of works and if the Law of it selfe should presume to â—ome into your conscience and say herein and herein thou hast transgressed and broken â—â—e and therefore thou owest so much and â—o much to divine Justice which must be
satisfied or else I will take hold on thee â—hen answer you and say O Law bee it known unto thee that I am now marryed unto Christ and so I am under coverâ— and therefore if thou charge me with any debt thou must enter thine action against my husband Christ for the wife is not suable at the Law but the husband But the truth is I through him am dead to thee ô Law and thou art dead to me and therefore justice hath nothing to doe with me for it judgeth according to the Law And if it yet reply and say I but good works must be done and the commandements must bee kept if thou wilt obtain salvation Then answer you and say I am already saved before thou camest therefore I have no need of thy presence for in Christ I have all things at once neither need I any thing more that is necessary to salvation hee is my righteousnesse my treasure and my work I confesse O Law that I am neither godly nor righteous but yet this am I sure of that he is godly and righteous for me and to tell thee the truth O Law I am now with him in the bride-chamber where it maketh no matter what I am or what I have done but what Christ my sweet husband is hath done and doth for me and therefore leave off Law to dispute with me for by faith I apprehend him who hath apprehended me and put me into his bosome wherefore I will be bold to bid Moses with his Tables and all Lawyers with their books and all men with their works hold their peace and give place so that I say unto thee O Law be gon and if it will not be gon then thrust it out by force And if sin offer to take hold of you as David said his did on him Psal. 40.14 then say you unto it thy strength O sin is the Law 1 Cor. 15.56 and the Law is dead to me and therefore O sin thy strength is gon and therefore be sure thou shalt never be able to prevail against me nor doe me any hurt at all And if Satan take you by the throat and by violence draw you before Gods judgement seat then call to your husband Christ and say Lord I suffer violence make answer for me and help me and by his help you shall be enabled to plead for your selfe after this manner O God the Father I am thy Sonne Christs thou gavest me unto him and thou hast given unto him all power both in heaven and in earth and hast committed all judgement to him and therefore I will-stand to his judgement who saith He came not to judge the World but to save it and therefore hee will save me according to his office and if the jury should bring in their verdict that they have found you guilty then speak to the Iudge and say in case any must be condemned for my transgressions it must needs be Christ and not I for albeit I have committed them yet hee hath undertaken and bound himselfe to answer for them and that by his consent and good will and indeed hee hath fully satisfied for them and if all this will not serve the turne to acquit you then Adde moreover and say As a woman that is conceived with childe must not suffer death because of the childe that is within her no more must I because I have conceived Christ in mine heart though I had committed all the sins in the world And if death creep upon you and attempt to devoure you then say thy sting ô death is sin and Christ my husband hath fully vanquished sin and so deprived thee of thy sting and therefore doe I not feare any hurt that thou ô death canst do unto mee And thus you may triumph with the Apostle saying Thanks be to God who hath given mee victory through my Lord Iesus Christ. And thus have I also declared unto you how Christ in the fulnesse of time performed that which God before all time purposed and in time promised touching the helping and delivering of falne mankind and so have I also done with the law of faith Nom. Then Sir I pray you proceed to speake of the law of Christ and first let us heare what the law of Christ is The law of Christ in regard of substance and matter is all one with the law of workes or covenant of workes which matter is scattered through the whole Bible and summed up in the Decalogue or ten commandements commonly called the Morall Law containing such things as are agreeable to the minde and will of God to wit piety towards God charity towards our Neighbour and sobriety towards our selves therefore was it given of God to be a true and eternall rule of righteousnes for all men of all Nations and at all times so that Evangelicall grace directs a man to no other obedience then that wherof the law of the ten commandements is to be the rule Nom. But yet Sir I conceive that though as you say the law of Christ in regard of substance and matter be all one with the law of works yet their forms do differ Evan. True indeed for as you have heard the law of works speaketh on this wise doe this and thou shalt live and if thou doe it not thou shalt die the death but the law of Christ speaketh on this wise And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine owne bloud I said unto thee when thou wast in thy bloud live And whosoever liveth and believeth in mee shall never die Be ye therefore followers of God as deare children and walke in love as Christ hath loved us And if ye love me keep my commandements And if they breake my statutes and keep not my commandements then will I visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Neverthelesse my loving kindnesse will I not utterly take away from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to fail Thus you see that both these laws agree in saying doe this but here is the difference The one saith doe this and live and the other saith live and doe this the one saith doe this for life the other saith do this from life the one saith If thou do it not thou shalt die the other saith If thou doe it not I will chastise thee with the rod the one is to be delivered by God as hee is a creatour out of Christ onely to such as are out of Christ the other is to be delivered by God as he is a Redeemer in Christ onely to such as are in Christ Wherefore Neighbour Neophytus seeth that you are now in Christ beware you receive not the ten commandements at the hands of God out of Christ nor yet at the hands of Moses but onely at the hands of Christ and so shall you be sure to receive them as the law of Christ. Nom. But Sir may not
right well that Luther sayth the conscience hath nothing to doe with the law or works and that Calvin sayth the consciences of the faithfull when the affiance of their justification before God is to be sought must rayse and advance themselves above the Law and forget the whole righteousnes of the Law and lay aside all thinking upon works Now for the true understanding of these two worthy servants of Christ two things are to be concluded First that when they speak thus of the law it is evident they mean only in the case of justification secondly that when the conscience hath to doe with the law in the case of justification it hath to doe with it onely as it is the covenant of works for as the law is the Law of Christ it neither justifies nor condemns and so if you understand it of the Law as it is the Covenant of works according to their meaning then it is most true that they say for why should a man let the Law come into his conscience that is why should a man make any conscience of doing the Law to be justified thereby considering it is a thing impossible nay what need hath a man to make cōscience of doing the law to be justified thereby when he knows he is already justified another way nay what need hath a man to make conscience of doing that law that is dead to him and hee to it hath a woman any need to make any conscience of doing her duty to her husband when hee is dead nay when shee her selfe is dead also or hath a debter any need to make any conscience of paying that debt which is already fully discharged by his surety will any man be afraid of that obligation which is made void the seale torne off the writing defaced nay not onely cancelled and crost but torne in pieces I remember the Apostle saith That if the sacrifices which were offered in the Old Testament could have made the commers thereunto perfect and have purged the worshippers then should they have had no more conscience of sins that is their conscience would not have accused them of being guilty of sins now the blond of Christ hath purged the conscience of a believer from all his sins as they are transgressions against the covenant of works and therefore what needs his conscience be troubled about that covenant but now I pray you observe and take notice that although Luther and Calvin doe thus exempt a believer from the Law in the case of justification and as it is the law or covenant of works yet doe they not so out of the case of justification and as it is the Law of Christ. For thus saith Luther out of the matter of justification wee ought with Paul to thinke reverently of the Law to commend it highly to call it holy righteous just good spirituall and divine yea out of the case of justification we ought to make a God of it And in another place saith he there is a civill righteousnesse and a ceremoniall righteousnesse yea and besides these there is another righteousnesse which is the righteousnesse of the Law or of the ten commrndements which Moses teacheth this also we teach after the doctrine of faith And in a third place he having shewed that believers through Christ are far above the Law adds howbeit I will not deny but that Moses sheweth to them their duties in which respect they are to be admonished and urged wherefore such doctrines and admonitions ought to be among Christians as it is certain there was among the Apostles whereby every man may be admonished of his estate and office And Calvin having said as I told you before that Christians in the case of justification must raise and advance themselves above the law adds neither can any man thereby gather that the law is superfluous to the faithfull whom notwithstanding it doth not cease to teach exhort and prick forward to goodnesse although before Gods Judgement seat it hath no place in their conscience Ant. But Sir if I forget not Musculus sayth that the law is utterly abrogated Evan. Indeed Musculus speaking of the ten commandements sayth if they be weak if they be the letter if they do worke transgression anger curse and death and if Christ by the law of the spirit of life delivered them that believed in him from the law of the letter which was weake to justifie and strong to condemne and from curse being made a curse for us surely they be abrogated Now this is most certaine that the ten commandements doe no way worke transgression anger curse death but onely as they are the covenant of works neither hath Christ delivered believers any otherwise from them then as they are the covenant of works and therfore wee may assuredly conclude that they are no otherwise abrogated then as they are the covenant of works Neither did Musculus intend any otherwise for sayth he in the words following it must not be understood that the points of the substance of Moses covenant are utterly brought to nothing God forbid for a Christian man is not at liberty to do those things that are ungodly and wicked and if the doing of those things which the law forbids do not displease Christ if they be not much different yea contrary if they be not repugnant to the righteousness which we received of him let it be lawful for a christian man to do them or else not but a Christian man doing against those things which be cōmanded in the Decalogue doth sinne more outragiously then hee that should so do being under the law so far off is he from being free from those things that be there commanded Wherfore friend Antinomista if eyther you or any man else shall under a pretence of your being in Christ exempt yourselves frō being under the law of the ten cōmandements as they are the law of Christ I tel you truly it is a shrewd signe you are not yet in Christ for if you were then Christ were in you if Christ were in you then would he governe you and you would be subject unto him I am sure the Prophet Isaiah tels us that the same Lord who is our Saviour is also our King and Law-giver truly he will not be Jesus a Saviour to any but only to those unto whom he is Christ a Lord for the very truth is whersoever he is Iesus a Saviour he is also Christ a Lord therfore I beseech you examine your self whether he be so to you or no Ant. Why then Sir it seemeth that you stand upon marks and signes Evan. Yea indeed I stand so much upon marks and signes that I say unto you in the words of the Apostle John in this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devill whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God for sayth Luther he that is truly baptised is become a new
M. Gray junior H Bishop Hall M. Thomas Hooker L Doctor Luther M. Lightfoot M Wolfangius Musculus Peter Martyr Doctor Mayor M. Marshall O Barnardine Ochine P M. Perkins Doctor Preston R M. Rollock M. Reynolds M. Rouse S Doctor Smith Doctor Sibbs M. Slater T M. Tyndall M. Robert Towne V Doctor Vrban Regius Doctor Vrsinus M. Vaughan W Doctor Willet Doctor Williams M. Wilson M. Ward THE MARROVV OF Modern Divinity Interlocutors EVANGELISTA a Minister of the Gospel NOMISTA a Legalist ANTINOMISTA an Antinomian NEOPHYTUS a young Christian. Nomista SIR My neighbour Neophytus and I having lately had some conference with this our friend and acquaintance Antinomista about some points of Religiâ—n wherein he differing from us both at last â—id he would be contented to be judged by â—ou our Minister therefore have we made bold to come unto you all three of us to pray you to heare us and judge of our differences Evan. You are all of you very welcome to me and if you please to let me heare what your differences are I will tell you what I think Nom. The truth is Sir he and I differ in very many things but more especially about the Law for I say the Law ought to be a rule of life to a believer and he saith it ought not Neo. And surely Sir the greatest difference betwixt him and I is this He would perswade me to believe in Christ and bids me rejoyce in the Lord and live merrily though I feel never so many corruptions in my heart yea though I be never so sinfull in my life the which I cannot do nor I think ought not to do but rather to feare and sorrow and lament for my sins Anti. The truth is Sir the greatest difference is betwixt my feiend Nomista and I about the Law and therefore that is the greatest matter we come unto you about Evan. I remember the Apostle Paul willeth Titus to avoyd contentions and strivings about the Law because they are unprofitable and vain and so I feare me yours have been Nom. Sir for mine own part I hold it very meet that every true Christian should be very zealous for the holy Law of God especially now when a company of these Antinomians do set themselves against it and do what they can quite to abolish it and utterly to root it out of the Church surely Sir I think it not meet they should â—ive in a Christian Common-wealth Evan. I pray you neighbour Nomista be not so hot neither let us have such unchristianlike expressions amongst us and let us reason together in love and with the spirit of meeknesse as Christians ought to do I confesse with the Apostle it is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing But yet as the same Apostle said of the Jews so I feare me I may say of some Christians that they are zealous of the Law yea some would be Doctors of the Law and yet neither understand what they say nor whereof they affirm Nom. Sir I make no doubt but that I both know what I say and whereof I affirm when I say and affirm that the holy Law of God ought to be a rule of life to a believer For I dare pawn my soule of the â—ruth of it Evan. But what Law do you mean Nom. Why Sir what Law do you think I mean Is there any more Lawes then one Evan. Yea in the New Testament theâ— is mention made of a three-fold Law 〈◊〉 wit the law of works the law of faith anâ— the law of Christ and therefore I pray yoâ— tell me when you say the Law ought to bâ— a rule of life to a believer which of their three Lawes you mean Nom. Sir I know not the difference betwixt them but this I know that the Law of the Ten Commandements commonly called the Morall Law ought to be a rule of life to a believer Evan. But the Law of the Ten Commandements or Morall Law may be either said to be the matter of the law of works or the matter of the law of Christ and therefore I pray you tell me in whether oâ— these senses you conceive it ought to be â— rule of life to a believer Nom. Sir I must confesse I do not know what you mean by this distinction but thiâ— I know that God requires that every Christian should frame and lead his life according to the rule of the Ten Commandements the which if he do then may he expect the blessing of God both upon his soule and body and if he do not then can he expect nothing else but his wrath and curse upon them both Evan. The truth is neighbour Nomista â—he Law of the Ten Commandements as it 〈◊〉 the matter of the Law of Works ought not to be a rule of life to a believer but in thus saying you have affirmed that it ought and therefore therein you have erred from the truth And now friend Antinomista that I may also know your judgement when you say the Law ought not to be a rule of life to a believer I pray you tell me what Law you mean Ant. Why I mean the Law of the Ten Commandements Evan. But whether do you mean that Law as it is the matter of the law of works or as it is the matter of the Law of Christ Ant. Surely Sir I do conceive that the Ten Commandements are no way to be a rule of life to a believer for Christ hath delivered him from them Evan. But the truth is the law of the Ten Commandements as it is the matter of the law of Christ ought to be a rule of life to a believer and therefore you having affirmed the contrary have therein also erâ—ed from the truth Nom. The truth is Sir I must confesse 〈◊〉 never took any notice of this three-fold â—aw which it seems is mentioned in the New Testament Ant. And I must confesse if I took any notice of them I never understood them Evan. Well give me leave to tell you that so far forth as any man comes short of the true knowledge of this threefold Law so far forth he comes short both of the true knowledge of God and of himself And therefore I wish you both to consider of it Nom. Sir if it be so you may do well to be a means to inform us and help us to the true knowledge of this threefold Law and therefore I pray you first tell us what is meant by the law of works Evan. The law of works opposed to the law of faith Rom. 3.27 holds forth as much as the covenant of works for it is manifest saith Musculus that the word which signifieth covenant or bargain is put for law so that you see the Law of works is as much to say as the Covenant of works the which Covenant the Lord made with all mankinde in Adam before his fall the summe whereof was Do this and thou shalt live And If