of God as well Rev. 12. 17 as to have the testimony of Jesus Christ Reas 10 Tenthly The Morall Law shall be a rule for Gods judging of men at the last day hence saith the Apostle So speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged by the Law of liberty Jam. 2. 12. In which Scripture we maâ— observe that in the day of judgement God will call men to account for words and actions and that the rule upon or by which he will proceed with men is his Law its clear by the Scripture that the Law shall at the last day be condemning and judging unto impenitent and unbeleeving sinners Hence saith Christ Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father there is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom ye trust John 5. 45. And again the Apostle saith As many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law Rom. 2. 12. Where it is plain that the wilfull breach of the Morall Law shall be imputed to every childe of Adam unto just condemnation such as have the Law written in their hearts shall be condemned because they did not obey the Law as it was revealed to them such as have the Law more clearly written in the Scriptures and do violate it that shall condemn them not but that men shall be judged in that day according to the Gospel Rom. 2. 16. Now then if God shall make the Law Morall his rule by which he will proceed to judgement at the last day I conclude it is not made void by the Doctrine of Faith it was to me strange Divinity which one of the new lights vented in publike saying That the Morall Law shall be a rule for God to condemn an unbeleever by but it is no rule for him to walk by I wonld ask of this man how men do draw their inditements against tiplers and quarrellers in the countrey Is there not a Law broken which should have been observed and because it s not observed doth not the penaltie come upon a man doth not that strengthen the Law to judge and condemn man Doth not all judging and condemning by the Law both strengthen and inforce the obedience which is principally intended by the Law I think that the Law neither could have cursed or judged man at all if his disobedience had not â—ade way thereunto Nomist I shall desire you to shew me how the Doctrine of the Gospel which is called The Law of Faith doth establish and confirm the authority and obligation of the Morall Law Evangelist Sir I hope that you can tell how to distinguish between the making of the Morall Law to be a Law and the maintaining or strengthning of it being so made we teach that there is no efficiency or causalitie in the Grace or Doctrine of Faith to make the Morall Law it had no other Authour then God the great Law-giver and Law-maker Nomist I yeeld to this and do look upon the Doctrine of Faith as maintaining or making strong the Law to be a rule for life and would fain be satisfied in the wayes how this is done Evangelist I do conceive that the Morall Law receiveth strength and confirmation by the Doctrine of Faith these 12. wayes The Gospel doth stablish the Law 12 wayes First as it holds no contrarietie or disagreement but rather an harmony or consent with it in the main matters of dutie and obedience in this sence I may say as doth the Apostle Is the Law against the promises of God God forbid What Gal 3 21. doth the Law say one thing and the Gospel say another I speak to the matter in hand and do averre that the Gospel and the word of Free Grace directs men to no other obedience then that of which the Law is formally or virtually the rule Vice in the Law is Vice in the Gospel and Vertue in the Law is Vertue in the Gospel as it is the same water which runs thorow severall Pipes so it is the same obedience which is conteined in the Law and in the Gospel they have but one minde of God in them and do speak the same things the work of duty in both is co-ordinate and sub-ordinate not contrary or repugnant Nomist Do they agree in all things for dutie Evangelist You may note these two things 1. That though they do both declare and require duties shewing what is to be done and forborn yet the Doctrine of Faith hath more helps or more obliging vertue and abilitie then the Law hath or can afford the Doctrine of the Law is onâ—ly deâ—larative that of the Gospel is also effective and operative 2. That the Doctrine of Faith doth require the exercise of some duties and graces in a more speciall and determining way then the Doctrine of the Law doth I shall instance in this one point That man should beleeve what ever God would have him to beleeve is a duty of the Morall Law but that mans Faith should determine itself in the Son of God apprehending and applying his righteousnesse for justification in Gods sight This is a dutie of the Gospel I conceive that justifying Faith is formally reqâ—ired in the Gospel at the most but virtually commanded in the Law of Moses Nomist Proceed I pray you Evangelist Secondly As it sets up God in supreame authority and soveraigntie setling upon him power to make and give Lawes in an obliging way unto the sons of men the Gospel teacheth that There is one Law-giver who is able to save Jam. 4 12. and destroy Thirdly As it doth maintain the Law to be a Copie of Gods will every way holy and usefull unto the sons of men I am 2. 8. the Morall Law is called The Royall Law because it is the minde of the great King of heaven It is the great Kings Law according to which every of his Subjects ought to walk and Miâ— 6 8. to order their lives and conversations he hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord thy God requireth of thee c. Fourthly As it doth set men necessarily into a way and course of obedience the Gospel makes not obedience to Gods will an indifferent or arbitrary but a necessary thing it is not all one in the Gospel sense whether God be obeyed or not obeyed whether man repent or not repent believe or not believe but man is tied and bound by the Doctrine thereof simply and univâ—rsally to obedience it doth teach that it is better to obey then to stand disputing against duty and that though the command be repugnant to some self respects yet there neither is or can be given any sufficient reason why a man should deny obedience to the Will of God and not do duty Fifthly As it doth cry down sin and licentiousnesse The Gospel doth not onely shew That sin is the transgression of Gods Law and that which God is so displeased with that he will most severely punish but it
neither do or can tell how to Preach Jesus Christ or advance the free grace of God in Jesus they in their Preaching do hold men to the direction of the Law tell them that there is an use of it not onely to unbeleevers but beleevers they presse men to dutie make them Dutie-mongers as if that Christ had not done all for them Nomist Truely Sir your expression is harsh and charge deep Can men and women of Catechized heads and broken hearts thus speak I think that your passion doth too far transport you give me leave to tell you that the Churches of God never had any honourable opinion of the men you name and I would have you to know that it is a great disgrace for any Minister of Jesus Christ not to be a Preacher of the Law and it hath been and shall be the great credit and glory of all true Ministers to be right Preachers of the Law Antinomist That I can never beleeve Nomist Yet you ought to beleeve it for Christ himself who was a Preacher of the Law saith Whosoever therefore shall break one The Ministers glory is to Preach the Law Mat. 5 19. of these least Commandments and shall teach men so he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven but whosoever shall do and teach the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven Sir you do but bring your self and Way into suspition when you give out that you are in a new Way and led by a new Light the wiser and the better sort of Christians do wonder at your ignorance and pride and they tell us that they have seen and known the coming in and the going out of these fancies and false Lights and are sure that such whom you do cry down for Legall Preachers are the men whose Ministery God hath used and blessed in bringing them and many thousands to sweet enjoyment of Jesus Christ the Lord. Antinomist Sir be not angry with me I must tell you that your Ministers are a company of Scribes and Pharisees even such who The false accusation of the Antinomians with a shew of Phylosophie and vain Learning do set up Moses and cry down Christ advance Dutie and cast down Free Grace nay they make it their work by Preaching the Law to terrifie peoples consciences that thereby they may suck no small advantage to themselves Nomist Now your speech bewrayeth you to be much imbittered in your spirit how dare you to charge the holy ones of God whose approved integritie is manifest to the Churches to be Scribes and Pharisees give me leave to tell you that though you speak much of the Free Grace of God in Christ yet unlesse you hold as some say you do That you cannot sin in saying what you will or sinning you need not to be sorry for the same This loose language of yours will one day be trouble to your spirits and further give me leave to tell you That I never The Preachers of the Law justified heard any Preachers more advance Jesus Christ into the Throne of Redemption or set up the Free Grace of God to poor beleeving penitent sinners then our Preachers do all of them in their Preaching do beat man out of himself making him beholding to Christ alone for Redemption and Salvation Lo yonder is one of them coming towards us if you please we will conferre with him about this matter and I would have you to make your Objections and Exceptions known for it is a good thing that the heart be established in the truth Antinomist Content I like well of your motion Nomist Sir you are kindly welcome into our company I perceive that you have been taking pains may I ask you upon what subject you were this day The Evangelist I was upon a Morrall Law maintaining Scripture and that because we live in Morrall Law opposing times there being certain men crept in among us who turn the grace of God into wantonnesse and under the colour of advancing Christ do lead away simple men and women into loose opinions and licentious conversations Nomist Unto what Scripture did Divine Providence direct you for the beating down of this lawlesse way Evangelist It was that known Text in Romanes 3. and Verse 31. the words are these Do we then make void the Law through Rom 3 31 faith God forbid yea we establish the Law Nomist What occasioned Paul to utter these words Evangelist The Apostle having in his Ministery denied all power to the Morrall Law to justifie sinners and avouching justification to be through Faith alone there were some who did vainly imagine that he did render the Morrall Law uselesse unto men and hereupon they were ready to cry down all the use of that Law and to say as men in our dayes Away with Moses Out of doors with Moses we beleevers can no longer abide his voice the Law is no fit Doctrine to be taught or heard to be beleeued or obeyed This injury or abuse ready to fall upon the Doctrine Paul takes notice of and seeing that his wholsome Doctrine was turned quite out of its meaning made to run contrary and crosse to other usefull and profitable Doctrines after the raising of the objection by way of anticipation or praeoccupation he doth not onely expresse the abhorrencie of his Spirit in detesting any such licentious or Law-destroying inference shewing that his heart was so far from closing with or liking of this opinion that it did rise up against the same intimated in the word God forbid q. d. The great and good Lord never suffer such a thought to come into my minde I do here take God to witnesse that with horrour of Spirit I do disclaim from the same but he doth also by a Rhetoricall inversion turn the contrary upon the head of the objecters and in plain tearms sheweth That he was so far from Antiquating the Doctrine of the Law in and by preaching the Gospel that the Gospel which was Preached by him did mightily establish and strongly confirm the Doctrine of the Law he utterly denies the making void the Law by Preaching the Doctrine of â—aith and Free-Grace and doth stiffely assert the authority and use of the Law unto Christians under the Gospel Nomist In your opening the meaning of this Scripture there came these two things into minde Doct. 1 1. The one is mans extream wickednesse in Spirit to abuse and pervert holy and wholsome doctrines I think that let Doctrines be never so materially good or warily propounded some there be who will make sinfull argument against them or corruptly interpret and misapply them what is spoken in one sence men will be ready to take in another and which way their crooked and crosse conceits do lead that way would they have trueth to follow men are not willing to set their Watch by the Sun but the Sun by their Watch. Evangelist I subscribe to your inference and do conceive that this 4 Springs
mean there should be a destruction and an abolishment of the Morall Law in its use or the writings of the Prophets in their Doctrines but he did teach and instruct men in the use of the Ceremoniall Law and all that Propheticall Doctrine which did referre it self unto his Person who was to come a Saviour for sinners which received a full accomplishment in himself who was the Trâ—eth and by how much the more the Gospel did set him out to be come in the Flesh by so much the more would all forerunning Prophecies Types and Figures of Jesus Christ vanish and die Hence saith learned Rivet Hoc intelligendum esse de lege Prophetante per Figuras In Exod. 20. non de lege instituente mores hominum And long before him Tertullian Cessavit per ad impletionem non per destructionem â—ib 4. coâ—t Marc. Vide Ambrosium Hom. 38. in Luc. Chrysost Hieronimum c. Tell me now Is this place rightly alleadged for your purpose If it be not then see how you are misled As for your other Scriptures I shall desire you to know the main scope of the Apostle in that place is to shew that God Gal. 3. 39. expounded neither endued the Law of Moses with a justifying or an abrogating power as it could not give life by it self to man so it could not hinder life by the Covenant or Promise of Grace Upon the hearing of this some were ready to say What then Is the Law a vain thing Wherefore then serveth the Law To this the Apostle makes answer That the Law was added because of transgressions untill the seed should come c. i. e. The whole Mosaicall Law was very serviceable to open and discover sin in such a way that it made them flee to Christ for Sanctuarie and to learn to cast all their Faith and expectation for righteousnesse on him This is all that the Apostle aimes at I say he treats onely of the use of the Law in bringing men to Christ that they may be justified by him he speaks De justificandis non de justificatis And of the molesting not of the ruling office of the Law of Moses as Luther Vide Luth. in Comâ—nt well observes he doth not destroy the use of it as a rule after a man beleeves in Christ but notes the convincing and terrifying power of it before a man comes to Christ Here is no ground for cashiering of the Law as if it were to be excluded the Churches in succeeding times but rather an establishing of it to be an excellent and usefull Doctrine to be taught to the sons of men in bringing them to Christ As for that in the five and twentieth Verse After that Faith is come we are no longer under a School-master The meaning is the same with the former That we are no longer under the Verse 25. 〈◊〉 Ceremoniall Law as it did point and figure out Christ unto man he himself being come who was the substance Neither are we under the rigour and sharpnesse of the Morall â—aw it can and doth no longer rigorously exact at our hands perfect obedience upon pain of damnation The Apostle doth no way speak of the Morall Law as it is a rule of life for obedience to Gods will so that the Scripture is no way properly alleadged to your purpose If that we should teach man dependance on tâ—e Law for Justification you had said somewhat What else have you to say Antinomist Object 2 Against your propounding or obtruding the Morall Law for a rule of life I shall urge you with these Scriptures Rom. 6. 14. You are not under the Law but under Gracâ— Gal. 3. 10. As many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse And 1 Tim. 1. 9. The Law is not made for a righteous man Out of these Scriptures I thus argue If the Law belong not to the righteous who are under Grace and if it be a bringing men under the curse to urge them to obey the Law then it 's plain that beleevers have nothing to do with the Law as its an obliging rule But so is this Ergo. Evangelist Sol. 2 You with the Donatists alleadge Scripture more for Habâ—nt Scripturâ—â— ad speciem non ad salatem Aug. Rom. 6 14. opened shew then Trueth as will easily appear when I have opened these places for that place in the Romanes it is clear That the Apostle doth intend nothing lesse then the absolute discharging of Christians from observance of or obedience to the Morall Law For 1. He speaketh of mans being under the Law in the Minatory and Damnatory sentence thereof The meaning of the place is this God having set them into favour and they having obtained their pardon in justification were acquitted from the curse and damnation of the Law that could not now any longer hold them under to death as a malefactour having obtained his Princes pardon is freed from the sentence of condemnation under which he did lay with much fear and grief that death which must have befallen him by the Law was prevented by the coming in of his pardon thus God had set them under his grace and bestowed his favour on them and by this means they were not under the death of the Law Now unlesse you will confesse that the giving and granting of a Pardon doth naturally and directly take off all dutie to a mans Soveraign and give him a dispensation to practise Rebellion more freely it cannot be granted that discharges from the damnation of sin by grace can take off all loyaltie and dutie unto God in his requirements 2. It is most evident by the following words that the Apostle intends no dismission from obedience to the Law for he saith What shall we sin because we are Vers 15. not under the Law but under Grace God forbid Certainly if by an estate of Grace men were totally discharged from walking according to the Doctrine and command of the Law the Apostle needed not to have spoken of sinning it being impossible that such should sin who are not tied to keep in compasse of any Law Sin being as we all know the transgression of the Law 1 John 3. 4. To that place in the Galatians the scope will be a sufficient answer Pauls drift is to take off men from depending on the works of the Law for their justification this was the infection Gal 3 10. opened by the false teachers which were crept into the Church at Galatia they had leavened the people with an opinion of merit who began to be full of pride and would be little beholding to God for heaven they would not beg but buy a place in heaven and did seek by their own works to become their own Saviours This practice and doctrine the Apostle sheweth was the ready way to bring down a curse upon them and this curse he brings in as an argument to take them off from cleaving to the Law
for Justification and the words are as if he should have said When a man shall put himself under the Law for Justification shall promise to himself an estate of eternall life for his obedience sake place his righteousnesse in graces received or duties performed this man puts himself under the curse Now tell me How doth this Scripture overthrow the binding power of the Law to duty May not a man believe in Christ and obey too Obedience hath the blessing not the curse annexed to it As for that place in Timothy I think it maketh nothing at all for you for the Apostle speaks of the right managing of the Law saying That the Law is good if a man use it lawfully 1 Tim. 1 9. opened Vers â— Now how is the Law used lawfully Is it not when it is rightly applyed to the punishing of offenders God nor man ever intended that any Law should be made to punish good men or that such should suffer under the colour of Law this were a great abuse of the Law and in it no small injury is done to an honest man that the Law which should be his protection should become his punishment nay he leads them on to such persons for whom the Law was ordained by way of punishment namely The lawlesse and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and profane c. This being the proper sense of the place How doth it take away the Law as a rule of obedience unto Christians Nay out of this Scripture I do inferre a Christians obedience to the â—aw he is one that walks so regularly unto it that it cannot be justly used against him as a rod to punish him Besides this I answer That the Morall Law is not yet put or given against a righteous man as a Bill of Inditement to accuse him as a Judge to condemn him to punishment or as a rod or whip to compell and force him to obedience he is carried with such an ingenious spirit to obey the Law of God that saepe legem praevenit transcendit as Chrysostome saith i he doth prevent the Law and is potius in illa quam sub illa rather in the Law or a Law to himself then under the Law as Augustine saith I hope Sir you see your mistake and are convinced that the Scriptures will not own your opinion Have you any thing else to say for your self Antinomian Object 3 Yea Sir I must tell you That our Preachers who have brought my self and others into this way teach and tell us Rom. 7 6. Vers 8. 14 That we are led by the Spirit and must serve God in newnesse of spirit and not in the oldnesse of the lâ—tter That we are to perform all acts of obedience dictamine charitatis i. e. by the instructing power and force of love and not by any Command of the Word much lesse of the Morall Law they resemble Christians unto trees which grow not by arguments and commands Evangelist Sol. 3 Unto what you tell me I shall give you these answers 1. That though the Spirit of grace be the supreme guide yet the Scriptures whereof the Morall Law is a part are a subordinate guide or rule for Christians obedience Our Divines Perkins in Gal. 23. call the one the inward and the other the out ward rule and this I finde That the Spirit and the Word are in such conjunction in this work that he doth guide and leade men into acts of obedience in and by the Law which he himself writes in their hearts God saith This is my Covenant with them My Isa 59 21. Spirit that is upon thee and my Words which I have put into thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and forever Besides David saith Thy Word Psal 11â— 105. is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths 2. That the serving God in newnesse of spirit and not in the oldnesse of the letter doth onely mean That Christians should yeeld spirituall and soul-obedience to Gods commands and not content themselves with an externall formall and ceremoniall serving of him according to that of Christ The hour cometh Jo. 4. 23. and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in trueth for the Father seeketh such to worship him 3. For that force and power of love which you make the rule and motive to obedience and dutie give me leave to ask you Whether that love you speak of be not a dutie laid down and required in the word of command Do you love God and Christ without or upon a command I conceive you will say you do it by vertue of a command Again I must tell you that as love springs from the command which enjoyns man to love so it doth manifest its life and soundnesse by looking to the command by way of dutifull Jo. 14 15. observance according to that of Christ If ye love me keep my Commandments And that of the beloved Disciple 1 Jo. 5. 3. This is the Love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous 4. For that comparison of theirs I will not say it is sencelesse I am sure it is strained or misapplied what though the principle of bearing good fruit lay in that sap which is inclosed in the root doth not the tree need outward influence and helps from the Sun the Ayr the Soyl c. This cannot be denyed the case is the same here Christ is the root and inward principle without whom a true Believer can do nothing yet you must know that the means of his own appointing are needfull and necessary he hath ordained Ministers and left the Word for the gathering edifying and growth of the body besides to make Christ an inward principle of obedience is to set up a Law and Commandment unto men unlesse you will say there is an obedience without a Law Antinomist Ere I passe from you I will open my heart unto you when we cannot draw men to our opinion against the Law we do use our wits in devising strange expressions which can hardly be understood or we have our distinctious and evasions that when men shall tell us that we are Antinomians we may stoutly deny the same v. g. We tell them that the Morall Law is Evangelized in the hearts of believers by the Spirit of our Lord Jesus nay we take the boldnesse to say That we onely deny the use of the Law as it was in the hand of Moses not as it is in the hand of Christ our Mediatour Evangelist It hath been the manner of Heretikes to draw a cloud over their Tenets by using odde and unusuall expressions and fearing a discovery to speak doubtfully that to they may have a back door to get out at whereas truth seeks no corners and doth