of pride is vainly to be puft up by a fleshly minde not holding the head for pride resteth not in those low and humble principles of Christ but not enduring Gods yoakes nor the suit and service of Christianity raiseth vaine reasonings against obedience and plotteth new devises for more scope and elbow-roome than the Gospell alloweth them that must walke in the strait and narrow way to eternall life And this righteous judgement of God hath overtaken this sect of men with whom wee deale of whom the Apostle affirmeth that while they promise liberty themselves are the servants of corruption I know that many that as yet know not the depth of Satan in this errour nor are dived into the mysterie and mischiefe of these opinions doe conceive more slightly of their tenents and more charitably of their persons than there is cause and some may thinke it were fitter they should fall of themselves than be thrust downe by the hand and strength of others and that the labour might have beene better bestowed against more dangerous persons and fundamentall errours much more prejudiciall to the truth of the Gospell But I wish such to consider whether any errour can be more pernicious than that which rejecteth all rules of holy and strict walking with God What will it availe us to contend for or establish a faith which is dead severed from the life and fruites of holinesse or what greater enemies can we deale against than enemies of righteousnesse who are not onely fallen from the abnegation of the knowne and received truth but to the oppugnation of it a fearefull fruite indeede of their declining but men having once lost the way of truth know not where they shall lodge And it will not be amisse to looke into their modell of new Divinity and how cunningly they have molded the whole lumpe and kneaded it together that every peece and position of it may let themselves loose from all bands of duty and obedience For 1. They must not live in the presence of God nor hold him in their sight as a God seeing their sinnes or actions or displeased with the evill of them and why now should they forbeare any sinne 2. They must not acknowledge God a rewarder of his owne grace or any good duty to which he enableth and how then can they desire to doe good or be good 3. They must not see their sin a violation of the Law nor as it is an enmity against God nor as causing wrath to worke in them either humiliation for sinne past or detestation of sin present or feare of it for time to come 4. Neither Gods will nor their owne wills moves them not to forbeare any sinne not the former because they are free from all lawes not the latter because the will of man is turned against sin by vertue of inherent holinesse wrought by the spirit which they disclaime so as onely the light of their mind may condemne it and the unseemelinesse of it in a professour may restraine it else they are loose to any 5. They cannot be sick of evill motions nor detest evill thoughts nor watch against temptations nor care for the purging of their hearts for how can they sinne being born of God or if they could they are not to be countable for any sin nor can God take notice of theÌ„ Christs most innocent soul was vexed with the molestatioÌ„ of injected motions of evil though instantly rejected but these must not they are so holy 6. They must not live by any rules but by a wilde and spatious pretence of immediate and enthusiasticall direction Enemies are they to perswasion and exhortations for because Christs perfections are their perfection In vaine it is to perswade either for good thoughts into the minde or good inclinations into the will or good actions into the life They desire not their hearts nor wills nor actions to agree with Gods law for it is quite abolished And much lesse doe they turne the precepts of God into prayers as the Saints ever used to doe Oh with what violence must headstrong men be caryed unto unrighteousnesse when the word as a bridle must not hold them in nor check or controll sinne in the soule to lessen either the power or practise of it 7. They must not brooke any longer the difficulty of repentance nor endure the paines of mortification because they cannot deny â—hemselves nor must they ever remember sins past as the Saints have done with much â—â—uite both 〈…〉 owne humâ—liation Deut. 9. 6. â— and for their excitation to gratitude and thankfulnes to God for mercy as the Apostle 1 Tim 1. 12. 13. 8. That they may hold their sinnes more securely they free themselves from all feare of woe and judgement and from all the strokes of God or his word and so by themselves dote in a false peace For Gods hand cannot reach them for he cannot be displeased with their sinnes and much lesse temporally correct them and thus they refuse all crosses either as meanes of mortification or of profiting in holinesse Heb. 12. 7. Psal. 119 71. And they flye the stroke of Gods word in a faithfull and free ministery and cannot endure this legall preaching as men that must hold their sinnes but must not heare of them nor beare reproofe of their iniquity 9 To all these profane opinions they disclaime all precepts and practise of sanctification and all increase in holinesse They revile the Preachers that call and urge men by rules and motives to sanctification as calling men backe to the justification of the Law What a case now are these meÌ„ in how can they expect heaven that not only loose themselves from the holines of them that must be inhabitants there but hate it and resist it whereby they cast themselves from the turret of perfection farre below the state of nature For though every naturall man is destitute of personall holinesse and of the love of it yet every naturall man will not disclaim revile or contest against it 2 How can they justifie their calling and out-boast all men in the assurance of their calling Seeing there is no effectuall calling but unto holines 1 Thes. 4. 7. God hath not called us to unclâ—anes but unto holines And if every beleever be a Saint by calling how can they be called that sever sanctification that is the love and practise of holines from effectuall calling They onely have received the grace of new creation that are created to good workes which God hath ordained to walke in Eph 2. 10. 3. How doe they frustrate the end of their adoptioÌ„ which they pretend for why are wee adopted to be sonnes but to bee made conformable to the image of Christ for can he be a sonne that beareth not the image of his father That onely was Cesars Coyne that carried Cesars superscription 4. May this loose conceit prevaile the maine office of Christs priesthood shall be in
from inhabitation Imperfect faith cannot make perfect Persons of beleevers imperfect yet pleasing to God And duties also Godly Ministers preach not popery in calling for good workes to further mens salvation Non praecedit iustificandum sed sequitur iustificatum Aug. Non necessitate efficientiae sed necessitate praesentiae Via regni non causa regnandi Distinguish betweene the iustice of works and the presence of them Iam 2. 26. Iam 1. 26. The meritorious cause of salvation excludeth not instrumentall Qui fecit te sinc te non salvat te sine te 2 Pet. 1. 11. How God sees no sin in his children 1. Simplex rerum notitia 2. Scientia coniuncta cum Dei voluntate Si Deus texit peccata noluit advertere si noluit advertere noluit animadvertere si noluit animadvertere noâ—luit 〈◊〉 maluit agnoscere maluit ignoscere Quid est enim Deum videre peccata nisi punire peccata In Psal. 32. Hee that must bring every action good and bad into iudgmeÌ„t must see every action Nunquam vartatur Dei aspectus nihil novi unquaÌ„ vidit nulla mutatio 〈◊〉 in Dei scientiam cum ipsa scientia Dei est ipsa Dei essentia in Deo nil nisi Deus Cognitio mali bona est Nihil in nobis 〈…〉 quae est a Deo vel 〈◊〉 quoâ— est a 〈◊〉 vel gratiae qua datur in Christo quin Deo notum est totum adprime cognitum He that recordeth sins past and pardoned many ages before must needes see them Many examples hereof in the new Testament Ira Dei est vel 1. Paterna et castigans quam vibrat in filios 2. Hostilis exterminans in contumaces Heb 12. 8. Christ hath borne all our punishment of malediction but not of correction Beleevers in the new Testament corrected for finne Difference of the iudgement of the godly and wicked wherein Maximuâ— homicida latro et haereticorum hâ—reticâ—ssimus Luther Beleevers must continue their repentance Assidue peccantibus assidua poenitentia est necessaria â—ugust Beleevers must pray for pardon of sin pardoned Modestiae tantum causa non ex humana fragilitatis conscientia Ierom. We must pray for pardon of sinne in the court of our owne consciences as well as in the court of heaven And for a more comfortable measure of assurance And in the full and finall fruits and effects of pardon Holiest of men have neede of threatnings Quanto reatus â—er legem factus â—st gravioâ— tanto immensitas gratâ—â—e facta est illustrior Par The same works are both the workes of the Law of faith how Lex fidei aeque atque lex factoruÌ„ ait ne concupiscas sed quod operum lex minando imperat fidei lex credendo impetrat August Isay 64 6. Wee call for obedience not for iustification but for sundry other ends Vnbeliefe an high sin against the Law and Gospell â— Iohn 3. The Law commands not expresly faith in Christ but implieth it when Christ is revealed Adam was not bound in innocency to beleeve in Christ for as hee was not revealed so Adam needed him not but yet he was bound by the Law to beleeve every word of God whensoever it shold be revealed The Law commands faith as a work done the gospel as it is an instrument apprehending Christ Perk. on Math. page 70. Solo auditu horrorem incutere debent Calvin So Quintinus the Libertine tolde Calvin to his face that he disliked his course because hee understood it not Instruct advers Liber cap 7. Si non vis intelligi non debes legi The windy conceit of perfection refuted Magnum illud electionis vas perfectum abruit profectum fatetur Bern. in Canâ— ser. 49. Cunctorun in carne iustorum imperfectae perfectio est Hieron lib. 1. advers Pelag Three degrees of sanctification and the highest imperfect Why God would not free his servants from all sinne in life as well as in death The lowly speeches of Saints The haughty and lofty speeches of Libertines Tu audes Novatiane mundum te dicere qui etsi operibus mundus esses hoc ipso verbo immundus â—â—eres Ambr de poenit l. 1. c. 6. Pone Acâ—siscalam qua solus coelum ascende Col. 2. 18. 2 Pet 2 19 Many too charitable not seeing the depth and danger of this errour Iam I 26. The confused lump of Libertinisme in 9 poysonfull positions Lex Donatistarum Quod vos lumus sanctum est August The extream danger of Libertines A raiâ—ing Râ—bsakey whose papers I have in my hands revileth our Ministers denounceth them ipso facto to stand accursed by the holy ghost excommunicate by S. Paul for going about to establish and set up the golden calfe of their own sanctification They be his own words The Lord rebuke thee Satan Rom. 1. 7. Rom. 8. 29. The sacred office of Christs Priesthood violated How they come to be blinded against so cleare a light Rom. 6. 12. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Ioh. 4. 14. 1 Pet 2 2. Sitis duplex vel Indigentiae totasâ—s Coposioris fruitionis Our libertie here is not from the rule of the Law but from the rule of sinne Lex reos faciebat â—ubendo et non adiuvando gratia adiu vat ut quisque sit legis factor Beleevers under the workes of the Law for obedience not for iustification The Law is given unto a righteous man but not against him Non dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non est â—ata lex sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non est posita 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Law not given to the iust man for servile but free obedience Christian liberty frees us not from the obedience of the Law but the disobedience of it Wherein Christian liberty consisteth Law and Prophets how farre abolished Legis â—t ProphetaruÌ„ ordo exinde cessavit peradimpletionem non per destructionem l. 4. cont Marc. c. 33. Finis perficâ—ens snon interfictens Aug. in Ioh tâ—act 5 5. Christ the end of the Law 5 wayes 2 Cor 1. 20 How wee are dead to the Law and the Law not dead to us Legem autem Decalogi nec posse nec debes re dici nobis mortuam quam vis dicantur Legi mortui in quibus non invenit vim peâ—catricem regnanâ—em c. Beza ad defens contra Castel in Rom 7. 6. Et postea Legem nusquam invenio dici mortuam sive de impiis sive de pijs agatur Non est â—ecesse nos ab obedientia Legis liberaâ—â— quin Legis aliquod munus abrogâ—tur Whitak â—â—â—tra Dur. pag 714. 1 Cor 10. 6. 1 Cor. 11. Lâ—xâ—uâ—ere no rit gratia iâ—varâ— Epist 95 ad Innocent Teta Lex est consentanea cum doctrina Evangelij de vi tijs vitandis et virtutibus parsequendis page 443. Errant qui putant Legem repugnare Christo One of this learned sect said Wee are of Luther and was before the Apostles Luther preface to Comment on the Gale Non sunt suâ— lege quoad iustificationem accusationem condemnationem coactionem c. Est igitur sententia vera et forma sanorum verborum esse aliquem legis usum in renatis is triplex est c. De Lege Dei cap 10. circiter fiâ—em cap. 11. De dignitate doctrinae Legis contra Antinomos Sanctissimo suo merito tabulas Legis abscondit non ut Leginullam aâ—pluâ— debeamus obedientiam sed ne maledictione fâ—râ—at â—os qui sint in Christo. Abrogata Lex non quoad obedientiam sed quoad maledictionem Tametsi digito Dei Legem scriptaâ— in cordibus habent bifariam tamen adhuc in Lege proficiunt est enim illis optimum organum c. Vt frequentie ius meditatione excitetur ad obsequium in eo roboretur a delinquendi lubrico retrahatur Facessat longe ex animis nostris profana istaes opinio Sed una est perfecta et inflexibilis vivendi regula De morali adhuc loquor Non quod illis amplius non iubeat quod rectum est sed duÌ„taxat ne sit illis quod antea erat hoc est ne eorum conscient as perterrendo c. Non ad institutionem pertinet sed ad constringendae conscientiae vigorem Vt fidelium conscientiae sese supra Legem erigant totamque Legis iustitiam obliviscuntur Neque hinc recte quis colligat Legem fidelibus supervacaneam esse quos noâ— ideo docere et exhortari c. Manet igitâ—â— per Christum 〈…〉 Legis 〈…〉 quae 〈◊〉 do cendo admâ—neâ—do obâ—urgando coâ—rigendo ad omne opus bâ—num formet ac comparet Absit â—t ego tibi assentiar qui dâ—cis legem ijs esse mortuam quibus maxime vivit id est quos hâ—bet maxime of sequentes Veque enim rex 〈◊〉 Neque enim Evangelio Lex 〈…〉 est praecipit sed c. Vt Lexiam sua vis sit nobis secundum interiorem hominem Magister Per Lutheri latera Apostolo vulnus infligunt Lex pertinet ad Christianos nec id unquam negavit Lutherus nam illa tustitia Legi◠〈…〉 Lib. 8. de paradox p. 703 Cum Chirographum legis abrâ—gatum et deletum sit quoad vim damnatoriam colligimus illud adhuc habere vim diâ—rectoriam non igitur c. Quasi abrogata et quoad â—im iustificandi et quoâ—â— vim condemnandi c. Valet tameÌ„ ac viget quoad vim dirigendi et aliquam etiam vim retinet condemnandi quia peccatum arguit et condemnatâ—m ipsis fidelibus quamvis c. Observatioâ— Legis est neâ—essaria Christiano homini neque a fide seperari potest 1 Sam 2. 12. I have one of your franticke papers that have accursed foure most worthy Preachers by name and all the rest whom you are not at leisure to name that are on their opinion and practise Prov. 28 4 Psal 119 15 Mal. 2. 9 Psal. 119. 89. Psal. 119. 24 Psal 119 105. quoadâ—ustificationem â—ustificationem damnationem coactionem significatinem sed quoad doctrinam obedientiam Par. in locum
the best 1. It makes them relish and prize the promises of much the more and sticke faster to them hold in the way unto them 2. The hearing of threatnings kindleth a flame of love to God for delivering from them 3. Incieth our charity and compassion to our brethren to helpe them from under them and provoketh the Saints themselves to worke out their own salvation with feare and trembling Phil 2. 11. 5. Are we lewd Preachers for urging the Law upon men then why were not Christ his Apostles so in pressing on beleevers the obedience of the law Yea to the law more strictly expounded than by the Scribes and Pharises and in urging on them a righteousnes exceeding the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises which was not an imputed righteousnesse of faith for justification before God but a righteousnesse of sanctification in their persons performed through grace by themselves So when our Lord affirmeth that in the kingdome of heaven that is the Church of the new Testament Hee that doth the commandements and teacheth men so to doe shall be called great that is shall be highly esteemed was hee a lewd and false teacher leading men away from himself and the grace of the Gospell or if he were not why are wee so for teaching the same doctrine 6. No man can teach obedience of faith but therein he must teach the obedience of the Law also for the same workes are both the works of the Law and the workes of faith which are distinguished not divided For example Love or charity which containeth all the duties of the second table is called a worke of the Law Luk. 10. 27. What is written in the Law how readest thou and he answered Thou shalt love the Lord thy God c. Thus it is a worke of the Law in respect of canon rule direction But it is called also a fruit or worke of faith Iames 2. 17 18. Shew me thy faith by thy workes and faith worketh by love Thus it is a worke of faith in respect of the cause and adhaesion being an inseperable issue of it How can a man persuade love as a worke of faith and not the same a worke of the Law 7. How false and absurd is it to say that Preachers teaching obedience to the Law of God teach men thereby to hang upon their owne righteousnesse or to seeke their justification by their owne performances Far are we from teaching that Iudaicall righteousnesse performed in way of justification all which is a filthy ragge in the sight of God and his strict justice But we persuade a Christian righteousnesse of sanctification wrought by the spirit of holinesse of which holy obedience are many other uses which they are loath to see besides the justifying of their persons in the sight of God As 1. It is called for in way of Christian conversation that our light may shine before men 2. In way of imitation of Christ our head and of conformity of his members to his righteousnesse which derogateth nothing from his righteousnesse 3. In way of testification of our righteousnesse before God for Hee that doth righteousnesse is righteous 1 Ioh 3. 7. Thus having set downe these twelve Articles of libertine and famelisticall faith I will content my selfe therewith although I could have easily set downe twelve more so fruitfull and generative errour is but that I intended in this onely to give a proofe of their grosse ignorance in principles of religion which was that I undertooke I could easily have refelled that mysticall and spirituall but fantasticall union of theirs with Christ before faith their sanctification before justification their elevating the sin of infidelity which strongly savours also of liberty as that it is no sinne or at least of the morall Law wherein I will not strive though I am sure the Scripture maketh it a sinne of sinnes and Christ calleth it the great condemnation and perhaps they shall holde a more sound tenent that shall holde it both against the Law and Gospell For 1. It may be not unprofitably enquired whether the first commandement doe not binde to all commandements both ordinary and eztraordinary both d◠praesenti and de futuro whether the Law doe not binde us to beleeve all that God shall utter as well as what hee hath uttered 2. Whether the second commandement doth not enjoyne whatsoever is a meanes of salvation and an inward religious worship for then the contrary must needes be sinne 3. Whether it be not a sinne against the second cōmandemēt not to beleeve that branch of the same commandement that God will shew mercy to thousands of them that love him and keepe his commandements And if it be then infidelity is a sin against that Law But I forbeare many things and perhaps some will thinke I might have spared some paines in refuting the former which at the first sight are so distastefull to the judicious as the reciting of them might seeme a sufficient confutation but my desire of helping the weake who are easily overreached drew mee thus farre beyond mine owne purpose and my endeavour was to contract many things into as narrow a roome as I could CHAP. 7. Shewing the second ground of this opposition which is horrible pride especially discovered in their ridiculous conceit of perfection THe undivided companion of ignorance is pride for no man that ever aright knew God or himselfe but the nearer he approached to God with Abraham the more did he humble himselfe in dust and ashes But here is a generation of men swelled up with pride and blowne up with a presumption that they are gotten into the highest forme of perfection they can scorne and disdaine the directions of the Law as being far beyond it for they have attained a full perfection not of justification onely but of sanctificatiō also already they are free not onely from the power of sinne but from the presence also Christ himselfe is not purer or more free from sinne than they are nay being borne of God they cannot sin if they would if they doe acts of sinne in high nature yet where is no Law is no transgression God cannot see them in that glasse Hence they can loose themselves from most ministeries but some teachers of their owne sect and deride the holy labours of godly Preachers who with zeale and piety persuade men to walke according to rules Oh what an height of pride are those private peremptory persons come unto who complaine that their heads have aked to heare some godly and worthy Preachers and have professed that for the gift of two pence they would never more heare sundry such as I know to be of long continuance as shining and burning lights as they may well be in the first ranke of Gods worthies that have beene of best desert in our Church And where is the humility of that teacher that makes his bragge Your teachers understand not
some of the principall objections of the Libertines 1 OBIECT Is this our text Rom 6. 19. Ye are not under the Law but under grace Whence thus they reason To them that are not under the Law but under grace to those the Law doth not belong but it is to them abolished and void But beleevers are not under the Law c. Therefore Answ. 1. There is a twofold being under the Law First a being vnder the curse burden malediction condemnation and coaction of the Law thus no beleever is under it Secondly there is a being under the obedience rule counsell and direction of the Law and thus beleevers are under it much more than before as Christ himselfe also was For they are now by the free spirit of Christ framed to a free and voluntary obedience of it So saith August The Law made us guilty by cōmanding but not assisting but grace assisteth every beleever to be a keeper of the Law 2 This objection will be also fully satisfied by applying the former distinction of the Law Considering it 1. in the matter and substance of it And thus beleevers are still under it both for performance of all holy duties of it and forbearance of all the evills prohibited by it 2. in the manner of obedience and in the consequences and appendices of it and thus are they not vnder the rigor coaction or strict exaction of it and much lesse under the curse malediction or condemnation of it But this objection hath beene before abundantly satisfied in the 2. 3. Chapters And therefore I passe it now more breifly 2 OBIECT Gal. 3. 10. So many as are under the workes of the Law are under the curse Therefore Either the Law is utterly void to Christians or they are still under the curse of it Answ. The Apostle saith not that those to whom the Law appertaineth are under the curse but those that are under the workes of the Law 2. The workes of the Law are twofold Either workes of obedience done in humility by way of duty in testimony of thankfulnesse and of our conformity with Christ. Or 2. workes of the Law done in pride to seeke justification by the Law and the workes of it and so to promise to themselves eternall life by the observation of the law And those onely that are thus under the workes of the Law are under the curse and the meaning of the holy Apostle is no other whose scope in his whole discourse is to beate downe such as sought to set up justification by the workes of the Law and not by faith onely as appeares plainly in the next verse 11. for that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God is evident for the just shall live by faith But though no beleever can in the second respect bee under the workes of the Law for justification but he must be under the curse of it yet it follows not that hee is not under the workes of the Law for obedience and yet not under the curse of it This place is indeed an hammer and hatchet against popery who by seeking iustification by the workes of the Law thrust themselves under the curse of God for if the curse attacheth him that seeketh righteousnesse before God by Moses Law how much more accursed are they that by observation of humane Laws and traditions by humane satisfactions and impositions seeke to demerrit God obtaine without Christ what onely Christ can procure The greater is their sinne and danger who after the knowledge and profession of the truth for some politick and worldly ends runne back into recusancy and popery which is the way of perdition apparently renouncing the blessing of justification by free grace and chuse the curse of the Law which shall runne into their bowells as water of such apostacy may be said as of Iudas it had beene good for them they had never beene borne OBIECT 3. To whom the Law is not given to those it belongs not at all But the Law is not given to the righteous 1 Tim. 1. 9. Therefore it belongs not to beleevers being justified Answ. 1. The scope and intention of the Apostle is not to abolish the Law who in the words immediately going before saith that the Law is good if it be used lawfully which words clearely import and imply that among beleevers there is a good vse of the Law which true use hee shewes in the fifth verse namely to be a guide and direction to the duties of love and charity which is now the effect of faith as the words plainly show for the end of the commandement is love out of a pure heart a good conscience and faith unfained Note that the Apostle maketh that love which is the end of the commandement a fruite and effect of faith and therefore a beleever is not loosed from the love and obedience of the Law by faith but tyed unto it 2. The sence of the Apostle is not that a righteous man can be under no lawes for Adam in innocencie was a most righteous man and yet was under the Law both in generall under the whole Morall Law and in speciall under the Law concerning the forbidden tree and this Law was given to the most righteous man in the world Innocency and righteousnesse in perfection exempts no creature from the Law of his Creatour But the Apostles meaning is that the Law is not given against a righteous man that frameth his course according to the Law it dealeth not with him as an enemy that assenteth unto it that is delighteth in it in the inner man that is ruled and ordered by it it can pronounce no sentence of damnation against him it neither can justifie him who is already justified by faith nor yet can condemne him And that this is the true meaning of the Apostle appeareth by 2 arguments in the text 1. In the originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which implieth an action or plea of God against a man and that the Law is not Gods action or plea against a righteous man to bring him under judgement or subdue him under the sentence of it for Christ hath freed such a one from the curse by his merit and obedience as also by his spirit made him a lover of the Law And this is the same in sence with that of the Apostle Gal 5. 23. Against such namely as expresse those recited fruites of the spirit there is no Law for the Law is so farre from condemning such as it is a witnesse rather of their conformity to it selfe and consequently of their love and obedience unto God and of their similitude with Iesus Christ. 2 Argument in the text is in that the lawlesse and disobedient are said to be wrapped up in the full damnatory power of the Law against all whom it is Gods plea and action yea the bill of inditement to their condemnation 3. Neither is the Law given to the just to
It will make a greater noise that you can contemne such conquered adversaries for what are your London Ministers to them Much rather doe I wish you would in time consider how dangerous your way now is while you rise up against the most impregnable and unconquerable Law of God how the Scripture brandeth them for wicked men that forsake the Law and depart from the Law and much more that disclaime and revile it And if those that be partiall in the Law that is take some and leave some be made despised of God and vile before all people how much more shall those that reject it all and in every part bee justly branded as you are for a vile generation of men CHAP. 12. Containing the conclnsion and a short direction how the people of God should carry themselves towards the Law of God THese premises being all duely considered it remaineth that such as desire to learne Christ aright should take his directions how to demeane themselves towards his Law which is so holy just and good To which purpose it shall not be amisse to lay these grounds in our consciences and order our selves by them First That in the Liberty from the Law consists the chiefe stay and comfort of a Christian because being now freed from the guilt of sinne from the curse of sinne and from exaction of an inherent and personall righteousnesse to justification hee may now without respect of his owne obedience and without regard of any righteousnesse of his owne relie upon the mercies of God and merits of Christ and challenge his righteousnesse before God with the the Apostle Phil 3 9. Secondly That upon this liberty of justification wherein is no respect at all of our personall obedience issueth another liberty of sanctification which is a freedome from the bondage and staine of sinne not wholly and at once as is our justification but in part and degrees and here although the obedience of the Law be quite shut out of our justification yet it is required unto sanctification and we necessarily bound unto it but not to bee thereby justified seeing wee must necessarily be justified before we can be obedient Thirdly that the Law is an eternall doctrine and abides for ever yea David saith it endures for ever in heaven that is not onely his decree appeares stable by the government and perpetuall Law which hee hath set in the heavens and cannot be broken but as Saint Basil expoundeth it it abideth inviolably observed by heavenly inhabitants even the holy Angels themselves so as though it may be contradicted controverted and resisted by Libertines on earth yet it is not abrogable for ever but abideth stable in heauen Doe the Angels in heaven observe it as a rule of holinesse and doe not the Saints in heaven doe they live by divers charters And if the Saints in heaven who have attained full perfection and perfect sanctification are bound to the Law are the Saints in earth so perfect as they are loose from it Hath not Christ done as much for them as for these Fourthly That the Law of God is the rule of godly life in which regard holy David calleth it a counseller and a directer unto good duties and therefore wee must acknowledge the necessity of this part of the word The Sunne is not more necessary for the day nor the Moone to governe the night nor a lanterne or candle for a darke house than this part of the word so long as wee are in the night of the world for without this light we grope in the darke nothing can be seene no action can be well done nothing wanting can be found no crooked thing can be straightened no streight thing tried nay all our way in which this light of God shineth not is darknesse and tendeth to utter darknesse The pillar of the cloud and of fire was not more necessary to Israel in the wildernesse for their station or motion towards Canaan than is this shining pillar of Gods Law to guide us unto heaven and as it was their happinesse that their pillar lasted them till they entred Canaan and it had not beene for their ease to have rejected it in their way so ought we to esteeme our selves happy in the fruition of this holy doctrine and direction and on the contrary these Libertines to be unhappy men who being in as darke as heavie and dangerous a way and wildernesse put out their light and breake to peeces and cast away their lanthorne Fifthly Being the rule of godly life we must square all our duties thereby even as a workman applieth his rule to every part of his worke and declines not to the right hand or to the left and holy wisdome requireth no lesse but that that should be the square of all which must bee the judge of all things done in the flesh be it good or evill And hence is it that the LORD writeth his Law by his spirit in the spirits of the elect and imprinteth it in the fleshly tables of their hearts that all their motions actions and affections should be conformable unto it But how doe these lawlesse men affirming the Law to be wholly abolished denie it to bee written in their owne hearts and consequently that they want the spirit promised to be sent into the hearts of the elect for this purpose And that either themselves are none of the elect or that the spirit is wanting in his office which were an high blasphemy Sixthly That as the Law is a reveiler of duty so it is a reveiler of sinne too and discovers the sinfull defects of our best obedience And because by the Law is the knowledge of sin therefore by the obedience and works of the Law can no flesh be justified That same Law that discovereth and condemneth a traytor cannot acquit him and it were madnes for him to expect life from that Law which hath sentenced him with death Shall franticke Papists ever finde life and righteousnesse by the works of that Law which condemns that very fact And are not they next to frâ—nzy that after all this so open disclaiming it would fasten upon us that because wee teach the Law wee therefore teach justification by the Law Nay we are so farre from consenting to any such poysoned assertion That when the Gospell promiseth salvation and eternall life to repentance and good works wee deny them promised to these as performances of the Law but only as they are fruits of lively faith by which the promises of eternal life are apprehended Seventhly that the Law being a constant reveiler of sinne wee must by the Law be still drawne neerer unto Christ not onely by the Law to see our sinne and in our sinne our need of Christ but we must see the Law fulfilled for us in Christ else can we never looke comfortably towards the Law And because it revelleth sinne not onely before we come to Christ to bring us first unto him but it