Justice and Mercy in such a way of Salvation his Designs to magnify his Law and make it honourable to exalt his Son Jesus to be a Prince and Saviour and give Remission of Sins to exalt his free Grace in this salvation by a free justification adoption sanctification and glory and in doing this Justice should lose nothing of its due is all great and glorious Gospels 8. That in all these great and precious things there is such a connexion together that one encourageth and leadeth to another Promise leads to Duty and Duty to the receiving of Promises Grace leads to Glory and that Perseverance is as infallibly setled in electing Grace and as absolutely as the first Grace This is admirable Gospel 9. The great and clear discoveries that are made of the evil of sin of the dangers sin leads to and sinners are in and running into by continuing in sin and laying open the strict nature of the Law that it dispenseth not with the least sin it requires still perfect righteousness and holiness and sentenceth the sinner to eternal death and damnation for it and therefore it 's impossible that any flesh living by ordinary descent from Adam can be justified by the Works of the Law it 's a gracious and necessary piece of Gospel to take off a poor sinner from the love of sin and fondness of his own righteousness which every sinner by nature is apt unto and to set up the Lord Jesus as the only Name whereby he can be saved and to shew that he is able and willing to save to the uttermost whereby a sinner becomes dead to the Law and married by faith unto Jesus Christ This is in the glorious Gospel of God and our Saviour It is the light of it that shines into the heart doth this 10. It is good News and glad Tydings that the grace of God in the Gospel doth not make void the Law but establisheth it Rom. 3.31 Neither is the Law against the Promise Gal. 3.21 tho' that he that is under a Law for justification is under a Curse and that by the oeconomy of the grace of Christ in the New Covenant the Law and Gospel do sweetly harmonize 1. In that the Law hath been fulfilled in Christ as to all righteousness it hath a full Sanction as to every believer in the active and passive obedience of Christ their delivery from the curse of it being by this that he was made a curse for them all their sins are condemned in his flesh he bearing them on the Cross the Law hath its end as to all righteousness and compleat perfect holiness in Christ believers are all compleat and perfect in Christ as to the Law 2. It 's good News that Christ's death was not only the satisfying of the Law and Justice of God on the account of our sins and together with his active obedience the merit of grace and glory but that this same death of Christ was the Sanction and Ratification of all the Grace of the New Covenant as a Testament being by the death of the Testator and as a Law to Christ which he lay under by his Father's injunction to perform And this is the Sanction spoken of Hâ—b 8.6 and more fully explained c. 9.15 16 17. compared with c. 10.7 3. It 's good News to a believer that God hath provided a way for him to come into an acceptable obedience through Jesus Christ to the Law of God Lex attemperata foederi gratiae juxta illud inscripta cordi electorum jubet ea omnia quae in Evangelio proponuntur fide non ficta amplecti convenienter isti gratiae gloriae Vitam suam insti tuere Quando ergo Deus in foedere gratiae promittit pâ—ccatori electo fidem Rescipiscientiam consequenter vitam aeternam tum Lex cujus obligatio nunquam potest solvi quaeque ad omne officium sese extendit obstringit hominem ut illi veritati assentiatur promissa illa bona magnifaciat Impense desideret quaerat amplectatur Wits de Foed p. 198. because the Grace of the Gospel causeth him to love the Law and the Commands of Christ in the Gospel-way of performance He saith Oh how do I love thy law Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes and he desires that now God would grant him his Law graciously see Psal 119. For the grace of God in the Gospel writes the Law in his heart in a true love to God with all his heart and a love to the Law of God to the holiness justice and goodness of it and his great desire is now that in Christ Jesus and conformity to him God's Law may be honoured and therefore he looks upon the very performance of holy Duties accordingly as his benefit and priviledge by the grace of the Gospâ—l Christ is sanctification to him he is created in Christ Jesus to good works he is redeemed from all iniquity Tit. 2.12 13. and taught by the grace of God to deny all ungodly and worldly lusts c. from love and thankfulness to Christ to keep his Commandments and this New Gospel restored Principle of obedience is the New Commandment spoken of Joh. 13.34 1 Joh. 2.7 8. 2 Joh. 5. not that it was materially a New Command 4. Lastly It is great and good Tydings that Jesus Christ is set on the Holy Hill of Zion that he is King Head and Governour to his Church and that he hath provided particular right Laws Rules and Precepts for them to walk by according to the original design purity and intention of God's Law and that now the Law of God goes no longer out of Mount Sinai but out of Mount Zion and the Word of the Lord from the heavenly Jerusalem Isa 2.2 3. Mic. 4.1 Heb. 12.18 22 23. And it 's Gospel that all Power is not only given to Christ in his Church as King thereof but all Power in Heaven and Earth is committed to him as to governing Providence and that he shall judge the World at the last day These things are all the good Tydings of the Gospel ratified in the Covenant of Grace graciously freely and fully bestowed on us in the Gospel and upon no federal condition of our own performance either before or after conversion Arguments that the Gospel is not a New Law with Sanction Arg. 1. If Law and Gospel are specifically distinct then the Gospel is not a Law nor the Law a Gospel but Law and Gospel are specifically distinct therefore the Gospel is not a Law The consequence of the Major is undeniable to any one that understands the nature of Genus and Species The revealed offers of salvation were never but by two ways to Man by Works and by Grace that is called Law this Gospel and they are contra distinct sub proximo genere and adversa as much as homo brutum sub animali and the Law can no more be called Gospel or the Gospel a Law than a Man
is not this Meetness a material Cause in the Gospel Law of our receiving these Effects Why then hath it not â—he same Place in respect of the new Law as Christ's Righteousness hath in repect of the old Law so that there must be at least two Righteousnesses requisite to our compleat Justification one Righteousness to answer the Old Law and another to answer the New And indeed here Christ's Righteousness is made by you most properly the subordinate Righteousness because it is in ordine ad it 's only in order to anâ—ther Righteousness In the most favouraâ—le Sense you make the Righteousness of Christ to merit ex condigno and Evangâ—lical to merit ex congruo for all Law Meetness is meriting either in respect of the reâ—unerative or minatory part of the Law All that you say over and over helps not nor covers you from those that know your Dialect nor your saying That Christ is the foundation of your Plea I may found a Plea or Argument upon a thing that is not my Plea or at least my chief Plea and how do you found it Why for the sake of Christ accepted against excluding bars you say whereby you have Permission now to come in with your Evangelical Righteousness You speak here just as in your other Book to this Point and I understand you still as I did then and you know you mean as I have represented your Meaning but you would not have the People understand what you mean and therefore you throw in an abundance of Expressions thereby to hide your Opinion but instead thereof they lay it open What is more plain than this Repl. p. 3. The Terms of the Gospel by the Promise do make us capable of being justified and saved for the Merits of Christ Now here 's your true sense of being forgiven for the Merits of Christ i. e. when we are made capable by the righteous Meetness of another Law we shall be absolved in the old Law sense by the righteousness of Christ And mark that all along its forgiveness only comes from Christ's Merits there 's no positive righteousness of Christ in active Obedience is reckoned to us this positive righteousness whereby we stand just in the Eye of the Law in your sense lies wholy in Conformity to the Rule of that Promise which is the new Law righteousness And you use the word Merits still in the way of procuration not satisfaction You say we are justified only by Christ's Merits as the sole procuring cause or righteousness for which we are justified to which you should add that the Reader might take your full sense by the righteousness of the Gospel Law That which you call the fifth Misrepresentation and is your fourth I am not convinced of but that my Inferences are truly drawn according to your natural sense and meaning of what your Expressions and what your Principles must bear 1. That you make the great end and use of Christ's Righteousness to secure us from the old Law Mr. B. calls it our legal Righteousness and therefore our Justification is not an immediate effect of that Righteousness but of our evangelical Righteousness 2. That he merited only that we might Merit i. e. that he procured our Justification by evangelical Righteousness you will not call it Merit call it what you will it s a Law of Meetness and a Law meetness I think gives a claim and challenge of Pardon and if we should pray in your Dialect we should pray thus Lord I am meet to be pardoned for the Righteousness of Christ 3. That you make Faith and Repentance the meritorious cause of Pardon and Glory by the new Law and that 's true for all conformity to and complyance with the conditional Preceptive part of a Law gives right a legal right to Remuneration and the benefit becomes a reward of Debt and if so the meetness is a Merit ex Pacto All these tho you say you disown yet in what you declare you say but what you said before and from whence the same Consequences will follow viz. That God requires a meetness in a Sinner for Justification and that this meetness is a federal condition 1. You say Christ satisfied Justice and merited Pardon and Glory i. e. he satisfied Justice in respect of the old Law and merited Pardon and Glory to be bestowed as Rewards of Obedience to another Law And that 2. The Sinner thus partaking of them is as Fruits of his Death and this is all done for his sake 3. You say God in Christ hath declared a way and order how he will dispense his Benefits this way is by another Law in which he acts in a way of distribution of Justice upon performance of Law conditions p. 4. And therefore you say Gospel conditions have no other use to our Interest in these Benefits than a complyance with this stated Rule of the distribution of Pardon and Glory p. 4. Adam's obedience had no other use than a compliance with the stated Rule of Gods distribution of Life promised and Pardon and Glory is no other than Life promised So that you make your Law to be every whit the same in specie with a Covenant or Law of Works the condition works out the reward of Debt but this is all the difference that Man fell under the first Covenant of Works by Creation but under the second by Redemption he was redeemed from the Curse of the old Law that he might be justified by another Law Covenant and this is your plain meaning as you say And these things you do but say over and over again in this Book as in the former And what doth this conditional Grant of these Effects import but that we should have Justification Adoption c. upon the performance of obedience to another Law Which is as much as to say Christ purchased another Law and Obedience to it must let us into Pardon by Christ This purchasing conditional Grants and Propositions is a new sort of Divinity suiting the highest degree of Arminian Doctrin and will strike at the nature of absolute Election which gives ground of suspecting you also in that Point as well as what you say of the savability of the none Elect tho' I acknowledge you often assert absolute Election but how well that Principle will comport with indefinite Redemption upon a conditional Grant let the rational judge You go on again and say as from Chap. 10. Pag. 84. of your first Book When Sinners are pardoned the whole meritorious cause of that Pardon is that attonement and what is required of Sinners is only a meetness to receive the Effects You need quote no more to give us an account of what you mean in these things if the Reader desires to be further confirmed in the truth of my representation of your Principles let him read pag. 4 5. of your Reply You quote Passages in p. 30 31. of my Book for the first Head from whence you say I endeavour to
Christ can't satisfie and merit for us without the Interposal of a Gospel Rule the meaning whereof is That Christ hath not legally satisfied for us till we have done something in conformity to the said Rule that may give validity to the satisfaction of Christ and make it pleadable as such so that Christ hath neither satisfied nor merited till we make up the Complement whereby it becomes legal 4. What mean you by a legal Right to Glory by Adam's Covenant If you mean by Christs satisfaction and obedience to Adam's Covenant we have our legal Right to Glory we say it for Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believes and through his Righteousness we have a Right to Glory by Adam's Covenant Christ's Righteousness is our legal Righteousness as it respects the Perfection and Justice of God in that Covenant and it s our Evangelical Righteousness as it s in the behalf of and bestowed upon undone Sinners But you say this Doctrin excludes Forgiveness Why Because it brings in Forgivness meerly upon Christ's Righteousness alone But how makes it Christ's Sufferings needless when it lays all upon the Righteousness of Christ imputed as the Matter and Form of our Justification Or how doth it deny proper satisfaction when it makes Christ's Righteousness all the satisfaction And your Doctrin makes it but an improper and remote satisfaction yea and imperfect And lastly you say it destroys Christianity This is so gross a Charge as that it is to be exploded with Detestation if the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness as our legal and evangelical Right and Title to Life and Salvation destroys Christianity we may burn our Bibles But you go on 5 You affirm That all sinned and dyed in Adam and in Christ are all made alive owning Christ's influence both real and publick as before explained R. All this is nihil ad Rhombum you own not hereby the Imputation of Adams Sin to his Posterity but that Sin and Death are only Effects of Adam's first Sin i. e. influential you own not that all Men were legally condemned in Adam as a publick federal Person standing in their stead In the same manner you always speak of the Righteousness of Christ as influential to our Forgiveness and that the imputation of it is only bestowing the Effects But whether we were in Christ before Faith as we were seminally in Adam before we were born which his federal Headship did suppose the being thus in Christ before Faith I deny R. You here grant our seminal being in Adam and that Adam's federal Headship supposed it and therefore we were seminally and federally in Adam before we were born Why speak you it not positively whether it was so or no That we were federally and seminally in Adam and that our Sin and Death was in him there we lost original Righteousness and thence the Imputation of his very first Sin to all his Posterity by vertue of our federal standing in him and by reason of our being seminally in him the corruption of the whole Nature was in him and naturally descended to us If it be so why are not the Elect as to Righteousness and Life in the same manner in the second Adam federally and seminally before they believe i. e. before they are born again in him federally as to Righteousness and seminally as to the new Nature Christ being their Righteousness and Sanctification whereas the Apostle runs the Parallel so fully and plainly as he doth Rom. 5 But all this is but shuffling the Cards to make People believe your Principles are what they are not most of whom cannot tell what you hold when you have darkened and confounded the Question by your manner of stating it You say I object against you the denying of the Doctrin of Imputation why do you not deny the Charge but only distinguish so upon it as to confirm it If your Principles are Truth why do you not speak them out but fill us with your cloudy Expressions and Distinctions which you charge us for why speak you not plainly That you deny the Suretiship of Christ as you know you do That you deny Christ to be a publick Person in the Sense as the soundest Protestants have always held him to be which last you do here in effect positively do That we were neither federally nor seminally in Christ before Believing Which if so I am sure you must deny the whole Doctrine of Imputation and what you pretend to can be no more than what the Socinians do And how can you say you are not against the Confession and I am when the Assembly saith Confess c. 8. sect 1. That Christ is ordained of God the Head and Saviour of his Church See Pinchin the Sâ—cinian and Mr. Norton's answer p. 353. Dialo I grant that all Mâ—nkind are one with Adam by a natural Union as proceeding from the same Root but I fear Mr. Forbes doth stretch out our natural Union with Adâ—m to a personal to the end that he might make Adam's personal Action to be ours by imputation Norton The scope of Mr. Forbes is to prove the Imputation of Christ's Passive Obedience and that only in his Dea h to bâ— the Matter of our Justification c. We consent to Mr. Forbs as to the Argument taken from the Comparison but dissent from him as concerning the Restrictions the Reason of the Comparison being founded upon the Conditions of the Persons and Divine Institution it holds betwixt such Acts aâ— thâ— first and second Adam acted as publick Persons Adom therefore being in that Act of Disobedience only a publ ck Person hence that Act only is imputed unto his Seed But Christ bâ—ing in all his Acts of Obedienâ—â— a publick Person hence therefore all the Acts of Christ's Obedience are imputed to his Seed As upon supposition Adam's continuing in Obedience because he had then continued a publick Person all the Acts of his Obedience even to the finishing of perfect Righteousness had been imputed to his Seed according to the nature of the Covenant of Works unto their attaining of Jusâ—ification by the Law The Uniâ—n between Adam and his Posterity was not personal nor only natural but mystical It was a Conjunction of the Person of Adam and all contained iâ— his Loyns in one Spiritual Body by the Insti ution of God whereby he was as their Head they as his Members to stand or fall with him standing or falling Mr. Norton sums up Pinchin's Errors under three Heads 1. In his denying the Imputation of the Sin of the Elect unto Christ and his suffering the Punâ—shment due thereunto contrary to 2 Cor. 5.21 Gal. 3.13 Isa 53 5 6. thereby leaving the Elect to perish in theâ—r Sin 2. Denying that Christ as Goâ—-Man Mediator obeyâ—d the Law and therewith that he obeyed it for us as our Surety contrary to Gal. 4.4 5. Matt. â— 17 18. Heb. 10.7 compared with Psal 40.8.7.8 Rom. 3.31 thereby rendring 〈…〉
and insufficient Saviour and spoiling the Elect of Salvation 3. Denying â—he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ation of Christ's Obedience unto Justification contraâ—y to Rom. 5.19 Phil. 3.11 thereby â—aviâ—g aâ—l that are ungodly under an impossibility of being justified 2. Destroying the very being of a Sinnâ—r'â— Riâ—htâ—â—â—â—nâ—â—â— by taking away the Oâ—ediencâ— of Christ unto the Law and Imputation which are the Matter and Form i. e. the esse tial Caâ—ses of Justification 3. Placing a Sinner's Righteousnâ—ss 〈…〉 Atonement or Pardon of Siâ— such as in effect doth man fâ—stly not only dâ—ny itself to â—e the effect of it 〈◊〉 â—enieth yea defieth the very bâ—ing of the Mâ—dâ—ator by Obdience of Christ tâ— the Law for 〈◊〉 Thâ— firâ—t holdeth uâ— in aâ—l oâ—r Siâ—â— and câ—ntiâ—ueth the 〈◊〉 Wrath of God abiding upon â—s The 〈…〉 away your Saviour The â—hir â— takes away our R 〈◊〉 and Just ficatâ—on W at 〈◊〉 the â—nâ—â—y of Jâ—sus Grace and Souls 〈◊〉 morâ— And I am sure thi◠〈◊〉 spâ—akâ— as 〈◊〉 â—oly â—f these Doâ—tâ—inâ—â— which he oâ—poseth aâ— you 〈◊〉 yoâ— and more c. unto whom he did from all eternity give a People to be his Seed and to be by him in Time redeemed called Justified Sanctified Glorified In the same manner they speak in the Larg Catech. Q. 30 31 32. as above rehearsed And in the short Q. 18. man's sinfulness consists in the guilt of Adam's first Sin In the 39th Page of your Book you pretend to some Answers to what I affirm in some things As that I deny the Covenant of Redemption to be a distinct Covenant from the Covenant of Grace I own it and make good my denial elswhere therefore will not actum agere You blame me p. 40. for saying p. 29. That Pardon is not promised to Faith and Repentance as things distinct from the Promise but Pardon is promised together with Faith and Repentance to the Sinner And herein you say I confound a Promise of Grace and promises made to Grace and affirm the Gospel Covenant is but one Promise Repl. 1. I do affirm That the Promise of the Gospel in its Original Grant and Comprehensive Nature is but one as the Promise of the Covenant of Works was but one viz. Life So in the Covenant of Grace 't is Life the Spirit of God is express in it 1 Joh. 2.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the Promise which he hath promised us even eternal Life And 1 Joh. 5.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the Record or Testimony that he hath given us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son Now Eternal Life contains all Justification Sanctification Adoption and Glory 2. I affirm that in this Promise is Justification Faith and Repentance promised 3. That in this Promise Justification Faith and Repentance are inseparably conjoyned 4. That in and under this Promise are multitudes of Gifts bestowed in a way of connexion one to another and have their particular Promises pointing distinctly to them but these Gifts are no federal Conditions one of another 5. I say If you speak of these Gifts of Righteousness and Life as in a way of conditionality 't is Christ's Righteousness is the proper federal condition of Life and Pardon is rather the Condition of Faith and Repentance than they of Pardon I say so again 1. If Giving be the Condition of Receiving 't is true but Giving is the Condition of Receiving for Faith is but the Sinner's receiving Pardon Is not the giving of Pardon then rather the Condition of Faith which is the receiving of it than Faith of Pardon Luke 1.77 Aâ—ts 10.43 So for Repentance The Cause is rather the Condition of the Effect than the Effect of the Cause but Forgiveness received by Faith is the Cause of all true Evangelical Repentance See this saving Repentance and Remission bâ—th given by one Hand of Promise Acts 5.31 preached together by Commission Luke 24 4â— How strange soever you make of this Divinity 't is built on the Rock Christ Jesus and you cannot shake it nor all the Devils in Hell You say I wretchedly mistake the Nature of the first Promise as if it excluded all Terms of our Interest in the Blessing of it Rep. I know not what the first Promise is if it be not a Blessing and if the first Promise be absolute to us as you say the first Grace is then it excludeth all Terms to be wrought by us to interest us in the Blessings of it unless you intend that a natural Man is to perform these Terms in his natural State and then the first Grace is not absolute And as for the first Promise concerning the Seed of the Woman it was absolute and saved our first Parents as such for it was all their Gospel as I know of and therefore they by it had Remission Faith and Repentance without bringing the two last into a federal Condition For if God had intended to bring them in as such 't is most likely he would then have mentioned them as such Adam just coming out of a Covenant with federal Conditions In answer to what I say of a Legal Grant you say 't is out of my Element Be it so others may not judge it so though you do Mr. Antinomian saith a Grant may be legal two ways either by free Gift from a Person 's good Will and Pleasure and so God's giving us both Grace and Glory is legal because it gives us an undoubted unexceptionable Right And a legal Grant is a Law Covenant Grant when the Gift is bestowed upon the performance of federal Conditions as Grace and Glory is bestowed in and for Christ and his Righteousness both these Grants we have first in Election chusing us in Christ and in the eternal Compact between the Father and the Son You say what I speak of Tit. 1.2 will appear not to be eternal but before many Ages and not to exclude Gospel Conditions If Christ be our great Gospel federal Condition I say it doth not for God's Purpose and Grace was given us in Christ and were to be bestowed in and through him But who told you that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was but before many Ages 't is sure before the Times or Ages of the Woâ—ld and what can be supposed to be so but Eternity when Christ rejoyced in the Sons of Men Prov. 4. And I think I have a good Interpreter on my side Beza saith on Tit. 1.2 In his Judgment the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot be referred to the first Promise made to Adam Cen. 3. much less to that of Abraham But saith he Ante tempora seculorum before the Ages of the World doth denote all series of Time or Ages i. e. before this World was according to Johâ— 17.2 c. In this Sense runs the Assembly's Notes Poole's Anot. continued What I say of the Gospel's being no Law with Sanction I shall not trouble the Reader with here but handle it in its proper Place and therefore pass by all
you say p. 43 44 and 45. As for what you speak about that Position of Mr. B. I leave the Learned to judge whether you have salved it I shall hardly set that and other things in a gâ—eater Lâ—ght unless you provoke me thereto as you insinuate by further Endeavours to set other Men in the Light or Dark to as great Reproach as you can cast upon them You say I mâ—ke Mr. R. B. to speak orthodoxly by saying p. 22. When once a Transgressor is sentenced by a Law he falls into the Hands of Perogative and the Prince may do with him what he pleaseth i. e. either execute him or pardon him God a so might have put Repentance into the Condition of the Law of Works and said If thou dost not eat or repent of thy eating thou shalt have thy Reward You should have added the Reason of my so saying it was upon your saying The Law of Works admitted no Repentance I tell you If God had intended Salvation by a Law of Works wherein Repentance should have been a Condition he might have put it in at first but God never intended to accept Repentance as a federal Condition of any Covenant nor our imperfect Condition And so I say again with a non obstante all that you have or can say against it And I must stand to that Rule which Mr. Norton takes from Cham. de descensu tom 2. l. 5. c. 12. This great Principle is all-a-long to be kept in Mind and occasionally to be applyed as in Answer to this Question Q. What is the supreme and first Cause why Justice requireth That Sin should be rewarded with Punishment due thereunto according to the Law A. The free Constitution of God the principal and whole Reason of this Mystery depends upon the good Pleasure of God for who can deny that God could have saved Man in another way But he would save him thus and no otherwise than thus This serves not only as a Sword to cut but as a leading Truth to loose the Knots of Carnal Reason The good Pleasure of God is the first Rule of Righteousness the Cause of all Causes the Reason of all Reasons And in one Word all Reasons in one Reason And how doth this make the following Saying orthodox viz. Being that Christ the Mediator and Faith in Christ are only means of the Restauration of Men to God by Holiness and Love therefore it must be said from the Nature of the thing Faith Holiness and the Love of God are more necessary to Salvation than either Faith in Christ or the Sacrifice of Christ himself Now if I had said that this Position were God's Constitution viz. that Holiness and Love to God wrought in us should be more necessary Means of Salvation than Faith in Christ or the Sacrifice of Christ you had said something Or that it were the Constitution of God That Christ in all things should not have the Preheminence whether in genere causarum mediorum vel finium Col. 1.18 19 20. Therefore to say Holiness in Grace or Glory is more necessary than Christ Mediator is to magnifie the Creature above Christ himself But because you say you would not have spoken the Words yourself but endeavour to explain them as charitably as you can I do not think it convenient to give you any further trouble about them but I must remark That it is not so fair in you to charge all upon me as my Sense which is spoken by an Interlocutor in a Dialogue AN ENQUIRY Whether the Gospel be a New Law SIR YOU begin thus Reader Though I did not once call the Gospel a Law in all my Book only in my Preface called it a Law of Faith yet because the whole of Mr. C 's Book runs on this I shall insist most on this Head R. Whether you called the Gospel a Law or no it matters not I know you kept your self here as in many other Points within your Trenches yet he that reads your Book is very blind if he sees not this to be the Corner-stone of your whole Scheme And by your now appearing in a Defence of that Principle as your professed Opinion You have not only dealt more candidly with your Reader than in your former Book but also justified me to the World in these things 1. That I endeavoured faithfully to represent your Opinions and did so in this Point 2. That I wronged you not in saying Your Art lay in concealing your Tenents from your less intelligent Reader under Ambiguous and Equivocal Expressions which I called by a plain English Name that you seem to be offended at 3. In that I treated you under the Appellation of a Neonomian which is an Antinomian in the truest Sense in that you have in this Reply professedly owned yourself as such and subscribed to the Truth thereof which for your own Reputation I would not have had you to have done In handling this Question I shall in the first Place remark upon your stating the Question and shew its true state 2. I shall answer your Arguments to prove the Gospel a new Law 3. I shall shew what Law and Gospel is 4. I shall give my Arguments to prove That the Gospel is no new Law 5. I shall shew the Beginning and Progress of this great Error viz. That the Gospel is a New Law 1. The stating of the Question SIR you tell us 1. In what Sense you hold the Gospel not a Law and from thence it follows That in a Sense it is not a Law and therefore in mine it may not be a Law 1. You say You do not hold that the Gospel includes nothing besides this Law R. Here is your old Tricking again The Question is about the Gospel being a Law and you say it includes somâ—thing that is not a Law it includes the Covenant of Redemption and absolute Promises as if the Quâ—stion were Whether a Scabbard were a Sword And you say The Scabbard includes a Sword But by your Favour a Law as such canâ—ot include an absolute Promise for there 's no Promise but conditional in a Law but yet an absolute Promise may include a Law as that I will write my Laws in your Hearts There may be you say Prophecies Histories Doctrinals c. yet these may be called Adjuncts Of what You should have told us whether of Law or Gospel or of the Gospel as a Law The Histories of Christ are Gospel and the Prophecies of him and whatever in Doctrinals brings good News to Sinners belongs to the Promise and Exemplification thereof 2. You say p 19. Nor do I judge it a Law in that Sense our Divines six on Sâ—cinians and Arminians R. No you apprehend our Divines abuse them but yet it hinders not but that you may judge it a Law in the Sense of the Socinians and Arminians I have told what yours is let the Reader judge whether it be so or no for they hold Justification by Acts of Obedience
to this Law but as you do Nor do they hold that we are justified thereby as Adam should have been by perfect Obedience 3. You say Nor do I takâ— it in the Popish Sense which the Socinians and Arminians espouse R. The Popish Sense of Merit is renounced by the Socinians and Arminians as well as by you and as much for ought I can see The Popish Sense is very plain from the Council of Trent Anath 20. Cursed is he that saith the Gospel is a Promise without a Condition of observing the Command And this I am sure is your Sense You proceed 4. It is not a Law that supposeth a moral ability in Sinners to perform its Precepts c. R. It s an unreasonable Law that requires Duty of those that have no ability to perform and that Law that makes a Condition and promiseth Ability concludes not the Subject till the Power is given and when all comes to all 't is but a comprehensive Promise both of the Duty and Benefit to be received by it You say 5. It s not a Law that extinguisheth the Law of Nature which hath its special Precepts R. If the Law of Nature be the Law of Adam you say it vacates it for if it strip it of its Sanction it ceaseth to be a Law for Sanction is the Law 's Ratification as such Again 6. Neither doth this Law require any thing of us as a Condition of Christ's coming into the World nor of the first Grace to the Elect. This the Covenant of Redemption secures to the Catholick Church by Promise R. Whoever talked of our doing any thing as a Condition of Christ's coming into the World as our Redeemer but believe it as weak as you say Mr. C. is â— I le presume to tell you that you are bold to attempt to prove the Gospel to be a Law with Sanction If you allow that the first Grace is absolutely given and what is given by electing Grace is secured by Election to the Elect it s an inconsistent Principle that Redemption secures nothing but conditionally for where the absoluteness of any thing is secured it is secured so as to cease to be conditional 6. Nor is it a Law of Obedience whereto it renders any promised Blessing a Debt all is free though sure its free as to procurement or Price yet it is as sure by Promise as if it were by Debt The Price was Christ's Obedience and Sufferings all comes of Gift yet in that way which God appoints to give it R. This amounts to thus much That now you have dwindled your Law quite away for that Obedience that renders not the Promise a Debt can be no Law with Sanction for by the same Reason that the Punishment is due to me upon Disobedience the Promise is due upon Obedience You say It s sure by Promise so every promissory Covenant makes Blessings sure but that which is sure and free cannot be by Law Conditions P. 20. You give us a very long and confused account of your New Law the sum whereof is That upon Believing and Persevering in sincere Faith and Holiness Life and Salvation is promised and upon non-performance Death and Damnation threatned The Sense is Do and live the very same Essentials as to Matter and Form the Matter the Duties and Promises or Sins and Punishment the Form is the connection of these together by the Sovereign of Authority of a Law giver You say That you mean by saying The Gospel is a Law that God in Christ commands Sinners to receive Christ with a true operative Faith R. We grant the Gospel doth so command but is it a Condition required of the Creature to be performed in and by his present Abilities Must he have this first Grace given before he perform the Condition and by him that commands it Yet must this Command be a Law with Sanction No this Command carries with it to the Elect nothing but a gracious Offer and Invitation and effectual operative Means to bring a poor Sinner from under a Law with Sanction to Life and Salvation Rom. 5.1 The Wages of Sin is Death He lies under this Law-condemnation Joh. 3. He is condemned already The Gospel calls him not to come under another Condemnation but it calls him to the Gift of God What 's that Eternal Life through Jesus Christ besides God's Commands in the Gospel are gracious it s to such Duties which the same Grace promiseth and there 's no middle between being under the Law and under Grace under a gracious Command and a legal they are adversa sine medio You say vpon their believing they shall be united to Christ therefore they must first do something before Union to Christ that they may have the Benefit of Union make the Fruit good and then the Tree afterward contrary to one of the fundamental Maxims of our Lord Jesus Christ You proceed and say it threatens if any dye unbelieving impenitent c. they shall be barred from these Benefits R. The meaning is They shall die under the Condemnation of the Law they are in already as much as to say a Physician offers a Sick Patient a Remedy he refuseth it and dies of his Disease will you say the Physician brought him under a Law with Sanction Many such Instances might be given The King sends a Pardon to all the condemned Prisoners in Newgate suppose it be upon condition of Acceptance some one accept not will the Court now try him upon a new Law No there 's no further Tryal he is executed upon the Sentence before received And so are all those Places to be understood that say He that believes not shall be damned If you say by what Law I say not by a new one but by the Old Law I own as I believe there are degrees of Glory according to the degrees of the Vessels of Honour greater or lesser so there are degrees of Wrath which the Law will execute according to the degree of Sin and the Law will look upon rejection of Christ as the highest degree of Disobedience Therefore are those Expressions It shall be more tolerable for Sodom than for Corazin some shall be beaten with fewer some more Stripes some counted worthy of sorer Punishments than others but all this is by the Law not by the Gospel And Unbelief and Impenitency are Sins Judged and Condemned with all their Aggravations severely enough by that Law you need not doubt there needs no new Law to do it Your referring yourself to the Assembly will cast you for they never intended any such thing that the Gospel is a Law You say 1. Here 's the Essentials of a Law God is our Ruler and we his Subjects R. Are Ruler and Subjects the Essentials of a Law that 's strange Logick The Ruler in his legislative Power is the efficient and so in his executiâ—e in application of it to its Ends and the ruled are therefore called Subj cts because under Subjection to both
4. It 's performed from higher Motives and Obligations viz. that great Love wherewith God hath loved us constraining us to the highest love and expressions thereof to him 5. As for all Sin and Disobedience even Impenitence and Unbelief to any Commands of the Gospel it 's condemned by the Law and every one under the condemnations of Impenitence Unbelief rejection of Christ or disobedience in a Natural Estate are therein under the Law but there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus I◠mean to their Persons tho' all their Sins also are condemned by the Law 2dly I proceed now to your Arguments Mr. W.'s Arg 1. The Gospel is called a Law by the Spirit of God Isa 42.4 Mic. 4.2 Rom. 3.27 Ch. 10.31 Jam. 1.25 and 2.12 Psal 19.7 Gal. 6.2 Rom. 8.2 R. As to the places quoted out of the Old Testament as Isa 42.4 Mic. 4.2 Ps 19 7. I have shewn that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Doctrin and Instruction and sometimes is taken for the whole revealed Mind and Will of God in the Word and it 's called by the Name of Law as a part for the whole both Law and Gospel in that place Isa 42.4 a Prophecy of Christ it 's a Promise that the Isles shall wait for Christ's Doctrin and receive all Commands from Christ whose Precepts may be called Laws tho' of another nature than a Law with Sanction the preceptive parts of the Gospel are often called Laws especially in the Old Testament but this makes not the Gospel itself a Law tho' it contain many Precepts That of Mic. 4.2 Psal 19.7 hath the same answer those places explicate themselves by the Word of the Lord The law shall go forth of Zion and the word of God from Jerusalem So that Law signifies no more than the Word preached both Law and Gospel it were easie to shew how it 's used at large in the Proverbs and Psalms and elsewhere not under any distinct consideration of Law or Gospel We have shewed the Covenant of Grace is exhibited only in a way of promise and free-gift unto sinners as such takes them into Covenant with God not upon any terms of their doing perfect or imperfect performed in their own or another's strength tho' it takes them into the Kingdom where Christ rules and governs them and from which Kingdom goes forth all the Word of the Lord both Law and Gospel Lastly The Old Testament speaks often prophetically of the Gospel in its own Terms and Dialect as by Priests Sacrifices c. Isa 66.21 c. 56.7 c. 6.7 Ezek. 40. c. 41 42. That of Rom. 3.27 where the Apostle saith that boasting is excluded by what Law By the Law of Faith it may be taken for an ordinary rhetorical figura dictionis called Anadiplosis and Beza saith the Apostle doth here de industria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Law of Faith instead of Faith because the adversaries of Grace were always wont to have the Name of the Law in their mouths for which reason our Lord calls Faith a Work Joh. 6.29 and on which place he saith they are plainly ridiculous who from hence will argue that Faith is a Wo k and that therefore we are justified by Works But if any that contend for a further account of the meaning of this Expression 1. It is the Doctrin of Justification by Faith in Christ's Righteousness which he opposeth to all Law-Righteousness as Rom. 4. or other Doctrin that teacheth contrary 2. It may be taken for the nature of Faith the power and efficacy of it the nature of it and its power in the Soul is to make a Man renounce all inherent righteousness in the same sense is Law taken Rom. 8.2 the Law of the Spirit of Life that is in Christ Jesus viz. i. e. the nature power and efficacy of it So Rom. 7. The Law of Sin is no more than the power and prevalency of it whereby it captivates us Jam. 1.25 The Law of Liberty is no other than the Gospel-Doctrin of Freedom by Jesus Christ Joh. 8.36 from the Law Moral and Ceremonial for justificaion yea he speaks to them as such saith Beza on whom no Yoak of Ceremonial Bondage was laid as Peter Acts 15.10 yea such as the Moral Law could not retain as Servants under fear but the Spirit of God forms them into free and voluntary Obedience Hence it 's plain enough that the Apostle opposeth the Gospel to a Law with Sanction which enforceth obedience from the threats thereof So Beza carries c. 2.12 This Epithite of Liberty saith he is very fitly added Having shewed he spake of the Moral Law before which he called the Royal Law in its full Sanction as appears from v. 8 9 10. for seeing we are made free by the Son by a much better right the Lord requires of us the Fruits of Righteousness rather than of those who remain under the Tyranny of the Law of Sin c. So that from these Expressions of James here is so little pretence for a Plea to make the Gospel a Law with Sanction that the Apostle seems strenuously to argue against it I wonder that place is mentioned Rom. 9.31 the Law of Righteousness is plainly the Law of Works for it was Righteousness by this Law they sought after but lost their labour not seeking after a Righteousness to satisfie the Law by Faith in Christ You argue also from Gal. 6.2 This is spoken of a particular Precept which are frequently termed Laws or Instructions Bear one anothers burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ or his Command yea from an Obligation so to do an Obligation to Obedience and Thankfulness is sometimes called a Law of Love And what was the obligation Christ bore our burdens Isa 53. Therefore we should bear one anothers burdens as he carried our griefs and sorrows Be followers of Christ as dear children Beza and others refer it to John 13.34 35. A new commandment give I unto you that you love one another as I have loved you i. e. I give you a new Motive and Principle to act Obedience from and this is contrary to a Principle and Spirit of Bondage and Fear from a Law with Sanction and this New Commandment is called the Old as to the Matter of it Mr. W.'s Arg. 2. Mens behaviour towards the Gospel is expressed by words that denote it to be a Law Rom. 10.16 2 Cor. 9.13 2 Thess 1.8 1 Pet. 4.17 R. You said tho' the Gospel be a Law with Sanction yet it contains in it absolute Promises This I deny as a contradiction But I affirm that an absolute Promise may contain in it Law-Precepts as that Promise I will w ite my laws in your hearts the Gospel sets up the Law-Precepts as Rules of Sanctity and Obedience and calls for a conformity to them from better Motives and Principles yet upon bette◠Promises not such as provoked to obedience by rewarding the work performed in our own strength but such as
believe as non-elect or Judas therefore some Men shall not be saved Now see how well you agree with the Assembly in this Point ch 10. § iv they say non-elect ones tho' they may be called by the Ministry of the Word and may have some common Operations of the Spirit yet they never truly come unto Christ and therefore cannot be saved You say Forgiveness is an act of Soveraignty and how you will reconcile that to what you say before and after I know not 1. That it 's a judicial Act by a rule of Judgment if so it 's not in that respect a soveraign Act wherein God is free to give faith and forgiveness to whom he will And 2. You say he hath not left himself free to give forgiveness to whom he will of the adult without faith and therefore God must come under a Law to give forgiveness in the way of a Law whereas the same soveraign grace that enclines him to one doth also to the other and both faith and forgiveness are the free gift in the Promise in a way of shewing forth his righteousness Mr. W.'s Arg. 6. The Apostles with all the Saints may be arraigned as fallen from Grace and turned from the Gospel if it be no Rule according to which God applies Christ's Righteousness How should Peter say Repent and be baptized R. I see no Consequence here at all the Argument to me seems to run thus Either the Gospel is a new Law with Sanction or else the Apostles are fallen from Grace And what 's the reason of this forced Argument The Apostles preached That Men should repent and be baptized I hope you will make Baptism too to belong indispensably to the new Law as a Condition but I pray doth the Gospel requiring and calling for Gospel Duties make the Gospel a new Law with Sanction Are not Gospel Duties from Gospel quickning and enlivning a poor dead Sinner to obey the Gospel Commands of Christ to an Unbeliever He doth not deal with him as a Person under a moral Power to answer them and therefore putting him under tryal by his natural strength as all Laws do but Gospel Commands are as Christ's Voice to Lazarus in the Grave Joh. 5.25 I pray by what Law are dead Men capable of coming to Life The Gospel is the power of God to Salvation not the power of Man You alledge the Gaoler's words Act. 16.36 What shall I do to be saved I wonder you should insist upon the words of a Man that knew not Christ and knew no other way of Salvation than by doing Paul indulged him not in this Opinion but taught contrary exhorting him to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ which the Apostle always opposed to doing Faith being a Grace that excludes works of any Law yea it self as a work it will ascribe all to Christ and free Grace It 's new Doctrin that a Command to believe should be a Command to work for Life as the obedience to a Law when it calls Men from under the Law and it saith That a Believer is not under the Law but under Grace It should have said you are not under the old Law but you are under the new Law You instance in Gal. 2.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there doth not denote a priority in time of Faith to Justification but of the end of Faith we should believe for this end that the Grace of Justification by Christ's Righteousness alone may shine into our Hearts by the light of Faith that we may have Peace with God in our Consciences through the Lord Jesus Christ and so we do not only in our first believing but in all other Acts. And this hinders not but that God's gracious Acts prevent ours and causeth them God's love let forth to us constrains us and is the reason of our loving him Justification may be considered as terminating on our Persons and terminating on our Consciences in this last sense the Apostle speaks but note what is the Antithesis And not the Works of a Law If he had not meant the Works of every Law he should have distinguished and said Not by the Works of the old Law but by the Works of the new Law It 's strange he should keep the Galatians in the dark about the Works of the new Law it was but Works that they looked for to joyn with Christ in Justification I am confident this very distinction would have satisfied all the Neonomians of his time Mr. W.'s 7th Arg. The Gospel is at least part of the Rule by which Christ will judge the World this must be a Law if it be a Rule of Judgment R. Your Argument is That Rule by which God will judge the World is a Law but the Gospel is a Rule by which God will judg the World therefore I deny the Minor 1. You say Part of that Rule I pray what 's the other part Will the Rule of Judgment have two parts Do you mean the old Law will be another part Or will God judge some by the old Law some by the new 2. It 's not likely that God will judge the World by any more than one Law and that the Law of Creation and that by which he governed the World that Law which hath been the Standard of Righteousness from the beginning of the World to the end 3. It 's likely to be that Law that all the World are become guilty by they shall not be guilty by one Law and judged by another 4. It 's likely to be that Law that Men's Consciences accuse or excuse by 5. It 's likely to be that Law that will reach Jews Christians Infidels and all that never had the written Law or Gospel 6. If the Gospel be a Law then to try by it must cease to be a Gospel for it will bring execution of Indignation and Wrath no good Tidings I suppose you will not say the Sentence Go ye cursed is Gospel Well you say The Work of that day is not to try Christ No sure I believe not but Christ must sit upon his Throne judging the World Nor whether Christ's Righteousness was imputed to all that Believe but will be to decide the cause of all Men to silence all Apologies c. 1. I suppose you mean to decide Believer's state which hath been undecided till then 2. To prove that the rest of the World had not Faith As for the first sort I would know whether their Tryal will be before the Resurrection or after Before it can't be they must be raised first and those that die in Christ shall rise first And it s said Bâ—essed and happy are they that have part in the first Resurrection and how shall they be raised Incorruptible in Glory like to Christ at his Appearance immediately carryed up into the â—ir to meet the Lord. Is it likely that now they are Clothed with all this Glory at the Resurrection they shall come to stand a Tryal for Justification Surely their state
Which are the same among all Men and in every Place But it requires exact Obedience to any particular or more peculiar Precepts that God afterward should require Obedience by of any one Person or sort of People even God's extraordinary Commands such as to Abraham of offering up his Son Again it doth not bind only to the external Acts of Obedience but to the internall and the Principle from whence it flows Mat. 5.21 27. c. 22.37 38 39. This Principle and internal heart Conformity Man had at the first All Prescription of Duty belongs to the Law as Voet. disput tom 4. 24. And this we must hold if with all the Reformed we will maintain the Law 's Perfection as containing in its compass all Vertues and Duties of Holiness Wits 197. de foed Hence whatever is a Transgression of ours in a Defect of Obedience to any of God's Precepts that were or should be given the very least though but in a defect of Faith or Love to God in the Heart is condemned by God's Law Will any Man say that God hath commanded Faith and Repentance at any Time to Man and that was not implyed in the Law at first given to Man doth not that Law condemn every Disobedience Impenitency and Unbelief and if it condemns the Sins it commands the Duties The Law of Creation condemned all Sin which could not be but by the Fall and hence commanded all contrary Duty and therefore Repentance in case of Sin 5. This Law was twice solemnly promulgated 1. To Adam in Paradice in which Promulgation God did bring him upon the tryal of his Obedience in one particular Precept or Prohibition as a part of his Revealed Mind and Will and likewise declared the Penalty of the Breach of the whole Law in that sin 2. On Mount Sinai which Law was but a recognizing and transcript of the said Original Law writ in Man's Heart but so as to be expressive of the fallen state of Man in which Law though but a brief Summary in ten Heads what was that moral Obedience God at first required of Man yet therein it s abundantly declared That Man by a moral Obligation was bound to observe whatever God enjoyned as a Duty to Sinners in Faith and Repentance and in all Matters of instituted Worship under the Old or New Testament in the first Table and most especially in the first and second Commandments Though those particular Commands as to the Mosaical Institution were alterable yet they being the revealed Mind and Will of God for the time being Men lay under a moral Obligation as the Principle and Foundation of that Obedience So where-ever God commands and requires any Duty in the Gospel the Law primarily obligeth us to Obedience De comminationibus si quae sunt in foedere pratiae videamus si accurate rem putare vâ—limus c Though the Gospel seems to have Comminations in it yet if we accurately consider the Matter the Covenant of Grace hath no peculiar Comminations all Comminations or Threats belong to the Law which Law aâ— to all its Parts doth accommodate and suits itsâ—lf to the Covenant of Grace Wits de foed and will revenge all Disobedience and Imperfection if we are not secured from its Curse in some way of perfect Satisfaction and Obedience there needs no other Law with Sanction to try and execute a Transgressor by This is the Law by which all the World becomes guilty before God by which he governeth the World condemns every Sin in the very regenerate and every impenitent Unbeliever and by this Law and it only Christ will judge the World Neither doth the greatness and Aggravation of any Sin remove it to the tryal of another Law as in refusal of Gospel Remedy but leaves Men the more inexcusable under a higher degree of punishment inflicted by the same Law And whereas that Place Rom. 2.16 is alledged to prove the Change of the Law-Sanction and that it is not the Law of Nature but the Law of the Gospel by which Christ will judge the World The allegation is grounded on a manifest Mistake for mark what is said v. 16. In its next coherence it belongs to v. 12. for v. 13 14 15. are shut in by a Parenthesis and then the sense is plainly thus as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law in the day when God shall judge the secrets of Men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. according as I have preached That Christ shall judge the World by the Law for he saith two sorts of Men shall be judged by the Law such as had never no Law but what was written in their Hearts and such as had the written Law and Christ shall judge them both according to the Truth of the Gospel which he had preached Acts 17.31 and this is according to the account Mr. Beza gives of the Text. 6. Hence the Law of God is but one from first to last indeed in this one Law there are many Precepts ten in the Mount Sinai Law and those ten contain multitudes of Duties in other places of Scripture more particularly expressed And upon this Foundation of Obedience is built all the Ceremonial Laws and Judicial which had but a Temporary Sanction and no more hath the instituted Gospel worship and are but Branches that fall off but our Obedience to them for their time is Moral because they are the Command of God and that Moral Duty to conform to the revealed Mind and Will of God remains and will be our Glory in Heaven though particular Circumstances and Actions wherein this Obedience is now ordinarily exprest will cease Hence it was not needful that Christ should exert his perfect Obedience in those Circumstances and Actions which do attend all the Varieties of States Stations and Relations that we are in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Law is the whole Rule of Obedience which God gave to the Church under the Old Testament It was a perfect and compleaâ— Rule of Obedience which God required of his Church the moral Law â—he Foundation of the whole both Ceremonial and Judaical By vertue of that Covenant made with Abraham it was accompanied with a Power and Efficacy enabâ—ing unto Obedience The Law ln it self as meerly preceptive and commanding administred no Power and Ability unto those that were under its Authority no more do the meer Commâ—nds of the Gospel Under the O. Testament it enforced Obedience from the severity of its sanâ—tion D. O. of Just p. 4 13 144. neither would it have been essential to Adam's perfection if he had stood nor will it be to glorified Saints To conclude the Law of God is perpetual and its an eternal Truth do and live as that the Soul that Sins shall dye Not one jot or Tittle of the Law shall pass away till all be accomplished Heaven and Earth shall pass away first Matt. 5.18 not that it is vacated when
may be called a Brute or a Brute a Man 1. Law and Gospel-grace are opposed expresly by the Spirit Joh. 1.17 The law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Here is not a Law and a Law opposed Evangelium non esse legem sed ab ea plurimum distinctum tum ipsa arguit appellatio quam ponderat Theophyl in Praef. Matth. Euseb l. 1. in praeparatione Evang. c. 1. Tum manifesta Antithesis quae est Joh. 1.17 Rom. 10.5 6. Tum utriusque discrimen situm in patefactionis ordine natura promulgatione ministerio in forma seu differentia promissionum in effectis adjunctis efficacia officio utriusque in applicatione ad objecta tum constitutus Ecclesiae purioris consensus quae semper Evangelium a lege discrevit quemadmodum Cyril Alex. but a Law and Grace essentially differing for an old Law and a new do not differ essentially but secundum adjuncta only in the like manner and for the same end Christ and Moses are opposed Christ as a Son to Moses as a Servant one being a Minister of the Law the other of the free grace of the Gospel Heb. 3.5 6. As Mediators one of a legal administration that vailed the grace of the Gospel Christ such a Mediator of the New Testament who brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 Upon the account of this specifick difference of Law and Gospel it is that Mount Sinai and Mount Zion or Jerusalem that is above the heavenly are opposed to the earthly in that Spiritual Allegory of Hagar and Sarah applied Gal. 4.24 25. which opposition between these Mounts is fully and admirably managed by the Apostle Heb. 12.18 22. To this let me add the specifick difference that is made between those that are under one and under the other Rom. 6.14 There are some under the Law and some under grace he saith not some under an old Law some under a new but what 's the condition of them under the Law sin reigns unto death but as to those under Grace grace reigneth through righteousness i. e. of Christ not of works of our obedience to any Law unto eternal life Lastly The opposition made between the Works of the Law and the Grace of the Gospel is in the point of justification the Works of the Law or any Law are peremptorily rejected by the Apostle in the point of justification so that if Grace justified in a way of Works Grace and Works here could not be opposed See those two famous places that peremptorily reject all Works of what kind soever of what Law soever from Justification Rom. 3.20 Gal. 2.16 where it s said by the Works of a Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no Flesh living shall be justified It is reasonable to think that if the Apostle had intended we should be justified by any Law Alexand. in c. 40. Isa Hieron l. 1. Contra Pelagianos plurimorum ubi opus adduci possunt testimonia Christop Pelargi Jesuitismu p. 71. Impres An. D. 16â—8 that he would not have told us by what Law-Works Would he have spoken so universally of all Law-Works Are not all good Works towards God and Man commanded in the Law But are some Works of one Law and some of another This Remark of mine obout leaving out the prepositive Article shewing that the Words of all Laws are indefinitely here meant you would blow away as a Cobweb Your words are Vpon such Cobwebs in the face of the plain scope of the Bible doth this Cause stand Cobwebs are fit enough to catch Flies in but I never fear an Adversary that spits at Arguments instead of answering them Where 's the Argument you say because in a few places the Article á½¼ is not put in You should have said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore the Apostle excludes every sort when he plainly excludes only one sort as appears by the whole Context nay when at the same time another Species under that general Rom. 3.27 R. Therefore Ver. 20. We have the general of all Laws there 's no Justification by the Works of a Law and know you not that which is denyed to the Genus as such is denyed to the Species and tho' he mentions a Law of Faith v. 27. in the sense or senses which have been above mentioned yet it is manifest that he absolutely denies Justification to Faith as a Law-Work for else why had he not excepted Faith as a Law-Work when he excludes all Works And when he sheweth all Works are excluded he saith where is boasting then Saith he it is excluded by the Nature and Power of true Faith which will always lay the Creature low and exclude all matter of Boasting that may be in us he saith not we are justified by Faith as a Work of the new Law but saith that Faith stands up against all such Works and Law-Justification and this is witnessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Law and the Prophets i. e. by the Mosaical Ministry as well as the Prophets were the prepositive Points at Law in a peculiar sense but what is it that 's witnessed It 's that the Righteousness of God is manifested 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a Law any Law for Justification by Gospel grace You mistake if you apprehend we make this our great Argument to prove that the Gospel in its nature is not a Law with Sanction it is the plain scope and design of the Apostle in all those places where he disputes against Justification by Works that we argue from and make use of this observation as a corroborating Argument that his plain intent is to exclude not only the Works of the moral Law but the Works of any Law for the Apostle deals with the Galatians which hankered after Circumcision and under pretence of observation of some of the Mosaical Ceremonies would have introduced the Works of the Law to share in the Matter of their Righteousness And therefore by using Law in the largest and most comprehensive sense he casts out all-Law Works as conditions of Justification and this is the sense Mr. Beza hath of the Apostle's Scope on Rom. 3.20 St. Paul having proved the World to be guilty before God and lyable to his Wrath he concludes that which he undertakes to prove viz. That no Man could be justified by the Works of any Law for having disproved one part of the disjunct Proposition he establisheth the other viz. Seeing we are not justified by a Law therefore only by Faith in Christ alone Christ apprehended by Faith as the Gospel teacheth that we are both justified and saved therefore that the Gospel is the power of God unto Salvation to every Believer which was the state of the Question as laid down in the beginning of the Epistle He tells us what doth further shew or demonstrate these things duly considered that in this Verse by the nameing the Law without an Article all Doctrin is understood whether
Pound to a Man that lies with broken Arms and Legs in the bottom of a deep Well provided he will come and fetch it especially when he knows no Body can set his Limbs and help him out And how oft do you say the first Grace is ablolute And to say the same thing is absolute in the power of another and make it a condition by Law with Sanction unto me is the greatest absurdity in the World And I tell you that if a rich Man offers a hundred Pound to a poor Man Lame and Blind and in Prison and the King makes a Law he should come and fetch it or else be hang'd it would cease to be a Free-gift Arg. 2. That which is a Law with Sanction curseth every one under that Law with an irretrievable Curse upon the first Transgression of the said Law but the Gospel doth not bind any one under a Curse irretrievable by the Gospel upon the first Sin or many Sins committed against the Grace of it therefore the Gospel is not a Law with Sanction The Major is very manifest That there 's no Law pardons a Transgression of itself It is a universal Maxim concerning not only the Law of Creation but of all Laws Gal. 3.10 â—rom Deut. 27.26 the Apostle saith He that is under Law is under a Curse provided he doth noâ— all things that are written in the Book of the said Law that he is under therefore first he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the second place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suppose you speak of your New Law the Condition whereof you make Faith and sincere Obedience lowered Conditions and imperfect Obedience And these are the all things contained in the Book of this Law then immediately upon the Publishing and Promulgation thereof all Unbelievers are irretrievably condemned by that Law The Wages due by that Law to every Unbeliever upon his first unbelief is Death And the said Law cannot relieve him because he hath not done whatever was writ in the Book of this Law its true one Law may relieve us in respect of another in some sense at least as to the Curse of it but no Law relieves from its own Curse therefore if the new Law curseth Unbelief it curseth the Unbelievâ— irrâ—treivably upon the first Act of Sin in that kind The Minor is plain because the Gospel do 〈◊〉 relievâ— from thâ— Curse that lies upon Men for Unbelief being in its proper Natu â—a Transgâ—â—â—sion of and Disobedience to the first Law there 's no Sin or Curse but th â—ospâ—l gives â—â—eâ—â—f though aggravated by the rejection of a Remedy all Laws with Sâ—â—ctâ—on give the due Recompence constituted by that Law to the Transgressor of it in â—ny one Point therefore sin is always in respect of that Law against which it is unpardonâ—ble for therein the nature of that Sin is adjusted and the Punishment that is made due to it Hence therefore if the Gospel be a Law with Sanction every one that appears upon Tryal to have transgressed it after its Promulgation less or mâ—re is under the Curse of it and that Person which any Law hath once cursed it can never bless therefore this Position puts thousands under a most certain hopeless and helpless Condition by the Gospel Arg. 3. That which is a Law with Sanction if it contain a Promise of Benefits upon Obedience is a Covenant of Works for upâ—n the same Grounds that the Punishment is the Wages due in case of disobedience Upon the same is the Benefit due in case of Obedience the same Law makeâ— one a Dâ—bt as well as the other for whatever is of Law is of Debt either upon the account of Sin or of Righteousness the Law was the same upon both accounts to Adam Life had been a Reward and Wages due as well as Death Therefore the Apostle argues so strenuously against all kind of Works Rom. 4.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him that worketh there 's a Reward not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of Grace buâ— of Dâ—bt and he excepteth not him that worketh according to the new but to him that worketh whether according to the Old or New Law the Reward to him that worketh by any Law is Debt by the said Law Arg. 4. If the Gospel be a Law it s either the same Law with tâ—e Law of Nature or a distinct Law from it But it s neither the same Law nor a distiâ—ct Law from it therefore no Law with Sanction The Necessity of the Consequence in the disjunction cannot be doubted by any Man of Reason The Minor is thus demonstrated 1. It s not the same Law with the Law of Nature this you will not say because you call it a New Law And if it be the same Law then you have no Pretence to evade all the Consequences that will be dâ—awn upon you from the Doctrine and Arguments of the Apostle Paul therefore I doubt not but I am secure of you as to this part of the Dilemma Therefore I come to the second That which must be essentially the same Law with the Old Law is not a distinct Law from it but your New Law must be essentially the same with the Old Law therefore is not distinct from it Your new Law can have no Essentials distinct from tâ—e Old Law for if it have the same Essentials its the same the same Matter and Form and the same integral Parts wherein they consist The parts of a Law are Condition and Promise in case of Obedience and Threat in case of Disobedience the connexion of these makes the Form all this you 'll allow Hence there 's the same Law-Nature in one as in the other and therefore it s a Law in the same way and manner and a Man under it must be dealt with in a Law way and manner Obedience to God was commanded there and so here Disobedience to God forbidden there and so here Life promised there upon Obedience and Death threatned there upon Disobedience and so here And what Obedience is there which is not commanded in the Old Law And what Disobedience that is not forbidden there But you will say the Old Law commanded perfect Obedience and the new imperfect A. The New Law would not certainly command what the Old Law forbad but the Old Law forbad all Imperfection in Obedience and cursed it 2. Whatever the degree of Obedience is that any Law requires its perfect in regard of that Law that requires it 3. It should be strange if God should make that which is imperfect sinful condemned Obedience by one Law to be perfect Obedience and justifying by a New and so set Law against Law Lastly as to the Promise it s the same for it was everlasting Life both in the old Covenant and the new the manner of having it by Works or by Grace alters not the nature of the thing itself A House in itself is the same whether I purchase it or it be given From all which I
conclude This pretended New Law is no other than the Old Law furbished up again that in itself it must be essentially tâ—â—â—ame the Works and Justification by them that if there be some little difference iâ—â—odalities it makes no essential Change than is in a Man that wears one coloured Suit of Cloaths one day and another on another Day I argue That Covenant that bestows the Grace of the Promise without a previous Condition is not a new Law but the Covenant of Grace bestows the Grace of it without previous Conditions performed by us Therefore it bestows eternal Life unconditionally ergo for it bestows the first Grace according to yours unconditionally which is Eternal Life Joh. 17.3 Arg. 5. If there be no need of a New Law God is so wise he will not make a New Law if there be no need of it or use for it then the Gospel is no New Law But there 's no need or use of a New Law Minor There 's no need or use for it neither in respect of Law or Gospel Dispensation of Justice or of Grace 1. There is no need or use in respect of Law or Justice because the old Law is a sufficient Rule for distributive and commutative Justice it condemns every Transgression and Disobedience eternally it hath provided Curse and Condemnation enough for the greatest and most aggravated Sin for unbelief in the least and highest degree and so for Impenitency All the World is guilty by this Law God rules the World by it and will judge it by it there 's not the least or greatest Duty but is here commanded which is or shall be the Will of God not only in way of moral Duty but in all Matters of instituted Worship under the Old and New Testament Lastly in respect of Justification and Reward if God had intended to have given Life as a Reward of the Works of any Law he could as easily have done it by the Old Law and sure would never have made a new one to have done it by 2. There is no need of a new Law in regard of the Dispensation of the Grace of the Gospel Because what the Gospel doth its in way of delivery of Man from the Curse of the Law that they lye already under and here there is no need of Law because it s done all in a way of free Grace Pardon of a condemned Prisoner must come meerly from the good will of the Prince its inconsistent with his Prerogative to be bound to it by a Law therefore God reserves this Prerogative he will have Mercy on whom he will have Mercy And its needless in respect of the condemned pâ—rson because there 's need of nothing but a free Offâ—r of Grace and Mercy to a condemned Prisoner if he refuses it its at his own peril it s his choosing but to remain in statu quo under the Law that he was condemned by and to be executed according to it You 'll say there 's need of a new Law in respect of new Obedience A. I say no for God's Law is still perfect in respect of the Rule of Obedience 2. The Gospel requires no other Obedience materially than what the Law required 3. The Gospel makes provision in the dispensation of free Grace for all Obedience the Law requires for the perfection of it in Christ for our Conformity to it through its Promise teaching and new creating and writing that Law anew in our Hearts which the Fall had blotted out Well to conclude this Argument the Apostle expressly saith Rom. 3.21 Now without Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Righteousness of God is made manifest being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets i. e. by the whole Old Testament as the Jews were wont to divide it and therefore saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. for Distinction from Law in the Sense that he took it in when he saith without Law new Obedience is obedience to the Law from a new Life Pâ—inciples Strength and for new Ends. Arg. 6. That which is inconsistent with the Grace of God in the Gospel is not to be admitted but that the Gospel should be a Law with Sanction is inconsistent with the Grace of God in the Gospel Ergo The Minor is easily made manifest 1. From the Nature of a Law that 's to enforce's Obedience where a thing is freely given it s expected it should be freely received and not enforced 2. It s inconsistent with shewing Mercy to poor lame blind Cripples to offer them Relief upon unperformable Conditions Yea it s also an abuse of Justice to make a Law That lame Men should walk before their Limbs be restored I pray did Christ heal the Diseased restore the Lunaticks raise the Dead cast out Devils by a Law 3. If it be consistent with the Grace of the Gospel to act by a Law in saving Sinners it must be before Regeneration or after not before for then they will come under no Law they are out in Rebellion against all Law nay they are already in the Custody of the Law and therefore not capable of coming under the Terms of another 2. Their Salvation must lye in Delivery of them from the Custody and Curse of that they are under which cannot be by making Terms with them but with the Law offended that detains them therefore it must be mere Grace without a Law that must open the Prison Doors to them 3. You say the first Grace is absolutely and freely given therefore the Sinner can come under no terms of Law in order to the bringing him into a state of Grace for terms of a Law laid upon any supposeth a Power and Ability in them to perform the said terms if they will and that they can both will and do if they will It is not a new Law after Regeneracy for then Grace begun would cease to be free Grace afterward Christ is not only the Author but the Finisher of our Faith and Obedience our perseverance and standing in Grace would not be so secure as its beginning the Grace of the Covenant would not be homogeneous one part would be free and absolute the oâ—her conditional and upon Terms but the Operation of the Spirit and Promises of after-grace they are all of the same nature from first to last as God begins so he perfects and compleats the new Man he works all our Works in us all-a-long in the same way and manner as they are begun Arg. 7. If the Gospel be a new Law it was made as soon as the old Law was broken And as new as it is it must be that Law by which the Patriarchs antidiluvian and postdiluvians were saved This consequence I suppose cannot be denied because we are saved even as they and the Gospel was preached unto them But there was no such new Law from Adam to Paul's time 1. The Gospel was not delivered to our first Parents in the terms of a Law but absolutely so to Abraham The Apostle is
particular that most worthy Divine Mr. Traughton in his Lutherus redivivus a Book worth every Christian 's having You say p. 25. Hath the Gospel-Covenant no Sanction what think you of Heb. 8.6 R. You might have said Heb. 9.15 16. I said not that the Gospel-Covenant hath no Sanction it hath a Sanction as a Testament in the Death of Christ in which the Law is satisfied for us and upon which the better absolute and clear Promises are founded and herein was that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 placed the establishment of the Promises of Life and Salvation on the sure Conditions of Christ's Righteousness and not of our Performances You say What will become of Dr. Owen 's Law of Justification p. 167. R. His Law of Justification is the Law that Christ came under in doing and suffering the fulfilling God's Will for the justification of a sinner this was the Law that was in his heart for the Doctor 's words are Not that he did as a King constitute the the Law of Justification as you say for it was given and established in the first Promise and he came to put it in execution You say It 's one thing to be justified for Faith and another to be justified by it R. I say so too if it be in the Apostle's sense by Faith be in opposition to by Works but if you make Faith a Law-condition then this by becomes for and it signifies just as much as being justified by Works And thus Mr. Bulkly in your own Quotation is against you for he saith If we make the Commandment of Believing to be legal then the Promise of Life upon the Condition of Believing must be legal also And so it must needs be upon your Hypothesis that the Gospel is a Law You often say the Gospel-Law is not a Law of Works and that Paul saith so p. 26. What is so said either by the Apostle or you the Gospel is denied thereby to be a Law with Sanction or Law-Covenant for if there be no Works as Condition of it there 's nothing but Promise but where is your sincere conditional imperfect Obedience if there be no Works It 's absurd to say the first Grace is a Condition required of us because you grant it absolute You tell us what Dr. O. saith on Ps 130 p. 230. This is the inviolable Law of the Gospel i. e. believing and forgiveness are inseparably conjoyned which hath nothing of your sense in it Concerning Faith's being the Condition of a Law with Sanction he saith nothing he means no more but that they are connexed by God's constitution So there are many things connexed in the Promise as Faith and Forgiveness Faith and Repentance Faith and Love Justification and Sanctification and Glorification I could quote you a hundred places out of Dr. O. where he militates against this very Principle of yours See Dr. O. of Justifie p. 407. The Apostle speaks not one word of the Exclusion of the Merit of Works only he excludes all Works whatsoever Some think they are injuriously dealt withal when they are charged with maintaining Merit Yet those that best understand themselves and the Controversie are not so averse to any kind of merits knowing that it 's inseparable from Works Those among us who plead for Works in our Justification as they use many distinctions to explain their minds and free themselves from a co-incidence with that of the Papists they deny the name of Merit in the sense of the Church of Rome and so do the Socinians See more p. 408 409. where he shews all Works before and after Grace are excluded What you quote out of my honoured Father's Book I see nothing contradicts me if rightly understood had not your Doctrin been contrary to his tho' I hope I should defend the truth according to my light and conscience tho' against my own Father I should never have given you the least opposition but it 's not Human Authority must turn the Scales in these Matters You quote Mens transient Expressions that speak of a gospel-Gospel-law and Conditions in a sense that may be born with when they approve themselves clear in all main Points others speaking in such a Dialect in Sermons and Practical Discourses To shew that such things as God hath conjoyned Man is not to sever As for the two great Divines besides D. O. I mean Dr. Goodwin and Mr. Clarkson I know them to be expresly against your Notion of the conditionality of the Covenant and by what you quote out of them it appears to be so See Dr. Goodwin's Judgment about Condition Whether Faith be a Condition Sermon XXII p. 301. I would have this word laid aside I see both Parties speak faintly on 't Perkins on the Galatians and another There is danger in the use of it a Condition may be pleaded 2. In those Expressions if a Man believeth he shall be saved import that he that doth so shall be saved in the event which the Elect only are to whom he giveth Faith My Beloved the nature of Faith is modest it never maketh plea for it self if it were a Condition a Man might plead it before God and the making it a Condition seems to me to import as if there were an universal Grace and that it is the Condition terminateh it to this Man and not to that What Mr. Clerkson saith is nothing to your purpose for he saith The first Blessings of the Covenant are promised absolutely and subsequent Blessings are in some sense Conditional Not that God makes a conditional Bargain with us but because divine Wisdom hath made a connexion between these Blessings that they shall never be separated c. Lastly I shall give an Account of the beginning and progress of this Neonomian Error This Doctrin was first forged by the Pharisees of old who did not believe themselves justified by perfect Obedience to the moral Law their owning the Sacrifices and other Types their Gospel being a sufficient evidence that they acknowledged themselves great Sinners and far enough from perfect Obedience they only thought that Obedience that they did perform was through the merciful Nature of God accepted to Justification of Life and their Sins expiated by Sacrifices For not only the Scriptures give us full assurance of this to be truth but it were easy to shew what the Opinion of the ancient and latter Jews were in this Matter 1. They placed their Righteousness not in perfect Obedience but in sincere So Paul before his Conversion Act. 26.5.9 Chap. 23. 1. Rom. 10.9 The Jews went to establish their own Righteousness and their imperfect Obedience as such in conjunction with the attoning Sacrifices for their Justification And R. Menahem saith Scito vitam Hominis in praeceptis Know that the Life of Man in the Precepts is according to the intention that he hath in doing them But they say Faith is the cause of Blessedness and therefore the cause of eternal Life Thus the Author of Sepher Ikkarim
And that Faith justifies as Righteousness itself for saith the same Author Our Father Abraham was praised by reason of his Faith for it 's said Gen. 15. He believed God and it was accounted to him for Righteousness And that this Doctrin was that which Paul contendeth with the judaizing Christians about and the false Teachers among them I doubt not in the least and am very apt to believe that it was these Neonomians that laid that Charge upon Paul's Doctrin that it was a Doctrin of Licentiousness and made so great a Cry against it for Antinomianism or as being destructive to the Righteousness of the Law and Obedience thereunto Philip a Presbyter and Hearer of Hierom on Job 42. tells of a Heretick then living that held this Opinion That the Gospel was a Law Christop Pelarg. The next I find it charged upon is Pelagius as one of h s grand Heresies And from the Pelagians saith Dr. Leydecker the Papists have taken up this Principle The Council of Trent Anath 20. Cuâ—se all that say the Gospel is a Promise without condition of observing the Commands And Anath 21. They Curse those that say Christ is given for a Redeemer and not a Law-maker And Anath 26. They Curse them that say The just ought not to expect a Reward for their Works Peter a Soto tells us the Catholick Church doth hold That Christ gave a new Law The same saith S. De Clara. It is generally hâ—ld by all the Jesuits Bellarmin in his Controv. de Justif contends That the Gospel as such is a Law and that it contains proper â—aws with Threats and Promises and requires Obedience as the Condition of Life and of the accomplishments of Promises which are so conditionated and that Merits cannot be otherwise defended which the Papacy holds Gregory de Valâ—ntia tells us They reject the usual distinction of Law and Gospel viz. That the Law Promises are conditional the Gospel Promises free and absolute Tom. 2. Controv. Disput 7. Q 6. Le calls it a Fiction Mr. Fox in Act. Mon. Impr. 7. p. 34. vol. 1. gives this following Account of the Papist's Opinion in this Point They say Moses was a giver of the old Law Christ of the new Thus imagine they the Gospel to be nothing else but a new Law given by Christ binding to the Promises the Conditions of our doings and deservings no otherwise than to the old Law and so divide they the whole Law into three parts the Law of Nature the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ to the fulfilling whereof they attribute Justification And thus they lead the Consciences of Men in doubt and induce many Errors bringing the People into a false opinion of Christ as tho' he were not a Remedy against the Law but came as another Moses to give a new Law to the World Dr. Barns who suffered Martyrdom in Henry VIII.'s time An. Dom. 1541. vigourously opposed the Popish Bishops in this Point as appears by his excellent Treatise of Justification In defending Justification by Faith alone according to the true meaning of the Apostle Paul hath these Passages It were but lost labour for Paul to prove that Works did help to Justification for that the Jews did grant and required no mâ—re but that which they stood upon was that Works might not be clearly excluded But here peradventure it will be said that Paul condemns the Works of the old Law but not of the new Law Are you now satisfied in your Consciences Think you that you have now assoyled Paul's Argument Think you to be thus discharged before God Go boldly to the Judgment of God with this Evasion and doubt not but then you shall find St. Paul stiflly and strongly against you and your new Works as ever he was against the Jews and their old Works Briefly what Works can you excogitate to do which be not in the old Law and of the old Law Therefore he speaks of all manner of Works for the Law includeth all Works that ever God instituted the highest best and most of Perfection what Works in the new Law have you better than those of the old Law â— But grant that there be certain Works of the new Law which be not of the old yet have you not nor can prove that these shall justify for there can be no more goodness in Works than were in the Works of the old Law for they were to Gods Honour and the Profit of the Neighbour and yet you grant they cannot justify St. Paul disputâ—s against them that were Christned and had Works of the old Law and of the new yet concludes that Christ alone justified Mark his Argument If Righteousness cometh by the Law then is Christ dead in vain c. where he proceeds to enervate this Doctrin of Neomianism From the Papists the Socinians took up this Doctrin as Dr. Leidaker shews styling them Our new Pelagians They do indeed saith he exclude Ceremonial Works and Works of the Jews who oppose the Gospel but when they may seem to differ from the Roman Catholicks in the Doctrin of Merit they answer Socin saith Paul treats concerning perfect Works of that Law and seeing none can be justified by them the Law requiring perfect Obedience therefore the Apostle saith We are justified by faith and obedience so far as a man is able to perform them That Paul excludes Works of the Law not interrupted by Sin i. e. perfect persevering Works or merits not those that are performed according to the mild Law of the Gospel And he takes notice how Dr. P. Barrow a Divinity Professor in England was among the first of ours that deserted the true Doctrin and an assertor of this Doctrin That the Gospel is a new Law shewing that no Man was ever justified by a perfect observance of the Law but by that Observation which depends upon Mercy and includes pardon of Sin the regenerate do perform that Law in his Treatise de pâ—aestantia legis c. 13. This Dr. Barrow the Arminians when they began to spring up highly applauded saith Dr. Leidaker His Words are Similes habent labra lactucas He says they changed the very Decalogue into a Covenant of Grace confounding it with the Gospel asserting a Covenant of Works saying That notwithstanding the giving Christ God might have set up again a Covenant of Works but he would not because of the weakness of the Flesh Therefore in the room of the rigid Covenant of Works he substituted a milder Covenant mixed with goodness and grace in which Faith with imperfect Obedience to the Law might be accepted for perfect Righteousness unto Life These Doctrins Arminians began to vent but Episcopius taught them openly whom Curcellius also followed as his Master and more lately Dr. Limburgius who asserts That the Scripture no where teacheth Christ's Righteousness is imputed to us and saith This Error so he calls the Doctrin of the imputation of Christ's Righteousness ariseth from a false Opinion That