Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	believe_v	faith_n	justify_v	18,143	5	8.5818	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93852	The royal law contended for, or, Some brief grounds serving to prove that the Ten Commandments are yet in full force, and shall so remain till heaven and earth pass away. Also the seventh day Sabbath, proved from the beginning, from the law, from the prophets, from Christ, from his apostles, to be a duty yet incumbent upon saints and sinners. / By a lover of peace with truth Edward Stennet.	Stennett, Edward, d. 1690?	1658 (1658)	Wing S5402B; ESTC R184622	38,860	48

it 's very clear that 't is circumcision and the customes that 's here called the Law of Moses which the Gentiles were commanded not to keep but to think the Gentiles should be forbidden to keep that Law of God that was written in their natures is abominable and contrary both to Scripture and reason Obj. 5. But the Scripture saith Cast out the Bond-woman with her son for the son of the Bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the Free-woman which Bond-woman was an Allegory of the Covenant from mount Sinai and therefore to be cast out Answ The Apostle is here shewing how impossible it is for works and grace to stand together in point of justification for this people were seeking to be justified by the works of the Law He shews the difference betwixt the two Covenants one of works gendering to bondage the righteousness of the Law being this that the man that doth these things should live in them Rom. 10.5 the other of grace or free promise without any respect to mans righteousness he shews the sons of the Covenants are like unto their mothers the sons of the one Covenant are born after the flesh the sons of the other by promise and that those that are born after the flesh persecute those that are born after the spirit Nevertheless what saith the Scripture Cast out the Bond-woman and her son For the son of the Bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the Free-woman That is The Covenant of works with those that seek to be justified thereby Christ being the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 But if we should understand the Ten Commandments in themselves to be the Bond-woman then it is impossible for them that keep them to be heires or children of the promise but they must be cast out as children of the Bond-woman which is very erronious and contrary to the current of Scriptures For the doers of the Law are justified before God Rom. 2.13 though not for doing And mark how the Apostle forbids this notion Rom. 3.31 Do we then make void the Law through faith God forbid Shall we continue in sin or transgress the Law that grace may abound God forbid Rom. 6. Is the Law sin God forbid Rom. 7.7 Was the Law which was good made death unto me God forbid 13. Shall we transgress the Law because we are not under the condemning power of it Christ having redeemed us from it God forbid Rom. 6.15 Certainly the Scripture did foresee how apt men would be to slight and make void the Law of God under specious pretences as their being believers and Gentiles which had not the Law given to them but that they are under grace and the like But if the uncircumcision keep the righteousnesse of the Law shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision Rom. 2.26 Consider these Queres 1. If the whole Law was done away by the death of Christ why did the Apostle spend so much time to prove that by the works of the Law none could be justified Gal. 3. seeing there was no Law to work upon Had it not been a nearer way to have told them that the Law was abolished 2. If the whole Law was done away at the death of Christ how can any part of it be now in force If it be said it is upon a new account shew me any one Law that Christ hath once destroyed and again revived seeing the Apostle saith if he should build again the things that he destroyed he should make himself a transgressor Gal. 2.14 3. What Scripture is it that proves that we have any one of the Ten Commandments given out upon a new account 4. If the whole Law be done away what Law is there for the punishment of evil doers theeves murderers and the like 5. If the Ten Commandments were to be abolished how is it that the Lord hath annexed so many great and precious promises unto the keeping of them and delighting in them as in Psal 1.1 2 3 4. and many other places which do of right belong unto such as keep the Commandements Rev. 27.14 6. How is it that the Apostle saith the Law is good if a man use it lawfully 1 Tim 1 8. if at the same time there was no Low 7. If the Law was done away at the death of Christ when was it given again upon a new account If before his death in the 5. of Matth. then how is it that the Law that was given on Sinai stood in force till his death Could they stand both in force at once If not till after the death of Christ then when was it given out seeing we find not any of the Commandements so much as mentioned for a long time after the death of Christ Can we think the Saints and the world were left without Law 8. How is it that we contend for Governors as at the first and Counsellers as at the beginning seeing there is no Law for them to rule and govern by if this doctrine be true that the whole Law is done away Thus I have endeavoured in a weak measure to prove that the Ten Commandments are not only in force to unbelievers but also to believers But believers are not under the Law so as to be justified or condemned by it not under it as a Covenant of works and ministration of death but under it as it 's a righteous rule of life a holy just and good Law so they are under it and do delight in it Rom. 7.22 Psal 119.70 72 97. 1 Cor. 9.21 It is time for the Lord to work for they have made void thy thy Law Psal 119.122 Therefore I love thy Commandments above Gold yea above fine Gold vers 127. Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way vers 128. The seventh day is the Sabbath NOw if the Ten Commandments be in force every jot and title of them it must necessarily follow that the Seventh day is the Sabbath and is to be observed according to the commandment But because there is much opposition against this truth I shall offer something in particular to it which may tend to the clearing of it First it was instituted by God before the fall of man as appears in Gen. 1.31 And God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good But when men had sinned God changes his voice and then the ground is cursed for his sake Chap. 3.17 Further God was six dayes upon his work of creation and rested not until the seventh day now betwixt the end of the sixt day and the beginning of the seventh there is no interval or space of time Chap. 1.31 Chap. 2.2 then why should it be thought that the Sabbath was a shadow to hold forth rest by faith in Christ seeing Adam had not sinned and so had no need of a Saviour and why should we run into such

the Law and in this sense every true believer doth fulfil the Law though his compleatness be in Christ for love is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.10 so that the commanding power of the Law is such a just measure that every one that loves acts his part towards the fulfilling of it Lastly it further appears to be the Ten Commandments by the use Christ makes of what he had before asserted Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these Commendments and shall teach men so shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven vers 19. that is forasmuch as this Law must stand till Heaven and Earth pass and I came not to destroy it therefore beware of breaking of it for whosoever you are that break any any part of it and shall teach men so you shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven To prevent further mistakes he repeateth the Law in many particulars and gives the sence shewing how far their righteousness should exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees vers 20. By all which it plainly appears that this Law which Christ came not to destroy is the Law of the Ten Commandments or the Laws that were comprehended in them 6. The Apostle confirmeth and establisheth this Law after the death of Christ as plainly appears Rom. 3. the drift of which Chap is to set Jews and Gentiles in a like condition by nature all breakers of the Law of God and so become guilty before him vers 19. and that therefore no flesh could be justified by the deeds of the Law the Law being for another purpose to convince of sin vers 20. or to bring sin to the knowledge he proves that Jews and Gentiles circumcised and uncircumcised are justified by and through faith and not by any Law of works vers 27 28 29 30. But lest the Gentiles should think because they could not be justified by the works of the Law that therefore they might look upon the Law as a thing done away or made void he puts this question to the uncircumcised Gentiles Do we then make void the Law through faith God forbid yea we establish the Law He puts this question out of question whether the Law be in force to believing Gentiles or no with a God forbid which shews the greatness of his zeal against such a perswasion it being the same answer which he gives to another gross question whether we should continue in sin that grace might abound and as if that were not enough he adds to it yea we establish the Law 7. This same Apostle doth prove that the Law was in force at the time of his conversion he saith he had not known sin but by the Law he had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet Rom. 7.7 He was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came sin revived and he dyed vers 9. that is not without the letter of it for that he had and did in a great measure conform to it but without powerful convictions for sin by the Law and in this sence when the Commandment came sin revived and he dies that before was alive in his own apprehension For without the Law sin was dead vers 8. and by the Law is the knowledge of sin and sin taking occasion by the Commandment deceived him and by it slew him Wherefore the Law is holy the Commandment is holy just and good vers 11.12 not that the holy and just Law was made death unto him God forbid but sin that it might appear sin by this good Law wrought death in him that by the Commandment sin might appear exceeding sinful vers 13. And if so then this Law did not dye with the body of Christ though we are dead to the Law by the body of Christ that we should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldnesse of the letter and that we should be married to another even him who is raised from the dead we being dead to that spirit of bondage in whith we were held that we set our obedience to the Law no longer in the room of Christ as our head and husband Christ by his blood having purchased us from that power that the Law had over us by reason of sin So that our service is not to satisfie the Law as a woman serves to please her husband that we are dead to but we are not dead to serve in newness of spirit in obedience to Christ as our husband vers 4 5 6. In this sence the Apostle delights in the Law of God after the inward man vers 22. Though another Law in his members stood in great opposition to it vers 23. Mind this chap. well and it will appear so plain that he that runs may read that the Apostle intends no such thing as to take us from our obedience to the Law nor yet the abrogating of the Law But on the contrary 8. The same Apostle urges the Law in the very letter of it unto the Ephesians Chap. 6.1 2 3. Children saith he obey your Parents for this is right Honour thy father and thy mother which is the first Commandment with promise He proves his exhortation to be right from the Commandment and he takes notice of the order of the Commandments it is the first Commandment of that second Table and it hath a promise annexed to it he speaketh in the present tense he doth not say it was the first Commandment but it is the first with promise that thy dayes may be long on the earth he urges the promise to them for their encouragement and to prevent mistakes he shews the extent of it that it was not only to the Jews that they should live long in the land of Canaan but to the Gentiles also therefore the interpretation is large that thy dayes may be long on the earth 9. James gives a full confirmation to what I am treating of chap. 2.9 He convinces them of sin by this Law in having the faith of Jesus Christ with respect of persons as appears by vers 10.11 For whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all he shews what Law he means and how it is that he that offends in one point is guilty of all because He that saith do not commit adultery saith also do not kill now if thou commit no adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a transgressor of the Law And John saith Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the Law for sin is the transgressionof the Law chap. 3.4 and in the next verse he explains what Law he means and saith it was such transgression that Christ was manifest to take away now if this Law of God was done away by the death of Christ sin could not be a transgression of it so long after neither could any be convinced

of sin by it because it was not but the Apostle saith whosoever commits sin transgresseth the Law which shews it was in force then and not only so but that likewise it should so remain 10. Let it be considered whether that this opinion that the Law is done away doth not clash with redemption it self The Apostle states all men under the Law and by breaking of it they came under the curse Gal. 3.10 And Christ was made under the curse to redeem his people from under the curse of the Law vers 13. that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through faith vers 14. Now if we were not under the commanding power we could not be under the curse for that follows disobedience and if so then Christ was not made a curse for us neither can the blessing of Abraham come upon the Gentiles upon that account if the Jews were only under the Law and under the curse of it Christ dying to redeem them from the curse could not bring the blessing of Abraham upon the Gentiles And again the Apostle saith that Christ was made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons Gal. 4.4 5. Now if we were not under the Law we could not be redeemed by Christs being under the Law nor receive the adoption of sons thereby but it is manifest that every one is under the commanding power of the Law and by nature under the curse and Christ hath only redeemed his people from the curse but that they are redeemed from their obedience to the Law of God I find no Scripture that saith so but on the contrary 11. God complaineth of the blindness of his servants and of the deafness of his messengers that he sent Isay 42.19 20. and their blindness and deafness appears in this that they did not hear nor understand Gods design in the gift of his Son that it was not to destroy his Law or to slight it but to magnifie it and make it honorable verse 2. Before it was in Tables of stone but now in the fleshly Tables of the heart service was done from a spirit of bondage but now from a spirit of adoption and in this sense I conceive the Law is said to be magnified and made honorable and upon this account that God is well pleased for his righteousness sake that is I conceive for his sons sake 12. This opinion that the whole Law is abolished doth pull up true Magistracy by the roots the office of rulers being for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well But if the statute and judgements be not in force there is no corporal punishment to be inflicted upon any though theeves murderers or the like and so there is no room for the Magisterial power at all but men are left in this respect as the beasts of the field to shift one among another as well as they can But the Apostle saith The Law is made for the Lawless and disobedient for ungodly and for sinners for unholy and prophane for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers for man-flayers 1 Tim. 1.9 10. Now this is the Law of penalties that 's manifest in that it is said it was not made for a righteous man but the Ten Commandments were for the righteous for the Psalmist saith Oh how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day Psalm 119.97 Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments for therein do I delight vers 35. And how shall we have Governers as at the first and Counsellers as at the beginning Isay 1.26 if they have no Law to govern by If any say we shall have Laws from Christ and shall not need those Laws that were for the Common-wealth of Israel to that I answer I know no word of God that doth give us ground to believe for any other Laws or Scripture then what we have and suppose that God should revive his work in this nation and bring his enemies under and put opportunity into the hands of his Saints to chuse men fearing God and hating covetousnesse to rule the Nation while the Lambs army march on What could they do if the Scripture were not their Statute-book if they should turn Law-makers would not that be their sin there being no Warrant in the Scripture for it And would it not bring all into confusion again and make another Babel For the great question which is to be resolved in the latter dayes will be Who is our Statute-maker Which the Saints put out of question Isay 33.22 The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Statute-maker the Lord is our King he will save us and not King Omri with his Statutes Mic. 6.16 And when the Saints come to own this truth in good earnest their opposits tacklings will be loosed they shall neither strengthen their mast nor spread their sailes vers 23. and Malachi tells us what Laws our King hath made which the Saints are to own when the day of the Lord burns as an oven all the proud and the Sun of righteonsness arises upon all that fear him when they shall tread down the wicked with so much ease that they shall be as ashes under the soles of their feet so that it shall be counted the Lords doings And in the day that the Lord shall do this Remember ye the Law of Moses my servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the Statutes and judgements Chap. 4.3 4. I shall now endeavour to answer some objections which are usually brought against this truth though several of them are partly answered in the grounds aforementioned I shall therefore say the less and begin to speak something to that Scripture in 2 Cor. 3. on which the objecters do chiefly build their perswasion and indeed at the first glance thereon without comparing of it with other Scriptures it hath more colour for such a purpose then all the Scriptures that ever I heard brought from which Scripture this is objected That the Ten Commandments were the ministration of death and of the letter and are done away Answer That they were the ministration of death and of the letter is granted for the Scripture saith so but the Scripture doth not say they are done away as will appear if we consider the drift of the Apostle he endeavoureth to shew the difference between the ministration of the spirit and of the letter vers 6. the one being a bare reading of the Law from which no life was communicated to those that heard it vers 14 15. and in vers 9. the Apostle calls it the ministration of condemnation that is it lays open sin and the curse for sin but it is the Gospel ministration which holds forth justification and strength against sin not that the Ten Commandments in themselves were death to any God forbid as the Apostle saith in Rom. 7.13 But sin when it is finished

bringeth forth death and the Commandements preach death to the transgressers of them so that they are called the ministration of death and condemnation because man hath broken them and so is under the curse of them which Christ hath delivered believers from 3.13 and the ministration of it is really done away that is as I said before The reading of the Law by a Typical priesthood which the Jews would have set up in the room and place of the ministration of the spirit and whereas they lived under the hearing of the bare letter of the Law which gave no strength to perform we live under the hearing of the Gospel which is spirit and life John 6.36 But that the matter of the Law or commanding power of it should be done away this Scripture doth not in the least prove but it is used in the hand of the spirit to convince of sin This the same Apostle proves Rom. 7.7 Who saith he had not known sin but by the Law he had not known lust except the Law had said thou shalt not covet this will appear evident if you consider the 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. verses of this Chap. Obj. 2. Another Scripture is frequently urged Acts 7.37 A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall you hear From which it is concluded that we are to hearken only to Christ and not to Moses Answ If by hearing of Christ you mean hearing only what he spake with his own lips when he was on earth then we are not to hear his Apostles but if you mean by hearing of him is to hear what he spake upon earth and what he spake by his spirit in his Apostles then why are we not to hear what he spake by his spirit to his Prophets seeing we are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ being the chief Corner-stone Ephesians 21.20 And if such who are of this perswasion would be true to their principle to hear Christ hear him what he saith Luke 16.31 They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them For if they will not believe Moses and the Prophets they will not believe though one rise from the dead And he counsels to keep the Commandments Matth. 19.17 18. and reproves for the breach of them as also for the making of them void by traditions Matth. 15.6 as might be made appear by many other Scriptures Therefore there is nothing of weight in this objection to shake the thing asserted Obj. 3. Moses was faithful over his house as a servant so Christ is faithful over his house as a son Now if Christ hath not given us all the Laws that we are to observe this is to make Christ less faithful then Moses Answ Doubtlesse Christ as a son is faithful over his house as Moses was faithful over his house as a servant But we are to consider what was Moses his house and what is Christs house Moses his house I conceive was the Tabernacle his faithfulness did appear in that he did all things according to the pattern shewed to him in the mount Christs house are the Saints the true Tabernacle which the Lord hath pitched and not man Heb. 8.2 5. of which the other was a shadow And as Moses as a servant gave forth ordinances for his house so Christ as a son hath given out ordinances for his house but the Ten Commandments are a Law which belongs to men as they are men though they be no part of Christs house it being as before is proved the Law written in their very hearts Obj. 4. But when certain of the Sect of the Pharisees arose and said it was needful to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses the Apostle proves them to be tempters of God in putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which they nor their Fathers were able to bear Act. 15.5 10. Answ Are the Ten Commandments such a yoke as is not to be born Is it a yoke to have no other God but Jehovah and to abstain from murder theft adultery and the like For so it must be if you judge that the whole Law is here slighted But the thing in difference here is whether such and such laws are to be kept or no and the stress that is laid upon the keeping of them namely the pressing of them as things without which they could not be saved as vers 1. and therefore the Apostle in answer to this shews that the Gentiles had received the Gospel and did believe God having given to them the Holy Ghost and put no difference between them and the Jews purifying their hearts by faith vers 7 8 9. and that through the grace of Jesus Christ both sews and Gentiles should be saved vers 11. and as the Apostle opposeth the keeping of these Laws for such a purpose as to be sared thereby so the bare keeping of them is forbidden and therefore saith James ver 19 20. My sentence is that we trouble not them which from among the Gentiles are turned unto God but that we write unto them that they abstain from pollutions of Idols and from fornication from things strangled and from blood So that the Apostles judgement is that the Gentiles should keep some part of the Law And therefore the question was not Whether any part of the Law should be kept and the reason seems to be in vers 20. why they would write no more for Moses of old time hath in every City them that preach him being read in the Synagogue ever Sabbath day So the Apostles and Elders write vers 24. For as much as we have heard that certain men that went out from us have troubled you with words subverting your souls saying you must be circumcised and keep the Law to whom we gave no such Commandment Now can we be so gross as to think that is subverting mens souls and contrary to the commandments of the Apostles and Elders to bid them love the Lord their God with all their hearts and with all their strength and to worship him alone and not take his name in vain and the like for this is to keep the Law But the difference was about other Laws as well as circumcision and they are as really forbid to keep them as they are forbid circumcision and therefore it cannot be the Law of the Ten Commandments but the Law of shadows as is manifest Chap. 21. when Paul came to Hierusalem the brethren told him that it was reported that he taught all the Jews which were among the Gentiles to forsake Moses saying that they ought not to circumcise their children neither to walk after the customes vers 21. therefore they counsel Paul to purifie himself with some others that it might be seen that he walked orderly and kept the Law vers 24. But as touching the Gentiles which believe we have written and concluded that they observe no such things vers 25. so that