Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	heart_n	law_n	moral_a	3,742	5	9.7240	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92842	Antinomianisme anatomized. Or, A glasse for the lawlesse: who deny the ruling use of the morall law unto Christians under the gospel. / By John Sedgwick, B.D. and Pastor of the Church of God at Alphag, neer Cripple-gate London.	Sedgwick, John, 1600 or 1601-1643.	1643 (1643)	Wing S2359; Thomason E63_5; ESTC R4740	39,115	56

Covenant of Works unto the sons of men nay we finde that there were mercifull and Evangelicall intentions in God in giving the same as may appear in the Preface to the Commandments in his Preaching Christ to Adam in Paradice immediatly upon the fall and in his ordering that it should be a means to beat man out of himself and to bring him unto Christ Yet when I look upon Adams Law as it was a rule of life and obedience unto him in this respect they do agree virtually the Law given to Adam and received by Moses was one and the same the minde of God for dutie being constant and perpetuall one at all times and in all places according as we pray Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven Reas 2 Secondly Mans natur● hath this Law written and engraven indelebly in it I will not dispute whether the Law of Nature be a relique of the old image left in Adam of this I am sure That the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things Rom 2. 14 contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto 15 themselves which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts Out of which Scripture it is clear that God presently upon the Fall planted in the heart of all mankinde not onely The Law of Nature what an opinion of Divine Soveraignty and authority but a knowledge of certain practicall Principles in an obliging and prosecuting way Thus in a word the understanding and judgement which is called the Speculative facultie was and is enabled with an apprehension and conception of things to be done and to be forborn as their honestie and dishonestie did appear the conscience and will which is called the Practicall facultie had imprinted on it a desire or endeavour to prosecute all those things which should be revealed to the understanding they reasoned from their light to their life inferring the practice of all revealed principles Mat. 7. 12. Now this Law had such a firm and fast engraving in man● understanding and conscience by God himself that iniquity it self cannot eradicate or obliterate the same it is written in mans nature as with a pen of iron for ever to remain with the nature of mankinde and this is no other then a Summary or Abridgement of the Morall Law for the Law of Moses written in Tables of stone materially is no other then what was written or imprinted in the heart according to the rule Praecepta Decalogi sunt explicationes juris naturae The Law Morall The difference that is between the Law of Nature and the Law of Adam and Moses is the explication of the Law Naturall I grant that this Law of Nature by reason of mans corruption and preposterousnesse of affection is not so clear perfect and easie as was the Law in Creation to Adam for he had in his created estate a more shining light quick apprehension steadie will and able resolution then his posterity naturally now have nay this Law of Nature doth in many circumstances differ from the Law Morall v. g. This we have by infusion that by publike voice This is written in tables of flesh that in tables of stone This containeth dutie impliedly without method and order that expresly and orderly c. The Argument lies thus If God hath indelebly written the Morall Law in mans nature then the Doctrine of the Gospel doth not make it void but God c. Reas 3 Thirdly The Morall Law is a Doctrine spirituall holy good just and perfectly containing the good and acceptable will of God and therefore not to be made void that it is a Doctrine the Hebrew word Torah will make evident it being derived of Horah which signifies to teach and to instruct how to live and how to walk even as a School-master doth teach his Scholers what is evil and how to avoid it what is good and how to do it that it is spirituall holy good and just The Rom. 7. 12 14. Apostle saith We know that the Law is spirituall And Wherefore the commandment is holy and just and good And thus it is not onely originally as the holy good and just God who is a spirit is the Authour of it but also materially and effectively it is pure and undefiled free from all stain of errour and falshood having not the least iniquity cleaving to it it carrieth in it the good and acceptable will of God it is indeed the wisdom and the will of God the Law is not good and then willed of God but it is good because it is willed of God whose will alone is the rule of all goodnesse yea and men by it become Spirituall holy good and just Now if it be every way absolute and perfect as it is stiled The perfect Law of Liberty there can be no reason rendred why it should be abolished I conceive that the law-Maker was in wisdom infinite and so he did foresee before-hand how to prevent any inconvenience which might fall upon it and become a reason to abrogate it shew me the least flaw in the Morall Law as it stands a rule for duty and then you may talk rationally of disannulling it Will you take upon you to make void and of none effect that which is holy and good Reas 4 Fourthly the Morall Law of God is perpetuall and unchangeable even that which must endure for ever Psal 119. 89. Christ saith Till heaven and earth passe one jot or one tittle shall in no wise passe from the Law Mat. 5. 18. It is of an unperishing nature you may as soon destroy God himself as destroy that though mans Laws may be repealed Gods Laws admit of no repeal had it been a temporary Ordinance then it might have been made void Reas 5 Fifthly The Law is universally extensive The commands thereof are commands to all Christians in all ages now look how farre any Commandment extends so farre doth obedience thereunto extend it self If the Morall Law reach to us Christians as well as to the Jews then we stand obliged by it now to make it evident that this Law concerned all men even us The extensivenesse of the Law to Jews and Gentiles Christians under the Gospel consider 1. The Morall Law was no Type of Christ neither did it concern the Jew onely as he was a Jew if so then the Jew onely did sin in Idolatry and Adultery and the Gentiles did not I demand What Law of God did forbid these sins Did not the Morall Law It did And will you say that the Jew onely was tied to it If he was not then the Gentiles came in also and so the Commandment concerned them which must be yeelded unlesse you will say that the Gentiles did not sin by Idolatry Adultery c. 2. The Gentiles heretofore did and Christians now do sin in breaking the Morall Law for all sin is the transgression of the 1 Jo. 3. 4. Law

of abusing holy Doctrines ariseth First from Satan who bearing extream malice unto all holy Truthes doth not onely sowe tares but blemisheth as much as he can the good grain from the beginning he hath been a disturber corrupter and perverter of all holy and wholsome Doctrines Secondly from mans ignorance of the nature end and use of all holy Doctrines Learning hath no greater enemy then Ignorance Light hath not any contrary but darknesse and wholsome Doctrines no greater depraver or mistaker then ignorance They speak evil of those things they know not Jude v. 10. Thirdly from that horrible pride which is crept into mens mindes and hearts Pride hath been and is the seed of all the Heresies in the world none ever perverted Doctrine more then Hereticks and none have been more proud then those this I have observed That its the nature of Pride to be singular in opinion as well as in action it will be hatching of new opinions and upstart principles then it bends the entire force of all its parts to under-prop and swathe all the wilde and loose births of its own fancie next with a stately insolencie it brings abroad the Brat vents it in publique to the view applause and acceptation of the foolish and ignorant then it begins to wry and wr●st all truths to it self which if it cannot do it doth declaim against and trample under-foot the same scorning Articles of Churches Determinations of Councels Suffrages of Fathers and which is more the Testimony of the Scripture it self Fourthly from mans love of licentiousnesse lawlesse libertie cannot stand within the compasse of sound Doctrine now that men may have a liberty to themselves in sinning they raise Objections against and study the diversions of holy Truths the Whore blows out the candle that she may not be espied the fish Polypus muds the water that she may not be taken and men of loose spirits do cry down and pervert holy Truths that they may the more freely sin and be wicked But I pray you what is the other thing you took notice of Nomist. Doct. 2 2. The second is this The right temper of a gracious and well informed spirit which is to make all unsound and licentious Inferences from holy Doctrines hatefull and displeasing to it self I see the tendernesse of Pauls spirit rejecting with Apostolicall indignation the lawlesse Inference of vain men Evangelist You have spoken the truth and each Christian should learn from the Apostle 1. In his judgement to disallow 2. With his heart to abominate 3. By his speech to declaim against 4. By all endeavours to suppresse and silence all false deductions from holy Doctrines Truth should be precious and lovely to us but errour vile and abominable we are enemies to Truth so far as we are friends with errour Oh that men would know That it is a great sin to be taken with odde and new Opinions and to forsake old Truths for new errours I wish that you and all my friends would try before you trust winter and summer new men and their new doctrines Bring them to the Law and the Testimony Nomist I thank you for this help and now I shall desire you to open to me the tearms of the Text which being truely done will give much satisfaction to such who seek the truth in love I pray tell me what doth the Apostle mean by faith which is the thing that doth not make void the Law Evangelist There can be but one of these two meanings in the word either we take it for habituall and actuall faith which is called A double Faith 1. Habituall fides qua namely That grace wrought by the Spirit in the soul inclining it to the application of Jesus Christ and his righteousnesse which grace is the condition of the Covenant of grace and the appointed Instrument to apprehend justifying righteousnesse as along in this Scripture the Apostle sheweth Or we must take it for Doctrinall Faith which is called 2 Doctrinall fides quae namely That Gospel or Covenant Doctrine which propounded free grace sets up Jesus Christ in all his Offices Merits and Vertues to poor believing sinners Now take the Apostle either way and he holds That neither the grace of Faith nor the doctrine of Faith doth make void the Law of God Nomist. Tell me what is that Law which this Faith doth not make void Evangelist You must know that there were three sorts of Laws delivered A threefold Law by God to Moses 1. Ceremoniall which were temporary Ordinances and Rites really pointing to Christ of whom they were figures and shadows and by whose presence and death they were all fulfilled terminated and abrogated Christ was finis inter ficiens legis Ceremonialis so that the law of Ceremonies was made void by the Doctrine of faith and therefore this law cannot be here meant 2. Judiciall which were peculiar Ordinances given by God to Moses for the well ordering of the Common-wealth of Israel This Law concerned the Jews not simply as men but as Jews the Nationall personall or particular binding right of this Law rested so in them that it died with the decay of their Common-wealth onely the common equity or right hereof remaineth i as far as it was grounded on the Law of Nature served directly to confirm any of the Ten Commandments or to uphold the good of Family Church or Common-wealth it is still in force and of good use but of this Law the Apostle in this Scripture makes no mention Now if he speak not of the Law Ceremoniall nor of the Law Judiciall it followeth that we must understand him speaking of the Law 3. Morrall and that not as it is a rule of Justification but a rule of Service and Obedience the whole compasse of mans duty respectively to be manifested is principally contained in the Law Morrall which is no other then the revealed Copy of The Morall Law what Gods will touching mans dutie laid down in the ten Commandments if we do cast our eyes upon the scope of the Apostle it will be very evident that he speaketh of this Law for he deals against such who sought to be justified and saved by the works of the Law and not by faith in Jesus Christ they went about to set up the Law of Works and to destroy the Law of Faith Now Paul sheweth that no mans conformity to the Morall Law could be matter of life and justification unto him in Gods sight The Law by sin is become weak and unprofitable to the purpose of righteousnesse it could not be a covenant of life unto man now having excluded it from being a covenant of life to sinners there were those who would have it to be disannulled from being a rule of life unto men which the Apostle will not admit of so that its plain that the vindication is of the Morall Law that as a rule of life is not made void unto Christians Nomist How shall I understand