of Christ to come and all this but more darkly p Rom. 16.25 26. and obscurely few taking any great notice thereof vntill the daies of Iohn yet now Christ being come in Iohns daies Iohn beareth better witnesse of his comming not only seeing him with his owne eies but shewing him and q Ioh. 1.29 pointing him out as it were with the finger vnto others yea r Ioh. 1.32 33 34 c. See Calu. Instit lib. 2. cap. â— 16 cap. 11. sect 5. preaching him to be the true Messiah promised before now exhibited figured in Ceremonies before more darkly now manifested in his owne person more clearely seene and sought after but of a few before but now so followed and flockt vnto that since the time of Iohns preaching of the kingdome of God The Å¿ Luk. 16.16 Matt. 11.12 kingdome of God suffereth violence and euery man presseth into it This Scripture then may proue that vpon Iohns preaching of Christ Behold the t Ioh. 1.29 36. lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world all Ceremonies and Prophecies concerning Christ to come were now accomplished and the Morall Law by him and in him alone to be fulfilled which we willingly grant but not that the u Tertull. expounding this place Luk. 16.16 saith Legis Prophetarum ordo exindè cessavit per adimpletionem non per destructionem lib. 4. câ—nt Mar. cap. 33. whole Morall Law is wholly abolished which is that which you willingly would but yet cannot proue For euidence and assurance of this which I say I need seeke no further than your owne witnesses Luther Erasmus Caluine Perkins Paraeus who all in the very places you alledge speaking of the continuance of Moses Law only â—ntill Christs death doe plainly auouch this only of the Iewish Paedagogy the Ceremoniall Law in types and shadowes the letter of the Law the rigour and terror of the Law the burden and seruility of the Law c. but not one of all speakes one word of the vtter abolishing of the Morall Law together therewithall Luther saith Christ is the end of the Law Rom. 10. Luth. on Gal. 3.24 25. p. 173. And how not that he hath abolished the old Law and giuen a new but he is the end of the Law to all that beleeue that is to say euery one that beleeueth in him is righteous and the Law shall neuer accuse him Luth. in Gal. 3.24 And albeit he speake of the abolishing of the Law by Christs death pag. 6. yet let his owne words cleare his owne meaning in the page following Luth. on Gal. 3. v. 25. p. 174. As touching the conscience we are fully deliuered from the Law and therefore that Schoolemaster must not rule in it that is he must not afflict it with his terrors threatnings and captiuity for Christ hath remoued all these offices of the Law out of the conscience putting out the hand-writing that was against vs Col. 2. Erasmus in Rom. 7.1 speaketh only of the Ceremoniall Law Antinomus At Mosis lex quoniam typis Câ—…remonijs Christum adumbrabat ad tempus aliquod tantùm data est donec exoriente luce cederent umbrae Answer apparentibus veris facesserent simulachra verorum Erasmus in Gal. 3.19 25. in Gal. 4.1 To the like purpose he hath the like words in Gal. 3.19 25. 4.1 but neither word nor syllable for the absolute abrogation of the Morall Law either at or after Christs death Caluine writing vpon Gal. 3.23 saith The Apostle compares the Law to a prison when he saith before faith came we were kept vnder the Law shut vp vnto the faith which should afterwards be reuealed and a little after he sheweth what is meant by faith and what Law that is whereof the Apostle speaketh saying Fides hic propriè significat plenam revelationem eorum quae tunc latebant sub obscuritate umbrarum legis Calu. in Gal. 3. v. 23. Faith in this place doth signifie a full reuelation of those things which then did lie hid vnder the darknesse of the shadowes of the Law And writing upon verse 25. Calu. in Gal. 3. v. 25. Vide Zanch. in Hosea cap. 2. p. 45. col 1. he directly proposeth and answereth the question in hand Quaeritur an lex ita sit abrogata vt nihil ad nos pertineat Respondeo Legem quatenus regula est benè vivendi fraenum quo in timore Domini retinemur stimulus ad corrigendam pigritiam carnis nostra denique quatenus utilis est ad docendum corrigendum c. hodiè non minùs valere quam olim manereque intactam Now surely I doe wonder how you could euer with any honesty produce Mr. Caluine and cite this very verse for abolishing the Morall Law at Christs death as his opinion seeing he doth so directly resolue and determine for the establishing of the right vse of the same Morall Law euen before your owne eies and that vnto the worlds end What should I say either your blindnesse is palpable or your boldnesse most intolerable in this strange dealing Perkins on Gal. 3.19 abused Vide Calu. de usu Legis Harmon in 4. lib. Mos p. 442.443 After the same manner doe you deale with Mr. Perkins who writing vpon Gal. 3.19 moueth this question Whether the Law serue to reueale sinne after the comming of Christ for Paul saith it was added for transgressions till Christ and answereth The Law serueth to reueale sinne euen to the end of the world yet in respect of the Legall or Mosaicall manner of reuealing sinne it is added but till Christ Mr. Perkins doth acknowledge there is vse of the Morall Law euen vnto the end of the world and you will needs haue him to be on your side and to say as you say That it did continue but till Christs death at the most Paraeus in Rom. 10. p. 1043. in Rom. 3.20 Lastly Paraeus findes no more fauour nor receiues any better measure at your hands as he that hath list and leasure may see in Rom. 10. pag. 1043. 1002. in Rom. 5.20 Thus are you well and worthily beaten with your owne rod though not in that seuerity which your injurious dealing with so worthy men doth deserue for I hold it much better to conuince and instruct in the spirit of meeknesse than to reproue and rebuke with too much acrimony and sharpnesse vnlesse a man be forced ad urendum secandum when no other milder meanes will serue the turne as sometimes euen the best and gentlest Chirurgions are constrained to doe Your seuenth Argument followeth Argument 7 feeble and faint as it is Quia velut carne spoliatos artus ostendit as a Quintil. Instit Orat. lib. 5. cap. 12. Quintilian saith of such an Argument Instit Orat. lib. 5. It was instituted to be a Schoolemaster to the people of God till the comming of Christ Galath 3.24 Ergo The Morall Law is now
and obey the Gospell bestowed vpon them yet neuerthelesse this maketh nothing against the speciall offices and vses of the Morall Law either for the e Act. 2.37 conuiction of sinners or direction of Saints to prepare them for repentance by e Act. 2.37 pricking of their f Psal 19.7 8 9 10. 2 King 22.19 hearts or to bring forth fruits worthy of g Mat. 3.2 8 10 12. repentance for the well ordering of their liues The Law hath his vse to worke h Mat. 27.3 Vide Bez. in Mat. 3.2 in Act. 5.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poenitentiam The Gospell his force to worke i 2 Tim. 2.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resipiscentiam and both are needfull for Christians euen at this present as formerly they haue euer beene k Calu. in Act. 2.36 Caluine speaking of the last clause of Peters Sermon wherein he chargeth the Iewes that they had crucified Christ Iesus saith he did this Vt majori conscientiae dolore tacti ad remedium aspirarent and so layeth open the hainousnesse of that sinne in these words Cujus caedes non crudelitatis modo sceleris plena erat sed etiam immanis adversus Deum perfidiae sacrilegij îngratitudinis denique apostasiae testimonium and then he giues in the next words this reason of this course Verum ita vulnerari oportuit ne ad quaerendam medicinam tardi essent Here I doe demand whence had the Iewes this sight and sense of so many sinnes in that one of crucifying the Lord Iesus as of cruelty wickednesse perfidiousnesse sacrilege ingratitude against God and apostasie from God Whence had they that l Act. 2.37 pricke in their hearts and wound in their conscience for these sinnes Had they no light by the Law to conuince them no stroke by the Law to wound them If sinne be a m 1 Ioh. 3.4 transgression of the Law and by the Law comes the n Rom. 3.20 knowledge of sinne and if sinne be not o 5.13 7.7 imputed nor pressed but by the Law how can it be but the Law had some hand in wounding and afflicting their hearts for these sinnes and in opening their eies to see and discerne the same I deny not for I doubt not but the p Ioh. 16.8 Spirit as the finger of God had his especiall and principall worke in their humiliation and conuersion that is not the question The Spirit may worke by the q 2 King 12.19 Law to make vs sensible of sinne and to cast vs downe vnder the weight of Gods wrath for it as well as it may worke by the r Isai 61.1 Act. 10.43 44. Gospell to make vs looke vp vnto Christ and to raise vs vp to some hope and assurance of the mercy of God for pardon and forgiuenesse of the same It is sufficient for me both against your position and allegation if in the worke of their repentance containing both their Å¿ Act. 26.18 Act. 3.19 1 Thess 1.9 Auersion from sinne and their Conuersion vnto God the Morall Law had any either u Lex facit ut non modò intelligam sed cum morsu conscientia sentiam experiar in me esse peccatum Muscul loc com de legib p. 135. force or vse which I am well assured any judicious and indifferent Reader by this which hath beene said will judge that it had When Dionysius as x Apollod de Orig. deorum lib. 3. p. 57. Apollodorus reporteth had cast Lycurgus into a fury or frensie he in that distemper taking a hatchet in his hand whiles he thought he had smitten downe the branch of a Vine with the same hand and hatchet slew his owne sonne What Dionysius he was that cast you first into this fit or frensie error or heresie I know not but it seemes whiles you haue lift vp your hand and your hatchet your skill and pen to cut downe the Morall Law a branch of Gods Vine the dint and danger of the stroke hath light vnawares vpon your owne soule as his did vpon his owne sonne though not absolutely to kill it yet to wound it vnto death vnlesse the Lord recouer it by giuing you repentance and effectually cure it by powring in the balme of his mercy and truth which I pray he may doe in the offerings and sufferings of Christ Iesus y 2 Tim. 2.24 25 26. Antinomus Answer Your many other Arguments which for breuity sake as you say or rather for leuity sake as I conceiue you omit for vanity sake I see you must needs call vpon and that by name as if you had in readinesse a fresh supply of armed men in case of danger to renew the fight and win the field Terent. Eun. Act. 4. Scen. 16. Simalio Dorax Syrisce sequimini Câ—…do alios ubi centurio est Sanga manipulus furum Eccum adest Vbi alij Thus doe you well resemble bragging Thraso behauing himselfe proudly and brauing his aduersary vainly both with that he hath and also with that he hath not For hauing brought out your best appointed forces into the field you call on still Vbi alij as though there were yet so many and so many and many more behinde whereas poore man you haue not a man more neither tag nor rag to follow you seeing solus Sanio seruat domum Take so much of this to your selfe and your former Arguments as may best fit you and reserue the rest for the other which yet sit at home with Sanio to keepe the house Your reference to Musculus Common-places giues no better satisfaction now we haue taken the paines to view all the quarters and corners of those speciall places which you haue beene pleased to send vs vnto for that purpose For if either you will stand vnto Musculus or Musculus will not stand against himselfe you may and shall euen there and thence receiue resolution to satisfie you that there we finde no such satisfaction as you haue dreamed may be found in those places He that seriously readeth and aduisedly considereth what Musculus hath written in the place De abrogatione Legis Mosaicae may easily perceiue both by the title and the text that he principally aimeth at the abrogation of the Ceremoniall and Iudiciall and the Morall Law only so farre as it was Lex litera Muscul loc com de abrogatione Legis Magisterium Mosis Ministerium Mosis virtus peccati litera occîdens iram maledictionem mortem operans And all this neither hurteth vs nor helpeth you for the vtter abrogating of the whole Morall Law For albeit for these offices it may be said to be abolished to them that are true beleeuers in Christ Iesus in which respect they are said not to be vnder the Law but vnder grace yet for other vses and offices the Morall Law is in force still as to be a rule of obedience to discouer corruptions and transgressions to be a bridle of restraint vnto sinne and
the old Law and giuen a New or that he is a Iudge that must be pacified by workes as the Papists haue taught but he is the end of the Law to all those that beleeue that is to say euery one that beleeueth in him is righteous and the Law shall neuer accuse him The Law then is good holy and iust so that a man vse it as he should doe By which euidence we may iustly giue sentence both against your opinion for the whole abolishing of the whole Morall Law and against your allegation also out of Luther vpon whom you would father the base and bastard fruit of your owne braine to make it either more plausible or more probable by this meanes Seuen Obseruations out of Luthers allegation for may we not hence most euidently conclude that Luthers iudgement concerning the Morall Law is this first that it is not abolished secondly that it is of good vse thirdly that it serueth to bring vs to the knowledge and sense of sinne fourthly that it driueth vs out of our selues and our owne righteousnesse which is of the Law to seeke for righteousnesse by faith in Christ only fiftly Jrenaeus is of the same iudgement for establishing the Morall Law In lege in Euangelio primum maximum praeceptum est Diligere Dominum Deum ex toto corde Irenaeus advers Hares lib. 3. cap. 25 26 that Christ hath not abolished the old Law sixtly that the Law may be said to be at an end in Christ because as it cannot iustifie so can it not iustly accuse or terrifie any that are righteous by faith in him lastly that the Gospell doth not abolish the nature and right vse of the Law for according to the Apostle the Law is holy iust and good but only taketh out of the hearts of true beleeuers the accusing and accursing power of it Which points being so apparantly contrarie to your position I haue the more fully and distinctly set downe for your better satisfaction that you may either let fall your opinion seeing you haue Luthers both heart and hand against it or else neuer run againe vnder his wing to seeke for any succour or shelter for the same I now come vnto your reason which you seeme to alledge for your so great confidence in this cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely Because the ignorance of the true difference betweene the Law and the Gospell doth breed many errors which you say you haue already discerned and the true knowledge of this difference keepeth all Christian doctrine in its proper vse Answer In which words what doe you else but establish that which you goe about to abolish For whiles you say you discerne many errors to arise out of the ignorance and much good to come in by the knowledge of the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell doe you not see your owne error and ignorance herein also that laying it downe in your position for sound and true doctrine that the whole law of Moses is wholly abolished you notwithstanding doe acknowledge not only that the m Ergo Lex Creatoris etiam ab Adversario probata est nec dispeadium sed compendium ab eo consecuta est Tertul. advers Marcion lib. 5. cap. 4. Law is but also that it is of good and great vse pulling downe with the one hand that which you haue built or would build with the other for if the whole Law of Moses be abolished then the ignorance of it will breed no error nor the knowledge of it can build no truth for young Logicians can tell vs that Non entis non est actio nee scientia Againe if the whole Law be wholly abolished it is not possible it should be distinguished by any difference from the Gospell for as Non entis non est scientia so Non entis non est differentia What difference can be designed betwixt that which is not and that which is that which is wholly abolished and that which is established If you say as before that the difference of the Law from the Gospell may be knowne and acknowledged and be of good and great vse then I say you are too bold in your assertion to maintaine that the whole Law is wholly abolished for if this were true you leaue the Law neither breath nor being neither nature nor vse neither substance nor circumstance neither difference nor n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diog. Laert. lib. 9. p. 694. Accidence neither place in the booke of God nor so much as a nights lodging vnder the roofe of the Church of God Which to affirme because it were both absurd and impious I hope vpon better aduice you will see and acknowledge that your point was cut out too long and too large when you thus set it downe The point is this That the whole Law of Moses is wholly abolished the rather because you haue now cut it shorter narrower with your owne hands telling vs that it is not abolished for it is nor wholly abolished for it is of good vse it hath essence and difference and may be knowne and not onely knowne in it selfe but distinguished from the Gospell and the distinct knowledge hereof so profitable and needfull that the ignorance hereof is a mother of many errors dangerous and hurtful If I acknowledge this with you for a truth then must you acknowledge with me your position for an error and if you will haue your position That the whole Law is wholly abolished to be true then is all this that you haue spoken of the profitable and necessary knowledge of the difference of the Law and the Gospell false You seeme to boast that you faint not in the cause and that you are confirmed in the truth of it but consider I pray you whether you faile not in your o Hieron adversus Ruffin p. 218. course seeing you doe not onely trip and interfere but stumble and fall at your first setting forth * Statim de portu egrediens navem impegit So said Ierome to Ruffin I vnto you Cic. Tuscul lib. 1. Is the truth diuided or doth the truth differ from it selfe * Statim de portu egrediens navem impegit So said Ierome to Ruffin I vnto you Cic. Tuscul lib. 1. I see a man may take a fall though he doe not faint and thinke himselfe confirmed in the truth when he is vnsetled in vncertainties and diuided from it Pugnantia te loqui non vides ubi est acumen tuum But to recouer your selfe againe you say Luther agreeth with you in this point How should Luther agree with him that cannot agree with himselfe But how or wherein doth he agree with you Antinom That the point is of great consequence and very necessary to be knowne of all that truly seeke Christ Iesus Answer What point his or yours His point is That the knowledge of the difference of the offices of the Law and Gospell
is of good and great vse for preseruing of true Christian doctrine for iudging of all kinde of life and lawes of men and for triall of spirits And all this we willingly grant assent vnto And how I pray you doth this point agree with yours That the whole Law of Moses is wholly abolished Nay doth it not rather pull yours in peeces and wholly deuoure your whole Law and your wholly too As p Exod. 7.12 Aarons rod deuoured the rods of the Inchanters of Aegypt Luthers rod hath this truth written vpon it The Law of Moses is of great and good vse therfore it deuoures yours which beares engrauen vpon it this error The whole Law of Moses is wholly abolished But take you good leaue to make your owne Argument your selfe and let vs see of what strength and consequence it will be Luther say you * Antinom affirmeth that the Law of Moses is of good and great vse for preseruing of true Christian doctrine for iudging of all kinde of life and lawes of men and for triall of spirits Therefore you conclude that he agreeth with you in this point That the whole Law of Moses is wholly abolished * Answere As much agreement there may be betwixt fire and water light and darknesse truth and error as betwixt his Antecedent and your consequent Will you see what life and light sinewes and ioynts it hath by another like vnto it The Ancient Canons of the 4. first generall q 1. Concil Nicen. 2. Constantinop 3. Ephesin 4. Chalcedon Vide Euseb de vita Constant lib. 3. cap. 7. Theodoret. Eccles Hist lib. 5. cap. 6. 9. Euagr. Histor Eccles lib. 2. cap. 4. Counsells are of great and good vse for preseruing of true doctrine for iudging all kinde of life lawes and opinions of men and for triall of spirits Ergo All the Canons of the first 4. generall Counsels are wholly abolished and abrogated What connexion is here betwixt the Antecedent and the consequent Would not the cleane contrarie be more necessarily concluded Ergo All the Canons of the 4. first generall Councels are yet in force and neither wholly nor in part abolished nor abrogated Non r Cicero lib 4. Acad quast ovum ovo similius quà m Servilius Servilio One egge is not more like another then this Argument is like to yours And what thinke you of this Luther himselfe on Gal. 3. the same chapter which you alledge for you doth most euidently fight against you Å¿ Luth. on Gal. 3. fol. 131 152. There is saith he a double vse of the Law the first vse is to bridle the wicked and to restraine sinne as men vse to restraine Lions and Beares with bonds and chaines that they teare and diuoure not euery thing they meet And this he calleth a ciuill vse of the Law Another vse of the Law is diuine and spirituall which is as Paul saith to increase transgression i. o reueale vnto man his sinne his blindnes his miserie his impietie his ignorance hatred and contempt of God death hell iudgement and the deserued wrath of God Of this vse the Apostle intreateth notably in the 7. to the Romans Luther you see doth otherwise iudge of colours then you doe certainly either your eyes were not matches or your spectacles not of the same nor so true a sight as his were You say the whole Law is wholly abolished he saith and not onely faith it but proueth it by Scripture too That it is not wholly abolished but hath yet his double vse both ciuill and spirituall t Quint. Orat. Instit lib. 5. cap. 12. Ascâ—nius Paedi in Cic. Orat. pro M. Scauro Valerius Max lib. 3. cap. 7. Q. Varus Hispanus Marcum Scaurum Principem Senatus socios in arma ait concitasse Marcus Scaurus princeps Senatus negat vtri vos Quirites convenit credere You I know not who say that Luther a Captaine of the Lords hoast hath both stirred vp others and taken armes himselfe for the abolishing of the whole Morall Law Luther a leader of the Lords armies doth vtterly denie it whether of you two should now be better credited let the Christian reader iudge But it may be you take hold of this that Luther mentioneth the u Luth. on Gal. 4.27 fol. 222. abolishing of the Law saying it is necessary to know and vnderstand well the doctrine of the abolishment of the Law c. Gal. 4.27 Men that are in danger of falling or drowning will catch at any thing which may seeme to helpe them although it be vtterly vnable to doe them any good So said x Hieron advers Ruffin Apol. lib. 2. Ierome of Ruffinus Tantum me diligit ut raptus turbine in profundum dimersus meum potissimum invadat pedem ut mecum aut liberetur aut pereat You catch at this word Abolishment of the Law and yet it will neither stay you nor stand you in any stead for Luther speakes only of the abolishing of certaine vses of the Law as for righteousnesse iustification life and saluation for terrifying accusing condemning those that are iustified by faith in Christ Iesus so farre he acknowledgeth and we with him that the * Calu. de usu legis Harmon in 4. Libros Mosis p. 442 August de Spiritu litera cap. 4. 5. 10. Morall Law for these offices and vses is abolished The very light and euidence of the opposition which in the same sentence he maketh betwixt Moses and Christ workes and faith seruitude by the Law and libertie by the Gospell iustification and condemnation terrors and conflicts of conscience and sound and certaine consolation of the same might haue manifested and made knowne thus much vnto you had you been as carefull to seeke the truth of his doctrine and to taste his true meaning in it as you were willing to feed your owne fancie only with the bare letters and leaues of it y Tertul. Scorpiâ—…c advers Gnostic cap. 7. Tertullian saith Verba non sono solo sapiunt sed sensu nec auribus tantùm audienda sunt sed mentibus As z Hieron in Gal. 1. Non in verbis sed in sensu non in superficie sed in medulla non in sermonum folijs sed in radice rationis pag. 162. Ierome said of the sense of the Scripture it is not in cortice orationis sed in radice rationis so may we say of mens writings we must seeke for the meaning by the matter as well as by the letter and lend our eares to listen and obserue what they desire to speake and not make them speake only what we desire to heare vnlesse we will be like little children who hauing some fancie running in their heads imagine the bells to ring and sing as they thinke and speake Let me in loue aduise you when you alledge an Author to giue euidence for any point bring not in testem sine testimonio a man that hath nothing to
say for you much more take heed you call not in such to speake in your cause as are opposites and aduersaries vnto it and cannot but speake what they haue heard and seene and set both heart and hand against you Let Luther your first witnesse second my aduice and if you will suffer him to speake he will discouer your strange dealing in bringing him to giue euidence against his conscience and to speake to your minde that which he neuer meant a Luth. on Gal. 4.27 p. 223. In the very next page to the words which you alledge as his opinion that the whole Law of Moses is wholly abolished he thus cleereth himselfe We say that the Morall Law or the law of the ten Commandements hath no power to accuse and terrifie the conscience in which Christ Iesus raigneth by his grace for he hath abolished the power thereof Marke well his words What hath Christ abolished The power of the Morall Law not the Law it selfe nor the whole Law wholly but the power of it and what power not all power but the power of accusing terrifying and condemning and in whom hath it lost this power not in the wicked vnregenerate and reprobate but in that conscience in which Christ raigneth by his grace And in the page following b Luth. on Gal. 4.27 p. 223. b. he hath these words to the same purpose When our sinne is pardoned through Christ who is Lord of the Law the Law being a seruant hath no more power to accuse and condemne vs for sinne and wee are now made free forasmuch as the Sonne hath deliuered vs from bondage And in this sense both he and we doe acknowledge that the Law is wholly abolished to them that beleeue in Christ Iesus notwithstanding c Prosectò illam Dei legem non solum illi tunc populo verùm etiam nunc Nobis ad instituendam rectè vitam necessariam nemo dubitaverit Aug. Lib. 3. contra duas Epistol Pel. ad Bonifac. cap. 4. lib. 4. cap. 5. it remaineth still in force for some speciall offices and vses both against the wicked and for the godly and that not only to driue them vnto Christ vpon sight and sense of their miserie to seeke for releefe in his obedience but to direct them also how to walke aright in the waies of God when they are once come vnto him Yea and further also because in many things we sinne all and there is no man that sinneth not the best of Gods children euen after their effectuall calling and conuersion stand in need of some of the d Hieron Augustino Tom. 2. p. 341. offices of the Law as 1. to know the e Rom. 7.7 nature and qualitie manner and measure of their sinne by the f Iam. 1.23.25 glasse of the law for as Paul knew that concupiscence euen without consent was sinne because the Law that is the tenth Commandement saith Thou shalt not couet so he that will finde out his sinne must discouer it by the light and measure it by the line of Gods law for sinne saith g 1 Iohn 3.4 Iohn is transgression of the Law 1 Ioh. 3.4 and Paul affirmeth that where no Law is there is no transgression Rom. 4.15.2 It serueth also to h Ad hoc lex data est ut superbo suam infirmitatem nota faceret c. vide plura apud Aug. de poenit medicina c. 1. conuince the conscience to afflict the heart to breake the spirits subdue the pride euen of godly and gratious men and all this only to humble them not to discourage them to make them to remember and consider whence and whither they are i Reu. 2.5 fallen that they may repent doe their first workes and recouer their first loue and that in the sense of their miserie when the Lord shall powre the k Zach. 12.10 spirit of Grace and supplications vpon them they may looke vpon him whom they haue pierced and mourning ouer him may seeke and sue for mercy and refreshing from him alone that hath promised to heale the l Isay 61.1 broken hearted to ease the burdened and to m Math. 11.28 refresh them that are tired with the labour or wearied in the waies of sinne Thus did the n Luk. 15.18 19. Prodigall I will goe vnto my father Thus did Adulterous o Hos 2.7 Israel I will returne vnto my first husband for then was it better with me then now Hos 2.7 And hereunto p Luth. on Gal. 3.19 fol. 154. b. Luther giueth further testimonie Gal. 3.19 The Law is as a glasse that sheweth vnto a man himselfe that he is a sinner guiltie of death and worthy of Gods euerlasting wrath and indignation To what end serueth this humbling this bruising and beating downe by this hammer the Law I meane To this end that we may haue an enterance vnto grace So then the q So also saith Aug. epist 89. ad Hilarium Iubet ideo ut facere jussa conati in nostra infirmitate sub lege fatigati adjutorium gratiae poscere noverimus vide etiā August Tract 17. in Joh. Law is a Minister that prepareth the way to Grace for God is the God of the humble the miserable the afflicted c. Can there be any more plaine pregnant euidence to conuince you of error in this your opinion That the whole Law is wholly abolished then this which is given in against you by your owne witnesse that it is not only yet continued but also for so necessarie vses offices and seruices for euer established euen so long as there shall be any need for a sinner to be humbled and of a r Veniat Medicus sanet aegrotes Medicus quis est Dominus noster Jesus Christus August in Eua. Ioh. Tract 3. Sauiour to be sought vnto And yet if all this be too little hearken to his admonition and obserue his protestation touching this particular and you shall yet haue a more ample and effectuall satisfaction and conuiction in the same ſ Luth. on Gal. 3.19 fol. 153. b. Luther on Gal. 3.19 Here I admonish saith he all such as feare God and especially such as shall become teachers of others hereafter that they diligently learne out of Paul to vnderstand the true and proper vse of the Law which I feare after our time will be trodden vnder foot and vtterly abolished by the enemies of the truth Hearken I pray you to this admonition and trie the truth of your opinion by these foure points contained in it 1. That yet there is a true and proper vse of the Law 2. That Paul the Apostle doth teach what the true and proper vse of the Law is 3. That all that feare God especially Ministers ought to learne it as he doth teach it 4. That they are enemies of the truth that goe about to tread it vnder foot and to abolish it And now obserue his protestation t Luth.
malediction or curse Rom. 8.1 Thirdly in respect of rigour for in them which are in Christ God accepts the endeuour to obey for obedience it selfe Neuerthelesse the Law as it is the rule of good life is vnchangeable and admits no abrogation and Christ by his death did in this regard establish it Rom. 3.31 What say you now to these words of Mr. Perkins Doth he determine the question with you and for you that the Morall Law is wholly abolished or doth he not plainly resolue to the contrary that as it is the rule of good life it is vnchangeable and for euer by the death of Christ established Antinomus Your next Testimony is out of Paraeus in Argumentum Epist ad Galatas and in other places vpon that Epistle Answer I haue not that Booke by me but vnlesse Paraeus be much contrary to himselfe which I cannot so easily conceiue of so judicious a Diuine you shall see I haue reason to thinke that vpon the Galatians he speaketh nothing for your opinion seeing vpon the Hebrewes Cap. 8. pag. 400. 401. g Paraeus in Heb. 8. p. 400. 401. he purposely and aduisedly writeth so much against it Lex Moralis saith he est aeterna justiciae norma and then he sheweth how farre the Old Testament is abrogated 1. Quantum ad doctrinae spiritualis gratiae circumstantiam de futuro 2. Deinde quantum ad conditionem impossibilem perfectae obedientiae 3. Quantum ad onus legalium rituum sacerdotij Levitici Denique quantum ad jugum politie Mosaicae populi Iudaici cervicibus impositum Whereupon he inferreth thus Vnde Manichaeonum fanaticorum refutatur error qui abrogationem veteris Testamenti non folum ad tria illa sed ad legem etiam moralem malè trahebant and a little after he addeth De Lege Morali de Mosis atque Prophetarum libris doctrina aeternitatem agnoscimus de ritibus politia minimè By this you may euidently perceiue that Paraeus is of opinion that howsoeuer the Ceremoniall and Iudiciall Lawes of Moses be abrogated yet the Morall Law is perpetuall and eternall and that they are men tainted with heresie or frensie that would draw the Morall Law into the same estate of abrogation with them And if you will looke backe a little to the seuenth Chapter and sixteenth verse of the same Epistle you may see as much as this and somewhat more h Paraeus in Heb. cap. 7. ver 16.18 Obiter hic annotemus discrimen legis Moralis Ceremonialis Illa perpetua spiritualis est ista caeduca carnalis fuit And againe vpon verse 18. Probat nunc legis abrogationem inde pendentem Et est taecita occupatio Quicquid sacerdotio fiat lex Dei est immutabilis Id inquit non nego de lege Morali nunc verò loquor de praecepto carnali lege Ceremoniali See more in Paraeus in Ep. Rom. cap. 3.8.31 cap. 7.7 Nam Valentiâ—…ani c. And this may sustice to cleare Paraeus that what you haue taken you haue mistaken from him as approuing your opinion vpon the Galatians which you see he disproueth on the Epistle to the Hebrewes Let vs now proceed to that which followeth There is a word * Antinomus you say Galat. 3 19. mistranslated in most vulgar translations which drawes many men away Serueth Wherefore then Serueth the Law Neither the Greeke you say nor any Latine translation hath it If neither the Greeke nor any Latine translation haue it Answer then it may peraduenture be added amisse but mistranslated as you say it cannot be And why doth not this word Serueth serue your turne Because forsooth it is in the Present Tense Serueth and not in the Preterimperfect Tense Serued Wherefore then serued the Law And why would you haue it serued and not serueth Because I guesse you would haue all men to know that the Law was of some force and vse in times past but now is of neither for the time present and so serued in the time past serueth your purpose very well for the present businesse But be it as you would haue it serued is serued either in the Greeke or any Latine translation or doth not the Law now in the daies of the Gospell serue to the reuealing conuincing and condemning of transgressions as before it serued to the same end and vse in the daies of the Law or suppose it serued more then to that end than now it serueth serueth it now therefore to no other vse at all But you say Many haue beene drawen awry by this word serueth Surely you are the first that euer I heard either make any exception against it or stand in any danger or feare of it And k Beza in Gal. 3.19 Beza whom you alledge may be vnderstood to take it rather in the Present than in the Preterim-perfect Tense Quorsum igitur lata lex est and Quum lex posita sit hominibus redarguendis Implying thereby not only whereunto the Law serued when it was first ordained but that it l Vide Beza in 1. Ep. Tim. cap. 1. v. 9. Finis legis est charitas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Tim. cap. 1. v. 9. serueth yet to the same vse in some respect though in diuers things the vse be changed Not vnlike vnto this you say is in Rom. 3.20 Commeth or is By the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne which being read came or was of the time past maketh you say the sense good Not vnlike vnto that is this indeed i. of as little either weight or worth And why may not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be thus translated For by the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne but must needs be rendred thus For by the Law came or was the knowledge of sinne You haue your reason I hope in readinesse for if the former stand in the present time then your opinion must needs fall presently for then there is a present vse of the Law to discouer sinne But if that fall and the latter come in his stead then you conceiue hope that your opinion for the abolishing of the Law being now in danger of falling shall hence haue a prop to stay it vp withall and what a one I pray you why surely a sorry one either this or none By the Law came or was the knowledge of sinne Ergo the Law is now abolished and by the Law commeth not now any knowledge of sinne This is indeed as you said truly not vnlike the other the Law serued for restraining or condemning transgressions ergo now it serueth neither for these nor for any other vse at all But doth not the Apostle proue by the Law whether written in Tables of stone or in m Rom. 2.15 Tables of the heart that both Iewes and Gentiles are n Rom. 3.19 20. all vnder sin not only that they had beene but that euen then at that present they were And was not this in the time of the
euill knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5. All their perswasions and exhortations then you may see are not in all their Epistles grounded as you say vpon mercy but some vpon justice not all vpon loue but some vpon feare not all vpon the promises of the Gospell but some vpon the threatnings of the Law against all disobedience both to Law and Gospell According to that of the Apostle u Iud. Ep. v. 14 15. Iude Behold the Lord commeth with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement vpon all and to conuince all that are vngodly among them of all their vngodly deeds which they haue vngodly committed and of all their hard speeches which vngodly sinners haue spoke against him And that also of the Apostle x 2 Cor. 10.5 6. See Tertull. on this place 2 Thess 1.8 9. lib. 5. adver Marc. cap. 16. Vide etiam Zanch. in 2 Thess 1.8 9. Paul We haue in readinesse to take vengeance of all disobedience 2 Cor. 10.5 which the Lord Iesus shall accomplish when he shall be reuealed from heauen with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ who shal be punisâ—ed with euerlasting destruction from the presence of thâ—â—ord and from the glory of his power 2 Thess 1.7 8â—… Had you aduisedly considered these and other such like passages in the Epistles of the Apostles you would either neuer haue thought what you haue said before or neuer for very shame haue written that which followeth after viz. And though sometimes Antinomus yea often they vse the Imperatiue mood and some words of Commandement yet they are so tempered with mildnesse you say and without penalty as that there is no forme of Commandements much lesse any allusion to Moses Law or the Ten Commandements So tempered with mildnesse Answer and without penalty Now surely I wonder in what temper you were when these things ranne in your head or fell from your hand Had you forgotten that the Apostle did as well sharply threaten the y 1 Cor. 4.21 Corinthians with a rod as mildly offer to come vnto them in loue and in the spirit of meeknesse Or did you not consider that the same Apostle doth not alwaies as it were stroake their heads and commend them in tearmes of loue but as occasion requireth sometimes strikes their naked consciences with some sharpe rebukes and threats some bitter taunts and terrors as with the twigs and ierks of his rod also He that saith 1 Cor. 11. z 1 Cor. 11.2 Now I praise you Brethren that yee remember me in all things and keepe the ordinances as I deliuered them to you taketh them vp more sharply for the abuse of the Sacrament euen in the a 1 Cor. 11.22 same Chapter verse 22. What haue yee not houses to eat and to drinke in Or despise yee the Church of God and shame them that haue not What shall I say vnto you shall I praise you in this I praise you not And he that in another b 1 Cor 4.14 place saith I write not these things to shame you but as my beloued sonnes I admonish you 1 Cor. 4. doth he not afterwards vpon just occasion more sharply rebuke them I speake to your c 1 Cor 6.5 1 Cor. 15.34 shame Is it so that there is not a wise man amongst you no not one that shall be able to judge betweene his brethren And againe Some haue not the knowledge of God I speake this to your shame 1 Cor. 15.34 Are not these words as sharpe and tart as the former are milde and gentle Is there not a burning fire of zeale in the latter as well as a warming fire of loue in the former Fire I acknowledge in both and holy fire too but yet of a different degree and temper the one milder and the other sharper and both of speciall vse in their time and place In distilling of flowers and hearbes a soft fire will serue the turne which in melting of mettles will doe no good at all And although according to the common Prouerbe A soft fire will make sweet Malt yet must it be a hot fire to make good d Hos 7.6 7 8. bread or good e Exod. 1.14 bricke This wisdome God hath giuen the f Isa 28.26 27 28. Husbandman to beat out Fitches with a staffe and Cummin with a rod but to thresh with a threshing Instrument and to turne the Cart wheele ouer the stronger graine that the bread Corne may be bruised and fitted for present vse And this wisdome God hath giuen his g Isa 28.26 1 Cor. 3.9 2 Pet. 3.15 Apostles as his chiefe Husbandmen that in dealing with his people which are Gods husbandry they should vse both mildnesse and sharpnesse lenity and seuerity a staffe or a threshing instrument as the nature or quality of the seed soyle or season shall require But who would not thinke to heare and take your words that all the Epistles were so full of milde speeches and sweet exhortations that there were not any sharpe rebukes much lesse any ironicall taunts and least of all any terrible threats at all to be found in all or any one of them For * Antinomus you will haue All to be mildnesse without any sharpnesse all but commanding words without any forme of Commandements all mercies and promises without any penalty or punishment no vrging of any precept of the Law no not so much as an allusion to Moses Law or the Ten Commandements And all this you vrge to this end to proue That now in the daies of the Gospell the whole Morall Law is wholly abolished Answer When the people would teach the Prophets to speake and forbid the Seers to see saying Prophecy not vnto vs right things but speake vnto vs smooth things prophecy deceits The Prophet h Isa 30.8 9 10. The Apostles doe reproue sins and threaten sinners out of the Morall Law See 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ran. Ceasu Praelect 183. p. col 861. 862. 863. Isay was charged to write it in a Table and to note it in a Booke that it might be for the time to come euen for euer and euer That this is a rebellious people lying children that will not heare the Law of the Lord. If you goe about to teach the Apostles to speake and forbid these Seers to see saying They neither command seuerely nor rebuke sharply nor threaten terribly i. They Prophecy no right things vnto vs but speake all smooth things vnto vs all mildnesse no sharpnesse all mercy no judgement all promises no penalties all words of commanding but no forme of Commandements all loue and fauour but no rigour nor terror take heed lest your sinne be not written as with a i Ier. 17.1 pen of a Diamond before the Lord and the censure thereof also for you your leaders and followers made as
words as seuerely and seriously charge Timothy to keepe the Commandement which he had giuen him for the duties of his person and calling as euer did Moses the people of Israel for obseruing of the Commandement of the Law when d Deut. 30.11 15 18 19. he said This Commandement which I command thee this day is not hidden from thee c. Behold I call heauen and earth to record this day against you that I haue set before you life and death blessing and cursing For whereas Moses calleth heauen and earth only to record against Israel Paul conuents Timothy as it were before the Lord of heauen and earth and doth not only command him with all authority but charge him with all seuerity That as euer he would haue any benefit by Christ as his e 1 Tim. 6.13 14. Redeemer witnessing a good confession before Pontius Pilate or would euer render vp his account vnto him as a f 2 Tim. 4.1 2. Iudge with joy at his appearing he should be carefull and faithfull in keeping his Commandements Looke also vpon 1 Cor. 7.10 g 1 Cor. 7.10 And vnto the maried I command yet not I but the Lord Let not the wife depart from her husband And vpon Ephes 4.17 This I say therefore and testifie in the Lord that yee henceforth walke not as other Gentiles walke in the vanity of their minde And 2 Thessalon 3.6.10.12 h 2 Thess 3.6 10 12. Now we command you brethren in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you withdraw your selues from euery Brother that walketh disorderly And that also 1 Tim. 6. i 1 Tim. 6.25 I charge thee before God and before the Lord Iesus Christ and before the elect Angels that thou obserue these things Consider I pray you these places aduisedly and tell me whether you haue not erred too too grossely in saying so confidently That although in the Epistles of the Apostles there were some words of commanding yet was there not so much as a forme of Commandement in them seeing you haue here many and worthy Commandements both for matter and forme in full measure But you say Antinomus They are without penalty Answer For answer vnto that Tell me I beseech you whether you doe not reckon the threatnings of k Rom. 6.21 23. Death l Rom. 14.23 Damnation the m Ephes 5.6 Wrath of God the n 2 Thess 1.8 Vengeance of God o 1 Cor. 3.17 Destruction p 1 Cor. 11.32 34. Condemnation q 1 Tim. 6.9 Perdition flaming fire r Iud. v. 7 8. Eternall fire and such like against ignorant disobedient vngodly and vnbeleeuing persons such as know not God and obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ to be penalties and not only penalties but dreadfull judgements yea the very terrors of God that fight against such sinnes and sinners If you say they be as you must needs if you will say the truth then were you deluded with a lying vanity and which is worse would delude others also therewithall when you said and set it downe That the Commandements of the Apostles in their Epistles were without penalty Å¿ Aug. contra Adamant Manich. ca. 3. Sacrae Scripturae non temerarios superbos accusatores sed pios diligentes lectores desiderant August I maruell whether euer you read that terrible sentence 1 Cor. 16. If any man t 1 Cor. 16.22 loue not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be Anathema maranatha If you did doe but tell me by what Argument the Apostle doth here vrge and enforce the loue of Christ Iesus whether by promise of mercy or threatning of penalty Or whether here be not as dreadfull a curse threatned against those that doe not loue the Lord Iesus Christ as there is Ephes 6.24 a gratious promise made to all that doe viz. u Ephes 6.24 Grace be with all them that loue the Lord Iesus Christ in sincerity It were absurd and impious to deny that here is a promise of a blessing to them that loue him and as impious and absurd it is to say that the other denounceth no terrible penalty to them that loue him not For the very words themselues Anathema maranatha doe import an execrable curse such as the Lord when he commeth in x Ecce autem quòd in clausula tribunal Christi comminatur utique Iudicis vltoris in Rom. 14.10 Tertull. advers Maâ—…i lib. 5. ca. 14. judgement shall inflict vpon all wicked reprobates being separated from Christs presence and cast into vtter darknesse So Paul vseth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 9.3 Gal. 1.8 as Accursed and 1 Cor. 12.3 for Execrable And the other y Cornel. Pertram praefat in Gram. Heb. Syriac Maranatha consists of two Syriack words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth Dominus noster and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 venit The Lord commeth Which words being the beginning of Enochs Prophecy cited by Iude as containing the dreadfull judgement of God at the last day against all the wicked and vngodly were vsually taken vp by the Iewes as they are here by Paul to expresse the z Bez. in 1 Cor. 16.22 Aug. Ep. 78. great Curse which is hopelesse helplesse and endlesse as their portion and just recompence which doe not loue the Lord Iesus In the next place you proceed from euill to worse when you say There is not so much as any allusion vnto Moses Law or the Ten Commandements in all the Epistles When Peter liking well of the ease and peace beauty and glory of Mount Tabor made a a Luc. 9.31 32 33. motion for building of Tabernacles that they that were there might dwell there saying Master it is good for vs to be here The Holy Ghost hath obserued That he was heauy with sleepe and wist not what he said Surely me thinkes in such a like minde and mood were you when falling into a dreame of Mount Sion and liking well of the fancies that ranne in your head of grace and peace mercy and mildnesse promises and gentle exhortations all tending to life and glory you haue laboured to build this your Tabernacle for a place of rest and said in your heart It is good to be here vnwilling altogether to heare any mention of Mount Sinai or of any allusion to the Morall Law But we will beare with your weaknesse and plead your excuse The spirit of sleepe or slumber was vpon you and you wist not what you either did or said For had you beene well awakened and your eies well opened you might haue seene in the most if not in all the Epistles not only some allusions but many allegations out of the Ten * See Iam. 2.8 9 10 11 12. 4.10 11. Commandements or * See Iam. 2.8 9 10 11 12. 4.10 11. Morall Law Doth not the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans make often mention of the Morall Law b Rom. 3.20 By the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne Rom.
which shall deuoure the aduersaries And this he enforceth further not only by an allusion but by a manifest allegation of Moses Law q Heb. 10.28 29. He that despised Moses Law died without mercy vnder two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden vnder foot the Sonne of God c. For we know him that hath said r Heb. 10.30.31 Vengeance belongeth vnto me I will recompence saith the Lord and againe The Lord shall judge his people It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God And this shall suffice for answer to your third generall Argument drawen from the practise of the Apostles in all their Epistles Your fourth Argument is this Argument 4 Antinomus Wheresoeuer the Holy Ghost handleth the abrogation of the Law there is neuer any exception of the Morall This is vtterly vntrue Answer for where the Holy Ghost handleth the abrogation of the Law it is either first The abrogation of the Law handled diuers waies First in the matter of Saluation Secondly in the matter of justification in the matter of Saluation as Acts 15.1 10. and there in the same Chapter the Morall Law is excepted because abstaining from Idolatries and Fornication being breaches of the first and second Table of the Morall Law is there inioined as from things of necessity to be refrained Acts 15.28 Or secondly in the matter of justification as Rom. 3.28 We conclude saith the Apostle that a man is justified by faith without the workes of the Law and yet there also vnto that obiection Doe we then make void the Law through faith he answereth as it were with detestation God forbid yea we establish the Law Rom. 3.31 So in the like Argument in the Epistle to the Galathians where he doth vtterly abolish the Law for righteousnesse in the Å¿ Gal. 2.16 Rom. 3.28 31. act of justification he doth yet establish the vse of the Morall Law for leading a godly and Christian life when he telleth vs that Faith t Gal. 5.6 worketh by loue and by loue we are bound to u Gal. 5.13 serue one another and the rule of loue is the Morall Law which he there vrgeth as a bond euen now in full force and vertue binding all Christians to obedience when he addeth this reason For all the x Gal. 3.14 Law is fulfilled in one word euen in this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Leuit. 19.18 Matt. 22.39 And is not this an euident exception of the Morall Law made by the Holy Ghost and that euen in the same Epistle nay in the same Chapter where he handleth the abrogation of the Law also Thirdly the abrogation of the Law is handled as it was a wall of partition Or thirdly the Holy Ghost handleth the abrogation of the Law as it was a wall of a Ephes 2.13 14 15. partition betwixt Iewes and Gentiles as Ephes 2.13 14 15. and yet in the same Epistle he requireth and vrgeth the duties of the Morall Law as b Ephes 4.24 25 26 28. Cast off lying and speake the truth Be angry and sinne not Labour with your hands and steale not c Ephes 5.2 3 4 5 6. Walke in loue and hate not flie fornication and all vncleannesse and name it not And all this to be done vpon promise and penalty as euer they will haue any inheritance in the kingdome of God or auoid the danger of the wrath of God Nay further to cut off all occasion of cauill as if one should obiect That these duties are not vrged for obedience to the Morall Law but to the Gospell the Apostle by a special direction of the Holy Ghost doth in expresse words exhorting children to obey their Parents make mention of the d Ephes 6.1 2. first Commandement with promise and setteth downe both precept and promise out of the Morall Law as yet of speciall force to draw them thereunto And yet we doe not say that these duties are either so vrged vpon vs or performed by vs as duties of the Law for righteousnesse to liue by them Rom. 10.5 but as fruits of the righteousnesse of faith in the Gospell discerned and measured by the Law yet not by the rigour but by the e Rom. 12.2 13.8 9. tenor of it offered also and accepted only in the obedience of Christ Iesus who according to his Couenant hath put his f Heb. 8.10 10.16 Lawes in our mindes and written them by the finger of his Spirit not in Tables of stone but in the g 2 Cor. 3.3 fleshy Tables of our hearts That as the Apostle speaketh the righteousnesse of the Law might be h Rom. 8.1 4. fulfilled in vs who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Or fourthly Fourthly the abrogation of the Law is handled touching Iewish obseruation the abrogation of the Law is handled as touching i Col. 2.16 17. Iewish and superstitious obseruations Col. 2.16 17. and typicall signification shadowing k Heb. 10.1 forth good things to come as Hebr. 10.1 And yet in both these Epistles where the law of carnall Commandements i. the Ceremoniall Law is cancelled and abolished the Commandements of the Law which is spirituall namely the Morall Law are confirmed and established as euidently appeareth by the plentifull and powerfull exhortations and injunctions for the performance of both generall and speciall duties of the Morall Law As for example Col. 3.14 l Col. 3.12 14. Aboue all things put on loue which is the bond of perfectnesse Heb. 10.24 m Heb. 10.24 Let vs consider one another to prouoke vnto lsue and good workes And n Rom. 13.8 9. loue you haue already heard is the fulfilling of the Law and when o Gal. 5.6 faith worketh by loue faith worketh by the rule of the Law and he that walketh in loue p Gal. 6.16 walketh by the line of the Law Which may yet be further seene by those speciall duties of Superiours and inferiours appertaining to the fift Commandement as of husbands and wiues parents and children gouernours and seruants Col. 3. 4. and Heb. 13. mentioned and vrged out of the Morall Law in both places By this time you may perceiue that euen in the same places where the Holy Ghost handleth the abrogation of the Law there is contrary to your assertion some exception of the Morall Law Nay I say more that wheresoeuer the Holy Ghost handleth the full and finall abrogation of the Law for all exercise in Gods worship or vse in the Church of Christ there he euer giueth instance in the Ceremoniall Law and neuer either mentioneth or meaneth the Morall Law And againe where he handleth the abrogation of the Law only in some circumstances or for some particular ends or vses he sometimes ioineth the Morall and the Ceremoniall * Aug. in Epist ad Galat. cap. 3. Calu. in Rom.
Morall Law is now wholly abolished because you cannot finde that saluation was euer promised to the keeping of it But tell me in good earnest could you neuer finde that euer saluation was promised to the keeping of the Law Haue you not read q Leuit. 18.5 what is written in the Law You shall keepe my Statutes and my judgements which if a man doe he shall liue in them Or doe you thinke as some r Basilidiani Pepusiani Adamit Danaeus in Augu. Haeres Heretikes haue done that this and the like promises made vnto the Iewes concerne only the comforts of this temporall and not the blessing of eternall life Thinke you what you list it greatly skils not so long as we know that the most judicious and religious Å¿ Calu. Harmo in 4. lib. Mos pag. 445. 450. August contr Faust lib. 4. cap. 2. Diuines euen such as are pillars in the house of God doe thinke otherwise the Scripture bearing witnesse to their opinion herein when it tels vs That in the keeping of the Law there is a t Psal 19.11 Eccles 1.2 2.11 Psal 119.1 2. great reward a reward of greater weight and worth than any or all earthly things being but vanity and vexation of spirit can afford this being the best end of all and the whole man both for his duty and felicity to feare God and to keepe his Commandements For Blessed are they that are vndefiled in the way who walke in the Law of the Lord and blessed are they that keepe his Testimonies and seeke him with their whole heart Came this blessednesse then may you say vpon any or could euer any attaine vnto it by the workes of the Law I answer Neuer any either did or could attaine vnto this blessednesse of eternall life by their keeping u August lib. 4. cont duas Epist Pelagian ad Bonif. cap. 5. of the Law by reason of their wants and weaknesses defectiue and imperfect obedience vnto the same but all that euer were are or shall be so blessed must attaine thereunto only by the righteousnesse of x Phil. 3.9 faith in the absolute and perfect obedience of Christ Iesus And yet notwithstanding that which you say you could neuer finde we haue now not only found out for you but brought it to your hand viz. that saluation hath beene promised to him which should keepe the Law whosoeuer he were that could fulfill it in all things accordingly A further proofe whereof you may yet take if you please from the answere of our y Luk. 10.28 Matt. 19.16 c. Sauiour to the Scribe or Lawyer demanding of him what he should doe to inherit eternall life What is written in the z Leuit. 18.5 Ezek. 10.11 Law saith he how readest thou And when the Lawyer had answered out of the Law Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy strength and with all thy minde and thy neighbour as thy selfe Christ replied vnto him Thou hast answered right this doe and thou shalt liue In which words our Sauiour Christ doth both expound the promise made in the Law to the keeping of the Law viz. doe this and liue not of this temporall but of a Luk. 10.25 28. Rom. 10.5 Gal. 3.12 eternall life and also maketh himselfe a promise of Saluation to him that would keepe the Law if so be he could doe it accordingly Certainly it is strange to me that you could neuer finde out thus much before seeing both Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles haue laid it downe so plainly before your face that had your eies beene in your head as a wise mans are nay had they beene but in your heeles you might haue runne and read seene and found the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rajn Censuâ—… Praelect 183. col 862. promise of saluation made vnto him that should keepe the Law both in the old and new Testament The b Mark 8.24 blinde man in the Gospell that had but a little glimmering light and sight saw men walking as trees and you that would be loth to be reckoned amongst the blinde or * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1.9 Gen. 21.15 19. purblinde cannot see wood for trees but like Agar cry out you can finde no water and yet the well lieth open before your eies But it may be though the well were open yet your eies were shut as hers also were that she could not see till the Lord had opened them which I pray the Lord may doe for you also and then shall you see more plainly both this and other points of Gods truth which though you haue sought yet haue you not seene and though you haue groped after them yet haue you not found them because the Lord hath hid them from your eies I come now vnto your last Argument Of such Arguments as these your dozen are Quintilian speaketh thus Si non possunt valere quia magna non sunt valebunt forsan quia multa sunt Orat. Instit lib. 5. cap. 12. which makes vp the full dozen Repentance you say is a part of the Gospell Rom. 2.4 2 Pet. 3.9 It is And what doe you collect or conclude hence Ergo the Morall Law is vtterly abolished Of what force this your Argument is you may see by the like The Prodigals returning to his Father was a part of his reconciliation with him Ergo his humiliation vpon the sense and sight of his sinne was of no vse at all for that purpose Remission of sinne from God is a part of justification Ergo confession of sinne to God is now of no vse at all The promises of grace are a part of the Gospell Ergo the precepts of the Law of God are no rules of obedience in the daies of the Gospell If these Arguments be firme and sound then such is this of yours also but if they be so feeble and weake that they haue no strength either to beare or bring forth a good conclusion then must I take yours in this cause for the like vntill you can shew me some difference or dislike betwixt them for what though repentance a See Lactan. li. 6. de vero cultu cap. 24. de vocab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 377. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being taken for our 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.2 effectuall renouation 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 3.5 regeneration 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 15.13 conuersion 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 6.4 newnesse of life turning from our sinnes to embrace and obey the Gospell be indeed a part of the Gospell because none can come vnto this but they that haue the b Act. 2.18 spirit of grace powred vpon them and the word of grace c Iam. 1.18 21. ingraffed in them and the d Ephes 2.8 Phil. 1.29 gift of grace to beleeue
sinners Muscul loc de vi effica Legis Loc. de abrog Legis Dei enim similis quisque factus ipse Legem facilè implet nec erit sub illa sed cum illa August lib. Exposit quarundam propos ex Epist ad Rom. Cal. instit lib. 2. cap. 7. sect 13 14. as Musculus in the same place and elsewhere doth acknowledge alleging that out of the Romans Shall we sinne because we are not vnder the Law but vnder Grace God forbid and giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that such as are in the state of grace euen the sonnes of God are seruants vnto the Law for obedience vnto righteousnesse though they be freed from the law of sinne and death They are not indeed vnder the Law as a rigorous exactor and terrible auenger but they are vnder it as a righteous commander and holy conducter to leade them in the waies of righteousnesse and holinesse Agreeable hereunto is that which Musculus inferreth hereupon Qui Christianus est saith he etiamsi non sit sub Magisterio Mosis propterea tamen non est liber ad faciendum ea quae sunt impia injusta adeoque factu illicita Now I would gladly know seeing nothing can be impious and vnjust but that which is illicitum vnlawfull and nothing is sinne or vnlawfull but that which is knowne and acknowledged to be so by the light and line of the Morall Law how shall a Christian once imagine that the Morall Law is to him wholly abolished seeing he continually stands in need of it as of a lanthorne vnto his feet Psal 119.105 Psal 19.7 8-11 and a light vnto his paths and must haue daily recourse vnto it Iam. 1.25 to see what is right and what is wrong what he ought to doe and what he ought to leaue vndone And if here you reply Tit. 2.12 that the Gospell teacheth vs to deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue godly righteously and soberly in this present world I answer It is most true that such as haue their eies enlightned with the light of the Gospell and their hearts seasoned with the grace of it Iam. 1.25 Rom. 7. Act. 26.9.20 Gal. 5.6 Gal. 5.22 looking into the glasse of the Morall Law doe see more clearely into the beauty and glory of it judge more wisely of things that differ in it worke more effectually by loue in all the duties of it renounce and resist more powerfully all the affections and actions of sinne that rise against it and make all the Commandements thereof more easie Matt. 11.28 c. Ephes 6.1 2 c. Iam. 2.8 9 10 11 12. 2 Cor. 3.17 1 Ioh. 5.3 and the burden more light than otherwise it could be vnto them All this the Gospell teacheth and worketh in vs and for vs but it teacheth all this by the lines and lessons precepts and prohibitions of the Morall Law and worketh all this vpon the Morall grounds of loue in the Law and walketh in obedience by the spirit of adoption and liberty not in the spirit of feare and slauery And therefore by all this it may easily appeare that so long as the Gospell is established the Morall Law can neuer be wholly abolished This conclusion receiueth further strength from another made by Musculus himselfe in the same place Muscul loc com de abrogatione Legis to the same end Quare Christianus faciens contra ea quae praecepta sunt in Decalogo enormius peccat quà m si sub lege constitutus faceret tam abest ut liber sit ab ijs quae illic praecipiuntur etenim tamet si liber est à Mose hand tamen liber est ab obedientia Christi ac vera justitiae In which sentence we may obserue these seuerall propositions all seruing to maintaine the vse of the Morall Law amongst Christians First that the Decalogue i. the Morall Law or Ten Commandements being a part of the written word and reuealed will of God doth yet for the substance of it continue and concerne all Christians Secondly that the precepts and prohibitions of the Decalogue doe binde all Christians to allegeance and obedience Thirdly that a Christian doing any thing against the Decalogue or Morall Law sinneth more grieuously vnder the Gospell than any Iew committing the same sinnes vnder the Law Fourthly that Christians doe not entertaine nor maintaine the Morall Law as Moses disciples receiuing it and obeying it vpon the same conditions and to the same ends as Moses did deliuer it and impose it vpon the Iewes but as the disciples of Christ Iesus who is the Lord of his house and the only Lawgiuer for the well ordering of it Now forasmuch as Christ testifieth of himselfe that he came not to destroy but to fulfill the Law Matt 5.17 18. clearing the beauty and renewing the spirituall vigor and vertue of it Rom. 6.14 15. Rom. 7.12 Matt. 5.19 Heb. 8.10 Iam. 2.8 taking away the terror and abating the burden and rigor but not changing the nature nor abolishing one iot of the substance of it yea further not only commending and commanding it to all his disciples and in them to all true Christians Accedente gratia idipsum quod lex onerosè jusserat jam sine ouere libertissimè implemus August 83. quaest quaest 66. but putting it into our mindes and writing it by the finger of his spirit in our hearts and making it vnto vs a royall Law of liberty not a yoke of bondage and feare therefore doe we now willingly receiue and obey the Commandements thereof and doe not now account them grieuous but in Christ gracious holy just and good the duties whereof we desire and endeuour to performe with delight knowing that our infirmities are couered our wants supplied our sinnes pardoned and our seruices accepted in the absolute and perfect obedience of him that did absolutely fulfill the Law for vs that is of Christ Iesus Rom. 7.22 According vnto these grounds we may say with Musculus That although a Christian be free from Moses yet is he not free from the obedience of Christ nor of true righteousnesse and if he be not free from the obedience of Christ that is such as both by precept and patterne he taught and required according to the precepts of the Morall Law then is a Christian bound in the daies of the Gospell to the obedience of the Morall Law And if a Christian be not freed from the obedience of true righteousnesse and the rule of true righteousnesse be the Morall Law as all Diuines doe agree and as Christ and his Apostles haue taught the Churches then is a Christian bound in the daies of the Gospell to yeeld obedience vnto the Morall Law Now if you be pleased to lay all these together the reckoning will arise to another and a greater summe than you imagined or expected at this time and place and that not to feed your fancy
and may be Theologically vnderstood and is now in force so vnderstood If yet you desire to heare what our Diuines speake also for this point albeit I thinke you can finde none to speake a word against it yet to doe you a pleasure I will call in one or two sufficient witnesses to giue testimony thereunto Caluine hauing rebuked them that judge Philosophicè of the Morall Law Calu. in Deut. in Append. de usu Legis pa. 441 443. addeth these words to shew there is now a Theologicall vse of it Ille verò legis usus Theologicus est quia nihil aliud potest quà m detegendo nostram injustitiam mortem duntaxat afferre And as he sheweth this is one Theologicall vse of the Law by discouering vnrighteousnesse to bring vs in danger of death so doth he afterwards in the same place finde out another Theologicall vse of it Vbi autem intus cordibus legem suam insculpsit simul prodest exterior doctrina legis sic enim filios suos gubernat spiritu regenerationis ut simul tamen velit ad vocem quoque suam esse attentos dociles That so soone as the Lord hath written his Law in our hearts then doth the doctrine of the Law doe vs good making his children by his spirit more teachable and tractable to heare and obey his will Iunius also in his learned Booke de vera Theologia brings in the Morall Law jus Morale as opposite to the Law of Nature which he calleth jus Naturae and there very plainly auerreth that the Morall Law is a principall or speciall part of the subject of true and sacred Theology Fran. Iun. lib. de vera Theolog. cap. 13. thes 24. His words be these Hoc vero jus morum quo homines ad Deum oportet accedere sacrae voluntati ejus quà m maximè fieri potest conformari sacra Theologia exponit perfectissimè Now if sacred Theology doe most perfectly expound the Morall Law then is the Morall Law Theologically vnderstood yet in force which you haue not yet the eies to see and not in force only as it is the Law of Nature as you haue had the face and forehead to affirme Now because you say There is no warrant in the Scripture for this that the Morall Law Theologically vnderstood is yet in force I pray you answer me directly to this one question which I hope will cleare the point in question Did Saint Paul when he said I had not knowne concupiscence to be sinne Rom. 7.7 except the Law had said Thou shalt not couet Did he vnderstand the Morall Law Philosophicè or Theologicè You cannot say Philosophicè for then he might haue knowne so much by the Law of Nature before his conuersion hauing as he had a double helpe the light of naturall reason and the benefit of Gamaliels Doctrine and yet he acknowledgeth that without the Law sinne was dead i. vntill he had a spirituall insight into the tenth Commandement he had no manner of sense and feeling of concupiscence to be sinne against it Besides neither Plato nor Aristotle nor the wisest Moralists that euer wrote could euer search into this depth and finde out this truth of God hid from the eie of Nature in the tenth Commandement that inclinations to sinne or motions and imaginations of sinne without consent or delight were to be accounted a breach of the Law and worthy of death If he then did not vnderstand the Law when he so said Philosophicè I conclude he must needs vnderstand it Theologicè and so without question he did speaking of it so diuinely graciously and religiously and disputing of the nature and vse fruits and effects thereof both in the estate of nature and in the estate of grace so spiritually so feelingly and effectually For the other place Rom. 3.31 which you except against as not plainly expounded by Zanchius Antinomus Because you say it may be vnderstood of the whole Law as well Ceremoniall as any other Answer and that for the time past Doe you not offer Zanchius some hard measure in charging him to expound it of the Morall Law only which he doth not and the Apostle also saying he speaketh of the time past whereas the words which the Apostle vseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are both of the time present And doe you not see how in yeelding this place to be meant of the Morall Law though not of it only you doe conuince your selfe of an error in going about to abolish the Morall Law which by confessing the truth with the Apostle you doe now establish As for Erasmus Antinomus we haue seene enough of his minde already and returned you more by way of recompence and satisfaction from his writings than you will be willing to receiue either from his or our hands Answer And here you fall into a great commendation of Erasmus an impertinent and needlesse peece of seruice and worthy no other answer than was once giuen in a like case Plut. apoth Lacon in Antalcida Quis quaso vituperat But you say with some indignation His Paraphrase though commanded to be had in Churches is too much neglected That is a fault And books you say of farre meaner quality are much esteemed That I feare me is a scornfull flout If you aime at the Defence of the Apology of the Church of England Iewels Defence of the Apology and his Reply now commanded to be had in the Churches consider I pray you there is roome enough for both and though the Apology be admitted yet the Paraphrase is not excluded Can you not thinke well and speake well of Erasmus his gold but you must cast out some words of disgrace against our Iewel Let the Ring and the Diamond haue either of them their due place and praise If herein I misse of your meaning beare with my mistaking and hereafter either speake more plainly or not so dangerously Antinomus As for that which followeth you bring me such confused stuffe such shreds and peeces gathered here and there out of Luther on Galath Bez. 2 Cor. 3.11 August de spirit lit as is wonderfull One Simile runnes after your fift section gone many a mile before another looks hard after the generall point and then you conclude with an exhortation and then hauing made an end before you had done you come in with a word or two to illustrate your second section I cannot but conceiue that now your head grew mazy Answer or else hauing cut your garment too short or put forth your arme further than your sleeue would reach you runne and seeke about for peeces and patches shreds and snips to see if you can make vp that which you haue marred neuer regarding how they sute with your stuffe for matter or colour so they may patch vp your coat and serue your turne in your owne imagination Luther on the Galathians hath not so much by much as you say
you seeke to destroy the whole Morall Law of God also If 3 Ierem. 11.19 Ieremie held them to bee of a cruell disposition that deuised deuices against him saying Let vs destroy the tree with the fruit thereof and let vs cut him off from the land of the liuing that his name be no more remembred of what disposition then shall wee take you to be that would cut downe this tree of Gods Law together with the fruit thereof first f Manu formatoris nostri in ipsis cordibus nostris veritas scripsit Quod tibi non vis fieri ne feceris alteri Vide August in Psal 57. vers 1. planted in Paradise in the heart of Adam some roots whereof doe yet remaine in the naturall man which being g Lex Dei in cordibus scribitur non quia per naturam praeventa sit gratia sed quia per gratiam reparata est natura Vide August de vera Innocent cap. 258. transplanted by grace into the heart of the regenerate and spirituall and there rooted by faith watered by the word and warmed by the spirit doe yeeld sweet fruits of righteousnesse and holinesse to the praise and glory of God by Christ Iesus But seeing we cannot stay your hand let vs see if we can take away the dint of your stroake and abate the edge of your axe wherewith you strike to destroy the whole Morall Law Wherein howsoeuer we may faile yet are we well assured that rather shall the head fly from the helue and both fall into the bottomlesse pit and you cry out and confesse as once one of the sonnes of the 4 2 Kings 6.5 Prophets did in such a case Alas master it was but borrowed than euer this tree of the Morall law of God shall be hewen downe by your hands And first I cannot but admire againe your high conceit of your selfe great confidence in your cause and setled resolution to h Elati sibi placentes Hypocritae quaestus gratiâ inanis gloriae operantes Omnes hi decidunt à veritate alienum ignem afferentes ad altare Dei i. alienas doctrinas Vide Iren. aduersus Haeres lib. 4. cap. 43. stand stoutly to the defence of it for whereas your friend to whom you write might thinke that by reason of your slacknesse you did faint in the cause as you obiect for him you answer for your selfe in these words But it is farre otherwise with me for the more that I consider of it the more I am confirmed in the truth of it and the more I discerne of the many errors that arise out of the ignorance of the true difference betweene the Law and the Gospell Bigge words messengers of a braue heart Your cause concerning the whole abolishing of the whole Morall Law is now no longer a bare assertion but a setled perswasion for you are confirmed in the truth of it neither came you vnto this by any light opinion but by mature deliberation for you haue more and more considered of it and this consideration hath brought you with it a greater measure of illumination for by the light of this truth you are able to discerne many errors which by reason of their blinde ignorance none else can see but such as you thinke good to lend your spectacles vnto to discouer them And from all these ariseth your courage and resolution that it is so farre from you to faint in the cause that being more and more confirmed in the truth of it you are now fully resolued to set your best wits and your friends aworke stoutly to maintaine and defend it But what said the 5 1 King 20.11 King of Israel to the King of Syria Let not him that girdeth on his harnesse boast himselfe as he that putteth it off Be not so confident that your building will stand vnlesse the foundation be sure and the frame sound and good If the 6 Luc. 6.48 49. foundation be â—and and the frame 7 1 Cor. 3.11 12 13 14 15. hay and stubble it will neuer abide the touch much lesse the force either of water or of fire Many there are that build Castles in the aire and thinke them to be turrets of truth and forts of defence But when the Lord shall awaken them out of their dreame and anoint their eies with the 8 Reu. 3.18 eie-salues of grace and 9 1 Ioh. 2.27 truth they shall then see that what they built was but vpon the sand of fancie not vpon the rocke of Faith and their whole frame more like the 10 Gen. 11.4 9. Tower of Babel then the fort of 11 Cant. 4.4 Sion For as 12 Prou. 18.11 the Rich mans riches are his strong tower but only in his owne imagination so are the poore mans fancies his fortresses of faith and truth but alas only in his owne 13 Rom. 1.21 2 Cor. 10.5 vaine conceit and opinion But to make way vnto your matter you seeme to giue some reason of this your great confidence and resolution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because say you the ignorance of the true difference betweene the Law and the Gospell doth breed many errors which you haue discerned and the true knowledge of this difference keepeth all Christian doctrine in its proper vse And for this you cite Luther on Galat. 3 21. Answer Your ignorance of this difference hath bred this your error touching the vtter abolishing of the Morall Law as i Irena advers Haeres lib. 3. cap. 12. Et ea quae est sec Mosen Lex Gratia Noui Test utraque apta temporibus ad utilitatem humani generis ab uno eodem praestita Deo Irenaeus advers Here 's lib. 3. cap. 12. Ierenaeus obserued of the Marcionists Omnes qui sunt malae sententiae Mosis legem diffimilem contrariam Euangelij doctrina arbitrantes jam non sunt conversi ut differentiae utrinsque Testamenti inquirerent causas You shall anon haue a particular answer to your owne reason But first of all seeing you haue appealed vnto Luther vnto Luther shall you goe That which you alledge out of him on Gal. 3.21 we doe willingly acknowledge as good and wholsome doctrine which how little it will stand you in stead nay how much rather it stands against your opinion you shall heare by and by if first wee may heare Luther plainly deliuer his iudgement touching the abolishing or continuing of the morall Law Writing vpon the same Epistle and chapter which you cite and vers 24. he hath as you may reade these words The k Luth. in Gal. 3. vers 24. true vse of the Law is to teach me that I am brought to the knowledge of my sinne and humbled that so I may come vnto Christ and be iustified by faith But faith is neither Law nor worke but an assured confidence which apprehendeth Christ who is the end of the Law Rom. 10. And how not that he hath abolished
Gospell and doth he not conuince them all of sinne by the present vse of the Law Obserue what he saith verse 19. Now we know that whatsoeuer the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it speaketh to them that are vnder the Law Doth he not vse the present time for the manifesting of the present vse of the Law three times together in this verse and concludeth in the next That therefore by the deeds of the Law no flesh shall be justified in his sight because by the Law commeth or is the knowledge of sinne So o Beza in Rom. 3.19 20. Beza on this place doth expound it and p Paraeus in Rom. 3. v. 20. Paraeus rendreth the words thus Per legem habetur agnitiâ— peccati whence he concludeth ergo non justitia and q Caluin in Rom. 3.20 alibi Quid enim quaeso ist sibi volunt tegem propter transgressiones positam esse Gal. 3.19 per legem esse cognitionem peccati Rom. 3.20 legem peccatum efficere See Caluin Instit lib. 2. cap. 5. sect 6. See Aug. lib. de Spiritu litera cap. 13. Caluin giues the sense of these words Per legem agnitio peccati to be this Lex convincit nos peccati damnationis You see then these learned men take these words otherwise than you doe That by the Law commeth not came or is not was the acknowledgement of sinne As for that which you alledge out of Galath 4.1 I must confesse I neither know how it maketh any thing at all for your point or purpose nor can I conceiue what you meane to goe about to make so large proofe of that which no man doth deny What here you write hath neither dependance nor consequence neither ioints nor sinewes much like vnto a shadow which hauing some proportion of a mans body hath yet neither life nor substance in it For what if we yeeld you all this that the Apostle by the Heire in his minority meaneth the Church of the Iewes before Christ and by the same in his riper age the Church of Christ since his death What is there here I say not of any power but of any colour to proue the abolishing of the Morall Law Is the Morall Law therefore wholly abolished because the Mosaicall regiment in Rites and Ceremonies in Types and Figures in Legall burdens and Leuiticall seruices together with the rigour and terror of the Law is now ceased and abrogated You might as well say the Heire when he was a childe was kept in vnder sharpe and seuere Tutors and Gouernors but being now come to age he may now liue as he list Or the Church in her infancie was in bondage to the Ceremoniall Law therefore in her riper age she is not bound to obey either God or man by the duties of the Morall Law I could wish you would aduisedly consider what our SAVIOVR CHRIST himselfe saith I came not to r Est igitur damnanda Antinomorum libertinorum detestanda haeresis saith Bez. in 1 Tim. 1.9 and so say I. destroy the Law but to Å¿ Mat. 5.17 18 19. fulfill it and whosoeuer he be that shall breake one of the least of these Commandements and shall teach others so to doe he shall be called the least in the kingdome of heauen but whosoeuer shall doe and teach them he shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen And remember againe what S. Paul hath once told you already t Rom. 3.31 Doe we make void the Law by faith God forbid nay rather we establish the Law Christians indeed are freed from the bondage and burdens of the Law of Moses but yet must they take vpon them u Mat. 11.23 29 30. Christ his yoke and burden for his yoke is easie and his burden light Yea they are charged to beare one anothers burdens and so to fulfill the x Gal. 6.2 Law of Christ that their faith may y Gal. 5.6.13 worke by loue and they by loue serue one another and so shew that they delight in the z Rom. 7.22 Law of God concerning the inner man a Luc. 1.74 75. seruing the Lord in righteousnesse and holinesse all the daies of their liues that is according to both the Tables of the Morall Law Touching your quotation out of Socrat. Eccl. Hist lib. 5. cap. 21. I haue seene what he saith but can see nothing for the abolishing of the Morall Law He blameth them that contend so much for Iewish Ceremonies keeping of Easter obseruing Daies and Moneths as neuer hauing well considered that Quando religio Iudaica erat in Christianam commutata accurat is illas Mosaicae legis observationes rerum futurarum figuras penitus evannisse and so vrgeth that out of Galath 4.21 against them But what will you say if out of the same Chapter I bring you some euidence that Socrates doth not abolish but establish the Morall Law b Socrates Eccles Hist lib. 5. c. p. 21. Apostolis propositum fuit non ut leges de festis diebus celebrandis sancirent sed ut rectè vivendi rationis pietatis nobis authores essent The Apostles saith Socrates neuer purposed to make lawes for holydaies but to teach vs both by words and writing the way of godlinesse and good liuing And did not the Apostles this especially by vrging and applying the duties of the Morall Law in both Tables vnto Christians both for their persons and callings Reade and consider Rom. 1.2.6.7 12.13 Cap. 1 Tim. 1. 2 Tim. 3. Ephes 5.6 Chapters Moreouer Socrates in the same Chapter complaineth of the Churches of the Gentiles for the breaking of the Morall Law and violating the c Acts 15.20 Apostles Commandement Acts 15. Caeterum nonnulli his neglectis omnem scortationem rem quidem indifferentem arbitrantur sed tamen de diâ—bus sestis tanquam de vita decertant Dei d Vide Iunium de polit Mosis cap. 8. col 1552. praecepta evertunt ipsis sibi leges sanciunt In which words doth he not blame such as professing themselues to be Christians did yet account fornication which is a breach of the seuenth Commandement in the Morall Law to be a thing indifferent and so following their owne lust did ouerthrow Gods Law You haue gained nothing then by your allegation out of Socrates but lost more than you lookt for at his hands And as little haue you got by that which you take from Mr. Perkins againe out of Galat. 4.3 Antinomus who as you say setteth it out very fully What is that which he setteth out so fully The abrogation of the Morall Law If you meane that Answer as that you must meane if you meane to speake to the purpose then you offer him too too hard measure againe to charge him with that he neuer spake and to gather that he neuer scattered Or is it that the Church vnder the Law was but as the Heire in his minority but the Church vnder the
remarkable for the time to come as euer it was vpon the Iewes and euen in the same words This is a rebellious people lying children and that euen for the same reason Because you stand so much against the Law of the Lord. But to proceed yet a little further for your better conuiction and satisfaction in this point If I shall shew you out of the Epistles of the Apostles not only * The Apostle S. Iohn proueth hatred of our Brethren to be a sin because it is a breach of the Morall Law viz. Murther offending against the sixt Commandement and so doth not only proue it but reproue it also 1 Ioh. 3.14 15. as deseruing death and depriuing vs of eternal life So doth Paul also rebuke and threaten Couetousnesse because it is Idolatry a breach of the first Commandement sharpe rebukes as you haue heard some already but some bitter and ironicall taunts many serious and seuere Commandements for auoiding of the sinnes and performing of the duties of the Morall Law many terrible threatnings of dreadfull judgements and curses and that not only by way of allusion but by plaine allegation of the Morall Law If I say I shall shew you all these out of the Epistles will you then honestly and ingenuously confesse your error hauing so boldly affirmed the contrary and so rest satisfied with the truth in this particular Vpon this subject a man might gather enough to fill a Volume and might spend more daies then I can spare houres for this businesse A touch of some and a taste of others shall serue the turne When the Apostle k 1 Cor. 4.8 Paul saw the Corinthians swolne and puffed vp with a vaine and insolent conceit of their owne excellency as now boasting of their gifts and that being now full by their elegant and eloquent Teachers they began as it were to loath the hony combe of the Word in Pauls preaching he wisely labours to let out this winde of vanity with an ironicall and bitter rebuke as sharpe and piercing as the point of a speare or sword Now saith he yee are full now yee are rich now yee haue reigned as Kings without vs we are fooles for Christs sake but yee are wise in Christ l 1 Cor. 4.10 we are weake but yee are strong yee are honourable but we are despised Some m Quintil. Instit Orat. lib. 6. cap. 3. lib. 9. cap. 2. learned men doe hold that this and such like ironicall n Lyra in 1 Cor. 4.8 Ironicè loquitur ut ostendat praesumptionem corum derisibilem derisions are the sharpest and seuerest reprehensions Like vnto that of our Sauiour Christ Mar. 7. where sharply reprouing the ceremonious and superstitious Pharisies for preferring their humane Ordinances before Gods Commandements Full o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rajn Censur praâ—ect 169. See Beza advers Sycoph p. 136. ut Amos. 4 4 â—…e Bethel peccate well saith p Mar. 7.9 10. he doe yee reject the Commandements of God that yee may keepe your owne Traditions For Moses said Honour thy Father and Mother and yee say It is Corban c. Or like vnto that bitter mocke of q 1 King 18.27 Elijah against the worshippers of Baal 1 King 18.27 Cry aloud for he is a God either he is talking or he is pursuing or he is in a journey or peraduenture he sleepeth and must be awaked The same Apostle Paul also warning the Philippians of false Teachers of wicked liuers and of them of the Circumcision that were amongst them doth he not rate such persons as Dogs and scoffingly tearme their Circumcision Concision saying Beware of r Phil. 3.2.3 Dogs beware of euill workers beware of the Concision and doth not the same Apostle giue direction vnto Å¿ Tit. 1.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Titus to muzzell and stop the mouthes of such Dogs and branding the Cretians with reprochfull names by a Verse alleged out of Epimenides one of their owne Poets t Tit. 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Cretians all are liars still bellies slow and beasts ill u Tit. 1.13 He alloweth of this testimony as true and thereupon chargeth Titus to rebuke them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cuttingly or sharply that they may be sound in the faith As if he would haue Titus to vse these sharpe reproofes and reproches as Chirurgions sometimes doe their keene rasors to cut away all brutish and base sinnes as either dead or proud flesh that so they might be cured of their errors and made sound in the knowledge and profession of the Gospell of Christ Iesus By all which bitter taunts sharpe reproches and cutting rebukes any that hath either sight or sense may plainly see and perceiue that all Pauls Epistles are not tempered with such mildnesse as you haue ignorantly and rashly affirmed as if there were not so much as any taste of tartnesse or sharpnesse in them at all But that Paul retaining his x 2 Cor. 13.10 1 Cor. 4.21 Apostolicall liberty sometimes to smite with his rod of rebuke and censure as well as to speake in the spirit of meeknesse did not only himselfe inflamed with holy and heauenly zeale rebuke sharply reproch bitterly and reproue grieuously but did also charge y Tit. 1.13 2 Tim. 4.2 others of Gods Ministers seuerely as occasion should require so to doe And all this he did with a wise heart and mercifull hand to humble the people of God not to discourage them for z 2 Cor. 10.8 13.10 edification not vnto destruction to make them sound in judgement and holy in affection and conuersation Now whereas * Antinomus you say further That there is no forme of Commandement in the Epistles no penalty no vrging of the Morall Law nay not so much as any allusion vnto Moses Law or the Ten Commandements I say no more Answer but let vs search the records and the very sight of the Euidence will I hope conuince your conscience of too much blindnesse and boldnesse in these also Turne me therefore I pray you vnto 1 Tim 6. I a 1 Tim. 6.13 14. giue thee charge in the sight of God who quickneth all things and before Iesus Christ who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession that thou keepe this Commandement without spot vnrebukeable vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ And vnto 2 Tim. 4.1 I b 2 Tim. 4.1 charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quicke and the dead at his appearing and his kingdome Preach the word be instant in season and out of season reproue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and Doctrine See also 2 Tim. 2.14 c 2 Tim. 2.14 Of these things put them in remembrance charging them before the Lord that they striue not about words to no purpose but to the subuerting of the hearers Consider now these places and tell me I pray you if the Apostle doe not in these
3. c Rom. 4.31 Doe we then abrogate the Law by faith God forbid nay rather we establish the Law Rom. 4.31 d Rom. 7.7 12 22 23. See Tertull. vpon these and other places of the Epistle to the Rom. 7. Quia lex peccatum Absit Erubesce Marcion Absit Abhominatur Apostolus criminationem legis ô summum praeconium legis Tertull. aduers Marcion lib. 5. cap. 13. I had not knowne sinne but by the Law for I had not knowne lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not couet wherefore the Law is holy and the Commandement i. the tenth Commandement is holy just and good I delight in the Law of God after the inner man So then in my minde I serue the Law of God but with the flesh the law of sinne Rom. 7.7 12 22 25. Are not these plaine allegations of the Law more than bare allusions And doe not these pregnant Testimonies graciously establish the nature and vse of the Morall Law which you most wickedly goe about to abolish Will you yet see more euident for better satisfaction and assurance Owe nothing to any man saith the Apostle but to loue one another Loue is a Christian duty you will not deny 1 Cor. 13. By what argument or reason doth he presse them hereunto Euen by a sound Argument drawen from Gods Law For he that loueth another hath fulfilled the Law he meaneth partibus non gradibus and what Law he sheweth by reckning vp the seuerall Commandements of the second Table For this saith e Rom. 13.8 9. See Paraeus in Rom. 13.8 9. Aug. de spirit lit cap. 14.21 he Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not steale Thou shalt not beare false witnesse Thou shalt not couet and if there be any other Commandement it is brieflie comprehended in this saying namely Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Loue worketh no ill to his neighbour therefore loue is the fulfilling of the Law May you not now f Erubesce Marc. Abhominatur Apostolus criminationem legis blush at your bold ignorance to say and that with such confidence That in all the Epistles there is not so much as any allusion to the Morall Law or Ten Commandements seeing there is here so expresse mention of the same And what will you say to that exhortation of the Apostle to the Ephesians Children g Ephes 6.1 2. obey your Parents in the Lord for this is right And how doth he enforce this duty and proue the equity of the same Doth he not plainly alledge the first Commandement of the second Table and the promise annexed thereto for this end and purpose saying Honor thy father and mother which is the first Commandement with promise that it may be well with thee and thou maist liue long on the earth The euidence of this one place is such and so sufficient to conuince you of grosse blindnesse in this particular that I will not seeke any further for more lights but only leaue this in your hand and pray that the scales may fall from your eies that you may see the truth by it I come now to the reason which you render of all this Antinomus For it is the goodnesse of God say you that leadeth to repentance Rom. 2.4 c. 2 Pet. 3.9 and not the thundering of the Law To this I answer Answer That the goodnesse of God indeed doth lead vs to repentance according to that which you alledge out of Rom. 2.4 But where you absolutely exclude the thundering of the Law as of no vse nor force in this businesse tell me I pray you what you thinke of the very next verse h Rom. 2.4 5. But thou after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest vp vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and reuelation of the righteous judgement of God who will render to euery man according to his deeds Whether are these any thunderings of the Law or no Euery word hath his weight Wrath of God day of wrath righteous judgement of God just recompence according to the worke so shall the wages be If the goodnesse of God leade vnto repentance doe not these threatnings driue vnto it If the mercies of God moue vs to obedience doe not the terrors of God remoue vs and withdraw vs from impenitency and profanenesse Nay doth not the Apostle in the same place for this very end ioine them both together i Rom. 2.7 8 9 10. Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish vpon euery soule of man that doth euill of the Iew first and also of the Gentile but glory honour and peace to euery man that worketh good to the Iew first and also to the Gentile As for that which * Antinomus you alledge also out of 2 Pet. 3.9 The long suffering of the Lord to vs ward 2 Pet. 3.9 not willing that any should perish but that all shall come to repentance I acknowledge it as a point of the mercy and truth of God Answer But whereas you would haue this long suffering to be the only meanes without all threatnings or terrors to bring vs to this repentance looke backe I pray you to the k 2 Pet. 3.5 6 7. 5 6 7. verses of the same Chapter and be not willingly ignorant of the judgements of God there mentioned by the ouerflowing of waters whereby the Old world perished and by the burning and flaming fire whereunto this world is reserued against the day of judgement and perdition of vngodly men And looke forwards also to the very next words following viz. l 2 Pet. 3.10 But the day of the Lord will come as a theefe in the night in which the heauens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with feruent heat the earth also and the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp And tell me whether these threatnings of the Day of the Lord be not as terrible as the lightnings and thunderings at the giuing of the Law the seeing and hearing whereof made m Exod. 19. Heb. 12.18 19 21. Moses to say I exceedingly feare and tremble And if you thinke these be not vrged to leade vs or draw vs to repentance then consider I beseech you what vse and application the Apostle makes hereof euen vnto all the faithfull in the words following n 2 Pet. 3.11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolued what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conuersation and godlinesse Now for conclusion of this point Let vs heare how the Author to the Hebrewes doth vrge vs To prouoke one another to loue and to good workes This he doth not only by the boldnesse or liberty which we haue to enter into the Holiest by the o Heb. 10.19 bloud of Iesus but also by the p Heb. 10.27 looking for of judgement and fiery indignation
Act. 2.17 18. of knowledge in their mindes and much greater power of grace in their hearts h Heb. 8.10 11. and liues than euer the Iewes that first had it written in Tables of stone had For proofe whereof if other Scriptures were silent yet those which you produce for your selfe will speake enough to serue my turne Rom. 7.14 and 3.19 and 9.4 5 6 7 8. Hebr. 1.2 2. For if the Morall Law be i Rom. 7.14 spirituall if it k Rom. 3.19 conuince the whole world as guilty before God if it belong vnto the true l Rom. 9.4 5 6 7 8. Israel the children of Abraham Rom. 9.6 7. compared with Hebr. 8.10 and if God hath in these last daies spoken m Heb. 1.1 2. more plainly and opened his will more effectually by his Sonne as the Scriptures you alledge beare witnesse with me then haue we that are beleeuers of the Gentiles the Morall Law of God both in a clearer light of n 1 Ioh. 2.27 knowledge in our mindes and in a greater o Phil. 1.9 10 11. power of grace in our hearts and liues than euer the body of the people of the p See Muscul loc com de leg cap. de lege spiritus Vrsin de lege diuina p. 278 279. Iewes had which if it be true then haue you spunne a faire threed who drawing out a line and twisting a cord to binde the Morall Law vpon the Iewes only haue before you were aware made them both of that length and strength that they reach vnto and binde it vpon the Gentiles also I come now vnto the Testimonies of learned men whose names and writings you pretend for your cause and peruert to your owne purpose as being of the same minde and wrapt in the same error with you That the Morall Law was giuen to the Iewes only But take heed whilst you beare men in hand that you haue witnesse from them lest vpon due search you your selfe be found to beare false witnesse against them Let vs make triall of your dealing with some of the most judicious and religious of them And first for Caluine I haue read the Epistle q Calu. Epist 58. That Christ is the end of the Law but as you cite no sentence so can I finde no syllable to proue that the Morall Law was giuen to the Iewes only he that must finde out what you set him to seeke especially in so large a field had need to plow with your heifer and to haue some more particular markes of your meaning to lead him thereunto But although I found not what I sought yet in seeking I found what I there sought not viz. That Caluine speaking of the Ceremonies and Sacrifices of the Law hath these words Lex nihil adduxit ad pèrfectionem tantum instar r Gal. 3.24 paedagogi dirigebat deducebat ad Christum qui legis ipsius finis Å¿ Rom. 10.4 est complementum vt tradit Apostolus Now it may be that you finding these words in Caluine that Christ is the end of the Law did imagine that Christ had made an vtter end of the Morall as well as of the Ceremoniall Law either not knowing or not obseruing that there is an * Christus finis perficiens non interficiens Aug. in Ioh. Tract 55. end of accomplishment as well as an end of abolishment Christ hath both accomplished and abolished the Ceremoniall Law the Morall Law he hath accomplished but not abolished That which t See Calu. Ep. 58. was imperfect in both touching the Legall Couenant for righteousnesse by the workes of both is abolished in both and only perfected in him who for righteousnesse is the end of both CHRIST IESVS to all that beleeue in his name Rom. 10.4 Vpon which place u Paraeus in Rom. 10.14 Paraeus hath these words Consensâ—… legis Christi hinc apparet errant qui putant legem repugnare Christo Christum abolâ—… legem Hence appeareth saith he the consent of the Law and Christ and they are deceiued that thinke the Law is contrary vnto Christ or that Christ doth abolish the Law Antinomus Your next quotation of Caluine Rom. 3.19 telleth vs That whereas the Iewes would needs put off all those rebukes and threats of the Law from themselues vnto the Gentiles the Apostle doth there apply the Law to them particularly x Calu. in Rom. 3.19 Ne ad solas Gentes restringant quae in ipsos promiscuè competunt Lest they should restraine vnto the Gentiles only those things which did belong vnto them both together Answer Now as there the Iewes were blamed for restraining the Law vnto the Gentiles so are you here to be rebuked for restraining the Law vnto the Iewes only especially out of this place where the Law is said to y Rom. 3.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stop euery mouth i. to conuince both Iewes and Gentiles of sinne in such a manner as that they can haue nothing to plead for their clearing or just defence and not only so but to hold fast the whole world as liable to Gods curse for the breach of it If you haue aduisedly read the other z Calu. Instit lib. 2. cap. 1. sect 1. li. 2. cap. 11. sect 11. places and Chapters of Caluine Instit lib. 2. cap. 1. lib. 2. nay if you haue but read the very contents of the Chapters and 13.14.16 and 17. sections you cannot but sinne against knowledge and conscience too in citing these places as making for you which stand in open force and fight against you For albeit Caluine doth acknowledge that both the Morall and Ceremoniall Law were giuen vnto the Iewes which no man doth deny yet doth he not say that the Morall Law was giuen vnto the Iewes only which is that which you affirme And although he grant as we doe that the Ceremoniall Law is now by Christ abolished yet doth he manifestly proue that the Morall Law doth yet continue and retaine some speciall force a See Bez. Theol. Ep. Ep. 20. p. 103.104 and vse still which is that which you deny I referre you to the same Booke of his b Calu. Instit lib. 2. cap. 7. sect 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. Institutions which you alledge and section 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. of the seuenth Chapter c Ad Sacramenta pertinent Circumcisio carnis Sabbatum temporale neomenia Ad mores autem non occides non machaberis Augustine in Galat. 3. hath nothing that I can finde to proue that the Morall Law was giuen to the Iewes only something he hath to the cleane contrary For distinguishing the workes of the Law into Ceremoniall and Morall d Nunquid ergo potest Apostolus non curare c. Aug. in Gal. 3. he demandeth whether the Apostle could as little care whether a Christian were a murtherer an adulterer whether he were chaste and innocent as he careth
vtterly abolished Is there any sinewes or joints nay is there any life or soule in this Argument What if the Law were giuen as a b Gal. 3.24 Schoolemaster to the Iewes is therefore the Morall Law of no force nor vse to vs Christians of the Gentiles But I demand what Law is it which you say was instituted as a Schoolemaster vnto the Iewes If you say the Ceremoniall we grant that it was a Schoolemaster not only teaching obscurely by signes and sacrifices types and figures that c Tota Legis Occonomia rudis quaedam erat disciplina rudibus conaeniens Beza in rude people of the Iewes in their non-age to looke vnto Christ to come but also conuincing and condemning them seuerely of all manner of sinne and keeping them continually vnder the rod and whip in d Gal. 4.3 the bondage of seruants as an heire in his minority is vnder sharpe e Gal. 4.1 Caluin Jnstit li. 2. ca. 11. sect 2.5 tutors and gouernors though he be lord of all that so they might be driuen to looke and long for the time of release and liberty in Christ appointed by the Father If you meane the Morall Law we doe not deny but for the manner of deliuery measure of obedience forme of Legall Couenant rigour in exacting terror in threatning and seuerity in accusing and condemning as it was in Moses hand the f 2 Cor. 3.7 9. ministery of condemnation and a killing letter it was then to the Iewes a sharpe and seuere g Gal. 3.24 Schoolemaster to driue them vnto Christ Iesus not directly as teaching pointing out or promising Christ vnto them but indirectly and as it were occasionally forcing them by h Ioh. 3.14 sorrow and feare and despaire of their owne righteousnesse for obtaining life by the Law to cast about and seeke for some remedy and releefe elsewhere as sicke men enquire for a i Matt. 9.12 Physitian and such as are wounded seeke for a Chirurgion which because it could no where be found vnder heauen but k Act. 4.10 11 12. See Calu. de usu Legis in Harmo in 4. lib. Mos p. 442.443 only in Christ Iesus they were occasioned by the Law to flie vnto the Gospell and enforced as it were to appeale from Moses vnto CHRIST resting and relying vpon him alone who hath l Mal. 4.3 healing vnder his wings for m Luk. 4.18 binding vp all their n Ad justitiam Christi lex moralis homines revocabat ut ad medicum Bez. in Rom. 3.21 wounds and curing all spirituall maladies and miseries whatsoeuer And thus also for the substance though not for euery circumstance according to the Iewish Paedagogie the Morall Law as we haue often said before hath yet in the Church of Christ some speciall vse and office still and that not only for the wicked to humble them but euen for the godly to conuince them to rebuke them to stirre them and spurre them vp to all holy duties and to teach and instruct them what to doe and what to leaue vndone euen after they are called to beleeue and liue in Christ Iesus To this purpose o Luth. on Gal. 3.24 See Calu. summa legis in Harmo in 4. lib. Mos p. 440.441 Luther speaketh most excellently vpon Gal. 3.24 The Law was our Schoolemaster vnto Christ The Law doth not only terrifie and torment as the foolish Schoolemaster beateth his schollers and teacheth them nothing but with his rods he driueth vs vnto Christ like as a good Schoolemaster instructeth and exerciseth his schollers in reading and writing to the end they may come to the knowledge of good letters and other profitable things that afterwards they may haue delight in doing of that which before being constrained vnto they did against their wils and a little after he addeth The true vse of the Law is to teach me that I aâ—…â—…rought to the knowledge of my sinne and humbled that so I may come vnto Christ and be justified by faith c. That which you alledge out of p August de Doctr. Christi cap. 6. August de Doct. Christ cap. 6. helpeth you nothing in this businesse for he speaketh only of the Iewish Paedagogie in their Sacrifices and Ceremonies which their estate he calleth servitutem custodiam tanquam sub paedagogo puerorum and tearmeth their Ceremonies signa saying they were signa quae temporaliter erant imposita servientibus And what is this to the abrogation of the Morall Law q Beza in Gal. 3.23 4.1 3. againe abused Puerilis est jactantiae accusando illustres homines nomini suo famam quarere Hieron Ep. 13. Beza you doe abuse againe he mentioneth the Ceremoniall Law only in both places Gal. 3.23 and Gal. 4.1.3 Nunc eandem Ceremonialem Legem confiderans ut Euangelicarum promissionum umbram figuram docet illam quoque hoc respectu cessasse quam comparat cum paedagogo postea cum tutore Gal. 4.1 And will you inferre vpon this Beza saith The Ceremeniall Law which to the Iewes was a Schoolemaster and Tutor vnto Christ is now ceased Ergo The Morall Law is vtterly abolished since the death of Christ The place of Mr. Perkins Galath 3.23 hath beene cleared before let me now stop your mouth once for all for euer mentioning Mr. Perkins name as being of your opinion for the vtter abolishing of the Morall Law and I will not goe far to fetch a stoppell but euen to the other side of the leafe which you haue quoted r Perk. on Gal. 3.23 Seeing faith is now come saith he it may be demanded what is the guard whereby we are kept now Answ The precepts of the Morall Law The sayings of the wise are as nailes and stakes fastened to range men in the compasse of their duties Eccles 12.11 If this stoppell will not serue your mouth is huge wide till you send me the measure of it I shall not fit it right to serue your turne Antinomus Vnto your eighth ninth and tenth short Arguments I will make no long answer Argument 8 9 10. they being all of one nature may receiue one manner of satisfaction and resolution The * Aug. ad Bonif. cont duas Epist Pelag. lib. 3. cap. 4. Law of Moses as it was giuen vnto the Iewes in the letter for the outward forme of Legall Couenant in Mount Sinai Answer is resembled to Hagar that bringeth forth children vnto bondage as she did Ismael and being giuen in such horror and terror bestoweth nothing but the spirit of feare vpon her children And in this regard we say It is the old and no part of the new Couenant See Muscul loc Com. de Discrim Veteris Nov. Iestam that is of the Gospell which on the contrary bringeth forth children vnto spirituall liberty as Sarah did Izaacke and bestoweth vpon them the spirit of Adoption making them heires of promise and fellow-heires annexed with Christ Iesus But what is
spirituall vses confirmed by Christ and continued by his Apostles for the good of Christs Church euen vnto the worlds end Now if you thinke that all that hath beene said and done be not nor cannot be of any such force with you as to conuince you of error or to confirme this truth it may be herein the fault will proue rather yours than mine For as Non est Oratoris persuadere sed dicere quae ad persuadendum sunt idonea It is not required of an Orator to perswade but to deliuer such things as in themselues may be fit and auailable for perswading So neither can it be required of an Answerer to satisfie a wrangling Disputer but to giue what may serue for a sufficient satisfaction to his insufficient objection Ezeckiel is commanded to speake Ezek. 3.4.7 euen though Israel will not heare And Paul doth charge Titus Tit. 1.9.10 to endeuour by some doctrine and exhortation to be able to conuince the gainsayers and to stop the mouthes of such as are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnruly vaine-talkers and deceiuers subuerting whole houses and teaching things they ought not for filthy lucre sake Vpon like occasion and in a matter not much vnlike I held my selfe charged after the same manner to endeuour according to my ability to conuince you of this your error and to stop your mouth if it may be which you haue opened so wide against the truth with the witnesses and with the word of Truth And this was I after a sort enforced to attempt because I knew you had laboured by speaking and writing if not for filthy lucre yet for foolish humour sake things which you ought not not only to corrupt the mindes of the simple by words of deceit but to subuert the hearts and houses of some of my neerest and dearest friends with a great and pompous shew of reading and learning which had they not formerly beene better instructed and established in the true knowledge of Gods Word both Law and Gospell might easily haue bred some distraction in their mindes and trouble in their hearts Pudet haec opprobria nobis dici potuisse non potuisse refellâ—… I may truly say I held it both sinne and shame that so opprobrious things should be objected against the holy Law of God and put into the bosomes of good and gracious people as a parcell of Gods truth and a pledge of your loue and not to be resisted by some encounter August Bonis Epist 23. and refuted by some answer to the same Respondi sicut existimo quaestionibus tuis saith S. Augustine to Bonifacius quantum attinet ad minus capaces ad contentiosos non satis quantum autem ad pacatos intelligentes plus fortè quà m sat est Let me speake vnto you in almost the same words I haue answered as I thinke your positions and oppositions against the Morall Law of God for such as are lesse capable and such as are contentious not sufficiently enough neither for length nor strength but for such as are tractable and teachable peraduenture more than enough for both And here if the length of my answer procure me any blame either with you or other of my friends seeing your Pamphlet was but short which drew the same from me I must plead my just defence as Augustine did his to the same Bonifacius requiring a briefe answer to some hard questions proposed vnto him His literis saith he lectis relectis recordatus sum Nebridium amicum meum qui valdè oderat de quaestione magna responsionem brevem In like manner hauing read ouer and ouer againe your short Pamphlet and seeing the question was great and quotations many and large though your paper was not much nor long I could not abide to frame a short answer nay I must needs frame a long August Epist 23. ad Bonif. to so large and great a question and that for the same reason which moued Nebridius so to desire an answer at length in such a case Because in matters obscure ad pietatis doctrinam maximè pertinentibus especially appertaining to the Doctrine of piety as this of the Morall Law especially doth he that would diligently search and see into them had need to enlarge himselfe and hold that course Concerning your last Will and Testament and the light that it bringeth to your second section Zanch. in Hos I referre you to Zanchius in Hoseam where you shall finde the like Simile and withall a paire of snuffers to top your light that it may burne more clearly And if that will not serue you may haue Torchlight from Caluine which I will now put into your hands before I leaue you you may see how loth I am to leaue you in the darke whereby you may once more be admonished of your error and the danger of it and haue light enough to lead you vnto the truth and prouoke you also to the entertaining and embracing of it Speaking of the sweetnesse and lightsomnesse of the Morall Law vnto all that can doe as Dauid did i. finde and apprehend Christ the Mediator in the same He addeth these words Quod discernere dum imperiti quidam nesciunt Caluin Instit lib. 2. cap. 7. sect 12.13 totum Mosen animosè explodunt duasque legis tabulas valere jubent quia scilicet Christianis alienum esse arbitrantur adhaerere doctrinae quae mortis administrationem continet Which different office and vse of the Law saith Caluine whiles some ignorant persons know not how to discerne they doe boldly and couragiously hisse out all Moses Law and bid farewell to the two Tables of the Morall Law because forsooth they thinke it strange for Christians to cleaue vnto that Doctrine which containeth the administration of death or damnation in it Mutato nomine de te fabula narratur You may view your face in this glasse and take euery word home with you to your owne house and withall take I pray along with you what he addeth in detestation of this your opinion Caluin Instit lib. 2. cap. 7. sect 13. Facessat longe ex animis nostris profana istac opinio Let this profane opinion be farre remoued from our mindes And consider seriously I beseech you of that which he speaketh so resolutely for the establishing of the Morall Law as well as in the commendation of the vse of it Quod si absolutum saith he in ea justitiae exemplar eminere nemo inficietur aut nullam esse nobis rectè justeque vivendi regulam oportet aut ab ea nefas est discedere But if saith Caluine no man can deny but that in the Morall Law there is manifestly to be seene a most absolute patterne of righteousnesse either we must haue no rule at all of right and just liuing or it is great wickednesse to depart from the Morall Law Certainly me thinks to a reasonable and ingenuous man this might be sufficient satisfaction for embracing the truth and relinquishing of so vnsound and vnsauoury an opinion I could compasse you about with a cloud of witnesses to this purpose But it must be euen this Law of God written in your heart by the finger of Gods Spirit which through the power and grace of Christ shall helpe to illighten your eies to see the beauty and conuert your soule to feele the vertue euen of this Morall Law of God which you now so oppose and oppugne which I doubt not but in due time the Lord will doe if as I hope you doe you belong vnto him Meanewhile we will pray for you and wait in patience to see if peraduenture the Lord may giue you repentance to the acknowledging of the truth 2 Tim. 2.25 26. that when you shall haue recouered your selfe out of this snare of Satan and we shall heare or see that he which persecuted the Law in times past doth now publish and professe obedience thereunto we with other of Gods children that wish you well in Christ may be prouoked by your light which may shine in the workes of loue the summe of the Law Gal. 1.23.24 to reioice in your recouery and to glorifie God in youre behalfe FINIS