G. is one of those who rests satisfied with a partial and outward Observation of things making void or at least deâ—lining the weightier Matters of the Law since he suggests that an Endeavour is enough without keeping them But of the Difference of the Times and States under the Law and Gospel in Manifestation and Power he sayes nothing whatever he knows for that would cross his Interest groâ—nded on this Kingdom of Sin in putting an entire â—nd to it But how can he without Hypocrisie say in the Lord's Prayer Thy Kingdom come Thy Wâ—ll be done in Earth as it is in Heaven whilst he is so far from believing it and promoting it that he sets himself to oppose it and dispute against it And how can the doing of God's Will in Earth as it 〈◊〉 Heaven stand with Praying for Forgiveness of Sins all their Life long What doth this but over-turn the whole Condition of the Gospel Unless thou takest up my Cross and follow me thou canst not be my Diâ—iple He is not I perceive for being Baptized with the Baptisâ— Christ was baptized with nor for 〈◊〉 of that bitter Cup he drank of He is rather for 〈◊〉 himself and others asleep in this pernicious Hope That Christ 〈◊〉 taken up the Câ—â—ss been baptized and drank that bitter Cup for them and so they need not do it over again otherwise he would not dare hold and maintain such a Continuance of Imperfection as he doth He is not of the Apostle's Mind that prayed for a Sanctification of the then Believers not in part but throughout in Body Soul and Spirit God will bring down this Kingdom and it shakes already Pag. 11. As to his Reconciliation with God in his Continuation in Sin they are inconsistent considered in the same Degree So that we may truly say Whilst there is no Separation from Sin there is no Reconciliation with God but if there be separation from Sin in some measure there is Reconciliation with God in some measure As separated so reconciled perfectly separated perfectly reconciled As we â—ee in natural things so full of Air so empty of all else But he makes A. P. to say till a Man be perfectly separate from Sin he is altogether out of Reconciliation with God but proves it not nor indeed is such Doctrine provable out of his Book Whereas he sayes God's Commandments do not show Man's Power If he mean the Power that is given of God to Man it is false for that were to make God unjust and an Hard Master for where ever God commands it follows that he hath given Power to do And where he is not obeyed it is a Sign that that Power is withstood lost or taken away and man hardeâ—ed through Disobedience And without that Principle of Faith and Love which only fulfills the Law to think that a Man may be justified by a meer Performance of outward Observations is as impossible and absurd as if a man should think one should rather live by Virtue of outward Rayment or Apparel then by Breath and substantial Nourishment God gave such a Measure of his Spirit to the 〈◊〉 thaâ— if they had loved and followed it and not been stiff necked they might have continued in the Obedience to all things that were written in the Book of the Law to do them unless God commanded Impossibiâ—ties and in that Way that they were commanded them to 〈◊〉 to separate them from the 〈◊〉 And they if they had been thankful and glorified God by their Obedience to what they kneâ— of him had not been given up to a Reprobate Senâ—e and if they had followed the Goodneâ—s of God leading to â—epentance from time to time and had not had an impenitent Heart they had received according to their Deeds Glory Honour and Peace for if it be given to the good Gentile then surely to the good Jew And if the Jews in Christ's Day had not brought forth Wild Grapes and been like their Fore-Fathers that rebell'd against God's good Spirit under Pretence of magnifying the Scriptures and contending for the Faith of their Fathers they had not been blinded like them nor the Vineyard taken from them nor theirs laid waste As for Phil. 3. 12. Not as though I had already attained or were already Perfect It proves not that Paul was not clear from Sinning but that he had not yet perfected or finished his Course so as to have kept the Faith to the End to be out of Danger to miss of the Reward as he was afterwards as appears plainly by the Comparison he useth of a Course He doth not say as this man would have him That some that were Perfect were otherwise minded But these that were Perfect had a perfect Understanding of those things that were in Difference among them of which he speaks in that Chapter about the Concifion as he terms it diminutively and Righteousness of the Law and Preheminence sought by it without the Righteousness of Christ which they had perverted and sleighted being Dogs making their Bâ—lly their God and minding Earthly Things and glorying in their Shame being Evil Workers of whom he bid them beware To his Sinning through alwayes needing more Grace He that is capable of receiving more and refuseth resisteth it sinneth but to use his own Similitude A Little One as Christ calls some of his that hath but a little Heart yet if he give it all to God he can do no more he sinneth not but fulfills the Law The Hebrews were chid because they had not improved their time which if they had done they had not sinned Peter and the Rest of the Apostles were in that manner of Speech taught and instructed of the Power and Efficaâ—y of Faith in its extent which they should receive after they were indued with Power from on high which they were commanded to wait for that had they neglected they had sinned and to expect it before the time as for a Child to aspire to the things of a man is the part of much Heat and Confidence and is good to be discountenanced sometimes though not alwayes to be disliked Not to be at present what they are exhorted to be for the future to make that Transgression is to set Transgression in order of time before the Law whereas where there is no Law there is no Transgression for Sin is the Transgression of the Law that is known To him that knoweth to do Good and doth it not to him it is Sin but in the time of Ignorance God winkes The Corinthians were exhorted to be in understanding perfect as the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies To accuse them of Imperfection and so of Sin because then Children and in their Minority though born of God in John's sense were to accuse not only the Saints departed but all the Angels of Sin because they have not attained to that Measure of Wisdom that God is upon
his Principle for his Argument implies as if there were no End of needing of Grace I wonder he has forgotten his School Distinction of a quo ad quem for men may be perfect from Sin and not perfectly grown up to the Wisdom and Knowledge of all the Weighty Mysteries of the Gospel For his Notion of Sanctification and Purification I say Where the Conscience is not defiled it is purified and men are sanctified or dedicated to God by the Truth and the Belief and Obedience of it and there is no sinning else how Temples and Tabernacles for God to dwell and be worshipt in For the Place he brings that men must sin because they are men he might better have given that Reason for the Devil 's sinning because he is a Devil for sinning is not man's State as man though in joyning with the Devil he may Sin as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies being potential and so Pagninus renders it by peccet but he makes use of a bad Translation his Holy Ghost as his words imply to countenance his bad Conclusion That because they may Sin therefore they must sin See more in D. Gell's Essay to the Translation of the Bible p. 762 768 772. Because David Psal 19. thought it a hard Matter for him or those in his Condition at that time to understand their Errors from the Law of Moses those Statutes and Precepts c. which through Neglect they might be ignorant of and therefore there was a Sacrifice appointed for a Propitiation and Prayers for Cleansing from them v. 12. And because the Psalmist Psal 130. being in the Deep by reason of Iniquity prayed for Forgiveness vers 3 4. And because the Apostle James saith In many things we sin all he concludes that not only David but the Apostles to in their best Condition even to their Death did sin and that James was a Curser to his Death because he said with the Tongue curse we men taking Advantage of these Holy Men to make them Offenders for their Words But what good Man will believe him No wonder if he traduce the Quakers and pervert their words when he is one of them that David speaks of that wrests his words and imagines Evil of him And for any thing we know for we cannot take his words without Quotation he may as much wrong or wrest those Passages out of Origen Theophylact Chrysostom Ambrose and the Protestant Writers that he sayes he has read about 〈…〉 which is for Destruction it self In my Mind the Deâ—il may more fitly be said to correct it For if they that are Dead have ceasâ—d from Sin then the Damned shall not blaspheme God or else their Blasphemy is not Sin which Protestant Writers say not nor the Fathers ever taught But Grotius a famous Portestant Writer interprets it thus That as the Dead return not 〈◊〉 their former Life so neither he that is truly Dead to Sin 〈…〉 his former Life again And Zegerus another saith 〈◊〉 is being 〈…〉 from Sinning so that he may not sin unless he well But this man would have it as if Paul meant that Bodily Death took away the Possibility of sinning and Life the Possibility of not Sinning However he acknowledges that by the Death of the Body of Sin is meant the Separation of Sin from a man and being freed from Sin aâ—d ceasing from sinning yet sayes that in Rom. 6. there is not a word to dâ—hort them not to suffer any Sin to be in them But how can a man let Sin be in him and he not sin For it is not a Sin to be tempted but to enter into the Temptation He that ceases from sinning ceases from Sin and whensoever any yields to obey Sin then he is the Servant of Sin Can any man commit a Sin but he is captivated under the Power of it And therefore in that Condition Paul cryed out as a Distressed Captive for Deliveranâ—â— from the Body of Death not from the Natural 〈◊〉 for before that was dissolved he said I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith that is He had endured to the End and arriveâ— at Perfection Eâ—asmus saith It was in the Person of 〈◊〉 which the Apostle spoak in Rom. 7. And Gretius on the some place will not have it Paul's Condition when he wrote the Epistle to the Româ—ns It is to be noted sayes he that Paul speaks in the first Person not that he deals concerning himself but for Modesty's sake he had rather so express odious things which he calls to transfer in a Figure 1 Cor. 4. 6. so in 1 Cor. 6. 12 15. chap. 10. 29 30. chap. 13. 2. Gal. 2. 18. Chrysostom ad 1 Cor. 12. sayes He takes heavy things on his own Person Hieron ad Daniel Because he is one of the People he reckons their Sins in his own Person which also we read the Apostle did in the Epistle to the Romans But this man interpreting it the Death of the Body instead of the Body of Death first gives a Reason why Sin must be destroyed by the Death of the Body namely because it entered by the Conjunction and Vnion of the Soul with the Body but that he proves not and it were to disprove himself in pag. 8. For there he saith The Light is Reason wherewith God hath endued man's Soul and is a Natural Gift that comes by Generation How then say I is it conjoyned and united to it if it be generated with it for so 't is one with it Are there two Generations one of the Body and another of the Soul one with Sin and another without it and the latter united to the former that it may receive Sin and say A Body hast thou prepared me O God to do not thy Will on Earth as it is in Heaven but the Will of the Devil that at my first Entrance into it and during my Continuance in it I may alwayes do thy Enemy some Service who must have a place allowed him in it as long as it lives Is not this blasphemous and contrary to the Scripture which sayes He that defiles the Temple of God him will God destroy I would fain know of S. G. how the Man of Sin got entrance to defile this Temple if it was not through the Mind by entring that with his Temptation of becoming as God knowing Good and Evil which was sometime after that God had breathed into Man the Breath of Life If he sayes it was as inevitably he must then will it follow that sin came not by Conjunction of Soul and Body as he teaches but after that Conjunction and so his Reason for Death's destroying of Sin which implies the necessity of sinning til men dye is quite overturned Besides how can a House of Clay a lifeless Lump of Earth be capable of Pollution any wayes but by him or them that inhabit or enter it as becoming his or their Organ Instrument or Habitation
URIM AND THUMMIM Or the Apostolical Doctrines OF LIGHT AND PERFECTION MAINTAINED Against the Opposite Plea of Samuel Grevill a Pretended Minister of the Gospel in his Ungospel-like Discourse against a Book entituled A Testimony of the Light Within anciently writ by Alexander Parker By W. P. This then is the Message which we have heard of him and declare unto you that God is LIGHT and in him is no Darkness at all If we say that we have Fellowship with him and walk in Darkness we Lye and do not the Truth But if we WALK in the Light AS HE IS in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from ALL Sin 1 John 1. 5 6 7. Printed in the Year 1674. THE EPISTLE Candid Reader SInce it hath pleased the Everlasting God to visit a poor despised People in this Nation with a more direct immediate and clear Sight Sence and Knowledge of him then heretofore they had by the Shinings of his Eternal Light and Spirit in their Hearts thereby giving them a true Discerning of the Ways and Worships that have been in the World which gender towards meer Outside and lifeless Formality and of that Pure Straight and Narrow Way that stands in the Power of God and holy Life of Righteousness many very many have been their Tryals Exercises and deep Sufferings and that of Slandering them and their most precious Faith has not been the least in their Eye for by that Practice hath the Enemy of Christ's Kingdom cast such Mists and Vails over the Truth as have obscured the divine Beauty and Excellency of it from the Sight of People insomuch that some have dreaded nothing more then the Reception of that Principle which bears true and faithful Witness for God in their own Consciences It is cryed down for Insufficient by such as never tryed the Power and Efficacy of it and termed a Natural and Dim Light though It discovereth and instructeth Man in and about Spiritual and Supernatural Things O that they would obey this Day of small things and remember that Obedience is far better then Sacrifice How much is there of the latter But how little O how very little of the former What Degeneracy is there among all Professions Their Tenderness is withdrawing their Greenness withering apace with the former do they earnestly contend as the Jews of old against the very Power and Life of Godliness and see not that the God of the World has entered those Out-sides of Religion wherein perhaps the Lord may formerly in Condescension have appeared that he might lead them nearer to the Substance it self and for want of a true favoring Spirit in this Matter Millions are deluded yea so far as therein and therewith to oppose a more clear and heavenly Appearance of God to the Sons of Men thus do they resist the Visitations of God's Love to their Souls and reject their own Mercies Oh that an inquiring tender Spirit were more generally raised in the Hearts of People that they would consider our Relation to the latter dayes how much it concerns them in these New Covenant Times to be in Covenant with God which it is utterly impossible those should ever be who rebel against the Light by which he has visited them with daily Reproof and Instruction I have given him said the Lord of his Son for a Light to lighten the Gentiles and for my Salvation to the Ends of the Earth This is that true Light which enlightens the Souls of all as John testified and the Nations of them that are saved must walk therein Come let us walk in the Light of the Lord. This Measure of Light leads to God who is Light and this Measure of Grace and Truth guides the Soul unto him who is full of Grace and Truth where Salvation is known and plentious Redemption witnessed Blessings and Praises be to his Name forever Reader This Controversie begun by S. Grevill who calls himself a Minister of the Gospel near Banbury though briefly handled is of great Weight for it consists of two fundamental Doctrines of the Gospel and indeed the very Bottom of our Testimony viz. Christ's Manifestation of himself in the Hearts of his Children and the End of that Manifestation namely To make and End of Sin destroy the Works of the Devil finish Transgression and bring in everlasting Righteousness John 1. 3 5 8. Dan. 9. 24. These two Principles or rather Christ Jesus within the Principle and his Work compleat Redemption are lately opposed by S Gâ— as laid down by Alexander Parker in a Book by him set forth about Seventeen Years since This is a sober Consideration and I hope a plain Enervation of his utmost Force in Defence of those Evangelical New Covenant Doctrines I recommend it to God's Witness in thy Conscience who will judge Righteous Judgment whose Servant I am in Body Soul and Spirit and whom dare not but confess and vindicate before men W. P. A General Defence of the LIGHT WITHIN by way of Introduction THough there be no Passage or Proposition to be found from one End of holy Scripture to the other more clearly laid down then that in John 1. 9. That was the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World yet so strong hath been the Envy and so subtil the Endeavours of the Prince of Darkness as scarcely any one place hath been more wrested and abused on purpose to hinder Mankind from minding the Manifestations of it and yielding all ready Obedience to it as the way appointed of God to Eternal Life and Salvation Some will have it to be a Natural Light though it be the very Life of that Word which is God over all blessed forever and wrapt up within those Verses which only concern his Eternal Power and Godhhead Others will have it read thus Not that he enlightens all Mankind but that all who are enlightened are enlightened by him thereby not only narrowing and wronging the Text but rendring God so partial and injust to his Creatures as to cause his Light of Righteousness to arise on some without ever visiting the greatest part of Mankind with so much as a Day of Salvation though he sayes He would not the Death of any but rather that all should Repent and come to the Knowledge of the Truth There is a third sort that will needs have it understood not of any Illumination by a Divine Light or Spirit but the Life Christ lived and the Doctrine he preached when visibly in the World which neither reacheth the hundredth part of Mankind nor can be consistent with the Nature of that Part of John's History which wholely relates to his Divinity or what he was before he took Flesh 'T is true Christ was the Light of the World in that very Appearance and shined forth by his Heavenly Doctrine and Self denying Life a most holy Example yet not so as the exclude himself from
as S. G. well sayes Their conceited Light was Darkness They walked in Darkness and so participated or partook not of the Benefit and Blessing of the Light but it shined in the Darkness uncomprehended There was Light but it was not risen upon him or no Morning risen in him as the Words may be rendred Is there no Sun in the Firmament because Men that are blind or shut their Eyes cannot or will not see it Or I a School-Master Unlearned or Insufficient because any of his Lads play truant and neglect his Reproof Instruction Or Is it reasonable for any of us to say that such Schollars have no School-Master because they are idle and regard not their Book notwithstanding his daily Checks and Reprehensions of them Or Can they be said to have no Lesson because they neglect to get it In short Christ is the great Priest Prophet King Judge and Law-Giver under the new Covenant He is the Shepherd that daily overlooks and feeds his Flock and such as know not him so revealed in them to be the very Hope of their Glory are in a reprobate Estate And how he should be within and not be Light who is the true Light it self from whom all they that have Divine Light received it will lye on S. G's Part to show And so far are we from lessening the Scriptures hereby That they are they which testifie of Christ to be the true Light that enlightens all And with their holy Record have we great Unity and our Souls bless God for them and the Benefit we have received and yet do in reading of them through the Revelation of his holy Spirit without which they are but a sealed Book as well said learned Bishop Jewel against Harding p. 532 534. In p. 7. he would set these as Contraries Great Light No Light as without a Medium so argues Because Great Light was before denyâ—d to the Ephes 2. 12. therefore they had no Light and so make as if God had left himself without a Witness amongst them which is a worse State then the Lycaonians who had a sense of his Wiâ—dom Power and Goodness from his visible Works which outward Witness had been Insufficient without an inward Witness to joyn with it and evidence it more â—â—esly unto them No better Success had the Preaching of the Gospel had among the Ephesians without it which because their Light in time of their Ignorance of these things which then in due Time God revealed unto them in a great Measure did not teach it being too high for their State Therefore by his Consequence they had none nor any before that Time For the Mystery was hid from Ages and Generations that then was made manifest to his Saints for if they had as he seems to reason it would have taught them Baptism Supper c. Nay further as he argues All the Opinions that the Episcopalians and Presbyterians hold Common Prayer or Directory whether you will and not only to Thou and Thee Magistrates as they did alwayes but to stir up People for them or against them as serve their own Interest It is true indeed an Outward Literal Knowledge of these Things by the â—â—elp of Literature as Men now have them the Jews and Gentâ—les had not for they were not written as they are now with Ink but with the Spirit in the Heart and they resisting that could not know him outwardly because though they knew the Words and Sentences yet they knew not the Voices and Senses of the Prophets but looked for a Conquerâ—r like David as the Gentiles like Jupiter c. And why may not Men now with their Light he speaks of mistake the Scriptures of the New as they then did of the Old Testament as he saith the Quakers may do with theirs unless he can prove that his Light is the true one because he sayes it is Natural Reason and the Quakers false because they maintain it to be of the Divine Nature Word Reason or Wisdom that was in the Beginning with God and was and is God as say several Fathers in our Defence For Christ that lightens every one that comes into the World is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word or Reason of God who as Irenaeus saith rationabiliter se sibiliter Legem statuit established the Law reasonably and sensibly And Feâ— Ardentius interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Iren. Verbum Sermo Ratio Word or Reason And saith Irenaeus pag. 326. Man being made reasonable lost Reason and living unreasonably gave himself ovâ—r to the Earthâ—y Spirit Psal 48. 21. And Justin Martyr saith that Christ was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whole Reason as his Interpreter Langius renders it and that which the Philosophers and Poets conformed to was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Part or partaking of the Reason that was sown and he saith The Seed of the Word or Reason is sown or ingrafted in all kiâ—d of Men p. 46. And Origen his Author useth almost the same Words The Law sown in the Soâ—l by commâ—â— Notions aâ—d the Word written in the Heart And Justin in the place quoted makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 common Notion and Word or Reason and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Mind synonimous or of the same Signification as Origen and Irenaeus do Almost the very Words of some of the ancient Philosophers For Plotin calls it a Divine Principle that makes the good Man which sayes he is the Root of the Soul And Cleanthes The Eternal Nature sown and diffused through the Race of Man and is the most sure and infallible Guide Hieron calls it a domestick God Seneca Diffused reason Epictetus God within Plutarch a living Rule interiour Guide and Everlasting Foundation of Virtue Philo The Immortal Law engraven on the Minds of Men no lifeless Precepts written on Paper c. Nor do Modern Writers much if at all vary David Paraeus another of his Authors saith in Vrsin's Body of Christian Doctrine augmented corrected consummated by him Quest 6. The Image of God contains all the Natural Notions of God of his Will and Works that is perfect Wisdom in the Mind perfect Righteousness and Holiness in the Heart and all outward Actions Perfect Wisdom is here said saith he not that which is ignorant of nothing but that which is competent to a created Nature sufficient to its Felicitys So there is an Homonymy or double Signification of the Word Perfect And in Quest 92. he saith We were created redeemed and sanctified to this End that we should KEEP THE LAW MORAL AND NATURAL BEING THE SAME IN THIS LIFE AND THE ETERNAL IT NOT BEING ABROGATED AS TO OBEDIENCE Now these Men a Irenaeus said of the Poets and Philosophers Every one seeing that which was connatural from Part of the divine-sown-Reason spoke excellently and where right and consistent with themselves they are ours so far
Irenaeus And the Reader may take these quoted better from us then S. G's from him upon meer Trust Some ancient Fathers Protestant Writers expound the Word Nature as I do sayes S. Grevil if you will trust him I say the like of my Exposition and have already quoted them and told him how far I credit them and therefore in page 8. he wrongs the Quakers for they would not cite them if they gave no Credit to them as he would have People to believe as Paul would not have quoted the Greek Poet if he had not believed that to be Truta that he said concerning God That we are of his Off-spring which he brought to prove that he is not far from every one On which Place Grotius cites for the Essential Presence of God as he terms it several Heathens Jews Christians no fewer then Ten I shall instance but in one Minutus Felix who â—yes God is every where not only very near us but infused which because A. P. said not expresly though S. G. charges him to say it by Consequence he makes it A. P's Principle to shut him out of Men who charges it for an Error that he dwells in Men and all that is not by Generation p. 8. And so not only many primitive and later Christian Doctors but also many others that deny the rational Soul to be ex traduce or by Generation but infused to be as great Blasphemers as he would make the Quakers And if he can produce neither Scripture as I am sure he cannot nor ancient nor modern Writers for his Gift of the Spirit that comes by Generation He must be the Author of that new Doctrine A Gift or Grace is not one's self nor a Part of one's self nor one's own originally but another's freely conferr'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graces or things freely given He says To do as we would be done to is sown in our Natures then the Seed of the Law the Prophets contain'd what more eminently appeared and was extended in the Gospel even to the Love of Enemies with the Reason of it for if you love them that love you c. which the Gentiles had in them in Effect though not in Letters And D. Paraeus saith In the State of Sin a Man is not apt to do or think any Good of himself according to the Scriptures Eph. 2. 9. and 2 Cor. 3. 5. c. Then neither the Law nor the Work of the Law was of themselves else how they could condemn them that had the Law and transgressed it And the Scripture saith That which may be known of God is manifest in Men for God hath shewed it to them and God hath shewed unto thee O Man what is good c. Mic 6. 8. which S. G. denies calling it a special Presence from what ground he shews not nor can he for the Manifestation is common and universal the Words themselves prove it consequently there is a common Presence and indeed a special Manifestation implies a Common He eavils about the word Perfect distinguished before out of Paraeus and tells of Darkness dwelling with Light and Ignorance with Knowledge I know not for what unless it be to confess to us That his Knowledge is not without Ignorance But it seems he is affraid leâ—t his Kingdom of Darknes Ignorance Sin should be destroy'd therefore proceeds to write against a Freedom from Sin in this Life and to oppose the Expositions of the Fathers Protestant Doctors which it seems are of less credit with him then with the Quakers that hold That the Doctrine in Christ's Sermon tends to a Righteousness beyond that of the Law charging them as if they meant that Christ set up a Righteousness or a Law above his own perfect Everlasting Spiritual Law which some call Natural and Moral The same in Nature saith Origen entire agreeing with the Eternal and Immoveable Rule of Righteousness in God abiding the same from the Beginning to the End of the World and therefore were we redeemed and regenerated by the holy Ghost that we should keep this Law in this and the Life Eternal that is Love God and our Neighbour with all our Heart not a new Doctrine but the old which was from the Beginning Which Law Natural Noah and Abraham kept saith Tertullian and were justified by it And further In this Primordial and General Law of God given to Adam were all the Precepts of the latter Law given forth in their Seasons for what Wonder if he increase the Discipline who instituted it And God at a certain Season exhibited a subsequent Law to the Gentiles and that which was promised again by the Prophets reformâ—â— to the better that it should be kept These are their words which shews what Law was meant namely the Law of Moses which was added because of Transgression tâ—ll the Seed should come before which time many things were winked at and suâ—ered because of the Hardness of their Hearts that from the beginning were not so which Christ brings to that he might recover all that was lost and so give Power by his Spirit to them that walk after it that his Law may be fulfilled in them in the Everlasting Righteousness of it the very End of his Coming The Law being obscured by the Fall much obliterated and lest lest the Relicks in the Minds of men might be thought to be an Opinion GOD REPEATED IT saith Vrsin which they that walked after the â—lesh could not keep and the Knowledge of it did only condemn them and in that Manifestation and Capacity in might be said to be weak and all those Rites Sacrifices added ever unable to purifie the Conscience But they that Love him keep his Commandments and they are not grievous So that it was the Relicks of the Law Natural repeated in the Decalogue that Christ as they say came to set up a Righteousness beyond and not only to repeat and confirm the Relicks but restore the whole in due season and bring on the Perfection to be Merciful as saith Calvin himself and Love Enemies beyond which Remigius saith as S. G. cites there can be no Love and therefore having commanded this Christ saith Be ye Perfect this being the Perfection of Love Perfect Love casts out Fear and is the Fulfilling of the Law And he that loveth God keepeth his Commandments But S. G. p. 10. having taken away their Distinctions by his Distinctions of the Moral Law comprehending all Ceremonies c. relating to the Old Testament and New Under the Name of Parker he tacitely chargeth not only Remigius and Calvin but also Chrysostom and many other Fathers and Doctors quoted to be of the same mind with the Scribes and Pharisees in their narrow Interpretations of the Law in some particular Precepts of it for this he flings on A. P. for saying but the same things while indeed it is to be sâ—ared that S.