Burgesse it was Adams Abrahams c. then though Christians may heare read speake of and hearken to the letter which saith labour and it may be but useful in divers respects as is hereafter shewne yet are not Christians bound to an {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or obedientiall hearkening thereunto as when it saith unto them labour upon that accompt but they are to hearken to the word which is nigh them even in their mouthes and in their hearts That is the word of faith which we preach and to looke for the Spirit in faith to worke in them through the ministrie of the Spirit all such effects as Christ hath purchased and the Father hath promised in that new covenant of which the Man Christ Iesus is the everlasting Mediatour The Antecedent of this position which is Negative is evident for first the Apostle opposes the Letter or law as dispensed by Moses unto the word of Faith or doctrine of the Gospel which we preach and dehorts from an obedientiall hearkening unto that and exhorts to a hearing and Cordiall beleeving of this as holding forth Christ the end thereof for righteousnesse and salvation to every one that beleeves Rom. 10.4.5.6 8.9 Secondly We are not under the law but under grace Rom. 6.14 I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God Gal 2.19 Wee are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ that we should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held Rom. 7.46 Thirdly The binding of Christians to obey this Law renders Christ unprofitable to them for circumcision did it not simply for if so doubtless Timothy should not have been circumcised by any consent of Paul but because it was looked upon as making them debtors to doe the whole law Gal. 5.2 3 4 and necessarily putting them under the curse for not doing of it Gal. 3.10.12 If it be granted that Christians are freed from the Damnatorie but not from the Mandatory power of the Law and that the promissory being accidental to a Law this and the Directory essential Then note 1. that the question is not about a Law but this Law nor what is essentiall to or will make up the definition of a Law Politique but what is essential to and wil make up the Definition of the Mosaicall Law which was dispensed at Sinai subratione foederis and so not after the usual manner of other Lawes And now if wee beleeve Paul and will not be so very Logicall as to deny Moses description to be a Definition He describeth the righteousnesse which is of the Law That the man which doth these things shall live by them Rom 10.5 And Paul proves that as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse Because it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to doe them Gal 3.10 He proposeth these texts as containing the Sum essentials of Moses Law And can no more be denyed so to doe for ought I See then that of Gen. 12.3 cited Gal. 3.8 to containe the Summe and essentials of the Gospel Secondly The Law is said to be dead Rom. 7.2.6 But how dead if both essentiall parts be vnited and in their vigour Can a man be said to be dead because he wants some Integrall part as a leg or Arme So Long as the body and Soule which are the essentials remain in vnion Thirdly Beleevers under the Old Testament were freed from the Damnatory power of the Law for they were blessed with faithful Abraham as well as beleevers now Gal. 3 9. But beleevers under the New Testament are freed from this Law or covenant as beleevers under the Old Testament were not and therefore cannot their freedome be Interpreted of a freedome from the curse or Damnatory power thereof as is fully cleared by Mr Shephard Thes Sab. part 1. pag. 73. they must therefore of necessity be said to be freed from the obligatorie power of the Law at least quá foedus and if so quá dispensed by Moses which is the point to be confirmed Secondly Christians are to serve God not in the oldnesse of the letter but in the newnesse of the Spirit Rom. 7.6 whereas the Law or letter demands the service to be done in the power of the old man menaces death for the least failing therein and is disenabled either from accepting or rewarding any obedience unlesse so done Rom. 8.4 For though it be not against the service done in the newnesse of the spirit Gal 5.23 any more than the satisfaction made by Christ in the flesh yet as this so that is not exactly Idem the same there required at least not done per eundem by the same though being spirituall and proceeding from the spirit of Christ it be really the tantidem the tantamounts nay the Supramounts and farr more acceptable to the Father who is both the Soveraigne over and was the giver of the Law The consequence of this position which is affirmative is as plaine For first Christ hath promised to send the Spirit Iohn 16.8 And the Scriptures plentifully declare both that and what he shall worke when hee is come Ezek. 36.27 nay what he hath already wrought Gal. 5.22 And sure then Christians should looke for the spirit to work and to work those very works in upon them in measure which are promised and have been wrought in others Secondly Christians are encouraged to pray for the holy Spirit Luke 11.13 and sure not to be idle but to worke either by in or upon them and shall they not looke for an answer to their prayers Thirdly Christians are exhorted {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Phil. 2.12 to work their own salvation That is as Chamier Interprets it from the like phrase Gen. 2 Rev. 18 to be employed and worke in those things which concern their own salvation with feare as in the presence of God and with trembling at the sense of their own weakenesse and unworthinesse and that upon this ground because it is God that worketh in them c. And if though wee be called upon and said to work It is indeed not so much wee that worke as God that worketh in us shall we presume to set our selves to worke in conformitie to the letter and not firstly nay continually in much weakenesse fear and trembling looke to and for God to worke both the will and dead by his own Spirit And fourthly Seeing we received not the spirit by the workes of the Law but by the hearing of faith Gal. 3.2 wee are to looke for the spirit to worke not by the ministrie of the Law which saith labour but by the word of faith or doctrine of the Gospell For as Reynolds The Law can onely shew what is good gives no power at all
work of God c. Actively and Passively The work now commanded to be done by you and yet the work which onely is must and can be done by God John 6.28 29. Men and brethren what shall we do say those Acts 2.37 Repent answereth Peter or abandon the present thoughts and actings of your minds whereby you are alienated from God and yield your selves up as dead lost men to be baptised or buried under water with Christ in Baptisme thence to be raised up by his mighty power alone to newnesse of life It is therefore good for a man instead of doing what he can in his own formal Hypocritical way of obedience to the outward commands First to learn experimentally from the lusting and rebelling of his own heart against Gods commandments that he can do nothing but sin That when the commandment comes Sin reviveth that sin taketh occasion by the commandment and worketh in him all manner of concupiscence Rom. 7.8 9. Secondly to acknowledge himself a sinner and guilty of death Rom. 3.19 20. Thirdly To digest judgement or admit without pleading for himself the letter or law to condemn and kill him Rom. 7.10 11. Fourthly Not to stick to save himselfe actively by doing and conforming to the letter But passively to suffer God to work in him upon him and concerning him the whole power of his will by the power of his word for if dead he may perhaps hear that which he never did nor could while he was alive even not the letter nor Epistle only sent by messengers but the voice of the Son of God and in hearing Believe and live Joh. 5.25 And here we conclude that it is hurtful for a man in the state of nature to be active or do all that he can or any thing he is able to imagine he either can or should do in reference to the procuring the spiritual goods or blessings purchased by Christ and firstly conferred upon his Elect as Regeneration conversion faith and Repentance and that we may the more particularly prove and clear this consider that here and in order to the collation of these it is true that the summe of all the commandments is that of the Sabbath or a ceasing of man from his own works or working according to a form or letter Nos praedicantes fidem omnino dehortamur ab operibus homines ut praedicemus Sabbatum non operando sed patiendo boni sumus cum patimur divinas actiones quieti ipsis Your strength is to sit still Isa. 30.7 For if man must act or be active in reference to his Regeneration and conversion which is the first special blessing that is conferred by Christ I ask first whether as an efficient principal or instrumental Not as principal for if so he might be said to Regenerate or beget himself the old man to be the father of the new man nay the new man the workmanship of the old made in himself by works Antecedent and not created in Christ unto works subsequent That which is born of the flesh be spirit contrary to John 3.6 Not as instrumental under God for first We are not begotten by corruptible but incorruptible seed by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever 1 Pet. 1.23 Of water and the Spirit not water and the flesh John 3.5 Secondly If a man were actively instrumental in his Regeneration he might of necessitie be actuallie alive before regenerated for how should man act before he have life But man is not actuallie alive before Regenerated But dead in sin and trespasses Ephes. 2.1 And therefore not activelie instrumental in his regeneration nay he is so far from being an instrument that he is not so much as the matter out of which life is educed but only into which it is induced by the Spirit of life in materiâ privativâ non positivâ operatur Deus Thirdly Quid insanius fingi potest as Luther Doth not the flesh fight against the Spirit at actu and how then should it act for and with the Spirit before or in Regeneration Fourthly he should not for the Law doth not command any man to be born from above or of the Spirit of Christ And Christ doth not require any man to regenerate himself from below or in the power of his flesh All in this Kingdome of heaven is to be done in the power of his own Spirit the commands presupposing the giving of it in the Gospel And hence is that as the Ministerie of the Spirit to be preached antecedentlie unto those even to every creature And then doth this new husband Christ call for the bringing forth of those children to God which he hath already begotten by that immortal seed of the Word Secondly If man be or should be active herein he must needs antecedently know and will his conversion and the means of it for otherwise he acts sensuallie as a beast not as a man but he neither knowes nor wills either of these antecedentlie or till he be regenerated but opposes and accounts them foolishnesse That he knows them not is plain first from 1 Cor. 2.14 and Nicodemus cast Iohn 3.4 who could neither apprehend the thing nor tell any means or way to it though Christ had already told him But entering the second time into his mothers womb The new man in this resembling Melchisedech Heb. 7.3 being to a natural man for oughr he can find in Scriptures without Father without Mother and without Descent neither having beginning of daies nor end of life and that because he is made not after the manner of the sonnes of men but like unto the Sonne of God Secondly Christ saith The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it commeth and whether it goeth So is every one that is born of the Spirit John 3.8 Thirdly We must be known of God before we can know God 1 Cor. 8 2 3 Gal. 4.9 Quia cogniti sunt ideo cognoscunt I know my sheep and am known of mine John 10.14 Man must be born again or from above before he can so much as see the Kingdom of heaven John 3.5 Nor can he antecedently will either of these First because he cannot know them and it is a general maxime Ignoti nulla cupido If there be none that understandeth there is sure for being any that seeketh after God Rom. 3.11 He knowes doing the old way and naturally can will as the old end so the old way to do to be saved but not suffering which is the new He can as little think of dying in and to his own flesh with which he so sweetly now converseth as the Disciples of Christs suffering those things and so entring into his Glory Luke 24.26 Oh what living man can think that either we must or that the Captain of our salvation was made perfect through sufferings Heb. 2.10 Secondly the Text is plain Iohn 1.13 Which were born not of blood nor of the will
to doe it for that is the work of the Spirit by the Gospell use of the law page 388. If any thinke that Christians are hereby set at liberty from all liberal commands shal never work but when as and what the Spirit moves them let him consider first That there is a difference betwixt the commands of the Law or letter strictly so called which requires obedience though Spiritual to be done in the power of the Old man which is carnall And the cōmands of Christ or given by the Apostles in the Name of Christ which calls for an obedience Spiritual but to be done in the power of the New man which daily fights against and mortifies the old Christians may be set at liberty from these Act 15.20 And yet not set at libertie from but in a liberty to walk accordingly as is required by these 2 Cor. 3.17.1 Ioh. 5 3 Mat. 11.30 Secondly It were well if Christians did but alas they doe not work either so often or in that manner and measure nor alwaies what the Spirit moves them to for first The Spirit or inward man where the Spirit dwels is willing {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as some read Rom. 12.11 to doe or suffer upon all occasions It s the flesh that 's weake Mat. 26.41 Paul found the Law of his mind warring against the law of his members Rom. 7.23 25. And the Spirit against the flesh as wel as the flesh against the Spirit Gal. 5.17 To wil was present with him though how to doe that which was good he found not Rom. 7 18. Secondly One of our great sins reproved complained against is quenching of the Spirit 1. Thes. 5.19 Grieving and resisting the Spirit Ephes 4.30 Acts. 7.51 Gen. 7.3 Nay Christians as they live in the Spirit are exhorted to walke in the Spirit and assured thereupon that they shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Gal. 5.16 Thirdly The most liberall legall men confesse that they often resist the good motions of the Holy Spirit that Acti agunt they act when acted That by the power of their Habituall grace they cannot stirre without the Antevening of some new exciting grace that they attempt often to work in their owne time which is the night having neglected Gods time which is the day Fourthly Did Christians deny as alwaies they should and the Grace of God teacheth them Tit 2.12 to walk after the flesh they needed not labour or worke before the spirit it were sufficient for them to walke after it Rom 8.1 with the rest of the Sonnes of God to be bid by the Spirit of God Rom. 8.14 to deny themselves take up their present crosses and at his call follow him not heeding the voice of strangers Iohn 10.4 5 Thirdly I doe not hold that the Spirit of Christ doth worke in Christians or carry them out to worke any thing but what is agreable to the directory Mandatorie part of the Scriptures nor that it doth teach them to beleeve any thing but what is agreable to the doctrine of the Gospel as recorded by the Prophets and Apostles and doe therefore for the discoverie and prevention of false delusive spirits often inculcate those sayings If any man think himselfe to be a Prophet or spirituall let him acknowledge that the things that I write are the commandments of the Lord 1 Cor. 14.37 To the Law and to the Testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Isa. 8.20 Fourthly Though I dare not limit the Spirit that blowes where it listeth unto means as if it could not or often did not worke without them yet doe I not despise prophecying praying reading conference c. but looke for the Spirit to worke in and by all such meanes as Christ hath appointed and the Apostles who received immediately from him have delivered unto us For albeit Fifthly The Anointing which the Saints have received of him abideth in them and they need not that any man teach them other things than what that Spirit by which they were at first begotten through the Gospel dayly teacheth them yet is there need of speaking and writing to and Harkening and adhering unto what is written and spoken both by fathers young men and little children 1 Iohn 2.13 2 Thes. 2 15. Iude. 3. First That Christians may be put in remembrance of these things though they know them and are already established in the present truth 2 Pet. 1.12 or once knew them Iude. 5. Secondly That they may be stirred up by being put in remembrance 2 Pet 1 13 Thirdly To diswade them from the love of the world by representing the vanity thereof 1 Iohn 2 15 16.17 Fourthly For the mutuall comforting and confirming one another in the saith by manifestation of the same truth Rom 1 22 1 Iohn 2 21 Fifthly ly For the discovery and prevention of the Spirit of Ante-christ which under a pretence of glorifying immediately communicating with the Father denies Iesus Christ to have come in the flesh to take away sinnes and our fellowship with the Father and his Son Iesus Christ contrarie to 1 Iohn 1.2.3 and 2 23 4 3 Sixthly That Christians may not be shaken in mind or troubled either by Spirit by word by letter or by signes and wonders telling or foretelling such things as are not recorded by the Apostles for our learning upon whom the ends of the world are come 2 Thes 2 2 3 15. The second passage The Law was not given to an unconverted people but to a converted 1. BY the Law may be understood either that covenant of works as made with Adam in Paradise or that Legal Subservient Covenant added to the promise because of transgressions and ordained by Angells in the hand of a Mediatour Gal. 3.19 Secondly By a converted people may be understood either only those that are such Judicio certitudinis in a judgement of certaintie which only can be passed by the Lord himselfe He alone knowes who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 Or all those that are such Judicio charitatis in a Iudgement of charitie soe farr as is meet for us to judge Phi. 2.7 The Law taken in the first sense in its primative Institution cannot properly be said to have been given either to a people converted or unconverted those very termes presupposing the fall of man but to Adam in the state of Innocencie as the head root and representative of all mankind as is evident from the event Death having passed upon all men for that or in whom all have sinned Rom. 5.12 The Law taken in the latter sence was not given to the Gentiles but to the Iewes a circumcised people a people that renounced the gods of the Heathens visibly worshipped and called upon the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and by consequence so farr as it is meet for us to judge a converted people And the truth of this appeares
ministerie of the Gospel say the English Annot is compared with and preferred before Iohn Secondly That the matter of the comparison or the thing wherein they are compared is their Doctrine Differenced as is alreadie said appeares First From that consideration in and upon which this excellencie is ascribed to Iohn above those that went before him which is as Luke explaines quatenus et quia as and because of the eminency of his prophesiing among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than Iohn Baptist Luke 7.28 that is that speakes so fully and clearely concerning Christ as Iohn doth For whereas They did only praedicare venturum foretell that he would come Ille monstrabat praesentem He plainly told and pointed him out as already come Behold the Lambe of God Iohn 1.29 et quanto majoreÌ„ c. as Pareus And by how much and in what sence he maketh Iohn greater than the Prophets of old by so much and in the same sense doth he make the least of the preachers of the Gospel more excellent then Iohn So that they doe not foretel with Daniel after seaventie weeks the most holy shall be Anointed to finish transgression and to make an end of sins Dan. 6.24 Nor tell with Iohn that the Lamb of God is come {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which is taking away the sins of the world But Evangelize with Paul what neither Daniel nor Iohn could Scilicet that now once in the end of the world Christ hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Heb. 9.26 or in Daniels word hath finished transgression made an end of sins made reconciliation for iniquitie and brought in everlasting righteousnesse Secondly From the vnanimous consent of protestant Expositors who thus Interpret the place and clear it against the papists Greater than Iohn in dignitie of office and clearenesse and fulnesse of Doctrine in a publishing the entire performance of all things foretold of Christ as his Death Resurrection Ascention and Calling of the Gentiles which Iohn saw not English Annot And Thirdly An occational using of this comparison cannot soe farr as I apprehend be altogether deemed unseasonable in these daies of ours any more than in the daies of Christ considering that as the Iewish Doctors would allow no clearer nor fuller discovery of the Messias and his Kingdome than what had been made of old by Moses and the Prophets Soe many of the Apostles and mightie Scripturall men in our Israel will allow in effect no clearer nor fuller Gospell than what was preached by Iohn Scilicet That Christ is come and is taking away the sins of the world not that he is dead or rather risen againe and hath taken them away Heb. 1.3 Nay some are not so cleare but will needs make repentance continuall Baptisme washing away sins out of Gods sight And that not Sacramentall or Ratione signati as baptisme is said to doe when dispeâ—sced by the minister but instrumentally as a medium 〈◊〉 meanes vsed by Christians themselves which is such a kind of washing as I beleeve Iohn Baptist never knew of And had not such Doctors as these that are so great in the kingdome need of some little Aquila or Priscilla to pluck them by the sleeves and expound unto them the way of God more perfectly Acts 18.26 Beza taught that he denied Iesus to be the Messias qui in eo vno per vnicam ejus oblationem semel factam non confidit sese a deo patre gratis per fidem Iustificatum ac proinde tandem corpore et animo glorificandum But wee that are least in the kingdome may blot out justificatum and insteed of glorificandum write justificandum and yet Sine operibus it will not passe for Orthodox and classical with the Rabbies in our Northern Israel Brethren I am sure if not nearer kin to these Informers Secondly This latter comparison even as reported by these men is not de posse as if he that were least in the Kingdome of Heaven could preach that which Christ in the flesh could not The very mention of this sounds harsh to Christians cares neither can I say that in any sence its warrantable and edifying to make a comparison betwixt Christ and us but only de facto that he that 's least c. can preach that which Christ in the flesh that is before his death upon the crosse did not preach Not as if he could absolutely preach that or any thing else without Christ no for without him we can doe nothing But suppositively in case Christ be pleased to strengthen and enlighten him by his Spirit then he may doe this and all other things as he shall be called unto And the truth of this is evident For First Christ while in the flesh never preached those grand Articles of the Christian as distinguished from the Iewish faith Scilicet That he himselfe was crucified dead buried descended into hell rose again the third day from the dead and ascended into heaven which yet may now be triumphantly preached by him that is least in this Heavenly Kingdom Rom. 8.34 Secondly Christ tels his disciples in his last Sermon Iohn 16.12 13.14 That he had many things to say unto them which he forbare to declare at that time First because of their Infirmities yee cannot bear them now Secondly because he purposed to send his holie Spirit to comfort them after his departure Howbeit when the spirit of truth is come c. Thirdly because he knew this way of manifestation to make most for his owne glory He shall glorifie mee for he shal receive of mine and shew it unto you If any aske which be the things that were not shewed then and should afterwards It s conceived they are implyed in these words He shall shew you things to come And then if by things to come be ment such future Events as are the subject of prophesiing strictly soe called then were they shewed afterward to Iohn and by him recorded in his booke of Revelation If such Scriptural mysteries of the kingdome of heaven as for the hight and depth were not then Sutable to the disciples but should afterwards the Spirit once poured forth and Iesus Glorified be preached unto al the Saints theÌ„ were they revealed al after his Resurrection ascention to the Apostles and recorded in their Epistles Especially to and by Paul in the three first chapters to the Ephesians as Calvin conceives and so may be preached according to the measure of grace received by him that is least in the Kingdome or Heaven The fourth passage Repentance is a not saying in thy heart doe this that is this or that commandment of God I gave a discription of repentance whether Theoreticall or Practicall in my answer to the Queries which being come as I verily beleeve to these informers hands before the collecting of these passages First I hope that they doe not looke upon this