would abound more and more For yee know what commandements wee gaue you by the Lord Iesus For this is the will of God euen your sanctification that yee should abstaine from fornication The exhortation is very forcible and full of waight Hee presseth it by the authority of the Lord Iesus he mindeth them of it as one of those lessons he had deliuered formerly by word of mouth and they had receiued hee calls it a duty How yee ought to walke yea a duty to God How yee ought to walke and please God hee calls it a speciall commandement which hee gaue them by the Lord Iesus as which the Lord Iesus gaue him in charge to deliuer to them hee calls it the will of God he calls it their sanctification Now what is all this which the Apostle here aymeth at What but this That yee abstaine from fornication Whence I argue thus Proposition Abstinence from fornication is a part of keeping of the Morall Law Assumption But this abstinence from fornication is a duty acceptable to God is a doctrine to be taught by the Ministers of Christ to be receaued by the people of God is a commandement of the Lord Iesus it is the will of God it is our sanctification or a fruite and effect of it Conclusion Therefore the keeping of the Morall Law is commanded of God of Christ as a duty to all true beleeuers To what part of this Argument will the aduersary answere To the Proposition That hee dare not for the Law sayth Thou shalt not commit adultery To the Assumption That he cannot for that is the Apostles in the fore alledged place Therefore I will conclude with this conclusion That the keeping of the Morall law is commanded of God and of Christ as a duty to all true beleeuers When I vrged this argument or the * as rhis What soeuer is Gods will we should doe is our duty to doe But the doing of Gods Law is Gods will wee Should doe therefore it is our duety to doe Gods law so farre as we are able Now all this is plainely concluded by the Apostle This is the will of God euen your sanctification that ye should abstaine from fornication To abstaine froÌ„ fornication is a part of keeping the Moral Law and what is true of a part is true of the whole as Iam. 2.10 11. like in forme syelogisticall out of this very place of the Apostle to this our aduersarie occasionally face to face and had to satisfie his demande repeated it ouer twice or thrice hee could not giue a present answere but desired to haue it written downe But I expect not an answere because none can be giuen to this which is here written No can he not in all his budget finde an answere doth hee not as I heare hee was wont to doe at least carry his trunk-hose full farsed stuffed with Protestant Authors as Luther Zanchee Paraeus with sundry others of good note that with their graue authority and reuerend names he may the more easily impose vpon his credulous and ignorant Disciples who admire that most which they vnderstand least cannot he out of all these beate out an answere to these things For of these he braggs much in the conclusion of his letter But till hee can bring some I will content my selfe to bring his belweather Author euen Luther whose no lesse puissant then elegant and heauenly speech wherewith I will for this time conclude this short discourse shall run full butt vppon and push downe all that he hath sayd for his pretended counterfet false hereticall scandalous Anabaptisticall libertine fayth Luthers words are Admittimus quidem Mosen legendum audiendum a nobis vt predictorem testem Christi Deinde vt petamus ab eo exempla optimarum logum morum Cetaerùm dominium in conscientiam nullo modo concedimus ei ibi mortuus et sepultus esto nemoque sciat vbi sepulchrum eius sit we indeede admit of Moses to bee read heard of vs as a Prophet witnesse of Christ Againe that wee may fetch from him examples of good lawes and manners But dominion ouer the conscience to a man in the state of grace as Rom. 6.10 wee by no meanes yealde him there let him bee dead and buried and let no man know where his sepulchre is So Luther And in his argument vpon the Galatians Sum quidem peccator c. I am indeed a sinner according to this present life and the righteousnesse of it as the son of Adam where the Law accuseth me death raigneth and will deuoure mee but aboue this life I haue another righteousnesse another life which is the Sonne of God who knoweth not sin and death but is righteousnesse and life eternall for which also this dead body of mine shall be raysed vp againe and freed from the bondage of the Law and of sin and together with the spirit it shall bee sanctified So both these remaine while we liue here the flesh is accused exercised made sad and contrite with the actiue righteousnesse of the Law but the spirit raigneth reioyceth and is saued by passiue righteousnesse because it knoweth it hath the Lord sitting in heauen at the fathers right hand who hath abolished the Law Sin Death and hath tâ—ampled vnder feete all euill things hath led them captiue and tryumphed ouer them all So he Now God forbid that I should glory but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ by whom the world is crucified vnto me Gal. 6.14 and I vnto the world For in Christ neyther Circumcision auayleth any thing nor vncircumcision but a new creature 15 And as many as walke according to this rule peace bee on them and mercy and vpon the Israel of God I thought here should haue bin an end But as the Prouerbe is 16 One absurdity begets a thousand as one of Lerna his 7 heads being cut off 3 grew in the place thereof Parua mâ—tu primo mox sese attollit in auras Ingred túrque solo et caput inter nubila condit Monstrum horrendum ingens c. Virgil. Aenead Such is the nature of heresie which of a small seede growes to be an hiddeous monster if it bee not strangled in the first conception Like Fame which for feare at first is small but finding entertainment with Dame Credulity and loquacity growes bold and big vpon it Or like a small leprous spot in the beginnig which quickly runneth ouer the whole body Or like a drop of sweet poyson which at first goes pleasantly downe but in a short time insinuateth it selfe to the infecting of the vitall spirits and ceasseth not till it hath wrought its mortall effect Or like a Gangreene or like a Canker as the Apostle compares it This Antinomian leprosie doth spread and get strength and boldnesse euery day euen vnto impudency madnes And the reason it finds so many disciples to imbrace it because cutting off sanctification denying
Maiesty and vs your people it is and shall bee the daily and dutyfull prayer of Your Maiesties loyall subiect and old seruant Henry Burton To the Reader CHristian Reader if this Treatise may seeme to any to bee superfluous as defending that which noe good Christians deny yet considering how fruitfull these last times are in bringing forth the spurious spawnes and monstrous birthes of all kinds of heresies among which this of the Antinomians a most pestilent and pernicious sest is not the least which denyeth any further vse of the Morall Law to belieuers no not as a rule of conuersation as of duty to be conformed vnto and seeing also how many counterfeit Christians are ready do daily intertaine this Libertine doctrine which lets loosse the raines to all licentiousnesse as both the Doctors and Disciples of this Antinomian heresie the Sons of Belial do euidently proue in the practise of their lawlesse and gracelesse life lastly waighing how this Antinomian frye is as an enemy to true fayth and the power of religion so a friend to all other heresies now on foote specially to Popery seruing as a way maker for it by breaking downe the wals of the City of God that so Romes Troian Horse full of traiterous Engines and armed Engineers may finde the easier reentry for the erecting of their Dagon instead of Gods Arke I hope thou wilt not esteeme either my paines lost in writing or thyne in reading this small tract And howsoeuer there is small hope that those who haue already deepely drunke in this sweete deadly poyson will easily admit of any Antidote or Preseruatiue or suffer it kindly to worke vpon them so intoxicated they are with the spirit of giddynesse and I feare many of them iustly giuen ouer of God to a reprobate sense hauing fallen from the truth of the Ghospell once acknowledged of them Yet I doubt not but by Gods grace this Treatise will be a meanes to preserue all sound and simple-hearted christians in the true fayth of Iesus Christ neuer to be seduced by such spirits of errour and perhaps to reduce into the way of the truth all such honest-hearted poore soules as haue beene beguiled by them Onely this let mee premonish thee of that whereas in the fourth page I promise to affix the Copy of that letter at large which gaue occasion of this Treatise I haue since altered my minde for these reasons 1. Because 〈◊〉 coppy is very large 2. Because I haue set downe the substance of it in all the particulars throughout this Tract 3. Instead thereof I haue added vpon occasion offered when I had ended this treatise as a branch thereof a short discourse toucbing the Sabbath day the Morality whereof some haue of late impugned as not binding Christians in the obseruation of the Lords day the diuine Institution whereof they also deny So as if I haue not made good my promise in a matter of no necessity nor of much moment thou wilt pardon mee if J haue made thee amends in adding that which is of farre greater importance and benefit And if herein also I haue not in all poynts satisfied thy iudgement to the full concerning the Law of the Sabbath and of the diuine institution of the Lords day instead of the Iewes Sabbath I shall by Gods grace shortly giue thee further satisfaction in a fuller and ampler Treatise purposely penned in answere to a booke lately come forth which would vtterly euacuate the Lords day for the Christian Sabbath and reduce vs to the Iewes Sabbath-day agayne Which will bee a worke somuch the more necessary by how much this Iewish Sabbatarian findes already many Maléferiatos homiâ—es idle and giddy-brained Christians to imbrace his booke which is written with Amighty confident and Gyantlike spirit as if the Arguments thereof were inuincible Jn the meane time inioy this and pray for mee that God would assist me in that greater worke and in all things that may most concerne his glory and the benefit of his Church Farewell Thine in Christ Iesus Henry Burton Faults in the Printing to be corrected with the pen. Page 10. liue 10 read Calumniations So also l. 15 blot out the p 26 l. 17 r. close p. 27. l. 6. r to the ground p. 30. l. 8. r. preaching p. 33. l. 1. r. syllogisticall p. 43. l 5. r. morality of the Cmmandement p. 51. l. 24. r initiation p. 52. l. 36. r. first-fruits p. 55. l. 6. r. Titulus l. 9. r. signe p. 56. l. 1. r placuent p. 57. l. 11. r. Arians Aerians l. 25. r. christian l. 29. blot out his p. 58. l. 17 r slip p. 59. l 6. r lye vnder p. 60. l. 19. r. pretty reasons l 30. r. impose p. 61. l. 8. blot out communing p. 62. l. 313 r detrect p. 6. l. r. commandal 28. r. sacred ordinances p. 69. in the margent l. â—â— r. pawber and l. 26. r. 515. to 15. lighter escapes the eye well correct THE LAVV AND the Gospell reconciled The Euangelicall fayth and the Morall Law how they stand together in the State of Grace Vpon occasion of a letter written by an Antinomian to a faithfull Christian THat which holy Iude deemed so needfull to write Iude 3 and to exhort vnto all true Christians should bee ready to intertaine that is earnestly to contend for that fayth which was once deliuered to the Saints This was that which the Apostle gaue chiefely in charge to the Philippians Phil. i. 27. Onely let your conuersation be such as becommeth the Gospell of Christ that whither I come and see you or else be absent I may heare of your affaires that yee stand fast in one spirit with one minde striuing together for the fayth of the Gospell This is indeede that onely thing worthy to bee contended for and that with earnestnesse And if those two mothers before King Solomon did so plead about the liuing child which yet was mortall and a sinfull brood how should the true Church of God plead her titles to that which brings immortality the blessed fruit and issue of the liuing fayth But how shall we know who hath best right to this liuing fayth One saith Mine is the liuing fayth and thine the dead fayth another sayth No but thine is the dead and mine the liuing As therefore Solomons sword deciding the quarrell gaue the liuing childe to the true mother So the sword of the spirit Christs word a greater then Solomon onely can determine who is the true mother the true Church to which the liuing fayth of right belongeth sith it is deliuered to none but to the Saints Nor were it a matter of wonder to heare the whore of Babylon the old Romish beldame to make claime to the liuing fayth as her naturall child which now long agoe by ouerlaying it in the night of blacke ignorance and supine security with her vnwealdy body become so grosse and monstrous with the infinite additions of humaine Traditions standing in stead
glasse wherein looking the face of our soules and beholding our speckes and imperfections we may get them washed in the fountaine of Christ blood and may make straight pathes vnto our feete Heb. 12 i3 least that which is lame be turned out of the way but rather that it bee healed This is that perfect law of liberty wherein who so looketh and continueth therein hee being not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke this man shall be blessed in his deed Iam. 1.25 This is that glasse 2 Cor. 3.18 wherein wee beholding the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory euen as by the spirit of the Lord. So farre are we from holding a state of perfection of faith in this life as though our faith could doe all things of it selfe and did not neede a dayly supply of grace which must bee procured by the word of God eyther preached or read or meditated and conferred vpon and that also by the meanes of prayer Lord increase our fayth But this our Aduersary shutts out the law quite as out of date to a true beleeuer and of no vse at all not so much as to be a rule of life and conuersation his liuely faith doth all and hath noe neede of the word of God to direct or assist it Now that this is the summe of his doctrine concerning his liuely faith yee may gather from his owne words saying fayth infallibly inflames the heart with true loue making the true beleeuer to breake off his former corrupt conuersation c. This word Infallibly implies that faith doth by a continued and vninterrupted act inflame the heart with loue to doe all workes of sanctification and so it hath no neede of Gods word as a rule to bee guided by but the spirit is instead of the word But you will say So much is not expressed in the letter True But you must know that this is the doctrine which he priuately instilleth into his Disciples As in one of his scattered writings I find these words that this fayth of free iustification doth cause vs to walke infallibly in the steps of the workes of our father Abraham whereby like Abraham freely without the law of the ten Commandements wee walke holily righteously and soberly in all Gods Commandements declaratiuely to manward Yea comming sometimes to contest with mee and to charge mee for preaching the dead fayth himselfe did vtter so much to mee by word of mouth that after a man is once inlightned by fayth the spirit guides him so as he hath no need of the word or of the Morall law for a rule to direct him This Doctrine is so familiar among his Disciples as they professe it and are prowd of it so farre are they from making scruple or dainety of it as once to deny it So that this is one of the markes and properties of his liuely fayth that it hath no neede of the Morall Law to bee a rule vnto it in poynt of conuersation or in the workes of sanctification otherwise neyther is it the true liuely fayth nor this the true sanctification A second property and prerogatiue of this his liuely fayth is this that it oweth no obedience to the Morall Law in poynt of duty Hee denyeth the works of sanctification to bee duties What are they then Fruits sayth he So say we too fruits they bee yet duties too Here is the difference then Because wee say the fruits of fayth are duties therefore hee sayth ours is the dead fayth Al this hee hath auouched and that most vehemently as his manner is to my face And howsoeuer he hath not in plaine words expressed so much in this his letter as being more shy and cautelous what hee publisheth abrode hauing bene hampered by me and others and puzzled with some arguments which hee could not answere but sayd hee would answere them when they were written Yet ye may easily gather so much out of his writing For he cals the obedience of a beleeuer onely declaratiue and to bee done declaratiuely to manward Note it well This declaratiuely to manward excludes all duty to Godward For else what vse is there in this place eyther of Declaratiue or much lesse To manward For all obedience in conuersation is declaratiue and all declaratiue is to manward So as all this mans obedience is to manward in poynt of declaration but none to Godward in poynt of duty For if it bee of duty in obedience to Gods law then his fayth also should be the dead fayth But herein stands the prerogatiue of his true liuely fayth that as it doth not so much as reflect the eye vpon the morall Law as to learne obedience from the rule thereof so much lesse doth it acknowledge it oweth any obedience thereunto as a duty to God On the contrary we for holding and teaching that the Morall Law and so Gods word stands not onely for a rule of direction for sanctified obedience but also requireth of the faythfull a cheerfull yet dutyfull conformity thereunto we I say for this very cause must heare Hoggs or Doggs Hogg-christians or Dogg-christians as holding the blind zealous dead fayth So thus stands the state of the question betweene vs about the liuing and the dead fayth and herein we come now to ioyne yssue First then wee are all agreed on both sides that the true liuely fayth is no other but that whith the scriptures teach and allow for the true liuely fayth which promised and granted I argue thus That fayth Proposition which the Scriptures teach and allow for the true liuely iustifying fayth that and no other is the true liuely iustifying fayth But the Scriptures teach and allow that and no other Assumption for the true liuely iustifying fayth which resting only on Christ for iustification by the onely imputation of his righteousnesse doth notwithstanding looke vpon the Morall Law of God as a rule of Christian conuersation and sanctification acknowledging the conformity thereunto as a duty which God requireth of euery true beleeuer according to that Luk. 1.74.75 That we being deliuered from the hands of our enemies should serue him c. Therefore this fayth and none other is that which the Scriptures teach and allow for the true liuely iustifying fayth The Proposition is vndeniable The Assumption I proue And first from the very giuing of the Morall law in mount Sinai For it was giuen in and by and vnder Christ the Redeemer * Deut. 18.18 As the Apostle sayth It was giuen in the hand of a Mediator which Mediator was personally Moses but typically Christ of whom Moses was a type and figure And Christ was that heauenly * Exo. 25.40 Heb. 8.5 Patterne or Antitype according to which were all those things deliuered to Moses in the Mount yea not onely the Ceremoniall Law but also the Morall Law giuen by Christ himselfe where hee sayth I am the Lord thy God which hath