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truth_n	apostle_n	doctrine_n	receive_v	1,639	5	4.9836	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74986	An antidote against heresy: or a preservative for Protestants against the poyson of Papists, Anabaptists, Arrians, Arminians, &c. and their pestilent errours. Shewing the authors of those errours, their grounds and reasons, the time when and occasion how they did arise; with general answers to their arguments taken out of holy scripture and the ancient fathers. Written to stay the wandering and stablish the weak in these dangerous times of Apostasy. / By Richard Allen, M.A. sometime Fellow of Penbrooke [sic] Colledge in Oxford.	Allen, Richard, b. 1604 or 5.	1648 (1648)	Wing A1045A; Thomason E1168_2; ESTC R208803	57,457	159

AN ANTIDOTE Against HERESY OR A Preservative for Protestants against the poyson of Papists Anabaptists Arrians Arminians c. and their pestilent Errours Shewing the Authors of those Errours their grounds and reasons the time when and occasion how they did arise with general Answers to their Arguments taken out of holy Scripture and the Ancient Fathers Written to stay the wandering and stablish the weak in these dangerous times of Apostasy By RICHARD ALLEN M. A. sometime Fellow of Penbrooke Colledge in Oxford Pro. 23.23 Buy the Truth and sell it not London Printed by John Macock and are to be sold by Nathaniel Brooks at the sign of the Angel in Cornhil TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE Lords and Commons Assembled in PARLIAMENT Grace and Peace be multiplyed Right Honorable DIfferences in the Church have always caused differences in the Commonwealth and differences in the Commonwelth do commonly widen those differences in the Church Differences in Religion did cause these unhappy and unnatural Wars and these Wars have not ended but encreased them For notwithstanding the Solemn League and Covenant to extirpate all Popery Heresie Schism c. and in pursuance thereof your late pious Ordinance to stop their farther growth besides the excellent labours of many learned men yet Heresies are encreased above number like the unruly waters the more they are stopt the more they rage and swell And indeed Heresie Prophaness Barbarism and Atheism it self have always and in all places followed war as close as famine or pestilence do times of war and confusion being as fit times for the envious man to sow his tares in as times of peace sleep or security And now for composing these differences The Italians in a proverbial speech use to say that Hard to Hard never makes good stone-wall Meaning that in any difference there must be some yeelding or else there can never be any firm uniting In matters of Religion I have v●ntured to do something my calling thereunto engaging me with extream longings to see peace and truth settled amongst us These poor labors I humbly present unto your Honors hoping your Honors will take in good part what is intended to a good end though perhaps it may come much short of it and accept the work though small seeing the smallest stone will help to repair the greatest breach Your Honors humbly devoted RICHARD ALLEN monster that neither of the Swords yet could tame or cut off But when I heard the most horrid Blasphemies and saw the monstrous Heresies that every day new-sprang up to the high dishonor and displeasure of Almighty God the reproach of his truth saddening the hearts and dejecting the minds of his people the enemy in mean space riding in triumph and treading down all before him Setting aside all doubts and fears at last I finisht and publisht this small book partly inclined thereunto to yeeld some account of my late unpleasing leisure but chiefly for discharge of my duty and a double engagement that lay upon me 1. As a Christian being all bound as the Apostle exhorts us Jude 3. To contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints 2. As a Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ which we are bound more specially to defend and not to give place to false teachers No not for an hour that the truth of the Gospel may continue Gal. 2.5 Besides the solemn Covenant to extirpate all Heresie Schism and Prophaness and whatsoever is contrary to sound doctrine And now right worshipful I present you with it such as it is being engaged also thereunto by the many favors and kindnesses I have received of you whereof be pleased to tak this as an acknowledgment I hope it may prove some help to discover the manifold sleights and impostures of false Prophets and Deceivers that are entered into the world that privily bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them And many follow their pernicious ways but my prayers are always for you that yee may ever escape their snares Your Worships much obliged Nephew Richard Allen. A TABLE OF THE HEADS OR CHAPTERS Chap. I. OF the holy Scripture Page 1. Chap. II. Of the Blessed Trinity Page 14. Chap. III. Of the Creation Page 26. Chap. IV. Of Providence Page 29. Chap. V. Of the Fall of Man and Original Sin Page 35. Chap. VI. Of Freewil Page 40. Chap. VII Of the Person of Christ Page 44 Chap. VIII Of the Office of Christ Page 48 Chap. IX Of the Death of Christ Page 50 Chap. X. Of the Resurrection of Christ Page 54 Chap. XI Of Predestination Page 56 Chap. XII Of Vocation Page 64 Chap. XIII Of Justification Page 73 Chap. XIV Of Sanctification Page 78 Chap. XV. Of the Moral Law Page 84 Chap. XVI Of Good Works Page 87 Chap. XVII Of Death and Burial Page 90 Chap. XVIII Of the Resurrection of the flesh Page 94 Chap. XIX Of Glorification in Heaven Page 96 Chap. XX. Of Hell Page 98 Chap. XXI Of Purgatory Page 99 Chap. XXII Of Images Page 102 Chap. XXIII Of the Church Page 106 Chap. XXIV Of the Sacraments Page 115 Chap. XXV Of Baptism Page 119 Chap. XXVI Of the Lords Supper Page 126 Chap. XXVII Of Reformation Page 134 Chap. XXVIII Of Toleration Page 143 The Preface GOD never wrought miracle to convince Atheism because his ordinary works convince it For the Invisible things of him even his eternal power and Godhead are clearly seen and understood by the works of the Creation Rom. 1.20 And indeed never any people was heard of so barbarous but did acknowledg a God and though otherwise rude and voyd of all civility yet did profess and practise some Religion The very nature of man it self so far abhors direct Atheism that the Heathen made them Gods of wood and stone rather then have none at all and gave Divine Honours not to men only like themselves but even to base and vile creatures rather then be without a Religion The Devil then not able to root up this perswasion of a Deity so deeply and strongly fastened in the hearts of all men by nature from Atheism he turned to Heathenism from denying to multiplying the heavenly Deity and with a multitude of false Gods abused the world almost 4000. years But When the fulness of time was come God sent his Son a light to lighten the Gentiles who with the beams of his glorious truth so scattered this universal fog of Paganism that those lying vanities were shortly discovered mens consciences convinced of their former gross ignorance and turned from dead Idols to serve the living God And now this old Serpent is put to a new shift which the Father of lies was not long to seek of but driven from Heathenism betakes himself to Heresie for the worship of false Gods setting up false worships of the true God wherein he multiplied so exceedingly that now there are as many false worships as before were false Gods To trace this crooke●

and be united to our souls and both together be taken into everlasting joy or depart into everlasting sorrow Errours The first adversaries that we read of were the Sadduces who denyed the Resurrection but were put to silence by our Saviour Mat. 21. afterwards Hymeneus and Philetus whose words eate like a canker 2 Tim. 2.17 Then Simon Magus Menander and their followers At this day the Familists and other fanaticks will understand no resurrection but a rising from sin or that the resurrection spoken of at the last day is not to be understood literally of the body naturall but mystically of a certain spirituall body that all the Saints shall be gathered into and that the body of flesh shall be annihilated and for ever brought to nothing 3. The Manichees imagined a certain Pythagorean transmigration of souls out of one body into another and 4. The Anabaptists imagine we shall rise again but with other new bodies not the same that now we have But 1 Cor. 15.19 30 32. Antidote If in this life onely we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable why stand we in jeopardie every houre If the dead rise not let us eate and drink for to morrow we shal dye but be not deceived for Joh. 5.28 The hour shal come that all that be in the grave shal hear his voyce 1 Cor. 15.52 For the trumpet shall sound and the dead shal be raised Revel 20.13 The Sea shal deliver up the dead that are in it death and the grave shal deliver up the dead that are in them 2 Cor. 5.10 For we must al appear before the tribunal of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body Job 19.26 Though after my skin wormes consume this bodie yet shal I see God in my flesh whom I my self shal see and mine eyes shal behold and none others for me CHAP. XIX Of Glorification in Heaven Truth ANd whom he Justified them he also glorified after the resurrection and the last Judgement is past the Saints or chosen of God shal go with Christ in triumph into heaven and there reign with him for ever Errours Cerinthus of old taught which he said he received by Revelation from Angels That Christ should reign after the resurrection 1000 yeares upon earth where the Saints should enjoy all pleasures of the flesh This doctrine that false Prophet Mahomet embraced and put in his Alchoran and is greedily embraced not onely of his followers but also of the Anabaptists and other among us who expect such a temporary kingdome wherein the godly shal reign alone and inherit the earth after that the wicked be all destroyed The Familists say The joyes of heaven are here in this world c. But 1 Thess 4.17 Antidote The Lord shal descend from heaven to what place to the earth no but then we that are alive shal be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the ayre and so shal we ever be with the Lord. 2 Cor. 5.1 When this earthly Tabernacle is dissolved i. when we dye our next building or habitation to dwell in is eternal in the heavens 1 Pet. 1.4 The inheritance of the Saints is reserved in heaven for them where 2 Tim. 4.8 a Crown is laid up for them and 2 Cor. 2.9 things prepared for them that the heart of man cannot conceive But Phil. 3.20 their vile body shal be made like the glorious body of Christ Dan. 12.3 They shall shine as stars for ever and ever Revel 22.5 the Saints shal raign in heaven for ever and ever as for those 2000 years Rev. 20. they are to be understood of the condition of the Saints in this present world when Satan was bound 1000 years that he could not deceive the Nations CHAP. XX. Of Hell Truth BUt the Reprobates wicked and ungod●y men after they have received their fearfull doome shal go into the everlasting torment of hell fire prepared for the devil and his Angels There be some that say there is neither Devill nor hell Errours no Devil or evill spirit but a mans own vile affections nor hel but a mans own evill conscience 2. Others say there is a hell but not till the day of Judgement 3. Others that hell tormen●s are not everlasting but that the damned and devils themselves shall be saved at last as a Sect of old called therefore Liberatores sayd or as many as in hell call for mercy say the Turks Antidote But 2 Pet. 2.4 The Angels which fel at the beginning were cast down into Hel and delivered into chains of darknesse Jude 6. Everlasting chains where 2 Thess 1.9 Their destruction shal be everlasting Mar. 9.44 Their worm never dyes their fire never is quenched Revel 20.10 Are tormented day and night for ever and ever there were devils then and a hel from the beginning into which with the Devill and his Angels the reprobates all wicked men are cast Mat. 25.41 not for a time but for ever for out of hell there is no Redemption Luc. 16.26 betwixt that and heaven there is a great gulf fixt so that th●re is no passing between Deut. 32.29 Oh that men were wise then they would understand this they would consider their latter end CHAP. XXI Of Purgatory THere is no other third or middle place between Heaven and Hell Truth whereunto the souls departed do go And therefore the doctrine of Purgatory with all its appendices as pardons prayers for the dead c. are not only fond vain and unwarrantable but heathenish also blasphemous Errours This was a device of the old Heathens was received among Christians first by Simon Magus Montanus and other leud Hereticks and is now embraced by none but the Roman Church through the covetousness and filthy lucre of their Clergy because it fils not only the Popes coffers but also the private purse of every mass Priest The place they say is next unto hell the pains of it are all one with hell fire though some mitigate the matter But King Henry the fourth of France resolved this doubt best of any The time it lasts is till the day of Judgment at utmost no longer and yet if surviving friends wil pay the Priest pray or the Pope but say the word they may be released at any time sooner It was invented for the purging of souls departed which had not fully fatisfied in this life Antidote But as there be but two sorts of men in this world so there are but two places prepared for them in the world to come and as there are but two places so there are but two ways and gates that lead unto those two places Whereof you read Mat. 7.13 14. If there were a third place certainly our Saviour who came to teach and afterwards sent his Spirit to lead us in the way of all truth would have shewed us the way to that place too But seeing the

is spiritual heavenly and divine The matter of the thing present the Apostle shews plainly 1 Cor. 10.16 But for the manner of presence we have no such evident demonstration To conclude the truth is present with the signs the Holy Spirit with the Sacrament feeding our souls with the truth of Christs body and blood but the invisible working of that Divine Spirit herein is unsearchable the natural man cannot perceive it because it is spiritual Let us firmly beleeve then what we cannot conceive and rest assured in this truth that we receive in the Sacrament the very body and blood of Christ by Faith though we cannot conceive it by sense or reason CHAP. XXVII Of Reformation Truth THere is no particular Church on earth and never was so priviledged but that it may and many have faln into dangerous Errours both of life and doctrine as the examples of all both former and latter times have witnessed so that there is no Church consisting of men that may err but may need Reformation even as a material building doth need often reparation And for as much as many horrible abuses and superstitions were lately brought through the deceitfulness of some into the Church of England to the great dishonor of Almighty God the decay of piety and imminent ruine of the true Protestant Religion therefore this present Reformation was extreamly necessary and is no Innovation but a Restauration only of our Church to its ancient purity of doctrine discipline and divine worship as it was established by the noble Princes K. Edward 6. and Q. Elizabeth of famous memories Although this truth be as clear as the light Errours as shall immediately be made appear and that this present Reformation hath cast out many gross abuses that contrary to the determinations of our Church have been lately put upon us yet there are divers adversaries that either out of malice or ignorance or both do still with all their might oppose it And so I shall reduce them all under three heads The first is of those that do it of pure malice as all lewd and dissolute persons who hate all reformation whatsoever that shal hedg up their extravagant ways and give a check or stop to their loose courses among these we may reckon some Papists and other Sectaries The second is of those that do it of meer ignorance as divers civil Protestants that think no Religion so ancient as that they were bred in and strangely mistaking Church-men for the Church take up most of their religion upon their credit The third sort do it of malice and ignorance both as divers fiery spirits that think there is no way to reform the Church unless they pull it to pieces as if there were no way to cure the head-ache but to knock a mans brains out There be also divers hypocrites that can drive on a reformation for their own ends and advantages and yet are as great enemies to the truth of it as any of the former Antidote I shall endeavor to satisfie the honest Protestant that is engaged against the reformation for want of better information and would soon perhaps imbrace the truth if he were not courted with so many lyes by deceivers that abound in the world The common complaint and cry is for the Religion that was in Queen Elizabeths time again And that we have not now the same Religion The Answer in brief is that we have the same Religion still not a new And that the true Protestant Religion which was then profest is now not altered but settled being restored to its pristine purity and purged from many abuses wherewith it was but lately corrupted As First Many Popish and Arminian tenents were taught and publickly maintained that are contrary to the doctrine of our Church at first established as will appear by comparing them with the 39. Articles and the book of Homilies the nine Articles of Lambeth and other learned writings of our former Bishops Secondly Many Crucifixes Images or Idols were set up in our most eminent Churches and most eminent places of them and that partly by connivence partly by command of men at that time of most eminent place and note whereby Superstition was nourished and Idolatry committed But now these Images are contrary 1. To the Word of God expresly forbidding them 2. To the judgment of the ancient Christians Fathers and Councels with great zeal condemning them And 3. of our own Church of England as in the book of Homilies and 39. Articles may be seen Thirdly The Communion Table was altered both in name and place from a Table to an Altar from the body of the Church to the head or upper end of the Chancel contrary to express order s●t down in the book of Common Prayer before the communion where it is said that the Table shall stand in the body of the Church or in the Chancel and the Priest shall stand at the north side which he cannot do if he stand close up to the wall And if it might be placed according to the discretion of the ordinary yet he must have more discretion then ordinary that will make the end of a table the side as one endeavored to do but that his Geometry failed him Fourthly The Bowing used to the Communion Table was a matter of worse consequence then was commonly imagined It is the attendant on Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation It serves to nourish those Errours still in mens minds ushers in many other Popish superstitions and is the occasion of gross Idolatry Fifthly The rails wainscot and traverse courtains before the Table as if it were the Sanctum sanctorum of the Jews or a Chappel intended for private Mass or as if none were holy enough to approach neer it but the Priest also the Tapers Copes Vestments and many other things lately used though they seemed but small matters to some yet they were not the less dangerous for being little for like little thieves they crept in at our Church windows to open doors to the great ones and if these had continued by this time they would have brought in the whole Mass of Popish Idolatry and those that plead for them are but the devils pimps that seduce the people and under the name of things indifferent would lead them a whoring after Idolls Hereunto we may add that horrible abuse of Excommunication the highest censure of the Church that in the Courts Christian was made a messenger to fetch in fees and men were cast out of the Church for not comming into the Court to say no more Lastly They err as much on the other hand and are to be condemned that scornfully or basely abuse the Church and places set apart for the use of Gods Ordinances which is seldom done but in open or secret contempt of the ordinances themselves Let them among other examples remember that of Julian unckle to the Apostate who in contempt pissed against the Communion Table his bowels rotting out he voyded

the god of this world hath blinded Their eyes c. 2 Cor. 4.3 The end of the Scriptures is the instruction of the Church Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written were written for our learning and one necessary mean to attain this end is the perspicuity and plainness of the Scripture for if it were dark or doubtful how should it instruct us In vain is it called a Light if it be dark in it self and to no purpose are we sent to learn it if it be so to us The Scriptures are an instrument to beget Faith Joh. 20.31 Rom. 10.17 And the first step or degree of faith is knowledg which the Scriptures could not beget if they were dark difficult or obscure Object But S. Peter says there are many things in S. Pauls Epistles hard to be understood which unlearned men wrest to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 Sol. If any thing be hard in one place either it is such as the ignorance thereof will not hazard our salvation or else it is explained and made easie in another place And by unlearned men the Apostle understand not men wanting humane learning as the liberal arts and sciences c. but men unlearned in the Scriptures themselves such as most times the learned and wise men of the world are For it is known that men otherwise unlearned simple a●d ignorant coming in humility the fear of God and love of truth using prayer reading comparing of Scriptures c. have attained unto a sufficient measure of saving knowledg For the Scriptures discover themselves by their own proper light one place expounding and opening the meaning of another August de Doct. Christ .l 2. c. 2.9.24 all things are seen by the light but light by it self Lastly Those books that we commonly call Apocrypha are not of divine authority because they were not written by the Prophets or men divinely inspired as the other Scriptures were that are therefore called the Scriptures of the Prophets Rom. 12.26 Our Saviour divides all Canonical Scripture into Moses and the Prophets Luk. 16.29 But none of those books were written by Moses or any of the Prophets nor dictated by the Spirit of God but savour of a prophane and lying spirit as containing matter and stories both vain foolish and fabulous very often contradicting themselves and also the known Word of God as in the books of Tobit and the Maccabees the Stories of Bell and the Dragon are specially to be found The Jews received none of those books in their Canon neither by any of the primitive Christians or ancient Fathers were accounted for Canonical and what account the learned Papists themselves make of them may appear by Arias Montanus who in the front of his Bible hath these words There be added in this Edition the books written in Greek which the Catholick Church following the Canon of the Hebrew reckoneth amongst the Apocrypha CHAP. II. Of the Blessed Trinity Truth THere is but one living and true God everlasting and in the unity of this Godhead there be three persons of one substance power and eternity the Father the Son and the holy Ghost Errours This one point of Christian Religion is the very basis or foundation of all the rest and if this be shaken the rest must needs totter and fall to the ground and therefore the devil hath raised up such furious adversaries to oppugn it with strange and monstrous blasphemies as of old did Simon Magus Cerinthus Ebion Manes a Persian a man according to his name furious and mad and such like at this day the adversaries to this doctrine of the Trinity are all the enemies of Christ and his divinity as the unbeleeving Jews all Mahometans Turks Moors and such miscreants among Christians only such as have suckt their principles from the schools of those Infidels They stand marshalled all in two Regiments 1. The first is of those that deny all distinction of persons in the Godhead making the Father Son and Holy Ghost but several names only of one and the same person in regard of some distinct actions or offices This Heresie was commonly ascribed to Sabellius but Noetus a disciple of Montanus hatcht it and Simon Magus layd the egg long before at this day it is revived by one M. Erbury a late Chaplain of the Army who taught That there is but one person in the Godhead and when we read of the Father Son and Holy Ghost we must not take them for so many distinct persons but only as so many appearances of God unto men And truly if M. Erbury had been that Sorcerers own disciple he could not have devised a doctrine more like his as it is recorded by St. Augustin lib. de Haeres ad Quodvultdeum cap. 1. There be others that admit a distinction of these 3 persons but deny the equality of them That the Son and Holy Ghost are not God equal with the Father of one substance and eternity with the Father This was the Heresie of Arius whose chief undertaking was against the Son of God and his eternal generation and of Macedonius who denyed the Godhead of the holy Ghost They are both revived at this day among us that of Macedonius by one M. Biddle who not questioning the Godhead of the Son a point as he professeth wherein he is not yet so well resolved denies only the Godhead of the holy Ghost granting no more but that he is an excellent creature and chief of all the ministring spirits One M. Best not fearing that fearful judgment that befel Arius who burst asunder in the midst like Judas the traitor that his bowels gushed out hath notwithstanding revived his Heresie and in these times of general and desperate Apostacy hath found many favorors and followers Now the fountain of all these impure waters was Simon Magus an impious sorcerer and the conduit that conveyed them to our times almost was Mahomet an impudent impostour For about the year 630. or as others please 670. that vile and lewd Arabian began his cursed book called the Alcoran and therein amongst a multitude of other impure follies impious fables and lyes he raked also together cōmended to his barbarous followers all those Heresies and Blasphemies against the Trinity Out of this filthy puddle Michael Servertus a Spaniard a man better read in Mahomets cursed Law then in the holy Gospel of Jesus Christ suckt his Heresie about the year 1530. for denying the eternal Son of God he was burnt at Geneva and out of his ashes arose that monster Socinus But to pass by particular persons the first Country that made defection from this truth was Transylvania a Country bordering upon the Turks from whom they received this point of their Religion for to gratifie or comply with those barbarous neighbours they abjured their Faith in the holy Trinity about the year 1593. denying the Son and holy Ghost the contagion of this pest is now spread into most places of Christendom The devil hath devised

There is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not as is evident by the confessions and examples of holy men of God Noah Gen. 9.21 Abraham Gen. 20.2 Lot Gen. 19.33 David 2 Sam. 11. Paul Rom. 7. and Peter denyed his Master Christ Mat. 26. The Perfectists themselves have enough in themselves to convince them of their folly as pride envy malice c. being subject to sickness death c. which are the wages of sin and therefore they are not without sin Object Our Saviour exhorts us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect Mat. 5 Sol. There is a pattern proposed unto us to imitate and follow not to match equal or overtake which cannot be As noteth the quality not equality Object 1 John 3. Whosoever is born of God sinneth not Sol. The same Apostle says If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves We sin then i. sins of infirmity and we do not sin i. we do not fall back into the service and dominion of sin finally or totally There is a perfection 1. Of degrees and stands opposed to imperfection 2. Of parts and stands opposed to hypocrisy This latter we may have i. be sincere and upright not the former i. be free from all sin defect or imperfection Many men in Scripture are called righteous just perfect not because they were without all vice but because they had many vertues Hieronym For otherwise Noah was drunk David committed Adultery c. Thirdly The righteousness whereby we are justified is inherent in Christ for us that whereby we are sanctified is inherent in our selves from Christ that is in us only by imputation this also by infusion and real Communication by that we are freed from the guilt by this from the pollution of sin that is done al at once this by degrees 2 Cor. 4.16 The inward man is renewed day by day 2 Tim. 1.6 Stir up the grace that is in thee 2 Pet. 1.6 Add to your faith vertue c. For if these things be in you c. the Righteousness then of Sanctification is subjectively in us Fourthly Our Sanctification is an evidence of our Justification Rom. 8.1 1 John 3.10 14. Gal. 5.24 2 Cor. 5.17 Lastly God doth see sin in his dearest Saints as in the example of David who also confesseth the same was punisht and prayed for pardon 2 Sam. 12.10 Psalm 51. If God did not see sin in him how did he send Nathan to reprove him for it why did he punish him for it Our Saviour teaches us to pray for pardon of sins Mat. 6.12 The Apostle 1 John 1. to confess our sins And Mat. 28. Peter wept bitterly for his sin We ought to sorrow for sin and renew our souls dayly by repentance CHAP. XV. Of the Moral Law Truth CHrist hath delivered us from the rigour and curse of the Law not from all obedience unto it but that it still remains a rule of life unto us Errours Antinomians or Adversaries to this truth because it is said We are not under the Law but under Grace Rom. 6.14 And that the Law is not made for the righteous 1 Tim. 1.9 hold That the Moral Law ought to be cast quite out of the Church that we be no more troubled or our Consciences terrified with the preaching thereof but that we be gently exhorted by the preaching of the Grace of Christ That the Law and Christ are two contrary things whereof one cannot abide the other That it is of no use to a Beleever no rule for him to walk or examine his life by Antidote Christ is the end of the Law finis perficiens not interficiens August A consummating not consuming end not destroying but fulfilling the same So our Saviour himself says Mat. 5.17 19. I came not to destroy the Law or the Prophets but fulfil Whosoever therefore shall break the least of these Commandments and teach men so c. Rom. 3.31 Do we then make voyd the Law through Faith God forbid yea we establish the Law 1 Cor. 7.19 Circumcision is nothing nor uncircumcision but the keeping the Commandments of God We are not under the Law but under Grace not under the Law as a Tyrant but now as a Father being freed from the curse and rigour of it not obedience unto it which we yeeld now not of compulsion or fear but love with all cheerfulness and willingness our hearts being enclined and disposed thereunto by the work of Gods Spirit 1 Joh. 5.3 This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous and so the Law unto the Regenerate becomes as it were Gospel even a Law of liberty The Use of the Law is two-fold 1. Civil to punish and restrain sin 2. Spiritual to reveal it Luther in Galat. In the first regard it is not given to the righteous because good men are a Law unto themselves Rom. 2.14 The most proper and principal Use of the Law is to reveal sin and so the Law is light not to discover grace and life this is the office of the Gospel but to discover sin and death therein as in a glass we may see our own blindness c. For our natures are so corrupt that we should not know they were corrupt but by the Law Rom. 7.7 The Law then serves to humble us and drive us unto Christ to make us know sin and so know our selves and so renounce our selves and fly unto Christ And so the Law is our Schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ Gal. 3. And Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that beleeves Rom. 10. because the end of the Law is perfect Righteousness which we cannot attain of our selves but by Christ who hath fulfilled the same for us And when the Law hath brought us unto Christ it goeth no farther the coactive power of it ceaseth but not the directive it is still a guide and rule of life unto us which we follow not to seek Righteousness to our selves but to testify our thankfulness unto God we endeavour to keep the Law not to justify our selves but to glorify God and edify our neighbour by our good example And therefore we are still exhorted to do the works of the Law though we shall not be justified by the same CHAP. XVI Of good works ALthough we are justified freely by the Grace of God through the redemptio● that is in Jesus Christ. Rom. 3. Truth yet we ought still to maintain good works 1. Out of thankfulness unto God for so great a benefit and to glorify his name 2. To assure our selves of the truth of our faith by the fruits thereof 3. To edify win and provoke others also by our good example Adversaries are 1. The Papists Errours who think good works are meritorious and so overvalue them 2 The Libertines that undervalve them and think they are repugnant and contrary unto faith that understand our liberty that