themselues day by day Moses glory is now no glory to them Nor Moses face doe they any longer looke after It is the glorie of Christ Iesus which they admire and on his most glorious face they are bold to gaze and thus are they changed from glorie to glorie 2. Cor. 3. 18. haue receiued grace for grace Iohn 1. 16. And are indeede procceded from faith to faith Rom. 1. 17. They haue the glory of Christ for the glory of Moses the grace of the Truth for the grace of the type And are come from faith of conditionall Promises to faith of free Promises They are so farre from being obliged to any Iudaicall Ceremonies or Mosaicall Rites that they are free from the burthen of the Ceremoniall as vtterly abrogated and the Curse of the Morall Law for which Christ hath satisfied These then are those free men true inhabitants of our new Hierusalem Gal. 4. hauing that white Stone with the new name Reuel 2. haue eaten of the tree of life in the middest of Gods Paradise vers 7. Haue on the wedding garment Mat. 22. Liue by faith Gal. 3. 11. Walke by faith 2. Cor. 5. 7. Worke by faith Iam. 2. 18. Are clothed with that fine white Linnen Reuel 19. These doe declare the truth of their faith by the power of their loue Gal. 5. 6. Performe no workes of the Mosaicall Law nor can performe them but in the workes of faith these doe abound Rom. 3. 28. So that albeit by the flesh in forme these doe no worke perfectly yet by Loue in Truth they are fruitfull and rich in good workes they haue willing mindes and their workes are accepted according to the truth of their affections which God onely can see 2. Cor. 8. 12. Abrahams example makes it manifest who being commanded to sacrifice a sonne sacrificed a Ramme and the Ramme was accepted where a sonne was exacted Abraham offered his sonne Isaac but how not by sight that was a Ramme but by faith that was a Sonne Heb. 11. 17. And Iames expresly names this as Abrahams worke though by sight and sence he did no such worke at all Iam. 2. 21 This is that great Mystery of Godlinesse and herein lyes the sound comfort of Christians that are so free from the worldly Rudiments and intollerable bondage of shaddowes and Ceremonies as that for Iustification the exact fulfilling of the Morall Law is not now required at their hands but if they consent to the goodnesse thereof are willing to doe it and reioyce therein though the good which they would they can neuer perfectly effect nor exactly performe but the euill they would not is euer mixed ther with yet is this will this free consent this lasting and increasing delight cleared through Iesus Christ as if they had perfectly done what God requireth Rom. 7. 2. Cor. 8. 12. And by this it is cleared that our Libertie is no carnall but a spirituall no seruile but a son-like no short or momentanie but a lasting and eternall Libertie we doe defend And as men do highly esteeme small things if they bee but fauours from great ones and doe value things at the rate they cost or reioyce in them for the goodnesse they haue or the benefits they bring If Princes fauours bee so much esteemed and Souldiers skarres so charily kept Diamonds of so great value and Orientall Pearles so much set by At what rate should this Libertie be valued how dearely prized how much desired and how valiantly defended by all that heare of the excellencie thereof and are entred within the limits of the same Let Libertines then bee as presumptuous and lawlesse as they list and Iewes as enuious as they may and false Christians as carelesse as they are or as superstitious as some are knowne yet wee all should prize this Libertie at farre more then our liues worth much more then Wife Lands Friends or whatsoeuer else might bee most deare vnto vs. And in this Libertie let vs liue and dye and for it let vs constantly stand and not be so foolish as to begin in the Spirit and seeke perfection by the flesh to subiect our selues to Iewish Fables to stretch out our neckes to receiue that heauy yoke to turne againe to that Prison wherein the Iewes were shut vp to those weake and beggerly elements and be bond-slaues to them to goe againe to the Schoolemaster as if wee had not yet learned Christ To leaue the contemplation of the present body for the emptie shaddowes like mad men to flie from the day light to the twilight Knowing now that those shaddowes were for the present viua but neuer as the body viuificantia they were once quicke but not quickening But since that they had a time wherein they were moribunda about to dye after once Iohn Baptist appeared in his Ministerie Luke 16. 16. a time in which they were mortua when once the veile of the Temple was rent at the death of our Lord Iesus Mat. 27. And albeit they had also a time of solemne Buriall wherein their Funerall Obsequies were dispatched as namely while the Apostles tollerated Circumcision as appeareth by the circumcising of Timothy Ast. 16. 3. and the vindicating of Libertie from Circumcision by refusing to haue Titus circumcised Gal. 2. Yet now they are long since become mortifera deadly to all that turne backe againe vnto them seeing they doe question thereby the validitie of faith in Iesus and doe become debtors to the whole Law and Christ is made of none effect vnto them they are fallen from grace Gal. 5. 1 2 3 4. So that by this Libertie and onely by this haue we all the comfort we doe enioy And whosoeuer dare either oppose it or scorne it or at all limit it in any fleshly manner as by forbearing of meates or by legall obseruation of dayes they are they who at least ignorantly doe scorne Gods loue set light by Christs Merit and doe set themselues against the Truth of Gods grace for which and in which wee doe with comfort stand And yet not withstanding the Law Morall stands firme not abolished but established by this doctrine and of it we say that hee that obserueth the whole Law and faileth in one point is guilty of all lam 2. 10. And except our righteousnesse doe exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisies there is no entrance for vs into the Kingdome of God Mat. 5. 20. But this exceeding righteousnesse is not ours but Christs as is before shewed for that allours is as filthy rags Isay 64. 5. And who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse Iob 14. 4. And we haue learned with holy Paul to esteeme all other righteousnesse but that of faith as dung and losse Phil. 3. This is the Righteousnesse of God by Faith vnto all and vpon all that doe beleeue Rom. 3. 9. we seeke no promise by the old but by the new Couenant not by the Law but by Faith onely the Law Morall is of force but not
fulfilled by the flesh but by Faith onely So that by Christ wee doe fulfill both the Forme and the Truth the Letter and Spirit the olde and new Couenant By Faith wee are formally righteous according to the Lawes exact rule by Loue truly righteous according to the Morall Truth of the same Law So that by this the Morall Law is confessed to be still holy iust and good if lawfully vsed 1. Tim. 1. 8 9. It serues still to conuince all men of sinne and to bring them to Christ for perfect obedience and full satisfaction yea so farre are wee from granting the Laws abolishing in part or in whole that we still affirme God will bee euer iust and transgressors shall neuer escape his terrible and powerfull hand Neither shall this Law lose its force in all sorts of men yea in the godly themselues to weaken the old-man and to humble them daily vntill it may bee triumphantly said O death where is thy sting O Hell where is thy victorie The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But thankes bee vnto God who hath giuen vs the Victory through our Lord Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 15 55 56 57. And this is that by which all Enmitie is slaine and Peace made yea all that beleeue whether Iewes or Greekes Male or Female bond or free haue free accesse by one Spirit to worship the Father through the Sonnes mediation and this Liberty is part of that Glorie which the very Angels themselues desire to behold 1. Pet. 1. 22. CHAP. III. Answeres to some Obiections which seeme to be against this Libertie HAuing now expounded and testified there are some Questions to bee examined that doe concerne this Liberty that all lets being remooued the imbracing thereof may be the more boldly perswaded to all that shall acknowledge so glorious a condition and the contrarie appeare as it is an intollerable bondage too heauie for any to vndergoe Obiect And first some say If it bee so that the Law Morall is still of force why then haue wee left off the Seuenth Day Sabbath which that Law expresly inioynes our Lord obserued the Apostles were taught to keepe and did obserue after Christs death and Resurrection Resol The answere is That a Sabbath wee doe keepe and a Seuenth Day wee doe still obserue vnto the Lord yet not that Sabbath not that Seuenth Day so wee haue learned to obserue no dayes nor moneths nor times nor yeeres as that Law inioyned Gal. 4. 10. But wee haue learned to esteeme all dayes alike in respect of that Law that olde Letters seruice Rom. 14. 5. wee are not now so to serue God Rom. 7. 6. A new spirituall seruice wee are to yeeld And that a Sabbath Day we doe still acknowledge it is by vertue of the Commandement it selfe as farre as it is Morall which saith Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabbath Day or remember the Sabbath Day to sanctifie it as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee Exod. 20. 8. Deut. 5. 12. But all the strife is what day it must be kept seeing the seuenth from the creation was blessed to that end and made holy for that purpose And what God hath blessed is blessed for euer what he hath made holy no man may pollute He is not as man that hee should repeat he hath spoken and it cannot be reuersed This is granted to be vndoubtedly true but withall the end must be considered why that day was instituted vpon the ground of creation to be also obserued in that manner And for this let vs heare the doctrine of the Lord of the Sabbath where hee saith That the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath Mat. 2. Matt. 12. If then man were not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath for man God may also dispose and change it for mans good for whom it was made as well in the day it selfe as the manner of keeping it Neither may it be said that the day remaineth any longer blessed and holy then man for whom it was made and whom it serueth can receiue holinesse and happinesse thereby Seeing man is not subiect to it but it is subiect to man by vertue of Christs Lordship which as the Sonne of man he hath of the Sabbath Mark 2. 27 28. And as it partly appeareth by some bodily labours which Christ himselfe commanded some to doe in case of necessitie as to take vp their beds and goe to their houses which some held vtterly vnlawfull at that time and by that the Priests might without scandall kill and dresse and offer the sacrifices on that day Mat 12. And Children were also circumcised on that very day Iohn 5. 8. 9. Iohn 7. 22 23. Now then as with the destruction of Israels common-wealth the holy temple which serued their vse was destroyed and the holinesse vanished and Canaans blessednesse is also gone as it stood distinguished from other lands And all mans holinesse and happinesse naturall is now vanished the Iewes prerogatiue aboue all other nations abolished So also the holinesse and blessednesse of that seuenth day is vanished and quite done away with the death and destruction of man himselfe Indeed had man to this day retained and continued in his first estate that day had retained its first blessednesse and continued its holinesse still but as little comfort as man hath left in himselfe at this day of any holinesse or blisse by vertue of creation so little benefit shall man find in that daies obseruation on that ground and in that manner as it was inioyned And in steed of blessednesse and holinesse which he may for a while fondly expect by obseruing that day he will soone find the great arerages of curses which he runs daily into by that laws transgression So that if God at this day did require that dayes obseruation in that manner no flesh could stand with any comfort before his maiestie As for their Argument à principio from the beginning Man himselfe hath beene also from the beginning yea mans creation is more ancient then that daies institution yet as that proues not mans blessednesse now by that his creation is so ancient vnlesse he seek it another way so is that no sound reason to proue that day to bee now obserued by man seeing wee haue many probabilities that it was neuer obserued resurrection Mat. 13. 34. Ioh. 16. 25. And it might parabolically denote that they should pray that they might not be vtterly extirpate and rooted out as they must be if surprized in the Winter when they cannot flie farre or on the Sabbath day when they were secure and not willing to escape or take filght at all For that if they be set vpon when they were either vnwilling or vnable to escape they must then perish and be vtterly destroyed for euermore The sum then of that Prayer is that God would lay no more vpon them then they were able to beare but giue them an issue with the triall
if my obedience were once fulfilled Which vengeance God auert if it be his will by giuing them hearts to raze out some vntruths out of their more then satyricall Inuectiues and forbeare reproches for time to come And desiring thy patience to reade the whole ouer passing by the quotations in reading though not in trying the truth of them all I rest Thy brother that prayeth for thee IOH TRA. May 5. 1620. A TREATISE OF LIBERTIE Against Judaisme CHAP. I. The Authors preparation of himselfe to write and helpe to some others to read profitably what followeth in this Booke AMongst the manifold fruits of the holy Spirit there is one which is often read freely acknowledged much commended yet least practised by the most that should be the greatest proficients in Christs Schoole and it is Meekenesse which is expresly required of all whether Instructors or instructed in authoritie or vnder gouernement Pastors or people men or women and hath beene euer of great price with God in the time of the Law as it is now much set by and highly valued in the Gospels peace As beneficiall it is as any other grace attended with as many pretious promises as manifest a signe of the truth of Gods grace as may be had So that though a Lyons boldnesse a Serpents wisdome a Doues simplicitie or rather innocencie be true badges of sound Christianitie yet it may be said and that truly that a Lambe-like meekenesse surmounts them all Neither is it left to euerie mans choyce to be meeke or no but the man of God is inioyned it and to all other men it is commanded in plain words as to Timothie Thou O man of God flie these things namely doting about questions strife of words peruerse disputings the loue of money and follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith loue patience and meekenesse 1. Tim. 6. 11. And The seruant of God must not striue but be gentle to all men apt to teach patient in meeknesse instructing those that oppose themselues if God peraduenture will giue them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth 2. Tim. 2. 24 25. And to Titus the first Bishop of that Church of the Cretians he saith Put them in mind to be subiect to principalities and authorities to obey Magistrates to be readie to euerie good worke to speake euill of no man to be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meekenesse to all men Tit. 3. 1 2. So that such as set light by this duetie are no better then Rebells against God and what euer pretence they may haue Rebellion is written in all their fore-heads Besides Christ himselfe hath pronounced them blessed Math. 5. 5. They shall inherit the earth when ianglers and such as are contentious and full of strife shall be authors of their owne woe and plunge themselues into much miserie and be an occasion of rooting themselues out of their habitations meeke ones shall peaceably possesse the places where God hath graciously planted them so saith the Psalmist Yet a little while and the wicked shall not be thou shalt diligently consider his place and it shall not be But the meeke shall inherite the earth and delight themselues in aboundance of peace Psal 37. 10 11. Neither shall meeke ones erre in iudgement but they shall be taught Gods way Psal 25. 9. Yea such is the excellencie of their condition that Gods Kingdome is their vndoubted possession seeing against them there is no Law Gal. 5. 23. And it is an euident note of election Col. 3. 12. And a notable helpe to make Gods Word a sauing Word to such as heare it Iam 1. 21. And a meeke and quiet spirit God highly prizeth 1. Pet. 3. 4. Meeke ones of all others haue a possibility of being hidden in the day of the Lords wrath Zephan 2. 2 3. Who then is he or where is he that will be slacke at all in labouring to be as meeke as a Lambe in all his conuersation And that such as are desirous may attain it the blessed Spirit hath left directions how such may be holpen thereunto As first by the due and serious view of what we our selues haue beene and at left our pronenes to the same or like euils with which others are or haue beene intangled and ouercome So Paul willing Titus to teach his Disciples to shew all Meekenesse to all men vseth this as a reason or motiue thereto We our selues also were vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing diuers lusts and pleasures liuing in malice and enuie hatefull and hating one another Tit. 3. 3. As if he should haue said Why should we behaue vs angerly or proceed bitterly or disdainfully against any seeing none are so odious but we haue beene as vile as they They be foolish and haue not wee beene vnwise they rebellious and we were disobedient they deceiued and intangled with errours and we once knew not the way of peace they serue lusts and pleasures and wee haue beene as base slaues to our owne desires they are now malicious and we haue liued in malice and enuie they deserue contempt and we haue been worthie of all manner of hatred Moreouer if we consider that which may yet befall our selues seeing we stand not by any power or strength of our owne this will much auaile vs to worke in vs Meekenesse Not onely to open prophane and such as are not yet called but to failing brethren especially as haue beene ouertaken by some subtile and strong temptations that they may bee restored againe to their former standing and that in the Spirit of Meekenesse Gal. 6. 1. If spirituall men did but weigh this duely there would not be so bitter inueighing against others in the state of lapse much lesse in the case of recouerie when men are knowne to acknowledge willingly all their failings or haue in them a good forwardnesse to confesse and forsake them as they daily perceiue them to be faults indeed And if we set before our eyes examples it may helpe much thereto Seeing it is left as Moses chiefe praise that he was a verie meeke man aboue all the men that were on the face of the earth Numb 12. 3. And our Lord proposeth his owne example in this aboue all other things where he saith Learne of mee for I am meeke and lowly in heart and addeth a promise vnto it You shall finde rest to your soules Matth. 11. 29. And if these helpe not pray for it earnestly as Zephany willeth where he saith Seek the Lord ye meek of the earth seeke righteousnesse seeke meeknesse Zeph. 2. 3. So that to shut vp all This Meeknesse is an excellent ornament to all and the proper liuery of Gods Elect whereby they may bee discerned from such as are filled with gall and wormewood By this the penne that is truely guided is kept from dropping downe any poyson of bitternesse to grieue any from all proud scorning of failing brethen and by it men are holpen to reade things written with such respect as if they had
And whosoeeuer is not free from the Lawes rigour must needes be subiect to sinnes tyranny Free then we are from the Law as it is wraths Minister as it can doe vs no good as it is weake through the flesh Rom. 8. 4. Neither doth it at all auaile vs to iustification though for obedience it still serueth to curbe our old man and to quicken the new man though the flesh bee now become so contrarie to it as it is not nor can euer bee subiect thereto Rom. 8. 7. And Christ in vs doth the will of God for vs in truth and without vs hath satisfied Gods wrath for vs and also performed that formall obedience which God requireth so that within and without all our perfection is nothing else but the perfection of Christ himselfe If then wee are free from the morall Law in respect of Iustification how much more from that Law of Commandements contayned in Ordinances Ephes 2. 15. called also the hand-writing of Ordinances Col. 2. 14. which was against vs and contrarie to vs being a middle wall of partition to keepe vs that are Gentiles in the flesh from any fellowship with Israels Common-wealth and from all participation in their glorious priuiledges Ephes 2. 14. The bond-woman that Law and her Sonne the flesh is now cast out and quite expelled by true Beleeuers and the free-woman the Promise with her Sonne the Spirit is onely to bee respected for that the inheritance is now by promise The Law as Hagar was added after the promise was made And as Abraham after the Promise that he should haue a Sonne tooke Hagar Gen. 16. and of her begat Ismael who was not the Seed who must inherit so also long after the free Promise of Saluation made to Mankinde through Christ alone and that onely by Faith in him Abrahams Seed tooke the Law and by the works thereof sought to inherit but found the Law not it by which any inheritance could bee obtayned From all this learne we not to burden our selues beyond our power nor to hold fellowship with one that is mightier and richer then our selues for that the Earthen Pot and the Kettle agree not together nor our outward man the flesh with the spirituall Law and for vs in the point of Iustification to seeke to bring our old man the Lawes obedience is to bring drosse to fire to put a weake Infant or a liuelesse Carrion to the Combate with a mightie Giant yea to bring the Lawes workes to the corrupt mans practice is to set a new piece in an old Garment to put new Wine into old Bottels neither can such an earthen Pot as is our olde man and the Kettle the Law bee smitten one against another without the Pots danger for as the euent of these would bee the greater rent of the garment so fondly patched the bursting of the Bottels so ignorantly filled and the dashing of the earthen Pot in pieces so all that euer indeuour to yeeld that Law-obedience as to seeke to be righteous therby with this dead body though a delight they may haue in the inward man and a desire and indeuour so to doe with the outward man yet the good they would they shall neuer perfectly effect and the euill they would not that shall they performe Rom. 7. This was that made Paul cry out for our example to bee deliuered or set free from so dead a bodie And concludes also that from it hee is freed by CHRISTS owne death God hath deliuered him from his dead bodie by Iesus Christ and so from the Law from sin and consequently from Hell and this is that Liberty of which we are possessors of this onely this it may be said If the Sonne hath made you free you shall bee free indeed If then the flesh be crucified the Law is satisfied If the flesh haue obeyed the Law is fulfilled And this is done euen in our owne whole nature and that as it is said by Iesus Christ wee liue now no more the life of the flesh For that all such as so liue are all their life time subiect to bondage and in feare of death and damnation And yet that this Libertie may the better appeare we may consider in the next place the persons set free And they are all such as are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor yet of the will of man but of GOD Iohn 1. 12. For that which is borne of the flesh is flesh Iohn 3. 6. And flesh and bloud can neuer enter the Kingdome of GOD neither may corruption inherit incorruption 1. Cor. 15. 50. And wee haue learned that all flesh is as grasse and all the glorie of man as the flower of grasse the grasse must wither and the flower fall away but the Word of the Lord indureth for euer Isa 40. 1. Pet. 1. 24 25. And wee are borne againe not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of GOD which liueth and abideth for euer So that the free men and such as are set at Libertie are not such as are borne of men but those that are borne of God they onely know this Libertie and are truely acquainted with the priuiledges thereof they are such as doe now finde in them the power of the Spirit of Life they doe mind heauenly and spirituall things are quickened in their dead bodies Col. 2. 13. in part to yeeld true and sound obedience to the spirituall Law They haue the Spirit of the Sonne inabling them with boldnesse to call God Father and the same Spirit witnesseth to their spirits that they are the children of GOD Rom. 8. 15 16. They can deny themselues groaning in themselues to be set free in body as they are in spirit from the bondage of corruption and yet can wait patiently for that full Redemption they haue the spirit of Prayer and Prayse and are conformable in a great measure to Christ himselfe These are called to Liberty and entred into the glorious Liberty of the sonnes of GOD Rom. 8. 21. Neither are such free men Lawlesse or at all fruitlesse for as sinne that is serue sinne they can neuer as they haue formerly done Rom. 6. 1. Iohn 3. 9. So are they exercised in the spirits fruites and in them they abound Loue Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentlenesse Goodnes Faith Meeknesse Temperance they can now declare Gal. 5. 22 23. These enuy not vaunt not themselues are not puffed vp behaue not themselues vnseemly seeke not their owne are not easily prouoked thinke no euill reioyce not ininiquitie but reioyce in the Truth beare all things beleeue all things hope all things and indure all things And if this be lawlessenesse such lawlesse persons are wee become yet are we sure that such are not without Law to God but in the Law to Christ It is the royall and perfect Law of Libertie which these haue attayned and in it they walke That is their mirror and continuall glasse in which they behold