The Office and Use of the Moral Law, Title page – Pamphlet
THE OFFICE AND VSE OF the Morall Law of God in the dayes of the GOSPELL, Iuſtified, and explained at large by Scriptures, Fathers, and other Orthodoxe Diuines, SO FARRE AS OCCASION was giuen by a ſcandalous Pamphlet ſent abroad of late into the hands of diuers good Chriſtians, pretending great reaſon and reading for the vtter abrogating and aboliſhing of the whole Law of MOSES ſince the death of CHRIST.
By WILLIAM HINDE, ſometimes Fellow of Queenes Colledge in Oxford, and now Preacher of Gods Word at BVNBVRY in CHESHIRE.
HOS. 8.12.
I hauehave written vntounto him the great things of my Law, but they were counted as a ſtrange thing.
MATTH. 5.19.
Whoſoeuer ſhall breake one of theſe leaſt Commandements, and ſhall teach men ſo, he ſhall be called the leaſt in the kingdome of heauen.
LONDON, Printed by Iohn Haviland for Thomas Pavier, and are to be ſold at his ſhop in Ivy Lane. 1622.
Antinomus Anonymus. OR A SCANDALOVS Pamphlet of a nameleſſe Aduerſary of the Morall Law of God, intending thereby to proue (if he could) that, In the Church of Chriſt ſince his death, the whole Law of Moſes is wholly aboliſhed.
SIR,This pamphlet was directed and ſent unto a religious and gracious Gentleman, Mr. Iohn Foxe, late Steward to the right Honorable the Earle of Darby, of his L. of Berry and Pilkinton in Lancaſhire. you may well thinke mee ſlacke in performance of my promiſe; and not vnlike but you (in reſpect thereof) thinke that I faint in the cauſe: but it is farre otherwiſe with me, for the more that I conſider of it, the more I am confirmed in the truth of it; and the more I diſcerne the many errors that riſe out of the ignorance of the true difference betweene the Law and the Goſpell: Luther on Gal. 3.21. ſaith, The knowledge of this difference keepeth all Chriſtian doctrine in its true and proper vſe; Alſo it maketh a faithfull man iudge ouer all kinde of life; ouer the Lawes and decrees of all men, and ouer all doctrine whatſoeuer, and it giueth them power to trie all manner of Spirits. And on Gal. 4.27. he alſo ſaith, As it is the moſt principall and ſpeciall article of Chriſtian doctrine, To know that we are iuſtified and ſaued by Chriſt: ſo is it alſo very neceſſary to know and vnderſtand well the doctrine concerning the aboliſhment of the Law, for it helpeth very much to confirme our doctrine as touching faith, and to attaine to ſound and certaine conſolation of conſcience, when we are aſſured that the Law is aboliſhed, and eſpecially in great terrors and ſerious conflicts. Thus far Luther: who as you ſee agreeth with mee, that the point is of great conſequence, and very neceſſary to be knowne of all that truly ſeeke Chriſt Ieſus. I will ſet you downe as briefly as I can, what I conceiue, and ſome teſtimonies for the ſame that are briefe, and point you to ſome others that are more large. The point is this: In the Church of Chriſt ſince his death the whole Law of Moſes is wholly aboliſhed, or abrogated. For as ſaith Toſſanus in 2 Cor. 3. Licet unus ſit Deus, & una ſemper fuerit Eccleſia, idemque ſubſtantia foedus, varia tamen hujus diſpenſatio fuit, ut aliter agitur cum homine in infantia, aliter in adoleſcentia, aliter maturajam aetate. Quo nomine Paulus ad Galatas 4o. Iudaeorum populum puero inter tutores educato comparat. Lex fuit quidem à Deo data, per virum Dei Moſen promulgata, nec ſine peculiari gloria: ſed Euangelium ſuam habet propriam gloriam, quod non eſt literale ſolum miniſterium aliquod jubens, ſed habet conjunctam efficaciam & foreign Spiritus ſancti, 1 Cor. 2. Gal. 3. And Gualther on Gal. 3.19, 20. Quia homines non ſemper ſtant conditionibus quas Deus ipſis praeſcribit, aliter atque aliter cum ipſis agendum eſt: Ideo tunc queque propter cauſas legem addi oportuit, quae ad tempus duravit, quam diu ejus uſus fuit. At nunc novi Teſtamenti tempus eſt quando lex & Prophetae Euangelio cedunt, ut tam Gentibus quàm Iudaeorum reliquijs in Regnum Dei vim facientibus locum dent.
1. The whole Epiſtle to the Galatians importeth ſo much, for it is the generall argument of that Epiſtle. And that there is meant the Morall law as well as any other, in Gal. 3.19.23. See alſo Calu. Iuſt. 3.19.4.Beza in Gal 3.22. Perkins on Gal. 3.11.23. Pareus in argumento in Gal. 3. and in Columna 153. D. 229. A. 232. C. 246. C.D. 274. D. who though they ſpeake but only vponupon one or two places, yet it will appeare that the like muſt be vnderſtood in the whole Epiſtle. One word in chap. 3.19. miſ-tranſlated in moſt vulgar tranſlations drawes many men awry; Serueth. Neither the Greeke nor any Latine tranſlation hath it. But grant the word must needs come in to make vp the ſenſe; I cannot ſee how it can be ſenſibly in the preſent tenſe, but rather in the preterimperfect tenſe, ſeeing it is a queſtion, and the anſwer to it is in the preterimperfect tenſe plainly, as both Bezaes note, and others expound it. Not vnlike to this is in Rom. 3.20. commeth, or is, which being read came, or was, of the time paſt, maketh the ſenſe good: otherwiſe I cannot vnderſtand the words: for the time it is aduerſe to Now that followeth immediatly after, and therefore cannot be the ſame. Another thing in this Epiſtle is worth noting, that the Apoſtle cap. 4.1. by the Heire in minoritie, meaneth the Synagogue or Church of the Iewes, afore Chriſt, or the Iewes themſelues, and by full age he meaneth the Church of Chriſt ſince his death, or Chriſtians themſelues. See Socrates lib. 5. ca 21. Tho. Aquin. 1. 2. q. 91. a. 5. & 2. 2. q. 1. 7. 2. Calv. in Gal. 3.24. & 4.1. Gualther in eundem. Beza in eundem. Piſcator in eundem. Pareus in Gal. 4.3. col. 265. B. & 274. A. & 276. A. & 290. D. Perkins in Gal. 4.3. ſetteth it out very fully, and withall ſheweth moſt plainly, that the words, We or VsUs, are to be vnderſtood of Paul himſelfe and others that were Iewes: And ſo doth Pareus expound them on Gal. 3.24. Luther not well vnderſtanding this expoſition, but generally taking the nonage of the heire to be the ſtate of the vnregenerate, and the full age to be the comming of Chriſt in ſpirit to any man, concludes the end of the Law to be at the comming of Chriſt into any mans heart, though on the ſame Gal. 4.1. he acknowledgeth an end of the Law at the comming of Chriſt, but doth not fully handle it ſo. Whereas it is plaine that the Apoſtles meaning was ſo: For he writ to the Churches of Galatia, which were in a ſort fallen from Chriſt, Calv. in Gal. 1.2. and not particularly to them alone that were true beleeuers, as he did to the Romans, Epheſians, Philippians, and Coloſſians. Neither did he diſtinguiſh betweene the true beleeuers and others, but writ to them that profeſſed Chriſt, calling them all brethren 10. times in that Epiſtle, and ſhewes them all that they are now no more vnderunder the Law, cap. 4. Firſt by the Simile of the Heire, and after by an allegory of the Freewoman and the Bond, and ca. 5. exhorts them to ſtand faſt in that liberty, yet not as an occaſion to the fleſh, but by louelove to ſerue one another, which is as much as if they had fulfilled the Law.
2. The whole Epiſtle to the Hebrews is to the ſame purpoſe. In the very firſt verſe he oppoſeth the ſpeaking of Chriſt to all that were afore him, he being Heire of all things, whom the Angels muſt worſhip, and the heauens and earth muſt vaniſh,Cal. in Ier. & Heb. Vatablus in Ier. Tremelius in Ier. Muſculus lo. com. Zanchius in Hoſ. 2.21. and on Eph. 2. Hyperius in Hebr. Sarcerius lo. com. Eraſ. paraph. on Luke 24. Coruinus poſtil. 2 Cor. 3. Peter Martyr lo. cō. Tho. Aquin. in Heb. Goranus in Hebr. Haymo in Hebr. Gagneius in Heb. Zegedinus in Ier. Arminius in Theſſ. Bucanus lo. com. Iunius in Paral. Piſcator in Hebr. Sanchius in Ier. Pareus in Hebr. Cor de lapide in Hebr. but hee remaine: and cap. 3. Moſes was his ſeruant, and cap. 8. hee is the Mediator of a better Teſtament, which being the new Teſtament, hee abrogateth the old, confirming it by Ier. 31.31. &c. where by the old Couenant is meant that which was written in the Tables of ſtone, as Deut. 4.13. & 5.2. And Auguſtin ſaith, lib. de ſpiritu & litera cap. 20. that Paul wrote that of 2 Cor. 3.6.7. from this place of Ieremy. See the Geneua note on Ier. 31.31. and all other expoſitions that yet I could ſee, as in the Margin. The tabl…s of the Teſtament, which were the 10. Commandements, Deut. 10.4. were remoued together with the Candleſticke, Shewbread, and other like adiuncts of the earthly Tabernacle, which gaue place to the better Tabernacle, Heb. 9.4. and drawing towards a concluſion of the Epiſtle, cap. 12. comming to exhortation after his manner, he preſſeth it, not by the Law giuen in Sinai, verſ. 18. but by the Goſpell giuen in Mount Sion, as Iſay 2.3. verſ. 22. which out of Aggai 2.7. ſhaketh both heauen and earth, and remoueth ſuch things as are ſhaken, which are plaine to bee the Law, that the Goſpell not ſhaken may remaine.
3. The practiſe of the Apoſtles in all their Epiſtles vſeth brotherly exhortations, ſtill calling them brethren, and groundeth their exhortations, neither vponupon Moſes Law, nor any other Commandement, but on the mercies of God in Chriſt, as may be ſeene in all their Epiſtles: And though ſometimes, yea often, they vſe the Imperatiue moode and ſome words of commanding, yet they are ſo tempered with mildneſſe, and without penalty, as that there is no forme of Commandements, much leſſe any alluſion to Moſes Law or the 10. Commandements, for it is the goodneſſe of God that leadeth to repentance, Rom. 2.4. and 2. of Peter 3.9. and not the thundring Law.
4. Whereſoeuer the Holy Ghoſt handleth the abrogation of the Law, there is neuer any exception of Morall.
5. Moſes Law was giuen only to the Iewes, Exod. 19.3, 4. &c. and 20.2.12. Deut. 4.1. &c. and 5.1. &c. and 7.6. &c. and 14.2. and 26.16. &c. and 33.4. Pſal. 147.19, 20. Pſal. 103.7. and Pſal. 81.4.5.8. Matth. 10.6. and 15.24.26. Act. 14.16. Rom. 7.14. and 3.19. and 9.4. Heb. 1.1.2. See alſo Tho. Aquin. 1.2. q. 98. art. 40. Calvin in his Epiſtle that Chriſt is the end of the Law, and in Rom. 3.19. Auguſtin. in Gal. 3. Dom. Soto lib. 2. de juſt. & jure q. 5. art. 4. Sarcerius in poſtil. pag. 535. Eraſ. parap. in Gal. 3.24. & in Rom. 2.14.28. & 5.13. & 7.1. &c. Zanchij fides ca. 13. q. 7. Bucanus lo. Com. lo. 22. §. 18. Calu. inſtit. 2.7.1. & 2.11.11. And Eraſ. Paraph. & Piſcator. & Pareus in Rom. 3.19. Doct. Whitaker de pontific. Romano pag. 860. Perkins on Gal. 3.23.
6. Moſes Law was giuen to continue till Chriſts death at the moſt, Luke 16 16. Rom. 7.1. &c. Luther. in Gal. 3.25. pag. 173. B. & 174. B. & 157. A. in the Engliſh. Eraſ. parap on Rom 7. and on Gal. 3.19.25. & 4.1.21. Cal. in Gal. 3.23. & 4.1. and in 2 Cor. 3.6. Perk. in Gal. 3.19. Pareus in Gal. 4. col. 275. D. & Eraſ. parap. on Rom. 6.14.15. and Heb. 7.19. and in 1 Tim. 1.8, 9.
7. It was inſtituted to be a ſchoolemaſter to the people of God till the Comming of Chriſt, Gal. 3.24. Auguſt. de Doct. Chriſt. lib. 3. ca. 6. Gualtherus in Gal. 3.19.20. Beza in Gal. 3.23. & 4.1. Perkins in Gal. 3.23. Zanch. in Epheſ. 2.
8. It was giuen in Mount Sinai the Bondwoman. Gal. 4.24.25. See Eraſm. parap. thereon, to be caſt out, verſ. 30. being in the wilderneſſe where was no abode. See further Eraſmus parap. on Act. 2.1.
9. It is no part of the new Teſtament, 2 Cor. 3. being remoued in and with the Tabernacle, Heb. 9. and to giuegive place to a better Teſtament than it ſelfe, Heb. 8.7.6.13. & 9.11. &c. compare Heb. 9.19. with Exod. 24.6, 7, 8.
10. It was giuen with manifeſt tokens of Gods wrath againſt the wickedneſſe of the Iſraelites, which moued the Lord to giuegive it. Exod. 16.2.3. & 17 23. & 20.20. See Eraſ. parap. on Gal. 3.21.24. It is called a fiery Law, Deut. 33.2. It was giuen with great terror to the people. Exod. 19.12. &c. and 20.18. Heb. 12.21. and Beza on Rom. 8.15. and Gal. 3.19.
11. I cannot finde that ſaluation was euer promiſed to him that ſhould keepe the Law. But I ſuppoſe that God from all eternity decreed the meanes of ſaluation, to bee faith in Chriſt, Epheſ. 1.4. 2 Tim. 1.9. Tit. 1.2. and not the fulfilling of the Law, for it was added 430. yeares after the promiſe, to remaine till Chriſt, Gal. 3. Beſides the reward of him that keepes the Law is by debt, but the inheritance of euerlaſting life is onelyonly by grace, Rom. 4. See the Geneua note thereon.
12. Repentance is a part of the Goſpell, Rom. 2.4. 2 Pet. 3.9. See Caluin on Acts 5.31. For the Goſpell is contained in Repentance and Remiſſion, Calvin. Harm. on Matth. 3.2. and on Acts 2.38.
Many other arguments might be drawne from the inſufficiency of the Law, and the all-ſufficiencie of the Goſpel, & the true difference betweene them, & the worthineſſe of Chriſt before Moſes, & from the doctrine of Chriſtian liberty: which for breuity ſake I omit: they will follow vponupon the due conſideration of theſe things which I hauehave ſet down; yet for your further ſatisfaction I refer you to Muſculus Common places, in many places therof: but more ſpecially in the place of the Law, and moſt ſpecially Of the abrogation of the Law of Moſes. Of the Couenant of the difference of the Old and New Teſtament. And afore, Of the abrogation of the Lawiſh Sabbath, on the fourth Commandement. And to Zanchius in loco quinto theologico ex cap. 2. ad Epheſ. verſ. 14, 15, de legis Moſaicae abrogatione, where he diſputeth the point very fully, yet he doth not plainly expound the places that ſeeme to contradict it, of which I will giuegive you a taſte. That of Matth. 5. cannot bee vnderſtood of the forme of Moſes Law, but of the matter of it, or of the Law of Nature, for it cannot be denied but that the matter of the Decalogue being the Law of nature, is in force as it is the Law of nature and vnderſtood philoſophically: but how it can be in force theologically vnderſtood (for that is our queſtion in hand) being we hauehave no warrant in Scripture for it, but the contrary, I cannot ſee.
For the other place Rom. 3. by the context it may be and is to be vnderſtood of the whole Law as well Ceremoniall as any other, and the ſame for the time paſt, but how the Morall law alone can be there vnderſtood, I maruell what ſhould moue any man to thinke ſo. See Eraſ Parap. on it.
In Eraſmus Paraphraſts on the new Teſtament you may finde much vponupon this point: The booke though commanded to be had in Churches is too much neglected: bookes of farre meaner qualitie are much eſteemed. Luther on the Galatians hath much, for he ſaith in two places at the leaſt, that all Lawes are aboliſhed by Chriſt, page 176. b. 177. a. 223. a. Yea the 10. Commandements themſelues, and the like ſaith Beza on 2. Cor. 3.11. Others are inforced to acknowledge it, though their iudgements be againſt it, for it ſo ſtands in their way that they cannot auoid it. All that any man can ſay againſt this doctrine is, that the Morall law or the Decalogue is perpetuall in nature, ſauing the fourth Commandement, no man denies it, but where the perpetuitie of it in diuinitie is to be found in Scripture would I faine ſee: For the holy Ghoſt in the new Teſtament doth not exact naturall precepts ſuch as the Decalogue is,Aug. de ſpirit. & liter. cap. 14. In decem praeceptis excepta Sabbati obſervatione, dicatur mihi quid non ſit obſervandum à Chriſtiano. for that is fulfilled in one word LoueLove, Gal. 5.14. But the exhortation is to the workes of the Spirit, none of which are properly commanded in the Decalogue.
I forgot to illuſtrate the concluſion of my fifth ſection afore with a familiar Simile, which here I will adde. Suppoſe the lawes of Venice to be the ſame for the moſt part with the lawes of England: And yet if in England the bookes of the Venetian lawes ſhould be brought out and read, either to condemne or acquit a man accuſed, or to giuegive direction for order and gouernment here with vsus, I thinke few men in England would hold themſelues bound by vertue of thoſe lawes or booke in any ſuch manner.
One other Simile to illuſtrate the generall point: 2 Pet. 1.19. The Apoſtle likeneth the Prophets to lights ſhining in darke places, meaning as I ſuppoſe the Moone, Stars, or candles in the night till a greater light appeare: And Malachi 4.2. Chriſt is termed the Sunne of righteouſneſſe: ſo when this Sunne is riſen, neither Moone nor Starres are ſeene, and candles are of no vſe. And Oecolampadius in Iſai. 2.5. ſaith, Stultitia erit, in meridie lucernis eſſe addictos, quibus Sol, ſi non ignavi eſſemus, lucerer.
To conclude, I wiſh that all men, eſpecially Diuines, would take paines rightly to vnderſtand the Doctrine of Chriſtian libertie, the difference of the Law and the Goſpell, and of the old and new Teſtament, and of the Couenants of both; And ſo the …ight abrogation of Moſes Law. The ſtudie of all which is too much neglected, by ignorance whereof they run into ſtrange queſtions, as men in darkneſſe ſtumbling at one thing and catching hold of another thing that auailes them nothing.
I might a little illuſtrate my ſecond ſection with a word or two. If a man make two Teſtaments or Wills, it is knowne to eueryevery man that the latter, and that whereupon he died is only in force, and the former is not.
The Lord giuegive vsus all the true knowledge of his truth.