The Office and Use of the Moral Law, Treatise · Preface
The Preface.
THE counſell of the Apoſtle 11 Theſſ. 5.21.Paul is well worth the hearing, yea, and the following alſo, for all that are willing to ſeeke and embrace the truth: Try all things, and hold faſt that which is good: for, as all is not aInterdum orichalcum magis exprimit colorem auri quam aurū ipſum. Ludou. Viu. de Cauſis corruptarum Artium, lib. 3. pag. 127.gold that is gilt ouer, nor eueryevery metall good ſiluer that giueth a good ſound; ſo neither is eueryevery plauſible opinion true doctrine, nor eueryevery colourable conceit a currant truth; no, though it ſeeme to be gilt ouer with Scripture, as with pure gold, or to ſound as ſhrill as ſiluer, by the voices and teſtimonies of religious and learned men. This did the Spirit by which he wrote, both ſee and foreſee, that as there were many then, ſo there would be euen in our daies not a few, who neither contenting themſelues with, nor conſenting vntounto 21 Tim. 6.3.wholſome words, euen the words of our LORD IESVS CHRIST, and to the doctrine which is according to godlineſſe, would teach otherwiſe and other things, euen 3foreign. Act 20.30.diſtorted and peruerſe things, not only beſides, but euen contrary to the doctrine which was deliuered vntounto them: and therefore not without iuſt cauſe doth the Apoſtle 41. Iohn 4.1.Iohn alſo, ſpeaking by the ſame Spirit, admoniſh vsus of the ſame thing, to try the ſpirits whether they be of God or no. And both of them to this end, that bringing the doctrines, and opinions of men to be tried and examined by the Scriptures, as the Gold-ſmith brings counterfeit coyne or ſuſpected metals to his touchſtone (for ſo much the Greeke word [foreign] in both 51 Theſſ. 5.21. 1 Iohn 4.1. See alſo 1 Pet. 1.7places doth import) we might vponupon due triall better 6Phil. 1.9, 10.diſcerne of things that differ, and iudge aright betwixt truth and error, and ſo not only entertaine the truth, when we finde it, but 7foreign, 1 Theſſ. 5.21. foreign. Heb. 4.14. Reu. 3.11.hold it faſt (as it were) with all our ſtrength, and 8foreign. Iud. Epiſt. 3.maintaine it when once we are in poſſeſſion of it: Which courſe and counſell of the Apoſtles for triall of the truth, and maintaining of it, was not only in their daies of great vſe and good ſucceſſe to eſtabliſh the Churches and children of God, in the ſound profeſſion of the truth, againſt the damnable errors, which men of corrupt mindes and deſtitute of the truth brought in amongſt them, as againſt the 91 Tim. 1.20. 2 Tim. 19.gangrene of Hymeneus, and Philetus in Pauls time, and againſt the hereſie of 101 Ioh. 2.18, 23. Bez. in 1 Iohn 2.18.Ebion and Corinthias in the daies of Iohn: but in ſucceeding Ages alſo, was wonderfully bleſt of God, and crowned with many a glorious victorie by the diſputes and writings of the Lords Worthies, confuting and confounding the errors and hereſies of their times, as 11Act. 18.24.28.Apollo did the Iewes, being eloquent men and mightie in the Scriptures, and ſpeaking and writing by ſuch a meaſure of Gods 12As Steuen did Act. 6.10.Spirit, as the Aduerſaries of Gods grace and truth were not able to reſiſt. Such the Lord in his gratious prouidence euer raiſed vp in the diſtreſſes of his Church, and diſtractions of his children, to be as 13Obad. v. 21. 1 Tim. 4.16.Sauiours vntounto his people, to preſerue them from the froward & crooked generation, & to continue them in their ſtedfaſtneſſe, leſt otherwiſe they ſhould hauehave beene 142 Pet. 3.17.pluckt away with the common error of the wicked. Such a one was bIuſt. Mart. Dial. cum Tryph.Iuſtin Mart. againſt Trypho the Iew, cJrenaeus adverſus Haereſ. ſcripſit libros 5.Ireneus againſt Valentinus & many other Heretikes, dOrigin. ſcripſ. lib. 8. contra Celſum.Origen againſt Celſus, eTertull. ſcripſit lib. 5. contra Marci.Tertullian againſt Marcion, fCyprian, in Epiſt. 3.8.12. lib. 1.Cyprian againſt the Novatians, gAthan. Orationes 5. contra Arrianos.Athanaſius againſt the Arrians, hCyrill. Alexand. contra Iulianum libros 10.Cyril againſt Iulian, Ierome againſt the Luciferians & many others; Auguſtine againſt the Donatiſts, who alſo wrote a whole booke againſt Heretikes and hereſies, both of former and latter times; as alſo did Epiphanius. So did Hilary alſo, Euſebius, Vincentius Lirinenſis, and others, as they had any more ſpeciall occaſion ſo to doe. Lactant. lib. 4. cap. 30. Nicephor. Calliſt. lib. 14. cap. 48. Theodor. de Haeret. fabulis. Now as there were ſome of theſe Heretikes that roſe vp in armes, as foreign, againſt God and Chriſt his ſonne (as the iVide Magdebur. Cent. 1, 2, 3, &c.Valentinians, the Manichies, the Arrians, the Donatiſts, and many other) ſo there were ſome of the ſame litter, ſtirred vp by Satan, as foreign, to barke againſt Moſes, and the Prophets, the Morall Law, and the whole Old Teſtament (as the iVide Magdebur. Cent. 1, 2, 3, &c.Marcioniſts, and Manichies, Baſilidians, Cerdonians, and kCamorar, in Catalog. Haereticorū.many others) as Auguſtine teſtifieth, who alſo wrote two ſpeciall bookes of purpoſe, Contra Adverſarium legis & Prophetarum. Danaeus in Auguſt. de Haereſibus. And as the flames which the former ſort of Heretikes kindled in the Church are not yet ſo fully quenched, but that here and there ſome brands taken out of thoſe fires (as out of that of Arrius, which as lIngemuit totus Orbis, & Arrianum ſe eſſe miratus eſt. Hieron. tom. 2. adverſus Luciferian. pag. 143.Ierome witneſſeth, had almoſt ſet the whole world in combuſtion) doe now and then flye abroad to worke like miſchiefe: So neither are the Hereſies of the latter ſort ſo extinguiſhed, but euen at this day ſome mBulling. adverſ. Anabapt. lib. 2. c. 15.ſparkes thereof are blowne vp and caſt abroad againe, if not to burne vp the whole Old Teſtament, (as nQ. Curt. lib. 5. p. 145.Alexander being drunke, ſet Perſepolis on fire) yet to ſet the whole Law of Moſes on a light fire, for the vtter aboliſhing of the ſame, and therein eſpecially the Morall Law of God, as if that were, now, worthy of no better entertainment amongſt Chriſtians, then ſuch as 15Ierem. 36.23.Iehoiakim gaue vntounto Ieremies Prophecie, when in a furious paſſion he cut it in peeces, and caſt it into the fire; or as if men had reſolued to ſay vntounto the Lord, 16Iob 21.14, 15.Depart from vsus, for we deſire not the knowledge of thy waies. Who is the Almightie that we ſhould ſerue him, and what profit ſhall we hauehave, if we pray vntounto him? 17Pſal. 2.2, 3.Let vsus breake aſunder theſe bands, and caſt away theſe coards from vsus, we will not hauehave this man to 18Luk. 19.14.rule ouer vsus. Such metall as this, and of the ſame ſtampe, coined in the mint of mans reaſon, and bearing the image, not of Caeſar, but of Chriſt (as though it muſt needs paſſe for currant amongſt all that profeſſe the Goſpell) being of late come abroad, and put into my hands; I held it requiſite to make ſome 191 Ioh. 4.1. 1 Theſſ. 5.21.triall of it, and for that end to bring it to the touchſtone of Gods word, and to weigh it in the ballance of the Sanctuarie, that (as farre as well we may) we may iudge aright both of the worth and weight of it. The coyne that is ſuſpected to be but baſe metall, and going for gold to be at the beſt but copper gilt, and is now to be further tried and examined is this: That in the Church of Chriſt ſince his death, the whole Law of Moſes is wholly abrogated and aboliſhed. Of which both coyne and Coyner, matter and Author, I may ſay as oAuguſt. contra Adverſarium Legis, & Prophetarum. lib. 1. cap. 1.Auguſtine ſaid of a booke of the like ſubiect againſt the Law and the Prophets, diuulged firſt by a nameleſſe Author, and afterwards ſent vntounto him by his friends for anſwer; Prius quaeſivi cujuſnam eſſet erroris, non enim ſoli Manichaei legem Prophetáſque condemnant, ſed & pIren. adverſ. Haereſ. lib. 3. cap. 12.Marcioniſtae, & alij nonnulli quorum ſectae non ita innotuerunt populis Chriſtianis, neſcio cujus ſit Haeretici, mihi non apparet cujus ſectae ſit iſte blaſphemus: I firſt inquired what kinde of error or heretike this ſhould be, for, not only the Manichies doe condemne, and ſo goe about to aboliſh the Law of Moſes, yea the whole law & wholly too; but the Marcioniſts alſo & qBucan. loc. 19. de lege, q. 28.many others, as doe the Libertines, rBulling. adverſ. Anabapt. lib. 4. cap. 4.Anabaptiſts, Familiſts, and Antinomians euen of our times alſo. But ſeeing I could not finde out, either his name or ſect by his writings, as neither could Auguſtine in the like cauſe and caſe, I reſolued then to frame my anſwer as ſAuguſt lib. 1. con. Adverſar. legis. c. 1.he did his book, Contra Adverſarium legis & Prephetarum, and vponupon the ſame ground, defendenda tAuguſt. ibid. cap. 1.eſt adverſus ejus linguam Scriptura divina, quam malelicis diſputationibus inſectatur: I will God willing defend the morall law, the written word of God, againſt his word and writing, tongue and pen, and that much after the ſame manner alſo as Auguſtine did. Et uAuguſt. lib. 1. cont. Adverſarium legis. cap. 1.quoniam quoquo modo Chriſtianum ſe videri cupit, unde & ex Euangelio & ex Apoſtolo ponit aliqua teſtimonia; etiam Scripturis ad Novum teſtamentum pertinentibus refellendus eſt: That ſeeing he would ſeeme to be a kinde of Chriſtian, and ſo ſets downe diuers teſtimonies of the new Teſtament, and of the learned expoſitors of the ſame, hee ſhall in like manner be encountred and confuted by them both, yet I ſay not, to the ſame end, ut xAuguſt. ibid.oſtendatur in reprehenſione veterum inconfideratias quam verſutius inſanire; but that, being contrarie minded, he may be inſtructed in the ſpirit 202 Tim. 2.25, 26.of meekneſſe, to ſee if God peraduenture will giuegive him repentance to the forſaking of his error, and acknowledging of that truth which I hope he ſhall ſee, is not aboliſhed, but eſtabliſhed in and by our Sauiour 1Mat. ….17.Chriſt Ieſus. And ſo I come to looke this Aduerſarie of the morall law of God in the face, and to trie both the worth of his treaſure whereof he 2Reuel. 3.17.boaſteth not a little, and the force of his armour wherein he 31 Sam. 17.45.truſteth too much: Yet not in any confidence of my owne either power or policie, but in the name of the Lord, and in the power of his might, whoſe counſell and ſtrength I craue for this warre, and who doth not only furniſh his ſouldiers with ſpirituall weapons (42 Cor. 10.4, 5. mightie through GOD to caſt downe ſtrong holds) but teacheth alſo their 5Pſal. 144.1.hands to fight, and their fingers to warre, and their armes to breake euen a bow of ſteele. Thus came 61 Sam. 17.45, 50.Dauid furniſhed and encouraged againſt Goliah, thus came the poore ſimple 7Ruffin. Eccleſ. Hiſto. lib. 1. cap. 3.Confeſſor againſt the proud and wittie Philoſopher, and both of them preuailed againſt their aduerſaries, Dauid againſt his for his confuſion, the Confeſſor againſt his for his conuerſion.