Propositions and Principles of Divinity Disputed, Section 28
PRINCIPLES CONCERNING THE LAW OF GOD. XXVIII.
SEING WE HAVE ALREADIE SPOKEN of good works: it now followeth, that we deale with the rule thereof, that is with the law of God.
1 THe lawe of God, is the manifeſtation and declaration of his will, publiſhed by himſelfe, whereby is deſcribed, both the true inward worſhip of God, and alſo all the duties of man towards man.
2 This lawe is deuided into three partes, Morall, Ceremoniall, and politicke or judiciall.
3 The Morall law is that, which preſcribeth the rule of Godly and vpright life, in the preſence of God, the which rule is onelie the will of the law-giuer alone, and it is deuided into two Tables: The former whereof, is concerning God: The latter is touching our neighbour; the former is comprehended in four commandements moſt orderlie ſet down; and the latter in ſix: whence it ariſeth, that the morall commandements are ten in number.
4 The Ceremoniall law, was as it were, a certaine picture or ſhape, (exhibited vntounto the outwarde ſenſes) of the inward worſhip of God: the which portion of the law, part lie (as far as it was adjoyned vntounto the Morall) teſtified vntounto men, what in themſelues they deſerued: namely, aeternal death and damnation; and partly (as far to wit, as it reſpected the Euangellicall promiſes of Chriſt, that was to com) did ſhadow our full deliuerance in Chriſt, from that miſery and calamitie.
5 The Iudiciall or Politicall lawe, was the doctrine of thoſe externall actions, whereby the ciuill Common-welth of the Iewes was to be gouerned.
6 The Morall law may be alſo rightly called the law of nature; becauſe that God had ingraued the ſame at the firſt creation in the mindes of men, in ſuch ſort, as men ſhould hauehave bene borne endued with the full knowledge thereof; if ſin had not for the moſt part darkened the ſame in them.
7 Now, becauſe it was ſo growen out of vſe by reaſon of ſinne, as in a manner, it ſeemed to bee altogeather blotted out: Therefore, the Lorde thought good to publiſh, renue, and giuegive the ſame in writing vntounto his people, that they might not hauehave any excuſe of their ignorance.
8 It was in this ſorte renued, firſt of al, to the end that compelling men (by the ſight of the repugnancie, which is betwene that diuine rule of juſtice, and our own affections & behauior) to acknowledg the corruption that is in them; and the fruit thereof, it might pronounce them worthie of aeternall damnation.
9 Next, that finding them guiltie of condemnation, it might by accident drawe them to ſeeke remedy els-where, namelie, by the preaching of the Goſpell.
10 Thirdlie, that hauing gotten the elect regenerated by the holie Ghoſt, it might bee vntounto them a teacher of true holines towardes GOD, and charitie towardes their neighbours.
The PELLAGIANS then erred moſt falſelie, who thought, that the lawe was giuen vntounto men, as though they (beeing enabled by nature to performe the ſame) onelie ſtood in neede to be put in minde of their dutie by it: In which error, alſo euen at this day, the halfe PELAGIANS the Papiſts doe in a ſort continue.
11 Nowe whereas the lawe is ſaide by PAVLE, to make ſinne more ſinful, to procure wrath to be the ſting of ſinne and of death, it is to be vnderſtoode, that this is done, not by the fault of the law, but by our corruption, even as the the Goſpell is vntounto ſome, the ſauour of death vntounto death, not of it ſelfe, but by accident.
12 The morall law, in conſideration of the Saints, that is, of thoſe that beleeue, is abolliſhed by the comming of Chriſt, as farre as it had power to condemne; and that becauſe Chriſt was made a curſe for them. But it retaineth ſtill a double vſe in the elect: namely, that it might with the feare of puniſhment, keepe vnderunder the olde man, (the remnants whereof is as yet in them) and inſtruct their new man in the wayes of the Lord. Now in reſpect of the impenitent, it retaineth, and will vntounto the worlds end retaine, that firſt end, which is to conuince them and condemne them without all hope of merciemercy: And as to the other two profitable vſes, by their owne fault it is in no whit auaileable vntounto them.
The Libertines therfore, the Antinimonians, and the reſt that reject the moral Law, are execrable & accurſed.
13 The Ceremoniall Lawe, is altogether aboliſhed as touching the vſe of it, ſeeing the bodie it ſelfe which was ſhadowed by thoſe figures, is alreadie come.
The doctrine of the Phariſies is to be condemned: & the Ebionits alſo, who taught that the obſeruatiō of the ceremoniall Law, was to be joined with the Goſpell.
And their error is much more to bee damned, who hauehave the traditions of mē in the ſame accoūt, that theſe Iewes had the Ceremonies appointed by the Lord.
14 The Lord in ſteede of the whole outward worſhip of the law now aboliſhed, hath apointed (in the aſſemblies of chriſtian Churches) the adminiſtratiō of two Sacramēts, the which is to be celebrated in thoſe rites, that are ſtrictly according vntounto that rule which hee hath ſet downe: vntounto which rites it is vnlawfull for any man, either to adde, or to detract away.
15 The Politick or Iudiciall law is alſo aboliſhed, becauſe Chriſtians are not boūd to rule their commonwelths after the ſame form, that the polity of the Iewes was gouerned, that generall aequitie notwithſtanding reſerued alwayes vnuiolable, according vntounto the which, al humane lawes are to be ſquared, which is, that they be juſt and right,
We reject thē therfore as phantaſticall men, who teach that Chriſtians are neceſſarily bound to vſe the politick lawes of the Iſraelites, and none other.
Defended by PETER PERRON of Lauſanna.