The Rule of the Law Under the Gospel, Chapter 10
CHAP. 10.
Resolving sundry other objections alledged to prove the abolition of the Law.
OBIECT. 6.
To whom all the commanding power of the Law, under paine of the curse, and the enjoyning of good workes for justification: as also to whom the condemning power of the Law is abolished and ceased, to them the Law is altogether made void, and abrogated. But to beleevers both such commanding power, and condemning power is ceased. And therefore, &c.
And thus they further explaine it. Suppose a justified man commit adultery, or murther, or be drunke, the Law of God can take no hold of him, nor the just God can punish him by the Law, being utterly abrogated to such a person.
Answ. The former proposicion is apparently false for the Law both for ma…ter and forme stands in force to justified persons, and retaineth on them a commanding power, and enjoineth on them good works, although the manner of commanding in the rigor of it is to them abated: for how ord… rily did Christ and his Apostles command the workes of the Law to beleevers, and that under strait penalties read Math. 5. and 6. Chap. and telleth his followers that when they have done so farre as they can all the things of the Law; they have done what was their duty, and that they were bound unto, Luke 17. 10.
2. These confused men distinguish not betweene the condemning power of the Law and the Law it selfe; yet this distinction cutteth the si…ewes of this obiection: for can it prove the Law itselfe abolished,Non est …ecesse nos ab obedientia Legis libera…, quin Legis aliquod munus abrog… tur. Whitak …tra Dur. pag: 714. because the condemning power of it is to some removed by Christ? or if certaine uses of the Law bee abolished, as in way of righteousnesse, life and salvation; or in way of terrifying, accusing, or condemning the iustified by faith: must therfore the Law it selfe, and all other uses of it be abolished.
3. What beleever conceives himselfe under the commanding power of the Law, to bee iustified by it? or to expect to stand righteous before God by their obedience? as these men vainely dreame: no they have other ends of their obedience to the commandements of the Law. As,
1. To testifie their indeavor in obeying the righteous Law and will of God, and their conformity to his image in the same.
2. Not for the justification of their persons, for that is onelyonly by Christs compleat obedience made theirs by faith; but for the testification of their iustifying faith: according to the direction of the Apostle, Iam. 2. 20. Shew me thy faith by thy works.
3. Not for the attaining of salvation by the dutie done; but to attaine a comfortable assurance of it … Pet. 1. 10. Give all dilligence to make your election sure. How may we? for if wee doe these things &c.
4 Not to merrit any thing, but to encourage themselves in the way of obedience, by casting eye on the blessed remuneration freely promised, and performed to duties of love to God, and man; begun and perfected by faith in Christ. Heb. 11▪ 26. Moses had respect to the recompence of reward. Yea our Lord himselfe, for the joy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame. Heb. 12. 2. All these are other ends which beleevers propoūd to themselves in their obedience then to be justified by it.
4. I answer, it is utterly false and wicked, that Gods Law taketh no hold of a justified person committing hatefull sinnes, as of murder, adultery and the like. For although Christ have freed him from the curse and vengeance, and the eternall damnation of his sinne. Rom. 8. 1. Yet may the Law take hold on him for a stinging correction, and a sharp punishment according to the scandall of his sin. Did not the Law take hold on David, when with so many other evills; Gods sword was upon his house for ever, for his scandalous sins? Did not Gods Law lay hold on Moses & Aaron, then whom none was more faithfull in Gods house; when for sinne they lay under sharpe rebukes, and chastisement, and were barred the land of Canaan?
Object. But these were examples in the old testament, before Christs death.
Answ. And are not beleevers in the new testament subject to the same law, and penall statues of correction? Were not examples of the old Testament examples to us that wee should not sinne as they sinned? 1 Cor: 10. 6.How could we sin as they did, if we were not under the same Law? Or what else but the law taketh hold on beleevers in the new testament, when for the unworthy use of the Lords ordinances they are judged of the Lord, 1 Cor. 11.even for this cause, saith the Apostle. Object. Some say, they were hypocrites that were judged. Answ. As if they be hypocrites that must not be condemned with the world.
5. But of all their assertions, tha… is a… blinde as bo…de, That if God call a beleever to account for the breach of his Law: hee may say, God hath nothing to doe to call him to account: hee may refuse to be tried in that Court. If God shall say, leave such a sinne▪ or be damned; doe such a duty, a…d …e saved: he may say, We will doe neither the one nor the other on these tearmes. Well may he say, and more, that his tongue lets fall unseemely tearmes: and it hides his nakednesse but a little to droppe out, that his meaning is, that God hath nothing to doe to call a beleever into the court of nature. For howsoever hee will teach God what hee hath to doe, or what he hath not to doe; he might long since have beene taught, that God will require of us even that righteousnesse which he put into our nature: and that is a talent which we must be countable for as well as any other.
OBIECT. 7.
Those that have the spirit of God for their rule, and doe all by a free spirit, they neede not the Law to rule or urge thē: to them it is vaine and needlesse. But all beleevers have the spirit to rule them; and they doe all by a free spirit. Therefore.
Answ. The former proposition is false, that those that have the spirit to rule them, have no neede or use of the Law: and as grosse to conceive the spirit and the Law contrary: which are indeed inseperable: for the Law is the instrument, the Spirit is the workmaster; the Law is the rule, the Spirit the applier of that rule.
The spirit is so farre from destroying the Law, that he writeth it in the inner parts, he addeth clearenesse and light unto unto it; he worketh love and delight unto it.
2. It was ever the wicked conceit of Libertine Enthusiasts, that the spirit worketh our obedience immediately, and by himselfe alone, rejecting all meanes; whereas he worketh it in us ordinarily by the word, the Law and the Gospell. Ioh. 16. 13. The spirit sent to beleevers, shall not speake of himselfe: but whatsoever hee shall heare, that shall he speake. He is in himselfe the spirit of illumination, but enlighteneth beleevers by shewing them what is to be done by the Law, and what is to be beleeved by the Gospell.
3. Is the spirit therefore a free spirit, because hee frees us from the Law? no verily, but because he sets us free to the performance of it. This reason holy David gives us, Psal: 119. 32. I will then runne the way of thy commandements, when thou hast enlarged or set mee free. Or is that the duty of a free and willing subject to cast off the lawes of his King? No but most freely and willingly to obey his Law: and this is the freedome wrought by the free spirit in free and ingenious Christians.
4. To say, we obey God by by the spirit without a Law or a commandement, is a meere non sence: for is any obedience without a Law? Is not our rule to doe onelyonly what the Lord commandeth? what can be more ridiculous than for a subject to professe obedience to his Prince, but yet hee will not be under any Law? And to say they obey of love, and yet obey no commandement, is as fond and false. 1 Ioh: 53. This is the love of God, that we keepe his commandements, and his commandements are not grievous Ioh: 14. 15. If ye love me, keepe my commandements: love must ever looke to the commandement.
OBIECT. 8.
Those that are under the Law of Christ, are not under the Morall Law. But Beleevers are under the Law of Christ, Gal: 6. 2. and so fulfill the Law of Christ. Therfore.
And thus doe they further unfold themselves, that wee may understand them: consider (say they) men as creatures in their naturall being, thus are they under the Morall Law given by their Creatour: But consider them as redeemed and new creatures, they are freed from that Law, and onelyonly tyed to precepts taught by Christ in the Gospell: which teacheth to deny ungodlines and worldly lusts, and to live soberly justly and godly in this present world: Tit: 2. 11.
Answ. Here is a whole bundle of errours to be untied.
1. The proposition is false, that beleevers who are under the Law of Christ, are not under the Morall Law; seeing the Law of Christ is for substance the same with the Morall Law: for what is the Law of Christ in the place alledged, but the doctrine, precept, and commandement of Christ enjoyning the love of our brethren, & bearing their burden: which the Apostle opposeth not to the Morall Law, (as these sectaries doe) but enjoyneth it as a more necessary Law, than all that heape of ceremonies to which the false Apostles would have brought them backe: against whom he strengtheneth the beleevers of that Church, through that whole Epistle.
2. It is frivolous and popish to conceive the Gospell a new Law: for is not the covenant of grace the same in the old Testament, and new? and did not the holy men in the olde Testament, Mose… David, Samuel, Daniel, and the rest enjoy the same covenant with us or were they saved by another Gospell than we? or did not they frame their lives to the same sobriety, righteousnes and holinesse that we doe?
2 Did not the Apostles preach and write the Gospell? Yet 1. Ioh. 2, 7. they professe: We write no new commandement, but the old which yee have had from the beginning. And what was that, but the same which was written in mans nature before the fall, and after written by Gods finger in tables of stone: which same commandement, though he call a new commandement in the next verse; that is not, because it is another in the substance, but the same law of love renewed, and reinforced upon new grounds by Christ the great Law-giver. And ratified both by his owne doctrine and example, and in this new manner it was never urged before.
3. So farre is the Law of Christ fro… … morall law … according that … of S. August. The Law knowes to command,L…x…u…ere no rit, gratia i…var… ▪ Epist 95 ad Innocent. but the Gospell to assist to the commandement. True it is, that Christ abolished all Lawes that made difference betweene man and man, Iew and Gentile, Eph. 2 14. Yea and the Morall Law, so farre, as it made difference betweene God & man beleeving. And 2. as it is opposed to the Gospell: And 3. as it hindreth entrance into the kingdome to beleevers. And 4. as any thing in it was accidentall, significative, circumstantiall or tempoall. But all matters substantiall, essentiall and eternall, Christ by his Law hath confirmed to continue for ever. This harmony of the Morall Law and Christs Law, judicious Calvin in his harmony avoucheth,Teta Lex est consentanea cum doctrina Evangelij, de vi tijs vitandis, et virtutibus parsequendis. page 443. Errant qui putant Legem repugnare Christo▪ The whole Law (saith hee) agreeth with the Gospel both in condemning the sa…e vices, and commanding the same vertues. And if this be so, then certainly it destroyes not the Law. And Pare…s on Rom: 10. 14. saith, They erre that thinke the Law repugneth Christ in the Gospel.
4. It is little under blasphemie, that they oppose the Father, and the Sonne, as if they had diverse wills▪ divers rules, or contrary Lawes; wheras the Son professet…, that hee spake nothing from himselfe, but from the Father▪ Ioh. 5. 16: Besides, how doth ignorance befoole them, in …e…ling us that Christ as … hath loosed us from the obedience of the Morall Law due to our Creator? For is not God the Redeemer the same with God the Creator? Is any honour due to the Father for creation, that is not due to the Sonne for creation? Ioh: 5. 23. That all men should honour the Sonne as they honour the Father: or is any honor due to the Son for redemption, that is not due to the Father for redempt …? Did not God the Father give up his Son for our our redemption: & shall not we well requite him in casting off all duty belonging to him as our Creator? Or can the addition of the greatest & most singular benefit that we are capable of, loose us from our former duty, or rather tie us faster? Certainely the gift of Christ for our Redemption, doubleth, and fastneth the bond of love and dutie betweene our creator and us, but no whit doth slacke or loosen it. Such poore shiftes, and doubts are they driven un to, as a silly hare close followed, and hard runne.