The Rule of the Law Under the Gospel, Chapter 6
CHAP. 6.
Containing foure other as libertine and dangerous Errours as the former.
9 ERROR.
That God is not displeased with the sinnes of the justified, and much lesse correcteth them; for hee is fully satisfied in Christ for all the sinnes of the elect: and how can he be displeased with them for that, for which hee hath received full satisfaction?
Answ. 1. The perfect good must for ever hate that which is perfectly evill: so as God can never be at agreement with sin in any; nay he so hateth sinne even in the justified, that he maintaineth in them a perpetuall combate, and irreconciliable warre against it.
2. They conceive not that anger and love may be at the same time tempered in a father to his children, whom because he loveth he chasteneth.Ira Dei est vel But this hatred is not a simple hatred, 1. Paterna et castigans quam vibrat in filiosor an hostile wrath, or a revenging anger, such as hee putteth forth upon contumacious sinners;2. Hostilis & exterminans in contumaces. but a loving, fatherly and fruitfull chastisement upon sonnes: neither doth this wrath redound and seaze upon their persons, but upon their sinnes. But these confused men not distinguishing betweene persons and sinnes, cannot conceive how God can hate their sinnes, and at the same time love their persons. Neither can they apprehend aright the nature of reconciliation, which is a freedome from revenge upon the persons; because they are sonnes; but not a freedome from the chastisement of their sinnes, for then, saith the Apostle,Heb: 12. 8. they were bastards and no sonnes.
Object. But ha…h not Christ borne all the punishment of the sinnes of beleevers?
Answ. Yes all the punishment of malediction, Christ hath borne all our punishment of malediction, but not of correction.which is indeed properly called punishment; but not of correction: for we must daily beare his crosse, and fulfill the remainders of the sufferings of Christ.
2. Christ hath most fully satisfied the justice of God for the sinnes of the elect; so as no punishment satisfactory remaineth to purge or satisfie for sinne past, but there remaineth a monitory castigation, to bring the Saints to mourne for sinne past, and to watch against sins to come.
Object. But can God punish one sin twice; once in Christ, and againe in the person himselfe?
Answ. No, if we understand it of the punishment of divine revenge, and not of fatherly correction; intended not for perdition, but for …rudition, and caution, and to make them partakers of his holinesse.
Object. It is true, the godly are afflicted, but these afflictions have no respect to sinne, but onelyonly for tryall.
Answ. What none? are they not merited by sinne? are they not from the just God, whose justice cannot punish the guiltlesse? Farre be it from thee to doe this thing, to punish the righteous with the wicked, Gen. 18. 25. Surely correction must needs imply offence, and affliction commeth not without respect of sinne, either past, to correct it; or present, to mourne for it; or to come, to prevent it. Micah 1. 5. For the wickednes of Iacob, and for the sinne of Israel is all this. Lam. 3. 34. Man suffereth for his sinne. Micah 7. 9. The Church will beare the wrath of God, because shee had sinned.
Object. Yea this was in the old Testament; but since that time Christ hath dyed, and actually borne the punishment of sinne: and you can bring no such place out of the new Testament.
Answ. Hath Christ done lesse for beleevers in the old Testament than in the new?Beleevers in the new Testament corrected for finne. did they beare more wrath for their sin than we? or did not Christ carry as much wrath from thē as from us? was not his death as vertuous to the first ages of the world, as to the last? or did the vertue of it begin at the time of his passion? or is not the faith of Messiah to come alike precio…s as the faith of him come already?
2. But have we no place in the new Testament to shew beleevers corrected for sinne? What is that, 1 Cor. 11. For this cause many are weake, and are sicke, and many die? It is too rash to say (as one) that these were carnall, and hypocrites; unlesse they be carnall and hypocrites, that must not be condemned with the world. 1 Pet. 4. 17. Iudgement must begin at Gods house. Heb. 12. 6. He scourgeth every sonne whom hee receiveth. Why? because they are sonnes, or because they have sinnes?
Object. Ioh. 9. 3. Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents; therfore afflictions are not for sinne: and Iobs afflictions were all for tryall, not for sinne.
Answ. 1. In generall.Difference of the iudgement of the godly and wicked wherein. The difference of the judgements of the godly and the wicked, is not either 1. in the meriting cause, for both are merited by sinne. 2. Nor in their matter, being materially both one; the same sword, the same plague, the same famine, the same blindnesse, sicknesse and death. 3. Nor in the ground of them; for both are threatned and inflicted by the same Law. 4. Nor in their sence and feeling; for there is no difference between the smart of sonnes and slaves. But the difference is in, 1. the person inflicting: 2. in the persons bearing and suffering: 3. in the end of God which is not the same: 4. in the fruit and issue which are much different in different persons: the serious consideration of these grounds would let them see wherein their errour lurketh, if they will not be willingly ignorant.
2. For the instances: First, of the blinde man. I answer, that the position of one cause is not the remotion of another, where many concurre: neither doth the affirming of the principall cause deny the lesse principall. God in this judgement principally intended his owne glory, in the honouring of his Sonne, and not principally the sinne either of the parents or sonne. 2. Christ speaketh not of the meritorious cause of this judgement, but of the finall cause: and so the objection is not to the purpose.
Secondly, The like we may say of Iob, the principall end of his affliction was for tryall, and not for correction: but this excludeth not the meritorious cause, nor proves that there was no correction in it, at least might not be.
Object. But Christ was extremely punished, but not for sinne; and therefore there are afflictions without sinne.
Answ. This is as impertinent a cavill, as the case is singular. Christ had no sinne in him, but had sinne on him: he had none inherent, but had enough imputed: he had none of his owne, but the infinite burden of all the sinnes of all his members lay upon him; for which he was plagued of God, Maximu… homicida, latro, et haereticorum h… retic…ssimus. Lutherbecause he stood before God as the greatest malefactour that ever was: not because he had proper sinne, but appropriated; not because he did any sinne, but was made a sinne for us, …hat we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him: Gods justice could not have punished him, if he had not stood before him as a sinner. So the objection turneth quite against themselves.
Object. But Christ by his Kingly power reigneth to maintaine in the conscience the peace procured, both against the Law, and sinne, and the Divell, and the world, and worldly reason.
Answ. Peace without disturbance neither within nor without the Apostle knew not, Rom. 7. nor yet Christ himselfe, who so left his legacy of peace of his Disciples, as that notwithstanding in the world they must have affliction.
2. It is enough that Christ reigneth to maintain our peace by weakening and subduing the power of sinne daily, although he totally and wholly abolish it not here below; and fatherly and loving correction rather furthers and strengtheneth his reigne, than hinder or weaken it in us.
10 ERROR.
That justified persons have no more to doe with repentance; and to repent of every particular sinne is to beleeve that a man is not perfectly justified, or at once▪ but by peecemeale as sinne is committed; yea it is to undervalue the sufferings of Christ, as not ha…ing sufficiently satisfied for all sinnes past, present, and to come.
Answ. A desperate principle, as much abolishing the Gospell, as any of the former doth the Law: and indeed no enemy to the Law can be a friend to the Gospell. But we must know, 1. That never can man be free from repentance, till he be free from sinne to be repented of;Beleevers must continue their repentance which can never be shaken off in this world. The whole life is but one day of repentance, and repentance is the work of that whole day; and who but a profane libertine would not have his Master find him so doing? Assidue peccantibus assidua poenitentia est necessaria. …ugust▪We sweepe our houses every day, and wash our hands every day, because one contracteth dust, and the other soyle every day: much more have we need to cleanse daily the houses of our hearts. See my treatise in…ituled, The practise of Repentance, Cap. 10. and therein many reasons for con…inuance of repe…tance.
2. They forget that David and Peter repented after saith: That the Church of Pergamus, that kept the name of Christ, and had not denied the faith, must yet repent her selfe, else Christ will come against her, Rev. 2. 12. and 16. And how much cause have the best men to repent of their daily sinnes, that must repent daily of their best duties, which they must confesse are as a filthy clout?
3. Although the spirit by faith assureth the beleever, that all his sinnes are satisfied by the death of Christ; yet the spirit also perswadeth the heart, that in this way of humiliation and repentance we shall receive assurance of remission of daily sinnes, and particular infirmities: for else the spirit should faile in his office, which is to bring even the house of David, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem (that is, true beleevers) to the fountaine of grace, and stir up in them deepe sorrow and earnest lamentation in seeking pardon for daily sinnes, and speciall provocations against the Lord, whom by their sins they have pierced.
4. Prayer for forgivenesse of daily sinnes is an act of repentance enjoyned by Christ on him that hath formerly repented, is justified, and calleth God Father; as in that petition of his most holy prayer, Forgive us our trespasses.
5. They that overflow with love, and outboast all others in their pretence of love, which is so strong and active as they need no other mover, forget that increase of love to God must needs increase repentance and sorrow for offending him: if love be great, so wil sorrow, as in Peter. In a word, their harvest of joy is too hasty, and will prove like an inheritance hastily gotten: this is not the time of wiping away all our teares, nor is our dripping seedtime yet over, but even wee sigh in our selves, waiting for the adoption, even the redemption of our bodies, Rom. 8. 23.
11 ERROR.
That no beleever is to pray for pardon of sinne, seeing all his sinnes past, present, and to come are already pardoned.
Answ. Then must you blot out that petition of the Lords prayer,Beleevers must pray for pardon of sin pardoned. wherein he hath taught those that call God Father, to pray daily, Forgive us our trespasses: which petition implieth (as we have shewed) daily repentance, even in them that have repented. A man would wonder what shift they make to repeat the Lords prayer, or to pray in his words, unlesse they have learned the tricke of the olde Pelagians, Modestiae tantum causa, non ex humana fragilitatis conscientia. Ierom.who would repeat the pe…ition for modesty sake, but not out of the sense or conscience of their owne need; which modesty is indeed a lie, and fained humility.
2. Prayer for pardon will stand with assurance of pardon, and assurance of pardon will not stand without prayer for pardon; for then are we assured of pardon, when we can pray for pardon, God being found favourable onelyonly in his owne way.
3. Though wee know our sinnes pardoned, yet must we pray for pardon; neither doth assurance of pardon and mercy dead our prayer for pardon, but quicken it. Christ knew his sheep should never perish, Ioh. 10. 28. but yet he prayeth for them, that they might not perish, Ioh. 17. 11. He knew that his Father would glorify him, but yet prayeth that his Father would glorify him, Ioh. 17. Who will say this his prayer was needlesse? Paul knew that God would deliver him from every evill way, yet prayed for it. So though we know our sinnes to be pardoned, yet it is not needlesse to pray for pardon.
4. Though God in heaven have by an eternall sentence blotted out the sinnes of the beleever in the first act of his conversion,We must pray for pardon of sinne in the court of our owne consciences, as well as in the court of heaven. and this sentence can never be blotted out, yet we may and must pray for pardon of sinne; namely, that this sentence of pardon may be pronounced in our owne consciences: and thus it seemes David prayed earnestly for forgivenesse of his sinnes, Psal. 51. when he knew long before that God had forgiven them; for Nathan had tolde him, that God had put away his sinne: he prayed that God would not only forgive his sin in heaven, but even in his own heart also.
5. Though our sinnes be forgiven even in our owne consciences,And for a more comfortable measure of assurance. yet because of the stain and guilt of new sins our assurance is sometimes weakened, and not so comfortable, wee must pray for pardon of sinne still; that is for a greater, and more comfortable measure of assurance, and a sweeter taste and apprehension of Gods favour in remission of sinne; for who can taste of this sweet honey, and not long for more? and whereas our weaknes cannot so firmely apprehend it, and our corruption doth daily weaken it, we must pray for the continuance of our comfort and mercy; whereof prayer is a principall meanes.
6. Suppose we have pardon of sin in the beginnings of it,And in the full and finall fruits and effects of pardon. and some sweet fruites, yet we must pray for it in all the fruits, in all the effects, in the full comfort and accomplishment of it; for by remission of sinne wee are now freed from the damnation of sinne, and from the domination of it; yet are we not freed from all the remainders of sin, nor from all fruites, and molestation of sin: for notwithstanding the pardon of our sins, we have the presence of sin, and are in conflict with terrours of conscience, Gods just desertions, calamities, afflictions, and feare of death. Now must we pray according to our faith for full pardon, even for the full acquittance promised, and that solemne sentence of absolution by the mouth of the Iudge, which shal fully and really give us compleat possession of Gods whole mercy; which we now have by right and title, but not in all the fruits, effects, and full comfort of it; and never doe the Saints pray for Christs comming without implication of full and finall remission of sinnes. All which manifestly bewray the blacke and blockish ignorance of this erronious assertion
12 ERROR.
That Preachers ought not to preach the Law to beleevers, whom the threatnings of the Law concerne not, as being out of the reach of the Law, and beyond all feare of condemnation: and these legall Preachers deale very lewdly in bringing men backe to the obedience of the Law, and so make them seeke righteousnes in themselves.
Answ. These are merry men, and might well set themselves on so merry a pin, if the way to heaven were so wide and roomy as they imagine it. For 1. Neither can they sinne being in Christ if they would. 2. Neither if they should, could God see it. 3. If hee should chance to see it, he could not bee displeased with it. 4. If he should be displeased, his hands are bound, he cannot correct it. 5. Themselves ought not now to sorrow or repent for any sin any more. 6. It is idle to pray for pardon of sin, which is already pardoned, whether it be past, or present, or to come. 7. And now they must not so much as heare of their sinnes any more, and all their religion is turned into a merriment, which they call a meeting with such comfort as they never found before: but this comfort will prove but a laughter in the face, when the heart hath cause to be heavie. For,
1. Is there nothing else to be feared of a Christian but finall condemnation? a childe may feare to be whipped, though he feare not to be disinherited: Psal. 52. 6. even the righteous shall see and feare.
2. A man may feare that which he is sure to escape; but this is a feare of watchfulnesse, not of distrustfulnesse.
3. No man is so holy but hath need of threatnings, and faith beleeveth threatnings as well as promises; not onelyonly barely apprehending them as true and certaine, but with application to decline them, and frame to obedience even in regard of them.Holiest of men have neede of threatnings. This is plaine, because even in state of innocency was use of the threatning to keepe our sinnelesse parents from sinne: and Iob a just and holy man by Gods owne testimony durst not lift up his hand against the fatherlesse: why? because destruction from God was as a terrour unto him. And even those that receive a kingdome which cannot be shaken, must serve & please God with reverence and feare; because Our God is a …onsuming fire, Heb. 12. 28, 29.
4. Suppose the threatnings shall never take holde of a beleever, may …ot hee therefore heare of them? To heare them is not to cast him into them, but to keepe them off him; the hearing of legall threatnings is very usefull to the best.Quanto reatus …er legem factus …st gravio…, tanto immensitas grat…e facta est illustrior. Par: 1. It makes them relish and prize the promises of much the more, and sticke faster to them, & hold in the way unto them. 2. The hearing of threatnings kindleth a flame of love to God for delivering from them. 3. Incieth our charity and compassion to our brethren, to helpe them from under them, and provoketh the Saints themselves to worke out their own salvation with feare and trembling, Phil: 2. 11.
5. Are we lewd Preachers for urging the Law upon men? then why were not Christ & his Apostles so, in pressing on beleevers the obedience of the law? Yea to the law more strictly expounded than by the Scribes and Pharises? and in urging on them a righteousnes exceeding the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises: which was not an imputed righteousnesse of faith for justification before God, but a righteousnesse of sanctification in their persons performed through grace by themselves. So when our Lord affirmeth, that in the kingdome of heaven, that is the Church of the new Testament, Hee that doth the commandements, and teacheth men so to doe, shall be called great: that is, shall be highly esteemed: was hee a lewd and false teacher, leading men away from himself, and the grace of the Gospell? or if he were not, why are wee so for teaching the same doctrine?
6. No man can teach obedience of faith,The same works are both the workes of the Law, & of faith, how? but therein he must teach the obedience of the Law also: for the same workes are both the works of the Law, and the workes of faith; which are distinguished, not divided. For example.Lex fidei aeque atque lex factorū ait, ne concupiscas; sed quod operum lex minando imperat, fidei lex credendo impetrat, August: Love or charity (which containeth all the duties of the second table) is called a worke of the Law. Luk. 10. 27. What is written in the Law? how readest thou? and he answered, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, &c. Thus it is a worke of the Law in respect of canon, rule, direction. But it is called also a fruit or worke of faith. Iames 2. 17, 18. Shew me thy faith by thy workes: and, faith worketh by love. Thus it is a worke of faith in respect of the cause, and adhaesion, being an inseperable issue of it. How can a man persuade love as a worke of faith, and not the same a worke of the Law?
7. How false and absurd is it to say that Preachers teaching obedience to the Law of God, teach men thereby to hang upon their owne righteousnesse, or to seeke their justification by their owne performances? Far are we from teaching that Iudaicall righteousnesse, performed in way of justification; all which is a filthy ragge in the sight of God and his strict justice.Isay 64, 6. But we persuade a Christian righteousnesse of sanctification wrought by the spirit of holinesse;Wee call for obedience, not for iustification, but for sundry other ends ▪ of which holy obedience are many other uses (which they are loath to see) besides the justifying of their persons in the sight of God. As, 1. It is called for in way of Christian conversation, that our light may shine before men. 2. In way of imitation of Christ our head, and of conformity of his members to his righteousnesse, which derogateth nothing from his righteousnesse. 3. In way of testification of our righteousnesse before God: for Hee that doth righteousnesse is righteous, 1 Ioh: 3. 7.
Thus having set downe these twelve Articles of libertine and famelisticall faith, I will content my selfe therewith, although I could have easily set downe twelve more, so fruitfull and generative errour is: but that I intended in this onelyonly to give a proofe of their grosse ignorance in principles of religion, which was that I undertooke. I could easily have refelled that mysticall and spirituall (but fantasticall union of theirs) with Christ before faith; their sanctification before justification, their elevating the sin of infidelity, (which strongly savours also of liberty) as that it is no sinne;Vnbeliefe an high sin against the Law and Gospell. … or at least of the morall Law, wherein I will not strive; though I am sure the Scripture maketh it a sinne of sinnes:Iohn 3. The Law commands not expresly faith in Christ: but implieth it when Christ is revealed. and Christ calleth it, the great condemnation: and perhaps they shall holde a more sound tenent, that shall holde it both against the Law, and Gospell. For 1. It may be not unprofitably enquired, whether the first commandement doe not binde to all commandements both ordinary, Adam was not bound in innocency to beleeve in Christ, for as hee was not revealed, so Adam needed him not, but yet he was bound by the Law to beleeve every word of God, whensoever it shold be revealed▪and eztraordinary, both d… praesenti, and de futuro: whether the Law doe not binde us to beleeve all that God shall utter, as well as what hee hath uttered. 2. Whether the second commandement doth not enjoyne whatsoever is a meanes of salvation, and an inward religious worship, for then the contrary must needes be sinne. 3. Whether it be not a sinne against the second cōmandemēt, not to beleeve that branch of the same commandement, that God will shew mercy to thousands of them that love him, The Law commands faith as a work done, the gospel as it is an instrument apprehending Christ, Perk. on Math. page 70.and keepe his commandements. And if it be, then infidelity is a sin against that Law.
But I forbeare many things, and perhaps some will thinke I might have spared some paines in refuting the former, which at the first sight are so distastefull to the judicious, as the reciting of them might seeme a sufficient confutation:Solo auditu horrorem incutere debent, Calvin. but my desire of helping the weake, who are easily overreached, drew mee thus farre beyond mine owne purpose; and my endeavour was to contract many things into as narrow a roome as I could.