The Rule of the Law Under the Gospel, Chapter 9
CHAP. 9.
Answering some of the principall objections of the Libertines.
1 OBIECT.
Is this our text, Rom: 6. 19. Ye are not under the Law, but under grace.
Whence thus they reason. To them that are not under the Law, but under grace; to those the Law doth not belong, but it is to them abolished and void: But beleevers are not under the Law, &c. Therefore.
Answ. 1. There is a twofold being under the Law.
First, a being vnderunder the curse, burden, malediction, condemnation, and coaction of the Law; thus no beleever is under it.
Secondly, there is a being under the obedience, rule, counsell, and direction of the Law; and thus beleevers are under it much more than before; as Christ himselfe also was. For they are now by the free spirit of Christ framed to a free and voluntary obedience of it.Lex reos faciebat …ubendo, et non adiuvando: gratia adiu vat ut quisque sit legis factor. So saith August: The Law made us guilty by cō manding but not assisting; but grace assisteth every beleever to be a keeper of the Law.
2 This objection willbe also fully satisfied by applying the former distinction of the Law. Considering it 1. in the matter and substance of it. And thus beleevers are still under it; both for performance of all holy duties of it, and forbearance of all the evills prohibited by it: 2. in the manner of obedience, and in the consequences, and appendices of it; and thus are they not vnderunder the rigor, coaction or strict exaction of it, and much lesse under the curse, malediction or condemnation of it. But this objection hath beene before abundantly satisfied in the 2. & 3. Chapters. And therefore I passe it now more breifly.
2 OBIECT.
Gal. 3. 10. So many as are under the workes of the Law, are under the curse. Therefore, Either the Law is utterly void to Christians, or they are still under the curse of it.
Answ. The Apostle saith not, that those to whom the Law appertaineth, are under the curse; but those that are under the workes of the Law. 2. The workes of the Law are twofold. Either workes of obedience, done in humility, by way of duty, in testimony of thankfulnesse, and of our conformity with Christ. Or 2. workes of the Law done in pride, to seeke justification by the Law, and the workes of it, and so to promise to themselves eternall life by the observation of the law. And those onelyonly that are thus under the workes of the Law, are under the curse: and the meaning of the holy Apostle is no other, whose scope in his whole discourse is to beate downe such as sought to set up justification by the workes of the Law, and not by faith onelyonly; as appeares plainly in the next verse 11. for that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God is evident, for the just shall live by faith. But though no beleever can in the second respect bee under the workes of the Law for justification; Beleevers under the workes of the Law for obedience, not for iustification.but he must be under the curse of it: yet it follows not that hee is not under the workes of the Law for obedience, and yet not under the curse of it.
This place is indeed an hammer and hatchet against popery, who by seeking iustification by the workes of the Law, thrust themselves under the curse of God; for if the curse, attacheth him that seeketh righteousnesse before God by Moses Law; how much more accursed are they that by observation of humane Laws and traditions, by humane satisfactions and impositions, seeke to demerrit God, obtaine without Christ, what onelyonly Christ can procure. The greater is their sinne and danger, who after the knowledge and profession of the truth for some politick and worldly ends runne back into recusancy, and popery, which is the way of perdition, apparently renouncing the blessing of justification by free grace; and chuse the curse of the Law, which shall runne into their bowells as water: of such apostacy may be said as of Iudas, it had beene good for them they had never beene borne.
OBIECT. 3.
To whom the Law is not given, to those it belongs not at all, But the Law is not given to the righteous, 1 Tim. 1. 9. Therefore it belongs not to beleevers being justified.
Answ. 1. The scope and intention of the Apostle is not to abolish the Law, who in the words immediately going before saith that the Law is good if it be used lawfully: which words clearely import and imply, that among beleevers there is a good vse of the Law, which true use hee shewes in the fifth verse, namely, to be a guide and direction to the duties of love and charity, which is now the effect of faith, as the words plainly show: for the end of the commandement is love, out of a pure heart, a good conscience, and faith unfained. Note, that the Apostle maketh that love which is the end of the commandement, a fruite and effect of faith: and therefore a beleever is not loosed from the love and obedience of the Law by faith, but tyed unto it.
2. The sence of the Apostle is not, that a righteous man can be under no lawes; for Adam in innocencie was a most righteous man, and yet was under the Law, both in generall, under the whole Morall Law; and in speciall, under the Law concerning the forbidden tree: and this Law was given to the most righteous man in the world.The Law is given unto a righteous man, but not against him. Innocency and righteousnesse in perfection exempts no creature from the Law of his Creatour. But the Apostles meaning is, that the Law is not given against a righteous man, that frameth his course according to the Law; it dealeth not with him as an enemy that assenteth unto it, that is delighteth in it in the inner man, that is ruled and ordered by it; it can pronounce no sentence of damnation against him; it neither can justifie him who is already justified by faith, nor yet can condemne him. And that this is the true meaning of the Apostle appeareth by 2 arguments in the text.Non dicit foreign, non est …ata lex, sed foreign, non est posita. 1. In the originall word foreign, which implieth an action or plea of God against a man; and that the Law is not Gods action, or plea against a righteous man to bring him under judgement, or subdue him under the sentence of it; for Christ hath freed such a one from the curse by his merit, and obedience, as also by his spirit made him a lover of the Law. And this is the same in sence with that of the Apostle, Gal: 5. 23. Against such (namely as expresse those recited fruites of the spirit) there is no Law: foreignfor the Law is so farre from condemning such, as it is a witnesse rather of their conformity to it selfe, and consequently of their love and obedience unto God, and of their similitude with Iesus Christ. 2 Argument in the text is, in that the lawlesse and disobedient are said to be wrapped up in the full damnatory power of the Law: against all whom it is Gods plea and action, yea the bill of inditement to their condemnation.
3. Neither is the Law given to the just,The Law not given to the iust man for servile, but free obedience. to wring obedience from them by terrours, or threatnings, or expectation either of threatnings or rewards: the just are not under the Law in this servile manner of obedience, as are the lawlesse and disobedient: for by a free spirit of grace they doe the works of the Law, so farre as they are regenerate; and the Law to them is not a compelling commander, but a sweet and faithfull counsellour, and rule of life. But although the Law be not given to the just, to fasten any crime or curse upon them, nor to exact personall, and perfect obedience for righteousnesse before God; nor to force, compell, or rigorously exact obedience from them: will it follow, that it is no way else given unto them? or not as a rule of direction for obedience, and a line and square of good works and christian life.
And these answers will fully satisfie all those other places of like sound and sence: as Gal. 5. 18. If yee be led by the spirit, yee are not under the Law▪ Rom. 7. 6. Now ye are delivered from the Law being dead unto it: that is, yee are freed from the Law as it is the strength of sinne, as it irritateth, and provoketh to sinne, as it did while wee were in the state of nature, as it wrapps the transgressor in the curse, and as it forceth it selfe by terror and constraint: for now the beleever serveth in newnesse of spirit, not in the oldnesse of the letter; that is, freely from a renewed spirit obeyeth the Law as the rule of holy life.
OBIECT. 4.
Gal: 5. 1. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free; and be not intangled againe with the yoake of bondage: that is, say they, the Law▪ Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath freed us from the curse of the Law.
Answ. It is not said that Christ hath freed us from the obedience, or command of the Law, but from the curse of it; which we question not.
2. Christian liberty is not a freedome from the obedience of it, but rather from the disobedience of it: Rom. 6. 18. Being free from sinne, ye are made the servants of righteousnesse: We are called to liberty, Christian liberty frees us not from the obedience of the Law, but the disobedience of it.but we must not use our liberty as an occasion to the flesh; but to frame to the commandement, By love to serve one another, Gal: 5. 13. Where the Apostle plainely proveth, that Christian liberty looseth us not from the observation of the Law, but straitly enioyneth it, for the whole Law is fulfilled in one wo…d, which is love▪ v. 14.
3. …s they … the same stone,Wherein Christian liberty consisteth. so i… must returne upon themselves, we must therefore againe tell them, what are those parts of …ristian liberty, which the Apostle aymeth at: and if they thinke that the Apostle best knew his owne meaning, they shal take them from himselfe. The first of them is, freedome from the burden of legall ceremonies, sacrifices, circumcision, and beggarly rudiments, which were heavy yoakes; which being abolished by Christ, Christians must never entangle themselves with them any more: and that the Apostle directly speaketh of these in the place alledged, see v. 2, 3. If yee be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing: therefore stand fast in your liberty. The 2 branch of our liberty is from the curse of the Law, in that Christ was made a curse for us: with which most ponderous and pressing yoke we must never entangle our selves any more, by seeking justification by the workes of the Law, and to settle us firme in this our liberty is our Apostles ayme and argument. Gal. 3. 10. 13. The third branch of our liberty is freedome from perfect impletion, and personall performance of the whole Law for justification: for thus we are no more debters to the Law, Gal. 5. 3. Nor must ever returne to that bondage to seeke righteousnes and justification by the Law, in whole or in part: For Christ is become of none effect unto you, whosoever of you will be justified by the Law, yee are fallen from grace, verse 4. The 4. branch of our purchased liberty by Christ is a freedome from the threats and terrors of the Law, compelling and forcing obedience: and now not feare but love must chiefly const…aine us to duty; not compulsion, or carnall respects, must ca…, u… as slaues to the commandement, but now discerning the holinesse, excellency, and righteousnesse of the Law, the heart is moved freely to runne the ways of God, Gal. 5. 25. If wee live in the spirit, we must walke in the spirit.
OBIECT. 5.
The Law of Moses was given onelyonly to the Iewes, and was to endure but vntounto Christ, Luke 16. 16. The Law and the Prophets were till Iohn. And Christ is the end of the Law to every beleever, Rom. 10. 24.
Answ. 1. The Law for writing, and some Circumstances was given to the Iewes by the hand of Moses: but in respect of the substance, and matter obedience, belongs unto all men of all ages and nations. Because, 1. It must stoppe every mouth both of Iew and Gentile, Rom: 3. 19. 2. It must judge every man according to his work, both Iew and Gentile.
2. It seemes the Prophets are abolished as well as the Law.Law and Prophets, how farre abolished. But I hope they will not say, that all the doctrine of the Prophets is abolished. It is true, that the whole Propheticall doctrine,Legis …t Prophetarū ordo exinde cessavit peradimpletionem, non per destructionem. l. 4. cont. Marc. c. 33. which did signifie, or prophecy, or promise good things to come; when Christ was actually come, received accomplishment, but not abolishment: which is Tertullians distinction. But much other positive doctrine of the Prophets, is as usefull and proper to us, (for whom it is by speciall divine providence reserved) as it was to the ages to which it was first directed. And even so the Law, which in respect of shadowes was to continue till Iohn; in the substance of it is a permanent and everlasting doctrine, directory, and deriveable to all the ages of the world.
3. Christ is the end of the Law; but as Augustine wittily distinguisheth;Finis perfic…ens, snon interfictens. Aug. in Ioh: t…act. 5▪ 5. the perfecti…g end, not the destroying end. For,
1. He was the end or scope, unto whom the Law,Christ the end of the Law 5 wayes. especially the paedagogie of Moses was directed.
2. Hee was the end also of the Morall Law, because hee fully and perfectly obeyed the law, and so the Law in him attained his proper end, as it had not else done among all the sonnes of men.
3. He is the end of the Law, on whom all the male diction of the …aw fell fully, and perfectly, and had on him full accomplishment.
4. He is the end of the Law, in whom all the blessings and promises of the Law attaine their end; for they are all in Christ yea, and amen: all of them in him,2 Cor: 1. 20 & for his obedience, are exhibited & compleat.
5. He is the end of the Law to every beleever for righteousnesse, in that he doth bestow and impute unto us that full righteousnesse which the Law requireth of us; and in that by the donation of his spirit, hee kindleth in beleevers a new obedience framed unto the Law; so as they begin a renewed obedience of it in earth, and fulfill it perfectly in heaven. Whence issueth a cleane contrary conclusion. If Christ be the end of the Law, wee are therefore faster tyed to the obedience of it than before.
Very false therefore is that position, That the Law is at such an end, as it can nore command a man in Christ, than a dead man can command his wife;How wee are dead to the Law and the Law not dead to us. or a Master his servant when hee is made free. To which traditionary doctrine carried from woman to woman I answer. 1. That the Apostle saith indeede,Legem autem Decalogi nec posse, nec debes re dici nobis mortuam; quam vis dicantur Legi mortui in quibus non invenit vim pe…catricem regnan…em &c. Beza ad defens. contra Castel: in Rom: 7. 6. Rom: 7. 4. that by Christs death wee are dead to the Law; namely in regard of the curse, and of those rebellious motions excited in us by occasion of it; and in regard of the terrour and rigour of it; as a woman is from the threats and rigour of a dead husband: but the Apostle saith not, that the Law is dead either in respect of the direction of it, or our obedience to those directions. 2. As the Apostle saith, we are dead to the Law: so he sheweth the end of our freedome from so hard an husband;Et postea, Legem nusquam invenio dici mortuam, sive de impiis, sive de pijs agatur. namely that wee might be married to another: i. to Christ raised from the dead; the effect of which marriage is not a barren life, but to bring forth fruit unto God: the blessing of the marriage betweene Christ and the faithfull soule is fruitfulnesse before God; so as this death of ours to the Law bringeth in a new subjection unto it: which is indeed the height of our Christian liberty here, and proceedeth from the spirit of freedome. 3. His shift is too short to shuffle from the first covenant to the second; and as false is it to say, that the Law is the rule in one covenant, and not in another: as if the matter of the first covenant and second were not one and the same; the righteousnesse, and obedience of both were not one in substance, differing in manner of apprehension and application. Shall any live by vertue of the second covenant, that doth not these things, or that brings not the righteousnes of the Law in himselfe, or his surety?