The Sum of Christian Religion 2, Part 3 · Commandment 10
THE TENTH COMMANDEMENT.
THOV ſhalt not couet thy neighbours houſe, nor his wife, nor his ſeruant, nor his maid, nor his Oxe, nor his Aſſe, not any thing that is his.
The ſcope and ende of this commandement is a rightneſſe and inward obedience of all our Affections towardes God and our neighbour, which muſt alſo be obſerued in the other cōmandements. Neither yet is this commandement ſuperfluous: becauſe it is added to the former commandments, to be a declaration of them, & that vniuerſall, becauſe this is ſpoken of the whole in generall: and furder, it is alſo added, to be as a rule & leuill, according to which wee muſt take and meaſure the inwarde obedience of all the other commaundements. For in this commaundement is commanded originall iuſtice or righteouſneſſe towardes God & our neighbour, which is the true knowledge of God in our mind, & a power, inclination, & deſire in our will, & heart, & in all our parts, to obay God, & his knowen will, and to performe vntounto our neighbour for gods ſake al duties required, & to regard & maintaine his ſafety & welfare.
VntoUnto orinall iuſtice, originall ſinne, or concupiſcence is repugnaunt, which is an inordinate appetite, or a corrupt inclination & proneneſſe, in the minde, will, & heart, contrarie to God, and deſiring thoſe thinges, that God forbiddeth in his Law; which enſued vponupon the fall of our firſt parents, and was from thē deriued to all their poſteritie, ſo deprauing and corrupting their whole nature, that all by reaſon of this corruption are become obnoxious to the euerlaſting wrath of God, neither are able to doe ought that is pleaſing to God, except pardon be graunted for the ſonne of God, the Mediator, and our nature be renued by the holy Ghoſt.
Of originall iuſtice towardes our neighbour there are two extremes: 1. In the defect, Original ſinne towardes our neighbour, which is a deſire and wiſhing of thoſe thinges, which hurt our neighbour. 2. In the exceſſe, Jnordinate louelove of our neighbour, when for his ſake we neglect God. We are heere to obſerue, that not onelie corrupt inclinations are ſinnes, but alſo the thinking of euil is ſinne, to wit, as the thinking of euill ioined with a deſire of doing it. Now that concupiſcence is euil and ſinne, albeit it be borne with vsus, there is no doubt. For, we are not to iudge according to nature, but according to the lawe, whether a thing bee ſinne or no, be it or be it not borne with vsus.
The Pelagians denied concupiſcence to be ſin. But Paul ſaith the contrarie, Roman. 7.7. J had not knowen concupiſcence (or luſt) except the law had ſaid, Thou ſhalt not luſt. Their obiections are theſe.
1 Obiect. Natural things are not ſins. Concupiſcence is a natural thing. Therefore it is no ſin. Anſ. There is a fallacy of the accident in the Minor. For concupiſcence was not before the fal, but enſued after the fal. Againe, this word Naturall, hath a diuers conſtruction. For in the Maior it ſignifieth a good thing created of God in nature, to wit, mans appetite before the fall, which was not contrarie to the Lawe. In the Minor it ſignifieth a thing, which wee hauehave not of nature, but which we purchaſed vntounto vsus after the fall. Replie. An affection or appetite, euen in nature now corrupted, to deſire good things, and eſchue hurtfull things is not ſin. But ſuch is concupiſcence. Therefore it is no ſinne. Aunſwere. An Inclination whether it bee according to Gods lawe, or inordinate, which is mooued towardes ſuch thinges as diſpleaſe God, is ſinne. To deſire the fruit of a tree, is naturall: but as it was deſired of Eue, beeing forbidden of God, it was ſinne. But originall ſinne and concupiſcence differ. For concupiſcence is a propenſion to thoſe things which are forbidden by the lawe. Originall ſinne is the guilt of all mankind, the want of the knowledge and will of God.
2 Obiection. That which is not in our power to cauſe either to bee in vsus, or not to be in vsus, is no ſinne. Concupiſcence is not in our power. Therefore it is no ſinne. Aunſwere. The Maior is true; except wee hauehave loſt that power through our owne fault: otherwiſe it is falſe. For God requiring of vsus vnpoſſible things, doth not iniurie vsus, becauſe hee commaunded them, when they were poſſible. Neither hath he nowe loſt his right of requiring that of vsus which hee left with vsus.
3 Obiection. In Baptiſme ſinne is taken away. Therefore concupiſcence is not ſinne in thoſe that are baptized. Aunſwere. The guilt of ſinne is taken awaie in baptiſme, but not the corruption or inclination to ſinne.
4 Obiection. Sinne maketh men obnoxious to the wrath of God. Concupiſcence doth not make the regenerate obnoxious to Gods wrath. Therefore concupiſcence is no ſinne. Aunſwere. Concupiſcence dooth not make the regenerate obnoxious to the wrath of God, that is, by reaſon of the grace of God: but this commeth not thereof, as if concupiſcence were no ſinne. For neither doe other ſinnes condemne the regenerate. And this is it that the School-men ſay: The Formal of ſinne is taken away, and the Material remaineth.
5 Obiect. Where the formall of ſinne is taken away, there alſo the thing it ſelfe is taken awaie, that is, the material of ſinne, or ſinne it ſelfe: But in baptiſme the formal of ſinne is taken awaie. Therefore ſin it ſelfe is taken away in Baptiſme. Anſwere. There is a double formal of ſinne. 1. The guilt, that is, the appointing of it to puniſhment, which guilt is taken awaie. 2. The repugnancie with the Law, and an inclination to ſin, which abideth.
NOW we hauehave expounded the Decalogue or Ten cō maundements, there are two Queſtions as yet remaining concerning the Lawe, which hauehave beene heretofore handled, and now are brieflie to be run ouer againe. 1. Howe the Law is poſſible, or, How men may keepe it. 2. What is the vſe of the Lawe, ſince in this life we are not able to fulfill it. S. Ierome ſaith: Let him be accurſed who ſaith the Lawe is vnpoſſible; to wit, with grace in Chriſt. And againe, Let him be accurſed, who ſaith the Law is poſſible, that is, without grace.
1 How the Law is poſſible.
THAT this Queſtion maie the better be vnderſtoode, we are to diſtinguiſh the nature of mā, as it was firſt entire & vncorrupt, and afterwardes fallen, and againe reſtored. VntoUnto nature entire and vncorrupt the whole Lawe, as touching al parts and degrees thereof, is poſſible, as vntounto Angels. VntoUnto the regenerate who hauehave nature reſtored againe, the Lawe is poſſible. 1. As concerning outward order and diſcipline. 2. By the benefite of iuſtification and regeneration, both which benefites wee obtaine by faith. 3. As touching the beginning of inwarde and outward obedience in this life, 1. Ioh. 5.3. Likewiſe as concerning the imputation of Chriſtes iuſtice, in whom is our victorie. Hee that without the beginning of obedience, that is, without regeneration, glorieth that hee knoweth and worſhippeth God, is a lier. But the Law is vnpoſſible to the regenerate, in reſpect of God, that is, as touching the perfect inward and outwarde obedience of the Law. For they fulfil not the Lawe perfectly, becauſe they doe many things contrary to the Lawe. And thoſe things alſo, which they doe according to the Law, are vnperfect. For in the regenerate are many ſinnes yet remaining, as original ſinne, many actual ſinnes, ignoraunces, omiſſions, infirmities: which their ſins thēſelues notwithſtāding acknowledge and bewaile. Therefore regenerate ſinners differ much from vnregenerate ſinners. And this difference is threefolde. 1. The purpoſe in God himſelfe of ſauing the regenerat. 2. The certaine final repentaunce of the regenerat. 3. Euen in the very ſinnes of the regenerate there remaineth ſome beginning of true faith & conuerſion. The wicked and vnregenerate, in whom is nature fallen, but not reſtored, hauehave neither whole obedience, nor the beginning of obedience.
2 What is the vſe of the Law.
SAINT Paul teacheth two vſes of the Law, in his Epiſtle to the Galathians. 1. The knowledge of ſinne. 2. That it is a Schoole-Maſter vntounto Chriſt. In nature vncorrupted the vſes of the Law were, 1. Conformitie with God. 2. A good conſcience. In nature corrupted the vſes or endes of the Lawe are, 1. Mainteinaunce of order and diſcipline as wel in the regenerate, as vnregenerate. 2. That we maie know that God is, and what he is. 3. The knowledge of ſinne. 4. A preparing to deſpaire in the reprobate. 5. A meane, whereby repentance maie be kindled and encreaſed in Gods choſen. 6. A leuil or rule of liuing vntounto the faithful, and that whereunto we muſt tend and ſhoot, as vntounto our mark. The Law then hath his vſe both before and after conuerſion. It is profitable for the acknowledgement of ſinne and repentaunce; becauſe it is a rule vntounto vsus, whereunto we are to frame our life and thankefulnes. Likewiſe, it is a glaſſe vntounto vsus, wherein wee maie ſee our wantes, that ſo our renuing encreaſing, our praieng alſo maie encreaſe, whereby we deſire more & more to be conformed vntounto God and his Law.
The obiections, whereby the aduerſaries endeuor to prooue that there is no vſe of the lawe vntounto chriſtians, are theſe. 1 That which cannot be kept, ought not to bee taught, becauſe it profiteth nothing. The Law cannot be kept; Therefore the Lawe ought not to be taught. Aunſwere. The Maior is falſe. For the Law is to be taught, that we maie ſtriue and endeuour to come as neere as we can vntounto it. Obiection. 2. Hee that commaundeth vnpoſſible things, commaundeth vnprofitable thinges; God commaundeth the Lawe, which is vnpoſſible; Therefore God commaundeth vnprofitable things. Aunſwere. He commaundeth vnprofitable thinges, who commandeth vnpoſſible thinges, that is, 1. Jf they be ſimply vnpoſſible. 2. Jf they be alwaies vnpoſſible. 3. If there be no other vſes of this commaunding, but that thoſe things be done which are commaunded. Now we hauehave heard before which are the endes of the Lawe; for which ends of the law before declared, God wil hauehave both the Law to be commanded, and vsus to be taught the ſame. Obiection. 3. What God wil not giuegive vsus, and ſo what wee are not able to attaine vntounto, that wee maie not deſire. God wil not giuegive vsus perfect fulfilling of the Law in this life. Therefore we ought not to deſire perfectly to fulfil the Lawe. Aunſwere. Wee ought not to craue or deſire that which God will not giuegive vsus; that is, except God wil vsus to deſire it. But God willeth vsus to craue in this life, and to deſire the perfect fulfilling of the Law, 1. Becauſe he wil at length effectuate it in thoſe that deſire it: & therefore hee will giuegive it vsus after this life, if wee deſire the ſame here truly and from our heart. 2. That we may now goe forward in godlineſſe, and that the ſtudie of liuing according to the preſcript of Gods law may bee daiely more and more kindled and confirmed in vsus. 3. That by this deſire of fulfilling the Lawe, God maie exerciſe vsus in repentance and obedience.