Catholic Theology Plain Pure Peaceable, Section 2
SECT. II. The firſt Edition of the Law of Grace.
13. When God judged man for ſin, at once he promiſed him a Saviour, and through him as promiſed, made a new Law of Grace with man.
14. This Law giveth pardon of the Spiritual and Eternal Puniſhment, and of all ſave what was excepted in the Sentence foregoing: But pardon, not to be abſolutely and immediately received, but by degrees and upon certain terms: And with pardon a free gift of Life Spiritual and Eternal, and ſo of the Spirit and Communion with God, on the ſaid conditions.
15. The Promiſe Gen. 3. 15. is plain as to Mercy and Salvation, and darker as to the promiſed ſeed, and his mediation; and dark as to the Condition on man's part: But (by Sacrifices, &c.) it is like that Adam had it more explained to him, than thoſe ſhort words make it to us: But this is clear that by this new Covenant God becometh man's Merciful Redeemer and Pardoner, and Ruler on terms of Grace in order to recovery and Salvation; And that man was to Believe in God as ſuch, and accor…ingly to devote himſelf in Covenant to him.
16. This Law or Covenant was made with all Mankind in Adam: For all were in his loins; and God hath given us no more proof that the firſt Covenant was made with Adam as the Father of Mankind, than that the ſecond was ſo made.
17. Gods dealings with Mankind are a certain confirmation of this truth, and an expoſition and promulgation of this Law and Covenant of Grace as extended to all Mankind. For God doth not uſe them according to the rigor of the violated Law of Innocency, but giveth them abundant mer…ies and means which tend to their Repentance and recovery, and obligeth them all to Believe that he is merciful and their caſe is not deſperate, and to Repent and uſe his means and mercies in order to their return to God and their Salvation. There are no Nations in the world that even to this day are not under ſuch mercies, means, and ob… gations; and therefore none that are left as the Devils in Deſpair, under the unremedyed Covenant of Innocency alone.
18. But though the Law of Grace made to Adam be it which the world was then put under, and to be Ruled by, and the tenor of it extended to all Mankind; yet thoſe that would partake of the Bleſſing… of it, were to conſent to it as Covenanters with God, and to Belie… in and obey God their Redeemer pardoner and reſtorer, in the thankful ſence of all this mercy; which becauſe the ungodly did not, they and their poſterity fell under a double guilt and curſe, both as violate…s of the Law of Innocency and of Grace: and therefore incurred a ſpec… penalty: Cain and his off-ſpring being firſt thruſt out further from the believing obedient people of God, and at laſt the whole world except eight perſons periſhing in the deluge.
19. Noah with his houſe being ſaved to be the Root of all Mankind that ſhould ſucceed him, God renewed with him and Mankind in him, the ſame Law or Covenant of Grace which he had made with us in Adam, with ſome additionals: To ſhew us that though the wicked and their ſeed had forfeited the benefits, yet the Covenant was not altered, but ſtood in its firſt ſence in force to all, and would pardon and ſave all true Conſenters.
20. Cham for his tranſgreſſion brought a new Curſe on himſelf and his poſterity, beſides the meer fruit of Adam's Sin. So that thoug… God altered not his Law of Grace, yet they became a curſed Generation.
21. By multiplyed tranſgreſſions, the Sons of men did ſtill more degenerate and revolt from God, till Nimrod and others by wickedne… and preſumptions brought down the new and grievous penalty of confounded tongues, (the great hinderance of the propagation of the truth to th… day) And at laſt, the moſt fell to odious Idolatry, not knowing the true God, but given up to ſenſuality and wickedneſs.
22. Abraham being faithful and eſcaping the Idolatry and wickedneſt of the world, was eminently favoured and beloved of God, and be… ving Abraham's Promiſe.and truſting God in his promiſes and in the great tryal of his S…, is honoured with the name of the Father of the Faithful: And God renewed with him the Covenant of Grace which he had made to all men in Adam and Noah, with ſpecial application to his comfort; and added… ſpecial peculiar Promiſe to him, that his Seed ſhould be a holy Nation choſen out of all the world to God, and that of him the Meſſiah ſhould come, of both which Promiſes (the common and the ſpecial) Circumciſion was a Seal.
23. Yet this was no repealing of the Law of Grace which had been made to all the world, nor was it an excommunicating or rejecting of all others, or a confining of Gods Grace and Church to him and his poſterity alone; but only an exalting them above all others in theſe peculiar dignities and priviledges. For at that time holy Sem was living, and long after, who in all likelyhood was a King, and its like that the Poſterity of him and Japhet were not all faln away from God; and Melc… zedek was ſuch a King of Righteouſneſs and Peace and Prieſt of the moſt high God as was a great type of Chriſt's own Heavenly Prieſthood; and therefore it's like had ſome Subjects that feared and worſhipped God The Scripture giving us the Hiſtory of the Jewiſh Nation, and affairs … the principal, and of the reſt of the world but a little on the by, we cannot know by it the full ſtate of all other Nations, nor what Religion and Worſhippers of God were there. But the Hiſtory of Job and his Friends, the probability that all the Children of Iſmael, of Keturah, of Eſau, forſook not God (for they were circumciſed and therefore were Covenanters) with the Caſe of Nineve after; and Abraham's thoughts that even a Sodom had at leaſt had fifty righteous perſons in it, &c. aſſureth us that the Jews were not God's only Church, but a peculiar people, and a Nation holy above the reſt. And as the Covenant of Grace was ſtill the Governing Law to the reſt of the world, (though moſt rejected it by rebellion) ſo it is not to be thought that none conſonted to it and were faithful.
24. The ſpecial promiſe to Abraham of the Meſſiah to be his ſeed, which was more than was made to Adam and Noah, as it belonged not to Mankind in general, ſo was it not promulgate or known to them, but only to the Jews, and the few that converſed with them. Therefore the reſt of the world, were not obliged to know and believe it, who never heard of it.
25. What Conditions of pardon and life were neceſſary to all Mankind The terms of the Univerſal Covenant.then in general, is moſt probably gathered out of theſe Texts of Scripture. Exod. 34. 6, 7. And the Lord-proclaimed the Name of the Lord—.The Lord, the Lord God, Merciful and Gracious, long ſuffering and abundant in Goodneſs and Truth, keeping Mercy for thouſands, forgiving iniquity, tranſgreſſion and ſin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, viſiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children, and to the Childrens Children unto the third and to the fourth Generation. This is the deſcription of God given by his own mouth, as he is to be Believed in, and as they were to be ſubject and devoted to him: And what mouth can ſurelier reveal him. And Heb. 11. 6. Without faith it is impoſſible to pleaſe God; for he that cometh to God must believe that God is, and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently ſeek him. Act. 10. 34, 35. Of a truth I perceive that God is no reſpecter of perſons, but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteouſneſs is accepted with him. And John's and Chriſt's Preaching were, Repent; And Except ye Repent ye ſhall all periſh: And Chriſt was a Prince, and a Saviour to give Repentance to Iſrael and Remiſſion of Sins.
26. The belief of the pardoning Mercy of God to the penitent, and the recoverable ſtate of Souls, and the duty of Repenting, and ſeeking pardon and mercy of God, in order to Salvation, in oppoſition to deſpair and neglect of all endeavours for recovery, is ſo common to all Mankind, that (though ſelf-love may make them hope inordinately for that which they would have to be true; yet) it is moſt apparent that it proceedeth from ſome Natural notion of God, and is to be numbred with the Notitiae Communes; which are paſt controverſie with all Mankind.
27. Therefore though the Law of Innocency was the Law of Nature in the first and eminent ſence, yet this Common notice of Gods pardoning Mercy, and man's duty to Repent, hope and ſeek Salvation may well be called, The Law of lapſed Nature, as the other is the Law of Innocent Nature. For the Nature of God, and the nature of Man, with all circumſtant Natures, and the courſe of natural Providence running ſo much in the way of great reſtoring mercy, do certifie mankind of the foreſaid hopes and duties.
28. For it is not (as ſome have ſaid) an abſurdity, but a certain Truth, that the Law of Nature is as far mutable as Nature it ſelf is mutable. For the Law of Nature (commonly miſ-deſcribed) is nothing elſe but the Nature of Man and all other Creatures of God, ſo far as per modum ſign… they notifie to us Gods Will appointing what ſhall be Due from us and To us, as the inſtrument of Gods Government of Mankind. Now this Notification is moſt by the Reſultancy of duty from the Nature of Man compared with God and all the Creatures that he hath to do with. And the very variety of circumſtances (as in the caſe of Adam's Childrens Marriages and ours, &c.) may alter Nature's ſignification, obligation and Law.
29. That which is called the Covenant of Nature or Innocency, was in the Main the very Law of Innocent Nature in all the parts of it. 1. Nature being perfect, revealed Man's Duty perfectly to obey. 2. Nature declared Puniſhment to be due to ſin; yea to all ſin. And this puniſhment to be ſuitable to the nature of the Offender compared with the God offended, and the injury done. Eſpecially that if men will undoe themſelves, by forſaking Life and Love and Joy, and caſting themſelves into darkneſs, diſeaſedneſs and miſery, when it is foreſhewn them, God is not bound to hinder or recover them. 3. Nature telleth man that God who made his Soul a ſimple Intellectual ſpirit, and Life it ſelf (though created and dependant) intended not to annihilate it; and that its noble faculties, fitted to know God, and Love him, and Live to him perfectly in Immortality, were made for this employment in Immortality, and not in vain. And that he that Naturally maketh it mans duty to hope and ſeek for Immortal happineſs, hath not made this hope or duty in vain: Nor will fail or fruſtrate or deſtroy them that forfeit not their hopes. So that the Covenant depends not alone upon ſupernatural Revelation.
30. But that which Nature revealeth about the penalty, is 1. Not that God of neceſſity must puniſh the loſs of Innocency as highly as he may do. 2. But that he may justly puniſh the Sinner in rigour, by temporal, ſpiritual and eternal miſeries. 3. And that the Ends of Government (the honour of his Wiſdom, Goodneſs, Power, Truth and Juſtice, and the order of the humane world) do require that ſin ſcape not free, but ſome exemplary puniſhment be a Vindication of God, and a warning to Man: which our death, afflictions, and ſpiritual ſufferings manifeſt in part, and the ſufferings of Chriſt more fully. So that pardon, and diſpenſing in part with his Right to puniſh us according to the Law firſt broken, is no falſhood in God, nor any injustice, nor any violation of his Law of Nature.
31. The Law which God put all mankind under after the fall, and the world without the Church is under ſtill, is the Preceptive part of the Law of Innocent Nature as de futuro, the promiſe of it being ceaſed, and the penalty not totally nullifyed, but made remedyable by an act of oblivion or Conditional Covenant of Grace. q. d. [Thou ſhalt perfectly obey me, for the time to come; and every ſin ſhall deſerve everlasting puniſhment, ſo far as that I might justly inflict it, and will do it if it be not remitted: But all thy ſin ſhall be forgiven thee, and thou ſhalt have the free gift of pardon and ſalvation, if thou Believe in me thy merciful Saviour, and repent and give up thy ſelf to me to be ſaved, and to be Mine by ſincere obedience and Love.]
32. The deliverance of the Iſraelites from Egypt by Moſes, and their imbodying into a new Common-wealth, with a Theocratical Government in a peculiar manner, and a new body of Divine Laws, were all done in performance of Gods Covenant with Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob, ſeparating their ſeed as Holy from all the world. Not as if no other were Holy in the world; but as the Prieſts and Levites were ſanctified to ſtand nearer to God than the people, and ſo ſpecially Holy; even ſo Iſrael was a Holy Nation, as being nearer God by ſeparation than the reſt of the Nations of the world.
33. The entire Law of God which the Iſraelitiſh Nation was under had all theſe parts. 1. The remaining preceptive and directive part of the Law of Nature. 2. The Univerſal Covenant of Grace made with all mankind in Adam and Noah, and perſonally renewed to Abraham for himſelf and his poſterity. 3. The ſpecial promiſe to Abraham and his ſeed as a peculiar people of whom the Meſſiah ſhould come. 4. The body of the Law of Moſes as a Law for that Common-wealth or Politie (which was not ſo given to any other Common-wealth or Nation.)*L…g. Suarez de L…g. l. 9. who c. 6. diſtinguiſheth of the Law ſtrictly taken, and ſo it hath not (ſaith he) promiſes of eternal felicity; and the Law as including the promiſe to the Fathers; and ſo it had ſuch promiſes. But thoſe promiſes being the Soul of the Law ſhould not by the Jews have ever been ſeparated from the reſt, in their conceits of it.
1. The firſt of theſe undoubtedly is ſtill in force.
2. The ſecond is turned into the perfect edition of the Covenant of Grace, to thoſe that have the Goſpel: And it continueth to the reſt of the world unrepealed, as to the ſubſtance of the mercies of it, (further than men deprive themſelves of them by forfeitures, as wicked men here do as to the mercies of the Goſpel) But as it is a promiſe of Chriſt's future incarnation, it ceaſed by his coming.
3. The third is ceaſed by performance and by the Jews apoſtacy: Though ſome think ſtill that it is in force, and that a national converſion ſhall perform that promiſe to the full. But Mr. Calvert (a Learned young man) hath lately written to prove that no ſuch national converſion is to be expected, but only ſuch additions of particular mens converſion to the Catholick Chriſtian Church, as are of that kind which hath been more fully done on the Jews already.
4. As to the reſt, it hath troubled Divines how far Moſes's Law is abrogated or ceaſed; partly as to the Judicials, and chiefly as to the Decalogue. And that we may not be too forward to call one another Legatiſts or Antinomians for this difference (thoſe now called Antinomians being rather Libertine denyers of the Law of Chriſt) I will notifie to thoſe that know it not, that it is as much a difference among the Papiſts greateſt Doctors, who yet bear with one another in it, and the Pope decideth it not. Some ſay that the Decalogue now obligeth not as the Law of Moſes, but only as the Law of Nature, and of Chriſt: So Soto de Inſtit. li. 2. q. 5. ar. 4. concl. 2. Medina 1. 2. q. 103. ar. 3. quem aliqui moderni ſequntur, ſaith Suarez, de Leg. l. 9. c. 11. p. 761. and Tolet. in Rom. 3. Anot. 15. Salmer. ad Rom. 7. diſp. 6. Victor. Relict. de Matrim. 2. p. n. 3. Barrad. To. 1. li. 2. c. 21. Valent. To. 2. diſp. 7. q. 7. punc. 7. To whom Suarez joyneth himſelf; confeſſing (pag. 764, 765.) that if (as ſome hold) Moſes Law had been only a Declaration of the Law of Nature, and not de novo preceptive, it could not be ſaid to ceaſe. But he truly holdeth it to be conſtitutive or preceptive alſo to thoſe that it was by Moſes delivered to: And of this opinion I profeſs my ſelf (notwithſtanding all that on other points I have written againſt the Antinomians) Believing that Chriſt now is the Univerſal Law-giver; and that the very Law of nature (as Nature it ſelf) is now His Law, and that he hath taken it in to his Goſpel adminiſtration, and ſo the Decalogue is materially in force, but not formally as part of the proper Moſaical Law, ſave only that as Declarative and ex paritate rationis, we may collect that God who for ſuch reaſons ſo bound them, doth bind us to the ſame things by the ſame natural Reaſons.
But there are other Papiſt Doctors that hold that as to the Morals Moſes Law as preceptive is ſtill in force, even as then by him delivered, and that to all Chriſtians, ſo Bellarm. de Juſtif. li. 4. c. 6. Lorin. in Act. 15. Vaſquez who with Durandus Paludan. Paul. Burgenſ. And Suarez ſaith that Alph. a Caſtro and moſt ſo ſpeak: And Vaſquez denyeth the Law of Nature as ſuch, to have properly a Divine Obligation, ſaith Suarez, which he confuteth de Leg. l. 9. c. 11. p. 764, 765. But this controverſie when examined, containeth not much more than verbal diſagreement, and ſo their mutual forbearance doth confeſs.
34. The Jews inſtead of excelling in Holineſs proportionably to their priviledges, did grow carnal and proud, and 1. Much neglected the Law of Nature. 2. Much over-looked the ſpiritual Covenant of Grace, made with them and all the world. 3. And miſunderſtood the chief part of the ſpecial Promiſe made to Abraham, not underſtanding commonly the high, ſpiritual or univerſal Office and Kingdom of the Meſſiah, but dreaming that he was but to be their Monarch, to make them great, and to ſubject the world to them. 4. And they miſunderſtood the Law of Moſes or Covenant on Mount Sinai; as if the deſign of it had been but by its ſpecial holy excellency to juſtifie the doers of it, by and for the doing, and to pardon all the ſpiritual and perpetual puniſhment of Sin, upon thoſe terms which it appointed for a Political pardon, and to give life ſpiritual and eternal, upon thoſe bare conditions on which their Law gave them Political benefits. Over-looking the great cauſes of Juſtification and life in the Meſſiah, and the common Covenant of Grace, and Promiſe of the Meſſiah made to Abraham. And this is the error which Chriſt and his Apoſtles found them in. Yet proudly boaſting of their Law and Political priviledges, and deſpiſing all the reſt of the world, as out-caſts in compariſon of them.
35. Though the behaviour of all the reſt of the world, till Chriſt's coming be little notifyed to us, yet this much is ſure, that they were commonly more Ignorant and Idolatrous than the Jews, that yet they retained the common notices of nature; that they remembred by Tradition thoſe intimations of the neceſſity of propitiatory Sacrifice, ſo as to keep up the cuſtom of Sacrificing among them: That many of them with exceeding diligence ſought to find God, or know him in the works of Nature and Providence, and attained to great and excellent underſtanding, eſpecially in Greece and Rome: And many of them lived very ſtrict auſtere and laborious lives, in great Juſtice and Love, and in the practice of many excellent Precepts towards God: For the Heavens declared the Glory of God, and the firmament ſhewed his handy-work: Day unto day uttered ſpeech, and night unto night ſhewed knowledge; There was no ſpeech or language where their voice was not heard: Their li…e went through the earth, and their words to the worlds end, Pſal. 19. 1, 2, 3, 4. For all Gods works do praiſe him, and the Lord is good to all, his tender mercies are over all his works: Pſal. 145. 9, 10, 17. He is King in all the earth. He was not the God of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles alſo. Rom. 3. 29. Becauſe that which may be known of God was manifest in (or to) them, for God had ſhewed it to them. For the inviſible things of him from the Creation of the world, are clearly ſeen, being underſtood by the things that are made: his Eternal power and Godhead, ſo that they are without excuſe, becauſe that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, Rom. 1. 19, 20, 21. God left not himſelf without witneſs, in that he did good and gave men rain from heaven and fruitful ſeaſons, filling their hearts with food and gladneſs, Act. 14. 15, 16. Seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things, and hath made of one blood all Nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation, that they ſhould ſeek the Lord, if happily they might feel after him and find him: though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live and move and have our being; For we are alſo his off-ſpring, Act. 17. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; For the ſame Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whoever ſhall call on the name of the Lord ſhall be ſaved: But have they not heard? Yes verily, their ſound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world—Rom. 10. 12, 13, 18. Deſpiſeſt thou the riches of his goodneſs and forbearance and long ſuffering, not knowing that the goodneſs of God leadeth thee to Repentance? Who will render to every man according to his deeds. To them who by patient continuance in well doing ſeek for Glory and Honour and Immortality, Eternal life—Glory, honour and peace, and to every man that worketh Good, to the Jew firſt and alſo to the Greek; For there is no reſpect of perſons with God—For not the hearers of the Law are juſt before God, but the doers of the Law ſhall be juſtified. For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law, theſe having not the Law are a Law unto themſelves; which ſhew the work of the Law written in their hearts, their Conſciences alſo bearing witneſs; and their thoughts in the mean while accuſing or elſe excuſing one another. In the day when God ſhall judge the ſecrets of men by Jeſus Christ according to my Goſpel—If the uncircumciſion keeps the righteouſneſs of the Law, ſhall not his uncircumciſion, be counted for circumciſion? He is a Jew which is one inwardly, and circumciſion is that of the heart, in the ſpirit, and not in the letter whoſe praiſe is not of men but of God, Rom. 2.