Catholic Theology Plain Pure Peaceable, Section 4
SECT. IV. Of the New Covenant, or the Law of Grace in the Second Edition.
60. The New Covenant is Chriſts Law of Grace; his Inſtrument by which he giveth Title or Right to the Benefits promiſed, and conveyeth Right to the Fruits of his Sacrifice and Merits; And his Law by which he governeth the Church as a Saviour, in order to Recovery and Salvation.
It hath greatly ſcandalized the Papiſts againſt us to find ſome old Pr… teſtants deny Chriſt to be a Law-Giver, and in his Goſpel to have a Law. The caſe is ſad, that any in oppoſition to others ſhould run into ſuch an Antinomian extream: They are unlike to be good Preachers of Chriſt's Law, who maintain that he hath no Law: And there can be no ſin againſt it, nor expectation of being judged by it, if he have none. And he is no King and Ruler, if he have no Law. But yet let the Papiſts forbear i… …ing, and remember that the true meaning of moſt of them is no more, than to aſſert what Suarez himſelf propugneth, viz. that beſides Revelations, and the Duties thence naturally reſulting, (by natural Law) and the Sacraments, Chriſt hath no other Laws. And both Suarez and they are here to blame (for the Papiſts that are by ſome accuſed for calling the Goſpel a Law, do alſo give too little honour to Chriſt's Laws); It beſeemeth none of them to uſe ſuch ill Language, what-ever they mean. If they ſhould ſay that the King is no Law-Giver, and hath no Laws, they would wrong him by that Language (as denying his Royalty) how well ſoever they ſhould interpret it. For the Legiſlative-Power is the principal eſſential part of Soveraignty. But if any really deny Chriſt to be a Law-Giver, and when he hath done reproacheth the Papiſts and Arminians for contradicting it; it is but as the blind reproaching the purblind for ſeeing; when they that give moſt to the Laws of Chriſt (among theſe Contenders) do give too little.
The Baptiſmal-Covenant, is a Law as impoſed, and as impoſing the Covenant-Duties, and as determining the conditions of Life and Death, according to which men muſt live and ſhall be judged: yea it is the moſt famous Law, which Conſcience hath to do with; Though it be a Covenant as conſented to, in the contract. That Sinners have terms of Life and Death, and offered Remedies againſt all their Guilt and greateſt Puniſhments, and Means preſcribed, and Duties commanded in order to their recovery, when the Law of Innocency condemneth them; eſpecially the obeying of the Miniſtry, and Word, and Holy Spirit of Chriſt, preſcribing them his way of cure as their Phyſician, all this is a Law of Grace; even the Law of Liberty, and the Law of the Spirit of Life, which freeth us from the Law of Sin and Death. Chriſt's Law conſiſteth of two parts: (as is ſaid) 1. The Law of Nature (called by many moral) as commanding the love of God and its attendent Duties, not now to an innocent man, but to a condemned-recovering Sinner, as the health to which his Phyſician doth reſtore him. 2. And the remedying Law which is more proper to the Redeemer called the Law of Faith; which appointeth us the terms and means of our recovery: which is, 1. Supernatural as to the Revelation of the matter and reaſons of it, and the foundation of all in Chriſt's Work of Redemption and his Legiſlation: 2. But as to the obligation or efficiency of mans duty, it is both natural and ſupernatural at once: that is, when it is preſuppoſed that Chriſt hath done, ſuffered and offered to our acceptance, all that is ſo aſſerted of him in the Goſpel; 1. Nature obligeth us to believe it (upon evidence of credibility) and to accept it, and thankfully improve it: 2. Chriſt as the Fathers Adminiſtrator, and our King, hath poſitively commanded us the ſame.
Were it not for wearying the Reader, and my ſelf, I would here anſwer all that Suarez ſaith, (de Legib. li. 10. c. 2.) to prove that no praeceptum poſitivum morale is added by Chriſt: And I would eaſily prove that as ſome parts of Nature are unalterable, and accordingly natural Duty, ſo ſome things of Nature are mutable, and ſo is that natural Duty which is founded on them: And Chriſt hath by ſupernatural Performances and Revelations made ſuch changes in the nature of things, as inferreth new natural Obligations. Were the Devils redeemed, and Grace now offered them, nature would make it their duty to accept it.
In ſum, it is a ſufficient confutation of all Suarez's Reaſons, to ſay, that they run upon this falſe ſuppoſition, that Nature and ſupernatural Precept may not both oblige man to the ſame duty, and that God cannot lay two Obligations on us to the ſame action. For all that he laboureth, is to prove that ſuppoſing the Revelation, Nature bindeth us to believe all the Chriſtian Articles, to preach, and hear, and pray to God by Chriſt, to love our Redeemer, and be thankful, &c. and that the Goſpel is thus fitted to lapſed Nature, as the firſt Law was to innocent Nature. All which I like very well, and take it for a great honour to Chriſt and the Goſpel, that it is ſo ſuited to the natural neceſſity and ſtate of fallen and miſerable man, and may be called the Law of ſinful Nature. But Suarez himſelf had before proved that Moſes's Decalogue was both a Declaration of what Nature bound men to, and yet alſo the matter of a new Precept of God: And why could he not ſee the ſame of the Goſpel, it being ſo evident, that it containeth Chriſt's Commands? And the very ſum of our Miniſtry is, 1. To diſciple and baptize all Nations, &c. 2. And then to teach them to obſerve all that Chriſt commanded. And indeed Suarez confeſſeth (p. 816.) That Chriſt did by new commanding add new Obligations to the duties of Nature, though he deny that Chriſt added any poſitive Precept as to the moral matter commanded by the Law of Nature—.
And by this inſtance you may ſee how near ſome men agree, that ſeem much to differ. But as to them that inſiſt on it, that the Goſpel and New Covenant are no Laws, and that we have none from Chriſt but the Decalogue and Old Teſtament; were I to write againſt them to purpoſe, I would plentifully prove them Subverters of Chriſtianity it ſelf, and give full evidence againſt them, to any that believe the holy Scriptures. And contrarily I would prove, that there are no Divine Laws but what are truly the Laws of our Redeemer, now in the world, and that all Infidels are ruled, and ſhall be judged by a Law of Grace, though not of the laſt evangelical Edition; and that he that feareth not breaking the Laws of Chriſt, ſhall hear at laſt; Thoſe mine Enemies that would not that I ſhould Reign over them, bring them hither and ſlay them before me, Luk. 19. 27.aThat Chriſt is truly a King, and ſo a Law-Giver, and hath proper Laws, and not only Doctrine; (and how great an injury ſome Proteſtants have do…e the Church by denying (beſides the Antinomians) See Suar…z, de Leg. l. 10. c. 1. whoſe proofs of the thing are unanſwerable; And I have long ago proved it in other Writings. But Suar…z aſſerting that Chriſt's Law is only Moral and Ceremonial, (in the Sacraments) and not judicial, doth plainly confeſs that God never inſtituted the Papacy and their Diſcipline: Yea he ſaith, (c. 2. p. 812. [Chriſtus in ſua l…ge nihil de praec…ptis judicialibus ſtatuit: etiam ſi in Eccleſia Chriſti ut talis eſt, aliquae leges judiciales ſi…t neceſſariae ad politicum regimen Eccleſiaſticum, quod ſuo modo ſpirituale eſt; nihilominus noluit Chriſtus dominus per ſe ipſum illas leges ferre, ſed id Vicariis ſuis commiſit, poteſtatem ad illas ferendas eis tribuendo: Et ideo illae Leges non ſub Lege Divina, ſed ſub canonica computantur: Pr…prie igitur loquendo de Lege divina nova, in illa non inveniuntur praecepta judicialia.] So that Chriſt never made the Papacy, nor any of its Laws. But indeed he appointed Baptiſm as our Church-entrance, and more than a Ceremony: and the ſtate of C…u…ch Officers, and their work and diſcipline, Mat. 18. And what his Spirit did in the Apoſtles, he did in another ſort than he doth by any ordinary Miniſters that have but the Spirits ordinary help.
bAquinas and many other Papiſts …oyn with ſome late Sec…a…ies, and ſay that it's the Spirits Operation on the Heart, that is the Lex nova, and that it is not written: But he could not deny but that yet the Goſpel is Lex nova Scripta: But falſly de nomine taketh this but for the ſecondary ſenſe of the l…x: which is the firſt, and that the obliging Law▪ and the other the effects of it as various as perſons are that have it, and not the Rule of Obligation: And elſe-where I have ſhewed alſo de Lege natura.As to the queſtion, Whether Chriſt's Law be exterior inſignis (vocal and written) or in the Heart by the Spirit, Suarez truly ſaith, That lex imperans is in ſignis (in Scripture words) but lex impellens is the Spirit; which though here the chief, yet is not properly but metaphorically called a Law, (pag. 819. & li. 1. in principio.) Though he add, that it was eight years before the Goſpel was written by Matthew, and longer by the reſt, and that all that time and ſince it is written in the Heart. But memory may retain a vocal Law, before the Heart (by love and ſubjection) do receive it.
61. In this Law or Covenant is made a free univerſal Deed of Gift of Chriſt first, and of Pardon, Spirit and Glory in and by him to all Mankind without exception, who will believingly accept it in its true nature, as it is offered therein; Or [If they will ſo accept it as Believers.]
62. This Covenant is to be preached by Chriſt's Miniſters, and men invited to believe and conſent: And all that ſo do, are to profeſs that conſent by a ſolemn Covenant in their Baptiſm, and ſo to give up themſelves devotedly to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; renouncing the Devil, Fleſh and World.
63. For Faith in God the Father is as eſſential a part of that Faith which we muſt profeſs in Baptiſm, and is called commonly justifying, as Faith in Chriſt is: And ſo is Faith in the Holy Ghoſt in its place. For it is not poſſible to believe in Chriſt, without believing firſt in God, to whom he is the way, and with whom he is our Mediator; nor to believe in him fully as Chriſt, unleſs we believe in him, as giving us the ſanctifying Spirit.
64. This Covenant is nevertheleſs free (as to the donation of the Gifts,) for being conditional: For the Condition is not the purchaſe, procurement by efficient cauſality, or any way a proper cauſe of the Gift as given, but only a diſpoſitive cauſe of our reception of it, and of the Gift as received: It is a removens prohibens. The Condition as impoſed, and as the mode of the Promiſe, is only a ſuſpenſion of the Donation and Right till it be performed: The Condition as performed is a removing the ſuſpenſion: And ſo it is a receiving cauſe; which is but diſpoſitio materiae receptivae (of which more in due place.)
65. And the Gift is nevertheleſs free, becauſe the Condition is but ſuch as is morally-antecedently-neceſſary to the reception of free Gifts. For though phyſical Donation oft make its own way, and pre-require not ſuch Conditions as theſe at leaſt; yet moral Donation by Deed of Gift, ſuppoſeth that the perſon will receive it, and deſpiſing, or unthankful refuſal, or turning it againſt the Donor, nullifieth ſuch a Donation in the Civil Laws of men.
66. And the Benefits are nevertheleſs conditionally given, though the Spirit of Chriſt cauſe us to perform the Condition: For they are called conditional from the mode or form of the Covenant, which giveth men Right to Chriſt and Life expreſly on condition of believing.
67. Though this believing be ſometimes deſcribed as the aſſent of the Intellect, and ſometimes as the conſent of the Will, and ſometime as a practical affiance, truſting Chriſt as a Saviour, to ſave us, with Soul and Body, to the renouncing and letting go all other truſt; Yet when ever Justification and Life is promiſed to Faith, all theſe three are the eſſential parts of it.
68. The cleareſt diſcovery of the true nature of Gods Covenant with man, and of that Faith by which we partake of the benefits of it, is in Baptiſm it ſelf, which hath ever been the entrance of men into Gods Covenant as conſented to, and mutual, and ſo into a viſible ſtate of Chriſtianity and memberſhip of Chriſt and the Catholick Church. And therefore it is happy for us, that Chriſt ſo expreſly delivered the form of the Baptiſmal Covenant, and the Univerſal Church hath ſo ſafely in her practice kept it.
69. This Baptiſmal Covenant which is conditional, and the conſent to which doth make us Chriſtians, muſt be ſtill diſtinguiſhed from the Covenant between the Father and Christ, or his Law of Redemption: And God promiſeth not to us, all that he promiſeth to Christ for us; nor giveth all to us which he giveth to him.
70. And it muſt be diſtinguiſhed from Gods meer Predictions concerning his Elect (that he will call them, renew them, and ſave them,) or if thoſe Predictions run in the form of a Promiſe, either as they are promiſes to Chriſt concerning the Elect, or as promiſes to the Church in general, how God will perfect it, ſtill they give no man a Law-Title or Right to any of the Benefits, till he is a Believer: They juſtifie and pardon no man: And ſo they muſt not be confounded with the Baptiſmal Covenant, which is Gods ſtated Inſtrument of Juſtification and of Government, and the Law by which he will Judge us at the laſt.
71. This Baptiſmal Covenant is the character and teſt, by which we muſt judge who are Christians, and members of the Catholick Church of Chriſt, and not by their Subjection to a pretended vicarious univerſal Monarch. And this is the character (with conſent to his relation there) by which every mans fitneſs for memberſhip in a particular Church muſt be judged of; And not by other Covenants (beſides that conſent) and proofs of Converſion, not here included. And this containeth the true Characters, by which every man may know himſelf whether he be a true Christian, and muſt judge of his ſincerity and right to Chriſt, Juſtification and Salvation, as he is or is not a ſincere conſenter to it truly underſtood in the eſſential parts.