The Divine Appointment of the Lords Day, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
Whether every word in the Decalogue be of the Law of Nature? and of perpetual obligation? And whether all that was of the Law of Nature was in the Decalogue?
BUt the great argument to prove it the Law of Nature is, because it was part of the ten words written in stone. To which I say, that the Decalogue is an excellent summary of the Generals of the Law of Nature, as to the ends to which it was given; but that,
I. It hath more in it than the Law of Nature.
II. It hath less in it than the Law of Nature: And therefore was never intended for a meer or perfect transcript of the Law of Nature: but for a perfect general summary of so much of that Law as God thought meet to give the Jews by supernatural revelation, containing the chief heads of Natures Law (lest they should not be clear enough in Nature it self) with the addition of something more.
I. That the Decalogue written in stone hath more than the Law of Nature, is proved 1. By these instances; 1. That God brought them out of the Land of Egypt, and out the house of servants, and that he is to be worshipped in that relation, is none of the Law of Nature, universally so called.
2. That God is merciful (and therefore reconciled) to thousand Generations of them that Love him, notwithstanding mans natural state of sin and misery, and all mens actual sin, this is of supernatural Grace, and not the Law of meer Nature.
3. The great difference between the wayes of Justice and mercy, expressed by the third and fourth Generation, compared to Thousands, is more than the meer Law of Nature.
4. Those Divines who take all Gods positive Institutions of Worship, to be contained in the Affirmative part of the second Commandment, must needs think that it containeth more than the Law of nature (Though I say not as they; but only that as a General Law, it obligeth us to perform them, when another Law hath instituted them.)
5. To rest one day in seven is more than the Law of Nature.
6. To rest the seventh day rather than the sixth or first is more than the Law of Nature.
7. The strictness of the Rest, to do no manner of Work, is more than a Law of Nature.
8. That there be Man servants, and Maid servants, besides natural inferiours, is not of the primitive or universal Law of Nature.
9. The distinction of the Israelites from strangers within their Gates, was not by the Law of Nature.
10. That Cattle should do no manner of work (as for a Dog to turn the spit in a wheel, or such like) is more than a Law of Nature.
11. That God made Heaven, and Earth in six dayes and rested the seventh, is not of Natural Revelation.
12. That this was the reason wherefore God blessed the Sabbath day aud hallowed it, is not of Natural Revelation.
13. Some will say that more Relations than Natural being meant in the fifth Commandment, maketh it more than a Law of Nature.
14. That the Land of Canaan is made their reward, is a positive respecting the Israelites only.
15. That length of dayes in that Land should be given by Promise, is an act of Grace, and not of Nature only.
16. That this promise of length of dayes in that Land, is made more to the Honouring of Superiours, than to the other commanded duties, is more than Natural.
2. I prove it also by the Abrogation of the Law written in stone, which I proved before; If the Decalogue had been the Only and Perfect Law of Nature, it would not have been so far done away, as the Apostle saith it is (of which before.)
II. All the Law of Nature was not in the Tables of Stone. Here I premise these suppositions.
1. That a General Law alone, obligeth not to all particulars, without a Particular Law. E. g. If the second Command say, Thou shalt perform all Gods instituted Worship: Or, Thou shalt Worship me, as I appoint thee? This bindeth no man to Baptism, the Lords Supper, &c. till another Law appoint them. Therefore there is not so much in the general Law alone, as is in that and the particular also.
2. All that is presupposed in a particular Law, is not part of that Law.
3. It is not so much to inferr a duty indirectly and by far fetcht Consequences, as to command it directly.
Now I prove the assertion by instances. All these following are Natural duties, and commanded also in other parts of Scripture, and yet are not in the Law of Moses as Written in Stone.
1. To believe that the soul is Immortal. 2. To believe that there is a Heaven where we shall be perfectly blessed in the Knowledge, Love and Fruition of God. 3. To believe that there is a Hell, or life of future punishment for all the impenitent. 4. To Love ourselves, with a just and necessary Love, as such. 5. To take greatest care to save our souls, above our bodies. 6. To tame and mortifie all our fleshly lusts in order to our own Salvation. 7. To deny all bodily pleasure, profit, honour, liberty and life, for the securing of our salvation. 8. To forbear all outward acts of Gluttony, Drunkenness, Sloth, &c. as they tend to our own damnation. 9. To rejoice in persecution because of our great reward in Heaven. 10. To pray constantly, and servently for Heaven, as the means of our obtaining it.
Let none say that many of these same things are commanded in order to God, and our neighbour. For I grant that the same material acts be so; as they are expressions of Love to God and Man: But to do them in Love to our selves and for our own Salvation, is another principle and end, not contrary to, but necessarily conjunct with the former two: And indeed all the duties of self-love as such are past by (as supposed) in Moses Decalogue; because they are deeply written in mans Nature, and because the Law was Written as Political, for another use.
Obj. But these are all supposed in the first Command of Loving God, and in the second Table, Thou shalt Love thy Neighbour as thy self.
Answ. 1. These last are not the words of the Decalogue: but a part of the summary of all the Law. 2. Both Tables indeed suppose the Love of our selves, but that which is supposed, is not a part of them.
Obj. But it is the Socinians that say the Old Testament speaketh of no reward or punishment but in this life.
Answ. True: But Camero (de tripl. faed.) and others that rightly understand the matter affirm, that, 1. The Law of Nature containeth future rewards and punishments in another life, 2. And so doth the Covenant of Grace made with Adam and all mankind in him, and renewed to Noah, Abraham and the Israelites, which by Paul is called The Promise as distinct from the Law. 3. But the Law of Moses in its own proper Nature as such, was only Political, and spake but of Temporal Rewards and Punishments. 4. Though yet all the faithful were bound to take the Law and Promise together, and so to have respect both to Temporal and Eternal things. For the Law it self connoted and supposed things Eternal as our great concernment.
III. There is more of the Law of Nature in other parts of Moses Law, conjunct with the Decalogue, than is in the Decalogue alone.
I will stay no longer in the proof of this, than to cite the places as you do. Exod. 23. 13, 32. & 22. 18, 20. Lev. 20. 1, 4, 6. Deut. 13. & 17. Exod. 23. 24. Deut. 12. & 23. Lev. 24. & 23. 3. Exod. 12. 16. Deut. 23. 18. Exod. 22. 28. & 23. 20. & 21. 15, 17. Lev. 19. 32. Deut. 21. & 1. & 16. & 6. & 11. Exod. 21. 12, 13, 18, 20, 22, &c. & 22. 2, 3. Lev. 13. 14. & 17. Deut. 21. Exod. 22. 19. Lev. 18. & 19. 29. & 20. Deut. 22. Exod. 21. 16, 21, 32, 35. & 22. 1. 4. to 17. Lev. 19. 30, 35. Deut. 24. & 29. 14. & 21. & 25. Exod. 23. 1. to 9. Deut. 23. & 24. Lev. 19. 11, 15. Exod. 22. 21, 22. & 25. & 26. & 23. 4. Lev. 19. 14, 16, 18, &c.
By all this I shew you why, 1. I allow not of your making the word Law in the New Testament to signifie the Decalogue only, or taking them for equipollent terms. 2. Why I take not the Decalogue and the Law of Nature, for equipollent termes, or their matter to be of the same extent: And consequently why I take it for no proof that all things in the Decalogue are perpetual, because all things in the Law of Nature are so.