A Vindication of the Moral Law and the Covenants, Moral treatise · Lecture 3
LECTURE III.
1 TIM. 1. 8, 9.
Knowing the Law is good, if a man uſe it lawfully.
IT is my intent, after the cleare proofe of Juſtification by the grace of God, and not of works, to ſhew how corrupt the Antinomian is in his inferences hence-from; and, this being done, I ſhall ſhew you the neceſſity of holy and good works notwithſtanding.
But before I come to handle ſome of their dangerous errours in this point, let me premiſe ſomething, As,
1. How cautelous and wary the Ministers of God ought to be in this Miniſters ought ſo to ſet forth grace, and defend good works, as thereby to give the Enemy neither cauſe of exception, nor inſultation.matter, ſo to ſet forth grace, as not to give juſt exception to the popiſh caviller; and ſo to defend holy works, as not to give the Antinomian cauſe of inſultation. While our Proteſtant authors were diligent in digging out that precious gold of juſtification by free-grace, out of the mine of the Scripture; ſee what Canons the Councell of Trent made againſt them, as Antinomian: Can. 19. If any man ſhall ſay, The ten Precepts belong nothing at all to Chriſtians, let him be accurſed, Decem praecepta nihil ad Chriſtianos pertinere, anathema ſit. Again, Can. 20. If any man ſhall hold, that a juſtified perſon is not bound to the obſervation of the Commandements, but only to believe, let him be accurſed. Si quis dixerit hominem juſtificatum non teneri ad obſervantiam mandatorum, ſed tantùm ad credendum, anathema ſit. Again, Can. 21. If any ſhall hold Chriſt Jeſus to be given unto men, as a Redeemer in whom they are to truſt, but not as a Law-giver, whom they are to obey, let him be accurſed. Si quis dixerit Christum Jeſum datum fuiſſe hominibus ut redemptorem cui fidant, non autem ut legiſlatorem cui obediant, anathema ſit. You may gather by theſe their Canons, that we hold ſuch opinions as, indeed, the Antinomian-doth: but our Writers anſwer, Here they groſſely miſtake us; and, if this were all the controverſie, we ſhould quickly agree. It is no wonder then if it be ſo hard to preach free-grace, and not provoke the Papiſt; or, on the other ſide, to preach good works of the Law, and not offend the Antinomian.
2. There have been dangerous aſſertions about good works, even by thoſe that were no Antinomians, out of a great zeale for the grace of God againſt Papiſts. Theſe indeed, for ought I can learn, did no wayes joyn with the Antinomians: but in this point there is too much affinity. There were rigid Lutherans called Flacians, who as they did goe too far, at leaſt in their expreſſions, about originall corruption (for there are thoſe that doe excuſe them;) ſo alſo they went too high againſt good works: Therefore in ſtead of that poſition, maintained by the Orthodox, Good works are neceſſary to ſalvation, Bona opera ſunt neceſſaria ad ſalutem; they held, Good works are pernicious to ſalvation, Bona opera ſunt pernicioſa ad ſalutem. The occaſion of this diviſion was the book called, The Interim, which Charles the Emperour would have brought into the Germane Churches. In that book was this paſſage, Good works are neceſſary to ſalvation: to which Melancthon and others aſſented (not underſtanding a neceſſity of merit, or efficiency, but of preſence;) but Flacius Illyricus and his followers would not, taking many high expreſſions out of Luther (even as the Antinomians doe) for their ground. Hence alſo Zanchy, becauſe in his writings he had ſuch paſſages as theſe, No man grown up can be ſaved, unleſſe he give himſelf to good works, and walk in them: One Hinckellman, a Lutheran, doth endeavour, by a troop of nine Arguments, to tread downe this aſſertion of Zanchy, which he calls Calviniana foreign, as a moſt manifeſt errour. Now, if all this were ſpoken to take men off from that generall ſecret ſin of putting confidence in the good works we doe, it were more tolerable: in which ſenſe we applaud that of Luther, Take heed not only of evil works, but of good, Cave non tantùm ab operibus malis, ſed etiam à bonis; and that of another man, who ſaid, he got more good by his ſins, then his graces: But theſe ſpeeches muſt be ſoundly underſtood. We alſo love that of Auſtin, All the Commands are accounted as if thou hadſt done them, when what is not done, is forgiven, Omnia mandata tua facta deputantur, quando quicquid non fit, ignoſcitur.
3. That iſ the incommodious, yea and erroneous paſſages in Antinomian Authors, were uſed for ſome reaſons hereafter to be mentioned, it were the more tolerable: but that ſeems not to be. There is more poiſon then can be concocted in them. But if this were their ground of many unſavory aſſertions among them, meerly their want of clear judgement to expreſſe themſelves, ſo that they think more orthodoxly then they write; then they might be excuſed, as being in a logomachy: but with this proviſo, as Auſtine ſaid of them that uſed the word fatum in a good ſenſe, Let them hold their opinion, but correct their expreſſions, Mentem teneant, ſed linguam corrigant. Now, that there may be injudiciouſneſſe in them, as a cauſe in part of ſome of their erroneous paſſages, will appeare in that they frequently ſpeake contradictions. This is a paſſage often, but very dangerous, that, Let a man be a wicked man, even as high as enmity it ſelf can make a man, yet while he is thus wicked, and while he is no better, his ſins are pardoned, and he justified. Yet now in other paſſages, Though a man be never ſo wicked, yet if he come to Christ, if he will take Chriſt, his ſinnes are pardoned: now what a contradiction is here, To be wicked and, while he is wicked, and, while he is no better, and yet to take Chriſt, unleſſe they hold that, to take Chriſt, or, to come to him, be no good thing at all? But happily more of their contradictions hereafter. Their injudiciouſneſſe and weakneſſe doth alſo appear, that when they have laid down ſuch a truth as every godly Author hath, they have ſo many words about it, and doe ſo commend it, as if they had found a Philoſophers Stone, or a Phenix; as if the Reader ſhould preſently cry out and ſay, Behold a greater then Solomon is here: and yet it is but that which every Writer almoſt hath. Again, their injudiciouſneſſe doth appeare, in that they minde only the promiſſory part of the Scripture, and doe ſtand very little upon the mandatory part. There are five or ſix places, ſuch as, Christ came to ſave that which was lost, and, He hath laid on him the iniquities of us all, &c. theſe are over and over again: But you ſhall ſeldome or never have theſe places urged, Make your calling and election ſure. Work out your ſalvation with feare and trembling; whereas all Scripture is given for our uſe. Therefore, 1. If weakneſſe were all the ground of this controverſie, the danger were not ſo great. Or, 2ly, If the end and aime they had, were only to put men off from glorying in themſelves, to deny the concurrence of works to the act of justification. If their deſire were that men ſhould not (as Michal) put an image in Davids roome, ſo neither that Chriſtians ſhould put their works in Chriſts ſtead, thus farre it might be excuſable: but then their books, and their aimes cannot be reconciled. Or, If, 3ly, their maine drift was only to ſhew that good works follow a juſtified perſon, and that they doe not antecede; here would be no oppoſition: but they deny the preſence of them in time. Or, 4ly, If the queſtion were about preparatory works to juſtification and converſion; though (for my part) I think there are ſuch, with thoſe limitations that hereafter may be given to them: this alſo were not ſo hainous. Or fifthly, If the diſpute were onelyonly upon the ſpace of time between a profane mans profaneneſſe, and his juſtification, or the quantity of his ſorrow; theſe things were of another debate. I do acknowledge, that the Chriſtian Religion was matter of offence to the Heathens, in that they taught, Though a man had never been ſo wicked, yet, if he did receive Chriſt, he ſhould be pardoned; and how ſoon this may be done, it is as God pleaſeth: but there is an alteration of the mans nature at that time alſo; and Chryſoſtome, indeed, hath ſuch a paſſage upon that Scripture, The righteous ſhall live by faith, Rom. 1. by faith onelyonly a man hath remiſſion of ſins; Now (ſaith he) this is a Paradox to humane reaſon, that he who was an adulterer, a murderer, ſhould preſently be accounted righteous, if he doe beleeve in Chriſt: but this differs from the Antinomian aſſertion, as much as heaven from hell. So it's related in Eccleſiaſticall hiſtory of Conſtantine the Great, that when he had killed many of his kindred, yea and was counſelled alſo to murder his own ſon, repenting of theſe hainous crimes, askt Sopater the Philoſopher, who ſucceeded Plotinus in teaching him, Whether there could be any expiation for thoſe ſins? The Philoſopher ſaid, No: afterwards he asked the Chriſtian Biſhops, and they ſaid, I, if he would beleeve in Chriſt. This was feigned, to make our Religion odious. Or ſixthly, If it were to ſhew, that there cannot be aſſurance before juſtification, or that to relye upon Chriſt for pardon, it is not neceſſary I ſhould know whether I have truly repented, or no; This were alſo of another nature.
Therefore let us ſee what prejudiciall inferences they gather from this doctrine of Juſtification. I know, the proper place of handling this will come, when we ſpeak of that point; but yet, to give ſome antidote againſt their errours, I will name ſome few: as, 1. Denying them to be a way to heaven. Thus one expreſly 1. Antinomians deny works to be a way to heaven.(Sect. 4. on Christ being a way, pag. 68.) It is a received conceit among many perſons, that our obedience is a way to heaven; though it be not cauſa, yet it's via ad regnum: Now this he labours to confute. As for the ſpeech it ſelf, Divines have it out of Bernard, where, among other encomium's of good works, calling them Seeds of hope, incentives of love, ſignes of hidden Predeſtination, and preſages of future happineſſe, Spei quaedam ſeminaria, charitatis incentiva, occultae Praedestinationis indicia, futurae felicitatis praeſagia, he addeth this, The way to the Kingdome, not the cauſe of reigning, Via regni, non cauſa regnandi. Now it's true, that they are not a way in that ſenſe that Chriſt is called a Way, no more then the ſpirituall life of a Chriſtian is life in that ſenſe Chriſt ſtileth himſelf Life; for, here he underſtands it of himſelf, as the cauſall and meritorious way: Therefore there are Articles added to every one, foreign and that which followeth makes it cleare, No man can come to the Father, but by me.
Object. Oh, but ſay they, our works are our buſineſſe and imployment, not our way.
Sol. I anſwer, when we call them a way, it's a metaphor, and ſuch a metaphor, that the Scripture doth often delight in: Thus the wayes of God are ſaid to be perfect, Deut. 32. that is, the works of the Lord; and thus, when it's applyed to men, if ſignifieth any religion, doctrine, manners, actions, or courſe of life, 2 Pet. 2. 2, 15, 21. So that good works are both our way, and imployment; for an imployment and way in this ſenſe are all one. Thus Matth. 7. 17. Strait is the way that leadeth to life: What is this, but the work of grace and godlineſſe? for, as for that expoſition of the ſame author, to underſtand it of Chriſt, as if he were ſtrait, becauſe men do account him ſo, and therefore would adde works to him, this is to compell Scripture to go two miles with us, that would not go one; and then, by the oppoſition, not wickedneſs, but the devil himſelf would be the broad way.
2. Denying the preſence of them in the perſon justified. And truly, 2. They deny their preſence in the perſon juſtified.this is ſo dangerous, that I know not how charity can excuſe it: It is ſuch a naevus, that ubera charitatis cannot tegere, cover it. For, thus ſaith the Authour expreſly, ſpeaking of that of Paul, Therefore we conclude, a man is juſtified without the deeds of the Law: Here (ſaith he) the Apoſtle doth not only exclude works from having any power operative to concurre in the laying iniquities upon Chriſt, but excludes all manner of works men can doe, to be preſent and existent in perſons, when God doth juſtifie them. And he inſtanceth of a generall pardon for theeves and traitors: Now (ſaith he) one may take the pardon as well as another. And ſo ſpeaking upon that place [He hath received gifts for men, even for the rebellious.] he concludes, that therefore though a man doe rebell actually from time to time, and doe practiſe this rebellion; yet, though this perſon do thus, the hatefulneſſe thereof is laid upon Chriſt: Is not this ſuch a doctrine that muſt needs pleaſe an ungodly heart?
3. In the denying of gaining any thing by them, even any peace of heart, or loſing it by them. Now this goeth contrary to Scripture. 3. They deny any gain or loſſe to come by them.Thus page 139. (the Antinomian ſaith) The buſineſſe we are to do is this, that though there be ſinnes committed, yet there is no peace broken, becauſe the breach of peace is ſatisfied in Chriſt; there is a reparation of the damage before the damage it ſelf be committed. And again, page 241. If God come to reckon with beleevers for ſinne, either he muſt aske ſomething of them, or not; If not, why are they troubled? If ſo, then God cannot bring a new reckoning. And in other places, If a man look to get any thing by his graces, he will have nothing but knocks. To anſwer theſe, it is true, if a man ſhould look by any repentance or grace to have Heaven and pardon, as a cauſe or merit, this were to be ignorant of the imperfection of all our graces, and the glorious greatneſſe of thoſe mercies: What proportion hath our faith, or godly ſorrow with the everlaſting favour and good pleaſure of God? But firſt, the Scripture uſeth ſevere and ſharp threatnings even unto the godly, where they neglect to repent, or goe on in ſin, Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the fleſh, you ſhall die: eſpecially conſider that place, Hebr. 12. two laſt verſes; the Apoſtle alludeth to that place, Deut. 4. and he ſaith, Our God (as well as the God of the Jewes, who appeared in terrour) is a conſuming fire: Now then, if the Scripture threatens thus to men living in ſin, if they doe not, they may finde comfort. Secondly, Our holy duties, they have a promiſe of pardon, and eternall life, though not becauſe of their worth, yet to their preſence: and therefore may the godly rejoyce when they finde them in themſelves. Laſtly, their ground is ſtill upon that falſe bottome, Becauſe our ſinnes are laid upon Christ. What then? they may be laid upon us in other reſpects, to heale us, to know how bitter a thing it is to ſinne againſt God. God doth here, as Joſeph with his brethren; he cauſed them to be bound, and to be put in gaoles, as if now they were to ſmart for their former impiety.
4. In denying them to be ſignes and teſtimonies of grace, or Chriſt 4. They deny them to be ſignes of grace.dwelling in us. And here, indeed, one would wonder to ſee how laborious an Author is to prove, that no inherent graces can be ſignes: and he ſelects three inſtances, Of univerſality of obedience, Of ſincerity, and love to the brethren; concluding, that there are two evidences only; one revealing, which is the Spirit of God immediately; the other receiving, and that is faith. Now, in anſwering of this, we may ſhew briefly how many weak props this diſcourſe leaneth upon:
1. In confounding the inſtrumentall evidencing with the efficient; Not holy works (ſay they) but the Spirit: Here he doth oppoſe ſubordinates; Subordinata non ſunt opponenda, ſed componenda. As if a man ſhould ſay, We ſee not by the beames, or reflection of the Sun, but the Sun. Certainly, every man is in darkneſſe, and, like Hagar, ſeeth not a fountaine, though neare her, till her eyes be opened. Thus it is in grace.
2. We ſay, that a Chriſtian, in time of darkneſſe and temptation, is not to go by ſignes and marks, but obedientially to truſt in God, as David calls upon his ſoul often; and the word is emphaticall, ſignifying ſuch a relying or holding, as a man doth that is falling down into a pit irrecoverably.
3. His Arguments, againſt ſincerity, and univerſality of obedience, goe upon two falſe grounds: 1. That a man cannot diſtinguiſh himſelf from hypocrites; which is contrary to the Scriptures exhortation. 2. That there can be no aſſurance, but upon a full and compleat work of godlineſſe. All which are popiſh arguments.
4. All thoſe arguments will hold as ſtrongly againſt faith; for, Are there not many beleevers for a ſeaſon? Is there not a faith that indureth but for a while? May not then a man as ſoon know the ſincerity of his heart, as the truth of his faith?
Now let us conſider their grounds for this ſtrange aſſertion, 1. Becauſe, Roman. 4. it is ſaid, that God justifieth the ungodly. How God may be ſaid to juſtifie the ungodly.Now this hath a two-fold anſwer; 1. That which our Divines doe commonly give, that theſe words are not to be underſtood in ſenſu compoſito but diviſo, and antecedenter: he that was ungodly, is, being juſtified, made godly alſo, though that godlineſſe doe not juſtifie him. Therefore they compare theſe paſſages with thoſe of making the blinde to ſee, and deafe to heare; not that they did ſee while they were blind, but thoſe that were blind doe now ſee: and this is true and good. But I ſhall, ſecondly, anſwer it, with ſome learned men, that ungodly there is meant of ſuch, who are ſo in their nature conſidered, having not an abſolute righteouſneſſe, yet at the ſame time beleevers, even as Abraham was; and faith of the ungodly man is accounted to him for righteouſneſſe: So then, the ſubject of juſtification is a ſinner, yet a beleever. Now it's impoſſible that a man ſhould be a beleever, and his heart not purified, Acts 15. for whole Chriſt is the object of his faith, who is received not onelyonly to juſtifie, but to ſanctifie. Hence Rom. 8. where the Apoſtle ſeemeth to make an exact order, he begins with Preſcience, (that is approbative and complacentiall, n… in a Popiſh or Arminian ſenſe) then Predeſtination, then Calling, then Juſtification, then Glorification. I will not trouble you with the diſpute, in which place Sanctification is meant. Now the Antinomian, he goeth upon that as true, which the Papiſt would calumniate us with, That a profane ungodly man, if beleeving, ſhall be justified: We ſay, this propoſition ſuppoſeth an impoſſibility, that faith in Chriſt, or cloſing with him, can ſtand with thoſe ſins, becauſe faith purifieth the heart; By faith Chriſt dwells in our hearts, Epheſ. 3. Therefore thoſe expreſſions of the Antinomians are very dangerous and unſound, and doe indeed confirme the Papiſts calumnies.
Another place they much ſtand upon is Rom. 5. Christ dyed for us while we were enemies, while we were ſinners: But, 1. if Chriſt dyed for us while we were enemies, why doe they ſay, That if a man be as great an enemy as enmity it ſelfe can make a man, if he be willing to take Chriſt, and to cloſe with Chriſt, he ſhall be pardoned? (which, we ſay, is a contradiction.) For, how can an enemy to Chriſt, cloſe with Chriſt? So that this would prove more then in ſome places they would ſeem to allow.
Beſides, Chriſt dyed not only to juſtifie, but ſave us: now will they hence therefore inferre, that profane men, living ſo, and dying ſo, ſhall be ſaved? And indeed the grand principle, That Chriſt hath purchaſed and obtained all graces antecedently to us, in their ſenſe, will as neceſſarily inferre, that a drunkard, abiding a drunkard, ſhall be ſaved, as well as juſtified.
But, thirdly, to anſwer that place, When it is ſaid, that Chriſt dyed, and roſe again for ſinners, you muſt know, that this is the meritorious cauſe of our pardon and ſalvation; but, beſides this cauſe, there are other cauſes inſtrumentall, that go to the whole work of Juſtification: Therefore ſome Divines, as they ſpeak of a converſion paſſive and active, ſo alſo of a juſtification active and paſſive; and paſſive they call, when not onelyonly the meritorious cauſe, but the inſtrument applying is alſo preſent, then the perſon is juſtified. Now theſe ſpeak of Chriſts death as an univerſall meritorious cauſe, without any application of Chriſts death unto this or that ſoule: Therefore ſtill you muſt carry this along with you, that, to that grand mercy of juſtification, ſomething is requiſite as the efficient, viz. the grace of God; ſomething as meritorious, viz. Chriſts ſuffering; ſomething as inſtrumentall, viz. faith; and one is as neceſſary as the other.
I will but mention one place more, and that is Pſal. 68. 18. Thou haſt received gifts even for the rebellious alſo, that the Lord God may dwell among them. Here they inſiſt much upon this, yea for the rebellious; and ſaith the Author, pag. 411. Seeing God cannot dwell where iniquity is, Chriſt received gifts for men, that the Lord God might dwell among the rebellious; and by this meanes, God can dwell with thoſe perſons that doe act the rebellion, becauſe all the hatefulneſſe of it is tranſacted from thoſe perſons upon the back of Christ. And, ſaith the ſame Author, pag. 412. The holy Ghoſt doth not ſay, that the Lord takes rebellious perſons and gifts, and prepares them, and then will come and dwell with them; but even then, while they are rebellious, without any ſtop, the Lord Christ hath received gifts for them, that the Lord God may dwell among them. Is not all this ſtrange? Though the ſame Authour preſſe ſanctification never ſo much in other places, yet certainly ſuch principles as theſe overthrow it.
But as for this place, it will be the greateſt adverſary they have againſt them, if you conſider the ſcope of it; for, there the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks of the fruit and power of Chriſts Aſcenſion, as appeareth Epheſ. 3. whereby gifts were given to men, that ſo even the moſt rebellious might be converted, and changed by this miniſtery; ſo that this is clean contrary: And beſides, thoſe words, with them, or among them, are not in the Hebrew; therefore ſome referre them to the rebellious, and make Jah in the Hebrew, and Elohim, in the Vocative caſe, even for the rebellious (O Lord God) to inhabit; as that of Eſay, The Wolfe and the Lamb ſhall dwell together: Some referre it to Gods dwelling, yet doe not underſtand it of his dwelling with them, but of his dwelling, i. e. fixing the Arke after the enemies are ſubdued. But take our Edition to be the beſt (as it ſeemeth to be) yet it muſt be meant of rebels changed by his Spirit; for the Scripture uſeth foreign, and foreign of Gods dwelling in men, but ſtill converted, Rom. 8. 11. Epheſ. 3. 12. 2 Cor. 6. 16.