A Vindication of the Moral Law and the Covenants, Moral treatise · Lecture 8
LECTURE VIII.
ROM. 2. 14.
For the Gentiles, &c.
YOu have heard of two things conſiderable in the law of Nature; the knowledge or light of it, and the power or ability of it. We ſhall (God willing) at this time proſecute the doctrine of the former part, and the taske we have at this time is to anſwer ſome Queſtions about the light of Nature: for, as there are ſome who depreſſe it too much; ſo there are others advance it too high. The Philoſophers called the Chriſtians Credentes, by way of reproach, becauſe they did not argue by reaſon, but receive upon truſt: and there are ſome, who doe not indeed, with Abilardus, make faith [aestimatio] a fancy, yet they make it ratio. Let us ſee therefore what this light can doe, by way of anſwer to ſome Queſtions onelyonly; not to anſwer all.
The firſt Queſtion, Whether a man can by the light of Nature, That there is a God, may be known by the light of Nature.and by the conſideration of the creatures, come to know there is a God? This is denyed by Socinians and others. Indeed Bellarmine chargeth tenets to this effect upon Calvin, but that which the Proteſtant Authours hold, is, that he may indeed have a knowledge that there is a God, but what this God is, whether he be one, and what his attributes are, they cannot ſo reach to. Nihil Deo notius, nihil ignotius: otherwiſe, they ſay, there is no naturall Atheiſt in opinion, though many in affections, deſiring there were no God. As Tully argueth, let us take heed, how we bring this opinion into the world, that there is a God, leſt hereby we bring a great ſlavery and feare upon our ſelves. Are there not many Polititians have too much of this poiſon in their hearts? But of this more anon. OnelyOnly that there is ſuch a knowledge naturall, appeareth by ſome places: as firſt, Rom. 1. 19. foreign, That which may be knowne of God: for there are ſome things, that by Nature could never be known, as the Trinity and Incarnation of Chriſt. Now this knowledge is by the book of the creatures. This whole univerſe may be called the lay-mens book; Rebus pro ſpeculo utamur, we may ſee the power and wiſdome of God in them. Tully hath a good compariſon: As a man that ſeeth and readeth a book, and obſerveth how every letter is put together to make an harmonious ſenſe, muſt needs gather, that all thoſe letters did not fall together by chance, but that there was a wiſe authour in the compoſing of them: ſo it's in the world, which is foreign, none can think ſuch a ſweet compagination of all the parts of it ſhould come together meerly accidentally. It's ſaid to be the ſpeech of one Antony, much ſpoken of in Eccleſiaſticall ſtory, that he called the world a great volume, and the heaven, and water, and earth were the pages and leaves; the ſtarres and living creatures were the letters in thoſe pages: and how glorious a letter is the Sun, when Eudoxus ſaid, he was made onelyonly to behold it? The wayes and arguments by which Naturaliſts have proved this, have not been by demonſtrations à priori, for that is impoſſible; but by the effects. As a man that cannot ſee the Sun in it ſelf, it is ſo dazeling, doth look upon it in a baſon of water: thus we who cannot know God in himſelf, know him in the creatures.
The ſecond proof is from Pſal. 19. compared with Rom. 10. where the Pſalmiſt makes the creatures ſo many tongues ſpeaking a God, yea the Hebrew word foreign eructat doth ſignifie the plenty and ſerenity, as alſo the fluid eloquence of the heavens; and this is quoted by the Apoſtle. And here two doubts are by the way to be removed: firſt, Whether that of Bellarmine and others be true, that the text is here corrupt: and, Whether the Pſalmiſts meaning be not perverted. For the firſt; in the Hebrew it's there line, but the Apoſtle, following the Septuagint, renders it foreign, as if they had read Colam for Cavam: But the Anſwer is, that the Septuagint regarded the ſenſe, and, the Pſalmiſt having ſpoken before of the words or ſpeech of heaven, they therefore interpret according to that ſenſe: And by line, is meant the Structure and exact compoſing of all theſe things, which declareth the admirable wiſdome of the Maker.
As for the later, it is indeed generally taken, as if the Apoſtle did ſpeak this of the Apoſtles preaching the Goſpel, which the Pſalmiſt did of the heavens: inſomuch that the Lutherans interpret all the former part of the Pſalme allegorically. Others think the Apoſtle alledgeth that place alluſively, not by way of argument, as in that place of the Epiſtle to the Corinthians, where the Apoſtle applyeth the ſpeech about Manna to matter of liberality. But Janſenius and Vaſquez among the Papiſts, and Beza with others among the orthodox, think the Apoſtle keepeth to the literall meaning of the Pſalmiſt; as if this ſhould be the Apoſtles meaning, Iſrael hath heard, for God made known himſelf even to the very Heathens by the creatures, how much more to the Jewes by the Prophets? Which way ſoever you take it, it proveth that God hath a ſchoole of Nature by his creatures, as well as a ſchoole of Grace by his Miniſters.
The laſt proofe is from John 1. He is the true light, which enlightneth every man coming into the world: for ſo we think [foreign] doth referre to man, not light; though Socinus and Grotius plead much for it. Some indeed underſtand this of the light of Grace; but it will be more univerſally and neceſſarily true of the light of Reaſon, which is in infants radically, though not actually. I ſhall not here relate what unſound Poſitions an Antinomian Authour hath in a manuſcript Sermon upon this place, becauſe it is not pertinent. So then there is an implanted ſenſe and feeling of a deity; which made Tertullian ſay, O anima naturaliter Christiana! and Cyprian, Summaeſt delicti nolle agnoſcere, quem ignorare non potes. If you object, that the Scripture ſpeaks of the Gentiles as foreign, that is to be underſtood of a diſtinct and obedient knowledge of him. And as for ſome Atheiſts ſpoken of, that have expreſſedly profeſſed it; what they did was partly in deriſion of the many gods, as Socrates, and another, who needing a fire, threw a ſtatue of Hercules into the fire, ſaying, Age Hercules, XIII. laborem ſubiturus adesto, obſonium nobis cocturus. Beſides, they did this with their tongue more then their heart, as appeareth by Diagoras, who when he had made a famous oration againſt a deity, the people came applauding him, and ſaid, he had almoſt perſwaded them, but only they thought, that if any were God, he was, for his eloquence ſake: and then this wretch, like Herod, was content to be thought a god. We read Act. 17. 23. of an altar to the unknown god; But that is in this ſenſe, Among the Heathens, it was uncertaine, which of their gods were appropriated to ſuch or ſuch offices: Hence when a plague was once at Athens, Epimenides brought ſheepe, ſome whereof were black, others white, to Areopagus, and letting them goe from thence, whither they would, directed them to ſacrifice (where they ſhould lye down) foreign, to the proper God, and hence came their altars to an unknown God, becauſe they knew not, which God to ſacrifice to, for the removing of their calamities.
The ſecond Queſtion is, Whether the myſtery of the Trinity, and The myſterie of the Trinitie, and the Incarnation of Chriſt cannot be found out by the light of Nature.of the Incarnation of Chriſt, can be found out as a truth by the light of Nature? And here, certainly, we muſt anſwer negatively; for the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 2. ſpeaking of the myſteries of the Goſpel, ſaith, It hath not entered into the heart of a man to conceive of them: which is to be underſtood, not onelyonly of the bleſſed joy and peace of thoſe truths, but alſo as they are truths; ſo that all theſe things are of meere ſupernaturall revelation. Hence we reade, that when, by reaſon of the Arrians, there was an hot diſpute about theſe myſteries, there was a voice heard from heaven, foreign, The fall of the wiſe men. I doe acknowledge, that Austin and others have ſought the foot-ſteps or repreſentations of the Trinity in the creatures; yea, Nierembergius a Jeſuit, De origine ſacrae Scripturae, lib. 1. cap. 3. doth hold, that God did intend by the works of Creation, to declare the myſteries of graces; as by thoſe artificiall things of the Ark, Tabernacle, and Temple, he intended ſpirituall myſteries: but this is falſe. But then they did firſt know and beleeve this doctrine by Scripture, and then afterwards goe to repreſent it. Yet it muſt be confeſſed, that all theſe Similies have ſcarce one foot, much leſſe foure, to run on. The School-men ſpeak of the three things in every creature, Eſſe, poſſe, & Operari. But eſpecially that is taken up about the ſoule, when it underſtandeth or knoweth, and when it loveth: and the Son of God is repreſented by that Verbum mentis, and the holy Ghoſt by Amor. Now here is a miſtake, for Chriſt is called foreign, Joh. 1. by John, imitating, the Chaldee, not in reſpect of any ſuch ſcholaſticall ſenſe, but becauſe he doth reveale and make knowne the will of God to us: ſo the union of the humane nature and the divine in one perſon, though learned men give many Examples, yet none come up to the full reſemblance: And indeed, if you could give the like inſtance, it were not wonderfull or ſingular. We conclude then, that the Scriptures are the onelyonly ladder, whereby we climb up to theſe things, and our underſtandings are of ſuch a little ſtature, that we muſt climb up into the tree of life (the Scriptures) to ſee Jeſus.
The third Queſtion concerning this naturall light is, Whether it be ſufficient for ſalvation? For, there are ſome that hold, If The light of Nature inſufficient for ſalvation.any man, of whatſoever Nation he be, worſhip God according to the light of Nature, and ſo ſerve him, he may be ſaved. Hence they have coined a diſtinction of a three-fold piety: Judaica, Christiana, and Ethnica. Therefore ſay they, What Moſes was to the Jewes, and Chriſt to the Chriſtians; the ſame is Philoſophy, or the knowledge of God by nature, to Heathens. But this opinion is derogatory to the Lord Chriſt; for onelyonly by faith in his Name can we be ſaved, as the Scripture ſpeaketh. And, certainly, if the Apoſtle argued that Chriſt died in vain, if workes were joyned to him; how much more if he be totally excluded? It is true, it ſeemeth a very hard thing to mans reaſon, that the greater part of the world, being Pagans and Heathens, with all their infants, ſhould be excluded from heaven. Hence, becauſe Vedelius, a learned man, did make it an aggravation of Gods grace to him, to chuſe and call him, when ſo many thouſand thouſands of pagan-infants are damned: this ſpeech, as being full of horridneſſe, a ſcoffing Remonſtrant takes, and ſets it forth odiouſly in the Frontiſpice of his Book. But, though our Reaſon is offended, yet we muſt judge according to the way of the Scripture; which makes Chriſt the onelyonly way for ſalvation. If ſo be it could be proved, as Zwinglius held, that Chriſt did communicate himſelf to ſome Heathens, then it were another matter. I will not bring all the places they ſtand upon, that which is mainely urged is Act. 10. of Cornelius; his prayers were accepted, and, ſaith Peter, Now I perceive, &c. But this proceedeth from a meere miſtake; for Cornelius had the implicite knowledge and faith of Chriſt, and had received the doctrine of the Meſſias, though he was ignorant of Chriſt, that individuall Perſon. And as for that worſhipping of him in every Nation, that is not to be underſtood of men abiding ſo, but whereas before it was limited to the Jewes, now God would receive all that ſhould come to him, of what Nation ſoever.
There is a two-fold Unbelief: one Negative, and for this no Heathen is damned: He is not condemned becauſe he doth not beleeve in Chriſt, but for his originall and actuall ſinnes. Secondly, there is Poſitive Unbelief, which they only are guilty of, who live under the meanes of the Goſpel.
The fourth Queſtion is, Whether that be true of the Papists, The Patriarchs did not offer ſacrifices by the light of Nature, but God revealed his will to Adam to be ſo worſhipped.which hold, that the ſacrifices the Patriarchs offered to God, were by the meere light of Nature: For ſo ſaith Leſſius, Lex Naturae & obſtringit & ſuadet, &c. the Law of Nature both bindeth and dictateth all to offer ſacrifices to God; therefore they make it neceſſary that there ſhould be a ſacrifice now under the New Teſtament offered unto God: And upon this ground Leſſius ſaith it is lawfull for the Indians to offer up ſacrifices unto God, according to their way and cuſtome. And, making this doubt to himſelf, How ſhall they doe for a Priest? He anſwereth, that as a common-wealth may appoint a Governour to rule over them, and to whom they will ſubmit in all things; ſo may it appoint a Prieſt to officiate in all things for them. This is ſtrange for a Papiſt to ſay, who doteth ſo much upon ſucceſſion, as if where that is not, there could be no miniſtery. Now in this caſe he gives the people a power to make a Prieſt. But, howſoever it may be, by the light of Nature, that God is religiouſly to be worſhipped; yet it muſt be onelyonly inſtituted worſhip that can pleaſe him: And thus much Socrates an Heathen ſaid, That God muſt onelyonly be worſhipped in that way wherein he hath declared his will to be ſo. Seeing therefore Abel, and ſo others, offered in faith, and faith doth alwayes relate to ſome teſtimony and word, it is neceſſary to hold, that God did reveale to Adam his will, to be worſhipped by thoſe externall ſacrifices, and the oblations of them. It is true, almoſt all the Heathens offered ſacrifices unto their gods, but this they did, as having it at firſt by hear-ſay from the people of God; and alſo Satan is alwayes imitating of God in his inſtitutions: And howſoever the deſtructive mutation or change of the thing (which is alwayes neceſſary to a ſacrifice) doth argue, and is a ſigne of ſubjection and deepeſt humiliation; yet how ſhould Nature preſcribe, that the demonſtration of our ſubmiſſion muſt be in ſuch a kind or way?
The fifth Queſtion is, Whether originall ſin can be found out by Originall ſin can onelyonly be truly knowne by Scripture-light.the meere light of Nature? Or, Whether it is onelyonly a meere matter of faith that we are thus polluted? It is true, the learned Mornay labours to prove by naturall reaſon our pollution, and ſheweth how many of the ancient Platoniſts doe agree in this, That the ſoule is now vaſſalled to ſenſe and affections, and that her wings are cut whereby ſhe ſhould ſoare up into heaven. And ſo Tully he ſaith, Cum primùm naſcimur, in omni continuò pravitate verſamur; much like that of the Scripture, The Imagination of the thoughts of a mans heart is onelyonly evil, and that continually: But Aristotle (of whom one ſaid wickedly and falſly, that he was the ſame in Naturals, which Chriſt was in Supernaturals) he makes a man to be obraſa tabula, without ſin or vertue; though indeed it doth incline ad meliora. Tully affirmeth alſo, that there are ſemina innata virtutum in us, onelyonly we overcome them preſently: Thus alſo Seneca, Erras, ſi tecum naſci vitia putas, ſupervenerunt, ingeſta ſunt, as I ſaid before. Here we ſee the wiſeſt of the Philoſophers ſpeaking againſt it. Hence Julian, the Pelagian, heaped many ſentences out of the chiefeſt Philoſophers againſt any ſuch corruption of nature. But Auſtine anſwered, It was not much matter what they ſaid, ſeeing they were ignorant of theſe things. The truth is, by nature we may diſcover a great languiſhment and infirmity come upon us; but the true nature of this, and how it came about, can only be known by Scripture-light: Therefore the Apoſtle, Rom. 7. ſaith, he had not known lust to be ſin, had not the Law ſaid, Thou ſhalt not last.
The ſixth Queſtion is, What is the meaning of that grand rule of Matth. 17. 12. expounded.Nature, which our Saviour alſo repeateth, That which you would not have other men doe to you, doe not you to them? Matth. 7. 12. It is reported of Alexander Severus, that he did much delight in this ſaying, which he had from the Jewes or Chriſtians: and our Saviour addeth this, that, This is the Law, and the Prophets; ſo that it is a great thing even for Chriſtians to keep to this principle. Men may pray, and exerciſe religious duties, and yet not doe this; therefore the Apoſtle addeth this to prayer, ſo that we may live as we pray, according to that good rule of the Platoniſt, foreign. How would this ſubdue all thoſe proud, envious, cenſorious, and inimicitious carriages to one another? But now when we ſpeake of doing that to another, which we would have done to our ſelves, it is to be underſtood of a right and well-regulated will, not corrupted or depraved.
The ſeventh Queſtion is, Whether the practice of the Apoſtles, Communion of all things no precept of Nature, and the Apoſtles practiſe of it was only occaſionall, not binding to poſterity.making all their goods common, was according to the precept of Nature, and ſo binding all to ſuch a practice? For there have been, and ſtill are thoſe that hold this. But now, that communion of all things is not jure Naturae, appeareth, in that theft is a ſin againſt the Morall Law; which could not be, if diviſion of goods were not according to the law of Nature. Indeed, by Nature all things were common, but then it was Natures dictate to divide them; as Aristotle ſheweth in many reaſons againſt Plato. What would have been in innocency, if Adam had ſtood, whether a common right to all things, or a divided propriety, (I ſpeak of goods) is hard to ſay. But as for the practice of the Church of Jeruſalem, that was occaſionall, and neceſſary, therefore not to be a ground for perpetuall command; for other Churches did it not, as appeareth by the almes that were gathered, nor was it laid neceſſarily upon all to ſell what they had, as appeareth by Paul's ſpeech to Ananias.
Uſe 1. If God be ſo angry with thoſe that abuſe naturall light, God is more off ended with thoſe that abuſe Goſpel light, then thoſe that abuſe the light of Nature.how much rather then with ſuch, who alſo abuſe Goſpel light? Theſe doe not put light under a buſhell, but under a dung-hill. There are many that are Solifugae, as Bats and Owles are. In one Chapter God is ſaid three times to deliver them up, becauſe they did not glorifie God according to Natures light; how much more then according to the Goſpels light? Gravis eſt lux conſcientiae, ſaid Seneca, but gravior eſt lux Evangelii: The light of the Miniſtery and Word muſt needs be more troubleſome to thy ſinfull wayes.
Uſe 2. Of Examination, whether, even among Chriſtians, may not be found men no better then Heathens. Now ſuch are, 1. Ignorant people: how few have any knowledge of God? 2. Violent Three ſorts of Chriſtians little better then Heathens.adherers to former Idololatricall courſes, taken up by fore-fathers. There is this difference between an Idolater and a true Beleever: The Beleever is like thoſe creatures, that you can make nothing lye on their backs, unleſſe it be faſtened by ſome Scripture or reaſon; but the Heathen is like the Camell, that had a back for burdens on purpoſe: ſo that any idolatry he would bear, though it were not tyed on by arguments. 3. Such as are inordinately diſtracted about the things of this world, Matth. 6. After theſe things doe the Heathens ſeek. Haſt thou not much of an Heathen in thee? 4. Such as rage at Christ, and his reformation, Pſal. 2. Why doe the Heathens rage?