The True Nature of the Gospel, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
That the Fathers of the Primitive Church, when they call'd the Goſpel a Law, meant only a Doctrine by it, proved by a few Inſtances out of Clemens Alexandrinus, Euſebius, Theodoret, Origen, and Chryſoſtom.
THIS might be enough, if my Learned Brother did not appeal to other Authorities than that of the Holy Scriptures, which is the greateſt: But ſince he leads me into the numerous Volumes of the Fathers, I will follow him too there. And if I ſhew that thoſe Antient Writers of the Church who wrote in the Greek Language, (as for the Latin Fathers, I ſhall afterward conſider them) us'd the word foreign Nomos, Law, to ſignify a Doctrine by it; then the uncertainty of Citations from thoſe Authors for his Purpoſe, will be abundantly demonſtrated. Clemens Alexandrinus calls the Law,aforeign. Clem. Alexand. Strom. lib. 1. pag. 356. op. Pariſ. 1629. the Light of our Way; and the Goſpel as a pure Doctrine of Grace is ſuch beyond all diſpute. He alſo defines a Lawbforeign. Ibid. pag. 250. to be a true and good Opinion of a Thing, whereby any Doctrine of Truth and Goodneſs may be ſignified.
Euſebius, who lived above an hundred Years after him, having occaſion to mention thoſe Texts of the Old Teſtament, which ſpeak of Chriſt as the Great Author of the Goſpel; and particularly explaining that Text in Iſa. 2. 3. ſpeaks in theſe words,cforeign. Euſeb. Demonſtrat. Evangel. Lib. 1. cap. 4. pag. 8, 9. Edit. Pariſ. 1628. What Law is that going out of Zion, and differing from that coming from the Deſart promulgated by Moſes in Mount Sinai, but the Evangelical Word going forth out of Zion by the Miniſtry of our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt and his Apoſtles, and paſſing through all Nations? For it is manifeſt, that from Jeruſalem, and Mount Sion adjacent to that City, (where our Lord and Saviour delivered moſt of his Diſcourſes and Doctrines) the Law of the new Covenant beginning its Progreſs, and going from thence to all Men, ſhin'd with the greateſt brightneſs. Which very well agrees to the Doctrine of the Goſpel, that ſo ſwiftly ſpread, and with ſuch diffuſive Beams, that in a few Years after Chriſt's Death, it illuminated the whole Earth.
Chryſoſtom alſo, who calls the Goſpel a Law very often, and particularly in his Sermon on Gal. 2. 19. which I have before cited, if we may think (as we ought to do of the greateſt Preacher in the Primitive Church) that he ſpeaks conſiſtently with himſelf, means no more by this Phraſe than a Doctrine of Grace: For when in his Sermon on Pſal. 49. he draws the dividing Lines between the Law of Works and the Goſpel, he in theſe Words gives his Judgment,dforeign. Chryſoſt. in Pſal. 49. Tom. 3. oper. Ed. Front. Ducaei Pariſ. 1601. That the Law of Works was the Rudiments of Children, and an Introduction, and alſo the Miniſtry of Condemnation and Death: But this (ſays he, ſpeaking of the Goſpel) is Grace and Peace. There is nothing can be more plain than his meaning, that the Law requiring Works, denounc'd nothing but Death to a Sinner unable to perform them; but the Goſpel, as a Doctrine of Grace, reliev'd him, by proclaiming Peace.
To evince that among the Fathers, the word foreign Nomos, Law, did not always ſignify a Syſtem of Precepts and Commands, I may alſo introduce Origen, who, as a competent Judg in the Caſe, declares that*foreign, &c.—foreign, &c. Origen. Philocal. cap. 19. pag. 35. Edit. Spenceri, Cant. 1677. he very well knew the Pſalms to be called a Law, as alſo the Prophecy of Eſa: And to prove it, he brings in thoſe Texts of Scripture, John 15. 25. Pſal. 35. 19. 1 Cor. 14. 21. And his Authority is to be the more regarded, as to the Deciſion of the Queſtion in preſent Debate, becauſe, as he complains (in the beginning of this his 9th Chapter cited by me) of the Confuſion which the ambiguouſneſs of the Word Law did breed in Mens Minds, (which is the Caſe now too) ſo he employs this whole Chapter to clear its various Significations.
But I need give no other Inſtances, than from what Theodoret writes in his ſhort Expoſition on Iſa. 2.
eforeign. Theodoret. Interpret. in Eſa. 2. pag. 13. Tom. 2. oper. Ed. Sirmondi, Pariſ. 1642.It is (ſays he) therefore very well manifeſt, that he intends the New Teſtament from thence (that is Sion, of which the Prophet ſpeaks) delivered by the firſt Apoſtles, and by the ſame afterward exhibited to all Nations. He doth not therefore only propheſy that the Law, but that the Word ſhould go out from thence, giving this Name to the preaching of the Goſpel: For this alſo bleſſed Luke teacheth us, Luke 1. 2. Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were Eye-witneſſes, and Miniſters of the Word. By the Word then in that place, he doth not name God the Word, but the Doctrine of God's Word: For God the Word did not go out of Sion, but he taught the Truth in Zion.
Photius, who lived in the 9th Century, was not more famous for his Learning, than for that firm Reſiſtance he made againſt the Uſurpations of Antichriſt, who deſign'd, and ſtrongly endeavour'd to have ſpread his Wings as far over the Eaſtern, as he had over the Weſtern World. By what this Patriarch of Conſtantinople writes, it appears, that however in the Courſe of ſo many Ages, very great Corruptions had wrought for themſelves an entrance into the Grecian Churches; yet the Doctrine of Grace, not as eſtabliſhing a Law of Works, but diſplacing it, was preſerv'd among them: Or at leaſt we may know what his own Belief was from his own Words, which are theſe. He firſt tells Sergius, (in an Epiſtle wrote to him) thatfforeign. Phot. Epiſt. 50. pag. 104. Edit. Lond. 1651. the Law was not contrary to Grace, as he ſurmis'd it was; and then ſhews its uſe in ſubſerviency to Grace, That it was a Preparation, and made way for the diſcovery of Grace, and leads us to it. But when Grace comes, the Law (ſays he) departs, as the Stars when the Sun appears, or as the Night the Day ſhining. And having illuſtrated it with many other Similitudes, Thus (ſays he) Grace having an Exiſtence, the Law is vacated, tho not perfectly diſſolv'd. It ceaſeth, but is not diſannulled. Chriſt fulfilled it, not violating the leaſt Tittle of it; and performing it, entirely remov'd it.
It is againſt my Inclination that I thus ſummon Men, tho of deſerved Repute, to bear Witneſs for the Truth of the Goſpel. The Teſtimony of the Holy Ghoſt in his own Word, is infinitely greater than ten thouſand ſuch Evidences. It was therefore to him that I firſt appeal'd; but ſince my Reverend Brother brings the Cauſe into a lower Court, I am very willing that it ſhould there alſo be tried. The Proofs which I gave out of God's Word, have (as I think) ſufficiently demonſtrated, that this new Law of Works is not the Everlaſting Goſpel; and theſe Teſtimonies from Humane Writings may evince, that it is not only far diſtant from Eternity, but neither ſo venerable for Age, as he fancies it: for it was a Doctrine unknown in the firſt Years of Chriſt's Church, and had its Original only with the Birth of Antichriſt, and (I am very well aſſur'd) will end with the Period of that Man of Sin.