The True Nature of the Gospel, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
How uncertain an Argument is fram'd, from the ſound of the word Law, to prove the Goſpel to be ſuch, evinc'd from the various ſignifications of that Word as us'd by Roman Authors. That the Latin Fathers nam'd the Goſpel a Law, as it is the Doctrine of Chriſt.
I Now ſhould heartily rejoice to be excus'd from ſearching any other Records but thoſe of the Bible, if my Learned Brother did not bring me from Greek to Latin Authors, whom he muſters in greater multitudes. To reſcue them therefore from his Abuſe, in faſtning on them a Meaning of which they never had a thought, it will be needful to ſtate the Senſe of the word Law in the Roman Language, as well as I have done it in the Hebrew and Greek.
That Lex, or Law, may ſignify any Doctrine, as well as a Precept, appears from the Derivation of it given by Iſidore, à Legendo, from Reading aIſidor. Orig. lib. c. 10. inter Autores Ling. Lat. Genev. 1622. pag. 863. & lib. 5. c. 3. pag. 925. & Perot. Sypontinus. Comment. Ling. Lat. pag. 656, & 757. Edit. Ald. 1513., which agrees very well to a Doctrine: And among the Romans, their Laws were inſcrib'd on Braſs Tables, and publickly hung up that they might be read by the PeoplebPaulus Merula de Legib. Roman. cap. 1. pag. 1. Lugd. B. 1684. & Briſon. de Formul. & Solemn. P. R. verbis, lib. 3. pag. 363. Edit. Fol. Pariſ. 1583.; and I wiſh the Doctrine of the Goſpel was more commonly read and known. The ſame Word is alſo ſometimes imploy'd to ſignify the Rules of any Science or Art, which are purely inſtructive, but not obliging by the Force of any Sanction. Thus Juvenal, Sat. 6. v. 450, 451, 452.
—Odi
Hanc ego quae repetit, volvit que Palemonis Artem
Servatâ ſemper Lege, & ratione loquendi.
And ſpeaking of himſelf, that he ſeem'd to tranſgreſs the Rules of Satyr, by inſerting ſuch affrighting Inſtances of Vice, which were fitter for a Tragedy, he ſays, Sat. 6. v. 634, 335.
Scilicet, & finem egreſſi, Legem que priorum
Grande Sophocleo carmen bacchamur hiatu
Montibus ignotum Rutulis, coelo que Latino.
And yet I am confident the Poet was not apprehenſive of his having violated any enacted Law, or of being obnoxious to a Penalty, did not at all fear the Roman Axes, or Faſces, tho his Verſes did a little deviate from the generally approv'd Doctrine of Satyr. Another Roman Poet, by the ſame Word, expreſſeth the due diſpoſition, or orderly placing of things.
Vitta coercebat poſitos ſine Lege Capillos.
Ovid. Metamorph. lib. 1. v. 477.
Innumerable Examples might be given, but a few may ſuffice to ſhew how little ſtreſs is to be laid upon the uncertain ſound of a Word, which in all theſe Languages is ſo variouſly us'd; and to direct us, that wherever we find the Goſpel nam'd a Law, in the Hebrew of the Old Teſtament, or in the Greek of the New, or in the Greek and Latin Fathers, or Proteſtant Divines, we muſt not, unleſs we would ſuffer our ſelves to be eaſily impos'd on by an ambiguous Phraſe, preſently imagine it to mean a new Rule of Duty enacted with a Sanction.
I ſhall only add, that Cicero when he defines a Law in the general Notion of it, as comprehending the Law of Nature, as well as others, makes no mention of a Sanction, but deſcribes it only to be theaLex eſt ratio ſumma infita in naturâ, quae jubet ea quae facienda ſunt, prohibet que contraria. Cicero de Leg. lib 1. pag. 312. Tom. 4. oper. Edit. in Fol. R. S. 1538. higheſt Reaſon implanted in Nature, which commands what is to be done, and forbids the contrary.
Thus alſo the Roman Lawyers, of whoſe vaſt Volumes loſt by the Injuries of Time we have a Breviate in the Pandects, define a Law, without mentioning a Sanction;bLex eſt commune praeceptum, virorum prudentium conſultum. Papinian, lib. 1. Peſ. in lib. 1. Digeſt. Tit. 3. l. 1. pag. 9. Tom. 1. Corp. Jur. Civil. Edit. Gothofr. in 8o. Lugd. 1589 The Law (ſays Papinian) is a common Inſtruction, the Decree of prudent Men. By which no more can be underſtood, than a Doctrine which teacheth us what is beſt for us to do, if we will be taught by the Counſel of thoſe who are wiſer than our ſelves. And in this Senſe I will eaſily grant the Goſpel to be a Law; for it is the Inſtruction of God (whoſe Wiſdom is, beyond all denial, infinitely ſuperiour to ours) to our periſhing Souls; and thrice bleſſed is that Perſon whom his enlightning Grace hath made ſo wiſe as to follow it. It is too the Decree of God's Eternal Counſel, that we ſhall not be juſtified by any Righteouſneſs, but that of Chriſt alone.
Thus alſo the publiſh'd Will of the Soveraign may be call'd a Law, tho the Sanction is wanting: And the Decrees of the Roman Senate might be ſtil'd by that Name, before the Conſent of the People obtain'd, which was neceſſary to enact them. Nay, a Statute is a Law, tho no Duty be preſcrib'd, but only Benefits conferr'd, and ſome Privileges ratified. And when the Emperors had the abſolute unlimited Power, thoſe Edicts which declared a Donative,aCodex Juſtinian. lib. 1. Tit. 2, & 3. in Tom. 2. Jur. Civil. Edit. Gothofred. or which gave and confirm'd any Privileges to the People, were as well call'd Laws, as thoſe which were all Commands, and fill'd with Threats againſt Diſobedience.
Now theſe are the propereſt Judges to decide the Signification of a Word in that Language, wherein they not only wrote, but it was their native Tongue, which their Mothers taught them as ſoon as they were able to form a Voice.
There then nothing more remains needful to remove my Learned Brother's multiplied Citations out of the Latin Fathers, and Proteſtant Writers, which he thinks to be very much to his Purpoſe, but to ſhew that they frequently by the word Law mean no more than a Doctrine; and when I ſhall have, by ſome few Inſtances, done this, all his Authorities will be eaſily anſwer'd.
Cyprian, whom he ſummons as a Witneſs for his Cauſe, (and the miſtaken Evidence we ſhall afterward examine) means no more by the Evangelical Law, than the Doctrine which Chriſt hath given us. For having before expreſs'd, how Chriſt had by his Example and Word taught us the manner of adminiſtring the Lord's Supper, this our Inſtruction from our Saviour he calls the Evangelical Law. bEt de hoc quo que ad collegas noſtros literas dirigamus, ut ubi que Lex Evangelica & Traditio Dominica-ſervetur, & ab eo quod Chriſtus docuit, & fecit, non recedatur. Cyprian. Epiſt. 63. pag. 177. oper. Edit. Goulartii, Genev. 1593.And concerning this thing alſo, (ſays he) we may ſend our Epiſtles to our Brethren, that the Evangelical Law, and the declar'd Doctrine of our Lord, may be obſerved, and that they may not depart from what Chriſt hath taught and practis'd.
Auguſtine, the next Teſtimony who is call'd, tells us,cAuguſtin. Retract. lib. 1. cap. 25. Fol. 8. pag. 2. Tom. 1. oper. & de Trinit. lib. 15. Fol. 105. pag. 1. Tom. 3. oper. Edit. Pariſ. 1571. That by the word Law we may apprehend, not meerly a Statute, but any other Doctrine; ſince he ſtiles, not only the five Books of Moſes, but the Prophets, (in whoſe Writings there are ſo many gracious Promiſes of the Goſpel) by that Name.