Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist, Part 1 · Chapter 11 · Floating text 5
Lex justo non est posita; sie enim vivit, ut nullà lege opus habeat, quae eum admoneat, urgeat, …ogat, …ed sine ullà coactione legis, sponte facit, quae lex exigit, Id…o lex non potest accusare; & reos agere credentes in Christum, nec enim conscientias perturbare, terret quidem & accusat, sed Christus fide apprehensus a…igit …am cum suis terroribus & minis. Itaque lex iis simpliciter abrogata est, non igitur habet jus accusandi eos, Sponte enim faciunt, quod lex requirit.
nLuther tom. 4. p. 112.Luther, ingrediendum est igitur Regia vià, ut neque legem, pla…e rejiciamus, neque plus ei tribuamus, quam …portet.
oLuther tom. 4.119.Luther, Ante Christum [lex] est sancta, post Christum est mors: Ideo ubi Christus venit (justificans impium) nihil simpliciter scire debemus de lege,How the law condemneth & terrifieth, and how not. nisi quatenus imperium habet in carnem, quam coercet & premit.
pLuther tom. 4. fo. 47.Luther, lex etiam dedecalogi sine fide in Christum est mortifera, non quod lex mala sit, sed quod justificare non possit, quia pl…e contrarium habet effectum.
qLuther to. …. p. 112.Luther, Legis (c…ge…tia cond…mnantis) proprium officium est nos reos facere, humiliare, occidere, adinfer…um d…ducere & omnia nobis auferre sed illo fine, ut justificemur & non ergo simpliciter occidit, sed ud vitam occidit.
rLuther to. 1 128. How the renewed man i… freed from the Law.Luther, Dominetur sa…e lex in corpus & veterèm hominem, is sit sub leg…, h…ic praescribat lex, quid facere, quid perferre debet, cubile enim in quo Christus s…lus quiescere & d…rmire debet, non contaminet id est, novum hominem nullo suo usu aut officio perturbet.
Luther. Fatemur justis non esse p…sitam legem,sLuther tom. 1. fo. 546. quaten… just… sunt & spiritu vivunt, sed quatenus in c…rne sunt, & corpus peccati habent, esse sub lege, & facere legis opera, id est, non esse justos nec facere bona opera.
The Law is not given to a just man, who so liveth that hee hath no need (in his terrified and quaking conscience of the Law as compelling and forcing with curses and as condemning) of a Law which should admonish presse and compell him, but without any compulsion of the Law of his owne accord, hee doth what the Law requireth, therefore the Law cannot accuse and impleade beleevers as guilty, nor can it trouble their conscience, it terrifieth and accuseth▪ but Christ apprehended by faith, chaseth it away with the terrours and threatnings thereof: therefore the law to them is simply abrogated, nor hath it authority to accuse them, for they doe willingly what the law requireth.
We must then walk (saith nLuther tom. 4. p. 112.Luther) in the Kings way, that we may neither utterly reject the Law, nor ascribe more to it then is due.
oLuther tom. 4.119.Before Christ [the Law] as it rigidly commands and condemnes▪ is holy, after Christ justifieth, it is death. Therefore when Christ commeth (being apprehended by faith) we should know (or acknowledge in the renewed conscience nothing of the compelling and condemning Law) nothing simply of the Law▪ How the law condemneth & terrifieth, and how not.but in so farre as it hath dominion over the flesh, which it oweth and presseth.
pLuther tom. 4. fo. 47.So the Law (saith Luther) of the ten Commandements without faith in Christ bringeth death, not that the Law is evill, but because it cannot justifie, but hath the plaine contrary effect.
qLuther to. …. p. 112.The proper office of the Law (as the Law without a Mediator) is to make us guilty, to humble, kill, bring to hell, take all from us; but for this end (as it is the hand of the Mediator) that we may be justified, and then it killeth not simply, but killeth to salvation.
Therefore rLuther to. 1 128. How the renewed man i… freed from the Law.Luther, the Law hath dominion indeed over the body and the old man, let this man be under the Law, let the Law prescribe what he ought to doe, what he ought to suffer, let it not pollute the chamber in which Christ only ought to rest and sleep, that is, let it not trouble the new man with its use and office.
sLuther tom. 1. to. 546.Wee grant (saith Luther) there is no Law given to the just, as they are just and live in the Spirit, but as they are in the flesh, and have in them a body of sin, and are under the Law, and doe the workes of the Law, for that is not to be just▪ nor to doe the workes.
But the Antinomians in Luthers tSchlusselburgiu… …at▪ heretic… l. 3. p. 53.time, and in our dayes, doe wickedly wTowne ass. grace. p. 35. p. 3.inferre then, these, and the like commandements, Walke in my Laws, put …n the new man who is created according to God, serve one another in love, doe not belong to the new man,How the Law is given to the new man, and how not. but only to the flesh, and to those that are under the law, for what need is there (said the old Antinomians) to bid a man put on his coat, when his coat is already on him? therefore wee say this to a man that hath not put on his coat, that is to a man under the Law, and to the old man in the beleever, not to the new man: for it is true these precepts, as they are meerly legall and to be obeyed without the grace of the Mediator, and as they exact perfect Law obedience in a compulsive way under the paine of death eternall, are not given to the new man, nor to the beleever at all, that is most true. But that these commands, Evangelically considered, and as they urge obedience unperfect and by the grace of God, are not given to the new man, but to the old only, is a most palpable untruth, for Christ biddeth the beleever and the new man put on his coat, though he have put it already on, but imperfectly, there is a sleeve or a shoulder of his new wedding coat not on yet, it is not perfectly buttoned in this life; though the coat of imputed righteousnesse be perfect, and if sanctification be sincere, yet it is not every way so sewed and pinned on us, but the very new man hath need, in regard that his faith is in the growing hand, of that command. Put yee on the Lord Jesus. The just, as just, should have no need of a compelling Law, if they were perfectly just both in person and works▪ as Antinomians say they are. And it is most false that the Law is giv…n formally to the flesh, as if sinfull flesh were commanded to beleeve and put on Christ, or were capable of righteousnesse, as before is cleared.