Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist, Part 1 · Chapter 11 · Conclusion 4
4. Conclusion.
Luther and our Divines say, that we are patients in the businesse of justification,How we are patients in justification, how not. which tendeth not to favour the Antinomian dreame, that we are justified without faith, and before we beleeve, or that we are …locks and dead passive creatures in the act of beleeving, or in other supernaturall acts. The Antinomians of old, as nSchlusselburgius. i… Ca…logo. heretico. l. 3. p 49. Towne ass. 3.9, 10.now t Towne, and others teach that the Law hath no activity over the new man, by teaching▪ ruling, commanding, requiring, exacting or demanding obedience of him, because the Christian man is Lord of the Law and the Sabbath, and doth all without a Law teaching or commanding; for the new man, as new, doth good workes by nature, as the fire casteth heat then not by law, or teaching or command. But Luther will have justification to be passive, and the Law in justification a patient in a farre other sense. 1. Because the broken debtor is free in Court for nothing he doth himselfe; but because the rich surety did all, and paid his debt. 2. Because the Law, and the fulfilling thereof in the person of the justified is utterly unpossible, and he is justified freely in Christs rich grace, without Law or workes, and the Law makes him no helpe for justification at all, but is a meere patient. 3. Because Christ that justifieth the ungodly, and is the head of the justified, oweth nothing at all to the Law, and needed not to be teached what to doe by the Law, and did and over-did, and out-suffered more abundantly by grace, then the compelling, cursing and threatning Law can teach or command, had wee suffered for the breach of one Law, and done all the rest of the Law most perfectly and exactly, yet could we never have given such glory to God, nor such exact payment and satisfaction to the Law, both by doing and suffering, as Christ did, we should have payed to the Lord and his Law, but copper and brasse. Christ payed our Law-debts in fine and pretious gold. And what our new obedience wants in quantity (for we cannot by Grace keep the Law exactly, nor thereby be justified) it hath in quality, being wrought by Grace, and perfumed with the glorious merits of Christ in these respects; saith,
oLuther tom. 4 f. 399.Luther. The whole nature of justifying us, in regard of us, is passive.
pLuther to. 4.130.131.Actively the Law is a weake and poore …lement (the letter of neither Law nor Gospell can give strength to obey) and its weake passively, because of it selfe it hath not strength to bring righteousnes▪ and newtra…ly its infirmity▪ and poverty it selfe.
qLuther …. … 95.Luther. Our merit (by doing the Law) is just nothing. What can a cursed sinner, ignorant of God, dead in sinnes, lyable to the judgement and wrath of God deserve? therefore that is the only way of eschewing the curse to beleeve in God. Thou, O Christ, art my sin, and my curse, or rather I am thy sin, and thy curse, thy death, thy wrath of God, thy hell; on the contrary, thou art righteousnesse, blessing, life, the grace of God, my heaven; for the text saith clearly. Christ was made a curse for us, then wee are the cause why hee was made a curse; yea, wee are his curse.
rLuther tom. …. f. 52.Good workes are not to bee drawne to the article of justification, as Monks doe.
s Wee grant wee must teach of good works and charity, but in the owne time and place. When the question is without the lists of this Article of Justification—. We say with Paul, by Faith in Christ onelyonly, not by the workes of the law or charity, we are j…st, not that we reject works and charity as our adversaries say— When then we are in this common place of justification, wee reject and condemn works, — wee simply reject all laws, and works of the Law.
oLuther tom. 4 f. 399.Tota ratio justificandi, quoad nos passiva est.
pLuther to. 4.130.131.Active Lex est elementum infirmum & egenum quia reddit homines infirmiores, & egentiores, passive, quia ipsa per se non habet vim & opes justitiae donandae & afferendae▪ neutraliter est infirmitas & paupertas ipsa.
qLuther …. …. 95.Ergo meritum nostrum plane nullum est, Quid enim mirerer maledictus, peccator, ignorans Dei, mortuus in peccatis, obnoxius irae & judicio Dei? Quare illa unica via est evadendi maledictionem, credere & certâ fiduciâ dicere. Tu Christe, es peccatum & maledictum meum, seu potius, ego sum peccatum tuum, maledictum tuum, mors tua, ira Dei tua: infernus tuus. Tu contra es justitia, benedictio, vita, gratia Dei, coelum meum. Quare textus clarè dicit, Christus factus est pro nobis maledictum. Itaque nos sumus causa quod factus sit maledictum, imo nos ipsius maledictum sumus.
rLuther tom. …. f. 52.Luther, non sunt trahenda bona opera in articulum justificationis, ut Monachi fecerunt.
s Concedimus docendum quoque de bonis operibus, & charitate: sed suo loco & tempore, quando, scilicet, questio est de operibus extra hunc capitalem articulum — Respondemus cum Paulo, sola fide in Christum nos pronuntiari justos, non operibus legis aut charitate, non quod opera aut charitatem rejiciamus, ut adversarii nos accusant — Cum versamur in communi loco, de justificatione, rejicimus & damnamus bona opera.
Our Antinomians point blanck to this in all the way to heaven condemne them, so Crisp, Saltmarsh say, the onelyonly work of the Gospel is faith.
Therefore the law is passive onelyonly in the article of Justification, in which article it condemneth, compelleth, curseth, and so is just nothing, and is passive in justifying, but in binding the New man to obey, and in laying on him a rule of life, it is active.
We can then easily expone sLuther tom. 4. f. 451.Luther. The just man ought not to live well (in regard of any compulsion of a legall curse,How the law is abolished, and how not. that the law (from which in Christ hee is delivered) can inflict on him. Neither standeth hee in need of the Law to teach him, (in a compulsory legall way) to live well, for hee liveth not well, because the Law (forcing, and cursing, and not furnishing Grace, as the Gospel doth) requireth that hee live well.
Justus non debet bene vivere,sLuther tom. 4. f. 451. sed bene vivit (hoc est, non obligatur compulsione legali, How the law is abolished, and how not.& vi condemnatoriâ legis, quia nulla condemnatio iis qui sunt in Christo) ibid. Nec indiget lege, quae docet eum bene vivere. Injustus autem debet (nexu legalis condemnationis) bene vivere, quia non bene vivit, quod lex requirit, hoc totum urget, ne ex lege & op…ribus justifieri presumant &c, Luth. l. 1.451.
In this regard Luther doubteth not to say,How the law is abolished. that the Law is simply and absolutely abolished to a just man. 2. That the law is not the law, if it bee not a condemning law. But hee taketh the law strictly as a covenant of Workes, and as opposite to Grace, as Paul doth, Rom. 7. Yee are not under the Law, but under Grace.
sLuther tom. 4 f. 178.Then the law is absolutely abolished to a just man, it hath no power to accuse them, for they doe willingly, what the law requireth.
tLuther tom. 4. fo. 521. in psa. 90.The law is not given for this end to justifie, but to discover sin, terrifie, accuse, and condemne.
uLuther tom. 1. in Gen. c. 3. f. 57.This is the fruite of the law, when it is alone, without the Gospel, and the knowledge of grace, that it leadeth men to despaire, and finall impenitence.
The law (without Christ and the Gospel) is omnipotent — Yea,xLuther tom. 4 in Exod. 19, 20 f. 130. its invincible omnipotency, the conscience compared to it, most weake and poore, for its a tender thing, so that except it bee strengthened, it is terrified, waxeth paile, and despaireth for the least sin, therfore the law in its proper use, hath more strength and might then heaven and earth can comprehend, so that one tittle or iota of the law can destroy whole mankinde.
yLuther to. 1.4…9.By the law we have no helpe, but the revealing and warning of our misery.
sLuther tom. 4▪ f. 178.Luther, Itaque lex eis simpliciter est abrogata, non habet igitur, jus accusandi eos, Sponte enim faciunt, quod lex requirit.
tLuther tom. 4. fo. 521. in psa. 90.Luther, non data est lex ut justificet, sed ut ostendat peccatum, terreat, accuset, & condemuet.
uLuther tom. 1. in Gen. c. 3. f. 57.Hic legis effectus est quando sola est, sine evangelio, & cognitione gratiae, ut adducat in desperationem, & finalem impaenitentiam.
Lex in suo usu — est omnipotens;xLuther tom 4… in Exod. 19, 20 f. 130. imo est invinbilis omnipotentia - ad quā collata conscientia est infirmissima et pauperrima, et enim tam tenera res, ut propter leviss mum peccatum, ita pavefi…t, & pallescat, ut disperet, nisi rursus erigatur. Quare lex in proprio suo usu plus virium & opum habet, quam coelum & terra comprehendere potest, ita ut etiam unus apex & unum iota legis totum genus humanum occidere possit.
yLuther to. 1.4…9.Per legem non adiutorium, sed nostri mali indicium & monitorium habemus.
All this is true of the Law as a Covenant of works without Christ and the Gospel, as Luther saith, quando est sola si…e evangelio, Tom. 1. in Gen. c. 3. f. 57. Then Luther thinketh that the Law conjoyned with the Gospel, and as it is in the hand of Christ, hath the beeing of the law, and not such terrible effects, 2. Luther acknowledgeth that the law as it condemneth is to be preached to beleevers, that they may crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof, to the wicked, that they may feel sin and be humbled. 3. Hee will have the law, as it condemnes to bee the only law that is opposed to grace, and so meaneth the Apostle, Rom. 7.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, &c.
yLuther tom. 1 f. 506.Luther, Lex docenda promiscue — impiis — ut territi agnoscant peccatum suum— humilientur. Piis ut admoneantur carnem suam crucifigere cum concupiscentiis.
zLuther to. 1.561.Luther, Qui legem damnantem negat Docendam esse reipsa legem simpliciter negat, ac siquid de lege docet, velamen Mosi, non faciem clarem ac veram, id est carnaliter intellectum docet. Lex non damnans est Lex ficta & picta, sicut Chimera & trag…laphus. Nec politica ac naturalis Lex quicquam est, nisi sit damnans & terrens peccatores, Ro. 3.
yLuther tom. 1 f. 506.Luther, the law (condemning) is to be preached promiscuously to the wicked, that they may feel sin, and wrath, and be humbled; and to the godly, that they may crucifie the flesh and the lusts thereof.
zLuther to. 1.561.Those that deny the condemning law should be preached. Deny absolutely the Law (as Paul opposeth the Law to the Gospell) — the Law not condemning, is a fancied and painted Law, a chimera — for the civill and naturall Law is nothing, if it be not a Law condemning and terrifying sinners.
1. It is cleare both that the Law, as the Law, and as its opposed to the Gospell, and as it condemneth all the world, is abolished to the beleever, as we teach with Paul, and all our Divines. 2. That Paul in this notion compareth Law and Gospel as opposite, and so we, with him, teach that beleevers are not under the Law, in its rigor, exaction and condemnation, but under grace. 3. Yet is the Law not made void, but established by grace, in that the sinner is justified by Christs passive obedience to the Law, not in any sort by his owne active and personall obedience. And so his justification is to him passive, for both the Law is a meere patient to justifie the beleever, for it condemneth him, but justifieth him not, and he is a meere patient in being justified by the Law, for he never doth, nor can by his owne holinesse active and personall be justified; for that holinesse is contrary to, and swerveth from the perfect and spirituall Law of God. 4. It is evident that Paul, that Luther, Calvin, and our Divines following Paul teach that beleevers are under the Law as a rule and a commanding and obligeing Law laying on them a necessity of living according to the Law.