A Vindication of the Magistrates and Ministers of Gloucester, Question 1 – Question 2
Q. 1. Whether the Morall Law be abrogated? Neg. according to Master B.
IN the tearmes we agree, but he ſtates the Queſtion by ſeverall Aphoriſmes, that ſcarſe approach the true meaning thereof; which is, whether we are bound to the Morall as a rule of righteouſneſſe.
He ſaith firſt, The Morall Law was revealed from heaven of God himſelfe on Mount Sinai, and in that conſideration is to be had in high honour and account. This doth not reſolve the queſtion.
2. Tis a part of the holy Scriptures, and therefore not to be ſleighted. So is the Cerimoniall Law.
3. Tis the image of God, ſo that by the Law we may ſee the holineſſe and righteouſneſſe of God. Neither is the doubt here reſolved, whether we are bound to obſerve the Morall Law, as a rule of righteouſneſſe.
4. Chriſt was ſhadowed out in the Law. The Ceremoniall Law was a ſhadow of Chriſt, not the Morall. Secondly, grant this, and the Morall Law hath herein no more priviledg then the Cerimoniall.
5. All the world ſhall be judged by it. This doth not come to the ſtate of the queſtion; for the Reprobate ſhall be judged according to the rigor of that law; and the Elect by the ſame law as fulfilled in Chriſt. But this ſatisfies not whether it remaines a binding rule of obedience.
6. Thoſe, that beleeve in Jeſus, walke more freely in the things injoyned by the Law, then they are without Chriſt. Still from the purpuſe. Secondly, thoſe that without Chriſt doe nothing truely and ſincerely, which is contained in the Law.
7. The Law is exceeding uſefull to take men off from the damnable opinion of their owne righteouſneſſe. This doth neither declare that a Chriſtian ought to humble his ſoule by reflecting up the holy Law of an holy and jealous God, nor that he is bound to the Law as a Rule.
8. The Law in the Hand of a Mediator is a rule of life; for what the Law doth command in the letter, that the law of the ſpirit of life doth worke within, which is therefore called the Law of Faith, or the Law of Chriſt, or the Law written in the heart. Here he ſeems to ſpeak ſomthing, but all darke and confuſed. The Law in it ſelfe, and not as conſidered in the hand of a Mediator, is the rule of life: But the Law given in the hand of a Mediator doth ſhew that the exact righteouſneſſe thereof is not required unto juſtification. Secondly, he brings a reaſon which hath no connexion in theſe words, For what the Law doth command in the letter without, the law of the ſpirit doth worke within; except he doth meane, becauſe the Goſpell inableth, the Law bindeth. Is this to ſtate a Controverted queſtion. Might not an Antinomian grant theſe poſitions if he would ſtudy to conceale himſelfe?
Beſides, at the Diſpute he did reject this Concluſion, viz. That the Law doth bind a Chriſtian to obedience; for, ſaid he, the Goſpell doth inable him. Which the underſtanding hearers remember (I doubt not) that I refuted, by replying, that tis the nature of a Law to binde; and where the Law bindes not, there is no ſin. Have we not reaſon to ſuſpect unſoundneſſe in this Point? And as there is a diſtinction made between ſeperation and ſemi-ſeperation, ſo tis neceſſary to diſtinguiſh between groſſe and cloſe Antinomianiſme.
Q. 2. Whether good Workes be a meanes to obtain Salvation. Neg. according to Maſter B.
HErein we differ. But this queſtion was at firſt propoſed in other tearmes. Whether good Works may be called a Way to Salvation; which Maſter Bacon had formerly denyed to my ſelfe and another Miniſter, and at the firſt Conference more publikly diſclaymed the diſtinction of Via ad Regnum, and Cauſa Regnandi, affirming that Jeſus Chriſt is the onelyonly way: Whereas we meane by a way, ſuch a courſe as God hath appointed them to take, whom he will bring to ſalvation, without which ſalvation doth not enſue. As the narrow way in the Goſpell, and the undefiled in the way, Pſal. 119. And by good workes we declared to underſtand not onelyonly the fruits, but the principles of holineſſe, namely, inherent grace. But to indulge our adverſary in an expreſſion, the Queſtion was thus propounded, Whether good Workes be a meanes to obtaine Salvation: By which we underſtand not the onelyonly, or the chiefeſt meanes; for I then declared in my Paper, that Chriſt alone by his ſuper-abounding merit hath purchaſed ſalvation for us; and now further adde, that according to his pleaſure he diſpenſeth his grace, and by his power preſerveth his people to eternall life. But holineſſe is ſo neceſſary, that if ſuppoſing an impoſſibility, a man might be juſtified and not ſanctified, he could never appeare before the face of God in glory.
But this expreſſion is rejected as unſavoury; whereas a meanes doth imply no more, then ſomething aptly diſpoſed and deſigned to a certain end.
Thus Gods Ordinances are a means to obtain ſalvation. But holineſſe is abſolutely neceſſary; follow peace with all men, and holineſſe without which no man ſhal ſee the Lord. But the word obtaine is moſt remarked, which is the Scripture phraſe, 1 Cor. 9.24. So run that ye may obtaine. Conſider other places, Phil. 2.12. Worke out your ſalvation with feare and trembling. Phil. 3.14. it is called foreign, the reward of victory, 2 Cor. 4.17. our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh out for us a far more exceeding weight of glory. That holineſſe is a way to ſalvation is cleerly proved out of the Text which Maſter Bacon urgeth, Epheſ. 2.10. Wee are created in Chriſt Jeſus unto good workes, which God hath ordained that we ſhould walke therein: for if we walke in them they are a way; if a way, there muſt terminus ad quem, the end of our walking, which is ſalvation.
But ſaith he, to affirme that good workes are a meanes to obtaine ſalvation, is to deny Chriſt the onelyonly meanes. I anſwer, Chriſt is the onelyonly meanes meritorious, and the onelyonly meanes principally efficient; but this doth not exclude other means ſubordinate unto Chriſt, as the Word and Sacraments, and ſuch things as flow from Chriſt by inevitable conſequence, as good workes being ranked in their own place.