The Whole Body of Religion, Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Concerning the Law.
DOCTRINE. I. That the Law of Moſes came between the promiſe of ſalvation by Chriſt, and the fulfilling thereof; and to what end.
BUt between the Promiſe of Redemption by Chriſt, which was firſt made unto Adam, and afterwards more manifeſtly declared unto others, but eſpecially unto Abraham, ſealed by the Sacrament of Circumciſion, and as it were confirmed by the death of Iſaac the firſt born offered for a ſacrifice, and eſtabliſhed by an everlaſting covenant: Between this promiſe, I ſay, and the fulfilling thereof, the Law which was delivered by Moſes came between: the people which deſcended from the ſeed of Abraham (of which Chriſt was to come) being gathered together, and wonderfully increaſed, and being after a miraculous manner delivered out of the bondage of Egypt, that God might have a certain and viſible Church, ſeparated from all gentiles, and gathered together in one place, in which the promiſe, made unto the Fathers concerning Chriſt might be kept, and God might be worſhipped after ſuch a manner as was beſt pleaſing unto him, even unto the coming of the true Redeemer promiſed: Between theſe two, I ſay, the promiſe and the fulfilling thereof, the Law which was delivered by Moſes came between, and contained in it three kinds of precepts: Morall, for the right ordering of a private life in the courſe of pietie; Cermoniall, according to the preſcript rule whereof the Church was to be governed; and Iudiciall concerning the government of the whole commonwealth in civil matters, and concerning the ordering of private families in houſehold government: That by this meanes the people of God, of whom Chriſt was to come, might be kept from idolatrie, and from following the profane cuſtomes and manners of the wicked gentiles; That they might be kept within the compaſſe of their duty and ſervice to God, and obedience to Gods will; and, to conclude, That they might be ſupported and upheld through ſaith and hope in the promiſe, concerning true Redemption to be wrought by Chriſt, which was to be fulfilled; and that ſo they might be prepared every day more and more for the receiving and entertaining of Chriſt: and all to this end, That God might be glorified in his people.
DOCT. II. That whatſoever is neceſſarie unto ſalvation is contained in the Law of God.
BUt, as for the two latter parts of the whole Law, which belong nothing unto us, to ſay nothing of them; but onelyonly of the former: We believe that in this Law, as it is delivered unto us in the books of Moſes, he Prophets, and Apoſtels,a2 Tim. 3.16. all things neceſſarie unto our ſalvation, are ſo perfectly and completely ſet down unto us, and the will of God which he would have us to do here in this world is ſo farre forth revealed: thatbDeut. 4.2. b 12.32. nothing can be added thereto, or diminiſhed from it.
DOCT. III. That the Law of the Decalogue, or ten Commandments, is the expoſition of the Law of Nature, and the Map of Gods image.
FOr we believe, That this Law is is the expoſition of the Law of Nature, which was perfectly wrote in the hearts of our firſt patents, but in others imperfectly, and but in part: and, therefore by this is condemned whatſoever is repugnant to that image of God after which man was at the firſt created; and contrarily, That is commanded, whatſoever is agreeable unto it. For it was Gods will by this Law to declare, both what man was in his firſt eſtate; and what he was made in his ſecond, and what he ought to be; and further, What he ſhould be in the third, in part; and in the fourth, perfectly, by Chriſt. That the Law of God is nothing elſe, but the true, lively, expreſſe draught or Map of Gods image: by which we are put in mind what we were; what we are; what we ſhould be; and what we ſhall be, if we believe on Chriſt.
DOCT. IV. That the ſumme of the Law is reduced to theſe two heads; the love of God, and our neighbour.
WE believe and confeſſe, according to the Doctrine of Chriſt, That the ſumme or ſubſtance of the whole Law is contained in theſe two Commandments,aMatt. 22.37. Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoul, and with all thy mind, andb39. Thou ſhalt love thy neighbour as thy ſelf: The firſt of which is the ſumme of the former table; and the other is the ſumme of the latter.
DOCT. V. That, if God alone is to be loved with all the heart, He alone alſo is to be worſhipped.
NOw, if the ſumme of the firſt table, which containeth in it the whole worſhip which is due unto God, conſiſteth in the perfect love of God alone: from hence, beſide the expreſſe Commandments of God in other places, expounding this Commandment, we gather thus much; and believe, That God alone is to be adored, invocated, and worſhipped with religious worſhip, and that we are to ſwear onelyonly by his name; becauſe theſe things are contained in the Commandment concerning the loving of God with all the heart: To omit this, that the image of God, whereof the Law it ſelf is a draught or map, taught Adam the very ſame.
DOCT. VI. That concupiſcence it ſelf, and the corruption of nature is a ſinne.
ANd, if by the Law of God, that is condemned for a ſinne, whatſoever is not agreeable unto the firſt image of God, that is, in righteouſneſſe, holineſſe, and uprightneſſe, wherein man was created: we gather from hence, that not onelyonly the actions done with conſent of will contrary to the will of God, but alſo the very inward motions of concupiſcence, and therefore concupiſcence it ſelf, and every corruption of nature is a ſinne, and ſo condemned by the Law of God: becauſe it is repugnant to the rectitude, or uprightneſſe, and righteouſneſſe in which man was created, and in which he might have continned and ſtood, if he would.
DOCT. VII. That the Law, although it cannot be perfectly kept and fulfilled, was not yet given in vain, or to no end.
BUt, although the Law of God is ſo perfect, thataRom. 7.15. no mortall man hath been able, or is able to keep it wholly, alwayes, and in ſuch a manner as it ought to be kept: Yet we believe that it was not given in vain, or to no end or purpoſe; for as much God doth nothing in vain, but all in infinite wiſedome, for his own glorie, and for our profit and ſalvation.
DOCT. VIII. That there is a threefold uſe and profit ariſing from the Law of God.
FOr, Firſt of all by the perfect Revelation of Gods will by this Law, men might in former times, and may now come the better unto the knowledge of God, and what is pleaſing unto him; what is good, and what bad; what to be done, and what to be avoided: better, I ſay, then by the mere reliques of the Law of Nature which was left in mans mind: and ſo, all pretenſe of ignorance being quite taken away, the Iews were made more unexcuſable then other nations, for not keeping the Law of God: becauſe from thence men are given to underſtand, that the judgements of God againſt us are moſt juſt. Secondly by the curſes which are added againſt the tranſgreſſours of the Law, men are better bridled as it were, and kept in, that they run not into ſin; and again, by the bleſſings promiſed unto the obſervers of the Law, men are incited and ſpurred on, as it were to run in the way of Gods Commandments, and keep his Law, though not wholly and perfectly, yet at leaſt in part as concerning outward works: and ſo they were the better kept within the compaſſe of their dutie: which how profitable it is for the commowealth in generall, and for every man in particular, who knows not? Thirdly, and laſtly, whereas men found by dayly expeperience that they did alwayes ſinne againſt this perfect Law, and did feel that they could not keep it as they ought, and ſo became more & more, every day, ſubject to the wrath of God; and guilty of eternall death: From hence it came to paſſe, that deſpairing in themſelves, and of their own ſtrength, they did the more ardently deſire, and long for the coming of their Redeemer and Deliverer. and therefore the more they came to the knowledge of their ſins, and their own weakenſſe, and the more ſenſibly they felt the wrath of God by the Law: the more they did hunger and thirſt after righteouſneſſe, and fitted and prepared themſelves for the receiving of Chriſt by faith: So it is moſt true which the Apoſtle ſaith in both places,aRom. 3.20. By the Law is the knowledge of ſin, and,bGal. 3.24. The Law is our School-maſter, to bring us unto Chriſt.
DOCT. IX. That the Law at this time hath the ſame uſes even in thoſe which are regenerate.
ANd we believe, that the foreſaid uſes of the Law abide and continue as long as we live in this world: not onelyonly in the unregenerate, as was ſaid before, but even in the regenerate alſo. For, whereas our minds are overclouded with darkneſſe, and our memories are ſlippery, that we cannot, either perfectly underſtand the things of God, or underſtanding them, keep them in remembrance: Need we have of the Law of God to be our glaſſe, wherein we may every day behold and ſee, and certainly underſtand what is the will of God that we ſhould do. And again, Whereas our hearts are not perfectly purged from all corruption, So that they are not fully bent to doe the will of God, but ſtillaGal. 5.17. The fleſh luſteth againſt the Spirit: Neceſſary it is for us to have the Law of God, by the tenours and comminations thereof to keep us from falling into ſin, and by the promiſes thereof to incite us unto obedience, and to follow after righteouſneſs. And thirdly and laſtly, For as much as there isb1 Io… …8. no man ſo far forth ſanctified, but that he ſinneth, and hath ſin dwelling in him, which makes us weak and feeble to every good work, and alwayes prone to that which is evil: Therefore the Law is uſefull, and profitable for us, that thereby coming to the knowledge of our ſins and manifold weakneſſes we may more and more every day acknowledge, how impoſſible it is that we ſhould ever by our own works be juſtified and ſaved; and further ſo much the more ardently-hunger and thirſt after Chriſts righteouſneſs, & embrace him by faith. And ſo the Law, although it can never juſtify us, yet it may bring us every day nearer & nearer unto juſtification, by bringing us unto Chriſt that juſtifieth.
DOCT. X. That the Morall Law, as concerning the ſubſtance thereof, was not abrogated by Chriſt.
FOr we know and believe, that the Law as concerning the ſubſtance of Doctrine, and thoſe wholeſome and ſaving uſes whereof hath been ſpoken, was not be abrogated by Chriſt, and therefore was not abrogated; but onelyonly as concerning the curſe and condemnation: For,aRom. 8.1. There is no condemnation to them which are in Chriſt Ieſus, who walk not after the fleſh, but after the Spirit. Yet further, in reſpect of the curſe and condemnation it ſelf the Law alwayes was, and ſtill is, uſefull and profitable unto them, which yet are not in Chriſt, for as much as it drives them unto him, that they be not condemned.
DOCT. XI. Errours condemned.
WE therefore condemne thoſe, which caſt out of the Church this Law as unprofitable and not uſefull, nor belonging unto Chriſtians: And again thoſe which teach that a man may either totally or partially, in whole or in part be juſtified by the Law: whereas the Law rather was given,aGal. 3.22. to conclude all under ſinne, and to bring them unto Chriſt, who alonebIohn 1.29. taketh away the ſinnes of the world. And this is our brief confeſſion concerning the Law, which was delivered by Moſes, and expounded by the Prophets, which fitteth, prepareth, diſpoſeth, and bringeth men unto Chriſt, who iscRom. 10.4. the end of the Law, as the Apoſtle witneſſeth.