Goodwill Towards Men, Part 1 · Section 5
Sect. 5.
PROP. V. It is evident and undeniable, that sundry of Gods Laws (comprised in that which is called the Law of Nature) are of Moral, perpetual right, and equity, commanding what cannot but be mans duty, requiring such things, as have an unchangeable goodness and comliness in them. Forbidding such things as have an unchangeable horridness and odiousness in them. Some things are good, and some things are evil in their own Nature, and therefore are so perpetually, invariably, necessarily; that it is impossible that a righteous and holy God should not command the one, and prohibit, and condemn the other: Such precepts (as some well observe) depend on Gods righteous Nature, rather than on his Soveraign Will.
THerefore upon the Question, whether God at any time hath dispensed with the Law of Nature, or with any purely Moral precept, I should incline to those that say (notwithstanding those Instances that are brought seemingly contrary) The Law of Nature was not dispensed with, no change in the Law; only their was a change in the matter or Object, and that immutatio materiae made by God not as legislator, but as Dominus, as Proprietor, or Owner. That when God commanded Abraham to Sacrifice his Son, he might do it from the absolute Dominion he hath over all mens lives; and if Abraham had Sacrificed him upon God's command, it had not been Murder. but the highest Act of Obedience. The Israelites taking away the Aegyptians Gods; when God had altered the property of them, (as Lord and Judge proceeding against the Aegyptians in justice, as against Delinquents that had forfeited the same, and making over (by his free donation) the right and title to them to his people; I say the Israelites possessing themselves of what was no longer the Aegyptians, but indeed their own, by Gods disposition and free gift) this cannot be accounted Theft. And may it not be thought, that according to an Equitable construction of the Law: Such Instances, or Cases as these, were no more prohibited, than works of Piety, Mercy, and Necessity are forbidden (in the Law) on the Sabbath day (compare Exod. 20.10. with Matth. 12.5.7.)
Thus the Matter, or Object, about which the Law was conversant, may be changed, when yet the Law it self, is not changed, but as obliging as ever.
Again, some commands there are in the Morall Law, the very matter whereof is unalterable (the foundation never ceasing or changing) as some Instance in the Three first Commandments of the Decalogue. Thus it is Man's duty for ever to fear, love, believe, serve, honour God. Thus it cannot but be horrid wickedness, for any one to blaspheme, or contemn God; to doubt of his truth, power, &c. Now this is of Immutable Equity, that what is Morally good, and cannot be otherwise, should be commanded, and the reasonable creature bound to it; that what is morally evil, and cannot but be evil, should be forbidden. And to affirm that God may cease to command, or approve of what is so intrinsecally, necessarily, everlastingly evil, is to set up his absolute Soveraignty in such wise, as to justle out his infinite goodness, purity, and holiness; that is, to set his glorious Attributes at variance one with another. But certainly the Judges, and Rector of all the world can do, and command nothing, but that which is right. Plutarch had rather men should have said, Nullum esse Plutarchum, quam malum esse Plutarchum; That there was no such man as Plutarch, than that Plutarch was a wicked man; and so he held it worse, De Deo male sentire, quam Deum esse negare, to entertain any wicked opinion of God, than to deny God. This is (no doubt) a very monstrous conception of him, to imagine that he should not will, and command vertue and holiness; or that he should not utterly disallow of vice and wickedness. 'Tis part of the Charge brought in against the wicked, Psal. 20.21. Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self: But (sayes the holy one) I will reprove rhee for it, Well therefore let this be laid down, as an everlasting truth, that there are some things which God can no more deny to be Man's duty, than he can deny himself. There are some precepts of unalterable force, and obligation, never to be repealed, abrogated, or dispensed with. The Lord can no more dispense with mens acknowledging, loving, reverenceing Him, that these should not be their duty, and the contrary sinful and damnable in their own Nature, than he can deny his own Divine goodness, and infinite perfection; so he can no more approve of what is evil in it self, than he can do evil, or be evil; he can no more approve of mens lying and deceit, than he can lye, or deceive men Himself. He can no more approve of Atheism, Prophaneness, Hypocrisie, Pride, Envy, Malice, Covetousness, and the like; than he can change, or cease to be what he is, an holy God of purer eyes than to behold iniquity.