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A13556 Regula vitæ the rule of the law vnder the Gospel. Containing a discovery of the pestiferous sect of libertines, antinomians, and sonnes of Belial, lately sprung up both to destroy the law, and disturbe the faith of the Gospell: wherein is manifestly proved, that God seeth sinne in iustified persons. By Thomas Taylor Dr. of Divinity, and pastour of S. Mary Aldermanbury, London. Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632. 1631 (1631) STC 23851; ESTC S118279 80,247 284

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It will make a greater noise that you can contemne such conquered adversaries for what are your London Ministers to them Much rather doe I wish you would in time consider how dangerous your way now is while you rise up against the most impregnable and unconquerable Law of God how the Scripture brandeth them for wicked men that forsake the Law and depart from the Law and much more that disclaime and revile it And if those that be partiall in the Law that is take some and leave some be made despised of God and vile before all people how much more shall those that reject it all and in every part bee justly branded as you are for a vile generation of men CHAP. 12. Containing the conclnsion and a short direction how the people of God should carry themselves towards the Law of God THese premises being all duely considered it remaineth that such as desire to learne Christ aright should take his directions how to demeane themselves towards his Law which is so holy just and good To which purpose it shall not be amisse to lay these grounds in our consciences and order our selves by them First That in the Liberty from the Law consists the chiefe stay and comfort of a Christian because being now freed from the guilt of sinne from the curse of sinne and from exaction of an inherent and personall righteousnesse to justification hee may now without respect of his owne obedience and without regard of any righteousnesse of his owne relie upon the mercies of God and merits of Christ and challenge his righteousnesse before God with the the Apostle Phil 3 9. Secondly That upon this liberty of justification wherein is no respect at all of our personall obedience issueth another liberty of sanctification which is a freedome from the bondage and staine of sinne not wholly and at once as is our justification but in part and degrees and here although the obedience of the Law be quite shut out of our justification yet it is required unto sanctification and we necessarily bound unto it but not to bee thereby justified seeing wee must necessarily be justified before we can be obedient Thirdly that the Law is an eternall doctrine and abides for ever yea David saith it endures for ever in heaven that is not onely his decree appeares stable by the government and perpetuall Law which hee hath set in the heavens and cannot be broken but as Saint Basil expoundeth it it abideth inviolably observed by heavenly inhabitants even the holy Angels themselves so as though it may be contradicted controverted and resisted by Libertines on earth yet it is not abrogable for ever but abideth stable in heauen Doe the Angels in heaven observe it as a rule of holinesse and doe not the Saints in heaven doe they live by divers charters And if the Saints in heaven who have attained full perfection and perfect sanctification are bound to the Law are the Saints in earth so perfect as they are loose from it Hath not Christ done as much for them as for these Fourthly That the Law of God is the rule of godly life in which regard holy David calleth it a counseller and a directer unto good duties and therefore wee must acknowledge the necessity of this part of the word The Sunne is not more necessary for the day nor the Moone to governe the night nor a lanterne or candle for a darke house than this part of the word so long as wee are in the night of the world for without this light we grope in the darke nothing can be seene no action can be well done nothing wanting can be found no crooked thing can be straightened no streight thing tried nay all our way in which this light of God shineth not is darknesse and tendeth to utter darknesse The pillar of the cloud and of fire was not more necessary to Israel in the wildernesse for their station or motion towards Canaan than is this shining pillar of Gods Law to guide us unto heaven and as it was their happinesse that their pillar lasted them till they entred Canaan and it had not beene for their ease to have rejected it in their way so ought we to esteeme our selves happy in the fruition of this holy doctrine and direction and on the contrary these Libertines to be unhappy men who being in as darke as heavie and dangerous a way and wildernesse put out their light and breake to peeces and cast away their lanthorne Fifthly Being the rule of godly life we must square all our duties thereby even as a workman applieth his rule to every part of his worke and declines not to the right hand or to the left and holy wisdome requireth no lesse but that that should be the square of all which must bee the judge of all things done in the flesh be it good or evill And hence is it that the LORD writeth his Law by his spirit in the spirits of the elect and imprinteth it in the fleshly tables of their hearts that all their motions actions and affections should be conformable unto it But how doe these lawlesse men affirming the Law to be wholly abolished denie it to bee written in their owne hearts and consequently that they want the spirit promised to be sent into the hearts of the elect for this purpose And that either themselves are none of the elect or that the spirit is wanting in his office which were an high blasphemy Sixthly That as the Law is a reveiler of duty so it is a reveiler of sinne too and discovers the sinfull defects of our best obedience And because by the Law is the knowledge of sin therefore by the obedience and works of the Law can no flesh be justified That same Law that discovereth and condemneth a traytor cannot acquit him and it were madnes for him to expect life from that Law which hath sentenced him with death Shall franticke Papists ever finde life and righteousnesse by the works of that Law which condemns that very fact And are not they next to fr●nzy that after all this so open disclaiming it would fasten upon us that because wee teach the Law wee therefore teach justification by the Law Nay we are so farre from consenting to any such poysoned assertion That when the Gospell promiseth salvation and eternall life to repentance and good works wee deny them promised to these as performances of the Law but only as they are fruits of lively faith by which the promises of eternal life are apprehended Seventhly that the Law being a constant reveiler of sinne wee must by the Law be still drawne neerer unto Christ not onely by the Law to see our sinne and in our sinne our need of Christ but we must see the Law fulfilled for us in Christ else can we never looke comfortably towards the Law And because it revelleth sinne not onely before we come to Christ to bring us first unto him but it
needs increase repentance and sorrow for offending him if love be great so wil sorrow as in Peter In a word their harvest of joy is too hasty and will prove like an inheritance hastily gotten this is not the time of wiping away all our teares nor is our dripping seed-time yet over but even wee sigh in our selves waiting for the adoption even the redemption of our bodies Rom. 8. 23. 11 ERROR That no beleever is to pray for pardon of sinne seeing all his sinnes past present and to come are already pardoned Answ. Then must you blot out that petition of the Lords prayer wherein he hath taught those that call God Father to pray daily Forgive us our trespasses which petition implieth as we have shewed daily repentance even in them that have repented A man would wonder what shift they make to repeat the Lords prayer or to pray in his words unlesse they have learned the tricke of the olde Pelagians who would repeat the pe●ition for modesty sake but not out of the sense or conscience of their owne need which modesty is indeed a lie and fained humility 2. Prayer for pardon will stand with assurance of pardon and assurance of pardon will not stand without prayer for pardon for then are we assured of pardon when we can pray for pardon God being found favourable onely in his owne way 3. Though wee know our sinnes pardoned yet must we pray for pardon neither doth assurance of pardon and mercy dead our prayer for pardon but quicken it Christ knew his sheep should never perish Ioh. 10. 28. but yet he prayeth for them that they might not perish Ioh. 17. 11. He knew that his Father would glorify him but yet prayeth that his Father would glorify him Ioh. 17. Who will say this his prayer was needlesse Paul knew that God would deliver him from every evill way yet prayed for it So though we know our sinnes to be pardoned yet it is not needlesse to pray for pardon 4. Though God in heaven have by an eternall sentence blotted out the sinnes of the beleever in the first act of his conversion and this sentence can never be blotted out yet we may and must pray for pardon of sinne namely that this sentence of pardon may be pronounced in our owne consciences and thus it seemes David prayed earnestly for forgivenesse of his sinnes Psal. 51. when he knew long before that God had forgiven them for Nathan had tolde him that God had put away his sinne he prayed that God would not only forgive his sin in heaven but even in his own heart also 5. Though our sinnes be forgiven even in our owne consciences yet because of the stain and guilt of new sins our assurance is sometimes weakened and not so comfortable wee must pray for pardon of sinne still that is for a greater and more comfortable measure of assurance and a sweeter taste and apprehension of Gods favour in remission of sinne for who can taste of this sweet honey and not long for more and whereas our weaknes cannot so firmely apprehend it and our corruption doth daily weaken it we must pray for the continuance of our comfort and mercy whereof prayer is a principall meanes 6. Suppose we have pardon of sin in the beginnings of it and some sweet fruites yet we must pray for it in all the fruits in all the effects in the full comfort and accomplishment of it for by remission of sinne wee are now freed from the damnation of sinne and from the domination of it yet are we not freed from all the remainders of sin nor from all fruites and molestation of sin for notwithstanding the pardon of our sins we have the presence of sin and are in conflict with terrours of conscience Gods just desertions calamities afflictions and feare of death Now must we pray according to our faith for full pardon even for the full acquittance promised and that solemne sentence of absolution by the mouth of the Iudge which shal fully and really give us compleat possession of Gods whole mercy which we now have by right and title but not in all the fruits effects and full comfort of it and never doe the Saints pray for Christs comming without implication of full and finall remission of sinnes All which manifestly bewray the blacke and blockish ignorance of this erronious assertion 12 ERROR That Preachers ought not to preach the Law to beleevers whom the threatnings of the Law concerne not as being out of the reach of the Law and beyond all feare of condemnation and these legall Preachers deale very lewdly in bringing men backe to the obedience of the Law and so make them seeke righteousnes in themselves Answ. These are merry men and might well set themselves on so merry a pin if the way to heaven were so wide and roomy as they imagine it For 1. Neither can they sinne being in Christ if they would 2. Neither if they should could God see it 3. If hee should chance to see it he could not bee displeased with it 4. If he should be displeased his hands are bound he cannot correct it 5. Themselves ought not now to sorrow or repent for any sin any more 6. It is idle to pray for pardon of sin which is already pardoned whether it be past or present or to come 7. And now they must not so much as heare of their sinnes any more and all their religion is turned into a merriment which they call a meeting with such comfort as they never found before but this comfort will prove but a laughter in the face when the heart hath cause to be heavie For 1. Is there nothing else to be feared of a Christian but finall condemnation a childe may feare to be whipped though he feare not to be disinherited Psal. 52. 6. even the righteous shall see and feare 2. A man may feare that which he is sure to escape but this is a feare of watchfulnesse not of distrustfulnesse 3. No man is so holy but hath need of threatnings and faith beleeveth threatnings as well as promises not onely barely apprehending them as true and certaine but with application to decline them and frame to obedience even in regard of them This is plaine because even in state of innocency was use of the threatning to keepe our sinnelesse parents from sinne and Iob a just and holy man by Gods owne testimony durst not lift up his hand against the fatherlesse why because destruction from God was as a terrour unto him And even those that receive a kingdome which cannot be shaken must serve please God with reverence and feare because Our God is a ●onsuming fire Heb. 12. 28 29. 4. Suppose the threatnings shall never take holde of a beleever may ●ot hee therefore heare of them To heare them is not to cast him into them but to keepe them off him the hearing of legall threatnings is very usefull to
annotations upon 2 Cor. 3. 11. In what regard the ministery of Moses is abolshed concluding that the ministry of the Law is ever to be retained in the Church And in his notes upon 1 Ioh 2. 7. he saith Neither is the Law abolished by the Gospell so farre forth as it commandeth that which is right but onely so farre as it threatneth death to all that doe not perfectly fulfill it and as the Law by the terrours of death admonisheth us to think of seeking life in the Gospell so the Gospell supplieth us with the grace of regeneration whereby according to the measure of the spirit and grace we begin to will and to doe that now the Law becommeth to us in respect of the inner man a sweet Master as the Apostle plentifully teacheth Rom 6. 7. and 8. chapters The third is learned Doctor Whitaker the Iewell of the Vniversity of Cambridge who when Duraeus the Iesuite objected against Mr. Luther the same which these Libertines affirme of him that it was his judgement that the Decalogue appertaineth not to Christians thus gravely answereth That Luther most truly affirmed the Decalogue that is that condition of the Decalogue either of full and perfect obedience or of malediction for disobedience not now to pertaine to Christians because Christ to them hath taken away that condition 2. That Luther saith no more than the Apostle doth in sixe or seven places there alledged and therfore they must first accuse the Apostle or through Luthers sides wound the Apostle 3. He sets downe his owne judgment most expresly The Law saith he pertaineth to Christians neither did Luther ever deny it for that justice of the Law is immortall and every one ought to indeavour with all his strength to live mo●t exactly according to the prescript of the Law Thus we have this pro●ound and most worthy Doctour affording us a double strength and together with 〈◊〉 brings us Mr. Luther wholly and constantly avouching the same truth which we have defended through our whole discourse The fourth is judicious Mr. Perkins from whose gracious mouth and Ministery I received in my youth often the same holy truth as now in his fruitfull writings appeareth every where As in his golden chaine chap 31. having set downe the use of the Morall law in the unregenerate he cōcludeth that the use of the Law in the regenerate is farre otherwise for it guideth them to new obedience which obedience may bee acceptable to God through Christ. And upon Gal 3. 12. hee answereth this question why the Lord saith He that doth the things of the Law shall live considering that no man since the fall can doe the things of the Law and sheweth that still the Lord repeateth his law in the olde tenure 1. To teach that the law is of a constant and uncheangable nature 2. to advertise us of our weaknesse and shew us what wee cannot doe 3. To put us in minde still to humble our selves after we have begun by grace to obey the law because even then wee come farre short in doing the things which the law requireth at our hands And on verse 23. he inquireth that now seeing faith is come what is the guard whereby wee are now kept Answ. The precepts of the Morall Law The sayings of the wise are as nayles or stakes fastned to range men in the compasse of their owne duties Ecclesiast 12. 11. And most plainely he coucheth our whole doctrine concerning the Law in the answer of our question upon vers 15. eiusdem capitis The question is how farre the Morall Law is abrogated Answer Three wayes 1. In respect of Iustification 2. Of malediction 3. In respect of rigour For in them that are in Christ God accepteth the indeavour to obey for obedience it selfe Neverthelesse saith he The Law as it is a rule of good life is unchangable and admitteth no abrogation And Christ in this regard did by his death establish it Rom. 5. 31. And on c. 4. 5. The Law must be considered two wayes First as a rule of life Thus Angels are under the Law and Adam before his fall and the Saints now in heaven and none yeeld more subjection to the Law than they and this subjection is their liberty Againe consider it as a grievous yoke three wayes none can beare it c. And in his Treatise of conscience cap. 2. saith That the Morall Law bindeth the consciences of all men at all times to obedience The fifth is our learned and industrious Doctor Willet Bellarmin saith he is not ashamed to slaunder us that wee affirme christian liberty to stand herein that we are altogether freed from the obedience and subjection of the Law Vt Moses cum suo decalogo nihil ad not pertinent But we call God and all the world to record that we witnes no such thing knowing tha-Christ came not to dissolve but to fulfill the Law Here therefore Bellarmin fighteth with his owne shadow But Christian liberty consisteth in three things that we are exempted 1 From Ceremonyes 2 From the curse and guilt 3 From the servitude and reigne of sinne c. And upon Exod. cap. 20. commandement 10. quest 9. saith thus The Morall Law is not now in force quoad justificationem that is in respect of justification but it bindeth quoad obedientiam in respect of obedience for we are boūd to keep all the precepts of the Law but yet quoad modum obedientiae et terrorem in respect of terrour and rigorous manner of obedience we are not bound c. The sixth is that grave and learned Bishop Downam whom I must honourably mention not onely for his worthy parts and labours in the Church but in the speciall reference of a painfull and worthy Tutor and teacher of my selfe in the Vniversity That right Reverend Bishop in his Treatise entituled The doctrine of Christian liberty doth exactly as his manner is open and cleare this whole doctrine and in section or paragraph 15. hath these words The Papists charge us that wee place Christian Liberty in this that we are subject to no Law in our conscience and before God and that we are free from all necessity of doing good works which is a most divelish slander for though we teach that the obedience to the Law is not required in us to Iustification but that wee are free from the exaction of the Law in that behalfe yet we deny not but that unto sanctification the obedience of the Law is required we by necessity of duty bound to the observation therof And againe We confesse to be free from obedience is to be servants of sinne and the willing cheereful worship of God is true liberty And we acknowledge that the Morall Law of God is perpetuall and immutable and that this is an everlasting truth that the creature is bound to worship and obey his Creator and so much the more bound as he hath received the greater benefits And after the
reverses sinne when we are come to Christ wee must by it be brought to Christ still And it is false that they say that the Law is indeede a scoolemaster to bring us once unto Christ but then wee have done with it and it with us for it must ever bring us to Christ so long as by sinne wee estrange our selves from him or him from us That place in Galat. 3. 24 25. nothing contrarieth our doctrine After faith came we were no longer under a schoolmaster that is such a schoolemaster as it was The place is notably opened by learned Pareus to whom for brevity sake I remit the Reader Eighthly Wee must conceiue the Law in the substance of it the image of God written in the heart of Adam in innocency and by the finger of the same spirit written in the hearts of all the elect and consequently must feare tremble to sin against this Law which floweth from the righteous nature of God and the impugning of which is the violating of his owne image and nature so farre as wee can reach it A man may breake the Princes Law and not violate his Person but not Gods for God and his image in his Law are so straitly united as one cannot wrong the one and not the other Ninthly Wee must frame our selves to love this righteous Law for this image of God ingraven upon it yea and the more that wicked men hate and resist it the more that sonnes of Belial rise up against it wee must love it the more obey it so much the more maintain and defend the power and honour of it with so much the more zeale and earn estnesse so did holy David Ps. 119. 126. Wicked men have destroyed the Law therefore I love it above fine gold where the Prophet concludeth them enemies to God that are enemies to the Law And 2. that then is the time to pleade for God and his Law when wicked men most oppose and oppresse it Now then is the time when the godly must awaken themselves not onely to observe but also to preserve it FINIS Contra Legis adversarios Adversus furiosam sectam Libertinorum Nemo miretur aut consternetur cum tam insolitos ab omni ratione alienos errores cernas Calv. 2 Thes 2. Quod hostis machinatur in perniciem convertit Deus in adiutorium Aug Epist ad Sextum 105. Deus ecce furentibus obstat Optimus portus poenitentiae mutatio consilii Cic Philip Etiam loquendum cum Ecclesia recte sentiente Cyprian Sublime et tumidum dicendi genus pere grino quodam idiomate loquuntur ut qui ipsos audiunt prima facie stupefiant Calv advers Libert c 2. Quemadmodum circulatores aliique errones c peculiari sermonis genere utuntur● Vide cap 7 eiusdem libri 2 Cor 4. 2 Non est humano aut seculi sensu in Dei rebus loquendū Hilar. lib. 8 de Trinit Sequamur loquendi regulam quam tradit Scriptura neque extra illos fines evagemur Calv. cap 7. 1 Cor 14. 9 It is the priviledge of beleevers not to be under the Law 4 Reasons Gal. 3. 10. The danger of being under the Law in 4 things How a man may get from under this dangerous state Habak 2. 4. Sixe notes of tryall to know one gotten frō under the danger of the Law Ephes. 2. 10 The substance of the Law in 5 things Psal. 119. 89. The beleever is under the whole substance of the Law Seven appendices of the Law in none of which the beleever is under the Law Rom. 8. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In which regard it I● called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quod non lic●t acrius urit Gens humana ruit in vet●tum ●e●as Regenerat are not without a Law 1 Tim. 1. 8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nor under the Law in 5 respects But under that is within the compasse of the Law Psal. 2. 2 3 Iudg. 16. 9 1 Reason All the same sins are forbidden after faith as before Rom. 7. 7. 1 Ioh. 3. 4. The Saints are perfect not perfectists Psal. 119. 120. Rom. 7. 15. 19. 23. Hypocratis magis fomentis quam monitis nostris indigent Non dicit non peccat sed non dat operam peccato Beza Qui ambulant in viis Domini non operantur peccatum et tamen non sunt sine peccato August in Psa. 118 conc 2. Non peccare Dei iustitia est hominis iustitia indulgentia Dei Bern. ser. 23 in Cantic Nunc bene vivitur si sine crimine sine peccato autem qui se vivere existimat nō id agit ut peccatum non habeat sed ut veniam non accipiat Aug. Enchirid. Haec est regeneratorum perfectio si se imperfectos esse agnoscant August 2 Reas. The same duties are required after faith as before Quod accuratius Christus exposuit magis pertinere ad Christianos creditur 1 Cor. 4. 21 2 Cor. 5. 11 3 Reas Christ cam not to abolish the Law and therefore it is not abolished Christ cam not to destroy the Law why But to fulfil it how Rom. 8. 2. 4 Reas. Nor the Apostles abolished the Law Lex et fides mutuo se iuvant mutuo sibi dant manus P. Mart. But confirme the authority of it 1 Ioh. 1. 9. Dicatur mihi in decem praeceptis quid non fit a Christiano observandum Cant. Faust. lib. 3. Fides impetrat gratiam qu● Lex impletur Quia quae in Lege dicta sunt facienda per fidem ostenduntur facta Ambros. 5 Res Every beleever is bound to strive to conformity with the Law 1. In his inner man Iustificati amici Legis efficiuntur Ambr. in Rom. 8. Qui dicit se diligere Legem mentitur tam enim amamus Legem quam homicida carc●rem 2. In his outward man 3. In his whole man Nisi dum Scriptu●ae bon●e intelliguntur ō● bene quod in ijs non ben● intelligitur etiam temere audacter asseritur Aug. expos in Ioh. trac 18. Habent ●crip●uras● a● sp●ciem non a● salutem De● Baptis contra Donat. lib. 4 The first maine ground of this schism Ignorance Hi quidem hom●nes indocti sunt ac idiotae qui non usque adeo evolvendis chartis sunt exercitati ut exijs de●●ria sua addisc●re potuerint Instruct. advers Libert cap. 1. Alter cubicularius alter hostiarius libenter fieri sustinuer●t Cap 4. c●usdem libri Iune 12. Ignorance of the end of Christs comming 2. Of the nature of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1. 5. 3. Of the nature of faith Godly life is nothing but keeping commandements Hab. 2. 4. Wee are meere patients in the causes of blessednesse but not in the conditions of it Christs righteousnesse onely gives right to heaven but our sanctification gives a fitnesse and aptitude to it Rev 21. 27 Iustification freeth the beleever from the condemnation of sinne but not