yet oh that in this matter of the Sabbatâ— God would betimes awaken and that these weakâ—nesses might stirre up their strength for I mucâ— feare and foresee that if it be not done there is aâ— houre and a nick of temptation in such a juncture 〈◊〉 times approaching wherein the enemy will come 〈◊〉 like a flood and rise up from all quarters against the Doctrine of the Sabbath and then farewell all the good dayes of the son of man if this be lost which then men shall desire to see and shall not see them I have therefore been the more willing to let my owne shame and weaknesse appeare to the world if so it be found if this might be any meanes of doing the least good for keeping up the price of Gods Sabbaths in the hearts of any I have therefore spent the more time about the Morality of the Sabbath because the clearing up of this gives light to all the rest The generall CONTENTS of the Theses concerning the Morality of the Sabbath 1. GOD is the superiour disposer of mans time Thes. 1 2. Man who is made next to God and to return to his rest at the end of the larger circle of his life is to return to him at the end of the lesser circle of eveâ—y week Thes. 7 3. What a Moral Law is not 10 11 4. How a Divine Law may be said to be Moral 14 5. What a Moral law is strictly taken 16 6. A Moral Law considered in a strict sense is not good meerly because commanded but is therefore commanded because it is good 17 7. What is that goodnesse in a Moral Law for which it is commanded 21 8. By what Rules may that goodnesse be known which are foure 24 25 9 Divers consectaries flowing from the description of a Moral Law 1. That Divine determination of something in a Law doth not alway take away the morality of it 26 2. That those are not Moral laws only which are known to all men by the light of corrupt nature 29 3. That the whole Decalogue in all the parts of it is the Moral Law of God Thes. 30. where Objections are answered to 38 10. Three sorts of Laws which were among the Jewes Moral Ceremonial Judicial 38 11. The true state of the Question whether the Sabbath be a Moral or Ceremonial Law 43 12. The agreement on all hands how far the Law of the Sabbath is Moral 44 13. Something general is agreed on and whether it lies under this general viz. a seventh day 46 14. The chief means of resolving this controversie in opening the meaning of the fourth Commandment 47 15. The things which are Moral in the fourth Commandment are either primarily or secundarily moral 48 16. Those things which are primarily generally moral in the forth Commandment are 3. 1. A time of worship 2. A day 3. A 7th day determined 17. Not the worship it self but only the solemne time of it is required in the fourth Commandment 53 18. How holy duties are for time 56 19. Instituted worship is not directly required in the fourth but in the second Commandment wherein the meaning of the second Commandment is occasionally cleared against Wallaeus 59 20. If the moral worship it self be not required herein much lesse is the whole ceremonial worship 63 21. Neither the publike worship only nor Jewish holy dayes required in this fourth Commandment 64 22. Not a part of a day but a whole day is moral by the fourth Commandment 65 23. Gods wisdome did rather choose a whole day together for special worship then borrow a part of every day 66 24. The sin of Familists and others who allow God no special day but make all dayes equal 68 25. How any day is said to be holy and that though all places are alike holy yet all dayes are not therefore alike holy 69 70 26. Answer to such Scriptures as seem to make all dayes alike holy under the New Testament 72 73. to 79 27. The chief reason why some abolish the day of the Sabbath in the fourth Commandment is because they abandon the whole Decalogue it self as any Rule of life unto his people 79 28. An inward Sabbath may well consist with a Sabbath day 80 29. The great controversie whether the Law be a rule of life to a beleever discussed in sundry Theses 81 30. The Spirit is not the rule of life 86 31. Not the will of Gods Decree but the will of his command is the rule of life 91 32. The fundamental Errour of Antinomians 93 33. The rule of the Law is kept in Christ as matter of our justification not sanctification 94 34. How Christ is our Sanctification as well as our Justification 95 35. Duties of Christian thankfulnesse to God were not performed by Christ for beleevers under that notion of thankfulnesse but by way of merit 97 36. Whether a beleever is to act in vertue of a command 98 37. The sin of those who affirme that Christian obedience is not to be put forth by vertue of a command 100 38. To act by vertue of a Commandment and by vertue of Gods Spirit are subordinate one to another 101 39. Whether the Law is our rule as given by Moses on mount Sinai or only as it is given by Christ on mount Sion 102 40. How Works and Law-duties are sometime commended and sometime condemned 105 106 41. The new creature how it is under the Law 107 42. How the children of God under the Old Testament were under the Law as a Schoolmaster and not those of the New 108 43. How the Gospel requires doing and how not and about conditional promises in the Gospel 110 44. Various motives to obedience from the Law and Gospel from God as a Creator and from Christ as a Redeemer do not vary the Rule 111 45. Unbelief is not the only sin 112 46. Three evils arising from their Doctrine who deny the Directive use of the moral Law 113 47. The sin of such as deny the humbling work of the Law under Gospel ministrations 114 48. Their Errour who will not have a Christian pray for pardon of sin or mourn for sin 115 49. Whether Sanctification be a doubtful evidence and may not be a just evidence and wheâ—â—er the Gospel and all the promises of it belong to a sinner as a sinner and whether sight of corruption be by the Gospel the setled evidence of salvation as some plead for 117 50. Whether the first evidence be without the being or only the seeing of grace 118 51. The true grounds of evidencing Gods love in Christ cleared 119. 52. Not only a day nor only a Sabbath day but a seventh day determined is the last thing generally moral in the fourth Commandment 120.122 53. That which is particularly moral herein is this or that particular seventh day 123 54. The morality of a Sabbath may be as strongly and easily urged from the Commandment of observing that particular seventh day from the
or evill without some law for then there should bee some sinne which is not the transgression of a law and some obedience which is not directed by any law both which are impossible and abominable 3. He makes morall lawes by externall imposition and constitution onely to be such as before the externall imposition of them are a diaphorous and good or evill onely by reason of some circumstance When as we know that some such lawes as are most entirely morall yet in respect of their inward nature generally considered they are indifferent also for not to kill and take away mans life is a morall law intirely so yet in the generall nature of it it is indifferent and by circumstance may become either lawfull or unlawfull lawfull in case of warre or publick execution of justice unlawfull out of a private spirit and personall revenge In one word the whole drift of his discourse herein is to shew that the Sabbath is not morall and this he would prove because the Sabbath is not simply and entirely morall which is a most feeble and weake consequence and this hee proves because the Sabbath day hath in respect of its inward nature no more holines and goodnes than any other day all the dayes of the week being equally good by creation But he might well know that the day is not the law of the fourth Commandment but the keeping holy of the Sabbath day which is a thing inwardly good and entirely morall if wee speak of some day Nay saith the Bishop the law of nature teacheth that some sufficient and convenient time bee set apart for Gods worship if therefore some day be morall although all dayes by creation be indifferent and equall according to his owne confession what then should hinder the quota pars or the seventh part of time from being morall will he say because all dayes are equally holy and good by creation then why should hee grant any day at all to bee entirely morall in respect of a sufficient and convenient time to bee set apart for God If hee saith the will and imposition of the Law-giver abolisheth its morality because he bindes to a seventh part of time then we shall shew that this is most false and feeble in the sequell Thesis 25. There are therefore four rules to guide our judgments aright herein whereby we may know when a law is sutable and agreeable to humane nature and consequently good in it selfe which will bee sufficient to cleare up the Law of the Sabbath to be truely morall whether in a higher or lower degree of morality it makes no matter and that it is not a law meerly temporary and ceremoniall 1. Such lawes as necessarily flow from naturall relation both between God and man as well as between man and man these are good in themselves because sutable and congruous to humane nature for there is a decency and sweet comlinesse to attend to those rules to which our relations binde us For from this ground the Prophet Malachy cals for feare and honour of God as morall duties because they are so comely and seemly for us in respect of the relation between us If I be your Lord and Master and Father where is my feare where is my honour Mal. 1.6 Love also between man and wife is pressed as a comely duty by the Apostle from that near relation betweene them being made one flesh Ephes. 5.28 29. there are scarce any who question the morality of the duties of the second Table because they are so evidently comely suitable and agreeable to humane nature considered relatively as man stands in relation to those who are or should bee unto him as his owne flesh and therefore he is to honour superiors and therefore must not kill nor steale nor lye nor covet nor defile the flesh c. but the morality of all the rules of the first Table is not seen so evidently because the relation between God and man which makes them comely and suitable to man is not so well considered for if there be a God and this God be our God according to the first Commandement then it 's very comely and meet for man to honour love feare him delight trust in him c. and if this God must be worshipped of man in respect of the mutuall relation between them then 't is comely and meet to worship him with his owne worhsip according to the second Commandment and to worship him with all holy reverence according to the third Commandment and if he must be thus worshipped and yet at all times in respect of our necessary worldly imploiments cannot be so solemnly honoured and worshipped as is comely and meet for so great a God then 't is very fit and comely for all men to have some set and stated time of worship according to some fit proportion which the Lord of time onely can best make and therefore a seventh part of time which he doth make according to the fourth Commandment 2. Such lawes are drawne from the imitable Attributes and Works of God are congruous and suitable to mans nature For what greater comelinesse can there be or what can be more suitable to that nature which is immediately made for God then to be like unto God and to attend unto those rules which guide thereunto Hence to be mercifull to men in misery to forgive our enemies and those that doe us wrong to be bountifull to those that be in want to be patient when we suffer evill are all morall duties because they are comely and suitable to man and that because herein hee resembles and is made like unto God Hence to labour six dayes and rest a leventh is a morall because a comely and suitable duty that because herein man followes the example of God and becomes most like unto him And hence it is that a seventh yeare of rest cannot be urged upon man to be as much morall as a seventh day of rest because man hath Gods example and patterne in resting a seventh day but not in resting any seventh yeare God never made himselfe an example of any ceremoniall duty it being unsuitable to his glorious excellency so to doe but onely of morall and spirituall holinesse and therefore there is somewhat else in a seventh day that is not in a seventh yeare and it is utterly false to thinke as some doe that there is as much equity for the observation of the one as there is of the other And here by the way may bee seen a grosse mistake of Mr. Primrose who would make Gods example herein not to be morally imitable of us nor man necessarily bound thereunto it being not naturally and in respect of it selfe imitable but onely because it pleased God to command man so to doe as also because this action of God did not flow from such attributes of God as are in their nature imitable as mercy bounty c. but from one of those attributes as is not imitable
a sevenâ—h yet let us consider of God as acting by counsell and weighing and considering with himselfe what is most meet and equall and what proportion of time is most fit for himselfe and then with leave of better thoughts when I see better reason I suppose no man can prove unlesse hee bee made privy to the unknowne secrets of the wisdome of God that any other proportion had been as meet as this now made by the actuall determination of God there was not therefore the meer and soveraigne will of God which thus determined of this seventh part of time but also the wisedome of God which considering all things saw it most meeâ— and suitable for man to give and God to receive from man and therefore being commanded and thus particularly determined becomes morall Thesis 29. If that commandment be morall which is therefore commanded because it is good then hence it followes in the second place that such lawes onely are not morall lawes which are known to all men by the light of corrupt nature For as hath been already said a law may bee holy just good suitable and meet for all men to observe whether the light of corrupt nature by awakening or sleeping principles as some call them know it or no and such a comelinesse and suitablenesse in such a law is sufficient to make it morall There were many secret morall sinnes in Paul which he never saw nor could have seene by the light of corrupt nature untill the law fell upon him with mighty efficacy and power Romans 7. for God is not bound to crook his morall lawes to what our corrupt mindes are actually able of themselves to see any more than to what our corrupt wils are actually able to doe If the light of nature be imperfect in us since the fall which no wise man doubts of then there may be many things truely morall which the light of nature now sees not because 't is imperfect which in its perfection it did see and this consideration of the great imperfection of the light of nature is alone sufficient for ever to stop their mouthes and silence their hearts who goe about to make an imperfect light and law of nature the perfect rule and onely measure of morall duties and who make so narrow a limitation of that which is morall to that which is thus imperfectly naturall 't is not now lex nata but lex data which is the rule of morall duties The holy Scriptures containe the perfect rule of all morall actions whether mans corrupted and imperfect light of nature see them or no. It is a common but a most perilous and almost groundlesse mistake of many in this controversie who when they would know what is morall and what is not so of such things as are set downe in the Scriptures they then â—lye to the light of corrupt nature making it to bee the supream Judge hereof and there fall to examining of them whether they are seen by the light of nature or no which is no lesse folly than to set up a corrupt and blinde Judge to determine and declare that which is morall to make the perfect rule of morality in Scripture to bow downe its back to the imperfection and weaknesse of nature to pull out the Sunne in heaven from giving light and to walke by the light of a dim candle and a stinking snuffe in the socket almost gone out to make the horne-book of naturall light the perfection of learning of the deepest matters in morall duties to make Aristotles Ethicks as compleat a teacher of true morality as Adams heart in innocency and in a word to make man fallen and in a manner perfectly corrupt and miserable to bee as sufficiently furnished with knowledge of morall duties as man standing when he was perfectly holy and happy Imagine therefore that the light of nature could never have found out one day in seven to bee comely and most meet for man to give unto God yet if such a proportion of time be most meet for man to give to God and it appeares so to be when God reveales it it may and should then be accounted a morall law although the light of nature left in all men could never discerne it The Schoolmen and most of the popish generation not considering these things which notwithstanding are some of their owne principles have digged pits for themselves and made snares for some of their followers in abolishing the fourth Commandment from being in the true sense of it morall because they could not see how such a speciall part of time viz. a seventh part could be naturall or by the light of corrupt nature discernable which things so discernable they sometimes conclude to be onely morall But how farre the light of corrupt nature may discerne this proportion shall be spoken to in its proper place Thesis 30. If lastly those things which are thus commanded because they are good be morall then the whole Decalogue may hence appeare to be the morall law of God because there is no one law in it which is therefore good onely because 't is commanded but is therefore commanded because it is good and suitable to humane nature When I say suitable to humane nature I doe not meane humane nature considered absolutely but relatively either in relation to God or relation unto man for not onely the light of nature but of common sense also beare witnesse that every precept of the second Table wherein man is considered in relation to man is thus farre good for how comely and good is it to honour Parents to be tender of other mens lives and comforts to preserve ones selfe and others from filthy pollutions to doe no wrong but all the good we can to other mens estates c. Nor doe I thinke that any will question any one Commandment of this Table to bee good and suitable to humane nature unlesse it be some Nimrod or Brennus that professed he knew no greater justice than for the stronger like the bigger fishes of the Sea to swallow up the lesser in case they bee hungry or some Turkish Tartar or Caniball or some surfetted Professor transformed into some licentious opinionist and so growne Master of his owne Conscience and that can audaciously out-face the very light of nature and common sense through the righteous judgement of God blinding and hardning his heart And if the Commandments of the second Table be thus farre good in themselves are not those of the first Table much more Is love to man when drawne out into all the six streames of the second Table good in it selfe and shall not love to God drawn out in the foure precepts of the first Table as the Spring from whence all our love to man should flow much more Are the streams morally sweet and is not the spring it self of the same nature Love to God and love to man are the common principles saith Aquinas truely of the law of nature and all
being shusted into the Decalogue and so might ceremonialls also Thesis 38. There were three sorts of laws which are commonly knowne and which were most eminently appearing among the Jewes 1. Morall 2. Ceremoniall 3. Judiciall Thesis 39. The morall respected their manners as they were men and are therefore called morall The ceremoniall respected them as a Church and as such a kinde of Church The judicial as a Common wealth and as that particular Common-wealth Morall laws were to govern them as an human society Ceremoniall as a sacred society Judiciall as a civill society Thus the Learned speak and being candidly understood are true Thesis 40. The morall law contained in the Decalogue is nothing else but the law of nature revived or a second edition and impression of that primitive and perfect law of nature which in the state of innocency was engraven upon mans heart but now againe written upon Tables of stone by the finger of God For man being made in the Image of God he had therefore the law of holines and righteousnes in which Gods Image consisted written in his heart but having by his fall broken this Table and lost this Image neither knowing or doing the will of God through the law of sinne now engraven on it Hence the Lord hath in much pitty made knowne his law again and given us a faire copy of it in the two Tables of stone which are the copy of that which was writ upon mans heart at first because the first Table containes Love to God in holinesse the second Love to man in righteousnesse which holinesse and righteousnesse are the two parts of Gods Image which was once engraven upon mans soule in his primitive and perfect estate Ephes. 4.24 Nor indeed doe I see how that popish Argument will be otherwise answered pleading for a possibility in man to keep the law perfectly in his lapsed and fallen estate in this life for say they God makes no lawes of impossible things it being unjust for God to require and exact that of a man which hee is not able to doe to which it is commonly and truely answered That man had once power to keep the law in his innocent estate and hence though man be not able to keep it now yet God may require it because hee once gave him power to keep it and that therefore it is no more unjust to exact such obedience which hee cannot performe than for a creditor to require his money of his broken debtor or spend-thrift who is now failed as they say and not able to repay Man therefore having once power to keep the law and now having no power this argues strongly that the law of the Decalogue contains nothing but what was once written as a law of life upon his heart in his innocent estate for I see not how Gods justice can be cleared if he exacts such obedience in the Decalogue which is impossible for man to give unlesse the very same law and power of obedience was written upon his heart at first and therefore it is a wilde notion of theirs who thinke that the Covenant of works which God made with Adam is not the same for matter with the Covenant of works exprest in the morall law for wee see that there is the same Image of holinesse and righteousnesse required in the Tables of stone as the condition of this Covenant which was once written upon mans heart and required in the same manner of him Now this law thus revived and reprinted is the Decalogue because most naturall and suitable to humane nature when it was made most perfect therefore it is universall and perpetuall the substance also of this law being love to God and man holinesse toward God and righteousnesse toward man Matt. 22.37 39. Luke 1. Hence also this law must needs bee morall universall and perpetuall unlesse any should bee so wicked as to imagine it to be no duty of universall or perpetuall equity either to love God or to love man to performe duties of holinesse toward the one or duties of righteousnesse toward the other Hence again the things commanded in this law are therefore commanded because they are good and are therefore morall unlesse any shall think that it is not good in it selfe to love God or man to be holy or righteous and which is still observable there is such a love required herein and such a lovelinesse put upon these lawes as that by vertue of these all our obedience in other things which are not moral becomes lovely for there were many ceremoniall observances in which and by which the people of God exprest their love to God as Mr. Primrose truely concludes from Deut. 6.1 2 3 4 5 6. and Matth. 22.37 38 40. but yet this love did arise by vertue of a morall rule for therefore it was love to worship God in ceremoniall duties because it was lovely to worship God with his own worship of which these were parts which is the moral rule of the second Commandment And hence Master Primrose may see his grosse mistake in making one law of the Decalogue ceremoniall because the summary of the Decalogue being love to God and love to man and our love to God being shewne in ceremoniall as well as in morall duties because our love is seen shewn in our obedience to all the Commandments of God ceremonial as well as moral For though there be love in ceremonial dutys it is not so much in respect of themselves as in respect of some morall rule by vertue of which such duties are attended Thesis 41. The ceremoniall law consisting chiefly of types and shadowes of things to come Heb. 8.5 and therefore being to cease when the body was come Col. 2.17 was not therefore perpetuall as the law morall but temporary and of binding power onely to the nation of the Jewes and their proselytes and not putting any tie upon all Nations as the morall law did Every ceremoniall law was temporary but every temporary law was not ceremoniall as some say as is demonstrable from sundry judicials which in their determinations were proper to that Nation while that Jewish polity continued and are not therefore now to be observed Thesis 42. The Iudiciall lawes some of them being hedges and fences to safeguard both morall and ceremoniall precepts their binding power was therefore mixt and various for those which did safeguard any morall law which is perpetuall whether by just punishments or otherwise doe still morally binde all Nations For as Piscator argues a morall law is as good and as precious now in these times as then and there is as much need of the preservation of these fences to preserve these lawes in these times and at all times as well as then there being as much danger of the treading downe of those lawes by the wilde beasts of the world and brutish men sometimes even in Churches now as then and hence God would have all Nations preserve these fences for
heard of it do certainly and assuredly know that these men at least doctrines in this point are not of God The word in these mens mouths being flat contrary to the mercifull and the for ever to be adored work of God in their hearts When the Spirit comes his first work if Christ may be beleeved even when he comes as a Comforter is To convince the world of sinne Iohn 16.9.10 which we know is chiefly by the law Rom. 3.20 and shall the Ministers not of the letter but of the Spirit refuse to begin here Especially in these times of wantonnesse contention confusion famine sword and bloud wherein every thing almost cries aloud for sackcloth and therefore not for tiffany and silken Sermons As if this corrupt and putrifying age stood only in need of sugar to preserve and keep them sweet from smelling As if sublime notions about Christ and free grace Covenant of grace love of the Father the kingdome within and Châ—istian excâ—llencies and priviledges were the only things this age stood in need of and not in any need of searchings with candles terrours shakings â—ence of sin or forewarnings of wrath to come As if this old world did need no Noah to fortell them of flouds of fire and wrath to come Or as if the men of Sodom and Princes of Gomorah should do well to mock at Lot for bidding him to hasten out of the city because God would destroy it As if the spirit of Paul in these times should not know the terrour of the Lord and therefore perswade men 2 Cor. 5.10.11 but only the love and free-grace of the Lord Jesus and therefore to exhort men nay rather therefore to relate to men stories and notions about â—ree-grace generall redemption the mystery of the Fathers love and the Christ in you and in the spirit not the person of Christ or Christ in the flesh the hope of glory What will the Lord Jesus one day say to these sleepy watchmen that never tell the secure world of their enemies at the door I finde divers colours and pretences for this course of daubing 1. Some say this savours of an old Testament spirit which was wâ—nt to wound and then to heal to humble and then to raise to preach law and then Gospell but now we are to he Ministers of the new Testament and let no law be heard of I confesse those that preach the law as the means of our justification and as the matter of our righteousnesse without Christ or together with Christ as the false teachers did 2 Cor. 3 6. may well be called as Paul cals them Ministers of the letter not of the Spirit of the old Testament not of the New but to preach Christ plainly and with open face the end of the law and to preach the law as the means to prepare for and advance Christ in our hearts can never be proved to be the old Testament Ministry or to put a vail upon mens hearts that they cannot see the end of the law as the old Testament vail did 2 Cor. 3.14 but it is to take away the vail of all conceit of mans own strength and righteousnesse by seeing his curse that so he may sâ—â— to the end thereof the Lord Jesus and embrace him for righteousnesse For the Apostle doth not call them Ministers of the letter and of the old Testament because they did preach the law to humble and leade unto Christ but because they preached the law for righteousnesse without Christ whom he calls the spirit vers 17. and therefore cals them the Ministers of the letter and their Ministry of death and condemnation there is something in the law which is of perpetuall use and something which is but for a time the vis coactiva legis as some call it i. the force of the law to condemn and curse to hold a man under the curse and to hold a man under the power of sin which the Apostle cals the strength of the Law 1 Cor. 15.56 is but for a time and is but accidentall to the law and may be separated from it and is separated indeed from it as soon as ever the soul is in Christ Rom. 8.1 he is then free from the obligation of it to perform personall and perfect obedience to it that so he may be just also from the malediction and curse of it if he be not thus just But that which is of perpetuall use in it is not only the directive power of it but this preparing and humbling vertue of it for if all men by nature Jewes and Gentiles are apt to be puft up with their own righteousnesse and to blesse themselves in their own righteousnesse and so to feel no such need of Christ then this humbling work of the law to slay men of all their fond conceits and foolish confidences in their own righteousnesse and to make men feel the horrible nature of sinne by revealing the curse and malediction due to it is of morall and perpetuall use And hence it is that though the Gospell strictly taken as is intimated Thesis 110. hath no terrour properly in it because thus it reveals nothing but reconciliation through Christs righteousnesse applyed by saith yet the Gospel largely taken for that doctrine which reveals the glad tidings of Christ already come so there is terrour in it because in this respect the Gospell makes use of the law and confirms what is morall and perpetuall therein The sin and terrour which the Gospell largely taken makes use of out of the Law are but subservient to the Gospel strictly taken or for that which is principally and most properly Gospel for thereby the righteousnesse and free-grace and love of the Lord Jesus and pretiousnesse and greatnesse of both are the more clearly illustrated The law of it selfe wounds and kils and rather drives from Christ then unto Christ but in the hand of the Gospel or as Christ handles it so it drives the soul unto Christ and as hath been shewn is the means to that end and 't is a most false and nauseous doctrine to affirm that love only drawes the soul to Christ unlesse it be understood with this caution and notion viz. love as revealed to a sinner and condemned for sin which sin and condemnation as the law makes known so the Gospel makes use of to drawn unto Christ If indeed the Gospel did vulnerare ut vulneraret i. wound that it may wound and terrifie only which the law doth then it saith Chamier was all one with law which Bellarmine pleads for but when it wounds that it may heal this is not contrary but agreeable to the office of a good Physitian whose chiefe work is to heal and may well sute with the healing Ministry of the Lord Jesus and hence we see that although Christ was sent to preach the Gospel yet he came to confirm the law in the Ministry of the Gospel and therefore shews the spirituall sins against the law more clearly and
if speciall light in them they shall then have more speciall and saving light Thesis 194. As it is no argument that that Law is according to the light of nature which the Gentiles generally practised for then Polytheisme and Sacrificing of beasts yea wil-worship should be according to the light of nature because these sins were generally practised so it is no argument that that Law is not according to the light of nature which they generally neglected and therefore suppose the Gentiles never observed a Sabbath yet this is no argument that it is therefore no morall Law I know M. Primrose thinks that the Sacrifices were by an instinct of nature Because it dictates that all sinnes whereof mortall men are guilty are to be expiated by Sacrifice and Offerings to God offended Which assertion hath some truth in it if those words By Sacrifices and Offerings be left out for what light of nature could make men think that an infinite Deity offended could be pacified by such carnall observances as the Sacrifices of brute beasts and their blood which never offended This custome the Gentiles might retain as a Relique of former instruction and institution by their first Fathers after the flood which being matters meerly ceremonious might be retained more firmly then other morall duties of great consequence however we see that the practice of the Gentiles is no fit guide to direct that which is according to the law and light of nature Thesis 195. If more narrow enquiry be made what the Law of nature is these distinctions must be observed 1. The Law of nature is either of pure or corrupt nature The Law of pure nature was the Law of God writ on Adams heart in innocency which was nothing else but that holy bent and inclination of the heart within to act according to the holy Law of God revealed or Covenant made with him without and thus Aquinas places the law of nature in this inclination The Law of corrupt nature is that dimme light left in the minde and morall inclination left in the will in respect of some things contained in the Law of God which the Apostle cals Conscience Rom. 2.15 which naturall conscience is nothing but the remnants and generall principles of the law of pure nature left in all men since the fall which may be increased by more knowledge of the Law of God or more diminished and defaced by the wickednesse of man Titus 1.15 2. The Law of corrupt nature is taken either more largely or strictly As it is taken more largely so it comprehends all that which is agreeable and sutable to naturall reason and that from a naturall innate equity in the thing when it is made known either by divine instruction or humane wisdom although it be not immediatly known by the light of nature and thus many judiciall laws are naturall and morall though positive and of binding nature unto this day As it is taken strictly so it comprehends no more but what nature immediatly knows or may know without externall instruction as parents to be honoured mans life to be preserved 3. The Law of nature strictly taken are either principles of nature or conclusions from such principles The principles of the law of nature are in some respect many yet may be reduced to this one head viz. That good is to be followed evill to be avoided Conclusions are deductions from those principles like severall streames from the same spring which though lesse evident then the principles yet may be readily found out by discourse and sad search 4. Conclusions arising from these principles are more immediate or mediate Immediate are made by Aquinas to be two 1. Love God with all thy heart 2. Love thy neighbour as thy selfe Mediate are such as arise from the former principles by means of those two more immediate conclusions and of this kinde are some as he thinks yea all the laws of the Decalogue if right reason may be judge Now to apply these Thesis 196. If the question be whether the Sabbath be known by the light of pure nature the answer is yea for Adams minde knew of it and his heart was inclined and bent to the keeping of it although it be true that now this light in corrupt nature as in many other morall duties is almost wholly extinct and worn out as hath been formerly shewn And to speak plainly this great and first impression left on mans heart in pure nature is the first rule according to which we are now to judge of what is the law of nature and it serves to dash to peeces and grinde to powder and dust most effectually and strongly the dreams and devices of such as would make the Sabbath not morall because not naturall or not easily known by the present light of corrupt nature when as corrupt nature is no perfect copy but a blotted discovery of some part of the light of nature which was fully imprinted at large in pure nature and therefore it is no wonder if our adversaries so much oppose the Commandment of the Sabbath in the state of innocency such therefore as are otherwise Orthodox in this point and yet make this description of the Law of nature viz. which was written on mans heart in his first first Creation to be both uncertain and impertinent doe unwarily pull down one of the strongest bulwarks and the first that ever God made to defend the morality of the Sabbath there is indeed no expresse Scripture which makes this description of the Law of nature as they object and so it is of many other things which are virtually and for substance contained in the Scripture although there be no formall description set down of the same and the like I say of this description here Thesis 197. If we speak of the Law of nature strictly taken for that which is immediatly and readily known by the common light of nature in all men then it may be safely affirmed that although the Sabbath should not be in this sence naturall yet it will not follow that it is not therefore morall for the moral law once writ on mans heart in pure nature is almost blotted out only some rudera and old rubbish is left of it in a perverse minde and a corrupt heart Eph. 4.18 we see the wisest of the heathens making those things to be morall vertues Iunius instanceth in the Law of private revenge and we know they magnified will-worship which the Scripture condemns as morall vices and sins God would have common-wealths preserved in all places of the world from the inundation and deluge of mans wickednesse and therefore he hath generally printed the notions of the second Table upon mens hearts to set bounds as by sea-banks unto the overflowings thereof and hence it is that they are generally known but he would not have Churches every where and therefore there is but little known concerning matters of the first Table and consequently about this Law of the Sabbath
thus much that it is perpetuall and universall a law which bindes all persons all times and in all ages and herein lies the chiefe matter of controversie at this day Now in what respect and how far forth the law of the Sabbath is perpetuall shall be hereafter shewn mean while it may not be amisse to enquire more narrowly into the nature of a morall law For though a Law primarily morall is perpetuall yet perpetuity seems to bee an adjunct rather than of the essence of a morall law and the difficulty will still remaine untouch'd viz. to know when a law is perpetuall and what is internall and intrinsicall to such a law as makes it perpetuall or morall whereinto I would not search lest I should seem to affect curiosity but that our criticall adversaries put us upon it with whom there is nothing lost in case weâ— gaine nothing by wrastling a little with them upon their owne grounds where for a while we shall come up to them Thesis 14. A divine law may be said to be morall two wayes 1. More largely and generally morall 2. More strictly and specially morall Thesis 15. A law generally morall is this that the whole soveraign will of the Lord be done and submitted unto by every creature and in this large sense every law of God whether ceremoniall judiciall or for speciall triall may be said to be morall because the soveraigne will of God is in all these lawes to be adored It is a morall duty that Gods will be done and hence it is that so far forth as the will of God is in them so far forth to yield obedience to them is a morall duty but the question is not about this morality nor what things are thus morall Thesis 16. A law more strictly and specially morall which concernes the manners of all men and of which wee now speake may bee thus described viz. It is such a Law which is therefore commanded because it is good and is not therefore good meerly because it is commanded Thesis 17. This is Austins description of it long since whom most of the Schoolmen follow which learned Cameron with sundry late Wriâ—â—â— confirme and which our adversaries in this controversie plead hard for and unto which the evidence of Scripture and reason seemes to incline for laws meerly judiciall and ceremoniall are good lawes Deut. 6.18 24. but this was meerly because they were commanded and therefore it had been simply evill to burne Incense offer Sacrifice or performe any ceremoniall duty in the worship of God unlesse they had been commanded What is there therefore in morall lawes which is not in those lawes verily this inward goodnesse in them which others have not and because of which goodnesse they are therefore commanded For to love God to honour parents to preserve the life of man to be mercifull and bountifull and just in all our dealings c. are inwardly good and are therefore commanded and are therefore morall laws and hence we see that when the Apostle would set forth the glory and excellency of the morall law for of no other law can he speake Rom. 7.7 12. he gives these titles to it that it is holy just and good which holines justice and goodnesse he opposeth to his owne morall not ceremoniall wickednesse I am carnall saith he but the law is holy just and good And look as it was evill in it selfe for to have a nature contrary to the law so the Law which was contrary to that nature was good in it selfe and was therefore commanded and therefore in this thing morall lawes are in a higher degree good than such as were onely ceremoniall which were therefore good meerely because commanded The Prophet Micah therefore perceiving how forward many were in ceremonial duties sacrifices in opposition hereunto he tels them The Lord hath shewed thee O man what is good speaking of morall duties of shewing mercy and walking humbly with God Micah 6.8 Was not Sacrifice and Offerings good as well as mercy and walking humbly Yes verily but herein lies the difference as our most Orthodox generally make it Sacrifice and Offerings were not per se and in themselves good but onely as commanded for higher ends and to further morall obedience Ier. 7.22 23 and 6.19 20. Isa. 1.14 16 Psal. 50.13 14 15. but such morall obedience as thâ— Prophet mentions viz. to shew mercy and to walk humbly were good in themselves and were therefore commanded of God and here called by the Prophet good The summe of morall obedience is love to God and man Matth. 22. But what love is this surely t is in such things â—â— are in themselves lovely and consequently in themselâ—â—â— good for otherwise ceremoniall obedience should be a part of morall obedience because in performing such obediences is meerely ceremoniall wee shew our love to God also It being a branch of love to have respect unto all Gods Commandments Deut. 6.1 2 3. with 5 6. Onely herein our love toward God appeares in ceremoniall duties because these lawes are commanded our love appeares in the other because the things commanded are also lovely in themselves The Image of God is good in it selfe as God himselfe is good in himselfe now the morall law is an exact rule of nothing else but Gods Image as is evident Eph. 4.24 where the Image of God is made to consist in holinesse and righteousnesse the first Table being the rule of the one the second Table being the rule of the other and hence it followes undenyably that morall lawes respecting onely Gods Image have respect onely to such things as are good in themselves and wherein we resemble and are made like unto God Some things saith Cameron are good in themselves viz. such things wherein Gods Image shines forth as hee is holy just and good Colos. 3.10 Ephes. 4.24 Some things are indifferent neither good nor bad in themselves but meerely as commanded or forbidden which also bear not Gods Image unlesse it be sub ratione entis but not sub ratione boni moralis i. e. they resemble God as he is a being but not as he is holy just and good in himselfe the rule of which resemblance is the morall law which therefore commands things because they are good Thesis 18. God out of his absolute soveraignty could have made lawes binding all persons in all ages and in this respect morall without having any more goodnesse in them then meerely his owne will but it is his will and good pleasure to make all lawes that are morall to be first good in themselves for all men before he will impose them upon all men And hence it is a weaknesse for any to affirme that a morall law is not such a Law which is therefore commanded because it is good because say they t is not the goodnesse of the thing but the soveraigne will of God which makes all things good for it is the soveraigne will of God as
is proved to make every morall law good and therefore to command it rather than to make it good by a meer commanding of it Thesis 19. The will of God is indeed the rule of all goodnesse and consequently of all morall lawes but we know there is voluntas decreti and voluntas mandati the first of which viz. the will of Gods decree as it appeares in the execution of it makes a thing to be good whether it bee creature or law the second of these viz. the will of Gods command enjoynes the practise of such a duty the rule and law to guide which is first made good if it bee a morall law by the wisdome and power of the will of Gods decree so that the will of God appearing in both these viz. Gods decreeing and commanding will is the compleat rule of every morall law So that as no law is morally good meerly because it is commanded so neither is it thus good unlesse also it be commanded Gods will in all morall laws is first to make them good and then to command them when they are thus far made good both which together make up a morall law Thesis 20. T is true that sin is the transgression of Gods law there is nothing therefore sinfull but it is the transgression of some law and hence there is no obedience good but what is conformable unto some law But wee must know that as transgression of any law doth not make a thing morally sinfull for then to breake a ceremoniall law would be a morall sinne so also obedience to every law doth not make a duty morally lawfull and good for then obedience to a ceremoniall law must be a morall obedience morall transgression therefore is a breach of such a law which forbids a thing because it is evill as morall obedience is our conformity to such a law which commands a thing because it is good not that anything is morally evill in it selfe before it be forbidden for then there should bee a morall sinne before and without any law to forbid it which is most absurd but because a thing is evill in it selfe and is therefore forbidden it is therefore morally evill God may and doth make it fundamentally evill before it be forbidden but it is not morally evill untill it be forbidden The like may be said concerning moral obedience according to any morall law No man should therefore thinke that this description given of a morall law should give occasion to any to imagine that some things are morally good or evill before any law passe upon them and that therefore there are some duties and some sinnes which are so without and before any law of God For wee see that things good in themselves must be commanded else they are not morall duties yet withall they are therefore commanded because they are good in themselves It s true that by the verdict of some of the Schoolemen some duties are morally good before any law commands them as to love and magnifie God and that some sinnes as to curse and blaspheme God are morally evill before any law forbids them but to omit other answers if such suppositions may bee rationally made which some deny yet it may bee upon good grounds denyed that any duty can be morally good or any sinne morally evill untill some law passe upon them either to command or forbid the same 'T is indeed sutable and meet in nature for man to love God and unsutable and unmeet to blaspheme and hate God but such sutablenesse or unsutablenesse as they make things fundamentally good or evill so they cannot make any thing morally good or evill unlesse we suppose some Law for it would be in this case with man as 't is in brute creatures who doe many things unnaturall as to eate up and destroy their owne young which yet are not morally sinfull because they are not under any morall law and one of the most ancient and best of the Schoolemen though he thinks that the observance of the Sabbath before Moses time was not secundâ—m rationem praecepti or debitè fieri i. was not actually commanded yet that it was secundum rationem honesti hoc est dignè steri i. It was congruous and a thing meet and worthy to bee observed even from the first creation But will any of our Adversaries hence say that because it was meet and worthy to bee observed that therefore it was a morall law from the beginning of the world while it had no command as is by them supposed to be observed For it must be something meet and congruous and worthy to be observed of man which when it is commanded makes it to be a morall law for then the Law commands a thing that is good and because 't is good iâ— is therefore commanded which goodnesse wee must a little more narrowly now enquire into Thesis 21. If it be demanded therefore What is that goodnesse in a morall law for which it is therefore commanded The Answer is given by Vasques Suarez Smifinga and most of the Schoolemen and sundry of our owne Writers that it is nothing else but That comely sutablenesse and meetnesse in the thing commanded unto humane nature as rationall or unto man as rationall and consequently unto every man When I say as Rationall I understand as Master Ironside doth viz. as right reason neither blinded nor corrupted doth require When I say as sutable to man and consequently to every man I hereby exclude all lawes meerely Judiciall and Evangelicall from being morall the first of which are sutable to some men onely the other are not sutable to men as men but to man as corrupt and fallen and therefore binde not all men but onely those among whom they are sufficiently and actually promulgated as is evident Rom. 10.14 Iohn 15.22 But morall lawes are sutable to all men and have an inward meetnesse and congruity to be observed of all men For look as when the Lord gives Laws to any particular nation whether immediately by himself or mediately by man he ever makes them sutable to the peoples peace and good of that nation so when he makes lawes binding all mankinde in all Nations he makes them sutable to humane nature or all mankinde therein And look as nationall Lawes binde not meerly by the meere will of the Law-giver but from the goodnesse and sutablenesse in the thing unto their common good so here morall lawes which concerne all Nations bind not meerly because of the will of God which of it selfe is sufficient to binde all men if he had pleased to put no more in morall lawes but also because of some goodnesse in the things commanded which is nothing else but such sutablenes as is mentioned unto the common good of man What this sutablenesse to humane nature is we shall shew in due place meane while I doe not understand by sutablenesse to humane nature the inclination of humane nature now corrupted by sinne for
and standing in the roome of all mankinde Hence as nothing was writ then but what was common to all men so such things thus writ were good for all men and suitable to all men it being most injurious to God to think that any thing evill should be imprinted there if therefore it bee proved that the law of the Sabbath was then writ upon mans heart then it undenyably followes that it is meet and suitable to all men still to observe a Sabbath day and indeed to the right understanding of what is suitable to man as man and consequently morall there is nothing more helpfull than to consider of our primitive estate and what was suitable to our nature then for if that which is morall in marriage is to be searched for in the first and ancient records of our first creation by the appointment of our Saviour I then know no reason whatever others object but morality in all other lawes and duties is there to bee sought also for although our originall perfection is now defaced and lost and in that respect is a merum non ens as some call it yet it had once a being and therefore in this controversie we may lawfully enquire after it considering especially that this being which once it had may be suffiently knowne by the contrary being of universall corruption that is in us now as also by the light of the Scriptures in which the searcher and maker of all hearts declares it unto us and indeed there are many morall duties which will never appeare good and suitable to man but rather hard and unreasonable because impossible untill we see and remember from whence we are fallen and what once we had Thesis 26. If therefore a morall law command that which is suitable to humane nature and good in it selfe then it followes from hence which was toucht before that divine determination of something in a law doth not alway take away morality from a law for divine determination is many times no more but a plain and positive declaration of that which is suitable just and good and equall for man to observe now that which points out and declares unto us the morality of a law cannot possibly abolish and destroy such a law For a morall law commanding that which is suitable and good as hath been shewne it is impossible that the Commandment which determineth and directeth to that which is good that by this determination it should overthrow the being of such a good law nay verily particular determination and positivenesse as some call it is so farre from abolishing as that it rather addes to the being as well as to the clearing up and manifestation of such a law For if it be not sufficient to make a morall law that the thing be good in it selfe but that also it must be commanded then the Commandment which many times onely detemines to that which is good and consequently determination doth adde unto the being of a morall law Thesis 27. There is scarce any thing but it is morally indifferent untill it falls under some divine determination but divine determination of twofold 1. Of such things which are not good fit or needfull for man to observe without a command as Sacrifices and Sacraments and such likes now herein in such lawes positive determination may be very well inconsistent with morality and it may bee safely said that such a law is not morall but rather positive and thus the learned sometimes speak 2. Of such things as are equall good in themselves needfull and suitable for man and here particular determination and morality may kisse each other and are not to be opposed one to another and hence it is that if Gods Commandment positively determines us to observe any part of instituted worship suppose Sacraments or Sacrifices yet such lawes are not morall although it bee morall in generall to worship God after his owne will because the things themselves are not good in themselves nor needfull but if God shall determine us to observe a Sabbath day this determination doth not take away the morality of the command because it being good in it selfe to give God the meetest and fittest proportion of time for holy Rest and the commandment declaring that this seventh part or so is such a time hence it comes to passe that this time is good in it selfe and therefore determination by the commandment in this case doth not abolish the morality hereof It is a morall duty to pay tribute to Caesar to give to Caesar that which is Caesars hence because a man may give too much or too little to him that determination which directs us to that particular which is Caesars due and most meet for him to receive and us to give that is best in it selfe and is therefore morall so prayer is a morall duty but because a man may bee tempted to pray too oft or else too seldome hence determination of the fittest and this fittest season makes this or that morall So 't is here in the Sabbath I doe willingly and freely professe thus farre with our Adversaries of the morality of the Sabbath that it is a morall duty to give God some time and day of holy Rest and worship as 't is morall to give Caesar his due and to pray to God but because we may give God too many dayes or too few hence the determination of the most meet and fittest proportion of time and particularly of this time makes this and that to be also morall If no day at all in generall was good and fit for man to give to God and God should notwithstanding command a seventh day then the commandment of such a day with such positive determination could not bee morall any more then the determination of sacrrifices and such like But every day say some of our Adversaries some day say others of them being acknowledged to be equall just and good and most meet to give to God hence it is that determination of a seventh day doth not abolish but clear up that which is morall because it points out unto man that which is most meet and equall Hence therefore it follows that a seventh day is therefore commanded because it is good and not good meerly because commanded Determination also declaring what is most meet declareth hereby that this commandment is also morall and not meerly positive and ceremoniall which not being well considered by some this fourth commandment having some more positivenesse and determination then divers of the rest hath therefore been the chiefe stumbling stone and rock of offence to many against the morality of it by which they have miserably bruised themselves while they have endeavoured to destroy it upon so grosse a mistake Thesis 28. It is true that God out of his absolute soveraignty and good pleasure of his will might have determined us to observe a fourth a ninth a twentieth part of our time in holy rest more or lesse as well as to
particular precepts saith hee perhaps unawares are conclusions flowing from these principles out of Matth. 22. And are the principles good in themselves and suitable to humane nature and doe not all the conclusions participate of their nature For what are all particular precepts but particular unfoldings of love to God and love to man If all the precepts of the second Table be morall which doe onely concerne man why should any of the first fall short of that glory which doe immediately concerne God Shall man have six and all of them morally good and God have but foure and some one or more of them not so Is it comely and good to have God to be our God in the first Commandment to worship him after his owne minde in the second to give him his worship with all the highest respect and reverence of his Name in the third and is it not as comely good and suitable that this great God and King should have some magnificent day of state to be attended on by his poore servants and creatures both publikely and privately with speciall respect and service as oft as himselfe sees meer and which we cannot but see and confesse to be most equall and just according to the fourth Commandment If mans life must bee divided into labour and rest is it not equall and good if wee have six dayes that God should have a seventh If the bruit beasts could speake they would say that a seventh dayes rest is good for them Exod. 23.12 and shall man who hath more cause and more need of rest even of holy rest say that it is not good for him even to rest in the bosome of God himselfe to which he is called this day Take away a Sabbath who can defend us from Atheisme Barbarisme and all manner of Devilisme and prophanesse And is it evill thus to want it and shall it not be good to have it I confesse if God had commanded a perpetuall Sabbath it had not then been good but sinfull to observe any set Sabbath but if God will have man to labour for himselfe six dayes and this labour be morally good being now commanded why is it not then as good to observe a seventh in rest to God being also commanded of him Thesis 31. It is therefore at least an indigested assertion of those who affirme that the Decalogue sets out the precepts of the law of Nature and yet withall doth superad certaine precepts proper to the Jewish people in which last respect they say all men are not bound to the observance thereof and they produce the fourth Commandment for proof but in respect of the first they are But although in the application of a law something may bee proper to the Jewish people yet with leave of the learned there is never a law in it but it is morall and common to all for to make any law in the Decalogue proper is an assertion springing from a false and blinde principle viz. That that law onely is morall which is naturall not naturall as suitable to humane nature but which is seene and knowne by the common light of corrupt nature without the helpe of any externall usher or teacher If also any lawes in the Decalogue be proper how will any finde out and discerne morall lawes which concerne all from proper laws which appertaine onely to some For if God hath made such a mingling and not severed morall lawes by themselves then man hath no law or revelation by any dictinct and severed lawes left unto him to discerne lawes proper and peculiar from laws morall and common which how pernicious it may bee to mens soules to bee left to such uncertainty as also how injurious to God and crosse to his maine ends in discovering morall lawes let the wise consider for if they say that wee must flye for help herein to the light of corrupt nature then as hath been shewn an imperfect light and a blinde guide and a corrupt judge must be the chief rule of discerning that which is morall from that which is peculiar and proper for doubtlesse such a kinde of light is the light of corrupt nature Thesis 32. Some thinke that those commandments onely are morally good which the Gospel hath declared and confirmed to be so and by this shift they thinke to avoid the absurdity of flying to the blinde guide of corrupt nature to judge of these colours viz. what is morall and what is not Mr. Primrose therefore excludes the fourth Commandment from being morall the other nine being ratified by the light of the Gospell which this he saith is not but if his meaning be that there must be a generall ratification of lawes morall by the verdict of the Gospell then the fourth Commandment cannot be excluded from being morall because it hath a ratification in generall from the Gospell for therein wee read that the morall law is holy just and good Rom. 7. and that Christ came not to destroy the least jot or tittle of the law Matth. 5. much lesse a whole law of the fourth Commandment In the Gospel also God promiseth to write his Law upon our hearts wherein the fourth Commandment is not excepted But if his meaning beâ— this that the Gospell must particularly mention and so make a particular ratification as it were by name of every morall law then his assertion is unsound there being many judiciall lawes of Moses of which some are wholly morall others containing in them something of common and morall equity which we have no expresse mention of in the blessed Gospell and let him turne over al the leaves of the Gospell hee shall not finde that proportion of time which himselfe affirmes to be morall in the fourth Commandment to bee expressely and particularly mentioned in the Gospell and therefore that also must be excluded from being morall upon his owne principles as well as what we contend for in this Commandment so to bee Thesis 33. Some of those who maintaine the law of the Sabbath to be ceremoniall affirme that every Law in the Decalogue is not morall upon this ground to wit because the Law is called Gods Covenant which Covenant they shew from sundry instances not only to comprehend moralls but also ceremonialls for they make it the excellency of the Decalogue to comprehend as a short epitome all Gods Ordinances both morall and ceremoniall which epitome is more largely opened in the writings of Moses where not onely morall but also ceremoniall lawes are expressed and dispersed And hence they thinke that as the other nine are the summary and epitome of all morall Ordinances so the fourth Commandment which was kept with the practise of Ceremonies was the summary and epitome of all the ceremoniall ordinances and hence the fourth Commandment becomes ceremoniall But for answer to this wily notion unjustly father'd upon Austin and Calvin by some it may thus farre be granted that as the word Law is sometimes taken more strictly for
and shadowes and figures when once the substance is come to wit when they come in this life to the highest attainment which is the bosome of the Father which bosome is the true Sabbath of a Christian man Now I confesse that the bosome of God in Christ is our rest and our All in All in heaven and our sweet consolation and rest on earth and that we are not to rest in any meanes Ordinances Graces Duties but to look beyond them all and to be carried by them above them all to him that is better than all to God in Christ Jesus but to make this bosome of God a kinde of canker-worme to fret and eat out the heart and being not only of all Sabbaths and Ordinances of worship but also of all duties and graces of Gods Spirit nay of Christ Jesus himself as he is manifested in the flesh and is an externall Mediator whom some lately have also cast into same box with the rest Being sent onely as they think to reveale but not to procure the Fathers love of delight and therefore is little else than a meere forme and so to cease when the Father comes in the room of all formes and so is All in All This I dare say is such a high affront to the precious bloud of Christ and his glorious Name and blessed Spirit of grace that he who hath his Furnace in Zion and his fire in Ierusalem will not beare it long without making their judgements and plagues at least spirituall exemplary and wonderfull and leading them forth in such crooked wayes with the workers of iniquity when peace shall be upon Israel Are these abstracted notions of a Deity into the vision and contemplation of whose amazing glory without seeing him as he is in Christ a Christian they say must be plunged lost and swallowed up and up to which hee must ascend even to the unaproachable light the true and onely Sabbath Are these I say the new and glorious light breaking out in these dayes which this age must wait for which are nothing else upon narrow search than Monkish imaginations the goodly cob-webs of the brain-imagery of those idolatrous and superstitious hypocrites the Anchorites Monks and Fryers who to make the blinde and simple world admire and gaze upon them gave it out hereby like Simon Magus that they were some great ones even the very power and familiars of God Surely in these times of distraction warre and bloud if ever the Lord called for sackcloth humiliation repentance faith graces holinesse precious esteem of Gods Ordinances and of that Gospel which hath been the power of God to the salvation of thousands now is the time and must Gods people reject these things as their A. B. C and must the new light of these times be the dreames and visions and slaverings of doting and deluded old Monks Shall the simplicity of Gospel-ministery bee rejected as a common thing and shall Harphius his Theologia Mystica Augustinus Elutherius Iacob Behmen Cusanus Raimundus Sebund Theologia Germanica and such like Monk-admirers be set up as the new lights and beacons on the mountaine of these elevated times Surely if so God hath his time and wayes of putting a better relish to his precious Gospel and the crosse of Christ which was wont in Pauls time to be plainly preached without such popish paintings and wherein Gods people knew how to reconcile their sweâ—â— rest in the bosome of the Father and their Sabbath day Thesis 81. If sinne which is the transgression of the law bee the greatest evill then holines which is our conformity to the law is our greatest good If sin be mans greatest misery then holinesse is mans greatest happinesse It is therefore no bondage for a Christian to be bound to the observance of the law as his rule because it onely binds him fast to his greatest happinesse and thereby directs and keeps him safe from falling into the greatest misery and woe and if the great designe of Christ in comming into the world was not so much as to save man from affliction and sorrow which are lesser evils but chiefely from sinne which is the greatest evill then the chiefe end of his comming was not as some imagine to lift his people up into the love and abstracted speculation of the Father above the law of God but into his owne bosome onely where only wee have fellowship with the Father above the Law of sinne Thesis 82. The bloud of Christ was never shed to destroy all sense of sin and sight of sinne in Beleevers and consequently all attendance to any rule of the law by which means chiefely sinne comes to be seen but he dyed rather to make them sensible of sinne for if he dyed to save men from sin as is evident 1 Iohn 3.5 Tit. 3.14 then hee dyed to make his people sensible of sinne because hereby his peoples hearts are chiefely weaned and sever'd from it and saved out of it as by hardnesse and unsensiblenesse of heart under it they chiefely cleave to it and it to them and therefore we know that godly sorrow workes repentance never to be repented of 2 Cor. 7.10 And that Pharaoh's hardnesse of heart strengthened him in his sin against God unto the last gasp and hence it is also that the deepest and greatest spirit of mourning for sin is poured out upon Beleevers after God hath poured out upon them the spirit of grace as is evident Zach. 12.10 11. because the bloud of Christ which was shed for the killing of their sinne now makes them sensible of their sinne because it 's now sprinkled and applyed to them which it was not before for they now see all their sins aggravated being now not onely sinnes against the law of God but against the bloud and love of the Son of God It is therefore a most accursed doctrine of some Libertines who imagining that through the bloudshed and righteousnes of Christ in their free justification God sees no sinne in his justified people that therefore themselves are to see no sinne because now they are justified and washed with Christs bloud and therefore lest they should be found out to bee grosse liars they mince the matteâ— they confesse that they may see sinne by the eye of sense and reason but faith being crosse to reason they are therefore to see the quite contrary and so to see no sinne in themselves by the eye of faith from whence it followes that Christ shed his bloud to destroy all sight and sense of sin to the eye of faith though not to the eye of reason and thus as by the eye of faith they should see no sin so it will follow that by the same bloud they are bound to see no law no not so much as their rule which as a rule is index sui obliqui and in revealing mans duty declares his sinne I know that in beholding our free justification by the bloud of Christ we are to exclude all law
from our consciences as a covenant of life not to see or feare any condemnation for sinne or any sinne able to take away life But will it hence follow that a justified person must see no sinne by the eye of faith nor any law as his rule to walke by to discover sinne and is this the end and fruit of Christs death too Surely this doctrine if it be not blasphemous yet it may be knowne to be very false and pernicious by the old rule of judging false Doctrines viz. if either they tend to extenuate sinne in man or to vilifie the precious grace of Jesus Christ as this Doctrine doth Thesis 83. If sinne be the transgression of the law which is a truth written by the Apostle with the beams of the Sunne 1 Iohn 3.4 then of necessity a Beleever is bound to attend the law as his rule that so he may not sinne or transgresse that rule Psalme 119.11 for whoever makes conscience of sinne cannot but make conscience of observing the rule that so he may not sinne and consequently whoever make no conscience of observing the rule doe openly professe thereby that they make no conscience of committing any sinne which is palpable and downe-right Atheisme and prophanesse nay it is such prophanesse by some mens principles which Christ hath purchased for them by his bloud for they make the death of Christ the foundation of this liberty and freedome from the law as their rule the very thought of which abominable doctrine may smite a heart who hath the least tendernesse with horrour and trembling Porquius therefore a great Libertine and the Beelzebub of those flies in Calvins time shuts his sore eyes against this definition of sinne delivered by the Apostle and makes this onely to be a sinne viz. to see know or feele sinne and that the great sinne of man is to thinke that he doth sinne and that this is to put off the old man viz. Non cernendo amplius peccatum i. by not seeing sinne So that when the Apostle tels us that sinne is the trangression of the law Porquius tels us That sinne is the seeing and taking notice of any such transgression surely if they that confesse sinne shall finde mercy then they that will not so much as see sinne shall finde none at all A Beleever indeed is to dye unto the Law and to see no sinne in himselfe in point of imputation for so he sees the truth there being no condemnation to them in Christ Jesus but thus to dye unto the law so as to see no sinne inherent in himselfe against the law this is impious for so to see no sinne and die unto the law is an untruth if the Apostle may be believed 1 Iohn 1.10 Those that so annihilate a Christian and make him nothing and God all so that a Christian must neither scire velle or sentire any thing of himselfe but he must be melted into God and dye to these for then they say he is out of the flesh and live in God and God must bee himselfe and such like language which in truth is nothing else but the swelling leaven of the devout and proud Monks laid up of late in that little peck of meale of Theologia Germanica out of which some risen up of late have made their cakes for the ordinary food of their deluded hearers I say these men had need take heed how they stand upon this precipice and that they deliver their judgements warlly for although a Christian is to bee nothing by seeing and loathing himselfe for sinne that so Christ may bee all in all to him yet so to bee made nothing as to see know thinke feele will desire nothing in respect of ones selfe doth inevitably lead to see no sinne in ones selfe by seeing which the soule is most of all humbled and so God and Jesus Christ is most of all exalted and yet such a kind of annihilation the old Monks have pleaded for and preached also as I could shew abundantly from out of their own writings insomuch that sometime they counsell men not to pray because they must be so farre annihilated as nihil velle and sometimes they would feigne themselves unable to beare the burthen of the species of their own pitchers in their cels from one end of them unto another because forsooth they were so farre annihilated as neither to velâ—â— so neither to scire or know any thing beside God whom they pretended to be all unto them and themselves nothing when God knowes these things were but braine bubbles and themselves in these things as arrand hypocrites as the earth bore and the most subtle underminers of the grace of Christ and the salvation of mens soules Thesis 84. A true Beleever though he cannot keep the law perfectly as his rule yet he loves it dearely he blames his owne heart when he cannot keep it but doth not find fauâ—l with the law as too hard but cries out with Paul The law is holy and good but I am carnall hee loves this Coppy though hee can but scribble after it when therefore the question is made viz. Whether a Beleever be bound to the law as his rule the meaning is not whether he hath power to keep it exactly as his rule or by what meanes hee is to seek power to keep it but the question is whether it bee in its self a Beleevers rule for to be a rule is one thing but to be able to keep it and by what meanes we should keep it whether by our own strength or no or by power from on high is another Thesis 85. If the Apowle had thought that all Beleevers were free from this directive power of the law he would never have perswaded them to love upon this ground viz. because all the law is fulfilled in love Gal. 5.13 14. for they might then have câ—st off this argument as weak and feeble and have truely said if this principle were true what have wee to with the law Thesis 86. There is the inward law written on the heart called the law of the Spirit of life Rom. 8.2 and there is the outward law revealed and written in the holy Scriptures now the externall and outward law is properly the rule of a Christian life and not the internall and inward law as some conceive for to outward law is perfect in that it perfectly declares what is Gods will and what not but the inward Law as received and writ in our hearts is imperfect in this life and therefore unfit to bee our rule The inward law is our actuall yet imperfect conformity to the rule of the law without it is not therfore the rule it selfe The law within is the thing to bee ruled Psal. 17.4 Psalme 119.4.5 The outward law therefore is the rule The law of the Spirit of life which is the internall law is called a law not in respect of perfect direction which is essentiall to the rule but in
respect of mighty and effectuall operation there being a power in it as of a strong law effectually and sweetly compelling to the obedience of the law For as the law of sinne within us which the Apostle calls the law of our members and is contrary to the law of our mindes or the law of the spirit of life within us is not the rule of knowing and judging what sinne is but the law of God without Romans 7.7 and yet it is called a law because it hath a compulsive power to act and encline to sin like a mighty and forcible law so the law of the spirit of life the law of our mindes is called a law not that it is the rule of a Christians life but that it compels the heart and forceth it like a living law to the obedience of that directing rule when it â—s made known to it from without It is therefore a great mistake to thinke that because God translates the law without into a Beleevers heart that therefore this heart-law is his only or principall rule of life or to imagine that the spirit without the externall law is the rule of life the spirit is the principle indeed of our obedience whereby we conforme unto the rule but it is not therefore the rule it selfe It is true indeed 1. That the spirit inclines the heart to the obedience of the rule 2. It illuminates the minde also many times to see it by secret shinings of preventing light as well as brings things to their remembrance which they knew before 3. It acts them also sometime so as that when they know not what to pray it prompts them Romans 8.26 When they know not what to speake before their Adversaries in that day it 's given to them Matth. 10.19 When they know not whither to goe nor how to goe it 's then a voice behinde them and leads them to fountaines of living waters Isaiah 30.21 Revel 7.17 But all these and such like quickning acts of the spirit doe not argue it to be our rule according to which wee ought to walke but only by which or by meanes of which we come to walke and are enclined directed and inabled to walke according to the rule which is the law of God without For the Pilot of the ship is not the compasse of the ship because that by the Pilot the ship is guided nor doth it argue that the Spirit is our rule because he guides us according to the rule It is not essentiall to the rule to give power to conforme unto it but to be that according to which we are to be conformed And therefore it 's a crazy argument to prove the law of the Spirit to be the rule of our life because it chiefly gives us power to conforme unto the rule for if the law be that according to which are to bee guided although it should give us no power yet this is sufficient to make it to be our rule Thesis 87. The Spirit of God which writ the Scriptures and in them this rule of the holy law is in the Scriptures and in that law as well as in a Beleevers heart and therefore to forsake and reject the Scriptures or this written rule is to forsake and reject the holy Spirit speaking in it as their rule nay 't is to forsake that Spirit which is the supreme Judge according to which all private spirits nay all the actings dictates movings speakings of Gods owne Spirit in us are to be tried examined and judged To the law and the testimony was the voice of the Prophets in their dayes Isa. 8.20 The Lord Christ himselfe referres the Jewes to the searching of Scriptures concerning himself Iohn 5.39 The men of Bereah are commended for examining the holy and infallible dictates of Gods Spirit in Pauls Ministery according to what was written in the Scriptures of old It is therefore but a cracking noise of windy words for any to say that they open no gap to licentiousnesse by renouncing the written and externall law as their rule considering that they cleave to a more inward and better rule viz. The law of the spirit within for as hath beene shewne they doe indeed renounce the holy Spirit speaking in the rule viz. the law without which though it be no rule of the Spirit as some object yet it is that rule according to which the Spirit guides us to walke and by which we are to judge whether the guidance bee the spirits guidance or no. Thesis 88. Some say That the difference between the old Testament dispensation and the new or pure Gospel and new Covenant is this to wit That the one or that of Moses was a Ministery from without and that of Christ from within and hence they say that the meer Commandments or letter of Scripture is not a law to a Christian why he should walke in holy duties but the law written on our hearts the law of life But if this bee the difference between the old and new Testament dispensation the ministery of the old and the ministery of the new then let all Beleevers burn their Bibles and cast all the sacred writings of the new Testament old unto spiders and cobwebs in old holes and corners and never be read spoken or meditated on for these externall things are none of Christs Ministery on which now Beleevers are to attend and then I marvaile why the Apostles preached or why they writ the Gospel for after times for that was the chiefe end of their writing as it was of the Prophets in their times Isaiah 30.8 that men might beleeve and beleeving have eternall life and know hereby that they have eternall life Iohn 20.31 1 Iohn 5.13 For either their writing and preaching the Gospell was not an externall and outward Ministry which is crosse to common sense or it was not Christs Ministery which is blasphemous to imagine and it is a vain shift for any to say That although it was Christs Ministery yet it was his Ministery as under the Law and in the flesh and not in meere glory and spirit for its evident that the Apostles preachings and writings were the effect of Christs ascension and glory Ephes. 4.8.11 when hee was most in the spirit and had received the spirit that hee might poure it out by this outward Ministery Acts 2.33 and it is a meer New-nothing and dream of Master Saltmarsh and and others to distinguish between Christ in the flesh and Christ in the Spirit as if the one Christ had a divers Ministery from the other For when the Comforter is come which is Christ in the Spirit what will he doe he will lead it s said unto all truth Iohn 16.13 But what truth will he guide us into Verily no other for substance but what Christ in the flesh had spoken and therefore it 's said that he shall bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you John 14.26 and therefore if I may use their
They that see how justly they deserve to bee forsaken of God and given over to their owne hearts lusts and to be for ever sinning and blaspheming God in hell where God will never command them to think of him speak of him doe for him pray to him more cannot but account it a high and speciall favour of Jesus Christ to command them any thing or bid them doe any thing for him a poore humbled prodigall will account it great love to bee made a hired servant Iohn Baptist will count it a high favour if he may but untie Christs shoe-latchet and bee commanded by him to doe the meanest worke for him David wondred at Gods grace toward him that God should command him and in some measure enable him to offer willingly Lord saith he what are wee I doe therefore marvaile how any can pretend that they are acted by the love of Christ and not by the law of commands considering that there is so much love in this for Christ to command and how they can professe their relish of preaching Gods free grace and love and yet cannot away with sweet and gracious exhortations pressing to holinesse and holy duties in the revealing and urging of which there is so much free-grace and heart-love of Christ Jesus surely if the love of Christ is to lead us then the commands of Christ wherein hee discovers one chiefe part of his love are to guide us and be a rule of life unto us The man who in his cool and deliberate thoughts imagines that a Christian under the rule of the law is a Christian under bondage may be justly feared that himself is still under the bondage of sin and Satan and never yet knew what the true love of Christ Iesus is to this day Thesis 93. The fundamentall errour of Antinomians ariseth from this in imagining the great difference between the law and Gospell to be this viz. That the law requires doing but the Gospel no doing and that all beleevers being under the Gospell are therefore under no law of doing but wee must know that as the Gospell exacts no doing that thereby we may be just so it requires doing also when by Christ Iesus we are made just For if the Gospell command us to be holy as God is holy 1 Pet. 1.15 and perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect Matth. 5.48 then the Gospel doth not onely require doing but also as much perfection of doing as the Law doth the Law and the Gospell require the same perfection of holinesse onely here is the difference which many have not observed the Gospel doth not urge this perfection nor require it of us as the Law doth for the law calling and urging of it that so hereby we may be made just it therefore accepts of nothing but perfection but the Gospell requiring it because wee are perfectly just already in Christ hence though it commands as much as the Law yet it accepts of lesse even the least measure of sincerity and perfection mixed with the greatest measure of imperfection Thesis 94. The Law say some of the Antinomians is to bee kept as an eternall rule of righteousnesse but their meaning then is That beleevers are thus to keep it in Christ who hath kept it for them and if they meant no more but that Christ hath kept it for righteousnesse to their justification they speak truely but their meaning herein is not only in respect of their justification but also in respect of their sanctification for they make Christs righteousnesse to bee materially and formally their sanctification hence they say A beleever hath repented in Christ and mortified sinne in Christ and that mortification and vivification is nothing but a beleeving that Christ hath mortified sinne for them and beene quickned for them and that That sanctification which is inherent in Christ and not that which is inherent in us is an evidence of our justification But this principle which confounds a Christians justification and sanctification as it casts the seed of denying all inherent graces in a Beleever so it layes the basis of refusing to doe any duty or conforme to any law in our owne persons for if this principle bee true which no Orthodox writer doubts of viz. That we are to seek for no righteousnesse in our selves to our justification because wee are perfectly just and made righteous for that end in Christ then it will undenyably follow that wee are not to seek for any holinesse and sanctification in our selves because we are perfectly sanctified also in Christ Iesus who hath repented and beleeved and mortified sinne perfectly for us in his owne person Look therefore as the perfection of Christs righteousnesse to our justification should make a Christian abhorre any personall righteousnesse of his owne to his justification so if wee bee perfectly sanctified in Christ then perfection of Christs holinesse to our sanctification should make a beleever not onely renounce the Law but to abhor all personall holines through the Spirit to our sanctification and then a Beleever must abhor to seek any love or feare of God in his heart which is not painted but professed prophanesse and the inlet not per accidens but per se to all manner of loosenesse and wickednesse in the world Thesis 95. Wee deny not but that Christ is our sanctification as well as our righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.30 but how not materially and formally but virtually and meritoriously and with meet explications exemplarily our righteousnesse to our justification is inherent in him but our sanctification is inherent in our selves yet it is derived from him and therefore it is virtually and meritoriously onely in him and hence it is that wee are never commanded to justifie our selves unlesse it be instrumentally and sacramentally when as we are commanded by faith to wash our selves Isa. 1.16 and as Paul at his baptisme was commanded to wash away his sinnes Acts 22.16 but wee are frequently and abundantly exhorted to repent beleeve mortifie our affectiions upon earth to walke in newnesse of life to be holy in all manner of conversation c. because these things are wrought by Christ in us to our sanctification and not wrought in Christ for us as our righteousnesse to our justification Thesis 96. They that are in Christ are said to be compleat in Christ Col. 2.10 and that they receive all grace from his fulnesse Iob. 1.16 so that is seemes that there is no grace in themselves but it is first in him and consequently that their sanctification is perfected in him but wee must know that though the perfection and fulnesse of all grace is first in Christ yet that beleevers have not all in him after one and the same manner nor for the same end for our righteousnesse to our justification is so in him as never to be inherent in us in this or in the world to come but our righteousnesse to our sanctification is so farre in him as that it is to be derived
and conveyed unto us and hence it is formally in our selves but meritoriously and virtually onely in him even as our resurrection and glorification at last day are not so in Christ as never to bee derived to us for then the resurrection were past already but they are so in him as that they are to bee conveyed to us and therefore they are meritoriously and virtually in him and we are meritoriously and virtually risen in him a Christian therefore may be compleat in Christ and yet not be perfectly formally sanctified in Christ our sanctification being compleated in him after another manner and for other ends than our justification Thesis 97. The chiefe end of Christs first comming was to lay down his life a ransome for many in way of satisfaction and merit Phil. 2.8 Matth. 20.28 now by this satisfaction hee did two things 1. He brought in such a righteousnesse before God as might merit mercy and make us just now this is wholly in Christ out of our selves but because there was a righteousnesse of new obedience and thankfulnesse to be wrought in us for this love therefore 2. By the same satisfaction hee hath merited not that this new obedience might justifie us or make us accepted but that it might be accepted though imperfect and polluted with sinne 1 Peter 2.5 6. as also that it might bee crowned and recompenced Now hence it followes that the Lord Jesus hath not performed our duty of thankfulnesse and new obedience for us sub hoc formali or as of thankfulnes for though Christ was thankfull and holy for us yet it was not under this notion of thankfulnesse for his owne love to us for this is personally required of us and it sounds very harsh to say that Christ walked in all holy thankfulnesse to himselfe for his love to us but hee was thus thankfull for us sub ratione meriti or in way of merit it being part of that satisfaction which justice exacted All that which might satisfie justice and merit any mercy Christ did for us in himselfe but he did not beleeve and repent and performe duties of thankfulnesse for us because these and such like are not to satisfie justice but follow as fruits of that satisfaction and therefore are wrought within us and so are personally required of us and therefore when a Christian findes a want of these things in himselfe he is not to comfort himselfe with fond thoughts of the imputation of these in Christ onely unto him but he is to look up to Christ Jesus for derivation of these out of Christ into himselfe otherwise by making Christ his sanctification onely in way of imputation he doth really destroy Christ from being his sanctification for if Christ be our righteousnesse onely by imputation then if Christ be our sanctification it must be by derivation from him which they must needs destroy who make him their sole sanctification by meere imputation Thesis 98. Spirituall errours like strong wine make mens judgements reele and stagger who are drunken therewith And hence the Antinomians speake so variously in this point that we know not where to finde them or what they will stand to for sometime they will say that a Beleever is free from the law in all its authority and offices but this being too grosse at other times they speake more warily and affirm that a Christian is to observe the law as his rule personally thus farre forth viz. To doe what is commanded but not in vertue of a command the spirit say they will binde and conforme their hearts to the law but they are not bound by any authority of the law to the directions thereof the spirit they say is free and they are under the government of the spirit which is not to be controled and ruled by any law Now if by vertue of a command they meant by vertue of our owne naturall strength and abilities looking to the command so it 's true that that a Beleever is not so bound to act by vertue of the law for then he was bound to conforme to the law pharisaically for what is our strength but weaknesse and sinne but if by vertue of a command they meane thus much viz. that a Beleever is not bound by the commanding power of any law to conforme thereunto onely the spirit will conforme his heart thereunto so that hee shall doe the things perhaps which the law requires but not because the law requires or commands them to be done If this I say be their meaning as surely it seemes to bee then the mystery of this iniquity is so plain that he that runnes may read it For hence it undeniably followes that in a case a Beleever fall into any sinne of whordome murder theft witchcraft c. These wicked acts though they be sins in themselves because they are against the law yet they are not sinnes unto him because he is now set free from the law and not bound to the obedience of it by vertue of any command for where there is no law there is no transgression and if there bee no law which bindes him there is no transgression then at least unto him They are sinnes indeed in themselves but not unto him they are sinnes as some say to sense but not to faith sinnes in the conversation but not to conscience sinnes before men because they may crosse their lawes but not sinnes before God who exempts them from all law And it is in vaine here to reply that they may bee sinnes To him because they may be against the law of the Spirit which is his rule for we have already shewn that although the spirit be the principle by which we obey yet it is not our rule according to which we are to obey Indeed it is an high aggravation of sinne when it is against the spirit but to crosse the spirit doth not firstly make these things sinfull nor could they be sinnes unlesse they crosse such a spirit as speakes in and by some holy law the very essence of sinne lying in the transgression not of any law but of the law i. the known morall or Evangelicall law Againe if these and such like be sinnes because they are onely against the law of the spirit then it is no sinne to bow downe before an Image to commit filthinesse theft c. supposing that the Spirit shall suspend his act and not restraine nay then it will follow that sinnes of ignorance of which the spirit hath not convinced a Christian are no sins nor to be repented of which is expressely crosse to the holy practice of David Who knowes his errours Lord cleanse me from my secret sinnes If sinne therefore be the transgression of the law whether the Spirit worke upon a Christian or no then certainely if he be under no commanding power of the law hee cannot be guilty or be said to commit any sinne and then the conclusion is this That every Beleever neither hath sin or should
but of being under the Law by peculiar dispensation which was the state not only of the Jewish Church but of the children of God heires of the promise and consequently such as were beleevers in this Church in those old Testament times wee are not therefore now in these new Testament times under the law as they were the great difficulty therefore remaines to know how we are not under the law as they were Those who say we are not under the Ceremonial law as they were doe speak truely but they doe not resolve the difficulty in this place for certainly the Apostle speaks not onely of the Ceremoniall law but also of that law which was given because of transgressions Gal. 3.19 and which shut up not onely the Jewes but all men under sinne verse 22. which being the power of the morall law chiefely the Apostle must therefore intend the morall law under which the old Testament Beleevers were shut up and we now are not The doubt therefore still remaines viz. How are we not now under the morall law Will any say that we are not now under the malediction and curse and condemnation of it but the Jewes under the old Testament were thus under it even under the curse of it This cannot be the meaning for although the carnall Jewes were thus under it yet the faithfull whom the Apostle cals the heire and Lord of all Gal. 4.1 were not thus under it for Beleevers then were as much blessed then with faithfull Abraham as Beleevers now cap. 3.9 How then are we not now under it as they were Is it in this that they were under it as a rule of life to walk by and so are not we Thus indeed some straine the place but this cannot bee it for the Apostle in this very Epistle presseth them to Love one another upon this ground because All the Law is fulfilled in love cap. 5.13 14. and this walking in love according to the law is walking in the Spirit verse 16. and they that thus walke in the spirit according to the law are not saith the Apostle under the law which cannot without flat contradiction be meant of not being under the rule or directive power of it and it would bee a miserable weake motive to presse them to love because all the law is fulfilled in love if the law was not to bee regarded as any rule of life or of love for they might upon such a ground easily and justly object and say What have we to doe with the law If we therfore as well as they are thus under the law as a rule of life how are wee not under it as they were Is it because they were under it as a preparative means for Christ and not wee They were under the humbling and terrifying preparing worke of it but not we There are some indeed who think that this use of the law under the Gospel is but a back-doore or an Indian path or a crookt-way about to lead to Jesus Christ but certainly these men know not what they say for the text expressely tels us that the Scripture hath concluded not onely the Jewes but All under sinne that so the promise by faith might be given to them that beleeve Gal. 3.22 So that the law is subservient to faith and to the promise that so hereby not onely the Jewes but all that God saves might hereby feele their need and fly by faith to the promise made in Iesus Christ and verily if Christ be the end of the law to every one that beleeves Rom. 10.4 then the law is the meanes not of it selfe so much as by the rich grace of God not onely to the Iewes but to all others to the end of the world to lead them to this end Christ Iesus If therefore the faithfull under the new Testament are thus under the preparing worke of the law as well as those under the old How were they therefore so under the law as we are not and wee not under it as they were I confesse the place is more full of difficulties than is usually observed by writers upon it onely for the clearing up of this doubt omitting many things I answer briefely That the children of the old Testament were under the law and the pedagogy of it two wayes after which the children of the new Testament are not under it now but are redeemed from it 1. As the morall law was accompanied with a number of burdensome Ceremonies thus wee are not under it thus they were under it For we know this law was put into the Ark and there they were to look upon it in that type if any man then committed any sinne against it whether through infirmity ignorance or presumption they were to have recourse to the Sacrifices and High Priests yearely and to their bloud and oblations They were to pray which was a morall duty but it must bee with incense and in such a place They were to be thankfull another morall duty but it must bee testified by the offering up of many Sacrifices upon the Altar c. They were to confesse their sinnes a morall duty also but it must be over the head of the Scape-goat c. Thus they were under the law but we are not And as 't is usuall for the Apostle thus to speak of the law in other places of the Scripture so surely hee speakes of it here for hence it is that in the beginning of this dispute cap. 3.19 hee speaks of the morall law which was given because of transgressions and yet in the close of it Gal. 4.3 he seemes to speak only of the ceremoniall law which he cals the elements of the world under which the children were then in bondage as under Tutors and Governours which implies thus much that the children of the old Testament were indeed under the morall law but yet withall as thus accompanied with ceremoniall rudiments and elements fit to teach children in their minority But now in this elder age of the Church although we are under the morall law in other respects yet wee are not under it as thus accompanied 2. In respect of the manner and measure of dispensation of the morall law which although it had the revelation of the Gospel conjoyned with it for Moses writ of Christ Iohn 5.46 and Abraham had the Gospell preached to him Gal. 3.8 and the unbeleeving Jewes had the Gospel preached Heb. 4.2 yet the law was revealed and pressed more clearely and strongly with more rigour and terrour and the Gospel was revealed more obscurely and darkly in respect of the manner of externall dispensation of them in those times there were three things in that manner of dispensation from which at least ex parte Dei revelantis we are now freed 1. There was then much law urged externally clearly and little Gospel so clearely revealed indeed Gospel and Christ Iesus was the end of the morall law and the substance of all the shadowes of the ceremoniall
be set to do the same work and have the same rule given them to act by but the motives to this their work and the stripes and punishments for neglect of their work may be various and divers a son may be bound to it because he is a son and beloved a servant may be bound to do the same work because he is hired and shall have wages if the son neglect his work his punishment is only the chastisement of a father for his good if a servant be faulty he is turned quite out of doors So although Beleevers in Christ and those that are out of Christ haue divers and various motives to the obedience of the law of God yet these do not vary the rule the law of God is the rule to them both although they that be out of Christ have nothing but fear and hope of wages to urge them and those that are in Christ should have nothing but the love of a Father and the heart-bloud mercy of a tender Saviour and Redeemer to compell them the one may be bound to do that so they may live the other may be bound to do because they do live the one may be bound to do or else they shall be justly plagued the other may be bound to do the same or else they shall be mercifully corrected It is therefore a meer feeblenesse to think as some do that the law or rule is changed because the motives to the obedience of it and punishment for the breach of it are now unto a beleever changed and aâ—tâ—ed for the Commandment urged from Châ—ists love may binde strongly yea most strongly to doe the same thing which the same Commandment propounded and received in way of hiâ—e may binde also unto Thesis 112. Some think that there is no sin but unbelief which is a sin against the Gospel only and therefore there being no sin against any law Christ having by his death abolished all them the law cannot be a rule to them An adulterous and an evill generation made drunk with the cup of the wine of the wrath of God and strong delusion do thus argue Are drunkenesse whoredom lying cheating witchcraft oppression theft buggery no sins and consequently not to be repented of nor watcht against but only unbelief Is there no day of judgement wherein the Lord will judge men not only for unbelief but the secrets of all hearts and whatever hath been done in the body whether good or evil according to Pauls Gospel Rom. 2.16 2 Cor. 5.10 How comes the wrath of God to be revealed from heaven not only against unbelief but against all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse of man Rom. 1.18 If there was no sin but unbelief how can all flesh Jews and Gentiles become guilty before God that so they may beleeve in the Gospel as 't is Rom. 3 21 12 â—3 24 if they are all guiltlesse untill unbelief comes in There is no sin indeed which shall condemn a man in case he shall beleeve but will it follow from hence that there is no sin in a man but only unbelief A sick man shall not die in case he receive the Physick which will recover him but doth it follow from hence that there is no sicknesse in him or no such sicknesse which is able to kill him but only his wilfull refusing of the Physick surely his refusing of the Physick is not the cause of his sicknesse which was before not the naturall for that his sicknesse is but only the morall cause of his death Sin is before unbelief comes a sick sinner before a healing Saviour can be rejected sin kils the soul as it were naturally unbelief morally no sin shall kill or condemn us if we beleeve but doth it follow from hence that there is no sin before or after faith because there is no condemning sin unlesse we fall by unbelief No such matter and yet such is the madnesse of some prophets in these times who to abandon not only the directive use of the law but also all preparing and humbling work of the law and to make mens sinning the first foundation and ground of their beleeving do therefore either abolish all the being of any sin beside unbelief or the condemned estate of a man for sin yea for any sin untill he refuse Christ by unbelief for publishing which pernicious doctrines it had been well for them if they had never been born Thesis 113. One would wonder how any Christians should fall into this pit of perdition to deny the directive use of the law to one in Christ if either they read Ps. 119. with any savour or the Epistles of Iohn Iames with any faith in which the law is highly commended and obedience thereto urged as the happinesse and chief evidence of the happinesse of man but that certainly the root of this accursed doctrine is either a loose heart which is grown blind and bold and secretly glad of a liberty not so much from the law of sin as from the law God or if the heart be sincere in the main yet it slights the holy Scriptures at present and makes little conscience of judging in the matters of God according unto them for if it did it could hardly fall into â—his dirty ditch out of which the good Lord deliver and out of which I am perswaded he will deliver in time all those that are his own for I much question the salvation of that man who lives and dies with this opinion and as every errour is fruitfull so this is in speciall for from this darkning the directive use of the morall law arise amidst many others these ensuing evils which are almost if not altogether deadly to the souls men they are principally these three Thesis 114. The first is a shamefull neglect in some affecting foolishly the name of new Testament Ministers of a wise and powerfull preaching of the law to make way by the humbling work of it for the glorious Gospel and the affectionate entertainment thereof for through the righteous judgement of God when men once begin to abandon this use of the law as a rule they abolish much more readily this use of the law to prepare men thereby for the receiving of Christ I know there are some who acknowledge this use of the law to be our rule but not to prepare but how long they may be orthodox in the one who are heterodox in the other the Lord only knows for I finde that the chief arguments against the one do strike strongly against the other also It 's an easie thing to cast blocks before the blinde and to cast mists before the face of the clearest truth and to make many specious shews of new Testament Ministry free-grace and Covenant against this supposed legall way and preparing work but assuredly they that have found and felt the fruit and comfort of this humbling way for which I doubt not but that thousands and thousands are blessing God in heaven that ever they
the heavy plagues for the breach of it more fully then the Scribes and Pharises he that is angry with his brother is a murderer and he that cals him fool is in danger of hell fire Mat. 5.22 Peter was no Minister of the old Testament because he first convinced and prickt the Iews to the heart for their murder of Christ Iesus Paul was no such Minister neither when as he would evince our justification by Christs righteousnesse only in that he begins and spends so much time in proving Gentiles and Iews to be under sin and wrath notwithstanding all the excuses of the one and priviledges of the other as appears in his three first chapters to the Romans but herein they were Gospel preachers Nor can it with any colour of reason be thought that the Prophets in the old Testament were herein Ministers of the letter viz. when they did first wound and then heal first humble by the law and then revive by the Gospel Mr. Saltmarsh hath been so blinded with this notion of the old Testament Ministry that to make this use of the law in preaching the Gospel or to hold forth the promises of grace to them that are qualified with the grace of the promise as the old Testament Prophets did is to give as he thinks the wine of the Gospel burning hot as the covetous gentleman did to his guests and another whom I spare to name professeth That the old Testament because it urgeth the law to humble containeth little good news but much bad news but â—ow when Christ saith Go preach the Gospel thereby he would have them he saith Ministers of the new Testament to preach glad tidings nothing but Gospel but no had bidings not a jot of the law untill men positively reject the glad tidings of the Gospel If these men speak true then neither Peter in his preaching nor Paul in his writings nor Christ himself in his Ministry were Ministers of the new Testament but did overheat their wine and preach much bad tidings to the people of God Verily if this stuff be not repented of the Lord hath a time to visit for these inventions 2. Some object Gal. 3.24 25. That the children of the old Testament were under the law as their pedagogue to lead them to Christ but now the Apostle saith we are no longer under this Schoolmaster who are sons of God in the new Testament Be it so that the sons of God under the new Testament are past the terrouring of this Schoolmasters is it not therefore the work of the new Testament Ministry to preach the law unto servants and slaves to sin and Satan in new Testament times No saith the same auâ—hor for this is to preach bad news this is no good news to say Thou art condemned for these things for the Gospel saith thus Thou poor drunkard thou proud woman here is a gracious God that hath loved thee and sent Christ to die for thee and Ministers to make it known to thee and here is everlasting salvation by him only because thou art a sinner thou art now free from damnation fear not that Christ hath loved thee therefore obey him if not thou shalt not be damned that is done away already c. I would know whether a proud woman or a poor drunkard a villain who never yet beleeved are in a state of condemnation I or no I have read indeed that There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8.1 but never of any such freedom to them that are out of Christ unlesse it was only in destination and merit and I have read that we are by nature children of wrath while dead in sin Eph. 2 1 2 3. but never of this viz. that we are in favour while we be in our sin much lesse that we are to beleeve this because we are such If therefore such persons be in a state of wrath and death and condemnation is not this like the old false prophets crying peace peace and salvation where there is no peace There is no peace to the wicked saith my God Isa. 48. ult Isa. 57. ult This is truth before they reject the Gospel is it not This the law saith say some true But is not this confirmed by the Ministry of the Gospel also Iob. 3. ult He that beleeves not the wrath of God abides upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was upon him before he did beleeve and when he beleeves not it abides where it did Must the Ministers of the new Testament therefore preach lies and falshoods and tell proud women and poor drunkards and villains before they refuse the Gospel by unbelief that the Lord Iesus loves them and that they need not fear condemnation when the Scripture hath shut up all men under it that the promise by faith might be given to those that beleeve and them only What is this Gospel Ministry but to tell men they are whole and not sick to death but healed before they come to the Physitian the Lord Iesus surely that is Gospel Ministry which advanceth Christ not onely in word but in power in the hearts of poor sinners but doth this Ministry advance the Physitians custome and honour which where it comes must first tell all the crue of wretched drunkards proud persons and villains that they are already well and whole loved and pardoned blessed and saved before ever they come to the Lord Jesus suppose therefore as some may say that servants and slaves to sin may have the Law preacht to them yet the sons and children of God have no use of it in that respect now 't is true I grant not as the servants have under the new Testament nor yet as the sons of God had under the old for the children of God under the old Testament had need of this Schoolmaster to leade them to Christ to come and ad Christum typecum i. to Christ typed out in sacrifices and oblations high Priest and Altar and so it led them to Christ afar off and as it were a great way about but it doth not follow that there is no use of the Law therefore to be a Schoolmaster still to leade unto Christ immediatly and already come those that are servants to sin under the new Testament have need of the law to shew them the condemnation and curse under which they lie by nature and are now actually under but the sons of God for whom Christ is made a curse are not thus under it and therefore have not this use of it but only to shew that curse and condemnation which they do of themselves deserve and therefore the holy Apostle when he was in Christ and did live unto God he shewes us how he did live unto God viz. by dying to the Law and how he did die to the Law and that was by the Law i. as it did shew him his condemnation he did live to God in his justification as it did shew him his sin and wants
Minister of the Gospel of Christ to plead for such popish ignorance in a Christian as can see no further then his own buttons and that cannot discern by the Spirit of God the great and wonderfull change from darknesse to light from death to life from Satan to God the visible work of God and graces of the Spirit of God the things which the Apostle cals love are frâ—ely given to them of God 1 Cor. 2.12 Peters was imperfect blotted and mixed and yet he could say Lord thou knowest I love thee Ioh. 21.17 the poor doubting mourning man in the Gospel had some faith and was able to see it and say certainly Lord I beleeve help my unbeleef Could Paul discern without extraordinary revelation because he speaks as an ordinary Christian an inner man and a Law in his minde delighting in the Law of God yet mixed with a Law in his members leading him captive into the Law of sin and cannot we and yet the Doctor doth cast such stains upon sincerity universall obedience love to the brethren c. and heaps up the same cavils against the truth of them in the souls of the Saints as the Devil himself usually doth by sinfull suspitions and suggestions when God lets him loose for a season to buffet his people that so they may never know if it were possible what great things the Lord hath done for their souls and whoever reades his book shall finde that he makes a Beleever such a creature as cannot tell certainly whether he be a sincere-hearted man or an arrand hypocrite wheâ—her he be under the power of sin and Satan or not whether one man can be discerned from another to be a Saint or a devill or whether he hath any charity and goes love to them that are Saints from them that are not and so abouâ— to befool and non-plus and puzzle the people of God as the story relates of the German woman desirous to rid the house of her husband who first making him drunk and casting him into a sleep did so shave him and dresse him and cut and clip him that when he awakened he knew not what to thinke of himselfe or to say who he was for by looking upon and in himself he thought he was the womans husband and yet by his new cut and habit he almost beleeved that he was a Fryar as his wife affirmed Sanctification is an evidence alway in it selfe of a justified estate although it be not alway evident unto us and therefore what though a Christian sees his sanctification and graces to day and cannot see them but is doubâ—full about them suppose to morrow shall he therefore reject it as a doubtfull evidence which is ever clear enough in it self though not alway to our discerning for I would know what evidence can there be of a justified estate but partly through dimnesse and weaknesse of faith which is but imperfect and therefore mixt with some doubtings all a mans life sometime or other and partly through the wise and adored providences of God to exercise our faith but that some time or other it cannot be discerned is the immediate testimony of Gods Spirit which some would make the only evidence alway evident and the shinings sheddings and actings of it never suspended but that by some means or other they will be at a losse why then should sanctification be excluded as a doubtfull evidence because sometime it is and at other times not discerned I know there are some who perceiving the conceived uncertainty of all such evidences have therefore found out a strange catholicon for these sick times a sure way of evidencing and leding all mens consciences in a way of peace and unshaken assurance of the love of Christ and therefore they make which I name with horrour the sight of corruption and sinfull pollution through the promise of the Gospel the certain and setled evidence of life and salvation which opinion the least I can say of it is that which Calvin said in the like case to be exundantis in mundum suroris Dei slagellum Wo to the dark mountains of Wales and the fat valleys towns and cities in England and sea coasts and Ilands in America if ever this delusion take place and yet this flame begins to catch and this infection to spread and therefore I finde M. Saltmarsh and W. C. to speak out and openly to own that which the Familists in former times have either been ashamed or afraid to acknowledge and that is this viz That the promise of the Gospâ—l do belong to a sinner quâ sinner or as a sinner and that the Law speaks good news to a righteous man quatenus a righteous man but the Gospel quite contrary it is to a man quatenus a sinner not as a regenerate man or as an humble man or as a Saint or as a beleever but as a sinner and hence they infer That a Christian will never have any setled peace but be off and on as a bone out of joint in and out in and out a reed tossed with the winde never knit to Christ if they lay hold on Christ and Gods love under any other consideration then as to sinners â— and therefore though they see no good in themselves though they be not humbled broken-hearted sinners as one Preacher tels them nor beleeving sinners as another Preacher tels them yet if they see themselves sinners they must know a sinner is the proper object of the Gospel and therefore this is ground enough to beleeve so that if the devil tell a man that he is no Saint if the soul can say I am a sinner if the devil say thou art an hypocrite I but an hypocrite is but a sinner still though I be not a broken-hearted sinner this will be they say a refuge of peace to retreat unto in all temptations and when men have learnt this lesson their souls will not be in and out any more but have constant peace for though they have no interest in Christ as Saints yet they have reall interest in the promises of Christ as sinners hence also they say that no Minister is to threaten or declare the curse and wrath of God against drunkards and sinners as such untill first Christ be offered in the Gospel and they refuse him and that if any do this they are Ministers of the Old Testament not of the new Sic deâ—init in piscem mulier formosa let us therefore see what chaff and what corn what truth and what falsehood there is in this nâ—w divinity It is true 1. That the Gospel reveals the free grace and love of God the death of Christ and salvation by him for sinners and that all those that are or shall be saved are to acknowledge and aggravaâ—e Gods love toward them in casting his eye upon them when they were sinners notwithstanding all their siâ—s this the Scripture everywhere holds forth Rom. 5.6 7. 1 Tim. 1.15.2 'T is true also that the
against the second Commandment might not as wel blot out much of that light of nature about the Sabbath also and then how shall the light of nature be any sufficient discovery unto us of that which is morall and of that which is not Thesis 147. There is a Law made mention of Iam. 2.10 whose parts are so inseparably linked together that whosoever breaks any one is guilty of the breach of all and consequently whosoever is called to the obedience of one is called to the obedience of all and consequently all the particular Jaws which it contains are homogeneall parts of the same Totum or whole law If it be demanded What is this Law the answer is writ with the beams of the Sun that 't is the whole morall Law contained in the Decalogue For 1. The Apostle speaks of such a Law which not only the Jews but all the Gentiles are bound to observe and for the breach of any one of which not only the Jews but the Gentiles also were guilty of the breach of all and therefore it cannot be meant of the ceremoniall Law which did neither binde Gentiles or Jews at that time wherein the Apostle writ 2 He speaks of such a Law as is called a royall Law and a Law of liberty vers 8.12 which cannot be meant of the ceremoniall Law in whole or in part which is called a Law of bondage not worthy the royall and kingly spirit of a Christian to stoop to Gal. 4.9 3. 'T is that law by the works of which all men are bound to manifest their faith and by which faâ—â—h is made perfect vers 22. which cannot be the Ceremoniall nor Evangelicall for that is the Law of faith and therefore it 's meant of the Law morall 4. 'T is that Law of which Thou shalt not kill nor commmit adultery are parts vers 11. Now these Laws are part of the Decalogue only and whereof it may be said he that said Thou shalt not commit adultery said also Remember to keep the Sabbath holy and therefore the whole Decalogue and not some parts of it only is the morall Law from whence it is manifest that the Apostle doth not speak as M. Primrose would interpret him of offending against the Word at large and of which the Ceremoniall Laws were a part but of offending against that part of the word to wit the morall Law of which he that offends against any one is guilty of the breach of all hence also his other answer fals to the dust viz. that the fourth command is no part of the Law and therefore the not observing of it is no sinne under the New Testament because it was given only to the Jews and not to us for if it be a part of the Decalogue of which the Apostle only speaks then 't is a meer begging of the question to affirm that it is no part of the Law of Christians but we see the Apostle here speaks of the Law and the Royall Law and the Royall Law of Liberty his meaning therefore must be of some speciall Law which he cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Law now if he thus speaks of some speciall Law what can it be but the whole Decalogue and not a part of it only as when he speaks of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he means not some part but the whole Gospel also and if every part of the Decalogue is not morall how should any man know from any Law or rule of God what was morall and what not and consequently what is sinful and what not if it be said the light of nature we have proved that this is a blind and corrupt-Judge as it exists in corrupt man if it be said by the light of the Gospel this was then to set up a light unto Christians to discern it by but none to the Jews while they wanted the Gospel as dispensed to us now many morall Laws also are not mentioned in the Gospel it being but accidentall to it to set forth the Commandements of the Law Thesis 148. If Christ came to fulfill and not to destroy the Law Mat. 5.17 then the Commandement of the Sabbath is not abolished by Christs comming if not one jot prick or tittle of the Law shall perish much lesse shall a whole Law perish or be destroyed by the comming of Christ. Thesis 149. 'T is true indeed that by Law and Prophets is sometimes meant their whole doctrine both ceremoniall and morall and propheticall which Christ fulfilled personally but not so in this place of Matthew but by Law is meant the morall Law and by Prophets those propheticall illustrations and interpretations thereof in which the Prophets do abound for 1. The Lord Christ speaks of that law only which whosoever should teach men to break and cast off he should be least in the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 5.19 but the Apostles did teach men to cast off the Ceremoniall Law and yet were never a whit lesse in the Kingdom of Heaven 2. He speaks of that Law by conformity to which all his true Disciples should exceed the righteousnesse of Scribes and Pharisees but that was not by being externally ceremonious or morall but by internall conformity to the spiritualnesse of Gods Law which the Pharisees then regarded not 3. Christ speaks of the least Commandements and of these least Commandments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now what should those least Commandements be but those which he afterward interprets of rash anger adulterous eyes unchaste thoughts love to enemies c. which are called least in opposition to the Pharisaicall Doctors conceits in those times who urged the grosse duties commanded and condemned men onely for grosse sins forbidden as if therein consisted our compleat conformity to the Law of God and therefore by the least of those Commandments is meant no other then those which he afterward sets down in his spirituall interpretation of the Law vers 21. never a one of which Commandments are Ceremoniall but morall Laws and although Mr. Primrose thinks that there is no connexion between the seventeen and the other expositors verses of the Law which follow yet whosoever ponders the Analysis impartially shall finde it otherwise even from the 17 Verse to the end the conclusion of which is to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect who is never made a pattern of perfection to us in ceremoniall but only in morall matters 't is true indeed which some object that there is mention made of Altar and Sacrifice vers 23 which were ceremonials but there is no Law about them but only a morall Law of love is thereby prest with allusion to the ceremoniall practice in those times he speaks also about divorce but this is but accidentally brought to shew the morality of the Law of adultery the Law of retaliation wants not good witnesses to testifie to the morality of it but I rather thinke 't is brought in to set forth a morall Law against private revenge
because it was impassible say some nor subject to wearinesse in its work say others truly to what purpose then should any Sabbath be appointed unto him in that estate But we must know that the Hebrew word for Sabbath signifies holy rest and therefore as Rivet well shews it 's called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Menuchah which signifies common rest from wearinesse hence it follows that the Sabbath being originally sanctified for holy rest not for common rest or rest from naturall wearinesse in labour Adam might therefore stand in need of a Sabbath though his body was not subject to any wearinesse in or after his labour Hence also although he was to live holily every day yet this hinders not but that his soul might then have need of the holy rest of a Sabbath For 1. Adam was to serve God in a particular calling then as is manifest from Gen 2.15 for he was then to keep and dresse the garden and to act with and under God in the government of many inferiour creatures Gen. 1.26 And thus his time being filled in serving God with all holinesse in his calling he might need a Sabbath nor was it lawfull for him to turn daies of work in his calling into daies of rest and so to keep a Sabbath every day no not in that innocent and happy estate for if it was contrary to Adams holy estate to work six daies how could it be agreeable or sutable to the holinesse of God to work six daies If God did labour six daies and rested a seventh without any need of a rest in respect of any wearinesse in his work why might not nay why should not man imitate and be like to his God in labour and rest although he was not subject to any wearinesse in his holy work 2. Though every day was to be spent in holinesse mediatly both in seeing God in the creatures and meeting with God in his labour and calling yet it was not unsutable nay it was very needfull in that estate to have one day in the week for more immediate and speciall converse with God and for God more immediatly and specially to converse with him Nor indeed was it suitable to Gods wisdom to confine mans holinesse either then or now either to holy labour only or to holy rest only for then he should not have been so like unto God who was exemplary holy unto man in both Speciall time for action wherein he closed with God more mediatly throughout the six daies labour might well stand with speciall time for contemplation of God upon the Sabbath wherein he was to enjoy God more immediatly Adam did not need a Sabbath upon the same ground of weaknesse that we do viz. because we cannot be earnest enough as M. Primrose objects in holy services to God upon the week daies but we see it did not sute Gods wisdom nor mans holy estate then to be intent and earnest only in the enjoyment of his rest to which his intention on his calling and labour then could not be any hinderance when the Sabbath came being free from such clogs of sin then as we are now prest down withall and therefore it is an unworthy expression but oft used by the same author and others viz. That it did derogate from the excellency of Adams condition to observe a seventh daies Sabbath and that the determination of a time then did argue Adams inability or want of inclination and affection to serve God ordinarily and that the observance of a Sabbath is a mark of a servile condition as of other holy daies under the law and that if Adam was able to serve God continually that it was then needlesse to limit him to a particular day and that if a day were needfull God would have left the choice thereof to his own freedom considering the wisdom and godlinesse wherewith God had endowed him These and such like expressions are but hay and stubble which the light of the truth delivered may easily consume Thesis 176. 'T is true the Saints and Angels in heaven have no set Sabbath but doth it therefore follow that the state of innocency on earth should have been in all things like and particularly in this to the staâ—e of glory in heaven No such matter For should there have been no marriage no dressing of the garden no day nor night c. in Paradise because there is no marriage nor dressing of gardens nor weeks nor reckonings of day and night in heaven If God hath work for Adam to do not only upon the Sabbath but upon the week daies also why might he not be said to glorifie God without stint or ceasing as the Angels do in heaven unlesse M. Primrose will say that Adams marriage and dressing the garden was a stinting and ceasing from glorifying God which either he must affirm or else his argument fals flat upon all four who thinks that Adam could not have any set day for a Sabbath because then he should not be like the Saints and Angels in heaven who glorifie God continually without stint or ceasing Thesis 177. They that think that the Sabbath was not given to Adam because it was given as a peculiar perogative and priviledge to the Jews and they that think that it was the Jews prerogative and priviledge because of such Scriptures as affirm that God gave unto them his Sabbaths Exod. 16.29 Nehem. 9.14 Ezek. 20.12 and such like they may as well imagine that neither the whole Decalogue or any part of it did belong to Adam because the very same thing is affirmed of it viz. That he gave his laws to Iacob his statutes and judgements to Israel Psal. 147.19 to them also it 's said were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 3.2 The Sabbath therefore is not said to be given to them as a peculiar propriety to the Jews no more then other parts of the Decalogue but as a speciall mercy yea as a sweeter mercy in some respect then the giving of any other laws it being the sweetest mercy upon earth to rest in the bosom of God which the law of the Sabbath cals to and to know that it is our heavenly Fathers minde that we should do so upon every Sabbath day in a speciall manner without the knowledge of which law we have lesse light of nature to hold the candle to us to the observance of it then from any other laws to direct us to the obedience of them Thesis 178. It is affirmed but unwarily by some that the tree of life in Paradise was a type of Christ and thence some would infer that it was not unsutable to Adams estate and condition in innocency to be taught by types and that the Sabbath might therefore be ceremoniall supposing that it was observed by Adam in his innocent estate but although the tree of life and sundry other things in Paradise are made Similitudes to set forth Christ Jesus in his Church by the
which notwithstanding may be morall although it be not so immediatly known Thesis 198. If we speak of the law of corrupt nature largely taken for that law which when 't is made known by divine determination and declaration is both sutable and congruous to naturall reason and equity we may then say that the Law of the Sabbath is according to the light of nature even of corrupt nature it self for do but suppose that God is to be worshipped and then these three things appear to be most equall 1. That he is not only to have a time but a speciall time and a fit proportion of time for worship 2. That it 's most meet that he should make this proportion 3. The Lord having given man six daies and taken a Seventh to himself mans reason cannot but confesse that it is most just to dedicate that time to God and for my own part I think that in this respect the law of the Sabbath was as fairly writ on mans heaâ—â— in innocency as many other morall laws which none question the morality of at this day but disputes about this are herein perhaps uselesse Thesis 199. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper may be administred meet circumstances concurring every Lords day nay upon the week daies often as they did in the primitive persecutions and hence our Saviour limits no time for it in the first institution thereof as he did for the Passeover of old but only this As oft as you doe it doe it in remembrance of me Hence it will follow that now under the Gospel there is no set Sabbath as M. Primrose would because our Saviour at the first institution of the Lords Supper limits no particular day for the celebration thereof as once he did for the Passeover for though there is an appointed speciall time as shall hereafter appeare for the publique exercise of all holy duties not being limited to those times but enlarged to other times also hence there is no reason why our Saviour should institute a set Sabbath when he instituted the Lords Supper as the proper time of the celebration thereof as it was in case of the Passeover Thesis 200. It is no argument to prove the Sabbath to be ceremoniall because it is reckoned among ceremonials viz. shew-bread and sacrifices as M. Primrose and Wallaeus urge it out of Mat. 12.1 2 3. for 1. upon the same ground fornication and eating of idolothytes are ceremoniall because they are ranked among ceremonials viz. bloud and things strangled Act. 15.29.2 upon this ground the Sabbath hath no morality at all in it no more then shew-bread and sacrifices which were wholly ceremoniall 3. The Sabbath is in the same place reckoned among things which are morall as pulling a sheep out of a pit upon the Sabbath day an act of humanity why may it not then be as well accounted morall 4. One may as well argue that the not keeping company with Publicanes and sinners was a ceremoniall thing because the Lord Jesus useth the same Proverbiall speech I will have mercy not sacrifice Mat. 9.13 upon which he defends the lawfullnesse of pulling the ears of corn upon the Sabbath day in this Mat. 12.15 the scope therefore of this place is not to shew the nature of the Sabbath day whether it be ceremoniall or morall but the lawfullnesse and morality of his act in eating the ears of corn upon this day and thus the arguments of our Saviour are very strong and convicting to prove the morality of such an act but no way to prove the ceremoniality of the Sabbath for that is the scope of our Saviour that mercy to the hungry is to be preferred before the Sacrifice of bodily resting upon the Sabbath M. Primrose indeed replies hereto and tels us that mercy is to be preferred before sacrifice or ceremoniall duties but not before morall duties and therefore Christ preferring it before the rest on the Sabbath the Sabbath could not be morall but we know that mercy in the second table is sometimes to be preferred before morall duties in the first table a man is bound to neglect solemn praier sometime to attend upon the sick it 's a morall duty to sanctifie some day for a Sabbath saith M. Primrose and yet suppose a fire be kindled in a town upon that day or any sick to be helped must not mercy be prefer'd before hearing the word which himself will acknowledge to be then a morall duty Thesis 201. When Christ is said to be Lord of the Sabbath Mat. 12.8 the meaning is not as if he was such a Lord as had power to break it but rather such a Lord as had power to appoint it and consequently to order the work of it for his own service M. Primrose thinks That he is said to be Lord of it because he had power to dispense with the keeping of it by whom when he would and that Christ did chuse to do such works upon the Sabbath day which were neither works of mercy or necessity nay which were servile which the Law forbade for Christ saith he as mediatour had no power to dispense with things morall but he might with matters ceremoniall and therefore with the Sabbath How far Christ Jesus might and may dispence with morall laws I dispute not now I think Biell comes nearest the truth in this controversie only this is considerable suppose the Sabbath was ceremoniall yet it 's doubtfull whether Christ Jesus who came in the daies of his flesh to fulfill all righteousnesse could abolish or break the law ceremoniall untill his death was past by which this hand-writing of Ordinances was blotted out Colos. 2.14 and this middle wall of partition was broken down Ephes. 2.14 15 16. But let it be yeelded that Christ had power to break ceremoniall laws then before his death yet in this place there is no such matter for the words contain a clear proof for the right observance of the Sabbath against the over-rigid conceptions of the superstitious and proud Pharisees who as they thought it unlawfull for Christ to heal the sick upon the Sabbath so to rub out and eat a few corn ears upon it although hunger and want and perhaps more then ordinary in the Disciples here should force men hereunto which was no servile work as Mr Primrose would but a work of necessity and mercy in this case and our Saviour proves the morality of it from the example of David eating the Shew-bread and those that were with him preferring that act of mercy before sacrifice and abstinence from Shew-bread and hence our Saviour argues That if they attending upon David might eat the Shew-bread much more his hungry Disciples might eat the corn while they attended upon him that day who was Lord of the Sabbath and that they might be the better strengthened hereby to do him service These things being thus where now is there to be found any reall breach of the Sabbath or doing of any
servile work or maintenance of any unnecessary work which the fame learned and acute writer imputes to our Saviour which I had almost said is almost blasphemous Thesis 202. It 's no argument that the Sabbath is not morall because it 's said Mark 2.27 that man is not made for it but it for man for saith Mr Ironside man is made for morall duties not they for man For let the Sabbath be taken for the bare rest of the Sabbath as the Pharisees did who placed so much Religion in the bare rest as that they thought it unlawfull to heal the sick on that day or feed the hungry so man is not made as lastly for the bâ—re rest but rather it for man and for his good but if by Sabbath be meant the Sanctification of that rest so man is made for it by Mr Primrose own confession Nor our Saviour speaks of the Sabbath in the first respect for the rest of it is but a means to a further and a better end viz. The true sanctification of it which the Pharisees little lookt unto and therefore he might well say that the Sabbath was made for man the rest of it being no further good then as it was helpfull to man in duties of piety or mercy required of man in the sanctification thereof M. Primrose confessing that man is made for the sanctification of the Sabbath would therefore winde out from this by making this sanctification on the Sabbath to be no more then what is equally required of man all the week beside but he is herein also much mistaken for though works of piety and mercy are required every day yet they are required with a certain eminency and specialty upon the Sabbath day and thence 't is that God cals mens to rest from all worldly occasions which he doth not on the weeke daies that they might honour God in speciall upon the Sabbath as shall hereafter appear Thesis 203. It 's a monkish speculation of M. Broad to distinguish so of the Sabbath in sensu mystico and sensu literali as that the mysticall sense like the lean and ill-favoured kine in Pharoah's dream shall eat up the literal sense and devour Gods blessed and sweet Sabbath for the Lord never meant by the Sabbath such a mysticall thing as the resting from the works of the old man only every day no more then when he commands us to labour six daies he permits us to labour in the works of the old man all the six daies Thesis 204. For though it be true that we are to rest every day from sin yet it will not hence follow that every day is to be a Christians Sabbath and that no one day in seven is to be set apart for it For 1. Upon the same ground Adam should have had no Sabbath because he was to rest from sin every day 2. The Jews also before Christ should have rejected all Sabbaths because they were then bound to rest from sin as well as Christians now 3. Upon the same ground there must be no daies of fasting or feasting under the Gospel because we are to fast from sinne every day and to be joyfull and thankfull every day I know some Libertines of late say so but upon the same ground there should have been none under the law neither for they were then bound as well as we to fast from sin 4. Hence neither should any man pay his debts because he is bound to be paying his debt of love to God and all men every day 5. Hence also no man should pray at any time in his family nor alone by himself solemnly because a Christian is bound to pray continually And indeed I did not think that any forehead could be so bold and brazen as to make such a conclusion but while I was writing this came to my hearing concerning a sea-man who came to these coasts from London miserably deluded with principles of Familisme who when an honest New-English man his Cabbin-mate invited him to go along and pray together considering their necessities he would professedly refuse to doe it upon this ground viz. Dost not pray continually Why then should we pray together now 6. The Commandment of the Sabbath doth not therefore presse us to rest only from such works as are in themselves evil which God allows at no tiâ—â— but from the works of our callings and weekly imployments which are in themselves lawfull and of necessity to be attended on at some time It is therefore a loose and groundlesse assertion to make every day under the Gospel to be a Christians Sabbath day Thesis 205. To think that the Sabbath was proper to the Jews because they only were able to keep and exactly observe the time of it being shut up as M. Primrose saith within a little corner of the earth and that the Gentiles therefore are not bound to it because they cannot exactly observe the time of it in severall quarters of the earth so far distant is a very feeble argument For why might not all nations exactly observe the rising and the setting of the sun according to severall climates by which the naturall day and so this of a Sabbath is exactly measured and which God hath appointed without limitation to any hour to be the bounds of the Sabbath as it sooner or later rises or sets were not the mariners of the men of Iudah bound to observe the Seventh day in all the severall coasts where they made their voyages did God limit them to the rising or setting sun of Iudaea only what colour is there to think thus of them indeed it 's true that in some habitable Northern coasts the Sun is not out of sight some moneths together but yet this is certain if they know how the year spends into moneths they can exactly reckon the weeks of those moneths and therefore can exactly tell you the daies of which those weeks consist and therefore they have their exact rules and measures to know East and West the place of the sun-rising and sun-setting and consequently to know the Sabbath daies and yet if they should not exactly know it their will to do it is herein as in other things accepted of God Thesis 206. If this truth concerning the morality of the Sabbath did depend upon the testimony of ancient writers it were easie to bring them up here in the rear notwithstanding the flourishes of the great Historian but this hath been done sufficiently by others nor doth it sute our scope who aim at only the clearing up of the meaning of the fourth command which must stand firm the heaven and earth shall fall asunder the Lord will rather waste kingdomes and the whole Christian world with fire and sword then let one tittle of his Law perish the land must rest when Gods Sabbaths cannot Lev. 26.34 and although I wish the Ministry of Christ Jesus a comely and comfortable maintenance as may richly testifie his peoples abundant thankfullnesse for the feet of
improve the day no better then the beasts that perish Thesis 2. And as the rest of the Day is for the holinesse of it so is all the labour of the Week for this holy rest that as the end of all the labour of our lives is for our rest with Christ in Heaven so also of the six daies of every weeke for the holy Rest of the Sabbath the twilight and dawning of Heaven For the eighth Commandement which would not have us steale commands us therefore to labour for our Families and comforts in all the seasons of labour This fourth command therefore which not onely permits but commands us to labour six daies must have another respect in commanding us to labour and a higher end which cannot be any thing else but with respect to the Sabbath that as we are to watch unto prayer so we are to worke unto the Sabbath or so worke all the Weeke day that we may meet with God and sanctifie the Sabbath day Thesis 3. As therefore the holinesse of the Sabbath is morall because it is the end of the day so is the Rest of the Sabbath the immediate means to that end morall also Looke therefore what ever holy duties the Lord required of the Iewes which were not ceremoniall the same duties he requires of us upon this day so what every Rest he required of them for this end he exacts of all Christians also Thesis 4. Those that make the Sabbath ceremoniall imagine a stricter Rest imposed upon the Iewes then Christians are now bound unto because they place the ceremonialnesse of the Sabbath in the strict Rest of it but we are bound to the same Rest for substance of it and the ground for a stricter rest then we are bound unto will be found too light if well pondered Thesis 5. For though it be sayd that the Iewes might not bake nor seeth meat upon this day Exod. 16.23 no nor make a fire upon it Ex. 35.3 no nor gather sticks upon it without Death Numb 6.15.30 all which things Christians now may lawfully do yet none of these places will evince that for which they are alledged Thesis 6. For first it is not said Exod. 16.23 bake and seeth that to day which may serve you next day but that which remains viz. which is not sod nor baked lay it up untill the Morning and consequently for the morrow of the next day which being thus laid up I doe not finde that they are forbidden to bake or seeth that which remaines upon the next day but rather if they must use it the next day they might then bake it or seeth it that day also as they did that of the sixt day and without which they could not have the comfortable use of it upon the Sabbath day indeed it was as unlawfull to grind and beate the Manna in Mills and Morters mentioned Numb 11 8. upon this day as now to thrash and grind Corne this day the meale therefore which did remaine is not forbidden to be baked or sod upon this day nor would Gods speciall and miraculous providence appeare in preserving it from wormes and stinking if there had been any bâ—king of it the day before and not rather upon the Sabbath Day Thesis 7. Although also they were forbidden to kindle fire upon this lay Exod. 35.3 in respect of some use yet they are not forbidden so to do in respect of any use whatsoever For there was fire kindled for the Sabbath sacrifices and it would have bin a breach of the rule of mercy not to kindle a fire for the sick and weake in the wildernesse Nehemiah also a man most strict and zealous for the Sabbath yet had such provision made every day as could not be drest nor eaten without some fire upon the Sabbath day Neh. 5.18 and the Sabbath not being a fast but a feast in those times as well as those hence it s not unsutable to the time to have comfortable provisions made ready provided that the dressing of meaâ— be not an ordinary hindrance to publike or private duties of holinesse upon this day Exod. 12.16 this kindling of the fire here forbidden must therefore be understood in respect of the scope of the place viz. not to kindle a fire for any servile work no not in respect of this particular use of it viz. to further the building of the Sanctuary and Tabernacle made mention of in this Chapter for it s said whosoever shall do any worke therein 1. any servile worke which is more proper for the weeke time shall be put to death verse 2. there is therefore either no dependance of these words in the third verse with those in the second or else we must understand it of kindling fires restrictively for any servile worke which is there forbidden not only the Iewes but us Christians also Thesis 8. The man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath Numb 15.30 was put to death what for gathering of sticks onely why then did not the just God put them to death who were the first offenders and therefore most fit to be made examples who went out to gather Manna upon this day Exod. 1â— This gathering of sticks therefore though little in it selfe yet seemes to be aggravated by presumption and that the man did presumptuously breake the Sabbath and therefore it s generally observed that this very example followes the Law of punishing a presumptuous transgressor with death in this very Chapter and though it be said that they found a man gathering sticks as if it were done secretly and not presumptuously yet we know that presumptuous sins may be committed secretly as well as openly though they are not in so high a degree presumptuous as when they are done more openly the feare of the Law against Sabbath breakers might restrain the man from doing that openly which before God was done proudly and presumptuously and though Moses doubted what to do with the man who had that capitall Law given him before against Sabbath breakers yet they might be ignorant for a time of the full and true meaning of it which the Lord here seemes to expound viz. that a Sabbath breaker sinning presumptuously is to be put to death and although it be doubted whether such a Law is not too rigorous in these Times yet we do see that where the Magistrate neglects to restraine from this sinne the Lord takes the Magistrates work into his own hand and many times cuts them off suddenly who prophane his Sabbath presumptuously and t is worth enquiring into whether presumptuous Sabbath breakers are not still to be put to Death which I doubt not but that the Lord will either one day cleare up or else discover some specialty in the application of this judiciall Law to that Polity of the Iewes as most fit for them and not so universally fit for all others in Christian Common-vvealths but this latter I yet see no proofe for nor doe I expect the clearing up of the other while
here that looke as man standing in innocency had cause thus to returne â—rom the pleasant labours of his weekly paradise imployments as shall be shewn in due place so man fallen much more from his toilsome and wearisome labours to this his rest again And therefore as because all creatures were made for man man was therefore made in the last place after them so man being made for God and his worship thence it is that the Sabbath wherein man was to draw most neare unto God was appointed after the creation of man as Peter Martyr observes For although man is not made for the Sabbath meerly in respect of the outward rest of it as the Pharisees dreamed yet hee is made for the Sabbath in respect of God in it and the holinesse of it to both which then the soule is to have its weekly revolution back againe as into that Rest which is the end of all our lives labour and in speciall of all our weekly labour and work Thesis 8. As therefore our blessed rest in the fruition of God at the end and period of our lives is no ceremony but a glorious privilege and a morall duty it being our closing with our utmost end to which we are called so it cannot be that such a Law which cals and commands man in this life to returne to the same rest for substance every Sabbath day should bee a ceremoniall but rather a Morall and perpetuall Law unlesse it should appeare that this weekly Sabbath like the other annuall Sabbath hath been ordained and instituted principally for some ceremonious ends rather than to be a part and indeed the beginning of our rest to come there being little difference between this and that to come but onely this that here our rest is but begun there it is perfected here it is interrupted by our weekly labours there it is continued here we are led into our rest by meanes and ordinances but there we shall bee possessed with it without our need of any helpe from them our God who is our rest being then become unto us immediately All in All. Thesis 9. Were it not for mans worke and labour ordained and appointed for him in this life he should enjoy a continuall Sabbath a perpetuall Rest. And therefore wee see that when mans life is ended his sunne set and his worke done upon earth nothing else remaines for him but only to enter into his perpetuall and eternall Rest All our time should be solemne and sacred to the Lord of time if there were no common worke and labour hâ—re which necessarily occasions common time why then should any think that a weekly Sabbath is ceremoniall when were it not for this lifes labour a perpetuall and continuall Sabbath would then be undoubtedly accounted morall It s hard for any to thinke a servants awfull attendance on his Lord and Master at certaine speciall times not to bee morally due from him who but for some more private and personall occassions allowed him to attend unto should at all times continually be serving of him Thesis 10. The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and no Scripture phrase and therfore not proper fitly and fully to expresse the question in controversie to wit whether the fourth Commandment bee a morall precept The best friends of this word finde it slippery and can hardly tell what it is and what they would have to be understood by it and hence it is become a bone of much Contention a fit mist and swampe for such to fight in who desire so to contend with their Adversaries as that themselves may not bee known either where they are or on what ground they stand Yet it being a word generally taken up and commonly used it may not therefore be amisse to follow the market measure and to retaine the word with just and meet explications thereof Thesis 11. They who describe a morall law to bee such a law as is not typically ceremoniall and therefore not durable doe well and truely expresse what it is not but they doe not positively expresse what it is Thesis 12. Some describe and draw out the proportions of the morall law by the law of nature and so make it to bee that law which every man is taught by the light of nature That which is morally and universally just say some which reason when it is not mis-led and the inward law of nature dictateth by common principles of honesty or ought to dictate unto all men without any outward usher It is that say others which may be proved not only just but necessary by principles drawne from the light of nature which all reasonable men even in nature corrupted have still in their hearts which either they doe acknowledge or may at least bee convinced of without the Scriptures by principles still left in the hearts of all men But this description seems too narrow For 1. Although it be true that the law naturall is part of the law morall yet if the law morall be resolved into the law of nature only and the law of nature bee shrunke up and drawne into so narrow a compasse as what the principles left in corrupt man onely suggest and dictate then it will necessarily follow that many of those holy rules and principles are not the law of nature which were the most perfect impressions of the law of nature in mans first creation and perfection but now by mans apostacy are obliterated and blotted out unlesse any shall thinke worse than the blinde Papists either that mans minde is not now corrupted by the fall in losing any of the first impressions of innocent nature or shall maintaine with them that the Image of God of which those first impressions were a part was not naturall to man in that estate 2. It will then follow that there is no morale discipline as they call it that is nothing morall by discipline informing or positively morall but onely by nature dictating which is crosse not onely to the judgements but solid Arguments of men judicious and most indifferent 3. If that onely is to be accounted morall which is so easily knowne of all men by the light of nature corrupted then the imperfect light of mans corrupt minde must bee the principall judge of that which is morall rather than the perfect rule of morality contained in the Scripture which Assertion would not a little advance corrupt and blinde Nature and dethrone the perfection of the holy Scripture Thesis 13. They who define a morall law to be such a law as is perpetuall and universall binding all persons in all ages and times doe come somewhat nearer to the marke and are not far off from the truth and such a description is most plaine and obvious to such as are not curious and in this sense our adversaries in this cause affirme the Sabbath not to be morall meaning that it is not a Law perpetuall and universall Others on the contrary affirming that it is morall intend
infused and supernaturall vertues and graces to which therefore humane nature is not inclined are as Vasquez truly and strongly maintaines in some sense naturall and good in themselves not because humane nature is inclined to them but because they are very congruous and consentaneous thereunto and perfecting humane nature as such and consequently sutable thereunto A good is said to be utile delectabile in respect of some profit or delight which comes to man by it but bonum honestum in genere moris as Suarez and his fellowes call it consists in a kinde of decency comlinesse and sweet proportion between such an act and such a nature as acts by right reason to which nature it is exceeding comely and suitable whether any profit or delight come thereby yea or no. As now in the divine nature it 's exceeding beautifull and comely for it and therefore good in it selfe to bee bountifull and mercifull and to doe good unto the creature although no profit could come to him thereby It is Gods nature as I may so say so to doe so 't is in humane nature it 's a comely thing to honour parents reverence Gods Name to bee loving and mercifull to all men in heart word and deed to give God a fit and the most meet proportion of time for solemne service of him who allowes us many dayes to serve our owne good this is good nature and being thus seemly and suitable to it this and such like things are therefore good in themselves though perhaps neither profit or pleasure should come unto man hereby And hence it 's well observed by some of the Schoolemen that right reason doth not make a thing morall but only judgeth and discerneth what is morall for right reason doth not make a thing suitable but onely seeth whether it be so or no a thing may bee suitable before right reason see it yet when 't is presented to reason it sees it suitable as the wall is white before the eye see it yet when the eye doth see it it appeares white also It may bee a meet and comely thing to give God a seventh part of our time though no mans reason can of it selfe find out such a meet proportion yet when reason sees it it 's forced to acknowledge a comlinesse of equity and suitablenesse therein as shall hereafter appeare Thesis 22. But here let it bee observed that although all morall lawes are thus suitable to mans nature yet they are not all alike suitable thereunto and consequently not equally good in themselves for some lawes are more immediately suitable and good others mediately And as Wallaeus well observes out of Scotus that there is a double morality the first is de lege naturae strictè sumpta i. e. such laws as are so deeply engraven upon nature as that these principles cannot bee blotted out but by abolishing of nature The second is de lege naturae latè sumpta and these lawes doe much depend upon the will of the Law-giver but yet they are very congruous and suitable to humane nature even from the light of those principles of nature And hence I suppose it will follow that the law for a seventh part of time to be dedicated to God may well bee a morall law although it depends much upon the will of the Law-giver and is not so immediately written upon mans heart nor so equally suitable to humane nature as the law of love and thankfulnesse to God our Creator is For as Cameron well observes that some things which are good in themselves have more of Gods Image stamped upon them some have lesse of it and hence it is that though all morall lawes are good in themselves yet not equally so there is more unsuitablenesse to hate and curse God than to lust after another mans house or servant and yet both are evill in themselves and breaches of morall rules Thesis 23. Hence therefore it followes that because morall precepts are of such things as are good in themselves they are therefore perpetuall and unchangeable and because they are in this respect good in themselves to wit because they are suitable and comely to mans nature as rationall hence also they are universall so that perpetuity and universality seem to be the inseperable adjuncts rather than the essence of a morall law yet when they are called perpetuall and unchangeable wee must understand them in respect of Gods ordinary dispensation for hee who is the great Law-giver may and doth sometime extraordinarily dispense with morall lawes Abraham might have kill'd his Sonne by extraordinary dispensation Adams Sonnes and Daughters did marry one another by speciall Commission which now to doe ordinarily would bee incestuous and consequently against a mâ—â—â—ll Law as is evident Leviticus 18. Onely let it bee here remembred that when I call morall Lawes perpetuall and universall that I speake of such lawes as are primarily morall which doe firstly and originally suit with humane nature for lawes as are at second hand morall and as it were accidentally so may be changeable as hereafter shall appeare Thesis 24. How these things may evince the morality of a seventh part of time will be difficult to conceive unlesse further enquiry be made to wit when and by what rules may it be knowne that any law is sutable and agreeable unto humane nature and consequently good in it selfe For resolution of which doubt there is great silence generally in most Writers Bishop White endeavours it by giving three rules to cleare up this mist but pace tanti viri I much feare that he much darkens and obscures the truth herein and muds the streames For 1. Because the Sabbath is not simply morall but hath something positive in it he therefore makes it temporary as appeares in his conclusion of that discourse when as 't is evident by his own confession that some lawes positively morall are generall and universall For lawes positively morall he saith are either personall onely as was Abrahams comming out of his owne Countrey Gen. 12.1 Some are for one Nation or Republick onely Exod. 22.1 3â—7 Some are common and generall for all mankinde as the law of Polygamy 2. Hee seemes to make lawes simply and intirely morall to bee such as are in their inward nature morally good before and without any exâ—ernall imposition of the Law-giver Now if by externall imposition he meanes the externall manner of Mosaicall administration of the law there is then some truth in what he affirmes for doubtlesse before Moses time the Patriarchs had the law revealed after another manner but if by externall imposition bee meant externall Revelation whether immediately by God himselfe unto mans conscience or mediately by man then it 's most false that any thing can be morally good or evill much lesse entirely and simply so before and without some such law for though it may be good and sutable to man before a law pasâ—e upon it yet nothing can be morally good
the Decalogue onely Rom. 3.20 Iames 3.8 and sometimes more largely for the whole doctrine contained in all the writings of the Old Testament wherein the Gospel also is comprehended Psal. 19.7 Psalme 119.1.51 55. so the word Covenant is sometime taken more strictly for the covenant of works which is contained compendiously in the Decalogue onely writ by the finger of God in two Tables Deut. 4.13 14 Exod. 34.38 and sometime more largely for all the holy writings of Moses Exodus 24.7 8. and 34.10 Levit. 26.14 Ier. 34.13 Now although all the writings of Moses may be called the Covenant as it is largely taken and so the covenant comprehends not onely morall but ceremoniall lawes yet they are never called That Covenant which was writ by the finger of God in two Tables of stone and given to Moses and in this strict sense the word Covenant comprehends no other lawes but morall nor can the places and texts which they alleadge evince the contrary for in that place of Exodus 24.7 it is not said that the Tables of the Covenant but the Booke of the Covenant was read in the audience of all the people which Booke we readily acknowledge to comprehend ceremonials as well as morals but not the Tables of the Covenant of which the question now is so also when the Lord saith Exod. 34.10 that he will make a Covenant his meaning is that he will revive his Covenant by writing as it is there set downe in the same chapter in which writing it is very true that there is mentioned made of many ceremoniall lawes but suppose this covenant written by Moses comprehends sundry ceremoniall lawes will it therefore follow that the Tables of the Covenant written with the finger of God did the like No such matter and therefore there is an expresse difference put in the same chapter verse 27 28. between the covenant written by Moses and the ten Commandments written by the finger of God But secondly Let it be granted that the Decalogue comprehends summarily all the lawes which are particularly dispersed here and there in the writings of Moses yet it doth not follow that there must bee one ceremoniall law written by the finger of God and lifted up in the Decalogue to be the epitome and summarie of all ceremoniall lawes elsewhere explained in the writings of Moses For all lawes whether ceremoniall or judiciall may be referred to the Decalogue as appendices to it or applications of it and so to comprehend all other lawes as their summary But such a summary will no way enforce a necessity of making any one of them the epitome of ceremonialls and the other nine of them of the morals for we know that many judiciall lawes are comprehended under morall lawes being referred as appendices thereunto by Calvin Martyr Chemnitius Ames and sundry others and yet it will not follow from hence that one of the lawes in the Decalogue must be a judiciall law as the summary of all judicials which are branches of the Covenant as well as Master Primrose his ceremonials Thesis 34. It should not seem strange that that law which in the generall nature of it is moral may in the particular application of it be unto a thing ceremoniall and in this respect it cannot be denyed but that the morall law may comprehend all ceremoniall lawes but it will not hence follow as Mr. Primrose inferres that one law in the Decalogue must be ceremoniall as the head and summary of all ceremoniall lawes because we say ceremoniall lawes may bee comprehended under some morall law as speciall applications thereof ex gr It is a morall law to worship God according to his owne will and not after mans inventions as the second Commandment holds it forth Now in the application of this law the Lord points out his owne instituted worship in sundry significant ceremonies sacrifices sacraments c. which particular institutions though ceremoniall are to be referred unto and are comprehended under the second Commandment which is a morall law for if God will be worshipped with his owne worship according to this Commandment then its necessary for the Lord to shew and that under his Commandment what those institutions be wherein he will bee worshipped many of which are ceremoniall which are therefore directly comprehended here Thesis 35. There is therefore no necessity of making one law in the Decalogue to bee ceremoniall that it may be the summary head of all ceremonials viz. because ceremonialls are branches of the covenant which is the Decalogue for upon the like ground there must bee one judiciall law also as the summary of all judicials nay one Evangelicall law also as the head of all Evangelicals sprinkled here and there in Moses his writings of which we read Iohn 5.43 Rev. 10.6 7 8. with Deut. 30.12 13. Gal. 3.8 with Gen. 12.3 for judicials and Evangelicals are branches of the Covenant as well as ceremonials if Mr. Primrose his principle be true but if by his owne confession nine of them are morals and one of them only the head of ceremonialls how shall judiciall and Evangelicall summaries come in which either he must make room for in the Decalogue or acknowledge his foundation to be rotten upon which he hath built up one ceremoniall law among the nine moralls Thesis 36. It is true that among men the same body of Lawes may be framed up of divers articles as Mr. Primrose pleads but that the Decalogue was such a body as had ceremonials mixt with morals it can never be made good by any colour of proof except it be that which we have shewn will as strongly enforce an introduction of some one judiciall and another Evangelicall law into the Decalogue as well as one ceremoniall but such a confusion of Law and Gospell Evangelicals and judicials ceremonialls and morals the blessed God abhorres for it neither suits with Gods wisedome and end in giving the law nor yet with mans weaknesse which God pitties to make such a jumbling and confusion of things together for who can then tell what law is morall and what Evangelicall and what ceremoniall unlesse it be as was shewn by flying for light to the dictates and instinct of nature to shew unto poore deceitfull man what lawes are morall and what not wherein the remedy would have been as bad as the disease Thesis 37. If there must be one law in the Decalogue ceremoniall that so the more Authority may bee procured hereby as Mr. Primrose pleads unto all Gods Ordinances and therefore one of the ceremonials was written in the Decalogue with Gods owne finger and honoured with the like prerogatives as the morall lawes were which were immediately spoken by God himselfe Then if this reasoning be solid why was not one judiciall and another Evangelicall precept alike honoured also For was there not as much need to procure Authority to this as well as to ceremonials and yet wee see their Authority was sufficiently procured without
phrase Christ in the Spirit leads us to what Christ in the flesh said inward Christ leads the faithfull to the outward Ministery of Christ Christ in the Spirit to Christ speaking in the letter the Spirit of truth to the Word of truth the Spirit within to the Word without by which we shall be judged at the last day Iohn 12.48 and therefore certainly are to be regulated by it now Thesis 89. It is true that the faithfull receive an unction or an anoinâ—ing of the Spirit which teacheth them all things but is this teaching immediate or mediate If immediate why doth Iohn tell them that he writ to them that hereby they might know they had eternall life 1 Iohn 5.13 but if it be mediate viz. by the word externally preacht or writ then the externall word still is to be our rule which the anointing of the Spirit helps us to know It is true the Apostle saith 1 Iohn 2.27 that they being taught of the Spirit did not need that any man should teach them what then was their teaching therefore immediate No verily for the Apostle explaines his meaning in the words following viz. otherwise and after another way and manner then as the Spirit taught them for so the words runne You need not that any man should teach you but as the anointing teacheth you all things and is truth For if Ministers are to preach and write in demonstration of the Spirit then those that heare them and are taught by them need no man to teach them otherwise than as the same Spirit in the same demonstration teacheth them all things It might bee truely said that the men of Bereah did need no man to teach them otherwise than as the Spirit in comparing and searching the Scriptures did teach them the things which Paul spake And Calvin well observes upon this place that the scope of the Apostle in these words is to confirme his Doctrine which he writ to them it being no unknowne thing but a thing known to them by the anointing of the Spirit which either they had received by former Ministery of the word or which now they might receive by this writing As therefore the Spirit leads us to the Word so the word leads us to the Spirit but never to a spirit without and beyond the word I meane so farre forth as that the outward administration of Christ in the flesh or in the word or letter must cease and be laid aside when the inward administration of Christ in the Spirit comes Thesis 90. It 's as weak an argument to imagine That wee are not to be led and guided by any outward commands in our obedience unto God because God is to worke all our workes for us and because we are not to live but Christ is to live in us as to thinke that we are not to look to any promises without us to direct and support our faith because Christ is also to fulfill and accomplish all the promises for us For if the question be by what are we to live The Apostles answer is full Gal. 2.19 20. that as hee did not live but by the faith of the Son of God so are we But if the question be According to what rule are we to live and wherein are wee to live The answer is given by David Psalme 119.4 5. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently Oh that my heart were directed to keep thy Statutes Deal bountifully with thy servant that I may live and keep thy word ver 17. Let thy mercy come to me that I may live for thy law is my delight vers 27. So that if the question be What is the rule of faith by which we live The answer is the Gospel Phil. 3.16 But if the question be What is the rule of life it self The answer is the morall law and of this later is the controversie Thesis 91. The commanding will of God called Voluntas mandati is to be our rule and not the working will of God Voluntas decreti or the will of Gods decree for we cannot sinne by fulfilling the one but wee may sin in fulfilling the other Gods secret and working will was fulfilled when Iosephs brethren sold him into Egypt and when Nebuchadnezzar afflicted Gods people seventy yeares as also when the Scribes and Pharisees caused Christ to bee crucified yet in all these thingâ— they sinned and provoked Gods wrath against them How Was it in crossing and thwarting Gods working will or the will of Gods Decree No verily for it 's expressely said that Christ was crucified according to the determinate counsell and will of God Acts 4.28 It was therefore by crossing Gods commanding will It is therefore a hellish device of Libertines to exempt men from all Law and from the sense of all sinne Because say they all things good and evill come from Gods will and all things that are done are wrought by him and all that he doth is good and therefore all sinfull actions are good because God workes them for what have we to doe to take the measure of our wayes by his working will Gods will is his owne rule to work with not our rule to worke by Our actions may bee most sinfull when his working in and about these may bee most just and holy for though God purposeth to leave the creature to fall and sin yet he so purposed it as that it should be onely through their owne fault that so they sinne And although a Christian is to submit humbly to the just dispensations of God when he leaves it to any evill yet Gods working will in all such dispensations must not be our rule for then wee must will not onely our owne sinne but our owne affliction and perdition for ever for all these are contained under his working will It is therefore a most subtle and pernicious practice in many who when they are overtaken with any sin or hampered with sinne they wash all off from themselves and lay all the blame if any be upon God himself saying The Lord left mee and he doth not helpe mee and he must doe all and hath undertaken to doe all if therefore I sin upon him be the blame or if there be any upon them it is but little But why should any judge of the evill of their sinne by Gods working will for that is not your rule but the commanding will of God according to which Samuel convinced Saul when he was left of God to spare Agag that his disobedience against the commandment was rebellion and as the sinne of Witchcraft in the eyes of God 1 Samuel 15.23 Thesis 92. It is a great part of Christs love to command us to doe any thing for him as well as to promise to doe any thing for us When the King of glory hath given us our lives by promise it s then the next part of his speciall grace and favour to command us to stand before him and attend upon his greatnesse continually
say he doth sin no not when he commits murder adultery and the foulest enormities in the world Which Doctrine though so directly and expressely against the light of Scripture the confessions of all the Saints yea of the light of nature and common sense and is the very filth of the froth of the sume of the bottomlesse pit yet some there are who are not ashamed to owne it the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and depth of a perfect Familist consisting in this viz. when a man can sinne and never feele it or have any remorse or sorrow for it and when one hath attained to this measure He is then Deified and then they professe the Godhead doth petere fundum animae as they call it when beleeving that he hath no sinne he can therefore neither see it or feele it From which depth of darknesse the God and Father of mercies deliver his poore people in these corrupting times and I with that those who defend this kinde of a Beleevers immunity from the law did not lay this corner stone of hell and perdition to their followers I am sure they lead them hereby to the mouth of this pit who upon this principle refuse either to mourne for sinne or pray for pardon of sinne or to imagine that God afflicts for sin being now freed from the mandatory power of any law of God they being now not bound to act by vertue of any command Thesis 99. If God did worke upon Beleevers as upon bloâ—ks or brute creatures they might then have some colour â—o cast off all attendance to the directive power of the law and so leave all to the Spirits Omnipotent and immediate acts as the Starres who being irrationall and uncapable of acting by any rule they are therefore acted and run their course by the mighty word of Gods power and therefore attend no rule but Beleevers are rationall Creatures and therefore capable of acting by rule and they are also sanctified and delivered from the power of their corrupt nature and therefore have some inherent power so to act for if they be not now dead in trespasses and sinnes they have then some new life and therefore some inherent power to act according to the rule of life the Image of God renewed in them is in part like to the same Image which they had in the first creation which gave man some liberty and power to act according to the will of him that created him And if the first Adam by his fall conveyes to us not onely condemnation but also an inherent power of corruption then the second Adam the Lord Iesus much more conveyes unto all his posterity not onely justification but also some inherent power of grace and holinesse which is begun here and perfected in glory for as sinne hath abounded so grace aboundeth much more and yet suppose they had no inherent power thus to act yet they have an adherent power the Lord Christ Iesus by faith in whose Name they may and shall receive power to act And therefore although God works in us both to will to do of his good pleasure yet this hinders not but that we are to work out our salvation with feare and trembling by attending the rule by vertue of which we are bound to worke both by putting forth that power which we have already received from God as also in fetching in that power we have not yet received but is reserved daily in Christs hands for us to enable us thereunto Thesis 100. If they that say a Beleever is not to act by vertue of a command do mean this only viz. That he is not to act by vertue of the bare letter and externall words and syllables of it they then speak truely for such kinde of acting is rather witchery than Christianity to place power and vertue in bare characters and letters which though mighty and powerfull by the spirit yet are empty and powerlesse without it But if their meaning be that wee are not to act by vertue of any command in any sense then the assertion is both pernicious and perilous for the Lord Iesus being the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first subject of all grace and gracious efficacy and power hence it s true wee are not to make the command of God the first principle of our obedience for this is proper unto Christ by the Spirit Iohn 5.40 Iohn 16.13 14. 2. Tim. 2.1 Ephes. 6.10 Rom. 8.2 But because the Lord Iesus conveyes by his Spirit vertue and efficacy through his word not onely words of promise but also words of command as is evident Ier. 3.22 Acts 2.38 41. Mat. 9.9 Psalme 19.8 Hence it is that a Beleever is bound to act from a command though not as from a first yet as from a second principle though not as from the first efficient yet as from an instrument in the hand of Christ who in commanding of the duty works by it and enables to it and therefore we see Abraham comes out of his owne Countrey because called and commanded of God to follow him he knew not whither Heb 11.8 And Peter cast his net into the 〈◊〉 meerely because he was commanded Luke 5.5 And David desired Oh that my heart were directed to keep thy precepts because God had commanded Psa. 119.45 There is a vertue a vis or efficacy in the finall cause as well as in the efficient to produce the effect and every wise agent is bound to act by vertue or for the sake of his utmost and last end Now the naked commandment of the Lord may bee and should be the chiefe motive and last end of our obedience to his highnesse for whatever is done meerely because of Gods command is done for his glory which glory should be our utmost end in all our obedience And hence it is that that obedience is most absolute and sincere whether it be in doing or suffering the will of God which is done meerely in respect of commandment and will of God when the soule can truely say Lord I should never submit to such a yoke but meerely for thy sake and because it 's thy will and thou dost command it What is it to love Christ but to seek to please him and to give contentment to him What is it to seek to give contentment to him but to give contentment to his heart or his will and what is his will but the will of his commandment If therefore it bee unlawfull to act by vertue of a command then it is unlawfull 1. To love Christ 2. To be sincere before Christ. 3. Or to act for the glory of Christ. And hence it is that let a man do the most glorious things in the world out of his owne supposed good end as the blind Papists doe in their will-works and superstitions which God never commanded nay let him doe all things which the law of God requires give his goods to the poore and his body to bee burnt and yet not doe
these things because commanded let him then quit himselfe from hypocrisie and himselfe from being a deep hypocrite in all these if he can Surely those who straine at this gnat viz. not to doe a duty because commanded will make no bones of swallowing down this camell viz. not to forsake sinne because 't is forbidden and whosoever shall forsake sinne from any other ground shewes manifestly hereby that hee hath little conscience of Gods command I know the love of Christ should make a Christian forsake every sin but the last resolution and reason thereof is because his love forbids us to continue in sinne for to act by vertue of a command is not to act onely as a creature to God considered as a Creator but by vertue of the will and commandment of God in a Redeemer with whom a Beleever hath now to doe Thesis 101. To act therefore by vertue of a command and by vertue of Christs Spirit are subordinate one to another not opposite one against anotherâ— as these men carry it This caution being ever remembred that such acting bee not to make our selves just but because we are already just in Christ not that hereby wee might get life but because we have life given us already not to pacifie Gods justice but to please his mercy being pacified toward us by Christ already for as Iunius well observes a great difference between placare Deum and placere Deo i. between pacifying God and pleasing God for Christs bloud onely can pacifie justice when it is provoked but when revenging justice is pacified mercy may be pleased with the sincere and humble obedience of sons Col. 1.10 Heb. 13.21 When a Beleever is once justified hee cannot be made more just by all his obedience nor lesse just by all his sins in point of justification which is perfected at once but he who is perfectly justified is but imperfectly sanctified and in this respect may more or lesse please God or displease him be more just or lesse just and holy before him It is I confesse a secret but a common sinne in many to seek to pacifie God when they perceive or feare his anger by some obedience of their own and so to seek for that in themselves chiefely which they should seek for in Christ and for that in the Law which is onely to be found in the Gospel but corrupt practises in others should not breed as usually they doe corrupt opinions in us and to cast off the law from being a rule of pleasing God because it is no rule to us of pacifying of God For if wee speak of revenging not fatherly anger Christs bloud can onely pacifie that and when that is pacified and God is satisfied our obedience now pleaseth him and his mercy accepts it as very pleasing the rule of which is the precious law of God Thesis 102. They that say the law is our rule as it is given by Christ but not as it was given by Moses doe speak niceties at least ambiguities for if the Lord Christ give the law to a Beleever as his rule why should any then raise a dust and affirme that the law is not our rule For the Law may be considered either materially or in it selfe as it containes the matter of the Covenant of works and thus considered a Beleever is not to be regulated by it for he is wholly free from it as a covenant of life or it may be considered finally or rather relatively as it stood in relation and reference unto the people of the God of Abraham who were already under Abrahams Covenant which was a Covenant of free-grace viz. To be his God and the God of his seed Gen. 17.7 And in this latter respect the law as it was given by Moses was given by Christ in Moses and therefore the rule of love toward man commanded by Moses is called the law of Christ Gal. 6.2 For the law as it was applyed to this people doth not run thus viz. Doe all this and then I will be your God and redeemer for this is a Covenant of workes but thus viz. I am the Lord thy God viz. by Abrahams Covenant who brought thee out of the land of Egypt and house of bondage Therefore thou shalt doe all this If therefore the law delivered by Moses was delivered by Christ in Moses then there is no reason to set Christ and Moses together by the eares in this respect I now speake of and to affirme that the law not as delivered by Moses but as given by Christ is our law and rule Thesis 103. The law therefore which containes in it selfe absolutely considered which Luther cals Moses Mosissimus the Covenant of works yet relatively considered as it was delivered by Moses to a people under a Covenant of grace which the same Author cals Moses Aaronicus so it is not to bee considered onely as a Covenant of workes and therefore for any to affirme that the law is no Covenant of works as it is delivered on Mount Sion and by Jesus Christ and that it is a Covenant of works onely as it is delivered on Mount Sinai and by Moses is a bold assertion both unsafe and unsound For if as it was delivered on Mount Sinai it was delivered to a people under a Covenant of grace then it was not delivered to them onely as a Covenant of workes for then a people under a Covenant of grace may againe come under a Covenant of works to disanull that Covenant of grace but the Apostle expressely affirmes the quite contrary and shewes that the Covenant made with Ahraham and his seed which was to be a God to them Gen. 17.7 and which was confirmed before of God in Christ the law which was foure hundred and thirty yeares after cannot disanull Gal. 3.17 Now that the people were under a Covenant of grace when the law was delivered on Mount Sinai let the Preface of the ten Commandments determine wherein Gods first words are words of grace I am the Lord thy God c. and therefore thou shalt have no other Gods but mee c. I know Paraeus Zanchy and others affirme that the law is abrogated as it was in the hands of Moses but not as it is in the hand of Christ but their meaning is at sometime in respect of the manner of administration of the Law under Moses and when they speake of the morall law simply considered yet it never entred into their hearts that the law as delivered on mount Sinai was delivered onely as a Covenant of works as some would maintain Thesis 104. But there is a greater mystery intended by some in this phrase as given by Christ for their meaning is this to wit As Christ by his Spirit writes it in our hearts not any way a rule as written by Moses A Beleevers heart saith Master Saltmarsh is the very law of Commands and the two Tables of Moses and in this respect it becomes not saith he the glory of
Christ to be beholding to any of the light upon Moses face It seemes then that the law written is not to be a Christians rule but onely so farre as it is written in the heart a most accursed assertion for how and why did Christ Jesus himselfe resist temptation to sinne was it not by cleaving to the written word Matth. 44.10 and was not this done for our imitation why did David and Christ Iesus delight to doe Gods will was it not this because it was written of them that so they should doe Psa. 40.7 8. Did not the law in their hearts make them thus cleave to the written law without Why did Paul perswade Children to honour their parents was it not because this was the first Commandment with promise Ephes. 6.2 had it not been more Evangelically spoken to perswade them rather to look to the law of Moses written on their hearts within to direct them hereunto rather than to be beholding for any light upon Moses face to direct them herein how comes it to passe that Paul preacheth no other thing but what was in the old Testament of Moses and the Prophets who were onely the Interpreters of Moses Acts 22.20 How is it that Christ himselfe borrowes light from Moses Psalmes and all the Prophets to cleare up his resurrection and suffering Luke 24.27 32 if no light must bee borrowed from the face of Moses if indeed wee were perfect in this life as wee shall bee in heaven there would then bee no need of the writings of the Apostles Prophets or Moses of Law or Gospell but we being but imperfectly enlightned it 's no lesse than extreame ingratitude and unthankfulnesse to preferre our owne imperfect and impure light before that perfect spotlesse and heavenly Law and counsels of God without us which when the most perfect beleever doth see he may cry out with Paul The Law is holy but I am carnall what is this but painted Popery to make the spirit within to be the supreame Iudge and superiour to the Spirit of God in the written word without onely they shrine it up in the Popes private Conclave and Kitchin or somewhat worse but these in a company of poore imperfect deluded and perhaps corrupted men it 's true the Covenant of grace strictly taken in the Gospel needs not to borrow any light from the Covenant of works in the Law but yet for all this the grace of God appearing in the Gospel will have us to walk worthy of God unto all well pleasing according to the Law Tit. 2.12 13. and to mourne bitterly that we are so unlike the will and image of God revealed in the Law Rom. 7.23 24. Thesis 105. The Apostle Paul as he sometimes condemnes works and sometime commends them so he sometimes rejects the Law and sometimes commends the Law sometime hee would have Beleevers dye to the law and sometime hee exhorts them to live in all holy obedience to it the Apostle therefore must speak of the Law under various considerations or else must speake Daggers and flat contradictions and therefore of necessity wee are to consider the Law not alway under one respect but variously for consider the law as a Covenant of workes or as the way unto or matter of our justification and so works are condemned and the Law is rejected and abrogated and so we are to die to the Law but consider the Law as a rule of life to a person justified already and so the Law is to be received and works are to bee commended and we are to live thereunto Thesis 106. When the Gospel nakedly urgeth Beleevers to good workes and obedience to the Law it is then considered onely as a rule of life but when wee meet with such Scriptures as set the Law and Christ the Law and grace the Law and promise the Law and faith c. at opposition one against another then the Law in such places is ever considered as a Covenant of life from which we are wholly freed and unto which we should be wholly dead that weâ— may be married unto Christ Rom. 7.4 hence therefore their arguings are feeble and weak who would prove a Christian to be wholly free from the directive power of the Law because a Christian is said not to be under the law but under grace Rom. 6.14 and because the Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Iohn 1.17 and because the inheritance is not by the law but by promise and by faith Gal. 3.12.18 for these and such like Scriptures speake of the law as standing in opposition to Christ and therefore speake of it as of a Covenant of life by which men seek to be justified from which we grant a Beleever is wholly freed and unto which hee is not bound nay hee is bound to renounce it and cast out this bond-woman but all this doth not prove that he is free from it as his rule of life Thesis 107. The Law and mans sinfull heart are quite opposite one to another Rom. 7.9 10 11 13. but when through the grace of Christ the heart is changed so as there is a new nature or new man in a beleever then there is a sweet agreement between this new nature and the Law for saith Paul I delight in the Law of God in my inner man it is therefore a most false assertion to say that the old man of a Beleever is to be kept under the law but the new man or new nature is above all Law for though the new nature bee above it as a legall covenant yet it never comes to be willingly under it as a rule untill now an imperfect new nature is infinitely glad of the guidance of a holy and most perfect law Psalme 119.140 Thesis 108. It is very evident that the children and sonnes of God under the new Testament are not so under the Law as the children and sonnes of God were under the old Testament for the Apostle expressely tels Gal. 3.23 that before the faith came we i. the children of the Old Testament were shut up and kept under the Law and were under it as under a Schoolmaster verse 24. and these of whom the Apostle thus speaks are not onely wicked and carnall Jewes but the deare children of God and heires of eternall life in those times as is evident from Gal. 4 1 2 3. but the Apostle speaking of the sonnes of God in Gospel-times since faith is come and revealed speakes as expresly that we are now no longer under the law as under a Schoolmaster Gal. 3 25. and that now when the fulnesse of time is come God sent his sonne to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the Adoption of Sonnes Gal. 4.3 4 5. which though it bee true of all men by nature viz. that they are under the law yet an impartiall cleare eye will easâ—ly discerne that the Apostles dispute is not of our being under the Law by nature meerely
law but the externall face of these things was scarce any thing else but Doing and Law by reason of which there is a vaile spread over the hearts of the lewes in reading the old Testament unto this day as is evident 2 Cor. 3.13 so that the inside or end of the morall law being Gospel and the out-side and meanes appointed to this end being law hence the Gospel was then lesse clearly and the law was more clearely revealed in those times to say that Iesus Christ and his benefits or eternall life were then dispensed under a Covenant of works or sub conditione perfectae obedientiae as some eminent Worthies affirm is such an errour which wise and able men might easily fall into by seeing how much law was revealed and urged in those times for though the law simply considered in it selfe contained the matter of the Covenant of works yet considered relatively in respect of the people of God and as they were under Abrahams Covenant of grace so it was given to them as a rule of perfect righteousnesse by both which they might the better see their owne weaknesse and unrighteousnesse â—nd flye to Christ and therefore the Apostle Gal. 3.17 cals the promise which was made to Abraham the Covenant and gives not this title to the Law but calls it the law which he saith could not disanull the Covenant confirmed in Christ and although it be propounded to them in way of Covenant Exod. 19.5 yet this is to be understood as some thinke of Evangelicall keeping Covenant not of legall or if of legall yet then it is not propounded simply as a Covenant of works to convey Christ to them but ex hypothesi or upon supposition that if they did think to be Gods people and have him to be their God by doing as Iunius observes the carnall Jewes did thinke and hope so to have him and as that young man thought Mat. 19.17 as Chamier observes that then they must keep all these Commandments perfectly and to bee accursed if they did not continue therein I dare not therefore say that Christ and eternall life were dispensed in a Covenant of works under which Covenant the Iewes were shut in old Testament times but rather this that the law was more strongly pressed as a yoke upon their shoulders and that this law which containes the Covenant of works was more plentifully revealed and insisted on and the Gospel more sparingly and darkly but now in Gospel times the day-starre is risen though in few mens hearts yet in the doctrine and cleare revelation of it therein and therefore the Gospel is called the mystery hidden from ages and generations past but now is made manifest to his Saints Col. 1. â—6 which cannot bee meant as if they had no knowledge of it for Abraham saw Christs day and there is a cloud of witnesses in the Old Testament who dyed in faith Heb. 11. but not such cleare knowledge of it as now they were therefore then under the Law as servants because so much working and doing was urged and chiefely revealed but indeed were sonnes and heires but wee now are not so under it but are as sonnes having the Lord Iesus and our fathers face in him clearely revealed and faith in him chiefely and most abundantly urged in his blessed Gospel and thus the Apostle tels us in this Text Gal. 4.1 with 4.5 that the heires of the Promise under the Old Testament were as servants but by Christâ— comming we are now as sonnes look also as they are said to be under the Law not as if they had no Gospel revealed or no use of the Gospel but onely because the Gospel was more darkly revealed and the Law more plentifully urged so we are said not to be under the Law not as if there was no Law or no use of the Law belonging to us but because now the Gospel is more clearely revealed and the Law not externally so proposed and imposed as it was upon them 2. The Law was a Schoolmaster Tutor and Governour to lead them unto Christ to come for so the Apostle tels us in this place Gal. 3.23 that before faith came we were shut up under the Law unto the faith which should afterward be revealed Thus the Ceremoniall law pointed to Christ to come the morall law discovered mans sinne and misery and need of Christ who was to come nay all the promises were made with reference to Iesus Christ to come but now the fulnesse of time being come that the Sonne of God is come now we are no longer under the Law after this manner neither ceremoniall or morall law are of any use to us to lead us unto Christ to come for Christ is already come and hence it is that Beleevers now are said to be rather under the Gospel than under the Law and Beleevers under the Old Testament to be rather under the Law than under the Gospel because although these had the efficacy of Christs Redemption yet they were not yet actually redeemed because the Redeemer was not yet come into the flesh and in this respect they were under the rigour of the law and hence it was fit that they should bee handled as servants and the law and curse thereof principally revealed but now Christ being come and having actually redeemed us having been not onely virtually but actually made righteousnesse and a curse for us now therefore is the time that we should see Christ Iesus with open face and hear principally concerning faith and the fathers love in him now Christ is revealed chiefely being come the end of the Law then the Law was revealed chiefely Christ being not yet come as the meanes to this end looke therefore as the promise before Christ of which the Apostle speaks Gal. 3.17 18 19 21 22. was fulfilled in Christ being come as Divines speak rather than abolished and yet abolished as it was a promise of grace to come so the morall law is rather fulfilled than abolished in Christ being come and yet as it did lead unto Christ to come it is abolished to us now under the Gospel 3. The law being principally revealed and yet so revealed as to lead unto Christ Jesus to come hence ariseth a third thing of the law from which we are now delivered viz. they were therefore under more terrour and feare of the Law than we are on Gods part revealing the Gospel more clearely in these times and therefore saith the Apostle Gal. 4.4 5 6. that when the fulnesse of time came God sent his Sonne to redeeme us from under the Law that wee might receive the adoption of Sonnes and thereby the Spirit of Sonnes crying Abba Father could not they who were Sonnes under the Law call God Father yes verily doubtlesse thou art our Father say they Isaiah 63.17 but they having lesse light they had more feare and lesse of the Spirit of Adoption I say still ex parte Dei revelantis than we have in these dayes We are not
therefore so under the law i. the feare and terrour of the law as they were the summe of all this is that although we are not so under the law 1. so accompanied and 2. so dispensed as they were under the Old Testament yet this hinders not but that we are under the directive power of the Law as well as they Thesis 109. The Apostle speakes of a law written and engraven on stones and therefore of the morall Law which is now abolished by Christ in the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.6 7 11 13. Is the morall law therefore abolished as a rule of life now no verily but the meaning of this place is as the former Gal. 3.25 for the Apostle speaking of the morall Law by a Synecdoche comprehends the ceremoniall law also both which the false Teachers in those times urged as necessary to salvation and justification at least together with Christ against whom the Apostle here disputes the morall Law therefore is abolished first as thus accompanied with a yoke of Ceremonies secondly as it was formerly dispensed the glorious and greater light of the Gospel now obscuring that lesser light under the Law and therefore the Apostle vers 10. doth not say that there was no glory shining in the Law but it had no comparative glory in this respect by reason of the glory which excelleth and lastly the Apostle may speak of the morall Law considered as a Covenant of life which the false teachers urged in which respect he cals it the Ministry of death and the letter which killeth and the ministers of it who were called Nazarei and Minei as Bullinger thinks the Ministers of the letter which although it was virtually abolished to the beleeving Jews before Gospell times the vertue of Christs death extending to all times yet it was not then abolished actually untill Christ came in the flesh and actually undertooke to fullfill this Covenant for us to the utmost farthing of doing and suffering which is exacted and now it is abolished both virtually and actually that now we may with open face behold the glory of the Lord as the end of the law for righteousnesse to every one that doth beleeve Thesis 110. The Gospell under which Beleevers now are requires no doing say some for doing is proper to the Law the Law promiseth life and requires conditions but the Gospell say they promiseth to work the condition but requires none and therefore a beleever is now wholly free from all Law but the Gospell and Law are taken two waies 1. Largely the Law for the whole doctrine contained in the Old Testament and the Gospell for the whole doctrine of Christ and the Apostles in the New Testament 2. Strictly the Law pro lege operum as Chamier distinguisheth and the Gospell pro lege fidei i. for the Law of faith the Law of works strictly taken is that Law which reveals the favour of God and eternall life upon condition of doing or of perfect obedience the Law of faith strictly taken is that doctrine which reveals remission of sins reconciliation with God by Christs righteousnesse onely apprehended by faith now the Gospell in this latter sence excludes all works and requires no doing in point of justification and remission of sins before God but only beleeving but take the Gospel largely for the whole doctrine of Gods love and free grace and so the Gospel requires doing for as 't is an act oâ— Gods free grace to justifie a man without calling for any works thereunto so 't is an act of the same free grace to require works of a person justified and that such poor sinners should stand before the Son of God on his throne to minister unto him and serve him in righteousnesse and holinesse all the daies of our lives Tit. 2.14 and for any to think that the Gospell requires no conditions is a sudden dream against hundreds of Scriptures which contain conditionall yet evangelicall promises and against the judgement of the most judicious of our Divines who in dispute against Popish writers cannot but acknowledge them only thus viz. conditions and promises annexed to obedience are one thing saith learned Perable and conditions annexed to perfect obedience are another the first are in the Gospel the other not works are necessary to salvation saith Chamier necessitate praesentiae not efficientiae and hence he makes two sorts of conditions some antecedentes which work or merit salvation and these are abandoned in the Gospel otherâ— he saith are consequentes which follow the state of a man justified and these are required of one already justified in the Gospell there are indeed no conditions required of us in the Gospel but those onely which the Lord himselfe shall or hath wrought in us and which by requiring of us he doth worke will it therefore follow that no condition is required in us but because every condition is promised no verily for requiring the condition is the meanes to worke it as might be plentifully demonstrated and meanes and end should not be separated Faith it selfe is no antecedent condition to our justification or salvation take antecedent in the usuall sence of some Divines for affecting or meriting condition which Iunius cals essentialis conditio but take antecedent for a means or instrument of justification and receiving Christs righteousnesse in this sence it is the only antecedent condition which the Gospel requires therein because it doâ—h only antecedere or go before our justification at least in order of nature not to merit it but to receive it not to make it but to make it our own not as the matter of our righâ—eousness or any part of it but as the only means of apprehending Christs righteousnesse which is the only cause why God the Father justifieth and therefore as Christs righteousnesse must go before as the matter and moving cause of our justification or that for which we are justified so faith must go before this righteousnesse as an instrument or applying cause of it by which we are justified that is by meanes of which we apply that righteousnesse which makes us just 'T is true God justifies the ungodly but how not immediately without faith but mediately by faith as is most evident from that abused text Rom. 4.5 When works and faith are opposed by the Apostle in point of justification affirming that we are justified by faith not by works he doth hereby plainly affirm and give that to faith which he denies to works look therefore as he denies works to be antecedent conditions of our justification he affirms the contrary of faith which goes before our justification as hath been explained and therefore as doe and live hath been accounted good Law or the Covenant of works so beleeve and live hath been in former times accounted good Gospel or the Covenant of grace untill now of late this wilde age hath found out new Gospels that Paul and the Apostles did never dream of Thesis 111. A servant and a son may
and weaknesse it made him die unto it and expect no life from it and so live unto God in his sanctification for so the words are I through the Law am dead to the Law that I may live unto God Gal. 2.19 the issue therefore is this that if the doctrine be taken strictly pro lege fidei as Chamier cals it or that doctrine which shews the way of mans righteousnesse and justification only there indeed all the works of the law all terrours and threatnings are to be excluded and nothing else but peace pardon grace favour eternall reconciliation to be beleeved and received and therefore it 's no new Testament Ministry to urge the Law or to thunder out any terrour here for in this sence it 's true which is commonly received that in the Law there are terrours but in the Gospel none but if the Gospel be taken largely for all that doctrine which brings glad tidings of Christ already come and shews the love of God in the largest extent of it and the illustrations and confirmations of it from the law then such servants of Jesus Christ who hold forth the law to make way for grace and to illustrate Châ—ists love must either be accounted New Testament Ministers or else as hath been shewne Christ Jesus and his Apostles were none Thesis 115. The second is a professed neglect and casting off the work of repentance and mourning for sin nay of asking pardon of sin for if the Law be no rule to shew man his duty why should any man then trouble himself with sorrow for any sin for if it be no rule to him how should any thing be sin to him and if so why then should any ask pardon of it or mourn under it why should not a man rather harden his heart like an Adamant and make his forehead brasse and iron even unto the death against the feeling of any sin but what doctrine is more crossâ— to the Spirit of grace in Gospel times then this which is a Spirit of mourning Zâ—c 12.10 11. what doctrin more crosse to the expresse comand of Christ from heaven then this who writes from heaven to the Church of Ephesus to remember from whence she is fallen and repent Rev. 2.5 what doctrine more crosse to the example of holy men then this who after they were converted then repented and lamented most of all Ier. 31.18.19 2 Cor. 7.9.10 11. what doctrine more crosse to the salvation of souls the mercy of God and forgivenesse of sin for so the promise runs if we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins 1 Joh. 1.9 what doctrine so crosse to the Spirit of the love of Christ shed abroad in the heart that when a mans sins are greatest which is after conversion because now against more love and more nearnesse to Jesus Christ that now a beleevers sorrow should be least monkish and macerating sorrow indeed is loathsome but godly sorrow is sweet and glorious doubtlesse those mens blindenesse is exceeding great who know not how to reconcile joy and sorrow in the same subject who cannot with one eye behold their free justification and therein daily rejoyce and the weaknesse and imperfection of their sanctification with another eye and for that mourn Thesis 116. The third thing is a denying sanctification the honour of a faithfull and true witnesse or cleare evidence of our justification for if a beleever be not bound to look unto the Law as his rule why should he then have any eye to his sanctâ—fication which is nothing else but our habituall conformity to the Law as inherent corruption is nothing else but habituall disagreement with it although sanctification be no part of our righteousnesse before God and in this sence is no evidence of our justification yet there is scarce any clearer truth in all the Scripâ—uâ—e then this viz. that it is an evidence that a man is in a justified estate and yet this leven which denies the Law to be a Christians rule of life hath sowred some mens spiritâ— against this way of evidencing It is a doubtfull evidence saith Dâ— Crisp an argument not an evidence it is a carnall and an inferiour evidence the last and the least not the first evidence it is an evidence if justification be first evident say Den and Saltmarsh some men may be led to these opinions from other principles then a plain denyall of the directive use of the Law but this I feare lies undermost however let these two things be examined 1. Whether sanctification be a doubtfull evidence 2. Whether it be a carnall inferiour and may not be a first evidence Thesis 117. If to be under the power and dominion of sin and Originall corruption be a sure and certain evidence of actuall condemnation so that he that saith he knows Christ and hath fellowshâ—p with him and yet walks in darknesse and keeps not his Commandments is a lyar 1 Ioh. 1.6 2.4 why may not sanctification then whereby we are set free from the power of sin be a sure and certain evidence of our actuall justification for hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commandements 1 Joh. 2 3. whereby it is manifest that the Apostle is not of their mindes who think the negative to be true viz. that they that keep not Christs commandments are in a state of perdition but they will not make the affirmative true viz. that they that keep his Commandments may thereby know that they are in a state of salvation If Jesus Christ be sent to blesse his people in turning them from their iniquities Act. 3. ult then they that know they are turned from their iniquities by him may know certainly that they are blessed in him and if they be not thus turned they may know certainly that they are yet accursed If godlinesse hath the promises of this life and that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 and if the free grace and actuall love of God be revealed clearly to us only by some promise how then is sanctification so near akin to godlinesse excluded from being any evidence is there no inherent grace in a beleever that no inherent sanctification can be a true evidence verily thus some do think but what is this but an open gracelesse profession thrr every beleever is under the power of inherent sin if he hath not the being of any inherent grace or if there be any inherent grace yet it is say some so mixt with corruption and is such a spotted and blurd evidence that no man can discern it I confesse such an answer would well become a blinde Papist who never knew where grace grew for so they dispute against certitudo salutis certitudine fidei when the conclusion of faith ariseth from such a proposition as is the word of God and the assumption the testimony of Gods Spirit to a mans own experience of the work of God in his heart but it ill beseems a
Gospel makes an offer of Christ and salvation and remission of sins to all sinners where it comes yea to all sinners as sinners and as miserable yea though they have sinned long by unbeleef as is evident Hos. 14.1 Rev. 3.17 Ier. 3 2â— Isa. 55.1 all are invited to come unto these waters freely without money or price these things no man doubts of that knows the Gospel but the question is not whether Remission of sins and reconciliation in the Gospel belong to sinners but whether they belong to sinners immediately as sinners not whether they are merited by Christs death and offered out of his rich grace immediately to sinners but whether they are actually and immediately their own so as they may challenge them thus as their own from this as from a full and sufficient evidence viz. because they are sinners and because they see themselves sinners for we grant that Jesus Christ came into the world actually to save sinners yet mediatly by faith and then they may see salvation that he justifieth also the ungodly but how immediatly no but mediatly by faith Rom. 3.5 and that where sin abounds grace abounds to whom â—o all sinners no but mediatly to all those only who by â—aith receive this grace Rom. 5.17 so that the Gospel reveals no actuall love and reconciliation immediatly to a sinner as a sinner but mediatly to a sinner as a beleeving and broken-hearted sinner and the Scripture is so cleare in this point that whoever doubts of it must caecutire cum sole and we may say to them as Paul to the Galathians O foolish men who hath bewitched you that you should not see this truth For though Christ came to â—ave sinners yet he pâ—ofesseth that he came not to call the righteous but the sick sinners Mat. 9.13 though God justifieth the ungodly yet 't is such an ungodly man as beleeveth in him whose faith is imputed unto righteousnesse Rom 3.5 though grace abounds where sin abounds yet 't is not to all sinners for then all should be saved but to such as receive abundance of grace by faith Rom. 5.17 although God holds forth Christ to be a propitiation for sinners yet it 's expresly said to be mediatly through faith in his bloud Rom. 3.24.25 although the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise might be given yet it is not said to be immediatly given to sinners as sinners but mediatly to all that beleeve and in one word though it be true that Christ died for sinners and enemies that they might have remission of sins then procured and merited for them yet we never actually have nor receive â—his remission and consequently cannot see it as our own untill we doe beleeve for unto this truth saith Peter do all the Prophets witnesse that whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sins Act. 10.43 and hence it is that as all the Prophets preached the actual favour of God only to sinners as beleevers so the Apostles never preached it in New Testament times otherwise and hence Peter Act. 2.38 doth not tell the sorrowfull Jews that they were sinners and that God loved them and that Christ had died for them and that their sins were pardoned because they were sinners but he first exhorts them to repent that so they might receive remission of sins nor doth Paul tell any man that salvation belonged to him because he is a sinner but if thou beleeve with all thy heart thou shalt be saved Rom. 10.5 6 7. if the love of God be revealed to a sinner as a sinner this must be either 1. by the witnesse of the Law but this is impossible for if the curse of God be herein revealed only to a sinner as a sinner then the love of God cannot but the Law curseth every sinner Gal 3.10 Or 2. by the Light and witnesse of the Gospel but this cannot be for it reveals life and salvation only to a beleever and confirms the sentence of the Law against such a sinner as beleeves not Ioh. 3.17 36. he that beleeves not is condemned already not only for unbeleef as some say for this doth but aggravate condemnation but also for sin by which man is first condemned before he beleeves if the Apostle may be beleeved Rom. 3.19 and if a man be not condemned for sin before he beleeve then he is not a sinner before he beleeve for look as Christ hath taken away any mans condemnation in his death just so hath he taken away his sin 3. Or else by the witnesse and testimony of Gods spirit but this is flat contrary to what the Apostle speaks Gal. 3.26 with 4 6. ye are all the sons of God by faith in Christ Iesus and because ye are sons not sinners he hath sent the spirit of his son crying Abba Father Gal. 4.4 5 6 and verily if the love of God belong to sinners as sinners then all sinners shall certainly be saved for a quatenus ad omne valâ—â— consequentia so that by this principle as sinne hath abounded actually to condemn all so grace hath abounded actually to save all which is most pernicious nor do I know what should make men embrace this principle unlesse that they either secretly think that the strait gate and narrow way to life is now so wide and broad that all men shall in Gospel times enter in thereat which is prodigious or else they must imagine some Arminian universall Redemption and reconciliation and so put all men in a salvable and reconciled estate such as it is before faith and then the evidence and ground of their assurance must be built on this false and crazy foundation viz. Iesus Christ had died to reconcile and so hath reconciled all sinners But I am a sinner And therefore I am reconciled If this be the bottome of this Gospel-Ministry and preaching free grace as doubtlesse 't is in some then I would say these things only 1. That this doctrine under a colour of free-grace doth as much vilifie and take off the price of free grace in Christs death as any I know for what can vilifie this grace of Christ more then for Christ so to shed his bloud as that Peter and Abraham in heaven shall have no more cause to thank Iesus Christ for his love therein then Iudas and Cain in hell it being equally shed for one as much as for the other 2. That this is a false bottom for faith to rest upon and gather evidence from for 1. if Christ hath died for aâ—l he will then certainly save all for so Paul reasons Rom. 8.32 and 6.10 he hath given his Sonne to death for us how shall â—e not but with him give us all other things and therefore he will give faith and give repentance and give perseverance and give eternall life also which is most false 2. If he did not pray for all then he hath not died for all Ioh. 17.9 which Scripture never yet received scarce
here only commanded the first seems in Mr. Primrose apprehension to writhe and wrack the words of the Commandment the second if granted abolisheth our Christian Sabbaths Thesis 122. For clearing up of this difficulty therefore and leaving the dispute of the change of the Sabbath to it 's pâ—â—per place it may be made good that not that seventh day from the creation so much as a seventh day which God shall determine and therefore called the seventh day is primarily morall and therefore enjoyned in this Commandment for which end let these things be considered and laid together 1. Because the expresse words of the Commandment do not run thus viz. Remember to keep holy That seventh day but more generally the Sabbath day 't is in the beginning and so 't is in the end of this Commandment where it is not said that God blessed That Seventh day but The Sabbath day by which expression the wisdom of God as it points to that particular seventh day that it should be sanctified so it also opens a door of liberty for change if God shall see meet because the substance of the Commandment doth not only contain That seventh day but The Sabbath day which may be upon another seventh as well as upon that which God appointed first and that the substance of the command is contained in those first words Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy may appeare from the repetition of the same Commandment Deut. 5.12 where these words As the Lord thy God commanded thee are immediately inserted before the rest of the words of the Commandement be set down to shew thus much that therein is contained the substance of the fourth command the words following being added only to presse to the duty and to point out the particular day which at that time God would have them to observe 2. Because in the explication of those words the Sabbath it is not called That seventh but The seventh for so the words runne Six daies shalt thou labour but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God the meaning of which is thus much to wit that man taking six daies to himself for labour that he leave the seventh to be the Lords now unlesse any can shew that no other day but that Seventh could be the seventh for rest nor no other six daies but those six daies going before thaâ— seventh could be the six daies for labour they can never prove that this fourth Commandment hath only a respect to That particular Seventh and it is no small boldnesse necessarily to limit where God hath left free for we know that if God will man may take other six daies for labour and leave another Seventh for God then those six daies and that Seventh day only 3. The change of the Sabbath undeniably proves thus much if it can be proved that the morality of this command did not lie in that particular day only for if that only was morall how could it be changed and if it did not lie only in that Seventh wherein then did it more generally lie was it in a day more largely or in a Seventh day more narrowly now let any indifferent conscience be herein judge who they be that come nearest to the truth whether they that fly so far from the name Seventh which is expresly mentioned in the Commandment or they that come as near it as may be whether they that plead for a Seventh of Gods appointing or they that plead for a day but God knowes when of humane institution and it 's worth considering why any should be offended at the placing of the morality of the command in a Seventh more then at their own placing of it in a day for in urging the letter of the Commandment to that particular Seventh to abolish thereby the morality of a Seventh day they do withall therein utterly abandon the morality of a day for if That Seventh only be enjoyned in the letter of the Commandment and they will thence inferre that a Seventh therefore cannot be required how can they upon this ground draw out the morality of a day 4. Because we know that ratio legis est anima legis i. the reason of a law is the soul and life of the law now let it be considered why God should appoint the Seventh rather then the ninth or tenth or twentieth-day for spirituall rest and the reason will appear not to be Gods absolute will meerly but because divine wisdom having just measures and ballances in its hand in proportioning time between God and man it saw a seventh part of time rather then a tenth of twentieth to be most equall for himself to take and for man to give and thus much the words of the Commandment imply viz. that it is most equall if man hath six that God should have the seventh now if this be the reason of the law this must needs be the soul and substance of the morality of the law viz. That a Seventh day be given to God man having six and therefore it consists not in That Seventh day only for the primary reason why God appointed this or that Seventh was not because it was that seventh but because a Seventh was now equall in the eye of God for God to take to himself man having the full and fittest proportion of six daies together for himself and because a seventh was the fittest proportion of time for God hence this or that individual and particular seventh in the second place fall out to be morall because they contain the most equall and fittest proportion of a Seventh day in them there was also another reason why That Seventh was sanctified viz. Gods rest in it but this reason is not primary as hath been said and of which now we speak 5. Because if no other Commandment be in the Decalogue but it is comprehensive and looking many waies at once why should we then pinion and gird up this only to the narrow compasse of that Seventh day only 6. Because our adversaries in this point are forced sometime to acknowledge this morality of a Seventh with us we have heard the judgement of Gomaras herein Thesis 44. and M. Primrose who speaks with most weight and spirit in this controversie professeth plainly That if God give us six daies for our own affairs there is then good reason to consecrate a Seventh to his service and that in this reason there is manifest justice and equity which abideth for ever to dedicate to God precisely a seventh day after we have bestowed six daies upon our selves it cannot be denied saith he but that it is most just Now if it be by his confession 1. just 2. most just 3. manifestly just 4. perpetually just to give God precisely one day in seven the cause is then yeelded the only evasion he makes is this viz. that though it be most just to give God one day in seven yet it 's not more just then to give God one in six
rest as this and as afterward it sell out in the finishing of the work of redemption it might have been as well upon such a day as this but it was not then so and hence the rest day fell as it were accidentally upon this and hence it is that Gods example of rest on that particular day doth not necessarily binde us to observe the same seventh day morall examples not alway binding in their accidentals as the case is here although it be true that in their essentials they alway do Thesis 134. There is no strength in that reason that because one day in seven is to be consecrated unto God that therefore one yeere in seven is to be so also as of old it was among the Jewâ—â— for beside what hath been said formerly viz. that one yeere in seven was meerly ceremoniall one day in seven is not so saith Wallaeus but morall God gave no example whose example is onely in morall things of resting one yeere in seven but he did of resting one day in seven I say beside all this it is observable what Iunius notes herein The Lord saith he challengeth one day in seven jure creationis by right of creation and hence requires it of all men created but he challenged one yeere in seven jure peculiaris possessionis i. by right of peculiar possession the Land of Canaan being the Lords land in a peculiar manner even a type of Heaven which every other Country is not and therefore there is no reason that all men should give God one seventh yeer as they are to give him one seventh day By the observation of one day in seven saith he men professe themselves to be the Lords and to belong unto him who created and made them and this profession all men are bound unto but by observation of one yeere in seven they professed thereby that their Countrey was the Lords and themselves the Lords Tenants therein which all Countreys not being types of Heaven cannot nor ought to doe and therefore there is not the like reason urged to the observation of a seventh yeere as of a seventh day Thesis 135. Look therefore as 't is in the second Commandement although the particular instituted worship is changed under the Gospel from what it was under the Law yet the generall duty required therein of observing Gods own instituted worship is morall and unchangeable so t is in the fourth Commandement where though the particular day be changed yet the duty remains morall and unchangeable in observing a seventh day there is therefore no reason to imagine that the generall duty contained in this precept is not morall because the observance of the particular day is mutable and yet this is the fairest colour but the strongest refuge of lies which their cause hath who hold a seventh day to be meerly ceremoniall Thesis 136. If it be a morall duty to observe one day in seven then the observation of such a day no more infringeth Christian liberty then obedience to any other morall Law one part of our Christian liberty consisting in our conformity to it as our â—ondage consists in being left to sinne against it and therefore that argument against the morality of one day in seven is very feeble as if Christian liberty was hereby infringed Thesis 137. It was meet that God should have speciall service from man and therefore meet for himselfe to appoint a speciall time for it which time though it be a circumstance yet it s such a circumstance as hath a speciall influence into any businesse not onely humane but also divine and therefore if it be naturally it may be also ethically and morally good contributing much also to what is morally good and therefore the determination of such a time for length frequency and holinesse may be justly taken in among the morall Laws he that shall doubt of such a powerfull influence of speciall time for the furthering of what is specially good may look upon the art skill trade learning nay grace it self perhaps which he hath got by the help of the improvement of time a prophane and religious heart are seen and accounted of according to their improvements of time more or lesse in holy things Time is not therefore such a circumstance as is good only because commanded as the place of the Temple was but it is commanded because it is good because time nay much time reiterated in a weekly seventh part of time doth much advance and set forward that which is good Thesis 138. That Law which is an homogeneall part of the morall Law is morall but the fourth Commandment is such a part of the morall Law and therefore it is morall I do not say that that Law which is set and placed among the morall Laws in order of writing as our adversaries too frequently mistake us in that it is therefore morall for then it might be said as wel that the Sabbath is ceremoniall because it it is placed in order of writing among things ceremoniall Lev. 23. but if it be one link of the chain and an essentiall part of the morall Law then it s undoubtedly morall but so it is for its part of the Decalogue nine parts whereof all our adversaries we now contend with confesse to be morall and to make this fourth ceremoniall which God hath set in the heart of the Decalogue and commanded us to remember to keep it above any other Law seems very unlike to truth to a serene and sober minde not disturbed with such mud which usually lies at the bottome of the heart and turns light into darknesse and why one ceremoniall precept should be shuffled in among the rest which are of another tribe lineage and language hath been by many attempted but never soundly cleared unto this day surely if this Commandment be not morall then there are but nine Commandments left to us of the morall Law which is expresly contrary to Gods account Deut. 4. To affirm that all the commands of the Decalogue are morall yet every one in his proportion and degree and that this of the Sabbath is thus morall viz. in respect of the purpose and intent of the Lawgiver viz. That some time he set apart but not morall in respect of the letter in which it is exprest it is in some sence formerly explained true but in his sence who endeavours to prove the Sabbath ceremoniall while he saith it is morall is both dark and false for if it be said to be morall only in respect of some time to be set apart and this time an individuum vagum an indeterminate time beyond the verges of a seventh part of time then there is no more morality granted to the fourth Commandment then to the Commandment of building the temple and observing the new moons because in Gods command to build the Temple the generall purpose and intention of the Lawgiver was that some place be appointed for his publike worship and in commanding to
what Mr. Brabourne and Mr. Primrose have alledged against the same The second Part. LONDON Printed for Iohn Rothwell 1650. The generall Contents about the change of the Sabbath 1. SVfficient Light in the Scriptures for the change of the Sabbath Thes. 1. 2. Apostolicall unwritten-traditions no ground for the change of it Thes. 2. 3. Neither Churches custome or any Imperiall Law ground of the change of it Thes. 3. 4. How the observation of the Christian Sabbath ariseth from the fourth Commandement Thes. 4. 5. How 〈◊〉 day in the week may be called the seventh day Thes. 7 8. 6. The will of God the Efficient cause the Resurrection of Christ the morall cause of the change of the Sabbath Thes. 10. 7. The Asceâ—tion no ground of the change of the Sabbath Thes. 13. 8. The 〈…〉 spoyled in his first Creation by the sin of man hence the Day of Rest may be well changed Thes. 16. 9. Neither the three dayes resting of Christ in the grave nor the 33. yeers of Christs labour the ground of our labour and rest now Thes 18. 10. Not only Christs Resurrection but an affixed Type to the first Sabbath is the ground of the abrogation of it Thes. 20. 11. What the affixed Type to the Sabbath is Thes. 21. 12. The meer exercises of holy duties upon a day are not any true ground to make such a day the Christian Sabbath Thes. 25. 13. How holy duties on a day may evince a Sabbath day Thes. 26. 14. The first day of the week honour'd by the Primitive Churches from the Commandment of the Lord Iesus Thes. 27. 15. The Apostles preaching on the Iewish Sabbath doth not argue it to be the Christian Sabbath Thes. 30. 16. The first day of the week proved to be the Christian Sabbath by Divine Institution Thes. 34. 17. The first place alledged for the Christian Sabbath Acts 20.7 cleared by nine considerations Thes. 35. 18. The second place from 1 Cor. 16.1 2. cleared from seven considerations Thes. 36. 19. The third Scripture Rev. 1.10 cleared by two 〈◊〉 branches Thes. 37. 20. How the Christian Sabbath ariseth from the fourth Commandment although it be not particularly named in it Thes. 40. 21. The error of those especially in the Eastern Churches who observed two Sabbaths Thes. 41. 22. How the work of Redemption may be a ground for all men to observe the Sabbath Thes. 42. 23. How far the Iudgement of God upon prophaners of the Lords Day is of force to evince the holinesse of the Sabbath Thes. 44. The Change of the Sabbath THESIS 1. THe change of this day from the last to the first of the week although it be confirmed by an ancient custome yet the true reason and grounds of so great a change are not so fully known Sacred writings not so expresly setting down as it doth in some things of lesse concernment the causes hereof And many of the Arguments heaped up and multiplyed by some for the change of it which may seem of great weight while they want an adversary at the other end of the Scale to ballance them Yet upon sad examination and search into them they prove too light and consequently occasion the temptation of scrupling the truth and validity of others more cleare We are therefore with more warinesse and humility of mind to search into this Controversie and with much thankfulnesse and modesty to accept that little light which God gives us in greater as well as of much light which he is pleased to lend us in smaller matters Pascimur apertis exercemur obscuris was his speech long since concerning the Scriptures There is no truth so clear but mans loose wit can invent and mint many pernicious Cavils against it and therefore in those things which shine forth with lesse evidence it is no wonder if it casts such blots and staines upon them as that they can fear 〈…〉 discerned Nil magis inimicum veritati acumine 〈…〉 therfore be wise with sobriety remember that in this and such like Controversies the Scriptures were not written to answer all the scruples and objections of Cavillers but to satisfie and stablish the consciences of poor beleevers And verily when I meet with such like speeches and objections as these viz. Where is it expressely said that the old Sabbath is abrogated and what one Scripture is there in the N. Testament declaring expressely that the Lords day is substituted and put in its roome I cannot from such expressions but think and fear that the ignorance of this change in some doth not spring so much from deficiency and want of light on Gods part but rather from perversnes on mans part which will not see nor own the tâ—uth because it is not revealed and dispensed after that manner and fashion of expression as mans wit and phantasie would have it Like Naaman who because the Prophet went not about the cure of his Leprosie in that way and fashion which he would have him did not therefore for a time see that way of cure which God had revealed to him For the Holy Ghost is not bound to write all the principles of Religion under Common-place heads nor to say expressely In this place of Scripture you may see the old Sabbath abrogated and the new instituted for we find no such kind of expressions concerning Pauls Epistles and many books of Scripture that this or that Epistle or book is Canonical which yet we know to be so by other evidences We know also that the Holy Ghost by brief hints of Truth gives occasion of large Comments and by writing about other matters tanquam aliud agens it brings forth to light by the By revelations of great concernment which it saw meet purposely in that manner to make known And as in many other things it hath thus done so especially in this of the Sabbath So that if our hearts like Locks were fitted to Gods Key they would be soon opened to see thorough the difficulties of this point which I confesse of all practicall points hath been most fuâ—l of knots and difficulties to my own weaknesse Thesis 2. To make Apostolicall unwritten inspirations notified and made known in their dayes to the Churches to be the cause of the change of the Day is to plough with a Popish Heifer and to cast that Anchor on which deceivers rely and by which they hope to save themselves when they know not how otherwise to defend their falshoods Thesis 3. To make Ecclesiasticall Custome established 〈◊〉 by the Imperiall Law of Constantine to be the 〈◊〉 of the change is to make a prop for Prelacy and a step to Popery and to open a gap to all humane inventions For if it be in the Churches power to appoint the greatest Holy day why may not any other Rite and Ceremony be imposed also and if it be free to observe this day or not in respect of it selfe because it wants a divine institution and yet necessary to