The Position and the Supposition Opened

1 Tim. 1. 8, 9.

IN these words you have heard, 1. the position, [The Law is good:] 2. the supposition, If a man use it lawfully.

Now, this know in the generall, that this is no more derogative¹ to the Law, that it is such a good, which a man may use ill, bonum, quo aliquis malè uti potest, then God, or Christ, or the Gospel, or Free-grace are; for, all may turn this hony into gall: yea, an Antinomian may set up his preaching of grace, as a work more eminent, and so trust to that more then Christ. I doe acknowledge that of Chrysostome to be very good, speaking of the love of God in Christ, and raised up in admiration of it, Oh (saith he) I am like a man digging in a deep spring: I stand here, and the water riseth up upon me; and I stand there, and still the water riseth upon me: So it is in the love of Christ and the Gospel, the poore broken heart may finde unsearchable treasures there; but yet this must not be used to the prejudice of the Law neither. And take this, as a Prologus galeatus to all I shall say, That, because the Law may be used unlawfully, it is no more derogation, then to the Gospel: Wo be to the whole Land, for the abuse of the Gospel; is it not the matter of death to many? I shall shew the generall wayes of abusing the Law:

1. That in the Text, when men turn it unto unfruitfull and unprofitable² disputes: and this the Apostle doth here mainly intend. Cui bono? must be the question made of any dispute about the Law: and therefore, if I should, in this exercise I have undertaken, handle any frivolous or unprofitable disputes, this were to use the Law unlawfully; and therefore let Ministers take heed that be not true of them, which one dreamed about the School-men, that he thought them all like a man eating an hard stone, when pure manchet was by. Besides, he preacheth the Law unprofitably, not only that darkeneth it with obscure questions, but that doth not teach Christ by it: and I see not but that Ministers may be humbled, that they have pressed religious duties, but not so as to set up Christ; and hereby people have been content with duties and sacraments, though no Christ in them. But, as all the vessels were to be of pure gold in the Temple, so ought all our duties to be of pure and meere Christ for acceptation. Tertullian saith of Cerinthus, Legem proponit, ad excludendum Evangelium, he preacheth the Law, to exclude the Gospel; Therefore there may be such a legall preacher, as is justly to be reproved, the Apostle of the teachers in this Chapter, saith they will be […], teachers of the law, yet he rebuketh them, for they brought in many fables about it, as they feigned a dialogue between God and the Law before the world was made, and that God made the world for the Lawes sake.

2. When men look to carnall and worldly respects, in the handling³ of it. This is also to use the Law unlawfully. And thus the Priests and the Jewes did, as thereby to make a living, and to have temporall blessings: And it is no wonder that the Law may be used so, seeing the doctrine of Christ is so abused. There are, as Nazianzen saith well, […], and […], Christmerchants, and Christ-hucksters, that hope, as Judas did, for carnall ends by Christ; Therefore so we are to handle Law and Gospel, not as thereby to make parties, or to get applause; but of a godly love and zeale to truth. It was an honest complaint of a Popish writer, We (saith he) handle the Scripture (tantùm ut nos pascat, & vestiat) that we might only live, and be cloathed by it. And how doe we all fall short of Paul, as, Act. 20. where he was preaching night and day with great affections, and desired no mans gold or silver? how well might Chrysostome call him, Angelus terrestris, &, Cor Pauli est cor Christi?

3. When men would quite overthrow it, or deny it. Thus the Marcionites⁴ and Manichees of old, and others of late, though upon other grounds. Now the ground of their errour, are the many places of Scripture that seeme to deny the Law; and, I doe acknowledge, it is hard to get the true sense of those places without diligence: and therefore Austin said well (as to that purpose, if I mistake not) They are not so much the simple, as the negligent, that are deceived herein: and, as Chrysostome saith, A friend that is acquainted with his friend, will get out the meaning of a letter or phrase, which another could not that is a stranger: so it is here in the Scripture. Now, two things let such consider: 1. That as there are places that seem to overthrow it, so there are also many places that doe confirme it; yea, the Apostle makes objections against himself, as if he did disanull it, and then answers with an absit, as if it were an horrid thing to doe so. 2. That they must take the Apostle in the particular sense he intends it. It is a good rule, Quaelibet res eâ capienda est parte, quâ capi debet: You doe not take a sword by the edge, but the handle; nor a vessell by the body, but the eare: and so this doctrine of the Law, not in every part, but where the Apostle would have you take it.

4. When they doe ill interpret it. And herein all Popish Authors⁵ are in an high degree to be reproved; for, they limit exceedingly the spirituall meaning thereof, even as the Pharisees understood it only of externall acts: and therefore our Saviour, Matth. 5. did not make new commands or counsells there (as Popish Expositors dreame) but did throw away all that earth, which the Philistims had tumbled into that spring. And this was so generall a mistake, that it was a great while ere Paul did understand the strictnesse of it. This discovers a world of sin in a man, which he was ignorant of before. The Papists, they also use it unlawfully in that corrupt glosse, as if it might be kept so farre forth as it’s obligatory. In a great part of it, they make it commonitory, and not obligatory; and the power of man they make to be the rule of his duty, whereas it is plaine by Scripture, that that measure of grace, which God giveth any man upon earth, is not answerable to the duty commanded there. It is true, Hierome said, It was blasphemy to say, God commanded any thing impossible: but in this sense impossible absolutely, so that man could never have fulfilled it.

5. When they doe oppose it to Christ. And this was the Jewes⁶ fundamentall errour, and under this notion doth the Apostle argue against it in his Epistles to the Romans and Galatians. And, howsoever they would have compounded Christ and the Law together, yet this composition was to make opposition. There can be no more two Suns in the firmament, then two things to justifie: Therefore the reconciliation of the Law and Christ cannot be, in matter of justification, by way of mixture; but yet one is antecedaneous and subordinate to the other, and is no more to be opposed, then the end to the meanes. Nor is it any wonder that the Law, through errour, may be opposed to Christ, seeing that Christ may be opposed to Christ; as, in Popery, Christ sanctifying is opposed to Christ justifying: for, when we charge them with derogating from Christ, in holding our graces doe justifie; Nay (say they) we set him up more then you, for, we hold, He doth make us holy, That this holinesse doth justifie. Thus, you see, Christ in his workes is opposed to Christ in his justifying. And here, by the way, you may see, that that only is the best way of advancing Christ or grace, which is in a Scripture way, and not what is possible for us to think, as the Papists doe.

6. When they look for justification by it: and this is a dangerous⁷ and desperate errour; this is that which reigneth in Popery, this is that inbred canker-worm, that eateth in the hearts of all naturally. They know not a Gospel-righteousnesse, and for this end they reade the Law, they heare it preached onely, that they may be self-saviours: And, certainly, for this two-fold end, I may think, God suffers this Antinomian errour to grow; first, That Ministers may humble themselves, they have not set forth Christ and grace in all the glory of it. If Bernard said, he did not love to reade Tully, because he could not reade the Name of Christ there; how much rather may we say, that in many Sermons, in many a mans ministery, the drift and end of all his preaching is not, that Christ may be advanced. And in Christians, in Protestants, it is a farre greater sin then in Papists: for, it is well observed by Peter Martyr, that the Apostle doth deale more mildly in the Epistle to the Romans, then in the Epistle to the Galatians; and the reason is, because the Galatians were at first well instructed in the matter of justification, but afterwards did mixe other things with Christ, therefore he thunders against them. I desire to know nothing, saith Paul, 1 Corinth. 2. but Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And secondly, another end may be, to have these truths beaten out more: As, The deity of Christ, because of the Arrians; and, Grace in predestination and conversion, by the Pelagians: so, The grace of justification, because not only of Papists, but Antinomians. And, certainly, these things were much pressed by Luther at first, as appeares in his Epistle to the Galatians: but, perceiving how this good doctrine was abused, he speaks in his Commentary on Genesis (which was one of his last workes) much against Antinomists: But yet, because generally people are fallen into a formality of truths, it’s good to set up Christ. And the poison of this opinion will be seen in these things:

7. It overthroweth the nature of grace. And this holdeth against⁸ the works of the Gospel, as well as those of the Law. Take notice of this, that justification by works doth not only exclude the works of the Law, but all works of the Gospel, yea, and the works of grace also. Hence you see, the opposition is of works, and of grace. Here the Apostle makes an immediate opposition, whereas the Papist would say, Paul hath a non sequitur; for, datur tertium, workes of and by grace. But works doe therefore oppose grace, because the frequent acception of it in the Scripture is for the favour of God without us, not any thing in us. I will not deny but that the word [grace] is used for the effects of it, inherent holinesse wrought in us, as in that place, Grow in grace and knowledge; but yet commonly grace is used for the favour of God. And the ignorance of the use of the word in Scripture, makes them so extoll inherent holinesse, as if that were the grace which should save us. As (saith the Papist) a bird cannot fly without wings, the fish swimme without scales, the Sculler without his oare cannot get to the haven: so, without this grace, we cannot fly into heaven, and that as the meritorious cause. But this is ignorance of the word [grace] and so the troubles and unbelief of the godly heart, because it is not so holy as it would be, cometh from the mistake of the word [grace.] I shall anticipate my self in another subject, if I should tell you how comprehensive this word is, implying no merit or causality on our part for acceptance, but the clean contrary; and therefore, for God to deal with us in grace, is more then in love: for Adam, if he had continued righteous, he had been partaker of life; this had been the gift of God, but not by the grace of God, as it is strictly taken; for Adam was not in a contrary condition to life. I will not trouble you with Pareus his apprehension, that thinketh Adams righteousnesse could not be called grace, therefore reproveth Bellarmine for his title, De gratia primi hominis: neither will he acknowledge those habits of holinesse in Christ to be called grace, because there was not a contrary disposition in his nature to it, as it is in ours. And this also Cameron presseth, that, besides the indebitum which grace implyeth in every subject, there is also a demeritum of the contrary. Thus then justification is of grace, because thy holinesse doth not only not deserve this, but the clean contrary. Now what a cordiall may this be to the broken heart, exercised with its sinnes? How may the sick say, There I finde health? the poore say, There I finde riches? And as for the Papists, who say they set up grace, and they acknowledge grace; yet first it must be set down in what sense we take grace. It is not every man that talketh of grace, doth therefore set up Scripture-grace. Who knoweth not that the Pelagians set up grace? They determined, that whosoever did not a knowledge grace necessary to every good act all the day long let him be an anathema: and this faire colour did deceive the Eastern Churches, that they did acquit him: But Austine and others observed, that he did use the word grace, to decline envie, gratiae vocabulo uti ad frangendam invidiam; even as the Papists do at this time: therefore if they say, Thy patience is grace, Thy hope is grace, and therefore by grace thou art saved; say, This is not the Gospel-grace, the Scripture-grace, by which sins are pardoned, and we saved.

8. It opposeth Christ in his fulnesse: It makes an halfe-Christ.⁹ Thus the false Apostles made Christ void, and fell off from him. Neither will this serve, to say that the Apostle speakes of the ceremoniall law: for (as we told you) though the differences about the Jewish ceremonies, were the occasion of those divisions in the primitive times, yet the Apostle goeth from the hypothesis to the thesis, even to all works whatsoever, and therefore excludes Abrahams and Davids works from justification. Now Christ would be no Christ if workes were our righteousnesse; because the righteousnesse by the faith of Christ is opposed to Pauls own righteousnesse, and this is called the righteousnesse of God: Yea, this is said to be made righteousnesse unto us, and he is called the Lord our righteousnesse; and howsoever Bellarmine would understand these phrases causally, as when God is called the Lord our salvation; yet we shall shew you it cannot be so, therefore if thy works justifie thee, what needs a Christ? Can thy graces be a Christ?

9. It destroyeth the true doctrine of Justification. I shall not¹⁰ lanch into this Ocean at this time, only consider how the Scripture speaks of it, as not infusing what is perfect, but forgiving what is imperfect; as in David, Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sin. I shall not at this time dispute whether there be two parts of Justification, one positive, in respect of the term to which, called Imputation of Christs righteousnesse; the other negative, in respect of the term from which, Not accounting sin. This later I only presse: Therefore, What is it to be justified? Not to have holinesse accepted of us, but our sins remitted: Justitia nostra, est indulgentia tua Domine. Now, what a comfortable plea is this for an humbled soul, O Lord, it is not the question, what good I have, but what evil thou wilt forget: It is not to finde righteous works in me, but to passe by the unrighteousnesse in me? What can satisfie thy soul, if this will not do? Is not this (as I told you) with Chrysostome, to stand upon a spring rising higher and higher?

10. It quite overthroweth justifying faith: for when Christ and¹¹ grace is overthrowne, this also must fall to the ground. There are these three main concurrent causes to our justification: The grace of God as the efficient, Christ as the meritorious, and faith as the instrumentall; and although one of these causes be more excellent then the other (the efficient then the instrumentall) yet all are equally necessary to that effect of justification. That faith doth instrumentally justifie, I here take it for granted. As for the Antinomian, who holdeth it before faith, and thinketh the argument from Infants will plainly prove it, I shall shew the contrary in its due time: onely this is enough, that an instrumentall particle is attributed to it, By faith in his bloud, and, By faith in his Name, and, justified By faith. It is true, it’s never said […], for faith, as if there were dignity or merit in it; but […]. Now to set up works is to oppose faith, as the Apostle argueth: therefore faith, as it is a work, is to be opposed to it self, as it’s an instrument justifying.

11. It quite discourageth a broken-hearted sinner, taking away peace¹² with God, the effect of justification, and glorying in tribulations. If you consider Chapt. 5. of Rom. you will finde, that peace onely comes this way, yea and to glory in tribulations; for, ver. 1. being justified by faith, we have peace with God. Alas, what patience, what repentance, what pains and religious duties can procure thee peace with God? Can that which would damne, save? Can that which would work woe in thee, comfort thee? Vae etiam laudabili vitae erit, saith Austin, as you heard; Woe to the most worthy life that is, if it should be judged strictly by God. And then mark the object of this peace, Peace with God. Take a Pharisee, take a morall or a formall man, he may have a great deale of peace, because of his duties and good heart; yet, this is not a peace with God: so also for glorying in tribulations, how can this be? If all a mans glory were for himselfe, would not every affliction rather break him, saying, This is the fruit of my sinne?

12. It brings men into themselves. And this is very dangerous:¹³ A man may not only exclude Christ from his soul by grosse sins, but by self-confidences; You are they which justifie your selves. And so the Jewes, they would not submit to their own righteousnesse; see how afraid Paul is to be found in his own righteousnesse. Beza puts an emphasis upon this word Found, implying, that Justice, and the Law, and so the wrath of God is pursuing and seeking after man: Where is that man that offends God, and transgresseth his Law? Where is that man that doth not pray, or heare as he should doe? Now (saith Paul) I would not be found in mine own righteousnesse. And this made Luther say, Take heed, not only of thy sins, but also of thy good duties. Now, if this were all the wine that the Antinomian would drink in Christs cellar, if this were all the hony that he would have in Christs hive, none would contradict it: but we shall shew you the dangerous inferences they make from hence, turning that which would be a rod, into a serpent.

13. It overthroweth the doctrine of imputation, and reckoning righteousnesse¹⁴ to us: which is spoken of Rom. 4. and in other places. I know how this point is vexed divers wayes; but this is enough for us: If righteousnesse were in us, and properly ours, what need a righteousnesse be reckoned and imputed to us? The Papist maketh imputative, and putative, and imaginary all one. Who can say, A lame man (say they) goeth right, because he hath other mens shooes? Who can say, A deformed Thersites is a faire Absalom, because of borrowed beauty? But these are easily refuted by Scripture, and we shall shew you Christs righteousnesse is as really ours, as if it were inherent. They differ not in reality, but in the manner of being ours. Now, here the Antinomian and Papist agree in the inferences they make from this doctrine; If Christs righteousnesse be ours, then there is no sin in us seen by God, then we are as righteous as Christ, argueth the Antinomian: and this absurdity the Papists would put on us.

14. It keeps a man in a slavish servile way in all his duties: For,¹⁵ how must that man be needs tossed up and down, which hath no other ground of peace, then the works of grace? How is the humble heart soon made proud? how is the heavenly heart soon become earthly? Now, you may see the Scripture speaking much against doubting and feares; and, James 1. it is made the canker-worm, that devoureth all our duties: Therefore the Scripture doth name some words that doe oppose this Evangelicall temper of sons; as, Be not afraid, but beleeve; so, Why doubted ye? the word signifieth to be in bivio, that a man cannot tell which wayes to take to, […], to be carried up and down, as meteors in the aire. Now, how can a man be bold by any thing that is his? By faith we have confidence and boldnesse: faith is confidence, and faith works confidence; but faith, whose object is Christ, not any thing of ours: it’s made the first word also we can speak, when we are made sons, to cry, Abba, Father.

15. A man may as lawfully joyne Saints or Angels in his mediation¹⁶ with Christ, as graces. Why is that doctrine of making Angels and Saints mediators and intercessors so odious, but because it joyneth Christ and others together in that great work? Dost not thou the like, when thou joynest thy love and grace with Christs obedience? The Papist saith, Let such and such an holy Saint save me; and thou sayest, Let my holy love, let my holy repentance save me. What advantage then hast thou, if thou cryest down Saints, and then makest thy self one in a Popish way? Could therefore thy graces speak, they would say as the Angel to John that would worship him, Worship thou God, worship thou Christ, put thy trust in Christ; he hath only born our sins, so as to take them away: and therefore, as grosse Idolatry makes the works of God a god; so doth more subtle Idolatry make the works of Christ, a Christ.

16. It overthroweth the grace of hope. When faith is destroyed,¹⁷ then also hope is. This grace of hope is the great support of a Christian: now, if it be placed in Christ, and the Promises, it is as firme as faith; therefore saith the Apostle of hope, Rom. 5. It makes not ashamed: but, if it were an hope in our selves, how often should we be confounded? That is good of Austine, Noli sperare de te, sed de Deo tuo; nam si speras de te, anima tua conturbatur ad te, quia nondum invenit unde sit secura de te: Do not hope in thy self, but God; for if so, thy soul will never finde ground for security. It’s an ignorant distinction among Papists, that they may have a certainty of hope, but not of faith in matters of salvation: whereas they have both the like certainty, and differ onely thus: faith doth for the present receive the things promised, and hope keeps up the heart against all difficulties, till it come to enjoy them. Now, to have such an hope as the Papists define, Partly coming from Gods grace, and partly from our merits, Partim è gratia Dei, and partim à meritis nostris proveniens, must needs be destructive.

17. It taketh away the glory due to God in this great work of Justification.¹⁸ If you have not meat or drink but by God, shall you have pardon of sin without him? Abraham beleeved, and gave God glory: We are apt to account beleeving no glory to God; but could we mortifie our corruptions more and more, could we exhaust and spend our selves, yet this is no more to give glory to God, then when we beleeve. Now, it is good to possesse Christians with this principle, To beleeve in Christ, is to give glory to Christ: we naturally would think, to go far on pilgrimages, to macerate our bodies, were likelier wayes for our Salvation; but this would be mans glory more then Gods glory: Therefore how did that wretched Monk, dying, blasphemously say, Redde mihi aeternam vitam, quam debes, Pay me eternall life, which thou owest?

18. It maketh sin, and the first Adam more and greater for condemnation,¹⁹ then Christ for salvation. Now the Apostle, Rom. 5. makes the opposition, and sheweth, that the gift is far above the transgression: Therefore take thy sins in all the aggravations of them, there is not more in them to damne, then in Christ to save. Why should sin be an heavie sin, a great sin, and Christ not also a wonderfull saving Christ? When we say, The guilt of sin is infinite, that is, onely infinite objectivè; but now Christs merits and obedience are infinite meritoriè: they have from the dignity of the person an infinite worth in them; and therefore, as sin is exceeding sinfull, so let Christ be an exceeding Christ, and grace exceeding grace.

19. It overthroweth the true doctrine of sanctification: which declareth²⁰ it to be inchoate, and imperfect; that our faith hath much unbelief in it, our best gold much drosse, our wine much water. It is true, both the Papists and the Antinomian agree in this errour, that because sin is covered, therefore there can be no sin seen in the godly; that the soul in this life is without spot and wrinkle: but they doe it upon different grounds; whereas Paul, Rom. 7. doth abundantly destroy that principle. How blasphemous is that direction of the Papists to men dying, who are to pray thus: O Lord, joyn my obedience with all the suffrings of Christ for me, Conjunge (Domine) obsequium meum cum omnibus quae Christus passus est pro me? And how absurd is that doctrine, Si bona opera sunt magis bona, quàm mala opera mala, fortiùs merentur vitam aeternam?

20. It taketh away the true doctrine of the Law, as if that were²¹ possible to be kept: For, works could not justifie us, unlesse they were answerable to that righteousnesse which God commands; but Rom. 3. that which was impossible for the Law, Christ hath fulfilled in us.

21. It overthroweth the consideration of a man, while he is justified:²² For, they look upon him as godly, but the Scripture as ungodly; Rom. 4. who justifieth the ungodly. Some by [ungodly,] meane any prophane man, whereas it is rather one that is not perfectly godly; for Abraham is here made the ungodly person: I know, it is explained otherwise; but, certainly this is most genuine.

Use 1. Of Instruction. How uncharitably and falsly many men charge it generally upon our godly Ministers, that they are nothing but Justitiaries, and Legall Preachers? For, do not all sound and godly Ministers hold forth this Christ, this righteousnesse, this way of justification? Do not all our Protestant authours maintain this truth, as that which discerneth us from Heathens, Jewes, Papists, and others in the world? May not these things be heard in our Sermons daily?

Use 2. It is not every kind of denying the Law, and setting up of Christ and Grace, is presently Antinomianisme. Luther, writing upon Genesis, handling that sin of Adam, in eating of the forbidden fruit, speaketh of a Fanatique, as he calls him, that denyed Adam could sinne, because the Law is not given to the righteous. Now, saith Bellarmine, this is an argument satis aptè deductum ex principiis Lutheranorum, because they deny the Law to a righteous man. Here you see he chargeth Antinomianisme upon Luther; but of these things more hereafter.

Use 3. To take heed of using the Law for our justification. It’s an unwarranted way; you cannot finde comfort there: Therefore let Christ be made the matter of your righteousnesse and comfort more then he hath been. You know, the posts that were not sprinkled with bloud, were sure to be destroyed; and so are all those persons and duties, that have not Christ upon them. Christ is the propitiation, and the Hebrew word […], used for covering, and propitiating of sinne, is Genes. 6. used of the pitch or plaister, whereby the wood of the Ark was so fastened, that no water could get in: and it doth well resemble the atonement made by Christ, whereby we are so covered, that the waters of Gods wrath cannot enter upon us. And do not think, to beleeve in Christ, a contemptible and unlikely way; for, it is not, because of the dignitie of faith, but by Christ. You see the Hyssop (or whatsoever it was) which did sprinkle the bloud, was a contemptible herb, yet the instrument to represent great deliverance.

Footnotes

1. The abuse of the Law no derogation to it. ↩

2. 1. The Law is abused, when converted to unprofitable disputes.
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3. 2. When, in the handling of it, respect is had to worldly ends.
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4. 3. When men deny it.
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5. 4. When they misinterpret it.
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6. 5. When they oppose it to Christ.
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7. 6. When they expect justification by it.
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8. 1. Justification by the Law overthrowes the nature of grace.
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9. 2. Opposeth the fulnesse of Christ.
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10. 3. Destroyes the true doctrine of Justification.
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11. 4. Overthrows justifying faith.
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12. 5. Discourageth the broken-hearted sinner.
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13. 6. Brings men into themselves.
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14. 7. Overthrowes the doctrine of imputed righteousnesse.
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15. 8. Keeps a man slavish in all his duties.
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16. 9. Joyns a mans own graces to Christs mediation.
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17. 10. Overthrowes hope.
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18. 11. Robs God of his glory.
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19. 12. Makes more in sin to damne, then in Christ to save.
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20. 13. Overthrowes the doctrine of sanctification.
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21. 14. Takes away the doctrine of the Law.
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22. 15. Overthroweth the consideration of man while he is justified.
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