Ments of the First Tables. The Second Sermon
The law of God, openly published and proclaimed by the Lord our God himself, setteth down ordinary rules for us to know what we have to do, and what to leave undone, requirrebels. This law is divided into the moral, ceremonial, and judicial laws: all which parts, and every point whereof, Moses hath very exquisitely written, and diligently gently expounded. The i i down before us the shape of virtue; declaring therewithal how great righteousness, godliness, obedience, and perfectness God looketh for at the hands of us mortal men. The ceremonial laws are they which are given concerning the order
[6 operosiore, Lat.] [7 ac religiose excussis, Lat. This refers to the hearers, and not]
[to the preacher. The words should be rendered,—and devoutly]
[weigh and test them. ] [8 seu Decalogi, Lat. omitted.] [9 virtutum formas, Lat.] [BULLINGER. ] 14]
of holy and ecclesiastical rites and ceremonies, and also touching the ministers and things assigned to the ministery and other holy. uses. Last of all, the judicial laws give rules concerning matters to be judged of between man and man, for the preservation of public peace, equity, and civil honesty. Touching the two latter of these, I will speak of them in place convenient. At this time I mean to discourse upon the moral law. was First of all, therefore, let no man think, that before Moses’ time there was no law, and that the law was by Moses first of all published. For the self-same especial points of the moral law, which Moses setteth down in the ten commandments, were very well known to the patriarchs, even from the beginning of the world. For they worshipped the one true God alone for their God, whom they reverenced, and called upon him. Jacob took away with him the Syrian idols of Laban out of his house!, and hid them in Bethel under an oak or terebinth tree, which was nigh to Sichem2? Abraham, in taking an oath, used always a reverend fear, and a spiced conscience; whereby it followeth, that to him the name of the Lord was holy, and not lightly taken ΑἹ] the holy fathers did both diligently and devoutly solemnize and observe holy rites and sacrifices. Cham hath his father’s curse, because he did unreverently behave himself toward his father. Cain is reproved for murdering his brother. Noe giveth commandment not to shed blood. Joseph is highly commended for refusing to lie with another man’s wife; I mean, the wife of his master. Ruben is rebuked, because he did with incest defile his father’s bed. Jacob was not angry without a cause with Laban his father-in-law, when he suspected him of theft. All the patriarchs have utterly condemned liars and false witnesses, as well as evil lusts and concupiscence. Wherefore the patriarchs ever, from the beginning of the world even until Moses’ time, were not without the precepts of the ten commandments, although they had them not graven in tables or written in parchments. For the
[. [ aufert e sua familia, Lat. The translator misrepresents Bul-]
[linger’s meaning by rendering,—-took away with him.] [2 Gen. xxxv. 4.] [3 sacrosancta erat jurisjurandi religio Abrahamo, Lat.] [4 celebre, Lat.]]
Lord with his finger writ them in their hearts, which the lively tradition of the fathers did exquisitely garnish and reverently teach. The law is every where the same, and the will of God is always one, because God is but one and is never changed. Nevertheless, the commandments were first of all set down in tables by God, who was the beginner and writer of them; and after that again were written into books by Moses.
Likewise also the old and holy patriarchs, that were before Moses, did not want the ceremonial and judicial laws For they had their priests, I say, their fathers of every kindred or household; they had their ceremonies, their altars and sacrifices; they had their solemn assemblies, and purifications. They had their laws for succession in heritage, for the division and possession of goods, for bargaining and contracts, and for the punishing of evil doers. All which Moses gathered together into a certain number of decreed laws; setting down many things more plainly than they were before, and ordaining many things which the patriarchs were either altogether without, or else had used in another order: of which sort were the tabernacle, the holy vessels, the ark of the covenant, the table, the candlestick, the altar for burntofferings and for incense, the Levitical priesthood, the holy vestments, with the feasts and holy-days, and whatsoever else is like to this: all which verily are abrogated by Christ, as in place convenient I mean to declare. But for because manners cannot consist, if the ten commandments be broken, therefore the moral law, although it have properly the name of a law, is twining Hot abrogated or broken. For rule “of true righteousness and all virtues, set down for all the ten commandments are the very absolute and everlasting places, men, and ages, to frame themselves by. For the sum of the ten commandments is this, to shew our love to Godand one love another; and this doth the Lord require at all times, and every where, of all kind of men”.