An end of doctrinal controversies which have lately troubled the churches

§. 33. Obj. God changeth not his Law when man changeth his capacity: Therefore the Law may be the same as in Innocency, both as to the Precept, Threatening, and Promise: God may still say, 1. Sin not, or be innocent: 2. And if thou be perfect, thou shalt live: 3. Else thou shalt die. And if man will make himself uncapable, it's his own change.

§. 33. Obj. God changeth not his Law when man changeth his capacity: Therefore the Law may be the same as in Innocency, both as to the Precept, Threatning, and Promise: God may still say, 1. Sin not, or be innocent: 2. And if thou be perfect, thou shalt live: 3. Else thou shalt die. And if man will make himself uncapable, it's his own change.

§. 34. Answ. I spake to this before, and now further add; God's Law is not to be taken for a mere script of Words considered as standing in a Book not obliterated, or as written on stone, and not broken, or cast away: The signum materially may stand, and the Law be changed, and the signification cease: As a repealed Statute may be still in the Books and Records: God's Law is signum voluntatis divinae, debitum constituentis: Therefore if it signify not God's Will as constituting what shall be due from us, and to us, it is no Law. And that it may so signify his Will, and constitute Dueness (Debitum or Jus) (or as they use to say, oblige and give) the Subject must be in a natural capacity: For where there is no Subject to be obliged, there is no Law. And where natural capacity ceaseth (as in a dead corps) there is no Subject to be governed: And the Law is Instrumentum regiminis. So ⟨p. 151⟩that if you do not only say, This was God's Law, but This is God's Law, you must mean, Thus he n•w obligeth man, and This he threateneth now, and This he conditionally giveth him. So that if it be an unchanged Law to us, just as it was in Innocency, you must make this the sense of precept, threat, and promise. 1. [Preserve thine Innocency, and sin not in act or habit, but be thou a perfect Obeyer of my Laws;] and this to one that hath sinned already, and is habitually inclined to more: q. d. [Let not that be which is, or quod factum est infectum fiat. 2. If thou sin, thou shalt be an Heir of Death.] When we are Sinners, and Heirs of Death already: 3. [If thou be, and continue sinless and perfect, thou shalt not die but live.] When we are Sinners and dead before. In which Case, all Law and Reason saith, That the Law doth transire in sententiam, vel rem judicatam.