A30249:151
Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the moral law and the covenants, from the…Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the morall law and the covenants, from the…
Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the moral law and the covenants, from the errors of Papists, Arminians, Socinians, and more especially, Antinomians in XXX lectures, preached at Laurence-Jury, London / by Anthony Burgess ...Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the morall law and the covenants, from the errours of Papists, Arminians, Socinians, and more especially, Antinomians in XXX lectures, preached at Laurence-Jury, London / by Anthony Burgess ...
London: printed by James Young for Thomas Underhill, 1647
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The last interpretation is, that the Law was not made because of righteous men, but unrighteous. Had Adam continued in innocency, 1there had not been such a solemn declaration of Moses his Law; for it had been graven in their hearts: Therefore, though God gave a positive law to Adam, for the trial of his obedience, and to show his homage; yet he did not give the Moral Law to him by outward prescript, though it was given to him in another sense: and so the phrase shall be like that Proverb, E malis moribus bonae leges nascuntur, Good laws arise from evil manners: And certainly laws, in the restraining and changing power of them upon the lives of men, are not for such who are already holy, but those that need to be made holy; and so it may be like that of our Saviour in a sense which some explain it in, I come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. By repentance they mean conversion, and by the righteous, not Pharisees, but such as are already converted. Thus Tacitus Annal. 15. Usu probatum est leges egregias ex aliorum delictis gigni, &c. Nam culpa quam poena, tempore prior; emendari quam peccare posterius est; excellent Laws are made, because of other mens delinquencies; The fault goeth before the punishment, and sin before the amendment.
The last interpretation is, that the Law was not made because of righteous men, but unrighteous. Had Adam continued in innocency, 1there had not been such a solemne declaration of Moses his Law; for it had been graven in their hearts: Therefore, though God gave a positive law to Adam, for the tryall of his obedience, and to shew his homage; yet he did not give the Morall Law to him by outward prescript, though it was given to him in another sense: and so the phrase shall be like that Proverb, E malis moribus bonae leges nascuntur, Good lawes arise from evil manners: And certainly lawes, in the restraining and changing power of them upon the lives of men, are not for such who are already holy, but those that need to be made holy; and so it may be like that of our Saviour in a sense which some explaine it in, I come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. By repentance they meane conversion, and by the righteous, not Pharisees, but such as are already converted. Thus Tacitus Annal. 15. Usu probatum est leges egregias ex aliorum delictis gigni, &c. Nam culpa quam poena, tempore prior; emendari quam peccare posterius est; excellent Lawes are made, because of other mens delinquencies; The fault goeth before the punishment, and sinne before the amendment.