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…

And, in the first place, I bring this Argument, (which much ¹prevaileth with me:) If so be the Ceremonial Law, as given by Moses, had still obliged Christians, though there could be no obligation from the matter, had it not been revoked and abolished; then the Moral Law given by Moses must still oblige, though it did not bind in respect of the matter, unless we can show where it is repealed. For the further clearing of this, you may consider, that this was the great Question, which did so much trouble the Church in her infancy, Whether Gentiles converted were bound to keep up the Ceremonial Law? Whether they were bound to circumcise, and to use all those legal purifications? Now how are these Questions decided, but thus? That they were but the shadows, and Christ the fullness was come, and therefore they were to cease.

And, in the first place, I bring this Argument, (which much ¹prevaileth with me:) If so be the Ceremoniall Law, as given by Moses, had still obliged Christians, though there could be no obligation from the matter, had it not been revoked and abolished; then the Morall Law given by Moses must still oblige, though it did not binde in respect of the matter, unlesse we can shew where it is repealed. For the further clearing of this, you may consider, that this was the great Question, which did so much trouble the Church in her infancy, Whether Gentiles converted were bound to keep up the Ceremoniall Law? Whether they were bound to circumcise, and to use all those legall purifications? Now how are these Questions decided, but thus? That they were but the shadows, and Christ the fulnesse was come, and therefore they were to cease.

1. 1Argum. 1.

And thus for the Judicial Laws, because they were given to them as a politic body, that polity ceasing, which was the principal, the accessory falls with it; so that the Ceremonial Law, in the judgement of all, had still bound Christians, were there not special revocations of these commands, and were there not reasons for their expiration from the very nature of them. Now no such thing can be affirmed by the Moral Law; for the matter of that is perpetual, and there are no places of Scripture that do abrogate it. And, if you say, that the Apostle in some places, speaking of the Law, seemeth to take in Moral, as well as Ceremonial, I answer it thus: The question which was first started up and troubled the Church, was merely about Ceremonies, as appeareth Act 15. and their opinion was, that by the usage of this Ceremonial worship they were justified; either wholly excluding Christ, or joining him together with the Ceremonial Law. Now it's true, the Apostles, in demolishing this errour, do ex abundanti show, that not only the works of the Ceremonial Law, but neither of the Moral Law do justify; but that benefit we have by Christ only: Therefore the Apostles, when they bring in the Moral Law in the dispute, they do it in respect of justification, not obligation; for the main Question was, Whether the Ceremonial Law did still oblige: and their additional error was, that if it did oblige, we