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…

MATTH. 5. 21, 22. Ye have heard, it was said of old, &c.

Because my purpose is to set forth the dignity of the Moral Law, I shall therefore briefly demonstrate in this present Sermon, the falsehood of that opinion, maintained by Papists, Anabaptists, and Socinians, That Christ came to give us more exact precepts then Moses delivered to the Jews, and therefore that Christ was not here an Interpreter, but a Reformer. It cannot be denied, but this Sermon of our Saviours hath bred many thoughts of heart: for, because of these precepts here, not rightly understood, the Heathens took occasion to calumniate the Christian Religion, as that which could not stand with a Common-wealth: And the Ancient Fathers were much troubled in answer to their objections; for when Julian and others did urge, that seeing by Christs commands we might not resist evil, but rather be prepared to receive more injuries, therefore ⟨p. 185⟩no War no Magistracy, no places of Judicature were lawful: the Fathers in their answer did seem to yield this, only they said, Here was a lawful way, and a better way: To war, or to take places of Justice were lawful ways; but yet to refuse these, and not to meddle with them at all, was a more sublime, Christian way. And from this mistake came that erroneous opinion of Precepts and Counsels. Besides, it's thought by the Learned, that some of the Ancient Fathers, being Philosophers before, did retain much of that stoical disposition in them, and so made Christs Precepts comply with their affections: But this I shall endeavour to prove, that there is no lawful Moral way heretofore commanded by Moses to the Jews, which doth not at this time also belong to Christians. Only let me premise thus much, That, howsoever the things questioned by the ¹Adversaries, are lawful to Christians; yet there are few that rise up to the practise of them as Christ commanded. Certainly these places; Of not resisting evil, Of giving our cloak to him that would take away our coat, &c. though they do not exclude the office of a Magistrate, or our desire of him to aide us in our defence; yet they do forbid the frequent and common practise of most Christians; so that we may say, there are few states; and Kingdoms which do rise up to the practise of that patience, and christian meekness, which we see here commanded.