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…

We do not deny but that the administration of the later covenant is far more glorious then that of the former, and that we enjoy many privileges which they did not then: but whatsoever is necessary and essential to justification or salvation, they were made partakers of them, as well as we. The ordinary resemblance of theirs, and our happiness; is by those two, spoken of Numb. 13. 23. that bare upon the staff the cluster of grapes from the land of Canaan, if then we speak of the Law ⟨p. 216⟩in regard of the essential parts of it, which are directing, commanding, threatening, promising life upon perfect obedience: These are either still equally in power, or else equally abrogated unto all believers, whether under the Old or New Testament. Let them therefore consider whether the arguments against believers subjection under the New Testament, be not also equally as strong against those that are under the Old. Therefore it is wild Divinity of an Antinomian (in Chap. 6. of the Honey-comb of free justification:) who makes three different estates of the Church: one under the Law, and another under John Baptist, and a third under the Gospel. Now he compareth these together, and showeth how we under the Gospel exceed those of the Law that were godly: and among other things, there are two notorious falsehoods; as first, That God indeed saw sin in the believers of the Old Testament, but not in those of the New. But how absurd and contradictory to the Author himself is this assertion? For was not that place which they so much urge [God seeth not iniquity in Jacob] spoken of the Church in the Old Testament? And besides, if the godly were then in Christ, doth it not necessarily follow by his principles, that God must see no sin in them? This I bring, not as if there were any truth in that opinion of God his seeing no sin in believers, whether of the Old, or New Testament; but only to manifest their absurd contradictions.

We do not deny but that the administration of the later covenant is farre more glorious then that of the former, and that we enjoy many priviledges which they did not then: but whatsoever is necessary and essentiall to justification or salvation, they were made partakers of them, as well as we. The ordinary resemblance of theirs, and our happinesse; is by those two, spoken of Numb. 13. 23