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…

6. When they look for justification by it: and this is a dangerous ¹and desperate error; this is that which reigneth in Popery, this is that inbred canker-worm, that eateth in the hearts of all naturally. They know not a Gospel-righteousness, and for this end they read the Law, they hear it preached only, that they may be self-saviours: And, certainly, for this two-fold end, I may think, God suffers this Antinomian error to grow; first, That Ministers may humble themselves, they have not set forth Christ and grace in all the glory of it. If Bernard said, he did not love to read Tully, because he could not read the Name of Christ there; how much rather may we say, that in many Sermons, in many a mans ministry, the drift and end of all his preaching is not, that Christ may be advanced. And in Christians, in Protestants, it is a far greater sin then in Papists: for, it is well observed by Peter Martyr, that the Apostle doth deal more mildly in the Epistle to the Romans, then in the Epistle to the Galatians; and the reason is, because the Galatians were at first well instructed in the matter of justification, but afterwards did mix other things with Christ, therefore he thunders against ⟨p. 21⟩them. I desire to know nothing, saith Paul, 1 Corinth. 2. but Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And secondly, another end may be, to have these truths beaten out more: As, The deity of Christ, because of the Arians; and, Grace in predestination and conversion, by the Pelagians: so, The grace of justification, because not only of Papists, but Antinomians. And, certainly, these things were much pressed by Luther at first, as appears in his Epistle to the Galatians: but, perceiving how this good doctrine was abused, he speaks in his Commentary on Genesis (which was one of his last works) much against Antinomists: But yet, because generally people are fallen into a formality of truths, it's good to set up Christ. And the poison of this opinion will be seen in these things:

6. When they look for justification by it: and this is a dangerous ¹and desperate errour; this is that which reigneth in Popery, this is that inbred canker-worm, that eateth in the hearts of all naturally. They know not a Gospel-righteousnesse, and for this end they reade the Law, they heare it preached onely, that they may be self-saviours: And, certainly, for this two-fold end, I may think, God suffers this Antinomian errour to grow; first, That Ministers may humble themselves, they have not set forth Christ and grace in all the glory of it. If Bernard said, he did not love to reade Tully, because he could not reade the Name of Christ there; how much rather may we say, that in many Sermons, in many a mans ministery, the drift and end of all his preaching is not, that Christ may be advanced. And in Christians, in Protestants, it is a farre greater sin then in Papists: for, it is well observed by Peter Martyr, that the Apostle doth deale more mildly in the Epistle to the Romans, then in the Epistle to the Galatians; and the reason is, because the Galatians were at first well instructed in the matter of justification, but afterwards did mixe other things with Christ, therefore he thunders against