A41355:146
The Marrow of Modern Divinity
The marrow of modern divinity touching both the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace, with their use and end, both in the time of the Old Testament, and in the time of the New : wherein every one may clearly see how far forth he bringeth the law into the case of justification, and so deserveth the name of legalist : and how far forth he rejecteth the law, in the case of sanctification, and so deserveth the name of Antinomist : with the middle path between them both, which by Jesus Christ leadeth to eternal life : in a dialogue, betwixt Evangelista, a minister of the Gospel, Nomista, a legalist, Antinomista, an Antinomian, and Neophytus, a young Christian / by the author, E.F. ; before the which there is prefixed the commendatory epistles of divers divines of great esteem in the city of London ; whereunto is also added, the substance of aThe marrow of modern divinity touching both the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace, with their use and end, both in the time of the Old Testament, and in the time of the New : wherein every one may cleerly see how far forth he bringeth the law into the case of justification, and so deserverh the name of legalist : and how far forth he rejecteth the law, in the case of sanctification, and so deserveth the name of Antinomist : with the middle path between them both, which by Iesus Christ leadeth to eternall life : in a dialogue, betwixt Evangelista, a minister of the Gospel, Nomista, a legalist, Antinomista, an Antinomian, and Neophytus, a young Christian / by the author, E.F. ; before the which there is prefixed the commendatory epistles of divers divines of great esteem in the citie of London ; whereunto is also added, the substance of a
London: printed by R. Leybourn for Giles Calvert, 1646
THE MARROW OF Modern Divinity.THE MARROVV OF Modern Divinity.
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.
Evan. 1Why here the Learned frame a kind of conflict in Gods holy attributes, and by a liberty which the Holy Ghost from the language of holy Scripture alloweth them, they speak of God after the manner of men, as if he were reduced to some straits and difficulties, by the cross demands of his several Attributes:2 for Truth and Justice stood up and said, that man had sinned, and therefore man must die; and so called for the condemnation of a sinful, and therefore worthily accursed creature: or else they must be violated: for thou saidst (say they to God) in what day that thou eatest of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt die the death. Mercy on the other side pleaded for favour, and appeals to the great Court in Heaven, and there it pleads, saying, Wisdom,3 and power, and goodness, have been all manifest in the Creation; and Anger and Justice, they have been magnified in mans misery that he is now plunged into by his fall; but I have not yet been manifested: O, let favour and compassion be showed towards man, woefully seduced and overthrown by Satan. O, said they unto God, it is a royal thing to relieve the distressed; and the greater any one is, the more placable and gentle he ought to be. But Justice replied, If I be offended, I must be ⟨p. 25⟩satisfied and have my right, And therefore I require, that man who hath lost himself by his disobedience,4 should for remedy set obedience against it, and so satisfy the judgement of God. Therefore the wisdom of God became an umpire, and devised a way to reconcile them, concluding, that before there could be reconciliation made, there must be two things effected; first,5 a satisfaction of Gods justice; secondly, a reparation of mans nature: which two things must needs be effected by such a middle and common person, that had both zeal toward God, that he might be satisfied, and compassion toward man that he might be repaired. Such a person, as having mans guilt and punishment translated on him, might satisfy the justice of God, and as having a fullness of Gods spirit and holiness in him, might sanctify and repair the nature of man: And this could be none other but Jesus Christ,