The Marrow of Modern Divinity

Evan. I tell you from Christ, and under the hand of his spirit, that your person is accepted, your sins are done away, and you shall be saved:¹ and if an Angel from Heaven should tell you otherwise, let him be accursed: therefore you may (without doubt) conclude, that you are a happy man: For by means of this your matching with Christ, ²you are become one with him, and one in him, you dwell in him, and he in you: He is your well beloved, and you are his: ³so that the marriage union betwixt Christ and you, is more then a bare notion, or apprehension of your mind; for it is a spiritual, real union, it is an union betwixt the nature of Christ,⁴ God and man, and you, it is a knitting and ⟨p. 142⟩closing not only of your apprehension with a Saviour, but also of your soul with a Saviour,⁵ whence it must needs follow, that you cannot be damned, except Christ be damned with you; neither can Christ be saved, except you be saved with him. And as by means of corporal marriage all things become common betwixt man and wife,⁶ even so, by means of this spiritual marriage, all things become common betwixt Christ and you, for when Christ hath married his spouse unto himself, he passeth over all his estate unto her, so that whatsoever Christ is or hath you may boldly challenge as your own,⁷ He is made unto you of God, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption, and surely by virtue of this near union it is, that as Christ is called the Lord our righteousness, Jer. 23.6. so is the Church called the Lord our righteousness, Jer. 35.16.

Evan. I tell you from Christ, and under the hand of his spirit, that your person is accepted, your sins are done away, and you shall be saved:¹ and if an Angell from Heaven should tell you otherwise, let him be accursed: therefore you may (without doubt) conclude, that you are a happy man: For by means of this your matching with Christ, ²you are become one with him, and one in him, you dwell in him, and he in you: Hee is your welbeloved, and you are his: ³so that the mariage union betwixt Christ and you, is more then a bare notion, or apprehension of your mind; for it is a spirituall, reall union, it is an union betwixt the nature of Christ,⁴ God and man, and you, it is a knitting and ⟨p. 142⟩closing not onely of your apprehension with a Saviour, but also of your soule with a Saviour,⁵ whence it must needs follow, that you cannot be damned, except Christ be damned with you; neyther can Christ be saved, except you be saved with him. And as by means of corporall marriage all things become common betwixt man and wife,⁶ even so, by means of this spirituall marriage, all things become common betwixt Christ and you, for when Christ hath married his spouse unto himselfe, hee passeth over all his estate unto her, so that whatsoever Christ is or hath you may boldly challenge as your own,⁷ He is made unto you of God, wisdome, righteousnesse, sanctification and redemption, and surely by vertue of this neer union it is, that as Christ is called the Lord our righteousnesse, Jer. 23.6. so is the Church called the Lord our righteousnesse, Jer. 35.16.

1. 1Hookers poor doubt. Christ. pag. 52.Hookers poore doubt. Christ. pag. 52.
2. 2John 17.21.Iohn 17.21.
3. 31 John 4.13. Cant. 2.16.1 Iohn 4.13. Cant. 2.16.
4. 4Hookers Souls union, pag. 6, 7, 9, 10.
5. 5Tyndale Parab. wicked Mam. pag. 75.Tindall Parab. wicked Mam. pag. 75.
6. 6Doubting Christian, pag. 154.
7. 71 Cor. 1.30.

You may by virtue of this union confidently take unto your self as your own Christ,¹ watching, abstinence, travails prayers, persecution, slanders, his tears, his sweat, his blood, and all that ever he did and suffered in three and thirty years, with his Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension, for they are all yours, and as Christ passeth over all his estate unto his spouse, so doth he require, that she should pass over all unto ⟨p. 143⟩him, wherefore you being now married unto Christ, you must give all that you have of your own unto him, and truly you have nothing of your own but sin, and therefore you must give him that,² say thou unto Christ without fear, I give to thee my dear husband, my unbelief, my mistrust, my pride, my arrogance, my ambition, my wrath, my anger, my envy, my covetousness, my evil thoughts, affections and desires, I make a bundle of these and all my other offences, and give them unto thee, thus was Christ made sin for us which knew no sin, ³that we might be made the righteousness of God in him: now then, saith Luther, let us compare these things together, and we shall find inestimable treasure, Christ is full of all grace, life and saving health, and the soul is fraught full of all sin, death and damnation, but let faith come betwixt these two,⁴ and it shall come to pass that Christ shall be loaden with sin, death and hell, and unto the soul shall be imputed, grace, life and salvation, who then, saith he is able to value the royalty of this marriage accordingly,⁵ who is able to comprehend the glorious riches of this grace, where this rich and righteous husband Christ, doth take unto wife this poor and wicked harlot, redeeming her from all evils, and garnishing her with all his own ⟨p. 144⟩jewels,⁶ so that you (as the same Luther saith) through the assuredness of your faith in Christ your husband, are delivered from all sins made safe from death, guarded from hell, and endowed with the everlasting righteousness▪ life and saving health of your husband Christ, and therefore you are now under the covenant of grace, and freed from the Law, as it is the covenant of works for as M. ball truly saith,⁷ at one and the same time, a man cannot be under the covenant of works and the covenant of grace.

You may by vertue of this union confidently take unto your selfe as your own Christ,¹ watching, abstinence, travails prayers, persecution, slanders, his tears, his sweat, his bloud, and all that ever he did and suffered in three and thirty years, with his Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascention, for they are all yours, and as Christ passeth over all his estate unto his spouse, so doth he require, that shee should passe over all unto ⟨p. 143⟩him, wherefore you being now married unto Christ, you must give all that you have of your own unto him, and truly you have nothing of your own but sin, and therefore you must give him that,² say thou unto Christ without fear, I give to thee my dear husband, my unbelief, my mistrust, my pride, my arrogancie, my ambition, my wrath, my anger, my envie, my covetousnesse, my evill thoughts, affections and desires, I make a bundle of these and all my other offences, and give them unto thee, thus was Christ made sin for us which knew no sin, ³that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him: now then, saith Luther, let us compare these things together, and we shall finde inestimable treasure, Christ is full of all grace, life and saving health, and the soule is fraught full of all sin, death and damnation, but let faith come betwixt these two,⁴ and it shall come to passe that Christ shall bee loaden with sin, death and hell, and unto the soule shall be imputed, grace, life and salvation, who then, saith he is able to value the royalty of this marriage accordingly,⁵ who is able to comprehend the glorious riches of this grace, where this rich and righteous husband Christ, doth take unto wife this poore and wicked harlot, redeeming her from all evils, and garnishing her with all his own ⟨p. 144⟩jewels,⁶ so that you (as the same Luther saith) through the assurednesse of your faith in Christ your husband, are delivered from all sins made safe from death, guarded from hell, and endowed with the everlasting righteousnesse▪ life and saving health of your husband Christ, and therefore you are now under the covenant of grace, and freed from the Law, as it is the covenant of works for as M. ball truly saith,⁷ at one and the same time, a man cannot be under the covenant of works and the covenant of grace.

1. 1Barnardine Ochine in his Serm. how a Christian should make his last Will. 1 Cor. 3.22.
2. 2Barnardine Ochine in his Sermon, how a Christian should make his last Will.
3. 32 Cor. 5.21.
4. 4Christian Liberty, p. 21.2•.
5. 5Pag. 24.
6. 6Pag. 25.
7. 7On the new Covenant. pag. 15.

Neo. Sir, I do not yet well know how to conceive of this freedom from the Law, as it is the covenant of works, and therefore I pray you make it as plain to me as you can.

Neo. Sir, I doe not yet well know how to conceive of this freedome from the Law, as it is the covenant of works, and therefore I pray you make it as plain to me as you can.

1. 1Col. 2.14.
2. 2Ephes. 1.4.
3. 3Rom. 3.24.

Ant. I pray you Sir, give me leave to speak a word by the way, was not he justified before this time?

Ant. I pray you Sir, give mee leave to speake a word by the way, was not he justified before this time?

Evan. If he did not believe in Christ before this time, as I conceive he did not, then certainly he was not justified before this time.

Evan. If he did not believe in Christ before this time, as I conceive hee did not, then certainly he was not justified before this time.

Ant. But, Sir, you know, as the Apostle saith, It is God that justifieth, and God is eternal, and as you have showed, Christ may be said to have fulfilled the covenant of works from all eternity, and if he be Christs now, then was he Christs from all eternity, and therefore, as I conceive, he was justified from all eternity.

Ant. But, Sir, you know, as the Apostle saith, It is God that justifieth, and God is eternall, and as you have shewed, Christ may be said to have fulfilled the covenant of works from all eternity, and if he bee Christs now, then was he Christs from all eternity, and therefore, as I conceive, hee was justified from all eternity.

Evan. Indeed God is from all eternity, and in respect of Gods accepting of Christs undertaking to fulfil the covenant of works, he fulfilled it from all eternity, and in respect of Gods electing of him, he was Christs from all eternity,¹ and therefore it is true in respect of Gods decree: he was justified from all eternity, and he was justified meritoriously in the death and resurrection of ⟨p. 146⟩Christ, but yet he was not justified actually till he did actually believe in Christ, for saith the Apostle,² By him, all that believe are justified, so that in the act of justifying, faith and Christ, must have a mutual relation, and must always concur and meet together, faith as the action which apprehendeth, and Christ as the object which is apprehended,³ for neither doth Christ justify without faith, neither doth faith except it be in Christ.

Evan. Indeed God is from all eternity, and in respect of Gods accepting of Christs undertaking to fulfill the covenant of works, he fulfilled it from all eternity, and in respect of Gods electing of him, he was Christs from all eternity,¹ and therefore it is true in respect of Gods decree: hee was justified from all eternity, and hee was justified meritoriously in the death and resurrection of ⟨p. 146⟩Christ, but yet he was not justified actually till he did actually believe in Christ, for saith the Apostle,² By him, all that believe are justified, so that in the act of justifying, faith and Christ, must have a mutuall relation, and must always concur and meet together, faith as the action which apprehendeth, and Christ as the object which is apprehended,³ for neither doth Christ justifie without faith, neither doth faith except it bee in Christ.

1. 1Boultons true bounds, p. 2••.
2. 2Acts 13.39.
3. 3M. John Fox upon election.M. Iohn Fox upon election.

Ant. Truly, Sir, you have indifferently well satisfied me in this point, and surely I like it marvellous well that you conclude no faith justifieth, but that whose object is Christ.

Eva. The very truth is, though a man believe that God is merciful and true of his promise, and that he hath his elect number from the beginning, and that he himself is one of that number, yet if this faith do not eye Christ, if it be not in God as he is in Christ it will not serve turn, for God cannot be comfortably thought upon out of Christ our mediator,¹ for if we find not God in Christ saith, Calvin, salvation cannot be known: wherefore, neighbour Neophytus, I will say unto you as sweet Master Bradford said unto a gentlewoman in your case, Thus then if you would be quiet and certain ⟨p. 147⟩in conscience, then let your faith burst forth through all things, not only that you have within you, but also whatsoever is in heaven, earth, and hell, and never rest until it come to Christ crucified, and the eternal sweet mercy and goodness of God in Christ.

Eva. The very truth is, thuogh a man believe that God is mercifull and true of his promise, and that he hath his elect number from the beginning, and that he himselfe is one of that number, yet if this faith doe not eye Christ, if it be not in God as he is in Christ it will not serve turn, for God cannot be comfortably thought upon out of Christ our mediator,¹ for if we finde not God in Christ saith, Calvin, salvation cannot bee known: wherefore, neighbour Neophytus, I will say unto you as sweet Master Bradford said unto a gentlewoman in your case, Thus then if you would be quiet and certain ⟨p. 147⟩in conscience, then let your faith burst forth through all things, not onely that you have within you, but also whatsoever is in heaven, earth, and hell, and never rest untill it come to Christ crucified, and the eternall sweete mercie and goodnesse of God in •hrist.

1. 1Doctor Sibs Souls conflict, pag. 55. Instit. pag. 155.

Neo. But, Sir, I am not yet satisfied concerning the point you touched before, and therefore I pray you proceed to show me how far forth I am delivered from the Law as it is the covenant of works.

Neo. But, Sir, I am not yet satisfied concerning the point you touched before, and therefore I pray you proceed to shew me how far forth I am delivered from the Law as it is the covenant of works.

Evan. Truly as it is the covenant of works, you are wholly and altogether delivered and set free from it, you are dead to it, and it is dead to you, and if it be dead to you, then it can do you neither good nor hurt, and if you be dead to it, you can expect neither good nor hurt from it: consider man, I pray you, that, as I said before, you are now under another covenant, to wit, the covenant of grace, and you cannot be under two covenants at once, neither wholly nor partly; and therefore, as before you believed you were wholly under the covenant of works, as Adam left both you and all his posterity after his fall, so now since you have believed you are wholly under the covenant of grace: Assure your self then, that no Minister or Preacher of Gods Word hath ⟨p. 148⟩any warrant to say unto you hereafter, either do this and this duty contained in the law, and avoid this, and this sin forbidden in the Law, and God will justify thee and save thy soul, or do it not and He will condemn thee and damn thee, no, no, you are now set free, both from the commanding and condemning power of the covenant of works, so that I will say unto you, as the Apostle saith unto the believing Hebrews,¹ You are not come to Mount Sinai, that might not be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness and darkness, and tempests, but you are come unto Mount Zion, the City of the living God, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant, so that (to speak with holy reverence) God cannot by virtue of the covenant of works, either require of you any obedience, or punish you for any disobedience, no he cannot by virtue of that covenant so much as threaten you, or give you an angry word, or show you an angry look, for indeed, he can see no sin in you as a transgression of that covenant, for saith the Apostle, Where there is no Law, there is no transgression.

Evan. Truly as it is the covenant of works, you are wholy and altogether delivered and set free from it, you are dead to it, and it is dead to you, and if it be dead to you, then it can doe you neither good nor hurt, and if you be dead to it, you can expect neither good nor hurt from it: consider man, I pray you, that, as I said before, you are now under another covenant, to wit, the covenant of grace, and you cannot bee under two covenants at once, neither wholy nor partly; and therefore, as before you believed you were wholy under the covenant of works, as Adam left both you and all his posterity after his fall, so now since you have believed you are wholy under the covenant of grace: Assure your selfe then, that no Minister or Preacher of Gods Word hath ⟨p. 148⟩any warrant to say unto you hereafter, either doe this and this dutie contained in the law, and avoid this, and this sin forbidden in the Law, and God will justifie thee and save thy soule, or doe it not and Hee will condemne thee and damne thee, no, no, you are now set free, both from the commanding and condemning power of the covenant of works, so that I will say unto you, as the Apostle saith unto the believing Hebrews,¹ You are not come to Mount Sinai, that might not be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blacknesse and darknesse, and tempests, but you are come unto Mount Sion, the City of the living God, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant, so that (to speak with holy reverence) God cannot by vertue of the covenant of wotks, either require of you any obedience, or punish you for any disobedience, no he cannot by vertue of that covenant so much as threaten you, or give you an angry word, or shew you an angry look, for indeed, he can see no sin in you as a transgression of that covenant, for saith the Apostle, Where there is no Law, there is no transgression.

1. 1Heb. 12.18, 22, 24.

¹And therefore though hereafter you do through frailty transgress any or all the ten Commandments, yet do you not thereby transgress the covenant of works, there is no such covenant now betwixt ⟨p. 149⟩God and you, and therefore though you shall hereafter hear such a voice as this if thou wilt be saved keep the commandments, or cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them, nay, though you hear the voice of thunder, and a fearful noise, nay, though you see blackness and darkness, and feel a great tempest, that is to say, though you hear us that are Preachers, according to our commission,² Lift up our voice like a trumpet, in threatening hell and damnation to sinners, and transgressors of the Law, though these be the words of God, yet are you not to think that they are spoken to you, no, no, the Apostle assures you, •hat there is no condemnation to them that ••re in Christ Jesus: believe it man,³ God never threatens eternal death, after he hath once given to a man eternal life: nay, the truth is, God never speaks to a believer out of Christ, and in Christ he speaks not a word in the terms of the covenant of works, and if the Law of it self should presume to •ome into your conscience, and say herein, and herein thou hast transgressed and broken ••e, and therefore thou owest so much, and •o much to divine Justice which must be satisfied, or else I will take hold on thee: •hen answer you and say, O Law, be it ⟨p. 150⟩known unto thee that I am now married unto Christ,⁴ and so I am under cover•, and therefore if thou charge me with any debt, thou must enter thine action against my husband Christ, for the wife is not suable at the Law but the husband:⁵ But the truth is, I through him am dead to thee, ô Law, and thou art dead to me, and therefore justice hath nothing to do with me, for it judgeth according to the Law: And if it yet reply and say, I but good works must be done, and the commandments must be kept if thou wilt obtain salvation:

¹And therfore though hereafter you doe through frailty transgresse any or all the ten Commandements, yet doe you not thereby transgresse the covenant of works, there is no such covenant now betwixt ⟨p. 149⟩God and you, and therefore though you shall hereafter heare such a voice as this if thou wilt be saved keep the commandements, or cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are writen in the book of the Law to doe them, nay, though you heare the voice of thunder, and a fearfull noyse, nay, though you see blacknesse and darknesse, and feel a great tempest, that is to say, though you heare us that are Preachers, according to our commission,² Lift up our voice like a trumpet, in threatning hell and damnation to sinners, and transgressors of the Law, though these be the words of God, yet are you not to thinke that they are spoken to you, no, no, the Apostle assures you, •hat there is no condemnation to them that ••re in Christ Jesus: believe it man,³ God never threatens eternall death, after he hath once given to a man eternall life: nay, the truth is, God never speaks to a believer out of Christ, and in Christ hee speaks not a word in the terms of the covenant of works, and if the Law of it selfe should presume to •ome into your conscience, and say herein, and herein thou hast transgressed and broken ••e, and therefore thou owest so much, and •o much to divine Justice which must be satisfied, or else I will take hold on thee: •hen answer you and say, O Law, bee it ⟨p. 150⟩known unto thee that I am now marryed unto Christ,⁴ and so I am under cover•, and therefore if thou charge me with any debt, thou must enter thine action against my husband Christ, for the wife is not suable at the Law but the husband:⁵ But the truth is, I through him am dead to thee, ô Law, and thou art dead to me, and therefore justice hath nothing to doe with me, for it judgeth according to the Law: And if it yet reply and say, I but good works must be done, and the commandements must bee kept if thou wilt obtain salvation:

1. 1Rom. 4.15.
2. 2Isa. 58.1.
3. 3Rom. 8.1.
4. 4Greenhams afflicted conscience, p. 70.
5. 5Barnardine Ochine in his Sermon, how to answer before the judgment seat.

Then answer you and say,¹ I am already saved before thou camest, therefore I have no need of thy presence, for in Christ I have all things at once, neither need I any thing more that is necessary to salvation, he is my righteousness, my treasure, and my work, I confess, O Law that I am neither godly nor righteous, but yet,² this am I sure of, that he is godly and righteous for me, and to tell thee the truth, O Law I am now with him in the bridechamber, where it maketh no matter what I am, or what I have done, but what Christ my sweet husband is, hath done, and doth for me, and therefore leave off Law to dispute with me, for by faith I apprehend him who hath apprehended me, and put me into his bosom, wherefore I will be bold to bid ⟨p. 151⟩Moses with his Tables, and all Lawyers with their books, and all men with their works hold their peace and give place, so that I say unto thee, O Law, be gone, and if it will not be gone, then thrust it out by force. And if sin offer to take hold of you, as David said his did on him, Psal. 40.14. then say you unto it, thy strength O sin is the Law, 1 Cor. 15.56. and the Law is dead to me, and therefore O sin thy strength is gone, and therefore be sure thou shalt never be able to prevail against me, nor do me any hurt at all. And if Satan take you by the throat, and by violence draw you before Gods judgement seat, then call to your husband Christ and say, Lord, I suffer violence, make answer for me and help me, and by his help you shall be enabled to plead for your self after this manner: O God the Father, I am thy Son Christs, thou gavest me unto him, and thou hast given unto him, all power both in heaven and in earth, and hast committed all judgement to him, and therefore I will-stand to his judgement who saith, He came not to judge the World but to save it, and therefore he will save me according to his office, and if the jury should bring in their verdict that they have found you guilty, ⟨p. 152⟩then speak to the Judge, and say, in case any must be condemned for my transgressions, it must needs be Christ and not I, for albeit I have committed them,³ yet he hath undertaken and bound himself to answer for them, and that by his consent and good will, and indeed he hath fully satisfied for them, and if all this will not serve the turn to acquit you then:

Then answer you and say,¹ I am already saved before thou camest, therefore I have no need of thy presence, for in Christ I have all things at once, neither need I any thing more that is necessary to salvation, hee is my righteousnesse, my treasure, and my work, I confesse, O Law that I am neither godly nor righteous, but yet,² this am I sure of, that he is godly and righteous for me, and to tell thee the truth, O Law I am now with him in the bridechamber, where it maketh no matter what I am, or what I have done, but what Christ my sweet husband is, hath done, and doth for me, and therefore leave off Law to dispute with me, for by faith I apprehend him who hath apprehended me, and put me into his bosome, wherefore I will be bold to bid ⟨p. 151⟩Moses with his Tables, and all Lawyers with their books, and all men with their works hold their peace and give place, so that I say unto thee, O Law, be gon, and if it will not be gon, then thrust it out by force. And if sin offer to take hold of you, as David said his did on him, Psal. 40.14. then say you unto it, thy strength O sin is the Law, 1 Cor. 15.56. and the Law is dead to me, and therefore O sin thy strength is gon, and therefore be sure thou shalt never be able to prevail against me, nor doe me any hurt at all. And if Satan take you by the throat, and by violence draw you before Gods judgement seat, then call to your husband Christ and say, Lord, I suffer violence, make answer for me and help me, and by his help you shall be enabled to plead for your selfe after this manner: O God the Father, I am thy Sonne Christs, thou gavest me unto him, and thou hast given unto him, all power both in heaven and in earth, and hast committed all judgement to him, and therefore I will-stand to his judgement who saith, He came not to judge the World but to save it, and therefore hee will save me according to his office, and if the jury should bring in their verdict that they have found you guilty, ⟨p. 152⟩then speak to the Iudge, and say, in case any must be condemned for my transgressions, it must needs be Christ and not I, for albeit I have committed them,³ yet hee hath undertaken and bound himselfe to answer for them, and that by his consent and good will, and indeed hee hath fully satisfied for them, and if all this will not serve the turne to acquit you then:

1. 1Luthers. Chos. Sermon, p. 99.100.101.
2. 2Chos. Sermon, pag. 42.99.
3. 3Barnardine Ochine in his Sermon of Predestination.

Add moreover and say, As a woman that is conceived with child, must not suffer death because of the child that is within her: no more must I because I have conceived Christ in mine heart; though I had committed all the sins in the world. And if death creep upon you, and attempt to devour you, then say, thy sting ô death is sin, and Christ my husband hath fully vanquished sin, and so deprived thee of thy sting, and therefore do I not fear any hurt that thou, ô death, canst do unto me! And thus you may triumph, with the Apostle, saying, Thanks be to God, ¹who hath given me victory through my Lord Jesus Christ. And thus have I also declared unto you how Christ in the fullness of time▪ performed that which God before all time purposed, and in time promised, touching the helping and delivering of fallen mankind: and so have I also done with the law of faith.

Adde moreover and say, As a woman that is conceived with childe, must not suffer death because of the childe that is within her: no more must I because I have conceived Christ in mine heart; though I had committed all the sins in the world. And if death creep upon you, and attempt to devoure you, then say, thy sting ô death is sin, and Christ my husband hath fully vanquished sin, and so deprived thee of thy sting, and therefore doe I not feare any hurt that thou, ô death, canst do unto mee! And thus you may triumph, with the Apostle, saying, Thanks be to God, ¹who hath given mee victory through my Lord Iesus Christ. And thus have I also declared unto you how Christ in the fulnesse of time▪ performed that which God before all time purposed, and in time promised, touching the helping and delivering of falne mankind: and so have I also done with the law of faith.

1. 11 Cor. 15.56, 57.

Nom. Then, Sir, I pray you proceed to speak of the law of Christ, and first let us hear what the law of Christ is? The law of Christ in regard of substance and matter is all one with the law of works, or covenant of works, which matter is scattered through the whole Bible, and summed up in the Decalogue, or ten commandments,¹ commonly called the Moral Law; containing such things as are agreeable to the mind and will of God, to wit, piety towards God,² charity towards our Neighbour, and sobriety towards our selves, & therefore was it given of God to be a true and eternal rule of righteousness, for all men of all Nations and at all times;³ so that Evangelical grace directs a man to no other obedience then that whereof the law of the ten commandments is to be the rule.⁴

Nom. Then, Sir, I pray you proceed to speake of the law of Christ, and first let us heare what the law of Christ is? The law of Christ in regard of substance and matter is all one with the law of workes, or covenant of workes, which matter is scattered through the whole Bible, and summed up in the Decalogue, or ten commandements,¹ commonly called the Morall Law; containing such things as are agreeable to the minde and will of God, to wit, piety towards God,² charity towards our Neighbour, and sobriety towards our selves, & therefore was it given of God to be a true and eternall rule of righteousnes, for all men of all Nations and at all times;³ so that Evangelicall grace directs a man to no other obedience then that wherof the law of the ten commandements is to be the rule.⁴

1. 1Boultons true bounds, p. 7•.
2. 2Pag. 74.
3. 3Basting Cat. pag. 9.
4. 4Reynolds use of the Law, pag. 388.