A41355:356
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.
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.