A41355:392
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.
For, saith Luther, The Law given on mount Sinai, 1which the Arabians call Hagar, begeteth none but servants, and so indeed, all that such a man doth is but hypocrisy, for he pretends the serving of God, whereas indeed he intends the serving of himself, and how can he do otherwise? for whilst he wants faith he wants all things He is an empty vine, 2and therefore must needs, bring forth fruit unto himself, till a man be served himself, he will not serve the Lord Christ; nay, whilst he wants faith, he wants the love of Christ, and therefore, he lives not to Christ but to himself, because he loved himself: And hence surely we may conceive it is that Doctor Preston saith, all that a man doth,3 and not out of love is out of hypocrisy, wheresoever love is not, there is nothing but hypocrisy in such a mans heart. But when a man through the hearing of faith receives the Spirit of Christ,4 that spirit, according to the measure of faith, writes the lively law of love in his heart, (as Tyndale sweetly saith) whereby he is ⟨p. 177⟩enabled to work freely and of his own accord without the coaction or compulsion of the Law, for that love, wherewith Christ, or God in Christ, hath loved him, and which by faith is apprehended of him, will constrain him to do so according to that of the Apostle, the love of Christ constraineth us, that is,5 it will make him to do so whether he will or no, he cannot choose but do it, I tell you truly, answerably as the love of Christ is shed abroad in the heart of any man, it is such a strong impulsion, that it carries him on to serve and please the Lord in all things, according to the saying of an evangelical man:
For, saith Luther, The Law given on mount Sinai, 1which the Arabians call Agar, begeteth none but servants, and so indeed, all that such a man doth is but hypocrisie, for he pretends the serving of God, whereas indeed hee intends the serving of himselfe, and how can hee doe otherwise? for whilst he wants faith he wants all things He is an empty vine,