A76991:169
The True Bounds of Christian Freedom
The true bounds of Christian freedom or a treatise wherein the rights of the law are vindicated, the liberties of grace maintained, and the several late opinions against the law are examined and confuted. Whereunto is annexed a discourse of the learned John Cameron's, touching the threefold covenant of God with man, / faithfully translated, by Samuel Bolton minister of the word of God at Saviours-Southwark.The true bounds of Christian freedome or a treatise wherein the rights of the law are vindicated, the liberties of grace maintained, and the severall late opinions against the law are examined and confuted. Whereunto is annexed a discourse of the learned Iohn Camerons, touching the threefold covenant of God with man, / faithfully translated, by Samuel Bolton minister of the word of God at Saviours-Southwark.
London: printed by J.L. for Philemon Stephens, 1645
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
In brief I Answer, Answ. we are not under the curses, but we are under the commands of it; we are not under the Law for judgement, but we are under the Law for conduct. So far as we walk not according to it, as a Rule, it hath an accusing power, though we are taken out of the condemning power of it. There is no further power left in the Law then for our good, our humiliation, our edification. And this is only a power for our good, and our furtherance in grace.
In briefe I Answer, Answ. we are not under the curses, but we are under the commands of it; we are not under the Law for iudgement, but we are under the Law for conduct. So farre as we walke not according to it, as a Rule, it hath an accusing power, though we are taken out of the condemning power of it. There is no further power left in the Law then for our good, our humiliation, our edification. And this is onely a power for our good, and our furtherance in grace.
Whether the Law is just in its accusation of us, seeing we do not sin. Query. 2 And that is founded upon the former; if it be true, that we are freed from the Law as a Rule, or as a Direction of life, (which yet so to be freed were not a part of our freedom but our bondage) then our breaches of the Law are not sin; 1if no Law for us, then we do not sin in the breaking of it, no more then we do, if we break now the Laws of Spain, or any other Nation, which is no law for us: as some do seem to exemplify this.
Whether the Law is iust in its accusation of us, seeing we doe not sinne. Quere. 2 And that is founded upon the former; if it be true, that we are freed from the Law as a Rule, or as a Direction of life, (which yet so to be freed were not a part of our freedome but our bondage) then our breaches of the Law are not sinne; 1if no Law for us, then we doe not sinne in the breaking of it, no more then we doe, if we breake now the Laws of Spaine, or any other Nation, which is no law for us: as some doe seeme to exemplifie this.