A76991:829
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.
2. As some things may be lawfully obeyed, which may not lawfully be imposed: so there are some things which may be lawfully imposed, and yet not lawfully obeyed. Hezekiahs command of breaking down the brazen Serpent when he saw men to Idolatrize to it; it was a lawful command; it might be lawfully imposed, and yet if there had been some who had reverential thoughts of it, as a thing which had been set up of God, so famous in the wilderness, and which is ⟨p. 327⟩more, a type of Christ; 1and therefore doubted, whether they might obey this command or no; I say, in this case it had not been lawfully obeyed by such, though it might be lawfully commanded by Hezekiah. Certainly, there are many things which may be commanded, and if you have respect only to the things commanded, may be lawfully obeyed, which yet if you have respect to the person who is to obey, may be unlawful to be obeyed. A man in this kind may both sin in doing, for an erroneous conscience bindeth, and he may sin in not doing, and be guilty of disobedience.
2. As some things may be lawfully obeyed, which may not lawfully be imposed: so there are some things which may be lawfully imposed, and yet not lawfully obeyed. Hezekiahs command of breaking down the brazen Serpent when he saw men to Idolatrize to it; it was a lawfull command; it might be lawfully imposed, and yet if there had been some who had reverentiall thoughts of it, as a thing which had been set up of God, so famous in the wildernesse, and which is ⟨p. 327⟩more, a type of Christ; 1and therefore doubted, whether they might obey this command or no; I say, in this case it had not been lawfully obeyed by such, though it might be lawfully commanded by Hezekiah. Certainly, there are many things which may be commanded, and if you have respect only to the things commanded, may be lawfully obeyed, which yet if you have respect to the person who is to obey, may be unlawfull to be obeyed. A man in this kind may both sinne in doing, for an erroneous conscience bindeth, and he may sinne in not doing, and be guiltie of disobedience.