A77854:51
Vindiciæ legis
Vindiciæ legis: or, A vindication of the moral law and the covenants, from the errors of papists, Arminians, Socinians, and more especially, Antinomians. In XXIX. lectures, preached at Laurence-Jury, London. / By Anthony Burgess, preacher of Gods Word.Vindiciæ legis: or, A vindication of the morall law and the covenants, from the errours of papists, Arminians, Socinians, and more especially, Antinomians. In XXIX. lectures, preached at Laurence-Jury, London. / By Anthony Burgess, preacher of Gods Word.
London: printed by James Young for Thomas Underhill, 1646
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. The Law must not be separated from the Spirit of God. This is 1a principle always to be carried along with you: for, the whole Word of God is the instrument and organ of spiritual life, and the Law is part of this Word of God: This I proved before; nay, should the Moral Law be quite abolished, yet it would not be for this end, because the Spirit of God did not use it as an instrument of life; for, we see all sides grant, that circumcision and the sacraments are argued against by the Apostle, as being against our salvation, and damnable in their own use now; yet in the Old Testament, those sacraments of Circumcision, and the Paschal Lamb, were spiritual means of faith, as truly as Baptism, and the Lords Supper are. It is true, there is a difference in the degree of Gods grace by them; but not in the truth: and therefore our Divines do well confute the Papists, who hold those sacraments only typical of ours, and not to be really exhibitive of grace, as these are in the New Testament. Therefore, if the Apostles, arguing against the Moral Law, would prove it no instrument of Gods Spirit for our good, the same would hold also in Circumcision, and all those sacraments; ⟨p. 12⟩and therefore at least for that time they must grant it a help to Christ and grace, as well as Circumcision was. If you say, Why then doth the Apostle argue against the works of the Moral Law? I answer, Because the Jews rested in them without Christ: and, it is the fault of our people, they turn the Gospel into the Law; and we may say, Whosoever seeks to be saved by his Baptism, he falls off from Christ.
2. The Law must not be separated from the Spirit of God. This is 1a principle alwaies to be carried along with you: for, the whole Word of God is the instrument and organ of spirituall life, and the Law is part of this Word of God: This I proved before; nay, should the Morall Law be quite abolished, yet it would not be for this end, because the Spirit of God did not use it as an instrument of life; for, we see all sides grant, that circumcision and the sacraments are argued against by the Apostle, as being against our salvation, and damnable in their owne use now; yet in the Old Testament, those sacraments of Circumcision, and the Paschall Lamb, were spirituall meanes of faith, as truly as Baptisme, and the Lords Supper are. It is true, there is a difference in the degree of Gods grace by them; but not in the truth: and therefore our Divines doe well confute the Papists, who hold those sacraments onely typicall of ours, and not to be really exhibitive of grace, as these are in the New Testament. Therefore, if the Apostles, arguing against the Morall Law, would prove it no instrument of Gods Spirit for our good, the same would hold also in Circumcision, and all those sacraments;