A77854:54
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.
Again, a Believer may look to the reward, and yet have a spirit of love; how much rather look to the command of God? A godly man may have amorem mercedis, though not amorem mercenarium. And, lastly, there is no godly man, but he hath in part some unwillingness to good things; and therefore needs the Law not only to direct, but to exhort and goad forward: Even, as I said, the tamed horse needeth a spur, as well as the unbroken colt.
Againe, a Beleever may look to the reward, and yet have a spirit of love; how much rather look to the command of God? A godly man may have amorem mercedis, though not amorem mercenarium. And, lastly, there is no godly man, but he hath in part some unwillingnesse to good things; and therefore needs the Law not onely to direct, but to exhort and goad forward: Even, as I said, the tamed horse needeth a spur, as well as the unbroken colt.
4. Though Christ hath obeyed the Law fully, yet that doth not exempt 1us from our obedience to it, for other ends then he did it. And, I think, that if the Antinomian did fully inform himself in this thing, there were an agreement: for, we all ought to be zealous against those Pharisaical and Popish practices of setting up any thing in us, though wrought by the grace of God, as the matter of our justification. But herein they do not distinguish, or well argue: The works of the Law do not justify, therefore they are needless, or not requisite: for (say they) if Christ hath fully obeyed the righteousness of the Law, and that is made ours; therefore it is not what ours is, but what Christs is. And I have heard some doubt, whether the maintaining of Christs active obedience imputed to us, doth not necessarily imply Antinomianism: but of that more hereafter; only let them lay a parallel with Christs passive obedience. He satisfied the curse and threatening of the Law, and thereby hath freed us from all punishment; yet the Believers have afflictions for other ends: so do we the works of Gods Law, for other ends then Christ did them.
4. Though Christ hath obeyed the Law fully, yet that doth not exempt