A77854:625
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.
This distinction will overthrow all the Objections against the negative. Nor may it be any wonder that the Apostle should consider the Law so differently, seeing there is nothing more ordinary with Paul in his Epistles, and that in these very controversies, then to do so: as for example, take this instance, Rom. 10. ver. 5, 6. where Paul describeth the righteousness of the Law from those words, Do this, and live, which is said to have reference to Levit. 18. 5. but we find this in effect, Deut. 30. v. 16. yet from this very Chapter the Apostle describeth the righteousness which is by faith: And Beza doth acknowledge, that that which Moses speaks of the law, Paul doth apply to the Gospel: Now how can this be reconciled, unless we distinguish between the general doctrine of Moses, which was delivered unto the people in all the circumstantial administrations of it, and the particular doctrine about the Law, taken in a limited and abstracted consideration? Only this take notice of, that although the Law were a Covenant of grace, yet the righteousness of works and faith differ as much as heaven and earth. But the Papists, they make this difference: The righteousness of the Law (saith Stapleton, Antid in hunc locum) is that which we of our own power have and doc by the knowledge and understanding of the Law; but the righteousness of faith, they make the righteousness of the Law, to which we are enabled by grace through Christ: So that they compare not these two together, as two contraries, ⟨p. 224⟩(in which sense Paul doth) but as an imperfect righteousness with a perfect. But we know, that the Apostle excludeth the works of David and Abraham, that they did in obedience to the Law, to which they were enabled by grace; so necessary is it in matter of justification and pardon to exclude all works, any thing that is ours; Tolle te à te, impedis te, said Austin well. Nor doth it avail us, that this grace in us is from God, because the Apostle makes the opposition wholly between any thing that is ours, howsoever we come by it, and that of faith in Christ. Having thus explained the state of the Question, I come to the arguments to prove the affirmative: And thus I shall order them;