A77854:641
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.
The Apostle, by the law of works, meaneth the doctrine of works, prescribing them as the condition of our justification and salvation; and he saith works, in the plural number; because one or two good works, though perfectly done (if that were possible) would not satisfy the Law for our acceptation, unless there were a continual and universal practise of them, both for parts and degrees: And he calls the doctrine of faith, the law of faith, either because (as Chrysostom saith) he would ⟨p. 229⟩sweeten and endear the Gospel to the Jews, by giving it a name which they loved; or, as Beza, he speaks here mimetically, according to the sense of the Jews, as when John 6. he calleth Faith a work, because the Jews asked, What should they do? Now we have in the Scripture two lively comments upon both these parts of the Text. The Pharisee mentioning what he did, reckoning up his works, and never naming the grace of God, is a boaster by the Law of works: but the Publican, that looketh upon himself only as a sinner, and so judgeth himself, he excludeth all boasting by the law of faith.
The Apostle, by the law of workes, meaneth the doctrine of works, prescribing them as the condition of our justification and salvation; and he saith works, in the plurall number; because one or two good works, though perfectly done (if that were possible) would not satisfie the Law for our acceptation, unlesse there were a continuall and universall practise of them, both for parts and degrees: And he cals the doctrine of faith, the law of faith, either because (as Chrysostome saith) he would ⟨p. 229⟩sweeten and indeare the Gospel to the Jewes, by giving it a name which they loved; or, as Beza, he speakes here mimetically, according to the sense of the Jewes, as when John 6. he calleth Faith a work, because the Jewes asked, What should they doe? Now we have in the Scripture two lively comments upon both these parts of the Text. The Pharisee mentioning what he did, reckoning up his works, and never naming the grace of God, is a boaster by the Law of workes: but the Publican, that looketh upon himself only as a sinner, and so judgeth himselfe, he excludeth all boasting by the law of faith.