A77854:654
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.
His second reason is, God saw sin in them, because they were children, that had need of a rod; but he sees none in us, because full grown heirs. What a strange reason is this? for parents commonly see less sin in their children, while young, then when grown up; and their childishness doth more excuse them. And although children only have a rod for their faults, yet men grown up they have more terrible punishments. Hence the Apostle threatens believers that despise Christ, with punishment above those that despised Moses.
His second reason is, God saw sinne in them, because they were children, that had need of a rod; but he sees none in us, because full growne heires. What a strange reason is this? for parents commonly see lesse sinne in their children, while young, then when growne up; and their childishnes doth more excuse them. And although children onely have a rod for their faults, yet men growne up they have more terrible punishments. Hence the Apostle threatens beleevers that despise Christ, with punishment above those that despised Moses.
His third Reason is, because they under the Law, were under a School-master, therefore he seeth sin in them, but none in us, being no longer under a School-master. But here is no solidity in this Reason: for first, the chiefest work of a School-master is to teach and guide; and so they are said to be under the Law as a ⟨p. 235⟩School-master, that so they may be prepared for Christ: and thus it is a good argument to Christians under the Gospel, that their lives should be fuller of wisdom and grown graces, then the Jews; because they are not under a School-master as children: As if one should say to a young man, that is taken from the Grammar-school, and transplanted in the University, that he should take heed he doth not speak false Latin now, for he is not in a Grammar-school now, but in an University. Thus you see, the chief notion of a School-master is to prepare and guide, his correcting is accidental; yea, if we may believe Quintilian, a master in this kind, he is against the School-masters beating of boys, as that which would make them of a servile disposition. But Solomon giveth better rules. Grant therefore that this is to be understood of knocks and blows which they had, what can we say under the Gospel, that we are children freed from the rod? though we have not a School-master, yet we have a father to correct us.