An answere vnto a wicked & infamous libel made by Christopher Vitel, one of the chiefe English elders of the pretended Family of Loue maintaining their doctrine, & carpingly answeringe to certaine pointes of a boke called the displaing of the Fam. Aunswered by I. Rogers.

Aunswere.

THen all is not false y^• I haue col∣lected [ 24] of you, as some of your Fa∣milye haue written: that the law is possible to be kept, you deny not: but why you affirme it, you yeald small reason: only Christ sayth: If you keepe my commaundementes &c. Touching this matter of the possibilitye of the law, I haue aunswered your schollers to their seuerall Epistles sent to me.

Yet further consider, what 〈◊〉〈◊〉 na∣ture of the law is: The•• lawe causeth wrath: Rom. 4, v. 15. The law hath do∣minion ouer man, as long as he liueth.

R••m. ••. v. ••••. I know not sinne but by the 〈…〉〈…〉. Actes 15. chap. 10. ver▪ Why tempt you God, to ley a yoke on the disciples neckes, which neither our fathers, nor we are able to beare? marke therefore what is the nature of the law: It causeth wrath, it hath do∣minion ouer vs, while we liue: it brin∣geth vs to the knowledge of sinne, a yoke importable: now compare this with our frayle state and condition, how by the law the Lord hath made our sinnes knowē as appeareth Rom. 11.32, For God hath shut vp all in vn∣belie•••• that he might haue mercy on all. also Gala. 3.22. But the scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne: that the pro∣mise by the f••ith of Iesus Christ shoulde be geuen to them that beleue:

If by this doctrine we b•• concluded and shut vp all vnder sinne: then it ar∣gueth a playne impossibilitye to keepe the law. If there were in vs any pos∣sibilitye to fulfill the lawe: thē Chri•••• our Lord dyed in vaine, for he fulfilled (the same for vs:) neither was there

any meane found, in heauen, or earth, to pacify the wrath of God, and satis∣fy y^• law: but the death of that imma∣culate Lambe, Christ Iesus. For Christ was apoynted to fulfill the law for vs, before there was a law geuen: for if by our infirmitye, the strength of Christ is made per••te, Cor. 2. chap. 12. vers. 9. So contrary, if we affirme in vs strength to fulfill the law: then is his death extenuat••, and made o•• none effect. It is no derogatiō to God, that such a law is geuen vs, which we cannot keepe: but thereby his great mercy and loue towards vs is shewed in sauing vs, and delyuering vs from the danger therof by Christ Iesus ou•• Lord.

We reiect not the law, but in reu••¦rence imbrace it, as a scholemaster to sée our imperfections, and send vs to Christ, such is the nature of the law, & such is our weakenes in performing the same: neuer was there any that did it, only ••achary & ••lysabeth are sayd to walke in all the commaunde∣ments

••ut how far? sine querela co∣••••m 〈◊〉〈◊〉: without reproose before men. But i•• the Lord should haue en∣tered in••o iudgement agaynst them, by the dexterity of his law▪ then must they need•• haue sayd, to vs is nothing due but confusion and shame, to thee be honor and glory for euer.

Now you s••e how the law is fulfil∣led, and sati••fied in the person of Christ no•• in our persons, but meerely by him so that in Christ, and by Christ, haue we fulfilled the law: because his righ∣teousnes is made ours by grace, which we take hold on through faith.

All those places of holy scripture, which commaund the obseruation of the law, do therin set before vs marks to leuell at: so that we must studye to come as neare them in our life, as our mortall state and frayle condition will permit: You deceue your selues migh¦tely, when by illusion of Sathan, you acknowledge that you keep the law in euery condition as it requireth, except ye admit that distinctiō the Libertines

doe, which affirme nothing to be sinne except we make a conscience thereof before it be committed. Much more might be sayd by men of better skill, if you require to be satisfied.