To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
The Law of Moses was given onely to the Iewes, and was to endure but vnto Christ, Luke 16. 16. The Law and the Pro∣phets were till Iohn. And Christ is the end of the Law to every beleever, Rom. 10. 24.
Answ. 1. The Law for wri∣ting, and some Circumstances was given to the Iewes by the hand of Moses: but in respect
of the substance, and matter o∣bedience, belongs unto all men of all ages and nations. Because, 1. It must stoppe every mouth both of Iew and Gentile, Rom: 3. 19. 2. It must judge e∣very man according to his work, both Iew and Gentile.
2. It seemes the Prophets are abolished as well as the Law. But I hope they will not say, that all the doctrine of the Prophets is abolished. It is true, that the whole Prophe∣ticall doctrine, which did sig∣nifie, or prophecy, or promise good things to come; when Christ was actually come, re∣ceived accomplishment, but not abolishment: which is Tertul∣lians distinction. But much o¦ther positive doctrine of the Prophets, is as usefull and pro∣per to us, (for whom it is by speciall divine providence re∣served) as it was to the ages to which it was first directed.
And even so the Law, which in respect of shadowes was to continue till Iohn; in the sub∣stance of it is a permanent and everlasting doctrine, directory, and deriveable to all the ages of the world.
3. Christ is the end of the Law; but as Augustine wit∣tily distinguisheth; the perfe∣cti••g end, not the destroying end. For,
1. He was the end or scope, unto whom the Law, especi∣ally the paedagogie of Moses was directed.
2. Hee was the end also of the Morall Law, because hee fully and perfectly obeyed the law, and so the Law in him at∣tained his proper end, as it had not else done among all the sonnes of men.
3. He is the end of the Law, on whom all the male diction of the ••aw fell fully, and per∣fectly, and had on him full ac∣complishment.
4. He is the end of the Law, in whom all the blessings and promises of the Law attaine their end; for they are all in Christ yea, and amen: all of them in him, & for his obedi∣ence, are exhibited & compleat.
5. He is the end of the Law to every beleever for righteous∣nesse, in that he doth bestow and impute unto us that full righteousnesse which the Law requireth of us; and in that by the donation of his spirit, hee kindleth in beleevers a new o∣bedience framed unto the Law; so as they begin a renewed o∣bedience of it in earth, and fulfill it perfectly in heaven. Whence issueth a cleane con∣trary conclusion. If Christ be the end of the Law, wee are therefore faster tyed to the o∣bedience of it than before.
Very false therefore is that position, That the Law is at such an end, as it can nore com∣mand a man in Christ, than a
dead man can command his wife; or a Master his servant when hee is made free. To which traditionary doctrine carried from woman to wo∣man I answer. 1. That the A∣postle saith indeede, Rom: 7. 4. that by Christs death wee are dead to the Law; namely in re∣gard of the curse, and of those rebellious motions excited in us by occasion of it; and in re∣gard of the terrour and rigour of it; as a woman is from the threats and rigour of a dead husband: but the Apostle saith not, that the Law is dead ei∣ther in respect of the direction of it, or our obedience to those directions. 2. As the Apostle saith, we are dead to the Law: so he sheweth the end of our freedome from so hard an hus∣band; namely that wee might be married to another: i. to Christ raised from the dead; the effect of which marriage is not a bar∣ren
life, but to bring forth fruit unto God: the blessing of the marriage betweene Christ and the faithfull soule is fruitful∣nesse before God; so as this death of ours to the Law brin∣geth in a new subjection unto it: which is indeed the height of our Christian liberty here, and proceedeth from the spirit of freedome. 3. His shift is too short to shuffle from the first covenant to the second; and as false is it to say, that the Law is the rule in one covenant, and not in another: as if the mat∣ter of the first covenant and second were not one and the same; the righteousnesse, and obedience of both were not one in substance, differing in manner of apprehension and application. Shall any live by vertue of the second covenant, that doth not these things, or that brings not the righteous∣nes of the Law in himselfe, or his surety?
Law and Prophets, how farre abolished.
Legis ••t Prophetarū ordo exinde cessavit per¦adimpletio∣nem, non per destructio∣nem. l. 4. cont. Marc. c. 33.
Finis perfi∣c••ens, snon interfictens. Aug. in Ioh: t••act. 5▪ 5.
Christ the end of the Law 5 wayes.
2 Cor: 1. 20
How wee are dead to the Law and the Law not dead to us.
Legem au∣tem Deca∣logi nec pos∣se, nec debes re dici nobis mortuam; quam vis dicantur Legi mor∣tui in qui∣bus non in∣venit vim pe••catricem regnan••em &c. Beza ad defens. contra Ca∣stel: in Rom: 7. 6.
Et postea, Legem nus∣quam in∣venio dici mortuam, sive de im∣piis, sive de pijs agatur.