A discourse of the true nature of the Gospel demonstrating that it is no new law, but a pure doctrine of grace : in answer to the Reverend Mr. Lorimer's Apology / by Tho. Goodwin ...

CHAP. V. (Book 5)

How uncertain an Argument is fram'd, from the sound of the word Law, to prove the Gospel to be such, evinc'd from the various significations of that Word as us'd by Roman Authors. That the Latin Fathers nam'd the Gospel a Law, as it is the Doctrine of Christ.

I Now should heartily rejoice to be excus'd from searching any other Records but those of the Bible, if my Learned Brother did not bring me from Greek to Latin Authors, whom he musters in greater multitudes. To rescue them therefore from his Abuse, in fastning on them a Meaning of which they never had a thought, it will be needful to state the Sense of the word Law in the Roman Language, as well as I have done it in the Hebrew and Greek.

That Lex, or Law, may signify any Doctrine, as well as a Precept, ap∣pears from the Derivation of it given by Isidore, à Legendo, from Readinga 1.1, which agrees very well to a Doctrine: And among the Romans, their Laws were inscrib'd on Brass Tables, and publickly hung up that they might be read by the Peopleb 1.2; and I wish the Doctrine of the Gospel was more com∣monly read and known. The same Word is also sometimes imploy'd to sig∣nify the Rules of any Science or Art, which are purely instructive, but not obliging by the Force of any Sanction. Thus Juvenal, Sat. 6. v. 450, 451, 452.

—Odi Hanc ego quae repetit, volvit{que} Palemonis Artem Servatâ semper Lege, & ratione loquendi.

And speaking of himself, that he seem'd to transgress the Rules of Satyr,

by inserting such affrighting Instances of Vice, which were fitter for a Trage∣dy, he says, Sat. 6. v. 634, 335.

Scilicet, & finem egressi, Legem{que} priorum Grande Sophocleo carmen bacchamur hiatu Montibus ignotum Rutulis, coelo{que} Latino.

And yet I am confident the Poet was not apprehensive of his having violated any enacted Law, or of being obnoxious to a Penalty, did not at all fear the Roman Axes, or Fasces, tho his Verses did a little deviate from the generally approv'd Doctrine of Satyr. Another Roman Poet, by the same Word, ex∣presseth the due disposition, or orderly placing of things.

Vitta coercebat positos sine Lege Capillos. Ovid. Metamorph. lib. 1. v. 477.

Innumerable Examples might be given, but a few may suffice to shew how little stress is to be laid upon the uncertain sound of a Word, which in all these Languages is so variously us'd; and to direct us, that wherever we find the Gospel nam'd a Law, in the Hebrew of the Old Testament, or in the Greek of the New, or in the Greek and Latin Fathers, or Protestant Divines, we must not, unless we would suffer our selves to be easily impos'd on by an ambi∣guous Phrase, presently imagine it to mean a new Rule of Duty enacted with a Sanction.

I shall only add, that Cicero when he defines a Law in the general Notion of it, as comprehending the Law of Nature, as well as others, makes no mention of a Sanction, but describes it only to be thea 1.3 highest Reason implanted in Nature, which commands what is to be done, and forbids the contrary.

Thus also the Roman Lawyers, of whose vast Volumes lost by the Inju∣ries of Time we have a Breviate in the Pandects, define a Law, without mentioning a Sanction;b 1.4 The Law (says Papinian) is a common Instru∣ction, the Decree of prudent Men. By which no more can be understood, than a Doctrine which teacheth us what is best for us to do, if we will be taught by the Counsel of those who are wiser than our selves. And in this Sense I will easily grant the Gospel to be a Law; for it is the Instruction of

God (whose Wisdom is, beyond all denial, infinitely superiour to ours) to our perishing Souls; and thrice blessed is that Person whom his enlightning Grace hath made so wise as to follow it. It is too the Decree of God's Eter∣nal Counsel, that we shall not be justified by any Righteousness, but that of Christ alone.

Thus also the publish'd Will of the Soveraign may be call'd a Law, tho the Sanction is wanting: And the Decrees of the Roman Senate might be stil'd by that Name, before the Consent of the People obtain'd, which was necessary to enact them. Nay, a Statute is a Law, tho no Duty be prescrib'd, but only Benefits conferr'd, and some Privileges ratified. And when the Emperors had the absolute unlimited Power, those Edicts which declared a Donative,a 1.5 or which gave and confirm'd any Privileges to the People, were as well call'd Laws, as those which were all Commands, and fill'd with Threats against Disobedience.

Now these are the properest Judges to decide the Signification of a Word in that Language, wherein they not only wrote, but it was their native Tongue, which their Mothers taught them as soon as they were able to form a Voice.

There then nothing more remains needful to remove my Learned Brother's multiplied Citations out of the Latin Fathers, and Protestant Writers, which he thinks to be very much to his Purpose, but to shew that they frequently by the word Law mean no more than a Doctrine; and when I shall have, by some few Instances, done this, all his Authorities will be easily answer'd.

Cyprian, whom he summons as a Witness for his Cause, (and the mistaken Evidence we shall afterward examine) means no more by the Evangelical Law, than the Doctrine which Christ hath given us. For having before ex∣press'd, how Christ had by his Example and Word taught us the manner of administring the Lord's Supper, this our Instruction from our Saviour he calls the Evangelical Law.b 1.6 And concerning this thing also, (says he) we may send our Epistles to our Brethren, that the Evangelical Law, and the declar'd Doctrine of our Lord, may be observed, and that they may not depart from what Christ hath taught and practis'd.

Augustine, the next Testimony who is call'd, tells us,c 1.7 That by the word Law we may apprehend, not meerly a Statute, but any other Doctrine; since he stiles, not only the five Books of Moses, but the Prophets, (in whose Writings there are so many gracious Promises of the Gospel) by that Name.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Isidor. Orig. lib. c. 10. inter Autores Ling. Lat. Genev. 1622. pag. 863. & lib. 5. c. 3. pag. 925. & Perot. Sypontinus. Comment. Ling. Lat. pag. 656, & 757. Edit. Ald. 1513.
• b 1.2

  Paulus Merula de Legib. Roman. cap. 1. pag. 1. Lugd. B. 1684. & Brison. de Formul. & Solemn. P. R. verbis, lib. 3. pag. 363. Edit. Fol. Paris. 1583.
• a 1.3

  Lex est ratio summa infita in naturâ, quae jubet ea quae facienda sunt, prohibet{que} contraria. Cicero de Leg. lib 1. pag. 312. Tom. 4. oper. Edit. in Fol. R. S. 1538.
• b 1.4

  Lex est commune praeceptum, virorum prudentium consultum. Papinian, lib. 1. Pes. in lib. 1. Digest. Tit. 3. l. 1. pag. 9. Tom. 1. Corp. Jur. Civil. Edit. Gothofr. in 8^o. Lugd. 1589
• a 1.5

  Codex Justinian. lib. 1. Tit. 2, & 3. in Tom. 2. Jur. Civil. Edit. Gothofred.
• b 1.6

  Et de hoc quo{que} ad collegas nostros literas dirigamus, ut ubi{que} Lex Evangelica & Traditio Dominica-servetur, & ab eo quod Christus docuit, & fecit, non recedatur. Cy∣prian. Epist. 63. pag. 177. oper. Edit. Goulartii, Genev. 1593.
• c 1.7

  Augustin. Retract. lib. 1. cap. 25. Fol. 8. pag. 2. Tom. 1. oper. & de Trinit. lib. 15. Fol. 105. pag. 1. Tom. 3. oper. Edit. Paris. 1571.