Beveridge on Article VII: Of the Old Testament

HE several books of the holy scripture spoken of in the foregoing article, though written at several times, by several persons, in several places, and after several manners, yet do not deliver several, but one and the same doctrine ; yea, the Old Testament, that was written so long before the New, doth not deliver any other doctrine than what the New doth, that was written so long after the Old; neither doth the New Testament deliver any other doctrine than what the Old doth, that was written so long before it; Christ being the sum and substance of both; Christ, in prophecy, the sum of the Law; Christ, in history, the sum of the Gospel. And truly the prophecies of the one and the histories of the other do so exactly agree, that the prophecies of the Old Testament seem to be nothing but the histories of the New foretold in prophecy; neither do the histories of the New Testament seem any thing else than the prophecies of the Old recorded in history : so that howsoever they may differ in circumstances, be sure they* agree in the substance,

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Arr, VII. Of the Old Testament. Q1’f

That there be some circumstances in which they differ, it cannot be denied; for the Old and New Testaments differ, first, in external symbols and sacraments. Though the grace sealed by the different sacraments be the same, yet the sacra- ments that seal that same grace are different; the sacra- ments of the Old Testament being Circumcision and the Paschal Lamb ; the sacraments of the New, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Secondly, they differ in the external rites and ceremonies annexed to these sacraments: for the sacra- ments of the Old, in that they are Circumcision and the Paschal Lamb, and not Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, must needs differ in ceremonies from the New: for if the substance differ, the ceremonies cannot be the same, though the ceremonies may differ, and yet the substance be the same. Thirdly, they differ in facility and difficulty of using. It is an easier thing to be baptized under the Gospel, than it was to be cireumcised under the Law; and it was a harder thing to eat the Paschal Lamb under the Law, than it is to eat the Lord’s Supper under the Gospel. Fourthly, They differ in the manner of signification. Though the thing signified was the same, yet the manner of its signification differed. The Old Testament signified Christ to come hereafter; the New signifies the same Christ, but as come already. The Law promises only what the Gospel relates, but the Gospel relates also what the Law promises. And so they under the Law saw the Sun of Righteousness drawing towards them, but they under the Gospel saw the Sun of Righteousness risen upon them. And therefore though the same light shone in the Old that shines in the New Testament, yet there it was but. as the twilight, bhere as the noonday. Fifthly, They differ also in the extent of their objects. ¢The Old Testa- ment took in the Jews only, and not the Gentiles; the New

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Testament takes in the Gentiles also as well as Jews. Lastly, They differ likewise in their duration. The Old Testament was but to continue till Christ’s first coming; the New to his second. The Old lasted no longer than Christ’s descending from heaven, for himself to be judged by the sons of men; but the New is to last till his descending from heaven, to have the sons of men judged by himself. In a word, the Law was to last no longer than to the beginning of the Gospel; the Gospel is to last to the end of the world.

And thus we see in how many circumstances the Old and New Testament differ, yet notwithstanding they exactly agree | in the substance. So that the one is not contrary to the other ; what the one asserts, the other doth not deny; and what the one denies, the other doth not assert. And though the one only promises that Christ shall come, and the other assures us he is come; yet they both promise salvation only _ upon his account. So that the Fathers of the Old Testament were saved only by Christ, who was born after they were dead, as well as the children of the New Testament are saved by the same Christ, who was dead before they were born. And therefore they are not to be heard, or if they be heard, they are not to be believed, that feign that the old Fathers did look only for transitory promises; which is a clear inference from the premises. For if the overtures of grace and life were made in Christ to them under the Law, as well as to us under the Gospel; it must needs follow, that the same promises that we have made to us under the Gospel were also made to them under the Law: and therefore the promises that we look for being spiritual, and not transitory, the promises that they looked for likewise were not only transitory, but also spiritual. The sum of all is this: Everlasting life and happi- ness was offered in Christ under the Old as well as under the New Testament. So that the old Fathers did not go one way to heaven and we another, but the same way that we go now they went then ; and they had the same promises then that we have now. The truth whereof appeareth from scripture, reason, and Fathers.

And in producing of scripture for this, we may first take notice of the dawning of the gospel light to our first. parents

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in that gracious promise; [¢ shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel‘, Gen. iii. 15. Where, after the Devil’s conquest over man, man is immediately promised a greater conquest over him. And therefore, whether by the seed of the woman the person of Christ in particular, or the posterity of Adam in general is intended, be sure ¢Christ is promised ; for in that it is a promise it must needs be made in him, én whom all the promises are yea and amen, 2 Cor. i. 20; and see- ing the promise was made in him, he could not but be implied in the promise. As it was in the first Adam that the Devil conquered us, so it is only by the second Adam that we can conquer him. Which second Adam is here first promised to the first, that so we might all receive the promise of life in him, as we all fell into the threatened death by him. And that this was the promise of life, and so a spiritual promise, is clear, in that it is a promise of conquest over the father of

4 The Hebrew words here, 817 WN 7p1w», being rendered by the vulgar Latin, Ipsa conteret caput tuum, the papists make use of this place to ground their Mapwodarpeia upon, as if the promise was to be understood concerning her, that she, viz. Mary, should bruise the ser- pent’s head. And, to evade the force of the pronoun 817, they would persuade us, that before the punctuation of the Bible or Hebrew text it was x’°n. But I would have them consider, 1. that the verb is in the masculine gender, as well as the pronoun 75)’ x17, and therefore if they turn 817 into x’, they must turn 7D) into 7p1wN too, or else make a false construction. 2. That all the Oriental translations read it xin, not xn. For the Samaritan, both text and version, reads it, f3H, x7: the Chaldee, *7 x10, por. mo n7ay1 mM 7) VI, Ipse recordabitur tibi que e fecisti in principio. And so the Syriac,

3 CRO-d Cc, Ipsum concul- cabit, vel, “contundet caput tuum. And so the Arabic also renders it,

Zoey 999 He shall break or

bruise; and though the Latin trans- lation of the Arabic render it by hec, it is not because the pronoun is feminine in the Arabic, but be- cause the noun is feminine in the Latin wherewith it doth agree, viz. stirps. ‘To this we might add, that

the Persian also renders it by 4

and the Greek by avrés, which cer- tainly they would not have done had they read x°o and not xin. So that the right translation of the words cannot be as the Latin, Ipsa conteret caput tuum, but rather as our English hath it, It (viz. the seed) shall bruise thy head.

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death, the Devil. And that Christ is also promised in these words, appears in that it is he alone of all the seed of the ‘woman that bruised the serpent’s head. Indeed, Christ 18 80 clearly promised in these words, that not only Christians, but the Jews themselves in their fTargum acknowledge and avouch it. And this was the only promise that we read of that the old world and many generations after had to live upon, and the only gospel to believe in, which, notwithstand- ing, was enough, yea as much as we have now for substance. For the same Christ was promised to them that is given to us, and they had as much cause to believe he would come, as we have to believe he is come. The reason why we so believe Christ is come, is because God hath told us he is so; and they had as much reason to believe he would come, seeing the same God had told them he would do so. And certainly their believing in him that was to come was as effectual to the justification of their persons, as our believing in him that is come; for it is not he as to come hereafter, or as come already, but as God-man, that is the Mediator betwixt God and man.

And this promise or abstract of the Gospel being made to Adam, the head of mankind, all mankind -were interested in it, so that none of them that should act faith upon it but might receive life and salvation from it. And thus it con- tinued for above two thousand years together, viz. from Adam to the flood, and from the flood to Abraham ; at which time the most high God, seeing mankind in general faithless and unbelieving, was pleased to pick out from amongst them

f So we find in the Hierusalem xmwn xd507 YD. NDY in fine

Targum, Et erit, quando filii mu- lieris operam dabunt legi et fecerint mandata, studebunt tibi conterere caput et occident te. Quando vero relinquent filii mulieris legis pre- cepta nec servabunt mandata, tu operam dabis ut mordeas eos in calcaneis ipsorum, et ita noceas eis. Verum erit remedium filiis mulie- ris, tibi autem serpenti nullum erit remedium ; quandoquidem futurum est ut ipsi alii aliis incolumitatem prestent in caleaneo apy ADI

extremitatis dierum in diebus regis Messiz. Gen. iii. 15. _Targ. Hier. And Jonathan’s Targ. jis prnyy 8350 oNYA RAYA NXNVYDW Tyo xmwn, Quia illi futuri sunt adhi- bere medicinam calcaneo in diebus regis Messie. Ibid. Jonath.—Both intimating that this promise hath reference to the Messiah, and that the conquest that is here promised, the seed of the woman, shall only be by him.

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one person to manifest his love more graciously, and his pro- mise or gospel more clearly to; and that was Abraham; who believing in the former promise or gospel made to Adam, and delivered down from Adam unto him, this his faith was accounted unto him for righteousness ; and being not yet cir- cumcised, the apostle tells us, it was reckoned to him not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision, Rom. iv. 10. But being first accounted righteous by the righteousness of the promised seed by faith applied by him, and through grace imputed to him, God was pleased to renew his covenant he had made in Adam with him, and to give him the seal of this the right- eousness he had by faith, even circumcision, as the apostle informs us, saying, And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised, Rom. iv. 11. So that circumcision was not imputed to him for righteousness ; but it was only &the seal of that righteousness of faith which was before imputed to him. He being accounted righteous by God, because be- lieving in the promised Messiah, God gives him a sacrament or seal to confirm this his faith, even circumcision, which was as real and effectual a sacrament to him} as baptism is to us. For as baptism seals the righteousness of Christ to us, so did

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h Ex quo enim instituta est cir- cumcisio in populo Dei, quod erat tunc signaculum justitie fidei, ad significationem purgationis valebat

et in patvulis originalis veterisque peccati, sicut et baptismus ex lo valere coepit, ad innovationem homi- nis ex quo est institutus. Aug. de nuptiis et concupisc. ad Valer. 1. 2. [24. vol. X. p. 313.] Tuorevoas yap *ABpadp €aBe Thy mepiropny, onpetov otvaav THs Oia Tod Bamricpartos ava- yerrnoews. Athan. de sab. et cir- cumcis. [vol. II. p. 58.] Quod vero apud nos valet aqua baptismatis, hoc egit apud veteres vel pro parvu- lis sola fides, vel pro majoribus vir- tus sacrificii, vel pro his qui ex Abrahe stirpe prodierant mysterium circumcisionis. Gregor. Mag. Moral. 1. 4. [preefat.] c. 3. Quis nesciat et alia preter baptismum contra origi- nale peccatum remedia antiquis non defuisse temporibus? Abrahe qui- dem et semini ejus circumcisionis sacramentum in hoc ipsum divinitus traditum est. Bernard. Epist. 77. [vol. II. p. 100.]

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circumcision seal the same righteousness of the same Christ to them; only with this difference, that circumcision sealed to him and his posterity the righteousness of Christ, as to come hereafter ; baptism seals to us the same righteousness of Christ, but as come already. From whence it clearly ap- pears, that Abraham had the same righteousness that we have, and so the same promises that we have, and that it was in Christ that everlasting life was offered to him, as well as it is in Christ that everlasting life is promised to us.

And thus the covenant of grace continued with no more than one seal annexed to it for above four hundred years together, viz. from Abraham till Moses, by whom God was pleased, for the further discovery of his love, and the con- firmation of the righteousness of faith to Israel his people, the seed of Abraham, to institute another sacrament, viz. the paschal Lamb, Exod. xii., the more to confirm their faith in Christ, the Lamb of God that should take away the sins of the world, John i. 29, iwhom the paschal lamb signified and represented to them, who was also the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, Rev. xiii. 8, being the substance of Abel’s sacrifice as well as Moses’s. So that all the beasts that were sacrificed from the beginning .of the world till Christ’s coming, were but as so many types of that sacrifice which he should offer for us, even himself. That blood should be shed it was necessary, because that without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins, Heb. x. 4; and therefore was all the blood that was shed before our Saviour’s but as so many types and representations of his. For seeing that of the blood of bulls and goats, and the like, was made sin- offerings under the law, sanctified to the purification of the

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vol. V. p. 557. Et quemadmodum

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pascha, quod a Judzis celebratur in occisione agni, preenunciabat Do- mini passionem et transitum de hoc mundo ad Patrem, et ipsum tamen pascha, quod erat in eadem preenun- ciatione, idem Dominus cum disci- pulis suis celebravit. Aug. contra literas Petil. 1. 2. [87. vol. TX.] v. et Cyprian. de resur. Christi; [ad calc. |

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flesh, Heb. ix. 18, and yet the blood of goats could not expiate sin of itself, it follows, that the force and efficacy of all these sacrifices depended upon the relation they had to Christ : for it was not themselves, that typified the sacrifice of Christ, but it was the sacrifice of Christ, that was typified by them, that thus expiated the sins of the priests and people. And seeing there hath been such typifying sacrifices slain ever since the promise was first made to Adam, Christ is therefore said to be the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, viz. in all the sacrifices that were slain‘ as types of him. And from hence it is, that before our Saviour’s coming, there was no nation under the sun but had their sacrifices. And the reason was, because the promise being made to Adam first, and in Adam to all mankind, mankind in general hath had some glimmerings of it, and so some confused notions of a sacrifice that must be offered for their sins. And though they perhaps looked no further than the sacrifices themselves offered, yet certainly there is none of their sacrifices but had at first their rise from, and always after, reference and rela- tion to this only expiatory sacrifice of the Lamb of God thus slain from the foundation of the world.

But besides these two sacraments of the Old Testament, circumcision and the paschal lamb, the Jews had also other types of the sacraments under the New Testament: for they were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; which was a type of baptism: and they ate of the bread that came down from heaven, and drank of the water of the rock; which was a clear type of the Lord’s Supper. This the apostle himself observes, saying, Moreover, brethren, I would not have you ignorant, how that all our fathers were under a cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat ; and did all drink

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224 Of the Old Testament.

the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ, 1 Cor. x. 1—4. ‘So that what baptism is to us, the cloud and Red sea was a type of to them: and ™as we eat the bread that came down from heaven, and drink the blood of Christ in the Lord’s Supper ; so did they eat the same spiritual meat, and drink the same spiritual drink too ; for they drank of the Rock, and that Rock was Ohrist. Which is a clear proof, that the same Christ that is given unto us was also offered to them ; and if Christ was offered to them, everlasting life must needs be offered in him, this being the only reason that we have the overture of him, even that we might enjoy everlasting life by him. So clear is the scripture in discovering to us, that even to the old Fathers, or Fathers of the Old Testament, ever- lasting life was offered, and that it was offered in Christ to them as well as to us, seeing that they had the knowledge of Christ as well as we; and therefore that they were not only transitory, but spiritual promises, which they did or ought to have looked after.

From express scripture if we proceed to reason, it will also discover this truth to us. For, first, that the Old and New Testament are not contrary to one another is clear, in that they were both written” by the same Spirit, the Spirit of

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mysterii, quod nunc sumimus in commemorationem Christi Domini. Ambros. in loc. [App. vol. II. p. 143.] Et adjungit, Ht omnes eundem potum spiritalem biberunt. Aliud illi, aliud nos, sed specie visibili quod tamen hoc idem significaret virtute spiritali. Aug. in Joh. Tract, 26. [12. vol. III. par. ii.]

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VII. Of the Old Testament. 225

truth, which it is impossible should ever contradict itself. 2dly, That they looked for the same promises that we do is clear, 1. in that they were in the same covenant that we are, viz. in the covenant of grace, which was first made with Adam, and in him with all mankind that should lay hold upon it; and being in the same covenant, they could not but have the same spiritual promises which were all made in that covenant. 2. That they had the same promises made to them that are offered to us is clear, in that the same duties that are com- manded us were also enjoined them, even to be holy in all manner of conversation, which holiness, the apostle tells us, hath the promise both of this life, and also of that which is to come, 1 Tim. iv. 8; and therefore to deny that they had spiritual as well as temporal promises, is to assert that none of them were holy ; for if they were holy, they could not but have spiritual as well as temporal promises, all spiritual duties having spiritual promises annexed to them. 3. That they had not only transitory but spiritual promises appears from the promises themselves, which were spiritual as well as transitory. What more spiritual and excellent promise can we desire from God, or God make to us, than to be our God? Yet, besides many others, they had this promise under the Old as well as under the New Testament: for it was first made to Abraham and his seed, And I will establish my covenant be- tween me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to thee, and to thy seed after thee, Gen. xvii. 7. And afterwards, the more to confirm our faith in it, he promises the same thing again; dad J will be their God, and they shall be my people, Jer. xxxi. 83. What can we expect more from God, yea, to speak it with rever- ence, what can the great God himself promise more to us than this? What if the kingdom of heaven be not expressly men-

tioned in the Old Testament,

their God? And what is, if

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is it not there said, J will be this be not, the kingdom of

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Q

226 Of the Old Testament. Art.

heaven? Certainly, should God have said, I will give them crowns and sceptres, heaven and happiness, such words would have come short of what is promised in these few words, I will be their God. So that should all the angels in heaven, and men on earth, study to eternity to find out a greater promise than this is, it would be impossible. Nay, indeed it is impossible that God himself should find out any thing more than himself to promise to his people. And yet even this the “head of all promises, comprehending all good things whatsoever, was made to them of the Old, as well as to us of the New Testament; and therefore, had they never another promise besides this, they could not but have all spiritual as well as transitory promises in this one.

And as the enjoyment of God, and so everlasting happiness, was promised in the Old as well as in the New Testament, so was it promised then too, as well as now, only in Jesus Christ ; there being no other Mediator to reconcile God to us, and us to God, because none but he ever was or ever will be both God and man. And whosoever is God only and not man, or man only and not God, can never Pmediate betwixt God and man. For he that is God only cannot suffer for man; and he that is man only cannot make satisfaction to God: and therefore to make a person capable of suffering for man and able to satisfy God, and so to mediate betwixt God and man, by suffering for the sins of the one and satisfying the justice of the other, it is necessary that himself participate of both natures, which being joined together in one Person might so be reconciled to one another. Now seeing there never was nor ever will be any such person in the world besides Christ, and seeing Christ was exactly such a person, perfect God and perfect man, it necessarily follows, that it was he, and he alone, that could be the Mediator betwixt God and man in

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VII. i the Old as well as in the New Testament: and so that what- soever promises or overtures were made to the old Fathers were made only in him, without whom they could have en- joyed no mercy, nor have partaked any happiness, either in this world or that which is to come.

And this was also the judgment of the primitive Church. aSt. Chrysostome tells us, “There is no difference but of names in the two Testaments, no opposition or contrariety ; for the Old is called Old from the New; but that is not from any opposition or contrariety, but the difference of the name only.” And St. Ambrose; ’“ But there is one God in whom the doctrine of the Old and New Testament agreeth.” And elsewhere ; s“ For our faith ariseth from the two Testa- ments; neither doth he wrong either that saith there is the like measure of perfect faith in both, when the Lord himself saith, If you believed Moses, you would believe me also, who was the Lord that spake also in Moses.”

And before these Ignatius taught the same doctrine : t“ For as the false prophets and false apostles received one and the same evil, deceitful, and seducing spirit, so did the prophets and apostles receive one and the same holy, good, leading, true, and teaching Spirit of God. For there is one God of the Old and New Testament, and one Mediator betwixt God and man, for the workmanship of the sensitive and intelligible

Of the Old Testament. Q2Q7

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r Sed unus Deus in quo et Novi et Veteris Testamenti doctrina con- cordat. Ambros. in Luc. 20. [vol. I. p. 1504.

eee enim Testamentis fides nostra consurgit, nec injuriam facit,

ui parem dixerit in utroque per- ee fidei mensuram: cum dicat ipse Dominus, Si erederetis Moyst crederetis et mihi, qui et in Moyse Dominus est locutus. Id. in Luc.

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a2

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creatures, and for the profitable and accommodate Providence over all things, and one Comforter working in Moses and the prophets and apostles. All the saints therefore were saved in Christ, trusting in him, and expecting of him.” So that it was in Christ that the Fathers of the Old Testament re- ceived the Spirit of God, and salvation from him, as well as they of the New. So Irenzus also: *“ The law did not for- bid them to believe in the Son of God, but admonished them, saying, that men could not any other ways be saved from the wound of the old serpent, unless they believed in him, who, according to the likeness of sinful flesh, is upon the wood of martyrdom lifted up from the earth, and draws all things to himself, and quickens the dead.”

Lactantius hath also delivered his opinion very clearly in this point: x‘ But all the scripture,” saith he, “is divided into two Testaments. That which was before the coming and passion of our Lord, to wit, the Law and Prophets, is called the Old; but those things that were written after his resur- rection are called the New Testament. The Jews use the Old, we the New: but yet they are not diverse, because the New is the fulfilling of the Old, and in both Christ is the same testator, or the same Christ is testator.”

St. Augustine hath also set down his judgment in this case: Y“ But the Old Testament, to them that rightly under- stand it, is a prophecy of the New Testament. And there-

u Non enim prohibebat (lex) eos credere in Filium Dei, sed adhorta- batur, dicens, non aliter salvari ho- mines ab antiqua serpentis plaga, nisi credant in eum, qui secundum similitudinem carnis peccati, in ligno martyrii exaltatur a terra, et omnia trahit ad se et vivificat mortuos. Wier Ms Abs (es Petia

x Verum scriptura omnis in duo Testamenta divisa est. Illud quod adventum Domini passionemque an- tecessit, id est, Lex et Prophete, Vetus dicitur. Ea vero que post resurrectionem ejus scripta sunt, Novum Testamentum nominantur. Judei Veteri utuntur, nos Novo. Sed tamen diversa non sunt, quia Novum Veteris adimpletio est, et in

utroque idem testator est Christus. Lactant. de vera sap. [lib. IV. c. 20.]

y Vetus autem Testamentum recte intelligentibus prophetia est Novi Testamenti. Itaque et in illo primo populo sancti patriarche et pro- phetz qui intelligebant quid age- bant, vel quod per eos agebatur, in Novo Testamento habebant jam spem salutis eternee. Ad illud enim per- tinebat quod intelligebant et dilige- bant: quod etsi nondum revelaba- tur, jam tamen figurabatur. Ad Vetus autem illi pertinebant qui non illic amplius quam promissa tempo- ralia cogitata concupiscebant, in qui- bus eterna figurata et prophetata non intelligebant. Aug. contra Faust. ITs Cue vol Vicuba

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fore in that first people, the holy patriarchs and prophets, who understood what they did, or what was done by them, had then the hope of eternal salvation in the New Testament : for what they understood and loved belonged unto that, which though it was not yet revealed, even then it was foretold and typified. But those belonged to the Old Testament who desired no more than the temporal promises there thought of, but did not understand the eternal promises that were typified and foretold in them.” So that it was this renowned Father’s opinion, that though there were many temporal promises made in the Old Testament, yet even under them spiritual blessings were promised, which they that understood the scriptures aright were throughly acquainted with, and therefore looked not for transitory promises only, but also spiritual, yea, for eternal salvation in Christ, promised in the Old, though revealed only in the New Testament. And therefore he saith elsewhere, 2 ‘“‘ Moses ate manna, and Aaron ate manna, and Phineas ate manna, and many that pleased God ate there, and are not dead (spiritually). Why? Be- cause they understood the visible bread spiritually, hungered spiritually, tasted it spiritually, that so they might be satisfied spiritually.”

And that it was only by Christ that the old Fathers were justified and saved, Cyril of Alexandria hath a large discourse upon it, which he begins thus#: “ But that the mystery of justification by faith had a more ancient original than circum- cision in the law; and that it was foretold to Israel in types and figures, that they could not be saved any other way than by Christ only, that justifieth the ungodly and pardoneth

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manducavit manna et Aaron, man- 6

ducavit manna et Phinees, mandu- caverunt ibi multi qui Domino pla- cuerunt et mortui non sunt. Quare? Quia visibilem cibum spiritualiter in- tellexerunt, spiritualiter esurierunt, spiritualiter gustaverunt, ut spiritu- aliter satiarentur. Aug. in Joh. tract. 26. [11. vol. III. par. ii.]

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230 Of the Old Testament. Arr.

sins; and also that they are the heirs of God, and are reckoned amongst his most legitimate children, who are of the promise made in Isaac to blessed Abraham; go on, let us now speak.” And so he brings many arguments for what himself saith, and we have proved from scripture, reason, and Fathers, even that the Old Testament is not contrary to the New, and that both in the New and Old Testament eternal salvation is offered ta mankind only by Christ, &e.

Although the Law given from God by Moses, as touching ceremonies and rites, do not bind Christian men, nor the civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to be re- ceived in any commonwealth ; yet notwithstanding, no Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the Commandments which are called Moral.

As every law whatsoever is either Divine or human, and every Divine law either published in scripture or implanted in nature ; so every law that is published in scripture is either ceremonial, judicial, or moral: which distinction seems to be intimated in thése words ; > Now these are the commandments, statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord commanded to teach you, Deut. vi. 1: where by commandments we may understand the moral, by statutes the ceremonial, and by judgments the judicial law of God. Now what we ought to believe con- cerning these three laws is here set down in this part of the article.

b> The Hebrews have an observa-word p’pm is to be taken too in the

tion, that when pin and wpwn come together, the first signifies the cere- monial, the other the judicial law ; and so they seem to signify here, Dm mpwom) Opn MNT NN, “ these are the commands, the cere- monies, and the judgments or ju- dicial laws.” So the vulgar Latin expressly, Hee sunt precepta et ceremonie atque judicia: and so the Syriac translation seems to imply, [as10 [wataso Lscem Wade, Hee sunt precepta et leges atque judicia, where [waraa, vdpior, de- notes the ceremonial, and {a.», ju- dicia, the judicial laws. And so the

17th verse of this chapter, viz. Deut. vi., where it is said, pwn >yWw YPM pny) DDTAR TT m9 nN Jz Tr, Custodiendo custodietis precepta Domini Dei vestri et testi- monia ejus et statuta ejus que pre- cepit tibi; where o»pn, statuta, the Syriac renders again by {mata, voor, the vulgar Latin expressly ceremonias. ‘The Septuagint there and elsewhere usually renders it by Stkar®pata, which properly signifies precepta, or, mandata Dei de ex- terms ceremoniis, and so is always distinguished from évroAal, precepta morala.

VII. Of the Old Testament. 231

First, concerning the ceremonial law, it is here said, Although the law given from God by Moses, as touching cere- monies and rites, do not bind Christian men, implying, that that law is now of no foree and yirtue in obliging us to obedience, as it did the Jews: where we may briefly consider, first, what this law was ; secondly, how it appears to be now disannulled. As for the first, what this law was, it is plain that it was that law whereby God was pleased to determine the outward circumstances of his own worship, and the outward _per- formanees of his people’s lives, containing several precepts : Ist, Concerning their sacraments, viz. circumcision, and the eating of the paschal lamb ; to which may be added also the eating of the shew-bread, and their purification from several uncleannesses, a8 when any one was a leper, had touched a dead body, or the like. 2dly, Concerning their sacrifices ; whether sin-offerings, or heave-offerings, or burnt-offerings ; whether offered by the high priest only, by the ordinary priest, by all the people, or private persons ; as also whether they were of living creatures, as goats or kids, rams or lambs, heifers or calyes, doves or turtles ; or inanimate, as bread or wine or oil, 3dly, Concerning their holy things: as, first, their holy places; as the tabernacle and temple, the one carried up and down, the other fixed, divided into three parts; the holy of holies, where the high priest only came, and that but once a year; the sanctuary, where the ordinary priests went continually ; and the outward court, where the people stood: secondly, holy times; as their sabbaths, new moons, passover, pentecost, feast of tabernacles, the feast of in-gathering, the feast of trumpets, the day of atonement, Ley. xxiii. ; the sabbatical year also, and the year of jubilee. 4thly, Concerning outward observances in priests or people ; as, not to eat such and such flesh, not to wear such and such clothes, not to plough with an ox and an ass together, and such like. Thus we see what these ceremonies and rites were. Now, secondly, that they are not obligatory unto us, as they were to the Jews, appears from the determination of that canonical synod holden by the apostles themselves at Hieru- salem, Acts xv. where this question being debated, whether circumcision, and so the other ceremonies of the law, should

232 Of the Old Testament. Art.

be enjoined the Gentiles, they determined it in the negative, that the Gentiles which were turned to God should not be troubled with these things. Hence it is that we read St. Paul, writing to the Colossians, Let no man therefore judge you either in meat or drink, or in respect of a holy day, new moon, or sab- bath days, Col. ii. 16; and to the Galatians, If you be circum- cised, Christ profiteth you nothing, Gal. v.2. And he acquaints the Hebrews with the reason of it; For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law, Heb. vii. 12, viz. the ceremonial law, which being at the first in- stituted and imposed only wntil the time of reformation, Heb. ix. 10, even until the coming of Christ, who was the substance of those shadows and the truth of those types, there was no need of them when once himself was come, nor indeed any law for them. For seeing the law enjoined them for no longer a time than till Christ was come, and the time in his coming being expired, the law enforcing them must needs be disan- nulled. So that now we are no ways bound to use any of the aforesaid ceremonies, they being no furtherances now, as they were under the law, but rather ‘hinderances of our faith in Christ the substance; but they are to us Christians as if they had never been imposed at all upon the Jews, even without any binding or obligatory force at all in them 4, as the Fathers taught of old,

[…]

plum, altare sublatum est, &c. Ratio autem qua hec cuncta desinerent illa est, ut omne os obstruatur, et subditus fiat omnis mundus Deo, ne qui forte ex incredulo populo occasiones sue infidelitatis accipe- rent, et habentes umbras antiquitus sibi traditas, vel templi vel altaris vel pontificii vel sacerdotii, vide- rentur sibi permanente antiqui cul- tus statu preevaricari religionis or- dinem, si transiret ad fidem. Prop- terea ergo auferri hee omnia, que in terris dudum fuerant adumbrata, divina providentia dispensavit, ut viam quodammodo accipiant requi- rende veritatis cessantibus typis. Orig. in Jes. Nave, hom. 17. [vol. II. p. 437-]

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+s del

MIL Of the Old Testament. 233

Secondly, Of the judicial law it is here said, nor the civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any commonwealth : civil precepts; that is, whatsoever precepts we find in the law of Moses concerning state-polity, or the civil government of the Jewish nations; as concerning their magistrates, contracts, distribution of inheritances, wit- nesses, several punishments of blasphemy, perjury, and the like. These laws, though they could not without sin have been neglected by the Jews, yet it is here said there is no necessity of their being received into other commonwealths ; which certainly there is not. For though these laws were made by God, and so were certainly the best that ever were or can be made, yet seeing they were made only for that

[…]

but it is not sinful to observe it; so that it is not binding to any, neither is any bound to omit the observation of it, the things not being in them- selves sinful, but imdifferent ; Qua- propter non ideo Petrum emendavit (Paulus) quod paternas traditiones observaret, quod si facere vellet, nec mendaciter nec incongrue faceret : quamvis enim jam superflua, tamen solita non nocerent. Aug. Epist. (40. 5. vol. II.] ad beatum Hierony- mum. But St. Hierome held it was now utterly unlawful to use any of them, and therefore writes back again to St. Augustine, and amongst other things in his epistle tells him, Ego e contrario loquar, et recla- mante mundo libera voce pronun- ciem, ceremonias Judzorum et per- niciosas esse et mortiferas Christi- anis. Et quicunque eas observaverit sive ex Judzis sive ex gentibus, eum in barathrum diaboli devolutum. Hieron. Epist. ad Augustinum. [Ibid. 75. 14.] And certainly to use them now under the same no- tion as they were used before Christ’s coming, we cannot but acknowledge with St. Hierome, it is altogether sinful. But to use some of them without any respect at all to the law that commanded them, the things not being in themselves sinful, it must needs be acknowledged with St. Augustine to be lawful,

Art.

234 Of the Old Testament.

nation, other nations are not also bound to observe them, especially considering that the temper and condition of other nations may be much different from that ; and therefore, though they were the best that could be conceived for them, yet may better be found out for others ; better I say, not simply, but by reason of the cireumstances of time, place, and conditions, which the other nations may lie under. And further, had God intended these laws for other nations as well as for the Jews, there would have been some particular com- mand in scripture to bind other nations to their observance ; which be sure there is not: but we are rather commanded to obey other laws, as St. Paul writes to the Romans, to be subject to the highest powers, Rom. xiv. 1; wherein, but in obeying their lawful commands, which certainly were much different from the laws established by Moses? And the great God, by St. Peter, commands us to submit to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, 1 Pet. ii. 13; in which Epistle St. Peter doth not write to any particular city or people or person, but it is a general epistle directed to all Christians what- soever : so that wheresoever they be, they are still bound, not to the civil precepts of Moses, but the lawful commands of their present superiors, even to every ordinance of man, and that for the Lord’s sake.

But the principal thing here to be treated of is the third, to wit, the moral law, of which it is here said, that although the ceremonial and judicial laws of Moses aforesaid do not bind Christian men or magistrates, yet notwithstanding, no Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the commandments which are called Moral; that is, of those commandments that enjoin us our duty towards God and our neighbours, contained in the Decalogue, or Ten Com- mandments, and repeated and explained in other places of the Bible. Which commands were first written upon the

fleshly tables of our hearts ;

© Quandoquidem manu formatoris nostri in ipsis cordibus nostris veri- tas scripsit, Quod tibi non vis fieri ne facias alteri: hoc et antequam lex daretur nemo ignorare permissus est, ut esset unde judicarentur et

but © because man became a

quibus lex non esset data. Sed ne sibi homines aliquid defuisse quere- rentur, scriptum est et in tabulis quod in cordibus non legebant. Non enim et scriptum non habebant, sed legere nolebant. Oppositum est

MIL Of the Old Testament. 235

stranger to himself, scarce knowing what he knew, God was pleased solemnly to publish and promulge them in the ears of all his people, Deut. v. 22. And herein they had the preemi- nence before the ceremonial and civil precepts which God gave to Moses by himself, ver. 81: neither was he pleased only to publish them, but he wrote them also afterwards upon two tables of stone, the better to keep them in their memory, Exod. xxxii. 15,16. And in this also they had the preemi- nence above the others, in that these moral commands were written by Jehovah himself, the other from him indeed, but not by him, but only by Moses his servant, Exod. xxiv. 4. And therefore though the other laws were commanded by the same God that these are, and therefore were as obligatory to the Jews for the present ; yet seeing these had so much pre- eminence before the others in their promulgation, they may well be thought to have as much in their obligation. So that though the others have lost their virtue, these still retain their force upon the conscience, so as to bind and oblige not only Jews but Christians, yea, all the world, to obey and act according unto them. Insomuch that no man whatsoever, high or low, rich or poor, is free from performing obedience unto them; but be he what he will, he sins unless he obey them. Though a man may omit the observation of the other laws and not sin, yet he cannot but sin if he omit the obser- vation of these; so that not one person in the world is free from giving obedience to the moral, though all the persons in the world are free from the observation of the ceremonial and judicial laws.

And this appears, first, from scripture. And indeed was there never a place of scripture to prove this truth, yet seeing there is never a place of scripture to prove the contrary, that would be a sufficient proof of it. For that this moral law was once established by God, as well as the ceremonial and

ea qu foris sunt, etiam a seipsis exules facti sunt, data est etiam conscripta lex, non quia in cordibus scripta non erat, sed quia tu fugi-

oculis eorum quod in conscientia videre cogerentur, et quasi forinsecus admota voce Dei ad interiora sua

homo compulsus est, dicente scrip- tura, In cogitationibus enim impu, interrogatio est ; ubi interrogatio ibi lex. Sed quia homines appetentes

tivus eras cordis tui. Aug. in Psal,

lvii. [1. vol. IV.]

236 Of the Old Testament. Arr.

judicial, it cannot be denied: and what law is once established by God must needs stand in force until repealed by the same authority that established it ; and therefore until God hath repealed this, as he hath done the other laws, it must needs still remain in full force and virtue. And therefore to say the scripture is not against this truth, is as much as to say the scripture is for it; for if the scripture do nowhere express the abrogation and abolishment of this, as it doth of the other laws, it necessarily follows that this law is not abrogated as the others be, but still binds the conscience as the others do not.

But besides that there is no express scripture against this truth, there be many express scriptures for it; yea, our Lord Christ himself, the maker of all the laws, tells us of this the moral law, he did not come to destroy it ; Think not that I am come, saith he, to destroy the Law, or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil’, Matt. v.17. He did not come to take any force from it, but rather to give more unto it; and therefore when one came unto him, saying, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life ? he answered him, [f thow wilt enter into life, keep the command- ments. He saith unto him, Which? Christ answered, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thow shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, Matt. xix. 16—19. Where we may see how the same Christ that requireth faith in his person commandeth obedience to his precepts ; whereby, though he doth not confirm but repeal the ceremonial and judicial, he doth not repeal but confirm the moral laws: for in commanding obedience to them in the New Testament, he both continues and confirms the obligatory power he had put into them in the Old: so that we

[…]

a

VAL. Of the Old Testament. 237

are now so far from being free from them, that we are more bound than before to perform obedience to them. As Peter is said to be bownd with two chains, Acts xii.6 ; so are we now bound to the obligation of the law as it were with a double cord ; the one made by God our Maker, the other by God- man our Mediator. Hence it is that the apostle saith, Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law, Rom. iti. 31. So that the law is so far from being abolished, that it is established by sfaith, even by that faith that justifies a sinner, which the law without faith could never do; and therefore it is established by its attaining that end for which it was at the first enacted, even the justification of such as were subject to it. Nay, and further, the law through Christ is also established, by having perfect obedi- ence performed to it, which without him it could never have had: all other persons in the world that were made under the law were transgressors of it, but only he who was perfectly obedient unto it. And so he did not teach us by precept only, but by example also, to obey the moral law.

Which things being considered, though we cannot deny but that we are redeemed by Christ from the curse of the law, Gal. in. 13, from being justified only by the law, and from the rigour of the law, that it would accept of no obedience but what was every way perfect and complete; I say, though we may be said to be thus free from the law, yet we are not free from performing obedience unto it. So that we Christians, that believe in a crucified Jesus, are bound to keep the moral law, as well as the Jews that expect a promised Messiah.

dience in the most exact and rigor-

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Gal. c.5. [vol. III. p. 750.]

238 Of the Old Testament. Arr.

But after scripture, reason itself may plead in this case. For, 1, the moral law is that eternal, unchangeable rule of justice and equity, that is infinitely and incomprehensibly in God. Yea, the eternal will of God itself is the fountain of this law, as well as this law is to be the rule of our lives. Nay, the moral law is indeed nothing else but the unchangeable will of God, revealed for the instruction and direction of man : so that to say the moral law is abolished, is as much as to say the will of God is changed, which is impossible it should ever do. 2. The moral law was established before Christ was promised ; nay, Christ was not promised before that law was transgressed; nay, therefore, because the law was trans- gressed, therefore I say was Christ promised. So that the reason of Christ’s being promised, and the end of his being incarnate, was not that he might break and disannul, but that he might bind and confirm the law. Again, the ceremo- nial laws and judicial also began in Moses, and therefore might well end in Christ: but the moral law was implanted: in the soul az soon as the soul was breathed into the body, which our Saviour intimates when he saith, Moses suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so, Matt. xix. 8; implying that the moral law-was before Moses, even from the beginning ; and if it was from the beginning, it will certainly be till the end of the world. For seeing it was from the beginning, it must needs be planted in the soul by the finger of God himself; and that which God the Father planted, be sure God the Son never plucked up. Especially considering, 3, that the moral law was not made only for one particular time or people, as the ceremonial and judicial were, which were made only for the nation of the Jews, and to last no longer than the coming of the promised Messiah; but the

[…]

kal Ti movnpov 3 Chrysost. mept i= OTEWS kal eis TOV Tept pucews vdpov. Vol. VI. p. 839. Quod ergo tibi non vis fieri noli alteri facere. Ju- dicas enim malum esse in eo quod pati non vis: et hoc te cogit nosse lex intima, in ipso tuo corde con- wo Aug. in Ps. lvii. [1. vol.

VIL. Of the Old Testament. 239

moral was made for a standing law to all nations, and that to the end of the world. And therefore it is that they that never heard of the law of Moses preached and explained to them, have this law written and engraven in them; so that, will they nill they, their own consciences will force them to acknowledge that God ought to be worshipped, and their neighbours righted; which is the sum of this moral law; insomuch that we need not produce any more arguments to convince any one that they ought to obey this law; for every one hath an unanswerable argument in his own breast, every man’s conscience forcing him to confess what this Article asserts, that he is not free from the obedience of the laws which are called moral.

To scripture and reason we might in the next place add the Fathers. But seeing it is a truth so generally received by all men, though not in their lives, yet in their consciences, I shall pick out some few of them to speak for the rest, not only of the Fathers, but of their fellow-creatures. First, Clemens Romanus, who having shewed how it is only by faith in Christ that we are justified before God, lest any one should take occasion from thence to think obedience to the law superfluous, presently adds, ‘“* What therefore shall we do, brethren? Shall we cease from doing good, and forsake cha- rity? The Lord by no means will suffer that to be done by us. Let us haste with diligence and alacrity to perfect every good work.” And afterwards, !‘“* We see how all just persons are adorned with good works, and the Lord himself rejoiceth to adorn himself with works. Having therefore this example, let us diligently obey his will, and with all our strength work the work of righteousness.” Where we may observe, 1, how such as are just do not therefore lay aside good works because justified by Christ; but because justified by Christ they therefore adorn themselves with good works: and, 2, that God himself adorns himself with good works, and therefore

[…]

Corinth. [p. 41.] [p. 43-]

240 Of the Old Testament. Art.

certainly we cannot be free from them, who are bound to be like him, 1 Pet. i. 15.

St. Basil also shews how the same things are commanded in the New Testament that were commanded in the Old, m“ That the Lord both in the Old and New Testament hath the same end in his commands, even to meet with the effects of sin, and to cut wickedness off in the very first beginning. For as the old law said, Thou shalt not commit adultery; but the Lord Christ, Thow shalt not covet: and that, Thou shalt not steal [hill] ; but he, commanding perfecter things, Thow shalt not be angry: so here, the law is content with swearing aright, but he cutteth off the very occasion of perjury.” So that the same law is not only now in force that it was before, but that also in a stricter sense; and therefore he saith elsewhere, “ That Christ” came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfil them, and to add more perfect things to them.”

And so the same Father again in another place speaks fully to our purpose. “ But °because of those things that are in use with us, some are delivered by the command of God in the holy scripture, others passed by in silence: concerning these things that are written, there is no power given to any one whatsoever, either to do any thing that is forbidden, or to leave undone any thing that is commanded.”

Trenzeus also speaking of our Saviour’s exposition of the law, Matt. v., saith, ?“ For all these things do not contain any contrariety or dissolution of the ancient moral laws, as they that hold with Marcion talk, but their fulness and

7 a a > A A a m” Ort maytaxov Tov avrod oKoTOU vey TpaypaTev Ta pev eoTW UT THs

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lal an TOU vopwouv kal TOY mpodynTay Tov __

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P Omnia enim hee non contrarie- tatem et dissolutionem preeteritorum continent, sicut qui a Marcione sunt vociferantur ; sed plenitudinem et extensionem, sicut ipse ait, Nisi

abundaverit justitia vestra plusquam

Scribarum et Phariseorum, non in- trabitis in regnum celorum. [Iren. adv. heres. ]. IV. c. 13. 1.]

Vil. Of the Old Testament. 241

extension, as himself saith, Unless your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

I shall trouble no more of the Fathers in undoubted a truth, but only St. Augustine: “ For if we ddistinguish betwixt the two Testaments, the Old and the New, the sacraments are not the same, nor the promises the same, but the precepts are for the most part the same. For, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thow shalt not steal, Honour thy father and thy mother, Do not bear false witness, Do not covet thy neighbour’s goods, Do not covet thy neighbour’s wife, are commands which are laid also upon us, and whosoever doth not observe them erreth.” And Gregorius Neocsariensis, or Thaumaturgus, who tells us, *“ God the Lord and beholder of all things is to be feared in the first place, and his commands are to be observed; and let every one be fully persuaded that all things must hereafter be brought to judgment, and every one shall receive according to the merit of their works, whether they be good or evil.” Coneluding this as Olympiodorus doth his comment upon Ecclesiastes: “ But now ‘we being so well taught by the Preacher, let us fear God and keep his commandments with all our diligence and study: for all our salvation is laid up in the mercies of the Lord, and the clemency of the Judge, with whom, and by whom, to God the Father and Holy Spirit, be glory now and for evermore. Amen.”

so clear and

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8 Nos autem bene jam per Eccle- siasten edocti timeamus Deum, et illius mandata custodiamus, omni nostra contentione et studio: summa enim salutis nostree in misericordiis Domini ac benignitate judicis re-

osita est; cum quo et per quem Deo Patri est gloria, Sanctoque Spiritui et nunc ct in secula seculorum. Amen. Olympiodor. in Eccles. fin. (Ibid. p. 519. vol. XVII.)

R

Notes

• . [Ibid. p. 1456.]
• Si enim discernimus duo Testa= menta, vetus et novum, non sunt eadem sacramenta, nec eadem pro- missa, eadem tamen pleraque pre- _ cepta. Nam, non occides, non meechaberis, non furaberis, honora patrem et matrem, non falsum testi- monium dixeris, non concupisces rem proximi tui, non concupisces uxorem proximi tui, et nobis pre- ceptum est: et quisquis ea non observaverit deviat. Aug. in Psa, 43. [2. vol. IV;]