Anonymous on Article VII: Of the Old Testament

and the properest for such an Office, being both God and Man, suf- Artic.VIb ficient to plead with God, and to represent the deplorable State of WW lost Man to the Divine Mercy, The Agreement of the Old Testa- ment with the New, consists chiefly in this, in that Everlasting Life may be discovered as attainable in Both, by Repentance and Faith in Christ : In the Old Testament this is set forth darkly and obscurely, under Shadows and Representations ;’ but in the New plainly and openly, without any Concealment or Covering : But both lead to the Meslias, and promise Salvation by him, and in the ultimate End, which centers in him, there is no Difference between them, ‘The Old Testament propounds Christ to our Faith, by Promises, Types, and Prophecies, and thereby directs us to him as the Author of Sal- vation ; but in the New He comes himself, and preaches the Gospel. 1/7, The Old Testament mentions Christ in Promises. Thus our first Parents were inform’d , that the Seed of the Woman should break the Serpent’s Head. Which Seed is universally expounded of Christ, for we know of no other Born of a Woman, which could o powerfully deliver us from the Slavery of Satan, and destroy his Kingdom. It is said to Abraham, In thy Seed shall all the Nations c of the Earth be blessed ” ; which can be no other than Christ Je- sus the Son of David, For what Posterity of Abraham ever brought such a Blessing to Mankind, our Lord excepted 2 They were only capable of serving their Generations in their little Circumstances, but none could procure an universal Blessing for Men, such as every Individual upon Earth might partake of, and such as Christ purchased for all Nations at the Hands of his Father. Old Jacob could foretel that Shi should come, to whom the People should gather. The „ Scepter. (hall not depart from Judah, nor a Lawgiver from betweeri nis Feet, till Shiloþ come; and unto him shall the gathering of the People be ” ; which is expounded of the Coming if Christ,who was incarnate when Herod reign’d, and Judah had lost the Kingdom. These Promises, and a great many more like them, must relate unto Jesus Christ our Lord, and were fulfilled in him; as the New Te- stament does particulary apply that Promise of Abrabam to him : Now to Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made; be saith not, ande seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy Seed, which is Chrisi. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s Seed, and Heirs according to the Promise. 2. The Old Testament offers Christ and Everlasting Life by him in Types and Representations : Thus pardon of Sin through his Blood was typify’d when the Sinner was forgiven upon the Oblati- on of a Sacrifice, and pouring out the Blood of it: When also the High-Priest went into the Holy of Holies, with the Blood of the Sacrifice, to appear before God, and to attone for himself and the People, he represented dur Lord the true High-Priest: Who after he had offer d himself up once for all, ascended into Heaven by c“ Vertue of his own Blood, to make Intercession for us”. And Pp when upon the Offering of an acceptable Sacrifice, the Offender was 2 restored unto his former State in his civil Capacity, which he had for- p feited by his Sin, and if a true Penitent, to the Divine Favour ; our

Re-

Gal. 3. 16,25.

An EXPOSITION of the

Artic. VII. Reconciliation to God by the Sacrifice of his Son, and his powerful

YN

Heb. 9. 13,

14, 237 24.

Isa. 60. 1, 3. 35 9, 19, 20,

Revel. 21.22,

Mediation was excellently set forth, by which we that were afar- off, are made nigh by his Son, and upon our Amendment are entitled to Eternal Favour. These. are explain’d in this Manner in the New Testament. For 1 the blood of Bulls, and of Goats, and the Ashes o an Heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctispeth to the purifying of the lesh , according to the Old Testament , under which Purification was fo perform’d : How much more shall the Blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offer’d himself without Spot to God , urge your Conscience from Las works to serve the Living God? And that we may know that in the New Testzment the Blood was to purify, and our High- Priest was to enter into Heaven, it is added; The hea- venly things should be purified with better Sacrifices than 2 5 ; for Christ is not enter d into the holy Places made with bands, which are figures of the true; but into Heaven it self, now to appear in the Pre-

sence of God for us, 3. The Old Testament offer’d Christ in Prophecies, by which the

Blessings of the Gospel are as plainly set forth, as if the Prophets had

beheld them with their bodily Eyes. Isaiab frequently and plainly sets forth the Happiness of Gospel- Times, and the great Reward of Eternal Life, which shall be given to those that fear God, and be- Heve in the Messias: He informs us that our Lord’s Message was to preach Deliverance to the Captive, to bring good Tidings to the

Meek, to bind up the broken-hearted, to open the Prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable Year of the Lord, and

(that we may be certain that the New Testament agrees with it)

our Lord was pleased to read these Words to the People, to close the Book and to fay, * This Day is this Scripture fulfilled in your Ears“.

That Prophet explains himself further, and not only declares that the Jews were to share in the Merc of a Redeemer, but the Gen- tiles also were to be Fellow-Heirs with them. The Glory of the Lord is risen upon thee, and the Gentiles shall come to thy Light,

and Kings to the Brightness of thy Rising. The Forces of the

© Gentiles shall come unto thee ; the Isles shall wait for thee, and « bring their Sons from far, to the Name of the Lord our God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorify’d thee ®. And this is the same which was said under the New Testament concernin

Christ, that he was to be a. Light to lighten the Gentzles, and to be the Glory of Israel”. And St. Paul particularly cites this Prophet to prove that in Christ the Gentiles were to trust : And that we might know what that Happiness was, which the Believers under the Old Testa- ment expected, he tells us, The Sun shall be no more thy Light „by Day, neither for Brightness shall the Moon give light unto < thee ; but the Lord shall be unto thee an Everlasting Light, and * thy God thy Glory : And the Days of thy Mourning ending, < thy People shall be all Righteous, they shall inherit the Land for * ever”. Which is a plain Representation of that new Heaven and new Earth, wherein dwelleth Righteousness, which the Gospel pro. mises; and that Eternal Life, that shall then be enjoy’d, excellent- ly defcrib’d: And I saw no Temple therein, for the Lord God Almigh-

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Thirty Nine Ax TiCLEs.

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ty, and the Lamb are the Temple of it ;, and the City bad no need of Artic. VII. the Sun, neither of the Moon to shine in it, for the Glory of God di

lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. |

IT. They are not to be heard, who feign that the Old Fathers did look only for Transitory Promises ; © For if in this Life only they

had Hope, they were of all Men most miserable”. For they met with no suitable Compensation, for all the Labour and Misery they

underwent for the Cause of God. *TI1s acknowledg’d they had not

such a clear Sight of the future State as we enjoy, or such a mani- fest Discovery of Eternal Life as we possess; but they had some

Hints, though shadowed, some Motives, though obscur’d; they saw

the Day approaching, though not clear Day; and they knew that

their Redeemer lived, though he kept at some Distance from them:

Their ExpeRations were strong, though not so distin& ; and they

had enough for themselves, though it seems small to us ; and by the

Help of what they had, they were enabled to lead holy Lives, and

to put their Souls in a Readiness for the Messias. They liv’d by Faith beyond Sense, and had a better Place in their Eye, than the Land of

Canaan : And though through Faith they obtain’d a good Report, they obtain’d not the Promise : God having provided some better

Thing for us, that they, without us, should not be made perfect. There remaineth a Rest to the People of God, which they under the Old Testament, and we under the New, were appointed to en- joy together. Those died in Faith, not having obtain’d the Promi-

ses; but having seen them a-far-off, were persuaded of the Truth of

them, embrac’d them, and confess’d that they were Strangers and Pilgrims upon Earth, desiring a better Countrey ; that is, an Heaven-

ly one; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a City. So that they had the same Promises

in Effect which we possess, and look’d beyond the Earth for Happi- ness. Those therefore are not to be heard who feign, that the Fa- thers under the Old Testament had no other than Transitory Enjoy- ments or Promises to depend upon: For had all those Worthies that

wrought Righteousness, stopped the Mouths of Lions, quenched the Violence of Fire, had Trials of cruel Mockings and Scourgings, endur’d

Bonds and Imprisonments, that were stoned, sawn asunder, tempted,

afflicted, and tormented : Had they nothing but temporary Promises to trust to? Were they so void of Sense, so stupid and rash, as to

suffer all this, and lose their Lives for that which is Transitory and

Fading? Had Abrabam nothing but Canaan in View; Isaiah no-

thing but worldly Enjoyments in his Eye ; and all the Pious that

died before the Coming of Christ, nought but Vanity before them, when they were so patient, so bold, and so innocent in their Suf-

ferings ? Doubtless they looked beyond this mortal State, and breath’d

after no less than Immortality and Glory. But to stop the Mouths

of all those that pretend to assert, that the Fathers had only Transi-

tory Promises, let them remember what our Saviour told the Jews,

« Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life ”.

It was their full Thought and Persuasion, that they might obtain E- A |

ternal

of * £228

An EXPOSITION of the

Artic. VI U K |

their Temp

ternal Life. They grounded this Belief upon some Passages in Scri-

pture; they look d beyond the Milk and Honey of Canaan, beyond

se and Sacrifices, and expected a far better Place of Rest and Fruition, than could be had below. And ‘tis observable that our Lord does not discourage them from entertaining this Hope ; he did not tell them, that their Promises were Temporal, or that their Canaan was but Temporal, but he commands them to search the

Scriptures, in them ye think ye have an Account of Eternal Life,

John 5. 39.

and they are they which testify of me, and promise that Eternal

Life unto you, which I will give: So that he in Effect encourages

and’ confirms them in this Persuasion, that the Scriptures will shew them the way to Eternal Life, Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life, and they are they which testify of me.

III. Not the Law given by Moses, touching Rites and Ceremo- nies, nor the Civil Precepts thereof, ought of neceslity to be receiv’d in any Commonwealth; for they were fitted to the Temper of the

s, and were not only in some respect Typical, but ferviceable to

keep them in Duty and Subjection to the Civil Power; and though their Laws and State Maxims are very considerable and weighty, there is no Necessity laid upon any People to live by them: The

may, if they please, adapt and fit what Laws they please to their

_ own liking,” which Moses hath publish’d ; and they are at Liberty to cast them aside. Nevertheless it hath been observ’d

tions in their Laws have proceeded according to the Justice and oof |.

of the Fews, and have taken some or other of them into their Con-

stitution. For as they were of God’s Appointment, who knows

Deut. 4. 8,

best the Tempers of Men, they must carry with them the soundest

Reason for their Establishment. So true is that of Moses ; For what

Nation is there fo great, that hath Statutes and Fudgments so righte-

ous,” as all this Law which I set before you this day?

IV. No Christian Man whatsoever is free from the Obedience of the Law, or of those Commandments which we call Moral: For

they are fo natural and agreeable to sound Reason, that they cannot

be reversed without supplanting our very Natures: Nevertheless God

hath under the Gospel relax d and abated so much of the Rigor of this Law, that upon our Repentance we may be forgiven, if we happen to transgress the same , provided we sincerely endeavour to keep it ever after: For the Gospel hath taken in all Moral Laws, and enfor-

cesthe Obligation to keep and observe them to the utmost of our Power,

and according to the Grace that is given to us, under the severe Penalty

of. Damnation. Our Saviour in his Sermon commands us to observe them, and enforces the Observation of them by his own Authority. Lou have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt not kill; but Ifay

• unto you, that whosoever is angry with his Brother without a

[…] To convince us, that under the Gospel the moral Laws

are in Force, and oblige the Conscience; and that whatever Medium

is found out to excuse our Conformity to it, is inconsistent with | 5 ED Reason

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Thirty Nine AR TIcLEs. 49 Reason and the Commands of our Lord. Think not that I am come Artic. VII.

to destroy the Law or the Prophets.: I am not come to destroy, but to

fulfil,

From this Account of the Article, it is clear, that God, since the Fall, has design’d to train up Men for Everlasting Life; that such as declare that the Jews had only Temporary Promises, are deceiv’d ;

that the Moral Law is still in Force, and that whosoever subscribes

to this Article, and are Antinomians, are self-condemn’d; and that as the Old and New Testament agree in Christ, we should live ra- ther better than the Fathers before the Incarnation of Christ.

Ye PICS Matth. 5. 17,

1% It is clear, (let vain Men pretend what they will) that since |

the Fall, God has design’d to train up Men for Everlasting Life: He discovered his Intentions soon after the Fall, and hath ever since by

little and little reveal’d his Mind; that if Men would amend and grow better, he would remove them from this mortal State to Im- mortality and Glory. This is evident to all that will search the

Scriptures, and consider what God hath reveal’d ; whatever other

Discoveries he may have made to the Patriarchs, that are not menti-

oned therein. Can it be thought, that God would make Man so

Rational, that he might die, and be no more; or that he would se- parate a Family, and bless it to a Nation, meerly to give it a plea- sant Countrey, when other Nations enjoy’d as good or better, with-

out such Designation ; or that he would raise up a Temple and Ser-

vice, appoint Sacrifices and Expiations, send Holy Men and Pro-

phets, for no other Reason but to feed them with Milk and Honey >

Such Thoughts lessen the Majesty of the Great God, and cast an unseemly Reflection upon his Government. He must design some greater End 1n all that Preparation of a People, which could be no

less than the Preparation of them for another World; according to

that which St. 70hn says, And this is the Promise that he hath promi-

sed us, even Eternal Life,

2. Such who declare that the Jews had only Temporary Promi-

1 Joh. 3. 2%.

ses, are deceiv’d, according to the Sentiments of our Church: Toy

only fancy or feign such a Thing, be they who they will, never so

Rational in other Points, or Rabbinical in their Theories, never fo

Theistical in their Sentiments, or Atheistical at the Bottom; for if they would by such Suggestions dishonour the Government of God,

and represent the Calling and Separation of Abraham’s Family as a

very Trifle, they do but unpose upon themselves, For God from the

Beginning design’d to train up Men first ; and after that, the Fews in Hopes of another World ; and the Worthies in those Days were fo fully satisfied in the Truth of his Promises, that they chole to suffer any Thing, the Loss of Estate, Limbs, and Life, rather than lose their Interest in such a Promise. And can it be thought, that Men so Wile and Good as Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, and others, would carefully prepare themselves for that which never was likely to be, which they had no Grounds to believe, and they vainly ex- peed ? This appears fo idle in its self, fo ridiculous and —

Ee: cat

An EXPOSITIO N of the

Artic. VII. >

Heb, 11. 39,

that we may he sure those good Souls had sufficient Grounds to be- lieve another World, and to prepare solemnly for the Happiness of it; and that whoever they are, that talk of Transitory Promises, they

deceive themselves, and there is no Truth in them. These all ha- ving obtained a good report through Faith, received not the Promise;

God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfett.

3. The Moral Law is still in Force, binds the Conscience of all of us, and as we are Christians, we must endeavour to live up to it. *Tis true, perfect Obedience is not expected from us, because the

Gospel hath purchas’d a Relaxation, and an Allowance will be made

for necessary Infirmities, and surprizing Trials: But nevertheless it is our Duty to abstain from all Appearance of Evil, to do good, and, as much as in us lies, to conform our selves to the Laws of the Go- spel, which are Moral, binding Laws, and without which we cans not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. We must not think, be-

cause our Lord is willing to pardon Sin, that we may fin wilfully;

or because he does not require unsinning Obedience, that we may

upon Occasion transgress. Be not deceived, whatsoever a Man

sows, that shall he also reap ; and he that sows to the Flesh, shall © of the Flesh reap Corruption. The Fruits of the Spirit are Love, Joy, Peace, Long-suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meck- ness, Temperance; against such there is no Law . Because these are Moral and Christian Vertues, which the Gospel enjoyns, and hath promis’d to reward : We must therefore become Holy as God

is Holy, Righteous as God is Righteous ; and may not fancy, that

Matth. 3. 20,

ousness of the Scribes and

| because we are under Grace, we may be wicked. Our Lord says ,

I say unto you, that except your Righteousness shall exceed the Righte- Phariseer, ye al in no case enter inch the Kingdom of Heaven. IG EN I’Sh

4. Whoever subscribes to this Article, and are Antinomians, or

against the Moral Law, are self-condemned. For the Article fa expressly, That no Christian Man whatsoever is freed from the O- bedience of the Commandments, which are called Moral: And it is manifest that they teach otherwise ; and therefore their Subscripti- ons and their Discourses are contradictory to one another: For if the Moral Commandments {till bind us to d

the rather, because if I may credit some printed Cases, there are some Independent Congregations, whose Pastors, by the A& of Tolerati-

on, are oblig’d to subscribe this Article, and do subscribe it; who

Rom. 6. 1, 2.

nevertheless are Antinomians, and preach up the Invalidity of the Moral Law. Let such see how they can reconcile this Article and their Doctrine. What shall we say then? Shall we continne in fin,

that Grace may abound 8 God forbid.

5. As the Old and New Testament agree in Christ, we should live rather better than the Fathers, who were before the Incarnation | “0 of

bedience, they teach falsly who say, that they are under no such Laws. And 1 mention this

Thirty Nine ARTICLES.

of Christ. For our Lord hath been amongst us, and hath taught us Artic. VII

with his own Lips; he hath set the Light of the Gospel plainly be- fore us, and shewn us in express Terms what he expects from us: And certainly the more the Talents are, the more is required ; the greater and clearer the Light, the holier should be our Hearts, and the more vertuous our Lives. But it must be own’d to our Shame, that we fall very short of the Excellency of some | ot „that liv’d before the Incarnation of the Son of God, who had not the Advan- tages we enjoy: And this will be our Shame and Confusion in the

great Day; for had they seen and known as much as we, they might have gone beyond themselves in Piety, and have been greater Ex-

amples in Religion: Whilst some of us, that know so much, conti-

——

nue in our Sins, and hate to be reformed, And that servant, which Luke 12. 47.

knew bis Lord’s Will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to bis Will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

H 2 ARTICLE

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OSITTON of the

Article VIII. ed

7 1 Form of sound Words, concerning Faith and Practice, to their

is in Chꝛist Jesus. |

An EXP e ; oO

Hold fast the Fozm of found Wozds hast heard of me, iti Faith and

THERE is no doubt to be made, but the Apostles delivered a

Converts ; by which they were to retain the Truth, and dis-

cover the Pretences of vain Men. Such a Form our Apostle deli-

vered unto Timothy, which he commands him to hold fast, in Oppo-

[…]

which thou hast heard of me, in Faith and Love, which is

in Chꝛist Jesus.