Rogers on Article VII: Of the Old Testament

The Propositions.

1. The old Testament is not contrary to the newe.

2. The old Fathers looked for eternall happinesse, through Christ, as well as for temporall blessings.

3. Christians are not bound at all to the obseruation of the Iudaical ceremonies.

4. The Iudiciall lawes of the Iewes are not necessarily to be receiued, or established in any common wealth.

5. No Christian man whatsoeuer is freed from the obedience of the lawe Moral.

1. Proposition. The old Testament is not contrary to the new.

The proofe from Gods word.

THat the old Testament is not contrary to the newe, it may be prooued by many inuincible arguments: yet it is most apparent, in that our Sauiour Christ, very God and very man (as aboue art. 2. hath bin declared) is offered vnto mankind for his eternall saluation, by them both. For,

We learne that there is one and no Christs moe in the new ¹, and we learne the same in the old ².

That Christ is the Sonne of God, in the newe ³, we learne the same in the old⁴.

That Christ is very man, in the new ⁵; we learne that he should be so from the old ⁶.

That Christ was borne at Berhelem in the newe⁷, we learne that he should be so from the old ⁸.

That Christ was borne of a virgine in the new ⁹, we learne that he should be so from the old ¹⁰.

That Christ was honoured of wise men in the new ¹¹, we learne that he should be so, from the old ¹².

That he road vpon an Asse vnto Ierusalem, from the newe ¹³, we learne that he should so doe, from the old ¹⁴.

That he was betraied in the new ¹⁵: we learne that he should be so, from the old ¹⁶.

That hee suffered not for his owne, but for our transgressions, in the newe ¹⁷; we learne that he should so doe, from the old ¹⁸.

In the newe that he rose againe from the graue ¹⁹; from the old, that he should so do ²⁰.

And in the newe, that he ascended into heauen ²¹, and in the old, that he should so doe ²²,

The adversaries vnto this truth.

Wee are then adversaries to all them, which reiect, as of no reckoning, the old Testamēt, as did both old heretikes, as Basilides, Carpocrates, and the Manichies ²³, and the newe Libertines, who say the old Testament is abrogated ²⁴.

2. Proposition. The old Fathers looked for eternall happines, through Christ, as well as for temporall blessings.

The proofe from Gods word.

The old Fathers to haue looked not onely for transitorie promises, but also for eternall happines, through Christ, the holy Scripture doth manifest.

S. Paul saith ²⁵,

Brethren, I would not haue you ignorant, that all our Fathers were vnder the cloude, and all passed through the sa;²⁶ and did all eate the same spirituall meat; and did all drinke the same spirituall drinke. ²⁷ (for they dranke of the spirituall Rocke that followed them; and the Rocke was Christ.)

By faith Noe was made heire of the righteousnesse which is by faith ²⁸.

By faith Moses, when he was come to age, refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter, and chose rather to suffer adversitie with the people of God, then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season; esteeming the rebukes of Christ greater riches, then the treasures of Egypt: for he had respect vnto the recompense of the reward ²⁹ &c.

All these through faith obtained good report, and receiued not the promise; God providing a better thing for vs, that they without vs should not bee made perfite ³⁰.

Abraham reioyced to see my day ³¹, Abraham aboue hope, beleeued vnder hope, that hee should be the father of many nations ³².

Of which saluation the Prophets haue inquired, and searched ³³.

This truth was neuer doubted of in the church of God, and is publikely acknowledged by some confessions ³⁴.

The adversaries vnto this truth.

They are not then to be heard, which thinke the Fathers, & faithfull people before Christ his time, hoped onely for temporall, & not for spirituall, & if for spirituall, yet not for etetnall happines; as did many of the Iewish Atheists ³⁵, and Sadducis ³⁶, and doe the Familie of Loue, which make the promises of happines, by temporall blessings to be accomplished in this transitorie life.

Hence H. N. very strangely allegorizeth of the land of promise, when he calleth it, The good land of the vpright, and concordable life; and saith that, The louely being, or nature of the Loue, is the life, peace, and ioy, mentioned Rom. 14.6. and the land of promise, wherein hony, and milke floweth, spoken of Exod. 3. a. 13. a. Deut. 8. b. This, and more a great deale to this effect hath H. N. ³⁷

3. Proposition. Christians are not bounde at all to the obseruation of the Iudaicall ceremonies.

The proofe from the word of God.

That neither the whole law ceremoniall of the Iewes, nor any part thereof is necessarily to be obserued of vs christians, the holy Scripture teacheth vs by Peters vision ³⁸, the Apostles decree ³⁹, and by the doctrine of S. Paul ⁴⁰.

As all beleeue, so some Churches publikely acknowlege the same⁴¹.

Errors & Adversaries to this truth.

In a wrong opinion therefore be they, who are of minde, either that the lawe Ceremoniall whollie is to continue, & be in vse, or that part thereof is yet in force, and must be.

The former of these was the opinion of the false prophets⁴², the Cerinthians ⁴³, the Ebionites ⁴⁴, and is of the Iewes, Armenians, and Familie of Loue ⁴⁵; the latter is an error of our home Sabbatarians. For say they:

The Sabboth was none of the Ceremonies, which were iustly abrogated at the comming of Christ ⁴⁶.

When all Iewish things haue bin abrogated, onely (be their very words) the Sabboth hath continued still in the Church in his propet force, that it might appeare that it was of a nature farre differing from them ⁴⁷.

Whereas all other things were so changed, that they were cleane taken away, as the Preisthood, the Sacrafices, and Sacraments, this day (meaning the Sabboth day) was so changed that it yet remaineth: which sheweth that though all the other were ceremoniall, and therefore, had an ende, This (Sabboth) was moral, and therefore abideth still⁴⁸.

The Commandement (of sanctifying euery Seuenth day, as in the Mosaicall decalogue) is naturall, morall, and perpetuall (is their doctrine ⁴⁹.)

4. Proposition. The Iudiciall lawes of the Iewes, are not necessarily to be receiued, or established in any Common wealth.

The profe from Gods word.

The truth hereof appeareth, by the Apostles decree ⁵⁰; which sheweth wherevnto onely the primitiue church necessarily was tied

By the Apostles doctrine ⁵¹, which enioyneth Christians to yeeld obediēce vnto the ordināces of their lawfull gouerners, and commanders whosoeuer.

By the Apostles example, and namely of the blessed S. Paul ⁵², who tooke benefit, and made good vse of the Romane, and Emperiall lawes.

Adversaries vnto this truth.

This truth neither is, nor euer was oppugned by any Church. Only among our selues some thinke vs necessarily tied vnto all the Iudicials of Moses, as the Brownists (For they say, The lawes Iudiciall of Moses belong as well vnto Christians, as they did vnto the Iewes ⁵³.

Others, that wee are bound, though not vnto all: yet vnto some of the Iudicialls, as holdeth T.C. ⁵⁴, and Philip Stubs ⁵⁵.

5. Proposition. No Christian man whosoeuer is freed from the obedience of the law Morall.

The proofe from Gods word.

Thinke not that I am come to destroy the Lawe, or the Prophets, I am not come to destroy them, but to fulfill them. For truly I say vnto you (saith our Sauiour Christ), till heauen, and earth perish, one iot, or one title of the law shall not scape, till all things be fulfilled: whosoeuer therefore shall breake one of these least commandements, and teach men so, shall be called the least in the kingdome of heauen, &c⁵⁶.

If thou wilt enter into life, keepe the commandements. &c. Thou shalt nor kill, thou shalt not commit adulterie, thou shalt not steale; thou shalt not beare false witnesse; Honour thy father, and thy mother ⁵⁷.

Doe wee make the lawe of none effect, through faith? God forbid, yea, we establish the Lawe ⁵⁸. Circumcision is nothing and vncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the Commandements of God ⁵⁹. The publike confessions of the Churches of God in France ⁶⁰, and Belgia ⁶¹ agree with this Doctrine.

The Errors and adversaries vnto this truth.

Whereby are condemned, as most wicked and vnsond, the opinions

Of the Manichies, who found fault with the whole Lawe of God, as wicked, and prooceeding, not from the true God, but from the Prince of darkenes ⁶².

Of Brownist Glouer, whose opinion was, that Loue now is come in the place of the tenne commandements ⁶³.

Of Iohannes Islebius, and his followers, the Antinonies, who will not haue Gods lawe to be preached; nor the consciences of sinners to be terrified, and troubled with the iudgements of God ⁶⁴.

Of Banister (among our selues) who held how it is vtterly euill for the Elect, so much as to thinke, much lesse to speake, or heare of the feare of God (which the Law preacheth) ⁶⁵.

Footnotes

1. Act. 3.25. G[?]l. 3.8.10. ↩

2. Gen. 22.18. ↩

3. M[?]th 16.16. Act. 13 33. ↩

4. Psal. 2.7. ↩

5. Heb. 2.14, 15, 16. ↩

6. Esa. 11.1. and 53.3. ↩

7. Matth. 2.1. ↩

8. Micah. 5.2. ↩

9. Matth. 1.23. ↩

10. Esa. 7.14. ↩

11. Matth. 2.11. ↩

12. Esa. 60.6. ↩

13. Matth. 21.1. ↩

14. Zach. 9.9. ↩

15. Luke 22.7. ↩

16. Zach 11.12. ↩

17. Act. 8.33. 1. Cor. 15.3. 1. Pet. 2.24. ↩

18. Esa. 53.5. ↩

19. Act. 2.29.31. 1. Cor. 15.4. Matth. 12.40. ↩

20. Psal. 16.10. Ionas 1.17. and 2.10. ↩

21. Eph. 4.8. ↩

22. Psal. 68.18. ↩

23. See afore ar. 6. prop. 2. ↩

24. Bulling. cont. Anabap. l. [?]. c. 14. ↩

25. 1. Cor. 10.1.
    ↩
26. ↩
27. ↩

28. Heb. 1i.7. ↩

29. Ibid. 24.25.26. ↩

30. Ib. 39.40. ↩

31. Ioh. 8.56. ↩

32. Rom. 4.18. ↩

33. 1. Pet. 1.10.
    ↩

34. Helvet. 2. c. 13. Saxon. ar. 3. ↩

35. Psal. 53.1. ↩

36. Acts 23.18. ↩

37. In his booke entit. The spir. land of peace, c. 18. § 10. &c. 25. § 4. ↩

38. Act. 10.13. ↩

39. Act. 15.24.29. ↩

40. Gal. 2.3, 4. and 4.10.11. Eph. 2.14, 15. Coloss. 2.16.17. ↩

41. Confess. Gal. ar. 23. Belg. ar. 25. ↩

42. Act. 15.1.2. ↩

43. Euseb. ↩

44. Jren. l. 1. c. 26. ↩

45. H. N. euang. c. 13. § 4.9. ↩

46. D. B. Sac. doctrine, 1. booke, p. 11. ↩

47. Ibid. p 20. ↩

48. Jbid. p. 41. ↩

49. Jbid. p. 7. ↩

50. Act. 15.20.28, 29. ↩

51. Rom. 13.1. 1. Pet. 2.13, 14. ↩

52. Act. 16.37. Act. 22.25. &c. Act. 25.11, 12. ↩

53. Barrovves disco. p. 127. ↩

54. 1. Replie. sect. 1.2.
    ↩

55. Anatom. of abuses, 2. part. D. b. ↩

56. Math. 5.17.18.19. ↩

57. Math. 19.17.18.19. ↩

58. Rom. 3.31. ↩

59. 1. Cor. 7.19.
    ↩

60. Art. 23. ↩

61. Art. 25. ↩

62. August. cont. Faust. epist. 11. & 74. ↩

63. Bredvvel detect. p. 119. ↩

64. Sim. Pauli meth. par. 2. de lege Dei, p. 54. ↩

65. Bannist. error. ↩