Chapter VIII
CHAPTER VIII: WHICH ARGUES AGAINST THE PHOTINIANS REGARDING THE MORE PERFECT COMMANDMENTS ADDED BY CHRIST
The error of the Photinians regarding the more perfect commandments given in the New Testament.
§ 71. The error of the Papists about new laws which Christ published is eagerly embraced by the Photinians, who clearly prepare the way for Muhammadanism, because the Qur’an also says (Sura 12): “Moses brought an incomplete Law; Christ brought one more complete; and Muhammad brought the most complete one.” They state clearly (Cateches. Racoviens., p. 164): “Christ did not come to fulfill the Law for us but to add new commandments to the Law.”
** See also Socinus (Quod evangelici se Phot. coetui adjungere debeant). Vorstius (Conf., p. 29) prepares the way for Photinianism when he responds to the question about what the phrase “it was said to those of old” [Matt. 5:21, 27, 33] means: “ ‘It was said to those of old,’ namely, in the Law of Moses. It was not said ‘by those of old,’ that is, by the rabbis. For here Christ is contrasting His commandments to the actual Law but not to the lies of the Pharisees.” In the same work: “In the Old Testament, divorces were lawful even outside the case of adultery. In the New Testament, they were forbidden. In this matter, in fact, a greater perfection of sanctimony and love is required.” In the same place: “In the Old Testament, it was lawful to swear easily in vows and promises, to seek revenge against a neighbor, to hate strangers and enemies of the people, etc. In the New Testament, these things are not allowed.” The Arminians are like him. Arminius (Disp. de legis et evang. comp., thesis 6): “The third difference between Law and Gospel consists in the matter [materia] of the Commandments, for the Commandments of the Law were for the most part carnal. But the Gospel is spiritual and contains spiritual commandments.” Sim. Episcopius (Disp. de conven. et discr. V. et N. T., thesis 20): “The second difference between the Old and New Testaments consists in the specific matter of their commandments.” **
But the Photinians (in their Catech. [Racoviens.], p. 207) claim that there are two kinds of new commandments, so that “some pertain to behavior; and some, to ceremonies.” They say that the following three have to do with behavior: “to deny oneself, to take up Christ’s cross, and to follow Christ.” Yet these all pertain to the obedience owed to the First Commandment about loving God above all things [Exod. 20:3], which very thing they admit (on p. 208, where they assign following Christ to loving God and one’s neighbor). Denying oneself is resisting the sinful lusts of one’s flesh, bearing one’s cross, and bearing adversities patiently. Following Christ is imitating His life. All of these indeed do pertain to the fear and love of God, as we have shown in our commonplace On the Law [Commonplace XV, §§ 57–61]. They say that the Lord’s Supper pertains to ceremonies (p. 215). They make no mention of Baptism, and, in fact, they deny that it is an ordinary and perpetual sacrament of the New Testament. What conclusion should be drawn about this becomes clear from what we said a little earlier [§ 70].