Sect. 5. — Antinomian objections answered.
Sect. 5. — Antinomian objections answered.
Ant. But, sir, you know the Lord has promised to write his law in a believer’s heart, and to give him his Spirit to lead him into all truth. And therefore he has no need of the law written with paper and ink to be a rule of life to him; nor does he have any need to endeavour to be obedient to it, as you say.
Evan. Indeed, says Luther, the matter would fare even as you say, if we were perfectly and altogether inward and spiritual men. But we cannot be this in any way before the last day, at the rising again of the dead. For so long as we are clothed with this mortal flesh, we only begin and proceed onwards in our course towards perfection, which will be consummated in the life to come. And for this reason the apostle in Rom. 8.23 calls this the “first fruits of the Spirit,” which we enjoy in this life, the truth and fulness of which we shall receive in the life to come. And therefore, he says in another place, it is necessary to preach in such a way to those who have received the doctrine of faith, that they might be stirred up to go on in the good life which they have embraced; and that they do not allow themselves to be overcome by the assaults of the raging flesh. For we will not so presume of the doctrine of faith, as if faith being had, every man might do what he wished. No, we must earnestly endeavour, so that we may be without blame. And when we cannot attain it, we must flee to prayer, and say before God and man, “Forgive us our trespasses.” And, says Calvin, Instit. p. 162, one proper use and end of the law concerning the faithful, in whose hearts the Spirit of God lives and reigns, is this: namely, although they have the law written and engraven in their hearts by the finger of God, yet the law is a very good means for them, daily, to better and more assuredly learn what the will of the Lord is. And let none of us exempt himself from this need; for no man has yet attained so great a wisdom, that he has no need to be instructed by the law daily. And Christ differs from us in this: that the Father has poured out on him the infinite abundance of his Spirit; Joh 3.34 but whatever we receive, it is received by measure, so that we need one after another.
Now mind, I beg you, that if believers have the Spirit only in measure, and know only in part, then they have the “law written in their hearts” only in measure and in part, 1Cor. 13.9. And if they have the law written in their hearts only in measure and in part, then they do not have a perfect rule within them; and if they do not have a perfect rule within them, then they need to have a rule without them. And therefore, doubtless, the strongest believer among us needs to hearken to the advice of Tyndale who says, “Seek the word of God in all things, and without the word of God do nothing.” And another godly and evangelical writer says, “My brethren, let us do the will of God with our whole endeavour, as it becomes good children; and as near as we can, beware that we do not sin.”
Ant. Well, sir, I cannot tell what to say to that, but I think that when a man is perfectly justified by faith, it is needless for him to endeavour to keep the law, and to do good works.
Evan. I remember Luther says that in his time there were some that reasoned this way: “If faith,” they say, “accomplishes all things, and if faith only and alone is sufficient for righteousness, then to what end are we commanded to do good deeds? We may go play then, and not work at all.” He answers them, saying, “Not so, you ungodly! Not so.” And there were others that said, “If the law does not justify, then it is in vain, and of no effect.” “Yet it is not therefore true,” Luther says. “For these conclusions are similarly worth nothing: money does not justify or make a man righteous, it is therefore is unprofitable; the eyes do not justify, therefore they must be plucked out; the hands do not make a man righteous, therefore they must be cut off. So this conclusion is also nothing: that if the law does not justify, it is therefore unprofitable. We do not destroy and condemn the law, because we say it does not justify; rather we say with Paul in 1Tim. 1.8, ‘The law is good, if a man uses it rightly.’ This is a faithful saying, that those ‘who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works; these things are good and profitable to men,’” Tit. 3.8.