f 66 OREAIENCE UNTO CORM, the institutions of worskip, which were given in Horeb whence he calls them his commands. This, saith he, by Moses, with other statutes and judgments. It was is my commandment, that you love one another; which in this sense abolished by Christ. For the things them- yet was the old commandment of the moral law; Thou selves were appointed, but unto the lime ofreformation. shalt lovethy neighbour as thyself. Hence the apostle And thereon as the supreme Lord and Lawgiver of the calls it an oitt and new. commandment, I John ii. 7, 8. gospel- church, he gave a new law of worship, consisting The law was given unto the church under the Old in several institutions and ordinances of worship.there- Testament in the hand of a mediator, that is, of Moses, unto belonging. Sec Heb: iii. 3, 4, 5, 6. and our Ex- Gal. iii. 19. It had an original power of obliging all position ofthat place. mankind unto obedience from its first institution or Obedience unto the Lord Christ maybe considered prescription in our creation; which it never lost nor a- svith respect owed : both these; the moral law, which he bated in. Howbeit the church was obliged to have a confirmed; and the lam of evangelical worship, which respect unto it, as it was given unto them, " ordained he gave and appointed. And some few things may be by angels in the hand of a mediator." See Mal. iv. 5. added to clear the nature of it. Hereon many things hard and difficult did ensue, which 1. Obedience unto Christ doth not consist merely in we arenow freed from. We are not obliged unto the doing the things which he requireth. So far the church observance of the moral law itself, as given in the hand under the Old Testament was obliged to yield obedience Of that mediator, which gave it the formal reason of unto Moses; andwe are yet so unto the prophets and covenant unto that people, and had other statutes and apostles. This is done, or maybe so, with respect un. judgements inseparable from it. But the same law can- to any subordinate directive rouse of our obedience, tinueth still in its original authority and power, which when it is not formally so denominated from his autho- it had from the beginning, to oblige all indispensably rity. All obedience unto Christ proceeds from an ex- unto obedience. press subjection of our souls and consciences unto him. Howbeit-as the church of Israel as such was not o- 2. No religious obedience could be due unto the Lord bilged unto obedienceunto the moral law absolutely con- Christ directly, by the rule and command of the moral sidered, but as it was given unto them peculiarly in the law, were he not God by nature also. The reason and hand of a mediator, that is, of Moses; no more is the foundationof all'the obedience required therein, is, " I evangelical church as such, obliged by the original au- am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have no other thority of that law, but as it is confirmed unto us in the gods before me." This contains the formal reason of hand of our Mediator. This renders all our moral o- all religious obedience. The Socinians pretend highly bedience evangelical: for there is no duty of it, but we unto obedience to the precepts of Christ. But all o- are obliged to perform it in faith through Christ, on the bedience unto Christ himself they utterly overthrow. motives of the love of God in him, of the benefits of his The obedience they pretend unto him, is but obeying mediation, and the grace we receive by him; whatever God the Fatheraccording to his commands. But they is otherwise done by us is not acceptable unto God. take away the foundation of all obedience unto his per- They do therefore for the most part but deceive them- son, by denying his divine nature. And all religious o- selves and others, who talk so loudly about moral duties. bedience unto any, who is not Godby nature, is idols- I know of none that are acceptable unto God, which try. Wherefore all obedience unto God due by the arenot only materially, but formally so, and nomore. moral law, bath respect unto the person of Christ, as If the obligations they own unto them, be only the c- one Godwith the Father and Holy Spirit, blessed for riginal power of the moral law or the law of our crea- ever. tion, and they are performed in the strength of that law 3. There is a peculiar respect unto him in all moral unto the end of it, they are no way accepted of God. obedience as Mediator. But if they intend the duties, which the moral law re- 1st, In that by the supremeauthority over thechurch quireth, proceeding from, and performed by faith in wherewith he was vested, he bath confirmedallthe corn- Christ, upon the grounds of the love of God in him, mands of the moral law, giving them new enfoncements, and grace received from him, thenare they duties pure-
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