Free Grace AND a Free Gospel. VI
The Marrowmen were examined by the committee on the following questions:
1. Whether are there any precepts in the gospel that were not actually given before the gospel was revealed?
The Marrowmen replied that there were no precepts, properly speaking, in the gospel. The gospel is grace, not law. It contains promises of mercy and salvation.
II. Is not the believer now bound, by the authority of the creator, to personal obedience to the moral law, though not in order to justification?
To which the Marrowmen heartily agreed.
III. Doth the annexing of a promise of life, and a threatening of death to a precept, make it a covenant of works?
Yes, they answered, as it relates to the law given to our first parents.
IV.If the moral law, antecedent to its recieving the form of a covenant of works, had a threatening of hell annexed?
The Marrowmen answered that the moral law never was in the world as a rule of life except in one of the two covenants, of works and of grace. Therefore this was a silly question. But sin, they affirmed, is always deserving of hell.
V. If it be peculiar to believers to be free of the commanding power of the law, as a covenant of works?
Yes, the Marrowmen replied.
VI. If a sinner, being justified, has all things at once that are necessary for salvation? And if personal holiness, and progress in holy obedience, is not necessary to a justified person's possession of glory, in case of his continuing in life after his justification?
The grounds of this question was a quotation from Luther contained in the Marrow, "For in Christ I have all things at once, neither need I anything more, that is necessary unto salvation." The Marrowmen agreed totally with this passage, but they added that personal holiness and progress in holy obedience will certainly be found in any true believer. Personal holiness and justification, they insisted, would always be found together, since, "grace is glory begun, and glory grace in perfection." Yet holiness and obedience are not conditions required to gaining glory. Holiness is a part of salvation.
We shall reserve the rest of the points for another post.
1. Whether are there any precepts in the gospel that were not actually given before the gospel was revealed?
The Marrowmen replied that there were no precepts, properly speaking, in the gospel. The gospel is grace, not law. It contains promises of mercy and salvation.
II. Is not the believer now bound, by the authority of the creator, to personal obedience to the moral law, though not in order to justification?
To which the Marrowmen heartily agreed.
III. Doth the annexing of a promise of life, and a threatening of death to a precept, make it a covenant of works?
Yes, they answered, as it relates to the law given to our first parents.
IV.If the moral law, antecedent to its recieving the form of a covenant of works, had a threatening of hell annexed?
The Marrowmen answered that the moral law never was in the world as a rule of life except in one of the two covenants, of works and of grace. Therefore this was a silly question. But sin, they affirmed, is always deserving of hell.
V. If it be peculiar to believers to be free of the commanding power of the law, as a covenant of works?
Yes, the Marrowmen replied.
VI. If a sinner, being justified, has all things at once that are necessary for salvation? And if personal holiness, and progress in holy obedience, is not necessary to a justified person's possession of glory, in case of his continuing in life after his justification?
The grounds of this question was a quotation from Luther contained in the Marrow, "For in Christ I have all things at once, neither need I anything more, that is necessary unto salvation." The Marrowmen agreed totally with this passage, but they added that personal holiness and progress in holy obedience will certainly be found in any true believer. Personal holiness and justification, they insisted, would always be found together, since, "grace is glory begun, and glory grace in perfection." Yet holiness and obedience are not conditions required to gaining glory. Holiness is a part of salvation.
We shall reserve the rest of the points for another post.
Labels: The 'Marrow of Modern Divinity'
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