CHAPTER VI. OF MORAL LAW, OBLIGATION, ACTION, AND CHARACTER. 1. The moral law is the rule of right and wrong, which is founded on the reason and nature of things. Syst. Vol. 1. p. 290, and Vol. 2. p. 68. "This law did not, strictly speaking, make it their duty to exercise and express this love; but required and commanded it, because it was their duty." Syst. Vol. 1. p. 251. "This necessarily supposes a rule of right, or that there was a right and wrong in moral character and conduct and that God did and could not but require or command that which is morally right, and forbid the contrary." Syst. Vol. 1. p. 260. This law required nothing but right exercises, or love to God and our neighbour. Syst. Vol. 1. p. 289. OTHERS. nature by which it is distinguished from bitter. Animals have a nature by which they are distinguished from men. Men have a nature by which they are distinguished from angels. Angels have a nature by which they are distinguished from God. And God has a nature by which he is distinguished from all other beings. Now such different natures lay a foundation for different obligations; and different obligations lay a foundation for virtue and vice in all their different degrees. As virtue and vice, therefore, take their origin from the nature of things; so the difference between moral good and moral evil is as immutable as the nature of things, from which it results. It is as impossible in the nature of things, that the essential distinction between virtue and vice should cease, as that the essential distinction between light and dark after every man's liking." Inst. fulfilling, and threatening death B. 1. ch. 4. sec. 3. "Forasmuch as thou art his creature, therefore thou art of right subject to his authority." Inst. B. 1. ch. 2. sec. 2. They who regulate their conduct by any thing but the revealed law of God, worship an unknova God, and are by. Christ's mouth, John iv. 22. pronounced guilty. upon the breach of it." Larger West. Cat. Q. 93. "God gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, by which he bound him, and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it; and endued him with power and ability to keep it." Con. P. C. U. S. p. 90. Con. C. Scot. ch. 19. sec. 1. and B. 1. ch. 5. sec. 12. Say. Plat. p. 62. with this ad HOPKINS, AND OTHERS. With this moral law, man,,ness, bitter and sweet should being made a moral agent, capable of discerning the right and wrong in the nature of things, was not made acquainted by revelation; nor was he formally put under it, because that was entirely needless. * Syst. Vol. 1. p. 261. cease. These distinctions do not depend upon the bare will of the Deity; for so long as he continues the nature of things, no law or command of his can change light into darkness, bitter into sweet, nor virtue into vice." Emmons, p. 62 and 63. * Calvin admits that God has planted so much knowledge in the minds of men that they are inexcusable. They have, he says, a certain conscience of good and evil," or so much of the law written on their hearts, that their conscience either accuses or excuses them before God. "Therefore the end of the law natural is, that man may be made inexcusable. And it shall be defined not improperly thus; viz. That it is a knowledge of conscience which sufficiently discerneth between just and unjust, to take away from men the pretence of ignorance, while they are proved guilty by their own testimony." Inst. B. 2. ch. 2. sec. 22. This knowledge, however, he does not consider an uncorrupted relique of the fall, but the gift of God. CALVIN, fect judgment." AND *Inst. B. 2. ch. 2. sec. 24. "Our understanding is al together impotent and blind except it be by grace illuminated not once but continually in every divine and heavenly thing which we have to learn." OTHERS. think it not very sound and per-. mighty God; having his being in and of himself, and giving being to all his words and works," and "therefore we are bound to take him for our God alone, and to keep all his commandments." Larger Cat. Q. 101. "Because God is the Lord, and our God and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments." B. 2. ch. 2. sec. 25. 3. "To extend the power of man to the commandments of the law, hath indeed long ago begun to be common, and hath some speciousness; but it proceeded from most rude igno rance of the law. For they that think it a heinous offence, if it be said that the keeping of the law is impossible, do rest for sooth upon this most strong argument, that else the law was given in vain." B. 2. ch. 5. sec. 6. Shorter Cat. Q. 44. 3. Complete inability to obey the law, produced by the apostacy, does not release any man from moral obligation. Larger Cat. Q. 94, 95, 149. Shorter Cat. 39, 40 and 82. Say. Plat. Con. C. Scot. and Con. P. C. U. S. ch. 7. sec. 3, and ch. 19. sec. 2. * "Now it is easy to understand what is to be learned by the law, that is, that as God is our Creator, so of right he hath the place of Father and Lord, and that by this reason we owe to him glory, reverence, love and fear." Inst. B, 2. ch. 7. sec. 2. t "Neither may we pretend this excuse that we want power, and like wasted debtors are not able to pay. For it is not convenient that we should measure the glory of God by our own power: for whatsoever we be, he always remains like to himself, a lover of righteousness, a hater of wickedness. Whatsoever he requireth of us, (because he can require nothing but that which is right) by bond of nature we must of necessity obey: but that we are not able is our own fault." Inst. B. 2. ch. 7. sec. 2. How natural imbecility became a crime is exhibited in the chapter on the apostacy. "It is not of creation but of the corruption of nature that men being made bond-slaves to sin, can will nothing but evil. From whence cometh this want of power which the wicked would gladly pretend, but upon this, that Adam of his own accord made himself subject to the tyranny of the Devil? Hereupon, therefore, grew the corruption, with the bonds whereof we are holden fast tied, for that the first man fell from his Creator." Inst. B. 2. ch. 5. sec. 1. The Calvinists say, that although man has lost his power to obey, yet God has not lost his right to command; any more, than a creditor loses his right to demand payment and hold the written obligation, because the voluptuous debtor has actually become a bankrupt, and has not a dollar in the world. In opposition to this representation, Dr. Smalley, who is very far from yielding assent to all the extravagant notions of Dr. Emmons, but who does not accord with Calvin, says, "it is to be observed for clearing up this |