Alright James, I'll take it bit by bit so you can interact along the way:
"VI. Although true believers be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified, or condemned"
Right, this is the first part I disagree with. Obviously I agree as far as it goes, but it doesn't give the whole meaning of how we are not under the law - it qualifies it. Now, I didn't get far in the article before disagreeing, did I?!
This clause 'as a covenant of works' qualifies the scriptural statements made in several places that we are not under the law. It narrows the meaning down to applying only to justification. That isn't what scripture teaches, or what the referenced scripture verses teach.
We read the following:-
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“If ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law”. Gal 5:18.
“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14
“But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.” Romans 7:6
None of these verses are restricted in meaning to justification. They refer to the position of the believer as a justified man, who is now no longer under the law (in any sense) but under grace. He is lawfully delivered from the law by the body of Christ.
Hope that helps. I do think we ought to have looked at point V though. Points I to IV also.
BTW the footnotes given in the WCF for this clause are as follows. None of them demonstrate the need for the 'qualification' of 'as a covenant of works' in the clause:
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ROM 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. GAL 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. ACT 13:39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. ROM 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
