My mentor, dear friend, and one-time neighbor Mary-Elaine Swanson would not allow any criticism of Locke in her biography. Locke understandably said himself that he used secular or natural arguments to present his New Testament ideas to avoid sectarian noise at the expense of his influence. Understandable.
Yet, as Mary-Elaine’s theology and content editor, I had to argue that we must limit the proper application of the Law of Nature (Romans 1 and 2) to the personal conviction of sin, as Paul gave. Content, any positive statement of natural law, must come from an objective original. Otherwise, sinful men must interpret that vague law in their own hearts—deceptively wicked. The only reliable source for the Law of Nature is the Law of God as revealed in Scripture.
Once Locke’s secularizing seems to have served. Later, Darwin at least compromised whatever nature could teach us, if not destroyed it. It is time to return to the Bible for our view of Law.
