only the illuminated Elders in the godly wisdome which walk in the house of love And in the Epistle Let no man saith he boast himselfe in any of the works of righteousnesse or take on the same to salvation neither to condemnation before that hee in the Spirit of Christ through the love of the Father be renewed in all righteousnesse of life not that I meane in the Elementish Ceremoniall righteousnesse which the man setteth forth or occupieth out of his owne prudency but I meane in that righteousnesse which according to the heavenly truth is in the being of Christ and is set forth through the Spirit of God So this abominable wretch maketh all reading or hearing or beleeving the Scriptures to be Elementish carnall righteousnesse and that wee are to doe no good works to obtaine salvation nor to eschew any evill to be freed from condemnation but to study an inward righteousnesse in being Goded and Christed and in communicating with the essence and godly being M. Towne also maketh the Law a sort of directorie of walking as doth H. N. Assert grace pag. 38. I know not where to learne my duty to my Superiour but in the matter of the fift Command nor what Murther or Adulterie is but in the sixt and seventh But Towne forgetteth himselfe and pag. 3. saith We are from under the Law in all its authority dominion offices and effects yea hee denyeth that wee are under the power and teaching of the Law And Saltmarsh will have us not to borrow one beame of directing light from the Law so as he seemeth to stomach and to bee angry that the old Testament but especially the ten Commandements are printed in the Bible Yet what ever direction of walking wee have from the Law I find them in all their writings grudging at any Law or Gospel written because writing speaking vocall covenants are the dead and killing Letter fruitlesse and livelesse and that the Spirit immediatly acting is all our rule Paral. VII Libertines speake disgracefully of the Pen-men of Scripture and called Paul a broken vessell John stolidum juvenem a foolish young man Peter a denyer of God Mathew an Vsurer The Church was in her infancy said Da. Georgius Vnder Abraham and the Prophets in its young age under John Baptist Christ in the flesh and the Apostles it s grown and now presently under David the Christ its spirituall and perfect So many Antinomians turne perfectists Who say they having the Holy Ghost as well as the Prophets and Apostles can pen and speake Scripture from the same Spirit The New England Libertines are so farre on this way that they disgrace the Apostle Peter as a halfe-Legalist and say Peter leaned more to a covenant of works then Paul and that Pauls doctrine was more for free grace then Peters And Saltmarsh maketh all the Prophets in the Old Testament Legall men and Christ in the flesh and his Apostles preached free grace but in degrees and parts but we dare not saith hee preach the Gospel so in halves and quarters as yee doe And Christ and the Apostles preached grace faith repentance new obedience in scantling of Doctrine as they are meerely and barely revealed in the history of the Gospel or Acts of the Apostles where onely the Doctrine is not so much revealed as the practise But we Antinomians preach Christ the power of all the fulnesse of all that we may exalt him whom God hath exalted at his owne right hand Hence Saltmarsh 1. saith the Antinomians in England reveale more free grace and fulnesse of Christ in their Sermons then Christ and the Apostles did in the halfe of the New Testament or all the Prophets in the Old 2. Christ and the Prophets and Apostles except in the Epistles were Legall Preachers What be Legall Preachers that I wrong not Saltmarsh as he doth Christ the Prophets and Apostles I give it in his owne words Legalists are 1. such as compound and bargaine with God for salvation and submit not to the righteousnesse of God and lye downe in the sparks of their owne kindling are Christ his Prophets and Apostles such Such as from the notion of a covenant conceive a little too Legally of free grace Such as have neither the use nor freedome of the heavenly inheritance that are subject to death and bondage Such to whom God appeared onely as it were upon tearmes and conditions of reconciliation Such as in fasting and other acts of obedience dealt with God to get some love from God which Christ himselfe had not gotten for us So belike the Prophets that dyed before Christ went not to heaven but to some chamber or higher roome in hell called Limbus Patrum or to some other place for Saltmarsh saith they had neither the use nor freedome of the heavenly inheritance whither then went their soules after death 2. They were chosen to salvation some other way then Jaakob Rom. 9. they purchased the love of free election by fasting and pennance 3. Their sinnes were not pardoned nor they reconciled to God a belying of the Old Testament 4. The Prophets submitted not to the righteousnesse of God but sought righteousnesse by the works of the Law All these how they agree in part to Christ John Baptist and the Apostles in the first halfe of the New Testament let Saltmarsh and Antinomians see and consider Paral. VIII Libertines said The whole Scripture was nothing but the Spirit of God and the Letter of the Scripture not Scripture but the Spirit was both Christ and the Scripture and a godly life must be the Spirit So the Libertines of New-England There is a Testimony of the Spirit and voice unto the soule meerely immediate without any respect unto or concurrence with the Word And from this Wee are not to keepe a constant course of praying at set houres or alwayes but as the Spirit move us And all doctrines and revelations must bee tryed by Christ that is Christ dwelling in us in a spirituall manner not by the Word of Christ or the Scripture In this same Grammer speake Antinomians So Saltmarsh The Law now is in the Spirit What is that And in the Gospel for a beleever to walke by nor is saith he holinesse and sanctification now such as is fashioned by the Law or outward Commandement but by the preaching of Faith by which the Spirit is given which renewes and sanctifies a beleever and makes him the very Law of Commandement in himselfe and his heart the very two Tables of Moses This is to say the Word begetteth not Faith but onely Historically instructeth the flesh and expressely in terminis the Libertines sense and minde is that the Word is changed in a Spirit without Scripture and the Christian in his walking and conversation which to Antinomians is all in faith is the Spirit it selfe Towne is much in this through his whole booke to
Christ immediately worketh all in them and grace is onely in Christ and therefore wee are not to pray but when the Spirit acteth in us That we are meere patients in all wee doe and God the immediate agent and that God as say the Libertines w is the author of sin and righteousnesse no man is to be rebuked for sin nor to bee touched in conscience for sin because God is the Authour and worker thereof and there is no letter of a command of either Old or New Testament that doth obleige a beleever The Law is now saith Saltmarsh in the Spirit There bee no Laws saith Del now in Gods Kingdome but Gods Laws and they are these three 1. The Law of a new creature 2. The Law of the Spirit of life that is in Christ. 3. The Law of Love Farewell Scripture then But Luther exponeth himself in what sense he meaneth Christ and a beleever is one and a beleever is God and as it were Christed to wit in regard of the union of the grace of Faith and the marriage between a beleever and Christ. and the legall interest that the broken man hath in Christ his surety and of the new birth so saith Luther Fides est res omnipotens virtus ejus inestimabilis infinita Faith is an omnipotent thing and the power thereof unvaluable and infinite Now faith is not Christed nor Godded with the infinite essence of God or Christ no more is a beleever Luther fides pure docenda est quod scilicet per â—am sic conglutineris ut ex te Christo quasi fiat una persona quae non possit segregari ut cum fiducia dicere possis Ego sum Christus hoc est Christi justitia victoria vita est mea vicissim Christus dicat Ego sum ille peccator hoc est ejus peccata et mors mea sunt Quia adhaeret mihi ego illi Conjuncti enim sumus per fidem in unam carnem os Ephe. 5. Ita ut haec fides Christum me arctius copulet quam maritus uxori copulatus est Christus quod ad suam personam attinet est innocens ergo non debet suspendi in liguo Quia vero omnis latro secundum legem suspendi debuit debuit Christus secundum legem Mosis suspendi quia gessit personaÌ„ peccatoris latronis non unius sed omnium peccata portat non quod ipse commiserit ea Quaecunque peccata ego tu nos omnes clecti fecimus in futurum faciemus tam propria sunt Christi quam si ea ipse fecisset Luther Faith is purely to bee taught because by it thou art so glewed to Christ that of thee and Christ there is as it were quasi made one person which cannot be segregated so that with confidence thou may say I am Christ that is Christs righteousnesse victory and life is mine and againe Christ may say I am that sinner that is his sin and death are mine because he adhereth to me and I to him We are conjoyned by faith in one flesh and bone Ephes. 5. so that this faith does more neerly couple Christ and mee then the husband to the wife Christ in his own person is innocent then hee ought not to bee hanged on a tree but because every robber ought to be hanged Christ according to Moses Law ought to be hanged because he did beare the person not of one sinner and robber but of all sinners and robbers He behoved to be the robber He beareth the sins of all in his body not that he committed them What ever sins I or thou or we all have done or shall hereafter doe are as proper Christs sinnes as if he himselfe had done them Not that they were Christs intrinsecally in the fundamentall guilt and law-obligation to suffer for them as Crisp saith but legally the beleevers sins are Christs the client and the advocate are in Law one law-person they have but one cause the surety and the broken man are one the debt owed by both is one therefore Christ is the sinner legally Luther The beleever in doing nothing but beleeving in his surety doth all things and in doing all things in Christ doth nothing One Christian tempted can doe more by faith in him who doth all things for him quam centum non tentati than a hundred not tempted can doe A Christian by faith becommeth a conquerour of sin Law and death so as the Ports of hell cannot prevaile against him Luther Omnipotency is conjoyned with nothingnes and weaknesse and causeth the weak to doe things unpossible and incredible So incomparable is the grace of faith that it conjoyneth the soule with Christ as the Bride with the Bridegroome by which mystery Christ and the Soule are made one flesh and if they be one flesh then are all things common whether good or evill things and what ever Christ hath the beleeving soule may presume and glory in them as its own and what-ever things are the soules own Christ may ascribe these to himself Luther Faith in Christ causeth him live in me and move and work as a saving oyntment worketh on a diseased body and is made with Christ one flesh one body by an intimate and unspeakable transmutation of our sin into his righteousnesse Faith bringeth to us Christ that is makes us one flesh with him bone of our bone and makes all things common with him A man in faith may glory in Christ and say it is mine that Christ lived did said suffered died no otherwise then if I had lived done spoken suffered dyed as the Bridegroom hath all the Brides and the Bride all the Bridegroomes for all are common to both they are one flesh so Christ and his Church are one Spirit Pius nihil faciendo facit omnia faciendo omnia nihil facit Luther Vnus Christianus tentatus plus prodest quam centum non tentati Christianus fide constituituitur victor pâ—ccati legis mortis ut ne quidem inferorum portae ei praevalere possint Luther Omnipotentia conjungitur cum nihilitudine eò perducit infirmum ut faciat impossibilâ—a et incredibilia Luther Fidei gratia incomparabilis hac est quod animam copulat cum Christo sicut sponsam cum sponso quo sacramento Christus anima efficiuntur una caro quoâ—si una caro sint sequitur omnia eorum communia fieri tam bona quam mala ut quaecunque Christus habet de iis tanquam suis presumere gloriari possit fidelis anima et quaecunque animae sunt ea sibi arrogat Christus tanquam sua Luth. Fides in Christum facit eum in me vivere moveri agere non secus atque salutare unguentum in aegrum corpus agit efficiturque cum Christo una caro unum corpus per
or exemplary dying by way of imitation only to teach us the like patience but that Christ God-man really offered to the Father blood as a perfect ransome to redeeme his Church The deceiving Familists eluding the whole history of Scripture and this Impostore Gortyn saith his blood is to bee exporâ—ed only of the power of his God-head and his flesh of the weakenesse of our natures or of us who only in creation are made according to the Image of God Yea Gortyn saith p. 104. Christ suffereth in them that is in the weake Saints else can he have no death at all and then no Saviour then he suffered not in his owne Manhood then hath hee not by himselfe purged our sin Heb. 1.3 Nor was it Christ himself who in his owne body on the tree bare our sins 1 Pet. 2.24 The body of Christ say the Familists and Antinomians is his Church Now the Church is his mysticall body but Christ had and yet hath another true real naturall body besides his body the Church This seemeth to mee to bee the doctrine of M. Saltmarsh who in his latest peece that I cannot now examine this worke being printed but it is the very picture of the spirit of Henry Nicholas giveth hints that Christ is not true man Sparkles of glory p. 39. The baptisme of Jesus Christ is that whereby wee are baptized into his body Now his body is a spirituall one and fashioning like his gloryous one that place Phil. 3.20 21 that speakes of Christs naturall body Saltmarsh exponeth of his mysticall body the Church as if Christ had not another body then his Church his mysticall body Now Christs mysticall body suffered not on the Crosse for our sinnes And pag. 43. When Jesus saith he went out of flesh into spirit or ascended he confirmed this ministration c. Then Christs ascension to heaven in his manhood is not locall and visible though the scripture say Act. 1. His Disciples saw him locally and visibly ascend and the Angels said these men of Galilie should see him after the same manner come to judgement but his ascension is but his leaving of his flesh or mysticall body on earth and being turned into a spirit or his entring in a more spirituall and glorious being into heaven and if this bee true that his ascension is but his going out of flesh into spirit then hath not Christ taken our nature and flesh and a mans heart to heaven with him that hee may be touched with our infirmities Contrary to these Scriptures Eph. 2. ver 6. Phi. 3.20.21 Heb. 4.14 15. Heb. 7.24 25 26. Heb. 10.20 21. Againe by blood in scripture is never meant the power or life of God How shall wee then make sense of that Heb. 2.14 For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himselfe likewise tooke part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devill And what is that but he was true man v. 17. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to bee made like unto his bretheren that he might be a mercifull High-Priest Now the Children were not partakers of flesh and blood that is of weakenesse and the power of God or the God-head for so Familists expone flesh and blood except we say that every beleever is both borne of the seed of David according to the flesh and is God blessed for ever A horrible blasphemy for so Christ Rom. 9. partakes of flesh and blood according to the Familists way And this way of changing all histories of the word in allegories is the way to elude all truth When it is said God created the Heaven and the Earth the Sea Man Beasts Birds Fishes wee must make the world an Imaginary and Metaphoricall world the Creation must be but an allegorie men must be figures allegories and metaphors so must heaven earth sea land birds fishes be metaphors for there is as true a reall history of all that Jesus did and said untill the day he was taken up to heaven Act. 1.1 2. As of all other true histories in the word Else Familists puts us to a stand in all the Articles of our faith I confesse the way that Del and the Familists take when they cite these words for an internall word and a spirituall and allegorick sense besides the litterall sense The words that I speake are spirit and life Is an unavoydable way to elude all scripture and M. Beacon in his Catechisme while he cleare himselfe is a grosse Familist to mee for he speaking of Christ crucified turnes all Christ in a Metaphoricall Imaginary Christ in these words pag. 137. Q. how long did this suffering last A. Till he gave up the Ghost Q. Who was crucified hereby A. The old man Q. What was the old man A. The sinfull man Q. Is the sinfull man ceased A. Yes in Christ. Q. How so A. He was left nailed on the crosse These words who was crucified in a Catechisme aske in what nature Christ suffered and whether or no Christ God man in regard of communion of properties may be said to suffer Who did suffer Now he should answer the Lord of life in his humane nature But passing the answer touching all personall and materiall sufferings of Christ which is a speciall and fundamentall article of our faith and ought not to be omitted in a Catechisme he cometh to a morall suffering of the body of sin by influence of Christs death on our soules now first and primarily Christ himselfe was nailed to the Crosse as a sacrifice for our sinnes this is omitted by Beacon secondarily as a fruit of his death the Old-man is crucified with him Rom. 6. but not as Beacon means that the Old-man is ceased and we sin no more being once justified as if the Old-man were perfectly crucified as he answereth And it is true that Christs dying teacheth us to die to sinne and so Christs death is spiritually to be exponâ—d where the scripture exponeth it as Rom. 6.1 2 3 and 1 Pet. 1.23 24. and else where But that is no ground for Papists Antinomians and Familists to take away all the truth of histories touching Christ his incarnation death resurrection ascension sitting at the right hand of God redeeming of the world heaven and hell and to subvert our faith and change all in spirituall and allegoricall senses under pretence of a spirituall Gospel-preaching we cannot then by the learning of these Jugglers expone the story of the drowning of the world by waters but of allegoricall men allegoricall drowning not literally For if we expone the stories of the Scripture literally Familists say we are literall expositers and know nothing of the spirit and spirituall learning 7 These Familists teach that Christ reveales his will by no voyce but the voyce of the Spirit in the Saints p. 104. that is the internall Spirit and word is our onely rule and not the writen word
and other six faithfull and heroicke witnesses of Christ and Ministers of the Gospel into banishment to death this worthy servant of Christ preached everyday in France in his Exile converted many soules the King of France gave the same command concerning him when the Town he preached in was sacked and taken as the man of God foretold them publickly it should be razed that the King of Babylon gave touching Jeremiah doe him no harme see well to him his person wife children and servants from the godly witnesses of his life I have heard say of every twenty foure houres he gave eight to prayer except when the publicke necessities of his calling did call him to preach visit exhort in season and out of season he spent many nights in prayer to God interceding for the sufferers for Christ in Scotland England France when he was in prison and condemned hee and his brethren as traitors he hath these words as a full answer to the Prelaticall raylings against the meeting of a Generall Assembly at Aberdene and all the Erastian party and to M. H. Burtons present words his objecting of a poor premunire by the Laws of England against Christ Jesus his free Kingdome Who am I that he should have called me and made mee a Minister of the glad tydings of the Gospel of salvation these sixteen yeares already and now last of all to be a sufferer for his cause and Kingdome To witnesse that good confession that Jesus Christ is the King of Saints and that his Kirke is a most free Kingdome yea as free as any Kingdome under heaven not only to convocate hold and keep her meetings Conventions and Assemblies but also to judge of all her affaires in all her meetings and conventions amongst her members and subjects These two points first that Christ is the head of his Kirke secondly that shee is free in her government from all other jurisdiction except Christs These two points are the speciall cause of our imprisonment being now condemned as traitors for the maintenance thereof we being waiting with joyfulnesse to give the last testimony of our blood in confirmation thereof if it would please our God to be so favourable as to honour us with that dignity yea I doe affirme that these two points above written and all other things that belong to Christs Crowne Scepter and Kingdome are not subject nor cannot be to any other Authority but to his owne altogether so that I would be most glad to be offered up upon the sacrifice of so glorious a truth The guilt of our blood shall not only lye upon the Prince but also upon our owne brethren Bishops Counsellers and Commissioners It is they even they that have stirred up our Prince King James of great Britaine against us we must therefore lay the blame and burden of our blood upon them especially however the rest above written be also partakers with them of their sinnes And as the rest of our brethren who either by silence approve or by crying peace peace strengthen the arme of the wicked that they cannot returne in the meane time make the hearts of the righteous sad they shall all in like manner bee guilty of our blood and of high Treason against the King of Kings the Lord Jesus Christ his Crown and Kingdome Now I but propone to the reall conscience of M. Burton that speaketh in his dialogue 1. If there bee not more of Christ in this one letter if hee will read it all then in all the virulent peeces hee hath written against his brethren who when he suffered did intercede for him and lye in the ashes and behaved themselves as one at his mothers grave 2. Whether or not he and his brethren who did plead against the Assembly of Divines in favours of an Erastian party doe not stirre up both Prince and Parliament in both Kingdomes in this very cause to bring on a Nationall guilt on the land to inslave the free Kingdome of Christ to the powers of the world and whether in this doe they not build the sepulchres of the Prophets and bring upon their owne heads the blood of the slaine witnesses of Christ 3. Whether a distinction will helpe them at the barre of Gods justice that they sided in hatred of the Presbyteriall government and of their brethren of Scotland with Erastians in opposing truths of Christ in these and the major proposition against the light of their owne conscience in laying the headship of the Church of Christ on the shoulder of King and Parliament and then keep in their minde a mentall reserve of the Presbyteriall Church only Now they knew that the question betweene Erastians and us was whether there be a power of government distinct from the power of the Civill Magistrate in the Church of Christ but they strike in with Erastus against Christ to reach a blow to the Presbyterians but since that time God hath brought downe the sects lower and lower in the hearts of the godly in this Kingdome and I hope shall lay their honour in the dust In the same manner M. Burton saith the giving of this power to the Generall Assembly above the Parliament incurres a premunire against the Laws of England so saith the Erastian But M. Burton knowes that is not the question and that his congregationall way makes no bones of a farre higher premunire For 1. The Parliament hath nothing to doe at all in Church matters more to judge of them or to punish hereticks then if they had no soules For M. Burton saith p. 14. Confor Deform if it be true that Christ hath left such a power to any state then to a Popish state But I deny your consequence Christ hath given to no state a power to inact wicked Laws or to ratifie wicked Popish constitutions ergo hee hath not given to a Christian state a power cumulative to bring their glory to the N. Jerusalem and to be Christian nurse-fathers to see the bride of Christ sucke healthsome milke it follows just as this doth God hath not given Kings any power to butcher and destroy the sheep of Christ ergo he hath not given to Kings power to rule and governe a Christian people in equity and justice 2. Our Brethren put a stranger premunire on us For would they speake out the mysteries and bottome of Independencie they acknowledge not this Parliament in any other sense then they would doe a Parliaments of Pagans or heathen for there be no Christian Magistrates at all to them but such as are members of their Congregationall Church that is such as they conceive to be regenerated and had they a world at their owne will then not the twentieth man of this present Parliament nor Judge nor Justice of peace could be chosen Magistrates if the congregations of England were all of the Independent stamp But you may say I slander them they pray for the Parliament as a Parliament and obey Justices of peace and
David Antinomians call much for freedome of all kindes 8 Shame is no consequent of sin faith banisheth away all shame from bodily nakednes Antinomians abandon feare trouble of minde and the like affections for evils either of sin or punishment death or any thing else they are much for abandoning sense and for the absolute reign of faith 9 Heaven and Hell and the last Iudgement are no where but within a man in a spirituall manner Heaven is in this life Antinomians as Town and Saltmarsh hold that in this life we have as much of Heaven in full and compleat possession as the glorified in Heaven 10 Confesion of Christ and his truth is not necessary 11 Vnder David George is the time of perfection when all Ordinances shall be uselesâ— so Ant. ut supra 12 David George is Iudge of quick and dead 13 Jt is the sin against the Holy Ghost to refuse the spirit in David George his ministery and to goe backe to the Prophets and Apostles Antinomians extoll their spirit above the scriptures 14 The resurrection of the dead the blowing of the last Trumpet the shout of the Arch-angell the comming of Christ to Iudg all are to be taken in a spirituall sense of the doctrine and discipline of David George as Hyminaeus and Phyletus said see hereafter the Paralell between Antinomians and Libertines so said Libertines Calvin advers libert c. 22. p. 458. 15 Marriage-covenant tyeth the parties no longer together then their temper and naturall dispositions agree 16 The Kingdome of God is the spirit of Jesus which shall shortly be under David George 17 David George shall rise from the dead which he did in that his body for his impostures found after his death was dragged out of his grave and his bookes burnt though he promised to his disciples to reveale wonders and to rise from the dead againe shortly 18 The body or flesh sinneth but not the soule 19 The Heaven was empty but he was sent to adopt children to God 20 All the prophecies of the old Testament were to be applyed to David George 21 Christ and his Apostles were but shadowes and types of David George This beast dyed of an Apoplexie an 1556 and left the seed of his heresies in low Germany and Transilvania CHAP. V. Of Casper Swenckfield his Tenets complying with Antinomians CAsper Swenckefield was borne about the yeare 1499 spread his errors in about an 1520 as he died in Sweden 1561. he was a Knight of Ossing in Silesia he was so grave civill fervent in prayer that it was said of him he wanted not a good heart but a solid head and wit he allured to his way Valentinus Krantwald a simple religious man and Ioan. Sigismundus werner pastors and professors of Lunenburgh Schlusserburgins catalo hereticorum l. 10. p. 27. saith that Luther and Melancthon gave him the name Sâ—enckfeldius from the noysome smell of his doctrine he was eloquent unlearned ignorant of the Latine tongue wrote all in Germans ignorant of arts once a hater of Romish Idolatry but seeing God honoured Luther being a proud man he sought a name pretended that he stumbled much at the bad conversation of the Churches turned from popery pretended the spirit and Enthysiasticall dreames as Antinomians and Familists doe he was a Sceptick and a Neutrall betweene papists and Lutherans through occasion of Anabaptists risen then he cryed downe a litterall carnall church framed by Luther as he said and called for a new and perfect Church as Antinomians doe Rise reigne er 79 80 81. In Silesia he seduced many with his eloquence and new speculations he calls for spirituallnesse and the spirit and the internall word that we must not depend on the externall word Iust as M. Del doth But yee may say Del. pag. 7. ser. calls for an outward change such as flownes from an inward change in his Gospell Reformation So did Swenâ—ckfeldius say the Scriptures must be read that the externall man may be instructed so said Saltmarsh Scriptures were given by divine inspiration and profitable but if I mistake not Antinomians neither law nor any letter of the word is needfull to their regenerate persons he adhered to somewhat of Anabaptists somewhat of Calvins way to somewhat of the papists he was banished out of Silesia by the prince of Lignice Fredricke wandring through Germanie came to Luther and revealed his phancies was sharply rebuked by hâ—m but to no purpose pertinacie cleaves to the plague of Heresie hee went through Sweden Nornburg Vlms Tubinga in private houses accuses the Pastors that no man was the better of their preaching extolls the spirit that does all At Argentorat hee infects a little Wolfangus Capito at Ulms he was confounded at a dispute by Martiâ—nus Frechus before the Senate At Augusta hee perverted many men and sillie women hee wrote many epistles to Men Women Virgins he writes an 1556. that in 18 yeares hee had writen above fiftie bookes He troubled Luther with his bookes which hee sent to him for an answer Luther said to the Messenger the Devill was the Author of them and the Lord rebuke thee o Sathan Sathan raised up Swenkfeldius to trouble the Church of Christ after Servetus was burnt at Geneva Bucerus Calvin Pet. Martyr Beza Musculus Freâ—bus Simon Grynaeus Dani. Tossanus admonished him but without any fruit In Saxonie Luther Melanthon Illyricus Nich. Gallus refutes him In Hasia Corvinus and Kymeus in Silesia Hyronimus Wittich Ioan Gigas Laurentius Harenraffe refute him A Synod at Norimburg an 1554. condemned the errors of Swencfeldius The confession of the divines of Mansfeild in 1555. condemns him and sayeth hee hath now 30. yeares vexed the Church His Errors and Heresies are shortly these 1. Christ as man is borne of the essence of God and grew till he obtained the full essence of the Godhead by birthright and was disposed to be our Saviour for it is said wee grow to the stature of God and are partakers of the divine nature Who is such a stranger in the writings of Familists and Antinomians who readeth not these blasphemies the Saints are Christed and Goded a beleever is Christ a beleever is partaker of the Godhead being a justified man is God manifested in the flesh now to be partaker of the divine Nature is to partake of graces and created goodnesse and anoynting of the Spirit otherwise the essence and nature of God in us should be subject to change sadnesse sorrow feare dispair unbeleefe sin c. 2. the flesh of Christ is not a creature nor created of the Father but conceived and borne by himself through the Holy Ghost and changed in the essence of God and glorified with the glory he had with the father before the world was 3 Though there be two natures in Christ yet now is the flâ—sh of Christ made equall in essence and glory with God 4 Christ is not once onely borne but often till he
Solomons song were but one particular beleever which is a demonstration that the particular actings of the spirit of grace cannot be written in the scriptures yet are they not to be thought unlawfull revelations and destitute of the word no more then we can say all the particular actings of Devills of all wicked men since the creation of whoring swearing Idol-worship lying stealing oppressing mis-beleeving c are not contrary to the expresse law of the Holy Ghost speaking in the word because these sinnefull actes are not particularly all specified and written in scripture with the names of the actors There is a 3 revelation of some particular men who have forefold things to come even since the ceasing of the Canon of the word as Iohn Husse Wickeliefe Luther have foretold things to come and they certainely fell out and in our nation of Scotland M. George Wishaâ—t foretold that Cardinall Beaton should not come out alive at the Gates of the Castle of St. Andrewes but that he should dye a shamefull death and he was hanged over the window that he did look out at when he saw the man of God burnt M. Knox prophecied of the hanging of the Lord of Grange M. Ioh Davidson uttered prophecies knowne to many of the kingdome diverse Holy and mortified preachers in England have done the like no Familists or Antinomians no David George nor H. Nicholas no man ever of that Gang Randel or Wheelwright or Den or any other that ever I heard of being once ingaged in the Familisticall way ever did utter any but the fourth sort of lying and false inspirations Mrs Hutchison said she should be delivered from the Court of Boston miraculously as Daniel from the Lyons which proved false Becold prophecied of the deliverance of the Towne of Munster which was delivered to their enemies and he and his Prophet were tortured and hanged David George prophecied of the raising of himselfe from the dead which was never fulfilled now the differences between the third and fourth revelations I place in these 1 These worthy reformers did tye no man to beleeve their prophecies as scriptures we are to give faith to the predictions of Prophets and Apostles foretelling facts to come as to the very word of God they never gave themselves out as organs immediately inspired by the Holy Ghost as the Prophets doe and as Paul did Rom. 11. prophecying of the calling of the Iewes and Ioh. Revel 1.10 and through the whole booke yea they never denounced Iudgement against those that beleeve not their predictions of these particular events and facts as they are such particular events facts as the Prophets and Apostles did But Mrs. Hutchison said Rise Reigne pag. 61 art 27. That her particular revelations about future events were as infallible as any scripture and that shee is bound as much to beleeve them as the Scripture for the same Holy Ghost is author of both Mr. Câ—â—mwell and Familists of old England say she and heâ—s were the more spirituall and only Saints in New England and the rest were but Antichristian persecutors It s knowne they held revelations without and beside the word of God Rise reigne er 4â— and said the whole letter of the Scripture holdes forth a covenant of workes er 9. And so the whole letter of the Scripture Law or Gospell is abolished to beleevers and doth no more oblige them then the covenant of workes can curse those that are under grace For T Collier marrow of Christianity pag. 25.26 sayth many spiritually enlightned of late are brought to Gospell-inioyments some other way which is spirituall then by verball preaching but Familists take the word preached for the printed inkie letter or the aire dead sound of the Gospell we take it for letter and sound of preaching as it includes the thing signified to wit Christ and all his promises in which sense the sounding of the Gospel heard worketh many yeares after it is preached and the word long agoe preached may be awaked up by a sad affiction an inspiration from God and produce the worke of conversion and still it is the word of truth in the scripture that produceth faith as it is the same seed that lyeth many monthes under the clod and groweth and bringeth forth fruit after And we know Antinomians reject the scriptures and build all upon inward revelations as their binding and obleiging rule Del ser. pag. 26 Saltmarsh free grace pag. 146. 2 The events revealed to Godly and sound witnesses of Christ are not contrary to the word But Becold Iohn Mathie and Ioh. Schykerus who kild his brother for no fault and other Enthysiasts of that murthering Spirit Sathan who killed innocent men expresly against the sixt command Thou shalt not Kill and taught the Boures of Germany to rise and kill all lawfull Magistrates because they were no Magistrates upon the pretence of the Impulsions and Inspirations of the Holy Ghost were acted by inspirations against thâ— word of God All that the Godly reformers foretold of the tragicall ends of the proclaimed enemies of the Gospell they were not actors themselves in murthering these enemies of God nor would M Wishart command or approve that Norman and Ioh. Leslyes should kill the Câ—rdinall Beaton as they did 2 They had a generall rule going along that Evill shall hunt the wicked man onely a secret harmelesse but an extraordinary strong impulsion of a Scripture-spirit leading them carried them to apply a generall rule of divine justice in their predictions to particular Godlesse men they themselves onely being foretellers not copartners of the act 3 They were men sound in the faith opposite to Popery Prelacy Sociâ—ianisme Papisme Lawlesse Enthysiasme Antinomianisme Aâ—minianisme Arrianisme and what else is contrary to sound doctrine all these being wanting in such as hold this fourth sort of revelations we cannot judge them but Satanicall having these characters 1 They are not pure and harmelesse but thrust men on upon bloody and wicked practises forbidden by God though â—od bad Abraham kil his only son for him to try his obedience yet God countermanded him and would not have him act accordingly these Spirits actually kill the innocent upon a pretended Spirits impulsion 2 They have no rule of the word to countenance them and if they lead men from the Law the Testimony it s because there is no light in them Esa. 8.20 3 These revelations lodge in men of rotten and corrupt minds destitute of the truth and they are opposite and destructive to sanctification 4. They argue the scriptures to be imperfect and to be a lamed and manâ—ked directory of faith and manners contrary to Scripture Psa. 19 7 8 9. 2 Tim. 3.15 16. Luk. 16.30.31 Ioh. 20.30 31. Act. 26.22 Psal. 119.105 c. 4 Then the Scripture shal not decide all controverted truthes nor be that by which we shall finde the truth and the rule of trying of the Spirits whether they be of God or no contrary to Io. c. 39.
in all things sinne excepted Luk 24.39 40. Ioh. 20.26 27. 18 The second birth is the Godhead and Gods true being obtaineth the victory beareth rule with God and bringeth forth the name of Israel or Christ it selfe sect 12. 19 Christ is not true man nor Abrahams seed after the flesh but God only in so far as he followeth Abrahams faith 20 H. Nicholas and all his illuminated Elders are Christ all not of his way the Antichrist so some Antinomians now at Oxford Say 1 That Iesus Christ is not God essentially but in name 2 That his nature was defiled with sin aswel as ours 3 It is as possible for Christ to sin as for any of us 4 The Trinity of the Persons is a fiction 5 The fulnesse of the Godhead doth dwell bodily in the Saints as in Christ and that when this Godhead shall be manifested in them they shall have divine honour and have more power then Christ and doe greater workes then hee 6 The scripture is but a shadow and a fiction now the word saith 1 The father and Christ are one and he thought it no robbery to be equal with the father Phi. 2 and maintained he was the consubstantiall sonne of God Ioh. 7. Ioh. 10 else the Iewes would never have said he blasphemed in calling himselfe the sonne of God by adoption for they knew Godly men to be so the sons of God 2 By him the word the heaven and earth were created Ioh. 1.1 2 3. Col. 1.16 17. now God onely created the World Ier. 10 11 12. Esay 44.24 Gen. 1.1 Psal. 33.6 7 8. 3 Hee was anoynted above his fellowes with grace Psal. 45.2.7 and wee receave out of his fulnesse and light our halfe-penny candles at this sunne of righteousnesse Ioh. 1.14.16 and he giveth the Holy Ghost Ioh. 16.14 And hath received a name above all names Phil. 2 9 10. and God said to none of the Angells farre lesse to any man save to the man Christ sit thou at my right hand Heb. 1. 21 The Familists are perfect in this life and so are Antinomians Towne as p 77 78. Saltm free grace 140. 22 To say the three persons are one God is a foolish making three Gods Antinomians professe that Antitrinitarians Arrians Socinians are their brethren so they beleeve and love God as they doe 23 There is but one Spirit in all creatures and that is essentially God Epist to the the two daughters of Warwicke 24 Love and well doing and good workes are the cause of our re-reconciliation and the very saviours that beares our sins whereas Christ bare our sinnes in his body on the tree Esay 53.6 7 8. 1 Pet. 2.23 24. 25 Christs dying on the Crosse is nothing but H.N. and his illuminated Elders their obeying constantly the doctrine of H. N. so as no suffering could cause them to forsake it 26 Then is Christ put to death when any of the Family of Love is no longer led by the Scripture but by the Spirit of revelation that is as sure as the Scripture so said Mrs. Hutchison Rise reigne p. 61. er 27. 27 Mortification is to H. N· justification and removing of sinnes so doe Antinomians confound these two 28 The resurrection of Christ was but a passing out of the flesh or letter of the law to the spirituall being of illuminated Elders 29 Christ sitteth not in our flesh at the right hand of God but in the spirit 30 The comming of the Holy Ghost in cloven tongues was the comming of Christ againe from heaven in the Spirit 31 Christs ascending to heaven was his comming to heavenly mindednesse and fulnesse of knowledge 32 The resurrection of the body is a rising in this life from sin and wickednesse 33 In H. N. God this present day judgeth the world the family of love are the many thousands of his saints that Judgeth with him even now and reigneth on the earth Evang. c. 1. sect 9.10 34 The Marriages of all not enlightened are unlawfull 35 Men shall marry and have wives at the resurrection 36 The illuminated Elders cannot sin nor pray for forgivenesse of sinnes so Antinomians hony-combe c. 3. pag 25. c. 7 pag. 139 forgiven sin is not or hath no being before God Saltm free grace pag. 44. 37 Heaven and Hell are in this world Antinomians say we are fully and compleatly not in hope onely saved in this life 38 The family of love is under no law 39 All things are the act of God 40 Angels and Devils and wicked men are acted immediately by the Spirit of God 41 The Scripture is a shadow 42 Ordinances are for babes in their family of love only 43 The perfect are to live above all ordinances 44 Jf temptations lay hold on us and force us to sin and we cry to God for helpe and finde no helpe we are as guiltlesse as the maid forced in the field who cryed and had no helpe and is not for that a whore H.N. documentall sentences sect 13. sect 8. It is true the beleever shal not be charged to eternal condemnation for sins of infirmities that are his burthen and affliction aswell as his sin but sins of infirmities are essentially his sinnes who acts them and make him lyable to wrath If God should contend with David for his adultery and murther displeased the Lord but God cannot charge the sinne of whoredome on a maid that is forced and doth cry out if she doe cry out and have no helpe it is no whoredome on the maids part 45 All the scriptures are to be exponed by allegories This makes 1 The Scripture a masse of contradictions and lyes 2 This turnes our faith and knowledg into a phancie for the scripture it selfe cannot be a rule of exponing scripture if the glosse destroy the text 3 The scripture shall not Judge all controversies as Christ referres the gravest question that ever was Whether he be the sonne of God or no to this tribunall Search the Scriptures for they testifie of me Ioh. 5. 4 All the articles touching Christ his birth life death buriall resurrection ascending to heaven sitting at Gods right hand his second comming c. Creation providence histories shall teach nothing an Allegory shall cause scripture say the contrary Antinomians call all their allegories the spirituall sense of Scripture Bread may in an allegory signifie comfort then the love of God dwells in a brother who seeth his poore brother famishing and gives him neither cloathing nor bread but onely faith in good words Brother goe in peace and be warmed and cloathed an◠feed for he gives the poore man allegorically bread and cloathing contrary to Iames 2.14 15 16 17. 1 Ioh. 3.17 18. yea so all scripture shall be turned over in lyes dreames and phancies all covenants violated all faith private and publike among Christins may be broken and yet truth kept in an allegoricall sense according to scripture A man may murther his brother and have life eternall Contrary to 1 Io. 3.15
prorsus cogitare nosse debet nisi unicum Christum acsummis viribus adnitatur ut tum legem quam longissime è conflâ—ctu abjiciat Extra locum justificationis debemus cum Paulo reverenter sentire de lege eam summis laudibus evehere appellare sanctam bonam justam spiritualem divinam â—ebemus extra conscientiam facere ex ea Deum in conscientia verò est verè Diabolus A man a beleever terrified in conscience and under the despairing apprehensions of wrath doth never sin more horribly then in that article of time when he beginneth to feele and understand the Law in its condemning power It s unpossible that Christ and the Law can dwell together in one soule for either must the Law or Christ yeeld the one to the other Luther Let us learne to distinguish these two righteousnesses that we may know how far we are to obey the Law for we said that the Law ought not to exceed its limits but only have dominion over the flesh of a Christian to shew that he is a sinner Saltmarsh saith free gr 145. he is but a seeming sinner say thou to the law stay within thy limits and exercise dominion over the flesh but come not neare my conscience to condemne me otherwise to obliege as a rule of obedience it doth where there is no Law It s the great skill and wisdome of Christians to be ignorant of the Law and workes and of all active righteousnesse especially when the conscience wrestleth with the justice of God as without the Church of God it is the great wisdome of God to know consider and presse the law works and active righteousnes To the Divell accusing thou art a sinner and therefore damned we may answer because thou callest me a sinner therefore I shall be just and saved yea thou shall de damned no for I flye to Christ who gave himselfe for my sinnes When the concience is terrified with the Law and wrestleth with the justice of God consult neither with naturall reason nor with the Law but lean only to free grace and the word of consolation and theâ—e thou mayest behave thy self as if thou hadst never heard any thing of the Law of God there thou mayest enter in darknesse where there shineth neither law nor reason but only the mirror of faith which may save thee without and beyond the Law the Law is also to be heard in the own time and place Luther A Christian hath nothing at all to doe especially under a temptation with the Law and sin in so far as he is a Christian he is above the Law and sin for he hath Christ the Lord of the Law inclosed in his heart as a ring hath a pearle indented in it therefore when the Law accuseth him and sin terrifieth him he beholdeth Christ who when he is apprehended by faith he hath with him the conquerour of the law sin death and hell who commandeth these that they hurt him not Extenuations of the Law are referred to the conflict of conscience Nor can we vilely and hatefully enough speake of the Law in this argument therefore the conscience in a true conflict ought to thinke of or know nothing but only Christ and with all its might endeavour to remove the Law as far as can be from the conflict Setting aside the case of justification we ought with Paul to thinke reverently of the Law and extoll it with great praises as holy good just spirituall divine and when the Law is out of the conscience we are to make a God of it but in the conscience it s the Devill Now Antinomians not only in the case of Justification debase the Law but they cry it downe as a rule of life they have nothing to doe with Moses and his Law or strict walking And where as Antinomians tell us the sinnes of beleevers are but sinnes to our sense and feeling or before men or sinnes in our conversation not really not before God not in our conscience not to faith they never learned this from Luther who expoundeth sense and faith a far other way For so Luther speaketh in a conflict of conscience we know by experience sense of sin wrath hell death hath dominion then we must say to the tempted Brother thou wouldst have a sensitive righteousnesse that is thou desirest to hâ—ve such a sense of righteousnesse as thou hast of sinne that shall not be but thy righteousnesse must goe beyond the sense of sinne and beleeve thou art righteous before God that that is thy righteousnesse is not visible or sensible but there is hope it shall bee revealed in its owne time Luther In certamiâ—e conscientiae experientiâ— doctiscimus fortitor dominatur sensus peccati irae dei mortis inferni-Ibi tum dicendum est tentato Tu frater vis habere iustititam sensitivam id est cupis ita sentire iustitiam ut peccatum sentis hoc non fiet Sed tua iustitia debet transcendere sensum peccati sperare te coram Deo justum esse hoc est â—ustitia tua non est visibilis non sensibilis sed speratur suo tempore revelanda Luther never denyed the sinnes of beleevers to be reall sins and that there was â—o more originall sinne dwelling in a beleever then in Christ as our grosse libertines doe But he forbiddeth the tempted to measure their owne condition as forlorne and hopelesse from sense because they feel sinne wrath hell death terrours of conscience but contrary to the sense of all this the weake soule must beleeve an invisible and spirituall righteousnesse and seek no sensitive righteousnesse as most men doe in conflicts of conscience Luther hath divers comfortable grounds of beleeving when the Law in its condemning power breakes in upon the conscience In cruce aliud peccatum invenio contra meum peccatum quod me accusat devorat peccatum scilicet aliud in carne Christi qui tollit peccatum mundi omnipotens est damnat devorat peccatum meum l Fateor me peccâsse sed peccatum meum quod peccavi damnatum est in Christo qui est peccatum damnans est autem peccatum illud damnans fortius damnato 2 Luther Sicut tutissimum est canem latrantem contemnere praeterire ita una vincendi ratio est contemnere rationes Satanae neque cum iis disputare diutius Textatus à Satana cum nullum evadendi modum sent is simpliciter claude oculos nihil responde commenda causam Deo Luther Sathan nihil minus ferre potest quam sui contemptum Hi sunt amplexus ejus quibus amplectitur sponsam prae impatientia amoris Luth. Non enim feram te O lex Tyrannum durum crudelem exactorem in conscientia mea regnare siquidem ea sedes est templum Christi filii Dei Qui possum esse sanctus cum habeam
Georgians Henry Nicholas and his 5 There be no created graces in the Saints Christ takes them out of their owne hands into his 6 There was no created graces in the human nature of Christ he was only acted by the God-head 7 The Image of God in Adam was not in holinesse but in being like to Christs manhood 8 No scripture warranteth Christs manhood to be now in heaven but the body of Christ is his Church So Saltm Sparkles of glory as before observed 9 We are united to Christ with the same union that Christs humanitie on earth was with his Godhead Joh. 17.21 that is right downe Christ and every Saint is one person then were the saints personally and really crucified dyed buryed rose again and ascended to Heaven with Christ. 10 No evidence of our good estate is either from absolute or conditionall promises 11 The Disciples were not converted before Christs death Matth. 18.3 12 The Law is no rule of life to a Christian. 13 There is no Kingdome of heaven but onely Christ. 14 There is a first ingraffing in Christ by union from which a man might fall 15 The first thing God reveales is to assure us of election 16 Abraham till he offered his son and saw the firmenesse and certainty of his election was not in the state of grace 17 Vnion to Christ is not by faith 18 All commands even of faith kill as the Law doeth Rom. 3.17 Contrary to the Gospel that gives life and commands faith in Christ also 19 There is no faith of dependance but onely that of assurance 20 A hypocrite may have Adams righteousnesse and perish and is obliged to keep the Law 21 There is no inherent righteousnesse in us 22 We are dead to all spirituall acts and onely acted by Christ. 23 Not being bound to the Law it is no transgression against the Law to sin for our sins are inward spirituall exceeding sinfull and onely against Christ. 24 Her own revelations about future events are as infallible as Scripture the Holy Ghost is author of both she is obliged with certainty of faith to beleeve the one as well as the other 25 So farre as a man is in union with Christ he can doe no duties perfectly and without the communion of the unregenerate part with the regenerate 26 Exhortations to worke out our salvation to make sure our calling and election by good works are given onely to those that are under a covenant of works M. Weld sheweth when preaching could not prevaile to gain Familists though thereby many were gained to the truth many doubting ones confirmed an assembly was appointed at Cambridge then called New-Towne M. Hooker and M. Bulkley were chosen Moderators The Magistrates sitting by as hearers and speakers when they saw fit Liberty being given to the people to hear that they especially might be satisfied in conscience touching the truth then controverted by wicked wits A place was appointed for all the Opinionists to come in and speak due order being observed Which if done by citation and the Ministeriall power of Jurisdiction as may be gathered from Matth. 18.15 16 17 18 19 20. 1 Tim. 5.19 And they accused upon the Testimony of witnesses and publickly rebuked and not onely the Heresies condemned but the holders of such opinions ministerially and by authority and power given of Christ for edification 2 Cor. 10.8 declared publickly to be such as trouble the Churches and pervert soules Act. 15.24 and that the people of God beleeve no such lying opinions nor follow such wicked practices Act. 21.25 and if the Opinionists should refuse to heare the Church or Churches offended they should be excommunicated and holden for Heathen and Publicans as Matth. 18.15 16 17 18. 1 Cor. 5.1 2 3 4 5. that they leven not the whole lumpe of many Churches Gal. 5.9 10. compared with Gal. 1. v. 2. if I say so they had been dealt with it had been right But though this Synod did much work upon many the chiefe leaders remained obstinate When foure Elders were sent to Mistris Hutchison she with a fiery countenance asking whence they came received this answer We come in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ from the Church of Boston to labour to convince you Answered with disdaine from the Church of Boston I know no such Church call it the whore and strumpet of Boston no Church of Christ. As men turn to these abominable opinions God gives them up to vilde affections for divers of them became unclean M. Weld saith they had no prayer in their family no Sabbath insufferable pride hideous lying some of them convicted of five some of ten lies one smitten of God in the act of lying fell in a deep swoune and being recovered said Oh God thou mightst have struck me dead as Annanias and Saphira for I have maintained a lye Mistris Hutchison and others were excommunicated for lies others for other foule scandals Mistris Hutchison defended her twenty and nine errors in the Church of Boston openly with lyâ—ng knowne to many that heard her she brought forth deformed Monsters to the number of thirty Omnipotency of Divine Justice further interposeth a revenging hand from heaven for at Boston 1637. October 17. When God was beginning to take vengeance on persecuting Prelates and their adherents in Scotland for the Assembly of Glascow was convened the end of the next year Anno 1638. in which the Prelates of Scotland were excommunicated and the morning of Britans Reformation was dawning at this time the Wife of William Dyer a proper comely yong woman was delivered of a large woman childe as the Story saith Rise Reigne p. 43 44 it was still-born about two moneths before the time the child lived a few houres The child was a fearfull and rarely prodigious Monster It had no head but a face which stood so low on the brest as the eares most like an Apes eares grew on the shoulders the eyes and mouth stood farre out the nose was hooking upward the brest and back was full of sharpe prickles like a Thornback the Navell and all the belly with the distinction of the sex were where the lower part of the back and hips should have been and those back-parts were on the side the face stood the armes and hands were as other childrens but instead of toes it had upon each foot three claws with talons like a young foule upon the back above the belly it had two great holes like mouths and in each of them stuck out a piece of flesh it had no forehead but in the place thereof above the eyes foure hornes whereof two were above an inch long hard and sharpe the other two shorter The Father and Mother were the grossest and most active Familists malicious opposers of the godly the father of the Monster after a Moneths absence came to Boston the Lords day the just time when it was borne and the same day was convented before the Church for making Christ and the Saints a
face see God p. â— Ans. In all the wilde expressions he hath of Christ as that he is Gods Revelation Gods Christall He calleth him not the Son of God by an eternall generation as Divines from Scripture speak 5 The vaile of this first Temple or creation was rent by him who crucified all flesh through the eternall spirit and enâ—red in his glory Ans. What Scripture saith Christ crucified all flesh through the eternall spirit hath Christ nailed all his flesh to the Crosse or must he mean as he elsewhere hinteth that Christ had not a proper naturall body of his owne in which he dyed but all his mysticall body the Church is his body in which he suffers afflictions and death in his Saints as in his image then must the sufferings of the Saints be that satisfaction and price of Redemption payed to justice for our sins and so as many afflicted suffering Saints as many Saviours 6 Sparkles of glory p. 15 16 17. He acknowledgeth no visible Church but onely the invisible baptized into one Spirit Ans. The word acknowledgeth a visible kingdome like a draw-net that gathers in good and bad a barne floore in which is chaffe and corne a field in which is wheat and tares Matth. 13. a visible house of sons and servants 7 The man of 〈◊〉 2 Thess. 2. is the corrupt flesh in every man not the Antichrist the Pope of Rome An. So said H. Nicholas judging all the externalls of Popery indifferent 8 Pag. 29 30. The Baptisme of water is John Baptists Ministery till Christ Christ baptized none nor his Disciples but from Johns Ministery so that Baptisme of water is done away as other legall shaddows and all baptizing spoken of in the Epistles is spirituall baptizing An. Christ gave a contrary mandate Mat. 28.19 20. and Peter saith Act. 10.47 Can any man forbid water Act. 8. the Eunuch was baptized with water Act. 16.33 Col. 2.11 12. 1 Pet. 3.20 21. Antinomians judge baptisme the Lords Supper indifferent as they doe all externall administrations for to them they are but the killing Letter the flesh 9 Christ ascending to heaven went out of flesh into spirit p. 43. Sparkles An. He hath not then our nature and flesh in heaven contrary to Ephe. 2.6 He is not then our High Priest now touched in heaven with a feeling of our infirmities his flesh is now not the new and living way contrary to Heb. 4.15.16 chap 7.24 25 26. ch 10.20 Nor doth the Heaven containe him till the last day as the Scripture saith for his Spirit is every where CHAP. XIX Saltmarsh with Familists phancyeth divers new administrations of the Law of John Baptist of the Gospel of all spirits 10. ANtichrist or the mystery of iniquity came in upon this ministration by gifts and Ordinances and the glory of the spirit and power of gifts went off from the visible Church as the glory of God from the Temple to the threshold till it was wholly departed and all things in the absence of the spirit and of gifts were Administred by Arts and Sciences and Grammaticall knowledge of tongues and languages p. 45. The ministery that shall destroy the Antechrist is Jesus himselfe the Prophet whom we must heare and the God of whom we shall be all taught pa. 49. Not that of Arts and Sciences acquired by naturall power and industry An. The falling away was not the ceasing of extraordinary gifts of the Spirit in the Apostles But the Antichrists bringing in of another Gospel Joh. 2. ver 10. and the Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh 1 Joh 4 3. is Antichrist as the Libertines H. Nicholas Joh. Saltmarsh and Familists who pag. 219. parteth with the common Protestant to behold a state of condemnation in sin and a way of salvation by Jesus Christ and faith in him to be but a knowledge of Christ after the flesh and of Christ as one single person or figure of a man and the first glimpse of the love of God and but merely a discovery beyond the Law and all but a fleshly spiritualty And why because this comes not by a Yard-length up to the Familie of Love and teacheth salvation by Christ whom these men call a figure of a man because not true man And the Antichrist came in the Pope also and denyed Christ to come in the flesh nullified his manhood with transubstantiation a visible head of the Church Images merits traditions of men c. invocation of Saints prayer for the dead workes of supererogation c. but all these are indifferent to Mr. Saltmarsh and onâ—y Antichristian because literal and externall not because they are not warented by scripture and hee brought in the abuse of Philosophy Logick Arts and tongues which much darkened Gospel-glory 1 The Apostles with gifts and the Spirit made much use of arts and tongues as inferiour helps in their kinde to convert soules because sinners are not Angels and faith came by hearing of known languages and sent preachers Rom. 10.14 2 Saltmarsh his Sparkles of Glory must be an administration by arts tongues and so not that Ministry that can destroy the Antichrist and sparkles of flesh and Antichristianisme not of glory for he besprinckles the margine of his book in the beginning till his breath faile and he dry up with the popish lace of bits of Greek as p. 1 2 3. c. and citations of Scripture and he hath had some Art such as it is in writing Treatises to the Schoole and Family of Love the professed enemies of Puritans yea there is no writing no speaking of English no consequences of which there be many monstrous ones that follow not from Scripture such as no confession of sinne no working in the Gospel but onely beleeve c. in Saltmarsh his bookes but from Tongues Arts Logicke and so Familists yet must be under the Law 3. Observe that Saltmarsh in bringing in Antichrist is deeply silent of Popery and the Romish Religion For H. Nicholas and Familists deny the Pope to be Antichrist and think the Masse and Romish Priesthood indifferent as all Religions are to them and there is no Antichrist but the Legall Protestant voyd of the Spirit because he speaks Greek and Hebrew and hath some skill in Logick and would have the Scriptures in use and the preaching of Gospel which Saltmarsh in his Reformation would lay aside as contrary to that Ye shall be all taught of God he hath such a stomach against subordinata non pugnant but whether he wil or no teaching by the Word and so by Tongues and Arts and by Timothies attending to reading shall goe together till Christs second comming as is cleare Esay 59.21 Esay 61.1 where Christ is annointed with the Spirit to preach and yet that Scripture was fulfilled when he spoke by Art Tongues Luke 4.18 19 20 21 22 23 c. And that Sermon was but a dead letter to the hearers v. 28
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15. he never once saith Christ the Sonne of God was made true and very man in all things like unto us sinne excepted or the second person of the Trinity assumed the nature of man in the unity of his person or Christ was the true Sonne of David borne of a woman c. as Scripture and Divines speak but by the contrary only in this appearance of flesh he was a figure of God whose designe it is to make his Saints his temple his tabernacle his body and God thus manifested in the flesh that is God by his Spirit giving us faith and a new birth to be the Sonnes of God in whom he dwells by faith is the Immanuel God with us that is all the God-man or God incarnate which this spirit of the Antichrist will yeeld to us is nothing but every Saint anointed is Christ and Immanuel now the Father and Spirit both make the Saints the Temple of God the new creation the body of Christ thus and so the Son is no more God incarnate then the Father and God is thus manifested in the flesh in making us his dwelling house and Temple and body by faith as Saltmarsh is sure not to speak against but with the heretickes who denyed Christ to have a true body or to be true man but only to be a figure or appearance of a man or a man in representation in forme in meer shape not truly and really so as the Disciplâ—s heard saw with their eyes and looked on and their hands handled the Lord of life 1 Joh. 1.1 of him they said He is not here he is risen againe except ye beleeve that I am he yee shall dye in your sinnes And in his crucifying saith Saltmarsh p. 13.14 all his first glory in which he appeared revealed that old designe of God that mystery hid from ages and now made manifest to the Saints nayling all the flesh of his Saints to the same crosse and being lifted up drawes all men to him which is the mystery of the Gospel or Christ crucified H. Nicholas document c. 3. sen. 5. to be borne of the Virgin Mary out of the seed of David after the flesh is to be borne of the pure doctrine of H.N. out of the seed of love How Christ nailed all the flesh of his Saints to the crosse except mystically and figuratively and in a spirituall sense I know not but this is all Christs dying on the crosse except Familists say that Christ dyed not really and truly but only in a figure or they say Christ as an extraordinary holy man was God manifested in the flesh and that he was not the consubstantiall Son of God but being a man Godded with the holy being of love dyed as an example of singular love and patience and most submissive obedience and so nailed to his crosse all the flesh of his Saints exemplary that we should follow him as the Socinians teach and so his death must be no reall no true satisfaction nor any satisfactory ransome to justice for us but that God forgave all men their sinnes without a price or ransome of blood and Christ gave not himselfe as a reall ransome price or satisfaction for our sinnes but dyed as a rule and patterne of holinesse that we should imitate him and without his but by our owne personall merits wee might be saved as we were saved by following the godly lives of other holy men The Scripture saith he nailed his owne flesh to the crosse for so it is 1 Pet. 2 24. Who his own selfe bare our sinnes in his body on the tree And Act. 13.28 Though they found no cause of death in him yet desired they Pilate that he should be slaine 29. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him they tooke him downe from the tree and laid him in a sepulcher but God raised him from the dead Now the man Christ that was nailed to a tree and buried in the grave of Joseph of Arimathea that same man God raised from the dead but Christ nailed not the Saints flesh and the bodies of beleevers of Saltmarsh and others really to the crosse nor were their bodyes really laid in Josephs new tombe nor did God truly and really raise them from the dead only in a spirituall meaning we dyed are buried with Christ and partakers of his resurrection But saith Peter Act. 5.30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom ye slew and hanged on a tree But Saltmarsh saith the Christ crucifying and nailing all the flesh of his Saints to the same crosse and being lifted up drawes all men to him is the mystery of the Gospel or Christ crucified But Christ crucifying the flesh and sinfull corruption of beleevers in the same crosse is Christ mystically and spiritually and by the merit of his bloody death mortifying sin in the Saints and the sufferings of the Saints are not satisfactory to divine justice as Christs sufferings were but castigatorie to deaden them to the lusts of the flesh and the Saints sufferings are not Christ crucified nor Christ on the crosse drawing all men to him For Christ died and was but once really and truly in his blessed flesh and humane nature crucified Heb. 9.26 27 28. Matth. 27.34 35. Marke 14.24 Luke 23. v. 33 34. Joh. 19.23 on Mount Calvarie But the Saints were not really crucified with him for many of them were not borne when he dyed I have observed before that Gortyn and H. Nicholas make the Saints who beare the image of God suffering and persecuted in the world to be Christ crucified and nothing else because saith Gortyn Christ being the Lord of life cannot dye nor suffer in himselfe and therefore hee suffers in his Saints and so every suffering Saint is all the crucified Christ that these men grant Yea H. N. never confesseth Christ to be true God and very man but sometime the sabbaoth is Christ Evang. c. 2. s. 15. or the service of love is Christ. Exhor 14. s. 1. or the godly being in men is Christ Evang. 13. s. 16. or the eldest Elder of the family of love is Christ that is H.N. or a godly life is Chriâ—t so are we saved by our owne good works And Saltmarsh saith p. 14. Now all this of this new or second creation as they are spirituall and heavenly are only in and through the same Spirit and discerned in the same Spirit Hence a Christ of flesh and blood who is true man and dyed for us is but Christ in the letter and the Protestant legall Christ that as a killing letter killeth and perfecteth nothing and cannot give life but the true Christ is a Spirit and spirituall and discerned in the Spirit that is to say only the family of love knoweth by the Spirit abstracted from Scripture and from all flesh and letter the true God manifested in the flesh of every Saint and crucified in beleevers and disclaimeth the
Protestant Christ that dyed and was crucified on Mount Calvarie and was buried in a new Tombe and rose the third day and ascended into heaven And p. 17. This is the Temple saith he speaking of the invisible Church which the Angel measures with a golden reed and the alter thereof or the eternall Spirit upon which all the first creation is offered in the Saints as it was offered in Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himself leaving out the outward court or the flesh and first creation and all outward ministrations which are given to the Gentiles to tread downe Ans. I feare that by nailing the creation to the crosse and offering it up to God when Christs flesh was offered up is meant that which H. Nicholas said Spiâ—land c. 56. sect 7. if a man would enter into life he must be taught in the service of love and unlearne againe all that he hath taken and learned to himselfe that is as Libertines said he must cast off the knowledge of good and all sense and knowledge of sin and as a childe know and feele neither adultery murther lying stealing nor acts of mercy justice chastity but have a conscience past feeling of both good and ill and this is the offering on the crosse the creation of God the crucifying of the naturall faculties of the soule and to unlearne all you once learned of Christ because it was literall fleshly and carnall and so to crucifie it is one of the first lessons that Familists teach their new disciples when they enter into the service of love H. Nicholas exhort c. 13. s. 9. Hee hath a good head that can take these giddy fleshly notions of Saltmarsh and can render the sense either of Gortyns booke or of this But it is cleare when Christ offered his life and body on the crosse to the Father for our sinnes he offered no flesh no true reall body to God through the eternall Spirit for in that offering saith he he left out the outer court and the flesh or the first creation and outward administrations then the crucifying of Christ in the flesh as the Scripture calleth it is but a dreame Saltmarsh saith That is the outward court the letter the flesh which all the Gentiles trample upon and these Protestants that beleeve Christ suffered according to the flesh are heathen and prophane men Christ in the flesh or under the Law is to Saltmarsh p. 195. the same with the literall Christ of David George not the spirituall true Messias Henry Nicholas said every creature in the first state of creation was God 34. c. sent 10. he hath now declared himselfe and his Christ together with all his Saints unto us his elect and also made a dwelling with us and brought even so unto us out of his holy being the most holy of his true tabernacle with the fulnesse of his garnishing and spirituall heavenly riches to an everlasting fast standing Jerusalem and house for Gods dwelling according to the Scripture To be made partakers of the divine nature according to Familists sense is to be of the substance nature and essence of God and to live with the true being and very life of God It is true Familists say in words they meane not that the creature is the Creator nor that man is God because man saith Randal in a Sermon is vanity and a lye but not man as created or renewed to the image of God and let the Reader judge if Saltmarsh in his sparkles of glory delivers not the same doctrine speaking of two Creations or two natures of flesh and spirit p. 3. While man was thus in the image of God and stood and lived in communion with God walking in that paradise or that glory of his first creation in obedience to God and participation of God he was the image of all or any created excellency as it was or is or shall be in order to a more excellent life to a life out of it selfe in him who is the fountaine of life Saltmarsh cannot meane that man was created in a participation of God in the sense that Protestants meane in regard of the image of God but with H. N. in regard of the godly being wherewith man was godded and diefied at the beginning And p. 6. Saltmar phraseth with H. Nicholas Now all this excellency and glory of the first man did leave God being tempted of the woman and the Serpent which were a figure of fleshly wisdome without God and of the weaknesse of this creation in its owne nature as it was drawne away from its life in God and communion with God to live in its selfe or owne life or to be its selfe what God should have been wisdome and life righteousnesse and power and strength and preservation and all things If Saltmarsh mean with Protestants that Adam did leave his morall or spirituall being and living in and with God while he yet stood in the state of innocency why doth he not speak with Protestants for this is nothing but Adam lost the image of God but not his life being as he came from the hands or as it were out of the shop of the Creator in which he was moulded according to the image of God But I fear Saltm both speaketh and hath the same sense with H. Nicholas that Adam lost his life and lost the very created being and holy selfe which was the very substance and nature of God and now having fallen into sinne he falls into selfe and lives in selfe seperated as touching the essentiall dependency of a creature from God and lost his substantiall selfe and being which is a peece and substantiall parcell of God For Familists say that Adam or an Angel should have ascribed being power or any thing to it selfe was sinne and nothing else but the devill and denying selfe or substantiall being had beene in Adam and was in him his standing in innocencie and to arrogate to selfe being and living was a sinne and a leaving of God So Theolo Germanica and Saltmarsh p. 14. sparkles All the life or excellency of his first creation is crucified in the Saints as in Christ whereby they enter into their glory as he did into his and are in thâ— same glory of God made one as he and the Father are one Joh. 17. The life or being of the first creation as it is a part of God or the sinlesse workmanship of God is not crucified in the Saints as in Christ for in the Saints only sin is crucified and that spiritually by the merit and efficacie of Christs death and his Spirit the naturall being and life of the Saints as they are living men consisting of soule and body is not crucified but no sinne nor lusts nor dominion of sinne were in Christ to be crucified but hee laid downe his naturall reall life and blood as a ransome satisfactory to the justice of God for our sinnes But this deceiver meaneth that Christs anihilating on
right to heaven of which the Law saith nothing 6. The Law gives a reward as a due debt though not merit the Goâ—pel giveth a reward against merit CHAP. IX Of the threatnings of the Law and Gospel TOuching the third part as the Law is in strict tearmes divided from the Gospel 1. The Law-threatnings are on the person for the actions and for the least faile in thought word or deed but the Gospel-threatnings are rather on the â—tate then the actions or if they be on the actions it is for the condition and state therefore the learned Pareus saith that the Gospel as the Gospel hath no threatnings at all For indeed the state of the kingdome of the beleever fenceth him from the curse he is free from condemnation because he is under another King then the man that is under the Law As the man in Scotland is free from Murther which he committed in Spaine not because his act of Murther deserveth not hee should die but because he is a member of the state of Scotland and no penal law of Spaine can reach him in that Sate Pareus thus farre saith true that it is the Law properly that curseth and that the Gospel as the Gospel curseth not but is properly glad tydings For 1. He that beleeveth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is already condemned that is before his unbeliefe sentence is passed on him by the Law and the Gospel doth but ratifie the sentence For if we suppose there had never been a Gospel nor a Mediatour the sinner should have been a cast-away and sentenced man but now because he beleeveth not he shall not see life but the wrath of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abideth on him then it was on him before if hee should beleeve in the Sonne of God the sentence of the Law should be taken off the Prince offereth a pardon of grace to a man that hath 〈◊〉 hâ—s Sonne so he will accept of it he refuseth to accept of a Pardon and therefore dyeth rather for his bloud-shâ—d then for his not accepting pardon it would seeme among men too lâ—w a cause of death to put him to death for refusall of a pardon at 〈◊〉 the sentence was given out for killing the Kings Sonne onely he dyeth more deservedly that both he killed the Son and despised his Princes grace or rather his doome is aggravatâ—d and the chaines of Capernaum are made heavieâ— because they comparatively justifie Sodome and so the Gospel-vengeance is an addition to the Law-vengeance as he that dyeth of an extreame distemper of body and by a gracious Physitian may be cured but refuseth the medicine the distemper is the Physicall cause of his death his contempt of the art of the Physitian is the morall cause and a reason why he dyeth without the compassion of his friends and with greater torment of mind to himselfe Yea Faith is not properly the cause that hath any effective influence on so noble effects as are free pardon and free salvation farre lesse is it any meritorious cause Christ hath no joint causes with him in this excellent worke of saving a sinner unbeliefe is a morall cause non removens prohibens 2. The Gospel is an exception of grace against the Law for the Law saith He that sinnes shall dye the Gospel addeth except he beleeve or he shall certainly dye except he beleeve in him who justifieth the ungodly so that the Gospel saith Amen to the Lawes threatning and taketh them not off nor contradicteth them in their owne nature 3. What ever threatnings are executed against an unbeleever they are the Law-threatnings it s a law-Law-death that the unbeleever dyeth for all that eternally perish doe perish under the law and the covenant of works never man is lost under Christ if therefore the Gospel say Whoremonâ—ers Adulterers Murtherers Drunkards shall not inherite the kingdome of God this threatning doth necessarily presuppose a Law-state if they which doe such things remaine under the Law otherwise the Gospels intent is not that they perish but that they beleeve and be saved CHAP. X. Of Gospel feare 〈…〉 with Gospel-freedome to feare hell so wee 〈…〉 and punishment more then sinne for sinne is a 〈…〉 then punishment For 1. we are commanded to 〈◊〉 him who can cast both soule and body into hell 2. It s not a Law-spirit of bondage that some tremble at the word of 〈◊〉 nor for Josiahs hâ—â—rt to melt at the reading of the â—aw 3. Not to be affraid of judgement is a part of a heart rockie and hardened Though Felix his trembling at judgement did prove him to bee under the Law because hee feared onely â—udgement and judgement as a greater evill then sinne Nor is it mercinary to love the reward so it be not more in our intention then a holy communion with God For 1. Moses by Faith had an eye to the recompence of reward Paul set the garland before him as his end 2 Wee are commanded so to runne that we may obtaine to lay up a sure foundation that we may lay hold on life eternal Onely wee are not to make happinesse and our created blessednesse so much out formall end in running our race as holynesse and our objective happinesse which is God himselfe If Antinomians would difference betweene love of a hire and hireling love then should not Towne condemne the just nor can the Fathers under the Law be said to have served the Lord with an upright heart if they served him for hire which Satan judged hypocrisie in Job cap. 1. vers 9.10 See Psalm 73.25 Job 13.15 CHAP. XI Law-feare and Gospel-faith consistent NOr doth Master Towne and Antinomians inferre by good arguing because beleevers may bee stricken off sinnes upon the consideraton of Law-threatnings that their sinnes deserve not wrath as well as the sinnes of others as â— Job saith What then shall I doe when God riseth up and â— Destruction from God was a terror to me But it followeth not that therefore to obey God sub paenà for feare of the condemning Law is not free Gospel-obedience For it s most false seeing this obedience for feare of the desert of sinne was in Paul though he was perswaded that eternall wrath should never be inflicted on him as is cleare by his words Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord wee perswade mâ—n And we know if our earthly house be dissolved we have an house not made with hands but eternall in heaven 2. Law-threatning when Faith assureth the conscience of freedome from the wrath to come and love-perswading are most consistent For most cleare it is that Christ and his Apostles doe command and strictly charge in the Gospel So Antinomians erre who teach that the Gospel perswadeth rather then commandeth and reasons and argues us to duties rather then bindes and enforces and that holinesse and sanctification now is not such as is faâ—hioned by the Law of outward command but by
that Job David Heman Jonah say they are cast off of God yet at the same season Psalm 42. Davids heart was toward the Saints with whom he went to the house of God 2. Many we see dying who doubted for a time if ever they beleeved or were in Christ and yet were convinced that they loved the Saints but because they loved the Saints they could not make an actuall inference ergo they were translated from death to life because that actuall inference requireth the actuall blowing of the Holy Ghost a Saint in naturall Logick may be forced to yeeld an antecedent and the necessary consequence because both must be the cleere Word of God as 1 Joh. 3.14 I yeeld I love the Brethren and ergo I am translated from death to life But because hee seeth both the truth of the Antecedent and Consequence by the sparks of a meere naturall light he may be farre enough from faith and a supernaturall evidence of the Spirit to make him to beleeve it for his owne inward peace comfort and quieting of his soule and this deceiveth Antinomians that they thinke the knowing of their spirituall condition by marks being convincing and strong in a naturall way is presently the supernaturall evidence of the Spirit which it is not and 2. they inferre that it is to trust in their owne righteousnesse and stand on their owne legges if men come by assurance of a spirituall interest in Christ by their own inherent righteousnesse and then must they be justified saith Cornwell by works Yea 3. the New England Libertines say A man cannot evidence his justification by his sanctification but he must needs build upon his sanctification and trust to it And M. Towne saith The Saints are to forget and never remember their own holy walking So say they That true poverty of Spirit doth kill and take away the sight of grace But all the three consequences are false for a naturall evidence of my being in Christ cannot quiet my soule with the assurance of peace and for the other two wee are to forget our holy walking yea and as Towne saith to judge it losse and dung in the matter of our righteousnesse before God and thus to forget it so as we trust not in it is poverty of Spirit but simply to forget all our love to the Saints so as wee doe not remember it for the strengthening of assurance and our comfort is contrary to the whole Epistles of John and a begging of the question For sure it is damnable pride to trust in our own righteousnesse in that regard Paul may say I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not thereby justified And so also we are to cast all behind us as losse and dung but it is utterly unlawfull and contrary to spirituall poverty to make no use at all wholly to forget and not to strengthen our faith and our assurance and comfort in any holy walking at all For Ezechiah dying comforteth himselfe in this Remember now O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight And David I have kept the waies of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God all his judgements were before me And Job My foot hath held his steps his way have I kept and not declined neither have I gone back from the Commandement of his lips I have esteemed the words of his mouth more then my necessary food And Jeremiah Thy words were sound and I did eat them c. And the Church I am comely In my bed by night I sought him whom my soule loveth c. My heart waked In the way of thy judgements Lord we have waited for thee the desire of our soule is to thy name c Nor can a Legall Pedagogie be objected for spirituall poverty was injoyned confidence in our own righteousnesse condemned in the Old Testament as well as in the new and Paul hath the same in the New Testament Asser. 4. What ever objections Crisp Saltmarsh Towne and others have to prove that all the marks of sincerity love universal obedience agree to hypocrites and so can be no certain evidences of our faith and assured interest in Christ are 1. such as Papists bring to prove None can have undoubted assurance they are in the state of grace 2. The arguments that prove these marks may be counterfeit because they may be such in hypocrits We conclude also that the Faith of the Saints and their broâ—d Seale and immediate Testimony of the Spirit may be in hypocrits A white Devill and a noone-day Angel may interpose himselfe in a bastard voice counterfeiting the tongue of the immediate speaking-Spirits and the faith of the Elect and there can be nothing that Saints can rejoyce in no worke of grace in themselves by the in-dwelling Spirit and Christ may as well dwell in the heart of an hypocrite by faith as of a Saint contrary to Eph. 3.17 Hypocrites may be filled with all the fulnesse of God as the Saints and have the seed of God remaining in them The annointing abiding in them which teacheth them all things and need not any to teach them And the Holy Spirit in them and abiding with them The Father and the Sonne making their abode with them A new heart in the midst of them and the stony heart removed A circumcised heart the law in their inward parts All these are as doubtfull and litigious evidendences of interest in Christ and the counterfeits of these in hypocrits as universall obedience sinceritie love to the brethren and any inherent qualifications that are in beleevers for saith Crispe All these may be in hypocrits But it s true there is not a living man or beast or bird in nature but a painter can counterfeit the like by Art nor a rose or flower in the garden but there a is wild flower and rose in the mountaines like it The Devill is an exact painter But this wil not prove but that he that hath a new heart and the annointing dwelling in him and inherent quallifications of the Spirit of Christ knoweth with a full perswasion that these are not counterfeits or such as may be in hypocrits nor doth it follow as Papists and Antinomians argue a mad man or a sleeping man knoweth not that he is mad or sleeping for madnesse and sleepe remove all reflect acts of knowledge that therefore a sober man and a waking man knoweth not that he is sober Paul was not in a golden transe nor in a pleasant night-dreame when he said For this is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we had our conversation in the world and more aboundantly to you-wards Nor doe the Saints speake to God wild-fire and windmills in the
follow that the Law bee urged in tenour of a meere covenant of works yea or as hedged with ceremoniall and bloudy sacrifices that are Heraulds of our guiltinesse and hand-writings of condemnation is accidentall to the Law not essentiall though the Law have its denomination from this sad office Rom. 7. Rom. 8. Yee are dead to the Law yee are not under the Law so that under the Gospel the Law is substantially and formally the same saith Luther as death is essentially the same before the fall under Moses and under Christ Luth. tom 1. fol. 56. Relativè non formaliter aut substantialiter est peccatum sublatum Lex abolita mors distructa then the Law in its essence and obliging power is eternall never abolished But Antinomians will have the Gospel-grace to loose a man from all commanding Lawes because he is pardoned and because he getteth a pardon for Adultery and murther and such like they conceive this pardon giveth a dispensation that though he commit Adultery and Murther being once a pardoned David he sinneth now against no Law henee beleeve and be pardoned saith the Antinomian and sinne if you can The most ingenious Antinomian I know is M. Randall who as M. Gataker saith Preached that it s as possible for Christ himselfe to sin as for a child of God to sinne And M. Simson That if a man know himselfe by the Spirit to be in the state of grace though he be drunk or commit murther God seeth no sinne in him And when Abraham denied his wife and lyed even then truly all his thoughts words and deeds were perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God And Randall Its blasphemy for a child of God to crave pardon for sinne And it cannot bee avoided the Adultery of a beleever is but seeming Adultery and he is an Adulterer and a sinner so saith Saltmarsh to the eyes of the world and else-where to sense and feeling not truely and before God or in his account for to Faith saith Towne there is no sinne And even that same Text That not a tittle of the Law can perish proveth the same for Matth. 5.19 Whosoever beleever or unbeleever shall breake one of these least Commandements and shall teach men so as Antinomians doe shall bee called the least in the kingdome of heaven and whosoever shall doe and teach the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heaven Now 1. that Christ speaketh of the Law there as ordinarily it was taken for a binding and obliging rule is cleare vers 17 Think not I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets for hee speaks of that which he came to fulfill but hee came to fulfill the Law by doing and suffering 2. That which may be broken in a sinnefull way is a binding and obliging rule but the Law Christ speaketh of there may be broken for hee saith Whosoever therefore shall breake c. 2. That he intendeth that the Law stand as a rule binding to personall obedience and not to imputative obedience onely in the Mediator is cleare For 1. he saith Whosoever shall breake the least of these it must bee understood of personall breaking not imputative for hee that breaketh the Law in Christ his breach being imputed to Christ shall not be the least man but a chiefe man in the kingdome of heaven even a heire of heaven 2. If the binding and obliging Law bee not understood Christ came in the Antinomian sense to free beleevers both from the cursing and obliging and commanding Law Now sure Christ came to destroy the Law as it curseth and condemneth beleevers for he exhausted the curse and dyed the cursed death for us but he came not to take away the binding power because he both threatneth the breaker and the Antinomian teacher of breaches with being the least of the kingdome of heaven that is with being excluded out of heaven by a meiosis for it is opposed to be great in the Kingdome and also he promiseth a reward to the doer he shall bee great in the kingdome Now that Law which is hedged with threatning and reward is a binding Law 2. The beleever can neither breake the Law in order to punishment nor keepe and doe the Law in order to reward by the Antinomian way because they are freed from all binding and obliging Law say the Antinomians as well as from all cursing and condemning Law so Christ could doe no more if he intended to come in the flesh to destroy the Law then if he should take away the whole nature and being of the Law for he removeth say the Antinomians all the binding and commanding all the threatning and minatory power and the rewarding and promissory power of the Law from beleevers What then leaveth hee of the Law to any man who beleeveth Just nothiâ—g Antinomians say Christ came to fulfill the Law by doing and suffering and so came not to destroy it Anâ—w That cannot be his meaning here for the Argument of our Saviour should so conclude nothing and it is this If whosoever breaketh the least Commandement of the Law and teacheth others to doe so bee debarred out of heaven and who so doth and teacheth men to doe the Law be great in heaven then I the Saviour of man came not to destroy but to fulfill the Law But the former is true Ergo so is the latter The major proposition hath no truth for by the Antinomian way beleevers according to the Antinomian Gospel are neither excluded heaven in breaking the Law nor admitted to heaven in doing the Law but Christ doth all for them and they are not excluded heaven for breaking a Law they are freed from all binding commanding and obliging power of the Law and who can breake a Law who is under no Law Where there is no Law there is no transgression saith Saltmarsh applying it wickedly to this case and to all trouble of conscience for sinne when we are once justified 5. The Antinomians place liberty from the Law in the free loose and wide walking without any feare of sinning against a Law which to them is a shaddow a fancie and nothing and in being compelled for feare of wrath and eternall vengeance to love and serve God as if the Law of God did command us to serve God for feare of wrath and hire or hope of reward But the holy Law of God biddeth us feare sinne before and after it is committed For the Law commandeth the whole feare of God and the offending of his Majesty by sinne And happy is the man that feareth alway this fearing of sin is contrary to hardnesse of heart he is happy who feareth an oath lest he be insnared Now fearing sinne as sinne is contrary to a law is bondage and floweth from the Spirit of bondage say Antinomians Yea it is unbeliefe and a making God a lyar because say they there is no spot of sinne in the
of his soule in a filiall recumbencie on God and with adherence to Christ crucified for pardon of sinne which were to abolish the dayly exercise of our faith on Christ crucified 2. God forgiveth sinnes when he removeth the temporall punishment and fatherly rod inflicted for sinne Hence to beare our whoredomes to beare sinnes to beare iniquitie is to beare the punishment of sinnes To beare the indiâ—nation of the Lord because the Church hath sinned Micha 7.8 9. is to beare the temporall punishment for otherwise the Prophet speaketh of a Church in favour with God and freed from eternall wrath The Lord shall beâ— my light Thou shalt bee dâ—mbe because thou beleevest not my word saith Gabriel to Zacharie Luke 1.20 then to remove the temporall sword must bee a forgiving of and a relaxing from the temporall punishment So Nathan saith to David The Lord also hath put away thy sin But how maketh he that good Thou shalt not dye Hee meaneth especially a temporall death as the words following cleare vers 14. Howbeit because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the child also that is borne to thee shall surely dye Ergo his sinne was not fully taken away in regard of the temporall rod for the rod did never depart from his house for it nor doe wee thus adde fuell to purgatory to say with Papists that pardoning of sinne is the taking away of the guilt of sinne when the punishment remaineth for the Papists have a wicked meaning that God doth so forgive sins as he removeth guilt and remembreth not the sin but leaveth the sinner also as good as halfe drowned in it to revenging justice by suffering for these same sinnes satisfactorie punishment both in this life and in purgatorie or the life to come which we think impious for only Christs blood is a satisfaction to revenging justice for sinne 3. The Lords taking away and pardoning of Davids sinne is not the Lords justifying of David because justification is the reall or law-translation in a forensecall way of a sinner an ungodly man an unwashen one from the state of sinne into the state of grace and favour with God for the imputed righteousnes of Christ as is cleare and such were some of you but yee are washed but yee are sanctified but yee are justified so God justifieth the sinner and ungodlie then by justification the person is washed and translated from a state of ungodlines of enmity and received in a court of acceptance and grace reconciliation and attonement in a covenant-state with God for Christs imputed righteousnesse so as this justification is an act of incorporation and ingraffing of a stranger and enemie to be a free Denison and Burgess and free Citizen of the new Ierusalem intituled to all the priviledges and liberties of the brough Now David was not this way pardoned for undeniably he for his person was justified and all his sinnes pardoned that is hee was freed from obligation to eternall wrath and condemnation therefore seeing God justifieth but once as he maketh us heires and Citizens of heaven but once and yet pardoneth sinnes dayly justification and some remitting of sinnes must be of a wide difference CHAP. LX. How sinnes are remitted before they bee committed how not and the Antinomian error in this point BUt then it may bee said doe Antinomians soundly affirme that sins are remitted before they be committed To which I answer taking remission in a good sense not in theirs its true a beleever when he is justified is freed from condemnation for these sinnes that are not yet committed that is he is put in such a condition as he shall never come to condemnation yea not for these sinnes hee shall hereafter commit as when a forfeited Father is relaxed from treason and his lands restored the Pardon extendeth to the heire in the mothers womb and not yet borne yea possibly not begotten but this is neither a justifying of the unborne heire nor a pardoning of the treason nor a relaxing of the punishment in a strict and right downe sense he that is not and is not capable of guiltinesse and treason such as is a child neither begotten nor borne is not capable of pardon But in the Antinomian sense we judge it abominable that sinnes are removed before they bee committed 1. Because Antinomian remission is the destruction of the being of sinne and the extirpation of his nature root and branch for so it cannot be sinne nor can it be against the Law of God nothing is capable of the grace of free pardon neither the sinne or the poore sinner but by the Antinomian way the Adulteries and Murthers of the beleevers when committed are neither against Law nor the Commandement of God for they are freed from all commanding and obliging power of either Law or Gospel so as they cannot sinne or offend God in contravening of either 2. It is against common sense that the being or nature of Adultery can bee removed and made nothing and yet when it is committed it should offend humane society and raise an evill report on the name of God and the Gospel For that which is meere nothing and hath neither being nor nature can neither offend God nor man But neither Law of God nor Gospel doth forbid the Murthers of a beleever but onely of an unbeleever by the Antinomian way 3. Their remission of sinne before the commission thereof chargeth confession of committed sinnes with sinnefull lying craving of pardon with unbeliefe fearing of sinne with distrust sorrow for or feeling of sinne with a worke of Legall bondage and of the old Adam as Libertines did because these committed sinnes are meere fancies against no Law of God CHAP. LXI How Faith justifieth and the Antinomian errour discovered in this point SAltmarsh saith That neither Faith nor Repentance are to be preached the one without the other neither without Christ and yet neither of them as bringing in Christ to the soule but Christ bringing in them But if he charge us with Preaching faith and repentance one from another or both without Christ hee should have proved his charge 2. He badly joyneth them both together For 1. Faith is a condition of justification wee are justified by faith not by repentance 2. We receive Christ by faith He dwelleth in our hearts by Faith We live by faith none of these can be said of Repentance 3. Saltmarsh saith this is to debase faith yea but it is to make swine wallowing in their lusts one with Christ though they beleeve not heare his reasons Object 1. Christ is not ours by any act of our owne but by an infinite act of Gods imputing his righteousnesse Ergo Christ is not ours by faith Answ. Christ is not ours by any act of our owne as by a ransome a meritorious and principall cause True Ergo not by faith as a condition knowing apprehending feeling applying
without cause and Marrying another and in robbing the Widdow and Orphane and taking the Oxe away from the fatherlesse and so followeth his calling 2. Sinning according to sense and the flesh as lying and whoring are not sinnes according to Faith and before God sense is unbeliefe and a blind judge and reputeth that to be sin which is not sinne saith Eaton For Faith seeth them above sense to be utterly abolished 3. The beleever following his sense in Adultery rapine lying is under no law Ergo his following of his sense his being present at a Masse his robbing his brother cannot be a sinne then it must either be in it selfe lawfull and a following of his calling as the Libertine said or it is unlawfull The Antinomian must speake condictions to call that unlawfull which is against no Law 2. Randell a Familist setting forth a peece of Cusanus Intituled The Vision of God hath a Familists conscience to picture God himselfe and Clouds encircling him expressely forbidden in the second Command but it is no Command to him Master Denne Doctrine of John Baptist 65. retaineth the destinction of Clergy and Laicks condemned by all Protestant Divines and Pag. 66. hee saith Hee will condemne the removall of Images Idols Crucifixes of Wood Glasse of Stone but he mentions no command of God to justifie it for we are commanded no worship externall in the New Testament but Faith that is no sinne as sinne is forbidden but unbeliefe to this Towne assert grace pag. 94. cannot answer one word So H. Nicholas in his joyfull message of the Kingdome cap. 31.33.34 highly extolleth the Romish Church Pope Cardinals Bishops Priests c. Service Ceremonies till hot contention arose about them 3. We know Antinomians thinke nothing of Idolatry adding to the worship of God and that some of them speake their conscience when deterred from Adultery Murther Rapine they have said What Adultery God seeth no sinne in beleevers One of them in Scotland said hee would take the Lords Supper on the crowne of his head if Authority should command him Another said once dipping or ten times were indifferent Most of them are for libertie of all blasphemous religions and their saying is Beleeve in Christ and sin against the Law if thou canst This is to make sense that which Libertines call naturall inclination Yea all outward Commandements to Towne and Saltmarsh are but shaddowes the Spirit is all the beleevers obliging rule No externall Command can oblige a Beleever under perill of sinning against God in his court in foro Dei and wee know how broad and large their consciences bee in the matter of Marriage and Divorce CHAP. LXXXI Sundry Antinomians say Irish Papists ought to have liberty of conscience and to injoy their religion Parall XIII LIbertines said they knew that their soules were immortall and live for ever in heaven but Christ by his death hath taken away that opinion and hath restored life to us in that now wee know wee shall not die Antinomians cannot deny but wee die but they will have no death to be the execution of the righteous Lords sentence for sinne to the godly but that they returne to dust beleeving and neither feeling nor fearing sinne or punishment for sin for that is against the power faithfulnesse providence free grace sufferings of Christ faith all religion and Archer Saltmarsh Crispe upon the same grounds that the beleever committeth Adultery to his owne sense but his Adultery really and to his faith is no sinne so they are not to feare or feele any afflictions or death but to beleeve them to be shaddowes Now the removall of feare and the opinion of dying is imputed to Christs death so as Saltmarsh saith The Spirit of Christ sets a beleever as free from hell the Law and bondage here on earth as if hee were in heaven nor wants he any thing to make him so but to make him beleeve he is so for Sathan sinne sinnefull flesh and the Law are all so neere him that he cannot so walke by sight and in the cleare apprehension of it but the just doe live by Faith and Faith is the evidence of things not seene Then beside that it s his happinesse not his bondage that the Law is is so neere him that is it written in his inner parts and heart it must bee his sinne and feeling contrary to Faith which was one opinion and sense that hee knoweth and beleeveth hee must lay downe this tabernacle of clay And Towne saith Faith banisheth all the mists and vapours arising from these earthly members out of Gods sight and presence Thus I am a sinner and no sinner dayly I fall in my selfe and stand in Christ for ever But Towne lyeth in saying Hee is a sinner in himselfe and no sinner in Christ. For sinne in himselfe or to his flesh or sense is no sinne at all and against no Law his sense lyeth and deceiveth Faith by which he should walke doth truly say he is in himselfe and really no more a sinner then Christ is a sinner in himselfe and upon the same grounds sense of death and sicknesse and paine and feare are but deceiving opinions and errors contrary to faith and Christ came to dye and remove from us feare feeling opinion of all affliction and paine as contrary to faith Now it s a sinne not to walke by Faith then must the feeling of paine and death bee a sinne and Christ came to give us a sense dedolency and dulnesse of apprehending either sinne or ill of affliction and so say Libertines CHAP. LXXXII Libertines and Antinomians doubt of the Resurrection and life to come Paral. XIV LIbertines denyed the Resurrection and said with Hymeneus and Philetus That it was already done and in this life they mocked salvation in hope of the comming of the Lord they said To walke in newnesse of life was the Resurrection with Christ and all the resurrection wee are to looke for David Georgius saith As there was a revelation under Moses and the Prophets and a more cleare one under Christ and the Apostles So under himselfe the true David the Lyon of the tribe of Judah the stone hewed out of the Mountaine without hands there was now a farre more glorious revelation and most spirituall that he exceeded so farre Christ according to the flesh and the Apostles as that all Ordinances and externall worship and seales should cease when he comes because of the efficacie and spiritualnesse of his doctrine above Christ in the flesh and all the Apostles as the Spirit is above the flesh And the clouds in the which Christ was to come to judge the quicke and the dead must bee Allegorically expounded of the mindes of the Saints The Archangell that shall sound the Trumpet is the Doctrine and discipline of this David the Christ. And that the place of happinesse was in this earth not
two contrary things Towne saith If the Spirit be free why will you controule or rule it by Law as if the Law could contradict any Spirit save the Euthyasticall Spirit of H. Nicholas and Antinomians 8. The Letter of the Scripture externall Ordinances Church-assemblies are nothing that there is no reformation but inward and of the Spirit as M. Del lately Preached before the House of Commons That the Gospel and a beleevers Law as Saltmarsh saith is Christ and his Spirit 9. All outward serâ—ice ordinances confession of Christ before men are things free and indifferent and the Popish externall Service of Masse Images Pope Bishops Cardinals Deanes and such dirt are lawfull and free onely Antinomians and Saltmarsh will have them a little Legall and literall and that is all their fault 10. The laying downe of our lives and forsaking all for Christ are to be expounded Spiritually and Allegorically as Familists custome is and that abominable Peece called Philosophy dissected doth and so are other Scriptures to be expounded in the Spirit not in the Letter and in consequence as saith Saltmarsh to wit not of confession of Christ to the death as James who was beheaded for the Gospel Acts 12. and the Apostle Peter who dyed for Christ and the Saints who loved not their lives to death and were slaine for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus and the two witnesses against whom the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit made warre and killed them and the Apostles who were scourged the Saints who were killed all the day long and counted as sheepe for the slaughter for the Lords sake and confessed Christ and were not ashamed of him before men lest Christ should deny them before his Father and the holy Angels They say God delighteth not in our bloud and laying downe our lives and the outward man or forsaking of Father Mother Brethren Sisters and contrary to the Word of truth but it s spiritually meant of forsaking a Pope within us 2 Thess. 2. the Antichrist in our heart the Man of sinne so that we may lawfully receive the name and marke of the beast and conforme to the Masse or any Religion so we keepe the heart to God Baal the Devill may have the outward man 11. None can dispense the Ordinances Baptisme and the Lords Supper but the Regenerate I wish Independents in the constitution of their Churches without any warrant of the Word had not paved the way to this error 12. Outward Baptisme is no Baptisme which yet is a lawfull Ordinance of God though it bee not profitable to save without the inward Baptisme of the Spirit Antinomians border well-neere with Familists in many of these points For Saltmarsh is much upon the Spirit for a Law and against one beam of the light of the Letter of the Law and against all externall Ordinances Covenants Vowes as Legall and Old Testament service against conditions or performances or doing on our part by any Gospel-covenant yea against beleeving in that tenor of a condition as contrary to the Spirit and to Free grace against Precepts or Commands in the Gospel and he is much for reasoning and perswading against all commanding Law the Gospel is rather to them a promise then a Covenant against personall mortification trouble for sinne as all Legall unlawfull now smelling of bondage and Law-service and bondage it is to pray at such houres unlesse the Spirit move us to expound Scripture to expound the Spirit he meaneth the Scripture in the Letter and consequence hath much darkened the glory of the Gospel Now if Saltmarsh know any thing in Controversies betweene us and Papists he may know the Papists give sundry and divers senses to the Scripture that is Literall Spirituall Mysticall Allegoricall Tropologicall Anagogicall all which wee reject and acknowledge that the Scripture hath but one litterall Grammaticall and genuine sense which the nature of the words whether they be Sacramentall or Figurative as when Christ spoke of eating his flesh and said of bread This is my body or without figures doth carry in their face The Spirituall sense is not a sense different from the Literall as if they were two contrary or divers senses and therefore Saltmarsh rejecting the sense of Scripture in the Letter must imbrace the Familists and H. Nicholas or the Papists Allegorizing of the Scripture the greatest violence that can be offered to the Spirit the Author of Scripture the Spirit is the efficient by whose grace we gather the right Litterall sense of the Scripture and giveth no sense divers farre lesse contrary to Scripture as Libertines doe in the fancied revelations without beside and contrary to Scripture and their fond Allegories for such wee remit Saltmarsh to his brethren the Familists and the Author of Phylosophie defected and the like CHAP. LXXXIV Master Dell and Saltmarsh deny all outward reformation all Scripture seales Ordinances with Familists and flee to an Euthyasticall Spirit and an internall word onely ANd among other Antinomians Master Dell in his Sermon before the House of Commons excelleth in debasing the Scriptures and all Ordinances and setting up his Euthysiasticall Spirit not the Spirit of God for all For he holdeth that In the time of Moses and the Law till Christ came there was no true inward reformation but notwithstanding of outward duties performances Ceremonies and strict Lawes did carry along the severity of death they were inwardly as corrupt and wicked as the very Heathen and without any true reformation before God till Christ came in the flesh with the ministration of the Spirit But this man understood not his owne Text Hebr. 9.10 in which the Spirit of God opposeth Leviticall service in Sacrifices Ceremonies to Gospel-life not to Morall duties or inward conversion as if there had been no conversion no remission no actuall salvation to Abraham David who were justified as we are Rom. 4.4 5 6. and saved by the grace of Christ as we are Act. 15.11 as Dell imagines dancing to Dennes piping one Antinomian to another for both agree that David Asaph Heman Moses prayed and made heavenly and spirituall Psalmes being as unreformed inwardly and as farre from the Gospel-justification which David Psal. 32.1.2 Rom. 4.4 5 6. esteemed his blessednesse as very heathen 2. Del maketh Moses his Doctrine the Letter Christ Spirit and life So Del followeth the Antichrist in the Councell of Trent though he will have all Presbyterians the last prop of the Antichrist in England Sess. 7. cap. 2. Si quis dixerit ea ipsa novae legis Sacramenta à Sacramentis antiquae legis non differe nisi quia ceremoniae sunt aliae alij ritus externi anathema sit The Sacraments of the Old Testament say Papists doe but signifie not exhibit grace Socinus goeth before M. Del in this For Socinus saith in 1 Epist. Joan.
pag. 145. Nemo negare potest sub V. T. nec vitam aeternam promissam fuisse à Deo nec modum illam consequendi fuisse patefactum Ostorodius Inst. lib. 1. cap. 5. pag. 21. Promissiones veteris Testamenti tantum corporales fuerunt spiritualibus in N. T. promulgatis Non autem spirituales eternae fuerunt consequenter non accidentale tantum sed substantiale discrimen inter Vetus Novum Testamentum si res promissas spectes statuendum est Smalcius de Divin I. C. pag. 25. â— 6 Fatentur omnes Judaei hodie nullum vitae aeternae apertum extare in ipsorum lege ut ut apertius loquar in faedere quod Deus cum iis per Mosem pepigit promissum M. Del boldly saith They are all Antichristian that are not Antichristianly Popish and of the Socinian way with him to teach there was no conversion no inward reformation no promise of salvation and life eternall nor the same covenant of grace in the old Testament that is now under the New Testament and that there was no saving grace nor operation of the Spirit accompanying the Sacraments of the old Testament but onely temporall things promised them He hath Arminians also on his side as Episcopius Disp. 11. th 5. The promises of the Law were touching temporall felicity of the Gospel concerning the everlasting inheritance â—h 7. The doctrine of the Old Testament was known by nature as agreeable to right reason the doctrine of the Gospel was unknown to the Princes of this world it is evident there is no precept say the Belgick Remonstrants Apol. cap. 22. cap. 24. clearely delivered in the Old Testament for beleeving in Christ nor in terminis any promise of life eternall It s sure Arminians are limbs of Antichrist and enemies to free grace Yet Antinomians with Del joyne hands with them against Protestants who all teach to this day the same Saviour the same promises of life eternall the same free grace of imputed righteousnesse the same covenant of grace was revealed darkely in shaddowes and types to the Jewes and more sparingly and to us more clearely and abundantly in the New Testament and that Abraham was saved as we who now are Antichistian whether Del and his Antinomians or wee These that teach the same with Antichrist and contend for perfection and freedome from all sinne in this life are not the men who must fight the battels of the Lambe But 1. was there then no Spirit and life in the Patriachs Prophets Moses David till Christ came in the flesh and reformed them inwardly What became then of the soules of those that dyed in peace and entred into their rest before Christ came in the flesh Esa. 57.1 2 3. Dyed they under the curse and severity of the second death as never inwardly converted Hee belyeth the Old Testament who saith so and doth the Letter of the Gospel without the Spirit save and inwardly reâ—orme and justifie before God more then the Letter of the Law I thinke Judas and the people whose hearts were fatted and heardned and yet heard Christ in the flesh and the Apostles preach Gospel were as farre from inward heart-reformation as uncircumcised Jewes and Heathen Mat. 13.14.15 16. Act. 28.26 27. 1 Pet. 2.7 8. Rom. 11.8 9. Joh. 8.21 Joh. 9.41 Job 5.40 Then Del must meane by the spirit some other thing then the Gospel as opposed to the condemning Law For the Gospel is a condemning Gospel to thousands who stumble at the stone laid on Zion as well as the Law 3. Del saith No outward Law of Synods Councels of men can make men perfect as pertaining to the conscience more then Leviticall Lawes could doe and so the Gospel abolisheth all such outward Lawes imposed on conscience as well now as heretofore under Moses Gospel-reformation saith he is the mortifying destroying and utter abolishing out of the faithfull and elect all that sinne corruption lust evill that did flow in upon them through the fall of Adam Or it is the taking away and destroying the body of sinne out of the faithfull and elect by the presence and operation of the righteousnesse of God dwelling in their hearts by faith This is true Gospel-reformation and beside this I know no other Esai 1.27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgement and her converts with righteousnesse Againe Christ as hee makes us righteous with his owne righteousnesse and makes us the righteousnesse of God in him so hee is called our righteousnesse not in himselfe onely but in us And therefore you see how grossely they are mistaken who take Gospel-reformation â—o bee the making of certaine Lawes and constitution by the sacred power or Clergie for externall conformity in outward duties of outward worship and government and to have these confirmed by civill Sanction and inforced upon men by secular power when in the meane time all that inward corruption and sinne they have brought with them into the world remaines in their hearts and natures as before so the old Prelats reformed His reasons are 1. All things belonging to Christ a Spirituall King having a spirituall Kingdome are spirituall a carnall Reformation is not sutable to a spirituall Kingdome The reformation of the Civill and Ecclesiasticall state is but carnall wrought by the power of flesh and bloud and stands but in outward things 2. Gospel-reformation is inward layes hold on the heart soule and inner man and changes and renewes that dâ—th not much busie it selfe about outward formes or externall conformitie but onely mindes the conformity of the heart for when the heart is right with God the outward formes cannot bee amisse Christ saith touching the worship of the New Testament God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth hee speakes not one word of any outward formes So that God in his Gospel-reformation aymes at nothing but the heart according to Jer. 31.33 I will put my Law in their inward parts c. So that they shall not onely have the word of the Letter in their bookes but the living word of God in their hearts But now Civill Ecclesiasticall reformation is outward and so industrious and elaborate about outward formes outward orders outward governing outward confession outward practises like the Reformation of Scribes and Pharisees notorious hypocrites who made cleane onely the outside of the cup or platter leaving them all filthy and uncleane within So Civill Ecclesiasticall reformation makes a man cleane outwardly with an outward confession of Faith when inwardly he is all filthy thorow unbeliefe and whites him over with new handsome formes of worship Object But is there no change of outward things in the Gospel Ans. Yes an outward change that flowes from an inward but not an outward change to inferre an inward c. Answ. 1. Master Del must lay downe a ground that outward Lawes were imposed on the conscience and forced on them with violence of Magistrates and Synods
stand before the Lord against such of the Kingdome of England for many generations who ingaged their faithfull and well-minded brethren in a blinde cause to establish abominable Liberty of conscience Familisme Antinomianisme Socinianisme Prelacy Popery c. And the righteous Judge of the world knowes wee never intended any such thing but we might have beleeved the words of King Charles who told us they minded not Religion in that war But now when we are wasted ruined dispeopled we are not only forsaken by these whose safety peace religion and happinesse we minded with losse of our owne lives I with many others dare appeale to the Sovereigne Judge of all the earth in the sincerity of our hearts but almost utterly destroyed yet divers of the Sectaries professe they had rather fight against the Scots as against Turkes O Earth cover not our blood arise O Judge of the world and plead the cause of the oppressed let all the Nations about and the Reformed Churches and all the generations not yet born bear witnesse to this oppression and violence For if such as did sweare the Covenant which was the only thing that engaged us had said ingenuously at that time we sweare to endeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacie Superstition Heresie Schisme Prophanenes and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound doctrine lest we partake in other mens sinne But in the mean time wee purpose to plead print write preach and in our places endeavour both in Parliament and out of it in the Assembly and out of it in our Ministery and Christian walking for toleration and brotherly forbearance of Popery Prelacie Superstition Heresie seperation and gathering of Churches out of true Churches judging the Presbyterians of Scotland whom by the oath of God they are to defend the Schismatickes and indulgence by Law and otherwise to be yeelded to Papists Arminians Socinians Arrians Familists Antinomians Seekers Antiscripturists Enthusiasts c. but none to Presbyterians at all we should have blessed your right down ingenuity yet have our Brethren really so sworne and so practised But saith Burton the Scots are the vilest of men p. 17. partakers with murtherers with rebels with Traitors Incendiaries underminers of Parliament and City c. Words of butter and oil soft and sweet would sooner convince us and arguments of iron and brasse that are strong hard invincible should more edifie and perswade The truth is fire but not passion Burton speakes fire not alwayes truth These are not the words of such as warre under the banner and colours of love and fight the battells of the Lambe Passion is a paper-wall to a weake cause your Brethren stood once in your bookes for talents and pounds but now for halfpennies consider where the change is we was at that time the same you call Presbyterians now and professed the same to you Deare brethren be humble and lowly to your old friends bee not perjured for ill will to us we shall mourne to God for that wicked revenge the Covenant will pursue you and God in it dally not with God they shall all be broken and splitted upon the Covenant of God who labour to destroy it Now when you have the sword the purse the Army the Parliament for you insult not over your brethren Quem dies vidit veniens superbum Hunc dies vidit fugiens jacentem summisque negatum stare diu He was but an Atheist and a mis-interpreter of providence who said Victrix causa diis placuit sed victa Catoni Successe in an evill cause is not happinesse beleeve it Heresie when shee is heire to her mistresse is a burden that the earth trembles under yee know Heresies goeth with broad Peacocke wings through the Land and takes in Townes and Castles but they had good helpe from Presbyterians their Antichristian brethren as they like to call them Sects are courted multitudes take hold of the skirt of a sectary now adayes But the Court is paved with glasse and to you all the faithfull Ministers of Christ are but Antichrists Priests The white golden breathings of successe may blow you asleepe but cannot secure you your Brethren have beene low in Scotland for your cause I shall be satisfied without recrimination The Scots are not the vilest of men they are not partakers with murtherers but I shall onely answer that I judge that in England the Lord hath many names and a faire company that shall stand at the side of Christ as his conquesse in the day when he shall render up the Kingdome to the Father and that in that renowned Nation there be men of all rankes wise valourous generous noble heroick faithfull religious gracious learned And I hope to reap more peace in naming England from the choisest part then M. Burton can find comfort in his passion in denominating the Scots or their Army from the worst and vilest part not to deny but there be too much wickednesse and prophanenesse in both the Nation and Army yet shall I desire all the Sects whom M. Burton and his brethren would have tolerated to look at their brethren as men compassed with infirmities and let these of such as thus accuse them that are without sin cast the first stone at them which were a good way to try if Antinomians would not arise and stone to death so many as they were able to master alleadging God cannot see such violence and bloodshed to be sinne in them also we professe to be orthodox and a strong Presbyterian is but a poore old rotten Coach to carry men to heaven there is more required of these who shall be heires of salvation but this cannot justly impeach the Presbyterian way of Antichristianisme And wherein is the Generall Assembly of Scotland Papall and set up above Kings and Kesars and may bring Presbyterians under a premunire Had M. Burton any arguments to make out this sad charge against his brethren but the stollen and reprinted not reasons but railings of Prelates and Oxford opposers of Reformation and particularly out of a lying Treatise called Issachers burden the father of which was the excommunicated Apostate Jo. Maxwel sometimes pretended Bishop of Rosse for M. Burton hath nothing in this passionate Treatise of his own but is an Echo in grammer and matter to Whitegift Bancroft to lying Spotswood to the flattering time-serving Balaams who to gratifie King James and Bishop Laud and these of the Prelaticall gang objected the same with more nerves and blood against the Scottish-Geneva discipline then M. Burton does That booke of discipline was the Prelates eye-sore and Mr. Burton must bring the weapons of his indignation out of the Armory of Babylon against Presbyterians I love not to compare men with men only good Reader pardon me to name that Apostolicke heavenly and Propheticall man of God Mr. John Welch a Pastor of our Church who for this same very cause was first condemned to death and then the mercy of King James changed the sentence to him