gâ—â—sse 1 Cor. 1â— 12 13. and opposeth it to seeing of God face to fâ—ce v. 12 13.1â— the life to come And Saltmarsh shal teach us nâ—w Divinity if there be any evidences to found our assurance but two in Scripture one of walking by â—aith and another bâ— siâ—ht 2 Cor. 5.6 7. The one while we arâ— absent in the body from the Lord in this life the other when wee are at home in our countrey in the life to come yea the highest light in which we see with open face are changed therby from glory to glory is in a â—lasse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cor. 3.18 is called a seeing 1 Cor. â—3 12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then must Saltmarsh make the certainty of saith to be as conjecâ—urall and low as the certainty by signes which he saith is dim formall discoursive and that is shadowâ—d 〈…〉 which overthroweth the Antinomians Principles touching the assurance of saith which they say excludeth all doubting Aâ— for the conceit of Paul Holson that we may rejoyce in an act and not draw our joy from the apprehension of the suitablenesse between the Act and the 〈◊〉 he is much out For 1. if we joy in the act and joy not in the suitablenesse between the Act and the Rule our joying and rejoycing is vain for then doe we rejoyce in sinne for an act not suitable to the Rule and revealâ—d wâ—ll of God is sin though it be not in a strict legall way suitable to the Rule 2. We may have our joy distilled by a secret in-come of Christ but not from the Act saith he but these two are not conâ—rary but friendly agree For this in-come of Christ that procures our joy is for the graciousnesse of the act rather then for the act it selfe And if by an in-come he mean an influeâ—ce of the grace of Christ causing us rejoyce in the gâ—â—ciâ—us act because gracious we yeeld it willingly But then 〈◊〉 gather neither ioy nor peace nor assurance from the act simply but from the act as gracious and as wrought in us by the in-come and supernaturall influence of Christ who worketh in us both to will and 〈◊〉 3. And we may well draw joy from the suitablenesse between the Act and the Rule in regard this suitablenesse is nothing else but that gracious conveniencie between the Act and the Rule which standeth in this That the substance of the act is agreeable to the will of God revealed and in the principle of faith and the end for Gods glory which conveniencie and 〈◊〉 of the act is wrought by free grace and so we yee rejoyce gather assurance from the father of the act to wit the holy Ghost the worker rather then from the act and though the suitablenesse flagge yet if it be sincere the joy may be lâ—ssened not destroyed but the reason presupposeth we can neither have joy nor peace in the act except it be perfectly suitable and â—word every degree agreeable to the law which is a most false supposition For we cannot come up in our acts to that perfection the law requireth 4. Upon the same ground we may mourn for sin to strengthen faith in regard an act of beleeving doth arise from the act of mourning as occasioned thereby or wrought in us by the holy Ghost who causeth us see him whom we have pierced and mourn therefore as one doth for his onely child Zach. 12.10 11 12. CHAP. XXIX The scope of Saltmarsh his Book called Sparkles of Glory and of his denying Christ to be any thing but a man figuratively and mystically 34. THe onely scope saith he to the Reader of this Book is to mind you of an higher excellency then meere created things can afford you of the truth that is in Jesus or in Spirit and of that unity of Spirit which Christians should live in under their severall formes and attaintments and I have not held forth any discovery of Truth or of any higher dispensation so as to darken too much other dispensations in which Christians live or to lessen and under value their attaintments but only to be faithfull in the power of God to his discoveries in mine own spirit I desire we may beare one anothers burdens and consider that God is in all his severall dispensations and measures and Christians are not to hasten out of any till the Lord himselfe say Come up higher and the stronger are to beare the infirmities of the weak I am not against the law nor repentance nor duties nor ordinances as some would say so all these flow from their right principles to their right end I am not against the setling of Church government prudentially as now so as all of another way be not persecuted because I know God hath his people under severall attaintments and measures and is to his people in all these in his meere grace and love as formerly to Bishops and thousands of weak Christians in Queen Elizabeths and Queen Maries dayes of martyrdome in their formes I am onely against any form as it becomes an engine of persecution to all Christians differing from it I am not against a sitting of an Assembly of Divines at Westminster that are so perswaded because this is but to allow such liberty to others consciences as we desire our selves And surely if they would propound such things onely as they have received or they are in conscience perswaded of to all the kingdome and so leave it to the Spirit of God and their Ministery to perswade and convince and not desire power from others to compell this were but to minister as they had received Answ. If the scope of a Book be taken as it ought to be from the subject matter contained in it then the scope of this booke is a farre other thing then the truth that is in Jesus and in Spirit but to deny that Christ is come in the flesh as I here evidence which is the mystery of Antichrist is the scope of his booke 1 Joh. 4.3 For every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is that Spirit of Antichrist whereof you have heard that he is come and even now already is in the world But Saltmarsh confesseth not but denieth that Christ is come in the flesh or is true man or hath any other body that he suffered in but the mysticall body the Saints Sparkles of glory p. 13. The Sonne of God did not only fulfill this bringing home this first creation or man to God according to his first excellency and communion with God but in this appearance of the flesh he was a figure of God whose designe is to make his Saints his Temple his tabernacle his body his new creation his habitation or house and God thus manifested in the flesh was a figure of that mystery of godlinesse in us or God becomming Immanuel or God with us He hath a large description of the second Adam pag.
or the Spirit which is not the doctrine that Paul and Iohn received from the Lord Gal. 1.8 2 Ioh. v. 10. 1 Cor. 11.23 But Familists will have the Scriptures to beare witnesse to us of and to reveale the Father and the Son but for the holy Spirit he must be revealed without the testimony of Prophets and Apostles though Christ our dying friend hath left us his will in his last testament confirmed by the death of the Testator and forbids us to expect any farther revelation Heb. 1.1.9.16.17.27.28 Rev. 22.12.18.19 Is it not safer to beleeve the Prophets and Apostles upon whose word and doctrine we are builded as living stones and a habitation to God Eph. 2.20 21 22. then to relye upon the word of such seducers as H. Nicholas Del Saltmarsh and the like who come in their owne name and bring neither word nor workes to witnesse their doctrine not so much as Simon Magus and the Antichrist who bring wonders and living miracles to evidence that they are sent from God Familists have no escape but to say that their new discoveries are revealed to them by the Spirit to be contained in the spirituall and allegoricke sense of the Scripture Now undeniably the Scripture hath a literall sense and here it hath a mysticall and spirituall sense and so many senses as the Papists teach So Bellermine de verb. dei l 3. c. 3. Thomas p. 1. art 10. So Cajetanus ibid. Alpâ—onsus a Castro l. 1. adver her Lyra in 2. Reg. 7 Bucanus in Theolog. Scolastic part 2. c. 3. q. 5. 11. The same Gospell-truths in the manner of preaching and delivering of them may be spiritually by some and literally and dryly published by others and nothing is thereby either added or taken away from the substance of truth But duties commanded in the Law are then pressed upon the consciences of the hearers in a legal way when they are forced upon the consciences of the people upon legal motives Law-obligations threatnings of curses sad judgements but they are then spiritually preached when they are pressed upon the hearers in a terrible Law-way but for that end discovered to them that they may be chased into Jesus as to the Gospel-sanctuary and City of refuge to such as runne themselves out of breath to be in the bosome of our Saviour 2. They would be pressed so spiritually as there may bee still a pointing at a pardoning ransome and a healing and curing spirit so that all obedience must be new from new principles of the Mediators grace and upon Gospell motives only not from Hagar and the covenant tending to bondage Nor 3. upon the same necessity and account they were to be performed by vertue of a Covenant of workes What I before said toucheth the question whether the formall and last object of our faith be the word of God or the anointing strength saving grace and eye-salve of the Spirit as some Schoolmen Granado and others affirme the latter but the word is the formall object of faith the saving grace or anointing the efficient by which we are anointed inabled and quickned to beleeve the word now the eye-salve or anointing is not that which we see and beleeve that which we see is the saving Gospel-truths we beleeve Saltmarsh with Familists denying the Scripture to bee the word of God will have the inward supernaturall grace and anointing to be the only obliging rule of faith otherwise saith he it s in vaine to write bookes one against another for we then but set letter to letter argument to argument reason to reason but all in vaine without the Spirit as if Christ in proving the resurrection against Saduces Paul in proving justification by faith without works against such as turn the grace of God into wantonnes had not set letter to letter argument to argument and all in vaine for they remained still blinde yet Christ and Paul convinced and silenced these obstinate wranglers by the word of God without powring the Spirit on them without whose power they remained unconverted and hardened against the truth the formall object is that into which our faith is resolved when we give a reason of our faith as thus for what cause or formall motive doe you see with the eye of faith and believe that Maries son is the Messiah only Saviour ye do answer because so saith the Lord in the Old and N. Testament and that is the true object but yee doe not give an account of your faith when yee answer I beleeve it because I have eyes within inlightned because that is not to answer what is the true object of your faith if any aske you upon what morall grounds goe you to Rome yea give no reason if yee answer I goe to Rome because I have a will and a locomotive power in the nerves and muscicles of my body to move for now you answer by the efficient cause when the question is made of the formall objective cause If any aske why doe you see colours in day-light yee doe not answer because I have eyes and a seeing faculty but to the former you say I goe to Rome for such businesse to the lâ—tter I see colours in day-light because they are seeable and colours cloathed with light before my eyes so 1 Ioh. 5.10 He that beleeveth on the Sonne of God hath the witnessâ— within him that is the beleever hath objectively the the truth stamped in his heart but the anointing by which he was inabled to receive the testimony and truth is not for that the object or the thing beleeved or received but the saving helpe by which wee are strengthened to beleeve and receive the testimony the inward speaking of God to the heart as Augustine saith lib. 11. confess c. 3. sine strepitu syllabarum without noise of words is the saving apprehending of Christ and Gospell-truths but it is not the thing or object savingly apprehended the day-starre in the heart is not the Gospell-truth that wee see and receive but the light of Christ inabling and the Spirit strengthning the soule to beleeve and receive these Gospell-truths for without the day-starre and Spirit no man can see these truths 12. Upon the principles of Antinomians and Familists these and the like Gospell-promises I will give you a new heart and a new spirit Behold I make all things new a bruised reed shall hee not breake Come to me all yee that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you Him that commeth I will in no wise cast away but will raise him up at the last day Yee that have no mony come buy and eat c. are as literall and legall being written and preached and as carnall for they value them to be but outward ordinances as this Cursed be every one that abides not in all that is written in the Law of God to do it or as the very Law and Covenant of workes which promiseth not any new heart but presseth the Law in its
sickely many dead Zachary was stricken with dumbnesse because hee beleeved not the Angels word Luke 1. 2. The Covenant in which perseverance is promised threatning the rod of men to beleevers that transgresse the Lords Law prove the same 3. God was angry and in a mercifull anger punished Moses Aaron Salomon Jehoshaphat Nor is it of weight that God smote men to death in the Old Testament for light sinnes but it s not so in the New he is not so severe now But is not our God even in the New Testament a consuming fire Were there ever more Hell-like vengeance that fell on any then on Jerusalem so as Christ said barren wombs should bee blessed and they should cry hills fall on us and cover us 2. Did beleevers in the Old Testament make satisfaction to revenging justice for their sins that Christ did beare 3. Were there any halfe satisfactions made by men to infinite justice 4. Were they their owne redeemers from Hell CHAP. XXXII Beleevers are to mourne for sinne WEe judge the Spirit of grace to be a mourning spirit They shall looke on me whom they have pierced and mourne They that escape shall be on the mountaines like the doves of the valleis all of them mourning every one for his iniquity 2. As this is promised so is it practised Peter having denyed his Lord remembred the words of Jesus went out and wept bitterly and a woman that was a sinner stood at Jesus feet behind him weeping and beganne to wash his feet with teares Wee roare all like Beares and mourne like doues for our transgressions are multiplied 3. It is commanded Be afflicted and mourne and weepe Let your laughter be turned into mourning 4. Mourners are blessed Antinomians after Adultery rapine bid us beleeve rejoyce for God loveth not heavinesse dulnesse sorrowfull cogitations there is nothing to a beleever but joy comfort rejoycing sorrow for or sense of sinne is sorrow for a shaddow and sinfull unbeliefe for pardoned sinne is no sinne But say wee pardoned sinne is sinne and sorrow for offending him whom we have pierced is the Gospel-groaning of the Turtle and sorrow according to God and this is the Libertines mortification to sinne without sorrow or sense and to know and feele sinne after it is committed said Da Georgius is an act of the flesh and the taste of the apple that Evah did eat say the Libertines CHAP. XXXIII To crave pardon for sinne or to have any sense of sinne denyed to beleevers by Antinomians VPon this ground it s a worke of fleshly unbeliefe say they that a justified David crave pardon of sinnes committed after he is justified 1. But why more of sinnes committed after then before justification for both sorts of sinnes are removed by the bloud of Christs Crosse and cease to be sins as Antinomians teach and if we be justified ere we beleeve a beleever having committed Adultery mustâ—ly when he saith out of the sense of sinne Lord in this I have sinned against thee These that call God Father Mat. 6.12 pray for forgivenesse dayly Sense of sinne is an act of unbeliefe to Antinomians if beleevers judge sinne pardoned to be sinne or any thing but a slip in our conversation before men not a breach of a Law in the sight of God and if they judge of adulteries and murthers committed after they beleeve pardon in Christ as of sins to be mourned or humbled for they judge amisse not by the light of Faith but by the carnall feeling and mis-apprehension of sense reason the flesh So to be deadned to all sense of sinne to have a conscience burnt with a hot yron is mortification CHAP. XXXIV Antinomians hold wee are in the boyling of our lusts without any foregoing humiliation immediately to beleeve on Christ. VPon this ground that we are justified by Christs bearing our sinnes on the Crosse and before that of unbeleevers by the grace of Christ wee be made beleevers without any reall change of our state and condition before God or any humiliation of soule or sicknesse for the want of Christ we are immediatly to beleeve in Christ though remaining Adulterers Murtherers Paricides c. Yea nor is salvation tyed to beliefe nor is Faith a condition without which no man can bee saved And a man may be the greatest sinner imaginable and Christ may be his Christ. So that Christ may bee the Saviour of a beleever and he truely united unto him Christ may dwell in his heart by faith and in that same state and time he be kept captive in the snare of the Devill at his will and hee walke according to the course of the world according to the prince of the power of the ayre that now worketh in the children of disobedience which clearely stateth a communion between Christ and Belial God and the Devill the enemy of God in one and the same soule CHAP. XXXV Of spirituall poverty and how it s mistaken by Antinomians TRue poverty of spirit doth not kill and destroy all sight of grace in our selves as Antinomians say and when we have grace to see we have no grace its grace saith Town But it is true to know that we are poore wretched blinde and of our selves miserable is spirituall povertie and the more we find our nothingness money-lesse and beggarly condition the more grace because the poverty of humility is riches he is neerest to Christ who findeth he cannot buy him 2. It s true that not to bee too quick-eyed in a reflect knowledge to know our graces and not to rest on them nor make bigge undertakings as Peter did that wee can doe all is also spirituall poverty A beleever cannot lay a sowme and a great wodfie on himselfe but grace doth not undervalue grace and belie the Spirit in it selfe 1. The Saints give judgement of their owne graces Lord I beleeve I am black but comly as the tents of Kedar I slept but my heart waked for I am the least of the Apostles and am not meet to bee called an Apostle but by the grace of God I am that I am In which the Saints doe lay low themselves yet not slander the holy Spirit in themselves If I may not slander another then may I not slander Christ in my selfe 2. The office of the Spirit is to know the things that are freely given us of God 3 The Spirit of Christ doth not counter-worke himselfe Now his light lets us see the worke of grace in us for our own comfort grounds of rejoycing and that wee may see our debts and wee may praise Christ because wee cannot pay him CHAP XXXVI Repentance mistaken by Antinomians REpentance is not as Denne saith a part of Faith or a change of the mind to looke no longer for righteousnesse from the Law but from Christ
that the dead which are fallen asleep in the Lord rise up in this day of his judgement and appeare unto us in godly glory which shall henceforth live in us everlastingly with Christ and reign upon the earth is a detestabl hereticke But H.N. teacheth so Evangel c 37. sect 9. Whosoever teacheth that to bee borne of the Virgin Mary out of the seed of David after the flesh is to bee exponed of the pure doctrine out of the seed of love is a detestable hereticke But H.N. teacheth so Document sent c. 3. sect 5. Whosoever teacheth that Jesus Christ is come againe unto us according to his promise to the end that they all which love God and his righteousnesse and Christ and perfect being might presently enter into the true rest which God hath prepared from the beginning for his elect and inherit the everlasting life is a detestable hereticke But H.N. Evan. c. 1. sect 1. teacheth so c. Having examined these reasons with the books of H.N. we doe finde that in truth he holdeth these heresies and we think in our hearts and of our own knowledge affirm that H.N. is in these heresies a detestable heretick promising faithfully befor God and your honours never hereafter to have any dealing with his bookes and doctrin nor to go about to bring any to the love liking or reading of them and that we now speak is the true meaning of our heart as we look for mercy at his hands which searcheth the heart It shall never be well with England till the like abjuration of the doctrine of H.N. of Wil. Del Joh. Saltmarsh of Town Eaton Den Crispe and the scandalous Antinomians be tendered to most of the Army of Sir Thomas Fairfax and all the Sectaries in England but the Arme of the Lord must still bee stretched out against the land in fury and indignation till it be destroyed and till he throughly avenge the quarrell of the Covenant with so high a hand and so presumptuously broken by the Kingdome of England A MODEST SVRVEY of the secrets of Antinomianisme with a briefe refutation of them from the word of truth CHAP. I. Antinomians unjustly aceuse us IT cannot be judged either a wounding of the weake who side with Familists for a bastard love with Antinomians for a dead and rotten faith with Libertines the enemies of holy walking with God to answer those that aske a reason of our hope especially when we are nick-named Legalists Antifidians Pharisees Antichristian teachers enemies to free Grace because we stand for a rule of righteousnesse in the Law repentance from dead workes strict and close walking with God against all which that is to me a wall of brasse As deceivers and yet true as unknowne and yet well knowne Yet I give a briefe account of those saving and innocent Doctrines of the hoast of Protestant Divines if possibly truth may pierce through their eye-lids who winke because they will not see Of old the Albigenses were called Hereticks but saith an indifferent man genus haereseos nunquam nominant So now neither the heresie nor the Protestant Divine can be named that teach that the Law and Gospel are mixt in the matter of justifitation or that teares of repentance wash us from our sinnes that the covenant of grace is a covenant of works that we are to seeke righteousnesse in our selves CHAP. II. Antinomians are Pelagians WEe are farre from Pelagian grace that an unconverted man can leave sinne because sinne hath an earnest desire of soule-saving comfort cannot speak nor doe but in feare of sinne that an hypocrite under the Law can in good earnest and down-rightnesse of heart yeeld himselfe wholly to the law of God as a wife to her husband to bee instructed and ordered in all things inwardly and outwardly after the minde of God in the Law So Saltmarsh telleth us of a Legally-Gospel-way of conversion in which Christ in truth is received Much like to that of Familists of New England that a Legalist for truth may attaine the same righteousnesse that Adam had in innocency before the fall and a living faith that hath living fruits may grow from the living law We judge that an unconvert is so farre from a conformity to the Law that his conscience is burnt with a hot iron and he never saw his keepers face hee being under the law a captive in thick darkenesse and therefore all his faire vertues are white sinnes 2. Hee is an ill tree that cannot bring forth good fruit 3. True mortification is wrought by the Gospel-spirit 4. The law cannot give life 5. An hypocrites faith who is under the Law is dead CHAP. III. We hold no morall preparations with Pelagians Papists and Arminians going before conversion WEe teach not that which Saltmarsh falsely chargeth us that Vowes and undertakings never ascending to Christ fit us for conversion nor doe we too much burne or bear the wine of Gospel-grace with the Law-fire of workes and conditions For 1. we deny against Antinomians and Arminians any such Gospel-promise he that doth this and this and is so and so fitted with such conditions quallifications as money and hire in hand shall be converted as a reward of his worke The question touching preparations is not whether an humbled soule because humbled hath a good warrant to beleeve and receive Christ. We conceive the bottome of no mans faith is within himselfe but the common ground and Royall charter warranting all to beleeve is the free and money lesse offer of a precious Saviour who ever will have Christ and pay not a penny of condition or law worke for him take him freely But the question is of Christs order of bringing us to beleeve and close with Christ and the question is whether a damned Pharesee on his high horse of merits and law-righteousnesse an undaunted Heifer a Simon Magus a despitefull Atheist Elymas a Witch never broken nor convinced by the law must in that distance to Christ and the Gospel be charged to beleeve an everlasting love of election toward himselfe and without more adoe be led into the Kings chamber of wine to the slowings of soule-redeeming bloud or must he first bee humbled convinced of sinne burdened with everlasting burning due to him and so led to Christ. Antinomians say Sinners as sinners belong to Christ and have Christ offered to them as sinners and none can beleeve too hastily in Christ but sure they can beleeve or presume too misorderly and arrogate Christ to themselves as you teach them while they know no sinne-sicknesse for Christ. For 1. some too hastily will bee Christs Disciples before they make their reckoning what it will cost them 2. The Lords order is to cast downe and then convert first he draweth away some of the ill bloud and rancke humours and pricketh the heart and then bringeth the sicke to the Physitian the trembing Publicane
Holy Ghost and that none can doe these works in them but Châ—ist and the inference made from them are the reasonings of the Holy Ghost and the result is an infallibly assurance Antinomians thinke both they may be counterfeit works and the reasoning and inference from thence to be a worke of our owne Spirit onely We say of the Spirit of grace joyning with our Spirit as is cleare 1 Cor. 2.12 3. The inference say they breeds no certaine and infallible assurance but probable onely and conjecturall evidence 4 If these works were not done in faith and known by us to be so done I should grant they could give but an uncertaine and controverted evidence Antinomians say wee separate them from faith and saving grace and that thus separated they beare testimony that wee are in Christ which is a calumny of theirs not our Doctrine Asser. 6 The assurance of our spirituall acts resulting from our Christian walking is a mediate assurance collected by inference not immediate as when we see the Sunne 2. It is called knowledge and assurance in the Word 1 Joh. 2.3 1 Joh. 3.14 vers 18.19 but it is not properly Faith but sense therefore we doe not build assurance of justifying faith on works of grace Antinomians say that we make our works the pillars and causes of our Faith But the promise the sufficiency of Christ the free grace of God to us are the onely pillars of our faith and our works of grace are the ropes by which the ship and passengers are drawne to the rock that is higher then themselves but they are not the rocke they are not the formall objective Sunne-light by which we passe our judgement and determination of Christ the Mediator his sweetnesse and power to save nor the causes of the soules resting on the bloud of attonement as Sunne-light is the formall reason and medium without of our judging of colours and their beauty They are onely land-marks by which we may the better judge of our state and not the shoare the land-marke onely sheweth how neere wee are to shoare by them we know that we know and beleeve in Christ. Finally they are rather negatives against unbeliefe then positive evidences of faith and serve for incouragements that we cast not away our confidence For if I doubt of my state whether I be translated and in Christ or no I cannot but doubt of my actions if I doubt if the tree be a naturall Olive I cannot but thinke the fruit must be but wild Olives and when we shall be unclothed with our darkenesse of body we shall not need such crutches to walke by Faith for sight shall leade us CHAP. LVI How duties and delight in them take us not off Christ. HEnce Antinomians when they say we must not so much as see our good works for not to see them is spirituall poverty and we cannot see them but we must trust in them and build on them And therefore best remove such chalke stones and rotten foundations as holy walking and live loosely that wee sowing sinne may reap pardoning grace So they say I know I am Christs because I doe not crucifie the lusts but beleeve that Christ hath crucified them for mee And our sanctification when darke and lesse maketh justification brighter And frequencie and length of holy duties are signes of one under a covenant of works and so under the curse of Law And to take delight in the holy service of God is to goe a whoring from God And the Spirit acts most in the Saints when they endeavour least All these say to be rich in works of sanctification is to be poore in grace 2. To doe and act nothing and so sinnefully to omit the duties that the grace of God calleth for Tit. 2.11 is the way to have the Spirit acting graciously then sinne that grace may abound be sicke and exceeding sicke that Christ may bestow on you much Gospel-physicke To be aboundant in the worke of the Lord to delight in the Law of the Lord in the inner man to labour more aboundantly then they all to bee rich in good works are nothing else but to goe a whoring from God So Saltmarsh expoundeth these words I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Such were yee but yee are justified but yee are sanctified c. That Christ beleeved repented sorrowed for sinne mortified sinne perfectly for me and this saith hee is sanctification and the fulnesse of his the All in All. Then to doe nothing my selfe but sinnefully to omit all duties and let Christ doe all is full sanctification and the lesse yee doe the more Christ doth for you Object 1. Christ saith not Peter be encouraged to beleeve because thou art an holy obedient loving Apostle But I have prayed that thy faith faile not Saltmarsh Free grace pag. 32.33 Answ. In that place he doth not shew Peter how he should know by such and such signes that hee beleeved but for Peters comfort and faith he sheweth him the true cause why he should not fall away to wit because his Advocate interceedeth for him Object 2. Christ saith not to his Apostles O my Disciples though I be from you yet yee have been thus and thus humble penitent obedient and let this be your ground and assurance when I am gone but hee layes in promises yee beleeve in God beleeve also in me I will send the Comforter Saltmarsh pag 33. Answ. We make no qualifications object or ground or cause of faith but onely signes to know wee have faith therefore might Christ haue said ye shall know yee love me and beleeve because you love those begotten of me 1. But we thinke though naturall sweating at duties setteth not the Spirit on edge to worke graciously yet to worke by the grace of God increaseth both talents and grace 2. Nor the frequent actings of grace nor the simply looking on them especially under sad houres to wine to our feet againe are ill but the abuses to bee avoided As 1. the comparative poring and the more frequent living on the comforts of our owne gracious actings more then on Christ himselfe and his death is as if I would live to much on a sight of a new created birth in my selfe and the Image of the second Adam when I have Christ himselfe to live on 2. Excessive out-running and over-banke-flowings of wondring at what is done in our selves by the grace of Christ cannot want a great deale of mixture of our selfe for we are not so found on acttings of grace in others and that is a token there is a selfe-reflection in the worke and that I sit downe and write of my selfe a hundred in stead of fifty 3. All comparative over-loving of created comforts must take the heart in so farre off Christ. 4. We should wonder more at the depth and height of free grace in the Creator and in Christ the well-head then in our selves for
of free grace and the acts of the begger doe no wayes impeach the freedome of the grace of the giver Now here not onely the gift of freely imputed righteousnesse but faith a mind to belâ—â—ve sense of poverty and want of Christ the actuall exercise of faith are all from the free grace of God and so except one free grace clash and counterworke against another I see no inconvenience to say by the act of Faith as a condition or instrument we receive and apply Christs righteousnesse and whether yee call it a hand an instrument an act of free grace a condition I judge there is no reason to contend for words so yee say not as Cornewell Saltmarsh and other Antinomians Wee are justified whether we beleeve or not and long yea from eternity say some before we beleeve CHAP. LXII The Antinomians way and Method of a sinners comming to Christ confuted THe way and method that Saltmarsh taketh to lead a sinner to Christ is not Gods way for hee thus goeth on A beleever in all his dealing with God prayer or drawing neere in the first place puts on the relation of Sonneship and righteousnesse and considers all his sinnes as debts payed and cancelled and himselfe made free by the Sonne and now hee comes in the Spirit of adoption and calles God Father and here beginnes all faith hope confidence love liberty when as others dare not beleeve themselves in such a condition till upon termes of humiliation sorrow for sinne workes of righteousnesse they have as they thinke a reasonable measure price or satisfaction to come with and then beleeve hope and be confident and thus in way of compounding and bargaining with God deale with him at all occasions but such submit not to the righteousnesse of God for they that beleeve upon something first in themselves shall as they have kindled a fire lye downe in the sparks of their owne kindling and have nothing in Christ because they will not have all in him and though some will have all in Christ for salvation yet they will have something in themselves to beleeve their interest in this salvation Answ. 1. Saltmarsh dresseth up a man of straw to come to Christ. 1. In all his dealing with God saith hee and so before ever he come to Christ or at his first beleeving he beleeveth his sonne-ship that is being a hogge or a limbe of the devill he beleeves himselfe to be an heire of heaven we say he first puts on the relation that he lived in so in the womb to wit of the sonne of the Devil an heire of wrath 2. Hee beleeves his sinnes as debts payed and cancelled saith he What ere ever he come to Christ in the Spirit of adoption hee beleeveth remission that is hee putteth on the wedding garment first and then commeth to Christ who onely must give him fine lyning the righteousnesse of the Saints So Saltmarsh maketh him first a washen man for so he must be if he first beleeve Sonne-ship and then come to Christ the fountaine to bee washt he first getteth money and bread and wine and milke for he first beleeveth his Sonne-ship and pardon and then he commeth in the Spitit of adoption to Christs waters his wine and milke to his fatnesse and bread without money that this is Saltmarsh's method is cleare for the title of the Chapter is We must come before God as having put on Christ first not as sinners and unrighteous 2. His words are cleare in the first place saith he He beleeves Sonne-ship and cancelled debts and now he comes and calles God Father and here begins all faith What when hee considered himselfe as a Sonne and all his debts cancelled had he no faith Saltmarsh is affraid if the sinner stand a farre off and looke to God with a rope about his necke that he bee hanged and accursed eternally 3. So Crisp saith comming to Christ noteth no more dis-union nor distance betweene the commers and Christ then before they beleeve they are united and justified and also comming to Christ which we call beleeving is wholly passive as we say a Coach is come to towne when it came drawne with horses which is clearely as much as we are Christs and our sinnes pardoned and both these wee are to beleeve before ever wee come to God Shew a patterne for this preparation before we come to God 4. Others saith Saltmarsh meaning Protestant Divines Dare not beleeve till upon termes of humiliation sorrow for sinne works of righteousnesse they have a price and satisfaction to come with and in way of compounding and bargaining they deale with God c. This is a forged calumnie of Saltmarshes not our doctrine some carnally minded men thinke they dare not goe to Christ because they have not holynesse and enough of preparations to merit saving grace so doe Pelagians Arminians for merit is naturall to us all this is the abuse of humiliation of sense of sin not humiliation it selfe but swelling Pharisaicall pride we forbid any to beleeve and come to Christ upon such termes but on the other hand Antinomians faile foulely on the other extremity through presumption which is as deepe naturally in our bones as merit and that is because some looke on all preparations such as humiliation sorrow for sinne as a price and hire to buy or compound for saving grace so they may have it at an easie rate therefore saith the Antinomian away with all preparation away with all humiliation all sinne-sickenesse for the Physitian Saltmarsh hath found a shorter cut to Christ let every Pharisie and proud undaunted heifer every Dragon and Dromedary that standeth on his tip-toes to justifie himselfe remaining wedded to his lusts without any humiliation or sense of sinne though as proud as a Pharisee and a Belzebub beleeve all his debts are payed and cancelled and come to Christ and there beginnes all faith hope confidence love liberty 5. We make humiliation sorrow for sinne no warrants no ground of beleeving no price at all land-marks we make them in order to beleeving and require the sinner to put the price of dogge on them have such preparations be humbled for sinne sorrow and in this order beleeve not for your humiliation nor for your sorrow Judas may have more then you and never beleeve therefore in point of merit or selfe-confiding forget all your preparations cast them away in your esteeme and cast your selfe on Christ but the Antinomian saith cast them away both in your esteeme and practise to have such preparations to sorrow for sinne and be humbled before you beleeve is to seeke righteousnesse in your selfe and not to submit to the righteousnesse of God 6 That is an often abused place Walke in the light of your owne sparks as if it were in sense if yee be humbled feele the burthen of sinne before yee beleeve and upon that ground beleeve yee shall lye downe in sorrow Yee may as soone bring
strict conversation and a care by doing to please God any personall walking with God is but a legall bargaining with God to out-buy Christ and evacuate free grace and a mixing of Law and Gospel and confounding of the two Covenants and of heaven and hell and presently upon this the party is as free of doubting till his dying day as if he were in heaven still in a merry pinne as if he were above the starres before the throne under no Law above all duties reades heares prayes none but when some immediate rapts of a living active God comes on him a dead passive block in Christ the Scripture either Law or Gospel is but a dead Letter hee is neither tyed nor awed with Law or Gospel Precept or Command nor preaching nor seales but is acted by a free Spirit an immediate light and speech of a Spirit above and beyond all outward word or Letter of old or new Testament except when the Spirit shall speake or apply them to the heart and then these Commandements tye the outer man and the flesh and then they bind not for any authority of the Law-giver but for the onely Gospel love of Christ as if Christ had put his Father out of office whereas Gospel-love commands obedience upon and for both the authority of the Lawgiver and the love of Christ and when this convert falleth in Adultery murther swearing lying robbing 1. It is not he but the flesh and sense and the outward man that doth these 2. They were remitted and made no sinnes and hee as cleane as Christ from them before they bee committed 3. The Law hath no more to doe with him then the persuer saith Saltmarsh hath to doe with the murtherer who hath fled to the citie of refuge But Saltmarsh's Legall convert he meaneth all not converted the Antinomian way is not our convert as he dreameth 1. Because we look not at conversion meerly as a change in affection and conversation without Christ Faith and saving grace 2. Antinomians make all the change in conversion to be meerely imputative to beleeve that Christ was converted and repents for us and to regard no inward change 3. It is false that Saltmarsh saith That pressing of meere commands from the word may worke a Legall change of affection and conversation For if by meere commands from the Word he meane 1. commands without the Spirit that is such as are written and preached Gospel or Law that of themselves want all grace and joyning of the Spirit Then sure Cicero and Seneca their meere words without God cannot change a Zeno a Xenephon from debauched slagitious men into white civeâ—l Moralists without some Spirit if he meane that the Gospel-letter as a Letter can doe more then the Law-letter without the Spirit he is much deceived for words as words whether of Law or Gospel without God can work no change But Saltmarsh if I mistake not hath a third meaning that meere commands from the authority of God the Law-giver can worke but a Legall and counterfeit conversion this is most false We have a grave controversie with Papists touching the formall object of Divine Faith Whether it bee the testimony of the Church as Papists say or the authority of God speaking in his Word as we teach Now we hold that the testimony of the Church is but the testimony of men and can produce but an humane faith not a Divine but the testimonie of God himselfe speaking in the Scriptures can onely beget a supernaturall and divine faith when the Holy Ghost followeth the Word and rendereth it lively If then we beleeve divine truths and Scripturall commands because so saith the Lord in his Word either Law or Gospel this is a divine and supernaturall faith so to beleeve upon Gods meere commands as Law-giver not because naturall reason so dictateth nor because the Church or man so saith nor because the times favour the Gospel as the seed is received with a sort of beliefe that falleth on stony ground is divine Faith and is not contrary but sweetly complyeth with faith grounded upon the love of Christ and wrought by the grace of God in the Gospel Antinomians dreame that these two are contrary when they are not so 4. It s most false that the Law is in the heart before hand by nature so as wee beleeve it naturally for the authority of the Law-giver for so naturall faith of the Law should fight with naturall unbeliefe and deepe security to laugh and sleepe sound under the curse of God Wee naturally know much of the Law but we have not a Legall faith to beleeve because so saith the Law-giver by nature 5. It s false also that Nature can propound to it selfe life eternall as its end as Saltmarsh saith Balaam could not desire it farre lesse intend it hee onely wished the end of the just 2. The end must bee the last end subordinate to Gods glory Antinomians are Pelagians and poore friends to free grace as I noted before for when salvation is the end all meanes are gone about when the end is intended that may conduce to that end all meanes that may crosse the obtaining thereof eschewed Now naturall Legall converts cannot goe about all for salvation and in reference to it its cleare when gold is a mans end as in the covetous pleasure the end in the voluptuous honour the end in the ambitious if all acts about the meanes or that may thwart the attaining of the end bow not to this end it s not so in Legall converts 3. When the end is attained but in hope and assurance the minde is satisfied and quieted Legall converts are not so satisfied 4. Legall converts order salvation to and for themselves and the happinesse of it not the holinesse to please themselves not to honour God because heaven is a Honey-combe that very Nature beleeving an eternity desires to sucke 5. Severe and strict walking in our sense is walking in all duties by the light and conduct of saving grace and the faith of the elect of God which wee contend for against most Antinomians who are but loose livers and cannot fall on a Legall convert CHAP. LXVIII How the Spirit worketh freely in the Antinomian way SAltmarsh boldly goeth on to hold forth When the Spirit of adoption works not freely but servilly and legally Object 1. When men put something of satisfaction on any performance as if God were prevailed with by any thing of their owne Answ. Satisfaction to revenging justice or of merit or of perfect obedience to the Law in our performances we disclaim or that we prevaile with God by any thing of our owne as if our performances were causes of turning God were any thing without the grace of Christ and his merits but for prevailing with God to obtaine a blessing by prayer and teares we say it with the Scripture Hos. 12.3 Jaakob by his strength had power with God yea hee had power over
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
the heart spoken of Jer. 31.33 is the very new heart and the Spirit or the heart of flesh Ezech. 36.26 27. the circumcised heart Deut. 30.6 the new creature the Lord Jesus formed in the heart by Faith Gal. 4.19 Ephes. 3.17 it is not any meanes or cause or author of the new heart but it is the new heart it selfe formed by the Holy Ghost as the Author and Father of the second birth by the Word written conveyed by preaching to the soule Now except Del would say Christ onely worketh inward reformation by inward reformation onely for this inward word is inward reformation he cannot make sense of this inward word excluding the Law and outward Word both of Law and Gospel as he doth For nothing can bee more false then that the Word whereby Christ reformes is not the Word without us as the Word of the Law is but the Word within us For I find great ignorance if not worse in Familists and Antinomians in this Saltmarsh saith The Spirit worketh Legally and not freely when men doe things as meerely commanded from the power of an outward Commandement or precept in the Word he meaneth in the written Scripture For saith hee that bringeth forth but a Legall or at best but a mixt obedience and service and a finer hypocrisie and when they doe because of some vow or covenant when they take any outward thing to move them rather then apply Christ for strength life and Spirit For it is the outward Word onely in its kind that is the sole and onely objective cause as wee see colours onely because they are colours and the Light of the day-light-Sun onely because it is light and nothing else can be the object of the sense of seeing but light and colours and we onely heare sounds meerely because they are sounds and smell things odoriferous and smellable because they cast a smell and onely taste meats meerely and formally because they are sweet sowre bitter sharpe or some way good or ill to the taste Now life or the faculty of seeing hearing smelling tasting are in no sort the object of seeing hearing smelling tasting Just so when wee doe meerely for the Word in the Prophets and Psalmes without us and but of conscience and meerely as commanded from the power of an outward Commandement or Precept I adde or a Gospel-promise written in the Word then we obey God in a free filiall Gospel-way out of meere conscience to an outward Command as the onely objective ground warrant and rule of our obedience what ever Papists on the one extremity say for an unwritten Word of God and Enthysiasts on the other hand for a Word within or a Spirit acting and obliging as their onely rule excluding the Law and Gospel because they are Letters and written and Scripture and a Word without as the onely objective ground and warrant of Divine Faith was in the Prophets time Thus saith the Lord. And in Christ and the Apostles time According as it is written in the Prophets in the Scriptures So Christ Luk. 24.26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory Vers. 27. And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets hee expounded unto them all the Scriptures the things concerning himselfe Vers. 45. Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures and said unto them thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and rise from the dead the third day and remission of sinnes should be preached in his name among the Nations Then Christ would have beleeving and repentance Preached and commanded for no warrant and objective ground but because the Word without the Commandement or Precept in the Word commandeth it and this Satan cannot call finener hypocrisie So Revel 2.11 Hee that hath an eare to heare an inward and renewed a circumcised eare and heart Let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches this Spirit speaking to the Churches is not an inward word or a regenerating Spirit in the heart of beleevers in these seven Churches Antinomians pervert the Word of God so But it is the Holy Ghost speaking in the Word without the written preached and externall Epistles that the Spirit sent to these seven Churches and so the onely meane of Abrahams obedience to sacrifice his onely sonne Isaak and the onely warrant for his faith was the Commandement of God and a Word without Goe now take thy sonne thy onely sonne Isaak and offer him to me Many other things naturall reason a seeming contrary word that he should be the sonne of Promise seeme to command the contrary but Abrahams faith appeared in this that he closed his eyes at all Commandements and carnall inhibitions of nature on the contrary and meerely for an externall command of God as the sole and onely objective warrant and formall object of his faith and of his obedience without because God so commanded he obeyed and so are wee to obey and beleeve upon no objective cause warrant or ground but the written or preached Precept or promise of the Gospel or Covenant of grace that is a word without us and the onely meane of faith and inward reformation and this Word is written as the Law is in the Scriptures and layeth an authoritative binding power on our conscience to obey God for his onely Word as the Law doth But it is not the onely Word that is the efficient and effectually working cause of our obedience if the Spirit of grace doe not concurre with both the written and preached Law and written and preached Gospel and covenant of grace wee cannot obey Antinomians make obedience for the outward written command as the onely objective cause and warrant of our faith and obedience through the effectuall working of the Spirit two contrary obediences imagining that the former is Literall Legall and finer hypocrisie and the latter the onely true obedience A grosse mistake 1. Because none can sincerely obey meerly from the power of an outward command or precept in the Word but the man whose eares the Lord circumciseth Deut. 30.6 Revel 2.11 and whose understanding Christ openeth to understand the Word without Luk. 24.45 and therefore the Word without is the onely meanes of inward reformation 2. The Letter of the Covenant of grace holdeth forth the inward grace signified and cannot bee contrary to the inward Word in the heart for the Holy Ghost as the principall efficient causeth us to obey for conscience of the command written and preached in the Gospel which is belâ—eve in the Lord Jesus or the written promise he that beleeveth shall be pardoned and saved And to say they are contrary is as good sense as to say light and colours because they are without us they are therefore contrary to life and the visive faculty of seeing within us or that sounds or sweet smelling flowers without because they are without must be contrary to the naturall faculty and sense of hearing and smelling
within And its true the onely naked Letter without the Spirit can doe nothing without the Spirit but it followeth not that the Spirit renewes without the sense of the Letter received in the understanding And most false it is that in the Gospel the Word and the Spirit are alwaies joyned as Del saith for then all hearing the Gospel should belong to the converted and saved onely whereas the Scripture saith the contrary for many are hardned and heard the Gospel without faith damneth eternally the hearers as well as the Law It is as wild Libertinisme that Del speaketh That the Spirit reformeth by taking all evils out of the flesh he meaneth in Justification as if we were Angels being once justified and the evill of sinne dwelt not in us while we are in this body as is proved before And its wild stuffe that the Spirit doth change the flesh into its owne likenesse for saith he dreaming awake the Spirit is as fire that changeth every thing into it selfe and so doth the Spirit in the flesh make the flesh spirituall But Master Del what meane you by flesh The corruption of sinnefull nature then is sinne made Spirituall heavenly holy meeke good loving c. Familists and Libertines thanke you for that but sinne is destroyed as yourself grant 2. Doe you meane by flesh the body Then belike justification turneth our bodies into Spirits and wee have two bodies as Familists said in New England I cannot like that 3. If by flesh you meane the soule yee speake as Hereticks doe and that without Scripture or example The Spirit dwelleth in our flesh that is in our soule and spirit and changeth our spirit in a spirit strange Divinity Familists I know say As we came from Gods essence so wee and our soules returne to God and are made in God eternall and turned into his essence and so spiritualized so teach Libertines and by this they deny the Resurrection But 4. if by flesh you understand the sinnelesse frame of soule and body take heede of Libertines grosse dreame of our dying and returning to God who onely is and all beside him are nothing Theol. Germanica and the Bright Starre sport so with the truth of God CHAP. LXXXV Libertines and Antinomians come nigh to other in making God the author of sinne Paral. 16. LIbertines taught That all things fall out good or ill by the will of God and so that rebukes and exhortations should cease and that so we should pardon the sinnes one of another and beare the infirmities one of another For to the cleane all things are cleane and hee that is purged is altogether acceptable to God but let him beware that he be not an offence to his brother for it is written love thy neighbour neither desire to revenge and therefore said Pocquius the Libertine in his booke Rebuke not one another for sinne since its Gods will it should be so Bullinger tells us that in the yeare 1526. there were two brethren Thomas Schykerus and Leonard who were at a night-meeting having spent the night in Enthysiasticall conference with other Anabaptists Thomas commanding his brother Leonard to sit downe on his knees before him in the sight of his Parents and others who admonished him to doe nothing but what was to be done answered in the same Argument of Libertines nihil metuendum esse neque enim hic quicquam praeter voluntatem Patris fieri posse Nothing was to be feared because nothing here can be done beside the will of our heavenly Father and with a Sword he cut off his brothers head and having done this with shirt and hose onely he did runne through the Town and cryed The day of the Lord was come and the will of God is done and gall and vinegar drunke for which by the Magistrate he was justly put to death But Gods decree doth not excuse us from sinne nor remove necessitie of rebuking or holy and religious abstaining from sinne because Gods revealed will in his word not his secret and unsearchable decrees can be our rule of walking rebukes are also acts of love not of hatred or revenge The same course doe the Libertines and Familists of New England take For none say they are to bee exhorted to beleeve but such whom we know to be the elect of God or to have his Spirit in them effectually And we should not pray against that which cannot be avoided nor yet against all sinne The Antinomians come nigh to this For Doctor Crispe the Antinomian and Archer both disswade beleevers to be troubled or dismaied at sinne their reason holds good against all sinnes of unbeleevers also because its contrary to the care and providence of God and to Free grace whether of eternal election or of effectuall calling to feare for or sorrow at sinne Surely I should thinke then that sinne were not to be eschewed by the Saints nor to bee rebuked by any Wee are not to be troubled at or feare sinne because all changes by sinnes or sorrowes come from God Some Divines saith M. Archer aknowledge not so much of God in sinne as is in sinne and Gods will and pleasure is the wombe that conceived and whence springs every worke of the Creature whether it be good or bad Secondly saith he All things by sinne or sorrow which befall beleevers come from God by a decree powerfull yea even by that eternall love and counsell in and by which they were ordained to life eternall And by and through a covenant of grace made with them To the same purpose M. Del crying downe all outward Reformation saith Serm. pag. 13. I doubt not of the Churches Reformation because it is Christs own worke and he hath undertaken the doing of it and none of the powers of the earth can helpe him nor of the powers of hell can hinder him therefore he disswades the Parliament from building the Temple but so hee himselfe should preach none for Gods decrees none can hinder So Antinomians teach men are justified pardoned and saved before they beleeve without faith upon this ground that they were elected absolutely to glory as if God had ordained them for the end but the meanes might miscary and as if unbeliefe could not hinder them or as if through unbeliefe many could not enter into their rest of glory or as if sinne were an indifferent thing simply depending on the will of God in whose wombe M. Archer thinketh it was conceived CHAP. LXXXVI Libertines and Antinomians would have us doe nothing because God doth all Paral. XVII LIbertines said All that are without God are nothing all that wee doe or know is but vanity therefore are we to deny our selves this they said inferring we may live as we list and doe nothing but beleeve that God workes all our works in us and for us and impute all things to God
regeneration is not said to worke with the word but a more common operation of God there is which begetteth literall knowledge or some higher illumination 2 the Spirit worketh with the word so as in one and the same act the Spirit opens the heart to heare and receave what is carryed along in the letter of the word and so the Spirit worketh mediately not immediately 6 How in the infusion of the new heart and of the habit of the grace of God in which we are meere patients and put forth no cooperation with God more then the dead doth to quicken it selfe Ephes. 2.1 2. and the withered ground to receave the raine I see not Esai 44.3 4. in regard that though the word goe before and the word may be preached in the meane time yet the act of infusion of the new heart is no morall action of God but as it were physicall and it is a reall action receaved by us by no subordinate literall action or morall apprehension of the minde or act of the will and therefore in this formall act of infusion what the word doth but by way of disposition or preparing I must professe my ignorance though it be most true that faith commeth by hearing and in the very mean time Act. 10.44 whilst Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fel on them which heard the word Then if conversion be taken in congregato vel concreto in the humbling selfe disparing of a sinner and all preparatory acts going before the infused life of Christ and in the first operations flowing from this infused life the word is an instrument of conversion but I cannot see how it is any active or morall instrument in the soules lying under the Lords act of infusion of the life of Christ except yee call it a passive instrument because it perswades not the soule to receeve the new life nor is the soule being a meere patient an apprehending knowing choosing or consenting faculty under this action of omnipotency while the Lord powres in a new heart It is true the word is thus farre the instrument that the Spirit worketh in us the same habit of new life and the same Spirit of grace and supplication that is promised in the word Esa. 44.3 4. Zach. 12.10 Ezeck 36.26 27. and the same Spirit that the Scripture saith Christ by his merits purchased Ioh. 1.16 17 18. Ioh. 12.32 Revel 1.5 Heb. 10.19 20 21 22. 1 Conclusion The word preached is that meane that instrumentally concurreth with the Spirit for begetting of faith Rom. 10.14.17 faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God and that he speaketh of the externall and not of the substantiall increated and internall word is cleare ver 14 15 16. he speaketh of such a word as a sent preacher carrieth 2. such glad tydings as messengers on the mountaines bring which is not the Spirit of faith to all that the messengers are sent to 3 It is such a word as he calleth ver 16. a report Now this is not an inward substantiall report or word because all that heareth the father to them the Spirit makes an inward report they come to Christ and beleeve the report Ioh. 6.45 But few or none beleeve this report ver 16. Who hath beleeved our report 1 Cor. 1.23 25. But we preach Christ crucified to the Iewes a stumbling blocke to the Greekes foolishnesse But unto them that are called both of Iewes and Greekes Christ the power of God and the wisdome of God then the word externally preached is instrumentally the power of Goâ— and that he speaketh of externall preaching not of the substantiall word or Spirit himselfe is cleare 1 Because the Spirit internally preached is received as the power of God Esay 59 19 20. And a God teaching Spirit but this word of it selfe is not such a Spirit 1 Because the Apostles preach it Men such as the Apostles were doe speake or preach of Christ and of the Spirit but they cannot preach or effectually inpreach to speake so Christ and the Spirit to the hearers for then should they give the Holy Spirit to al those they preach to which both is against scripture and experience Act. 12. Act. 14. Act. 17. and is blasphemous for God onely giveth the Holy Ghost 2 Because the internall and substantiall word preached to the eares internally is effectuall conversion but this preached Christ must be externally preached onely to some to Iewes and Greekes who stumble at Christ and beleeve not 1 Pet. 2. And the same is proved by 2 Cor. 2.15 Wee are unto God preaching the Gospell v. 14 a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish to the one wee are the savour of death unto death to the other the savour of life unto life Now the internall substantiall word is to none a savour of death 1 Thes. 2.13 For this cause also thanke we God without ceasing because when yee received the word of God which yee heard of us yee received it noâ— as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that beleeve That is 1 The externall word which yee heard of us 2 It is the instrument of the Spirit Yee received it not as the word of men but as it is indeed the word of God 3 It s not the internall word for it was not received of all that heard it for ver 14 15 16. the Iewes that heard it received it not 2 Conclusion The word preached of it selfe is not a dead letter as Swenckfeldians say with Antinomians Paul calleth the Law a dead Letter Because it teacheth what we should doe but promiseth not the Spirit of Grace to obey as the Gospell doth And punit delinquentes punisheth eternally delinâ—uâ—â—ts saith Chrysost 2 Cor. 3. hom 7. and Oecumenius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylact saith the same Augustine saith the Law makes us know not eschew sinne and the Gospell is not a dead letter of it selfe even as the Letter of it is voyd of the Spirit except by accident in the same sense that it is the savour of death unto death and a rocke of offence to those that stumble at the word But is not may some say the law also by accident and through our sinfull condition a condemning letter aswell as the Gospell and so both because they are externall and literall must be a dead letter I answer not so because the Gospell in the letter and literall sense ofâ—ereth a way or meanes of reconciliation to thoâ—e that beleeve but the Law as the Law in no sense can either offer or give life but in regard that all have sinned the proper use of the Law to all under the Law is to give out a sentence of condemnation in the very externall and literall sense of it If the Law lead as a Paedagogne any to Christ that is now by a
doth not much busie it selfe about outward formes and externall conformitie but only minds the reforming of the heart and when the heart is right with God the outward forme cannot be amisse and therefore saith Christ touching the worship of the New Testament God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth but speaks not one word of any outward forme So that God in the Gospel-reformation aimes at nothing but the heart p. 6. Swenckfeld ascribeth something more to the ministrie of the word God sayeth he deales externally with the flesh and outward man by the letter of the word or by preaching or by signes or seales But Del is so much for this spirit that he will have the gospel to mind only the reforming of the heart and to aime at nothing but the heart So these foule consequences must follow hence 1 The Gospel cares nothing for outward duties or outward worship all externalls must be left free and indifferent to bow to Idols or not to bow to murther or not to murther which is the false charge that the Councell of Trent puts on us the falsest calumnie the Devill can devise that in the Gospell except faith all other things are indifferent and neither commanded nor forbidden 2 Conseq The Apostles and Elders Act. 15. in forbidding fornication and uncleannesse minded no Gospell reformation such as Del pleaded for 3 Conseq Davids heart was right and Peters also in the maine when the one committed adultery and treacherous murther and the other denyed his Lord then shall murther and denyall of Christ before men be things indifferent for Gospell-reformation mindes onely the reforming of the heart and when the heart is right with God as was Davids whose heart was according to the heart of God long ere he fell in these sinnes 1 Sam. 13.14 and Peters heart Mat. 16.17 the outward forme cannot be amisse then outward practises of adultery and treacherous murther and denying of Christ with oathes were not amisse Old Anabaptists called Fratres liberi and Nicodemites come and learn at M. Del to keepe the heart right and violate all the ten Commandements your false worships your lying whoring couzening c. cannot be amisse your Gospel needs not busie it selfe with these formes For saith he What Christ speakes not one word of in the N. Testament worship Ioh. 4 that hath nothing to doe with Gospel-reformation I Assume But Christ speakes not one word of formes of right externall worship not adding Idoll worship bowing to Baal not one word of speaking or preaching as the Oracles of God as it is 1 Pet. 4.11 nor of consenting to the wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine that is according to Godlinesse 1 Tim. 6.3 nor speaketh Christ one word Io. 4. to hold fast the forme of sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 Nor to obey from the heart that forme of sound doctrine once delivered Rom. 6.17 yea many say Christ speaks in that place Ioh. 4. not one word of faith love feare hope of preaching hearing praying praysing or of any worship either externall or internall but onely of the manner and sincerity of worship then by Dels arguing there should be no externall worship under the Gospell yea more Reformation in worship is but the halfe of reformation Christ there speakes not one word of the other halfe of reformation of the duties of the second table of love mercy righteousnesse sobriety not killing not whoring not couzening and oppressing the widdow the Orphan as Antinomians doe then Gospel-reformation aiming onely at the heart cares nothing for any of these 4 The power wisedome and righteousnesse of men have no place in Gospel reformation because saith M. Del it is the hautinesse and loftinesse of men that must be layd in the dust in the day of reformation pag. 12 13. Now the power of preaching the Gospell and the Keyes of the Kingdome to shut and open to proclaime ministerially the remitting and reteining of sinnes are the onely meanes on mans part to reforme the Church the word preached by sinfull men is the cheife meanes now these are not pride and hautinesse because Christ giveth these to men Mat. 16 18 19. Ioh. 20 21. 2 Cor. 5.18 19. 2 Cor. 10.5 2 Cor. 4.7 Ephes. 4.11 12. 1 Cor. 12.28 But hee giveth not pride and hautinesse nor infuseth he these into any they are from that evill one Satan 5 It is true M. Del in words saith it is the word that onely reformes not the power of the world nor the sword But he knoweth in his conscience we plead not for the sword to reforme The sword was never sanctified of God to turne a soule to Christ but when an Elimas perverts â—oules and the Gospell we hold the sword should be drawen against him that he pervert no more But this word that workes Gospel-reformation is yet the internall and substantiall word of Swenckfeld of all the Eâ—thysiasts for he saith page 17.1 This word is not the Law but the Gospell so say all the Enthysiasts now if Enthysiasts meane that onely the Law is made by us the meanes of conversion excluding the Gospell their conscience beare them witnesse that that is a calumnie the Law it alone makes none perfect and converts not any nor speakes it one word of Christ But if they meane that the Law is wholly excluded from the worke of conversion at all as they teach Then 1 The Law ought not to be taught at all in the Church But Christ and his Apostles taught the law and the Gospell both But what use hath the teaching of that at all that hath no influence in the conversion of sinners 2 That by which is the knowledge of sinne and our sicknesse and is a paedagogne to lead us to Christ is not wholly excluded from being a meanes of our comming to the Physitian but such is the Law Rom. 3.20 Gal. 3.23 24. 3 That which lets us see our condemnation and that we have ground of selfe dispaire and stoppeth our mouthes as guilty before God that which lets us see our debts and that we are drowned and broken for this end that we may flee to Christ our rich surety that which closeth us under sinne that God may shew mercy that is a meanes of our conversion But such is the Law Rom. 3.19 Rom. 8.2 3. Rom. 11.32 Gal. 3 22. 2 Del and his Antinomians meane no other thing by the word but what Swenckefeld meanes to wit the internall and substantiall Word heare him then speake with the mouth and tongue of Swenckefeld ser pag. 18. So that the word whereby Christ reformes is not the word without us as the word of the law is but the word within us as it is written the word is nigh theâ— c. if thou live under the word many yeares if it come not to thy heart it will never change thee nor reforme thee 2 he adde pag. 19.
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
beleevâ— shall be saved is certainly knowen by the light of Scripture when the Spirit is pleased to open the eyes to cause us to see and beleeve savingly this trueth But this assumption But I beleeve Is proven not by the shining light of Scripture but in the kind of reflect knowledge that is cleare by the light of the spirit reflect knowledge I take is the immediate birth of the Spirit in so farre as it is reflect for when it is to bee proven by discourse and another syllogisme thus He that loveth the bretheâ—â— beleeveth But I love the brethren ergo I beleeve The assumption which is not ever cleare but often needeth an higher proofe must either bee made good by another Scripture and so in infinite or ye must come to some immediate light comming only from the spirit ye cannot go in infinite for ye leave the soul in that case in perpetuall doubting and therfore some immediate light there must be to discerne such a thing as this which is not knowen by the light of nature for the object is supernaturall and the light of Scripture doth not serve the turne if we speake of a reflect knowledge on which the conscience doeth rest without any further proofe because the scripture prooveth not to you that either you such a man by name beleeveth or that the characters of beleiving to wit that you John Anna by name love the brethren that you know him because you keepe his commandments more than it doeth evidence the same to any other by name and so except your name were in Scripture nothing can be proven by light of Scripture as touching the truth and evident and cleare reflect knowledge of the assumption But I beleeve except you say a major proposition can prove an assumption and make this a good consequence all that beleeve are saved ergo John and Anna are saved which is no good consequence can not settle the conscience or that this is a strong consequence these that keepe his commandements those that love the Brtheren know Christ savingly and are translated from life to death ergo I John Anna we are by name such as know Christ savingly and are translated from death to life either must the assumption I John Anna we are such as keepe his commandements and love the Brethren be proven by Scripture which is unpossible except your name were there or then by sense and the immediate light of the Spirit But the truth is from the book of nature yee may prove all that have life and perfect eyes see and discerne colours but except it be in the booke of nature that John Anna have life and perfect eyes or except by your owne immediate light of sense and life yea prove that John Anna have life and eyes ye cannot make good that John Anna doe see and discerne colours if they shall thereof doubt 2. Our Divines upon warrantable grounds of Scripture say as I know he that beleeveth shall be saved by light of Scripture and I know that I beleeve by the testimony of an inlightned conscience so I know that I see colours both from the shining of the Sun and from my owne sense convincing me even so I know by Scripture and Cain knoweth he that hates and maliciously killeth his brother Abel is condemned But that Cain may know he hateth and malitiously killeth his brother Abel he needeth not to have it proved to him by Scripture his owne conscience can prove it 7. If then the question be whether or no the Saints doe so grow in knowledge that they must ever leave place for new light from the Spirit I answer in the sense the Sectaries intend it is most false for John Paul and the Saints know and are perswaded that Christ God man dyed for sinners rose for our righteousnesse justifieth the ungodly that beleeve c. other manifest Scripturall truths not fundamentall as that there were eight persons saved from drowning in the arke so as it is blasphemous to say they leave place to a new light of the Spirit to beleeve the contrary of these to wit that Christ God-man dyed not for sinners as Familists teach and that he rose not for our righteousnesse that he justifieth not the ungodly that beleeve in him and that there were not eight persons but only two saved in the arke For this were 1. To lose the old true light to get a new false light 2. This were to subvert all certainty of faith and to doubt of all we beleeve 3. This were to make the Spirit of truth the doctor and teacher of lyes and untruth for of two contradictory truths the one must be false but God is light and truth and there is no darknesse in him and so the Spirit cannot teach two contradictorie wayes If we make the question whether are we to know and learne so by the Spirit that we must grow in knowledge and light of old truths to know them more distinctly and with a higher measure of farther knowledge which is new not in nature but in degrees we acknowledge in this sense new light because there are new consequences and deductions of the Spirit from the old truths implicitely and more darkly known which were not so distinctly knowne before and so after ages hath more light then former ages and that because 1. The least of the Kingdome of God is greater in regard of saving light then John Baptist the greatest of Prophets 2. Under the N. Testament it s said they shall not teach one another but they shall be all taught of God Jer. 31.34 Esa. 54.11 which was fulfilled in part in Johns time and when the Apostle wrote to the Hebrews 1 Ioh. 2.27 Heb. 8.10 and the Spirit is to be powred on all flesh as was prophesied Ioel 2.28 29. and fulfilled Acts 2. when the Holy Ghost was sent downe as Peter saith but I judge though the day began then yet it was but the morning dawning of the Christian Summer season that is to endure to the end of the world and therefore I crave leave to doubt if these Prophesies bee fully and compleatly accomplished Esay 2.1.2 as touching the peace that shall be under the Messiahs Kingdome or that which is Esay 11.6 7 8. especially that v. 9. For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea and that of Isaiah ch 30.18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25. and that v. 26. Moreover the light of the Moone shall be as the light of the Sunne and the light of the Sunne shall be seven-fold as the light of seven dayes in the day that the Lord hindeth up the breach of his people and healeth the stroake of their wound and that of Isaiaâ— ch 54. and ch 60. c. 61. c. 62. and of divers other glorious Prophesies which I humbly conceive God shall fulfill at the incomming of the Jews to their Messiah at that resurrection from the dead
the state of justification a state of sinnelesse and absolute perfection and of compleat sanctification to which nothing can be added which is not possible in this life and then we should yeeld a scepter of highest royalty to faith 3. If the Law of Faith did free us from the Law as a rule of righteousnesse good works were not our convoy and friends to accompany us to heaven CHAP. XXV The Antinomians ground that God seeth no sinne in the justified refuted WEe judge it abominable to say that God can seen no Adultery no lying no blasphemy no cousening in beleevers though they doe fall in such enormities It is true he seeth no sins in beleevers as a just Judge to condemne them therefore but will Antinomians who deny that the Jewes under the Old testament and first covenant had a compleat and full pardon of all their sinnes say the Jaakob of God with whom God was in covenant in Balaams time and therefore that false Prophet could not be able to use enchauntment against them were capable of such a compleat remission as that God could see no iniquity in them God then must see some iniquity in Jaakob and no iniquity in Jaakob But sure God must as God that knoweth all things and as a Father see all the sinnes that justified persons commit But Antinomians deny that the sinnes of beleevers committed after they are justified are sinnes at all and so God cannot see them to be sins which are not sinnes but so we cannot see sinne in our selves except by the sight of unbeliefe which is a false sight And that is their meaning which I prove Because saith Eaton of that which is not there is no temporall punishment correction or paine forgiven sinne is not or hath no being before God Joh. 1.29 Therefore of forgiven sinne there is no punishment I assume But Davids Adultery Peters deniall all the sinnes that the justified yea of all the elect are say Antinomians pardoned and remitted before they be committed and taken away on the Crosse by Christs bloud then the sinnes committed by justified persons are no sinnes 2. To faith there is no sin saith Towne 3. There is no sinne under the raigne of faith 4. Nothing remaineth in a justified person that is sinne But that God seeth sinne in the justified though not as a Judge to condemne them for sinne is cleare 1. Hee seeth the thoughts a-farre off and knoweth all things and so must know evill and sinnefull thoughts 2. He forbiddeth Davids Adultery in the 7. Command and Peters deniall of his Lord in the 3. Command even after they are justified persons except David because justified have a dispensation to sinne under the Gospel contrary to the Word 3. The Lord rebuketh sinnes in the justified in David in Peter Get thee behind me Sathan 4. The Lord punisheth sinnes in the justified 5. He is displeased with them doe yee provoke the Lord to jealousie But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. Sure not so as to condemne David eternally then there must be in God another displeasure for sinne by which he must see it as sinne then his everlasting displeasure 6. The Lord recordeth the sinnes of justified persons in his Word as of Moses David Peter John 7. He hateth them 8. Giveth his Saints grace to see and bewaile them 9. Directeth them as sinnes to his owne glory which hee could not doe if he saw them not as sinnes committed by his elect to manifest the glory and riches of his free grace CHAP. XXVI Confession required in the beleever TO confesse sinne in the justified cannot be a worke of unbeliefe I have sinned saith David 2. And forgivenesse is promised to the sinnes confessed by beleevers nor can it bee said that the justified may confesse their sinnes committed before their effectuall calling as Paul doth or that the Church may confesse their sinnes according to the unjustified and unregenerated number that are mixed with the visible Church because these truely as they make one visible body with the justified have sinned To which I answer 1. By the Antinomian grounds Pauls sinnes which he confesseth 1 Tim. 1.13 14 15. were pardoned before they were committed and so taken away as if they were no sinnes before they can be named blasphemy or persecution and so Paul must lye in calling himselfe the chiefe of sinners for hee could never truly say to God he was a sinner pardoned sinnes to Antinomians are no sinnes 2. Antinomians must say there were not one elect nor regenerated of that part of the Church of which Moses speaketh and Esaiah Daniel Jeremiah when the Church saith Thou hast set our sinnes in the light of thy countenance and our trangressions are multiplied before thee and our sinnes testifie against us which Antinomians can never prove and is a meere conjecture and manifestly false for that company confesseth Psalm 90. Who had God their God from everlasting to everlasting Vers. 2. and that saith Esai 64.8 But now ô Lord thou art our Father and who acknowledgeth God to be their hope and Saviour Jer. 14.8 Nor is it confession that we have sinned as Crispe saith to acknowledge that Christ hath satisfied for our sinnes 1. Because confession is an acknowledging what wee have done against the law of God that is to acknowledge not what we have done against the Law or what we are but what Christ hath suffered according to the Law and will of God 2. Confession is an act of sorrow expressed in words But that is an act of Faith flowing from joy and assurance that Christ hath dyed for our sinnes CHAP. XXVII The Law is yet to be preached to beleevers THe Law is yet to be preached as tying us to personall obedience whatever Antinomians say on the contrary in the covenant of works personall and perfect obedience was craved Antinomians judge that by the Gospel Christ hath done all for us which is most true in the kinde of a meritorious and deserving cause satisfying justice but they doe loose us from all personall duties or doing our selves or in our own persons so as we should be obliged to doe except we would sinne We thinke the same Law-obligation but running in a Gospel-channel of Free-grace should act us now as if we were under a covenant of works but not as if the one were Law-debt and the other wages that we sweat for and commeth by Law-debt Antinomians make all duties a matter of courtesie Yet would we wish 1. Preachers to extoll Christ and study Christ as their dayly Text and heighten free-grace 2. Preach Christ the garland crowne and floure of all duties 3. Presse duties as taking their rise from Gospel-grace and running as in a channell of free grace and into Christs bosome 4. Let people often know doing is no merit 5. That selfe-righteousnesse is
is not imputed to us yet it is in sanctification and acting of holy duties as in the effect in that there is no guile in the Spirit that we are undefiled in our way and are poore in Spirit meeke that wee mourne hunger and thirst for Christ c. 2. We should not oppose Antinomians if they meane nothing but that Christ is the seed floure and Mother-blessing and that our chief blessednesse is in being freely justified in his bloud 2. If their sense be that all blessednesse in acts of Sanctification doe so farre render us blessed as they flow from the free grace of Christ and as we bring forth fruits to God being imped and ingraffed in Christ as a branch of wild Olive is blessed not because it is such a crabbed and fruitlesse branch but because it is ingraffed in the true Olive and partaketh of the sweetnesse life and sappe thereof and from thence bringeth forth fruit but we know Antinomians doe reproch acts of Sanctification as Pharisaicall Poperie 2. That they call so walking selfe-seeking of righteousnesse in our selves which to us is a cursed not a blessed condition and 3. they cannot endure that holy walking should be any thing but a matter of courtesie commanded by no Law nor by any written Gospel-command but a fruit of the immediate acting of the Spirit 4. They censure us for ascribing blessednesse to any acts of Sanctification whereas we say with our Saviour if we know these things happy are we if we doe them they that heare the word of God and doe it are more blessed then the womb that bare Christ and they are blessed who doe his Commandements that keepe judgement that keepe his testimonies that keepe the waies of wisdome that suffer for Christ all which we judge inconsistent with that which Crispe saith that Sanctification is not a jot of the way to heaven CHAP. XXLIII Sanctification crushed by Antinomians ANtinomians while they cleare themselves further then we can see in their writings must be judged grand enemies to Sanctification 1. They confound Sanctification and inherent holynesse which undoubtedly is unperfect and in this life growing more and more into the perfect day with Justification which is perfect for nothing can be added to Christs righteousnesse yea they destroy and utterly cry downe all Sanctification For 1. Towne saith The new birth Joh. 3.3 is our justification or the making of us of unjust just and every true Christian is a fulfiller of the Law It s true in regard of justification but in regard of the inherent new life of grace which is put in us in this life we cannot fulfill the Law except we be justified by regeneration and our owne works done by the grace of Christ which Antinomians will not say therefore all our inherent holynesse to Antinomians must be nothing at all but the imputed righteousnesse of Christ so wee have fulfilled the Law perfectly as Christ hath done and are regenerated though there be no inherent holynesse in us nor any walking with God at all 2. They teach That justification healeth the children of God of the imperfections of Sanctification from before God and that justification alone giveth to our good works both beauty and acceptance so as they are made perfect and free from sinne adherent to or inherent in them and both our persons and works made so compleat that there is no blot of sinne in them nor any in-dwelling of originall corruption that hath the being or essence of sinne Yea M. Eaton saith on these words But now yee are washed c. What can be more plaine then that the time state and condition wherein they were foule and sinnefull was past and gone but the time state and condition wherein they were washed and made righteous to God-ward by justification and also to man-ward by Sanctification was onely present and biding for ever But Eaton Crispe Saltmarsh Denne Towne and all Antinomians contend that there dwelleth no spot of sinne nothing contrary to the holy Law of God in the Saints once justified no more then in Christ himselfe or the glorified in heaven then must our Sanctification be all one with our Justification and as this is perfect so is that and what wonder the Adulteries of the justified their perjuries and lyes committed after their justification be no sinnes nor they more capable of sinning in that case then Iesus Christ for pardoned sinne saith Eaton Honey-combe cap. 7. pag. 139. is not or hath no being before God Antinomians answer Before they be pardoned they are sinnes and their Adulteries are truely then contrary to Gods Law Answ. They were pardoned before they had being or were committed sixteene hundred yeares agoe on the Crosse then were all the elect justified sure all these sixteene hundred yeares the elect could no more sinne before God or doe any acts against a Law then Christ or the glorified Angels not to say that Adulteries of the justified had being before they were committed and had no beeiâ—g when they are committed and have being they have then no being this is to say sinnes are not when they are and have being when they have none at all God must take away common sense and bereave them of reason who detaine the truth of God in unrighteousnesse But if sin be against Sanctification as Fornication is directly yea and a fashioning of our selves according to our former lusts is as contrary to Sanctification by Peters arguing and Pauls as light is to darkenesse and day to night then the Saints Sanctification must be imperfect and farre different from justification and to walke in Sanctification to repent to obey God must be another thing then to beleeve Christ walked for me in Sanctification Christ repented and obeyed for me 3. Sanctification to Antinomians is not our personall walking in holinesse before God because walking in the flesh and sinning Adulteries lying swearing deceiving in justified persons which are opposite to sanctification are not sinnes before God but onely sinnes to our sense and to our reason and experience or to our feeling to our flesh or men-ward or they seeme sinnes to the world but are not to God in his account and in the apprehension of faith which seeth things as they are sinnes at all Now things that seeme to be and appeare so to our unbeliefe and misapprehending sense are not so in themselves so both our sinnes we being once justified and our acts of sanctification upon the same ground must be meere fansies and delusions and if we judge our lies and murthers after we are once justified to be sinnes it is our false apprehension They must then bee lying differences that M. Eaton tendreth betweene justification and sanctification Yea upon this ground the Libertines say if we see graces or sanctification in our selves we are not poore in
sinne 2. In the other extremity Saltmarsh denieth simpliciter any decree of God so much as permissive touching sinne and gives him no more but a bare fore-knowledge without any decree and makes man onely the occasion of sinne who undeniably is such an occasion as father and mother are of their owne births Man were to bee pittied and excused if hee were an occasion onely of sinne But 1. if the Spirit act immediately on us so as wee we are passive in beleeving praying and in all acts of Sanctification as Towne saith and we must be the same way passive as when God justifies us which he doth ere we be born again and as Crispe saith by forcing grace on us as a Physitian violently stoppeth Phisick in the mouth and downe the throat of a backward patient against his will and if wee bee not obliged to pray beleeve and upon the same ground not to abstaine from Adultery Murther for grace must act in both but when the Spirit doth stirre and excite us then we are no more guilty of sinne in omitting good and committing evill then a stone falling off a towre is guilty of beating out a mans braines for in these the man is a passive block as the stone is in its motion and if we abstaine from praying not being obliged to pray because the Spirit acts not on us wee sinne not judge then who is the father of sinnes of omission by the good leave of Antinomians and upon the same ground it is as unpossible but we must fall into sinnes of commission as swearing lying blasphemie heresie unbeliefe adultery murther stealing except either the restraining grace or the renewing sanctifying Spirit act upon us as wee cannot chuse but sinnefully omit duties of praying beleeving when the winde of the Spirit bloweth not faire on us for these duties and so Antinomians must either be Pelagians and say there is no need of grace to eschew sinne and so they must be un-friends to free grace or then men must be guiltlesse in all sinnes by this opinion and let them then choose upon whom they will father all sinne 2. We are to pray continually and watch thereunto with all perseverance and keepe our selves in the love of God Watch and pray Waite for the comming of the Lord with girded up loynes waite for the day of our redemption Then are wee obliged by the command of Christ whether the holy Ghost breath on us or the wind of the Spirit blow faire from Christs heart on our heart or no to the supernaturall acts of praying beleeving hoping watching Nor is Christs act of free grace in drawing stirring and actuall inliving our obliging rule but the revealed will of God in the Law and Gospel and if we be meere passive as stones and onely obliged to supernaturall acts when the tide of free love and rich grace floweth on the shoare and banks of our whithered Spirits then wee must not onely say we are freed from the Law but from all Gospel-commands all free invitations of rich grace according to the letter or then that the Spirit is obliged to attend and joyne his bedewings and flowing of free love and grace ever when we heare or read the Gospel But when Saltmarsh Towne and others of that Tribe say the Gospel is not in the letter dutie opinion sense reason but in the Spirit life grace faith they meane the same with New England Libertines That the will of God in the word or directions thereof are not the rule whereunto Christians are bound to conform themselves to live thereafter So as old Anabaptists taught wee shall all bee taught of God and the annointing teacheth us all things and therefore the written Scripture Law Gospel the Ordinances of Preaching Reading Praying Sacraments belong not to us to be under them is to be under the Law and the old dead Letter and the livelesse passive Inkie and poore Paper-ordinances of Men and not under the Gospel that is under the immediate actings of the Spirit contrary to the Word of God which maketh an harmonious subordination not a contrariety betweene outward ordinances and the inward working of the Holy Ghost to the Law and the Testimony the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall and mighty through God Here are both Word and Spirit As for me this is my covenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy Seed c. 2. It is a close rejecting of the Word of God written in the Old and New Testament which the Prophets Christ and the Apostles recommend to us as our onely rule it is to subvert all Ministery and Ordinances contrary to Scripture and to make the Gospel written the holy Ghost himselfe 3. This i◠to loose us from the Commandement and Gospel-exhortations to holy walking delivered by the Prophets Christ and his Apostles 3. And sure if we obey Gospel-commandements as stones and blocks without any action in us or from us at all and must then obey onely when the Holy Ghost acteth and stirreth the fire Commandements and Gospel-promises Reasonings Preaching Ordinances must be as vaine and unreasonable to move men as stones and dumbe wood Upon this ground Saltmarsh with Antinomians would have all Logick abeted But carnall ratiocinations and discourses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That exalt themselves against the knowledge of God wee are more willing should be abeted and exiled from Divinity then Antinomians who set free grace on pinnes of love rather then Faith as if wee were justified by loue as their brethren of the Family of love dreame And 2. who be they who remaining Antinomians turne Arminians and fight for free will and universall attonement and generall Redemption of all and every one upon the meere principles of carnall reason and such a naturall pitie and impotencie of love to all and every one of mankind as God cannot make out and which by naturall principles tendeth to the universall salvation of all and every one of mankinde yea of a world including Devils also And upon this ground Cornwell saith Such a faith as is wrought by a practicall Syllogisme because it followeth from the strength of reasoning or reason not from the power of God is but an humane faith And Saltmarsh The interpreting saith hee of the Scripture thus in the letter and in consequence hath much darkened the glory of the Gospel And the Gospel saith he is formed of exhortations perswasions conditionall promises commandements to the end that divinne and spirituall things might be more naturally conveyed in a notionall and naturall way as the key is made fit to the wards of the locke rather then for any supposed free will in man as some imagine Which doth farther evidence the mind of Familists and Antinomians
beautifull morning skie is not the Sunne but the result and daughter of the Sunne and the faire skie together and faith that acteth much upon the promises as upon the report of credentiall letters doth and must apprehend more pardon then peace can beare witnesse to sinne hath a bloudy tongue and cryeth fury and vengeance aloud faith must lye on the attonement of the bloud of Jesus which our sense cannot reach Faith is a starre of a greater magnitude and higher elâ—vation then our poore low-creeping feeling So wee thinke we had more of Christ and the acting of the Spirit at our first conversion then long after because when our spirituall apprehension is young and tender the acts of apprehension are more wanton and fiery but when experience and growth of grace commeth the motions of sense are more stayed and solid and as spiritie and active and more but to greene sense little seemeth much But that which Antinomians ayme at is to blow away all peace that commeth from personall sanctification because they are enemies to personall mortification and make this to be our peace of repenting and mortifying sinne abstaining from fleshly luâ—â—s that Christ repented mortified sinne and lusts on the Crosse for us and we beleeve this and there is an end Hence they condemne aâ—l experience of the acting of God in and on the soule to comfort the soule or helpe faith in times of desertion For Saltmarsh who in his cures of all our Legall and carnall agues is silent of experience and thinketh outward ordinances and the promises written for our learning and comfort because outward and written and vocall to be old Testament and Legall waies though Peter call them sincere milke exceeding great and precious promises and Paul Thinke they were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope and Christ speaking of his Commandements which were written and spoken by him and so outward saith that they were a badge visible to all the world that they were his Disciples If yee keep my Commandements yee shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers Commandements and abide in his love And to Job the words of the Lords mouth were more then his necessary food And Christ giveth his judgement in a spirituall not a Legall song of outward ordinances Thy lips O my Spouse drop as the honey combe honey and milke are under thy tongue To David they were sweeter then the honey or honey combe sweet to his tast yea above gold or fine gold as all riches better then thousands of gold and silver his heritage for ever To Saltmarsh the Word is a dead outward legall thing and all this to them must be spoken of the inward and spirituall word written in the heart as Libertines taught So Bulling advers Anabapti It is true it is for that soule-acting and Spirit-converting power so but in the meane time upon this ground old Anabaptists rejected the Word and the Ministery and tooke thâ—m to 〈◊〉 Law written in the inward parts and the annoinâ—ing that 〈◊〉 all things abusing Jer. 31. â—3 and 1 Joh. 2.27 So doâ— Antinomians upon this ground reject all experiences contrary to the Scripture experience worketh hope then it should cheere us in sad houres thus the Church comforteth her selfe I considered the dayes of old and called to remembrance my songs in the night So David looketh back to this longing to see saith he thy power and thy glory so as I have seene thee in the Sanctuary 2. Peter puts it on the Saints If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious 3. It s a sinnefull neglect to look to no experience But none saith where is God my maker who giveth songs in the night saith Elihu 4. Antinomians are angry at experiences 1. Because they teach there is no difference betweene the graces of hypocrits and beleevers in the kinds and so no experiences betweene the one and the other can render any difference 2. Experience is an outward ordinance of gathering from such and such a dispensation of God such a tryed conclusion Now Saltmarsh thinketh all outward ordinances as outward Legall things and so it would appeare Christ in the New Testament-worship which is spirituall and in nothing Legall hath appointed neither preaching nor praying nor hearing nor Sacraments nor Christian Assemblies nor conferences nor admonishing exhorting one another nor writing for all these are outward things and I grant if Christ joyne not his influence of grace neither is Pauls planting nor Appollos his watering any thing Yet Apostles and Teachers are not Legall ordinances 3. Antinomians offend at all inherent grace and created quallifications in us as evidences or helps to testifie wee are in Christ for they are all deceiving differences saith Crispe and may be in hypocrits and say I they can be no otherwise in hypocrites then deluding signes then the voice and testimonie of the Spirit for there is a thing like a voice in the Temporaries and also a thing like faith which is no faith Now experiences remaine as inherent and habituall observations of the Spirits actings in the Soule CHAP. LV. How farre inherent qualifications and actions of grace can prove we are in the state of grace ANtinomians make a hideous out-cry against signes and marks of our justification because indeed they are enemies to sanctification For establishing soules saith Saltmarsh upon any works of their owne as away meane or ground of assurance as that upon such a measure of repentance or obedience they may beleeve by I dare not deale in any such way of our owne righteousnesse because I find no infallible marke in any thing of our owne sanctification save in a lower way of perswasion or motive I find none in the Old or New Testament but have cause to suspect their owne righteousnesse as David Peter Paul So the Libertines of New England Though a man can prove a gracious worke in himselfe and Christ to bee the author of it yet this is but a sandâ—e foundation And it is a fundamentall and soule-damning error to make sanctification an evidence of justification And it were to light a candle to the Sunne Yea it darkeneth justification the darker my sanctification is the brighter is my justification And I may know I am Christs not because I doe crucifie the lusts of the flesh but because I doe not crucifie them but beleeue in Christ that crucified them for me So D. Crispe Cornewell Towne teach that love to the brethren sincerity c. are marks by which others may know us rather then we our selves So Saltmarsh followeth Crispe We never said that a naturall mans devotion or his bastard prayers or wild-fire of blind zeale can argue the translation of the man from death to life as Saltmarsh