or exemplary dying by way of imitation only to teach us the like patience but that Christ God-man really offered to the Father blood as a perfect ransome to redeeme his Church The deceiving Familists eluding the whole history of Scripture and this Impostore Gortyn saith his blood is to bee exporâ—ed only of the power of his God-head and his flesh of the weakenesse of our natures or of us who only in creation are made according to the Image of God Yea Gortyn saith p. 104. Christ suffereth in them that is in the weake Saints else can he have no death at all and then no Saviour then he suffered not in his owne Manhood then hath hee not by himselfe purged our sin Heb. 1.3 Nor was it Christ himself who in his owne body on the tree bare our sins 1 Pet. 2.24 The body of Christ say the Familists and Antinomians is his Church Now the Church is his mysticall body but Christ had and yet hath another true real naturall body besides his body the Church This seemeth to mee to bee the doctrine of M. Saltmarsh who in his latest peece that I cannot now examine this worke being printed but it is the very picture of the spirit of Henry Nicholas giveth hints that Christ is not true man Sparkles of glory p. 39. The baptisme of Jesus Christ is that whereby wee are baptized into his body Now his body is a spirituall one and fashioning like his gloryous one that place Phil. 3.20 21 that speakes of Christs naturall body Saltmarsh exponeth of his mysticall body the Church as if Christ had not another body then his Church his mysticall body Now Christs mysticall body suffered not on the Crosse for our sinnes And pag. 43. When Jesus saith he went out of flesh into spirit or ascended he confirmed this ministration c. Then Christs ascension to heaven in his manhood is not locall and visible though the scripture say Act. 1. His Disciples saw him locally and visibly ascend and the Angels said these men of Galilie should see him after the same manner come to judgement but his ascension is but his leaving of his flesh or mysticall body on earth and being turned into a spirit or his entring in a more spirituall and glorious being into heaven and if this bee true that his ascension is but his going out of flesh into spirit then hath not Christ taken our nature and flesh and a mans heart to heaven with him that hee may be touched with our infirmities Contrary to these Scriptures Eph. 2. ver 6. Phi. 3.20.21 Heb. 4.14 15. Heb. 7.24 25 26. Heb. 10.20 21. Againe by blood in scripture is never meant the power or life of God How shall wee then make sense of that Heb. 2.14 For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himselfe likewise tooke part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devill And what is that but he was true man v. 17. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to bee made like unto his bretheren that he might be a mercifull High-Priest Now the Children were not partakers of flesh and blood that is of weakenesse and the power of God or the God-head for so Familists expone flesh and blood except we say that every beleever is both borne of the seed of David according to the flesh and is God blessed for ever A horrible blasphemy for so Christ Rom. 9. partakes of flesh and blood according to the Familists way And this way of changing all histories of the word in allegories is the way to elude all truth When it is said God created the Heaven and the Earth the Sea Man Beasts Birds Fishes wee must make the world an Imaginary and Metaphoricall world the Creation must be but an allegorie men must be figures allegories and metaphors so must heaven earth sea land birds fishes be metaphors for there is as true a reall history of all that Jesus did and said untill the day he was taken up to heaven Act. 1.1 2. As of all other true histories in the word Else Familists puts us to a stand in all the Articles of our faith I confesse the way that Del and the Familists take when they cite these words for an internall word and a spirituall and allegorick sense besides the litterall sense The words that I speake are spirit and life Is an unavoydable way to elude all scripture and M. Beacon in his Catechisme while he cleare himselfe is a grosse Familist to mee for he speaking of Christ crucified turnes all Christ in a Metaphoricall Imaginary Christ in these words pag. 137. Q. how long did this suffering last A. Till he gave up the Ghost Q. Who was crucified hereby A. The old man Q. What was the old man A. The sinfull man Q. Is the sinfull man ceased A. Yes in Christ. Q. How so A. He was left nailed on the crosse These words who was crucified in a Catechisme aske in what nature Christ suffered and whether or no Christ God man in regard of communion of properties may be said to suffer Who did suffer Now he should answer the Lord of life in his humane nature But passing the answer touching all personall and materiall sufferings of Christ which is a speciall and fundamentall article of our faith and ought not to be omitted in a Catechisme he cometh to a morall suffering of the body of sin by influence of Christs death on our soules now first and primarily Christ himselfe was nailed to the Crosse as a sacrifice for our sinnes this is omitted by Beacon secondarily as a fruit of his death the Old-man is crucified with him Rom. 6. but not as Beacon means that the Old-man is ceased and we sin no more being once justified as if the Old-man were perfectly crucified as he answereth And it is true that Christs dying teacheth us to die to sinne and so Christs death is spiritually to be exponâ—d where the scripture exponeth it as Rom. 6.1 2 3 and 1 Pet. 1.23 24. and else where But that is no ground for Papists Antinomians and Familists to take away all the truth of histories touching Christ his incarnation death resurrection ascension sitting at the right hand of God redeeming of the world heaven and hell and to subvert our faith and change all in spirituall and allegoricall senses under pretence of a spirituall Gospel-preaching we cannot then by the learning of these Jugglers expone the story of the drowning of the world by waters but of allegoricall men allegoricall drowning not literally For if we expone the stories of the Scripture literally Familists say we are literall expositers and know nothing of the spirit and spirituall learning 7 These Familists teach that Christ reveales his will by no voyce but the voyce of the Spirit in the Saints p. 104. that is the internall Spirit and word is our onely rule and not the writen word
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
never-enough admired free-grace CHAP. XIV Of other Fountains and springs of Familists and Antinomians and of the Treatise called The Divinity of Germany or Theologia Germanica and that called The Bright-starre THE Gnosticks having their name from knowledge had their rise not from Nicholas one of the seven Deacons as Philaster thinketh but rather as Irenaeus saith lib. 1. heres c. 24. from Carpocrates they said the Soule was made of the substance of God or It was the very essence of God I conceive the Monkish Familists had their rise from the Gnosticks and Manicheans who sprang from the Gnosticks The Libertines David George and H. Nicholas seeme to have their first spring from these two to wit Theologia Germanica and The Bright-starre For Philosophy and Divinity dissected is but a rude foolish and unlearned Pamphlet of late penned and changing as Familists and Antinomians doe Scripture and God and Christ into Metaphors and vaine Allegories The Author of Theologia Germanica is not named one John Theophilus translated it out of High-Dutch into Latine and it was Printed at Antwerpe Anno 1558. The Author was a superstitious Priest of the Order called Teutonici or Dutch lads in French the Knights of the Rhodes it is like the Author was before Luther and it is certaine Familisme is a branch that grew from the root of Popery and was whelped in a Monastery by men that would be perfect above all Law Ordinances and Acts of a practicall life and would live on spirituall Monkish contemplations and they are much of blood to the Antichrist though they will not acknowledge their father and call all but themselves Antichristian John Valdesso a Spaniard of noble birth a Chevalier of the Emperor who being a Bishop repented wrote in the Spanish tongue a Treatise of Practicall Divinity called Divine Considâ—rations in which though there be sundry good and excellent Meditations yet are there in it many fooleries and the grounds and poysonable principles of Familisme Antinomianisme Enthusiasme for he rejecteth the Scriptures magnifieth Inspirations vil fiâ—th good works heighteneth the dead faith extâ—nuateth sin c. The man leaving his Bishoprick came to Naples and dyed there Anno 1540. Vergerius caused to be Printed the Treatise out of the Spanish language at Basil An. 1550. It is Englished and Printed at Cambridge An. 1646. The Antinomians Familists and others in England of that stampe specially M Beacoâ— Catechisme pag. 138 salute the book as happily arrived in the English coasts farre above any peece that Calvin ever wrote Such Lettuce such lips But to return This Author of Theo. Germanica and of the Bright Starre say There is nothing in the Creature but God the Creator as there is nothing in the heat and beame of the Sun but the Sun it selfe and fire Just so as Libertines teach there is but one Spirit one God one internall forme in God Angels and Men good and ill and in all creatures But 1 The Holy Ghost makes this the highest Treason in Tyrus who being cloathed with a bit of corruptible glory saith Ezek. 28.2 I am God 2. Creatures can erre and be tempted to sin God cannot be tempted Jam. 1.3 3. Creatures are changeable bits of dependencies on God Rom. 11.36 Prov. 16.4 The Lord is without and above change or shaddow of change Mal. 3.6 Jam. 1.17 4. All Nations to God are nothing Isa. 40.17 God calleth himself to Moses I am and I am that I am as the fountain of beeing and being by nature and the alone infinite onely wise happy being as all Scriptures cleare Creatures even Angels are in their essence but time-dependencies created results of God Lame-nothings frothy yesterday start-ups poore time-accidents branches budding out of meer mother-nothing by the alone will and goodnesse of God there was folly found in thâ—se Sonnes of the morning the head-peeces and master-creatures the Angels Job 40.18 19. 2. God becommeth all things in man Man or the Creature should arrogate to himselfâ— nothing not life essence power knowledge doing or not doing there is nothing that is not God and belonging to God for it is God onely who liveth understandeth is able loveth doth or leaveth undone all So Theolo Ger. c. 56. Nothing is but God and his will and this will is God and what-ever is in God is God and nothing is but God alone 1. Because God is infinite and if there were being in us then should infinite beeing be bounded where our beeing begins 2. If man bee beeing hee is good for beeing and good are convertible but there is none good but God 3. Philosophers and fathers say there is but one only truely being 4. God saith I am that I am 5. The sonne of God made himselfe of no reputation and discended to bee a man and nothing then man is nothing so Bright-stare The old Adam and disobedience or sinne is nothing but when the creature ascribeth to it selfe Being and life and essence and goodnesse So sinne is nothing but I my selfe Egoitie and such like and the new Adam or Christ is nothing but obedience and an ascribing of all to God So ch 2. Faith and Scripture saith sinne is nothing else but that the creature doeth divert it selfe from the immutable God and adhereth to a mutable thing that is doth turne it selfe from that which is perfect and to that which is in part and imperfect and especially to it selfe Now this observe when the creature doth chaleng any good thing to it selfe as to bee to live to know briefly to be able to doe any thing that can be tearmed good as being in it self that good thing or as though that good thing were appertaining to it then it averteth it self what other thing then did the Devill This arrogancy to be I to be my self to be me and to be mine was the devils aversion and fall I answer nothing is a being of it selfe by heritage essentially and without dependence on another as its father cause Author Creator but God and nothing lives worketh doth good independently infinitely immutably from and of it self but God onely And all Creatures Angels and Men are but borrowed beeings beeings by adoption gift loane and little shaddows remaining shaddows by the essence goodnesse and free pleasure of God And as their beeing is dependent so are they Gods dependent tooles and instruments of working they doe and doe good but dependently and so as both power and actuall doeing and doeing good is from God principally by moving exciting and determinating them to doe and from ego egoitas ipseitas from themselves actively as instruments and tooles in Gods hand if the creature seek a world of its own in being and working without God that egoitas that I that my self is the great Lord of pride but otherwise the creature is not in its essence God There was a comparative self-deniall required in Adam and is in the man Christ and the elect Angels though no sinfull selfe was in any