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
higher Spirit then that which speaketh in the letter of the Law it 's true it s the same infinite Spirit The Lord that speaketh in all Scripture but in the Law he saith nothing but either perfectly doe all or die eternally But in the Law as handed by the Prophets Christ and the Apostles the Lord condemneth and convinceth that we may flee to the suretie of a better Covenant Heb. 7.22 Now in this sense Law and Gospell called the word of God is not a dead letter in it selfe for Psa. 19.7 The Law of the Lord converteth the soule c. Rom. 1.16 The Gospell is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth both to worke faith Rom. 10.17 and to give salvation Rom. 15.4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comforâ— of the Scriptures might have hope this must be the written scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 1.21 For after in the wisedome of God the world by wisdome naturall knew not God It pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that beleeve then is the word preached a mean to save the beleevers Act. 13.26 To you is this word of salvation sent Yet the Jews to whom it was sent Blasphemed and judged themselves unworthy of eternall life ver 46 Act. 20.32 I commend you to the word of his grace which is able to build you up 2 Cor. 10.4 For the weapons of our warefare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds casting downe imaginations and every bâ—ight that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God That which is the strong weapons by which men fight word and discipline and is mighty through God is not a dead letter though these weapons be mighty through God so is the word a hammer and a sire and the people wood and the sword of the Spirit and sharper then a two edged sword to discerne the thoughts and intentions of the heart Ier. 5.14 Eph. 6.17 Heb. 4.12 Re. 1.16 Ps 45.3 The Rod of Christs lips by which he smites the earth Esa. 11.4 The Sceptor of his Kingdome all which evince that the word externally preached hath power in it selfe to destroy and being accompanied by the Spirit hath power to coÌ„vert and so is an instrument of the Spirit both wayes 3 Conclusion The Lord hath made and sanctified a ministery and ministers to be fathers of the second birth and instruments to save themselves and others 1 Cor. 4.17 1 Tim. 4.16 2 Cor. 3.2 Yee are our Epistle written in our hearts read of all men 4 Forasmuch as yee are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministered by us written not with inke but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in the fleshy tables of the heart 1 Thes. 2.19 For what is our hope or ioy or crowne of rejoycing are not even yee in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming 20. For yee are our glory and crowne Swenckfield denyeth that he destroyeth Scripture or the ministery or preaching but saith he Epist. An. 1529 In a Christian there be two things 1 The new and internall man 2 The old or externall man called the flesh God dealeth with the Christian man internally by the word of Spirit and life he meaneth the substantiall word in whcih he reveales himselfe through Christ by the various riches of heavenly blessings but externally he dealeth with the flesh of man by the word of the letter and by preaching and by signes and seales So Saltm as if brought up at his feet saith free grace pag. 150. And this Gospell fits man who is made up both of flesh and Spirit and so hath need of a law without and in the letter aswell as in the heart and Spirit The law is spirituall but we are carnall Rom. 7 nor can such a state of flesh and Spirit be ordered by a law onely without for the word of the law and Spirit meerely is for a spirituall condition or state of glorie as Angels who onely liue by a law spirituall and word of revelation then both agree in this that the law is given to the outward man the flesh the body and the law of the Spirit of life to the inner man the soule and Spirit hence these foule consequences 1 The law belongs not to a beleever but to civill courts as Islâ—bius said 2 The word of God can lay no tye no band on the inner man to know God beleeve in Christ love God intend his glory long for heaven and Christs second appearance for the law is given to the flesh and the outward man nor can the letter of the Gospell bind him to any Gospell or heart obedience absurd 3 There can be no sinnes in spirit or soule or inner man because no law and so no obedience most absurd 4. All Ministry scripture is not to rayse an inward spirituall conformity between the Soule and the Gospel nor to make us lowly and meek in spirit as Christ is but to put on us an outside of externall conformitie between the flesh or outward man and the law how then is the law spirituall I should rather think that the spirituall law and commandements of the Gospel were given first and principally and most kindly to our spirits and thoughts and intentions and rather secondarily to the body and outward man so farre as the acts of the outward man fall under the dominion and command of the will and faculties of the inwardman 5. The spirit without the word is the law and only rule that regulateth man in all his inward and most spirituall actions and not the scripture and so the more spirituall the more lawlesse loose and carnall And Mr. Del goeth farther on with Swenckfeld for he will have the accomplishing of Gospel reformation that is the justification of a sinner and his conversion to Christ to be done by the spirit only without all power of man and so it is not visible nor ecclesiastick ser. pag. 4. It stands not in making lawes to consciences add Mr. Del contrary to the word of God act 15.22 23 28 c. by the sacred power or clergie by the messengers of Christ and of the Churches for externall conformity only and meerly externall its false wee aime at more in outward dueties worship and government and to have these confirmed by civill sanction To have Artaxerxes and Kings to ratifie and command under penalties the building of the house of God and to have Kings and Queenes nursefathers and mothers to the Church is lawfull and should be our aime and prayer to God 1 Tim. 2.1.2 3. and that the Kings of the earth bring their glory and honour to the New Jerusalem Revel 21.24 wee heartily desire though the Lord can build Jerusalem without the sword of sectaries and the arme of the Magistrate And Del sayth this Gospel reformation
works of the Spirit and works of all Spirit and perfect according to the rigor of the Law for the acts of the pure Spirit admitting of no retardment pollution or sinne from our nature must be as perfect as pure works of Angels And if our naturall faculties be not wholly dead they are but acts of the creature as the creature then are all our supernaturall personall duties no lesse perfect and sinlesse then the imputed righteousnesse and actings of Christ. 2. Then the holy Spirit onely is to be blamed when either the Saints pray not or pray not in the Spirit or not with that fervor faith feeling and pure spirituality that God requireth in his holy word this if any thing is a pillow of security 3. So all the exhortations to pray continually to act and work out our salvation in feare to love the brethren must be given to the holy Ghost not to us the contrary whereof is evident we the Saints not God not the Spirit of God are exhorted to praying and acts supernaturall which cannot be if the Saints have no more active influence in all these then stones blocks have for that is none at all then are we meere passive and dead in all these then must a praying Christian be God or his Spirit manifested in the flesh as to this and a Christian beleeving praising is the like CHAP. XXIII Praying a Law-bondage the letter of the word no obliging Rule to those that are in the Spirit by the way of Saltmarsh 22. WHile Christians are in bondage and not yet brought into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Rom. 8. they are under the ministration of prayer as children are to a Father in nonage vnd â—upillage Sparkles p. 232. A. His sense is that the Saints may be in a state of not praying at all in this life but taking bondage for a state of frailty absence froÌ„ God it is true praying argueth some Bondage want of full and compleat redemption that we as women travelling in birth long after But Saltmarsh meaneth of Legall Bondage and feare of the curse and fleshly and carnall feare and most blasphemously he makes Pauls thrice praying to remove the Messenger of Satan Christs thrice praying O my Father if it be possible remove this cup not be praying in the spâ—irit but in weaknesse or the flesh according to their own wills which must make praying in faith to be in the same act praying out of legall and fleshly unbeliefe and make Christ under a fit of unbeliefe and not to pray in the Spirit when he said Remove this Cup c. Now Saltmarsh could not have brought a place more against himselfe to prove that prayer is not a fit of Legall bondage then Rom. 8. For it is said v. 15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to feare but the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father 23. The meere Commandements and letter of Scripture is not a Law to a Christian why he should walk in duties but the law written in our hearts Sparkles page 243 245. Ans. Then the written Gospel and promises of the new Covenant obligeth not a beleever to pray beleeve give almes or not to kill his father or King but when the H. Ghost breatheth in the soule to doe these duties then if a beleever whoore swear kill rob blaspheme misbeleeve c. he sinnes not against any command in Law or Gospel because the holy Spirit acted him not to abstain and God the holy Ghost is the onely cause of all the sinnes of the Saints because he concurres not with more then the letter even with saving grace to prevent these sinnes Wee sinne not in not praying not beleeving when the grace of God joyns not then a man being in Christ may whore rob blaspheme misbeleeve c. if God wil be wanting to him with his flowings and outâ—shinings of free grace let him see to it blame himselfe he fails against no Law Commandement or Obligation Libertines taught the very same to wit That God is the onely cause of sin no creature Man nor Angel is to be rebuked or punished for sin God sinnes in them Oh blasphemy 2. We never said that the meer Commandements and Letter of the Scripture is our obliging rule as the Letter is a thing of Ink and a Paper divided from the naturall and genuine sense but as it includes the things signified and as it expresseth to us what is the good perfect and acceptable will of God which will obligeth Christians with an obligation different from any obligation that the Lâ—w written in the heart layes on us But this is as much as when a Sectary being justified robbeth and killeth the innocent hee fails nothing against this written commandement Thou shalt not murther and a Saint cannot sinne yea if the Law written in the heart excite him not to abâ—taine he sinnes against no commandement of God but the Law written in the heart is the new creation as acting which cannot be a Regula or Rule but a regulatum a thing ruled and this is to make the Spirit within us not the spirit as speaking in the Word the formall object of our faith the Judge of controversies and that is then lawfull that every unwarranted spirit biddeth us doe and beleeve 3. The Law written in our hearts is either an obliging Law to the Christian because it is onely written in the heart or because it is written in the Scripture or agreeable to that which is written in the Scripture If the former be said then is the impulsion of the Spirit in the heart without any relation to the Word our warrant this is nothing but Scripture lesse revelation if then a Spirit in the heart comand Becold Knippeâ—dâ—â—ing to â—oe aâ—ts of murther and Rebellion â—s they did they 〈◊〉 in not obeying these impulsions which yet are contrary to the revealed will of God Now it is a contradiction iâ— one and the same act to obey the revealed will of God and that lawfully and not to obey it and that also lawfully If this heart-law be an obliging law because it is also written in the Scripture then is the meere Commandemement and Letter of the Scripture the last obliging law at least to a Christian. And then yet when the Spirit does not conjoyne his sweetest breathings to procure in us an holy abstinence from murther harlotry perjury but the Christian falls in these sinnes he sinnes not because no man sinnes when he doth what he is not obliged to forbeare or not to doe For every one that sinneth doth against an obliging Rule But when there is no inspiration nor actuall moving or stirring law in the heart there is no obliging Rule at all that the Christian can contravene For if the law in the heart be the onely Rule that obligeth a Christian it must oblige as it stirreth and moveth us then when it stirres or works not it
the Lord by the word Spiriteth and of new Natureth us over againe into new spirituall children like our brother the fairest among the Sonnes of men holy heavenly spirituall meeke lowly like Christ though because of in-dwelling sin in all all the new Creatures come farre short of the first coppy And when we are thus changed and made spirituall the Gospel is acted on us so are we spiritualized into Christ and made one with him by faith and planted into the similitude of Christ Rom. 6. now the letters and characters or sounds of the written and preached Gospel are transient things but the Gospel and new Covenant in the glorious promises spirituall priviledges contained therin stand stil as the everlasting rule according to which we are daily more and more conformed till we become one spirit with the Lord. And because the continuation of the lif hid up with God in Christ is a protracted thread of continuall dependence by renued acts of faith of patience and comforts through the Scriptures of growing in faith the word must give a daily new objective life to our faâ—th and the renued acts thereof for faith is our victory 1 Joh. 5. and we overcome by the word Rev. 12.11 if Antinomians can give us a time when we shall be secured from the fiery-darts of Sathan on this side of heaven we yeeld that the sheild of the word is to be layed aside but that we know not see Ephe. 6.15 16 17. 1 John 2.14 1 Pet. 5 8 9. Were we indeed made perfect intire without spot or wrinckle of indwelling sin in this life and such as wee can sin no more as Antinomians vainly boast of themselves as Towne Eaton Salmtarsh Den and Crispe will hereafter teach us I could yeeld there were some more colour or hew of reason to say that we are being justified invested in a state of all and pure spirit beyond the orbe and sphere of all necessitie of Ordinances and Scripture because pure spirits need no characters or letters of Scripture seals or other ordinances no more then learned Doctors need the Horn-book to use the vaine comparison of John Waldesso But we must go in over the threshold of heaven holding the booke of the Old and New Testament in our hand growing in knowledge till we be perfected with him who dwells in light inaccessable and so there is not any thing signified and holden forth to us in the scripture nor promised or prophecied in the Covenant of grace Deut. 39. Ezech. 11. Jer. 31. Ezech. 36. Heb. 8. but the coppy extract or the double thereof is written ingraven and created in the souls of the elect in which sense the assumption of this syllogisme Whosoever beleeveth shall be saved But I John Marie beleeve ergo Is in Scripture and the same spirit of faith and the beleeving spoken of by Esaiah Ieremiah Ezechiel c. The same circumcised and new heart that they prophecied of is in Iohn Mary and so the Spirit worketh the same new heart and the worke or act of beleeving in length breadth figure limbes parts to speake so that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament promise as a Painter draweth the portrait head face eyes cheeks mouth whol body in colours al by looking on a liveing man now how the man Iohn or Mary in a reflect knowledge can prove the same to his owne comfortable assurance and peace is another thing But here is no new discovery of God or of the Spirit which Saltmarsh calleth for Sparkles of glory pa. 194 195. for he complaineth that there hath beene no reformation further in this Assembly at Westminster nor any higher attainment in these things points of doctrine as to justification sanctfication faith c. the ministery word Sacraments which they call meanes of salvation then the Bishops made and the Synods in England formerly We grant all we know no new cut nor other new way of justification then the way David and Paul were justified Rom. 4.1 2 3 4 5 6. Psa. 32.1 and we glory that wee adde nothing to Articles of faith contained in the Scripture we only explicate them and vindicate these Articles from the false glosses of Popish Bishops and the same that Saltm objecteth to us might any object against the Canonicall Epistles of Iohn the Apostle and say This fellow tells us only of some outward things and outward Ordinances of Christ precepts of love to the brethren of doing righteousnesse and all these but written with paper and inke too we see no higher attainments then these that the Prophets Christ and Paul and Iames and Peter told us he tells us nothing of any purer or more glorious discoveries of God or the Spirit or Iesus Christ or our union with the Spirit or glory as to spirituall things and Christ risen but as to Christ in the flesh or under the Law of which these Ordinances were a signe we grant ' wee can reveale nothing but old truths and we cannot give to Saltmarsh any other new cut or fragment of truth but what the Scriptures held forth 2. Wee can but hold forth outward things that is truths of ancient faith spoken by sinfull men and printed in paper and these of Christ both dead risen and ascended to heaven and wee confesse we can but baptise with water and can but build plant water and are but underworkmen and instruments of words formes sounds printed books and the Prophets and Apostles received these and no other thing from the Lord but our Master can doe more he can and doth by our weake labours and the foolishnesse of preaching give the holy Spirit If Saltmarsh can give purer or more glorious discoveries of God of his Spirit Christ Jesus c. let him take H Nicholas and Da. George to helpe him let us heare them produce your reasons c. for we ever urge this these new discoveries of God or the Spirit are either revealed in the word or not revealed if in the word then are they but outward Ordinances such as former Synods have discovered and so according to Saltmarsh to be rejected if they be not revealed in the word they must be additions to the word and so unlawfull Rev. 22.18 Deut. 12.32 Prov. 30.6 2. The Spirit that comes with new positive doctrines without the word must prove it selfe to bee from God by signes and miracles as Christ and his Apostles did 3. Isaiah Malachy prophesied of John Baptist though hee did no miracles Let us see the like warrant for these new discoveries 4. This Spirit must be tryed by the word as Christ was willing to make the Scripture judge whether he was the Messiah or no Joh. 5.39 Paul out of Moses and the Prophets proved that Maries sonne must be the only Saviour so did the rest of the Apostles 5. Wee are commanded to judge them cursed impostors and not to receive them in our house or bid them God speed who bring any new discoveries of God
bloud he washeth us 4. Wee behoved to beleeve from eternity for wee are justified by Faith 5. All the justified have a reall union and interest in Christ to live by faith and wait on God in all their troubles by faith but though their be an union of love in Gods minde from eternity betweene the elect and God yet a compleat union betweene us and Christ without the Spirit and without any faith though it be boldly asserted by Familists is against the Scripture for then might wee bee borne againe and not receive Christ by faith contrary to the Scripture and be united to Christ as branches to the Vine-tree and not abide in Christ have Christ dwelling in our heart and not by faith contrary to Paul so might Christ live in us and we eat and drinke him as the true Manna have the Sonne and yet want faith contrary to the Scriptures All which or most of them prove that wee were not justified when Christ dyed on the crosse 6. All that are justified are unseparably sanctified and called â—nd the blessing of justification hath with it the receiving of the promise of the Spirit through faith and peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ accesse by faith into grace whereby we stand rejoycing in the hope of the glory of God glorying in tribulation patience experience hope but many for whom Christ dyed have none of these till they be justified by Faith the distinction of justification in or before God or to our own sense by faith will not help this for the Scripture no where speaketh of justification but by faith onely the meritorious price of our justification is payed on the Crosse but that is not justification CHAP. XIX Gods love of good will and of good liking a warrantable distinction NOr can wee stand to that Antinomian ground that in Justification there is no change of our state and spirituall condition before God and that God hath the same love to us before and after conversion and that it is a vaine distinction of Gods love of good will called amor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel benevolentiae and good liking amor complacentiae because God loveth because he loveth and for no cause in the creature not their most eminent works done by the influence of Gospel-grace But if this distinction bee right taken it hath an evident ground in Scripture We teach that the love of benevolence and good will is the liking free delight and choise of the person to glory and to all the meanes even to share in Christs Mediatory love and the fruits of his death in this love he willeth and ordaineth and layeth up good and happinesse for us expecting no payment at our hand the other love is onely denyed by Antinomians but without ground for this love of complacencie is of things not of persons and when we say God loveth his Saints for their inherent holynesse and delighteth in them for it we meane no other thing then that God loves the sparkles of his owne rarest worke his saving grace so farre as to make it a meanes to fulfill the love and gracious decree of good will of free election not that any new immanent act of love arises towards the person loved that was not in God toward that person from eternity but the truth is God first createth a lovely and love-worthy object and then out of that love that createth being and the lovely object hee goeth on to continue the former act of loving and delighting in that object and rendreth it more lovely Creatures cannot create the object of their love but find it created to their hand and expect to have some perfection added to them in an union of love with that excellent thing they love and they are often deceived and ever their love hath a cause and hire and reward in the thing loved Now when it is said that God loveth all that he hath made then he created his owne lover and his owne love 2. When hee loveth the chaines and bracelets about the neck of his Spouse Cant. 4. He there createth in his Christ a new rare piece liker to himselfe then the works of pure and simple creation this is not pure love but a continuation of his creating good will nor doth the creature engage God to love it but as divine love gave being to these ornaments of grace the inherent holinesse in his Bride so that the same love continueth it selfe in delighting in his owne worke 3. So he is said to love his Bride for or because of her excellency and beauty that he putteth on her and still he loveth his owne in Christ for his owne rare workmanship not that the creature was cause or begetter of that love and he crowneth his own gifts not our merits saith Augustine his owne worke not our worke for we are meere vessels to containe grace as grace and meere patients in this love and so he loveth Christs imputed righteousnesse in us and this righteousnesse imputed is not simply eternall but hath its rise in time If then Antinomians say we make our time-holinesse a cause and condition of eternall love they must remove this objection themselves for imputed righteousnesse which they make the cause of eternall love will stand against them more then against us For wee say both imputed and inherent righteousnesse are meere conditions no causes of eternall love and that not simply but as they are protracted and continued to carry us on to glory yea imputed righteousnesse is no more a cause of eternall love being onely a thing temporary and not eternall à parte ante nor inherent righteousnesse so must all these be expounded The Lord loveth the righteous The Lord loveth truth in the inward parts he taketh pleasure in them that feare him The Lord is ravished with one of his Spouses eyes with one chaine of her necke to him she is all faire and not a spot in her All these include not onely inherent holynesse but imputed righteousnesse and both have their use in time but can never prove that our time excellencie whether imputed or inherent is the cause condition reason merit or ground of the Lords eternall immanent and unchangeable love but the fruits thereof and the condition of its continuance And that our Lord loves us with the same love of complacency that is that he driveth on his chariot paved with love in sweet fruits of free election the same way with the same delight But that when the justified person whores swearers kils the innocent denieth the Lord Jesus as did Peter and David God loveth us as much as when they beleeve pray walke in all holy conversation and that God is not a whit displeased with the Saints for these sinnes because all his displeasure or revenging justice was drowned and swallowed up in Christs sufferings is to us abominable CHAP. XX. There
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
Saltmarsh speaketh most like this when he saith that all the precepts of Sanctification set forth Christ to be all in all Christ hath beleeved repented sorrowed mortified sinne perfectly for us and we are but dead passive creatures and the Spirit so acts in us as in blocks and so we must act nothing being as blocks and God must be the author of all sinnes of omission Familists commonly say I have nothing from the Creature I can doe nothing CHAP. LXXXVII Antinomians answered in that they say wee make the actings of the Spirit like to the acts of Morall Philosophie IT is a most unjust charge that Antinomians put on us That the way of the Spirit is grosse and carnall which we follow and our Divinity carnall But saith Saltmarsh We Antinomians find it hard to tresse and find the impressions of the Spirit and doe not take our impressions so low by the feelings of flesh and bloud and signes not infallible as to write of Regeneration as Philosophers doe of Morall vertues Let us examine whether Antinomians way bee Spirituall Divinity We professe it to be a most carnall way of Antinomians to say as Eaton doth An unjustified man that beleeveth that Christ hath taken away his sinnes is as cleane without sinne as Christ himselfe And To a beleever nothing is sin to Faith there is no sin Blasphemers if you have either face or conscience can yee say that Christ could sinne or that a beleevers denying of Christ his lying his Adultery are no sinnes Is not this carnall Divinity 2. If God see not Drunkennesse Lying Murthering in beleevers to be sins Are they not then no sinnes And should not the beleever say My light of faith seeth no sinne in my selfe but my Drunkennesse Lying Murthering committed I beleeve are no sinnes for sure justification and abolishing of sinne should be seene by my faith as they are seene by God if God see them and count them no sinnes its unbeliefe in me to see them and count them sinnes If a beleever steale his fellowes purse doth he not lye if he say Brother I have sinned against you behold I restore you your purse For if God say it is no sinne and see it no sinne I know his Judgement is according to righteousnesse and truth then it must bee no sinne and the beleevers judging of it to be sinne must be a lying and a false judging contrary to Gods judgement of truth 3. Doe not Antinomians say to sorrow for oâ— to bee troubled in conscience at pardoned sinnes is unâ—eliefe and a work of the flesh and that it is Regeneration and Faith not to see sinne in our selves and that it was Adams and Eves sinne to see their sinne for then it was imputed to them as sinne and the Pharisees sinne was Joh. 9. that they saw their sinne and therefore their sinne remained These bee the words of Pocquius that Carnall Libertine and are the words of Saltmarsh Eaton Towne Denne and Crispe and their matter is the same when once we beleeve we sin no more then Christ doth but all these that are supposed to be sins as the Adulteries Murthers Lying Swearing Cousening Oppressing wee fall into being once beleevers are no sinnes before God nor to our Faith nor are we to see them as sinnes they be sinnes onely to our sense to our flesh and to menward 2. This is Antinomian reason but the old objection of the most abominable Anabaptists in the time of Bullinger who said advers Anabaptist lib. 1. cap. 4. Tota reformatio quae tum justituebatur illis displicebat ut minus Angusta exilis non satis spiritualis alta perfecta So Tho Muncer whose followers said against Luther Zwinglius and others the writings and Epistles of Muncer was more spirituall then theirs and their whole reformation was narrow hungry not perfect and high enough 3. The way of the Spirits Divinity is in this like to Morall vertues that 1. both are learned by teaching the one by Morall Phylosophie the other by the Scriptures Antinomians are thus Spirituall with a carnall and divellish Spirituality to reject the Scriptures and follow an Enthysiasticall Spirit and so wee acknowledge our Divinitie in this sense is not so Spirituall as that of the Libertines and Antinomians 2. The way of the Spirit is in this like Morall vertues that both bring an externall reformation though the Spirit throughly also changeth the inner side both inforce a ceasing to doe ill a learning to doe well and procuring of things that are honest in the sight of men Antinomians boast of a Libertine Idle faith and of a phancied purifying of the heart when the hands are not purged also and this is carnall Divinity to us 3. Morall vertues are increased by frequent exercise and so are gifts and graces five talents rising to ten the Saints growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. But Antinomians carnall Divinâ—tie teacheth we are as perfect when we are first justified as wee want nothing of that we shall have in heaven but to beleeve we are in heaven and there wee are a Spirituall lye cannot but be a most carnall sinne 4. But the Spirituality of our Divinity above Antinomians and Moralists we place 1 in that God infuseth supernaturall habits in us even a new heart a new Spirit whereas Antinomians deny any stocke of grace inherent in us Moralists acknowledge onely acquired habits and deny all infused and supernaturall habits 2. We judge the Law to be Spirituall and the Gospel written read or preached the power of God to salvation the arme of the Lord and the most lively quicke and operative word in the world and when the Spirit doth accompany Law and Gospel no man can stand before this Word Antinomians make the Scriptures but dead Inke and a killing Letter 3. Our Divinity maketh men heavenly minded to savour of the things of the Spirit so as they misse God and the sweetnesse and excellency of Christ when the Gospel is carried onely in the bare Letter and the preaching of the Gospel is but Literall with humane eloquence not in the evidence of the Spirit Morall vertues knoweth not any such power 4. When the Authority and Majestie of the Lord commanding in the Letter leadeth the will by the Spirit of the Lord freely willingly and withall indeclinably and irresistibly to yeeld it selfe to God 5. A Moralist knoweth no over-clowding of desertion a sanctified soule doth know it Nor doe Antinomians and Familists know any desertions or any ebbings and flowings of the Spirit for they say none are converted till they have faith of full assurance with excludeth all doubtings or inward conflicts this broad Seale being received they are ever in a merry mood ever rejoycing to mourne for sinne to call in question Gods favour to them is proper to onely unconverted Legalists under the Law
and other six faithfull and heroicke witnesses of Christ and Ministers of the Gospel into banishment to death this worthy servant of Christ preached everyday in France in his Exile converted many soules the King of France gave the same command concerning him when the Town he preached in was sacked and taken as the man of God foretold them publickly it should be razed that the King of Babylon gave touching Jeremiah doe him no harme see well to him his person wife children and servants from the godly witnesses of his life I have heard say of every twenty foure houres he gave eight to prayer except when the publicke necessities of his calling did call him to preach visit exhort in season and out of season he spent many nights in prayer to God interceding for the sufferers for Christ in Scotland England France when he was in prison and condemned hee and his brethren as traitors he hath these words as a full answer to the Prelaticall raylings against the meeting of a Generall Assembly at Aberdene and all the Erastian party and to M. H. Burtons present words his objecting of a poor premunire by the Laws of England against Christ Jesus his free Kingdome Who am I that he should have called me and made mee a Minister of the glad tydings of the Gospel of salvation these sixteen yeares already and now last of all to be a sufferer for his cause and Kingdome To witnesse that good confession that Jesus Christ is the King of Saints and that his Kirke is a most free Kingdome yea as free as any Kingdome under heaven not only to convocate hold and keep her meetings Conventions and Assemblies but also to judge of all her affaires in all her meetings and conventions amongst her members and subjects These two points first that Christ is the head of his Kirke secondly that shee is free in her government from all other jurisdiction except Christs These two points are the speciall cause of our imprisonment being now condemned as traitors for the maintenance thereof we being waiting with joyfulnesse to give the last testimony of our blood in confirmation thereof if it would please our God to be so favourable as to honour us with that dignity yea I doe affirme that these two points above written and all other things that belong to Christs Crowne Scepter and Kingdome are not subject nor cannot be to any other Authority but to his owne altogether so that I would be most glad to be offered up upon the sacrifice of so glorious a truth The guilt of our blood shall not only lye upon the Prince but also upon our owne brethren Bishops Counsellers and Commissioners It is they even they that have stirred up our Prince King James of great Britaine against us we must therefore lay the blame and burden of our blood upon them especially however the rest above written be also partakers with them of their sinnes And as the rest of our brethren who either by silence approve or by crying peace peace strengthen the arme of the wicked that they cannot returne in the meane time make the hearts of the righteous sad they shall all in like manner bee guilty of our blood and of high Treason against the King of Kings the Lord Jesus Christ his Crown and Kingdome Now I but propone to the reall conscience of M. Burton that speaketh in his dialogue 1. If there bee not more of Christ in this one letter if hee will read it all then in all the virulent peeces hee hath written against his brethren who when he suffered did intercede for him and lye in the ashes and behaved themselves as one at his mothers grave 2. Whether or not he and his brethren who did plead against the Assembly of Divines in favours of an Erastian party doe not stirre up both Prince and Parliament in both Kingdomes in this very cause to bring on a Nationall guilt on the land to inslave the free Kingdome of Christ to the powers of the world and whether in this doe they not build the sepulchres of the Prophets and bring upon their owne heads the blood of the slaine witnesses of Christ 3. Whether a distinction will helpe them at the barre of Gods justice that they sided in hatred of the Presbyteriall government and of their brethren of Scotland with Erastians in opposing truths of Christ in these and the major proposition against the light of their owne conscience in laying the headship of the Church of Christ on the shoulder of King and Parliament and then keep in their minde a mentall reserve of the Presbyteriall Church only Now they knew that the question betweene Erastians and us was whether there be a power of government distinct from the power of the Civill Magistrate in the Church of Christ but they strike in with Erastus against Christ to reach a blow to the Presbyterians but since that time God hath brought downe the sects lower and lower in the hearts of the godly in this Kingdome and I hope shall lay their honour in the dust In the same manner M. Burton saith the giving of this power to the Generall Assembly above the Parliament incurres a premunire against the Laws of England so saith the Erastian But M. Burton knowes that is not the question and that his congregationall way makes no bones of a farre higher premunire For 1. The Parliament hath nothing to doe at all in Church matters more to judge of them or to punish hereticks then if they had no soules For M. Burton saith p. 14. Confor Deform if it be true that Christ hath left such a power to any state then to a Popish state But I deny your consequence Christ hath given to no state a power to inact wicked Laws or to ratifie wicked Popish constitutions ergo hee hath not given to a Christian state a power cumulative to bring their glory to the N. Jerusalem and to be Christian nurse-fathers to see the bride of Christ sucke healthsome milke it follows just as this doth God hath not given Kings any power to butcher and destroy the sheep of Christ ergo he hath not given to Kings power to rule and governe a Christian people in equity and justice 2. Our Brethren put a stranger premunire on us For would they speake out the mysteries and bottome of Independencie they acknowledge not this Parliament in any other sense then they would doe a Parliaments of Pagans or heathen for there be no Christian Magistrates at all to them but such as are members of their Congregationall Church that is such as they conceive to be regenerated and had they a world at their owne will then not the twentieth man of this present Parliament nor Judge nor Justice of peace could be chosen Magistrates if the congregations of England were all of the Independent stamp But you may say I slander them they pray for the Parliament as a Parliament and obey Justices of peace and
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.
sentiam peccatum quod sentis agnoscis peccatum bonum est gratias age Deo ne despera Est gradus ad sanitatem cum aegrotus agnoscit fatetur morbum suum Sâ—d quomodo liberabor à peccato accurre ad medicum mactatâ ratione crede in eum Disce credere Christum non pro fictis aut pictis sed veris non pro parvis sed maximis non pro uno atque altâ—ro Sed pro omnibus non pro devictis nullus etiam Argelus velmi nimum peccatum vincere pâ—test sed pro invictis peccatis traditum esse nisi inveniaris in numero eorum qui dicuntur nostri hoc est qui haâ—c fidei doctrinam habent â—â—cent aâ—diunt discunt ei credunt tum plane de saluâ—â— tuâ actum est As 1. Luther When I finde remorse of conscience for my sinne I looke up to the brazen Serpent Christ on the crosse and there I finde another sin against my sin that other sinne in the flesh of Christ which taketh away the sinne of the world is an omnipotent sinne and condemns and swallows up my sin And l I confesse I have sinned but my sinne is condemned in Christ who is made a condemning sinne and the condemning sin is stronger then the condemned 2. As its most safe to contemne and passe by a barking Dogge so the only way of overcomming is to despise Sathans casting in thoughts and dispute no longer with him And when there is no escaping close thy eyes and answer nothing and commend the cause to God he giveth a reason Sathan cannot indure to be a contemned enemy 3. Luther Tentations are the throngings or embracings of the bridegrome to the bride from impatience of love 4. Luther The tempted is to say I cannot endure thee O Law a rigorous Tyrant and a cruell exacter to reign in my conscience for it is the seat and temple of Christ the Sonne of God 5. Luther It s true the tempted saith how can I be holy when I have and fâ—el sin that thou feelest and acknowledgest sin its good give thanks to God despaire not it s a degree to health to feele sicknesse But how shall I bee freed from sin flye to the Physitian follow not reason beleeve and sacrifice reason Antinomians comfort us thus the sin of beleevers is seeming sin Luther saith it s too reall and must be cured by Christ. 6. Luther Christ dyed not for the painted and phancied but for true sinners and the chiefe sinners not for one or two but for all not for conquered but for unconquered sins and if thou be of the number of these that beleeve its good Luther here would have the weake ones that finde hearing learning loving of his doctrine 〈◊〉 beleeving that is such as have qualifications and conditions in them to know Christ dyed not for phancied men but for them Antinomians reject all qualifications and conditions Yea. Luther comforts only these against the Law who have this condition of Christ inclosed in their heart as a pearle set in a ring Luther tom 4. f. 46. Yea though Luther be against all preparations of merits yet is he cleare for preparations of order against the Antinomians Legis proprium officium est nos reos facere humiliare occidere â—o fiâ—e ut justificemur w Lex non facit filios Dei atqui praeparat ad novam nativitatem qua fit per fidem Luther Malleus lex opprimit pertinacem best aÌ„ presumptionem ut ista contusione homo in nihilum redactus desperat de suiâ— viribus justitiam â—itiat misericordiam remissiâ—nem peccatorum Luth. to 1.472 Per fidem Christi non sumus liberi ab operibus sed ad opinionibus opeâ—uÌ„ id est à stultâ praesumptione justificationis per opera quaesitae fides enim conscientias nostras redimit rectificat servat quâ cognoscimus justitiam esse non in operibus licet opera abesse neque possint neque debeant Luther Sentiens terrores minas tuas O Lex immergo conscientiam meam in vulnera sanguinem mortem c. Christi Venit in mentem Christum velle expostulare nobiscum velle rationem à nobis exigere transactae vitae c. Luther Cor dictat Deum adversum verbum Dei sequi debeo non sensum meum Luther Est diabolus persuasor mirificus Verbum pingit Christum non accusatorem non durum exactorem Luther Quanquam caro non nihil murmuret tamen Spiritus gemit ad Deum potius intentatione perpetuo manere perire cupit quam ad impietatem à Deo recidere Hic canon est quod in omnibus tentationibus nos ipsi alium fingimus Deum esse quam sit putamus enim Deum tunc non esse Deum sed phantasma id est horrible spectrum Luther Peccator es igitur te odit Deus Haec consequentia vera est in naturâ in jure civili ad tribunal Christi hoc sequitur peccator es ergo confide Luther Cum Sathan vexat conscientiam per legem â—tile est opponere Satanae Quid ad te tamen non peccavi tibi sed Deo meo Non enim sum tuus peccator Quid igitur juris est in mâ— non peccavi tibi non legi non conscientiae nulli homini Angelo nulli sed soli Deo It is proper to the Law to make men guilty to humble kill bring downe to hell and take all from us for this end that we may be justified w The Law maketh not men sons of God but it prepareth us for the new birth The Law is a fire and a hammer breaking the rocks to suppresse that pertinacious beast presumption that a man may be brought to nothing and despaire of his owne strength and righteousnesse and being terrified may thirst for mercy and pardon More of this yee may see in Luther to 1. fol. 11. p. 286.412 to 4. f. 5. f. 296. to 1.53 Luther never ment that wee are freed from the Law as a rule of good workes Luther to 1.472 by the faith of Christ we are not freed from workes but from the opinion of workes that is from a foolish presumption of justification by workes Luther Finding thy terrours and threatnings O Law I dip my conscience in the wounds death blood resurrection of Christ beside these I will see nothing heare nothing For we think Christ will quarrell with us and seeke a reckoning of our ill â—ed life and will accuse and condemne us In tentations though sense say that God is an enemy I follow the Word that sayeth the contrary The divell is an admirable perswader to cause us thinke a little sin a hainous crime But the word pointeth Christ sweet meeke 10. Luther The flesh murmureth but the Spirit sighes to God and had rather dye in the tentation then depart to wickednesse
wonder then this Author cry downe outward formes and cry up inward spirituall unity For the same Spirit of faith they cannot 〈◊〉 that beleeve contradictorie articles of faith But many that goe under the name of Independents and Presbyterians beleeve with Familists that Jesus Christ dyed not as true man for sinners and that he dyed as true man for sinners that the justified can sin that the justified cannot sinne that the justified are perfect in this life that the justified are not perfect in this life that the justified ought to confesse and crave pardon for sinnes that they ought not to confesse and ought not to crave pardon for sinnes For Saltmarsh telleth us there are contradictions between the faith of Protestants touching Christ his birth dying crucifying buriall ascending to heaven c. and of others hee meanes Familists and Antinomians who have attained the highest and most glorious discoveries of the Spirit Sparkles of glory p. 185 186 187 190 191 192 198 199 c. then such Independents and Presbyterians as the letter intendeth cannot have the same faith except also we hold every mans conscience within to be his rule and faith if he have love as the Familists say and that all faith or Religions without are indifferent as Familists in their Petition to K. James An. 1604 professe they will take or leave Familisme as the King and his Laws thinke fitting it may be for State intereâ—â—s â—heir practise now is a little eccentrick to their faith 2. Nor can they have the same Spirit of prayer the same prayer or answer for Presbyterians pray for the nearest uniformity in Religion faith worship government And for all the ends in the Covenant extirpation of heresie of Famiâ—iâ—me Antinomianisme Scepticisme aâ—ominable Liberty of conscience I should be glad if Independents and the Author of this Letter would pray and indeavour the same for William Del and John Saltmarsh have preached and printed to the world the grossest points of Familisme and they are ordinary Preachers to the Generall and the rest of the Commanders when Arminians and Socinians and men not halfe so absurd and monstrous in the faith as they did preach before the King the godly in both Kingdomes mourned for it to God and prayed against these things and I conceive the godly Presbyterians doe the same yet and have not forsaken their principles or the truth in a jot If the Presbyterian pray as they doe that God would avert that Athesticall plague of Liberty of conscience extirpate Familisme Socinianisme c. And Independents pray that God would grant them the grace of Liberty of conscience that Familists Socinians c. may be tolerated and promoted to highest places Can the Spirit bestow the same accesse and presence to the praiers of the one as to the other Have contradictory prayers the same answer from God Will God heare and satisfie both But I observe here that Saltmarsh and Familiâ—â—s father all their new lights on the Spirit and make the holy Spirit the author of Scepticisme and contradicent truths for Saltmarsh saith if there be not a toleration of all Religions all the glorious discoveries of God above or beyond that systeme or form of doctrine c. established and concluded by the Assembly of Divines according to the word shall be judged and sentenced as heresie and schisme and so God shall be judged by man Why because God himselfe speakes Familisme Arrianisme Socinianisme and all heresies in these that now goe for Independents and God speaks the juâ—t contrary in Presbyterians and if men udge either because the same Spirit of faith is in both then God must be judged by men 3. Are not many Independents now turned Familists and so beyond any neceâ—sity of Ordinances praying reading Sacraments Scriptures and live upon only all Spirit pure glorious revelations 4. Wee know no names of difference True wee did all with one minde as we beleeved in the simplicity of our hearts with lifted up hands to the most high God swear to endeavour according to our places to defend the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland to endeavour the extirpation of superstition heresie schisme prophanenesse who hath left this oath of God Know we not Presbyterians now by their names Are they not now the most persecuted men in England Can God suffer persecution and blood in Independents because Independents All that beleeve have the reall unity which is most glorious because inward and spirituall in the body and to the head for being united in formes commonly called uniformity every Christian will for peace sake study and doe as farre as conscience will permit Answ. No union to this Author is reall and most glorious and spirituall but the inward union externall union is excluded from being a reall union Why this union in hearing the same word of faith receiving the same seales of the Covenant bowing our knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 11.17 18 19 20 21 22 23. is at Troas Act. 20.6 7 8 9 10. Drinke yee all of this Eat yee is an unity in the externall visibly acted and performed worship of God is it not both commanded and reall it is no notion of the braine but externall worship commanded True but not in the same forme manner way time place but we disclaime an uniformity in the Physicall circumstances of time place and never tye any but to the generall naturall simple conveniencie of time place persons But the Author hath a higher aime then to exclude this uniformity for I finde Mr. Del and Saltmarsh professed Familists speake to the minde of this Author most grosse Familisme for Mr. Del preached a Sermon before the Commons against outward Reformation and outward formes all his arguments conclude against the written word of God against the preached word by men Paul or Apollo because Gospel-Reformation is a worke not of the creature but of God and as proper to God as to redeem or create the world Now Preachers can have no hand in redeeming or creating the world and when this Author saith inward unity is the reall unity Observe he calls it the unity the reall unity then that we all speake the same thing 1 Cor. 1.10 is no unity not any reall unity and that we all walke according to this rule of the new creature in our conversation and Christian practice before men as Gal. 6.16 and according to the same rule as we are commanded Phil. 3.16 that we all walke in love and as children of the light abstaining from fornication uncleannesse coveteousnesse as Eph. 5.2 3 4 5 6 7 8. And that we all walke in Christ as we have received him Col. 2.6 7. c. honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnesse not in strife and envying Rom. 13.12 13. 1 Thess. 5.1 2 3 4 5. 1 Pet. 2.11 12 13. is neither a part of the unity nor reall
have nothing but inward spirituall worship and say now it was unlawfull to take â—he Covenant and the deepest Familists say it was at that time dangerous to refuse the Covenâ—nt and they might lawfully take it and keepe their heart to God for H. N. Epistle to the Daughters of Warwick so teacheth Now councels as sermons and preaching and the written word are but formes to these men Anoynting is the work of the alone Holy Ghost 1 John 2.27 and no worke of men and they are all carnall â—en or such as H. Nicholas speaketh are wise with Worldly Antichristian false and fleshly wisdome 2 He tels us the New Testament worship consisteth in faith hope love and citeth John 4.23 and Paul preached at Troas and administred the Lords Supper till breake of day all that beleeved were together and continued daily in the Temple and did breake bread from house to house here was union but not a word of externall Vniformitie Answ. Here was all the Uniformity we crave for that which Peter preached in one house Matthew or another Apostle preached not the same very words and in the same forme of Grammer but all the twelve preached the same thing in Doctrine prayed for the same thing all administred received the Supper of the Lord according to the Institution of Christ all did sit at table all did take break and eate all did drink after the elements were blessed this Uniformity or unity cal it as you will we seeke and an union in the externall acts and ordinances but this unity is not among Presbyterians Familists Antinomians Arrians neither Doctrine nor praying nor beleeving of these same fundamentals are one as the letter would say for if all have love and all give faith and beleife to the dictats of their Conscience and a Spirit leading without scripture This unity sufficeth not though Familists beleeve Christ is not God incarnate yet we beleeve he is God incarnate though Antinomians beleive a justified man cannot sin needs not coÌ„fesse nor sorrow for sin yet we beleive the just contrary here is neither unity say we nor uniformity we have unity of faith hope love say Familists but no uniformity because there is an indifferency in what ye beleeve if yee beleeve what Conscience or an Enthysiasticall spirit speake to you it is all one you have true faith and true love By the way of these men The Unâ—formity that Familists cry downe is the tying of the spirit and his various working to one form and way of working for this were to rule order inlarge and straighten the spirit of God by the spirit of man saith Del. But we judge Familists to be ignorant of the state of the question For the preaching and worshipping of God in spirit and truth is not the thing in question but how the outward Ordinances whither the spirit concurre with them or concurre not ought to be ordered we say God hath not left men at freedome to follow the dictates of Conscience at will which often is conceit not Conscience the word regulateth us sufficiently that we looke to the rules of edification charity prudency order decency and especially the word of God But the mystery is this all outward things are indifferent and we are to please one another in them and the spirit without the word is a rule to us in the ordering of externals We heare Saltmarsh and M. Beacon say we must please one another in love in outward things so H. Nicholas saith paterne of the pres Temp. The Services and Ceremonies he meanes all the Idolatrous service of the Church of Rome shall not save any one without the good nature of Jesus Christ and of his service of love nor yet condemne any one in that good nature of Jesus Christ nor in the service of love I see not then how Becold sinned in taking fifteen wives at once for to follow the word and figures of the Law thou shalt not commit Adultery is as Del and Familists tell us the spirit of man that inlargeth straitens the spirit of God which would have some colour if preaching of the word sacraments hearing were to be ordered by the wisdome of mere men and if Orthodox Doctrines of councels in their matter were mens devises and not Gods word and if the spirit of God did not agree to goe along with his owne Ordinance In Vniformity every Christian will doe for peace sake as far as Conscience will permit But shall the Christian doe nothing for truths sake and for the commanding law of God in Uniformity or in unity or onenesse in externall worship In external worship then we have no law but please one another in love and the law of peace or if Conscience have any acting therein it is Conscience acted by the Spirit without the word so in all externals if we keepe faith and love in the heart we may live as we list A good loose world there is an Uniformity in wars in marrying in whoring in invading the rights of the Subjects their power liberty goods possessions wee have no law in these but peace pleasing one another in love And what may we not doe then If we keepe Familistical love in our heart which is the Godly being and the Godding of man with God a permitting Conscience no word of God is our rule But the onely rule say they is Conscience Led with peace that is with a desire to please one another in love in all externals in cursing or no cursing murthering or no murthering whoring no whoring lying blaspheming railing no lying no blaspheming no railing For the written word and law of God the Old and New Testament to Antinomians and Familists is a forme a letter and some certaine figures which yet are not the Christian mans obliging rule Saltm sparkles of glory p. 238 239. for p. 216 217. The whore is adorned saith he with gold and pearle which are those excellencyes of nature and formes of worship and Scriptures with which shee decks her self as a counterfit Spouse of Christ pag. 243.245 So the Uniformity of having the same Old New Testament and the same Law and Gospell preached is here covertly condemned and the having the same outward Ordinances is contrary to inward and spirituall unity in the Godly being of love and faith as if we had no word of God for to read Scripture partake of Ordinances but all externals were free In things of the mind wee looke for no compulsion but of light and reason The Authour means in Religion and faith which cannot be compelled we looke for no compulsion This was as much As we looke not from the Parliament for any Laws or use of the Sword to punish us then if one should deny there is a God as many fools doe if any should blaspheme and raile against the Godhead wee looke the Parliament should not take notice of it 2 all Religion here comes in under the name of things of the minde
teaching man Sparkles of glory pa. 247.87 Yea John should in writing this epistle contradict himselfe for he was a man not God who wrote and hee saith even to these who had the anoynting in them in the same place ver 26. These things have I written to you concerning them that seduce you 1 John 2.1 these things write I unto you that ye sin not and ver 12 13 14. He professeth he writeth to little children in Christ to young-men to fathers then either John wrote what was not needfull to wit that a man should write to anoynted ones or then John was more than a man or then in writing that he might teach the anoynted he contravened what he wrot in all his exhortationes and teaching in these three epistles and the Evangel and the Revelation Againe it is a cleare Hebraisme of which there be many in Johns writings for the Hebrews deny positively when they intend to deny only comparatively or secundum quid as when God and men are compared together or the action of God with men Ps. 127.2 the sense is so great shall be the abundance of the Spirit of grace would Jeremiah say under the New Testament that rather God himselfe shall be the teacher then one man shall teach another there shall be such exuberancie and seas of knowledge under the Messiahs Kingdome and the new Covenant above the Covenant God made with his people when he brought them out of Egypt And yee need not would John say so much that men teach you so full so rich so glorious is the Anointings teaching it is like to this Hos. 6.6 I desired mercy and not sacrifice yet sure he desired and commanded sacrifice so he exponeth it I desired the knowledge of God more then burnt offering and Christ exponeth it so Matth. 12.7 that mercy to the life of the hungering Disciples who plucked eares of corne on the Sabbath is more then externall observing of the Sabbath yet doth not Christ deny positively the externall observing of the Sabbath So 1 Sam. 8 7. They have not rejected thee but they have rejected me Certaine it was they rejected Samuel and would not have him to judge them but would have a King But the words are to bee exponed in a comparative sense though they be spoken positively that is rather or with a more hainous measure of disgracement and reproach they have rejected me their Lord and God in Covenant that I should not reigne over them then my servant Samuel 1 Cor. 15.9 10. Not I but the grace of God with me that is not I so much who am but a weake man but far rather the grace of God was the cause why I outstripped all the Apostles in labour And 1 Cor. 3.7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giveth the increase that is he that planteth or he that watereth is nothing in comparison of God yet the planter is something he is the Minister of Christ and Steward of the mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4.1 Paul saith 1 Cor. 1.17 Christ sent me not to baptise but to preach the Gospel yet Mat. 28.19 he sent all the Apostles to baptise also Nor can we beleeve that the word of God hath two senses one internall spirituall more excellent and perfect that doth affect the heart and is divers from the literall and genuine sense and another written sense of the letter that is lesse excellent and but preparatory for the more excellent as Arminians falsely impute to us Sim. Episco par 1. Thess. 17. dispu 2. But as it is the opinion of Enthusiasts falsely imputed to us because we teach that there is a neceâ—sity of the supernaturall illumination of the Holy Ghost to cause us savingly know and beleeve the one onely true and literall sense of the Scripture with an evidence of light spirituall and supernaturall which we knew before with a common naturall and literall light and evidence which is not wanting in Devills otherwise they could not beleeve and tremble apprehending Christ as their tormenter and in many wicked men or then they should not be inexcusable 2. The Scripture could not say they know God Joh. 7.28 Joh. 3.2 c. 3. Nor could they mocke and scoffe at the wisdome of the crosse if they were void of all knowledge of the doctrine of the crosse as they doe 1 Cor. 1.18.23 24. 1 Cor. 2.14 this opinion we lay at the doore of the Antinomians and judge to be absurd For 1. The unregenerate man were obliged to beleeve and apprehend one sense of the word and the inlightned another different sense whereas both may literally know one and the same sense that Jesus is the Sonne of God and Saviour of the world and the one beleeves and the other scoffes mockes and stumbles at the word Matth. 11.25 1 Cor. 1.18.25 1 Tim. 1.15 1 Pet. 2.6.7.8 2. Then should these words Christ is God and man the Saviour of belâ—eâ—ers have one sense to beleevers which they receiving by faith saveth them and another to others that Christ is not man but onely God as manifested in a Saint is Christ the Saviour of Saints but not the man that on Mount Calvery dyed and bare the reall punishment due to us by divine juâ—tice for our sinnes for the spirituall sense is either all one with the literall sense or diverse therefrom if all one we have our intent if diverse no man can have certainty of faith For 1. How can we be assured by any supposed Spirit or internall rapture of minde that this is the true sense of the Gospell That Christ is but God or the anointing of God suffering afflicted and dying in the Saints when the words in the letter doe beare the just contradicent that he was a man like us in all things except sin 2. The Scripture should be no light to our eyes no lanthorne to our feet if it have two senses for how should we with assurance of faith and an undoubting conscience in all wee beleeve in all we practise doe all for how shall poore people be resolved which of the two senses to follow since contradictory senses were offered to them for Protestants literall sense and Familists spirituall sense are as contradicent one to another as yea and no light and darknesse 3. Since Familists deny that they are infallible in exponing any Scripture and yet the Spirit doth suggest these spirituall senses that Antinomians and Familists boast off and â—â—at immediately acting on our soules as dead paâ—sive orgâ—ns without discoursing reasoning and arguing which to â—e is the very Propheticall immediately inspiring Spirit that carried the Prophets and Apostles in seeing the visions of God this must be a Spirit that is fallible and a Spirit that immediately suggesteth and teacheth untruths to some and â—o others such truths and senses as may admit of a further light and of a retractation and a beleeving of the very contrary and so a Spirit both
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
to his Saviour as the word saith 3. Christ converteth not sinners as sinners so as their sinnefull condition should be the ratio formalis the formall reason why they are converted for then should Christ convert all sinners all Pharisees all Americans Indians Tartarians hee healeth none but sicke sinners but neither as sinners nor as sicke sinners a gracious Physitian who healeth the sicke without money healeth none but such as are sicke for that were a contradiction Yet their sicknesse is not the formall â—eason why he healeth them for so he should heale all So Christ cureth sicke sinners and these onely but not because they are sinners nor because they are sicke but because and as they are freely chosen of God Joh. 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me here the cause and the reduplication for which he saith they have kept thy word But this suiteth with Familists who will have no new creature at all no grace inherent in a beleever as we shall heare and so no reall change made but onely a putative or relative change CHAP. IV. How we teach a desire of grace to be grace WEe never taught that a desire of the grace of conversion in the unconverted is conversion or that a desire in them to pray and beleeve is prayer or beliefe as Antinomians charge us But in the converted a reall unfaigned supernaturall desire of grace goeth for grace 1. In that its virtually the seed and of the very nature of grace the same Spirit that worketh the will worketh the deed 2. It s grace in Gods acceptation Abrahams aime to offer Isaak is in the Lords bookes an offering of him Because thou hast done this thing c. 3. Where ever a desire of grace is concomitantly there is grace With my soule I have desired thee in the night this desire is blessed of God as saving grace judge then of Familists who say t is a vaine and delusive Doctrine that God passeth by our dayly infirmities acccepting our wils for our performances But they contend for a perfection here in this life CHAP. V. How we are freed from the Law how not THree things are to bee considered in the Law 1. The commanding 2. The promising 3. The threatning power of the Law Now as for the mandatory power of the Law we are to consider 1. The motives bands and helps of obedience to this command of the Law 2. The quantitie of it The Law as steeled and clothed with constraining love and lovely authority of thankefulnes to God-Redeemer and as due debt to the Lord-Ransomer Jesus Christ and this is a morall motive and as it commeth from the grace of Christ bindeth us to obedience not onely in regard of the matter but also of the authority of the Law-giver though Towne say We are freed from the Law in its dominion offices and effects and another the sonnes of God are not subject to the Law that is they are not to be taught what they should doe or leave undone seeing the Spirit teacheth them they need looke for no Law Command or precept but are above all ordinances Reading hearing c. as Christ was and another The Spirit of Christ setteth 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 CHAP. VI. How the command of the Law layeth an obleiging â—and on us BUt 1. we say not that the morall Law bindeth under that reduplication as given by Moses for then all Ceremonials should bind us also who are Christians But that God intended by these ten words delivered by Moses to obleige all Christians to the worlds end to perpetuall obedience is cleare 1. Christ and his Apostles presse the morall Law upon the Gentiles Paul commandeth the Romans the fulfilling of the Law in love the Ephesians the first Commandement given by Moses Exod. 20. with promise James his hearers the fulfilling of the royall Law according to the Scripture no Scriptures but the writing of Moses and the Prophets and that not for the matter only for so a Sabbath day could not obleige the Gentiles if the Law-giver did not command it but from the authority of the Law-giver for vers 11. Hee that said this is the authority of the Law-giver Doe not commit adultery said also Doe not kill and There is one Law-giver so the Apostles adde in their Epistles these very things that Moses commanded to the doctrine of faith shewing that they are Christs ten Commandements rather then Moses 2. Notwithstanding that all Law Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steale should expire in regard of any binding they have from God just as this thou shalt be circumcised when Christ dyed and rose againe yet there is Scripture for removing of shadowes Act. 15. Gal. 5. Col. 2. but none for removing the love of God and our neighbour except in the case of justification Rom. 3. Gal. 3. Act. 15. 3. Paul expressely resolveth the Antinomian question Doe wee then make void the Law through faith God forbid Yea we establish the law And Rom. 6.1 What shall we say then shall we continue in sinne that is in a breach of the Law that grace may abound that is that the riches of pardoning grace in justification may flow largely God forbid and Rom. 7.7 is the Law sinne because it irritateth our corrupt nature God forbid For what ever is a sinne to the beleever argueth subjection to the Law as Adultery in a beleever argueth that he is under a commanding Law to say its a sinne against Christ the Redeemer maketh all the ten but one love Christ and no sinne in the world but unthankefulnesse but this should be no sinne to a Tartarian to murther why he never heard of Christ. Joh. 15.22 and so can be guilty of no unkindnesse to Christ and for sinne against the morrall Law if it be abrogated in Christ as the ceremoniall Law is Murthering his brother is no more sinne then if this Tartarian be not circumcised it can be his sinne to be so 4. The law of Nature bindeth perpetually and bindeth the Gentiles then must also the Morall law bind for the authority of the Law-giver for the law of Nature hath all its obligation from God who wrot it in the heart When the Heathen were charged by their consciences for great sinnes they naturally feared vengeance from a Law-giver who had written these lawes in their hearts now the Morall law hath all its obliging power from the Law-giver also 5. The Law by the operation of the Spirit is a meane of our conversion Psa. 19.7 as all the obleiging power that the rest of the Word of God even the Gospell is usefull for doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction in righteousnesse to make us perfect to salvation and the Gospell
you and to you who are troubled rest with us c. And Merit-mongers say our good works are made condignely and morally meritorious from Christs merits and so are made and dignified with a sort of infinitenesse to buy heaven as Antinomians say they have sinnelesse perfection from Christs merits and are made as white faire spotlesse as God can see no sinne in them but looking on them seeth them as faire as the works of Christ or the elect Angels Wee judge that there is no worth to come neere in value or proportion to grace or glory and that no reward is promised for them none to them but as to signes and fruits of grace CHAP. XLVI That there is grace inherent in the Saints beside that free favour and good will that is in God WEe accord not with Antinomians who say that grace is onely in Christ none in us they are but gifts and effects of grace in us saith Towne The new creature the armour of God and love is nothing but Christ. But wee say Grace or free favour is in Christ as the cause root spring but this is the infinite God freely of meere grace imparting his goodnesse mercy redemption calling us without hire or money and this indeede is not in us but in him but there is a grace created the fruit of this free grace in God that is in us subjectively and inherently and denominates us gracious and new creatures grace is in Christ as the floure in the root but in vs as the smell that comes from the floure and is communicated to us who have senses The Scripture saith 1. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature a new creature cannot be Christ the Creator the new man is created in righteousnesse and true holynesse and these be created graces in us as the lusts of the flesh contrary to these are not the first Adam but the fruits of this sinne so neither can these bee the second Adam 2. The Armour of God Ephes. 6. Faith Hope the Word of God Prayer the chiefe parts of that armour have Christ for their object and subject and wee are to pray in Christs name then they cannot be Christ himselfe faith may be weake Christ cannot be weake prayer lesse fervent Christ not so 3. The Scripture saith God putteth in the Saints a heart of flesh a new heart powreth water that is his spirit on the thirsty ground the Spirit of grace and supplication on the Family of David writes his Law in our inward parts gives a circumcised heart 4 There is an in-biding principle The seed of God remaining in the Saints the annoyting that teacheth them all Grace in Timothy faith unfained dwelling in him and his grandmother 5. The Saints are denominated new creatures from grace inherent faithfull and sanctified in Christ Jesus borne againe of God Sonnes and heires partakers of the Divine nature Kings and spirituall Priest to God changed and renewed 6. From this Libertines say there is no difference betweene hypocrits and beleevers whereas they are blessed meeke shall see God shall be satisfied have a great reward in heaven which is falsely said of hypocrits and it s neere of kinne to that foule errour The Spirit works in hypocrits by gifts and graces in the Saints immediatly whereas the Saints doe many things from the feare of God from Faith from humility and meekenesse which are graces in them and it neighbours with that heresie that Christ acteth immediatly in the Saints hee being incarnate in them and they Christed and Godded with him Christ dwelling in their flesh which maketh every Saint Christ and the onely begotten Son of God and it sides with that error that the efficacie of Christs death doth kill the activity of all graces and that all the activity of a beleever is to act sinne there being nothing in him but sinne Christ without acting all in him CHAP. XLVII That we are not meere patients in the acting of the Spirit of Sanctification SO doe Antinomians hold that we are meere patients under the actings of the Spirit the Spirit acting in us immediately as on blocks and stocks So there is say they no obligation to pray at set houres and times but when the Spirit acteth and stirreth us immediatly thereunto And Saltmarsh saith this is a bondage to times and no spirituall serving of God So hath Randel the Familist prefixed in an Epistle to two Popish Tractats furnishing to us excellent priviledges of Familisme the one called Theologia Germanica and the other the Bright starre which both advance perfect Saints above Law Gospel Scripture Ordinances Praying hearing to a Monastike contemplative life in which their perfectists see injoy live in God without beholding him in formes or materiall images the signe of the Crosse lawfull books as they thinke to young beginners without any acting in them either of understanding will desire or any power they and their love desire joy being all drowned annihilated and swallowed up in God immediatly injoyed and the Spirit acting immediatly Euthysiastically in them as men dead crucified mortifyed and if they have any acts of knowing or willing or loving they bee acts of the old man and the flesh And upon the same ground God not efficatiously and immediatly concurring in morall actions to act upon the creatures men and Angels The Libertines of old some Familists and Antinomians of late have said that God is the author of sinne that his working or not working on the creature is the cause of good and ill righteousnesse and unrighteousnesse 1. Because sinne is nothing but Gods not working 2. It cannot hurt God and why should he hate it 3. It hath its first being in God 4. It is his servant and conduceth to heighten free grace and rich mercy I doe not impute this to all Antinomians yet some have said it and written it the same principles common to Libertines and Antinomians as you may reade in worthy Calvin incline to the same conclusions It is true Saltmarsh comes not up to truth in this Mans sinnes was serviceable saith hee to the glory of Redemption and was but for the bringing forth of this though not decreed of God but occasioned by man God foreknowing the changeablenesse of his creature c. In which words not knowing what to make out of the Protestant doctrine out of ignorance hee makes sinne the mother and glorious Redemption the birth that was warmed with life in the wombe of sinne and was serviceable for the bringing forth of this We know what M. Archer said of late I scarse beleeve that that godly man would have spoken so faire and glorious grace was warmed and enlived from eternitie in the sweet bowels and heart of God and never lay never fetched heat of life from the foule wombe of
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
man at the same time in the same sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Aristotle taught us be both lame and whole in the legges blinde and seeing deafe and hearing dead and living it may be Antinomians who will have the beleevers Adultery no Adulterie have a way of Logicke of their owne to goe with Libertines who said knowing sinne to be sinne holynesse to be holynesse was a worke of the flesh and of old Adam who through eating the forbidden fruit knoweth good and evill But so you will say If God justifie the ungodly beleeving which is an act of sanctification must goe before justification then are wee sanctified and can doe that which is pleasing to God before we be justified and be in Christ then must we please God as beleevers ere we be in Christ and so exercise acts of the life of grace before we be in the Vine tree and before we be branches ingraffed in Christ for sure to beleeve is an act of the life of Christ in us Answ. If beliefe or faith be an instrument and so a cause in its kind or a condition call it as you will without which Paul in the Epistle to the Romanes and Galathians and Hebrewes c. saith we cannot be justified I see not any inconveniencie of this order 1. The sinner dead in sinne a sonne of wrath 2. A walker after the course of the prince Sathan who ruleth in the children of disobedience 3. The Gospel of free grace is Preached to the dead to the Elect heires of wrath but freely for Christs sake and with an intent on the Lords part of the same circumferance and spheare with the decree of the election to glory though they know not 4. The Law and curses of it preached to them with the Gospel lest they despaire to humble them 5. The sinner Legally humbled slaine in the dead throw Rom. 7.11 with a halâ—e-hope of mercy prepared for Christ though the preparation have no 1. promise of conversion 2. No ground nature or shaddow of merit 3. No necessary connexion with conversion save onely that God may intend the same preparation in an elect for conversion which he intendeth for no conversion in a reprobate 6. The stony heart of meere grace removed in the same moment a new heart put in him Ezech. 36.26 27. Zach. 12.10 Deut. 30.6 Jer. 31.33 or the habit of sanctification infused 7. In the same moment the soule beleeveth in him that justifieth the ungodly 8. In the same moment God for Christs sake of meere grace justifieth the beleeving sinner And every one of these necessarily presupposeth the former Nor can Antinomians free themselves or any with them of the pretended inconveniencie they would put on us to wit that we must beleeve before wee be actually joyned to Christ in justification for they will have us justified and so please God and actually injoy the fruit of election which is justification Rom. 8.29 before we beleeve that is before we feele and to our owne sense know that we are justified Now this feeling and knowledge is an intellectuall act of the life of God and the habit of an infused new heart of regeneration as well as our justifying Faith and so we yet exercise an act of the life of Christ which must bee an act of saving grace actus secundus or a life-operation flowing from the infused habit of sanctification before we be justified in the sense that Scripture speaketh of justification which saith all alongs Wee are justified by faith God justifieth the man that beleeves in him that justifieth the ungodly Now sure the Lord giveth to us faith to beleeve justification before he justifie in the sense that Paul speaketh of justification For the Lord giveth the Spirit of sanctification of grace of adoption of faith c. for all these are vitall and supernaturall acts of the same Spirit to these that have not the Spirit at first to the uncircumcised in heart Deut. 30.6 to the wildernesse and dry ground Esai 44. vers 3. to these who pollute his name among the heathen and have stony and rockie hearts Ezech. 36.21 26. to these that are a dying polluted in their owne bloud Ezech. 16.6 8. to those that are dead in sinnes and trespasses Ephes. 2.1 2 3 4 5. and this the Lord doth for Jesus Christs sake freely Gal. 4.4 5. then before we be actually in Christ by justification and branches in him by order of nature first wee so farre find favour in the Lords eyes or please him or rather he is of free grace pleased with us that he giveth his holy Spirit to us and upon the same ground may we being yet not justified and so in that sense not in Christ by order of nature first beleeve before we be justified nor is it justification that formally united us in this actuall union as branches to the Vine tree but union is a fruit of life as is the joyning of soule and body together and so a fruit of the infused life of God or of the habit of sanctification and thus it followeth not that we beleeve before we be united to Christ as branches to the Vine tree but onely that we beleeve by order of nature before we be justified which the Scripture saith But to returne we are not obliged to M. Saltmarsh who argueth against justification by faith slandering Protestants most ignorantly and the doctrine of Paul as if to bee justified by faith were to bee justified by a faith of our owne framing without the grace of Christ or by faith as a merit and hire that hireth and purchaseth Christ to be ours It is a curious and an unedifying question to search out as Cornewell doth Whether faith be active or passive in receiving Christs imputed righteousnesse though if hee speake of actuall beleeving to call it passive is an unproper speach i. we hold that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere to beleeve is not imputed as our righteousnesse which is Socinianisme 2. That for the dignity worth and merit of Faith Christs righteousnes is not imputed to us and therefore neither wee nor Scripture before us saith we are justified for Faith but by Faith 3. That Faith receiving Christ is the free grace of God given to us in the state of sinne They say The begger putteth forth an act or actions both of petitioning for almes and reaching out his hand to receive it and so it is not every way so of free grace as Christs imputed righteousnesse is to us But should we suppose the tongue and speach the arme and the act of stretching it forth to receive the almes the sense of poverty the opinion of the goodnesse of him from whom he seeks almes doth bow the consent and will to seek almes and receive it were bestowed on the begger of the same free grace and compassion of the giver of the almes by which he giveth the almes yee would say almes and stretching out of the hand were both
first make our selves by some preparing grace his married Spouse For sure this is a Marriage-covenant we must first make our selves his people and then for shame he must be our God as if Marriage-love bred first in our breast and stood upon this poore legge the grace of man to God not the grace of God to lost man 2. We teach that faith in Christ is both a condition of grace on our part but not Antecedent and preparatory to the Covenant and also a grace promised when the new heart is articled to us so that Christ bringeth into the covenant himselfe his righteousnesse his free grace and the condition of Faith that receives him just as if the heire of a King should offer to marry a Maid of low birth upon condition she weare about her necke on the Marriage day a gold chaine having in it a rich Diamond of the Crowne and withall should oblige himselfe under his hand and seale in the Marriage-contract both to bestow this chaine on her freely and to infuse a Spirit of grace and love to close in her heart with such a lover and to yeeld consent to the match and to adorne her selfe with this chaine Just so doth the Prince of life here and its a vaine thing to parallel this covenant of grace with other covenants 3. Nor did ever any man before Saltmarsh dreame that Law-obedience was an Antecedent condition of the Covenant of works with Adam nor were Adam and Eve in their state of sinlesse innocencie The people of God before God was first their God for then never man Adam nor any other were under the Law or Covenant of works till first they absolved and kept to the end a course of perfect obedience Yea so there was never on earth such a thing as a covenant of works except made with Christ nor can we say that God made a Covenant of works with Adam for his perfect obedience yet sure perfect obedience was a condition of the Covenant of works Antinomians have a second great mistake of the covenant of grace while they make it as old as election to glory and the Lambe slaine from the foundation of the world it s an everlasting covenant indeed but that is not because it is not made in time Christ is an eternall Mediator and an eternall Priest and the Lambe slaine from eternity but that was onely in Gods decree and eternall purpose as touching the beginning of his Mediatorship and Priesthood and so the creation of the World is eternall but sure Christ in the fulnesse of time was made of a woman entred by a calling of God in time to bee Mediator and Priest and dyed not for sinners till the raigne of Tyberius Cesar as he was borne in the raigne of Augustus nor were we justified pardoned and redeemed from eternity more then we were effectually called sanctified and gloryfied from eternity But Antinomians will have our sinnes pardoned from eternity before we beleeve And when were we then borne in sinne and the heires of wrath by nature and under condemnation by the second Adam Never really When were we sometimes dead in sinnes and trespasses and in time past walking according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the aire And sometimes foolish disobedient serving divers lusts and pleasures lyving in malice and envie hatefull hating one another Not when we were justified if we were justified from eternity and when wee were chosen to glory before the World was But so must all our sinnes before conversion be but sinnes in conversation not in conscience and our Murthers cousening stealing persecuting whoredomes if we be chosen and so justified and washed when wee are chosen are seeming and fancied not reall sinnes nor such in themselves nor to the light of faith or in Gods sight by this Antinomian dreame Their third great mistake in the covenant of grace is in the parties Saltmarsh tells us that the new covenant is no covenant properly with us but with Christ for us It s true Christ standeth for us as principall undertaker who articles as the second Adam for us yea for all his seed to worke the conditions in us he is the Mediator surety witnesse Messenger or Angel of the Covenant for us But Antinomians will have him so for us as the Covenant shall oblige us to no dutie or condition of beleeving to bee performed by us and the Gospel shall tye us to no holy walking Why Wee are saith Saltmarsh to beleeve that our beleeving repenting new obedience mortification are all true in Christ who beleeved repented obeyed for us It is true wee are to beleeve our repenting obeying beleeving are true in Christ. 1. As in the meritorious cause who hath satisfied justice for all our sinnes and for the sinfull defects in our believing repenting obeying 2. We are to beleeve they are true in Christ as the author and principall cause who works in us to will and to doe by his effectuall grace But Antinomians will not have us to beleeve they are true in us as personally and in our selves though by Christs strength acting them or doing or performing the duties of beleeving repenting mortifying our lusts by any obligation of the Law or Gospel commandement CHAP. LXVII Of Legall and Evangelicall conversion WEe deny not but there is a Legall conversion and Gospel terrours and Gospel-hell fire and condemnation and the worme that never dyes and that nature may propose ends to it selfe in turning to God outwardly and that as incident to Antinomians as to any generation of people For it is knowne that many Antinomians are deluded not converted by a worke of the Law storming and quelling the conscience with the smoake and fire-slaughts of everlasting burning especially where the conscience neighbours wich a Melancholike complexion and when the party comes to such a Physitian as M. Saltmarsh though there be no inward change in the heart no evidences either to him or the deluded soule of a new and inward worke but the party still in the gall of bitternesse no sense of sinne but a dumbe beastly feeling of the flashes of hell fire a Pharaoh-like disposition the counterfeit white Angel saith to the perplexed soule Beleeve everlasting love and read Pharaoh and Simon Magus and your own names in the Lambes Booke of life beleeve and apply immediately without care conscience or sense of sinne or humiliation all these are reprobate money to buy grace away with them to come to the bloud of attonement come though yee be neither wearie nor laden nor pricked in heart with sinne and be yee assuredly perswaded that that bloud was shed for you that yee are as cleane from sin 160. agoe as Christ himselfe Honey combe cap. 3. pag. 25. Mourne no more be not humbled doe nothing at all but rest upon what Christ hath done for you rejoyce evermore sorrowing for sinne is Legall unbeliefe severe and
God in hell Nay but if one rise from the dead they will heare and beleeve 2. Antinomians mistake our minde in this lying excuse to wit that we fancie that the prepared for Christ are pardoned and justified men this wee never teach they are guilty sinners and these are in their sinnes unworthy who are best qualified and fitted for Christ. Wee make not cleannesse a preparation for washing nor a sinnelesse innocent and guiltlesse condition a fitnesse preparatory to justification 3. Antinomians take not away by their way a stronger shift Lord if Christ had dyed for me by name and thou hadst drawne me as effectually to Christ as thou drewst Paul and Peter I should have received Christ but thou drewst me in a way that thou drewst Judas when I was guiltie and my heart rockie We make preparations Christs work as conversion is but a farre more common worke of an inferiour nature which may be in many sinners who are never converted Object 7. All that ever received Christ Corinthyans Ephesians Colossians received him in a sinnefull condition when they were unwashen darkenesse dead in sinnes enemies in their minds by wicked works Answ. Nothing followeth against us preparations removeth not a sinnefull condition nor deadnesse in sinne nor minde-enmity by evill works Christs bloud and saving grace onely removeth both the guilt and the staine of sinne but hence it followeth in no sort that we are not sinne-sick and selfe-condemned and lost before Christ remove our darkenesse and quicken the dead Object 8. God offereth Christ in time as God gave him God before all time gave him to us because we were sinners and now he is but offered as he was given Answ. God offereth Christ in time as hee gave him before time it is true in regard of the freedome of grace no cause condition qualification reason moved God to ordaine and decree either the sicke for the Physitian Christ or the Physitian for the sicke before time and neither preparations is the cause nor necessary condition or ground why he giveth Christ to us in time But it is not true in regard of the order of giving Christ bofore time or in time for in time God giveth Christ to these that heare the Gospel onely but I hope he decreed not to give Christ and salvation to men upon this condition and upon no other that they shall heare the Gospel because hee ordained men for glory of free grace and upon the same free grace ordained them to heare and beleeve and repent yet neither faith nor repentance were preparatory conditions to the decree of grace 1. God neither before time nor in time giveth Christ because we are sinners or because wee are thus and thus humbled and prepared but because he will bee gratious to whom he will be gratious sinne is onely the occasion and the matter and preparations are the meere order of his proceeding first he humbleth by the Law and then giveth Christ in the Gospel but not because the sinner is humbled nor for his humiliation nor because he hath made any Gospel-promise whoever is thus and thus fitted and prepared by the Spirit of the Law and terrors and broken and selfe-condemned with the burden and sense of sinne shall be converted we know no such Gospel-promise CHAP. LXX Faith not the onely worke of the Gospel as Antinomians say LEt us also try Saltmarsh his reasons to prove his short way to heaven and that its the onely Gospel-worke to beleeve Salvation saith he is not a businesse of our working and doing it was done by Christ with the Father All our worke is no worke of salvation but in salvation Wee here receive all not by doing any thing that we may receive more but doing because we receive so much because we doe not that wee may be saved And yet we are to doe as much as if we were to be saved by what we doe because we should doe as much for what is done already for us and to our hands as if wee were to receive it for what we did our selves Answ. 1. Here is no Argument Christ hath done all by way of merit and purchase of a perfect redemption therefore wee are not to worke out our salvation in feare and trembling it followeth not 2. It is most false That we are to doe nothing in the Gospel that we may receive more or that we may be saved but because we are saved for these are not contrary but sweetly subordinate We doe because we are saved and because wee are Redeemed by merit and Gospel-right by hope and begun possession therefore we are not to sow to the Spirit that we may reape life everlasting it followeth not Wee both worke because we have a crop and that we may receive a crop Servants are to serve their Masters not with eye-service both because they have a Master in heaven who hath saved them and also in hope to receive the reward of inheritance Elders are to feed the flocke because they are redeemed and love their Redeemer and because when the chiefe Shepheard shall appeare they shall receive a crowne of glory that fadeth not away and because we are redeemed we are to looke to our selves that wee lose not these things that we have wrought for but that wee may receive a full reward so our worke is both a worke of salvation and a worke in salvation 3. There is nothing falser then that Antinomians are to worke as much as if they were to be saved by their working for their working is arbitrary not obligatory by any commandement nor doe they sinne in not working Let them in their conscience say if they sinne or can sinne 1. being once justified for sin is as cleane removed in its nature and being from the beleever as from Christ say the Antinomians 2. If they sin in doing nothing after they are justified if the immediate acting of the Spirit of love stirre them not to it and therefore it is false that they should doe as much for what is done as if they were to receive life for doing because they should not non debent they are not obliged to doe when they doe not nor are under any guilt for not doing By this way for to Antinomians there is no obliging Law but God immediatly by his Spirit acting them to good is all their Law Object 2. This short worke beleeve and be saved Paul telleth you Say not in thine heart who shall ascend to heaven that is to bring Christ from above c. The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth c. Answ. We would not willingly make the way to heaven longer then Christ hath made it Paul speaketh Rom. 10.6 7 8. of a Law-way that is long wearisome unpassible as who would strive to climbe up to heaven or to goe downe to the grave to fetch Christ from either heaven or hell The Gospel-way sure is a sweet easie passible way
neither reading of Scripture nor hearing the Word Preached nor vocall praying in the Spirit of adoption for sure though these must come from the heart yet essentially they are externall worship and something in the outward man beside that which is onely in the heart and something of formes they must have for they are externall visible and audible acts of worship The same was taught by a Silesian Casparus Schunenckfeldius in Luthers time as saith Conradus Schlusdelburgius Catologo Hereticorum lib. 10. pag. 30. Per externum verbum Dei ministerium praedicationem homines non converti non esse homines obligatos ad audiendam praedicationem verbi externam praedicationem non pertingere ad eos tantum herere in externis sensibus testificari duntaxat de Christo fidem aliam non esse praedicationem verbi nisi historicam neque esse fidem accidens aut qualitatem sed esse essentiam Dei Scripturam non esse verbum Dei verbum Dei non esse aliud quam substantiale nempe Christum Luther Tom. 2. in Gen. cap. 19 fol. 133. Answereth externall Ordinances invented by God profit to salvation not these that are invented by men 4. When the heart saith Del is reformed all is reformed and when the heart is right with God the outward form cannot be amisse It is cleare that Del and Antinomians mean there is no externall worship commanded in the New Testament neither hearing reading praying confessing of Christ before men so as we sinne in omitting these or that the Letter of any Command obligeth us to obedience as the Letter of the Law from the authority of the Lawgiver obliged Adam before he fell and the Jewes in the Old Testament For Del saith If the heart be reformed all will be reformed that is If the Spirit be in the heart and act us to reade heare pray confesse Christ before men receive the Seales wee are then obliged to acts of externall worship and not otherwise so that no Command written in Old or New Testament no authority of God speaking in the written word or speaking in the Ambassadors of Christ either preaching the Gospel or commanding by the Holy Ghost in Synods Acts 15.28 doe lay any obliging Commands on us to any externall worship outward Reformation or confession of Christ for the Spirit speaking in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles is but litterall outward externall to beleevers except the Spirit be in their heart acting and immediatly stirring and working there is no obliging power laid on us to externall worship or outward reformation by the Familists and Antinomians way For we know their Doctrine The Holy Ghost comes in place of the naturall faculties of the soule and acteth us immediately to all internall acts of loving and beleeving and to all externall acts of outward worship or reformation and wee are not bound to pray in our Family but when the Spirit moves and stirres us thereunto and Christ works in the Regenerate as in these that are dead and therefore all commands and exhortations are in vaine seeing we have no activitie to obey but the Spirit and Christ onely doth all in us in as much as no written word is an obliging rule to us but the immediate actings of the Spirit onely leadeth us in all wee doe M. Del Pag. 26. denies there should be any Lawes in Christs kingdome but Gods Lawes hee knowes wee are against mens Lawes within the Church and service of God to wit that of a new nature the Law of the Spirit of life that is in Christ the Law of love All these are Lawes within men there is not one word of the Scripture here or of the Gospel preached or of Church-censure Excommunication or rebukes either from the Word preached or the authority of Church all these are without and are not the inward Law of a new nature or of the Spirit or of love 5. If when the heart is reformed all bee reformed the outward man must be under no command or Law of reformation but by a result of curtesie the free Spirit and no written Law must lead the outward man but hee who said purifie your hearts gave a Commandement for the outward man clense your hands and Paul forbids the Saints who are sealed to the day of Redemption of corrupt communication of bitternesse wrath anger clamour evill-speaking and that all fornication uncleannesse covetousnesse should not be once named amongst them as becommeth the Saints yea and filthinesse and foolish talking and jesting which are not convenient because sinnes of the outward man doe also exclud men out of the kingdom of heaven aswell as want of heart-reformation and consider this is an Argument of the Familists for faith and love in the heart onely without all works of Sanctification or walking in Christ and of the Nichodemits who denyed any necessitie of confessing of Christ before before men and of the Anabaptists and their head Muncer as Bullinger tells us that they in his time said The first reformers were not sent of God nor preached the true word of God and that the Letter of the Scripture was not the Word of God but the inward word that commeth immediatly out of the mouth of God should be taught inwardly not by the Scripture and Sermons and that whoredome was the bed undefiled they held all these externals indifferent at least such things as defiled not the conscience They said Dreames and Visions under the New Testament was Gods revealed will and boasted of revelations beside the Scripture and that the Scripture was a dead Letter And so said that prophane Popish Priest the monstrous Libertine Anton. Pocquius Who called the Word of God the Spirit because Christ said The words that I speake are Spirit and life So saith Del. pag. 19. citing the same Text. Pocquius said also That Christ was Spirit that we and our life must bee spirit and that the Scripture taken in its naturall sense doth kill and is but a dead Letter and therefore wee must leave the Scripture and come to the quickning Spirit Bullinger also tells us of a sort of Anabaptists called Libertini or Liberi Anabaptistae free or Libertine Anabaptists who taught That Baptizing of Infants Magistracie Oathes were things free and indifferent which wee may use or not use at our Libertie they judged the Scripture and Preaching of the Word was not necessary because wee are all taught of God beleevers have the Spirit and need not externall Signes or Sacraments it is free to us to confesse or not to confesse Christ if danger be imminent it s enough to keepe the truth in the heart for God delights not in our death and torment After the same manner the best argument that Del hath from the nature of inward reformation will conclude If Gospel reformation because it is the internall destroying of the body of sin and is spirituall changeth the
inner man only and mindes onely the reforming of the heart and that doth change the outward man then he excludeth all Civill Externall and Ecclesiasticall power which is busied about outward formes outward orders outward government outward confession of Christ before men or confession of sinnes before men and outward practises For as Del saith Pag. 6.7 Gospell-reformation medleth not with reforming the externall man and so not with the preaching of the Word receiving the Sacraments reading Scriptures praying in publike confessing Christ before men if in the heart or the inward man a beleever have the Spirit and retaine God in his heart Dels reformation medleth not with outward practises to forbid and rebuke such practises as Paricides Murthers Incests Adulteries Thefts Opressions Lying Blasphemy Idolatry Sorcerie Sodomie neither the Preachers of the Gospel can reforme these with the Word nor the Magistrate with the sword by any warrant of the Gospel the Magistrate by the Gospel Rom. 13. beareth not the sword to take vengeance on ill doers for Gospel-reformation meddles not with outward practises nor outward order then it medleth not with the outward man nor commandeth it the outward man to walke circumspectly nor to walke in Christ nor to confesse Christ before men as we desire Christ to confesse us before his father and his holy Angels nor to observe externall order in the worship of God nor to abstaine from fornication evill speaking clamours bitternesse for all these be outward practises contrary to the rule of the Gospel and though the soule and spirit not the body nor whole man should be sanctified wholly as the Apostle prayeth Yet by this way I see not but all externals of either worship or conversation that concerneth our outward walking must be things indifferent and free neither commanded nor forbidden under the Gospel It is free to kill our brother or not to kill him to whore sweare worship Idols cousen and deceive steale robbe oppresse if the Faith of imputed righteousnesse bee in the heart then is the body of sinne destroyed saith Del and another Reformation that is outward he knowes not and Dels argument runnes thus The onely true Gospel-reformation is spirituall not carnall But the Civill and Ecclesiasticall Reformation is not spirituall but carnall and wrought by the power of flesh and bloud c. Answ. The Major is doubtsome and the Assumption false 1. For civill Reformation as civill is not spirituall formally but onely materially and objectively spirituall But to say that Ecclesiasticall Reformation should be spirituall as spirituall is opposed to externall and outward and onely spirituall and in the heart Satan could not fancie a more wicked untruth to destroy all godlynesse and holynesse as it appeares in the outward man in the duties of the first and second Table for Gospel-reformation as touching Gods part is inward spirituall invisible done by him that is Lord of soule and conscience but this is but the halfe though the choisest halfe of Reformation but as touching mans part it is externall and also spirituall and done by the Preaching of the Word and discipline of the Church For sure the Apostles and Elders Acts chap. 15. Reformed the Churches of Antioch Hierusalem Syria and Silicia and that spiritually and externally for these are not contrary when they send to them commandements not to bee circumcised nor to keepe the Ceremoniall Law but to abstaine from bloud and things strangled as at that time scandalous and from fornication as a sinne against the Morall Law because they that held the contrary opinion were lying Teachers and perverted soules and so deformed with a spirituall deformity the Churches of God as Del and Familists now doe Now the Assumption That Ecclesiasticall reformation is carnall as done by men and not spirituall is most false for carnall it may bee in some part and in some sense that is standing in outward externall Commandements and yet spirituall given by the Law-giver an infinite Spirit tying and obliging the Spirits of men and leading to a spirituall end so the Ceremonies of Moses are carnall not sinnefull not unlawfull vicious fleshly as Del pag. 2.3.4 foulely ignorant of the sense and meaning of his owne Text he preached on expoundeth it in opposition to Gospel-reformation which is spirituall lawfull not fleshly and sinnefull For then to obey the Ceremoniall Law had been sinnefull and unlawfull to the Jewes and God must have given Commandements to the Jewes which were sinnefull and unlawfull judgements and statutes and ordinances which is the blaphemy of old Manicheans So the Reformation done by the Gospel preached and by lawfull Assemblies holding forth the truth and condemning contrary errors is carnall that is externall and wrought by flesh and bloud Del meaneth by the word carnall the corruption of flesh and bloud as the phrase is taken Math. 16.17 which is a manifest untruth it is wrought by men consisting of flesh and bloud in a carnall that is in an externall outward audible and visible manner and yet spirituall also it is in that very externall Reformation is according to the Word of God who is a Spirit 2. It layes an obligation on the consciences and spirits of men both actively to reforme in that outward way though God must make it effectuall by an inward reformation it leadeth men even as it is externall to a spirituall end obedience to God in Christ according to the rule of the Gospell The Church and men take not on them to reforme hearts but instrumentally by going about an outward reformation by Planting Sowing Watering and labouring the Lords husbandrie his Church I might borrow Dels Argument and say true feeding and nourishing of men and upholding their life with bread is from the omnipotent power of God Deut. 8.3 For man liveth not by bread onely and inferre that they are grossely mistaken who take true nourishing of men to be outward plowing harrowing sowing earing grinding for all these are carnall fleshly and wrought by flesh and bloud and by the power of man but true effectuall nourishing commeth not from the plough or the husbandman but from the mighty power of God and therefore if God nourish plowing sowing earing cannot bee amisse So the Libertines made God the onely author of sinne Del citeth Joh. 4. God is a Spirit c. A place that Gnosticks Enthusiasts Libertines Anabaptists abused to deny all externall worship and acts of Sanctification and Towne cannot answer Doctor Taylor who objecteth that Antinomians deny all externall worship for he saith A man is a fulfiller of the Law in Christ who dyed for him so that faith is all and the same saith Del pag. 4.5 Gospel-reformation is a destroying of the body of sinne by the presence and operation of the righteousnesse of God dwelling in their hearts by faith He speakes not one word of sanctification and personall mortifying of the body of sinne and of walking with God but saith He knoweth no
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