in all things sinne excepted Luk 24.39 40. Ioh. 20.26 27. 18 The second birth is the Godhead and Gods true being obtaineth the victory beareth rule with God and bringeth forth the name of Israel or Christ it selfe sect 12. 19 Christ is not true man nor Abrahams seed after the flesh but God only in so far as he followeth Abrahams faith 20 H. Nicholas and all his illuminated Elders are Christ all not of his way the Antichrist so some Antinomians now at Oxford Say 1 That Iesus Christ is not God essentially but in name 2 That his nature was defiled with sin aswel as ours 3 It is as possible for Christ to sin as for any of us 4 The Trinity of the Persons is a fiction 5 The fulnesse of the Godhead doth dwell bodily in the Saints as in Christ and that when this Godhead shall be manifested in them they shall have divine honour and have more power then Christ and doe greater workes then hee 6 The scripture is but a shadow and a fiction now the word saith 1 The father and Christ are one and he thought it no robbery to be equal with the father Phi. 2 and maintained he was the consubstantiall sonne of God Ioh. 7. Ioh. 10 else the Iewes would never have said he blasphemed in calling himselfe the sonne of God by adoption for they knew Godly men to be so the sons of God 2 By him the word the heaven and earth were created Ioh. 1.1 2 3. Col. 1.16 17. now God onely created the World Ier. 10 11 12. Esay 44.24 Gen. 1.1 Psal. 33.6 7 8. 3 Hee was anoynted above his fellowes with grace Psal. 45.2.7 and wee receave out of his fulnesse and light our halfe-penny candles at this sunne of righteousnesse Ioh. 1.14.16 and he giveth the Holy Ghost Ioh. 16.14 And hath received a name above all names Phil. 2 9 10. and God said to none of the Angells farre lesse to any man save to the man Christ sit thou at my right hand Heb. 1. 21 The Familists are perfect in this life and so are Antinomians Towne as p 77 78. Saltm free grace 140. 22 To say the three persons are one God is a foolish making three Gods Antinomians professe that Antitrinitarians Arrians Socinians are their brethren so they beleeve and love God as they doe 23 There is but one Spirit in all creatures and that is essentially God Epist to the the two daughters of Warwicke 24 Love and well doing and good workes are the cause of our re-reconciliation and the very saviours that beares our sins whereas Christ bare our sinnes in his body on the tree Esay 53.6 7 8. 1 Pet. 2.23 24. 25 Christs dying on the Crosse is nothing but H.N. and his illuminated Elders their obeying constantly the doctrine of H. N. so as no suffering could cause them to forsake it 26 Then is Christ put to death when any of the Family of Love is no longer led by the Scripture but by the Spirit of revelation that is as sure as the Scripture so said Mrs. Hutchison Rise reigne p. 61. er 27. 27 Mortification is to H. N· justification and removing of sinnes so doe Antinomians confound these two 28 The resurrection of Christ was but a passing out of the flesh or letter of the law to the spirituall being of illuminated Elders 29 Christ sitteth not in our flesh at the right hand of God but in the spirit 30 The comming of the Holy Ghost in cloven tongues was the comming of Christ againe from heaven in the Spirit 31 Christs ascending to heaven was his comming to heavenly mindednesse and fulnesse of knowledge 32 The resurrection of the body is a rising in this life from sin and wickednesse 33 In H. N. God this present day judgeth the world the family of love are the many thousands of his saints that Judgeth with him even now and reigneth on the earth Evang. c. 1. sect 9.10 34 The Marriages of all not enlightened are unlawfull 35 Men shall marry and have wives at the resurrection 36 The illuminated Elders cannot sin nor pray for forgivenesse of sinnes so Antinomians hony-combe c. 3. pag 25. c. 7 pag. 139 forgiven sin is not or hath no being before God Saltm free grace pag. 44. 37 Heaven and Hell are in this world Antinomians say we are fully and compleatly not in hope onely saved in this life 38 The family of love is under no law 39 All things are the act of God 40 Angels and Devils and wicked men are acted immediately by the Spirit of God 41 The Scripture is a shadow 42 Ordinances are for babes in their family of love only 43 The perfect are to live above all ordinances 44 Jf temptations lay hold on us and force us to sin and we cry to God for helpe and finde no helpe we are as guiltlesse as the maid forced in the field who cryed and had no helpe and is not for that a whore H.N. documentall sentences sect 13. sect 8. It is true the beleever shal not be charged to eternal condemnation for sins of infirmities that are his burthen and affliction aswell as his sin but sins of infirmities are essentially his sinnes who acts them and make him lyable to wrath If God should contend with David for his adultery and murther displeased the Lord but God cannot charge the sinne of whoredome on a maid that is forced and doth cry out if she doe cry out and have no helpe it is no whoredome on the maids part 45 All the scriptures are to be exponed by allegories This makes 1 The Scripture a masse of contradictions and lyes 2 This turnes our faith and knowledg into a phancie for the scripture it selfe cannot be a rule of exponing scripture if the glosse destroy the text 3 The scripture shall not Judge all controversies as Christ referres the gravest question that ever was Whether he be the sonne of God or no to this tribunall Search the Scriptures for they testifie of me Ioh. 5. 4 All the articles touching Christ his birth life death buriall resurrection ascending to heaven sitting at Gods right hand his second comming c. Creation providence histories shall teach nothing an Allegory shall cause scripture say the contrary Antinomians call all their allegories the spirituall sense of Scripture Bread may in an allegory signifie comfort then the love of God dwells in a brother who seeth his poore brother famishing and gives him neither cloathing nor bread but onely faith in good words Brother goe in peace and be warmed and cloathed an◠feed for he gives the poore man allegorically bread and cloathing contrary to Iames 2.14 15 16 17. 1 Ioh. 3.17 18. yea so all scripture shall be turned over in lyes dreames and phancies all covenants violated all faith private and publike among Christins may be broken and yet truth kept in an allegoricall sense according to scripture A man may murther his brother and have life eternall Contrary to 1 Io. 3.15
Life to come which yet the Apostle Heb. 6.1 2. maketh fundamentals of salvation though the Chapter tells us in the Title of the last discovery and highest concerning the whole mystery of God to men But in that Chapter 1. He denieth the Trinity and maketh the three persons as Mr. Beacon doth in his Catechisme also p. 47 48 49 50 51. but manifestations of God Thus God being infinitly one yet in a three-fold manifestation saith he to us of Father Son and Spirit c. a person is not a manifestation but hath need to be manifested to us and denying the personall union of the second person with the Man Christ he makes it but God present with men and Angels in the manifestation of grace and salvation and with Devills and wicked men in the manifestation of Law and Justice So God is no more united to our nature in the man Christ then he is united to Angels and Devills and to elect men and the wicked and the reprobate and Christ is no more God-man in one person then he is God-Angel or God-Devill I tremble to speake it in one person and Christ is just God-man the Sonne of Mary born of a woman and of the seed of David as he is God-Peter God-Paul God Cain God-Judas Iscariot for saith he p. 199. God makes out himself in an image in this creation or nature therefore he takes to himself one part of it into union to himselfe according to one way of manifestation called in the Scripture light love grace salvation Father Bridegroome glory and that part which injoyes God in this manifestation is called the Angels the Saints the elect the Sonne the Tabernacle of God the new Jerusalem the Temple the Spouse he taketh to himselfe the other part of the creation and there he is present but not in this way of grace and light but of another manifestation called Law justice wrath everlasting burning and these are called devills wicked men flesh which live in God and subsist in him as creatures in their being Now the Scripture cals this the great mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh Saltmarsh maketh this as great a mystery God manifested in the Devill to cast him into hell And as the new Jerusalem the Spouse is Christ or God in the flesh of the Saints and Angels by grace and salvation and Christ liveth in Paul and Paul is by grace Godded and Christed and the Angel Gabriel Godded and Christed so Christ lives in Cain Judas Beelzebub by justice and condemnation and the union of God is neither personall in the son of Mary nor in Sathan but only in the effects of grace and salvation in all the elect and by Law and justice in all the damned Angels and men and here is the mystery God is all that part of the creation that commeth under the name of reasonable creatures men and Angels and all the Angels and men created of God were crucified with Christ and all are the Lord of glory by union so that as Libertines made God the soule forme and life of all things men and devills and said that God wrought all good all ill in the creatures and no creature was to be praised for doing well nor to be blamed or punished for ill doing because God is the Author of righteousnesse and sinne so the Familists say that Christ is the form and soul of men elect and reprobate of Angels elect reprobate and that God works in them is united to them and they are meer passive organs in all good or ill So I beleeve Saltm and the Familists do subvert the whole faith and hold nothing with us but doubt of all But I returne to that I said there is a twofold infallibility now though beleevers have not that infallibility proper to Prophets and Apostles in prophesying and writing Scripture yet must we not runne to the other extremity and say as these that fight for Liberty of conscience that there is not since the Prophets and Apostles fell asleep any infallible perswasion and certainty of faith but all our knowledge is conjecturall and a meere fluctuation and fleeting opinion and a faith for a yeare a month or an houre which wee may lay aside the next month and that anointing even the Spirit of God infuseth in us opinions of God contrary among themselves and false and true which is the present judgement of our minde which we are to stand to and to suffer for or to deny as we see the times goe For 1. The Scripture tells us of a sure perswasion of things beleeved Luke 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Luke holdeth forth to Theophilus a certainty of knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that thou mayest know the certainty of these things whereof thou hast been instructed So the word imports a certainty Act. 5.23 Act. 21.34 Act. 22.30 Act. 25.26 Act. 2.36 Let all the house of Israel know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assuredly A full and certaine perswasion excludeth all doubting and deception or mistake and this the Saints have and may have Col. 2.2 That their hearts might bee comforted unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thess. 1.5 The Gospel came not to you in word only but in much assurance Rom. 4.21 being fully perswaded This was the perswasion of a faith and such a faith as by which wee are justified without workes Rom. 14.5 Let every one be fully perswaded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his owne minde 2 Tim. 4.17 That by me the preaching might bee fully knowne Nor is that perswasion of Pauls Apostolicke or by revelation extraordinarily but common to all Christians Rom. 8.38 For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels c. shall be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord 2 Tim. 1.12 I know in whom I have beleeved and I am perswaded that hee is able to keepe that which I have committed to him against that day This certaine perswasion must bee certaine and infallible both to themselves and grounded upon the promise and truth of God who cannot lye Tit. 1.2 Yea and our Divines with good warrant say the Catholicke in visible Church is thus farre infallible that in 1 fundamentalls 2 necessary for salvation they cannot 3 finally and totally erre and fall from the faith But all our Divines and your owne confession of the Assembly at Westminster saith ch 31. Art 4. All Councells generall or particular since the Apostles times may erre and many have erred To which I answer No Councells nay nor the whole invisible Church is infallible in the sense that the Apostles are infallible both in beleeving and teaching by immediate inspiration and so their word is not a rule of faith 2. A Generall Councell conveened in Councell may erre in particular Synodicall acts that is for a time and in some points as the Synod meaneth but it followeth
them by which any man that denies his heresie and â—aiâ—h he beleeveth as the Church beleeveth is absolved which Familists do q Faith and a good conscience then are not the two chiefest jewells that God hath gâ—ven to men r The Prelates and prophane courtieâ—s and the multitude were their friends as they are to all licentious religions t Divers of the court of Queen Elizabeth and of K. James and some nobles were Familists I would these who now rule all by violence and force were not of that abominable way for enemies they had few or none except Puritans they lived under the shadow of Prelacie and court when many thousands of pretious Christians for nâ—n-conformity were silenced banished prisoned wasted w If the way of H. Nicholas beâ— thâ— only true way of salvation as here they say fidelitas decl c. 4 sect 11. the King should bee petitioned without delay to take it to his consideration as a matter to be preferred to all his most important Kingly affaires but they petition for a delaying triall because every one that doth evill hateth the light x Then they allow a share of the grace of Christ on all rulers for they except none though heathens and persecuters and on all mankinde on the universall earth x Grosse flattery y Then they can settle upon no Religion till K. Iames find leasure to try and read the hereticall and fleshly writings of H. Nicholas a In this they professe their zâ—ale to have K. Iames an illuminated Elder of the family of love as it would be their joy this day to have K. Charles of their way that so hee might compell all others to that way for they talke much of liberty of conscience to themselves but we finde when they have the sword they straine and squeeze to the blood the consciences of all contrary to their way b They conceive King Iames and all not of their way that are but Scripture-learned with the fleshly wisdome as they speak of the letter to be the very Antichrist and all lyes that the ungodded or unilluminated men out of the imagination or riches of their owne knowledge and of the learnednesse of the Scriptures bring forth Institute preach or teach See Evan. ch 32. ch 33.34 and H.N. Exhor c. 14. Sect. 9. c They doubt if there be any of their way and family in Germany which evidenceth that it is a notoâ—ions lie that H.N. saith Evan ch 34. that he is godded to publish the joyful messâ—ge in all the world And H.N. Exhor 12. sect 40. and Exhor 14. sect 9. that all the Kingdomes of the world should assemble them to this one Kingdome of peace and love and this same love service shall breake in among all Nations and let it selfe be heard over all lands but here they doubt if in one corner of Germany one man of this way can be had c All heretickes as Calvin noted of libertines delight to speake in uncouth language beside the Scripture that they may be the only spirituall men whom none can understand but spiritualists of their owne way d They clearly professe they will not suffer for familisme nor that which to them is the only true Religion and make K Iames the absolute and peremptory judge that if he find them hereticall they shall submit faith conscience and salvation to the King to leave or take the writings of Henry Nicholas as his Majesties Laws shall appoint them this is a Religion for the times and the flesh This well agreeth with the Familists of our time Del Saltmarsh Bâ—con Râ—ndel and others to whom profession of truth and of Christ before men is an externall and a forme in Religion and who cry out against formes and uniformity and teach that we should please one another in love in all these externalls we may doe or leave undone Sabbaâ—h preaching hearing Sacraments let them be inrolled in the Kallender of the late indifferent ceremonies since they are Jewish câ—â—nall literall fleshly and perish with the using and let the Service-booke bowing to altars the name of Jesus Episcopacy Socinianisme professed Acianisme be recalled these belong nothing say â—hey to Refoâ—mation or Religion Reformation is only in the heart Religion is 〈◊〉 of the minde The Kingdome of Christ is neither promoved nor hindered by these Familisticall love in the heart is all then surely the Nicodemites in Calvinâ— time these that buy a religion with every new-moon erre not e Then the Scriptures and H. Nicho. bids us follow the Kings religion what ever it be and denying of obedience to the King and his Lawes if they forbid a Religion that is the holy service of the love of God as they say is resisting and undutifull disobedience to the Law so must we obey men rather then God f They seek not the truth and cause of Christ to be cleared for the present but only present ease to the flesh and inlargement under baâ—le g They are willing to submit their câ—uâ—e to the Câ—ergy that is to the godly Prelâ—â—es who would be 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 them because they take the Puritans off from thinking upon their lordly domination and will-worship and the more enemies and persecuters the Puritans have the more ease and lesse contradicting of the Prelaticall cause as this day the Prelaticall party declare themselves willing to compâ—und wiâ—h Arrians Socinians Famâ—lists Antinomians Anabaptists Seekers Separatists and all so the Presbyterians that stand for the Covenant of God and reformation may fall h In all â—ges 〈◊〉 and Sectaries have called punishing of seducers or not receiving them in our house as being evil doers 2 Ioh. 10 and so â—ustly punishable Rom. 13 4 5. with the name of persecution i Yet they pâ—stered twelve Counâ—ies in England and would God they were few in number this day k Yet may Familists live in all sort of fleshlinesse and Idolatry murthers lying whoring c and if the Spirit help them not they are no more guilty then the maid forced in the field that did cry and there was none to helpe and so by Law she was innocent Document sent 6. c. 10. they cannot bring forth any thing but all good and love Document sent c. 2. sect 1. in many places H.N. extolls his disciples as Gods habitation the seale of Gods Majesty the holy City of peace the new Ierusalem one with God God one with them c. And whereas John maketh the love of the brethren a marke of these that are translated from death to life 1 Ioh 3.14 Yee may know Familists by their workes they are malitious haters as is evident in this petition of the truly godly in England whom they call their enemies these twenty five yeares l The Puritanes are the proud ones that King James is to subdue all others the Antichristian sect and the Familists only the house of God of love of the godly being c. m Twice they pray God for the King and his son that they may have long
aswell as against arâ—s and tongues for neither doth the Spirit teach immediately and without schooleâ— universitâ—â—â— and humane teaching The way of preaching more then he teacheth arts and toâ—gues yet this the anoynting did 〈◊〉 teach them arts and tongues is impertinâ—â—â—ly 〈…〉 over-plus in the 〈◊〉 which is no◠〈◊〉 conclusion for without the Spirit of reveâ—â—â—ion 〈…〉 maybe and are learned And whereas Iohn saith 〈◊〉 noâ— that any man teach you it is but that which Ier. said 3.1 34. And they shal no more â—each every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord in which words Iohn and Jeremiah 〈◊〉 no other thing then there shall be more then onely literall knowledge of man teaching man because they shall be more even inward teaching by the anoynting Esa. 54.19 Ioh. 6.44 45. they shall all be taught of God nor is it the intent of the Holy Ghost to reject the ministery of men which Ephes. 4.11 12 13. Must indure tâ—ll we meet all in the unity of faith in heaven but onely the Holy Ghost speaketh comparatively and denyeth the teaching of men to be reaching if it be compared with Gods inward and effectuall teaching So Psal. 50.8 I will not reprove thâ—â— for thy sacrifices v. 14 Offer to God thanksgiving that is I offend rather at thy unthankefulnesse then that thou multiplyest not sacrifices to mee Obiect 2 God placeth our salvation in enmity to mans wisedome 1 Cor. 1.23 24. We preach Christ crucified to the Iewes a stumbling blocke and to the Grecians foolishnesse the Iewes cryed away with him at Athens the Gentiles mock Christ and Paul and God will have no flâ—sh to glory but in the Lord now this learning is but flâ—shly and carnall Ans. 1. God placeth our salvation in enmity to mans wisedome simply and in the simple naturall and sinnelesse knowledge of arts and tongues It s most false in enmity to to mans wisedome abused gloried in its true and God brings to nothing the wisdome of this world by which Iew and Gentile slighted Christ and denyed him and willed a murthererer Barrabas to be released before him What is this to the Lords condemning of humane learning arts and tongues of which the Apostle 1 Cor. 1. speaketh not but of their carnall abuse of these and glorying in them and it is to begge the question to say that this learning is carnall and fleshly in it self which is now the question 2 Nor was it out of pride of humane learning tongues and arts that the Iewes stumbled at Christ and the wisedome of the Crosse but out of false glosses they put on the Scriptures of the Old Testament seeking by the law salvation Rom. 10 1. and by this argument the Old Testament is condemned as well as arts and tongues as an impediment to faith Obiect 3. We are compleat in Christ. Ans. It is not worthy an answer for as touching spirituall furniture righteousnesse salvation teaching by the Spirit we are compleat in Christ ergo the ministery and teaching of men is no instrument no externall means of our compleatnesse in Christ it followes not at all Obiect 4 Christ sent mee not to preach the Gospell with the wisedome of words least I should make the crosse of Christ of no effect Ans. By the wisedome of mans wordâ— he meanes not learning Rhetoricke eloquence simply for â—aul preached the Gospell with more of that and spake more tongues then they all but the fonde affectate vaine soaring and confiding in these as if they could ad vertue to the Gospell to save soules Obiect 5 The weapons of our warefare are not carnall Ans. None of us are so mad as to say that humane learning arts and tongues can convert soules and lead high thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ but that Rhethorick Logick Tongues learning sanctified fitly made use of by the Spirit being Spiritualized as we see in the Prophets and Apostles may conduce to the opening and due understanding of the Scriptures Other abused scriptures and bablings I will not answer nor trouble the reader with all CHAP. IX Of Henry Nicholas and older Familists and Antinomians HEnry Nicholas was borne at Amsterdam as some thinke he spread his heresie a little after David George about the yeare 1556 he was an ignorant foolish man a craftie hypocrite had a sort of deceiving violence in his smooth eloquence of love he calleth himselfe The first illuminate Elder of the Family of Love was at the beginning austere riged and fasted waked divers nights and prayed and praysed spread his errors through Holland and Lower Germany pretended visions and conferences with the Angels from whom he had his way of exponing scriptures by allegories but turned afterward loose and vaine he came over to England and spread his foule heresies and seduced a number of Artificers and silly women and wrote an Epistle to two daughters of Warwicke disswading them from regeneration by the word of God read or preached and called that regeneration Ceremoniall â—lementish and false and laboured to perswade the maids to a spirituall new birth by the Spirit and internall word and did forbid suffering for the truth or confessing of Christ to the death before men and exponed the laying downe of the life for Christ of the mortifying the body of sinne he had his errors from the Antitrinitarians and denyed Christ to be God This Epistle was answered and râ—futed by H. Ainsworth he wrote a Booke of Documentall sentences another called Evangelium regni The Gospell and ioyfull message of the Kingdomâ— his doctrine and that of David Georgius was confuted by M. Martyn Micronius Minister of the Dutch-church at London under Edward the Sixth of England and by M. Nicholaus Charineus Minister also of the Dutch Church who dyed An. 1563. H. Nicholas his tenents especially his joyfull message was refuted by M. John Kâ—ewstub preacher in Queen Elizabethâ— time the book was printed at London An. 1576. and Dedicated to Ambrose Earle of Warwick H. N. wrote in dark and obscure termes following much that wicked peâ—ce called Theologia Germanica set out by Randall 1646. this forme of writing saith Knewstub is an evident note of a seducing spirit This blasphemous Impostor as if he were an Apostle speaketh of his calling like a false Christ. 1 Chap. Evangelium regni The joyfull message of the Kingdome H. Nicholâ—s through the grace and mercy of God through the holy Spirit of the love of Jesus Christ. Raised up by the highest God from the death Ephes. 2.1 according to the providence of God and his promises Anointed with the Holy Ghost in the old age of the holy understanding of Jesus Christ Ephes. 4.13 Godded with God in the Spirit of his love Illuminated in the Spirit with the heavenly truth The true light of perfect beeing Made Heire with Christ in the heavenly goods of the riches of God Elected to be a Minister of the gracious word which is now in the last times raised
come we by faith in Christ come suffering glorified Luther saith tom 1. p. 529. Non facta sed fidem patrum imitemur let us follow not the deeds but the faith of the Fathers Luther burnt offerings were not for justification but a sacrificed Oxe was a witnesse of grace and to speak so a working voyce of thankfulnesse or an handy or manuall gratitude by which the hand powred out thankfulnesse by reall words They beleeved in Christ to come we know he is come and gone to the father to prepare dwelling places for us Luther Abraham saw Christs day in faith and the spirit onely Luther the same Christ the same faith from Abâ—l to the end of the world and did reigne in divers ages of the world Antinomians as Den Crisp Saltmarsh Del deny any heart-Reformation true conversion to God actuall remission of sins and of all sins or free justification by free grace in a Gospel-way to the Jews under Moses as we are justified and saved under the Messiah and make the promises and covenant of grace with Papists and Sâ—â—inians to differ in substance and nature from our Gospel-promises and free covenant as if their law tutory Gal. 4. had varied the way of Justification and salvation to them and to us CHAP. XII Of Christian Liberty and of sense true and false 10 Conclusion Antinomians have not Luther for them in the Doctrine of Christian Liberty Luther Vnusquisque Christianus sciat sâ— per Christum constitutum esse in conscientia dominum legis peccati mortis contra scâ—at quoque hanc servitutem externam corpori suo impositam ut per charitatem serviat pâ—oprio Qui autem aliter intelligunt libertatem c. Luther Omnia sunt libera nobis per fidâ—m omnia serva per charitatem ut simul stet servitus libertatis et libertas servitutis Libertas Evangelii non tollit res corpora debitâ— nominum sed conscientias liberat a vinculis spiritualibus Luther Christianus in conscientia debet esse medicus in externis moribus debet esse asinus Per fidem Christi non sumus liberi ab operibus sed ab opinionibus operum id est a stultâ praesumptione justitiae per opera quesitae Let every Christian know that by Christ he is made in his conscience as he beleeveth in Christ the Lord of law sin death so that these have no power over him On the contrary let him know that this externall servitude is laid on the outward man that by love he is to serve his neighbour Those who otherwise understand Christian liberty as Antinomians who think they owe no obedience to the Law they enjoy the gaine of the Gospel to their owne destruction and are worse Idolators under the name of Christians then they were in Popery All things are free to us by Faith yet all things are under obligation of Law in regard of charity that so the servitude of liberty and the liberty of servitude might stand together The liberty of the Gospel takes not away things bodies nor duties of men but freeth the consciences from spirituall bands of wicked opinions Thâ— Christian in his conscience should be a physitian but without in externall conversation an Asse to beare the burthen of Brethren Luther meaneth in things indifferent that are without the case of scandall as hee exponeth himself Tom. 1 472.528 and clearly To. 1. In Christum credentibus omnia munda indifferentia licita sunt quaecunque vel praecipiuntur vel prohibentur externis ceremoniis c. and Tom. 2.154 155 156 158. Through faith in Christ wee are not free from works but from opinions of works that is from a foolish presumption of righteousnesse to come by works Now by opinion of good works Luther meaneth conscience and the resting of the conscience on good works as our righteousnesse hence so often saith Luther the Law hath nothing to doe with the conscience the Law hath no power over the conscience the Law ought not to reigne over the conscience And so 2. he placeth our Christian liberty not only in freedom from the Judiciall Law Tom. 4 on 1 Pet. 2. Rom. 13. and from the Ceremonies of the Law of Moses Tom. 4. fol. 145. But also from the condemnation of the Morall Law As is clear Luther That Christian liberty which Christ hath purchased is not so easily beleeved as spoken if it could be apprehended by a sure and firme faith no fury nor terror of the world of law sin death and the devill could be so great which would not be swallowed up as a little spark of fire by the great sea Libertas illa quam nobis Christus peperit non tam cito creditur quam nominatur Si certa ac firmâ fide apprehendi posset nullus furor aut terror mundi legis peccati mortis et diaboli tam maguâ— esse posset qui non 〈◊〉 seu scintilla a mari ab ea absorberetur Then Luther evidently thinketh our Christian Liberty is not from duties commanded in the Law but from the terrors accusation and condemning power of the Law after wee have sinned against the Law Luther Verba illa libertas ab ira Dei lege peccato morte c. Dictu facilia sunt sed Magnitu dinem hujus libertatis sentire fructum ejus in certamine in agone conscientiae applicare hoc plus quaÌ„ dici potest difficile est Luther In carne nulla debet esse libertas Debemus enim subjecti esse parentibus Magistratibus in summâ omnium servi esse sed in Spiritu conscientiâ Liberrimi ab omni servitute ibi nulli credimus nulli confidimus nullum timemus nisi solum Christum qui regnat inter medias afflictiones cum gaudio laetitia inter media peccata cum virtute fortitudine These words Liberty from the wrath of God law sin death c. are soon said but to finde the greatnesse of this liberty and the fruite thereof in a conflict and agony of conscience and apply it practically is more hard then can be spoken So he expresly clearely this Liberty in the flesh that is in sinning there ought to be no liberty for we ought to be subject to Parents Magistrates and finally the servants of all but in the spirit and conscience we are most free from all servitude for there we beleeve none trust in none feare none but onely Christ who reignes in the midst of afflictions with joy and gladnesse in the midst of sins with strength and courage It s clear by the flesh Luther cannot mean as Antinomians and Papists with Libertines doe the sensitive part which they call the Asse contradistinguished from the minde will and conscience as if the renewed man in whole sinned not with will affection reason conscience for the reason that Luther giveth is contrary to that for saith
Historicall Literall and Grammaticall sense but in the Mysterious Allegoricall and Spirituall sense is the way of Legalists who say they follow the Letter and know nothing of the Spirit but the Letter killeth and the Spirit quickneth Read Philosophy dissected and the peeces called Theologia Germanica and the Bright Star and H. Nicholas his Exhortations and Documentals and you shall find strange Allegories And Saltmarsh is as Monkish in Allegories as they 2. Antinomians tell us often of imputed righteousnesse which supposeth Christ was a true reall Man and God-Man in one person and that we are saved by the merit an satisfaction of his obedience and death imputed to us But Saltmarsh and Familists herâ— tell us Christ is a meere figure sampler document or example onely in which God discovers to us grace and love And all that is spoken of Christ as in that person not in that person really but figuratively as in that person that was borne of a virgin who was circumcised c. is spoken in figure of the whole nature What Was not Christ reall and very Man our only surety Mediator High Priest who offered a reall sacrifice for us Is he nothing but a figure and if Adam was not the first man in whom all stood and fell so that all have sinned in him neither can Christ be the second Man in whom all his sonnes are justified redeemed and saved But Familists deny that Adam was the first man in whom all stood and fell as Saltmarsh told us before and therefore Familists deny that doctrine of the first and second Adam Rom. 5. and 1 Cor 15. 3. It is a mystery that all that Christ did from his childhood to his crucifying death and crosse was a discoveâ—y of God by this Figure in the whole mystery how God is in all his and works and hath his times of Law-crucifying c. Was his crucifying but a discovery or a document of God by this figure The Scripture riseth higher He was wounded for our transgression he was bruised for our iniquity the chastisement of our peace was upon him with his stripes we are healed Esai 53. And him that knew no sinne God made sinne for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him as it is 2 Cor. 5.21 And in his own selfe on the tree he bare our sinnes 1 Pet. 2.24 The Familists make Christ a discovery and a teaching figure not a true Man The Socinians make him a Man but a meere example of patient suffering if we follow him his example will save us but they denyed he payed a reall satisfactory ransome to Gods justice for us 4. By Christs death say they God witnesseth to his people that he is their God and they his people by killing all their strength and life and power of the first creation and carrying it up to a more excellent and glorious life his own Spirit How killed Christ the strength life and power of the first creation Christ is but a figure and Christ but suffers sayth Gortine and dies in us when we who beare his Image For Man saith Saltmarsh p. 3 4. is created according to the Image of God which was Jesus Christ doe suffer and die for God cannot die And to this agreeth well what Saltmarsh saith p. 288. Others say he himselfe and Familists in opposition to Protestants who make Gospel-administration to stand in repentance faith sanctification justification 285 286. the mystery of salvation is no other then Immanuel or God with us Christ being no more but an anointed one and that anointed one is our nature or weaknesse anointed with the Spirit even God himselfe who is strength And this mystery of great and exceeding glory is revealed in peeces and parts and after the manner of men according to the infirmity of our flesh within the Christian in graces c. and in the Scriptures or expressions and formes without the Christian then is Christ crucified nothing but a beleever graced within with Gods Image And p. 283. he saith O how doth the pure appearance of God powre shame upon all flesh and fleshly glory Either by letter or by graces the day of the Lord will be upon all our Cedars and Okes. Now a Saint anointed is God manifested in the flesh to Saltmarsh and will the Lord powre shame on God manifested in the flesh or is the day of the Lord against Christ â—evealed within the Christian in graces and in the Scriptures without the Christian Then is Gods wrath kindled against grace within and Scripture without brave Divinity The Scripture saith not that Christ on the Crosse killed the strength life and power of the first creation that is Gospel-grace beleeving and God manifested in the Saints that is the new creature in them and the first creation that is as they say the natuâ—rall faculties of knowing willing nilling so as the holy Ghost and the Lord Jesus must come in place of these faculties and in us love feare beleeve rejoyce and we all our powers that we had in creation must be dead passive organs Industry Arts Sciences Tongues Labouring acting of Duties quite removed as flesh and corruption and we turned in all spirit See Rise reign Er. 1 2. For Saltm saith Sparkles of Glory 230 231. all other askings or seekings of God which are not thus in Spirit or in the will or mind of God in some evidence or pure work of the Spirit is but the askings of creatures as creatures All exhortations in Scripture to this duty as Seek yee my face Pray continually are onely then rightly effectually and properly applied and obeyed when the Spirit of God doth it in the Christian when the Spirit of God breathes in and reveals the will of God and acts in the duty or expressions and the Christian speakes in himselfe or the presence of others that mind of God and so the Spirit of God cloathes it selfe in flesh or letter or expressions as to the outward man If by a pure work of the Spirit Saltmarsh mean that the Spirit acteth as the principall determining moving acting cause carrying on the work so as our Spirit and naturall faculties of mind will affection have their own subordinate and inferiour active influence in the work the holy Ghost helping our infirmities it is good but this is no new light nor Familisticall secret of all Spirit but that which Protestants teach against Den and other Arminians old liers and new lights But â— feare a pure work of the Spirit is as much as the Spirit acts purely wholly only in praying and all supernaturall acts and the naturall faculties strength power and life of the first creation are destroyed and annihilated so as we are dead passive Organs doing nothing but the Spirit doth all as Libertines say Second causes work nothing but God as the soul of all worketh all in all creatures This is the secret and so the praying and all the supernaturall duties of beleevers are pure
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
5.3 4. but bâ—ptizing is commanded Matth. 28.19 20. By this argument Saltmarsh should not preach nor write books nor bow his knee nor pray nor read Scripture because true preaching to the heart is God teaching without a mans tongue and true writing is God writing his Law in the inward parts without inke or paper and true praying in the Spirit is without knee tongue or lifting up eyes or hands c. by such arguments H. Nicholas and Enthusiasts abolish all ordinances Jesus Christ is the Prophet whom we are to heare and they shall be all taught of God ergo no ministery by the letter can destroy the Antichrist p. 49. Ans. It followeth not for when the Antichrist is revealed to men to be the Antichrist he is destroyed otherwise the Antichrist must be converted to the faith by this way Christ is perfected and entered into glory Luke 24. that is all Christs body and Saints are made Ministers and preachers Sparkles p. 51. and a pure Spirit without all ordinances Ans. Saltmarsh with H. Nicholas turne Christ dying and entring into glory over into a Christ spirituall that is God living by grace in the Saints then as many Saints as many Christs crucified and rising againe 1 Cor. 8. We know that an Idoll is nothing nor an Idol Temple then outward formes and orders are only a supplement to the absence of the Spirit of God and to order the outward man amongst men to their fellow-Saints or the world while the Law of the Spirit of life is not in them shining and conforming them in Spirit and love to the image of Christ then preaching and ordinances are but characters of bondage to the unregenerate and while they see darkly and in a glasse and not face to face 1 Cor. 13. Ans. The meaning of that an Idol is nothing is or is vanity as the Prophets say an Idoll is of no force or power to hallow or pollute meats that of themselves are indiâ—ferent yet the things sacrificed to Idolls should not be eaten before the weake and if they be eaten in the Idoll Temple we partake of the devills Temple and that is nothing what ever Familists imagine Then we are to abstaine from Popish Idols and to abâ—â—aine from murther and to walke in love according to the rule of the Gospel and Law commanding good forbidding ill only while we are unrenewed men Ordinances are as the horne-booke to children come to the family of love that are old men in Christ and need no Ordinances an Idoll is nothing but an indifferent thing to them all the Scripture is but to order our walking before men and the world not before God nor to lay any obligation of conscience on a Saint or Familist so as hee should sinne in kneeling to or praying before an Idoll or abstaine therefrom The Serpent Gen. 3. was fleshly wisdome the espousalls of the woman the weaknesse of creation p. 57. Ans. Then the story of Adam Paradise serpent trees eating man woman marriage are no reall histories but meere allegories and metaphors and mysticall things which only can be expounded by the spirit of Familists and Antinomians and this is the only spirituall preaching praying and expounding of Scripture that Saltmarsh giveth us Saltmarsh Sparkles p. 64.65 By meeknesse of the Saints only shall the Jelousie and enmity of their enemies be allayed Revel 14. here is the patience of the Saints Ans. There is not in the text one jot of overcomming the enemies with meeknesse here is matter of ground for the patience of the Saints as chap. 13.10 and with as good ground he may say the keeping of the Commandements of God and of the faith of Jesus is that which allayeth the hatred of the world contrary to 1 Joh. 3.12 Joh. 15.19.22 Matth. 5.11.12 for the enemies doe expound Christs meeknesse and silence to be guiltinesse they wonder that Christ answered nothing the world hate and malice the meeknesse of the Saints though an eminent grace as they doe all other shinings of Christ in them and yet by dying they strengthen the faith of others Rev. 12.13 Joh. 3.30 He must increase I must decrease that is my ministration by word and water must be gone and another more spirituall must succeed and as the fire from heaven licked up the foure barrells of water so the baptisme of the Spirit as fire was to licke up this of water 1 King 18.34 to .38 p. 60. A. But. John speaketh not so much of his Ministery which was in the same doctrine and Sacrament to continue to the end as of Johns evanishing in his person and as the day star at the rising of the Sunne for Iohn was to be gone and to dye and his time of actuall service to expire though the doctrine liveth till this day and in his graces the fulnesse whereof was in Christ and that Elijahs sacrifice was a type of the Spirit Baals of John Baptists Ministery is a Monkes dream the Spirit of God never intended such a thing for we are still builded upon the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ being the chiefe corner stone Eph. 2.20 21 22. and so an habitation of God through the Spirit and so the same doctrine of the Prophets and of the Baptist must continue but this is to deprive us of all the old Testament as the Anabaptists doe Eye for eye and tooth for tooth was the Law Matth. 5.39 And love your neighbour but there is a higher ministration of the Spirit in the Apostles time Love your enemies avenge not Ans. The Spirit never meant that under the old Testament we might revenge our selves and hate our enemies the contrary is evident Deut. 32.35 Prov. 20.22 Prov. 25.21 22. and this was long before Christ came in the flesh this is Socinianisme and Popery if Saltmarsh understand either of the two Blessed are the meeke Christ prophesied of a ministration in the Spirit by meeknesse and patience of the Saints Revel 14.12 and Heb. 4. there remaineth a rest to the people of God Ans. This meeknesse and patient suffering of injuries and heavenly Sabboths was in the old as well as in the New Testament Ps. 37.7.8 v. 11. Ps. 34.2 Heb. 11.33 34 35 36 37 38. I saw no Temple there then in this life the Saints shall be without ordinances and the Kingdome shall be delivered up to the Father he that can receive it let him receive it p. 65.66 This ministration is not only done upon the whole body of Christ at last but is fulfilled in its particular accomplishments and mystery of Spirit here Answ. 1. There is no more ground for such a ministration in this life then there is for no death no crying no sorrow no paine in this life Rev. 21.4 no Sunne nor Moone v. 23. no uncleane thing no sinne v. 27. and no more warrant for delivering up the Kingdome in this life 1 Cor. 15. then for the resurrection of the dead 23.37
over them for ye cannot say that a willing man or a man delighting to obey God is compelled to obey God But if we speake of man fallen in sinne who is unable to performe perfect active obedience the Law stands over him in a highest pitch of morall compulsion for whether he be willing to obey or have the Spirit or be unable and void of the Spirit the Law standeth above him exacting a summe of ten thousand talents from him that cannot pay the hundreth part of halfe a talent or an halfpenny as he ought And the man out of Christ and under the Law is still compelled in both active and passive obedience the letter of the Law and this ministration of death without the Spirit hailes and draws him as the literall prisoner fettered by a extremely exacting Law void of all Spirit and conferring no saving strength on him to doe or suffer the penalty of the Law And for the beleever in Christ the rigor of the Law is abated not that the Law as the Law requireth lesse of him then absolutely perfect obedience but because in what hee comes short in performing of new obedience from a new principle to wit a Gospell-spirit in him he is pardoned in Christ and the rest is accepted for Christs sake as if it were obedience Now in this new obedience the Spirit so oyleth the wheeles of free-will as obedience in its kinde is as free connaturall delightfull being sweetned with the love of God as if there were not an awing Law but a sweetly alluring and heart-drawing free love so that the beleever obeyes with an Angell-like obedience then the Spirit seemes to exhaust all the commanding awsomenesse of the Law and supplyes the Lawes imperious power with the strength and power of love if we suppose there had been no Law commanding Christ absolute obedience yet if we suppose a meer directing light without any compelling to shew him what is good and agreeable to Gods commanding will so did Christ obey perfectly from a principle of love and so doth the justified beleever give obedience though imperfect yet sincere to what is Gods will then it followeth 1. The higher and larger measure of willingnesse or the more superlatively the will be bended the light of a divine Law shining on the minde and will the more of the Spirit because the Spirit is essentially free Ps. 51.12 2 Cor. 3.17 the more freenesse and the more freenesse the more renewed will in the obedience and the more renewed will the lesse constraint because freenesse exhausteth constraint and especially when constraint looketh toward eternall punishment and the Law compelleth under pain of eternall death those that are under Law-obligation to obey Now fear of eternall wrath is wholly swallowed up where a free spirit of love and strong delight to obey intervenes between obedience and such feare as is cleare in the man Christ in the dayes of his flesh and the confirmed Angels and though I doubt nothing but feare of the second death was in its way and so farre as was congruous and convenient for a state of sinlesse innocencie to worke upon the will of the first Adam and Evah to deterre them from sinning otherwise that threatning of God In the day thou eatest thou shalt dye had no intrinsecall end nor was it rationall which cannot be said yet Law-threatnings had no influence on the will of the confirmed Angells much lesse on the perfect and holy will of the second Adam which was so filled with God so balasted with so many talent weights of sweet delight and free love Ps. 40.7 8. Joh. 4.34 as Angels and Christ obeyed without any eye-looke or glance of their thoughts to Law-threatning And the justified beleever◠now obeying as a Sonne not as a bond-slave yeeldeth willing obedience from a free leading Spirit the Spirit of adoption proper to sons who obey their father out of an instinct of love not out of a principle of commanding awing and terrifying Law as slaves under bondage doe obey their masters Rom 8.14 15 16 17. And the Law of the Spirit of life commeth in into the place of the compelling and cursing Law not that the directing and obliging power thereof is removed and acteth a beleever to obey as if there were no Law over him at all and freeth him from the Law of sinne from the dominion of the Law in binding him over to a curse Rom. 8.2 Rom. 7.1 2 3. as if there were not a Law given to a justified man 1 Tim. 1.9 And looke how wee say the willing free obedience of men consisteth well with the necessity of Gods absolute decree so sweet delightfull freenesse of a Gospel-spirit led by God does well consist with the necessity of an obliging and strongly commanding Law though the sting of the cursing and threatning be removed 7. Now the fond conceit of Waldesso consideration 63. is utterly to be rejected for he saith the Scripture shines as a light in a darke place untill the day-star arise in the heart 2 Pet. 1. and then the man hath no more need to seeke that of the holy Scripture which departs of it selfe as the light of a candle departs when the Sunne-beames enter even as Moses departed at the presence of Christ and the Law at the presence of the Gospell But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 untill noteth not a certaine time of the removing of the light of the word since Peter there preferres it to the revelation at Christs transfiguration Matth. 1.25 Joseph knew her not untill she brought forth her first borne it followeth not ergo he knew her after so Matth. 11.13.15 the Law and Prophets are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 untill John then no more Law and Prophets after John it followeth not Matth. 12.20 he shall not breake a bruised reed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 till he bring forth judgement to victory therefore when he has brought forth judgement to victory he must then break the bruised reed and be no longer tender to weak ones Matth. 14.22 he constrained his Disciples to goe to the other side till he send the multitude away then he sent not the multitude away when the Disciples were come to the other side it is absurd So Matth. 16.28 they shall not taste of death untill they see the Kingdome of God come ergo they shall live no longer then they see the Kingdome of God come it followeth not Matth. 22.44 Sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstoole ergo after Christs enemies are subdued he shall sit no longer at the right hand of the Father Joh. 5.17 My Father worketh untill now and I worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ergo my father works no more after this in his providence in governing the world what more absurd 1 Tim. 4.13 Till I come give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine then must Timothy read exhort and preach no more after Paul is come The place presseth us to wait on
peaceably appointed unto us such a vertuous wise religious and noble King and so carefull and unpartiall a Justitiar to governe over us beseeching him daily to blesse your Highnesse with his godly wisdome and holy understanding to the furtherance of his truth and godlinesse and with all honour happinesse peace and long life and to judge rightly between falsehood and truth And because your Majesty should have a perfect view or an assured perswasion of the truth of the same our protestation if therefore there be any indifferent man of the Kingdome that can justly touch us with any such disobedient and wicked handling of our selves as seemeth by your Majesties booke it hath been informed unto your Highnesse unlesse they be such our mortall enemies the disobedient Puritans and those of their heady humours before named who are much more zealous religious and precise in the tything of mint annis and cummin and in the preferring of such like pharisaicall and selfe chosen outward traditions and grounds or hypocriticall righteousnesse then in the performing of judgement mercy and faith and such like true and inward righteousnesse which God doth most chiefly require and regard Matth. 15.15 c. and whose malice hath for twenty five years past and upwards ever since with very many untrue suggestions and most foule errors and odious crimes the which we could shew if need were sought our utter overthrow and destruction but that we have behaved our selves in all orderlinesse and peaceablenesse of life where we dwell and with whom we had to deale or if we do vary or swerve from the established Religion in this land either in service ceremonies Sermons or Sacracraments or have publickly spoken or inveighed either by word or writing against our late Sovereigne Princesse government in cases spirituall or temporall â—hen let us be rejected for Sectaries and never receive the benefits of Subjects Only right gracious Sovereigne we have read certaine bookes brought forth by a Germane Author under the characters of H.N. who affirmeth therein that hee is prepared chosen and sent of God to minister and set forth the most holy service of the love of God and Christ or of the â—oly Ghost unto the children of men upon the univeâ—â—all earth out of which sâ—rvice or writings we bee taught all dutifull obedience towards God and Magistrates and to live a godly and honest life and to love God above all things and our neighbours as our selves agreeing therein with all the holy Scriptures as wee understand them Against which Author and his books we never yet heard nor knew any Law established in this Realme by our late gracious Sovereigne But that wee might read them without offence whose writings wee suppose under your Highnesse correction your Majesty hath yet never seen or perused heard of by any indifferent nor true information for the said H. N. in all his doctrine and writings being as we are credibly informed as much matter in volumne if they were all compiled together as the whole Bible containeth doth neither take part with nor write against any particular party or company whatsoever as naming them by their names nor yet praise nor dispraise any of them by name but doth only shew in particular in his said writings as saith he the unpartiall service of love requireth what is good or evill for every one wherein the man hath right or wrong in any point whether it be in the state of his soule towards God or in the state of his body toward the Magistrates of the world and towards one another to the end that all people when they heare or read his writings and doe thereby perceive their sinnes and estranging from God and Christ might endeavour them to bring fâ—râ—h the due fruits of repentance which is reformation and newnesse of life according as all the holy Scriptures doth likewise require the same of every one And that they might in that sort become saved through Jesus Christ the only Saviour of all the world Notwithstanding deare Sovereigne yet hath the said Author and his doctrine a long time and still is most shamefully and falsely slandered by our foresaid adversaries both in this land and in divers others as to bee replenished with all manner of damnable errors and filthy liberty of the flesh And we his wel-willers and favourers in the upright drift of his doctrine as aforesaid have also beene of them complained on and accused unto our late gracious Sovereigne And the Magistrates of this land both long time past and now lately againe as to be a people so infected and stained with all manner of detestable wickednesse and errors that are not worthy to live upon the earth but yet would never present any of his books unto his Majesty to peruse nor yet set them forth in any indifferent or true manner to the view of the world lest their malicious and slanderous reports and accusations against the same and us should thereby bee revealed and disproved to their great shame Through which their most odious and false complaints against us the Magistrates did then and also have now lately cast divers of us into prison to our great hindrance and discredit but yet have never proved against us by sufficient and true testimony any one of their many foule accusations as the records in such cases and the Magistrates that have dealt therein can testifie but are so utterly void of due and lawfull proofe thereof that they have framed divers subtle articles for us being plaine and unlearned men to answer upon our oath whereby to urge and gather somethings from our selves so to approve their false and unchristian accusations to be true or else will force us to renounce recant and condemne that which we doe not wilfully maintaine nor justifie much like as it was practised in the Primitive Church against the Christians yea they are not ashamed to lay their owne and all other mens disobedient and wicked acts of what profession soever they be upon our backs to the end cunningly to purchase favour and credit to themselves and to make us seeme monâ—trous and detestable before the Magistrates and the common people every where for that we and the doctrine of H.N. might without any indifferent triall and lawfull or orderly proceeding as heretofore hath beene used in the Christian Church in such cases for confuting and condemning of heresie be utterly rooted out of the land with divers other most cruell practises proceeding out of their bitter and envious hearts towards us tending to the same unchristian and mercilesse purpose the which we will here omit to speake of because we have already been over tedious to your highnesse and most humbly craves your most gracious pardon and patience therein in respect that we speake to cleare our selves of such matters
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
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
sinne 2. In the other extremity Saltmarsh denieth simpliciter any decree of God so much as permissive touching sinne and gives him no more but a bare fore-knowledge without any decree and makes man onely the occasion of sinne who undeniably is such an occasion as father and mother are of their owne births Man were to bee pittied and excused if hee were an occasion onely of sinne But 1. if the Spirit act immediately on us so as wee we are passive in beleeving praying and in all acts of Sanctification as Towne saith and we must be the same way passive as when God justifies us which he doth ere we be born again and as Crispe saith by forcing grace on us as a Physitian violently stoppeth Phisick in the mouth and downe the throat of a backward patient against his will and if wee bee not obliged to pray beleeve and upon the same ground not to abstaine from Adultery Murther for grace must act in both but when the Spirit doth stirre and excite us then we are no more guilty of sinne in omitting good and committing evill then a stone falling off a towre is guilty of beating out a mans braines for in these the man is a passive block as the stone is in its motion and if we abstaine from praying not being obliged to pray because the Spirit acts not on us wee sinne not judge then who is the father of sinnes of omission by the good leave of Antinomians and upon the same ground it is as unpossible but we must fall into sinnes of commission as swearing lying blasphemie heresie unbeliefe adultery murther stealing except either the restraining grace or the renewing sanctifying Spirit act upon us as wee cannot chuse but sinnefully omit duties of praying beleeving when the winde of the Spirit bloweth not faire on us for these duties and so Antinomians must either be Pelagians and say there is no need of grace to eschew sinne and so they must be un-friends to free grace or then men must be guiltlesse in all sinnes by this opinion and let them then choose upon whom they will father all sinne 2. We are to pray continually and watch thereunto with all perseverance and keepe our selves in the love of God Watch and pray Waite for the comming of the Lord with girded up loynes waite for the day of our redemption Then are wee obliged by the command of Christ whether the holy Ghost breath on us or the wind of the Spirit blow faire from Christs heart on our heart or no to the supernaturall acts of praying beleeving hoping watching Nor is Christs act of free grace in drawing stirring and actuall inliving our obliging rule but the revealed will of God in the Law and Gospel and if we be meere passive as stones and onely obliged to supernaturall acts when the tide of free love and rich grace floweth on the shoare and banks of our whithered Spirits then wee must not onely say we are freed from the Law but from all Gospel-commands all free invitations of rich grace according to the letter or then that the Spirit is obliged to attend and joyne his bedewings and flowing of free love and grace ever when we heare or read the Gospel But when Saltmarsh Towne and others of that Tribe say the Gospel is not in the letter dutie opinion sense reason but in the Spirit life grace faith they meane the same with New England Libertines That the will of God in the word or directions thereof are not the rule whereunto Christians are bound to conform themselves to live thereafter So as old Anabaptists taught wee shall all bee taught of God and the annointing teacheth us all things and therefore the written Scripture Law Gospel the Ordinances of Preaching Reading Praying Sacraments belong not to us to be under them is to be under the Law and the old dead Letter and the livelesse passive Inkie and poore Paper-ordinances of Men and not under the Gospel that is under the immediate actings of the Spirit contrary to the Word of God which maketh an harmonious subordination not a contrariety betweene outward ordinances and the inward working of the Holy Ghost to the Law and the Testimony the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall and mighty through God Here are both Word and Spirit As for me this is my covenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy Seed c. 2. It is a close rejecting of the Word of God written in the Old and New Testament which the Prophets Christ and the Apostles recommend to us as our onely rule it is to subvert all Ministery and Ordinances contrary to Scripture and to make the Gospel written the holy Ghost himselfe 3. This i◠to loose us from the Commandement and Gospel-exhortations to holy walking delivered by the Prophets Christ and his Apostles 3. And sure if we obey Gospel-commandements as stones and blocks without any action in us or from us at all and must then obey onely when the Holy Ghost acteth and stirreth the fire Commandements and Gospel-promises Reasonings Preaching Ordinances must be as vaine and unreasonable to move men as stones and dumbe wood Upon this ground Saltmarsh with Antinomians would have all Logick abeted But carnall ratiocinations and discourses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That exalt themselves against the knowledge of God wee are more willing should be abeted and exiled from Divinity then Antinomians who set free grace on pinnes of love rather then Faith as if wee were justified by loue as their brethren of the Family of love dreame And 2. who be they who remaining Antinomians turne Arminians and fight for free will and universall attonement and generall Redemption of all and every one upon the meere principles of carnall reason and such a naturall pitie and impotencie of love to all and every one of mankind as God cannot make out and which by naturall principles tendeth to the universall salvation of all and every one of mankinde yea of a world including Devils also And upon this ground Cornwell saith Such a faith as is wrought by a practicall Syllogisme because it followeth from the strength of reasoning or reason not from the power of God is but an humane faith And Saltmarsh The interpreting saith hee of the Scripture thus in the letter and in consequence hath much darkened the glory of the Gospel And the Gospel saith he is formed of exhortations perswasions conditionall promises commandements to the end that divinne and spirituall things might be more naturally conveyed in a notionall and naturall way as the key is made fit to the wards of the locke rather then for any supposed free will in man as some imagine Which doth farther evidence the mind of Familists and Antinomians
of God to our selves that is the free favour and love of God that is onely grace objectively in God not in us or yet grace inherent We professe before the Lord and his Angels that that is an other Gospel and though an Angel and Paul teach it let him be accursed 2. Let him answer us if any Protestant Divine or if hee himselfe beleeveth his owne penne doth any other but lye when it scribles that the Law-straine and Divinity of the Jewes vnder the Law did worke God down to such an old way as for fasting and praying and other acts of obedience they got some love from God which Christ himselfe had not gotten for them Fasting and praying was never since God had a Church on earth a hire a bribe to free grace nâ—ither Jew nor Gentile could by doing nay not Adam before his fall nor the Elect Angels could ever buy prize or morgage the free love of God 3. Wee conceive the love of God to bee the sole cause fountaine well-head and adaequate reason why the Lord chuseth some to glory rather then others why the Lord sent his Sonne Christ to die even because God extremely and freely loved the lost world and therefore fasting and praying was never the cause of Gods chusing and electing love either to Jew or Gentile either under the Old or New Testament except they say there was another way of election to glory in the Old Testament and another way in the New and that the love of God was at a dearer rate under the Old nor New it was then for hire and for works but wee had not in Esaiahs daies wine and milke without money and price the Market was dearer then it is at a lower rate now But I perceive Antinomians miserably mistaken in confounding the error of the Jewes and the state of the Jewish Church Paul Rom. 4. saith right down Abraham and David payed not a farthing more for justification and freely imputed righteousnesse then we doe and it was the error and sin of men not the state of the Church in its non-age under Tutors nor the dispensation of God that The Jews followed after the law of righteousnesse but obtained not the Law of righteousnsse Wherefore Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law for they stumbled at the stumbling stone Yea being ignorant then it was their pride and error not their state of non-age of Gods righteousnesse and going about to establish their owne righteousnesse have not submitted themselves to the righteousnesse of God It was never lawfull for the Jewes to dreame they could get or earne Gods free love and undeserved grace by fasting and praying and other acts of obedience no more then it was lawfull for them to stumble at and breake their necke upon Christ the stone laid on Sion it was never lawfull for them to goe about to establish their owne righteousnesse and not to submit to the righteousnesse of God this was their sinne But sure it was not their sinne to bee under Tutors and the Pedagogie of the Law for that was Gods holy and innocent dispensation as the Scripture saith And it was not any Legall justification by works But it was 1 in that they were kept 1. under shaddowes elements of the world Ceremonies representing forth Christ to come and 2 God kept them under a greater terror because of Law-transgressions and 3 a sparer measure and dyet of grace then wee have But 1. it was never lawfull for them or us to seeke justification by works and by fasting and prayer 2. The Lord cryed out against Merit and placing all godlinesse in their new Moones and in saying We have fasted and thou seest it not So there was no Legall straine in getting the love of God by fasting praying c. To the Jewes more then to us 3. It was never a Legall straine nor a way approved of God under the Old Testament that they should serve God for hire which the Devill acknowledgeth to be hypocrisie and that they should pray or rather howle like hungry dogs for corne and wine or follow Christ for loaves 4. Nor was the obeying of God for feare of the curses of the Law and plagues rather then out of love to God as a Father a way of the Old Testament-worship approved of God as Towne imagineth it being a sinne for their duty it was to feare him as a Father no lesse then ours to rejoyce in trembling to feare his goodnesse his mercy to esteeme God rather then his gifts their reward their portion their soules love so were they to love and worship him as a Husband to admire and praise him as God and for his essentiall perfection beauty lovelinesse and all mercenary love and service for feare of punishment not out of love and for hire and rewards was damnable then as now Now what was Gods active dispensation in severe punishing of them for an irreverent looke into the Arke and his hiring them with a good and fertile land and many temporall blessings to serve him was another thing and can never prove it was lawfull for them to serve God for hire and in a mercenary way and that it is a Legall and Old Testament way of serving God now under the New Testament to beleeve that godlinesse hath the promises of this life and of that which is to come and that now under the new Testament yea we may looke to the reward of life eternall as a motive to blow wind in our sayles in our journey to heaven though not as the formall object of our desires in serving God for we are onely and ever now and then to serve God for himselfe not for hire 2. If wee speake comparatively a created Crowne of incorruptible glory is to be laboured for rather then trifles and feathers of corruptible clay and that both to us and to these under the Old Testament 4. How Prayer revealeth the love of God I know not Saltmarsh by the next may expound it Christ saith his Father giver the Holy Ghost to those that pray and seek him and he avengeth the bloud of his Saints and he giveth whatever we aske the Father in his name We pray Lord increase our faith is this nothing but Lord reveale the Holy Ghost to us which wee had before And are these prayers that God should give us no new thing but reveale what we had before So then we desire God would reveale the glory of his justice on the enemies of the Church which he had wrought before and reveale the gift of illumination growth of Faith victory against temptations dayly bread destruction of Satans kingdome the propagating of the Gospel deliverance from warre the pestilence insight in the mystery of the Gospel the Spirit of revelation c. All which things we had before
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
dreameth or that wee labour to draw assurance of a good spirituall estate from outward reformation which saith Towne Protestant Legalists labour for when the heart is naught Antinomians say that all our evidences are dung True they are not evidences of Legall perfect righteousnesse more they prove not Asser. 1. Love to the brethren sincerity and the like that have not grace for their stocke a right fountaine and principle the Spirit for their Father Christ for their Crowne and garland are no evidences at all that wee are in Christ for they rather darken then render justification evident Could wee looke over our selfe and abstract our thoughts from our selfe as if we were nothing and dead and behold the actings of grace and Christs love-raptures and the glancing of love on his members as on bits pieces and little images of a super-excellent transcendently glorious Christ and see these in the Spirit the worker then were surer inference to be made thus then when we eye our selves As beholding the excellencie of a Godhead in Sunne and Moone when we looke above the shaddow-creature and with senses abstracted and the elevation of the Spirit wee see these created excellencies in the deep and boundlesse Sea which hath no shoares nor coasts nor bottome in a vast and great God we are farther from Idolatry then when wee pore on and pine away in the minds restings in this side of an infinit Majestie and so is it here If it be naturall Logick and the light of our owne sparks that make the inference I love the brethren therefore I know I am translated from death to life it s but Moone-light of one halfe sleeping that is suspected to bee day-light but if naturall light by the day-light of saving grace make the inference it is sure arguing As And hereby doe we know that we know him if we keepe his Commandements and we know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren 2. All these are equivalent to the same But if we walke in the light as hee is light wee have fellowship one with another and the bloud of Jesus Christ his Sonne clenseth us from all sinnes And He that loveth his brother abideth in the light and there is none occasion of stumbling in him And if yee know that he is righteous yee know that every one that doth righteousnesse is borne of him This is written for our own personall security and knowledge of our owne state as all the Epistle aymeth at this and not so much as we may know one another as is cleare when John sheweth us the scope of his Epistle is to give marks and I nothing doubt but the Holy Ghost aymeth at the discovery of a dead faith and to refute the Antinomians as is cleare These things have I written unto you that beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God that yee may know that yee have eternall life and that yee may beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God So saith he 3. Putting a difference betweene the children of the world and the children of the devill in this the children of God are manifest and the children of the devill whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither hee that loveth not his brother Then certainely some hath said in Johns daies It is enough to salvation if a man beleeve in Christ he is obliged by no Law nor Commandement that is outward and written to doe righteousnesse John saith such a one is not borne of God And My little children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth and hereby by reall loving of the brethren we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him And Whatsoever we aske we receive of him because we keepe his Commandements and doe the things that are pleasing in his sight Now sure this cannot make the keeping of his Commandements and our good works fellow-Mediators with Christ. Then John must argue from the effect to the cause and intimate that its false that some may bee borne of God who keepe not his Commandements as Antinomians say When one that walloweth in fleshly lusts is to beleeve without more adoe in Christ and he is a saved man So saith John Little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousnesse is righteous as he is righteous he that committeth sinne is of the Devill Then some have deceived themselves and others in saying That doing of righteousnesse was neither condition nor way nor meane to salvation nor any infallible signe of a mans being in the state of grace Now who saith all these this day but the Antinomian Now if Antinomians as they doe say that a discourse by way of a practicall Syllogisme or naturall Logick can produce no Divine but onely a humane Faith And that all Logick is to be abeted the carnall and corrupt discoursings by Logick that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God are to be abeted but that the use of naturall reason not corrupt should be disclaimed is against the tenour of the Old and New Testament in which there bee Lawes Ordinances reasonings practicall Syllogismes to beget faith to cause us slee sinne follow holynesse which no man can say is a humane thing except Antinomians following their old Masters the Libertines who said to lay aside naturall reason discoursing to know neither good nor ill was true mortification and naturall reasoning and knowledge of sinne or righteousnesse sense of ill doing or feare of sinne or judgement are but the tastings of the old Adams forbidden fruit as wee shall heare afterward Asser. 2. Yea we may know our selves to bee in the state of grace by holy walking and acts of beleeving and we may know our holy walking to be true by other acts of holy walking and beleeving so John saith by the loving of the brethren we may know we are in Christ and so that wee beleeve and love God and againe reciprocally By this wee know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep his Commandements for this is the love of God that we keep his Commandements Then the loving of God that may argue that wee beleeve may also evidence our Justification and all dependeth on this as the Spirit joyneth the light and evidence of grace to cause us know our loving of God and translation into Christ by our loving of the children of God and againe our loving of the Children of God by our loving of God 1 Joh. 3.14 1 Joh. 5.2 Asser. 3. One and the same cloud that is the cause of our doubting whether we beleeve or no is not the cause of our doubting whether wee love the brethren or no and so they must furnish different evidences from a misty twylight or evening of desertion from some apprehension of the sinnes of youth often our faith is clowded
any preparation to beleeve and relie on Christ for Salvation This we judge to bee presumption and in regard of Gods order simply impossible that they that say they see can see remaining such but rather bee blind and their sinne remaine that the wearie and laden and those that are judicially blinded and hardened remaining such and as such should be invited without any preparatorie sense of their damnable condition and of their neede of a Saviour and that both are invited equally of Christ to relie immediately on him for Salvation and are as such forthwith to cast themselves upon Christ is unsound For 1. Christ decreeth and holdeth forth the very contrary order and method of beleeving not the merit thereof 2. When he saith How can ye beleeve that seeke honour one of another He clearly intimateth that there must bee some preparatory abating of that swelling lust or then they cannot as such beleeve in Christ. 2. To beleeve now say they is the onely worke of the Gospel and Saltmarsh proveth it to be the onely worke this is the worke the onely worke hee must meane if he prove his conclusion That yee beleeve on him whom hee hath sent Joh. 6.29 This is the commandement that is the onely worke commanded in the Gospel That yee beleeve in his Sonne Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 3.23 Then nothing falleth under a Gospel-commandement but beleeving now I would hold Antinomians at this that nothing is a commandement or a commanded dutie but that which if we contravene it maketh us guilty of sin before God and in his Court if he would actually enter in judgement with us so then the Gospel as the Gospel commandeth not brotherly love meeknesse patience temperance and forbideth not rebellion to Rulers murther the hating of our brother adulterie robbing stealing lying idolatrie swearing so as these should be acts of obedience or of sinfull disobedience to God but as acts arbitrary and of meer courtesie and simply free to beleevers and to be done or omited onely as the immediate rapture of the Spirit without any commandement obliging to obedience rewardable or to sinne punishable by Law doth act and draw them for the Law forbideth none of these to a beleever who is under no Law if I mistake I crave pardon for I cannot make sense of their commandements but in this sense one thing I complaine of Antinomians by any sect They seeme to mee confused and obscure and to dissemble because they have not yet set downe in right downe ingenuitie that which I perswade my self is their minde that the beleever cannot sin his adulterie and his murther is no adulterie no murther except they difference between these two The beleever is free of all sinne as Christ himselfe and the beleever doth and can truly sinne lie murther deceive c. And between these sin is wholy removed out of the beleever no sinne dwelleth in him and the beleever daily sinneth nor are they plaine whether the Gospel command chastitie and forbid adultery and command the loving of our brother and forbid murthering and hating of our brother as acts arbitrary and meerly free or whether no Law command or forbid such things to beleevers nor any Gospel at all so as to contravene them were sin Yea nor so is beleeving the onely worke commanded in the Gospel for by their way faith is not commanded as a cause or merit of righteousnesse and life which we also thinke nor as a condition or necessarie duty at all more then other duties For the Elects sinnes were all removed either from eternity or their first conception or Christs suffering on the crosse Antinomians fall out among themselves touching this poynt so their unbeliefe and finall impenitency cannot be sinnes Nor can Christ as God or Law-giver command beleeving for the notion of Law or Law-giving under penalty of sinne and curses is contrarie to Christs Gospel-love so Christ must renounce his office of Law-giving and his authoritie as God to command faith and forbid unbeliefe and must onely as Mediator put on love and counsell and advise us to beleeve as one friend doth another so as wee have no command obliging us except wee would sin to beleeve for a command of love being contra-devided from a command of Law to Antinomians obligeth neither to sinne nor to wrath if it be disobeyed 3. If beleeving voyd of all working and such an empty faith be the onely commanded worke in the Gospel it is like John the Apostle so often commanding love to the brethren and forbiding hateing of our brother doth not act an Evangelist or Apostle but speaketh as a Moses and a Law-giver and that amongst the Lords Apostles who wrot canonick Scripture in the New Testament some were more legall preachers and leaned more to a covenant of works as Peter the Familists of New England should take in John and James for Saltmarsh saith they speake more for marks and signes then Paul who stood most for free grace yet is Paul as much to command some other works then Faith as Peter James or John 4. For the object of saving faith Antinomians looke beside the Gospel for Saltmarsh proving that Christ is offered to sinners as sinners saith none can be such a sinner to whom Christ and his blood may not be tendred and offered his words may beare truth that Christ and his blood may be offered to all within the visible Church elect and reprobate and so say we but consider his reasons 1. From the order of Gods decree saith he He loved us and gave Christ for us when we were sinners Rom. 5.8 God commendeth his love c. Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world And this offer saith he is an offer of that love with which God loved us from everlasting So then here is the Antinomian faith that all and every one immediately without sense of sin or any sicknesse for Christ be they Elect or Reprobate beleeve and be perswaded that God decreed to give his Son for them in particular loved them with the speciall love of Election from everlasting and hath satisfied and was crucified for their sinnes Sure this is not the object of Gospel faith but is a transparent untruth and a lie there was never any such decree nor such a love in God nor is it revealed in the Gospel that God decreed to give his Son to all and for all Elect and Reprobate and that God loved all so even the world of Elect and Reprobate as Christ speaketh John 3.16 and yet to all Elect and Reprobate is Christ offered Nor can Antinomians or Arminians say that the tender and offer of Christ and his blood to all and every one Elect and Reprobate within the visible Church is an opening and bringing forth of Gods eternall love of election to glory of all and every one Elect and Reprobate Salmarsh should not speake of poynts of Divinity of which he is as ignorant as a child
only the illuminated Elders in the godly wisdome which walk in the house of love And in the Epistle Let no man saith he boast himselfe in any of the works of righteousnesse or take on the same to salvation neither to condemnation before that hee in the Spirit of Christ through the love of the Father be renewed in all righteousnesse of life not that I meane in the Elementish Ceremoniall righteousnesse which the man setteth forth or occupieth out of his owne prudency but I meane in that righteousnesse which according to the heavenly truth is in the being of Christ and is set forth through the Spirit of God So this abominable wretch maketh all reading or hearing or beleeving the Scriptures to be Elementish carnall righteousnesse and that wee are to doe no good works to obtaine salvation nor to eschew any evill to be freed from condemnation but to study an inward righteousnesse in being Goded and Christed and in communicating with the essence and godly being M. Towne also maketh the Law a sort of directorie of walking as doth H. N. Assert grace pag. 38. I know not where to learne my duty to my Superiour but in the matter of the fift Command nor what Murther or Adulterie is but in the sixt and seventh But Towne forgetteth himselfe and pag. 3. saith We are from under the Law in all its authority dominion offices and effects yea hee denyeth that wee are under the power and teaching of the Law And Saltmarsh will have us not to borrow one beame of directing light from the Law so as he seemeth to stomach and to bee angry that the old Testament but especially the ten Commandements are printed in the Bible Yet what ever direction of walking wee have from the Law I find them in all their writings grudging at any Law or Gospel written because writing speaking vocall covenants are the dead and killing Letter fruitlesse and livelesse and that the Spirit immediatly acting is all our rule Paral. VII Libertines speake disgracefully of the Pen-men of Scripture and called Paul a broken vessell John stolidum juvenem a foolish young man Peter a denyer of God Mathew an Vsurer The Church was in her infancy said Da. Georgius Vnder Abraham and the Prophets in its young age under John Baptist Christ in the flesh and the Apostles it s grown and now presently under David the Christ its spirituall and perfect So many Antinomians turne perfectists Who say they having the Holy Ghost as well as the Prophets and Apostles can pen and speake Scripture from the same Spirit The New England Libertines are so farre on this way that they disgrace the Apostle Peter as a halfe-Legalist and say Peter leaned more to a covenant of works then Paul and that Pauls doctrine was more for free grace then Peters And Saltmarsh maketh all the Prophets in the Old Testament Legall men and Christ in the flesh and his Apostles preached free grace but in degrees and parts but we dare not saith hee preach the Gospel so in halves and quarters as yee doe And Christ and the Apostles preached grace faith repentance new obedience in scantling of Doctrine as they are meerely and barely revealed in the history of the Gospel or Acts of the Apostles where onely the Doctrine is not so much revealed as the practise But we Antinomians preach Christ the power of all the fulnesse of all that we may exalt him whom God hath exalted at his owne right hand Hence Saltmarsh 1. saith the Antinomians in England reveale more free grace and fulnesse of Christ in their Sermons then Christ and the Apostles did in the halfe of the New Testament or all the Prophets in the Old 2. Christ and the Prophets and Apostles except in the Epistles were Legall Preachers What be Legall Preachers that I wrong not Saltmarsh as he doth Christ the Prophets and Apostles I give it in his owne words Legalists are 1. such as compound and bargaine with God for salvation and submit not to the righteousnesse of God and lye downe in the sparks of their owne kindling are Christ his Prophets and Apostles such Such as from the notion of a covenant conceive a little too Legally of free grace Such as have neither the use nor freedome of the heavenly inheritance that are subject to death and bondage Such to whom God appeared onely as it were upon tearmes and conditions of reconciliation Such as in fasting and other acts of obedience dealt with God to get some love from God which Christ himselfe had not gotten for us So belike the Prophets that dyed before Christ went not to heaven but to some chamber or higher roome in hell called Limbus Patrum or to some other place for Saltmarsh saith they had neither the use nor freedome of the heavenly inheritance whither then went their soules after death 2. They were chosen to salvation some other way then Jaakob Rom. 9. they purchased the love of free election by fasting and pennance 3. Their sinnes were not pardoned nor they reconciled to God a belying of the Old Testament 4. The Prophets submitted not to the righteousnesse of God but sought righteousnesse by the works of the Law All these how they agree in part to Christ John Baptist and the Apostles in the first halfe of the New Testament let Saltmarsh and Antinomians see and consider Paral. VIII Libertines said The whole Scripture was nothing but the Spirit of God and the Letter of the Scripture not Scripture but the Spirit was both Christ and the Scripture and a godly life must be the Spirit So the Libertines of New-England There is a Testimony of the Spirit and voice unto the soule meerely immediate without any respect unto or concurrence with the Word And from this Wee are not to keepe a constant course of praying at set houres or alwayes but as the Spirit move us And all doctrines and revelations must bee tryed by Christ that is Christ dwelling in us in a spirituall manner not by the Word of Christ or the Scripture In this same Grammer speake Antinomians So Saltmarsh The Law now is in the Spirit What is that And in the Gospel for a beleever to walke by nor is saith he holinesse and sanctification now such as is fashioned by the Law or outward Commandement but by the preaching of Faith by which the Spirit is given which renewes and sanctifies a beleever and makes him the very Law of Commandement in himselfe and his heart the very two Tables of Moses This is to say the Word begetteth not Faith but onely Historically instructeth the flesh and expressely in terminis the Libertines sense and minde is that the Word is changed in a Spirit without Scripture and the Christian in his walking and conversation which to Antinomians is all in faith is the Spirit it selfe Towne is much in this through his whole booke to
in heaven The kingdome of God is the Spirit of Jesus Christ and that Christ would have shortly a glorious kingdome and that Paradise heaven and hell were within men and that heaven was the gifts of the minde the earth the goods of the bodie and their use which shortly should come to the Saints Another false Christ was Henry Nicholas who called himselfe as Ainsworth saith The Father of the Family of Love who saith of himselfe God hath wrought a wonderfull worke on the earth and raised up me Henry Nicholas the least among the holy ones of God which lay altogether dead and without breath and life among the dead and made me alive through Christ as also annointed me with his godly being Manned himselfe with mee and Goded me with him to be a living tabernacle or house for his dwelling and a seat of his Christ the seed of David And Behold and consider my beloved how wonderfully God worketh in his holy ones and how that now in this day or light of the love the judgement seat of Christ is revealed and declared unto us the household of love out of heaven to a righteous judgement upon earth from the right hand of God And how that on the same judgement seat of Christ that the Scriptures might be fullfilled there sitteth one now in truth the wretched impostor H. Nicholas in the habitation of David which judgeth uprightly thinketh upon equity and requireth righteousnesse And againe Behold in this present day is the Scripture fulfilled and according to the Testimony of the Scripture the raising up and the Resurrection of the Lords dead commeth also to passe presently in this same day through the appearing of the comming of Christ in his Majestie hee meaneth the false Christ Henry Nicholas which Resurrection of the dead seeing that the same is come to us To Henry Nicholas and the Family or Elders of Love from Gods grace wee doe likewise in this present day to an Evangelike or joyfull Message of the Kingdome of God and Christ publish in all the world under the obedience of love Sent. 9. In which Resurrection of the dead God sheweth unto us that the time is now fulfilled that his dead or the dead that are fallen asleepe in the Lord rise up in this day of his judgement and appeare unto us in godly glory which shall also from henceforth live in us H. N. and the Family of Love everlastingly with Christ and raigne upon the earth wherein the Scripture becommeth fulfilled in this present day like as there standeth written thereof The Lord shall judge his people c. One of the hearers of Randel a preaching Familist at London was asked If he beleeved the bodies of men dead and buried in the earth should be raised to life Answered I know not For Familists Mistresse Hutchison and hers say That the soules of men are by generation mortall like the beasts Eccles. 3.8 But in regard of Christs purchase immortall and that those who are united to Christ in this life have new bodies and two bodies 1 Cor. 6.19 These who have union with Christ shall not rise with the same fleshly bodies 1 Cor. 15.44 And that the Resurrection spoken of 1 Cor. 15. and John 5.28 is not meant of the resurrection of the body but of our union here and after this life with Christ. That there is no kingdome of heaven in Scripture but onely Christ. So said Hymeneus and Philetus and the Libertines who made the resurrection a spirituall communion with Christ. Antinomians have never shewen their mind of the resurrection and the life to come and have never contradicted the Libertines and Familists in these and yet own their other opinions Yea Saltmarsh to me owneth no heaven but that which is in this life if a naked opinion were added to it For saith he The Spirit of Christ sets a beleever as free from hell the Law and bondage here on earth as if he were in heaven nor wants he any thing to make him so but to make him beleeve he is so So he wants nothing of heaven but beleeve he is in heaven and he is in heaven hee will not except the resurrection of and the glorifying of the body Phil. 3.19 20. nor the rooting out of originall sinne nor the immortality of the whole man nor freedome from sinning immunitie from sorrow sadnesse perfect joy pleasures for ever more seeing of God and injoying of him face to face the perfecting of love and of grace with glory all which he wanteth of heaven and hath here onely the first fruits of the Spirit and is absent from the Lord and sigheth in this tabernacle and since Saltmarsh professeth a finer free grace and a further revealing of the Gospel in its glory liberty c. Why doth he not once in all his Treatises mention the last and perfecting act of Free grace and Gospel-freedome that Christ will raise up the beleever at the last day 2. While Antinomians cleare us touching their mind of the sense the flesh sinning before men not in regard of faith or in Gods sight or account I must conceive they meane with Mistresse Hutchison and other Familists a sinning in the old body not in the new and in the old soule they have by generation not in the new soule or in the conscience as M. Denne saith which they have by Redemption I therefore attest them to cleare themselves in that distinction and either black the Familists or owne them as their owne 3. Calvin saith from Paul Wee are in this life saved in hope we have not heaven and life eternall in perfection and compleatly here we doe but wait for our full and finall redemption of soule and body at Christs comming whereas Libertines said we were compleatly saved in this life So say Saltmarsh and M. Towne who are angry that Protestant Divines say We are saved by right and in hope and really in Christ our head but they will have us fully compleatly perfectly saved in this very life though we have not the sense and feeling of it and we want nothing of eternall life but beleeve wee have it compleatly as the glorifyed and wee have it CHAP. LXXXIII Familists Libertines Anabaptists goe before Antinomians in denying all externall worship and obedience Paral. XV. HEnry Nich. called love the Being and Godhead of Christ which we received through the power of the Holy Ghost and that love within was all and that all externall obedience from the Letter of the Word was fleshly and Ceremoniall Just as Master Dell Ser. 19. rejecting all external Reformation calleth it hypocritical and carnal and refusing the Scriptures either Law or Gospel as meere carnall Letters devoles all on the Spirit and acknowledgeth no Lawes at all in Christs kingdome but the Law of nature 2. The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ which is the Spirit himselfe in
without any foregoing teaching under paine of corporall punishments to the Jewes as he and his saith Presbyterians doe now urge consciences how shall Del prove that 2. Hee must say that outward and meerely litterall observing of Lawes and Synodicall Decrees according to the Word of God for any others beside or against the Word the Presbyterians know none without Faith in Christ doe make men perfect as pertaining to conscience which is Dels dreame not our doctrine 3. Hee and his condemne all Lawes of the Civill Magistrate yea all the written Scripture Law and Gospel and say an Arbitrary and Enthysiasticall Spirit in the Christian Magistrate without all Civill Lawes inacted or written should conclude of the heads and lives of Christians without the Law Morall or Gospel and so condemnes all Acts of Parliaments Answ. 2. You could not have heard more if Henry Nicholas or Anton. Pocquius or David Georgius had beene preaching to the Honourable House for Del followâ—s them at the heeles For Henry Nicholas if you but change Dels word of Reformation into the word regeneration or begetting in the same Spirit debaseth Christ in the Scriptures and all outward worship as if there were one Christ in the Scripture and another contrary Christ in the Spirit and inward working for sure hypocriticall and meere externall reformation and the inward reformation are by Protestants made two contrary reformations the one from God the other not from flesh and blood onely but from the Devill So Henry Nicholas If I could give all my goods to the poore c. If I had not love it were not any thing to me that is whosoever hath not Christ he is without God and without righteousnesse in this world I meane the being like Christ which is received through the power of the Holy Ghost and not any Ceremoniall Christ which one man speaketh to another or promiseth to another through the Ceremoniall service Dels Grammar is Pag. 6. through the word of the letter in their bookes in outward formes outward worship outward confession which he out of his prudencie according to his fleshly minde hath set up ô no the worke or begetting or procreating of the children of God commeth not so slenderly to passe as men now at this time teach each other out of their unregenerate Spirit Del out of a Spirit not inwardly reformed the bodie of sinne not being destroyed no reformation can come Henry Nicholas condemning all Scripture as a Literall and carnall thing and an Elementish Ceremoniall and fleshly service yea and confession with the mouth as carnall outward hypocriticall and Pharisaicall and doth expressely reject all the teaching of men or by the ministery of men which the Apostle asserteth Ephes. 4.11 1 Cor. 4.2 2 Cor. 4.7 And the Lord Jesus the great Apostle of our profession Math. 28.19 20. Act. 1.6 8. and pronounceth the Ministery of one man teaching another to be fleshly prudence and not such a way by which the begetting or procreating of the children of God commeth to passe Now that Monster of men knew Protestants whom hee refuteth in this taught against Pelagians and the Pope whom he denieth to be the Antichrist and Papists that we utterly deny that the Scriptures of themselves yea that the Man Christs teaching in the flesh or Paul or the Apostles Preaching or any mans externall instructing of another man most soundly according to the Scriptures can without the hearing and learning of the Father Joh. 6.45 and his omnipotent drawing of men to the Sonne Joh. 6.44 and the inward teaching of the Spirit inwardly reforme or beget men over againe to God So his condemning of one mans teaching of another as Fleshly Ceremoniall Elementish is a simple rejecting of the Scriptures and all outward and externall worship And just as David Georgius rejected the Literall Christ and asserted himselfe to bee the Spirituall Christ and true David In the same manner M. Del speaking of inward Reformation that is conversion of a sinner to God that onely being his Gospel-reformation hee knoweth well Presbyterians and the Assâ—mbly of Divines who are if they shall condemne his Gospel for the substance of it the enemies of the truth of Christ and the last prop of Antichrist in the Kingdome doe teach that inward reformation or destroying of the body of sinne is not wrought by the onely Letter of the Word and the teaching of men or Lawes or Constitutions of Synods but that wee conjoine with all outward meanes the inward and omnipotent power of the Holy Ghost without whose grace all other meanes are nothing yea Pauls planting and Apollo his watering are nothing effectuall to an inward reformation M. Del argueth against the Holy Ghost and Paul who Preached the Gospel to the blaspeming Jewes and scoffing Athenians Act. 13 Act. 17. for all he could say to them was but outward and litterall preaching the Apostles were but men and not Lords of the heart and therefore could but worke outward conformity to outward duties when the heart remained corrupt Nor is it much that Dell saith there is neede of an outward change in the Gospel which indeed is a belying of himselfe for an outward change is an outward reformation and hee saith Pag. 4.5 Gospel-reformation is a destroying of the body of sinne in the faithfull and elect by the presence and operation of the righteousnesse of God dwelling in their heart by Faith besides this I know no other An outward change is an outward reformation besides this But this is nothing Del acknowledgeth neither Ministery outward worship or outward ordinances as Familists did before him For the Author of that blasphemous Peece called Theologia Germanica saith Just men have neede of no law are led by the Spirit and are not to bee taught by any Law what they should doe or leave undone seeing the Spirit of God which is their instructer will teach them sufficiently neither is any thing to be commanded or injoyned them as to doe good to shunne evill or the like but Pag. 72. Yet hee saith more then Del doth to wit That both the life of Christ as also all Commandements Lawes Ordinances and the like ought not to be laid aside and cast off and to be neglected contemned and derided And Henry Nicholas saith The Lord speaketh in the Scripture but he saith withall that the Spirit is the Word not the Letter So Del maketh an opposition betweene the Letter in the bookes and the living Word of God in the heart 3. Del speaketh exclusively Other reformation beside this of the heart saith he I know none 2. Gospel-reformation saith hee onely mindes the reformation of the heart If only then it minds not externall reformation 3. Christ speaking touching the worship of the New Testament saith saith he Not one word of any outward forme So that God in his Gospel-reformation aymes at nothing but the heart Then hee aymes at no outward change nor any externall worship
within And its true the onely naked Letter without the Spirit can doe nothing without the Spirit but it followeth not that the Spirit renewes without the sense of the Letter received in the understanding And most false it is that in the Gospel the Word and the Spirit are alwaies joyned as Del saith for then all hearing the Gospel should belong to the converted and saved onely whereas the Scripture saith the contrary for many are hardned and heard the Gospel without faith damneth eternally the hearers as well as the Law It is as wild Libertinisme that Del speaketh That the Spirit reformeth by taking all evils out of the flesh he meaneth in Justification as if we were Angels being once justified and the evill of sinne dwelt not in us while we are in this body as is proved before And its wild stuffe that the Spirit doth change the flesh into its owne likenesse for saith he dreaming awake the Spirit is as fire that changeth every thing into it selfe and so doth the Spirit in the flesh make the flesh spirituall But Master Del what meane you by flesh The corruption of sinnefull nature then is sinne made Spirituall heavenly holy meeke good loving c. Familists and Libertines thanke you for that but sinne is destroyed as yourself grant 2. Doe you meane by flesh the body Then belike justification turneth our bodies into Spirits and wee have two bodies as Familists said in New England I cannot like that 3. If by flesh you meane the soule yee speake as Hereticks doe and that without Scripture or example The Spirit dwelleth in our flesh that is in our soule and spirit and changeth our spirit in a spirit strange Divinity Familists I know say As we came from Gods essence so wee and our soules returne to God and are made in God eternall and turned into his essence and so spiritualized so teach Libertines and by this they deny the Resurrection But 4. if by flesh you understand the sinnelesse frame of soule and body take heede of Libertines grosse dreame of our dying and returning to God who onely is and all beside him are nothing Theol. Germanica and the Bright Starre sport so with the truth of God CHAP. LXXXV Libertines and Antinomians come nigh to other in making God the author of sinne Paral. 16. LIbertines taught That all things fall out good or ill by the will of God and so that rebukes and exhortations should cease and that so we should pardon the sinnes one of another and beare the infirmities one of another For to the cleane all things are cleane and hee that is purged is altogether acceptable to God but let him beware that he be not an offence to his brother for it is written love thy neighbour neither desire to revenge and therefore said Pocquius the Libertine in his booke Rebuke not one another for sinne since its Gods will it should be so Bullinger tells us that in the yeare 1526. there were two brethren Thomas Schykerus and Leonard who were at a night-meeting having spent the night in Enthysiasticall conference with other Anabaptists Thomas commanding his brother Leonard to sit downe on his knees before him in the sight of his Parents and others who admonished him to doe nothing but what was to be done answered in the same Argument of Libertines nihil metuendum esse neque enim hic quicquam praeter voluntatem Patris fieri posse Nothing was to be feared because nothing here can be done beside the will of our heavenly Father and with a Sword he cut off his brothers head and having done this with shirt and hose onely he did runne through the Town and cryed The day of the Lord was come and the will of God is done and gall and vinegar drunke for which by the Magistrate he was justly put to death But Gods decree doth not excuse us from sinne nor remove necessitie of rebuking or holy and religious abstaining from sinne because Gods revealed will in his word not his secret and unsearchable decrees can be our rule of walking rebukes are also acts of love not of hatred or revenge The same course doe the Libertines and Familists of New England take For none say they are to bee exhorted to beleeve but such whom we know to be the elect of God or to have his Spirit in them effectually And we should not pray against that which cannot be avoided nor yet against all sinne The Antinomians come nigh to this For Doctor Crispe the Antinomian and Archer both disswade beleevers to be troubled or dismaied at sinne their reason holds good against all sinnes of unbeleevers also because its contrary to the care and providence of God and to Free grace whether of eternal election or of effectuall calling to feare for or sorrow at sinne Surely I should thinke then that sinne were not to be eschewed by the Saints nor to bee rebuked by any Wee are not to be troubled at or feare sinne because all changes by sinnes or sorrowes come from God Some Divines saith M. Archer aknowledge not so much of God in sinne as is in sinne and Gods will and pleasure is the wombe that conceived and whence springs every worke of the Creature whether it be good or bad Secondly saith he All things by sinne or sorrow which befall beleevers come from God by a decree powerfull yea even by that eternall love and counsell in and by which they were ordained to life eternall And by and through a covenant of grace made with them To the same purpose M. Del crying downe all outward Reformation saith Serm. pag. 13. I doubt not of the Churches Reformation because it is Christs own worke and he hath undertaken the doing of it and none of the powers of the earth can helpe him nor of the powers of hell can hinder him therefore he disswades the Parliament from building the Temple but so hee himselfe should preach none for Gods decrees none can hinder So Antinomians teach men are justified pardoned and saved before they beleeve without faith upon this ground that they were elected absolutely to glory as if God had ordained them for the end but the meanes might miscary and as if unbeliefe could not hinder them or as if through unbeliefe many could not enter into their rest of glory or as if sinne were an indifferent thing simply depending on the will of God in whose wombe M. Archer thinketh it was conceived CHAP. LXXXVI Libertines and Antinomians would have us doe nothing because God doth all Paral. XVII LIbertines said All that are without God are nothing all that wee doe or know is but vanity therefore are we to deny our selves this they said inferring we may live as we list and doe nothing but beleeve that God workes all our works in us and for us and impute all things to God
life honour happinesse a long reigne but not one word of life eternall and the blessings of the life to come we know the doctrine of H. N. is that the resurrection the last judgement all the happinesse of Saints is closed with in this life the day of judgement of resurrection is even now in this present day H.N. Evang. c. 1. sent 9 ch 33. c 34. sâ—nt 1 2 3. the immortality of the soul the resurrection of the body heaven hell or judgement beyond this life there is none n This confession was seene by few it is said to be Printed an 1575. It cannot be known that ever either this petition or that confession was offered to the eye and view of King Iames how ever that confession was not theirs for the word of God to them is the only internall word in the minde the word as they expone it but not the Scriptures of the old or new Testament But it were good that the Familists and Antinomians now in England would publish to the world a confession of their faith But I expect it not this yeare they that doe evill hate the light a The Antinomians and Familists now in England especially Randel Saltmarsh Del Eaton 〈◊〉 disseminate in printed books and Sermons the same very doctrine a 1 Pet. 3 1â— b 2 Cor. â—â— â—â—ltmarsh 〈◊〉 12 45 〈…〉 Pag. â—6 17 Pag. â—6 〈…〉 13. There is a new birth undâ—r the covenant of works The Scripture knoweth no such birth d Towne assertâ— of free grace pag. 7. e Saltmarsh Free grace pag 34. f Rise râ—igne ruiâ—e of the Antinomians Familists Lâ—bâ—rtines of N. E. eâ— 12. pag. â— g 〈◊〉 Vnsavory speeches er 6. pag. 19. h Rom. 6.13 14 15. i Gal. 3.21 Rom. 7.8 9 10 k Jâ—m 2. â—7 a Saltmarsh Free grace b â—tate of the questiâ—n â—ouâ—hing the 〈◊〉 of conversion with Antinomians c Crisp 〈◊〉 ser. 7 p. â—9â— While 〈…〉 thus sinnefull with all sinfulnesse that can be imagined in a 〈◊〉 Christ may be your Christ. Ans. In Gods dâ—arâ—e its trâ—e so the world was 〈…〉 laid but Christ is never 〈◊〉 yours so loâ—g as you have the Devil reigning as a Prince in your soule nay never till you beleeve d Saltmarsh Free grace pâ— 184. e Pag 98. Câ—ispe vol. â— seâ— 7.210 f Luke 14.28.29.30.31.32.33 g Acts 2.37 Acts 9 6 7. Acts 16.27.28.29 Zach. 12. â—0 Jer. 18.19 g Lukâ— 19 8. 〈…〉 3 7. 〈◊〉 61. â—â— Acts â— 6 7 8. 〈◊〉 9.12 13. 〈◊〉 15. â— 2 3 4 5 6 7. 〈…〉 Christ as sinners nor as or because repenting or sick sinners but as freely 〈…〉 grace to thâ—â— blâ—ssed translation from death to life Saltmarsh Free grace 17 18 19. b Dâ—nns conference betweene a sick man and a Minister Pâ— â— 3 c 〈◊〉 â— 3 d Gen. 22.16 〈◊〉 11.7 â— Cor 8.12 e Esaâ— 26.9 Neb. 1 1â— f Power of 〈◊〉 p. 21. The full commanding â— the promising 3. the threatniâ—g power of the law a 2 Cor. 5. â—4 Rom. 12.1 2. b Towne asser 3. c Theoâ—oâ— Gâ—rmanica cap. â—8 pag. 70.71 72. d Saltmarsh cap. 29. Free grace pag. 140 a Rom 13.8 9 10 b Ephe. 6. â— â— c Jam. â— 8.9.10 d â—am 4.12 Rom. 3.31 f 〈…〉 1 Cor. 5.1 Rom. 1.19.20 Rom. 2 14. g 2 Tim. 3.16 h Math. 5.18 19 i Deut. 4 13 Hee 〈◊〉 unto 〈◊〉 his covenant even ten Commandements Deut. 19.11 â—â— 13 â— King 18.12 k Gal. 3. â—0 13 〈◊〉 3 â—9 â—0 c. Gal. 3.10 l Heb. 7.18.19 Hebâ— 8.6 7 8 9. m Saltmarsh Free gr 146. o Rise reigne 35. Er. 74. Thâ—ol Ger. 70.71 7â— The Law and Gospel are not positively contrary 〈◊〉 to â—nother a Hos. 3.11 Pâ— 9.19.20 The Gospel commandeth all that the â—aw 〈…〉 b Mat. 5.48 Pâ— 1. â— Deut â—7 26 Gal. â— â— 1 Tim. 4. â— b Maâ—h 19 2â— 29. c Rom. â— â— d Rom. 1. â— a b Rom. 8. â— Ioâ— 3. â—8 d a b c d e f g Saltmarsh 〈◊〉 4â— 14â— Psâ—l 19 â— Antinomâ—aâ—◠〈…〉 〈…〉 away but some sinnes were upon them for that time which was 〈…〉 of their complaint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 g cap 35. h 1 Pet. â— â—â— Iâ—h â— â—â— The Jewes were not under the Law but under grace though more 〈…〉 Gal. 3 1â— Heb. 11.13 Râ—m 10.3 Rom. 9. â— Rom. â— 9 10 11 12 13 Rom. 4 2 3 4 5 23. Is 5 â— 1 2 3. Isaâ— 2â— 16 Hâ—b â— 2 4. k Mat. 7 1â— Esay 4â— 25 Psal. 130. 7 â—â— Psâ—l 10â— 8 9 â—0 11 12 Exoâ—â—4 67 Isâ—â— 1â— 12 16 Psal â— 5 1.8 16 17. Esay 6â— 12 Aâ—ts 10 4â— p Psal. â—â— 1 Psal 88.1 2. Ps. 69.1 2 3. Psal. 63.1 2 3 4. q Gen. 32.26 27 28 29. Exod. â—â— 10 Isai. 62.6 7. a Dâ—nne ibid. Saltmarsh Free grace â— 42 40. compaâ—ed together Power of love pag 28 29. b Rom. 7.23 a Câ—â—spe vol. 2. Ier. 3. pag. 89. Christ himselfe is not so compleatly râ—ghteous but we are as righteous as he was b 1 Joh. â— 9. c Rom. 7.18 19. â—0 Gal. 5.17 d Eccl. 〈…〉 Prov. â— 9 Psal. 14.3 Râ—m â— 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17. 1 Iohn 1.8 9 10. Rom. 7 19 20 21 22.23 Matth. 6. â— a Crâ—spe vol. 2. 〈◊〉 3 pag. 90.91.92.93 b 1 Ioh. 1.8.10 c Rom 7.14 17. d Iam 3.2 e 1 Pet 2.4 f Esa. 53.5 Rom 4 25 Rom. â— 6 We are not as innocent and sinnelesse as Christ. g Towne asser pag 3â— h Asser. 71.72 a The Author of the Faithfull Messenger sent after the Antinomians relateth this of them pag. 1.2.3 and bringeth their arguments for it and answereth them fully b Crispe vol. 2 â—er 5. â—56 157.158.159 c Esâ— 43. â—5 d Mic. 7.19 e Ieâ— 31.34 f Iâ—r 50. â—0 g Ephe. 2.1 2 h Col. 1.21 Rom. 5.6 i Ephes. 1.2 k Ioh. 3.16 l Revel 1.5 m Ezech. 16.6 8. n Ezech. 16.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 c. o Rom. 3. cap. 4. cap. 5. p Habak 2.4 Rom. 1.17 q Rise reigne er 37. r Ioh. 1.11 12 Antinomians hold an union with Christ before we beleeve Ioh. 15.1 2 3 4 5 6. t Ephes. 3.17 u Gal. 2.20 Rev. 2 7â— Ioh. 6.35 40.4 47.54 55. x Rom. 8.30 1 Câ—r 6. â—1 â—2 Râ—m 6.18 y Gal. 3.14 z Rom. 5.1 2 3 4 5. a Denne Ser. of grace mâ—râ—y 33.34.35 Gods love of good will toward our person and of good liking toward our faith and holy walking a necessary distinction grounded on Scripture God createth a love-worthy object to himselfe freely and loveth it freely b Ezech. 16 14. c Psal 146.8 d Psal. 51.6 e Ps. 147.11 f Cant. 4.9.7 a Hos. 1.10 1 Pet. 2.10 b Ezech. 16.1 2 3 4 5. c 1 Tim. 1.13 d Rom. 6.17.18 Tit. 3.3 Ephes. â— 1 2 3 4 Ephes. 4.20 2 Tim. 1.9 a Gal. 3.10 Deut. 27 26. b Rom. 4. â—â— 2. vers 20. Rev. 5.9 a Eato Hony combe