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
objected they said must not be taken in the Litterall sense because the Letter killeth the Spirit quickneth And they turne the Scripture in Allegories and high Spirituall Speculations and the Scripture in its kindly sense they called a dead Letter it s the spirit say they that quickneth So David Georgius and so doth M. Dell Serm. pag. 19. citing the same words so Randel the Familist in a Sermon said That Christs Parables from Sowing a Draw-net Leaven c. did prove that to expound the Scripture by Allegories was lawfull and all the things of this life as Seed the Way-side a Rocke the Sea a Net Leaven c. were Sacraments of Christ and he cited Doe this in Remembrance of me and that a spirituall minde in all the things of nature and of this life might see the mysteries of the Gospel This man who preacheth most abominable Familisme is suffered in and about London publikely twise on the Lords day to draw hundreds of godly people after him The New England Libertines say The will of God in the Word and the directions thereof are no Rule whereunto Christians are bound to conforme their life And the due search and knowledge of the holy Scriptures is no safe way of searching and finding Christ And all Doctrines Revelations and Spirits must bee tryed by Christ not by the word of Christ. And the whole Letter of the Scripture holdeth forth a covenant of works Saltmarsh The interpreting the Spirit thus in the Letter and in consequence hath much darkened the glory of the Gospel But I pray are not all the heads of Libertinisme and Antinomianisme their rejecting of the Lawes direction of the Scriptures of personall sanctification and of repentance and mortification the perfection of beleevers persons and works c. all meere consequences from Scripture the contrary being commanded expresly in Scripture So Saltmarsh saith The power of an outward Commandement and precept in the word bringeth but forth finer hypocrisie and the Spirit worketh not freely therewith And M. Towne hath much of this stuffe through his whole Booke Much like to this is the doctrine of Henry Nicholas in his Epistle to two Daughters of Warwicke Ar. 7. While the Apostles dayly went about with Christ and had the word of the Father dayly amongst them understood not the Spirit of the the Lord till the day of Pentecost that hee descended on them how should then the multitude of these which now say they are Christians and yet neither have nor know neither Spirit nor Word but go on with their fleshly prudencie in the Literall Scripture and set forth the same with their fleshly hearts before the simple people as it seemeth best unto them and say even so very stoutly We have the word of the Lord whereas it is but their owne word wherein they with their own prudencie are genered and begotten feele either perceive the same They reject the word of the Lord Jer. 8. Here giveth the Prophet a distinction or diversitie betweene the word of the Lord and the witnessing of an unregenerate man which he bringeth forth out of the Letter of the Scripture Here H. Nicholas maketh a time when the Apostles were under the teaching of the Father when they were unregenerated and not pardoned but led with the Letter of the Scripture and a time when they were under the teaching of the Holy Ghost and were regenerated So the New England Familists Rise raigne Er. 41. say There be distinct seasons of the working of the severall persons so the soule may bee said to bee under the Fathers and not the Sonnes and so long under the Sonnes worke and not the Spirits And just so Saltmarsh Free grace pag. 113. The Fathers before Christ might conceive themselves rather not destroyed then saved and rather not damned then redeemed but now is fulnesse of the Spirit and of free grace pag. 115. discovered And Denne Doctrine of John Baptist p. 51. The knowledge of both actuall and eternall remission was no Article of the Jewish Creed but now 55. is remission past and done 2. Here H. Nicholas makes a difference betweene the word of God as it is in the Letter and the word as it is in the Spirit as betweene the word of man to wit which is in the Letter and the word of the Lord which is in the Spirit So doth Saltmarsh betweene the interpreting of the Word in the Letter and in the consequence which darkneth the Gospel and the yeelding of the sense of the Scripture in the Spirit which must by opposition cleare the glory of the Gospel Shaddowes fleeing away pag. 8. So doth Cornwell Confer with J. Cotton pag. 17. say A conclusion following from the strength of humane reasoning is but a humane not a Divine Faith now we judge the litterall sense of the word to be the very meaning and kindly sense of the Holy Ghost and doe hold that the word hath not two sundry senses and that the letter of the Word and Spirit are not contrary but subordinate though the one that is the letter of the word may be without the Spirit and then the Letter is a dead thing to the heardned hearer not in it selfe but yet should not the Letter of the Scripture and outward ordinances or prophecying be despised more then the Spirit should be quenched 3. N. Nicholas here maketh two sort of regenerated persons Some regenerated by the Letter of the word these have but their owne word not the word of the Lord others are regenerated by the Spirit and these have the word of God So the New England Familists Er. 13. and Saltmarsh Free grace 177.178 as if one Spirit breathed in all the three tell us of a legall conversion by the outward Commandement Letter and terrors of the Law and Gospel and such are but hypocrits and others converted by the Spirit Protestants halfe not the Spirit and the word but conjoyne them for the Spirit is the Father and principall cause of the second birth and the Word the seed and instrument but their way is to abolish Word Seales and all Ordinances as Legall things It is true this wretched man seems to give enough to outward ordinances for he saith Epist. to the two Maides They be outward means set forth by God to direct people to the inward righteous life of Christ in the Spirit Yet in the Epistle as Answorth in his answer observeth hee calleth the outward ordinances but Ceremonies and perswades them not to suffer death in confessing the Scriptures to be the perfect rule of our faith and life against the Romish Antichristian Doctrine and Ceremonies For saith H. Nicholas No man doth rightly according to the truth of the holy Scriptures nor according to the spirituall understanding of the godly wisdome deale in it or use the true God-services of the holy word it becommeth not likewise that any man should take in hand to busie himselfe thereabout but
Popery or what else is or shall be by law established without once promise of obedience in the Lord and according to the rule of holy Scripture They well knew that Puritans were hatefull to King James and all such as were non-conform to Prelacy and Ceremonies in either Kingdoms and therefore to ingrâ—tiate themselves into the Kings favour they raile in their fleshly manner against all the godly in England for which cause the Prelates did overlook them partly because they made work of controversies for the times and diverted many from eye-ing and considering the corruptions of Prelates partly because Prelates and they were common enemies to those that were truely godly and unjustly called Puritans and what shall we think of those that went for Puritans in England not many years agoe who now turn Familiâ—ts as many now adaies doe 2. They defy all to object any thing against them except disobedient Puritans who maliced them these 25 years and what marvell for Hen. Nichol. saith prophet of the Spirit c. 13. § 8. He can no more erre in what he saith than could the Prophets of God or Apostles of Christ He saith § 9. Almost all of his way were an uncleane whorish covetous and fleshly company 3 They acknowledge their obedience to Ceremonies sacraments and the Kings supremacie Yâ—t amongst them are neither Kings nor Masters H. Nicho. Spirit c. 34. Sect. 8. But are equall in all degrees among themselves as they say 4 Thâ—y say onely right gracious Soveraigne wee have read certaine bookes brought forth by a German Authour under the Characters of H. N. out of â—hich service or writings we be taught all dutifull obeâ—ience towards God and a Magistrate and to live a godly and honest life and to love God above all things and our Neighbour as our selves agreing therein with all the Holy Scriptures as wee understand them But nothing of the blessed Trinity is here nothing of the Gospel of Christ God man of the justification of the ungodly by faith and the rest of our Articles of faith but only of a mere legall way to heaven as if they were in the state of innocencie So they extoll fleshly Henry Nicholas and his doctrine that disclaimes all the protestant faith 2. They will not have the scriptures a rule of faith but as they understand them 5 They complaine that H. Nicho. is shamefully slandred and his disciples traduced persecuted and imprisoned 6 That nothing could ever bee proved against them But that was because they hold it lawfull to deny Christ and their religion before men what then could bee proved against them 7. They intreat the King to read H.N. his books and commit to learned men the examining of them and promise they will bring over some disciples out of Germanie who knew H Nicho. while hee lived to resolve the K. of hard phrases in his writings 8 That they maintaine no errors willfully 9 They desire inlargement upon baile out of prison Yet the Puritans maintaine errour willfully But the truth was the Prelats because the Familistâ— bowed to their Baal of conformity and hated Puritans and counted any religion indifferent fostered them and would neither refute them nor suffer any others to refute them which is the cause of all the fects this day in England they lay under warme prelacie spake nothing against their domination and now in this time of liberty they come out to the sunne and day-light CHAP. XV. Of the Familists and Antinomians of New England ABout the yeare 1630. The Christians of England who could not beare the Antichristian yoake of prelacy nor submit to the Popish Ceremonies and new inventions of infamous Laud the late persecuting Antichrist of Canterburie who for his Tyranny to soules and treason against the state dyed by the hand of the Hang-man on the Tower-hill of London were forced to remove from England and to plant themselves among the wild Americans with no intention as godly ministers informed me to pitch on a Church-government either that of Independencie or of the stricter Separation or any other different from the reformed Churches but only to injoy the ordinances of Christ in purity and power and to be freed of Prelatical Monarchy a plant never planted in the Lords Viniard by our heavenly Father they were not well established in New England when Antinomians sprang up among them for the Church cannot be long without enemies These were Libertines Familists Antinomians and Enthusiasts who had brought these wicked opinions out of Old England with them where they grew under prelacie I heard at London that godly preachers were in danger of being persecuted by Laud for striving to reclaime some Antinomians They held these wicked tenets especially that follow as may be gathered out of the storie of the Rise Reign and Ruine of the Antinomians and libertines that infected the Churches of New England penned as I am informed by M. Winthrope Governour a faithfull witnes and approved by M.T. Weld in his preface to the book 1 In the conversion of a sinner the faculties and workings of the soule on things pertaining to God are destroyed and instead of them the holy Ghost comes in and taketh place just as the faculties of the humane Nature of Christ doth 2 Love in the Saints is the very holy Ghost 3. As Christ was God manifested in the flesh so is he incarnate and made flesh in every Saint So saith Saltmarsh sparkles of glory opposing the Protestants p. 255. Others say Familists in opposition to Protestants as he cleareth p. 254. Christ in us is when we are made the anoynted of God which is the Christ or the whole intire Christ as one spâ—rituall new man 1 Cor. 12.12 and that the Image of Christ â—n us is Christ manifested in our flesh as to sufferings and death whereby the flesh is crucified in the power of God and of the Spirit and the outward man or the flesh is dying now Christ in the flesh 1 Cor. 12 12. is the mysticall body of Christ his Church and this is to Saltmarsh and Familists God manifested in the flesh 4. The New Creature or new man Love or the armour of God Ephes. 6. is not meant of grace but of Christ himself 5. The whole letter of the Scripture holdeth forth a Covenant of works By which beleevers under grace are not to hear or read the Scriptures nor to search them so Saltmarsh Sparkles of glory p. 247 268 269. 6. The Faith that justifieth hath not any actualâ— beeing out of Christ it is Christ beleeving in us 7 The due search and knowledge of holy Scripture is not a safe way of searching and finding Christ So also Saltmarsh Sparkles of glory p. 244 245. 8 The Law and preaching of it is of no use to drive men to Christ Saltâ— Spark of glory p. 235.236 237 238. 9. All Covenants to God expressed in words are legall Saltmar Spark p. 244. 10 A Christian is not bound to the Law as a rule
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15. he never once saith Christ the Sonne of God was made true and very man in all things like unto us sinne excepted or the second person of the Trinity assumed the nature of man in the unity of his person or Christ was the true Sonne of David borne of a woman c. as Scripture and Divines speak but by the contrary only in this appearance of flesh he was a figure of God whose designe it is to make his Saints his temple his tabernacle his body and God thus manifested in the flesh that is God by his Spirit giving us faith and a new birth to be the Sonnes of God in whom he dwells by faith is the Immanuel God with us that is all the God-man or God incarnate which this spirit of the Antichrist will yeeld to us is nothing but every Saint anointed is Christ and Immanuel now the Father and Spirit both make the Saints the Temple of God the new creation the body of Christ thus and so the Son is no more God incarnate then the Father and God is thus manifested in the flesh in making us his dwelling house and Temple and body by faith as Saltmarsh is sure not to speak against but with the heretickes who denyed Christ to have a true body or to be true man but only to be a figure or appearance of a man or a man in representation in forme in meer shape not truly and really so as the Disciplâ—s heard saw with their eyes and looked on and their hands handled the Lord of life 1 Joh. 1.1 of him they said He is not here he is risen againe except ye beleeve that I am he yee shall dye in your sinnes And in his crucifying saith Saltmarsh p. 13.14 all his first glory in which he appeared revealed that old designe of God that mystery hid from ages and now made manifest to the Saints nayling all the flesh of his Saints to the same crosse and being lifted up drawes all men to him which is the mystery of the Gospel or Christ crucified H. Nicholas document c. 3. sen. 5. to be borne of the Virgin Mary out of the seed of David after the flesh is to be borne of the pure doctrine of H.N. out of the seed of love How Christ nailed all the flesh of his Saints to the crosse except mystically and figuratively and in a spirituall sense I know not but this is all Christs dying on the crosse except Familists say that Christ dyed not really and truly but only in a figure or they say Christ as an extraordinary holy man was God manifested in the flesh and that he was not the consubstantiall Son of God but being a man Godded with the holy being of love dyed as an example of singular love and patience and most submissive obedience and so nailed to his crosse all the flesh of his Saints exemplary that we should follow him as the Socinians teach and so his death must be no reall no true satisfaction nor any satisfactory ransome to justice for us but that God forgave all men their sinnes without a price or ransome of blood and Christ gave not himselfe as a reall ransome price or satisfaction for our sinnes but dyed as a rule and patterne of holinesse that we should imitate him and without his but by our owne personall merits wee might be saved as we were saved by following the godly lives of other holy men The Scripture saith he nailed his owne flesh to the crosse for so it is 1 Pet. 2 24. Who his own selfe bare our sinnes in his body on the tree And Act. 13.28 Though they found no cause of death in him yet desired they Pilate that he should be slaine 29. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him they tooke him downe from the tree and laid him in a sepulcher but God raised him from the dead Now the man Christ that was nailed to a tree and buried in the grave of Joseph of Arimathea that same man God raised from the dead but Christ nailed not the Saints flesh and the bodies of beleevers of Saltmarsh and others really to the crosse nor were their bodyes really laid in Josephs new tombe nor did God truly and really raise them from the dead only in a spirituall meaning we dyed are buried with Christ and partakers of his resurrection But saith Peter Act. 5.30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom ye slew and hanged on a tree But Saltmarsh saith the Christ crucifying and nailing all the flesh of his Saints to the same crosse and being lifted up drawes all men to him is the mystery of the Gospel or Christ crucified But Christ crucifying the flesh and sinfull corruption of beleevers in the same crosse is Christ mystically and spiritually and by the merit of his bloody death mortifying sin in the Saints and the sufferings of the Saints are not satisfactory to divine justice as Christs sufferings were but castigatorie to deaden them to the lusts of the flesh and the Saints sufferings are not Christ crucified nor Christ on the crosse drawing all men to him For Christ died and was but once really and truly in his blessed flesh and humane nature crucified Heb. 9.26 27 28. Matth. 27.34 35. Marke 14.24 Luke 23. v. 33 34. Joh. 19.23 on Mount Calvarie But the Saints were not really crucified with him for many of them were not borne when he dyed I have observed before that Gortyn and H. Nicholas make the Saints who beare the image of God suffering and persecuted in the world to be Christ crucified and nothing else because saith Gortyn Christ being the Lord of life cannot dye nor suffer in himselfe and therefore hee suffers in his Saints and so every suffering Saint is all the crucified Christ that these men grant Yea H. N. never confesseth Christ to be true God and very man but sometime the sabbaoth is Christ Evang. c. 2. s. 15. or the service of love is Christ. Exhor 14. s. 1. or the godly being in men is Christ Evang. 13. s. 16. or the eldest Elder of the family of love is Christ that is H.N. or a godly life is Chriâ—t so are we saved by our owne good works And Saltmarsh saith p. 14. Now all this of this new or second creation as they are spirituall and heavenly are only in and through the same Spirit and discerned in the same Spirit Hence a Christ of flesh and blood who is true man and dyed for us is but Christ in the letter and the Protestant legall Christ that as a killing letter killeth and perfecteth nothing and cannot give life but the true Christ is a Spirit and spirituall and discerned in the Spirit that is to say only the family of love knoweth by the Spirit abstracted from Scripture and from all flesh and letter the true God manifested in the flesh of every Saint and crucified in beleevers and disclaimeth the
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
the Lord by the word Spiriteth and of new Natureth us over againe into new spirituall children like our brother the fairest among the Sonnes of men holy heavenly spirituall meeke lowly like Christ though because of in-dwelling sin in all all the new Creatures come farre short of the first coppy And when we are thus changed and made spirituall the Gospel is acted on us so are we spiritualized into Christ and made one with him by faith and planted into the similitude of Christ Rom. 6. now the letters and characters or sounds of the written and preached Gospel are transient things but the Gospel and new Covenant in the glorious promises spirituall priviledges contained therin stand stil as the everlasting rule according to which we are daily more and more conformed till we become one spirit with the Lord. And because the continuation of the lif hid up with God in Christ is a protracted thread of continuall dependence by renued acts of faith of patience and comforts through the Scriptures of growing in faith the word must give a daily new objective life to our faâ—th and the renued acts thereof for faith is our victory 1 Joh. 5. and we overcome by the word Rev. 12.11 if Antinomians can give us a time when we shall be secured from the fiery-darts of Sathan on this side of heaven we yeeld that the sheild of the word is to be layed aside but that we know not see Ephe. 6.15 16 17. 1 John 2.14 1 Pet. 5 8 9. Were we indeed made perfect intire without spot or wrinckle of indwelling sin in this life and such as wee can sin no more as Antinomians vainly boast of themselves as Towne Eaton Salmtarsh Den and Crispe will hereafter teach us I could yeeld there were some more colour or hew of reason to say that we are being justified invested in a state of all and pure spirit beyond the orbe and sphere of all necessitie of Ordinances and Scripture because pure spirits need no characters or letters of Scripture seals or other ordinances no more then learned Doctors need the Horn-book to use the vaine comparison of John Waldesso But we must go in over the threshold of heaven holding the booke of the Old and New Testament in our hand growing in knowledge till we be perfected with him who dwells in light inaccessable and so there is not any thing signified and holden forth to us in the scripture nor promised or prophecied in the Covenant of grace Deut. 39. Ezech. 11. Jer. 31. Ezech. 36. Heb. 8. but the coppy extract or the double thereof is written ingraven and created in the souls of the elect in which sense the assumption of this syllogisme Whosoever beleeveth shall be saved But I John Marie beleeve ergo Is in Scripture and the same spirit of faith and the beleeving spoken of by Esaiah Ieremiah Ezechiel c. The same circumcised and new heart that they prophecied of is in Iohn Mary and so the Spirit worketh the same new heart and the worke or act of beleeving in length breadth figure limbes parts to speake so that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament promise as a Painter draweth the portrait head face eyes cheeks mouth whol body in colours al by looking on a liveing man now how the man Iohn or Mary in a reflect knowledge can prove the same to his owne comfortable assurance and peace is another thing But here is no new discovery of God or of the Spirit which Saltmarsh calleth for Sparkles of glory pa. 194 195. for he complaineth that there hath beene no reformation further in this Assembly at Westminster nor any higher attainment in these things points of doctrine as to justification sanctfication faith c. the ministery word Sacraments which they call meanes of salvation then the Bishops made and the Synods in England formerly We grant all we know no new cut nor other new way of justification then the way David and Paul were justified Rom. 4.1 2 3 4 5 6. Psa. 32.1 and we glory that wee adde nothing to Articles of faith contained in the Scripture we only explicate them and vindicate these Articles from the false glosses of Popish Bishops and the same that Saltm objecteth to us might any object against the Canonicall Epistles of Iohn the Apostle and say This fellow tells us only of some outward things and outward Ordinances of Christ precepts of love to the brethren of doing righteousnesse and all these but written with paper and inke too we see no higher attainments then these that the Prophets Christ and Paul and Iames and Peter told us he tells us nothing of any purer or more glorious discoveries of God or the Spirit or Iesus Christ or our union with the Spirit or glory as to spirituall things and Christ risen but as to Christ in the flesh or under the Law of which these Ordinances were a signe we grant ' wee can reveale nothing but old truths and we cannot give to Saltmarsh any other new cut or fragment of truth but what the Scriptures held forth 2. Wee can but hold forth outward things that is truths of ancient faith spoken by sinfull men and printed in paper and these of Christ both dead risen and ascended to heaven and wee confesse we can but baptise with water and can but build plant water and are but underworkmen and instruments of words formes sounds printed books and the Prophets and Apostles received these and no other thing from the Lord but our Master can doe more he can and doth by our weake labours and the foolishnesse of preaching give the holy Spirit If Saltmarsh can give purer or more glorious discoveries of God of his Spirit Christ Jesus c. let him take H Nicholas and Da. George to helpe him let us heare them produce your reasons c. for we ever urge this these new discoveries of God or the Spirit are either revealed in the word or not revealed if in the word then are they but outward Ordinances such as former Synods have discovered and so according to Saltmarsh to be rejected if they be not revealed in the word they must be additions to the word and so unlawfull Rev. 22.18 Deut. 12.32 Prov. 30.6 2. The Spirit that comes with new positive doctrines without the word must prove it selfe to bee from God by signes and miracles as Christ and his Apostles did 3. Isaiah Malachy prophesied of John Baptist though hee did no miracles Let us see the like warrant for these new discoveries 4. This Spirit must be tryed by the word as Christ was willing to make the Scripture judge whether he was the Messiah or no Joh. 5.39 Paul out of Moses and the Prophets proved that Maries sonne must be the only Saviour so did the rest of the Apostles 5. Wee are commanded to judge them cursed impostors and not to receive them in our house or bid them God speed who bring any new discoveries of God
as may touch our lives and liberties which are two of the chiefest jewells that God hath given to mankinde in this world and also for that we have few friends or any other meanes then this to acquaint your highnesse with the truth and state of our cause whereof we thinke your Majesty is altogether ignorant but have very many enemies whom we do greatly suspect will not be slacke to prosecute their false and malitious purpose against us unto your highnesse even like as they have accustomed to doe in times past unto our late sovereigne Queene through which prevailing in their slanderous defacing of us and our cause divers of us for want of friends to make it rightly known unto her Majesty have sundry times been constrained to endure their injurious dealing toward us to our great vexation and hindrance Wherefore most gracious Sovereigne this is now our humble suit unto your highnesse that when your Kingly affaires of importance which your Majesty hath now in hand shall be well overpast for the prosperous performance whereof we wil as duty bindeth us daily pray unto Almighty God that then your highnesse will be pleased because we have alwayes taken the same Authors worke aforesaid to proceed out of the great grace and love of God and Christs extended toward all Kings Princes Rulers and people upon the universall earth as he in many of his workes doth witnesse no lesse to their salvation unity peace and concord in the same godly love to grant us that favour at your Majesties fit and convenient time to peruse the bookes your selfe with an unpartiall eye conferring them with the holy Scriptures wherein it seemeth by the books that are set forth under your hignesses name that you have had great travell and are therefore the better able to judge between truth and falsehood And we will whensoever it shall please your Highnesse to appoint the time and to command and licence us thereunto doe our best endeavours to procure so many of the bookes as we can out of Germany where they be printed to be delivered unto your Majesty or such godly learned and indifferent men as it shall please your Majesty to appoint And we will also under your Highnesse lawfull licence and commandement in that behalfe doe our like endeavour to procure some of the learned men in that Country if there be any yet remaining alive that were well acquainted with the Author and his workes in his life time and which likewise have exercised his workes ever since to come over and attend upon your Majesty at your appointed time convenient who can much more sufficiently instruct and resolve your Highnesse in any unusuall words phrase or matter that may happily seem darke and douâ—tfull to your Majesty that any of us in this your land are able to doe And so upon such your Highnesse advised consultation and censure thereupon finding the same workes hereticall or seditious and not agreeable to Gods holy word and testimonies of all the Scriptures to leave them to take them as your Majesties Lawes shall therein appoint us having no intent nor meaning to contend or resist there-against however it be but dutifully to obey thereunto according to the counsell of Scriptures and also of the said Authors workes And our further humble suit unto your Highnesse is that of your gracious favour and clemency you will grant and give order unto your Majesties officers in that behalfe that all of us your faithfull loving subjects which are now in prison in any part of this your Realme for the same cause may be released upon such baile or bond as we are able to give and that neither we nor any of that company behaving our selves orderly and obediently under your Highnesse Lawes may be any further persecuted or troubled therein untill such time as your Majesty and such godly learned and indifferent men of your Clergy as your Highnesse shall appoint thereto shall have advisedly consulted and determined of the matter whereby that we may not be utterly wasted by the great charge of imprisonment and persecution and by the hard dealing of our adversaries for we are a people but few in number and yet most of us very poore in worldly wealth O Sacred Prince we humbly pray that the Almighty will move your Princely heart with true judgement to diâ—cerne between the right and wrong of our cause according to that most certaine and Christian rule set down by our Saviour Christ unto his Disciples Matth. 7.12 Yee shall know the tree by his fruits and in our obedience peaceable and honest lives and conversation to protect us and in our disobedience and misdemeanour to punish us as resisters of Gods ordinance of the Kingly authority and most high office of justice committed to your Majesty to that purpose toward your subjects Rom. 13. And gracious Sovereigne we humbly beseech your Highnesse with Princely regard in equity and favour to ponder and grant the humble suit contained in this most lowly supplication of your loyall true-hearted faithfull subjects and to remember that your Majesty in your booke of Princely grave and fatherly advice to the happy Prince your royall son doth conclude Principis est parcere subjectis debellare superbos and then no doubt God will blesse your Highnesse with all your noble off-spring with peace long life and all honours and happinesse long to continue over us for which we will ever pray with incessant prayers to the Almighty Most gracious Prince here followeth the briefe rehearsall and confession of the Christian beleefe and Religion of the company that are named the Family of love which for the causes therein specified was by them set out in Print about the time when they were first persecuted and imprisoned in this Realme for the same profession by their aforesaid adversaries and by meanes of their false accusations and complaints unto the Magistrates against them the which we have thought necessary to present here unto your Majesty for that you may thereby the better understand of our innocent intent and profession whatsoever you shall heare reported to the contrary by our enemies or by any that be ignorant thereof Humbly beseeching your Highnesse to vouchsafe to read the same and with your unpartiall and godly wisdome to consider and judge of us and our cause in equity and favour accordingly till your Majesty shall have further true intelligence thereof Here followeth also the true copy of an Abjuration tendered to the Familists an 1580. octob 10. of Elizabeth by ten Lords of the Privy Councell Because there were divers Courteours and Nobles familists the Prelates that respected ever the persons of men would not publickly accuse them by name because they were eminent men as they are now and because also they were friends to Bishops and enemies to non-conformists then called Puritans The Abjuration WHosoever teacheth
ministerie and the Apostles are made different by Familists and Papists Sparkles of glory 71 7â— The different ministration of law Gospel and all Spâ—rit and that the lâ—fe to come is alrâ—â—dy in this lifâ—â—â—coâ—â—ing to 〈◊〉 way of â—amilisâ—s Familists say the day of judgement is in this life Saltmarsh Sparkles of glory Saltmarsh is for the ceaâ—ing of all ordinancâ—â— since the 〈…〉 now Apâ—stles â—â—se Separation from Rome lawfull There are no new lights nor doctrines more to be expected after the canon of holy Scripture is closed The place Mat. 28.19 â—0 proveth that a ministery there must be and a Church till Christs second comming what ever Seekers and Saltmarsh say on the contrary Saltmarsh taketh away all ministery and calling thereunto and maketh all Saints Preachers without industry and study in his third orb or circle of ministration Mr. Saltmarsh indifferent in all externall worship H.N. Spirit land c. 34. Sect. 8 9 c. 37. Sect 9 c. 8 4. One man of God â—orâ—eth not ovâ—â—â—nother that were slavery Of the discerning of the Spirits that Familists have certain knowledge they 〈…〉 know one anothâ—r Familâ—sts are against all wars The first second Adam men only in figures not truly and realy by the way of Saltmarsh Praying is to Familists a part of Legall bondage Saltmarsh holdeth that neither written law nor Gospel is any obliging Rule to the creature Calvin Inst. advers Libert c. 13. c. 14. c. 15. p 445 446 447 448. We are Christ and made very Christ God manifested in the flesh by the Familists way Sparkles of glory 256 57 Familists fancy a day oâ— iudgement in this life in which we cast of all our former ministrations and enter into a new ministration of all Spirit and glory Of the Lords Prayer Saltmarsh and Familists are against the Lords day Familists are against the written Scripture Sparkles 269. The minde of Saltmarsh and his Familists concerning ordinances such as scripture praying preaching sacraments c. What is meant by leâ—ter and Spirit in the Gospel Saltmarsh and Familists call it Idolatry to seâ—ve God in ordinances the contrary is proven Ordinances are not bare shadowes and Figures Naturall men do not stumble at the letter of the Gospel but at the thing signified thereby Sparkles of Glory p. 274. Sermon on Wisdom iustified of her children p. 204 Of assurance joy and sorrow in our acts as suitable or not suitable to the rule of the law or word of God The mind of Saltmarsh concerning high Familisme and other administrations that to him are lower and touching the law repentance duties Synods Church government Episcopacy Presbytery Saltmarsh denyeth that Jesus Christ is come into thâ— flesh Christ really crucified and dyed and not in a figure as with his Familists saith Saltmarsh H.N. 1. Exh. c. 16. The Elders of love are godded with God incorporated to God in all love with whom God in one being and power of his holy Spirit is homified or become man and this is their God incarnate H. N. Evang. Saltmarsh with H. Nicholas teacheth that every creature is God or a substantiall part of God See Saltm Sparkles p. 19 200 201 20 A Letter Printed by Authority under the name of Oliver Crumwel opened and found to câ—ntain many secrets of 〈…〉 Saltmarsh writeth that God manifested in the flesh is nothing but God by his Spirit discovâ—ring new lights of Familisme and other damnable heresies What Uniformity 〈…〉 in thiâ— Coâ—â—â—nant Uâ—â—formiâ—y examined pa. 10. No rule for Uniformity of doctrine worship Government in the word Familists make the fancy of a spirit without the word the only rule The sword a meanes of defending souls from being perverted from the truth but no means at all by our doctrine to or for the conversion of men to the truth or propagating of the Gospel That we must in outward things please one another in love as if all outward acts of Idolaâ—ry murther perjury were indifferent is taught by Familists Saltmar Beacon and others The place Gal. 6.15 neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avaleth c. cleared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Familists will it lawfull for no man to come out of Prelacy Popery or any unlawfull way till the spirit effectually draw them How Saltmar is against Duties Saltmarsh is for any Church government of mens devising Saltmarsh and Familists â—each that there is salvation in all Religions Every mans owne conscience and owne spirit is his only Bible and obliging rule in all Religions to Mr. Saltm and Familists A twofold infallibity Saltmarsh with Familists denyeth the personall union of the two natures in Christ God-man What a new union between Christ God and man devills and Angels Saltmarsh hath devised A twofold certainty one Propheticall another of faith the former was peculiar to the pen-men of Scripture the other to all beleevers What infallibility agreeth to the Saints and the Church Catholick and invisible How Familists define heresies The Schisme that Familists acknowledge Saltmarsh will have as many publick preachers as are in covenant with God Salmarsh maketh Christ comming in judgement to have beene these 1647 years as H. Nicholas did before him and Hymeneus and Phyletus said the resurrection was past H. N. evangel ch 34 and ch 35 ser. 8. Sâ—ltmarsh proves by perverted Scriptures that there is no baptizing with water Christ crucified is nothing but the Saints Godded Christed with grace and with all the Sâ—â— suffering patiently as Familists say All externalls Idolls and wil-worship to Saltmarsh are indifferent The story of Adam and his fall but a figure to M. Saltmarsh The doctrine of John Baptist is gone and away if we beleeve Saltmarsh Saltmarsh with Socinians and Papists will have the love of our enemies not commanded under the Old Testament Sparkles p. 64.65 Revel 21. Saltmarsh dreames of a Church on earth that shall not need Ordinances The place Gal 4.1 of the Heir under the law corrupted to grosse Familisme by Salâ—marsâ— Spark p. 70.71 The place 2 Cor 3.1 2 3. wheâ—e the Apostle calleth the Corinthians carnall perverted by Saltmarsh We have free liberty to all externall worship to take or leave do or leave undone at will as Saltmarsh saith Heb 12. How Saltmarsh would have the spirits tryed Christs Disciples not under a stinted liturgie in the dayes of our Saviours conversing with them on earth as Saltm sayes at which time they were the anointed of God as well as afterward Saltmarsh esteemes our Reformers Calvin Luther men that had little of the spirit much of the letter and legall straine Saltmar 13 4 135. Saltmarsh mocketh the Scriptuâ—e in exponing Peters sword and the laying of it aside to be a type of glorifying his Disciples with the glory that Christ had with the father before the World was The place Exo. 33 is corrupted by M. Saltm Heb. 13.7.17 1 Tim 5.17 1 Tim. 3.1 2 3.4 v. 12. 1 Tim. 5.19 Rev. 1.16 Rev. 2.1 Of the knowledge of such as are under actuall vision in
as infallible as the Scripture which I expresly deny and lay the rationem credendi all the weight burden and warrant of the obligation of conscience that the decrees or constitutions of an Assembly can lay on not on the fallible and weake authority of the Church or men but on the matter of the decrees because or in so farre as it is the necessary matter of the word or agreeable to the word of God Now may not the Reader consider this logicke The Gospell that M. Burton preacheth obligeth all his flocke absent or presenct for their presence maketh it not to bee Gospell and that not because of the authority of M. Burton who is but a sinfull man but because the Gospell he preacheth is necessary truth and agreeable to the Scriptures ergo whatsoever M. Burton preacheth is no lesse infallible then the decisions of the Apostles The Antecedent is most true and more I doe not say but the consequence is most blasphemous and false yet are all the lawfull Pastors in Britaine to preach the sound word of God after the example of the Prophets the Apostles ergo whatever all the faithfull Pastors in Britaine preach is as infallible as the decisions of the Apostles the Antecedent I can owne as a truth of God but the consequence is M. Burtons 2. He addes to my words and saith M. Rutherfurd tells us whatsoever is by these Commissioners determined and concluded is matter necessary and agreeable to the word of God This I say not I never thought whatsoever they say is matter necessary find these words under my hand and I will crave M. Burton and all the Church of England pardon But I know Generall Assemblies can reele and erre Every man is a lyar I never say whatsoever is concluded by them is necessary I say what is determined by them is de jure that is ought to be agreeable to Gods word for I shew that Generall Assemblies have their warrant from Act. 15. and my meaning and words are clear These are M. Burtons words not mine What is determined by them binds not as or because it s from men but as agreeable to the word of God M. Burton expones my is as hee pleaseth best and hath need to crave God pardon for that hee rashly and ignorantly I say no more fathers untruths on his innocent brother who writeth and speaketh honourably and respectively of him for let logicke of conscience be judge if this be a good consequence What a Generall Assembly determines bindeth no farther but as it is necessary and as it is agreeable to the word ergo Whatsoever a Generall Assembly determines is necessary and is agreeable to the word of God it followeth in no sort at all yea the â—uâ—t contrary followeth ergo if it be not necessary and in so farre as it is not agreeable to the word it obligeth-neither these that are present nor absent and is not infallible at all 4. I may say without any just ground of offending either M. Burton or any of his way that write against Synods that had they rightly understood the state of the question between Pâ—otestants and Papists they would not have so inconsiderately clashed with the word of God and all the Reformed Churches in Christendome for we deny 1. All absolute unlimited and infallible authority to Synods Papists presse that Councells cannot erre and in so doing they make them Lords and Masters of the conscience of the people of God and Independents and others charging this upon us cannot before the barre of the alone King and head of the Church beare out their charge and the like unlimited and boundlesse power of Civill and politick ratifying and passing in penall lawes what the Church or Synods determine we deny to any Magistrate on earth M. Burton 9 10 11 12. will not and cannot make good his bitter virulent and unchristian challenge he layes on his innocent brethren who may and I hope doe in humility and confidence claime a Saintship and interest in the Lord Jesus as well as he That they with Diotrephes exalt mans power above all that is called God are Antichrists Apostates from the truth doe carry on the mystery of iniquity this he also must answer for as a slander laid on all our Reformers Calvin Luther Beza yea on Reynold Whittaker Perkins c. all the Protestant Churches all the hoast of Protestant Divines But 2. All the power and authority of Synods we conceive to be ministeriall not Lordly limited regulated by the onely word of God in the scripture and in matters circumstantiall of order and decency as time place persons observe I say not in mysticall Religions Ceremonies called but unjustly indifferent or the like by the law of nature rules of pietie charity and Christian prudency for the edification of our brethren and the glory of God and a lawfull Synod wee judge hath power ministeriall from Christ to passe constitutions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decrees Acts 16.4 Lawes I doe not call them because Christ is the onely Law-giver King and head of his Church his Officers are onely servants and Heralds to hold forth his Lawes and these constitutions condemning Arminianisme Socinianisme Familisme Antinomianisme c. as sometimes Mr. Burton being but one single Pastor by word and writ condemned them and that in the name and authority of Christ as hee then said and commanding in the Lord that they consent to the forme of sound doctrine rebuking all that subvert soules and trouble the Churches Acts 15.23 24. are to be obeyed and the conscience submitted to them not absolutely not for the sole will and meere authority of the Heralds as if they were infallible not with blind obedience not without reclamation or appeale if they be either contrary or beside the scriptures but conditionally in so farre as they are agreeable to the Word of God even as the single Independant Congregation is to be heard in things lawfull under paine of excommunication as our brethren say from Matth. 18. and yet Matth. 18. sets not up Antichrist and caries not on the Mystery of iniquity And wee teach that the Magistrate as the Minister of God after due examination according to the word is obleiged to adde his civill sanction to these constitutions and to guard the Ministers with his Sword and to punish Arminians Socinians Familists c. as Mr. Burton cryed against them of old and appealed to the supreame Magistrate the Kings Majesty against them though wee judge the Magistrates sword in all this keepes such a distance from the conscience that this is so farre from being a State Government of the Church that these constitutions have no power at all over the conscience from the sword and are alike binding and were Acts 15. Though the Magistrate were not on earth and though hee should oppose them as hee did then And we thinke Arminians Socinians and Familists who deny all power of Synods lesse or more except onely Sir if
be divers in the Honourable Houses many in the Church and Kingdome who abhorre from their soules the wayes of heresie superstition schisme Popery prophanenesse treachery wicked policie which never did so much prevaile in this land as since we did sweare to endeavour the extirpation of all these and that though this Covenant were buried it must rise from the dead againe and that the Lord must make his Jerusalem in Britaine a cup of trembling a burdensome stone a hearth of fire among the wood a torch of fire in a sheafe against all her enemies both Babylon without and Edom within that no weapon formed against them shall prosper that every tongue that rise against them in judgement shall be condemned and that the Lord shall cleare the â—udgements of his chosen onâ—s that they shall not finally be seduced and shall bring the blinde by a way that they know not and returne to a people of a poore language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord and serve him with one shoulder and the Lord may be one and his name one and his going forth in the three Kingdomees may be as the morning O that the Lord who hath founded Zion and hath chosen Jerusalem would doe this in his time S. R. Contents of the first Treatise ANtinomians in the Apostles time and have their discent from the old Katharoi called Puritans who taught that regenerate men could not sin Chap. II. Of Libertines The Libertines who sprang up an 1525. of kin to the Familists and Antinomians page 2 Finer Antinomians deny the Incarnation of the Son of God ib. Copinus Quintus Antonius Pocquius the first Libertines under that name 2.3 Pocquius a Priest affected obscurity and objected ignorance to Calvin ib. Libertines and Antinomians in many things like other 3. ib. Quintinus the Libertine and Antinomians slight the Scripture 4 Libertines say Angels are but motions of the minde ib. Libertines make God the author of sin Antinomians conspire with them 4.5 Antinomians and Libertines have the same conceptions touching mortification and the conscience of beleevers 5 Chap. III. Of Anabaptists N. Stork Th. Muncer Jo. Beâ—old c. and their Tenets 6.7.8 c. Hen. Pfeiffer and Muncer their seditious spirits and miserable end 7 Above an hundred thousand killed in Germany by the Antinomian spirits impulsion which wanteth the light of Scripture ib. Tho. Schuker beheaded his owne brother-germane by the impulsion of the Spirit 8 The Spirit bloody attempts and miserable end of Becold or John of Leiden ib. His poligamy and fifteen wives ib. His twenty eight Apostles above the number of Christs 8.9 His bloody spirit 9 The tenets of Anabaptists 9.10 Divers kinds of them which hold all of them something common with Antinomians 9.10.11 M. Beacon saith all externall worship is indifferent 10 Antinomians and the Anabaptists called liberi fratres teach freedome from the Law Covenants vowes paying of tythes from sinning 11.12 Melchior Hoffman Menno Simonz 12 Chap. IV. Of David George 13.14 Antinomians comply with David George ibid. Chap. V. Of Casper Swenckfeld his Tenets complying with Antinomians 15.16 His rise life errors ibid. Swenckfiâ—ld his many bookes his ignorance he was admonished and confuâ—ed by famous Divines 16 His foule tenets touching Christ. 17.18 Christ in glory remaineth man contrary to Swenckfield ibid. That the Scripture is the word of God is demonstrated against Swenckfieldians and Antinomians 19.20 The arguments of Swenckfield against the word of God which are also the Arguments of Antinomians answered 20.21 c. The internall and externall world differenced 21.22.23 Swenckfield and Antinomians reject the Scripture and outward word and make the Spirit all 22 23 24 Chap. VI. How the word converteth 25 26 c. Certaine necessary considerations how the Spirit and the word act together 25 26 How the acting with the Spirit is mediate ibid. How immediate ibid. The externall word concurreth instrumentally with the Spirit 25 26 27 The word not a dead letter 27 28 Swenckfield and the Antinomians destroy the word and Ministery the absurdities that follows their doctrine 29 30 31 Of the internall and substantiall and the externall vocall word ib. Swenckfield and M. Del acknowledge no word but the internall and substantiall word and make Scripture and all externalls indifferent 30 31 32.33 34 35 Its no consequent the word without the Spirit is not effectuall to convert ergo it is no instrument of conversion 34 35 The word of it selfe a common sound 34 The Arguments of Swenckfield and Antinomians to prove that the word is an instrument of conversion because carnall vocall â—odily literall discussed 36 How we beleeve in God and in his word 36 37 Of the union of the word and Spirit 37 38 Waldesso and Antinomians make the Scripture an horne-book for babes only and uselesse to beleevers 38 Chap. VII Of revelations and inspirations 38 39 40 Of revelations active and passive 39 Foure kindes of revelations to wit Propheticall 2. Speciall to the elect 3. Extraordinary 4. Satanicall 39 40 41 42 Familists have no true revelations 40 Internall revelations proper to beleevers 40 41 How particular revelations are not in Scripture 41 Of the Prophesies of Knox Luther Wicliffe Hush and their revelations and how they are differenced from the Satanicall revelations of Anabaptists and Familists 42 43 44 45 Chap. VIII Of humane industry Arts Sciences Tongues and whether they be lawfull to the opening and supernaturall knowledge of the Scripture 45 46 Indevours of freewill consist well with grace 45 How far Sciences and Tongues are to be acknowledged as the good gifts of God 47 Science and Tongues in their nature though not ever in the way and manner of acquiring them necessary for understanding of the Scriptures 47 48 Christ and his Apostles learned though their learning was not acquired by humane industry in Schools and Vniversities 48 49 50 51 How the inward teaching or teaching of the Spirit excludes not the outward 52 Frivolous objections of Sam. How against Arts and Tongues answered 52 53 54 The teaching of the Spirit excludeth not Arts and Tongues 55 Chap. IX Of Henry Nicholas his birth writings 55 Calling 56 His wicked doctrine 56 57 58 M. Del and Hen. Nicholas comply in the same doctrine 57 58 Mr. Del inclines to deny Christ God incarnate 58 What God manifested in the flesh is to Familists 58 59 H. Nicholas with M. Del and M. Beacon reject all ordinances and repute all externall worship and confessing of Christ before men all controversies in Religion indifferent 60 61 62. Which was refuted by Calvin 62. Reasons against this 62 63 64. Christ is true man not a holy disposition as H. Nicholas blasphemously taught 65 66 Scripture is not to be exponed allegorically as H. Nicholas dreameth 67 68 Chap. X. of Joan. Islebius or Joannes Agricola the first Father of the Antinomians under that name 68 His calling his soundnesse his falling away 68 69 His
in scripture and matters of faith 123 124 Though we be regnerate yet we need scripture-teaching 124 The written scripture not given to the flesh 124 125 Chap LXV The Gospel is a rare Covenant in al things 127 128 Chap. LXVI Antinomians errours touching the Covenant of grace 128 129. In the conditions thereof ibid. The time of it 129 130. And in the parties 130 131 Chap. LXVII Of legall and Gospell-conversion 131 How meere commands worke no change 132 133 Naturall men cannot propose a supernaturall end 134 Obedience at set houres not legall 135 136 Whether Covenants Vowes Promises be legall 136 137. What other things are legall 138 139 Chap. LXIX The dead and bastard faith of Antino 140 141 Faith and nothing commanded but only faith in the Gospell how true 140 141 Of Antinomian faith 143 144 Reason for immediate beleeving without all preparations 143 144 145. Taken off Who immediatly invited 144 145 146 Chap. LXX Faith not the onely worke of the Gospel as Antinomians say 148 149 Doing subordinate to sweet Gospell-attractions 149 The way to heaven not so short as Antinomians dreame 149 150 Chap. LXXI The justified obey not God by necessity of nature as the fire burneth 151 152 Chap. LXXII Glorifying of God in sanctification needfull 153 Of our active and passive glorifying of him 153 154 Chap. LXXIII Sanctification concurres as well as justification to make Saints 155 156 Chap. LXXIV The harmonious compliance of old Libertines Familists and Antinomians 157 158. In seventeene paralels to chap. LXXXVI p. 221 Antinomians with Libertines refute all personall mortification 158 159 Chap. LXXV Libertines Familists and Antinomians free us from all law 161 Chap. LXXVI Libertines and Antinomians deny all scripture 163 164. H. Nicholas maketh two words of God 164 165 Antinomians turne Perfectists with Libertines 166 167 The Fathers of old saved as we 167 Chap. LXXVII Antinomians and Libertines foule opinions touching God and the authour of sin 169 170 171 Chap. LXXVIII Libertines and Antinomians take away all sense or remorse of conscience for sin 172 173 Chap. LXXIX Libertines and Antinomians paralel beleevers with Christ incarnate 173 174 Chap. LXXX To follow sense and naturall inclination as a law is our rule say Libertines and Antinomians 174 175 Antinomians sin according to their owne lying sense and declaratively not truely not really and in the Court of God 175 176 Chap. LXXXI Antinomians plead for liberty to popery and to all Religions 177 178 Chap. LXXXII Libertines and Antinomians doubt of the resurrection and of the life to come 178 179. H. Nicholas and New England Familists teach the same 179 180 181 Chap. LXXXIII Familists Libertines Anabaptists go before Antinomians in denying all externall worship and obedience 181 182 183 Chap. LXXXIV M. Del Saltmarsh and Familists deny all outward Reformation scripture seales and ordinances 187 188 Del denies any worke of the spirit or conversion to God in the Old Testament with Socinians· 188 189. Del a Familist 180 181. Del a Libertine 193 194. He denies all lawes 195. Del a disciple of Muncer an Anabaptist 196 197. How ecclesiasticall reformation is spirituall 198 199 Del a Libertine in removing all the working of second causes 199 200 Dels arguments for onely internall reformation against all the Ministery and Ordinances of the Gospell as Swenckfeldians taught 201 202 Beleevers as spirituall as Angels saith Del What need then of preaching to them 204 205. Outward Reforming no more our duty then to redeeme the World 206 207 Del maketh Gods absolute decrees to destroy all the working of second causes 208 209. Del and Familists deny the scripture and contend for an internall enthysiasticall word 210 211 212 213 The middle way between Papists and Enthysiasts 216 217 218 Chap. LXXXV Libertines and Antinomians come neare to other in making God the author of sin 219 220 Chap. LXXXVI Libertines and Antinomians would have us doe nothing â—ecaâ—se God doth all things 221 Chap LXXXâ—II Antinomians refuted in saying that we make the actings of the Spiâ—it like to the acts of morall Philosophy and the differences between these two 222 223 224 225 Chap. LXXXâ—III That wee are tâ—uly righteous in the sight of God and yet sinners in our seâ—ves proved against Antinomians 225 226 227 228 Chap LXXXIX Antinomians are ignorant of faith to dreame that its faith to beleeve against sense that our sins are no sins 230 231 Chap. XC Antinomians free all converted or non-converted from obligation of obedience 233.234 Chap. XCI How and for whom Christ intercedeth for in heaven 234.235 Chap. XCII Antinomians contend for the faith of assurance and reject the faith of dependence 235 236 Chap. XCIII Antinomians deny the Law to be an instrument at all of our sanctification 236 237 Del with Libertines maketh the word and the Spirit all one 238 239 Errata Pag. 14. line penult for the r. that p. 15. l. 18. d p. 17. l. 5. till he made r. till he be made p. 21. l 17. r. from p. 44. l. ult for 4. r. 5. p. 50. l. 14. for and r. an p. 53. l. 37. for they r. there p 64. l. 3. d. in p. 99. l. 7. r. simply p. 101. l. 33. for none r. now p. 123 l. 4. r. claram p. 135. l. 32. r reatu p. 162. l. 25. a castro p. 194. l. 18. but. r. both p. 223. l. 25. for not be r. not to be p. 235. l. 11 forme to Scriptures and ordinances then r forme to Scriptures and ordinances Then p. 254. l. 5 for is r. as at Troas p. 268. in marg will it r. will have it p. 275. l. 3 r. yeelded 290. in mar r. 1 Cor. p. 307. l. 34. r. contrariety p. 316. l. 33 r. because Errata in the II. Part. Pag. 3. l. 12. who ever will have Christ. r. who ever will have Christ and pay not a penny p. 17. l. 18. r. makes p. 65. for Chap. XLVI r. Chap. XLIX p. 65. l. ult r. calleth p. 72. l. 17. r. giveth p. 83. l. 9. for hath r. have p. 96. l. 5. d. and. p. 159. l. 27. for glorification p. 80. l. 28. d. â—hen r. gloriation p. 199 l. 21. d. is 209. l. ult for them r. him p. 223. l. 15. r. in spicitis 236. l. 16. without was r. was without THE DISCENT OF ANTINOMIANS and FAMILISTS PART I. CHAP. I. The Originall of Antinomians and of other unclean Sects who have taught the same things not unlike to their blasphemies THOUGH out of doubt Antinomians have given signification of the first dawning of that Heresie in Paul the Apostles time Shall wee continue in sin that grace may abound Rom. 6.1 and Is the Law sin God forbid Rom. 7.7 and James his arguing against the dead faith voyd of good works Jam. 2. intimateth they were peeping up in his dayes and John hinteth at some denying signes of Justification Yet their Originall seems to be from the old Katharoi called Puritans who rose
were in the matter of Oathes Magistracy Pedobaptisme confuted by Hallerus and by Kolvius at Bern and forced to say The Spirit taught them otherwise then the Letter of the Scripture spake And also at Zosing in Argovia An. 1532. Conradus Grebelius with his labouring to seduce many were confuted and cast out of Sengall Thomas Schuker the Disciple of Melchior Rinkius beheaded with a sword his brother Leonard by the impulsion of the Spirit at Sengal but it was not the Holy Ghost who leadeth us in Scripture truth saying in that The will of God was done and it was finished this made a Spirit without Scripture hatefull to many having made much adoe with their Scriptures Spirit at Strâ—asbrough Wormes Ausbourg Vlmes and being driven out of Helvetia and High-Germany they carried their plague to Morâ—via and adjoyned to themselves seditious men in Bohemia Poland Hungaria Austria and Silesia Balthasar Hubmeier for tumults in Moravia was burnt at Vienna Hence in West-phalia Frizland Holland and especially at Munster arose new Revelations In comes An. 1533. John Becold out of his own element of a Tailor amongst the Prophets with the Prophet Baker John Matthiz and some of Munster Roâ—mannus a faint and fained confuter of Anabaptists turnes to them and with him Herman Strepeda Hen. Rullius and Godfrey Stralen strengthen them they were confuted in a publick dispute and ordained to depart the City of Munster and did depart but they partly steal in again in the night partly hide themselves and make themselves masters of the city one Warendrop a Godsmith prophesies that John of Leiden must be King of the whole earth and King of Jerusalem that all Princes must obey him Becold appoints Bernard Knippeâ—dolling and Kippenbrugh Consulls the Christian Magistrates are deposed John Matthiz after a revelation from heaven commands all books to be burnt except the Bible all Gold and Silver to be brought and laid downe at his feet that all might be common Truteling a Smith called them dirty Prophets therefore Matthiz shot him dead and Matthiz himselfe not long after was cut off by the enemy Righteous is the Lord. Becold after three dayes lying in a fancied transe commands Polygamy in obedience to his own Vision marries three wives then other three til he came to fifteen Becold according to the prophesie of a Tailor is made a most Gorgeous King and sent out twenty eight Apostles to shew his Kingdome was above Christ he would have this number twice twelve Apostles and four Angels as Evangelists sent to the foure corners of the earth to Preach Tailor Becold King of Kings all of them were killed some say one only returned to give an account of spreading the spirit of Anabaptisme Becold appointing a great Lords Supper the King Tayler came in to see the Guestâ—s and findes a man and reading on his face the want of a wedding garment others say he saw him to be a Iudas killeth the innocent man presently After he had prophecied the Towne of Munster now beseiged should be supplied and killed one of his wives who said his prophecies came not to passe he and Knipperdoling were deservedly after Torturing Killed and hanged in an iron cage in the Cathedrall pinâ—cle The Tenents of Anabaptists in which they side with Antinomians are these more of this see in the writers cited The Reformation of Luther and others was Legall Literall carnall not Spirituall So Del. The Father Son and Spirit are not three distinct persons and in essence and nature one God so Familists deny Christ to be God and make every Saint equall with Christ. 3 The Lord Iesus did not really and truely but in imagination take our nature Antinomians say a beleever is God incarnate Godded and Christed Theol. Ger. c 22. Rise reig er 11. 4 The doctrine of Christ before his suffering is not so much to be observed as after his death for Peter resisted ill Saltm saith Shadowes flying away pag. 7 8 9. Christ and Iohn Baptist preached legally and spake not fully of free grace 5 Christ hath removed the Law and all its obleiging power and now the pure Gospell and Command of faith is our onely rule so Antinom 6 Christ reformed the ten commandes and brought in a more perfect rule Antinomians say they have nothing to doe with Moses and the Law The Law is now in the Spirit saith Saltmash free grace 146. Del. ser. p. 19.26 7 In the old Testament oaths were permitted perjury only forbidden all oathes are forbidden in the new the Sabbath was kept then not now so our Antinomians and Familists of new E. 8 They deny that the soules of the Godly or wicked goe to heaven or Hell till the day of Iudgement and deny the resurrection of the same body that was buried or that flesh and bloud â—shall rise againe contrary to Scripture Iob 19.26 27 28. Esay 26.19 Ezek. 37 11.12 Daniel 12.2.13 Phil. 3.19 20. 1 Cor. 15. 53. Ioh. 20.27 So say Antinomians life eternall is in this life the resurrection is past that the soule is mortall 9 The visible Church consisteth of those that are perfect and onely of those so Antinomians 10 None can with a good conscience exercise the office of a Magistrate under the New Testament Familists say its against Christian liberty 11 Vniversities Schooles humane arts ought not to be Saltmarsh they are legall and litterall 12 That its unlawfull to goe to law and that warres are unlawfull See Del. serm 6 7 8. 13 These Anabaptists called Libertines deny all Scripture as a dead Letter all preaching Sacraments church assemblies singing of Psalmes praying all ordinances and say the Spirit the inward anoynting and the internall word that proceeds immediately out of the mouth of God as Gideons sword is the onely meanes of Gospell-reformation so Antinomians reject all Ordinances as legall and say the spirit is all and some as Del. serm Beacon Catechism tit say the joyfull knowledge of God and man and all things else that relate to either is alone in the Spirit by Iesus Christ he counts all ordinances and externall duties and worship triviall and indifferent O therefore preface if distempered Christian Nations he excepteth not Papists Arminians Socinians c. were once wise to forbeare this clashing and dashing themselves in pieces one against another for matters externall triviall and circumstantiall in religion and would content themselves with that which is alone saving c. To the Antinomian Beacon Idolatry Angell-worship preaching praying scriptures duties of the Law precepts of the Gospell of nature of grace opinions c. all controversies in Religion these in which the distempered nations now contravert yea Church-government sacraments ministers are matters externall triviall and circumstantiall in religion not things in which salvation consisteth not to be contended for on either side 14 The second rancke of Anabaptists called concionatores preachers denyed all the Old Testament
David Antinomians call much for freedome of all kindes 8 Shame is no consequent of sin faith banisheth away all shame from bodily nakednes Antinomians abandon feare trouble of minde and the like affections for evils either of sin or punishment death or any thing else they are much for abandoning sense and for the absolute reign of faith 9 Heaven and Hell and the last Iudgement are no where but within a man in a spirituall manner Heaven is in this life Antinomians as Town and Saltmarsh hold that in this life we have as much of Heaven in full and compleat possession as the glorified in Heaven 10 Confesion of Christ and his truth is not necessary 11 Vnder David George is the time of perfection when all Ordinances shall be uselesâ— so Ant. ut supra 12 David George is Iudge of quick and dead 13 Jt is the sin against the Holy Ghost to refuse the spirit in David George his ministery and to goe backe to the Prophets and Apostles Antinomians extoll their spirit above the scriptures 14 The resurrection of the dead the blowing of the last Trumpet the shout of the Arch-angell the comming of Christ to Iudg all are to be taken in a spirituall sense of the doctrine and discipline of David George as Hyminaeus and Phyletus said see hereafter the Paralell between Antinomians and Libertines so said Libertines Calvin advers libert c. 22. p. 458. 15 Marriage-covenant tyeth the parties no longer together then their temper and naturall dispositions agree 16 The Kingdome of God is the spirit of Jesus which shall shortly be under David George 17 David George shall rise from the dead which he did in that his body for his impostures found after his death was dragged out of his grave and his bookes burnt though he promised to his disciples to reveale wonders and to rise from the dead againe shortly 18 The body or flesh sinneth but not the soule 19 The Heaven was empty but he was sent to adopt children to God 20 All the prophecies of the old Testament were to be applyed to David George 21 Christ and his Apostles were but shadowes and types of David George This beast dyed of an Apoplexie an 1556 and left the seed of his heresies in low Germany and Transilvania CHAP. V. Of Casper Swenckfield his Tenets complying with Antinomians CAsper Swenckefield was borne about the yeare 1499 spread his errors in about an 1520 as he died in Sweden 1561. he was a Knight of Ossing in Silesia he was so grave civill fervent in prayer that it was said of him he wanted not a good heart but a solid head and wit he allured to his way Valentinus Krantwald a simple religious man and Ioan. Sigismundus werner pastors and professors of Lunenburgh Schlusserburgins catalo hereticorum l. 10. p. 27. saith that Luther and Melancthon gave him the name Sâ—enckfeldius from the noysome smell of his doctrine he was eloquent unlearned ignorant of the Latine tongue wrote all in Germans ignorant of arts once a hater of Romish Idolatry but seeing God honoured Luther being a proud man he sought a name pretended that he stumbled much at the bad conversation of the Churches turned from popery pretended the spirit and Enthysiasticall dreames as Antinomians and Familists doe he was a Sceptick and a Neutrall betweene papists and Lutherans through occasion of Anabaptists risen then he cryed downe a litterall carnall church framed by Luther as he said and called for a new and perfect Church as Antinomians doe Rise reigne er 79 80 81. In Silesia he seduced many with his eloquence and new speculations he calls for spirituallnesse and the spirit and the internall word that we must not depend on the externall word Iust as M. Del doth But yee may say Del. pag. 7. ser. calls for an outward change such as flownes from an inward change in his Gospell Reformation So did Swenâ—ckfeldius say the Scriptures must be read that the externall man may be instructed so said Saltmarsh Scriptures were given by divine inspiration and profitable but if I mistake not Antinomians neither law nor any letter of the word is needfull to their regenerate persons he adhered to somewhat of Anabaptists somewhat of Calvins way to somewhat of the papists he was banished out of Silesia by the prince of Lignice Fredricke wandring through Germanie came to Luther and revealed his phancies was sharply rebuked by hâ—m but to no purpose pertinacie cleaves to the plague of Heresie hee went through Sweden Nornburg Vlms Tubinga in private houses accuses the Pastors that no man was the better of their preaching extolls the spirit that does all At Argentorat hee infects a little Wolfangus Capito at Ulms he was confounded at a dispute by Martiâ—nus Frechus before the Senate At Augusta hee perverted many men and sillie women hee wrote many epistles to Men Women Virgins he writes an 1556. that in 18 yeares hee had writen above fiftie bookes He troubled Luther with his bookes which hee sent to him for an answer Luther said to the Messenger the Devill was the Author of them and the Lord rebuke thee o Sathan Sathan raised up Swenkfeldius to trouble the Church of Christ after Servetus was burnt at Geneva Bucerus Calvin Pet. Martyr Beza Musculus Freâ—bus Simon Grynaeus Dani. Tossanus admonished him but without any fruit In Saxonie Luther Melanthon Illyricus Nich. Gallus refutes him In Hasia Corvinus and Kymeus in Silesia Hyronimus Wittich Ioan Gigas Laurentius Harenraffe refute him A Synod at Norimburg an 1554. condemned the errors of Swencfeldius The confession of the divines of Mansfeild in 1555. condemns him and sayeth hee hath now 30. yeares vexed the Church His Errors and Heresies are shortly these 1. Christ as man is borne of the essence of God and grew till he obtained the full essence of the Godhead by birthright and was disposed to be our Saviour for it is said wee grow to the stature of God and are partakers of the divine nature Who is such a stranger in the writings of Familists and Antinomians who readeth not these blasphemies the Saints are Christed and Goded a beleever is Christ a beleever is partaker of the Godhead being a justified man is God manifested in the flesh now to be partaker of the divine Nature is to partake of graces and created goodnesse and anoynting of the Spirit otherwise the essence and nature of God in us should be subject to change sadnesse sorrow feare dispair unbeleefe sin c. 2. the flesh of Christ is not a creature nor created of the Father but conceived and borne by himself through the Holy Ghost and changed in the essence of God and glorified with the glory he had with the father before the world was 3 Though there be two natures in Christ yet now is the flâ—sh of Christ made equall in essence and glory with God 4 Christ is not once onely borne but often till he
regeneration is not said to worke with the word but a more common operation of God there is which begetteth literall knowledge or some higher illumination 2 the Spirit worketh with the word so as in one and the same act the Spirit opens the heart to heare and receave what is carryed along in the letter of the word and so the Spirit worketh mediately not immediately 6 How in the infusion of the new heart and of the habit of the grace of God in which we are meere patients and put forth no cooperation with God more then the dead doth to quicken it selfe Ephes. 2.1 2. and the withered ground to receave the raine I see not Esai 44.3 4. in regard that though the word goe before and the word may be preached in the meane time yet the act of infusion of the new heart is no morall action of God but as it were physicall and it is a reall action receaved by us by no subordinate literall action or morall apprehension of the minde or act of the will and therefore in this formall act of infusion what the word doth but by way of disposition or preparing I must professe my ignorance though it be most true that faith commeth by hearing and in the very mean time Act. 10.44 whilst Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fel on them which heard the word Then if conversion be taken in congregato vel concreto in the humbling selfe disparing of a sinner and all preparatory acts going before the infused life of Christ and in the first operations flowing from this infused life the word is an instrument of conversion but I cannot see how it is any active or morall instrument in the soules lying under the Lords act of infusion of the life of Christ except yee call it a passive instrument because it perswades not the soule to receeve the new life nor is the soule being a meere patient an apprehending knowing choosing or consenting faculty under this action of omnipotency while the Lord powres in a new heart It is true the word is thus farre the instrument that the Spirit worketh in us the same habit of new life and the same Spirit of grace and supplication that is promised in the word Esa. 44.3 4. Zach. 12.10 Ezeck 36.26 27. and the same Spirit that the Scripture saith Christ by his merits purchased Ioh. 1.16 17 18. Ioh. 12.32 Revel 1.5 Heb. 10.19 20 21 22. 1 Conclusion The word preached is that meane that instrumentally concurreth with the Spirit for begetting of faith Rom. 10.14.17 faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God and that he speaketh of the externall and not of the substantiall increated and internall word is cleare ver 14 15 16. he speaketh of such a word as a sent preacher carrieth 2. such glad tydings as messengers on the mountaines bring which is not the Spirit of faith to all that the messengers are sent to 3 It is such a word as he calleth ver 16. a report Now this is not an inward substantiall report or word because all that heareth the father to them the Spirit makes an inward report they come to Christ and beleeve the report Ioh. 6.45 But few or none beleeve this report ver 16. Who hath beleeved our report 1 Cor. 1.23 25. But we preach Christ crucified to the Iewes a stumbling blocke to the Greekes foolishnesse But unto them that are called both of Iewes and Greekes Christ the power of God and the wisdome of God then the word externally preached is instrumentally the power of Goâ— and that he speaketh of externall preaching not of the substantiall word or Spirit himselfe is cleare 1 Because the Spirit internally preached is received as the power of God Esay 59 19 20. And a God teaching Spirit but this word of it selfe is not such a Spirit 1 Because the Apostles preach it Men such as the Apostles were doe speake or preach of Christ and of the Spirit but they cannot preach or effectually inpreach to speake so Christ and the Spirit to the hearers for then should they give the Holy Spirit to al those they preach to which both is against scripture and experience Act. 12. Act. 14. Act. 17. and is blasphemous for God onely giveth the Holy Ghost 2 Because the internall and substantiall word preached to the eares internally is effectuall conversion but this preached Christ must be externally preached onely to some to Iewes and Greekes who stumble at Christ and beleeve not 1 Pet. 2. And the same is proved by 2 Cor. 2.15 Wee are unto God preaching the Gospell v. 14 a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish to the one wee are the savour of death unto death to the other the savour of life unto life Now the internall substantiall word is to none a savour of death 1 Thes. 2.13 For this cause also thanke we God without ceasing because when yee received the word of God which yee heard of us yee received it noâ— as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that beleeve That is 1 The externall word which yee heard of us 2 It is the instrument of the Spirit Yee received it not as the word of men but as it is indeed the word of God 3 It s not the internall word for it was not received of all that heard it for ver 14 15 16. the Iewes that heard it received it not 2 Conclusion The word preached of it selfe is not a dead letter as Swenckfeldians say with Antinomians Paul calleth the Law a dead Letter Because it teacheth what we should doe but promiseth not the Spirit of Grace to obey as the Gospell doth And punit delinquentes punisheth eternally delinâ—uâ—â—ts saith Chrysost 2 Cor. 3. hom 7. and Oecumenius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylact saith the same Augustine saith the Law makes us know not eschew sinne and the Gospell is not a dead letter of it selfe even as the Letter of it is voyd of the Spirit except by accident in the same sense that it is the savour of death unto death and a rocke of offence to those that stumble at the word But is not may some say the law also by accident and through our sinfull condition a condemning letter aswell as the Gospell and so both because they are externall and literall must be a dead letter I answer not so because the Gospell in the letter and literall sense ofâ—ereth a way or meanes of reconciliation to thoâ—e that beleeve but the Law as the Law in no sense can either offer or give life but in regard that all have sinned the proper use of the Law to all under the Law is to give out a sentence of condemnation in the very externall and literall sense of it If the Law lead as a Paedagogne any to Christ that is now by a
This revelation of the letter of the Gospell is made to thousands that never beleeve and therefore though it be but literall and externall yet none could thus reveale the minde of God to Prophets and Apostles but God onely as none were inspired of God but writers of Canonnick scripture and Scripture onely is given by divine inspiration 2 Tim. 3.16 2 Pe. 1.21 as this revelation active is Gods only from him as the author and fountaine men doe as Herolds carry this message of revelation to others so passively it is common to beleevers and unbeleevers for the letter of the Gospell may be revealed to all within the vissible Church and yet the most part are destituted of an internall revelation Therefore there is an internall revelation of things that men beleeve And this I conceave to be foure-fold 1 Propheticall 2 Speciall to the elect only 3 Of some facts peculiar to Godly men 4 False and Satanicall Propheticall Revelation is that irradiation of the minde that the Holy Ghost makes on the minde and judgement of the pen-men of holy scripture whether Prophets or Apostles and that by an immediate in-breathing of the minde and will of God on them whether in visions dreames or any other way without men or the ministery or teaching of men as he did to Esaiah Ieremiah Esa. 1.1 Ier. 1.1 or to Paul Gal. 1.11 Paul an Apostle not of men neither by men 11 12. But I certâ—fie you brethren that the Gospell which was preached by me is not after man for I neither received it of man neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Iesus Christ. 15 16. But when it pleased God to reveale his sonne in me immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood neither went I up to Ierusalem to them that were Apostles before me but I went into Arabia and returned againe unto Damascus Ephes 3.2 3. If yee have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is in me to you ward how that by revelation he made knowne unto me the mystery c. I dispute not of the way of the Lords imprinting the speeches images and representations of his minde to Prophets and Apostles I conceave it is the same way that God revealed himselfe to Ieremiah c. 1.11 12 13 c. and to Paul Act 16.9 10 and that as Ezechiel c. 3.14 so Iohn the Apostle Re. 1.10 was in the Spirit and saw by an immediate brightnesse of light perfectly understandingly the will minde of Christ in what they prophecied and wrote And this Revelation is so far from being beside the mind of God that it is formally the express word sense and minde of God if Fami have such Revelations 1. they see the Visions of God 2 They speake as acted by the Spirit immediately and so we are with the like certainty of faith to beleeve what H. Nicholas Wheelwright Mrs. Hutchison M. Del Saltmarsh Beacon Den Crispe Collier c. speake and write as we are to beleeve the writings and sayings of the Prophets and the Apostles and both must be alike to us the mouth of the Lord and what they both write or preach must be the object of our faith and their writings must be added to the booke of the revelation which is forbidden Rev. 22.17 18 19. Deut. 12.32 Deut. 30.5 6. This is the Anti-Christ himselfe 3 Let them shew the signes of their Apostle-ship by miracles and speaking with tongues and foretelling things contingent that are to come and wee shall beleeve them Familists produce your strong reasons 2 There is a speciall internall revelation made of things in scripture applyed in particular to the soules of elect beleevers by which having heard and learned of the Father Ioh. 6.4 there is made knowne and revealed to them by the Spirit of wisedome and revelation what is the hope of their calling and what is the riches of the glory of the inheritance in the Saints Ephes. 1.17 18 19. and that revealed to them which flâ—sh and blood revealeth not but the Father of Christ Mat. 16 17. And that which the Father revealeth unto babes and hides from the wise and prudent Mat 11.25 26. And this is common to all that beleeve and not ingrossed as peculiar to the Familists and Antinomians onely for if it were then my faith should be in vaine and I have fallen from my portion and share in Christ and of the inheritance of the Saints in light for there should be no converts in the world but Familists onely Now this Revelation is a cleare evidence in the conscience by the Testimony of the Spirit that I am a child of God Rom. 8.16 whether it be immediate or from speaking signs and markes of sanctification 1 Ioh. 1.3 1 Ioh. 3.14.18 19 20. 2 It is the knowledge of no new Article which is not conteined in the word in the Generall and is not proper and incommunicable to none but to Antinomians but is the mystery of the Spirit revealing these things that are gratiously given to us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 even to all beleevers 3 Its true as touching me by name it s not revealed nor written in scripture in expresse words that I am by name written in the Lambes booke of life and a child and sonne of God and an heire annexed with Christ of life and glory nor are the individuall and numericall manifestations and inshinings flowings motions inbreathings outgoings of the Spirit of life and stirrings of the new birth to Iohn rather then to Mary to this beleever rather then to another in Spaine written in the Scripture yet the Spirit acts never ordinarily but a beleever may know and heare the noise of his feet now if all these individuall manifestations ebbings and flowings of tydes of free grace were written then should also be written their degrees lesse or more of Christ the names of the beleeving Saints that can say I Paul I Iohn I Anne c. Live not but Christ lives in me for these I presume adde a numericall particular and individuall being to every single act or motion of the dispensation of grace and if all were in number weight and measure written in scripture the world as Iohn saith of Christs facts should not conteine the bookes that should be written The Holy Ghost speaking of a collective body the Church and spouse of Christ in Solomons song in the book of the Psalms and of the Lamentations of Ieremiah shewes us of the outgoings incommings of the beloved in the soule of his cloudings and outshinings of free love of the acts of the hands of Christ Can. 5. Touching the handles of the barre and the smel of the myrrhe of Christ that he leaves behind him when he is departed of the souls feelings of the impressions or the withdrawings of Christ as if the whole Church Catholicke of Invisible beleevers for so the Church is taken especially Psal. 45. and in the booke of
Solomons song were but one particular beleever which is a demonstration that the particular actings of the spirit of grace cannot be written in the scriptures yet are they not to be thought unlawfull revelations and destitute of the word no more then we can say all the particular actings of Devills of all wicked men since the creation of whoring swearing Idol-worship lying stealing oppressing mis-beleeving c are not contrary to the expresse law of the Holy Ghost speaking in the word because these sinnefull actes are not particularly all specified and written in scripture with the names of the actors There is a 3 revelation of some particular men who have forefold things to come even since the ceasing of the Canon of the word as Iohn Husse Wickeliefe Luther have foretold things to come and they certainely fell out and in our nation of Scotland M. George Wishaâ—t foretold that Cardinall Beaton should not come out alive at the Gates of the Castle of St. Andrewes but that he should dye a shamefull death and he was hanged over the window that he did look out at when he saw the man of God burnt M. Knox prophecied of the hanging of the Lord of Grange M. Ioh Davidson uttered prophecies knowne to many of the kingdome diverse Holy and mortified preachers in England have done the like no Familists or Antinomians no David George nor H. Nicholas no man ever of that Gang Randel or Wheelwright or Den or any other that ever I heard of being once ingaged in the Familisticall way ever did utter any but the fourth sort of lying and false inspirations Mrs Hutchison said she should be delivered from the Court of Boston miraculously as Daniel from the Lyons which proved false Becold prophecied of the deliverance of the Towne of Munster which was delivered to their enemies and he and his Prophet were tortured and hanged David George prophecied of the raising of himselfe from the dead which was never fulfilled now the differences between the third and fourth revelations I place in these 1 These worthy reformers did tye no man to beleeve their prophecies as scriptures we are to give faith to the predictions of Prophets and Apostles foretelling facts to come as to the very word of God they never gave themselves out as organs immediately inspired by the Holy Ghost as the Prophets doe and as Paul did Rom. 11. prophecying of the calling of the Iewes and Ioh. Revel 1.10 and through the whole booke yea they never denounced Iudgement against those that beleeve not their predictions of these particular events and facts as they are such particular events facts as the Prophets and Apostles did But Mrs. Hutchison said Rise Reigne pag. 61 art 27. That her particular revelations about future events were as infallible as any scripture and that shee is bound as much to beleeve them as the Scripture for the same Holy Ghost is author of both Mr. Câ—â—mwell and Familists of old England say she and heâ—s were the more spirituall and only Saints in New England and the rest were but Antichristian persecutors It s knowne they held revelations without and beside the word of God Rise reigne er 4â— and said the whole letter of the Scripture holdes forth a covenant of workes er 9. And so the whole letter of the Scripture Law or Gospell is abolished to beleevers and doth no more oblige them then the covenant of workes can curse those that are under grace For T Collier marrow of Christianity pag. 25.26 sayth many spiritually enlightned of late are brought to Gospell-inioyments some other way which is spirituall then by verball preaching but Familists take the word preached for the printed inkie letter or the aire dead sound of the Gospell we take it for letter and sound of preaching as it includes the thing signified to wit Christ and all his promises in which sense the sounding of the Gospel heard worketh many yeares after it is preached and the word long agoe preached may be awaked up by a sad affiction an inspiration from God and produce the worke of conversion and still it is the word of truth in the scripture that produceth faith as it is the same seed that lyeth many monthes under the clod and groweth and bringeth forth fruit after And we know Antinomians reject the scriptures and build all upon inward revelations as their binding and obleiging rule Del ser. pag. 26 Saltmarsh free grace pag. 146. 2 The events revealed to Godly and sound witnesses of Christ are not contrary to the word But Becold Iohn Mathie and Ioh. Schykerus who kild his brother for no fault and other Enthysiasts of that murthering Spirit Sathan who killed innocent men expresly against the sixt command Thou shalt not Kill and taught the Boures of Germany to rise and kill all lawfull Magistrates because they were no Magistrates upon the pretence of the Impulsions and Inspirations of the Holy Ghost were acted by inspirations against thâ— word of God All that the Godly reformers foretold of the tragicall ends of the proclaimed enemies of the Gospell they were not actors themselves in murthering these enemies of God nor would M Wishart command or approve that Norman and Ioh. Leslyes should kill the Câ—rdinall Beaton as they did 2 They had a generall rule going along that Evill shall hunt the wicked man onely a secret harmelesse but an extraordinary strong impulsion of a Scripture-spirit leading them carried them to apply a generall rule of divine justice in their predictions to particular Godlesse men they themselves onely being foretellers not copartners of the act 3 They were men sound in the faith opposite to Popery Prelacy Sociâ—ianisme Papisme Lawlesse Enthysiasme Antinomianisme Aâ—minianisme Arrianisme and what else is contrary to sound doctrine all these being wanting in such as hold this fourth sort of revelations we cannot judge them but Satanicall having these characters 1 They are not pure and harmelesse but thrust men on upon bloody and wicked practises forbidden by God though â—od bad Abraham kil his only son for him to try his obedience yet God countermanded him and would not have him act accordingly these Spirits actually kill the innocent upon a pretended Spirits impulsion 2 They have no rule of the word to countenance them and if they lead men from the Law the Testimony it s because there is no light in them Esa. 8.20 3 These revelations lodge in men of rotten and corrupt minds destitute of the truth and they are opposite and destructive to sanctification 4. They argue the scriptures to be imperfect and to be a lamed and manâ—ked directory of faith and manners contrary to Scripture Psa. 19 7 8 9. 2 Tim. 3.15 16. Luk. 16.30.31 Ioh. 20.30 31. Act. 26.22 Psal. 119.105 c. 4 Then the Scripture shal not decide all controverted truthes nor be that by which we shall finde the truth and the rule of trying of the Spirits whether they be of God or no contrary to Io. c. 39.
1 Thes. 5.21 And contrary to the laudable example of the noble Bereans who tryed Pauls doctrine by the Scriptures Act. 17.11 6 Christs knock and stirrings on the heart sounds and breathes the breathings of God in his word the Devils knock is a dumbe and dead knock and is destitute of the word of truth 7 Men doe and act all things from their owne Spirit and walke in the light of their owne Sparkes and there is no end of erring and wandring from God when they act by no certaine knowne rule of the word CHAP. VIII Of Humane Industry Arts Sciences Tongues and if they be lawfull and necessary to the opening and supernaturall knowledge of the Scripture UPon the same ground Familists teach because the Spirit acts them immediately that 1 All humane industry and endeavours of free will are vain 2 That arts and sciences have nothing to doe with the right understanding of the Scriptures 2 The word of God teacheth us that grace strengthneth our Indeavours but destroyes them not Cant 1.3 Draw mee wee will runne Psal. 119. â—2 I will runne the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt inlarge my heart Ioh. 6.45 All that have heard and learned of the Father come to me I shall not need to say that Paul extolleth grace highly when he saith 1 Cor. 15. Jâ—laboured more abundantly then they all and that he travelled spreading the Gospel from Ierusalem to Illyâ—iâ—um and that he and Barnabas and the rest of the Apostles devided the earth amongst them as some thinke or that they went through the most part of it journying and sayling to spread the Gospell in journying often through Cities Wildernesses Countries Seas 2 Cor. 11.26 27 28. Watching night and day fasting caring for all the Churches I shall crave no more but that the Apostles stirred their limbes did sweat travell and use free will as other men though the grace of God and an extreame hunger to add glory declarative to the crowne greatnesse and Majesty of their highly exalted prince did stirre and principle them yet it s enough to our purpose if the Apostles peeces of fraile tyred out flesh were not meer patients stones and blocks carried sleeping in all their journying cares paines and endeavours in preaching and that in the Spirits Bosome as in a soft bed they neither knowing hearing feeling willing indeavouring longing swetting or acting by any naturall industrie more then Aristotles dull and formeles 〈◊〉 matter if they were so as Antinomians suppose as dead 〈◊〉 in their actings and the Spirit did all onely adequately irresistibly and immediately and they themselves did nothing then 1 Paul vainely did glory in his infirmities he was not any thing but 2 Cor. 11. like a windie lying souldier numbering his wounds when he never appeard in the field nor recieved any one wound nor faced an enemy for he was not so much as a patient if no agent at all in these for he compares himselfe without pride as not inferiour to the greatest in his sufferings in his stripes imprisonment fasting even with all the pretended Apostles his adversaries now if he acted nothing to make him to be cryed up in comparison of them as being as choice and excellent an instrument of God as the best of them but the Spirit acted all then was there danger that the Holy Ghost should be drowned suffer shipwrack be killed with stripes and fasting and deathes for in sufferings especially he glories this we cannot say and so the former must be rejected 2 When he sayes in fasting and watching often he must meane in not eating and not sleeping often for if he acted nothing as a man which is repugnant to all sense all his actings are but a pure froathy enumeration 3 What can be a stronger motive for us to disobey Christ who commands striving to enter in at the narrow gate Mat. 7. forsaking of all hating of all for his names sake Mat. 19. Labouring and that without fainting and wearying Rev. 2.3 Gal. 6.9 running Phil. 3.13 14. then to think such promises made to those that overcome are made to the Holy Ghost and to perswade and beseech the Holy Ghost not men or that the promise of a crowne of glory upon condition of faithfulnesse to the death is made to the Holy Ghost not to beleevers who may and can sinne 4 you may easily smell the Antinomian licence of enmity against workes labouring patience working out our salvation in feare and trembling Rev. 2.3 Phil. 2.12 13 14. for their aime is to lay a hugh weight upon the Antinomian faith which if I know any thing is a dead imaginary froathy speculation not saving faith Touching sciences arts and knowledge of the tongues Antinomians are ignorant of the state of the question for we grant sciences abused to the perverting of the simplicity of the Gospel 2 Sciences gloried in 3 Sciences are reputed saving knowledge as if such masters of arts and grand Rabbies because learned were taught of God and heard and learned of the father as the elect of God are Ioh. 16.45 4 Sciences reputed sufficient to teach Christ are but vainely so called sciences Antinomians grant sciences and arts and tongues in their proper place profitable and excellent for Statesmen Lawyers Physitians but bring them once as helpes to understand the minde of God in the holy Scriptures and then if yee beleeve Sam. How they are detestable filth drosse and dung 2 Sciences arts and tongues are either considered in their substance and nature or in the way of acquiring them either by supernaturall infusion as they were in the Prophets and Apostles or by education industry paine studying reading and teaching of men In the former consideration the same knowledge of the doctrine of Moses and the Prophets and of speaking with tongues in the substance and nature of the gift that is in Paul and the Apostles by supernaturall and immediate revelation or infusion is in men that acquire the same knowledge and speaking with tongues for Paul otherwise who receaved this knowledge not from or by flesh and blood not his owne industry Gal. 1.11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18. Ephes. 3.2 3. should then counsell and exhort Timothy to labour for another knowledge of the Gospel and so another Gospel by reading studying meditating and industry 1 Tim. 4 15 16. 2 Tim. 3.14 15 16 17 then he himselfe had receaved by revelation which is a manifest untruth for he saith But continue thou in the things which thâ—â— hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them and that from a child thou hast knowne the Holy scriptures which are able to make the wise to salvation And 2 Tim. 2.1 Thou therefore my son be stâ—ong in the gâ—ace that is in Christ Iesus now least any should imagine as Antinomians doe that the grace that iâ— in Iesus Christ is contrary to and inconsistent with the industry of learning and studying and acquired knowledge
he addeth ver 2. and the things that thou hâ—st heard of me amongst many witnesses the same commit thou to faithfull mâ—n then as the same rose may grow by nature and by the industry of the gardner and by singular art as by causing an Oven hot to send warmenesse and heate to the root of the rose in the winter when otherwise the cold earth should produce no roses at all nor can these three sort of Roses be said to be different in nature spece though produced 3 sundry ways by nature industry and art fomenting and supporting weake nature so also the same knowledge of the Scripture doth come to Paul by revelation to Timothy by industry and teaching and the same knowledge and faculty of speaking with tongues is Act. cha 2 in some by the comming downe of the Holy Ghost without education and teaching and in some by education and teaching ver 4 5 6. compared with ver 8 when therefore it is said Act. 4.13 That the councell perceiving Peter and Iohn were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unlearned mâ—n they were amazed it cannot inferre as Antinomians thinke that humane learning and knowledge of tongues were not requisite in the Apostles or that the Apostles were voyd of such learning but they onely marvelled that men unlearned in regard of education at schooles and universities being fisher-men and unlearned in a pharisaicall sense which onely went for learning in their time could so promptly and boldly speake of the misteries of the Gospel and were so skilled in the doctrine of Moses and the Prophets and they wondered at their Master Christs learning seeing he was a Carpenters sonne and never taught at schooles and M. Beacon Sam. How and other Antinomians are of the Pharisees opinion if they beleeve Christ was destitute of learning now what way hee had his learning whether by infusion from heaven or the personall union or by education at schooles which is not apparent is a farre other question and they are no lesse deceived who imagine that those fisher-men now Catholick ambassadors of Iesus Christ and on whom the Holy Ghost descended in cloven tongues with the rest Act. 2.1 2 3 4. were ignorant of the tongues Hebrew Greeke and Latine or that they who preached and wrote scripture and such divine epistles to the Churches were unlearned men voyd of the very literall knowledge and skill of the very letter of the scriptures of the old and new Testament which these men call falsly prophane and heathenish so Christ and his Apostles had all the learning and tongues that we now have and what we have by industry and paines reading studying under teachers and in schooles and universities that they had by immediate infusion or some other way Enthysiasts goe upon a false principle that learning arts tongues are in their nature and kind heathenish whereas of themselves and in their kind and nature they are neither heathenish nor Christian but naturall and well polished habits and acquired qualities indifferent and extrinsecall to either the state of Ethnicisme or Christianity and good or ill as they are well used or abused in either states they argue vainely then who thus reason if Christ and his Apostles carried on a ministery without learning arts and tongues then so may wee but the former is true therefore so is the latter the major is false because sectaries want the immediate inspiring Spirit that Christ and his Apostles had to supply defects of education and industry and the assumption is palpably false also who ever therefore now will take on them to be publicke ministers of the New Testament and goe from weaving sowing Carpentarie Shoo-making to the pulpit to the representing of God and being his mouth to his people being voyd of all learning tongues logick arts sciences and the literall knowledge of the scripture and yet cannot shew that either the Holy Ghost hath given to them the Gift of tongues and the knowledge of the mystery of the Gospell by revelation without the teaching of flesh or blood as he did to the Apostles or without some more then ordinary competent measure of knowledg and supernaturall dexterity to cut the word of truth aright and yet alledge that fisher-men never brought up at schooles and universities may be preachers of the Gospel and why not Weavers Taylors Button makers Shoo-makers c. they are but intruders and runne and the Lord sent them not how then can M. Beacon in his Chatechisme pag. 153 154. Prove that the ministery of the Spirit can be carried on without that which wee commonly call Humane Learning from Act. 4.13 Because Christ and his Apostles carried it on so For Christ and his Apostles wanted not that which we commonly call humane learning yea and most properly call so they wanted learning acquited at schooles and universities but that is not the question whether men may be preachers though they never were educated and trained up in universites Humane learning is not called so from the way and manner of acquiring of it but from its own nature And Christ and his Apostles made use of humane arts and tongues for the understanding and opening of Scripture 1 Christ and his Apostles cite Scripture out of the Hebrew text in the old Testament into the tongue knowne to the hearers yea and the Apostles doe translate the scripture in Hebrew into the Greeke tongue and expone it and draw Logicall consequences from the Old Testament so Christ Mat. 22. God is the God of Abraham now dead ergo the dead shall rise againe Antinomians say Christ makes no use of Logick and of Logicall consequences because they are Logicall for that which he saith there is Scripture because Christ so saith not because there is such Logicall arguing in the words Ans. The same way that we argue from an Antecedent to a consequent by naturall logick so doth Christ we deny not but Christ and the Holy Ghost in the Evangelist Matthew does put the stampe and impression of Scripture on naturall and sinlesse arguing from an Antecedent to a consequent but it followes well Christ made use of logick in Scripture-discourses therefore humane learning is lawfull for and necessary to the opening and understanding of the Scripture 2 Whereas Antinomians say consequences are not Scripture but darken the glory of the Gospel Salt shaddowes fleeing away p. 8. It is cleare Christ calleth this very logicall consequence God is the God of dead Abraham ergo dead shall rise by the very name of scripture which yet was but a consequence drawen from Exo. chap. 3.6 yee erre not knowing the Scriptures and further he rebuketh the Saduces as ignorant who did not make use of the like logicall consequence to see the truth of the doctrine of the resurrection yee erre not knowing the scriptures Mat. 22.31 Haue yee not read that which was spoken to you c. ergo it was their unbeleife and dulnesse that they did not read and understand the logick
of the Holy Ghost and they ought to have read the article of the resurrection Exod. 3.6 in the consequence of it as the Scripture it selfe 2 Paul drawes arguments by good logick and so doth Christ and the Apostles from the scripture it is written it is written and what saith the Scripture And Isaiah saith Hosea saith then arguing by Logick from the old Testament to prove articles of â—aith in the new which is a facultie of reasoning by art acquired by industry and learning is lawfull and necessary for the understanding of the Scripture 3 The Prophets and Apostles almost in every line use logicall reasoning from nature from the cause the effect the consequent and motives from good to convince and rebuke to exhort and stirre up to duties from wrath life reward threatnings promises c. 4 Paul citeth Heathen Poets as Aratus Act. 17.28 to convince the Athenians and Menander 1 Cor. 15.33 to convince the Corinthians and Epimemdes Titus 1.12 to silence the Cretians 5 Our owne language that we understand by education and teaching from the breasts from parents and others we heare speake hath an use of naturall necessity that faith may come by hearing Rom. 10.14 were the Gospel to be preached by the English to the Indians we must make use of arts and tongues 6 In the Bookes of Moses are secrets of Physick true antiquity of tracts of rare historicall providences Exodus a rule of Iustice and righteous lawes Joshua a glasse of holy warre Iudges of Magistrates and Tyrants Samuel Kings Proverbes Ecclesiastes sacred polititicks In Iob use is made of Astronomy c. And Herodotus Iosephus Quintus Curtius Xenophoâ— and other heathen writers conduce not a little to give light to the textuall knowledge of Chronicles Nehemiah Ester Daniel as all those that write of the Babylonish Assyrian and Persian Kingdomes and Empires and the Roman history may in regard of our dulnesse add light to the Prophets and Evangelists Acts and Epistles of Paul in the New Testament so that these Spirits like Mâ—â—hie Becold and Swenckefeld who would have all books burnt except the Bible in regard that humane arts hinder the spirituall understanding of the Scripture declare their madnesse for upon the same ground God should in the conversion of a sinner root out the naturall understanding senses and faculties of soule and body for except they be sanctified and Elevated above their naturall sphere in an actuall illumination they can doe nothing yea and all Bibles translated out of the originalls in Germans Latine Italians French English Slâ—vâ—â—icke Persian and Arabick c. tongues must be burnt for all these translations must be done by singular art and the knowledge of tongues All that can be said on the contrary may be blowen away easily for the naturall sinlesse knowledge of sciences arts tongues are a substraâ—um a foundation to and for the Spirituall knowledge and faith of the mysteries of the Gospel Christ and his disciples knew the art of sowing corne on divers grounds of fishing of buying a field where a Pearle is and this knowledge did not hinder but much contribute to the spirituall knowledge of the mysteries of the Gospel nor is the literall sense of the scripture in the Saints distinct from the Spirituall but it is the same with two sundry lights and evidences as with the same eyes and seeing faculty I read the booke of God in the night with candle light and in day-light with the sun-light then none can say I have for that two divers or contrary Bibles and so the capacity naturall that makes me see and know Jesus to be the saviour of the world literally is heightened indeed with a reall removall of spirituall blindnesse and a reall addition of a new distinct higher supernaturall visive facultie the Spirit of revelation but I see with this new faculty the same Iesus the saviour of sinners not another but with a light and a sun-shine and day-light raying of a farre higher nature then I saw before But this proposition Maries sonne Iesus is the saviour of the world hath no new different sense and meaning nor foundes it another new objective Christ different from that Christ objected before to the literall or naturall visive capacity or humane understanding onely the proposition shines with the same very sense now as before but now it is seene with a higher day-light irradiation and splendor and apprehended with the same naturall literall understanding the same humane vitall and created faculty to which is added a new reall power a new visive heavenly capacity to see the same Iesus in his beauty and glory nor yet get I two naturall understandings nor can the scripture have two senses Obâ—eâ—t 1. 1 Ioh. 2.26 27. Thâ—se things have I written to you concerning them that deceave you but to fence them from this dâ—ceeving he opposeth the anoynting so as they needed not that any man should teach them for the anoynting taught them Now that anoynting did never teach them such tongues and arts 〈◊〉 were humane therefore the Saints had not need of any such learning and yet this anoynting taught all truth and obedience in it also Ioh. 16. Hee shall lead you in all truth ergo no more truth is necessary Ans. 1 Had this man a head to frame a Syllogisme as he bringeth a confused argument it should appeare how weake he is thus he that teacheth us all truth so that we need not humane teaching is a sufficient teacher without all humane teaching of arts and tongues But the anoynting or holy Spirit is such a teacher ergo wee need no other teacher so the old Anabaptists and Enthysiasts I answere to the major he that teacheth us all truth as the onely inward principall and efficacious teacher of all truth immediately and without all instruments and externall meanes so that we need no other externall teacher It is true he is in his kinde a sufficient teacher but the assumption to wit that the anoynting and Spirit teacheth us so without all instruments and externall meanes is most false the Holy Ghost by this reason should immediately and onely in his owne sole and singular person preach to us without so much as speaking in our owne knowne mother tongue and without vocall preaching of pastor or gifted prophet Now Christ who promised the Spirit did also when he ascended on high promise and actually Ephes. 4.12 Give some Apostles and some prophets and some Evangelists and some pastors and teachers 12 for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the ministery for the edefying of the body of Christ. Now the place speaketh not exclusively but comparatively he that teacheth all truth mediately by the ministery of men needeth not any teachers as organes and instruments in the ordinary course he hath set to gather saints by a ministery it is most false for this argument doth with equal strength conclude against all ministery preaching and comming of faith by hearing
up by God according to his promises in the most holy service of God under the obedience of his love The Familists of New England and Antinomians professe all of them are Christed with Christ. The Apostles doe not so extoll themselves Towne Assert of Justifica p. 39. So soareâ—h Keep the Law saith he and works here below on the earth and as Enoch converse in Spirit and walk with God in the alone righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith As if a holy conversation and a spirituall walking with God in faith and duties were low base and for men of the earth onely The speciallâ— errors and Heresies holden by H. Nichol. are such as are for the most part either abominably blasphemous or much like to the errors of Anabaptists David-Georgians Swenskfeldians from whence they sprang as have been and shall be God willing cleared to be the same with Libertines and Antinomian errors 1 H. Nâ—cholas challengeth to himselfe that which is proper to Christ Esa 61. Lu 4. that the Spirit of the Lord is on him to preach glad tydings to the poore The Antino Beacon saith that none can be true preachers but they run unsent that run without the Spirit of sanctification 2 H.N. saith c. 1 Evan. not one man Adam sinned and we in him but man from the beginning to this day was disobedient Hence Adam was no one man 2 Wee have no more sinne from the first Adam then by following the sinnes of all men 3 The story of Adam of the tree and fruit is but an allegory Antinomians turne all in allegories Randal serm a sower went out to sow here is a warrant from parables to expone scriptures by allegories all things of nature are sacraments of Gospell mysteries as doe this in rememberance of me 3 H.N. saith c. 1 All that walked not in the forme of Abel according to the manner and ordinance of Seth were not of the right stocke of Seth. Then righteousnesse commeth by personall imitation of Seth not by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ. 4 Christ to H. N. is head of Abrahams faith not Abrahams flesh which destroyes his humanity for H. N. applyeth these words the power of the most high shall come on thee and overshadow thee by an allegory to all beleevers which had their discent out of the faith of Abraham partakers of the Godly nature and being and according to the will of God are wholly minded with God so Antinomians as Christ was once made flesh so is he now first made flesh in us ere we be carryed to perfection Del. ser. 17 18 19 20. tells us of two meanes of Gospel-reformation 1 The word dwelling in the flesh reformes the flesh and it dwells in us through faith this word is not the word without us then it is not the scripture word but the word within us Jt sheweth us Christ and changeth us into his image The 2 meanes is the Spirit which God promised long before to powre upon all flesh and so to reforme all flesh the Spirit reformes 1 By taking away all evill out of the flesh as pride â—nvy and all errors and false doctrines for the Spirit burnes up all errors as â—ay and stubble I feare Del give us no more for God manifested in the flesh but this not one word of the Scripture or preached Gospell is once mentioned heare foâ— feare Enthysiasts offend 2 The Spirit reformes by changing the flesh into its owne likenesse as fire changeth every thing into its selfe so doth the Spirit in the flesh make the flesh spirituall heavenly holy meeke good loving c. Here I desire M. Del to separate from H. N and give a reason of his faith to those that offend at his doctrine 1 How is the Spirit powred on all flesh and so is all flesh reformed p. 19. l. 20. Is he for universall salvation of all the Scripture speaketh not a word of the heart reformation of all This Devill is going abroad in our times Del speaketh like this wandering Spirit 2 How is the inward word which he carefully distinguisheth from the outward word p. 18. l. 3 4. differenced from the Spirit p. 19. for the inward word is the word made effectuall by the working of the Spirit and he saith the word not the letter without the Spirit which is but the dead law saith he and Spirit are alwayes joyned that is the inward word that is faith wrought by the Spirit as I take it is ever joyned with the Spirit who doubts but the Spirit is ever with the Spirit 3 The Spirit takes all evill out of the flesh what is that out of the man out of the soule and body this is a rare expression 4 How dwells the word in our flesh pag. 18. l. 1. God the substantiall word the sonne of God dwells in our flesh that is personally in the nature of man Ioh. 1.14 why does Del speake with hereticks and not explaine himselfe 5 How does the inward word change us into the image of Christ p. 18. he hath not told us of the Spirit all this while p. 19. which only changeth us into the image of Christ. 6. How doth the Spirit change the flesh into its owne likenesse by flâ—sh yee meane not corruption so the scripture Rom. 7. Rom. 8. Gal. 5.17 and in many places takes the word flesh Now the Spirit maketh not corruption and sinne spirituall heavenly holy meeke good loving c. then by flesh yee meane the fabrick of the nature of man soule and body Why speaketh not Del with protestant divines and calleth it the mortification of the old man and the vivification of the new but he speakes with H. N. and puts us to request him for the truths sake to expone what a God manifested in the flesh and what a word dwelling in the flesh he acknowledgeth for H.N. grammer rules his pen and tongue not the Holy Ghosts 5 To H. N. Every Godly man partaker of the being of God and Spirit of love is God incarnate and Christ and Christ is not any one man the son of Mary but the condition of all men beleeving and loving and Christ is no where else saith Theo. Ger. p. 22. but he is the same man 6 Gods being is love it selfe The damned apostate should acknowledge his being to be some other thing then love onely as Moses doth Exod. 34.6 The Lord strong gracious slow to anger c. 7 There is no diety belonging to God but love of which mortall men doe pertake in this life so H. N The Lord hath Godded me with God in his Godly being with the Spirit of his love 8 By our obedience of love we become sonnes 9 Love is faith working and doing is faith Whereas faith worketh love and obedience as the cause of love saith the scripture Iam. 2. Heb. 11. 10 Obedience of love and misliking of sinne bringeth us unto the being of Christ cleare
against the freedome of the grace of God Tit. 3.3 2 Tim. 1.9 Ephes. 2.1 2 3 4 5. 11 All that beleeve not as H. N. are unbaptized no christians more then heathens So Del and the Antinomians esteeme all not of their way legall Pharesies 12 Christ not God nor man but the state of perfection in beleevers or anoynting or the Sabbath yea sect 8 9 10. Oh how grosely saith he have then certaine wise of the world over-reached themselves which have wiâ—hout diversity forsaken the law of the Elders Testament Moses his law of Ceremonies and of the priests office after the order of Aaron and set backe the same as a thing unneedfull But have all for the most part cryed Christ Christ and we are Christians and attributed to themselves much freedome ere ever the time of the appearing of Christ or the anoynting of the Holy Ghost was come to passe which doctrine M. Hutchison approves and the Antinomian M. Cornewell in his preface to the conference of M. Iohn Cotton approves her way and all her followers pag. 7 8. now she was Rise reigne ruine pag. 37 38. much perplexed to know the meaning of that 1 Ioh 4.3 Every Spirit that confesseth not Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is the Spirit of Antichrist for neither Papist nor Protestants deny that Christ is come in the flesh and are the Turks then the only Antichrist At length the Lord revealed immediately to that Iezabel from heaven that all opposite to her way of Familisme and Antinomianisme who did not preach the N Covenant their way were Antichrists for these said she who deny the covenant or Testament deny the death of the Testator hence while Antinomians of England resolve me I thinke she and hers beleeve God incarnate is not the man Christ like us in all things in the dayes of his flesh except sinne but the anoynting of the Holy Ghost by which Antinomians preach free grace and the new Covenant their way so by H. N. Christ is that condition of state by which men leave the written word and betake themselves to revelations 13 The old Testament Ceremonies are in force after Christs incarnation resurrection and ascention even till the Holy Spirit and anoynting come to make every beleever Christ and this anoynting is all the God manifested in the flesh and the Christ that H. N. knoweth 14 H. Nich. In his Epistle to the daughters of Warwicke sect 4 saith The beeing of Christ in love is received through the power of the Holy Ghost not by any ceremoniall Christ which one man speaketh to another and sect 5.7.10 He condemneth all scripture as literall fleshly Elementish ceremoniall all preaching of the word seales sacraments ordinances as literall and indifferent and all regeneration that way as unlawfull and extolleth a spirituall regeneration of the Family of Love done by the Spirit without the preaching of man so doth the Antinomian Deâ— pag. 6 7 8 c. in his sermon extoll inward reformation but withall cryes downe all externall reformation that is done by lawes synods the power of men yea or of Angells as carnall antichristian hypocriticall and false 15 All Ordinances hearing preaching Scripture scripture-learning Baptisme the Lords Supper all confession of Christ before men all externalls in religion are things of no worth indifferent free triviall layd on us by no law of God so H. Nich. sect 5.7.10 Epist. to the daughters so the Anabaptists as Bullinger saith so Antinomians so Swenckefeld as Schlusserburg saith Cato heret l. 10. p. 30. and another reformation beside this of the heart I know not saith M. Del. But the Apostle Iames calls for the clensing of the hands aswell as the purging of the heart and Gospel-reformation saith Del onely mindes the reformation of the heart then nothing is minded by the Gospell of walking worthy of the Lord in our conversation among men So Beacon the Antinomian in his Catechisme in the Epistle to my Lady Say and Seal Oh that they were once wise to forbeare this clashing and dashing themselves in peeces for matters externall trivial and circumstantiall in religion These be most like the words of Galliâ— Act. 18.15 But if it be a question of words and names and of your law looke yee to it for I will be no iudge of such matters 16. and he drove them from the Iudgement seat So saith he Catech. pag. 188 189. Q. Are you bound to this doctrine and practise of baptizing by a law A By the law of love Q May you use it or not use it A I have liberty so to doe 1 Cor. 10.29 Q How A If I use it I am not the more accepted 1 Cor. 8.8 and if I use it not I am not the lesse accepted Q Is it then in that respect of the same nature with circumcision A Yes and all other outward things Gal. 6.15 Q May we suspend the use of some outward things A Yes Gal. 2.14 Q When A When religion is placed in them Gal. 2.14 Q Doth not religion consist in them A No. Q In what then A In righteousnesse peace and joy in the Holy Spirit Q They are not then heavenly things themselves A They are Iewes that know not Christ that so thinke Q What then is the baptisme of water A A Shadow 1 Pet. 2.21 Q Why doe men strive about it A It shewes our unacquaintance with the substance Phil. 2.7 Mic. 6.6 7. Q Of what is it a shadow A A shaddow of Christ Col. 2 17. Q Is there a teaching by shadowes in the New Testament A Yes 1 Pet 3 21 c. In all this good Reader obserue this absurd doctrine from this Antinomian way of Mr. Beacon for â—he raiseth the old heresie of a sectary whom Calvin in a treatise called Confutatio Hollandi refuteth who said it was lawfull to bow to Idâ—â—ls because Christ violated the Sabboth and because Christ hath perfectly fulfilled the Law and restored us to spirituall liberty he hath freed us from all externall observance of the law either ceremonies or any other thing if we love God and our neighbour we are now in Christ made spirituall and are to seeke the things that are above and that Christ calles us from all externalls ceremonies even of the Lords Institution baptisme the Lords Supper hearing reading and he spake in the Grammer of M. Beacon nos de umbra a asini et de inani atque infantili naenja certare cultum dâ—i nihil amplius esse atque ejus neque legem neque normam habendam So is Del against all externalls and outward reformation and for the heart reformation only And Calvin in his treatise called excusatio ad Psedonic an Apologie to the false disciples of Nicodemus refutes them who thought they might goe to Masse worship an Idol so they keepe their heart to God and this they did to get into rich benefices to be Bishops Pryâ—rs and the like being taken with the wares of the whore of Rome
intimam et ineffabilem transmutationem peccati nostri in illius justitiam Fides nobis Christum affert hoc est unam carnâ—m os ex ossibus nostris omnia communia cum illo facit Luth. Homo eum fiducia possit gloriari in Christo dicere Meum est quod Christus vixit egit dixit passus est mortuus est non secus quam si ego illa vixissem egissem dixissem passus essem mortuus essem sicut sponsus habet omnia quae sunt sponsae sponsa habet omnia quae sunt sponsi omnia enim sunt communia utriusque sunt enim una caro Ita Christus ecclesia sunt unus spiritus Conclusion 6. Antinomians contend as I prove at length from their writings that there is no sin in the beleever more then in Christ that Justification is a taking away of sin root and branch in its essence and nature so that pardoned sin is no sin and hath lost the nature of sin the justified man is but a sinner seemingly not in Gods but in the worlds account So blasphemously they speak But Luther and all Protestant Divines say they are licencious teachers and gratifie the flesh and belie the Holy Ghost that so teach Luther who ever is justified he is still a sinner yet he is as it were fully and perfectly reputed righteous the Lord pardoning and shewing mercy Saltmarsh contradicting Luther saith the Scripture calleth us being justified ungodly and sinners and children of wrath not that wee are so but seeme so or not in Gods account but the worlds so Deâ— Crisp Town Eaton Luther We are just and declared to be the Sonnes of God but sin originally remaineth in us rebelling against us we are not free from all pollutions It s better that Peter and Paul falling in unbelief be accursed then that one iota of the Evangell passe away All the Saints have sin and are sinners and also none of them doe sin they are righteous according to that which grace hath wholled and sinners in that in which they are to be wholled By Gods mercy the Saints when they are hardned fall in manifest sin and with so great care God is forced to save them that contrary to mercy he leades them to mercy and by sin freeth them from sin Luther Peccator est adhuc quisquis justificatur tamen velut plene et perfecte justus reputatur ignoscente et miserente Deo Luth. Sumus quidem justi declarati filii regni sed peccatum originis manet adhuc rebellans in nobis Non sumus puri ab omnibus vitiis inquinamentis Melius est Petrum Paulum in infidelitatem lapsos imo Anathema haberi quam unum iota Evangelii perire Luth. Omnes sancti habent peccatum suntque peccatores nullus peccat iusti sunt juxta illud quod gratia in iis sanavit peccatores juxta quod adhuc sanandi sunt Luth. Proinde fit miserante Deo ut si sint Sancti crassioris duritiae cadant aliquando in manâ—estarium opus peccati tantaque curâ illos Deus cogitur servare ut contra misericordiam suam eos ad misericordiam perducat per peccatum a peccato liberet It is a proverb saith Luther they must have strong bones who can bear many faire dayes of prosperity Oportet esse ossa robusta qui serant dies bonos So say I not sinning and not being acquainted with our own weaknesse in falling in sin hath broken many bones and the falls of David and Peter hath cured their bones Relativè non formaliter aâ—t substantialiter est peccatum sublatum lex abolita mors destructa By way of relation not formally nor essentially is sin taken away the Law abolished death destroyed Heare this Antinomians who teach that sin pardoned loseth the nature and being of sin so that God can see no sin in a beleever Originis peccatum transit reatu manet actu Luth. Deus peccata delet quoad remissionem culpae ipsam vim peccati non quoad rem seu materiam peccati Haec viâ— peccati per miseriâ—ordiam gratuitam tollitur tamen maneÌ„t verae hujus veneni reliquiae ergo utrumque verum est Quod nullus Christianus habâ—t peccatum quod omnis Christianus habet peccatum-hinc duplex pâ—ccatum apud Christianos peccatum remissum peccatum reliquum quod extirpandum abluendum est Christianus non est formaliter justus non justus secundum substantiam aut qualitatem sed est justus secundum praedicamentum ad aliquid nempe respectu divina gratiae tantum remissionis gratuitae quae contingiâ— agnoscentibus peccatum credentibus Sin originall passeth away after baptisme in the guilt it remaineth actually God taketh away our sins as touching the remission of the fault and the power of sin not according to the thing it self and the matter of sin this power of sin through free mercy is removed and yet the true reliques of this poyson remaineth then both is true none in Christ hath sinne every one in Christ hath sinne there is a twofold sinne in Christians a sinne pardoned and a sinne remaining a sin to be rooted out a sin to be washen out Luther A Christian is not formally just he is not just according to the substance or quality but according to relation to wit in regard of grace only and of remission of sinnes which befalleth freely to such as confesse their sins and beleeve This is our very doctrine point blanke contrary to Antinomians Crisp saith Sin is taken away as money removed out of a place it was once in it is no more in its being and nature there then if it had never been there The beleever is as just and as clean from sinne as Christ God cannot see sinne in a beleever because pardoned sinne as lost the nature of sinne and both his person and his workes are perfect and sinlesse before God The devill cannot teach more fleshly doctrine for we are only by justification just by a relative righteousnesse as the prodigall bankerupt is just legally and free from debt for which is his surety hath satisfied But the bankerupt personally inherently subjectively and in himselfe is an unjust waster a theef and a robber and hath in him still a sinfull disposition to take one new debt except both inherent and assisting grace hinder him there is not this injustice in the surety far lesse can any such thing be dreamed to be in Christ nor is pardoned sinne taken away in its nature and being as mony removed out of a place it s only in its law obligation and rigid power of condemning removed as if it never had been and we with Luther say that sinne remaineth formally and essentially sin in the compleat being and nature of sin both in our person and
justitiae salutis Res mira mundo inaudita Docere Christianos ut discant ignorare legem utque sic vivant coram Deo quasi penitus nulla lex sit nisi enim ignoraveris legem in corde tuo statueris nullam esse legem iram Dei tantum graciam misericordiam propter Christum non potes salvus fieri E contra in mundo sic urgeri lex opera debent quasi prorsus nulla sit promissio gratia Evangelium est predicatio De Christo quòd remittat peccatum donet gratiam justificet salvet peccatores Quod autem praecepta in Evangelio reperiuntur ista non sunt Evangelium sed expositiones apendices Evangelii Luther meaneth that as the Gospel is distinguished from the Law and containeth the Doctrine of justification by free grace without works so the precepts of good works are not Gospel-precepts but otherwise taking the Gospel in its latitude it confirmeth and establisheth the law and commandeth the same works of sanctification which the Law commandeth 7. Conclusion And whereas Luther calleth the Law a dead letter as the Gospel is a saving word he hath not the same meaning with Antinomians to exclude all outward commands to cry downe the Scriptures and the written Law and Gospel and turne the Gospel in the Spirit and to remove all outward ordinances word Sacraments praying and make faith all our worke and the Spirit of life that is in Christ all our Law as Del and Saltmarsh and other Antinomians doe and as Theologia Germanica doth and other Familists teach for Luther aimeth highly to extoll Scripture as you may read in Luther tom 1.166 to 1.252.531 to 2.22.237.310 to 2. in Genes c. 17. fol. 85. and to 2. in Gen. c. 19.143 I hate my own bookes often I wish they may perish for feare they take the readers and draw them from reading of the Scripture to 3. in Genes f. 45. c. 24. It s a common proverbe Princes letters should be thrice read so farre more Gods letters Vel millies legendae should be a thousand times read and whereas Antinomians and Familists are all for allegories Luther is not so The literall sense of the Scriptures is the whole substance of Christian faith and divinity which only carrieth a man out in tentation Allegories are empty speculations and the froath of Scripture An allegory is a faire whore that cannot but be loved for the present by idle men that are not tempted Only the historicall sense doth rightly and solidly instruct fight defend conquer edifie Luther Literalis sensus scripturae sâ—lus tota est fidei Theologiae Christianae substantia qui in tentatione solus subsistit Luther Allegoriae sunt inanes speculationes tanquam spuma sacrae Scripturae Est allegoria tanquam formosa meritrix quae ita blanditur hominibus ut non possit non amari praesertim ab hominibus otiosis qui sunt sine tentatione Luther Historicus sensus rectè solidè erudit pugnat defendit vincit aedificat And Luther acknowledgeth a literall sense of the Law Luther Spiritualis intelligentia legis est ea quâ scitur lex requirere Spiritum nos carnales convincere literalis ea quâ putatur imò erratur legem posse impleri operibus viribus nostris citra Spiritum gratiae The Spirituall understanding of the Law is that by which the law is known to require the Spirit and to convince us that are carnall and that is the literall meaning of the Law by which men think yea erroneously imagine the law may be fulfilled by works our strength without the Spirit of grace Then to Luther the literall knowledge of the Law or the old letter of the Law is the false sense of the Law that we can be justified by works and Luther never condemneth Law or Gospel because written and in outward commandements as Antinomians doe And againe the law without the Spirit as also the Gospel is literall and legall to Luther Lex litera est sive scribatur sive dicatur sive intelligatur donec ametur The law is a letter either writen spoken or understood till it be loved this is not a work of the teaching Law but of justifying faith converting soules It is true Luther holdeth that all commandements of law and Gospel are then sweet and Christs yoke easie when the Spirit concurreth to make them sweet but neither doth this cry down the Scriptures nor make the Spirit the only obleiging rule as Del Town Saltmarsh Crisp doe Luther Ita dulcescunt praecepta Dei quando non in libris tantum sed in vulneribus dulcissimi salvatoris legenda intelligimus Luther Duplex est lex una Spiritus fidei quâ vivitur Deo victis peccatis impletâque lege altera lex literae operum quâ vivitur peccato nunquam impletâ lege per legem enim suscitatur odium legis sed per fideÌ„ infunditur dilectio legis Luth. tom 4.88 Tu urges servum hoc est scripturam eam non totam sed locos de operibus Ego urgeo dominum Christum qui est Rex Scripturae qui est factus mihi meritum pretium justitiae salutis Then the law without Christ is the letter of bondage and fear Lex literae lex spiritus differunt sicut signum signatum sicut verbum res Ideo obtentâ re jam signo non est opus Itaque neque justo lex est posita habito enim solo signo docemur rem ipsam quaerere Luther So the Commandements of God become sweet when we understand them to be read not onely in books then as written they are sweet but also in the wounds of the most sweet Saviour Luther There is a twofold law one of the Spirit and faith by which we live well to God sin being subdued and the law fulfilled The other the law of the Letter and of works by which we live to sin the law never being fulfilled but with a fained fulfilling For by the law the meere letter of the law without faith or grace is stirred up a hatred of the Law but by faith is infused a love of the law The Law of the letter and the law of the Spirit differ as the signe and the thing signified as the word and the thing the when the thing is obtained there is no need of the signe So there is no law to the just man but having only the signe we are taught to seek the thing it self This expression of Luther with another in the same Tome to wit The justified man ought nâ—t to live holily but hee doth live holily gave occasion to Antinomians to dream but it s but a dream that Luther is theirs as if Luther had been of their minde that the justified is under no commanding power of the law and
sutable to H. Nicholas his Spirit and to the Enthysiasmes of Swenckefield and to John Waldesso a piece that M. Beacon highly extols p. 138. Catechi who saith Consideration 3. p. 8. That beleevers make use of some rules of Scripture to preserve the health of their soules as they doe for the health of their body rather to conforme themselves outwardly with the sons of Adam then because they feel themselves to stand in need of such observations forasmuch us they being governed by God alone observe the will of God and wholly depend on it And the same Popish Author Cons. 32. p. 107 108. maketh crucifixes Images and the holy Scriptures Alphabets of Christian Piety for beginners M. Beacon who commends this superstitious Familâ—sticall book must alwayes judge Images unlawfull so as a Christian having first saith Waldesso p. 108. served himself with holy Scriptures as with an Alphabet he afterward leaves them to serve for the same effect to beginners he attending to the inward inspirations having for his proper Master the Spirit of God and serving himselfe with holy Scriptures as with an holy conversation and which causeth refreshment unto him altogether putting from himselfe all these writings which are written by an humane Spirit So they judge Scripture to be written by an human spirit contrary to 2 Pet. 1.19 20 21. 2 Tim. 3.16 8 Its folly to conclude of certainty of Scripture and not of infallibility in the interpretation thereof So M. Saltmarsh and M. Dell deny the Scripture to be an obliging rule to the Saints but onely the word written in the heart Hence as the Holy Ghost dited the Scripture so also dited be the exposition of Scripture to the Familists and their exposition is as infallible as the Scripture because the same Spirit speaks in both for the same spirit that dites the word must expone it Answ. Then must the writing of H Nicholas and the uncleâ—n house of Love and of Antinomians be as infallible as the writings of the Prophets and Apostles who were immediately inspired Horrible blasphemy Men and holy men may erre in their Expositions but the Word of God is infallible truth 2. The Scripture is our rule by which all other Truths Doctrines Spirits Revelations must be tryed and if they be not according to the Law and the Testimony there is no light in them Esa. 8.19 20. Luk. 16.30 31. Psa. 119.130.105 Luk. 4.17 18 19 20 21. Joh. 5.39 2 Tim. 3.16 Act. 26.22 3 No marvell that Antinomians be Anti-scripturians and deny Scripture to be the Word of God affirming it to be a dead letter a humane thing of Inke and that what the Spirit speaks to the soule is onely the word of God and no other thing contained in the Old and New Testament 9 Faith justifying is no fiduciall recumbency on Christ God and Man Nor doe we eat his flesh and drink his blood spiritually by beleeving in Christ crucified but by acts of humility seeing our self to be flesh and nothing and Christ to be in us blood that is the spirit life and power of God as if we were Goded with him 10. God and man united in one eate the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood or man as Goded and God as humanized p. 111 11 The reasonings and dictates of our spirit are translated into the 〈◊〉 and dictates of the Spirit of God and so the writing 〈◊〉 and arguments become Divine and eternall not humane and â—emporaâ—y Wind-mils and phanacies must they be bigge 〈◊〉 who leave the Scriptures and imagine that God onely acts understands wills loves feares hopes c. and doth 〈◊〉 in the Saints 12 Swearing at all though before a Judge is unlawfull Simpl. Defenc. p. 22. 13. While you tell the people say they to the godly in New-England that by sorrow compunction and anxiety of Spirit and woulde of minde they communicate in the sufferings of Christ it is nothing else but to conclude the Son of God to be Beliel 14 Baptisme is unlawfull except it be conjoyned with the crosse and sufferings of Christ â—o Saltmarsh Sparkles of glory p. 30 31. denyeth all Baptisme 15 As every Saint ought to hear the word so ought he to preach it Calling of Ministers is groundlesse so p. 66.67 so the Anâ—â—nom Beacon Catechi p 7.8 and Saltmarsh Spark p. 131. 16 They are Idoll Shepherds of Rome who cannot preach to the people but in a way of so much study and ease not labouring with their hands for their bread p. 67. 17 If I preach the Gospel willingly say they I have a reward 1 Cor. 9.17 that is if I doe it out of any ability skill or will of mine owne gotten or acquired by any paines or industry as men doe attain to Arts and Trades wherein they are to be preferred before and above others then I have a reward that is something to be attributed and contributed to me for the same then I goe about to deprive my Lord of his right shewing my selfe an unfaithfull Steward â— Simpl. Defen P. 68. then was Gorton unfaithfull in writing this book for pains of art he must have taken in writing in consulting by reading the Scripture to set down Chapter and Verse but all this is the Enthysiasticall gang of Divinity in which Antinomians in praying beleeving loving bereave us of the use of minde will reason affections and make the Holy Ghost and Christ in his person united to us to doe all 18 To preach for stipend or contribution is to give unto God and unlawfull contrary to 1 Tim. 5.17 18 19. which I grant if stipends be the preachers designe and end 19. None is to forethink of what text or subject he is to preach on but as Gods Spirit for the time casteth in his minde p. 75. that is he is to speak phancies without sense method or intention to edifie which thing the Prophets Christ and Apostles did not in their preachings But of this before and somewhat hereafter 20 He denies the resurrection exponing these words My flesh shall rest in hope that is my weaknesse and tyred out condition hath rest and strength in another though not in my self for hope that is seen is no hope This place Psal 16. is exponed Act. 2.26 30 31 32. of the hope of the resurrection of Christ and of ours in him who is the first begotten of the dead but Gorâ—on p. 106. wresteth it most foolishly to another sense as if it were metaphoricall flesh and buriall and so an allegoricall and spirituall resurrection onely 21 He most corruptly and unsoundly turneth all the Scripture in childish Allegories as is to be seen p. 96 97 98. In the following Treatise you have other Antinomian conceits holden by Ro. Towne who coldly refuteth Doctor Taylor and by M. Eaton in his Honey comb and Saltmarsh of late falne off conformity to Antinomianisme and Tob. Crisp a godly man as is thought But Melancholions who having builded much on
and weake yet they were contentious and Shismaticks ver 3 4. For one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo Sure Saltmarsh ordinarily expones Scripture by consequences which are fleshly and legal and phansies types by a spirit that contradicts the spirit speaking in the word 14 And the great and excellent designe saith hee speaking of the marrow of the Family of love or mind of God in all these things is only to lead out his people Church or Disciples from age to age from faith to faith from glory to glory from letter to letter from ordinance to ordinance from flesh to flesh and so to spirit and so to more spirit and at length to all spirit when the Sonne shall deliver up the Kingdome to the Father which is not only when the fulnesse of time or ages is come but in transacting and finishing in parâ—s and Members of the body of Châ—ist and is not oneâ— single act poynt or effusion of glory but a perâ—ecting and fulfilling it in severall members of Christ till the fulnesse of the stature of Christ for the day dawnes 1 Pet. 2.19.75 And for a Disciple to stay longer in any ministration then the Lord or the life and Spirit of Christ is in it is as if Lot should tarry in Sodome For saith he p 73. A Christian must crucifie each condition he passeth through We must then learn from Familists 1. That Christ was a legall and literall Saviour as David George said for he passed through all these ministrations And Saltmarsh must bee neerer to all Spirit then Christ and the Apostles 2. Saltmarsh growes in transitions to new Orbs and Heavens For in his Treatise of Free Grace we heard of nothing but Law and Gospel now he is upon the secrets of Familâ—sts and Enthusiasts to crucifie Scripture praying hearing writing and he is become all spirit And this is a third state I grant the Scripture saith that the Messiah shall Dan. 9.27 cause in the midst of the week the Sacrifice and the Oblation to cease and that shadows of good things to come shall be abolished when the body and life of ceremonies shall come But I desire one letter of Scripture that saith when the Spirit commeth even in this life he shall cause praying beleeving prophesying seales the Scriptures to cease and we shall be above and beyond all Gospel-Ordinances even in this life 3. For Familists that are all Spirit to hear bee baptizeâ— with water read is as unlawfull and fleshly as for Lot to stay in Sodome after the Lord had commanded him to depart 4 Then the delivering up of the Kingdom spoken of 1 Cor. 15. and the day of judgement is already begun and is in doing these many centuries of years So wee heard before H. Nicholas say even now in this present day doth the Lord sit in his Throne and judge the world I rather beleeve Paul then Saltmarsh or H. Nicholas For Paul saith 1 Cor. 15. speaking of the Resurrection of our bodies which I am sure the Familists have not yet seen 1 Cor. 15.24 then commeth the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Then when the resurrection of the body shall be Then shall bee the end when he shall render up the Kingdome to the Father So the rendring up of the Kingdome to the Father which Saltmarsh faith pag. 72. is even now when the day dawneth and the Day-starre ariseth shall not bee till the end and till the generall Resurrection of all bee And therfore Saltmarsh misseth a step in his new devised order except he say with Libertines and Hen. Nicholas that the resurrection is to be exponed spiritually as Hymaeneus and Philetus said and there shall be no more resurrection nor day of judgement nor rendering of the Kingdome nor heaven nor hell but such as we see in this life as it is most like Saltm beleeveth with al the Nation of the Familists for the administration of the spirit is in this lif as wel as the ministration of Law and Gospel were in this life The Scripture speakes of the day of judgement as of a thing not yet come 2 Thess. 2.2 Let no man trouble you neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as that the day of Christ is at hand Then some by the spirit of Scripturelesse revelation â—s now Anabaptists and Familists have said the day of judgement was neere or begun in this life yea the Scripture saith It is a day appoynted of God Acts 17.31 and sheweth us the fore-going tokens of that day beyond which there is no more time nor Gospel as 1 Thess. 5.1 2. Matth. 24.22 23 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47. Matth. 25.31 46. 2 Pet. 3.1.2 3 10 11 12 13 1 Cor. 15.24 25 26. And what needed the Holy Ghost bid us watch and be sober and beware that that day come not on us unawares and tell us if we have not oyle in our Lamps at that nick of time whâ—n the shout shall be given that the Bride-groome is entred in his chamber Matth. 25. there is no more place for repentance or buying oyle or any possibility of salvation when that day is once come because if the day of judgement bee now and the rendring up the Kingdome to the Father bee in this life how is it that so many daily repent and escape out of the snare of the Devill And the market of buying oyle in this life is not passed For Peter Act. 8. willeth Simon Magus while he liveth to repent and sue for pardon And so the time of the offered Gospel and the day of judgement cannot be both together Paul could never sâ—y 1 Cor. 3. I could not write to you as to spirituall but as to caâ—nall except he meant that he wrote to some spiritual man nor could he say the spiritual man discerneth al things except the last ministration which is the spirituall ministration were begun in the time that Paul wrote to the Corinthians and then began the ministration of the Spirit and our seeing of the Lord with open face 2 Cor. 3. and so then was the rising of the dead the rendring of the Kingdom to the Father And where are wee now If the dâ—â—d have beene a rising now these fifteene hundreth yeaâ—es and a dying all this 〈◊〉 For Saltmarsh asâ—ured uâ—â—hat the 〈◊〉 of the Kingdome is not in the end of 〈◊〉 â—orld when the fulâ—â—sâ—e of â—ime or ages is come but it is a 〈…〉 in parts till the fulnesse of the stature of 〈…〉 Ephes. 4.11 12 13. that we meete all in heaven and the Lord Jesus his mystâ—cal body be filled up and perfected and so long as Pastors teachers and a ministery shall bee on earth and when this shall be the scripture telleth when the end shall câ—me 1 Cor. 15.24 and when all rule power and Authority shall bee put downe and Christs enemies subdued and when all things shall be
subdued Now this is not in this life 5 That Saltmarsh and his Spiritualists should stay under the ministration of Ordinances of preaching praying beleeving hearing reading or that they should preach is as unlawfull as for Lot to remaine in Sodome But when is there a ministration that Peter Paul and beleevers in this life should pray no more when they are to pray continually to heare and read no more when John saith they are blessed who read and Christ that they are blessed who heare and doe and they are to watch to the end to grow in grace CHAP. XX. Of the ceasing of Ordinances since the Apostles dyed as Saltmarsh teacheth SInce Antichrist now reigneth and Prophets Apostles Evangelists are no more there is no warrant to labour a reformation like the Apâ—stolicke times God hath no where said hee will have them restored but he aimes at a pure spiritual worship more glorious than that of the Apostles when there shall be no Temple nor Ordinances â—nd that place Ephes. 4 Till we all meet in the unity of Faith is till hee fill all things 1 â—or who 〈◊〉 perfect the Saints but Christ Apostles cannot doe it and we 〈◊〉 no Apostles now nor any of the pure gifts of the holy Ghost Doth the scripture any where speak of Apostles Evangelists Prophets only for the first age and Pastors and teachers onely for the ages after And that of Matth. 28. Lo I am with you to the end of the world is if more clearely translated to the finishing of the age or that age of ministration pag. 108 109 110 111. Answ. It cannot bee denyed but Antichrist reigneth but where in false Doctrine in the Protestant Churches It is most false Wee have separated from Babylon Nor is it true that Saltmarsh saith locall separation is Legall and Jewish and hath begotten strife and abated love p. 53. For separation out of Babylon cannot be Jewish when the Lord hath expresly commanded the Christians come out of her my people and a Church-separation where there is nothing found as to come out from the unclean Family of Love is Christian not Jewish except we should communicate with the unfruitfull workes of darkenesse and not care to defile our garments And Familists separation from Protestant Churches upon their owne ground must be fleshly legall and Jewish and hath begotten much 〈◊〉 and abated love But any outward performance or duty done out of conscience of a command even not to goe to Masse not to worship Jdols is legall to Familists if wee doe it not upon the impulsion of the Spirit separated from the command as for corruption in conversation if that be the reigne of Antichrist our separation I confesse is to scarce then must he reigne more in Familists the uncleanest of sects then in the truely godly who hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans 2 Familists and Seekers would have no Churches reformed according to the Apostlick paterne because they think the Apostles legall and Jewish men and they judge all externals and outward Ordinances as hearing baptisme praying to bee Jewish and legall and hold that love is all And another commandement there ought not to be Upon this ground I judge Antinomians say this is the only gospel-worke and way to beleeve and there is no sinne but unbeliefe adultery murther sodomy covenant-breach perjury treacherie of Armâ—es Servants to Masters are sinnes before men onely but not against God and in these we are obliged by no Law but to please one another in love adultery is against no obligation of command Saltmarsh free grace 193 74.14â— 154. Town 39.40 Honey-combe 95.37 Den sermon of the man of sin 9 10. 3 Another more pure and spirituall and more glorious Ministration where love all spirit reignes then is warranted by the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles wee know not Yet Saltmarsh pag. 194 195. condemneth the Assembly of Divines the seven Churches of the Anabaptists their confession and reformation because they indevour a Reformation only in some outward Ordinances and not any purer or more glorious discoveries of God or union with the spirit or glory Why and what cause is there For these new discoveries and new lights of a more pure and glorious spirit are either warranted by the Word of God in the Old and New Testament or they are not warranted If the first be said the Assembly and Reformed Churches Calvin and Luther whom Saltmarsh carpeth at as p. 107. darke legall and Jewish reformers because they loved not the Spirit of the Family of Love ought to have gone no further on to reform or measure the Temple then according to the golden Reed of the word of God But Saltmarsh cannot away with any reformation but such as setteth up a firmament of new lights especially of Antinomian and Familisticall wild-fire to shine to men and we confesse we indeavour no new discoveries of that kinde for they are not known to the Apostles such as that the justified cannot sinne their Adultery is no Adultery they are as free of any indwelling sin as Jesus Christ. 2 They are not to be touched in Conscience for sin 3 Nor to crave pardon 4 Nor to doe any duty because commanded in the Law 5 Nor to beleeve that Christ died for sinners rose for their righteousnesse 6 Or to pray continually 7 To heare 8 To be baptized with Water c. Answ. 1. Paul saith 1 Cor. 2.1 He determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified then Paul knew no discovery or new light nor any more spirituall way that is all spirit and a dispensation beyond the Law and that of the Prophets and beyond the Gospel which is that of the Spirit all spirit and pure spirit For Paul would have no doubt desired to know it yea all other things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what-ever they bee are dung and losse to him in comparison of the super-excellent knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord Phil. 3.2 John the Apostle who saw so many Divine revelations and discoveries of the spirit if any man else must bee above Law and Gospel and up at this highest and most spiritual discovery But John even in his actual visions and spiritual ravishments Revel 1.10 was never beyond sinning and a capacity of exhortations consolations and rebukes for Idolatry as is cleare Revel 1.16 17. Revel 19.10 Revel 22.8 9. Then there can be no such pure and spiritual dispensation to the Saints in this life as is beyond all ordinances of exhortation consolation rebukes for the Holy ghost telleth us that John in the discoveries of God that are most spiritual had need of these Feare not I am the first and the last and see thou doe it not I am thy fellow-servant worship God 2 It will be found that the anoynting and the holy spirit that leads in truth leadeth by no other meanes then by the word preached Rom. 10.14 Esa. 59.19 20 21. But if these new discoveries be not warranted
Gospel his Kingdome had an end above fourteen hundred years agoe 6. Now to all this we must say Christs order is strange First he led his people through the Law then to a purer and more glorious Gospel-dispensation and say Familists to a pure spirituall way of all Spirit And yet after his ascension and ceasing of Apostles he led them by a retrograde motion and â—ook away all ordinances of the preached Word all Seales all Preachers and witnesses all Churches and they have ben so under a darker then a Law-dispensation these fourteen hundred yeares and shall bee till men of the Family stamp shall arise even men that are all pure spirit such as H. Nicholas and Mr. Dell Randall and Saltmarsh who teach that beleevers cannot sinne nor confesse sinne nor are to walke in any Commandement of God nor after any Ordinance of Word covenant of Grace Seales Faith Prayer c. 16. In this most pure most spirituall manifestation of God saith he pag. 36. all shall be spirituall Disciples This ministery is of the whole body of the Saints not of one Tribe or sort of men page 51 52. and that immediatly in all gifts and operations without studying or industry Answ. Here 1. all distinction of Church-Officers which Paul saith shall endure till we all meet in the unity of Faith Eph. 4.11 12. and is proven from the order Christ hath established that some not all shall be Apostles and Teachers 1 Cor 12.28 29. and onely those that are sent Rom. 10.14 and onely such as have such and such operations in Christs body 1 Corinth 12.19 Rom. 12.4 But it is apparent Familists dreame of a dispensation when either Christ shall not be head and have no body and the Familists so denude him of his headship or if Christ have a body then all the members have the same Office contrary to Rom. 12.4 and all the body is one member and so no body at all 1 Cor. 12.19 and when there shall be none to obey in the Lord and none to command contrary to 1. Thess. 5.12 13. Heb. 13.7.17 Tit. 1.5 7 8 9 10. 2. There is a cleare contradiction in this That all shall be Teachers and Edifiers and yet there shall be none to be taught and edified No Temple no Ordinances they are fleshly and Jewish carnalities none but all Spirit and taught of God page 88 89. page 72 73. page 66 67. 3. A time in this life there must bee when Timothy shall give no attendance to reading and yet be a Prophet and all men and women shall preach the Gospel without studying Now the Scripture speaketh of no such time and we cannot take such a poynt upon tradition from Familisis 17. The Christian is and was saith he 93 94. under Prelacy Presbytery Baptisme Independency c. Why not under Popery Socinianisme Arrianisme Judaisme and the profession of all these For they are Christians beleevers and saved under all Religions by H. Nicholas his grounds who saith we may deny Christ and Religion before men 2. Saltmarsh saith p. 100 101. under all these Religions he excludes not Gentilisme if they wait to come up to higher revelations of the Spirit when discovered they are true and spirituall Disciples of Jesus Christ. This is grace universall given to every man to gain and purchase by his industry and honest merit more and more of Christ till he come to the highest measure of all spirit It is known H. Nicholas established a righteousnesse by the Law and workes CHAP. XXI The Doctrine of Saltmarsh and Familists touching Magistracy and Spirituall discerning of Saints amongst themselves MAgistracie saith he p. 135. is a power ordained of God an Image of the power and judgement committed to Christ Scripture and the gift of wisdome justice and righteousnesse are his unction now Page 138. They are set up more specially to minister peace and judgement to Gods people in the flesh Then Nero the great Turk the Indian Kings being ordained of God Rom. 3.1 as the image of Christ must be his submediators and under Deputies little spirituall Kings and Prophets and Priests under Chrâ—â—t as Mediator And who gave the Scriptures the Law written Gospel and such an unction to the Indian Kings for they are Magistrates The man cannot speak of Christian Magistrates for Rom. 13. which he citeth speaketh of Nero whose head was dry from all unction of the Gospel or new Testament If the Magistrate be an Image of Christs power and that power committed to him they may under the Mediator Christ ministerially judge of the doctrine preached by Ministers if true or false And if they be set up to minister justice more specially to Gods people in the flesh then the people of God in the Spirit and in all Spirit as Saltmarsh saith most of them all are shall be under no Magistrate but this he saith of all page 288 293 200 201 202 c. And by this every Magistrate must be a Christian â—f an image of the Mediators power or then no Christian or spirituall man can be a Magistrate 2. They are set up to minister justice to the people of God in their flesh But these that are spirituall having no flesh how are they under Magistrates The flesh is to Saltmarsh that which is under Law not under grace then Saints are no more under Magistrates then under the Law to him and when they are not under the sword of the Spirit or any ordinances are they under the steel sword of the Magistrate And what judgement minister they to Saints in whom there is no more sinne nor in Christ And is a beleever obliged to confesse murder paricide adultery to a Magistrate who is a man and to crave him pardon when Saltmarsh saith he is not to confesse any sinnes to God page â—92 He seeâ—s to grant Magistracie and so do the Familists in their petition to King James But it was their doctrine there should be no Magistrate 141 142. 19. Spirituall men may know each other in Spirit and in Truth as men know men by the voyce features statures of the outward man An. T is true there is a spiritual instinct that will try the spirits but dul in many cannot go in to election reprobation nor doe Seekers and Familists any other thing then take their marks by the Moone when they say Presbyterians Divines of the Assembly to their spirits are the Antichrist the false Prophet 2 Familists will have none judged Hereticks because none can see whether they be truly Godly and selfe-condemned that hold such Doctrines Here they say they know one another whether they be Saints or Hereticks to be avoyded as one man by sense knoweth another 3 Let us judge none before the day tares grow and goe for wheat even to the most spirituall 4 The Familists of New England take on them to judge who are elect and who are reprobate and Saltmarsh wil have one Saint to know another
as well as we know one another by voyce features statures of the outward man then must the light of this new spirit be as certaine as our knowledge by sense why then are we bidden try the spirits and beleeve not every spirit Peter sayth he pag. 150 151 152. walked in his fleshly appearance with his sword not knowing God was to call him out of that dispensation of the flesh to more glory into the same glory he had with God before the world was Eye for eye and wars are from the Law and legal principles Ans. Peter was not called to the glory that Christ had with his father before the world was in this life so long as his flesh needed the defence of a sword except heaven and the resurrection be in this life while we are clothed with flesh as Familists teach 2 Sinlesse Gallesse selfe-defence and defensive warres without malice desire of revenge are perpetuall morall duties under the Gospel oblieging the most spirituall man by the sixt Commandement thou shalt not murther to defend his owne and brothers life from unjust violence Eph. 5.28 1 Chro. 12.1.2.22.36 1 Sam. 26.2 2 Kings 6.32 1 Sam 14.44 Pro. 24.11 So Fortunius Garcias Comment in l. ut vim vi ff de justit jure So the Law l. Gener. c. de decur l. 10. l. si alius § bellissime ubique gloss in vers c. Ferdin Vasquez illustr question l. 1. c. 8.11.18 the Gospel the spirit looseth no man from the Law of nature thou shalt not murther 2 Eye for eye was a judicial Law falsly exponed by the Pharisees to maintatne hatred of our enemie and private revenge which both Law and Gospel forbids 3 If because we are clothed with flesh we may not in an innocent way defend our selves as the wormes and all beasts doe but the Gospel must forbid this the Gospel must forbid to eat drink sleepe cloth our selves 4 Saltmarsh in this condemneth Christians and Familists to beare armes or to be Magistrats the contrary of which is their daily practice preserve thy selfe and deny thy selfe are nor contrary as Saltmarsh imagineth pag. 160. nor did God ever command contraries in Law and Gospel CHAP. XXII The highest discovery Familists have of Christ to wit that he is a man only figuratively not true man OF the highest last discovery of God to man saith Saltm 201. They say speakinge of Familists Adam was a way by which God preached first to man and was not the first man in whom all stood and fell but a way by which this mystery of God was made to appeare first to the creation and Adam held forth nature or a part of this creation in communion with God as to grace and love while hee stood and another part of the creation or nature out of communion with God as to love and grace he should say as to no love no grace but in communion or union to God as to Law and Justice thus they interpret these scriptures of mans first glory fall lesse in the very letter and more in the mystery and in this twofold state were all the rest Cain and Abel c. They say the Gospel or fulnesse of time of the clearer discoverie of this mystery was the Lorâ— Jesus himselfe or God manifested in the flesh or as in one man a figure of the whole mystery as to grace and love or God in flesh or in his or of God in that other part of his creation his Church or Saints And all that Christ did from his childhood to his crucifing death and crosse was a discovery of God by this figure in the whole mystery how God is in all his how he works hath his times of law and of graces and gospel of crucifing and offering up all to death through the eternall spirit which is the blood of the everlasting Covenant or Seale whereby God witnesseth to his people that he is their God and they his people by killing all the strength and life and power of the first creation and carrying it up into a more excellent life his own Spirit And so all Christs birth growing submitting to ordinanecs crucifying death buriall resurrection ascension were so many discoveries as to us in the flesh of the whole mystery of God in the Saints made out in these parts and degrees and severall ages and conditions to shew how God weakens and brings to nothing the life of nature or of this creation in which he will dwell and make his Tabernacle and carry it up into a higher and more excellent life even himselfe and his own glory So as they say all that is spoken of Christ as in that person that was born of a virgin who was crucified dead and buried risen and ascended is spoken in figure in a mystâ—ry an â—llegory not in Christ as a true reall man of the 〈…〉 into which God enters or is born into the world and so 〈…〉 along with him through severall adminiâ—trations into 〈◊〉 Answ. In all this observe a greater and higher mystery of Familists then in Antinomians though they be birds of the same nest Saltmarsh speakes of them in the third person that he may seem not to own them but they are his own Sparkles of vain glory while as he would speake his Antinomianisme and Familisme in so high mysterious suâ—lime a strain so farre above and beyond the Lâ—tter and written Scripture that Mr. Gattaker and those whom he calleth Legaliâ—ts doe not understand him page 320 3â—1 The same very thing saith Calvin of Libertines They used straâ—ge and dark language so prating of Spirituall things that they could not be understood Instruct. adveâ—s Libertinos cap 3. in Opusâ— p 435. Caeterum obscuro peregrino sermone utebantur ut de rebus spiritualibus obâ—annientes minimè intelligi possent Libertini But lest this high and last discovery of the Spirit should not be known to all the Familists of England he will reveale it them and in print too to all Legalists whereas before we heard Familists reveale their secrets but to some few of the perfectâ—â—â— of their own Tribe So H. Nicholas tels us Exhor 1. c. 6. Sect. 5.7 8 9. And in his Elidad Sect. 5. But 1. there is nothing of the first Adams sinne imputed to us that is plainly denied They say Adam was a way that is a figure mystery or example by which God preached first to man Law Justice and Wrath and was not the first man in whom all stood and fell What then He was not a materiall man at all it was no tree no fruit no eating materiall or bodily For all that is according to the Familists way to expone the word in the letter and flâ—sh not in the Spirit For saith he thus they interpret 〈◊〉 Scriptures of mans first glory and fall lesse in the very Letter and more in the mystery So to expone all the histories of the first Adam and of Christ not in the
is no Rule and if so in all the sinnes committed by Christians be they never so heyâ—ous the Christian sinnes not for he goâ—s against no Law noâ— any obligiâ—g Commandement CHAP. XXIV Of the Indulgence of sinning under Law and Gospel granted by the Familists GOd had a time before Christ came in the Spirit as he had before Christ came in the flesh in which he suffered with patience their sinnes so now under Episcopacie Independency Presbytery he useth much forbearance but he hath a time in which he will judge the world and destroy Antichrist and then shall all the Saints Indulgencies cease to all these things under which they are walking some in conscience some in liberty Sparkles 251 252 253. Answ. The Scripture speaketh of no Indulgency to sinning after the revealed Gospel because after his ascension he came both in the flesh and Spirit and men have no excuse for their sins Acts 14.16 Acts 17.30 In times of ignorance God winked but now even in Pauls time he commands all to repent 2 Cor. 6.2 Behold now is the day of salvation And Rom. 13.12 Now the night is far spent and the day is at hand The Gospel day is dawn a day of the Spirit beyond the Gospel day the Scripture knoweth not except the incomming of the Jews which is a Gospel day in which the Moon light shall bee as the Sunne in his full strength 2. Here is a new Familistical day of judgement begun in this life and why not also the Libertine and Nicolaitan resurrection in this life 3. Sinning in conscience and liberty excuseth no sinne nor can Saints sinne at all in the Antinomian way as is proven and shall be hereafter God willing Now under Episcopâ—cie must God give dispensations to Prelâ—ticall Saintâ— under that Antichristian ministration to bow to Altars and 〈◊〉 to all their Popery that now they professe and practice and they sin not in that case yea and such walk with God in all â—is removes p. 316. and in all outward religious Administrations page 314. and even following Popery CHAP. XXV Familists will have us to be very Christ or Christed and Godded 25 SOme say CHRIST in us is no other then the habit of grace and such a work of sanctification wrought by the graces of the Spirit and this they say is CHRIST formed in us This the Protestant Generally Others say CHRIST in us is when we are made the anointed of God which is Christ or the whole intire Christ as one spirituall new man 1 Cor. 12.12 and that the Image of Christ in us is Christ manifested in our flesh as to sufferings and death whereby the flesh is crucified in the power of God and of the Spirit the outward man or flesh dying daily and it is no more we that live but Christ manifested in us as in resurrection Sparkles 255 256. Answ. Saltmarsh here quits the Protestant but leaves him with a slander and blot that Christ in a Christian is but a habit of mortification but he speakes nothing of imputed righteousnesse and Christ living by faith in the heart which he knowes the Protestant teacheth to be Christ in the Saints the hope of glory 2. Hee takes him to H. Nicholas and makes every Saint one intire whole Christ and the whole mysticall body of the Catholick Church in every beleever 1 Cor. 12.12 that is every man is Christ and God manifested in the flesh and Godded with God and Christed with Christ in suffering and this is all the incarnation of God and crucifying of the Lord of glory that Saltmarsh will allow us But we beleeve Christ died and rose and in our flesh is sitting at the right hand of God and withall that in a spirituall manner he dwels in us by faith cloathing a sinner in his whites of glory and breathing living acting in him as in a Tabernacle a redeemed and graced palace which he will cast down and raise up at the last day and plaster and more then over-gold with finest purest glory This is Christ in us the hope of Glory CHAP. XXVI The Familists fansie of our passing from one ministration to another of higher glory in this life and the Lords Prayer and Christian Sabbath 27 THere is a fiery triall of the Spirit 1 Cor. 3.13.15 2 Pet. 3.10 Rev. 2.9 in which a Christian passing from Law to Gospel and from a Gospel state of graces gifts and ordinances to more glorious manifestations of God and all Spirit burneth and crucifieth all his former workes and ministrations as vile and nothing Answ. Law or Gospel-merit are daily to be burnt and trampled under foot and not only when we passe from Law to Gospel except men under the old Testament be saved by Law-righteousnesse 2. When we passe from Law to Gospel we leave shadowes and approach nearer to the Sunne and the night-torches of ceremonies are blown out because the day dawneth But that we are to admit new lights contradicent to the old is an untruth there was ever the same truth from the beginning 1 John 1.1 Jer. 6.16 Gen. 3.16 Heb. 13.8 neither Christ nor Truth weares out of fashion the matter is not thus It was not of old Confesse sinne and now it is sinne to Saints to confesse sinne Nor was it of old that David was justified by workes but now Paul is justified without workes by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ. Nor was it of old a pardoned man can sin and is forbidden to murther but now a pardoned man can not sin no written law forbids a Saint to murther Thus we burn no we crucifie no truths no acts of righteousnesse the grace of God commands them now as then Tit. 2.11.12 and never bad crucifie them Thus we wash our hands of new lights or rather new lies contradicent to old truths new and clearer manifestations of ancient Christ are our new lights 2. 1 Cor. 3. There is no passing from Law to Gospel the Law and Gospel-truths are never called Hay and Stubble and opposed to silver and gold truth is not opposed to truth 2. God burnes that trash law-merits we are to burn 3. That hay is laid upon a golden foundation Christ Law or Gospel-merits are not builded on Christ the Spirit expones not this text so as Saltmarsh doth 3. It is Saltmarsh his hap to misexpone all places for the last judgement and the resurrection of the body I dare say the Spirit of truth never minded his passing from one ministration to another 2 Pet. 3. the burning of the earth and the works of it is not mens burning of all their works For 1. Scoffers mock the last day and the promise of Christs comming but not the joyfull day of their passing from their scoffing merits selfe-righteousnesse to a new ministration of glory 2. Peter minded a reall not metaphoricall destroying of the world in Noahs time not with figurative but most reall waters and from that of burning the earth with fire really not figuratively
Revelations contrary to the woâ—d for the Scripture saith the justified person can sin must confesse sin because God is faithfull to forgive But Antinomians say the spirit that exponeth Scripture to them without arguing discoursing reasoning or comparing Scripture with Scripture but by an immediate revelation teacheth that the justified cannot sinne are not to confesse sinne and that they are no more to sorrow for sinne then â—o goe backe again to Legall bondage after they are justifiâ—d in Christ which is contradicent to the word of Truth and therefore such a spirit wee know not 11. The weaker are much dâ—lâ—ded by Sâ—ltmarsh and his if they beleeve a Spirit separated from thâ— Word CHAP. XXVIII Of our assurance and comfort from Acts of free Grace 33. THe pure rationall and glorious assurance of salvation comes from the pure manifestation of the Spirit bearing witnesse This is the white stone Rev. 2.17 The unction whereby we know all things 1 John 2.20 and the things freely given us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 There is assurance 1. by Reason or the meere light of nature and works of this creation as in Job and Cornelius but sure there is no salvation out of Christ. 2. By graces gifts or fruits of the Spirit selfe-deniall faith repentance and by the Letter Promises or outward Ordinances or duties this assurance is of no higher and clearer and more glorius certainty then God through these doth afford and that is darkly as the Apostle saith as in a glasse Paul Hobson who speaketh more congruously to Scripture then any of this way I read saith he speaking of our joy It is one thing to rejoyce in an act and another thing to draw our joy from an act It is one thing to rejoyce in our sutable walking up to a Rule another thing to draw our joy and refreshing from the apprehension of a sutablenesse betwixt the Act and the Rule Men may pray and mourne for sinne or perform any other particular duty and have much joy in that opportunity and yet not draw their joy from it but onely their joy is distilled from a sâ—cret in-come of Christ which carries them above it while they are acted in it but these poore soules they onely are joyfull when they see they act suitable to a Rule and they draw their joy from that suitablenesse which appeares in this that if their suitablenesse flagge their joy is destroyed I doe not say but that every sin eâ—ought to produce sorrow in us but it is one thing to mourn for sinne â—nâ—oying faith with peace and another thing to mourn for sin to confirm faith and to beget peace Answ. 1. I deny not but there is a pure and immediate assurance that floweth from the witnesse of the Spirit Rom. 8.16 2 Cor. 1 21 22. Eph. 1.13 14. So as the shining of the Suâ—ne maketh evidenâ— that it is day without a syllogisme and discourse and the seeing of the mother teacheth the Lamb without any argumentative light to follow the mother and to follow no other And the Sun-shine of glory on the soule teacheth it is in a state of happinesse with immediate light but I utterly deny that in every moment of time when the person beleeveth he is assured he is in the state of salvation for this reflect assurance is not essentiall to faith Many beleeve and say My God and yet complain that God forgetteth them and shuttâ—th up their prayers and casteth off their soule as is cleare in prayers put up to God in faith in which the Saints want assurance Psalm 22.1 2 Psalm 31.22 Jonah 2.4 Esay 49.14 15. Cant. 5.4 6.7 Cant. 3.1 2 3 4 5. 2. Many doubt and these both godly and learned of the immediate word and testimony of the Spirit they say it is from signes and effects of saving grace by which as by Arguments the Spirit testifies that we are the children of God as thus He that beleeves and loves the brethren and hath a hope causing a man to purifie himselfe is in the state of salvation But I am such an one therefore I am in the state of salvation Both the Major and Assumption may be witnessed by the Spirit of God and our own sense And the places alledged by Saltmarsh speak not of the way or the manner how the Spirit the white stone the â—unction doth teach us or bear witnes they onely say they beare witnes and teach but say nothing of the manner and if the Spirit teach us to know the things freely given to us of God and the annoynting teach us all things then far more doth the Spirits anointing teach us that we are the Sonnes of God because we love the Brethren because we beleeve and saith is our victory by which we overcome the world 3 There is assurance by reason of the meer light of nature and works of this Creation that there is a God and that hee rewardeth them that seeke him but that men have assurance of salvation or that they are in a state of salvation as Salâ—marsh his title of the Chapter intimateth or that Job and Cornelius have assurance or salvation by reason or the meer light of nature and works of this Creation is the new Divinity of Jesuits but hath no warrant in the Scriptures and that Job and Cornelius were voyd of all Gospell-revelation is contrary to Job 19.25 26.27 Act. 10.1 2 3 4 5 6.34 35 4 Far lesse was it ever heard that Protestants teach that men may have assurance of salvation from the mâ—er letter of scripture Saltmarsh fathers many untruths on Protestants to make his own way of all spirit taketh better with the people 5 I â—â—ove else where that the way of assurance by divers places of Scripture â—s rationâ—â—l and Argumentative and that most of all the Articles of our faith in the new Testament are proved 〈◊〉 from the old nor are the assurance of the spirit and â—ationâ—ll and argumentative discourses of the 〈◊〉 contrary one â—o another For the Holy spirit almost iâ— every 〈◊〉 of scripture is an arguing spirit and infers on conclusion from an antecedent and from an other conclusion 6 Nor did we ever teach men to build assurance on meer outward duties done without the grace of Christ. 7 Nor can the assurance by the immediate testimony of the spirit be more cleare and glorious then God doth afford light more then certainty by signes and effects can be 8 It is a wonder to me that Saltmarsh so undervalueth all assurances by effects and works of grace so as they assuâ—e us darkly as in a glasse Then the immediate Testimony of his all spirit must yeeld an higher â—vidence 〈◊〉 darkely and in a glasse this must be the light of the immediate vision of God in heaven Hence Familists will but have the day light of moâ—â—ing or noone day glory shinâ— on us in this life whereas the Apostle makes all the light we have in this life to be darke and in a
Protestant Christ that dyed and was crucified on Mount Calvarie and was buried in a new Tombe and rose the third day and ascended into heaven And p. 17. This is the Temple saith he speaking of the invisible Church which the Angel measures with a golden reed and the alter thereof or the eternall Spirit upon which all the first creation is offered in the Saints as it was offered in Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himself leaving out the outward court or the flesh and first creation and all outward ministrations which are given to the Gentiles to tread downe Ans. I feare that by nailing the creation to the crosse and offering it up to God when Christs flesh was offered up is meant that which H. Nicholas said Spiâ—land c. 56. sect 7. if a man would enter into life he must be taught in the service of love and unlearne againe all that he hath taken and learned to himselfe that is as Libertines said he must cast off the knowledge of good and all sense and knowledge of sin and as a childe know and feele neither adultery murther lying stealing nor acts of mercy justice chastity but have a conscience past feeling of both good and ill and this is the offering on the crosse the creation of God the crucifying of the naturall faculties of the soule and to unlearne all you once learned of Christ because it was literall fleshly and carnall and so to crucifie it is one of the first lessons that Familists teach their new disciples when they enter into the service of love H. Nicholas exhort c. 13. s. 9. Hee hath a good head that can take these giddy fleshly notions of Saltmarsh and can render the sense either of Gortyns booke or of this But it is cleare when Christ offered his life and body on the crosse to the Father for our sinnes he offered no flesh no true reall body to God through the eternall Spirit for in that offering saith he he left out the outer court and the flesh or the first creation and outward administrations then the crucifying of Christ in the flesh as the Scripture calleth it is but a dreame Saltmarsh saith That is the outward court the letter the flesh which all the Gentiles trample upon and these Protestants that beleeve Christ suffered according to the flesh are heathen and prophane men Christ in the flesh or under the Law is to Saltmarsh p. 195. the same with the literall Christ of David George not the spirituall true Messias Henry Nicholas said every creature in the first state of creation was God 34. c. sent 10. he hath now declared himselfe and his Christ together with all his Saints unto us his elect and also made a dwelling with us and brought even so unto us out of his holy being the most holy of his true tabernacle with the fulnesse of his garnishing and spirituall heavenly riches to an everlasting fast standing Jerusalem and house for Gods dwelling according to the Scripture To be made partakers of the divine nature according to Familists sense is to be of the substance nature and essence of God and to live with the true being and very life of God It is true Familists say in words they meane not that the creature is the Creator nor that man is God because man saith Randal in a Sermon is vanity and a lye but not man as created or renewed to the image of God and let the Reader judge if Saltmarsh in his sparkles of glory delivers not the same doctrine speaking of two Creations or two natures of flesh and spirit p. 3. While man was thus in the image of God and stood and lived in communion with God walking in that paradise or that glory of his first creation in obedience to God and participation of God he was the image of all or any created excellency as it was or is or shall be in order to a more excellent life to a life out of it selfe in him who is the fountaine of life Saltmarsh cannot meane that man was created in a participation of God in the sense that Protestants meane in regard of the image of God but with H. N. in regard of the godly being wherewith man was godded and diefied at the beginning And p. 6. Saltmar phraseth with H. Nicholas Now all this excellency and glory of the first man did leave God being tempted of the woman and the Serpent which were a figure of fleshly wisdome without God and of the weaknesse of this creation in its owne nature as it was drawne away from its life in God and communion with God to live in its selfe or owne life or to be its selfe what God should have been wisdome and life righteousnesse and power and strength and preservation and all things If Saltmarsh mean with Protestants that Adam did leave his morall or spirituall being and living in and with God while he yet stood in the state of innocency why doth he not speak with Protestants for this is nothing but Adam lost the image of God but not his life being as he came from the hands or as it were out of the shop of the Creator in which he was moulded according to the image of God But I fear Saltm both speaketh and hath the same sense with H. Nicholas that Adam lost his life and lost the very created being and holy selfe which was the very substance and nature of God and now having fallen into sinne he falls into selfe and lives in selfe seperated as touching the essentiall dependency of a creature from God and lost his substantiall selfe and being which is a peece and substantiall parcell of God For Familists say that Adam or an Angel should have ascribed being power or any thing to it selfe was sinne and nothing else but the devill and denying selfe or substantiall being had beene in Adam and was in him his standing in innocencie and to arrogate to selfe being and living was a sinne and a leaving of God So Theolo Germanica and Saltmarsh p. 14. sparkles All the life or excellency of his first creation is crucified in the Saints as in Christ whereby they enter into their glory as he did into his and are in thâ— same glory of God made one as he and the Father are one Joh. 17. The life or being of the first creation as it is a part of God or the sinlesse workmanship of God is not crucified in the Saints as in Christ for in the Saints only sin is crucified and that spiritually by the merit and efficacie of Christs death and his Spirit the naturall being and life of the Saints as they are living men consisting of soule and body is not crucified but no sinne nor lusts nor dominion of sinne were in Christ to be crucified but hee laid downe his naturall reall life and blood as a ransome satisfactory to the justice of God for our sinnes But this deceiver meaneth that Christs anihilating on
for sinnes that Christ hath so blotted out that they have neither name being nor nature of sinnes is unlawfull and we are obliged by no Commandement of God say they to duties the Spirit maketh us willing but the word and Spirit are not contrary as we conceive the Spirit doth oblige as it goes along with the obliging word for if ye commit murther or lie say they being justified yee sinne not but the flesh in you 2. Wee are not guilty therein because the Spirit acted us not to forbeare 3. It was pardoned and remitted before it was committed and so hath neither name nor nature of sinne for the right end of duties we know no other but to glorifie God to be land-marks or a way to our countrey and to testifie we love our Redeemer we make them not one penny of payment for heaven â— I am not against the settlement of Church-government prudently as now Ans. If Prudential-government be from Christ and his Testament it is not enough not to be against Christ but ye must be with him if it be not of Christ the more shame to you and all your way not to be against that which hath not Christ for its Father and Authour 2 The King of the Church in all substantials hath set out a plat-forme in his word Humane prudence is too bold to prescribe to Christ how he should rule his House But this way Saltmarsh is not against the Church-government of Rome by Popes Cardinals Patryarchs Metropolitans Arch-Bishopes and the Government abjurd in his Covenant for these be prudential Church-governments 3 It is a wide Familisticall conscience to teach there is no Church no ministry no preaching no censures now on earth as you and all Seekers doe and yet not to bee against a Church-government in a prudential way in which the Magistrate sits as a Church-Officer to judge But this is the detestable Neutrality of Antinomians in all Religions to be neither hot nor cold this nor that 6 Nor is this any cause or reason why Saltmarsh should not be against the Prudentiall Government of mans devising because God hath his people under severall attaintments and measures as in Queen Maries Martyrdome for then because God hath saved some under Prelacie some under Poperie yea before Christs comming some under Gentilisme as Saltmarsh thinketh of Job for then Saltmarsh and Familists should not be against the settlement of Prelaticall Government and of their Romish Ceremonies not against Popish and Heathenish Prudentiall and Idolatrous Church-Government I thinke then Saltmarsh will be any thing in externals Paganish Popish or Prelatical no wonder then that Familists in their Petition raile against Puritans for none-conformity and professe in their Petition to King James their obedience to all the Prelaticall will-worship CHAP. XXXI Saltmarsh and Familists teach that there is salvation in all Religions I Am onely against a forme as it becomes an Engine of persecution c. Ans. So Saltmarsh here opens a great mystery of Familisme which is Liberty of conscience and salvation under all Religions for if any forme of Religion never so sound be commanded even by a Law of God and ratified politically by a Law of man and none left free to mens owne Spirit as to the only binding rule though it be a Spirit of Sathan it is no lawfull Religion to Saltmarsh Now that this is his minde is cleare from that he saith Spark 171 172. In books of controversie we can but set letter to letter and Scripture to Scripture and argument to argument and nothing can be judged till the day or time of more revelation of truth till the Holy Ghost and fire sit upon each of us trying every mans worke and burning up that in us which is hay and stubble in which words beside that Saltm judgeth and condemneth himselfe in writing this same booke of Controversie in favour of the Familists condemning in expresse words the Protestants in all the articles of their faith he will have no man to see truth or to judge any otherwise or know what he beleeves but by conjectures till the day of revelation come that he turne Familist and become all Spirit and all glory so all the Protestants that are not Familists set but letter to letter and are literall legalists and have no certainty what they beleeve and when this Spirit commeth he teacheth not by the word setting letter to letter and Scipture to Scripture but by immediate inspiration above and beyond the word 2. This Spirit even having come upon Saltmarsh as hee plainly saith p. 68. And in his Epistle to the Parliament p. 2.3 does but dictate to him errors hay and stabble that must be consumed for if he so do when he hath taught these toyes hee teacheth the contrary the next day what a spirit is this 3. If the Scripture be not the judge of controversies by setting letter to letter Scripture to Scripture understood according to the naturall and genuine grammaticall sense which the words yeeld without constraint then is the Scripture as Scripture and in its native sense a nose of wax and hath no native sense but wee are to expect a higher spirituall allegorick sense then the letter can beare that from the Spirit We have by this way then no certain rule of faith the unâ—â—able then may lawfully wrest the scripture to their own desâ—ruction Paul proveth Jesus to be the true Messiah and that convincingly he confounded the Jewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confuting them that they were confounded in their mind and strongly proved with violence and strength of Scripture light that this is the Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 9.22 and Christ remitteth the Jews to the Scriptures as the judging rule Act. 5.39 If the Scriptures be so dark uncertain doubt some to naturall men void of the Spirit ye shall not convince Cain by the 6. Commandement that he is a murtherer nor Achan by the 8 Command that he is a theef nor Ananias that he is a lyar All may say the Spirit hath the coÌ„trary sense that truly by this way And in the following words he would not be against an Assembly or Synod at Westminster though he deny there is any such Ordinance of God now as Synod or Ministers or Church if they would minister as they have received that is propound to all the Kingdome he saith not all the Churches what they are perswaded of in their conscience and leave it without compulsion to the Spirit of God to perswade for this were true liberty where we see to minister as we receive 1 Pet. 4.10 to Saltmarsh is to teach and propound to others and walke themselves and accordingly beleeve as they have received that is according as they are perswaded in their conscience then if the Assembly of Divines were perswaded in their consciences that to one man to have fifteen wives at once as John of Leyden and his beleeved and that the Alcaron were the
and the blowing of the last Trumpet 52. and the swallowing up of death in victory 55 56 57. as if all these should come to passe in this life agreeable to this saith H. N. Evangel ch 35. se 9. In which resurrection of the dead God sheweth unto us that the time is now fulfilled that his dead or the dead which are fallen asleepe in the Lord rise up in this day of his judgement and appeare unto us in godly glory which shall also henceforth live in us everlastingly with Christ and reigne upon the earth wherein the Scripture commeth to be fulfilled in this present day And Saltm willeth these that are as spirituall as himself and his Familists to beleeve this and receive it that is except we make shipwracke of faith and say the resurrection is past in this life as did Hymeneus and Philetus wee are all legall literall men and void of the Spirit 2. Saltmarsh is unwilling to contradict the truth of God 1 Cor. 15.24 too openly to wit that in the end the Kingdome shall be delivered up Now whether this be meant of Christs reigning no more in his Church in this life by Ordidinances or as Chrysostome doth expound the place it be the rendering up to the Father his conquâ—isâ—d and purchased people as it is most agreeable to Eph. 5.27 I dispute not now but Saltmarsh saith faintly This is not only done on the whole body of Christ at the last but also here He dares not say this rendering up is not onely at the last day but also in this life yet the Apostle is cleare he thought of no rendering up of the Kingdome in this life as Saltmarsh by this new spirit supposeth for the text is cleare v. 22.23 every man shall rise againe from the dead Christ first and then his members 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then is the end when he shall deliver up the Kingdome to the Father Then there is no rendring up till the dead in Christ be raised v. 23.24 but the dead in Christ in their bodies of which undoubtedly the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 15.1 2 3 4 c. doe not rise in this life 2. This rendering up is not till the end then shall the end be 3. It is when all rule and authority shall be put downe v. 27. This is not in this life 4. It is when the last enemy shall be subdued 26. 5. When God shall be all in all 28. These are not in this life therefore Saltm dreames Saltmarsh Sparkles p. 165. Jer. 38 2. He that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live but if yee stay in the City yee shall be consumed this is a figure of abiding no longer under any dispensation Law Christ in the flesh Gospel Spirit then God and his presence appeares upon it Ans. We know not this Spirit that dreames of phansied types and allegories without shadow of reason in the holy Scripture wee have no ground to beleeve that the Holy Ghost intends any thing of this kinde only Saltmarsh his Popish Spirit saith so the Scripture is silent Saltmarsh pag. 145.147 148. he saith Mal. 3. ver 18. Ye shall discorne betweene the righteous and the wicked proveth the Spirit of discerning by which we shall know false teachers Antichrists as in the Apostolicke Church and who feares God truely who not as the sense knows its object Answ. By this Familists deny the spirits and hereticks are to be judged by the word but that man is the Hereticke the Legalist though never so heavenly if he be a Puritan the spirit of Familists discerns him to be a Cain or a Judas 2 The place of Malachie is this ver 14 15. Ye say it is in vaine to serve the Lord and there is no reward for it But serve ye God and ye shall finde in your owne experience a reward and comfortable fruit in differencing betweene him that serveth God and serveth him not for ch 4.1 Christs trying day cometh Saltmarsh also sparkles p. 70 71. abuseth these Scriptures Gal. 41. and 1 Cor. 3.1.2 He applyeth the former to the Disciples of Christ under Johns ministery and Christs in the flesh but these words The Heire so long as he is a child differeth not from a servant though he be Lord of all Touch not the times of John Baptist or of Christ in the dayes of his flesh though in these times the Ceremonies were still in vigor but the Heir under nonage and Tutors Gal. 4. is the Church of the Jews under the bondage of the Law and the Ceremonies thereof and the Rudiments of the World it was not the Holy Ghosts mind to speake of Christ in the flesh as a Mosaicall Lawgiver or that his heavenly Sermons he preached Matth. 5. Matth. 23. John 10. Joh chapters 13 14 15 16. his heavenly Prayer John 16. hâ—s death and sufferings and resurrection was a dispensation to be layd aside as the tutory of the law and beggerly Ceremonies Sabbath and shadows he speaketh of Gal. 4. for then the Apostles in vaine call us to mind of the words and commandements of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as hee commanded them to doe Matth. 28.19 20 21. 1 John 1.1 2 3 4. 2 Pet. 1.15 16 17 18 19. and though Christ promised at his ascending to send the Spirit this was not to abolished the doctrine of John and that which Christ had taught them in the dayes of his flesh for of that Spirit he promiseth to send he saith Joh. 14.16 Yee know that Spirit for he dwelleth in you for the present and shall be in you in a larger measure when I shall send him Act. 2. But Familists and Antinomians must have no ministration of the Spirit till Christ ascended to heaven And for the other place Paul 1 Cor. 3.1.2 calleth the Corinthians carnall and could not write to them as spirituall not because they were under the doctrine of Iohn Baptist and Christ as Saltmarsh dreameth for that doctrine taught no carnall divisions but he calleth them carnall on this ground v. 3.4 Whereas there is among you envying strife and divisions are ye not carnall and walke as men For while one saith I am of Paul another I am of Apollo are ye not carnall if the Apostle call the Corinthians carnall as Saltmarsh saith because they were under the doctrine of John Baptist and Christ in the flesh of which there is not a syllable in that text or in all the Scripture then must Christ and John Baptist have taught their hearers striving envying schismes and one to say I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo which is blasphemous Now it is against sense and reason that ever God ordained any ministration so carnall as that these under it were carnall because of their striving and envying Saltmarsh tells us as I observe every man should stay under the ministration he is in till the Spirit say come up hither then Paul calleth the Corinthians to abide in this carnality of
envying striving and schisme till the Lord say come up hither whereas he sharply rebuketh them for their envying and schismes Now if for envying and schisme the Corinthians bee carnall as no doubt they were carnall in so far and if therefore under the ministration of Christ in the flesh and not under all Spirit upon some other considerations they must have been spirituall and so under the all-Spirit or pure glorious spirit of M. Saltmarsh for as they are called carnall so also spirituall 1 Cor. 1.10 11 12 13 14. washen justified sanctified in the name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.11.15.19 changed into the same spirit from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 espoused to one husband Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 let Saltmar answer if none of these were converts that are called carnall for their envying 2. whether one part of this Church were under Johns and Christs Ministery some under all-spirit 1 Cor. 1. Christ sent me not to baptise but to preach Then hee baptised according to his spirituall liberty to the Jew he was a Jew p. 82. Ans. Hee sent not Paul to baptise rather then to preach for Paul baptised 1 Cor. 14.16 then he did it as sent but it is a tricke of Familists to comply with all Religions and deny the true Religion where there is hazard as H. Nicholas said Epist. to the two daughters of Warwick and call that compliance the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free 2. Then baptizing with water was a part of Pauls Ministery which Saltmarsh denyes The spirits of just men made perfect or the true Christian in spirit are these true spirituall Elders in the New Testament Ans. The spirits made perfect are the glorified in heaven associated with the Angels Heb. 12.22 But Saltmarsh will have life eternall confined within this life only to the Elders of the New Testament that is as I conceive Elders of the family of love The true triall of the gifts is when the spirits of Prophets are subject to the Prophets that is when the gift by which any one speakes of Jesus Christ is manifested in the hearts or spirits of the Saints when they see the truths they minister as they are in Jesus and in themselves and in them that are spirituall and truly anointed by the same Spirit 91 92. Ans. Such a subjection to the Prophets hath no warrant in the Text for it supposeth none to be Prophets but those that are inwardly anointed and manifest their spirit of Prophesie to the anointed only as if the anointed may not take him for an anointed Prophet who is only gifted and void of saving grace So H. Nich. Exhor 1. c. 16. No man can rightly according to the truth of the holy Scripture or according to the spirituall understanding of the godly wisdome deale in or use the true Gods service nor should take in hand to busie himselfe therein but only the illuminated Elders in the godly wisdome which walke in the house of love c. 〈…〉 nothing in this triall of his aptnesse to teach 〈…〉 in the Scriptures 〈◊〉 p 272 They did all drinke the same spirituall drinke that is the Ordinances of the Old Testament were as much spirituall as these of the New and signified Christ in the flesh But he concludes be not yee Idolaters that is idolize not outward formes the rocke baptisme 271. these both of Old and New Testament are alike outward letter visible and perish with the using Ans. The Ordinances of the Old Testament are called carnall in opposition to endlesse life Heb. 7.16 and because weake and they could not though bloody take away sins Heb. 7.18 19. Heb. 10.1 2. for the new Covenant promises in Christ the true better eternall Mediator doe all these then it is against Scripture that the Ordinances of both were alike carnall though without the Spirit neither availed 2. The Idolatry of outward Ordinances is condemned as trusting in lying words The temple of the Lord sacrifices new Moones c. Jer. 7.8.9 Esa. 1. But it was never in the minde of the Holy Ghost that Israel worshipped Manna water Passeover or that the Corinthians did adore preaching baptising for their Idolatry 1 Cor. 10.7 is the worshiping not of the Passeover Manna water but of the golden calfe Exo. 32.6 when they feasted and played Saltm then deviseth an Idolatry the Holy Ghost never intended So here 1 Cor. 10. hee disswades from Idoll feasts in Idoll temples 18 19 20. And never did Paul intend 1 Cor. 10. to charge the Corinthians with that sinne of idolizing or worshiping baptisme written Scripture figures letters or outward Ordinances but of sitting at the Idolls table which was to be partakers of the table cup of devils and the Holy Ghost would in the Old Testament have told us of some such adoring of Manna water Passeover but Salm. his new Spirit devised it to reproach all Ordinances Scripture Sacraments Prayer Church c. Lord teach us to pray as John taught his Disciples Then they were under a forme and rule of prayer they saw little more of Christ then his fleshly presence and miracles they loved him and clave to him but had very few discoveries of him in the Spirit except some few at his transfiguration Answ. No Prelate nor Priest nor any I know say Christs Disciples during their conversing with him in the flesh were under a forme and stinted liturgy so that they prayed only the Lords prayer 2 It is cleare the revelation of Christ in the Spirit wee now have the Disciples had the same for Christ Mat. 16 17. Declareth Peter to be blessed because that the Father that is the Spirit of the Father had revealed that to him which flesh and blood had not revealed and Mat. 11. Christ thanketh his Father 25. for revealing to Babes his Disciples and others the Mysteries of the Kingdome and to none other though Worldly wise and great Mat. 13.11 12 13. The Mysteries of the Kingdome are revealed to them not to others who are judicially blinded and Iohn 1.11 12. Iohn saith they have the priviledge of Sonnes and so the spirit of adoption Rom. 8.14 and so have the seale and witnesse within them 15 16 17 26 27 28. who beleeve in him which faith undoutedly the Disciples had And for the discovery of God at the transfiguration it was rather an extraordinary rapture not bestowed on men in this life as beleevers as Familists would live upon raptures of spirit without the word but an extraordinary revelation bestowed of speciall favour on three Disciples Peter Iames and Iohn who were to be Apostles and Pen-men of Scripture as the Prophets were 2 Pet. 1.16 17 18 19 20 21. If Familists be all Organs and Pen-men of scripture immediatly inspired by the Holy Ghost we say no more they are seene to others as well as to us to be Impostors
teaching man Sparkles of glory pa. 247.87 Yea John should in writing this epistle contradict himselfe for he was a man not God who wrote and hee saith even to these who had the anoynting in them in the same place ver 26. These things have I written to you concerning them that seduce you 1 John 2.1 these things write I unto you that ye sin not and ver 12 13 14. He professeth he writeth to little children in Christ to young-men to fathers then either John wrote what was not needfull to wit that a man should write to anoynted ones or then John was more than a man or then in writing that he might teach the anoynted he contravened what he wrot in all his exhortationes and teaching in these three epistles and the Evangel and the Revelation Againe it is a cleare Hebraisme of which there be many in Johns writings for the Hebrews deny positively when they intend to deny only comparatively or secundum quid as when God and men are compared together or the action of God with men Ps. 127.2 the sense is so great shall be the abundance of the Spirit of grace would Jeremiah say under the New Testament that rather God himselfe shall be the teacher then one man shall teach another there shall be such exuberancie and seas of knowledge under the Messiahs Kingdome and the new Covenant above the Covenant God made with his people when he brought them out of Egypt And yee need not would John say so much that men teach you so full so rich so glorious is the Anointings teaching it is like to this Hos. 6.6 I desired mercy and not sacrifice yet sure he desired and commanded sacrifice so he exponeth it I desired the knowledge of God more then burnt offering and Christ exponeth it so Matth. 12.7 that mercy to the life of the hungering Disciples who plucked eares of corne on the Sabbath is more then externall observing of the Sabbath yet doth not Christ deny positively the externall observing of the Sabbath So 1 Sam. 8 7. They have not rejected thee but they have rejected me Certaine it was they rejected Samuel and would not have him to judge them but would have a King But the words are to bee exponed in a comparative sense though they be spoken positively that is rather or with a more hainous measure of disgracement and reproach they have rejected me their Lord and God in Covenant that I should not reigne over them then my servant Samuel 1 Cor. 15.9 10. Not I but the grace of God with me that is not I so much who am but a weake man but far rather the grace of God was the cause why I outstripped all the Apostles in labour And 1 Cor. 3.7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giveth the increase that is he that planteth or he that watereth is nothing in comparison of God yet the planter is something he is the Minister of Christ and Steward of the mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4.1 Paul saith 1 Cor. 1.17 Christ sent me not to baptise but to preach the Gospel yet Mat. 28.19 he sent all the Apostles to baptise also Nor can we beleeve that the word of God hath two senses one internall spirituall more excellent and perfect that doth affect the heart and is divers from the literall and genuine sense and another written sense of the letter that is lesse excellent and but preparatory for the more excellent as Arminians falsely impute to us Sim. Episco par 1. Thess. 17. dispu 2. But as it is the opinion of Enthusiasts falsely imputed to us because we teach that there is a neceâ—sity of the supernaturall illumination of the Holy Ghost to cause us savingly know and beleeve the one onely true and literall sense of the Scripture with an evidence of light spirituall and supernaturall which we knew before with a common naturall and literall light and evidence which is not wanting in Devills otherwise they could not beleeve and tremble apprehending Christ as their tormenter and in many wicked men or then they should not be inexcusable 2. The Scripture could not say they know God Joh. 7.28 Joh. 3.2 c. 3. Nor could they mocke and scoffe at the wisdome of the crosse if they were void of all knowledge of the doctrine of the crosse as they doe 1 Cor. 1.18.23 24. 1 Cor. 2.14 this opinion we lay at the doore of the Antinomians and judge to be absurd For 1. The unregenerate man were obliged to beleeve and apprehend one sense of the word and the inlightned another different sense whereas both may literally know one and the same sense that Jesus is the Sonne of God and Saviour of the world and the one beleeves and the other scoffes mockes and stumbles at the word Matth. 11.25 1 Cor. 1.18.25 1 Tim. 1.15 1 Pet. 2.6.7.8 2. Then should these words Christ is God and man the Saviour of belâ—eâ—ers have one sense to beleevers which they receiving by faith saveth them and another to others that Christ is not man but onely God as manifested in a Saint is Christ the Saviour of Saints but not the man that on Mount Calvery dyed and bare the reall punishment due to us by divine juâ—tice for our sinnes for the spirituall sense is either all one with the literall sense or diverse therefrom if all one we have our intent if diverse no man can have certainty of faith For 1. How can we be assured by any supposed Spirit or internall rapture of minde that this is the true sense of the Gospell That Christ is but God or the anointing of God suffering afflicted and dying in the Saints when the words in the letter doe beare the just contradicent that he was a man like us in all things except sin 2. The Scripture should be no light to our eyes no lanthorne to our feet if it have two senses for how should we with assurance of faith and an undoubting conscience in all wee beleeve in all we practise doe all for how shall poore people be resolved which of the two senses to follow since contradictory senses were offered to them for Protestants literall sense and Familists spirituall sense are as contradicent one to another as yea and no light and darknesse 3. Since Familists deny that they are infallible in exponing any Scripture and yet the Spirit doth suggest these spirituall senses that Antinomians and Familists boast off and â—â—at immediately acting on our soules as dead paâ—sive orgâ—ns without discoursing reasoning and arguing which to â—e is the very Propheticall immediately inspiring Spirit that carried the Prophets and Apostles in seeing the visions of God this must be a Spirit that is fallible and a Spirit that immediately suggesteth and teacheth untruths to some and â—o others such truths and senses as may admit of a further light and of a retractation and a beleeving of the very contrary and so a Spirit both
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carried rolled moved acted immediately by the Holy Ghost for God used not reason or humane discourâ—ing as an intervening organ or acting instrument to the devising and inventing of spirituall or Gospell truths 2 Pet. 1.20 21. but yet this immediately inspiring Spirit spake written Scripture commanded the Ordinance of actuall prophesying commanded the Prophets to write and the people to hear and to read the words of the Prophesie Antinomians and Familists conceive that now when divine truths are framed and come forth to the immediately inspired Scripture that the same immediately inspired Spirit must act the Saints as meere passive organs to preach in the Spirit immediately to pray to heare to write in the Spirit but then Familists should be as infallible as the Prophets both in preaching praying interpreting Scripture but the ordinary actings of the Spirit doth include and carry along the actings of reason minde will and affections but elevated above themselves The Spirit is opposed to carnall and wilde logicke and ratiotinations and so all carnall thoughts and sinfull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 discourses are Sathans fortifications and Souldier-works against the knowledge of God 2 Cor. 10.5 6. 1 Cor. 2.1 2 3 4. 1 Cor. 1.17 but the Spirit siteth upon and acteth reason to make our whole service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reasonable service yea and all the Scripture is a masse and booke of discoursive refined reason unbeleevers are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 absurd unreasonable men going against sense and sound reason And the spirit goeth on in a perswading way 2 Cor. 5.11 Gal. 1.10 Paul Act. 13.43 perswaded them to continue in the grace of God Act. 18.4 he perswaded the Jewes and Greeks Act. 19.8 hee perswaded the things concerning the Kingdome of God So doth the Spirit carry us along with exhorting Act. 2.40 2 Cor. 9.5 2 Thess. 3.12 2 Tim. 4.2 Heb. 3.13 1 Pet. 5.1 Jude v. 3. 5. Amongst the characters of a spirituall state and condition Some concerne the state some the actions For the state a renewed man is said to be in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 If ye live in the Spirit let us also walke in the spirit So as the Spirit is the life of the man in his spirituall walking so are we as touching our state said to receive the Spirit Gal. 3.2 Rom. 8.15 to be borne of the Spirit as receiving a new spirituall nature Joh. 3.6 Gal. 4.29 and the Spirit said to dwell in us Jam. 4.5 and the spirit is given to us Rom. 5.5 For the actings the Spirit determineth the action according to the nature and specification and rendereth the action spirituall so as they are led in their conversation by the Spirit and so are knowne to themselves to be the Sonnes of God Rom. 8.14 If ye mortifie through the Spirit the deeds of the flesh ye shall live Rom· 8.13 Paul was pressed in Spirit and testified to the Jewes that Jesus was Christ Act. 18.5 Apollos fervent in Spirit spake and taught diligently Rom. 8.25 For wee through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousnesse by faith 6. The exercise of spirituall acts is managed most from the Spirit when there is more Spirit and lesse Law in our acts of obedience But that this may be rightly understood give me leave to distinguish in the Law 1. Directive and obliging light revealing the binding will of God 2. The setting of it on with power and life upon the minde will and affections 3. The compelling rigor of the Law in exacting highest and superlative perfect obedience in thought word and deed and the terrifying threatning Directive and obliging light being the commanding will of the Lawgiver revealed to us in the written word is not contrary to the Spirit but written to us by a divinely and immediately inspiring Spirit as all Scripture and as the written letter of the Gospel 2 Tim. 3.16 17. though to us naturally fallen in sinne in the second respect or in regard of the setting on of this directive obliging light upon the soule with power and life to produce actuall obedience the written and preached Law as Law and as a Covenant of workes is void of the Spirit and hath no more power to cause us obey then dead and spiritlesse figures and characters written on â—â—one can worke men to bow their necke to obey the Law of God 2 Cor. 3.6 7. yea but so the written and preached Gospell externally proposed without the Spirit is a dead letter also I grant the Gospell in its letter both promiseth a new heart and a new spirit which the Law as the Law doth not and when the Spirit joynes with the preached Gospel and the Law also doth prepare the sinner for Christ by the word of the Gospell the Spirit is given and so the Apostles and Pastors are Ministers of the New Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit But 3. The Law in compelling under the paine of eternall death to superlatively perfect obedience hath the Spirit by accident and extrinsecally conjoyned with it as it is the Spirit of the Mediator that makes use of it to cause the broken man see his unpayable and to him impossible debts and cause him heare the tinkling and noise of the fetters and chaines of hell that he may flye to the Gospell-surety which the same Spirit reveales to him in the Gospell Now this is an extrinsecall use of the Law For 1. The Law should have its intire and perfect essence and full operation in rewarding or punishing if we suppose there never had beene a surety for sinners nor a Gospell 2. It s a Gospell-spirit that makes this use of the Law above its nature for that which can but reveale to the broken man debts unpayable by him and incloseth him in an eternall jayle and gives no strength nor way of redemption cannot have of it selfe any influence to lead the broken man to a surety But this the Law doth of it selfe hath not of it selfe one fourth part of an ounce of Gospell-courtesie or grace to bestow on the sinner But 2. The compelling rigor of the Law as touching perfect and eternally active and passive obedience must bee considered in its severall branches as it commands perfect active obedience or as it obligeth to passive obedience it respects two sorts of persons the man Christ in the dayes of his flesh and the elect Angels or 2. fallen sinners In the former consideration the Law in it selfe as the Law eternally and immutably presseth perfect active obedience but gives not strength to obey but supposeth strength to these to whom it is first given but if so be that these to whom it is given have abundance of the Spirit and strength to obey perfectly as Christ in the dayes of his flesh and the elect Angells have the Law in its highest rigor of commanding perfect obedience it is not properly rigor though we must use the word but strictnesse hath no compulsive power
condemning rigor in the old heart for the Gospell is but a form to them and these Gospel-promises of pure free grace as opposite to the Law of works in their gramaticall sense are but carnall legall fleshly outward visible formes 271. now to us the promises of free grace in that which they signifie and promise are no killing letter as the Law is but the ministration of the Spirit and of life except wee say the promises of the Gospell are but faire lying words and that God intends to keep nothing he promises to us and no more to give a new heart in Gospel-promises nor in the Law which undoubtedly is false when we consider the word of God especially the Gospel the spirituality thereof above and beyond all letters and characters appeareth in that 1. The Author can be none other but God an infinite and glorious Spirit 2. The matter spirituall so heavenly as the imputed righteousnesse of a slaine Saviour justifying the ungodly eternall life by a despised and crucified man bosomed in an union with God a spirituall communion with God mortification to every thing eminent to the creature the hidden manna the white stone the new name the flesh lying down in the dust with the seed of the hope of a glorious resurrection the invisible imbracements of Christ love-sicknesse for him joy in tribulation c. all smell beyond characters paper inke or any thing visible 3. The forme is spirituall if we consider the Majesty Divinity the omnipotencie of God as it were instamped on it 4. The end and intrinsecall effects are most spirituall for it changeth men into spirituall and heavenly Citizens of another world deadneth them to the created glory of the creature peirceth between the marrow and bones even the Law part of it is sharper then a two-edged sword peircing even to the dividing asunder of the soule and spirit and to the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4.12 carrieth along Christ to the soule casteth in a lumpe of love in the heart that contrary to nature and all the strong impressions of nature it stampeth and sealeth eternity heaven apprehensions of glory beyond all the visible sensible borders of time dayes life royalty fathers mothers children wives lands inheritances and that on the tables of the soule It is in upon the Spirit downe in the reines and yee know neither doore window nor passage it came in at then how doth the Spirit act with the word so all the actings motions turnings ebbings flowings various ups downes high tydes hell-downe-castings heaven-visits raptures of love signes of joy actings of morning-dawnings of eternities glory are more hardly discerned then the growing of the bones in the wombe of the woman with childe 14. For the exercise of spirituall acts through the Spirit we then testifie a spirituall being in Christ when the straine of our conversation runneth most in a heavenly communion with God and we have our City-dwelling and conversing in heaven our love our heart our life our Lord being there and upon these grounds as risen with Christ wee are there Phil. 3.20 21. Col. 3.1 2 3. Matth. 6.20 21. Heb. 10.19 20 21. 2. When we savour much of the Spirit and the breath that comes out of the mouth comes from the abundance of the Spirit in the heart the speech is much the language of Canaan Isa. 19.18 smelleth of a savoury heart Col. 4.6 Eph. 4.29 30. And though humane wisdome learning in the Scriptures that is meerly literal be not of it selfe not idolized contrary to the Spirit but is capable of being spirituallized heightned above it selfe and is actually gilded skied with saving light comming from God in the face of Christ yet when the Spirit reignes all knowledge learning and arts are hunted for only in order to a saving communion with God and when in the creature and gifts the spirituall man feeleth and tasteth nothing of Christ but misseth Christ in all these they are as tastelesse to him as the white of an egge yea all dry sapelesse dead his Lord Jesus is not in that empty grave and therefore his heart lodgeth not a moment there Cant. 3.1 2 3 4. Phil. 3.7 8 9. yea the spiritual man fathers no good upon the empty creature 1 Cor. 3.8 the creature smels of flesh and vanity to him Zach. 4.6 2. Ordinances inherent righteousnesse saving grace created because creatures are saluted by him as creatures he gallops by them as a Post that seeth them not to be his home but a far other poore lean and despised nothing in comparison of Christ in point of confiding or glorying for the gold-bracelets are not the bridegroome the Spirit aimes pants and breaths after a personall enjoyment of God himselfe in Christ. The joy and comforts of the Holy Ghost to him are but accidents created chips and fragments that fall from Christ. 3. The Spirit carrieth the soule from the sight of all things as from visible objects things created of God up to the bosome of God and there the spirituall soule loves lives breaths dwells 3 When the outward senses suck spirituall apprehensions out of earthly things from the Well of Iacob Christ draws a consideration of the Well of life Iohn 4.13.14 Paul possibly from his Tent-making draweth thoughts of the falling of this Tabernacle of clay and our being closed with our house from above 2 Cor. 5.1 2. so the outside of the creature the skin of it that lyes before our senses is turned into inward and spirituall thoughts of God Because the beleevers sense of smelling is spirituall and draws all in to God And mind will affections thoughts intentions tongue yea and the naturall actions of eating and drinking are spiritualized and for God and his glory Nor could I thinke that as touching the order of marshelling and drawing up our spirituall thoughts and actions as why we doe this spirituall action first this second this third why we marshall this Petition first this second but this ranking is not so bound up by the rule of Scripture but a spirituall soule in the order of his acting secundum prius posterius is carried on by the only free blowings of the spirit of grace It 's true the acts must be regulated by the word that what we petition for must be lawfull and must be warranted from the sound Doctrin of the Gospel according to the proportion of faith but the ordering of them often cometh from the Spirit of utterance and so immediatly as it 's hard to say at least ordinarily in a set constant rule there is any consulting with Scripture reason memory art but the immediate breathing of the spirit ordereth and ranketh all And these fit words like apples of gold not others which meets hic nunc at this time with the heart of a sinner and catcheth Matthew Peter Saul floweth from Spirit-worke 2 This Major Proposition whoever
have the Old man in beleevers shut up under the Law and the New man above all Law or subject to none at all as Familists and Libertines when they sinned said Non ego pecco sed asinus meus not I but the flesh doth sinne or sense reason the Old man doth sinne because the Old man onely is under the Law not the New man 2. Guiltinesse and sinne is a thing that falleth on the person not on a part of man 3. The command is given to the person the person is the subject of punishment and condemnation not his sense only 4. Thus Denne and Saltmarsh say Faith righteousnesse light joy and peace is in conscience in the sense fâ—â—sh conversation is sinne yet nothing that can condemne because the conscience is washed in justification but sinne is in the conversation saith Denne and in the sense reason or flesh saith Saltmarsh so here originall sinne shall be no sinne CHAP. XV. Antinomians hold the justified to sinne before men and as touching their conversation not before God and as touching their conscience SO Antinomians say the justified have no sinne in their conscience nor can God see any sinne in their conscience yet there is sinne in their conversation and flesh But 1. sin Originall and the flesh lusting against the Spirit dwelleth inherently in its essence being a blot in the conscience and whole man though guilt and actuall condemnation bee removed so was Paul a wretched man onely for sinne in mind will conscience affection no ill but the ill of sinne could make him cry out of his wretched condition 2. The justified must be as perfect as Angels if no sinne dwell in them and they need not pray for pardon wanting all sin 3. Sin in conversation as murther in the hands oppressing of men blasphemy in the tongue are against the Law of God and must be sinnes in the conscience else they are against no Law of God which make the sinnes of the justified and their doing golden graces CHAP. XVI Justification is close mistaken by Antinomians when they judge it to be an extirpation of sinne Root and branch as Papists fancie venials to remaine onely in the justified IUstification to us is not as Antinomians dreame an utter extirpation of sinne in its essence root and branch for Papists conceive of justification so as nothing that is sinne remaineth in the justified but some gentle venials which we can satisfie for our selves but we judge justification to be a judiciall and law-removall of the guilt or obligation to eternall punishment 1. It is a judiciall and forinsecall Law-declaration that is opposed to condemnation but this removeth Law-guiltinesse to die not the intrinsecall inherent blot of sinne as if the sinner had never sinned and were now no sinner 2. By it the sinner is not as Antinomians say as righteous as Christ because Christ could say in truth I have no sinne but wee even being justified are lyars if we say we have no sinne 3. Sin dwelleth not in Christ at all nor was there in him flesh and concupiscence lusting against the Spirit as in us For it is cleare from the Scriptue that sinne dwelleth in the justified CHAP. XVII Christ not formally the sinner as Antinomians dreame NOr was Christ so made sinne as the intrinsecall guilt of sin was laid on him as Crispe saith Christ was onely the Adulterer the Idolater the sinner imputatively not inherently and formally in that he did beare the satisfactory punishment of wrath and hell due to our sinne 1. Christ was so made sinne not in the imagination but really suffering in our person yet so as sinne physically and inherently in its blot remaines in us and after wee are justified wee have sinne We are sold under sinne and carnall in many things wee offend all Now its blasphemy to say that Christ was so sinfull as we are 2. Nor is the surety the principall any way save onely legally penally imputatively the debtor there is no injustice in the surety as in the principall in borrowing money and profusely wasting it and wronging his brother nor can the surety bee called formally the unjust man the waster though he be legally the debtor and holden in justice and really not in imagination to pay the summe so was Christ never inherently and formally the sinner as the snow is formally white because Christ in himselfe in his physicall person and natures was innocent holy harmelesse undefiled separated from sinners even while he was a surety for sinners 3. Scripture expoundeth Christs bearing of our sinnes not as if the essence forme and intrinsecall fundamentall and essentiall guilt of sinne had been on him then he should have been a sinner as we are and so not a sinlesse sacrifice for sinne but in bearing the punishment due to us in his owne body on the tree in being wounded for our transgressions but it s the Antinomianâ— way to confound Sanctification and Justification and to make us as inherently and intrinsecally in our very persons holy sinnelesse righteous free of the indwelling of Originall sinne and the old man and the flesh as Christ himselfe and this is the Familâ—sts principle That Christ hath Goded and Christed a Saint and Christ is incarnate and maned in the beleever so that the beleever is God manifested in the flesh and dwelling personally in us all the sinnes that a beleever commits are no more sinnes then the actions of Christ for all our sinnes were swallowed up and annihilated in Christ He that is borne of God say they cannot sinne and M. Towne telleth us that justification is regeneration and to faith there is no sinne CHAP. XVIII That we are not justified untill we beleeve WEe hold against Antinomians that we are never justified till we beleeve They say from eternity we were justified or from the time that the Messiah dyed all sins were finished and wee justified or from our birrh But justification in Gods decree and purpose from eternity is no more justification then Creation sanctification glorification the crucifying of Christ and all things that fall out in time for all these were in the eternall purpose of God 2. In justification our sinnes are in their guilt fully done away as a thick cloud cast in the bottome of the sea remembred no more sought for and not found if all this was done from eternity beleevers were never sinners never children of wrath really as Paul saith never dead in sinnes never enemies to God or ungodly they were onely such in a mentall consideration 3. It is true God loved his chosen ones from eternitie to salvation and from that love sent his Sonne to die to wash justifie and sanctifie them but this is not their justification but a fruit of justification in time When our time is the time of love and wee are dying in our owne
1. That they would have the Gospel a body and susteme of non-senses and foolish dreames and all Logick banished that the Gospel may be a fardell of phancies under the vaile of spirituall and supernaturall knowledge for the perfect like that piece called the Bright Starre and Theologiâ— Germanica and the Power of Love and the Tree of knowledge of good and evill 2. All reasonings and use of Logick which the Prophets and Apostles make a heavenly and spirituall use of in the Scripture to them are Legall and smell too much of the dead Letter the sowre and killing Law yea the Letter of written Gospel because written and because preached and opened in spirituall discourses to Cornwell and others is a humane thing and begets but a humane faith so that Faith commeth by hearing is to Saltmarsh not vocall Preaching but the very Spirit of grace working faith as I observed before 3. All expounding of Scripture by consequence is expounding of Scripture in the Letter saith Saltmarsh in the Letter to Towne is in a Law-way to Cornewell is in a humane not a Divine way Then Christ Matth. 22. must bee a Legall Preacher and must argue after a Law-way or a humane not a Divine and Gospel-way and must much darken the glory of the Gospel for he proveth the resurrection of the dead onely by a consequence I am the God of Abraham c. Ergo the dead shall rise and he sharply rebuketh the Sadduces as ignorant both of the Scripture and the power of God because they did not thus argue in the Letter and in the consequence to the darkening of the glory of the Gospel Libertines said also to reason against committing of Adultery as Joseph doth Shall I doe this and sinne against God Is a worke of Old Adam discerning good and evill as wee shall heare if the Lord will And Saltmarsh saith Exhortations perswasions conditionall promises and Gospel-commandements are natural and so conveyances carnall Legall and of the Letter Which to me is a foule aspesâ—ron laid on the Gospel and a mixing of Law and Gospel Works and Faith according to the Antinomians way and a rendering of the preaching of the Gospel which is the power of God and the wisdome of God as odious as the Jewes and Greeks made it of old that is to make it a meere naturall and humane thing But reasoning from Scripture is as Divine as to convince silence rebuke convert and open the heart though the Spirit bee the principall agent in these 4. If wee be meere patients and act nothing by any obligation but as the Spirit acteth on us and in us then not onely the morall Law but the very Law of nature and the dictats of a naturall conscience shall not of themselves oblige us as to honour our Parents to love our brethren to doe to all as we would that men should doe to us except the Spirit act us to these duties and then must either the Holy Ghost attend the suggestions and dictats of the law of nature to blow with and concurre with them and with the Word read and preached which were a fettering of the Holy Ghost to attend the inclinations and motions of our heart or then no man could sinne at all against either the Law of nature or written Scripture save onely these heathen and others who resisted the Spirit not to say that grace were not grace nor every way free if the will of the creature should be master and exercise a dominion over grace to command at its nod the spirations and breathings of the Holy Ghost then should it be in the power of free will to dispose of desertions absence and the ebbings of the joyfull out-goings and manifestations of the Holy Ghost so should wee command the North and South winde of the Spirit to blow upon the garden that the Spices may flow out and command the out-flowings of the river and the tyde that gladneth the soule Which sure we cannot admit or then our doubtings complaints love-jealousies should be free of all unbeliefe and disquieting doubts contrary to Scripture and experience yea and all our sinnes and darknesse and false apprehensions under sad desertions should bee counted on the Holy Ghosts score as his sin who did not act us to the declining of these sinnes and the performing the contrary duties and not be imputable to us for all sinne must bee contrary to some Law-obligation 5 We hence clearely see Antinomians must come fully up to New England Libertines that In the saving conversion of a sinner the faculties and workings of the soule in things pertaining to God are destroyed and made to cease and the holy Ghost commeth in place of them as the faculties of the humane nature of Christ whereas grace purgeth away the oare but destroyeth not the gold and doth not remove nor substantially change the soule and heart but maketh it new sanctifieth it reneweth the Spirit purgeth the conscienâ—e bringeth all things to our memory When Christ casteth the old heart in his furnace or putteth it on a new frame it loseth no substance but receiveth a new mould 6. It fomenteth the presumption of the Libertine who saith If Christ will let me sinne let him looke to it upon the perill of his honour bee it Which may have this good sense as to be a word of boldnesse of faith holding forth as much as it highly concerneth the honor of Christ his faithfulnesse and unchangeable grace who is intrusted with all the flocke young and old to suffer none to fall in such sinnes as may tend to or be a finall falling from Christ but that upon the perill of his glory He will lose none but raise them up at the last day but as Libertines sense carrieth the matter the justified cannot sinne Christs Spirit is ingaged to enact immediatly and to preserve the ransomed man from all sinne if the man fall Christs Spirit not inacting him to stand is the Author and cause of his fall Whereas we are commanded to keepe our selves in the love of God David kept himselfe from his iniquitie CHAP. XLVIII Antinomians hold that the beleever cannot sinne against God but against men in his conversation WEe beleeve that the Law or Commandement of Christ respecteth our salvation with God as well as our conversation with men contrary to Antinomians who will have us as compleatly saved being once justified as sinnlesse and perfectly holy as the glorified in heaven Yea wee have not so much as the blot of Papists venials or Protestants sinnes of infirmity or originall sinne dwelling in us So as I judge the man that said to a learned opposer of the Anninomians spoke right in the Antinomian way Sinne is nothing how then can Christ hate nothing If from eternity it was so pardoned and remitted before it was committed I see not how to Antinomians it must not bee meere nothing as concupiscence
marrow of Antinomianisme that there is no sinne condemned in the Gospel but unbeliefe so there is no command of holy walking and sanctification in the Gospel but onely Faith therefore Saltmarsh saith All these Scriptures that set forth to us sanctification and mortification Christ is made to us sanctification I live not but Christ liveth in me But yee are sanctified but yee are justified we are his workmanship created unto good works I can doe all things through Christ that strengthneth me c. All these Scriptures set forth Christ the sanctification and the fulnesse of his the All in All. Christ hath beleeved perfectly hee hath repented perfectly hee hath sorrowed for sinne perfectly hee hath obeyed perfectly hee hath mortified sinne perfectly and all is ours and wee are Christs and Christ is Gods And so wee are to beleeve our repentance true in Christ who hath repented for us our Mortifying sinne true in him through whom we are more then corquerours our new obedience true in him who hath obeyed for us who is the ende of the Law to every one that beleeveth our change of the whole man true in him who is righeousnesse and true holynesse and thus without faith it is unpossible to please God And this is the divinity of Denne That mortification and vivification are but the living by or through faith and beleeving in him that justifieth the sinner And that learned Divine M r Tho. Gataker saith of one Heyden a follower of Eaton That in a Sermon on 1 Joh. 3.7 He that doth righteousnesse is righteous he expounded that place of our doing righteousnesse in Christ who hath done righteousnesse for us so hee expounded the doing of our heavenly Fathers will the putting on of the New man which is created in righteousnesse and holynesse abounding in the worke of the Lord to be the beleeving of Christs imputed righteousnesse to bee ours So doe Saltmarsh and his fellowes teach us to expound all the Gospel-precepts and exhortations to holynesse to walke in Christ to be aboundant in the worke of the Lord to walke in love to love one another to honour our father and our mother to obey Magistrats and Masters to deale justly with servants to abstaine from fleshly lusts to mortifie our members not to defraud one another not to lye c. to be nothing but beleeve Christ hath done all these for us So as the grace of God and the Gospel layeth on us no tye or obligation in our persons to deny our selves to live holyly justly and soberly in this present world to love one another by vertue of a Commandement for that is Legall saith Saltmarsh and Jewish so as Christ Jesus is made the same very way our imputed sanctification as he is our imputed righteousnesse and so personall holynesse should no more be added by any obligation of command to Christ our sanctification then to Christ our righteousnesse CHAP. L. How we are freed from the Law in regard of Sanctification as of Justification NOr doe wee deny as Antinomians would charge us But we are from under the Law in regard of Sanctification as well as of Justification thus farre that the Apostle saith As many as are Christs are led by the Spirit of Christ and so not under the Law and if yee be led of the Spirit yee are not under the Law But this onely beareth so much that our voluntary free sweet and loving obedience commeth not from the feare of cursings Rom. 8.15 or the Spirit of bondage but yet from the binding and obliging authority of the Law-giver nor is this obliging rule and government of the Law contrary to the sweet cords of Gospel-love by which the Spirit kindly draweth and gently leadeth the Saints in the way of Sanctification these two are made friends in Christ and jarre not as contraries which is the cardinall and first principle of grosse mistaking in the Antinomian while hee grosely conceiveth there is no awe of love in the Law which commandeth all gracious acts of feare though not from Law-principles for the Law is terrible and causeth Moses feare and quake but it is because it acteth and breatheth out curses on Moses as a sinner and a broken man to chase him in to his surety and the sweet sanctuary of a terrified conscience but the Law demandeth the same awe and feare of love of sinne as sinne and as done against a Father in a covenant of grace It is true when the man is once under sin he cannot pay the debt of lovely awe out of his owne unbroken and sinnelesse nature Yet the Law still craveth as the Law and it craveth the same debt if the broken man pay it out of money borrowed from his suretie that is from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ the Law is the same craver the summe is the same debt now payed in gold though clipped and wanting many graines because of the sinnefulnesse of flesh out of the Kings treasure the fulnesse of Christ and his Spirit of grace the sinner is the same debter that is obliged to the same creditor and Lawgiver onely the bond and the tenor of it is changed grace is in the bond and it is payed now not as Law-debt this doe and live by Law-right and a covenant of works which pre-supposeth neither a bankrupt nor a breach in the debter nor an offence to the creditor nor a surety or Mediator to bee baile for the broken man but it s payed with the same obligation and Law-power and commanding authority but also now from a new principall the summe is better money and in one respect is choiser it is the coyne of a new King and stamped with a new Image of Gospel-grace in another respect it is worse because tainted with sinne Whereas obedience under the covenant of works was to be perfect and sinnelesse or not at all CHAP. LI. Antinomians ignorant of Jewish Law-service and of Gospel-obedience ANtinomians speake evill of that they know not Saltmarsh saith All Gospel-ordinances are onely wayes and meanes for God to reveale his love and grace by the Spirit of adoption not any wayes or meanes of ours for getting some love from God which Christ himselfe hath not gotten for us So there is not now saith he Gospel-teaching and obeying but men now runne in a Legall straine and would worke God downe into his old and former way of revealing himselfe as under the Law when he seemed to be onely in the way to reconciliation and peace rather then pacified and thus in prayer and fasting and other acts of obedience they deale with God as under the Old Testament not considering the glorious love revealed in Christ crucified We cannot but complaine to God of these men who slander our Doctrine and cease not to pervert the right wayes of God For if Saltmarsh meane that we thinke by fasting praying and acts of Evangelick Sanctification to buy the love
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
the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplication to him Gen. 32.24 25 26. nor is this an old Testament-Spirit the parable of the unjust Judge and the Widdow is in scope a doctrine of prevailing with God by importunitie of prayer Iames bringeth the example of Elias for the prevailing of prayer and Christ This kinde of devill is not cast out but by fasting and prayer and so the Spirit of adoption worketh freely Object 2. Saltmarsh The Spirit worketh not freely when wee take in Christ but by the way and rest not wholy on him Answ. They looke on Christ by the by who take in their good works as fellow-causes with Christ thinking to be heard for them Christ is but a by-Mediator if he bee not whole Mediator it s a practicall error naturally in us to improve the the sufficiencie and incomparable weight of Christ to little purpose and dote more upon done duties then on Christ yet this is not our Doctrine but our sinne that we are to be humbled for Obj. 3. Saltmarsh When we are in bondage to some outward worship of circumstances as time place person the Spirit works not freely Answ. It may be Saltmarsh thinketh the Lords day under the New Testament legall men of his gang doe it 2. And not to pray but at such houres as the Spirit moves him because the Spirit onely and the Spirit acting and ravishing is the only obliging Law and command under the New Testament the Letter or written Scripture to pray continually in all things to give thanks to bee abundant in the worke of the Lord to be rich in good works and to make our selves friends with the Mammon of unrighteousnesse at any time ere we bee put out of our stewardship except when the Spirits wind bloweth faire that so they may receive us into the everlasting habitations is a law bondage yea to abstaine from adulterie murther swearing except the Spirits acting which is our onely obliging Law now is a legall not a Gospel-service nor can a beleever sin when he commits adultery murther for hee doth nothing against the only obliging New Testament Law the acting of the Spirit when the Spirit actually doth not act him and stirre him to duties of charitie and love of the brethren and doth not actually deterre and pull him back by his immediate impulsions and breathings from adulterie and murther I desire an answer intimating a difference between sins of Adultery and Murther and so sinfull omission of duties of Chastity and saving the life of innocent brethren for a Moneth which must involve a sinnefull not-loving our brother for a Moneth and the not praying to God for thirty dayes as the heathen Kings Law was upon supposition that the Spirit act not and stirre not up to prayer for thirty dayes and if so it is a question if Adultery be sinne and if abstinencie from Adultery upon the conscience of the seventh Command be not an impeaching of the free working of the Spirit of Adoption and a spece of legall bondage As for Saltmarsh his fourth ground of bondage to wit that to doe any thing from the power of an outward commandement or precept of the Word that it brings forth but finer hypocrisie and his seventh To take any outward thing to move them rather then apply Christ for strength life and Spirit is meere bondage I have answered alreadie it is an Enthusiasticall opposing of the working of word works and well grounded experiences of the Saints to the actings of the Spirit and a looseing of us from beleeving and obeying Scriptures from trembling at the Word and a most wicked way of Enthusiasme Object 5. Saltmarsh when they doe because of some vow or covenant they have made c. It is more properly the service of the Old Testament and part of their bondage for wanting the power and fulnesse of the Spirit of adoption to worke them to obedience freely from within they were under the power of outward principles to put them on from without Answ. 1. If nothing move men to doe but the Letter of the Covenant Vow or Promise not the Spirit of grace then can the Spirit never be said to worke Legally or not freely because the Spirit works not at all nor can this bee called properly the service of the Old Testament except Antinomians say the Spirit of grace wrought none at all in the Old Testament but onely the Letter contrary to all the heavenly Psalmes made by the Holy Ghost and the acts of faith in Moses David Job Jeremiah which every Page of Old Testament refuteth and we must say meere nature and the dead Letter without the Spirit acted them So Hebr. 11. Psal. 51.10 and infinite other places on the contrary 2. Nor can yee say by the same reason that a naturall conscience a desire of a name lest they should be reputed covenant-breakers moved these in the Old Testament to act for so none could have been tearmed men according to Gods heart nor perfect and upright men as David Job Ezechiah Noah because upon this Antinomian ground they were all but fine hypocrites If I mistake not Saltmarsh condemneth all who have taken the Covenant in the three Kingdomes and are moved for feare of the oath of God to stand to it as Legalists and Old Testament Spirits The Covenant that Asa Josiah caused the people to stand too was a Law-bondage that we are not now obliged to and upon the same grounds to keepe faith and promise upon lawfull contracts and oathes between King and people or made to God to keepe Marriage-covenants contracts legues and bargaines betweene man and man which we conceive to be of the Law of Nature must all be the proper service of the Old Testament and contrary to the Gospel to keepe my lawfull promise made to a man to pay my debt because I promised when I borrowed money To keepe the Covenant of God made in Marriage because it is an outward covenant is to doe because of some Covenant and to be in Law-bondage and to doe as being under the power of outward principles and Paul must writ to Philemon as under the bondage of the Old Testament If Onesymus hath wronged thee or oweth thee ought put it on my count if he should pay Philemon seeing he became his debter by an outward promise and covenant he did not pay him by the Spirit of adoption working freely but by a Legall Spirit as being under the Law not under grace by this learning A Jesuiticall way to loose men from all covenants promises bargaines in buying and selling treatise and Indentures betweene persons Nation and Nation to loose us from all the bonds of the Law of Nature and Nations and free us from that which is the Law and the Prophets Whatsoever yee would men should doe to you the same doe ye to them Then shall nothing bind us under the New Testament Doth the Spirit of
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
two contrary things Towne saith If the Spirit be free why will you controule or rule it by Law as if the Law could contradict any Spirit save the Euthyasticall Spirit of H. Nicholas and Antinomians 8. The Letter of the Scripture externall Ordinances Church-assemblies are nothing that there is no reformation but inward and of the Spirit as M. Del lately Preached before the House of Commons That the Gospel and a beleevers Law as Saltmarsh saith is Christ and his Spirit 9. All outward serâ—ice ordinances confession of Christ before men are things free and indifferent and the Popish externall Service of Masse Images Pope Bishops Cardinals Deanes and such dirt are lawfull and free onely Antinomians and Saltmarsh will have them a little Legall and literall and that is all their fault 10. The laying downe of our lives and forsaking all for Christ are to be expounded Spiritually and Allegorically as Familists custome is and that abominable Peece called Philosophy dissected doth and so are other Scriptures to be expounded in the Spirit not in the Letter and in consequence as saith Saltmarsh to wit not of confession of Christ to the death as James who was beheaded for the Gospel Acts 12. and the Apostle Peter who dyed for Christ and the Saints who loved not their lives to death and were slaine for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus and the two witnesses against whom the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit made warre and killed them and the Apostles who were scourged the Saints who were killed all the day long and counted as sheepe for the slaughter for the Lords sake and confessed Christ and were not ashamed of him before men lest Christ should deny them before his Father and the holy Angels They say God delighteth not in our bloud and laying downe our lives and the outward man or forsaking of Father Mother Brethren Sisters and contrary to the Word of truth but it s spiritually meant of forsaking a Pope within us 2 Thess. 2. the Antichrist in our heart the Man of sinne so that we may lawfully receive the name and marke of the beast and conforme to the Masse or any Religion so we keepe the heart to God Baal the Devill may have the outward man 11. None can dispense the Ordinances Baptisme and the Lords Supper but the Regenerate I wish Independents in the constitution of their Churches without any warrant of the Word had not paved the way to this error 12. Outward Baptisme is no Baptisme which yet is a lawfull Ordinance of God though it bee not profitable to save without the inward Baptisme of the Spirit Antinomians border well-neere with Familists in many of these points For Saltmarsh is much upon the Spirit for a Law and against one beam of the light of the Letter of the Law and against all externall Ordinances Covenants Vowes as Legall and Old Testament service against conditions or performances or doing on our part by any Gospel-covenant yea against beleeving in that tenor of a condition as contrary to the Spirit and to Free grace against Precepts or Commands in the Gospel and he is much for reasoning and perswading against all commanding Law the Gospel is rather to them a promise then a Covenant against personall mortification trouble for sinne as all Legall unlawfull now smelling of bondage and Law-service and bondage it is to pray at such houres unlesse the Spirit move us to expound Scripture to expound the Spirit he meaneth the Scripture in the Letter and consequence hath much darkened the glory of the Gospel Now if Saltmarsh know any thing in Controversies betweene us and Papists he may know the Papists give sundry and divers senses to the Scripture that is Literall Spirituall Mysticall Allegoricall Tropologicall Anagogicall all which wee reject and acknowledge that the Scripture hath but one litterall Grammaticall and genuine sense which the nature of the words whether they be Sacramentall or Figurative as when Christ spoke of eating his flesh and said of bread This is my body or without figures doth carry in their face The Spirituall sense is not a sense different from the Literall as if they were two contrary or divers senses and therefore Saltmarsh rejecting the sense of Scripture in the Letter must imbrace the Familists and H. Nicholas or the Papists Allegorizing of the Scripture the greatest violence that can be offered to the Spirit the Author of Scripture the Spirit is the efficient by whose grace we gather the right Litterall sense of the Scripture and giveth no sense divers farre lesse contrary to Scripture as Libertines doe in the fancied revelations without beside and contrary to Scripture and their fond Allegories for such wee remit Saltmarsh to his brethren the Familists and the Author of Phylosophie defected and the like CHAP. LXXXIV Master Dell and Saltmarsh deny all outward reformation all Scripture seales Ordinances with Familists and flee to an Euthyasticall Spirit and an internall word onely ANd among other Antinomians Master Dell in his Sermon before the House of Commons excelleth in debasing the Scriptures and all Ordinances and setting up his Euthysiasticall Spirit not the Spirit of God for all For he holdeth that In the time of Moses and the Law till Christ came there was no true inward reformation but notwithstanding of outward duties performances Ceremonies and strict Lawes did carry along the severity of death they were inwardly as corrupt and wicked as the very Heathen and without any true reformation before God till Christ came in the flesh with the ministration of the Spirit But this man understood not his owne Text Hebr. 9.10 in which the Spirit of God opposeth Leviticall service in Sacrifices Ceremonies to Gospel-life not to Morall duties or inward conversion as if there had been no conversion no remission no actuall salvation to Abraham David who were justified as we are Rom. 4.4 5 6. and saved by the grace of Christ as we are Act. 15.11 as Dell imagines dancing to Dennes piping one Antinomian to another for both agree that David Asaph Heman Moses prayed and made heavenly and spirituall Psalmes being as unreformed inwardly and as farre from the Gospel-justification which David Psal. 32.1.2 Rom. 4.4 5 6. esteemed his blessednesse as very heathen 2. Del maketh Moses his Doctrine the Letter Christ Spirit and life So Del followeth the Antichrist in the Councell of Trent though he will have all Presbyterians the last prop of the Antichrist in England Sess. 7. cap. 2. Si quis dixerit ea ipsa novae legis Sacramenta à Sacramentis antiquae legis non differe nisi quia ceremoniae sunt aliae alij ritus externi anathema sit The Sacraments of the Old Testament say Papists doe but signifie not exhibit grace Socinus goeth before M. Del in this For Socinus saith in 1 Epist. Joan.
hath undertaken to doe the powers of hell cannot hinder these that belong not to Christs care why should they heare pray knock or why should the Word be preached to them Saved they cannot be as not belonging to Christs care So saith the New England Familist If Christ will let me sinne let him looke to it upon his honour be it So Del yeeldeth to the Pelagian Arminian and Socinian that exhortations motives reasons preaching praying ought not to be for these that are absolutely reprobate and upon the same ground they need use no meanes who are absolutely chosen to glory Christs love and care is as great to reforme inwardly and to convert as to redeeme upon the same ground these whom God hath decreed shall live so many yeares sure God undertakes to fulfill all his decrees with alike strength of irresistible omnipotency they need not eate drinke sleepe plow eare labour for no power in hell can infringe one decree of God more then another all husbandmen sit idle all tradesmen buy and sell and labour with your hands no more be at rest and quiet take M. Dels word Gods undertaking takes away all reforming in men all undertaking in second causes the husband-man can no more feed your body with bread then he can redeeme your soules with his bloud both belongs to Christs care But though Paul knew it belonged to Christs care Rom. 9. To call whom he predestinate yet he had exceeding sorrow in his heart for his kinsmen the Jewes to save some of them that is to reforme them and the care of all the Churches lay on them M. Del hath more courage he will not be dismayed But wee heard that Libertines from Gods working all in all creatures said the creature cannot sinne cannot doe good sin is but an opinion And all good saith the Familist is onely God And God becommeth all things in man and nothing is or hath being but God and his will God is all and the creature nothing Del by this Argument inferres a cessation of all second causes of Ministery Ordinances Reformers converters of soules by Word and Gospel of Heaven and Earth Sunne Fire Water they may all sleepe God undertaketh to doe all and no powers of Hell can resist him no lesse then Christ redeemeth his alone Parliaments ought not to sit Assemblies should not dispute Ministers should not preach nor Print Sermons sure Christ shall make good his owne undertaking to reforme though Del and I both were buried and neither trouble our selves with Pulpit or presse But shall men therefore omit all dueties in outward reforming Stoicks can say no more Del Pag. 14.15.16 Holding forth the meanes of Reformation he saith Christ reformeth by the Word onely and doth all he calles rejects bindes looses terrifies comforts inlightens makes blinde saves damnes and does nothing in his kingdome without the Word Now are yee cleane through the Word The Word is quicke and powerfull he reformes not you with outward power but by his Word I will publish the decree the Spirit of the Lord is upon me My word shall not depart out of thy mouth When the time of Reformation was come he sent his Disciple to carry on the worke of Reformation he saith Goe teach all nations he sent them not out with Swords and Guns and this Word only truely reformes the outward power of the world sets up an image of reformation only Answ. 1. Del and Familists seeme to extoll the Word of God but they juggle with David Georgius and Henry Nicholas who understood by the word Verbum internum the Enthysiasticall inward word of the minde and the Spirit for he and Saltmarsh as they are sparing in citing Chapter and Verse of Scripture so they never expound this Word to bee the Scripture nor can I observe in all their writings that they call it the Scripture as Christ and his Apostles frequently say The Scriptures must be fulfilled as it is written in the Scriptures and in the Prophets The Antinomians in and about London Deny the Scriptures to be the word of God they say the Scripture is but the Letter not the Word of God 2. They say They themselves by the Spirit can write and dite Scripture Mistresse Hutchison with hers said That her particular revelations about events to fall out are as infallible as any parts of Scripture and that shee is bound asmuch to beleeve them as the Scripture for the same holy Ghost is the Author of both Some say they can worke Miracles as if the same immediatly inspiring Holy Ghost and in the same measure that was in the Prophets Apostles and Pen-men of Scripture were also the same sanctifying Spirit of grace that is in all beleevers whereas these differences are cleare betweene them 1. The immediately inspiring Spirit rendred the Prophets and Apostles in that they spake and wrot by such inspiration the immediate organs of the Holy Ghost and such as could not erre So that their word was formally Scripture which priviledge is not given to the most sanctified 2. The Prophets and Apostles were acted above the reach of free will humane doubtings discourses ratiotinations in searching and finding out the truth they needed not advise counsell teaching from men or Angels from flesh and bloud to come to the very knowledge of the Letter of the Gospel Gal. 1.11.12 Ephes. 3. vers 2.3 4. But the Saints need such helps though the Spirit teach them all things to come to know the Letter of Law and Gospel 3. What the Prophets spake God spake what holy men speaketh is Gods word secondarily and in so farre as it agreeth with the written Word of God and no otherwise Jeremiahs word was not secondarily the Word of God and so farre forth onely the Word as it agreeth with the writings of Moses and though Paul forbid Circumcision and Moses command it Pauls command is no lesse primarily and simply the formall object of Faith and the written Word of God then the word of Moses or the Ten Commandements written on Tables of stone by God himselfe But what Del and Antinomians say contrary to the Word of God is nothing else but the very word of the Devill 2 That Del and Libertines with him meane by the Word of God not the Scripture but the Spirit of God in his graces I prove because saith Saltmarsh This Law of the Gospel is not such as it was before a meere Law in the Letter but it is now under the Gospel a law of life spirit or glory it is a Law in the hand of Christ and with the promises of Christ to make it spirituall indeed therefore the word is called Scriptures given by Divine inspiration and the Spirit is called the annointing and teacheth all things and I will put my Law in their inward parts But the Gospel as distinguished from the Law and written by the Apostles is but a meere Law in the Letter
except the Spirit quicken it in the soules of the hearers as well as the Law otherwise the very Law in the Letter and as written by Moses was a part of Scripture and given by Divine inspiration as well as the Gospel and the Tenne Commandements as given on Mount Sinai were the formall Word of God and Scripture given by Divine inspiration except Antinomians Familists and Del make the Law and Old Testament to bee expunged out of the Canon of Scripture as Anabaptists did or to come from an evill Spirit as Manicheans said for David Georgius said The Word of God was preached but litterally by Christ and the Apostles and not in the Spirit and that he himselfe was the true David and the true Messiah nor borne of the flesh but of the Spirit Now its sure Christ and the Apostles taught the Gospel But because they taught as it is written in the Prophets and in the Scriptures and taught not the Dictates of an Enthysiasticall spirit David Georgius said they are Legall and Literall Preachers and Christ but the Literall Messiah and he the true spirituall Sonne of David borne of the spirit not of the flesh So doth Del meane by the Word of God or the Gospel the Spirit of God excluding the Letter of the Scripture yea even of the Gospel as hee excludeth the condemning Law because it was but a written Letter Now sure the written yea or Preached Gospel without the Spirit is no lesse a dead Ordinance in the New Testament then in the Old 1. He proveth by the onely Word of God Christ reformeth inwardly and doth all in his Kingdome He saith All the powers in the world cannot reforme the Church as the Word of God can doe for it is quick and powerfull and sharper then a two edged sword Now remember he speaketh of inward reformation 2. Of the word of the Gospel excluding the Law his reason is Pag. 17. The Law maketh nothing perfect Now that by the Word he meaneth not the Scripture or the Letter of the Word even of the Gospel 1. I prove the Word that inwardly reformes excludeth all meanes but the Word Christ saith he doth all in his Kingdome by his Word onely that is as hee must bee expounded by his Spirit onely for the Word cannot be the Letter of the written Gospel For its false that Christ doth all in his Kingdome and reformeth inwardly by the Letter of the Gospel onely for that may be Preached to Judas and by Judas to multitudes hardened but never converted Math. 13.14 15. Joh. 9.39 Joh. 12.35 36 37 38 39 40. Nor can he meane the Word in its Letter but accompanyed by the Spirit for the Word that Del speaketh of Pag. 17. clearely excludeth the Law but the Word in his Letter accompanied by the Spirit doth not exclude the Law for the Law quickned by the Spirit with the Gospel is a meanes of inward reformation and so cannot be excluded 2. This Word excludes all the powers of the world for he saith All the powers of the world cannot reforme the Church inwardly as the Word of God can doe But the Letter of the Word or Gospel doth reforme onely outwardly not inwardly 3. This word that onely reformes inwardly excludeth the powers of the world and all that man can doe Now man can onely outwardly reforme by the Letter of the Word Hence Henry Nicholas said the two daughters of Warwicke and the godly in England regenerated were but Antichrists because they were regenerated onely by the Ceremoniall Elementish Fleshly Literall Word he meaneth the Scriptures that are not Preached by their Enthysiasticall Spirit of Familisticall love that acts without beside and contrary to the Scripture Paul and Apollos when they water and plant doe preach the Word but this reformeth not inwardly nor is it mighty in operation and sharper then a two edged Sword without the Spirit so that this is the very Spirit who onely as the efficient and Author of inward Reformation not as the meanes or the onely meanes as Del saith doth comfort and convert effectually the soule 4. Del citeth Esai 61.1 to prove that the Word is the onely meanes of conversion The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me he hath annointed me to Preach good tydings to the poore If Del meane that this Spirit and anointing on Christ is the Word of God Christ should say The Scripture of God is upon me and he hath anointed mee to Preach c. that is God hath Scriptured me and gifted me with the knowledge of the written Gospel excluding all Law or dueties to preach the Gospel to the poore Now Del cannot for shame give us so Literall a Christ. For sure this Spirit whereby Christ was anointed was the Holy Ghost in gifts and fulnesse of grace given to him above his fellowes And beyond all Controversie if Christ saith truely citing that Text Esai 61.1 This day Luk. 4.21 is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares Then Christ Preached in a pure Gospel-way and not as a Legall Preacher as Saltmarsh saith he was to some even to these that were filled with wrath and persecuted him vers 28.29 30. and so were under the Law if then Legall Preaching bee to Preach deadly the naked Letter of the Gospel without any spirit or life in the Preacher then Christ did not speake from the Spirit of God when hee said The Spirit of the Lord is upon me he hath sent me to Preach and this day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares which should bee against the Text and a horrible blasphemy to wit that Christ should be a Literall Preacher as David Georgius said and so a Legall Presbyterian as Familists and Antinomians say But if Familists and Del mean that the Spirit went not along with the pure Gospel-preaching of Christ as is clear from Esai 61.1 and Luk. 4.21 Then its false that Del saith That the Gospel hath the Spirit alwaies joyned with it Pag. 18. Ser. 2. The pure Gospel must be preached to such as are under the Law which is absurd 3. Then the Letter of the Gospel comming to the eares of obdured persecuters must be that Spirit of the Lord whereby Christ was anointed for so Del expoundeth it So doth Del cite Psal. 2. I will publish the decree and he expoundeth Esai 59. the Spirit to be the Word which cleareth that he acknowledgeth no word of Scripture for a meanes of inward reformation For hee saith Pag. 18. The Word whereby Christ reformes is not the Word without us as the Word of the Law is but the Word within us as it is written the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart and this is the word of Faith So this is just David Georgius and Henry Nicholas their internall Enthysiasticall word that is the Spirit excluding all Law and Gospel that are but written Inkie and dead Letters of themselves doth all the Scripture is nothing Now the Law or Word written in
the heart spoken of Jer. 31.33 is the very new heart and the Spirit or the heart of flesh Ezech. 36.26 27. the circumcised heart Deut. 30.6 the new creature the Lord Jesus formed in the heart by Faith Gal. 4.19 Ephes. 3.17 it is not any meanes or cause or author of the new heart but it is the new heart it selfe formed by the Holy Ghost as the Author and Father of the second birth by the Word written conveyed by preaching to the soule Now except Del would say Christ onely worketh inward reformation by inward reformation onely for this inward word is inward reformation he cannot make sense of this inward word excluding the Law and outward Word both of Law and Gospel as he doth For nothing can bee more false then that the Word whereby Christ reformes is not the Word without us as the Word of the Law is but the Word within us For I find great ignorance if not worse in Familists and Antinomians in this Saltmarsh saith The Spirit worketh Legally and not freely when men doe things as meerely commanded from the power of an outward Commandement or precept in the Word he meaneth in the written Scripture For saith hee that bringeth forth but a Legall or at best but a mixt obedience and service and a finer hypocrisie and when they doe because of some vow or covenant when they take any outward thing to move them rather then apply Christ for strength life and Spirit For it is the outward Word onely in its kind that is the sole and onely objective cause as wee see colours onely because they are colours and the Light of the day-light-Sun onely because it is light and nothing else can be the object of the sense of seeing but light and colours and we onely heare sounds meerely because they are sounds and smell things odoriferous and smellable because they cast a smell and onely taste meats meerely and formally because they are sweet sowre bitter sharpe or some way good or ill to the taste Now life or the faculty of seeing hearing smelling tasting are in no sort the object of seeing hearing smelling tasting Just so when wee doe meerely for the Word in the Prophets and Psalmes without us and but of conscience and meerely as commanded from the power of an outward Commandement or Precept I adde or a Gospel-promise written in the Word then we obey God in a free filiall Gospel-way out of meere conscience to an outward Command as the onely objective ground warrant and rule of our obedience what ever Papists on the one extremity say for an unwritten Word of God and Enthysiasts on the other hand for a Word within or a Spirit acting and obliging as their onely rule excluding the Law and Gospel because they are Letters and written and Scripture and a Word without as the onely objective ground and warrant of Divine Faith was in the Prophets time Thus saith the Lord. And in Christ and the Apostles time According as it is written in the Prophets in the Scriptures So Christ Luk. 24.26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory Vers. 27. And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets hee expounded unto them all the Scriptures the things concerning himselfe Vers. 45. Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures and said unto them thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and rise from the dead the third day and remission of sinnes should be preached in his name among the Nations Then Christ would have beleeving and repentance Preached and commanded for no warrant and objective ground but because the Word without the Commandement or Precept in the Word commandeth it and this Satan cannot call finener hypocrisie So Revel 2.11 Hee that hath an eare to heare an inward and renewed a circumcised eare and heart Let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches this Spirit speaking to the Churches is not an inward word or a regenerating Spirit in the heart of beleevers in these seven Churches Antinomians pervert the Word of God so But it is the Holy Ghost speaking in the Word without the written preached and externall Epistles that the Spirit sent to these seven Churches and so the onely meane of Abrahams obedience to sacrifice his onely sonne Isaak and the onely warrant for his faith was the Commandement of God and a Word without Goe now take thy sonne thy onely sonne Isaak and offer him to me Many other things naturall reason a seeming contrary word that he should be the sonne of Promise seeme to command the contrary but Abrahams faith appeared in this that he closed his eyes at all Commandements and carnall inhibitions of nature on the contrary and meerely for an externall command of God as the sole and onely objective warrant and formall object of his faith and of his obedience without because God so commanded he obeyed and so are wee to obey and beleeve upon no objective cause warrant or ground but the written or preached Precept or promise of the Gospel or Covenant of grace that is a word without us and the onely meane of faith and inward reformation and this Word is written as the Law is in the Scriptures and layeth an authoritative binding power on our conscience to obey God for his onely Word as the Law doth But it is not the onely Word that is the efficient and effectually working cause of our obedience if the Spirit of grace doe not concurre with both the written and preached Law and written and preached Gospel and covenant of grace wee cannot obey Antinomians make obedience for the outward written command as the onely objective cause and warrant of our faith and obedience through the effectuall working of the Spirit two contrary obediences imagining that the former is Literall Legall and finer hypocrisie and the latter the onely true obedience A grosse mistake 1. Because none can sincerely obey meerly from the power of an outward command or precept in the Word but the man whose eares the Lord circumciseth Deut. 30.6 Revel 2.11 and whose understanding Christ openeth to understand the Word without Luk. 24.45 and therefore the Word without is the onely meanes of inward reformation 2. The Letter of the Covenant of grace holdeth forth the inward grace signified and cannot bee contrary to the inward Word in the heart for the Holy Ghost as the principall efficient causeth us to obey for conscience of the command written and preached in the Gospel which is belâ—eve in the Lord Jesus or the written promise he that beleeveth shall be pardoned and saved And to say they are contrary is as good sense as to say light and colours because they are without us they are therefore contrary to life and the visive faculty of seeing within us or that sounds or sweet smelling flowers without because they are without must be contrary to the naturall faculty and sense of hearing and smelling
of Love H.N. Epistle to the two daughters of Warwicke What H. Nicholas called hâ—mâ—elf H. Nicholas his wicked doctrine (a) H. Nicholas evangel c. 15. b Beacon catâ—â—chis 155 156. c Rise reign er 53 54. d H.N. eâ— â— c. 5. e Rise reig er 11. M. Del and H. Nicholas the familist sympathizâ— in the same Grammer and itâ— to be feared in the same doctrine touching God manifested in the flesh M. Del inclines to deny Christ God incarnate It were good he would cleare himselfe of Familisme and of this point in particular What Christ God manifested in the flesh is to Familists f H. N. â— â—xh cap. 7. g H. Nich. 1 exh c. 17. sect 26. Sect. 9 Sect. 9. Sect. 10. h H. N. Evan. c. 13. Se. 2. H. Nicholas with Antinomians M. Del. M. Beacon reject all ordinances and repute all externall worship and confessing of Christ before men all controversies in religion indifferent this wicâ—ed opinion is reâ—uted by 8 arguments Christ is truely and really perfect man not a holy dispoâ—â—tion as H. N. blasphemously saith Scriptures are not to be exponed allegorically but where the Holy Ghost so exponeth them (a) Luc Osian â—er epiâ—o hist. eccles Centur. 16. l. 2. c. 29. (b) Schlusselburgiâ—â— S. Theol. Doctâ—r Gymnasio Tralesundâ—nsiâ—iâ— pomerama in suo â—atologo â—aerâ—ticorum lib 4. p. 35 36. (c) Osiander ibi (d) Sleidanus 〈◊〉 l. 7. (e) Gualterius in tabula Chronographica sâ—cul â—6 c. 36. D. M. Luth. vehement against Antinomians who abolish the Law setteth downe the Recantation of John Islebius in the name of Islebius (a) This was no custome in the Apoâ—â—oâ—â—cke Church but by superstition keeped for the times being the dawning of Reformation Contrary to thâ—s Towne the Antinomian saith assert â—ree grace p. 3. we are â—reâ—d from the Morall Law or Decalogue with all its authority domiâ—ion offices and effects so Saltm free grace p. 140. (b) But our Antinomians say we can no more sin being once Justified then Christ himself Eaâ—on honey comb c. 3. p. 25. Saltmar fr. g. 140.146.41 honey com c 4.5 Satan removing the law which is deeply ingraven in the heart would drive men to all kind of sensuality Justifâ—ed persons have sin dwelling in them yet is it the cuâ—rent doctâ—ine 〈◊〉 the Antinomiâ—â—s of our time to teach that a beleever is not to sorrow for sin nor to fear either ill of sin or punishment but to live for ever in a merry pin yeâ— he waâ—ts nothing that the glorified in heaven have saith Saltmarsh frâ—e gra p. 140. but beleeve he is in heaven and is in heaven The preaching of the Law necessary both before and after conversion 〈◊〉 Town asser grace p. 76.77 pleadeth for perfection both of persons and works of beleevers all Antinomians doe the same as I prove Antinomians will not yeeld it lawfull to a beleever to pray for remission of sins Towne saith David in the flesh and out of weaknes prayed for it Psal. 51. asser p. 103. The Law preached witâ— Christs sufferings for the preaching therof terrifieth more Germany a stoole for Catts Antiâ—omians are against all Law humiliation that goeth before conversion contrary to Luthers method in this passage Conceit of singulariâ—y an occasiâ—n of Antinomianisme 1 Luthers suffering from Sects 2 A warning to the following generations to look for sectaries such as Antinomians Familists Anabaptists and yet to beleeve that the power of Christ shall preserve his owne Church Lucas Osiander ubi enim Lutherus docet ut saepe com supeâ— epis ad Galatas paeniâ—entem peccatorem non debere audire Mosâ—m per legem peccata accusantem sed in Christum salvatorem oculos conjiciendos qui sanet co â—rita corda inde Eislebius et alij colligerunt legem non esse docendam The tenents of Eislebius and other Antinomians in Luthers time (d) Schlusselbu cat hereticorum l. 3. p. 45 46 47. (e) Town asser p. 35. (f) Saltmarsh free grace· 154. (g) Honey combe c. 3. pag. 35. (h) Saltm fr. gr p. 140. i. Sermon the man of sin discovered rather vailed p. 10.11 The old Antinomians are not so grose as Saltmarsh and our new Antinomians Sclusselbur p. 46 47 48 49. The state of the question touching the Law as the old Antinomians framed it Antinomians say that the Law is a meer patient to a beleever and doth neither command direct nor give him any glance of light to doe Gods will the spirit is his onely light k Saltmarsh fr. gr p. 146 147. l Town asser gr p. 10. what if it be affirmed that even in true sanctification the law of workes is a meere passive thing as the Kings high way which a christian freely walketh iâ— you can never have face to deny it Psal. 119. â— 2. (i) Saltmarsh free grace 140. pag. 142. (k) Towne asser grace pag. 34. (l) Schlusseâ— catalogo haeriticorum l. 3. pag. 47 48 49. Novus homo â—ustus regeneratus renatus perfectus in Christo Iesu et completus in ipso Sanctus justus innocens unum cum Christo caro de carne et os ex ossibus eius illud ipsum denique ex gratia side et imputatione quod Christus est natura in quo Christus vivit loquitur facit et operatur omnâ—a nam omnia opera eius sunt opera Christi â—uius ipse est mera passiva maâ—er a. (m) Towne ass grace pag 41 42 43. (n) Mâ—t. 10.18 19 20. Ioh. 16.1 2. Luk. 21.15 â—6 17 18 19 20. Ioh. 21.18 19 20. 1 Pet. 3.14 15 16 17. (o) Schluss cat haer l. 3. p. 82. (p) Honyâ—co c. 4 43 44 45 46 47 48 c c. 3.23 24 25. (p) Honyâ—co c. 4 43 44 45 46 47 48 c c. 3.23 24 25. (q) Tow. ass gra p. 95 96 97 c. (r) Salt free grace 144 145 146. c. Mart. Luther more agâ—inst Antinomiaâ—s then any man Divers usefull distinctions touching the law and the beleevers freedome from it tending to cleare the minde of Luther and Protestants Three speciall uses of the law according to M. Luther (a) Luther to 2 in Gen. c. 18. fol 18. b Luther writeth against the Antinomianâ— by name Luther â—o 2. in Gen c. 18 f. 119. Luthâ—r â—â—fuâ—eth the Antâ—nomians under the name of Antinomians is enemies to the law of God c Luther to 2. in Gen. c. 18. fo 119. d 19. fo 118. e Luther to 2. in Gen. c. 19. f. 132 f Luther tom 2 in Gen c 2. fol 132. g Luther tom 1. pa 555. Luther extolleth good works against all Antinomians h Luther tom 3. fol. 109. I Luth. ttm. 3 fâ—l 165 l Luth tom 1 fol 449. m Luth tom 1 fol 522. n Luther to 2 in Gen. c. 15. fol. 57. (o) Luther to 2 in Gen. Luther teachâ—eth that only faith justifieth and yet faith is not alone with out good workes Luther tom 2 fol. 517. How faith and workes are contrary to Luther (a) Luther to 2 in Gen.
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
star cap. 8. p. 70.71.72 m Pag. 78.9 n Free grace 179. o Rise raigne er 49. Antinomians come neere to Familâ—sts who said God wrought all in the Creature the creature doth nothing good or ill they say the Spirit works all in us as in blocks p Saltmarsh free grace 146. q Crispe vol. 1. ser. 6. pag. 161.162 r Towne asser grace pag. 51.52 Antinomians Principles make God the Author of sin s Crâ—spe vol. â— Ser. 6. p. 161. t Ibid. p. 163. u Rise raigne er 14. x Saltmarsh Free grace 105. y Sâ—ltmarsh Free grace pag. 159. a Calvin cap. 35. adv Libert p. 448. Nullius rei conscientia moveri b Rise raigne Vnsavoury speeches er 4. c Archer Ser. comfort for beleevers pag. 35.36.37 d Rise raigne Er. 64. Towne assert of grace 115.116.129.130 Saltmarsh Free grace pag. 140. Honey combe cap. 7 pag. 139. Denne Ser. Of the Man of sinne pag. 9.10.11.12 a Blesdikius histâ—r Da. G. ar â—2 pag. 48 b Calvin Instruct adver Libert ca. 17 pag. 450. Componunt Christum ex Spiritu Dei qui in nobis omnibus est ex eo quod opinationem ac mundâ—m vocant Christum siâ—gunt veluti imaginem ac exemplar in quo figurata sunâ— quae ad nostram salutem requiruntur c Bright Star ca. 16.108.109 d Bright Star ca. 8. pag. 76.77.78 e Theolg Ger. c. 22. p. 52.53 f Rise raigne er 11. g Town asser pag. 5. h The life and light of a man in Christ pa. 57. i Eaton honey combe cap. 〈…〉 2. k Honey Comb â— 11 pa 313. â— l Saltmarsh â—ree grace pag. 140. m Saltmarsh Free gra 148. n 〈◊〉 vol. 3. Ser. 1. 〈…〉 Seâ— o â—â—oh 14.1 p Towne Asser. grace â— 34 35.1â—9.130 Towne asser gr pag. 156.157.158 q Saltmarsh Free gr pag. 140. a Calv. adver Liber cap. 20 454. Qâ—ia 〈◊〉 usqâ—â—sâ—â—e in ea in 〈◊〉 vocatione est 〈◊〉 ere â—ebet docent unumquemque opericâ—e naturalem inclinationem sequâ— atque sic vivere ut libent è re sua videbitur Hinc sit ut Quintâ—nas faeâ—us secta Libert Dux excâ—nd siat quoties rogatur ut valeat Quomodo inquit An Christus malè habere poâ—est exponunt consummandum est de praeteritis omnibus doloribus Christianorum dolores aut morbos se sentire negabant quod jam preteriti essent ipsi in gloriam cum Christo jam egressi essent b Blesdikiâ—s Aâ—t 17. Pag. 19.30 c Towne asser pa. 39.40 d Honey combe cap. 5. pag 87. e Denâ—e Ser. Of the Man of Sâ—nne pag. 9. â—0 11 f Saltmarsh Free grace pa. 143.154 g Honey combe ca. 3 pag. 25. h Saltmarsh Free grace pag. 15â— i Honey combe pag. 87. The Antinomians sinning according to his own sense and declaratively not really and before God and to saith nothing but the Libertines committing all wickednesse which he saith is to follow his vocation 〈◊〉 fleshly sense a Calvin Instruct advers Liber câ— 22. pag. 458. Homo inquiunt sciat animam suam Spiritum immortalemesse perpetuo viventem in câ—â—lis ac Christum mâ—rte sua opinationem ab levisse 〈◊〉 que ratione nobis râ—stituisse vâ—tam quae in eo est ut nos minimè mori cognoscantus b Crispe vâ—l 3. Ser 1. pag. 19 â—7 c 40. d 41. e 42. e 42. f 43. g 44. h 44. Antinomians remove all sense of affections and turne us in stones i 44. k Saltmarsh Free grace pag. 140. k Town asser grace pag. 40. l Honey combe cap. 3. pag. 25. a Câ—lâ—in aâ—veâ—â— â—iber ca. 2â— p. 458. Pâ—uâ—us menâ—â—onem fâ—cit Phileti Hymenat qui jâ—m 〈◊〉 tempore resurrectioâ—â—â—â—sse tactaâ— disebâ—nt rident Liber ini spem omnem quam de resurrectione habemus idque jam nobis eveâ—â—sse dicunt quod adhuc expectamus Pag. 459. Clamat Scriptura clarâ voce coteÌ„dit ut si saluteÌ„ in nostram velimus contempâ—ari ad supremum illum diem animos erigamus Canes vero issi latrant frustra id fi ri nosque jam resurrexsse nullam aâ—pâ—us resurectionem expectandam b Blesdikius Hiâ—â—or Daviâ—is Georgâ— lib. Mâ—rabilâ—um Pag. 41.42.43.44.45.46 c. c Pag. 51. Art libro Mirabilium 24. d Ibid. Art 26. e Art 27. f Art 28. g Art 29. The blasphemies of Dav. Georgius h Henry Nicho a GermaÌ„ 100 yeares agoe in his Booke intituled the Joyfull message of the Kingdome cap. 1 sent 9. cap. 34.35 sent 8. i Answorth Preface in an answer of an Epist. of H. Nichol. k H Nicholas joyfull Message of the kingdome or his Evangel cap. 34 sent 2. l H. Nicholas in the same cap. 32. The Blasphemies of the deceiver H. Nicholas touching the Judge of al the last judgement the resurrection and the life to come m H. Nâ—cholas Evangel cap. 33. Sentence 8. Familists in England deny the resurrection and the life to come n Briefe discovery of Familists p. 1. o Rise raigne p. 59. Art 1.2 p Art 3.4 Ibid. pag. 60. q Ibid art 14. Antinomians doubt of the Resurrection and think that our heaven is actually in this life r Saltmarsh Free grace pa. 140. Ioh. 6.39.44 t Man of sinne pag. 9.10 u Calvin Instruct advers Libert ca. 21. pag. 458.459 x Saltmarsh Free grace 149. y Towne asser pag. 157.158 H. Nicholas Epist. to the daughters of Warwicke Sect 4. b Epist. Sect. 2. Eâ—istâ—e to the 〈…〉 of Warwick H Nicholas as he condemneth all outward obedience to God as fleshly and Elementish so doth he condemne laying dâ—wne our life for Christ and expoundeth it of laying down our sinfull life for him H Nicholas denyeth the Pope to be the Man of sinne and expoundeth 2 Thess. 2 Alâ—egoricaâ—ly aâ— he doth all the Scriptures of sinfull concupisceâ—ce t Bullinger advers Anabâ—p p. â— c. â— nullam fideâ— hâ—bere quoad exâ—erâ—am proâ—â—â—ssioâ—eÌ„ â—unc vâ—lgare est Some Aâ—baptists in the time of Bulinger thought all exteâ—nall obedience and reformatâ—on needlesse and conâ—â—ssion of Christ to the death not râ—quired of God H. Nicholas his foule Tenets u Rise raigne eâ— â—2 x Saltmarsh free grace 177.178.179 180. z Towne asser pag. 138. y Saltmarsh Free grace 216. a Shadowes fleeing away pâ—g 8. b Iob. 1.18 19. c Rev. 12.11.12 d Râ—v 6.9 e Râ—v 11.7 8 9 â—0 11. f Act 4 41. g 〈◊〉 3.36.37 Pâ—al 4â— â—2 h Math 10.32 i Math 19.19.30 H. Nâ—cholas held there was no need to confesse Châ—ist before men but the â—â—ying dâ—wne of our life for Christ was to be expounded Spiritually k Saltmarsh Free grace pag. 16. l Saltmarsh Free grace pa. 216. m Ibid. 146. n Ibid. 179.180.181 o Pag. 206.207 â—97 192 p 147.148 q â—28 r 152. s 59 48 49.73.74 75. t 44. Rise raigne er 64. u Saltmarsh Shaddows flâ—eing away pag. 8. The Scripture haâ—h but one sense Antinomians and Familists devise a Literall a Mysticall Spiritual and Allâ—gorâ—call sense Del Chaplain
are freed from the law how not 5 Chap. VI. How the Command of the law layeth an obliging bond on us 5 6 Proven by six arguments Chap. VII How the Law and the Gospel require the same obedience 7 8 Chap. VIII Of the promissory part of the law the differences betweene the two Covenants mistaken by Antinomians are opened 9 10 Chap. IX of the threatening of the Law and the Gospel 10 11 Chap. X. of Gospel-feare 12 Serving for a reward not mercinary ibid. Chap. XI Law-feare and Gospel-faith are consistent 12 13 Antinomians make the Gospell the very spirit of grace 13 14. And remove all Ordinances 14 Chap. XII Antinomians deny remission of sinnes to the Jewes 14 15 Chap. XIII Of the non-age of the Jewes what it was 15 16 Chap. XIV The old man or the flesh to the Antinomians is under the law the new man freed from all law 16 Chap. XV. Antinomians hold that the justified sinne before men and as touching their conversation not before God as touching their conscience 17 Chap. XVI Antinomians take justification to be an extirpation of sinne root and branch 17 Chap. XVII Christ not intrinsically and formally the sinner 18 Chap. XVIII We are not justified till we beleeve 19 20 Antinomians hold that we are united with Christ before we beleeve 20 Chap. XIX Gods love of goodwill and of good likeing a warrantable distinction 20 21 21 Chap. XX. There is a reall change of our state in justification 22 Chap. XXI We mixe not workes and grace in the matter of justification 23 24 Chap. XXII Antinomians deny sin to be in the justified 24 Chap. XXIII Antinomians say to faith there is no sinne 25 Chap XXIV The Reigne of faith not absolute as Antinomians say 25 26 Chap. XXV God seeth sin in the justified 26 27 Chap. XXVI Confession required in the beleever 27 28 Chap. XXVII The law is to be preached to beleevers 28 29 How duties are to be preached 29 Chap. XXVIII Strict and precise walking a Gospel-duty 30 Chap. XXIX God truely angry at the sinnes of beleevers 31 Chap. XXX The justified countable to God for sinne 32 Chap. XXXI God punisheth sinne in beleevers 32 Chap. XXXII beleevers are to mourne for sin 32 33 Chap. XXXIII Antinomians deny that beleevers should crave pardon for sin or have any sense thereof 34 Chap. XXXIV Men boyling in their lusts without any humiliation foregoing are to beleeve say Antinomians 34 35 Chap. XXXV Spirituall poverty mistaken by Antino 35 36 Chap. XXXVI Repentance mistaken by Antinomians 36 Chap. XXXVII How good workes are necessary 37 38 Chap. XXXVIII The Gospell conditional and how 39 40 Chap. XXXIX Antinomian mortification rejected 43 44 Chap. XL. Antinomians the perfectists of the tyme. 43 Chap. XLI We are compleatly saved in this life say Antinomians 44 Chap. XLII Our happinesse in sanctification as well as in justification 45 46 Chap. XLIII Sanctification crushed by Antinomians 46 47 48 Chap. XLIIII All doubtings inconsistent with faith say Antinomians 49 50 Chap. XLV Antinomians Merit-mongers not we 50 51 Chap. XLVI There is grace inherent in us 52 53 Chap. XLVII We are not meere patients in acts of sanctification 53 54 55 Antinomians abet all reasoning câ—nsequences promises 57 58 59 Chap. XLVIII Beleevers cannot sinne against God but against men say Antinomians 60 61 How the justified are not obliged to eschew sinne according to the Antinomian way 61 Townes vaine objections tending to prove that good workes are not the way to salvation 61 62 63 Good workes are not necessary either by a necessity of meanes or of a command of God to Antinomians 62 63 How sanctification fitteth us for heaven 64 65 Chap. XLVI Antinomians free us from any obligation to Evangelick commands and exhortations to duties and say faith is the only thing commanded in the Gospell 65 66 Chap. L. How we are freed from the law in regard of sanctification as of justification 68 Chap. LI. Antinomians ignorant of Jewish law-service and of Gospel-obedience 69 70 Neither the Jewes under the Law nor we under the Gospell could ever buy the love of God ibid. The errour of the Jewes touching righteousnesse and the state of the Jewes confounded by Antinomians 70 71 Chap. LII That we are not freed from outward ordinances 73 74 Chap. LIII The necessity of outward Ordinances 75 76 Chap. LIV. What peace we may fetch from gracious performances 76 77. Peace with God not the same peace from our selves 77 78. What qualified performances can â—ottome peace 77 78 Antinomians reject all experiences 7â— 80 Antinomians condemne all experiences ibid. Chap. LV. How farre inherent qualifications and actions of grace can prove we are in the state of grace 81 82 Meere â—xternall performances prove nothing 62. To eye the actings of the Spirit and overlooke our selves is the surest arguing of a spirituall state 82 Keeping of the Commandements may prove to our owne Spirits that wee are in Christ. 82 83 Supernaturall acts may reciprocally prove one another 8â— Antinomians conspire with Papists to deny all evidences of our certainty of our being in Christ because all acts or qualifications or workes of sanctification may be called in question 86 87 88 Their certitude of faith being no lesse questionable 88 89 Good workes meanes not pillars of our assurance 90 91 Chap. LVI How duties and delight in them take us not off Christ 91 92. How they may be abused 93 Chap. LVII Of liberty purchased by Christ. 93 94 How we are freed from the Law how not 95 96 Magistrates cannot punish ill doers by the Antino way 100 101 Chap LVIII Antinomians teach that beleevers must not walke in their conversation as in the sight of God but must live by faith with God 101 102 Chap. LIX How justification is one indivisible act not successive as sanctification 104. and sins yet are daily pardoned 105 106 Chap. LX How sinnes are remitted before they be committed 106. Chap. LXI How faith justifieth 107. And Saltmarsh's arguments that Christ is not ours by faith 108 109 110. Answered The order of conversion and of justifying the sinner 111 112 Chap. LXII The Antinomians way and method of a sinners comming to Christ confuted 114 115 116 The abuse of preparations to merit Pelagianisme the abandoning of the practise of humiliation and sin sickenesse before we beleeve is presumptuous Antinomianisme 116 117 Chap. LXIII The law and the spirit subordinate not contrary 117 118 Saltmarsh a Familist 118 Chap. LXIV Antinomians differences betweene the law and the gospell confuted 119 120 Law-obedience did not win God to be our God 119 The authority of God a Law-giver and God a Father not contrary 120. The Gospell commandeth not any thing by the Antinomian way 121 122 The Gospel doth both command and perswade 122. Antinomians call obedience to God a miserable yoake ibid. How Law-rigor and Gospell-sweetnesse doe consist 123 Antinomians reject all arguing and logicall inferences of the Holy Ghost