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Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist

Samuel Rutherford (1600-1661) · 250,060 words · 1111 min

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Eaton tendereth between justification and sanctification. Yea, upon this ground, the Libertines say, if we see graces or sanctification in ourselves, we are not poor in spirit ; and that it is no sin in a believer not to see his grace. Which is all one, as not to know, try, and prove himself, whether he be in Christ or no. And so we may contravene a command of God, and not sin; and to sin against one of the offices of the Spirit, which is to make us know the things that are freely given us of God is no sin • . And in Calvin's time, Libertines say, to know good or ill, was the old Adam, to know and want the feeling of grace, of holiness, or of sin, was mortification ; and a dead conscience, not to be moved, nor touched with sorrow or feeling of sin, nor to fear it in justified persons, is faith and and true mortification; so the New England Libertines.

CHAP. XLIV. Antinomians say, all doubtings is inconsistent with Faith.

THe Justified (say the Antinomians) are to doubt no more, freedom and liberty purchased in Christ, frees you from all bondage, as if you were in heaven, and gives assurance without all wavering, fear, or doubting. We are not to fear our sins, nor anything else. Which keepeth good harmony with New England's Libertines, who say, that doubting in any sort is inconsistent with true assurance ; especially after the revelation of the Spirit, which some call the broad Seal • , and to doubt upon the commission of some heinous sin, whether God be my Father, argueth the party doubting to be under a covenant of works.

No question, doubting in justified persons is a sin. Christ rebuketh it, Why doubt ye? 2. Christ requireth faith without doubting. 3. He forbiddeth it. 4. Its contrary to faith. 5. And punished. But it is in the truly justified; Faith and fainting are almost woven thorough either in the same prayer in David, Psal. 31.22. I said in my hast, I am cut off from before thine eyes ; this is great fainting, yet there is fire under ashes, faith bordering with fainting, nevertheless thou hardst the voice of my supplication: So is it with Jonah, Hezekiah, Job. Dregges in the bottom when the wine is jumbled, appear in the Prophets complaint, an ague of madness starts up beside reason, and above faith, even after Asaph, and Jeremiah, both had received the broad seal of the revealing Spirit; when Faith sickens, it dieth not; Will the Lord cast us off forever? and will he be favorable no more? is his mercy clean gone forever? doth his promise fail for evermore? And wilt thou be altogether to me as a liar, and as waters that fail?

2. This goeth on another false ground; that being freed from the curse of the Law, we are freed from all fits of the old agues of the Spirit of bondage, and that all trouble of conscience argue a Law-state of works; but that old guest upon sense of sin, and apprehension of wrath, can make a new plea between the soul and Christ, and there will arise new storms of love-jealousies and complaints against the beloved, surmises of unbelief, because sin dwelleth in the justified.

3. David's bones were broken, for sin, and for his sins the arrows of God stick in his flesh, and his moisture is turned into the drought of summer.

4. There can be no nearer way to despair, and shake the very foundations of a believers faith, then comfort him so miserably, as say, if ever he doubt, he is under the Law, and under the curse; since it argueth the strong man to be cast out when he throweth in fire-brands of doubtings in at the windows, to see if he can regain his place.

CHAP. XLV. Antinomians, not Protestants, Merit-mongers.

ANtinomians say, that we teach the same with Merit-mongers, who say the reward is given, ex pacto, by covenant, as due debt, because of the fidelity of God, and not that our works in strictness of justice deserve such a reward, to which we answer.

1. None of us say, the crown is given, either for faith, or for good works, as if they should determine the Lord to give a reward, or lay bands on him for the intrinsical dignity and meritorious virtue that Christ's merit hath put on our works; we utterly deny any such virtue, either in our good works, considered in their own nature, or as they borrow some perfume of Christ's meriting virtue. Paul, Rom. 3. argueth, that none are justified by works, because (saith he) all have sinned, verse. 9. both Jew and Gentile, every mouth, verse. 19.20. stopped, and all the world is become guilty ; if then our works were thus perfect, that they were void of sin, they should have a power to justify. But Town asser. 77.78. Eaton Honey comb • , cap 16.459.460.461. say, Christ giveth perfection to our works, and maketh them free of inherent sin; this is as much as Papists say, Christ's blood conferreth a power of meriting on good works.

2. They say, we fulfill the Law in Christ, when he makes our works perfect and sinless, then we also justify ourselves by our good works in Christ. But we know that Antinomians give more then a meriting power to good works, while they make them perfect as Christ, and free from sin as his actions are ; Why? but then should they not justify us before God? if they be perfect and render us before God, perfect as M. Town saith; and Eaton saith, Justification is meritorious of all the favor and blessings of God: Sanctification of it self merits nothing at all. This is more horrid merit then ever a Papist taught. For Justification if it merit all the favor and blessings of God, then must it merit the favor of eternal election to glory, of effectual calling, of Christ's coming in the flesh, of free Redemption, of the sending of the Gospel of grace to this nation, rather then to this; whereas all these go before justification, and flow from a more ancient and eternal free grace then Justification; even from eternal election and everlasting love.

2. But Sanctification (saith he) of it self merits nothing ; nor do Merit-mongers say, their best works of themselves merit anything, but as dipt in Christ's blood, from whose grace they borrow a meriting power ; and of justice, besides a free promise and paction. God oweth a crown of glory to these works, say Papists ; and this meriting power (say they) though it be borrowed from Christ, yet our works have from the grace of Christ the formal principle of them, a meriting power beside, before, and without all free paction and promise of reward that God maketh to our works: and here we part ways with all Merit-mongers, and shall never (we hope) meet. But that God hath made a promise, of his free grace, to reward our works, and hath tied himself to himself, not to us, is clear: For God is not unrighteous to forget your work (saith the Scripture) and labor of love ; and it is a righteous thing with God, to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you who are troubled, rest with us, &c. And Merit-mongers say, our good works are made condignly and morally meritorious from Christ's merits, and so are made and dignified with a sort of infiniteness to buy heaven, as Antinomians say, they have sinless perfection from Christ's merits, and are made as white, fair, spotless, as God can see no sin in them, but looking on them, seeth them as fair as the works of Christ, or the elect Angels. We judge that there is no worth to come near in value or proportion to grace or glory, and that no reward is promised for them, none to them, but as to signs and fruits of grace.

CHAP. XLVI. That there is grace inherent in the Saints, beside that free favor and good will that is in God.

WEe accord not with Antinomians who say, that grace is only in Christ, none in us, they are but gifts and effects of grace in us, saith Town. The new creature, the armor of God, and love is nothing but Christ. But we say, Grace, or free favor, is in Christ, as the cause, root, spring; but this is the infinite God, freely of mere grace, imparting his goodness, mercy, redemption, calling us without hire or money; and this indeed is not in us, but in him; but there is a grace created the fruit of this free grace in God, that is in us subjectively, and inherently, and denominates us gracious, and new creatures; grace is in Christ, as the flour in the root, but in us, as the smell, that comes from the flour, and is communicated to us who have senses. The Scripture saith, 1. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature ; a new creature cannot be Christ the Creator; the new man is created in righteousness, and true holiness ; and these be created graces in us: as the lusts of the flesh, contrary to these are not the first Adam, but the fruits of this sin, so neither can these be the second Adam. 2. The Armor of God, Ephes. 6. Faith, Hope, the Word of God, Prayer, the chief parts of that armor have Christ for their object, and subject, and we are to pray in Christ's name, then they cannot be Christ himself, faith may be weak, Christ cannot be weak; prayer less fervent, Christ not so. 3. The Scripture saith, God putteth in the Saints a heart of flesh, a new heart, poureth water, that is, his spirit on the thirsty ground, the Spirit of grace and supplication on the Family of David; writes his Law in our inward parts, gives, a circumcised heart. 4 There is an in-biding principle, The seed of God remaining in the Saints, the annoyting that teacheth them all ; Grace in Timothy, faith unfeigned dwelling in him, and his grandmother. 5. The Saints are denominated new creatures from grace inherent faithful and sanctified in Christ Jesus, borne again of God, Sons, and heirs, partakers of the Divine nature, Kings and spiritual Priest▪ to God, changed and renewed. 6. From this Libertines say, there is no difference between hypocrites and believers, whereas they are blessed, meek, shall see God, shall be satisfied, have a great reward in heaven ; which is falsely said of hypocrites: and its near of kin to that foul error. The Spirit works in hypocrites, by gifts, and graces; in the Saints immediately, whereas the Saints do many things from the fear of God, from Faith, from humility, and meekness, which are graces in them, and it neighbors with that heresy, that Christ acteth immediately in the Saints, he being incarnate in them, and they Christed and Godded with him ; Christ dwelling in their flesh, which maketh every Saint, Christ, and the only begotten Son of God; and it sides with that error that the efficacy of Christ's death doth kill the activity of all graces, and that all the activity of a believer is to act sin, there being nothing in him but sin; Christ without acting all in him.

CHAP. XLVII. That we are not mere patients in the acting of the Spirit of Sanctification.

SO do Antinomians hold that we are mere patients under the actings of the Spirit, the Spirit acting in us immediately as on blocks and stocks. So there is, say they, no obligation to pray, at set hours and times, but when the Spirit acteth and stirreth us immediately thereunto. And Saltmarsh saith, this is a bondage to times, and no spiritual serving of God. So hath Randel the Familist, prefixed in an Epistle to two Popish Tractats, furnishing to us excellent privileges of Familism, the one called Theologia Germanica, and the other the Bright star, which both advance perfect Saints above Law, Gospel, Scripture, Ordinances, Praying, hearing, to a Monastike contemplative life, in which their perfectists see, enjoy, live in God, without beholding him in forms, (or material images, the sign of the Cross, lawful books, as they think, to young beginners,) without any acting in them, either of understanding, will, desire, or any power, they, and their love, desire, joy, being all drowned, annihilated and swallowed up in God, immediately enjoyed, and the Spirit acting immediately, Euthysiastically, in them as men dead, crucified, mortified, and if they have any acts of knowing, or willing, or loving, they be acts of the old man and the flesh. And upon the same ground, God not efficatiously and immediately concurring in moral actions, to act upon the creatures, men and Angels. The Libertines of old, some Familists, and Antinomians of late, have said, that God is the author of sin, that his working, or not working on the creature, is the cause of good, and ill; righteousness and unrighteousness. 1. Because sin is nothing but God's not working. 2. It cannot hurt God, and why should he hate it? 3. It hath its first being in God. 4. It is his servant, and conduceth to heighten free grace, and rich mercy; I do not impute this to all Antinomians, yet some have said it, and written it, the same principles common to Libertines and Antinomians, as you may read in worthy Calvin, incline to the same conclusions. It is true, Saltmarsh comes not up to truth in this. Mans sins was serviceable (saith he) to the glory of Redemption, and was but for the bringing forth of this, though not decreed of God, but occasioned by man, God foreknowing the changeableness of his creature, &c. In which words, not knowing what to make out of the Protestant doctrine, out of ignorance he makes sin the mother, and glorious Redemption the birth, that was warmed with life in the womb of sin, and was serviceable for the bringing forth of this. We know what M. Archer said of late, (I scarce believe, that that godly man would have spoken so;) fair and glorious grace was warmed and enlived from eternity, in the sweet bowels and heart of God; and never lay, never fetched heat of life from the foul womb of sin. 2. In the other extremity, Saltmarsh denieth simpliciter any decree of God▪ so much as permissive touching sin, and gives him no more but a bare fore-knowledge, without any decree, and makes man only the occasion of sin, who undeniably is such an occasion, as father and mother are of their own births. Man were to be pitied and excused, if he were an occasion only of sin.

But 1. if the Spirit act immediately on us; so as we we are passive in believing, praying, and in all acts of Sanctification, as Town saith, and we must be the same way passive, as when God justifies us, which he doth ere we be born again, and as Crisp saith, by forcing grace on us, as a Physician violently stoppeth Phisick in the mouth, and down the throat of a backward patient against his will: and if we be not obliged to pray, believe, and upon the same ground, not to abstain from Adultery, Murder, (for grace must act in both) but when the Spirit doth stir and excite us, then we are no more guilty of sin in omitting good, and committing evil, then a stone falling off a tower, is guilty of beating out a man's brains; for in these the man is a passive block, as the stone is in its motion: and if we abstain from praying, not being obliged to pray, because the Spirit acts not on us, we sin not; judge then who is the father of sins of omission, by the good leave of Antinomians, and upon the same ground, it is as unpossible but we must fall into sins of commission, as swearing, lying, blasphemy, heresy, unbelief, adultery, murder, stealing, except either the restraining grace, or the renewing sanctifying Spirit act upon us, as we cannot choose but sinnefully omit duties of praying, believing, when the wind of the Spirit bloweth not fair on us for these duties; and so Antinomians must either be Pelagians, and say, there is no need of grace to eschew sin, and so they must be un-friends to free grace; or then, men must be guiltless in all sins, by this opinion, and let them then choose upon whom they will father all sin.

2. We are to pray continually , and watch thereunto with all perseverance, and keep ourselves in the love of God. Watch and pray. Waite for the coming of the Lord with girded up loins, wait for the day of our redemption. Then are we obliged by the command of Christ, whether the holy Ghost breath on us, or the wind of the Spirit blow fair from Christ's heart, on our heart, or no, to the supernatural acts of praying, believing, hoping, watching. Nor is Christ's act of free grace in drawing, stirring, and actual inliving, our obliging rule, but the revealed will of God in the Law and Gospel; and if we be mere passive as stones, and only obliged to supernatural acts, when the tide of free love, and rich grace floweth on the shore and banks of our whithered Spirits, then we must not only say, we are freed from the Law, but from all Gospel-commands, all free invitations of rich grace, according to the letter, or then that the Spirit is obliged to attend and join his bedewings and flowing of free love and grace, ever when we hear or read the Gospel. But when Saltmarsh, Town, and others of that Tribe say, the Gospel is not in the letter, duty, opinion, sense, reason, but in the Spirit, life, grace, faith, they mean the same with New England Libertines; That the will of God in the word, or directions thereof, are not the rule whereunto Christians are bound to conform themselves, to live thereafter. So as old Anabaptists taught, we shall all be taught of God, and the annointing teacheth us all things, and therefore the written Scripture, Law, Gospel, the Ordinances of Preaching, Reading, Praying, Sacraments, belong not to us: to be under them, is to be under the Law, and the old dead Letter, and the lifeless, passive, Inkie, and poor Paper-ordinances of Men, and not under the Gospel, that is, under the immediate actings of the Spirit; contrary to the Word of God, which maketh an harmonious subordination, not a contrariety between outward ordinances, and the inward working of the Holy Ghost, to the Law, and the Testimony, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual and mighty through God. Here are both Word and Spirit. As for me this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord, my Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy Seed, &c. 2. It is a close rejecting of the Word of God, written in the Old and New Testament, which the Prophets, Christ, and the Apostles recommend to us, as our only rule: it is to subvert all Ministry, and Ordinances, contrary to Scripture, and to make the Gospel written, the holy Ghost himself. 3. This i • to loose us from the Commandment, and Gospel-exhortations to holy walking, delivered by the Prophets, Christ, and his Apostles.

3. And sure if we obey Gospel-commandments, as stones and blocks without any action in us, or from us at all, and must then obey only, when the Holy Ghost acteth, and stirreth the fire. Commandments, and Gospel-promises, Reasonings, Preaching, Ordinances, must be as vain and unreasonable, to move men, as stones and dumb wood; Upon this ground, Saltmarsh, with Antinomians would have all Logic abeted. But carnal ratiocinations and discourses, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , That exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, we are more willing should be abeted and exiled from Divinity then Antinomians: who set free grace on pins of love rather then Faith, as if we were justified by love, as their brethren of the Family of love dream: And 2. who be they who remaining Antinomians turn Arminians, and fight for free will, and universal atonement, and general Redemption, of all and everyone, upon the mere principles of carnal reason, and such a natural pity, and impotency of love to all, and everyone of mankind as God cannot make out, and which by natural principles tendeth to the universal salvation of all, and everyone of mankind; yea, of a world, including Devils also? And upon this ground Cornwell saith, Such a faith as is wrought by a practical Syllogism, because it followeth from the strength of reasoning, or reason, not from the power of God, is but an human faith. And Saltmarsh. The interpreting (saith he) of the Scripture thus in the letter, and in consequence, hath much darkened the glory of the Gospel. And the Gospel (saith he) is formed of exhortations, persuasions,— conditional promises, commandments, — to the end that divinne and spiritual things might be more naturally conveyed, in a notional and natural way; as the key is made fit to the wards of the lock, — rather then for any supposed free will in man, as some imagine.

Which doth farther evidence the mind of Familists and Antinomians. 1. That they would have the Gospel a body and susteme of non-senses, and foolish dreams, and all Logic banished, that the Gospel may be a fardell of fancies, under the veil of spiritual and supernatural knowledge for the perfect; like that piece called the Bright Star, and Theologi • Germanica, and the Power of Love, and the Tree of knowledge of good and evil. 2. All reasonings, and use of Logic, which the Prophets and Apostles make a heavenly and spiritual use of, in the Scripture, to them are Legal, and smell too much of the dead Letter, the sour and killing Law; yea the Letter of written Gospel, because written, and because preached and opened in spiritual discourses to Cornwell, and others, is a human thing, and begets but a human faith, so that ( Faith cometh by hearing ) is to Saltmarsh not vocal 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 Town, is in a Law-way ; to Cornewell, is in a human, not a Divine way. Then Christ, Matth. 22. must be a Legal Preacher, and must argue after a Law-way, or a human, not a Divine and Gospel-way, and must much darken the glory of the Gospel ; for he proveth the resurrection of the dead, only by a consequence, I am the God of Abraham, &c. Ergo, the dead shall rise, and he sharply rebuketh the Sadducees, 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 do this, and sin against God? Is a work of Old Adam, discerning good and evil, as we shall hear, if the Lord will. And Saltmarsh saith, Exhortations, persuasions, conditional promises, and Gospel-commandments are natural, and so conveyances carnal, Legal, and of the Letter. Which to me is a foul asps • 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 wisdom of God, as odious, as the Jews and Greeks made it of old, that is to make it a mere natural and human thing. But reasoning from Scripture, is as Divine, as to convince, silence, rebuke, convert, and open the heart, though the Spirit be the principal agent in these. 4. If we be mere patients, and act nothing, by any obligation, but as the Spirit acteth on us, and in us; then not only the moral Law, but the very Law of nature, and the dictates of a natural conscience, shall not of themselves oblige us, as to honor our Parents, to love our brethren, to do to all, as we would that men should do to us, except the Spirit act us to these duties, and then must either the Holy Ghost attend the suggestions and dictates of the law of nature to blow with, and concur 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 sin at all against either the Law of nature, or written Scripture, save only 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 joyful out-goings, and manifestations of the Holy Ghost ; so should we command the North and South wind of the Spirit to blow upon the garden, that the Spices may flow out, and command the out-flowings of the river, and the tide that gladneth the soul. Which, sure, we cannot admit, or then, our doubtings, complaints, love-jealousies, should be free of all unbelief, and disquieting doubts, contrary to Scripture, and experience: yea, and all our sins, and darkness, and false apprehensions under sad desertions, should be counted on the Holy Ghosts score, as his sin, who did not act us to the declining of these sins, and the performing the contrary duties, and not be imputable to us; for all sin must be contrary to some Law-obligation.

5: We hence clearly see, Antinomians must come fully up to New England Libertines, that In the saving conversion of a sinner, the faculties and workings of the soul in things pertaining to God, are destroyed, and made to cease; and the holy Ghost cometh in place of them, as the faculties of the human nature of Christ ; whereas grace purgeth away the oar, but destroyeth not the gold, and doth not remove, nor substantially change the soul and heart; but maketh it new, sanctifieth it, reneweth the Spirit, purgeth the conscien • 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 sin, let him look to it, upon the peril of his honor be it. Which may have this good sense, as to be a word of boldness of faith, holding forth as much as it highly concerneth the honor of Christ, his faithfulness and unchangeable grace, who is entrusted with all the flock, young and old, to suffer none to fall in such sins, as may tend to, or be a final falling from Christ, but that upon the peril 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 sin; Christ's Spirit is engaged to enact immediately, and to preserve the ransomed man from all sin, if the man fall, Christ's Spirit not inacting him to stand, is the Author and cause of his fall, Whereas we are commanded to keep ourselves in the love of God; David kept himself from his iniquity.

CHAP. XLVIII. Antinomians hold that the believer cannot sin against God, but against men, in his conversation.

WEe believe that the Law or Commandment of Christ respecteth our salvation with God, as well as our conversation with men; contrary to Antinomians, who will have us as completely saved being once justified, as sinnlesse, and perfectly holy, as the glorified in heaven ; Yea, we have not so much as the blot of Papists venials, or Protestants sins of infirmity, or original sin dwelling in us. So as I judge the man that said to a learned opposer of the Anninomians, spoke right in the Antinomian way; Sin 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 be mere nothing, as concupiscence is to Papists, who make justification the expulsion of the habit of sin, and the bringing in of habitual righteousness, which expelleth all sin, except venials, which indeed are no sins; for sin pardoned to Antinomians and Papists, who are harmonious in this point, are no sins.

2. Nothing, be it adultery, or parricide, or any work of the flesh, committed after justification can be sin, for it is against no Law, by this way, and doth not so much as pr • judge salvation by demerit; it only scandalizeth men, but cannot offend God. My soul enter thou not into these men's secrets.

3. Sins against Christian conversation, such as the adulteries of the justified, are no sins before God, because all sins, as sins, stand in the way, as contrary to salvation; then ask Antinomians is a justified person obliged to eschew Adultery, they shall answer, Yea, he is obliged, but how? There is a twofold obligation, one of Law, another of the free Spirit, the former is removed; the justified man by no Law, or Law-obligation, is to eschew Adultery, as a sin against God. 1. Because he is freed from the Law, and all directing and obliging power of the Law. 2. Because it involveth a contradiction, that his Adultery should be sin, when committed by him, and pardoned before it be committed; for so it should be sin, and no sin. How then is he obliged to forbear Adultery? Only by an obligation Physical, and of the Spirit, such as we call an obligation of naked courtesy, if he forbear, it is an act of love and arbitrary freedom, but if he commit it, it is not sin, because it is in him against no Law-obligation, no more then an Englishman committing felony against the Laws in England, (it is the Antinomians own comparison) or killing a Swan in Thames, which is forbidden by the Laws of England, does fail against the Laws of Spain. So his sin is against love, not Law, as if the Law commanded not all love, and love with all the heart; and as if these two were contrary, and the Law and the Gospel did involve two contrary, and contradictory wills in God; and the Lord should be changeable and inconstant in Law and Gospel; and his Adultery should be contrary to men and Christian conversation only, not to God.

4. All acts and personal duties of sanctification, which we must persue and follow, (else we cannot see God,) are but degrees and parts of the complete Sanctification that we hope for in heaven, and the path of the just, is as the shining light that shineth more and more till the perfect day: therefore they must be commanded as the way to salvation, and not as arbitrary acts of good conversation before men; but I shall here answer M. Towns objections, tending to prove that good works are not so much as the way to salvation. 1. If good works be such necessary conditions, that without them happiness is not attainable; then 1. though the grace of God do save as the alone cause; yet it doth not freely, for what God doth freely, it is without all condition, or consideration of man's works or worthiness.

Answ. It is good that Town granteth, though good works be commanded in the Gospel, yet grace may, for all that, be the only cause of salvation; but contradicting himself, he saith, If good works be commanded in the Gospel, then grace is not the only cause of salvation, but grace and works, Law and Gospel, must be confounded. We say not, they are so necessary, necessitate medii, by necessity of means; but that any savingly believing at the nick of the extremity of his twelfth and last hour, God taking away all opportunity of good works, is undoubtedly saved; but in the work of that faith, there is a seed and supernatural disposition to good works. Now that this mother never bringeth forth the birth, hindereth not but good works are necessary to salvation, necessitate precepti, in regard of God's commandment; but Antinomians deny good works to be necessary by any commandment of God. 1. Because to omit them, maketh the justified party liable to no guiltiness, or sin before God, say they, Because he is under no Law, and where there is no Law, there is no transgression, nor guilt, saith Saltmarsh. 2. We being justified are under no Commandment, so as we can violate this Commandment, be it of Law, or of Gospel; for it is pardoned before it be committed. 3. What God doth freely, is without conditon, as a meriting cause, or as a cause, or condition slowing from the strength of our nature without grace. Without a perfect condition, free of all sinful imperfection adhering to it, such as the Law required; it is true, but now the assumption of the objection is false. What he doth freely is without all condition Evangelicke, wrought by the strength of grace, and mixed with sinful infirmities ; so the major is most false; for Faith should not then be a condition of justification; good works are so conditions, as they be graces also. How often said Augustine, with Scripture God crowneth his own free gifts in us, not our merits. 4. The same way I distinguish the consideration of good works, either Legal, or Evangelike. And 5. Town doth conjoin our worthiness which is none at all, with our good works, which are something, for they are conditions of mere grace.

Object. 2 So saith he, Ye make works the causes of salvation.

Answ. It followeth not, that they are con-causes, or joint-causes with Christ, but only conditions; just as a man's journeying on foot or horse, to a City, or a Kingdom to inherit it, is the way, condition, of his entering the City; But it is not his Charter, or Law-title, or right to enjoy the Crown, as his inheritance; any effective influence to the title of the Crown of heaven, I dare not ascribe to any works in us, or to any but to Christ; but undeniably, good works are not so much as conditions of justification, they follow a man justified, but go not before justification ; no more then the Apple goeth before the tree, or the cistern before the fountain; nor are they the conditions of the Covenant of grace: they are the conditions of covenanted ones, not of the covenant.

Object. 3. If salvation depended on condition of our good works or dignity, it would be uncertain and doubtful, Rom. 4.16.

Answ. The Apostle, Rom. 4.16. clearly is on the theme of Justification by faith, and the condition of it, which is faith only. 2. We say not that salvation dependeth on works, as a condition, but on the grace of God, which worketh every good work in us freely, without hire or money, neither works nor free will are our sure free hold of heaven.

Object. 4. Ye confound Law and Gospel, and run on that common error, that the Gospel is conditional; remission of sins dependeth not on works.

Answ. It is a new heresy of Antinomians to deny a conditional Gospel, it is all one, as to bely the Holy Ghost, who saith, He that believeth shall be saved, he that believeth not is condemned already. Or they may say, Whether men believe or no, they are saved, as D. Crisp saith. 2. Remission is but one of the promised mercies of the Gospel; and because it dependeth not on works, as a condition, for the which life is given, as Antinomians charge us, but most unjustly; it followeth not that works are no conditions in any sense; this is vain Logic; they are not such conditions of dependency, and causality, therefore they are no conditions at all.

Object. 5. Ye strengthen natural knowledge, and the opinion of men, that God will justify none that are unworthy and unclean, freely; for every natural conscience doth require a worthiness in man, the Gospel teacheth the contrary.

Answ. Town confoundeth ever justification and salvation, and perverteth the state of the question. 2. The natural conscience is a Merit-monger and dreameth of inherent satisfaction, and hand-payment to God, for heaven without a Mediator, in so far as it looks on its own natural whiteness, and hellish civility, but the natural conscience doth also presume, and fancy an Anti-Gospel on the other hand, that God is merciful, so as to carry dogs and swine, as mere blocks, sleeping in Christ's bosom, to heaven; the Gospel goeth a middle way that we are justified and saved, in, through, and for the righteousness of another, and these who are thus saved, must be new creatures, have their fruit in holiness, else they cannot have life eternal; and the natural conscience knoweth neither ways.

Object. 6. It must follow, that imputed righteousness is not sufficient to make men capable of salvation; so that a godly life fitteth us for heaven, and the more holy our life is, the fitter it maketh us for heaven.

Answ. Sanctification fitteth us in the own kind for heaven, though not in any sort as the meritorious cause; and when the positive is denied, the comparative degree cannot be affirmed; a Raven is not white at all, therefore it cannot be said to be whiter then snow. Sanctification conferreth no meritorious capacity and fitness for salvation, therefore it cannot add any higher degree of fitness, above that which sinners have from the merits of Christ. We grant all: but when Paul saith, Col. 1.12. Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath maedeus meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light. The Antinomians are as far out as carnal Gospellers can be; if, with Town they say, all this fitness was in justification only ; for it was in that, in the which, and for the which, Paul giveth thanks to the Father, and prayeth for them. Now this object of his praying, and praising, was not for their justification only, but verse. 10. Their walking worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing, being fruitful in every good work. Vers. 11. Strenghned unto all patience. This was a part of their fitness, and that holy walking conferreth a fitness and disposition for salvation to me is clear, because no unclean thing can enter within the gates of that higher City, and because that love which we have here in our way, being the same in nature, though not in degree, with that which in our country shall remain, as a part of our garland, and crown, the one must be a fit disposition to the other; and when the Apostle saith Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. It cannot be meant of imputed righteousness, for by the same reason; peace with all men, must be meant of peace with God. But the truth is, these arguments fall of wll: therefore I come to that which is the bottom, the mother Heresy of Antinomians.

CHAP. XLVIX· Antinomians free us from any obligation to Evangelike commandments, and exhortations to duties, and say faith is only commanded now.

THey refuse all Evangelicke holiness, all Commandments, and Gospel-exhortations of holy walking, and make believing and faith the only Evangelic Command. Unbelief the only Evangelic sin; and acknowledge no righteousness of inherent sanctification, imputed righteousness must be all that the Gospel requireth, and to bring the Saints under a commandment of holy walking, so as they sin, if they neglect so to walk in Christ, as they have learned him, is to them, to bring them back from under the sweet Summer-Sun-warmenesse of the Gospel, to the cool and dark night shadows of the Law, and to re-enter them in, and shut them up under the old prison, as if they had come out from under the Law, upon baile and surety, to enter in the old Goale again upon demand.

For, 1. M r . Town tells us, that D. Tailor, and all ours, are strangers in the Scriptures (as if he, and his, were the only domestics, and children of the Prophets and Apostles) who grant not, that to Faith there is no sin, and he that believes cannot sin: and Eaton, that Free justification doth make us so perfectly holy, and righteous, from all spot of sin in God's sight, that he seeth no sin in us ; he meaneth, of perfection, both of persons, and works, both imputed and inherent mortification: and saith, that the inherent mortification of Protestants, by the Spirit of sanctification, was the foundation of Eremits, Monks, Anchorits, Nunneries, who shut themselves up within walls, to mortify their sins out of God's sight, by the Spirit ; and call Sanctification the very heart of Popery, and the essential form of Anabaptism.

2. So we have Antinomians affirming, that no Justified person sinneth before God, in God's sight, really; or if they look on things with the eyes of Faith, but only they sin imaginarily before men, in their conversation, and seemingly to the world, or in their own carnal sense of unbelief, which is a blind Judge. For saith Saltmarsh, The Scripture calleth us ungodly, and sinners; not that we are so, but seem so, or not so in God's account, but in the worlds. So as the justified man's Adulteries, Murthers, are but seeming and fancied Adulteries, and painted sins in the eyes of the deluded world, and the Judge ought not to punish imaginary and fancied felony, or paricides; so his acts of sanctification, and holy walking, that follows from justification, are mere fancies, and and holiness only before men; for they are no conditions, no ways at all to heaven; Yea, nor commanded so as the justified sin, if they disobey such Gospel-commandments. For if we say we have sin, and do anything contrary to Gospel-precepts, which enjoin acts of Sanctification to the Justified, that sin is no sin, nor against the Law of God, or in the account of God, saith Eaton, Den, and Saltmarsh, but only before men, in our conversation, or seemingly, in our sense (saith Town ) and in the worlds account, as Saltmarsh speaketh.

3. M r . Town saith, to believe is to do all duties ; and he citeth Rollock on John, and Calvin ; It is Towns aim, as it is the marrow of Antinomianism, that there is no sin condemned in the Gospel, but unbelief; so there is no command of holy walking, and sanctification in the Gospel, but only 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 ye are sanctified, but ye are justified; we are his workmanship, created unto good works; I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me, &c. All these Scriptures set forth Christ, the sanctification and the fullness of his, the All in All. Christ hath believed perfectly, he hath repented perfectly, he hath sorrowed for sin perfectly, he hath obeyed perfectly, he hath mortified sin perfectly: and all is ours, and we are Christ's, and Christ is God's. And so we are to believe our repentance true in Christ, who hath repented for us, our Mortifying sin 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 everyone that believeth; our change of the whole man true in him, who is righeousnesse, and true holiness; and thus without faith, it is unpossible to please God. And this is the divinity of Den, That mortification, and vivification, are but the living by, or through faith, and believing 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 righteousness is righteous, he expounded that place of our doing righteousness in Christ, who hath done righteousness for us; so he expounded the doing of our heavenly Fathers will, the putting on of the New man, which is created in righteousness and holiness, abounding in the work of the Lord, to be the believing of Christ's imputed righteousness, to be ours. So do Saltmarsh, and his fellows teach us to expound all the Gospel-precepts, and exhortations, to holiness; to walk in Christ, to be abundant in the work of the Lord, to walk in love, to love one another, to honor our father and our mother, to obey Magistrates, and Masters, to deal justly with servants, to abstain from fleshly lusts, to mortify our members, not to defraud one another, not to lie, &c. to be nothing but, believe Christ hath done all these for us. So as the grace of God, and the Gospel, layeth on us no tie, or obligation in our persons, to deny ourselves, to live holyly, justly, and soberly in this present world, to love one another, by virtue of a Commandment, for that is Legal, saith Saltmarsh, and Jewish; so as Christ Jesus is made the same very way, our imputed sanctification, as he is our imputed righteousness: and so personal holiness should no more be added by any obligation of command to Christ our sanctification, then to Christ our righteousness.

CHAP. L. How we are freed from the Law in regard of Sanctification, as of Justification.

NOr do we deny, as Antinomians would charge us, But we are from under the Law, in regard of Sanctification, as well as of Justification, thus far; that the Apostle saith, As many as are Christ's, are led by the Spirit of Christ, and so not under the Law ; and if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the Law. But this only beareth so much, that our voluntary, free, sweet, and loving obedience, cometh not from the fear 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 jar not as contraries; which is the cardinal and first principle of gross mistaking in the Antinomian, while he grossly conceiveth, there is no awe of love in the Law, which commandeth all gracious acts of fear, though not from Law-principles; for the Law is terrible, and causeth Moses fear 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 fear of love, of sin as sin, 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 own unbroken and sinless 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 surety, that is, from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ; the Law is the same craver, the sum is the same debt now paid in gold, though clipped, and wanting many grains, because of the sinfulness of flesh, out of the Kings treasure; the fullness of Christ, and his Spirit of grace; the sinner is the same debtor, that is obliged to the same creditor and Lawgiver, only the bond, and the tenor of it is changed; grace is in the bond, and it is paid now not as Law-debt, this do, and live, by Law-right, and a covenant of works, which pre-supposeth neither a bankrupt, nor a breach in the debtor, nor an offense to the creditor, nor a surety or Mediator to be baile for the broken man, but its paid with the same obligation, and Law-power, and commanding authority, but also now from a new principal, the sum is better money, and in one respect is choiser; it is the coin of a new King, and stamped with a new Image of Gospel-grace; in another respect it is worse, because tainted with sin. Whereas obedience under the covenant of works, was to be perfect and sinless, or not at all.

CHAP. LI. Antinomians ignorant of Jewish Law-service, and of Gospel-obedience.

ANtinomians speak evil of that they know not. Saltmarsh saith, All Gospel-ordinances are only ways and means for God, to reveal his love and grace by the Spirit of adoption, not any ways or means of ours, for getting some love from God, which Christ himself hath not gotten for us. So there is not now (saith he) Gospel-teaching and obeying, but men now run in a Legal strain, and would work God down into his old and former way of revealing himself. as under the Law, when he seemed to be only in the way to reconciliation and peace, rather then pacified, and thus in prayer and fasting, and other acts of obedience, they deal with God, as under the Old Testament, not considering the glorious love revealed in Christ crucified.

We cannot but complain to God of these men, who slander our Doctrine, and cease not to pervert the right ways of God. For if Saltmarsh mean, that we think by fasting, praying, and acts of Evangelic Sanctification, to buy the love of God to ourselves, that is, the free favor and love of God, that is, only grace objectively, in God, not in us; or yet grace inherent; We profess before the Lord, and his Angels, that that is another Gospel, and though an Angel, and Paul teach it, let him be accursed. 2. Let him answer us, if any Protestant Divine, or if he himself believeth his own pen, doth any other but lie, when it scribles that the Law-strain and Divinity of the Jews under the Law, did work 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 himself had not gotten for them? Fasting and praying was never since God had a Church on earth, a hire, a bribe to free grace, n • ither Jew, nor Gentile could by doing; nay, not Adam before his fall, nor the Elect Angels, could ever buy, prize, or mortgage the free love of God. 3. We conceive the love of God to be the sole cause, fountain, well-head and adequate reason, why the Lord chooseth some to glory, rather then others, why the Lord sent his Son Christ to die, even because God extremely and freely loved the lost world; and therefore fasting, and praying, was never the cause of God's choosing 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 we had not in Esaiahs days, wine and milk 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 Jews, and the state of the Jewish Church. Paul Rom. 4. saith right down, Abraham and David paid not a farthing more for justification, and freely imputed righteousness, then we do; 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 righteousness, 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 God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God. It was never lawful for the Jews to dream they could get, or earn God's free love, and undeserved grace, by fasting and praying, and other acts of obedience ; no more then it was lawful for them to stumble at, and break their neck upon Christ, the stone laid on Zion, it was never lawful for them to go about to establish their own righteousness, and not to submit to the righteousness of God ; this was their sin. But sure it was not their sin to be under Tutors, and the Pedagogie of the Law, for that was God's holy and innocent dispensation, as the Scripture saith. And it was not any Legal justification by works; But it was, (1) in that they were kept 1. under shadows, 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 diet of grace, then we have. But 1. it was never lawful for them or us to seek justification by works, and by fasting and prayer. 2. The Lord cried out against Merit, and placing all godliness in their new Moons, and in saying, We have fasted, and thou seest it not ; So there was no Legal strain in getting the love of God by fasting, praying, &c. To the Jews, more then to us. 3. It was never a Legal strain, nor a way approved of God under the Old Testament, that they should serve God for hire, which the Devil acknowledgeth to be hypocrisy; and that they should pray, or rather howl, like hungry dogs, for corn and wine, or follow Christ▪ for loaves. 4. Nor was the obeying of God, for fear 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 Town imagineth, it being a sin; for their duty it was, to fear him as a Father, no less then ours, to rejoice in trembling, to fear his goodness, his mercy ; to esteem God rather then his gifts, their reward, their portion, their souls love; so were they to love and worship him as a Husband, to admire and praise him as God, and for his essential perfection, beauty, loveliness; and all mercenary love and service for fear of punishment, not out of love, and for hire and rewards, was damnable, then as now. Now what was God's active dispensation in severe punishing of them, for an irreverent look into the Ark, and his hiring them with a good and fertile land, and many temporal blessings to serve him, was another thing, and can never prove it was lawful for them to serve God for hire, and in a mercenary way, and that it is a Legal and Old Testament way of serving God, now under the New Testament to believe that godliness hath the promises of this life, and of that which is to come, and that now under the New Testament: yea, we may look to the reward of life eternal, as a motive to blow wind in our sails, in our journey to heaven, though not as the formal object of our desires, in serving God; for we are only, and ever now and then, to serve God for himself, not for hire. 2. If we speak comparatively, a created Crown of incorruptible glory is to be labored 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 blood of his Saints, and he giveth whatever we ask the Father in his name. We pray, Lord increase our faith, is this nothing, but, Lord, reveal the Holy Ghost to us, which we had before? And are these prayers, that God should give us no new thing, but reveal what we had before? So then we desire God would reveal the glory of his justice on the enemies of the Church, which he had wrought before, and reveal the gift of illumination, growth of Faith, victory against temptations, daily bread, destruction of Satan's kingdom, the propagating of the Gospel, deliverance from war, the pestilence, insight in the mystery of the Gospel, the Spirit of revelation, &c. All which things we had before, but prayer, hearing, preaching, Sacraments, reveal them only. This is no Gospel-divinity.

5. Nor was God in a way of reconciliation and peace with the Jews under the Old Testament, rather then pacified ; except Antinomians say, God saw sin in Jaakob, under the Old Testament, Numb. 23.21. He blotted not out their sins as a thick cloud, Isaiah. 43.25. and cast not their iniquities in the depth of the Sea, Mich. 7.19, 20. Nor blessed them with pardon, Psal. 32.1, 2. but kept an after reckoning of wrath, as a non-pardoning, as an unpacifyed God toward them, which belieth the Holy Ghost, in the Old Testament, almost in every page.

6. Nor is it true that Christ getteth us the love of God, he purchaseth to us all the fruits of God's free love, such as Redemption, pardon, imputed righteousness, effectual calling, justification, repentance, faith, perseverance, glory. But we all maintain against Papists, that Christ given as Mediator, Christ dying for us, is the fruit of God's free love, and of our election to grace and glory; but not the cause, or a mean getting to us God's love. Learned Twist, and protestant Divines, (to whom Saltmarsh, though he undertakes to write of free grace, is but a yesterday novice) prove against Papists, Dominicans, Jesuits, that Christ Mediator his blood is not the Meritorious cause, of the free and eternal love of God to man. 1. Because nothing in time is, or can be, the cause of that which is eternal; Christ is given in time, and dieth in time, as our surety; he is an eternal Mediator dying in God's decree, but that cannot make him the cause begetting God's love to us. 2. God's free love and his grace is the cause, why he giveth his Son to die for us, Joh. 3.16. 1 Joh. 4.9. then Christ dying cannot be the cause of God's love. 3. The free love of God should not be free, if it had a meritorious cause.

CHAP. LII. That we are not freed from outward Ordinances, nor is it Legal to be under them, as Antinomians say.

ANtinomians pick a quarrel against the Law, and would have us freed from it, because it sanctifieth not, and cannot give us grace to obey ; but by this we are not under the Gospel, because the Gospel of it self, or any word of grace without the Spirit cannot work faith, or give grace or sanctify. But I know Antinomians think that the Spirit freeth us from all outward ordinances, from any obligations, that an outward command can lay on us, whether of Law, or Gospel. For Saltmarsh teacheth us, That the Spirit of Adoption worketh Legally, not freely; when we do things merely as commanded from the power of an outward Commandment, or precept in the word, that brings forth but a Legal, or at best, but a mixed obedience, and service of something, a finer hypocrisy. But if he mean, by a mere outward command, the letter only pressing obedience, without the acting of the Spirit, or any influence of the life of Christ; this is a dead work, and cannot come at all merely from the power of an outward command ; for the very outward command of the Gospel holdeth forth to the understanding, in the very Letter (which is a signification of God's good and holy will) the authority of God, the love of Christ; as this, Peter, lovest thou me, feed my Lambs: and none can out of the conscience of the majesty, authority, and love of Christ, obey this command, without the influence of the Spirit of grace; so he refuteth not us, for we teach no such thing. But Saltmarsh his meaning is, that the mere outward Letter of the sweetest Gospel-command or promise; such, as (He that believeth in the Son hath life, and shall never come to judgment,) (him that cometh, I will in no sort cast away, but will raise him up at the last day, &c.) layeth no obligation of obedience on us at all; but the Spirit acting, and immediately moving us effectually to obey, layeth on all the obligation, and all along. M. Town proveth, we are freed from the Law, with all its authority, offices, and effects, and are not under the Laws rule to direct or teach; yea nor is it to give us, (saith Saltmarsh) So much as a heame of light ; nor to command, bind, or oblige us, because the Law (saith Town) hath not any sanctifying virtue and power to subdue sin, but we are under grace, that is, the grace of the Gospel, which effectually subdueth sin and sanctifieth. And this is Towns Argument all along, the Law of works is a mere passive thing ; and urge the Law never so earnestly with all its motives and means, ye can never make me keep it, ergo, we are freed from the Law, and clearly then are we under the commanding power of no outward ordinances, because they cannot effectually sanctify and subdue sin; not the preaching of the Gospel, nor the Law, nor praying, nor hearing, nor Sacraments; we are under nothing but grace, and that only actual, such as is the effectual and irresistible blowing of the Holy Ghost, for sure habitual grace in us cannot effectually work for the subduing of sin. So say Libertines of New England, We are under no Gospel-exhortations to believe; and none are to be exhorted to believe, but such whom we know to be the elect of God, or to have his Spirit in them effectually. The reason is, outward exhortations oblige none, but the Elect, and not them all; whereas Christ commanded, to preach the Gospel to every creature, to all Nations. So say they, We are not to pray against all sin, because the old man must be in us so long as we live ; So said the Pelagians of old; and A man may not be exhorted to any duty, because he hath no power to do it. All tend to this, that to preach the Gospel to sinners, and for Saltmarsh to write a book of free grace, is a Legal strain of teaching, and not becoming the glory of the New Testament, because grace goeth not ever along with teaching literally.

2. We are not under the Gospel, or any Gospel-ordinances, because of ourselves we have no power to obey them; this is to make us guilty of no sin at all, because to sin is to act against an obligation of a Law, and when grace acteth not on us, we fail against no obligation at all, because we can do no otherwise.

3. This is deep Pelagianism, to say, we cannot sin; if we have not power to eschew sin, and obey God, and to make our own strength, or the strength of another without us, the measure and binding rule of our obedience.

CHAP. LIII. Necessity of ordinances, and of written and preached Scripture to the most perfect.

FRom this it cometh, that Antinomians judge, there is no need that a soul once in Christ go out for new and fresh supply of actual grace, because it is acted by the Spirit inhabitating. And Saltmarsh, The more any motion or obedience is caused from things without, the more forced and unnatural is all such obedience, and the less from a spiritual power within. The believer is (saith Town) washed from all sin, made perfectly, just, and holy, the friend and Son of God, the Spouse of Christ, the heir of all things, the conqueror of all his enemies, advanced to sit and remain in the glory of heaven with Christ forever and ever. — he is out of the power, kingdom, and limits of the Law; he is one Spirit with Christ, — hence is peace, security, consolation, joy, contentment, and happiness of a Christian.

He is a complete man (if we believe Antinomians, ) 1. The word preached, though it dwell within him, yet that it be applied by a Preacher from without is necessary, and that Peter writ, Stir up, and put in remembrance the Saints that Paul be comforted by Titus, and that Christ from without, blow on, and act the soul to will, and to do ; and that Paul beseech Christ thrice, and have a new answer, my grace is sufficient for thee, is most needful. 2. There shall be no ground of new emergent complaints to God. And 3. of praises to Christ, for particular victories over our lusts, and the world. 4. Nor any ground of spiritual submission and patience, while the Lord be pleased to deliver; And 5. of trusting in God, and exercising faith in him, who delivereth us from so great a pa • ticular death as came on Paul in Asia; and from heaviness through manifold temptations, if need be, for the trial of our faith. Now if all were within us, and the obedience more violent and Legal, less free and connatural, because we must go to helps without, faith needed not go without doors, or without it self to Christ, and the in-dwelling Spirit should be one for all means and ordinances, and new showers and bedewings, and fresh drops from Christ the honey-comb of heaven, should be useless, our stock within should do all, nor should we know what it is to walk or stand on our own clay-legs. Its true, if externals, and the Cross, or the Letter of Law, or Gospel, only move us to obedience, and there be no internal principle of grace within us, then the obedience is but finer hypocrisy, and less free, and more violent, and as it were, forced. But Antinomians imagine a believer to be so perfect, because pardoned, that the Spirit within him doth all, and needeth neither Ministers nor ordinances; because helps without are Legal, not Gospel-like.

CHAP. LIV. What peace we may fetch from gracious performances.

THe Spirit acteth Legally, say Antinomians, when men measure forgiveness by their sin and sanctification, and can believe no more then they have peace for, and that peace dependeth on some of their own performances ; in so doing (saith Town ) Legalists had rather gather peace and security from repentance and reformation of life, then from justification, which is only effectual to make and cause true peace.

But our mind is this;

Asser. 1. We are not to measure forgiveness so, by sin and sanctification, as the measure of pounds and talent-weights of pardon should arise from the like weight of pounds and talents of sin and sanctification; because great sinfulness and drames, and half ounces of sanctification, and love to Christ, may argue to the believer the pardon of ten thousand talents. Christ argued, the woman loveth much, ergo, many sins are forgiven her ; we read not, that this was the woman's own Logic. 2. We draw peace and pardon not from so many yards, or ells of obedience, as merchants measure cloth; the Spirits consequence is not from the quantity, but from the quality of sanctification; sparkles of gold may prove there is a gold mine in that ground, and that in abundance; nor draw we the consequence from sins simply, but from sins hated, subdued, resisted.

Asser. 2. Peace with God, or the peace of faith is not every way the same, with peace with ourselves, and of our own spiritual sense and apprehension. Peace fundamental, and with God, is solidly grounded on pardon; Being justified by faith we have peace with God ; its often so with the Saints, that they have faith for pardon, and yet no feeling for peace.

Asser. 3. We may have peace with God, when we have not peace with ourselves: as the covenant stands sure between God and us, when we have great disquietness of mind, either through some heinous transgression, or present unbelief, and it is not fit we should have peace with ourselves, under some great sin, it is but carnal security; if Peter after the denial of Christ, be quiet in Spirit, and have deep peace: the disquietness of unbelief, apprehending eternal wrath is sinful; but in regard of anxiety of godly sorrow, its kindly; there be storms in winter, when there are causes of them, and fair Summer-like weather is not so good for the season in Winter; because not so kindly and suitable to a right frame of nature.

Asser. 4. Peace with ourselves may arise from the works of saving grace, but neither assurance, nor peace can flow from naked acts of love, and sanctification, not qualified and goldned with Christ, and his grace, as Town falsely slandereth us; because such bastard works as are but white and comely sins; and being in men out of Christ, can but produce sandy and rotten peace, but such acts of holiness, as essentially flow from heightened principles of soul-saving grace, and are floured and crowned with Christ's merits, may be grounds of solid peace, though not causes, and though some of our dross still accompany our best performances, yet may we difference in them Christ's gold from our oar; his wine, from our dregs; this peace is a heart not smiting, but smiling, and saying. Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, &c. and where there is joy, there is peace, both are fruits growing in the same soil: so speaketh the Church, with my soul I have desired thee in the night, — whence followeth, Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us. Why, For thou hast wrought all our works in us.

But we had not rather draw our peace from walking with, nor from believing in God thorough Christ: nor did we ever mean that faith, far less holy walking should be the cause of that fundamental peace, of peace between God and the sinner, as Town supposeth, works are not fellow-mediators with Christ, works had no blood to interpose, as Christ the peace-maker had, ( for he is our peace ;) works, faith, nor anything in us, were not actors, nor commissioners in the treaty of pacification: and the truth is, the peace we have in our conscience, and apprehension, even from faith is the result, the bloome that groweth on the stalk, the flour or rose of Jesse, rather then peace, and it hath the right hew and resplendencie of peace, because there is so much of Christ in either our faith or holy performances: the rosie, pleasant, and beautiful morning sky is not the Sun, but the result and daughter of the Sun, and the fair sky, together; and faith that acteth much upon the promises, as upon the report of credentiall letters, doth, and must apprehend more pardon then peace can bear witness to; sin hath a bloody tongue, and crieth fury and vengeance aloud, faith must lie on the atonement of the blood of Jesus, which our sense cannot reach: Faith is a star of a greater magnitude, and higher el • vation then our poor low-creeping feeling. So we think we had more of Christ, and the acting of the Spirit at our first conversion, then long after, because when our spiritual apprehension is young and tender, the acts of apprehension are more wanton, and fiery; but when experience and growth of grace cometh, the motions of sense are more stayed, and solid, and as spiritie and active and more, but to green sense, little seemeth much. But that which Antinomians aim at, is to blow away all peace that cometh from personal sanctification, because they are enemies to personal mortification, and make this to be our peace of repenting, and mortifying sin, abstaining from fleshly lu •• s; that Christ repented, mortified sin and lusts on the Cross for us ; and we believe this, and there is an end. Hence they condemn a • l experience of the acting of God in, and on the soul, to comfort the soul, or help faith in times of desertion. For Saltmarsh, who in his cures of all our Legal and carnal agues, is silent of experience, and thinketh outward ordinances, and the promises written for our learning and comfort, because outward, and written, and vocal, to be Old Testament, and Legal ways, though Peter call them, sincere milk, exceeding great and precious promises ; and Paul, Think they were written for our learning, that we, through patience, and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope; and Christ speaking of his Commandments, which were written and spoken by him, and so outward, saith, that they were a badge visible to all the world, that they were his Disciples, If ye keep my Commandments, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Fathers Commandments, and abide in his love. And to Job, the words of the Lord's mouth were more then his necessary food. And Christ giveth his judgment in a spiritual, not a Legal song of outward ordinances. Thy lips, O my Spouse, drop as the honey comb: honey and milk are under thy tongue. To David they were sweeter then the honey or honey comb, sweet to his taste, yea, above gold, or fine gold, as all riches, better then thousands of gold and silver, his heritage forever. To Saltmarsh the Word is a dead outward, legal thing; and all this to them must be spoken of the inward and spiritual word written in the heart, as Libertines taught; So Bulling. adverse. Anabapti. It is true, it is for that soul-acting and Spirit-converting power so; but in the mean time, upon this ground, old Anabaptists rejected the Word, and the Ministry, and took th • m to 〈◊〉 Law written in the inward parts, and the annoin • ing that 〈◊〉 all things, abusing Jer. 31. • 3. and 1 Joh. 2.27. So do • Antinomians upon this ground, reject all experiences, contrary to the Scripture, experience worketh hope ; then it should cheer us in sad hours: thus the Church comforteth her self. I considered the days of old, and called to remembrance my songs in the night. So David looketh back to this longing, to see (saith he) thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary. 2. Peter puts it on the Saints, If so be ye have tasted, that the Lord is gracious. 3. Its a sinful neglect to look to no experience. But none saith, where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night? saith Elihu. 4. Antinomians are angry at experiences; 1. Because they teach, there is no difference between the graces of hypocrites, and believers in the kinds ; and so no experiences between the one and the other can render any difference. 2. Experience is an outward ordinance of gathering from such and such a dispensation of God, such a tried conclusion. Now Saltmarsh thinketh all outward ordinances, as outward Legal things, and so it would appear Christ in the New Testament -worship which is spiritual, and in nothing Legal, hath appointed neither preaching, nor praying, nor hearing, nor Sacraments, nor Christian Assemblies, nor conferences, nor admonishing, exhorting one another, nor writing, for all these are outward things; and I grant, if Christ join not his influence of grace, neither is Paul's planting, nor Apollos his watering, anything. Yet Apostles and Teachers are not Legal ordinances. 3. Antinomians offend at all inherent grace and created quallifications in us, as evidences, or helps, to testify we are in Christ, for they are all deceiving differences, saith Crisp, and may be in hypocrites; and (say I) they can be no otherwise in hypocrites then deluding signs, then the voice and testimony of the Spirit, for there is a thing like a voice in the Temporaries, and also a thing like faith, which is no faith. Now experiences remain as inherent and habitual observations of the Spirits actings in the Soul.

CHAP. LV. How far inherent qualifications, and actions of grace can prove we are in the state of grace.

ANtinomians make a hideous out-cry against signs and marks of our justification, because indeed they are enemies to sanctification.

For establishing souls (saith Saltmarsh) upon any works of their own, as away, mean, or ground of assurance, as that upon such a measure of repentance, or obedience, they may believe by; I dare not deal in any such way of our own righteousness, because I find no infallible mark in anything of our own sanctification, save in a lower way of persuasion or motive. — I find none in the Old or New Testament, but have cause to suspect their own righteousness, as David, Peter, Paul. So the Libertines of New England, Though a man can prove a gracious work in himself, and Christ to be the author of it, yet this is but a sand • e foundation. And it is a fundamental and soul-damning error, to make sanctification an evidence of justification. And it were to light a candle to the Sun: Yea, it darkeneth justification; the darker my sanctification is, the brighter is my justification. And I may know, I am Christ's, not because I do crucify the lusts of the flesh, but because I do not crucify them, but believe in Christ that crucified them for me. So D. Crisp, Cornewell, Town, teach; that love to the brethren, sincerity, &c. are marks, by which others may know us, rather then we ourselves ; So Saltmarsh followeth Crisp.

We never said, that a natural man's devotion, or his bastard prayers, or wild-fire of blind zeal, can argue the translation of the man from death to life, as Saltmarsh dreameth; or that we labor to draw assurance of a good spiritual estate from outward reformation ; which saith Town, Protestant Legalists labor for, when the heart is naught. Antinomians say, that all our evidences are dung. True, they are not evidences of Legal perfect righteousness, more they prove not.

Asser. 1. Love to the brethren, sincerity, and the like, that have not grace for their stock, a right fountain and principle, the Spirit for their Father, Christ for their Crown, and garland, are no evidences at all that we are in Christ; for they rather darken, then render justification evident.

Could we look over our self, and abstract our thoughts from our self, as if we were nothing and dead, and behold the actings of grace, and Christ's love-raptures, and the glancing of love on his members, as on bits, pieces, and little images of a super-excellent transcendently glorious Christ, and see these in the Spirit, the worker; then were surer inference to be made thus, then when we eye ourselves. As beholding the excellency of a Godhead in Sun and Moon, when we look above the shadow-creature, and with senses abstracted, and the elevation of the Spirit, we see these created excellencies in the deep and boundless Sea, which hath no shoares nor coasts, nor bottom, in a vast and great God, we are farther from Idolatry, then when we pore on, and pine away in the minds restings in this side of an infinite Majesty; and so is it here.

If it be natural Logic, and the light of our own sparks that make the inference, I love the brethren, therefore I know I am translated from death to life ; its but Moon-light of one half sleeping, that is suspected to be day-light: but if natural light, by the day-light of saving grace make the inference, it is sure arguing. As, And hereby do we know, that we know him, if we keep his Commandments, and we know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. 2. All these are equivalent to the same. But if we walk in the light, as he is light, we have fellowship one with another; and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanseth us from all sins. And He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. And if ye know that he is righteous, ye know that everyone that doth righteousness, is borne of him. This is written for our own personal security and knowledge of our own state, as all the Epistle aimeth at this, and not so much, as we may know one another; as is clear, when John showeth us the scope of his Epistle, is to give marks; and I nothing doubt, but the Holy Ghost aimeth at the discovery of a dead faith, and to refute the Antinomians, as is clear, These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. So saith he, 3. Putting a difference between the children of the world, and the children of the devil; in this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil, whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. Then certainly some hath said in Johns days, It is enough to salvation, if a man believe in Christ, he is obliged by no Law, nor Commandment that is outward and written, to do righteousness. John saith, such a one is not borne of God. And My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth ; and hereby (by real loving of the brethren) we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. And Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his Commandments, and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. Now, sure this cannot make the keeping of his Commandments, and our good works, fellow-Mediators with Christ. Then John must argue from the effect to the cause, and intimate, that its false, that some may be borne of God, who keep not his Commandments ; as Antinomians say. When one that walloweth in fleshly lusts, is to believe without more ado in Christ, and he is a saved man. So saith John, Little children, let no man deceive you; he that doth righteousness, is righteous, as he is righteous; he that committeth sin is of the Devil. Then some have deceived themselves and others, in saying, That doing of righteousness, was neither condition, nor way, nor mean to salvation, nor any infallible sign of a man's being in the state of grace ; Now who saith all these this day, but the Antinomian?

Now if Antinomians, as they do, say that a discourse by way of a practical Syllogism, or natural Logic, can produce no Divine, but only a human Faith. And that all Logic is to be abeted ; the carnal and corrupt discoursings by Logic, that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, are to be abeted, but that the use of natural reason not corrupt, should be disclaimed, is against the tenor of the Old and New Testament, in which there be Laws, Ordinances, reasonings, practical Syllogisms to beget faith, to cause us slee sin, follow holiness, which no man can say is a human thing, except Antinomians following their old Masters, the Libertines, who said, to lay aside natural reason, discoursing, to know neither good nor ill, was true mortification, and natural reasoning and knowledge of sin, or righteousness, sense of ill doing, or fear of sin, or judgment, are but the tastings of the old Adams forbidden fruit, as we shall hear afterward.

Asser. 2. Yea, we may know ourselves to be in the state of grace, by holy walking, and acts of believing, and we may know our holy walking to be true, by other acts of holy walking and believing; so John saith by the loving of the brethren, we may know we are in Christ, and so that we believe and love God; and again, reciprocally, By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his Commandments, for this is the love of God, that we keep his Commandments. Then the loving of God, that may argue, that we believe, may also evidence our Justification; and all dependeth on this, as the Spirit joineth the light and evidence of grace, to cause us know our loving of God, and translation into Christ, by our loving of the children of God; and again, our loving of the Children of God, by our loving of God, 1 Joh. 3.14. 1 Joh. 5.2.

Asser. 3. One and the same cloud that is the cause of our doubting, whether we believe or no, is not the cause of our doubting, whether we love the brethren or no, and so they must furnish different evidences: from a misty twilight, or evening of desertion from some apprehension of the sins of youth: often our faith is clowded, that Job, David, Heman, Jonah, say they are cast off of God, yet at the same season, Psalm. 42. David's heart was toward the Saints, with whom he went to the house of God. 2. Many we see dying, who doubted for a time, if ever they believed, or were in Christ, and yet were convinced that they loved the Saints; but because they loved the Saints, they could not make an actual inference, ergo, they were translated from death to life, because that actual inference requireth the actual blowing of the Holy Ghost ; a Saint in natural Logic, may be forced to yield an antecedent, and the necessary consequence, because both must be the clear Word of God, as 1 Joh. 3.14. I yield, I love the Brethren; and ergo, I am translated from death to life. But because he seeth both the truth of the Antecedent and Consequence, by the sparks of a mere natural light, he may be far enough from faith, and a supernatural evidence of the Spirit, to make him to believe it for his own inward peace, comfort, and quieting of his soul; and this deceiveth Antinomians, that they think the knowing of their spiritual condition, by marks, being convincing and strong in a natural way, is presently the supernatural evidence of the Spirit, which it is not: and 2. they infer, that it is to trust in their own righteousness, and stand on their own legs, if men come by assurance of a spiritual interest in Christ, by their own inherent righteousness, and then must they be justified (saith Cornwell ) by works. Yea, 3. the New England Libertines say, A man cannot evidence his justification by his sanctification, but he must needs build upon his sanctification, and trust to it. And M. Town saith, The Saints are to forget, and never remember their own holy walking. So say they, That true poverty of Spirit, doth kill and take away the sight of grace. But all the three consequences are false; for a natural evidence of my being in Christ, cannot quiet my soul with the assurance of peace; and for the other two, we are to forget our holy walking: yea, and as Town saith, to judge it loss and dung, in the matter of our righteousness before God, and thus to forget it so, as we trust not in it, is poverty of Spirit; but simply to forget all our love to the Saints, so as we do not remember it for the strengthening of assurance; and our comfort is contrary to the whole Epistles of John, and a begging of the question. For sure it is damnable pride to trust in our own righteousness, in that regard Paul may say, I know nothing by myself, yet am I not thereby justified. And so also we are to cast all behind us, as loss and dung ; but it is utterly unlawful, and contrary to spiritual poverty, to make no use at all, wholly to forget, and not to strengthen our faith, and our assurance and comfort, in any holy walking at all. For, Hezekiah dying, comforteth himself in this. Remember now, O Lord, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And David, I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God, all his judgments were before me. And Job, My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined, neither have I gone back from the Commandment of his lips, I have esteemed the words of his mouth more then my necessary food. And Jeremiah, Thy words were sound, and I did eat them, &c. And the Church, I am comely. In my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loveth, &c. My heart waked. In the way of thy judgments, Lord, we have waited for thee, the desire of our soul is to thy name, &c, Nor can a Legal Pedagogie be objected; for spiritual poverty was enjoined, confidence in our own righteousness condemned in the Old Testament, as well as in the new; and Paul hath the same in the New Testament.

Asser. 4. What ever objections, Crisp, Saltmarsh, Town, and others, have to prove, that all the marks of sincerity, love, universal obedience, agree to hypocrites, and so can be no certain evidences of our faith, and assured interest in Christ; are 1. such as Papists bring to prove, None can have undoubted assurance they are in the state of grace. 2. The arguments that prove these marks may be counterfeit, because they may be such in hypocrites. We conclude also, that the Faith of the Saints, and their bro • d Seal, and immediate Testimony of the Spirit, may be in hypocrites? A white Devil, and a noon-day Angel, may interpose himself in a bastard voice, counterfeiting the tongue of the immediate speaking-Spirits, and the faith of the Elect; and there can be nothing that Saints can rejoice in, no work of grace in themselves, by the in-dwelling Spirit, and Christ may as well dwell in the heart of an hypocrite by faith, as of a Saint, contrary to Eph. 3.17. Hypocrites may be filled with all the fullness of God, as the Saints, and have the seed of God remaining in them. The annointing abiding in them, which teacheth them all things, and need not any to teach them. And the Holy Spirit in them, and abiding with them. The Father and the Son making their abode with them. A new heart in the midst of them, and the stony heart removed. A circumcised heart, the law in their inward parts. All these are as doubtful and litigious evidendences of interest in Christ, and the counterfeits of these in hypocrites; as universal obedience, sincerity, love to the brethren, and any inherent qualifications that are in believers; for saith Crisp, All these may be in hypocrites. But its true, there is not a living man, or beast, or bird in nature, but a painter can counterfeit the like by Art; nor a rose, or flower in the garden, but there a is wild flower and rose in the mountains like it. The Devil is an exact painter, But this will not prove, but that he that hath a new heart, and the annointing dwelling in him, and inherent quallifications of the Spirit of Christ, knoweth with a full persuasion, that these are not counterfeits, or such as may be in hypocrites; nor doth it follow, as Papists and Antinomians argue, a mad man, or a sleeping man, knoweth not that he is mad or sleeping; (for madness and sleep remove all reflect acts of knowledge) that therefore a sober man, and a waking man knoweth not that he is sober. Paul was not in a golden transe, nor in a pleasant night-dream, when he said, For this is our rejoicing, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-wards. Nor do the Saints speak to God wild-fire, and windmills in the skies, when they say, Lord, the desire of our soul is toward thy name, Lord, our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way, &c. They knew and were persuaded of a saving work of grace inherent in them; and we doubt not, but the Prophets (to speak of a case of another nature) knew that God spoke to them, when Jeremiah, upon life and death said, of a truth, the Lord hath sent me to speak all these words in your ears. And Amos The Lord hath spoken, who cannot but Prophecy! And Abraham did not upon conjectures, but upon Faith know, God had commanded him to sacrifice his son. Now God speaketh to his Saints by his works of grace, no less then by his word of the Gospel. Augustine said, By a certain heavenly taste, he knew a difference between the Lord revealing himself to him, and his own soul dreaming.

But say Antinomians, When we teach, that all our assurance cometh from faith, and the testimony of Christ, and his own Spirit speaking to us, we led men to borrow light from the Sun, which can abundantly enlighten them, when ye send them to their own good works to borrow their assurance of faith, and their interest of Christ, ye desire them to fetch light from a candle shining at noon day, and ye cause them rest on a fallible guide, which may deceive them, and at best, breed a probable and conjectural assurance only, not an infallible and undeniable confidence, such as Christ rested on, by faith, breadeth.

Answ. 1. But the question is as great a doubt to a weak one, if he receive Christ, and his immediate noon-day irradiation and light, for the weak believers act of knowing his full interest in Christ, from either the immediate light that cometh from Christ, or the immediate voice and testimony of the Spirit, especially separated from the Word, as Antinomians fancy, is in him a created act, and an inherent quallification, and if inherent qualification furnish no infallible evidence to ascertain me of my interest in Christ, how shall I know, it is Christ I rest on, or his Sun-shine light, and the immediate irradiation of the Spirit, speaking to my Spirit, more then I know it is Christ's spirit assuring me, I am translated from death to life, because I love the brethren? Antinomians say, the Sun cannot deceive when it gives light, a candle beside the Sun may deceive. But say I, a noon-day Devil may interpose, and speak, and irradiate as the Sun, and it is but a counterfeit Sun, and what know ye, that your act of knowing this to be the true Sun, seeing it is but an inherent act of grace in you, is a perfect metal, and a true Sun? And that it is Christ that shineth and speaketh to Mary Magdelen, not the Gardener; more when he immediately speaketh and shineth on your soul, then when he speaketh and shineth thorough such a medium, as the love of the brethren ; for the same Spirit that enlighteneth you in the assurance of your translation into Christ, and your interest in him, upon this objective light, because ye love the brethren, is he who shineth on you in his immediate noon-shine-irradiation; is not the Spirits teaching as sure by one beam of teaching the light of his utterings of grace in us, as in his other immediate conveyance of light, when the Scripture saith, it is the same Spirit, that maketh us know the things that are freely or graciously given us of God, 1 Cor. 2.12. and beareth immediate witness that we are sons, what ever be the means, as Abraham was to believe he was to kill his Son, if God should command him, by a Prophet immediately inspired; suppose such a one as Moses, to have been sent with the Mandat, no less then when God spoke immediately himself, and might not Abraham have been deluded in thinking God, was not the true God, that immediately said, Abraham, take now thy Son, thy only Son, and offer him to me, as he might have doubted if a Moses (say he had then lived) sent with the same message, was a true and and immediately inspired Prophet, and not a counterfeit, who ran and the Lord sent him not? When Antinomians loose this knot, they answer themselves.

Asser. 5. First, the truth of what the Spirit speaketh, dependeth not on the Word, but the credence and faith that I owe to the Spirit, dependeth on the Word, because I know the Spirit by the Word, as I know the substance of the body of the Sun by the light, but I know not the Word by the Spi • it, as I know not the light by the substance of the body of the Sun; yea now, when God hath put his last seal to the Canon of Scripture; the word of Prophecy is surer to us then the Fathers voice from heaven, 2 Pet. 1. and we may know the Spirit that biddeth John Becold, kill so many innocent believers, and that saith the man walking in darkness, and a Pharesee obstinately going on in killing Christ, and his members, and regarding iniquity in his heart, as he is such, is reconciled to God, and justified, and Christ by faith lodgeth in the same heart, with loved and delighted in iniquity, can be no true spirit. The Spirit of Christ as he cannot bely his own Word, so will he not take it ill▪ to be tried by his own hand-writing, and seal, and his own works.

Secondly, it is needless to make comparisons between assurance resulting from inherent graces, and the immediate voice and speaking of the Spirit; as if the former were our own spirits reasoning, the latter only the testimony of the Spirit, for we judge both to be the testimony of the Holy Ghost ; as it is the same love sealed to the Spouse from the Bridegromes own word, and seal, and hand-writing, and confirmed to her by his Bracelets, Rings, Jewels, and love-tokens that he sendeth to her, nor are there for that two loves, two love-tokens, two Bridegromes. For say that the love-tokens are true, not counterfeit, and that they carry with them the warm and lovely characters, and undeniable expressions of the true Bridegromes soul-love, and that they came not from a stranger▪ as Antinomians say, they may be bastard and feigned love-tokens, and come from another lover then Christ; Yet the Lord Jesus manifesteth himself, and gives evidences of his love by them, no less then by the Spirits immediate testimony.

But we think, and can prove the Saints passing, even in their speeches, prayers, and confession to God, their judgment of themselves, and of their own sincere walking, as is clear, Cant. 5.1. Cant. 3, 1, 2, 3. Cant. 1.5, 8. Isai. 26.8, 9. Job 23.11, 12. chap. 31.1, 2 3, 4, &c. Psal. 18.21, 22, 23, (so Hezekiah holdeth forth his holy walking before God, Isaiah. 38.3. and Jeremiah, cap. 15.16, 17. and Paul, 2 Tim. 4.7.8. 2 Cor. 1.12.) do certainly know the graces of God in themselves, to come from no other principle then the Holy Ghost ; and that none can do these works in them, but Ch • ist, and the inference made from them, are the reasonings of the Holy Ghost, and the result is an infallibly assurance. Antinomians think both they may be counterfeit works, and the reasoning and inference from thence to be a work of our own Spirit only. We say of the Spirit of grace joining with our Spirit, as is clear, 1 Cor. 2.12. (3.) The inference (say they) breeds no certain and infallible assurance, but probable only, and conjectural evidence. (4) If these works were not done in faith, and known by us to be so done; I should grant they could give but an uncertain and controverted evidence; Antinomians say, we separate them from faith and saving grace, and that thus separated, they bear testimony, that we are in Christ, which is a calumny of theirs, not our Doctrine.

Asser. 6, The assurance of our spiritual acts resulting from our Christian walking, is a mediate assurance collected by inference, not immediate, as when we see the Sun. 2. It is called knowledge and assurance in the Word, 1 Joh. 2.3. 1 Joh. 3.14. verse. 18.19. but it is not properly Faith, but sense; therefore we do not build assurance of justifying faith on works of grace. Antinomians say, that we make our works the pillars and causes of our Faith. But the promise▪ the sufficiency of Christ, the free grace of God to us, are the only pillars of our faith, and our works of grace are the ropes by which the ship and passengers are drawn to the rock that is higher then themselves, but they are not the rock; they are not the formal objective Sun-light, by which we pass our judgment and determination of Christ the Mediator, his sweetness and power to save, nor the causes of the souls resting on the blood of atonement▪ as Sun-light is the formal reason and medium without, of our judging of colors and their beauty. They are only land-marks, by which we may the better judge of our state, and not the shore; the land-mark only showeth how near we are to shore; by them we know, that we know and believe in Christ. Finally, they are rather negatives against unbelief, then positive evidences of faith, and serve for encouragements that we cast not away our confidence. For if I doubt of my state, whether I be translated, and in Christ, or no, I cannot but doubt of my actions, if I doubt if the tree be a natural Olive, I cannot but think the fruit must be but wild Olives; and when we shall be unclothed with our darkness of body, we shall not need such crutches to walk by Faith, for sight shall lead us.

CHAP. LVI. How duties and delight in them, take us not off Christ.

HEnce Antinomians, when they say, we must not so much as see our good works, for not to see them is spiritual poverty, and we cannot see them, but we must trust in them, and build on them. And therefore best remove such chalk stones, and rotten foundations, as holy walking, and live loosely, that we sowing sin, may reap pardoning grace; So they say, I know I am Christ's, because I do not crucify the lusts, but believe that Christ hath crucified them for me. And our sanctification, when dark and less maketh justification brighter. And frequency and length of holy duties, are signs of one under a covenant of works, and so under the curse of Law. And to take delight in the holy service of God, is to go a whoring from God. And the Spirit acts most in the Saints, when they endeavor least. All these say, to be rich in works of sanctification is to be poor in grace. 2. To do and act nothing, and so sinnefully to omit the duties that the grace of God calleth for. Tit. 2.11. is the way to have the Spirit acting graciously; then sin that grace may abound, be sick, and exceeding sick, that Christ may bestow on you much Gospel-physic; To be abundant in the work of the Lord, to delight in the Law of the Lord in the inner man, to labor more abundantly then they all, to be rich in good works, are nothing else but to go a whoring from God. So Saltmarsh expoundeth these words, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Such were ye, but ye are justified, but ye are sanctified, &c. That Christ believed, repented, sorrowed for sin, mortified sin perfectly for me, and this (saith he) is sanctification, and the fullness of his, the All in All. Then to do nothing myself, but sinnefully to omit all duties, and let Christ do all, is full sanctification; and the less ye do, the more Christ doth for you.

Object. 1. Christ saith not, Peter be encouraged to believe, because thou art an holy, obedient, loving Apostle. But I have prayed that thy faith fail not, Saltmarsh, Free grace, pag. 32.33.

Answ. In that place he doth not show Peter how he should know by such and such signs, that he believed; but for Peters comfort and faith, he showeth him the true cause, why he should not fall away, to wit, because his Advocate intercedeth for him.

Object. 2. Christ saith not to his Apostles, O my Disciples, though I be from you, yet ye have been thus and thus humble, penitent, obedient, and let this be your ground and assurance when I am gone, but he lays in promises, ye believe in God, believe also in me, I will send the Comforter Saltmarsh, pag, 33.

Answ. We make no qualifications, object, or ground, or cause of faith, but only signs to know we have faith, therefore might Christ have said, ye shall know ye love me, and believe, because you love those begotten of me.

1. But we think, though natural sweating at duties, setteth not the Spirit on edge to work graciously; yet to work by the grace of God, increaseth both talents and grace.

2. Nor the frequent actings of grace, nor the simply looking on them especially under sad hours, to wine to our feet again are ill, but the abuses to be avoided. As 1. the comparative poring, and the more frequent living on the comforts of our own gracious actings, more then on Christ himself and his death, is as if I would live to much on a sight of a new created birth in myself, and the Image of the second Adam, when I have Christ himself to live on. 2. Excessive out-running, and over-bank-flowings of wondering at what is done in ourselves, by the grace of Christ, cannot want a great deal of mixture of our self; for we are not so found on acttings of grace in others, and that is a token there is a self-reflection in the work, and that I sit down, and write of myself a hundred instead of fifty. 3. All comparative over-loving of created comforts must take the heart, in so far off Christ. 4. We should wonder more at the depth and height of free grace in the Creator, and in Christ the well-head, then in ourselves, for the beauty of grace, and gracious actings are in Christ, pure, spiritual, clean abstracted; In us, in whom there dwelleth a Law in the members, it is muddy, clayie, in dregs, and concretion, abstracta sunt puriora concretis. 5. What we over-behold, that we over love; what we over-love, in that we over-confide; the affections both in their flowings, and their over-bank-flowings are linked together: so we see not that actings of grace are made secret substituted Mediators with Christ ; but these flow from the corruption of our nature, not from the strain of our Doctrine in these points.

CHAP. LVII. Of the liberty which Christ hath purchased to us by his death.

ANtinomians generally contend for a Christian liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and we contend for the same, but the question is, wherein the liberty consisteth, it concerneth us much, that we take not license for liberty. We think, 1. We are freed by Christ, from not only the Ceremonial Law, so as Christ profiteth us nothing, if we come under that yoke again, but also from all Commandments of men; for all these Ceremonies being now not commanded, but forbidden of God, become the Commandments of men, from which both Jews and Gentiles were freed in Christ. 2. We are freed and redeemed, from the Moral Law as cursing, and condemning, by the Son of God who makes us free indeed. 3. We are redeemed from the dominion of sin, by the Spirit of grace, for where this Spirit is, there is liberty ; and Christ freeth us from this service of sin, in regard that the Law is a Lord by irritating our corruption more and more (though this be accidental to the Spiritual Law) that bringeth forth in us sons and children to death; and over-aweth, and compelleth us to keep the Law, as a manifestation of wrath; whereas the Spirit of the Lord is a free, sweet, lovely-constrayning-Spirit in the Gospel-working, in a far other way, obedience to the Law, then the Law-spirit of bondage doth. And upon these are we 4. freed from a necessity of being justified by the Law, or the works thereof. 5. From all conquering Law-power of all enemies. But we are not delivered and freed from the commanding, directing, obliging and binding power of the Law, as a binding rule of life; so as believers once being believers sin not, because they are under no Law, far less is it such a freedom, as is that which is from the yoke of the Ceremonial Law, as Town saith. But if we be free from the Law, with this kind of freedom, which is license, it is free to us to sin, whereas the end of our Redemption is to change the yoke of a condemning and cursing Law, in a sweet easy yoke of Christ, to serve God in holiness and righteousness (the compend of the two Tables of the Law) to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. 2. The Word of God calleth freedom from doing God's will, a not using our liberty in Christ, as an occasion to the flesh ; and commandeth doing and fulfilling of the Law, in loving our neighbor as our self. 3. The service of sin is the greatest bondage that is, and the sinner is overcome by this Tyrant; now the Son of God hath freed us from this bondage. Whosoever committeth sin, is the servant of sin; if the Son make you free, then are ye free indeed. And to serve God is a free man's life, as David saith, I will walk at liberty, for I seek thy precepts ; and Christ hath loved us, and washed us in his blood, and made us Kings and Priests unto God. Now Kings are, of all men, the freest on earth: but Kings and Priests to God, are Lord's over their own lusts, which is more then to take a walled City, and are to offer themselves, and their bodies, as a holy, living, and acceptable sacrifice, which is their reasonable service. 4. And the whole Gospel urgeth the same; for it subjecteth us to God's external Commandment, of honoring father and mother, of having our conversation honest amongst the Gentiles, in abstaining from fleshly lusts; of walking in Christ, as we have received him, and it is the Commandment that the Apostle gave by the Lord Jesus, which is our sanctification, and that we should abstain from fornication ; and the whole doctrine of the Apostles, that we be holy, as he is holy ; nor doth the Law cease to be the Law to believers; as Town saith, Because it neither can, nor actually doth condemn and curse these that are in Christ, and consequently it cannot oblige them as a commanding rule, for you cannot separate the condemning power of the Law (saith he) from the commanding power of it. If the Law cannot condemn, it loseth the being of the Law, and Luther saith, it is no more Law, Lex non damnans, non est Lex; not one jot or title of the Law can perish. But the truth is, the Law as it is an instrument of the covenant of works, and justifieth or condemneth, ceaseth to be the Law to the believer, as Luther saith, it ceaseth to be the Law of life and righteousness, and the way to heaven, according to the tenor of the first covenant, which is, He that doth these things, abiding in all things written in the Law, in thought, word, and deed, perfectly, without the least breach, in one Iota, by his own strength, he shall live, that is, he shall be justified, and obtain eternal life, by the Law, without a Mediator, and shall be saved, but not be in Christ's debt, nor obliged in one grain, to the grace of the Gospel. But where liveth (I pray you) this good man? Neither in heaven, nor earth, except the man Jesus Christ. So the Law is not such a Law as can save, to any man now under sin: so Luther saith right, but it was never Luther's mind, that the Law simpliciter, ceaseth to be the Law commanding, and obliging to holy walking. So it is a sophism a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ad dictum, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; the Law 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as it justifieth and saveth Legally, is no damning Law, and loseth its being, as it is a covenant of works to all believers. True; ergo, it is in no sort a Law to them, it followeth not, such a just Judge and King condemneth not this guilty man, because his Son, the Prince and heir suffered for him; ergo, he is not a Law-judge, condemning the poor guilty man, true, but ergo, he is not King and Judge to command this man to be obedient to all his good Laws, and ergo, this pardoned man, is in all other things, and good Laws, loosed from this oath of allegiance and the band of loyalty, and he is no more the the Kings subject; so as if the man now break the Kings Laws, and he doth not sin against the King, as Law-giver, or his Laws: surely it cannot follow, that the Law be urged in tenor of a mere covenant of works; yea, or as hedged with ceremonial and bloody sacrifices, that are Heralds of our guiltiness and handwritings of condemnation, is accidental to the Law, not essential, though the Law have its denomination from this sad office, Rom. 7. Rom. 8. Ye are dead to the Law, ye are not under the Law ; so that under the Gospel the Law is substantially and formally the same, saith Luther, as death is essentially the same, before the fall under Moses, and under Christ, Luth. tom. 1. fol. 56. Relative non formaliter aut substantialiter, est peccatum sublatum, Lex abolita, mors distructa, then the Law in its essence and obliging power is eternal, never abolished.

But Antinomians will have the Gospel-grace to loose a man from all commanding Laws, because he is pardoned, and because he getteth a pardon for Adultery, and murder, and such like, they conceive this pardon giveth a dispensation, that though he commit Adultery and Murder, being once a pardoned David, he sinneth now against no Law; henee believe and be pardoned (saith the Antinomian) and sin if you can. The most ingenious Antinomian I know, is M. Randall, who as M. Gataker saith, Preached, that its as possible for Christ himself to sin, as for a child of God to sin. And M. Simson, That if a man know himself, by the Spirit, to be in the state of grace, though he be drunk, or commit murder, God seeth no sin in him — And when Abraham denied his wife, and lied, even then, truly, all his thoughts, words, and deeds, were perfectly holy, and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God. And Randall, Its blasphemy for a child of God to crave pardon for sin. And it cannot be avoided, the Adultery of a believer is but seeming Adultery, and he is an Adulterer and a sinner, so (saith Saltmarsh ) to the eyes of the world, and else-where to sense and feeling, not truly and before God, or in his account; for to Faith (saith Town) there is no sin, And even that same Text, That not a tittle of the Law can perish, proveth the same; for Matth. 5.19. Whosoever (believer, or unbeliever) shall break one of these least Commandments, and shall teach men so, (as Antinomians do) shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; and whosoever shall do, and teach the same, shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Now, 1. that Christ speaketh of the Law there, as ordinarily, it was taken for a binding and obliging rule is clear, verse. 17, Think not I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets ; for he speaks of that, which he came to fulfill; but he came to fulfill the Law by doing and suffering. 2. That which may be broken in a sinful way, is a binding and obliging rule; but the Law Christ speaketh of there, may be broken; for he saith, Whosoever therefore shall break, &c. (2.) That he intendeth that the Law stand as a rule binding to personal obedience, and not to imputative obedience, only in the Mediator is clear. For 1. he saith, Whosoever shall break the least of these, it must be understood of personal breaking not imputative; for he that breaketh the Law in Christ, his breach being imputed to Christ, shall not be the least man, but a chief man in the kingdom of heaven, even a heir of heaven. 2. If the binding and obliging Law be not understood, Christ came, in the Antinomian sense, to free believers both from the cursing, and obliging, and commanding Law. Now sure Christ came to destroy the Law, as it curseth and condemneth believers, for he exhausted the curse, and died the cursed death for us, but he came not to take away the binding power, because he both threateneth the breaker, and the Antinomian teacher of breaches, with being the least of the kingdom of heaven, that is, with being excluded out of heaven, by a meiosis, for it is opposed, to be great in the Kingdom, and also he promiseth a reward to the doer, he shall be great in the kingdom. Now that Law which is hedged with threatening, and reward is a binding Law. 2. The believer can neither break the Law in order to punishment, nor keep and do the Law in order to reward, by the Antinomian way, because they are freed from all binding and obliging Law (say the Antinomians ) as well as from all cursing and condemning Law: so Christ could do no more, if he intended to come in the flesh, to destroy the Law, then if he should take away the whole, nature and being of the Law; for he removeth (say the Antinomians ) all the binding and commanding, all the threatening and minatory power, and the rewarding and promissory power of the Law from believers. What then leaveth he of the Law to any man who believeth? Just nothi • g. Antinomians say; Christ came to fulfill the Law by doing and suffering, and so came not to destroy it.

An • w. That cannot be his meaning here; for the Argument of our Savior should so conclude nothing; and it is this, If whosoever breaketh the least Commandment of the Law, and teacheth others, to do so, be debarred out of heaven, and who so doth, and teacheth men to do the Law, be great in heaven, then I the Savior of man, came not to destroy, but to fulfill the Law. But the former is true. Ergo, so is the latter. The major proposition hath no truth; for by the Antinomian way, believers, according to the Antinomian Gospel, are neither excluded heaven in breaking the Law, nor admitted to heaven in doing the Law; but Christ doth all for them, and they are not excluded heaven, for breaking a Law; they are freed from all binding, commanding, and obliging power of the Law; and who can break a Law, who is under no Law? Where there is no Law, there is no transgression, saith Saltmarsh, applying it wickedly to this case, and to all trouble of conscience for sin, when we are once justified.

5. The Antinomians place liberty from the Law, in the free, loose, and wide walking, without any fear of sinning against a Law, which to them is a shadow, a fancy, and nothing and in being compelled for fear of wrath and eternal vengeance, to love and serve God, as if the Law of God did command us to serve God, for fear of wrath, and hire or hope, of reward. But the holy Law of God biddeth us fear sin before and after it is committed. For the Law commandeth the whole fear of God, and the offending of his Majesty by sin. And happy is the man that feareth always ; this fearing of sin is contrary to hardness of heart, he is happy who feareth an oath, lest he be ensnared. Now fearing sin as sin is contrary to a law. is bondage, and floweth from the Spirit of bondage (say Antinomians) Yea it is unbelief, and a making God a liar, because (say they) there is no spot of sin in the believer ; But the believer is not, and shall not be, till his dying day, as free of sin, and spotless in the sight of God, as Christ himself, and whosoever feareth sin, and believeth not that God seeth no sin in him, being once justified, robbeth God of his glory, and is undoubtedly damned, say they; for its unpossible, God can see sin, where there is none at all, say they; nor is this our freedom to be freed from the Law, that is from the servile fear of eternal wrath, or mercenary hope of reward, as if the Law of God could command such slavish fear and hireling hope, as Town saith. For the Law never did, never could command sin, but so to fear or serve God, as to seek him early, when his rod is on us, and when he slayeth us, when the heart is like a deceitful bow, as Pharaoh did, is slavish fear, and to serve the Almighty, for hire or gain is sin; to fear the punishment, and love the reward, more then God, is slavish and mercenary: God's holy Law can command no fear, no obedience, but what is free, liberal, ingenuous, sinless, sonnely, filial and holy, for the Law is spiritual; it is holy, just, and good.

6. Christian liberty is not in freedom from subjection and obedience to Magistrates, Masters, Kings, Parliaments; for this, Peter saith, is to use our liberty as a cloak of maliciousness, and that opened the mouths of ignorant and foolish heathen, who objected this to some peeping-up Antinomians in these days, who said, their Christian liberty freed them from that yoke of subjection to lawful Authority, Kings, Governors, Masters ; now beside that, Antinomians teach, that Saints should not serve, nor obey those that are not Saints, nor believers, as if Dominion and Civil power were founded on grace, as Papists teach. They do not speak out, but when they teach that Murthers, Adulteries or anything done against our brethren, or to the disturbance of the peace of human Societies, committed by believers, are no sins before God; and that there is no more sin in the children of God, then in Christ himself: and upon this ground, God in justice cannot punish, yea, nor rebuke them for sin. Then say I, these Adulteries, and Murthers committed by believers, if they be no sins against God nor his Law, they can be no sins before man neither. For the Magistrate beareth the sword to take vengeance on evil doers ; if these be not sins against God, even because they are sins against our neighbor, then the Magistrate doth unjustly punish them. 1. The Magistrate is the Vicegerent of God, not judging for man but for the Lord, and so should not punish, but for these ill deeds, for the which the Lord himself would punish. But the Lord judgeth them, neither sins against his Law, nor can, in justice, punish them, say Antinomians. Ergo, neither can the Lord's Vicegerent judge them sins; for they are against no Law of God, nor can he punish them upon the same reason. 2. The Law commandeth to Love our neighbor as ourselves, no less then to love God; and he that loveth not his brother, loveth not God; and then, whoever sinneth not as an evil doer against God, cannot sin against his brother, and the peace of human Societies, and so the Magistrate ought not to draw his sword against him. I grant, God's not punishing sin, is not a ground, nor rule, to the Magistrate; not to punish sin, but sure, God's not punishing sin, and his none-displeasure against anything, as no sin, as having lost the nature and being of sin, as being against no Law; as all the Adulteries, Murtherings, Cousonings, Cheatings, Robbing, Stealing, false-Witness-bearing of believers are supposed to be, in regard they are no more sins against a Law of God, then anything that Christ doth, must be a rule to the Civil Magistrate, who may no more strick the innocent, who faileth against no Law of God, nor he may kill, rob, and oppress. Antinomians make a found escape from this, they say, The Adulteries, Murthers, lyings of believers, are sins before men, not before God, or sins to their sense and feeling, not to their faith, and before God, or sins in conversation, not in conscience, or sins in the flesh, not in the Spirit ; So Town, Saltmarsh, Den, Eaton. So the Magistrates do punish men for seeming Adulteries, and Murthers fancied to be murders, but are not so indeed, nor before God; only the unbelieving weak conscience, and erring sense, or flesh taketh them to be sins, but they are not any real injuries to God, nor contrary to any Law of God. 2. The Magistrate in conscience cannot judge that to be violence to the life of a brother, nor worthy of death, which no Law of God can condemn as a sin; nor can he, in justice, for imaginary Murder inflict real death. 3. Adultery and Murder must be then true and real innocencies.

CHAP. LVIII. Antinomians teach, believers must not walk in their conversation, as in the sight of God, but must live by faith with God.

ANtinomians from their mis-understood justification (of which they be utterly ignorant) with Familists, infer, That justified persons must not walk, and live blamelessly with men, and by sense, but must live, and have their daily conversation in the sight and presence of God ; and so they abandon all sincerity of holy walking before men, and must live by faith, up with God without sin. D r . Tailor strongly proveth the Law to be in force to believers, because the same sins are forbidden, after faith, and before faith, and so the same holy and sincere doing of the Law, by personal strength of free grace, is given to us in Christ; and Town answereth him, Keep the Law and works here below on earth, and as Enoch, converse in spirit, and walk with God, in the alone righteousness of Christ, and though justification be one individual action, and not by succession and degrees, as inherent holiness, yet the virtue and efficacy of it is to clear the coast of the conscience from all sin, to keep the unbeliever in everlasting favor, peace, security, happiness, though the Jebusite must be in the Land, and the prick in the flesh, incessantly forcing us to sin more, or less, inwardly, or outwardly; yet Faith banisheth all the vapors that arise from our earthly members. The same Saltmarsh hath. But this is a subtle way of fleshly living. 1. The word requireth sincerity, as in the sight of God, in our walking and conversing, here on earth below with men. Servants (saith Paul) obey in all things, your masters according to the flesh, not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. Then servants are to serve, as believing they are under the eye and sight of God; and children's obeying their parents, is well-pleasing to God; then doth God see and judge our works; and Enoches walking with God, was not in only believing that GOD walked with God, or the Son Christ with the Father for him, as Antinomians say, making imputative sanctification all in all that is required in us, but also in Enochs personal, holy, and sincere conversing with men. Hence that goeth as a description of the good Kings of Israel and Judah; He did right in the sight of the Lord. Which includeth their conversation on earth with men, as well as their faith in God So to walk as the children of the day. As wise men, not as fools in Christ, as we have received him, and to live no longer the rest of our time in the flesh, to the lusts of men, but to the will of God, to have our conversation in the world, by the grace of God, in simplicity and godly sincerity. All these, and many the like, hold forth necessarily a sincere walking before God, as in his sight, in our daily conversation with men; and the Antinomian doctrine in this, is that, though believers walk as carnal men, serve their lusts, whore, lie, cozen, deceive, yet they are strongly to believe, that God seeth them not, nor any fleshly and sinful walking in them. God seeth not their whoring, lying, cheating, cozening to be sin, and their believing that God seeth not their wickedness, is their living by faith, and walking in the Spirit with God up in heaven, as Enoch did.

2. Nothing of believing Antinomians sinneth, but their flesh, as the Libertine said in Calvin's time, I sin not, but mine Ass, the flesh; the conscience the justified person that is in Christ sinneth not, because the flesh is under the Law, (as Town saith) nor is this sinning of the flesh, sin; because sin essentially is against a commanding Law, and cannot but in the sight of God be, accounted sin, for God cannot (seeing all his judgments and ways are according to righteousness) but account Adultery to be Adultery, Murder to be Murder; but Antinomians say, nothing that a believer doth, no Adulteries, nor Murthers are sins, nor can God see them as sins; For how can the Lord see sin (saith Eaton,) where there is none? There is no more sin in a believer, then in Christ himself.

3. It is no matter (saith Eaton) that we feel sin and death still in us, as if Christ had not taken them away, because God thus establisheth the Faith of his power: and therefore that there may be place for Faith, we feel the contrary; for it is the nature of Faith to feel nothing; but letting go reason, shutteth her eyes, and openeth her ears to that which i • spoken by God, and cleaveth to the word spoken both living and dead. Its true, Faith believeth pardon, and freedom from the guilt and obligation to eternal wrath, which is a Gospel-truth, far from sense, but faith closeth not its eyes to believe a lie, that Adultery is no sin before God, because a justified man committed it. The glory of God needeth not to beg help of a lie, that it may be manifested.

4. By this the justified man liveth and abideth (as Town saith) forever, by faith, in the sight of God. But what haste? The Resurrection is not past yet, except Antinomians with Familists follow Hymenaeus and Phyletus, nor are the justified yet glorified, they abide not ever under God's eye sinless, and as clean as Christ, (as Eaton blasphemeth, to his everlasting shame) for the Jebusite (saith Town) remaineth in the Land, the Law of the members, and sinful corruption of the flesh, dwelleth in them. 2. They must say daily, Forgive us our sins, if God be their Father, else they need not pray daily, Hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, &c. 3. The flesh of sin dwelleth with the Spirit, Rom. 7. while they live. 4. Death is not an imaginary lie and fancy, so as Faith must believe the contradicent; that is, that believers breath goeth not out, they return not to their dust, they are to believe; sure, believers see corruption, Acts 13.36. Act. 2.27, 28, 29. 1 Cor. 15.42, 43, 44. Then Antinomians cannot say true, that there is no more sin in believers, nor anything having the nature and being of sin, then is in Christ. 5. They are not yet enjoying God in a vision of glory, as Christ did, even in the days of his flesh, for he was both viator and comprehensor, a traveler to the Crown, and an enjoyer of the crown, and therefore though justified, they must walk here below, and cannot choose but sin, though they be not forced to sin, (as Town saith.)

CHAP. LIX. How Justification is one indivisible act, not successive, as Sanctification, and yet God daily pardoneth sins.

WEe make no question but we are at once justified, and not by degrees and succession, as we are sanctified, because justification is a foreinsecall, and Law-change, or judicial sentence of God, absolving the person of the sinner from all punishment, or obligation to punishment due to him for sins, past, present, and to come, according to the rule of revenging, and Law-pursuing justice, and that for the alone righteousness of the surety Christ, freely imputed, and by faith received of him, and the blood of Jesus Christ shall purge you from all your sins: in whom we have redemption, the remission of our sins in his blood. Now the Scripture nowhere intimateth a favor of free grace in purging us from sins, by halves or quarters, as if some were half washen, half delivered from the wrath to come; and half unwashen, and half under wrath. 2. There is no condemnation to a soul once in Christ, and justified, Rom. 8.1. then there can be no re-acceptation, or second receiving of a soul into the state of a justified person, from the state of an ungodly man, as if he had fallen from the former state, and there can be no second deliverance from eternal wrath, to be inflicted for a new committed sin.

Yet do I not see that one and the same justification negagatively, because it is never retracted, is therefore a successive and gradual work that groweth more and more, as sanctification doth; for so predestination to glory, which is negatively, one and the same should be a gradual growing work; for as no shadow of change can fall on God, so neither can Predestination be retracted.

Yet is there no cause to deny that sins are daily pardoned, and remitted as they are committed; for God is said to remit sins daily, when he reneweth the sense of the once passed act of atonement, and applieth what he once did to the feeling and comfort of the believer, for we never taught that Faith is a cause, or so much as an instrument or condition, without which Christ doth not on the Cross, by the power of his blood take away sins, now he that denieth that God by his Spirit reneweth the lively apprehension of this act of atonement, must deny that a believer can oftener then once lay the weight of his soul, in a filial recumbencie on God, and with adherence to Christ crucified for pardon of sin; which were to abolish the daily exercise of our faith on Christ crucified. 2. God forgiveth sins, when he removeth the temporal punishment, and fatherly rod inflicted for sin. Hence to bear our whoredoms, to bear sins, to bear iniquity, is to bear the punishment of sins To bear the indi • nation of the Lord, because the Church hath sinned, Micah 7.8, 9. is to bear the temporal punishment: for otherwise the Prophet speaketh of a Church in favor with God, and freed from eternal wrath. The Lord shall be • my light. Thou shalt be d • mbe because thou believest not my word, saith Gabriel to Zechariah, Luke 1.20. then to remove the temporal sword, must be a forgiving of, and a relaxing from the temporal punishment. So Nathan saith to David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin. But how maketh he that good? Thou shalt not die ; He meaneth, especially a temporal death, as the words following clear, verse. 14. Howbeit, because by this deed, thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme; the child also that is borne to thee shall surely die. Ergo, his sin was not fully taken away, in regard of the temporal rod: for the rod did never depart from his house for it, nor do we thus add fuel to purgatory; to say with Papists, that pardoning of sin, is the taking away of the guilt of sin, when the punishment remaineth▪ for the Papists have a wicked meaning, that God doth so forgive sins, as he removeth guilt, and remembereth not the sin, but leaveth the sinner also as good as half drowned in it, to revenging justice, by suffering for these same sins satisfactory punishment both in this life, and in purgatory, or the life to come, which we think impious; for only Christ's blood is a satisfaction to revenging justice for sin. 3. The Lord's taking away, and pardoning of David's sin, is not the Lord's justifying of David, because justification is the real or law-translation, in a forensecall way of a sinner, an ungodly man, an unwashen one from the state of sin, into the state of grace and favor with God for the imputed righteousness of Christ, as is clear, and such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, so God justifieth the sinner and ungodlie; then by justification the person is washed and translated from a state of ungodliness, of enmity, and received in a court of acceptance and grace, reconciliation and atonement, in a covenant-state with God for Christ's imputed righteousness, so as this justification is an act of incorporation and engraffing of a stranger and enemy to be a free Denison, and Burgess, and free Citizen of the new Jerusalem, entitled to all the privileges and liberties of the brough. Now David was not this way pardoned; for undeniably he, for his person was justified, and all his sins pardoned; that is, he was freed from obligation, to eternal wrath and condemnation; therefore seeing God justifieth but once, as he maketh us heirs and Citizens of heaven but once, and yet pardoneth sins daily, justification, and some remitting of sins, must be of a wide difference.

CHAP. LX. How sins are remitted before they be committed, how not, and the Antinomian error in this point.

BUt then it may be said, do Antinomians soundly affirm that sins are remitted before they be committed? To which I answer, taking remission in a good sense, not in theirs; its true, a believer when he is justified, is freed from condemnation for these sins that are not yet committed: that is, he is put in such a condition, as he shall never come to condemnation; yea, not for these sins he shall hereafter commit: as when a forfeited Father is relaxed from treason, and his lands restored, the Pardon extendeth to the heir in the mothers womb, and not yet borne, yea, possibly not begotten; but this is neither a justifying of the unborne heir, nor a pardoning of the treason, nor a relaxing of the punishment, in a strict and right down sense; he that is not, and is not capable of guiltiness and treason, such as is a child, neither begotten, nor borne, is not capable of pardon. But in the Antinomian sense, we judge it abominable, that sins are removed, before they be committed. 1. Because Antinomian remission is the destruction of the being of sin, and the extirpation of his nature, root, and branch: for so it cannot be sin, nor can it be against the Law of God, nothing is capable of the grace of free pardon, neither the sin, or the poor sinner; but by the Antinomian way, the Adulteries, and Murthers of the believers, when committed, are neither against Law, nor the Commandment of God, for they are freed from all commanding and obliging power, of either Law or Gospel; so as they cannot sin or offend God, in contravening of either. 2. It is against common sense, that the being or nature of Adultery, can be removed, and made nothing, and yet when it is committed, it should offend human society, and raise an evil report on the name of God and the Gospel. For that which is mere nothing, and hath neither being, nor nature, can neither offend God nor man. But neither Law of God, nor Gospel, doth forbid the Murthers of a believer, but only of an unbeliever, by the Antinomian way. 3. Their remission of sin, before the commission thereof, chargeth confession of committed sins with sinful lying, craving of pardon with unbelief, fearing of sin with distrust; sorrow for, or feeling of sin with a work of Legal bondage, and of the old Adam, as Libertines did, because these committed sins are mere fancies against no Law of God.

CHAP. LXI. How Faith justifieth, and the Antinomian error discovered in this point.

SAltmarsh saith, That neither Faith nor Repentance are to be preached, the one without the other, neither without Christ, and yet neither of them as bringing in Christ to the soul, but Christ bringing in them.

But if he charge us with Preaching faith and repentance one from another, or both without Christ, he should have proved his charge. 2. He badly joineth them both together. For 1. Faith is a condition of justification; we are justified by faith, not by repentance. 2. We receive Christ by faith. He dwelleth in our hearts by Faith; We live by faith ; none of these can be said of Repentance. 3. Saltmarsh saith, this is to debase faith; yea, but it is to make swine wallowing in their lusts one with Christ, though they believe not: hear his reasons.

Object. 1. Christ is not ours, by any act of our own, but by an infinite act of God's imputing his righteousness. Ergo, Christ is not ours by faith.

Answ. Christ is not ours, by any act of our own, as by a ransom, a meritorious and principal cause. True, Ergo, not by faith, as a condition knowing, apprehending, feeling, applying, receiving, opening the everlasting doors, that the King of glory may enter in. Its false. So bread is ours only, by an omnipotent act of him that causeth the earth to bring forth, as by the first principal and effectual cause: Ergo, Bread is not ou • s in a civil way, by plowing, sowing, earing, and in a spiritual way, by laying hold by Faith on the Covenant, in which the world, the things of this life are made ours, 1 Cor. 3.21. this is a lax and vain consequence.

Object. 2. If Faith should give us an interest in Christ, then as our Faith increaseth, our interest increaseth, and we should be more and more justified and forgiven.

Answ. Nor doth this follow, but only we should be the more assured, the stronger our faith is. And the reason why it followeth not, is this; Faith justifieth not as great or small, or as strong in life, or as weak, but as living and true. And so it followeth not, because this beggar hath a stronger arm then a paralitick beggar, that therefore he receiveth more money then the paralitick doth.

Object. 3. If Christ be ours by faith, then when faith ceaseth, we should cease to be justified.

Answ. Nor doth that fellow more, then because a beggar is not ever in the act of stretching out his hand, and receiving, that therefore he receiveth nothing; and because a hungry man doth not eat when he should sleep, night and day, therefore he is not fed; as if Christ should reach pardon and righteousness to us, when we actually believe, and when ever out of infirmity, or any other way, we doubt, and our feet slip, he should pull in his pardon, and strip us naked of our wedding garment, a Novation way of despairing.

Object. 4. Can a sinner be too foul for a Savior, too wounded for a Physician to heal? and too filthy for a Fountain opened to wash?

Ans. Nothing is concluded against justification by faith; but it presumeth a believer the humblest nothing ; that is, to be so proud that he cannot look out to Christ for salvation, physic, and to be washen, he is so filthy, sick, wounded, and polluted: a believer thinketh not himself too good, and too holy a sinner to be washed and made fair; like some, in whom pride and want contest; beg they must for extreme necessity, and beg they cannot, for extreme hautinesse, because they beg not in Silks and Purple.

Object. 5. He that offers Christ, offers all conditions in him, both of Faith and repentance, for Christ is exalted to give repentance.

Answ. The Argument presupposeth a faith of the sinners own creating, which is a bastard, and cannot own, nor receive Christ, and a condition of the same nature. In Justifying the ungodly, Christ both works the condition, and that which is called the hire (though indeed no money, no price, is Faiths money and price) and giveth both; as in effectual calling, Christ is both without doors knocking, Revel. 3.20. and within doors opening, Act. 16.19. yet he never cometh in, but upon condition we open, and the condition is his own work; he cometh in to no soul in a miracle, when the doors are shut, for by his grace he removeth the handles of the bar ; so in justification, he both offereth imputed righteousness, so the sinner believe, and he works belief, and bringeth of his own, when he comes to sup with us; for repentance we give it not the room of Faith, as Antinomians do.

Object. 6 It is no more to offer Jesus Christ, then any grace of Christ to a sinner; for a sinner is as unprepared and unfit for the one, as the other, equally in sin and pollution to both.

Answ. All proceeds on a false ground, and concluds as much against Paul, Rom. 3. & 4. Gal. 2. & 3. as against us, to wit, that we hold faith to be a meritorious preparation of our own to conquiesse justification, and freely imputed righteousness, and we are alike unprepared for Christ, as for Faith, and for Faith as for Christ, except Christ give both freely. But it followeth not therefore, Christ justifieth no ungodly man, but a believer only; no more then it followeth, faith is no meritorious qualification for life; then must it follow, he that believeth not, is not damned, and he that believeth is not saved, which is down right against the Gospel.

Object. 7. This spiritual work is a new creation, Ergo, it needeth no preparation.

Answ. It is a creation or a work of omnipotency only, that Christ reveal to me that he died to justify sinners, and to justify me; then it needeth no faith to my sense and feeling, to apprehend and know that Christ justifieth me. This consequent Antinomians will deny; then we may deny their consequence. For conditions are preparations of grace, such as faith is, cannot be contrary to rewards and favors that omnipotency only can work.

Object. 8. Should sinners refuse to receive blood freely, and of grace holden forth, because their vessels are not clean enough for it, when it is such a blood as makes the vessels clean for it self?

Answ. Grants all; then must it follow, we are not justified, except by a faith as strong and great, that it is free of sin, and condignly meritorious, worthy of Christ's blood, as a clean vessel is fit to receive so precious blood; we grant, we receive not first imputed righteousness, and Christ's blood in a clean vessel, with a faith perfect, or in a soul void of sin; yet its as true, that no unbeliever remaining an unbeliever, can receive Christ; and it is as true, Christ afore hand fitteth the vessel, and giveth faith first, and then his own blood, and imputed righteousness, and both without price and hire. But hence is never concluded, Ergo, Christ's righteousness is not made ours by Faith, apprehending Christ's righteousness, as a condition or instrument, but the contrary must be a true consequence.

Object. 9. If God justify no man but a believer, then he doth not, as the Scripture saith, justify the sinner and the ungodly: for a believer is godly, holy, and clean from sin.

Answ. We grant, the Lord doth not justify an ungodly man, as an ungodly man, and as void of faith, for by order of nature, he is first a believer, and in Christ, and then he is justified, though there be no ordinary time between his ungodliness and his justification, the Lord justifieth the ungodly, in sensu diviso, not in sensu composito, as the Scripture saith, The lame man shall leap, the tongue of the dumb shall sing, and the blind see, the deaf hear ; but no man dreamed that the lame as lame remaining lame, does leap, and that the dumb remaining dumb can sing, and that the blind, as blind, and wanting eyes and organs do see. I confess, if Christ had caused the blind, as blind, to see; and the dead, as dead, and lying in their graves, to live; the miracle should put all Divines to School again, to try their contradictions, if one, and the same man, at the same time, in the same sense, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as Aristotle taught us, be both lame and whole in the legs, blind and seeing, deaf and hearing, dead and living; it may be Antinomians who will have the believers Adultery no Adultery, have a way of Logic of their own, to go with Libertines, who said, knowing sin to be sin, holiness to be holiness, was a work of the flesh, and of old Adam, who through eating the forbidden fruit, knoweth good and evil. But so you will say, If God justify the ungodly, believing, which is an act of sanctification, must go before justification, then are we sanctified, and can do that which is pleasing to God, before we be justified, and be in Christ, then must we please God, as believers, ere we be in Christ, and so exercise acts of the life of grace, before we be in the Vine tree, and before we be branches engraffed in Christ; for sure, to believe is an act of the life of Christ in us.

Answ. If belief or faith be an instrument, and so a cause in its kind, or a condition (call it as you will) without which Paul in the Epistle to the Romans, and Galatians, and Hebrews, &c. saith, we cannot be justified, I see not any inconveniency of this order.

  • 1. The sinner dead in sin, a son of wrath.
  • 2. A walker after the course of the prince Satan, who ruleth in the children of disobedience.
  • 3. The Gospel of free grace is Preached to the dead, to the Elect, heirs of wrath, but freely for Christ's sake, and with an intent on the Lord's part of the same circumferance and sphere, with the decree of the election to glory, though they know not.
  • 4. The Law and curses of it preached to them (with the Gospel, lest they despair) to humble them.
  • 5. The sinner Legally humbled, slain in the dead throw, Rom. 7.11. with a hal • e-hope of mercy, prepared for Christ, though the preparation have no, 1. promise of conversion. 2. No ground, nature, or shadow of merit. 3. No necessary connection with conversion, save only that God may intend the same preparation, in an elect, for conversion; which he intendeth for no conversion in a reprobate.
  • 6. The stony heart of mere grace removed, in the same moment, a new heart put in him, Ezech. 36.26, 27. Zach. 12.10. Deut. 30.6. Jer. 31.33. or the habit of sanctification infused.
  • 7. In the same moment, the soul believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly.
  • 8. In the same moment, God, for Christ's sake, of mere grace justifieth the believing sinner.

And everyone of these necessarily presupposeth the former. Nor can Antinomians free themselves, or any with them, of the pretended inconveniency, they would put on us, to wit, that we must believe, before we be actually joined to Christ, in justification; for they will have us justified, and so please God, and actually enjoy the fruit of election, which is justification, Rom. 8.29. before we believe, that is, before we feel, and to our own sense know, that we are justified. Now this feeling and knowledge, is an intellectual act of the life of God, and the habit of an infused new heart, of regeneration, as well as our justifying Faith, and so we yet exercise an act of the life of Christ, which must be an act of saving grace, actus secundus, or a life-operation flowing from the infused habit of sanctification, before we be justified, in the sense, that Scripture speaketh of justification, which saith all along, We are justified by faith. God justifieth the man that believes in him that justifieth the ungodly. Now sure the Lord giveth to us faith to believe justification, before he justify, in the sense, that Paul speaketh of justification. For the Lord giveth the Spirit of sanctification, of grace, of adoption, of faith, &c. for all these are vital and supernatural acts of the same Spirit, to these that have not the Spirit at first, to the uncircumcised in heart, Deut. 30.6. to the wilderness and dry ground, Isaiah. 44. verse. 3. to these who pollute his name among the heathen, and have stony and rocky hearts, Ezech. 36.21, 26. to these that are a dying, polluted in their own blood, Ezech. 16.6, 8. to those that are dead in sins and trespasses, Ephes. 2.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. and this the Lord doth, for Jesus Christ's sake freely, Gal. 4.4, 5. then before we be actually in Christ, by justification, and branches in him, by order of nature; first, we so far find favor in the Lord's eyes, or please him, or rather he is of free grace pleased with us, that he giveth his holy Spirit to us, and upon the same ground may we, being yet not justified; and so, in that sense, not in Christ, by order of nature, first believe, before we be justified; nor is it justification that formally united us in this actual union, as branches to the Vine tree, but union is a fruit of life, as is the joining of soul and body together, and so a fruit of the infused life of God, or of the habit of sanctification, and thus it followeth not, that we believe before we be united to Christ, as branches to the Vine tree, but only that we believe, by order of nature, before we be justified, which the Scripture saith.

But to return, we are not obliged to M. Saltmarsh, who argueth against justification by faith, slandering Protestants most ignorantly, and the doctrine of Paul, as if to be justified by faith, were to be justified by a faith of our own framing, without the grace of Christ, or by faith as a merit and hire▪ that hireth and purchaseth Christ to be ours.

It is a curious, and an unedifying question, to search out (as Cornewell doth) Whether faith be active or passive in receiving Christ's imputed righteousness: though if he speak of actual believing, to call it passive, is an unproper speech, i. we hold that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 credere, to believe is not imputed, as our righteousness, which is Socinianism.

2. That for the dignity, worth, and merit of Faith, Christ's righteousness is not imputed to us; and therefore neither we, nor Scripture before us, saith, we are justified for Faith, but by Faith.

3. That Faith receiving Christ, is the free grace of God, given to us in the state of sin. They say, The beggar putteth forth an act or actions, both of petitioning for alms, and reaching out his hand to receive it, and so it is not every way, so of free grace, as Christ's imputed righteousness is to us. But should we suppose the tongue and speech, the arm, and the act of stretching it forth to receive the alms, the sense of poverty, the opinion of the goodness of him, from whom he seeks alms, doth bow the consent and will, to seek alms, and receive it, were bestowed on the beggar, of the same free grace and compassion of the giver of the alms, by which he giveth the alms; ye would say alms, and stretching out of the hand, were both of free grace, and the acts of the beggar do no ways impeach the freedom of the grace of the giver. Now, here not only the gift of freely imputed righteousness, but faith, a mind to bel •• ve, sense of poverty, and want of Christ; the actual exercise of faith are all from the free grace of God, and so except one free grace, clash and counterworke against another; I see no inconvenience, to say by the act of Faith, as a condition, or instrument, we receive and apply Christ's righteousness; and whether ye call it a hand, an instrument, an act of free grace, a condition; I judge there is no reason to contend for words: so ye say not, as Cornewell, Saltmarsh, and other Antinomians, We are justified, whether we believe or not and long, yea, from eternity, say some, before we believe.

CHAP. LXII. The Antinomians way and Method of a sinners coming to Christ, confuted.

THe way and method that Saltmarsh taketh to lead a sinner to Christ, is not God's way, for he thus goeth on. A believer in all his dealing with God, prayer, or drawing near in the first place, puts on the relation of Sonneship and righteousness, and considers all his sins, as debts paid and cancelled, and himself made free by the Son — and now he comes in the Spirit of adoption, and calls God Father; and here begins all faith, hope, confidence, love, liberty; when as others dare not believe themselves in such a condition till upon terms of humiliation, sorrow for sin, works of righteousness, they have, as they think, a reasonable measure, price, or satisfaction to come with; and then believe, hope, and be confident, and thus in way of compounding and bargaining with God, deal with him at all occasions; but such submit not to the righteousness of God; for they that believe upon something first in themselves, shall as they have kindled a fire, lie down in the sparks of their own kindling, and have nothing in Christ, because they will not have all in him; and though some will have all in Christ for salvation, yet they will have something in themselves to believe their interest in this salvation.

Answ. 1. Saltmarsh dresseth up a man of straw to come to Christ. 1. In all his dealing with God (saith he) and so before ever he come to Christ, or at his first believing, he believeth his son-ship, that is, being a hog, or a limb of the devil, he believes himself to be an heir of heaven: we say, he first puts on the relation that he lived in, so in the womb, to wit, of the son of the Devil, an heir of wrath. 2. He believes his sins as debts paid and cancelled, (saith he) What? ere ever he come to Christ in the Spirit of adoption, he believeth remission, that is, he putteth on the wedding garment first, and then cometh to Christ, who only must give him fine lyning, the righteousness of the Saints. So Saltmarsh maketh him first a washen man, (for so he must be) if he first believe Son-ship, and then come to Christ the fountain to be washed; he first getteth money, and bread, and wine, and milk; for he first believeth his Son-ship and pardon, and then he cometh in the Spitit of adoption to Christ's waters, his wine and milk, to his fatness and bread without money; that this is Saltmarsh's method, is clear, for the title of the Chapter is, We must come before God, as having put on Christ, first, not as sinners and unrighteous. 2. His words are clear in the first place, (saith he) He believes Son-ship, and cancelled debts, — and now he comes, — and calls God Father, and here begins all faith. — What? when he considered himself as a Son, and all his debts cancelled, had he no faith? Saltmarsh is afraid, if the sinner stand a far off, and look to God with a rope about his neck, that he be hanged and accursed eternally.

3. So Crisp saith, coming to Christ noteth no more dis-union nor distance between the comers and Christ, then before; they believe they are united and justified, and also coming to Christ (which we call believing) is wholly passive, as we say, a Coach is come to town, when it came drawn with horses ; which is clearly as much, as we are Christ's, and our sins pardoned, and both these we are to believe before ever we come to God. Shew a pattern for this preparation before we come to God.

4. Others (saith Saltmarsh, meaning Protestant Divines) Dare not believe, till upon terms of humiliation, sorrow for sin, works of righteousness, they have a price and satisfaction to come with, and in way of compounding and bargaining they deal with God, &c. This is a forged calumny of Saltmarshes, not our doctrine; some carnally minded men, think they dare not go to Christ, because they have not holiness and enough of preparations to merit saving grace, so do Pelagians, Arminians, for merit is natural to us all, this is the abuse of humiliation, of sense of sin, not humiliation it self, but swelling Pharisaical pride; we forbid any to believe, and come to Christ upon such terms; but on the other hand, Antinomians fail foully on the other extremity, through presumption, which is as deep naturally in our bones, as merit; and that is, because some look on all preparations, such as humiliation, sorrow for sin, as a price and hire, to buy or compound for saving grace, so they may have it at an easy rate; therefore (saith the Antinomian) away with all preparation, away with all humiliation, all sin-sickness for the Physician. Saltmarsh hath found a shorter cut to Christ; let every Pharisee, and proud undaunted heifer, every Dragon and Dromedary that standeth on his tip-toes to justify himself, remaining wedded to his lusts, without any humiliation, or sense of sin, though as proud as a Pharisee, and a Belzebub, believe all his debts are paid and cancelled, and come to Christ, and there begins all faith, hope, confidence, love, liberty.

5. We make humiliation, sorrow for sin, no warrants, no ground of believing, no price at all: land-marks we make them in order to believing, and require the sinner to put the price of dog on them, have such preparations, be humbled for sin, sorrow, and in this order believe, not for your humiliation, nor for your sorrow; Judas may have more then you, and never believe; therefore in point of merit, or self-confiding, forget all your preparations, cast them away in your esteem, and cast yourself on Christ: but the Antinomian saith, cast them away both in your esteem and practice; to have such preparations, to sorrow for sin, and be humbled before you believe, is to seek righteousness in yourself, and not to submit to the righteousness of God.

6, That is an often abused place, Walk in the light of your own sparks ; as if it were in sense, if ye be humbled, feel the burden of sin before ye believe, and upon that ground believe, ye shall lie down in sorrow. Ye may as soon bring the East and the West together, as make the place speak any such thing. Vatablus saith, The Lord threateneth judgment, that their own fire, and idolatrous ways, shall yield them sorrow, and a tormenting conscience in the day of wrath, and no comfort.

7. To be humbled, and sorrow, and hear, and then believe, if ye judge yourself worthy of ten hells, notwithstanding of all these, and yet come trembling, and touch the hem of Christ's garment, is not seeking of righteousness in yourself, nor any refusing to have all in Christ, but a sure way to Christ.

CHAP. LXIII. We need Law-directions, the Law and the Spirit are subordinate, not contrary.

ANtinomians denying holiness to be now fashioned by the Law of outward Commandment, but by the preaching of Faith, will not have us to borrow so much as light and direction from the Law; because 1. The Law is the beam, the light in the first day of Creation, the candle the Sream, and the Word is made flesh and dwells amongst us; and he the Sun, the true light, the day light, the fountain, and Christ will not be beholding to any of the light on Moses his face. But the place 2 Cor. 3. that Saltmarsh alludeth to, is the light of a convinced conscience, by which a man seeth himself condemned by the Law-ministration of wrath; this light and glory is done away, where the Spirit of Jesus is ; but the light of teaching direction to know our duty, and how we are to order our walking in Gospel-holiness, which the Spirit borroweth from the ten Commandments delivered by Moses, is established and taught by Christ, and not removed; for if Gospel-grace extirpate this light of the Moral Law, either out of our heart, or out of the written Commandments and writings of Moses ; then surely Christ is come to dissolve the Law, and to teach men neither to do, nor obey Law-commandments, seeing it is essential to the Law, as a Sun shining, whether hell, and Antinomians will or not, till Christ's second coming, to give light, and show what is our duty, Psal. 19.7, 8.9. Math. 5.1, 2, 3, &c. 19.20. And 2. if the light of direction that the Law yieldeth be removed, and lay no obliging power on us, more then a candle serveth to give us light in day-light; or the light created the first day of the creation, which is gone now, when Sun and Moon are created, I see not, how we sin not in worshipping God, in abstaining from Idol-worship, blasphemy, swearing, in loving, and honoring our Parents, and in loving our neighbor as our self; for we have no warranting light to do these, but that Law of Moses, which Christ expressly said, he came not to destroy in the personal practice of his Saints; yea these beams in all their smallest titles, must stand firmer then heaven or earth, Math. 5.17, 18, 19, 20. and therefore the spirit of Satan devised a combat and contrariety between the directing light of the Law and the Gospel, and between Moses and Christ, in this sense; as if Sanctification by the light of the Law, and the grace of the Gospel, which are sweetly subordinate, were contrary one to another, as fire and water; eternal fire must be their portion, that so teach, except they repent. 3. Saltmarsh citeth these, The word is made flesh — We saw his glory, &c. to prove that the Law is now not in the Letter, but in the Spirit, and we need not the Law, the Spirit sanctifieth. Just so did Henry Nicholas, and the Familists say, God incarnate was Christ manifested by love, and a vision of God, in the hearts of their perfect ones; and the incarnation was but every holy Saint, Godded and Christed in H. Nichol, and such like, and God manned by the Saints ; and the Familists of New England say, As Christ was once made flesh, so he is now first made flesh in us, ere we be carried to perfection. The Word of God speaketh but of one incarnation; for the Lord's coming in the flesh may prove a fuller measure of grace, but it never proveth, that 1. The Law is now in the Spirit. 2. That the ten Commandments under Moses are removed. 3. That all their directing light is quite gone, and as useless now as a candle in day light. I should wish Saltmarsh would come from under his veils, and speak truth, and fear not to own Familists, if they be his, and renounce Protestant Legalists, as he speaketh.

CHAP. LXIV. Antinomian differences between the Law and the Gospel, confuted.

WEe cannot be satisfied with the Antinomian differences between Law and Gospel. The Law (say they) • ommands us to obey, to love, to fear, to be holy, that God may be our God, and we his people; the Gospel commands us to obey, and love, because we are the people of such a God.

Answ. The Law never, neither before, nor after the fall of Man, did command obedience as a merit and deserving cause of having God to be our God, for so Antinomians speak of all Law-obedience, that it hireth God, and of all our Gospel-obedience, that it putteth God in our debt, as if we were hirelings, and God a Master obliged in a Legal way, and in terms of buying and selling, to pay us our wages.

2. How will Saltmarsh prove God was not Adams God, till he should work out his days work of Legal service perfectly, and win his wages, without a slip or sin? This is a conjecture. I would conceive, by creation the Lord was Adams God, and the indenture or paction to reward his obedience with eternal life was to go on, that Adam should have his other reward of life by doing, according as he kept the Law. But I take it thus, God could not require Law-obedience at all of Adam, but he was first his God, but God was to remain his God, no longer then Adam should perfectly serve God.

3. None of us, whom Saltmarsh would, if he could, confute, do teach, That we are to obey, and do God's Commandments, according to the Gospel-grace and strength from Christ, to the end, that God may be our God, else if we fail he is not our God. Now this Gospel-service he must say, we teach, if he refute us.

Diff. 2. The Law (saith Saltmarsh) commands us in the power of God, as a Law-giver, and tutor, or Minister: the Gospel in the power of a Father.

Answ. When Saltmarsh shall make these two contrary, to command as a Law-giver and as a Father, as wrath and love, we shall say Amen to this difference. But Antinomians think to command as a Law-giver cannot be, except God command under the pain of an eternal curse, for (say they) The Law not condemning, is not Law. So the Law-giver not cursing and condemning, must be no Law-giver; But this is a false principle. God commandeth as a Law-giver in the Gospel, all that eternal righteousness which he commandeth in the Law; for neither the Gospel, nor Christ dissolveth one tittle or jot of the eternal Moral Law of God, but he commandeth, not as a condemning Judge, the curse is removed from the Law, Gal. 3.10. Not the Law it self, nor the authority, majesty, nor spiritual holiness of the Law, or Lawgiver; and so God both commandeth in the Gospel, as a God, and Law-giver, even as our God a consuming fire to such as are not under grace, and as a Father to his own in Christ.

Diff. 3. The Law (saith he) commandeth, by promises and threatenings, blessings and cursings, the Gospel rather persuadeth then commandeth, and rather by promises; and exhorts rather then bids, and reasons us to duty, rather then enforceth, and rather draws us, then drives us, and setting forth promises, and privileges, and prerogatives, done on God's part, and Christ's part for us, rather argues us to doing, and working, and loving reflections again, and Christ is chiefly proposed to us for holiness, obedience, mortification, newness of life. So the Gospel commands rather by pattern, then precept, and by imitation, then command, Hebr. 12.12, 13.

Answ. 1. The Law did also persuade by promise • , Do this and live ; and argueth out of highest love, with all the heart to obey the Gospel, (I confess) addeth a transcendent and incomparable motive, which is the soul-conquering love of God, to give his blood and precious life a ransom for his enemies. But (I pray) why doth not Saltmarsh speak accurately, in setting down the differences between the Law, and Gospel (For they are the very hinges of the controversy between Antinomians and us:) he speaketh doubtfully, neither denying nor affirming, but the Gospel commandeth, only he saith, it rather persuades and argues, then commands. If he mean, it commandeth not the same way that the Law doth, that is, that we give personal perfect obedience, of our own purse and stock, without the grace of a Mediator, under pain of everlasting burning, then he should not have said, it rather persuades, nor commands, which is as much, as it commands, but swaies more to the persuading hand, but thus it commands not at all any in Christ, it speaks its commands, and issueth forth royal mandats, as a King to his own Subjects, that is, to these only that are under the Law, not to these under Gospel-grace.

But if Antinomians state the difference between Law and Gospel, aright to speak against us; the truth is, the Gospel commands not, by their way of obedience to the ten Commands to a believer, so as the believer doth sin against any Command, or Law of God, (call it as you will) or violate any authority of the Law-giver, if he disobey. 1. Because the Law-giver, in the Gospel, gives up all his authority as Law-giver, to command believers, as well as he resigneth his Law-giving Authority to curse and condemn believers: for the same way that God by no Law can condemn and curse believers, because • Christ was condemned, and made a curse for them; so neither can the Lord command by the authority of a Law-giver, any duty in the ten Commandments to a believer, as a believer. For saith Town, with the Antinomians; What Christ performed for us, that we are freed from by him, but Christ not only was made a curse for us; but also performed completely all active obedience that the Law commanded us. Therefore we are freed from all active obedience to the Law. So 1. as an arbitrary command is not properly a command, but rather a will-counsel and free advise, that one friend giveth to another; so that the friend refusing the counsel, sinneth against no Law; just so is it here. Antinomians may say, Believers sinning against Gospel-hortations, (for commands of God they are not) sin against the love, and deepest, and broadest grace of God, which is a higher offense, then to sin against a Law of God, and so its not arbitrary to them to obey. I answer. 1. Sin is no sin, if it be not now under the New Testament, a transgression of the Moral Law; but we are no more under the Law, say Saltmarsh, Crisp, Town, and Den, then an Englishman can fail against the Laws of Spain, and where there is no Law ; to the same purpose, saith Saltmarsh, there is no transgression, nor trouble of mind for sin. 2. If offending against the love of Christ be a greater sin then offending against the Law, then it is a sin; but this is false, for sure if it were a sin in them, God who seeth all, should see it to be a sin in them; now this God cannot do, for there is no more sin in a believer, (say they) then in Christ ; then the Gospel-exhortations must be arbitrary Commandments, that is, no Commandments of God.

3. If God in the Gospel give up, and denude himself of authority of commanding, then came Christ to dissolve the Law, contrary to his own Word, Math. 5.18, 19, 20. For nothing is more essential to the Law, then its commanding authority, even to command us to do, and teach others to do all, even to the least of the Commandments.

4. The Gospel (saith he) persuades rather then commands. But say we, it both commands, (as the Law doth) and with a more strong obligation of the constraining love of Christ, beside the authority of the Lawgiver, and also persuadeth; so here be no differences at all; for Christ hath not redeemed us from the curse of the Law, to free us from active obedience by his grace to the Law, that we should be Sons of Belial, from under all yoke, but that with a stronger tie, we should live in holiness and righteousness to him who died for us. O then (saith Town) I am sure if we be faster tied to the obedience of the Law, then before; we have no help by Christ, but rather he hath made our case more miserable, —why do you unloose the cords, and abate so much of the rigor of the Law.

Answ. Miserable be they, with Herod and Pilate, who call it a miserable case, that Christ's silken cords of love, and tyes of free Gospel-bands, oiled and sweetened with the love of Christ, renders us no help, but makes our yoke and Law-chains heavier. It is happiness, not misery, and sweetest liberty to serve God. But to Antinomians, Puritanical walking, and strict adhering to the Law of God, as a rule of righteousness, sweetened and perfumed with Gospel-grace, to perform any personal obedience (they lay all on imputative mortification abused, not rightly expounded) to God is bondage. 2. The rigor of the Law is not in commanding holiness, the Law then should be unjust, but in that it now obligeth us to obedience under a curse, when we are utterly unable to obey, but Christ abateth the rigor of the Law, in that 1. He removeth the curse, which Town seemeth to esteem a poor courtesy Christ hath done us. 2. Giveth grace to obey. 3. Pardoneth in Christ's blood the sinful defects of obedience. 4. Justifieth us not by Law, (that door to heaven is shut, never to be opened to sinners) but by faith, (which is his own gift) laying hold on the righteousness of Christ freely, and of only pure grace imputed to us.

5. Cornewell and other Antinomians make arguing obedience, and persuading comforts, by inferences and consequences, works of man, not able to produce assurance; and Saltmarsh thinketh, discoursing and reasoning not enough to produce assurance of faith, and he thinks it a Legal bondage to support the soul from marks, and such things as cannot give evidence but by inferences; yet all the superstructures of faith in Gospel-obedience, as binding upon persuading, arguing, reasoning. All other assurances (saith Saltmarsh ) beside the assurance of the light of faith, such as are from marks, and love to the brethren, (that come by way of reasoning and arguing) are rotten conclusions from the Word, and such things as true legal teachers have invented, not understanding the mystery of the kingdom of Christ ; then all Scripture and Gospel-arguing, are vain janglings by this.

6. Nor doth the Gospel command by pattern rather then precept, as if the examples of the cloud of Witnesses, who running their race with patience, inherit the promise of free salvation, Hebr. 12.1, 2, 3. should destroy commands, or as if patterns without Law, or any otherwise, but in so far as they are warrantted by the Law of God, did tie and oblige us to obedience and imitation; for if patterns, as patterns did tie us, then should we be obliged to follow the Fathers, and Christ, in their extraordinary works and miracles, which neither Law nor Gospel commands us to do.

7. But the truth is, outward commandments written or preached by Antinomians are given to us in the Gospel only by accident, and because we are carnal and sinful; but were we as spiritual as we should be, we should need no Law, but that which is spiritual, and written in the heart, no more then Angels need a written and outward Law. Now that Antinomians mean this, is clear by Saltmarsh his Divinity, — Commands (saith he) are for obedience, as well as tidings of forgiveness; — this kind of Gospel fits both God and man: and God the Father may be seen in commanding holiness, and the Spirit in forming the holiness commanded, and the Son in redeeming us to holiness, even to the will both of the Father and the Spirit. And this Gospel fits man, who is made up both of flesh and Spirit, and so hath need of a Law w • thout, and in the Letter, as well▪ as in the heart and Spirit: the Law is spiritual, but we are carnal. Rom. 7. Nor can a state o • flesh and Spirit be ordered only by a Law within; for the word and Law of the Spirit, merely is for a spiritual condition, or estate of glory, as Angels who live by a Law spiritual, and state of revelation.

Answ. 1. Here be strange conceits of old libertinism. Gospel commands are as well (saith he) for obedience, as tidings of forgiveness. But why for obedience? Any disobedience to them, is no sin in a believer, as is proved; then they are not to a believer for obedience. 2. I know not how man, because he is flesh, hath need of a Law without, and the letter of an outward command; then because he is spirit, or as he is spiritual, he hath need of no Law, nor letter of an external command. Timothy then hath no need, as he is a renewed man, to give himself to meditation, and reading, and doctrine; nor to continue in the things that he had known from the Scriptures, which are given by divine inspiration to save his own soul and others, and to make him perfect to every good work. Nor have the Saints at Colossae need, that the word of Christ dwell richly in them. Nor the called of Jesus Christ at Rome, as they are called and sanctified, any need of learning from the Scriptures, that they through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Only the flesh and the old man, possibly hath need of the Scriptures, and the letter of the command; then it was not David's inward man, that esteemed the testimonies of God and his promises sweeter then the honey and the honey comb ; and as his heritage, and more then thousands of silver and gold. Nor did Peter, or the Saints as regenerated to a lively hope 1 Pet. 1.3. and as they obtained the like precious faith, relish the promises as great and precious: but only their flesh found sweetness in God's word. And Mary, not as renewed, but according to the flesh and corruption, sat at Christ's feet, and heard his word, and chose the better part, that could not be taken from her. And this sorts well with the old Anabaptists, who said that the unregenerate only needed outward ordinances, as the Word preached by men, and hearing, reading, Sacraments; but for the regenerate, there is no need, that any teach his neighbor, because we are all taught of God; and the anointing teach-them all. And the Sons of God are not subject to the Law, that is, they are not to be taught, what they should do, or leave undone, seeing the Spirit of God which is their instructor, will teach them sufficiently, neither is anything to be commanded or enjoined them, as to do good, or eschew evil, or the like. The same Spirit, I say, doth command or enjoin them; likewise to retain the best, and quit the contrary, and obey them accordingly. And so speak the Libertines of N. England, These that be in Christ, are not under the Law, or commands of the Word, as the rule of life. 3. If man, because he is flesh, hath need of a Law without, and in the Letter; by flesh is either understood a body and sensitive soul; but then the meaning must be, that the Law of Word and Gospel is given to the outward man, to regulate him in his animal and vital actions, as eating, sleeping, walking, seeing, hearing, and other senses, as if no Law were imposed on the Spirit, heart, understanding, conscience, and will, a carnal dream that many put upon the Pharisees; or by the flesh must be understood, the unrenewed and sinful corruption. This must be the sense of Saltmarsh, for he citeth, Rom. 7.14. The Law is spiritual, that is just, and holy; as verse. 12. Wherefore the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy, and just, and good; but I am carnal: that is, sinful, flesh, unholy, and sold under sin. Now thus, Law and Gospel commands threatenings; Gospel-promises sweet invitations of free grace, that loaden sinners would come to Christ, and be refreshed, eased, saved, are all given to man, because he is sinful; and no outward Commandment would be laid on man, if he had not sinned, which is a conjecture and fancy. Divines say, the Tree of life, and of knowledge of good and ill, were Sacraments to innocent Adam,